Funny place, that Largo. After you've finally made peace with the idea that Jon Brion is doing only one set these days and that you'll be out the door a little after midnight, he turns in (basically) two sets rolled into a single session. Go figure.
Jon Brion, Largo, November 17, 2006: After last month's supermoody show, I felt some trepidation, not least because we had three newbies (Trish, John, and Kyle), one near-newbie (Maudie), and one birthday girl (Brianne) among our eight seats. Though I filed all caveats ahead of time, they didn't cancel on us, and slight relief came when Mike at the door announced that the cover charge for the night would be $15, to accommodate the "special guests." I try not to overanticipate any particular show or potential guests, but Jon seems more likely to perk up when his friends join him onstage, which, in turn, translates to a peppier show.
We couldn't help guessing at who the mystery performers might be, and the question was partly answered when we took our seats and noticed a pedal steel guitar among the night's instruments. I figured Greg Leisz would be joining in, which thrilled those of us who had seen last month's cavalcade of stars. John, however, gave me a funny look and informed me that no one else considered that a star sighting. Bwahahahaha.
Soon enough, Jill Sobule took the stage for a short, charming set. Coincidentally, Jill opened the only other time Maudie has seen Jon Brion--we're guessing they must share a psychic bond. No, we didn't get "Hot in Herre" this time, but Jill pointedly dropped Paris Hilton's name during the opening song, "Bitter," about people getting by (or not) on their actual talents. Tonight, Greg Leisz added his distinctive touch to her basic tunes and sounded as if he had lived with them for the last 10 years, though the two had met only 10 minutes before.
Flanagan came back to the stage to introduce Jon, who apparently had just returned from England. Cutting a dapper figure in a pinstriped suit with western-style front pockets, Jon went to one of his hollow-body guitars for, I'm guessing, an instrumental medley. Evonne and I exchanged a couple of ideas for what we might've heard. My guess: "I'm in the Mood for Love," but I can't guarantee that he actually played it.
I think the pedal demo started as Jon trying to determine which guitar he wanted next, but instead, we got a short explanation of how certain switches add or subtract from the guitar's tones. He touched the keyboards for a bit, just to make sure they were working, but his real intentions resided elsewhere. Instead, he built up "Girl I Knew" with slightly different phrasing than I'm used to. It was a bit more languid--resigned, perhaps?--and not as crisp and syncopated as usual.
I still hadn't quite gauged the feel of the night, as Jon hadn't spoken much, and the next two songs on the piano didn't help either, as they were two of his more contemplative tunes. OK, I admit it, "The Way It Went" is an outright downer--there, I said it.
But accompanying Jon's relative reticence was the audience's silence. Most of the time, the audience doesn't wait for Jon to ask for requests before they yell out titles, but there was something about tonight's tone that seemed to keep us from imposing on Jon's mental state. We mostly stayed quiet, and Jon proceeded apace with what turned out to be mostly his own compositions.
Back on electric guitar, Jon turned in "That's Just What You Are," again with a little tweak in phrasing. He tried out a bunch of his harmonicas and found them unsatisfactory until Samy brought out a specific model. With the proper equipment, he launched into "Knock Yourself Out" on the celeste--just about the most charming version of the tune I've ever heard.
The rock returned with "I'm Further On," a song whose recent absence I'd been thinking of earlier that day. Happily, the drought was over, though it wasn't without its hurdles. While Jon switched instruments at the beginning of the song, his guitars became a bit entangled, and he ended up with one that didn't have a strap. We saw him contorting himself in various ways to get a handle on the guitar, including kneeling on the floor to support it and holding it up high on his body, à la George Harrison. The song itself seemed to bring out something in Jon, moving him to jump around the stage and grin happily through passages. He turned in a maniacal solo that required many of the pedals he had demonstrated to us earlier and brought it to a close on a big rock ending.
This song may have wrought unexpected side effects as well. I couldn't help but notice that after taking his seat at the piano, Jon was rubbing his right arm. The tendinitis question remains, of course, and it was the first time since July that I've seen him show any discomfort onstage. I, for one, don't assume that Jon's all better, but I can always use a reminder that this whole thing can go up in smoke yet again.
Nonetheless, Jon followed up with "Strings That Tie to You," embellished with ethereal piano loops. He remained on the piano for a jazzy instrumental that I recognized as a deconstructed "Someone to Watch Over Me." Expanding on this lead, he built it up to its anthemic glory, still bringing to (my) mind more Bowie than Gershwin.
