from the wrinkles on my forehead

Whew, where does the time go? This post has been on my brain for a little while now, so I might as well commit to the page.

Jon Brion, Largo at the Coronet, November 9, 2023

In October, Jon's show coincided with the first of two Wilco gigs at the Bellwether. I decided to stick with the original plans and have absolutely no regrets. Of course, I jumped on the next show announcement post-haste, and more importantly, I took it as a sign that Jon was back. I don't want to take these shows for granted, but it's good to know that we might be onto the start of something good again.

I, for one, like these weeknight gigs. Full disclosure: Airfare is cheaper, and my flexible work schedule is a blessing in this regard. I try to remind myself that I can't make all the shows, but dammit, I might die trying.

As this is only the 3rd show since Jon's return, I can't make any proclamations, but I've seen a pleasant mix of old-school faces in the audience. I guess people are curious when a former fixture stays away for two-plus years.

Onstage we saw a similar array of instruments as last time: vibes, guitars, lots of amps, and pedals on the key-based implements. Several books were also visible before Jon arrived with his usual Guinness. He informed us we were in store for a live soundcheck and started off with moody music, complemented by moody lighting, courtesy of the control booth. I'm not going to guess at what he played or drew from. Any artist I named would only reveal my ignorance. I'll just say it was warm and comforting, like a winter coat.

Still on the piano, he played with the pedals to create a contemplative tune before easing into one of his standards, "Strings That Tie to You." This version was more wistful than the studio track, and he segued into the "Eternal Sunshine Theme."

He immediately asked for requests, and the usual barrage ensued. Full disclosure: My brain hasn't been the sharpest. I blame the early morning flights from that week. I say this because I heard many of the requests, but per normal, I didn't put too much stock in them, as Jon will play what he wants anyway. He said something about needing a bossa nova beat because everything in the '80s used it, and to be frank, that should've been my tip-off. As he started playing on the piano, he asked if anyone knew the first verse and not a soul replied. This is kind of a travesty at Largo, but you can't have ringers every night.

I still didn't recognize the song until Jon furnished the second verse, and shame of shames, he was doing my beloved "Avalon," which comes up on my phone's shuffle frequently and happens to be one of my all-time favorites. At that point, I also remembered the first verse ("Now the party's over/I'm so tired/Then I see you coming/Out of nowhere/Much communication in a motion/Without conversation or a notion"), but that did no one any good. Instead, I mentally kicked myself for a bit before settling in to enjoy the rest of the song, which I don't think I've ever heard him do before. In fact, I've always assumed he was more of an Eno guy than a Ferry guy. I'd love to be proven wrong!

Even better, Jon segued into "To Turn You On," from the same album, and I'll never say no to a Roxy Music rock block.

He continued to ask for requests and picked up a guitar when he decided on the tune. He tuned, put down some loops, and fuzzed it up, and I soon realized he was doing my request for "Same Thing." I know fans love his covers, but at least early in the evening, I like to go with the songs that he's written or at least contribute to. Nerd that I am, I lean toward the older tracks, but then again, it's not like he's officially released any new music. Anyway, we got "Same Thing." I know it as a '90s-era power pop classic, but Jon seemed to lean in another '90s direction with aggressive guitar. He threw in a bunch of riffs from other songs (I heard a touch of "Incense and Peppermint" and the "Peter Gunn Theme"), and I was happy to do my part for the evening.

For the next request, he turned up a disco beat, leading to the one of the flagship songs of the movement. I have actually heard Jon do this one before, and tonight, the crowd enthusiastically sang along to "Staying Alive," including the line about the New York Times. This might've progressed to another song, but if it did, I can't name it.

Jon went back to his catalog for "Knock Yourself Out," which sounded a little like a saloon classic, with its clipping pace. He kept the rhythm with his feet and messed with the time signature to transform the song, as is his wont.

He went back to the guitar for a heavy riff and a Tom Waits-style vocal, all leading up to "When Doves Cry." Once again, the crowd sang along, down to the exclamations. He threw in bits of "Girl from Ipanema" and maybe "Piano Man," along with the Hendrix version of the "Star Spangled Banner."

