White Plains’ 4th Best Personal Blog

Oy, it’s December. It’s now been more than two months since I’ve updated this thing (which I’m shamefully reminded of every time I visit certain friends’ blogs). To quote that musical sage Barry Manilow, where does the time go?

I don’t really know, to be honest. As I was watching the Bears get throttled the other night, I thought I might be able slip this post in during the waning minutes of November, so as to at least post one damned thing in the 11th month. But it was not to be, so instead this comes to you from the first few hours of that final month of the year (and the nine days since). Since the clock is ticking on 2008 and I’ve promised myself — and a reader or two — that I’ll have this thing caught up by the end of the year, I guess I’d better get a move on.

So forthwith, the first in a series of month-by-month updates (beginning with April when, you might remember, I returned from several weeks gallivanting in Australia and New Zealand) that will hopefully achieve the aforementioned goal in an expeditious and relatively painless fashion:

After getting back from Down Under, my first show was Bon Iver at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago, my first time seeing him/them and my first time at the venue. I hadn’t really been able to get into Bon Iver’s much-praised record For Emma, Forever Ago as quickly as some, but hearing the songs live (by my recollection, they simply performed the album in order, in its entirety) really made a difference. It helped that the venue — a surprisingly intimate, converted movie theater — was ideal for this show. We sat toward the back, but there really wasn’t a bad seat in the house. In that setting, the haunting beauty of the record really had a chance to be revealed. And it was. …

A few days later, we all gathered at the Hotel S ‘n’ S for what has become an annual highlight of the past few years, a basement show with Jeff Tweedy. I can never really sum up what a great night it is, but a couple of highlights included a sublime performance of “The Unwelcome Guest” and a tremendous rendition of “Sir Duke” (by Martin Rivas) that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. …

I hung around Chicago the next week to see a couple of Cubs games, but wound up only seeing one because of a rainout. I also took a quick trip down to Louisville to catch Kathleen Edwards, who was touring with her excellent band in support of her great new record, Asking For Flowers. What can I say? I’m a sucker for Canadian female singer-songwriters, I guess (ahem, Sarah Harmer). I just always enjoy seeing Kathleen, who has perfected that mix of sassiness and tenderness that makes her so appealing to many men and, judging by the group of very affectionate lesbian couples in front of me, women as well. Anyway, she did a nice mix of new and old and even a duet with opener Dan Wilson on his song “Secret Smile.” (Why did I have no idea that Wilson led the band Semisonic?). A few hours after the show, while napping and waiting for my very early flight back to Chicago, I was awakened by a rumbling that I later found out was an earthquake. Not sure if it had anything to do with the show, but I guess I’ll always think of that one as slightly earth shaking. Ha ha. …

Back in Chicago, I went back to the Lakeshore Theater to see a comedy show headlined by Todd Barry (of “Flight of the Conchords” fame). I also intended to go see the late show at the Lakeshore that night with the band The Fiery Furnaces, but I ended up selling my ticket and going out for a late night with Sam, Kris, Jeff and Daniel. … The next night, April 20, Sam and I went to the Riviera Theatre to see the double bill of The New Pornographers and Okkervil River (who had Charles Bissell of The Wrens touring with them on guitar). This was NPs with Neko but sans Dan, but fortunately they still did “Myriad Harbour,” with Okkervil’s Will Sheff standing in on vocals. They hadn’t played it when I saw them the last time. … The next night, my last in Chicago on this trip, I went to see the first of three Colin Meloy solo shows that I would see before the end of the month. …

Back in New York for the first time in more than a month, I only had a couple of nights before I hit the road again. The first I spent in Brooklyn seeing Jay Reatard at Europa. Since there were four bands on the bill (and, as I get older and more curmudgeonly, I’m less willing to stand through all of them), I tried to time it so that I would miss at least one and maybe two of them. But of course, despite what I thought was a tardy arrival, I still arrived before the first band had even gone on. Fortunately, each act played a fairly short set (including Jay, who blazed through his in what couldn’t have been more than 35 minutes). … The next night I had bought an advance ticket to see Destroyer at Bowery Ballroom, but skipped out when I found out that Nels Cline was playing two shows at the Jazz Standard as part of Cryptogramophone Week. The first was as member of the Jeff Gauthier Goatette, a fusion-y band whose music I’ve always enjoyed. The late set was a rare duo show with Nels and his twin brother (and percussionist extraordinaire) Alex Cline. I can’t remember what they played just now, if it even was anything specific, but it was probably improvised and certainly interesting. …

From there it was back to California for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Actually, I only attended two of the three days this year (missing Prince on Saturday night…boohoo) because I drove back to L.A. to see what was initially supposed to be Jon Brion’s last show at Largo before the club moved to its new location at the Coronet Theatre on La Cienega Boulevard. It turned out to not be Jon’s last show at the old Largo after all, but a fun night anyway with regulars Fiona Apple, Sara and Sean Watkins and Benmont Tench dropping by. … Later that morning, I rose, picked Evonne up and drove back to Coachella. Our primary motivation was to get there in time to see My Morning Jacket, which we did. It was a set featuring mostly material from the new record Evil Urges, though we also got a guest appearance by M. Ward on “Off The Record.” Afterward, we literally dashed over to another stage and caught most of Sons and Daughters’ set. And before we left, we lingered to watch part of Roger Waters’ headlining set (featuring Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety) from afar, taking in the spectacle of it all. I had no idea E was such a big Pink Floyd fan! …

I had pondered a visit to the Salton Sea the next day, but instead flew to San Francisco to see Devotchka at the Fillmore. Actually, I mainly was interested in Basia Bulat’s opening set, and she didn’t disappoint. Like I said, I love the Canadian female singer-songwriters. Devotchka had a lot more of a Latin sound than I thought, and less of a Slavic influence. I also seem to remember a pretty dramatic stage show with girls on swings or something like that. Anyway, it was OK but not really my thing. …

To close out the month, I saw back-to-back Colin Meloy solo shows in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I know some people who don’t enjoy it as much when the principal songwriter of a band steps out for a solo performance, but if I really like a band’s music, I personally enjoy seeing the different side of that music that comes out in a stripped-down setting (not to mention actual different songs that a full band either doesn’t know or doesn’t often attempt). And that’s the case with the Decemberists vis a vis Colin. So over the course of the two nights, it was nice to hear a variety of songs, both new and old — as well as more than a few Smiths/Morrissey interludes. I’d be hard pressed to say which show I preferred, so I won’t. Just that it was a pleasure to have seen both.