Though we didn't realize it at the time, this effectively ended the first half of the show, as Jon brought on his old friends Benmont Tench and Greg Leisz--a.k.a. 3/7 of the astounding supergroup that had recently graced Largo. Personally, these three were my favorite members, though I wouldn't have minded David Rawlings showing up and chipping in.
Whatever verbal communication goes on between these guys has to be pretty subtle, as even in the front row of tables, we can barely hear any words exchanged. Still, they seem to follow, lead, prod, support, encourage, and inspire each other with little more than a glance, a nod, or a grin. Early in their set, Jon joked about doing all Dylan covers; as it turned out, a preferred artist emerged, but it wasn't Bob.
I remember thinking that "Isn't It a Pity" sounded fairly traditional, but "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" had a palpable poignancy that had me holding my breath. Something about the spare instrumentation, Jon's purposeful stance and gaze, the musicians' soloing turns, and the beauty of the song itself added up to a powerful, moving performance.
During the slight lull that followed, I took advantage of the silence to request "I'll Be Back" since I knew that it could be done with an acoustic guitar and a lap steel. Besides, I wanted to hear what Benmont could do with it; he didn't disappoint.
Jon professed his love of "I Don't Hurt Anymore," and my Beatlemania hardly minded "Day After Day." As usual, Jon requested "egregious" slapback for "Why Do You Do This to Yourself," and Scott obliged with "the kind you can't get over the counter." To my delight, Jon added touches of falsetto and cooing passages, and the tune took on a wistful, high lonesome sound. It wasn't what I expected, but it was an awesome twist on a familiar selection.
Just when I thought that we had settled into our groove for the night, Jon threw a curveball in the form of a Pixies song that briefly morphed into "Jessie's Girl," before giving way to "Taxman" and finally an overlay of "Within You, Without You."
The group loosely convened to decide on the last song of the night, though Jon didn't explicitly inform either Benmont or Greg of his decision. Instead, he asked them for eight bars, which made us laugh and Benmont sort of gape. But Jon plowed on, and within three beats, I knew exactly--well, sort of--what was coming next: "Tomorrow Never Knows." True to form, it went on for at least 20 minutes, as the three of them played their fingers off. I loved that Jon re-created the cut-up tape sequences live on guitar, while Greg's lap steel found a home on this most unlikely of Beatles songs.
But somewhere in this musical maelstrom, I noticed familiar chords coming from the piano--Benmont was dropping "Day Tripper" into the mix, and Jon picked up on it as well. Between the two of them, they visited at least a dozen Beatles songs that I recognized and probably twice as many that went right past me.
By the end, "She's So Heavy" had fully taken hold. While Benmont picked out a beautiful passage, Jon set down his guitar and fell to his hands and knees, slapping the pedals off before moving to the drum set for the ending coda.
By then, it was about 1:30, and Jon was still hanging around and chatting with fans as we left the club. But the night wasn't exactly over yet. On our way to the car, we noticed an improbably dressed figure sidling into the Dime, as well as a video camera following her moves from afar. Holy shit, it was Paris Hilton, the recording artist herself. Her driver even backed his SUV into our spot after we left. Is there such a thing as coincidence in Los Angeles? I don't think so!
Jill Sobule setlist
--Bitter
--Bobbie Gentry*
--Now That I Don't Have You*
--Ring Them Bells*
--Victorious*
* = with Greg Leisz
Jon Brion setlist
--guitar instrumental
--pedal demo
--Girl I Knew [song build]
--The Way It Went [piano]
--Eternal Sunshine theme [piano]
--That's Just What You Are [electric guitar]
--Knock Yourself Out [celeste + harmonica]
--I'm Further On [song build]
--Strings That Tie to You [piano]
--Someone to Watch Over Me (jazzy instrumental version) [piano]
--Someone to Watch Over Me (rock version) [song build]
--Isn't It a Pity**
--It's All Over Now, Baby Blue**
--I'll Be Back**
--I Don't Hurt Anymore**
--Day After Day**
--Why Do You Do This to Yourself**
--Gigantic/Jesse's Girl/Taxman/Within You, Without You**
--Tomorrow Never Knows/Day Tripper/She Said, She Said/I Want You/Ob La Di, Ob La Da/Dear Prudence/Baby You're a Rich Man/a thousand other Beatles riffs**
--She's So Heavy**
** = with Benmont Tench and Greg Leisz
See also:
» just for one day
» Gillian, David, Sean, Sara, Jon, Greg
» i'll be back again
» can't really spell it out
Showing posts with label jillsobule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jillsobule. Show all posts
Monday, November 20, 2006
Saturday, July 30, 2005
can't really spell it out
Note: I started writing this two weeks ago, but I only got around to finishing it now. Please forgive the untimely nature of this post.