Jon next sat down at the celeste and played a tiny snippet of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" per an audience request. But his real mission was "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," which I had to look up after this show. All I can tell you is that this was one of the intimate experiences you can get at few places other than Largo, as Jon crouched over the keys and you couldn't hear a sound from the audience. Spinning around on his seat, he went to the piano and his own "Trial and Error" to complete this keys-based segment.

From there, he walked over to the vibes to honor an earlier audience request: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." It was as fun and as wonderful as you can imagine.

Jon left shortly, then returned with Sean Watkins and the two hit the classics with Peter and Gordon, then the inevitable Dylan (not a bad thing!). Then Jon closed with a song he said he noticed had the same cadence with a Cole Porter song, and I woudn't have guessed that we'd end up with "Ace of Spades," with Lemmy-style vocals on acoustic guitar.

Setlist
piano
Strings That Tie to You/Eternal Sunshine Theme
God Bless the Child
Avalon/To Turn You On
Same Thing
Staying Alive
Knock Yourself Out
When Doves Cry
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
Trial and Error
While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Encore
I Go to Pieces *
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go *
Corrina, Corrina *
Ace of Spades

* = with Sean Watkins

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i know it's today

Long time, no blog! In fact, I've been to some shows since the Lost Time, but they weren't worth chronicling until this one: the return of Jon Brion. Happy to be back!

Jon Brion, Largo at the Coronet, September 14, 2023

By my estimation, Jon Brion's last show at Largo took place in February 2020. He's dropped in now and again for friends' shows, but three and a half years has passed since the world last saw him do what he does best. Some of us have felt every passing month of that wait. There was no hesitation on my part to get to LA for this gig.

I can tell you exactly when I last saw Jon Brion because none other than Mick Fleetwood, Neil Finn, and Liam Finn joined him that night. Lest you've forgotten, I don't really care who Jon welcomes to the stage -- I go to these shows to see Jon. Everyone else is a lovely bonus, but not my motivating factor. Besides, if you know me, you know that I do everything I can to attend the Christmas show.

Lately, I mostly come to Largo to see Jeff Tweedy, and music remains my biggest motivation to make the trip. But even the prep for this show felt a little different, and I probably had an extra spring to my step as we walked up Beverly. The lobby and bar were buzzing as we saw familiar faces, and the theater was packed. As usual, I had no expectations going in, though I had a couple of requests should Jon call for suggestions.

Jon's instrumentation is always notable, and I can report that he had the vibes, a dozen-plus guitars, a small Casio keyboard, and maybe a Chamberlin, along with several panels of pedals and switches at the foot of Largo's signature upright piano. That is, he didn't have drums, video screens, or the EMS Synthi.

Jon emerged without any fanfare, carrying a pint of Guinness and a notebook. He looked a tad grayer, but don't we all? His first tune was the jingle for Skyrizi, confirming that he too has been watching TV. From there, he went into a piano song that I can't identify, except it had a slight pop feel, as opposed to a jazz or an abstract track, which he's been known to do. The next song was more familiar, as I recognized the back-and-forth piano work.

I'll admit that I didn't know the next song. My notes say he used the pedals for a spacy, layered pump organ-like sound, and he brought in the Chamberlin for a slow, developing song. This could be anything, right? But Paul identified it as "God Bless the Child," and I'm not going to argue with him.

The next song started with spacy sounds, and Jon spent some time testing the piano and the off-tune keys, but I mostly knew where he was going. When you hit enough Jon shows, you get a clue or two about where he might be heading, and I figured he would go in one of two directions. Tonight, that meant "Stop the World," but hint: Sometimes you end up with "Strings That Tie to You." Of course, Jon mixes up his songs with every performance. Tonight, a pretty, pronounced rhythm jumped out to me.

Jon requested more slap from the sound booth for his next classic "Ruin My Day." He stretched out the pace on some vocals, and this was the first warm blanket of the evening.

The next song might not be a song at all, and I won't venture a guess. At one point, he played a snippet of The Outer Limits theme. My notes say he layered the instruments to create a moody, dramatic soundscape that, to my ears, suggested a journey. Maybe it's soundtrack work? Maybe it's his real-time experimentation? Probably only Jon knows!