Jeff Tweedy//4-12-08//Hotel S ‘n’ S, Chicago, IL//support: none

I’m Into Something Good/ELT/Simple Twist Of Fate [Bob Dylan] (aborted)/Hotel Arizona/Be Not So Fearful [Bill Fay]/Henry and the H-Bombs [Mott the Hoople]/Let’s Not Get Carried Away/Summerteeth/You Were Wrong/Build Me Up Buttercup [The Foundations] (w/Martin Rivas on guitar and harmony vocals)/John Wesley Harding [Bob Dylan]/The Unwelcome Guest (w/Martin Rivas on harmony vocals and Dave Mirabella on guitar)/Dreaming [Blondie]/Thirteen [Big Star]//**intermission**//Simple Twist Of Fate [Bob Dylan]/Airline To Heaven (w/Eddie O’Connor on guitar)/Outta Mind (Outta Sight)/More Like The Moon/Wait Up/Laminated Cat/Kamera/A Magazine Called Sunset/The Ruling Class/Love and Mercy [Brian Wilson]/In A Future Age/The Lonely 1/The Thanks I Get/The Long Cut (w/Dave Mirabella on guitar)/Dash 7/Hummingbird/Sir Duke [Stevie Wonder] (Martin Rivas solo)/No More Poetry/Chinese Apple/I’m Always in Love/Pecan Pie/Far, Far Away/California Stars/I Can’t Keep From Talking/Gun/Candyfloss

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Kathleen Edwards//4-17-08//Headliner’s Music Hall, Louisville, KY//support: Dan Wilson

Mercury/In State/What Are You Waiting For?/Asking For Flowers/Run/Copied Keys/I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory/Oh Canada/Scared At Night (Kathleen solo)/I Can’t Give You Up (Kathleen on violin w/ Colin Cripps and Jim Bryson)/Summerlong/Six O’Clock News/12 Bellevue/Good Things/Oil Man’s War/The Cheapest Key//e: Secret Smile [Semisonic] (duet w/Dan Wilson)/Goodnight, California/Back To Me

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The New Pornographers//4-20-08//Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL//support: Okkervil River (w/Charles Bissell on guitar)

All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth/Use It/Stacked Crooked/All The Old Showstoppers/My Rights Versus Yours/The Laws Have Changed/Twin Cinema/Challengers/The Electric Version/Testament To Youth In Verse/Unguided/Mass Romantic/Adventures in Solitude/Myriad Harbour (w/Will Sheff on vocals)/Sing Me Spanish Techno/The Bleeding Heart Show//e: Don’t Bring Me Down [Electric Light Orchestra]/The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism

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Colin Meloy//4-21-08//Park West, Chicago, IL//support: Laura Gibson

Lesley Ann Levine/We Both Go Down Together>Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together [Morrissey] outro/new song-This Is Why We Fight/The Perfect Crime No. 2/ O, Valencia! (w/Dracula’s Daughter fragment)/Apology Song/Shankill Butchers/Kingdom of Spain/Cupid [Sam Cooke] (duet w/Laura Gibson)/new song-Lovely Night/Oceanside/A Cautionary Song//e: The Engine Driver/The Mariner’s Revenge Song

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Vampire Weekend//4-25-08//Empire Polo Field, Indio, CA//[2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]

Mansard Roof/Campus/Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa/M79/Bryn/Boston/A-Punk/I Stand Corrected/new song-White Sky/One/The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance/new song-Little Giant/Oxford Comma/Walcott

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My Morning Jacket//4-27-08//Empire Polo Field, Indio, CA//[2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]

One Big Holiday/Off The Record (w/M. Ward on guitar)/I’m Amazed/Evil Urges/Wordless Chorus/Highly Suspicious/Lay Low/Anytime/Gideon/Smokin’ From Shootin’/Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2

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Colin Meloy//4-29-08//Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA//support: Laura Gibson

California One>Youth and Beauty Brigade/Wonder/Summersong/Billy Liar/The Sporting Life>The Boy With The Thorn In His Side [Smiths] interlude/O, Valencia!/Cupid [Sam Cooke] (duet w/Laura Gibson)/Shankill Butchers/new song-Margaret Suite/Apology Song>I Don’t Owe You Anything [Smiths] interlude/A Cautionary Song//e: Raincoat Song/Tristan and Isolde/The Mariner’s Revenge Song

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Colin Meloy//4-30-08//The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA//support: Laura Gibson

Shiny>Rusholme Ruffians [Smiths] outro/Apology Song/The Soldiering Life/The Perfect Crime No. 2>Reelin’ In The Years [Steely Dan] interlude/new song-Lovely Night/new song-This Is Why We FIght/California One>Youth and Beauty Brigade/The Engine Driver/Cupid [Sam Cooke] (duet w/Laura Gibson)/Grace Cathedral Hill/Dracula’s Daughter (disco version)>/O, Valencia!/A Cautionary Song//e:The Landlord’s Daughter/The Mariner’s Revenge Song