Jon Brion, Largo at the Coronet, December 24, 2023
Two months in a row! And spoiler alert: I'll be around in January too, but after that, I think I need to stay home for a little bit. For now, I'm reporting for duty.I love these year-end Jon Brion shows, not necessarily because they're extravaganzas, though I've seen a few of those. I just love being able to wrap up the year with a performance by one of my favorite musicians at one of my favorite venues. These shows sometimes make you forget about all the bullshit that might have transpired during the year (though I have no complaints about the good stuff I was able to do in 2023).
The first sighting of the night was a drum kit, which I don't think we've previously seen during Jon's return to Largo. Otherwise, we still saw the vibes, guitars, and complicated wiring close to the piano. I'm not going to lie -- I was excited to rock.
Another holiday bonus: Flanny made the introduction! He had a mustache, a fuzzy green cardigan, and red pants. I know the big guy is always in the house, but it's nice to see his face and hear his voice.
Jon performed, in essence, a sound check upon arrival. He experimented with the mics at the piano a bit, and my notes say something about Andy Kaufman, but I can't recall what it means. Jon soon went into "Jingle Bells," which wasn't the last nod to Christmas for the night, then proceeded to a long piano exercise. I have some notes about "White Christmas" and maybe something from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This first official song of the night was "Someone Else's Problem Now," an original composition that has yet to be officially released. One of the fun things about Jon's return is the opportunity to get reacquainted with his unreleased tracks, and we got another dose with the next title, his own "Further Along."
Jon switched to acoustic guitar and went to a breathy, smoky track. Thanks to Google, I see that it was "I Concentrate on You," written by Cole Porter.
He asked for requests and chose "Walking Through Walls" on piano -- kudos to the audience member who stuck with a Jon-penned track. I sometimes fear that this song will drag a little, but that wasn't the case. He sprinkled a little of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and maybe "Bohemian Rhapsody," though I know almost nothing about the latter. However, I easily recognized "Tainted Love," one of my teenage favorites. And good work by the crowd to add handclaps in the right places.
The tone switched a little with the next song on electric guitar, which started out slowly and dramatically. It took a little while for me to realize it was "You Don't Know What Love Is." I'll just note that it took about 15 minutes.
Jon next welcomed a drummer onstage, and at first only referred to him as "Griffin." Eventually, we learned he's Griffin Goldsmith, from the band Dawes. I don't know anything about Dawes, other than they're from Los Angeles. Sebastian Steinberg also joined them.
Jon asked for requests and a million names flew out, so we had no idea which song he had chosen. But he started the song by pantomining a rhythm at Sebastian and Griffin. I had no idea what it meant, but it was a cool peek into what the studio experience might be like with Jon. He then went to the piano, and the three of them settled on the rhythm he wanted for the perennial favorite "Moonage Daydream." Jon played with one of the vintage keyboards for the bridge, and they coaxed a bass solo from Sebastian. This also went for about 15 minutes, though with a different tenor.
Griffin started the next song, by Jon's request, and he set down a fairly straightforward rock beat. Sebastian did his thing, and Jon added bluesy electric guitar riffs. I started jotting down the lyrics with the intention of Googling them later because I didn't recognize the song at all -- that is, until he dropped the name MTG. It turned out to be a totally spontaneous composition, which is always a delight and something you kinda hope for at a Jon Brion show.
Jon returned to the piano for his more traditional "The Way It Went," then shifted to vibes, while requesting a 6/8 rhythm from Griffin, for "Mood Indigo" (in G). I wouldn't have known the latter if Jon hadn't mentioned it under his breath at the beginning.
The guests left and Jon went into another original track on piano, and I'm going to admit that I don't like this one a whole lot. I think the chorus is something along the lines of "that's what people do."
For the encore, Griffin and Sebastian returned -- and they did my request! I hadn't put much thought into it, but when the opportunity arose, it seemed so obvious to end the year with "Tomorrow Never Knows." Jon said something about wanting to do a "hip-hop version," and I picked up some classic Dr. Dre "Still DRE" piano notes, but I'm not sure about the overall hip-hop rating for the song. But Jon's preference for the song reminded that in this stage of his career, he might be best known for his work with the late Mac Miller, for which he continues to receive accolades. He changed one lyric to "It is not Christmas," and overall, it was as chaotic and cathartic as you hope.
As I write this, it's 2024, and let's hope that Jon will be a staple in the coming year. In fact, he'll be in Chicago on Valentine's Day for a screening of the aforementioned Eternal Sunshine. I hope someone who might read this blog can go!
Setlist
piano
Someone Else's Problem Now
Further Along
I Concentrate on You
Walking Through Walls
You Don't Know What Else
Moonage Daydream*
improv blues song*
The Way It Went*
Mood Indigo*
That's What People Do
Encore
Tomorrow Never Knows*
* = with Griffin Goldsmith and Sebastian Steinberg
Ghosts of Christmas past:
» let your heart be light
» i'm offering this simple phrase
» it's been said many times, many ways
» with soul power
» it's the end of the things you know
» you could say one recovers
» a really good time
» the things you do to keep yourself intact
» i've heard a rumor from ground control
» strangest times
» i'll be a rock 'n' rolling bitch for you
» purple rain
» a few of my favorite things
» on such a winter's day
» man of the world
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