I recognized the next song immediately, but it was still fun to hear Jon's long intro and leisurely pace before he launched into "Knock Yourself Out." He sounded so effortless, as he played with the pacing, slowing down the tempo to wrap up the tune.

Remaining at the piano, he worked the pedals and the layering for one of his signature songs: the theme to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which, by the way, you can hear as the background music in the BMW Super Bowl commercial from a couple of years ago). The loops reinforced the emotional arcs of the song, and in other parts, the dissonance between the piano effects brought to mind the chaos of the movie.

For the last piano track in this opening segment, Jon punched out a fast, extended intro, and I thought I picked up the rhythm of the song. My guess was correct, as he went into "Meaningless," from the only solo album he has yet to release.

Jon finally made his way to the guitars, first picking up the faithful black-and-white Gretsch. After an extended tuning, he hit his own "At It Again," an unreleased track that he plays often. This probably isn't the most original thought, but tonight, I heard the XTC influence in this song.

Jon made an off-hand comment under his breath before he started the next song, but even if he hadn't, I might've eventually figured out that he and his first guest Sebastian Steinberg were doing "'Round Midnight." I confirmed with Paul and Evonne after they finished, but I'm still pretty proud of myself for picking up the clues.

Next, we got this exchange:
Jon: Name something.
Sebastian: Tom.
Jon: Or start something.

With that cue, Sebastian started riffing on his stand-up bass, and the two of them eventually crafted "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." They had fun with a couple of Jon's favorite crowd-pleasers befor David Garza joined them.

Jon took to the vibes as David started with his own "Drone," followed by the blues classic "Got My Mojo Working." We did our part, shouting out the chorus, as Jon played the vibes like a drum set, hitting the stems and all but the vibes bed.

John C. Reilly emerged from backstage to take the mic for a couple of standards that he presumably also performs in his own show as Mr. Romantic. This isn't the first time I've seen John C. Reilly in performance at Largo, but in case this is a new concept to you, I can assure you that he has a wonderful voice. Say what you want about actors who want to be singers, but keep in mind that some are trained to cross those lines. Anyway, thespian that he is, John gilded the lily, as he stepped to the edge of the stage and towered over us in the first row to belt out "Mona Lisa."

To close out the main set, Jon was left by himself, and he returned the piano. As soon as he turned out the calypso beat, I was 99.9% sure where he was going, but you never really know. Regardless, the thrill was the same when "More Than This" broke out. I'll never say no to this song. He might've played one more song, but I can't identify or confirm that tune.

Jon and Sebastian returned for the encore and asked us for requests. Ultimately, they said they couldn't understand any of us and polled us on a couple of choices for a singalong. Jon reported that he heard more support for "God Only Knows," but the votes for "Life on Mars" were more vehement. He decided to split the difference, but warned that most people don't really know the words to either. I admit that Jon usually leads the songs, so the audience as a whole fills in the parts we know and love best. Nonetheless, he let us proceed, starting with Bowie.

Largo is a magical place in many regards, but one element has popped up more than once, and it did again tonight. Not only did one person in the audience know all the words to "Life on Mars," but he also had a beautiful singing voice. Call him a ringer, but he was our guiding voice and a pleasure to hear. When you think about it, this should come as no surprise when you're in one of the entertainment capitals of the country, if not the world. I can only imagine how many musicians were in the audience, but I'm grateful for that particular songbird.

"God Only Knows" was more traditional in that almost everyone seemed to know the words or knew enough of them to chime in. I feel like almost every song at Largo is a celebration, but this is always the ultimate unifier and reminder that you're among friends. I hope Jon -- and we -- can do it again soon.

Setlist
Skyrizi song
piano
Strangest Times
God Bless the Child
Stop the World
Ruin My Day
???
Knock Yourself Out
Eternal Sunshine Theme
Meaningless
At It Again
Round Midnight *
Don't Get Around Much Anymore *
Funkytown/Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy *
Drone **
Got My Mojo Workin' **
Blue Skies ***
Mona Lisa ***
More Than This
???

Encore
Life on Mars *
God Only Knows *

* = with Sebastian Steinberg
** = with Sebastian Steinberg and David Garza
*** = with Sebastian Steinberg, David Garza, and John C. Reilly

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