Jon Brion, Largo, July 15, 2005: I love LA! No, really, I do, and I think some of my friends are starting to soften up too. What a glorious weekend, and of course, the centerpiece was time spent with dear friends and a wonderful time at Largo. Of course, you know I'm gonna drop the setlist first [compiled with help from Heidi], details following:
Jill Sobule opener
--One of These Days
--Waiting for the Rapture
--Hot in Herre (+ Jon Brion on piano)
--Cinnamon Park
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jon Brion set 1
--piano warmup
--Ruin My Day
--Midnight Cowboy theme + Fur Elise
--Love of My Life So Far (acoustic guitar)
--"welcome to the beginning of the set"
--I Was Happy with You (song build; crunchy guitar end)
--Why Do You Do This to Yourself (very twangy)
--Everytime We Say Good-bye (heavy, heavy guitar)
--Lady Stardust (piano)
--??? [lyrics: "Happiness is overdue/many other lyrics/But you left me/But you left me/But you left me..."]
--Knock Yourself Out
--Trial and Error
--Maybe You're a Different Girl
--Punch-Drunk Theme/Here We Go
Jon Brion set 2
--piano/synth megamedley [Abracadabra/Band on the Run/Chariots of Fire/Don't Go/For Your Love/Wicked Witch theme from Wizard of Oz/Tocatta in D minor/ Rhapsody in Blue, among many others]
--This Is Where I Belong
--It Looks Like You
--??? (lyrics: "Can I come over to you/untranslatable lyrics/Baby, can I ride your plane/Just let me come over to you")
--Me Myself and I
--Only Shallow
--Stop Your Sobbing
--spacey keyboard/toy piano interlude
--I'm Further Along
--piano/toy piano instrumental jag: Over Our Heads (?)/Someday We'll Be Together
--Someone to Watch Over Me (song build)
--Happy Birthday Kelsey
--Working on the Railroad (harmonica)
--Trouble (piano)
--I'm on a Roll With You (piano + harmonica)
--All in the Family theme/Waiting at the End of the Road [Fats Waller version]
--Strings That Tie to You (piano)
The evening started with a short surprise set by Jill Sobule, who was positively wonderful. Her songs were very fun, and she introduced "Hot in Herre" by explaining that there were certain songs she liked to do but didn't seem right played by a girl on an acoustic guitar. Regardless, the Nelly song got the whole crowd singing along. For that tune, Jon Brion ran from somewhere in the back and joined in on piano, only to run away back into the darkness at the end of the song. It figures he wouldn't be able to resist joining in for a raucous cover.
I've seen a lot more Largo shows this year than usual, so it's interesting to witness how Jon does and doesn't repeat himself. That's not a bad thing, but it gives me a slightly different perspective on his performances. He started off with a lovely piano interlude, which I'm sure delighted Heidi. I can't begin to guess what was in that segment, but it sounded divine. If she weren't already happy, I'm sure she got a kick of his "real" opening number, the always wonderful "Ruin My Day." I can't recall if he asked for requests or if someone just yelled it out, but the Midnight Cowboy theme (?) came via a suggestion from the crowd.
Off to the guitar for a few songs characterized by particularly heavy licks, then back to the piano for "Lady Stardust." I think he mentioned something about how much he loves Bowie--like anyone can blame him! The song after was fairly strident-sounding, or at least as strident as what was, at heart, a pop ditty can be. At the end, he said something about that's the sort of bitter, jaded stuff you write when you're in your 20s, which leads me to believe it's one of his songs. He turned that around with "Knock Yourself Out," just about as unjaded and unbitter a song you could pick from his oeuvre.
The second set opened with Jon drinking a beer and good-naturedly asking us "how the fuck" we were doing. As he mentioned when I asked him about June touring plans, he had indeed been in London to do some recording and hadn't performed for about three weeks. He seemed to miss the crowd and acted as if he were surprised anyone would come back. (Eh!?) Anyway, he jumped back on the piano, and I have to agree with many of my friends who think that's his best instrument. Granted, I love watching him on drums, but the piano just suits his talents and his voice so well.
He did a long medley of a million different songs that I couldn't really keep track of. I was shocked to hear him do "Don't Go" by Yaz! I guess I think of him as such a '60s and '70s guy, but of course, he was probably the right age during the '80s to take in the trendy stuff too. Following the Kinks song, he gushed about Ray Davies's brilliance and how he should be hailed across the land for his musical talents. I think Jon did a new song; at the very least, I couldn't Google the lyrics I managed to jot down. It was a fun, rocking number, at least. For the My Bloody Valentine request, Jon had to take a few minutes to jog his memory, so he worked out the thread of the song on piano in, like, double time before he ran over to the drums, then back to the guitar. That's one of the songs I associate with my college years and the whole shoegazing trend, and it still tickles me to think that all the time later, I'd be watching one man doing it onstage in real time. Hell, maybe Jon likes that they take longer on their follow-up album than he has!
Then came the highlight of the set: "Stop Your Sobbing" done low and sexy, just barely a murmur, and with no accompaniment other than the effects pedals. No, he didn't use the guitar--only the pedals. Oh yeah. It was wonderful.
"Someday We'll Be Together" came at the end of a long piano interlude, and it put a huge smile on my face when I finally recognized the tune. Jon didn't sing it except for the "yes we will/yes we will" part, but the spirit of the song certainly came through. "Someone to Watch Over Me" sounded almost Ziggy Stardust-esque to me, with a huge swooping chorus that I find hard to believe the Gershwins originally envisioned, but it was great nonetheless.
He seemed to really want to play until the bitter end for this, his return to the stage. It makes me think that maybe he needs us as much as we need him. :) Anyway, as he was nearing the 2 a.m. mark, he asked for requests, resulting in the "All in the Family" theme. As he played the song, he said it made him think of the Fats Waller version of the Irving Berlin song, "Waiting at the End of the Road." In what Largo regulars know as a typically Brionesque move but what may sound like crazy talk to anyone who hasn't seen Jon, he seamlessly melded the two before returning to "All in the Family." Finally, he ended with "Strings That Tie to You." Sigh.
On my way to the bathroom, I ran into Jon and asked if the "I'm further along" song is (a) his, and (b) gonna be on his new album. He said yes to both, also noting that he has two albums coming out. Of course, with Jon, he's been talking about releasing any number of albums over the years, so who knows when the hell we'll ever see them? According to recent news, one of the albums may be the score to the next Paul Thomas Anderson movie, so at least there are real deadlines involved. Then again, a Jon Brion fan is well acquainted with that old virtue: patience. And for those of us who aren't, there's always Largo on Friday nights. Tee hee.
See also:
» top 5 Largo memories
» get a load of the lengths I go to
Jon Brion, Largo, July 15, 2005: I love LA! No, really, I do, and I think some of my friends are starting to soften up too. What a glorious weekend, and of course, the centerpiece was time spent with dear friends and a wonderful time at Largo. Of course, you know I'm gonna drop the setlist first [compiled with help from Heidi], details following:
Jill Sobule opener
--One of These Days
--Waiting for the Rapture
--Hot in Herre (+ Jon Brion on piano)
--Cinnamon Park
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jon Brion set 1
--piano warmup
--Ruin My Day
--Midnight Cowboy theme + Fur Elise
--Love of My Life So Far (acoustic guitar)
--"welcome to the beginning of the set"
--I Was Happy with You (song build; crunchy guitar end)
--Why Do You Do This to Yourself (very twangy)
--Everytime We Say Good-bye (heavy, heavy guitar)
--Lady Stardust (piano)
--??? [lyrics: "Happiness is overdue/many other lyrics/But you left me/But you left me/But you left me..."]
--Knock Yourself Out
--Trial and Error
--Maybe You're a Different Girl
--Punch-Drunk Theme/Here We Go
Jon Brion set 2
--piano/synth megamedley [Abracadabra/Band on the Run/Chariots of Fire/Don't Go/For Your Love/Wicked Witch theme from Wizard of Oz/Tocatta in D minor/ Rhapsody in Blue, among many others]
--This Is Where I Belong
--It Looks Like You
--??? (lyrics: "Can I come over to you/untranslatable lyrics/Baby, can I ride your plane/Just let me come over to you")
--Me Myself and I
--Only Shallow
--Stop Your Sobbing
--spacey keyboard/toy piano interlude
--I'm Further Along
--piano/toy piano instrumental jag: Over Our Heads (?)/Someday We'll Be Together
--Someone to Watch Over Me (song build)
--Happy Birthday Kelsey
--Working on the Railroad (harmonica)
--Trouble (piano)
--I'm on a Roll With You (piano + harmonica)
--All in the Family theme/Waiting at the End of the Road [Fats Waller version]
--Strings That Tie to You (piano)
The evening started with a short surprise set by Jill Sobule, who was positively wonderful. Her songs were very fun, and she introduced "Hot in Herre" by explaining that there were certain songs she liked to do but didn't seem right played by a girl on an acoustic guitar. Regardless, the Nelly song got the whole crowd singing along. For that tune, Jon Brion ran from somewhere in the back and joined in on piano, only to run away back into the darkness at the end of the song. It figures he wouldn't be able to resist joining in for a raucous cover.
I've seen a lot more Largo shows this year than usual, so it's interesting to witness how Jon does and doesn't repeat himself. That's not a bad thing, but it gives me a slightly different perspective on his performances. He started off with a lovely piano interlude, which I'm sure delighted Heidi. I can't begin to guess what was in that segment, but it sounded divine. If she weren't already happy, I'm sure she got a kick of his "real" opening number, the always wonderful "Ruin My Day." I can't recall if he asked for requests or if someone just yelled it out, but the Midnight Cowboy theme (?) came via a suggestion from the crowd.
Off to the guitar for a few songs characterized by particularly heavy licks, then back to the piano for "Lady Stardust." I think he mentioned something about how much he loves Bowie--like anyone can blame him! The song after was fairly strident-sounding, or at least as strident as what was, at heart, a pop ditty can be. At the end, he said something about that's the sort of bitter, jaded stuff you write when you're in your 20s, which leads me to believe it's one of his songs. He turned that around with "Knock Yourself Out," just about as unjaded and unbitter a song you could pick from his oeuvre.
The second set opened with Jon drinking a beer and good-naturedly asking us "how the fuck" we were doing. As he mentioned when I asked him about June touring plans, he had indeed been in London to do some recording and hadn't performed for about three weeks. He seemed to miss the crowd and acted as if he were surprised anyone would come back. (Eh!?) Anyway, he jumped back on the piano, and I have to agree with many of my friends who think that's his best instrument. Granted, I love watching him on drums, but the piano just suits his talents and his voice so well.
He did a long medley of a million different songs that I couldn't really keep track of. I was shocked to hear him do "Don't Go" by Yaz! I guess I think of him as such a '60s and '70s guy, but of course, he was probably the right age during the '80s to take in the trendy stuff too. Following the Kinks song, he gushed about Ray Davies's brilliance and how he should be hailed across the land for his musical talents. I think Jon did a new song; at the very least, I couldn't Google the lyrics I managed to jot down. It was a fun, rocking number, at least. For the My Bloody Valentine request, Jon had to take a few minutes to jog his memory, so he worked out the thread of the song on piano in, like, double time before he ran over to the drums, then back to the guitar. That's one of the songs I associate with my college years and the whole shoegazing trend, and it still tickles me to think that all the time later, I'd be watching one man doing it onstage in real time. Hell, maybe Jon likes that they take longer on their follow-up album than he has!
Then came the highlight of the set: "Stop Your Sobbing" done low and sexy, just barely a murmur, and with no accompaniment other than the effects pedals. No, he didn't use the guitar--only the pedals. Oh yeah. It was wonderful.
"Someday We'll Be Together" came at the end of a long piano interlude, and it put a huge smile on my face when I finally recognized the tune. Jon didn't sing it except for the "yes we will/yes we will" part, but the spirit of the song certainly came through. "Someone to Watch Over Me" sounded almost Ziggy Stardust-esque to me, with a huge swooping chorus that I find hard to believe the Gershwins originally envisioned, but it was great nonetheless.
He seemed to really want to play until the bitter end for this, his return to the stage. It makes me think that maybe he needs us as much as we need him. :) Anyway, as he was nearing the 2 a.m. mark, he asked for requests, resulting in the "All in the Family" theme. As he played the song, he said it made him think of the Fats Waller version of the Irving Berlin song, "Waiting at the End of the Road." In what Largo regulars know as a typically Brionesque move but what may sound like crazy talk to anyone who hasn't seen Jon, he seamlessly melded the two before returning to "All in the Family." Finally, he ended with "Strings That Tie to You." Sigh.
On my way to the bathroom, I ran into Jon and asked if the "I'm further along" song is (a) his, and (b) gonna be on his new album. He said yes to both, also noting that he has two albums coming out. Of course, with Jon, he's been talking about releasing any number of albums over the years, so who knows when the hell we'll ever see them? According to recent news, one of the albums may be the score to the next Paul Thomas Anderson movie, so at least there are real deadlines involved. Then again, a Jon Brion fan is well acquainted with that old virtue: patience. And for those of us who aren't, there's always Largo on Friday nights. Tee hee.
See also:
» top 5 Largo memories
» get a load of the lengths I go to
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