the way it went, the way it's gone

First off, for Heidi: It's a Starck piano.

On Judy's first night in LA, there was no time to lose, even if the freeways didn't want to cooperate. Fortunately, a little detour was all it took to get us and Paul to our respective locations in due time.

Jon Brion, Largo, February 10, 2006: Jon didn't win a Grammy for his work on Late Registration. I believe the two categories in which he was nominated (along with Kanye, et al, of course) were won by U2 and Green Day instead. The selfish part of me is thankful that the competition for Largo spots isn't about to become more intense, but it might've been fun to see what a post-Grammy-winning set might have entailed or, rather, if it would've been any different from the typical Largo madness.

In his intro, Flanagan referred to Kanye's now infamous victory speech, where he had placed Jon after God but before his own mother. Flanagan also gave a shout-out to the "sexy Aquarians" in the house--one of whom was seated at our table. The night was already off to a grand start.

Jon seemed to be in a fine mood, poking fun at Flanagan's hair before taking his usual place at the piano. First off was "Ruin My Day," which saw a tiny alteration in phrasing that sent me and Heidi into muffled whimpers of recognition and delight. A short instrumental passage followed, but as soon as Jon reached for the hammer, I knew we were in for "Same Thing." He pounded a well-worn patch on the piano face to sample the rhythm, then ran it under the piano's hammers to create the song's familiar trill. Throughout the tune, he introduced variations on the melody and fiddled with sound effects, at one point creating what seemed like an underwater filter. The resounding outro--perhaps my favorite by him--meant that the show was officially on.

Jon built "The Girl I Knew" and tacked on a different guitar outro that sounded crunchy and distorted. The opening chords of the next song indicated it could go one of two ways. I was hopeful for Heidi, but it turned out to be "Why Do You Do This to Yourself"--still a lovely song.

Jon asked for requests, but I'm not sure any of the suggestions inspired him, as he chose to go with "Someone to Watch Over Me." I suspect that the song is going to end up on a soundtrack at some point, considering the frequency with which he's been playing it. "Trial and Error" came next, as simple as ever, and in a contrary move, Jon chose to build "I Believe She's Lying" in a different style than I've heard. For example, he created the percussive elements by sampling his own staccato whispers, as well as by beating two drumsticks together close to the microphone. He constructed a tsunami of an ending, incorporating piano, keyboards, guitar, even more drums, and different vocals ("staring into space/things are different now").

Ever mobile, Jon switched to the piano and harmonica to throw us a curveball: "I'm Further On," more often heard as a song build. Wow--what a treat to hear it at nearly its most basic. Still on the piano, Jon played a long ragtimey lilt that confirmed his affinity for the instrument and generally made us all feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. Back on the more customary track, he built up "I Was Happy with You." At one point, I saw a wave of piano hammers rise and descend like a surfer's dream. Finally, back on guitar and harmonica, Jon delivered "Knock Yourself Out."

He asked for requests again and listened to the barrage of titles. After he had taken them in, he asked Scott in the sound booth to do his magic for the desired style: 1920s recordings. On a small acoustic guitar, Jon started off with "Girlfriend in a Coma," interspersed with "Don't Fear the Reaper" and his own "Love of My Life So Far." In between verses of "Love of My Life," he added snippets of "Don't Fear the Reaper." Though short, the passages were instantly recognizable. And staying with the style, he even added a couple of Bing Crosby-worthy vocal embellishments.

Remaining on the request theme, he vehemently declared, "No!" at the Boston shout-out but played it anyway, with the vocoder and a mostly instrumental treatment. Still on the piano, he ran into "Let's Spend the Night Together." I'm always surprised when he does the Stones, though I know I shouldn't be. He next built an instrumental I didn't recognize, and for the final song of the first set, he once again went to the audience for ideas to interpret in the style of Les Paul. He glommed onto the suggestion for "Ring of Fire," and as he worked out the different layers, he commented that it was amazing the two '50s classics had never come together before. Before he left the stage, Jon urged us to think good thoughts for Les Paul, who at the time had just been hospitalized.

The second set opened with a moody piano piece and Jon's remark that "there's nothing like Monk in the morning." He immediately asked for requests and chose "Maybe I'm Amazed" done in a style that I'd never heard before and probably will never hear again. By the time he was done looping his backing vocals, you couldn't tell they started as yelps and other odd noises. He went with his own instincts for the song build of "Walking Through Walls," then took it back to the bare minimum with a song we heard last month, which I now realize is an original. Heidi and I disagree on this one, but I love it, perhaps for its simplicity and its Aimee Mann-like qualities.

Jon took on an electric guitar and warmed up with a few riffs of "20th Century Boy," leading us away from his eventual pick: "Waterloo Sunset." A request for "Tiny Bubbles" was channeled through the electric guitar and metal licks, as well as touches of Les Paul. Jon acknowledged that it was probably the first Don Ho selection he's ever done.

I live for the mischevious moments of a Largo show, such as reinterprations of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and BeeGees classics, but you never know when or if they'll happen. We got them tonight. Still asking for requests, Jon jumped on Heart's "Barracuda"--but only the outro. He did the same for the next three songs, and you could see that devilish glint in his eye. "Cinammon Girl" especially couldn't have come on a better night, and I felt a huge sense of relief in the knowledge that Judy was having a good time (whew!).

Jon asked Matt Chamberlain to join in; together, they granted a request for "more John Lennon." Jon can sing any Beatles-related song, and I'll be a happy girl. And for something completely different, Jon asked Matt to start a beat. He kicked off with an emphatic, primal beat, to which Jon added basslike keyboards. After a little while, this became "Once in a Lifetime" with piano and harmonica. In the meantime, Jon started up a '50s-era sex ed album, over which he played acoustic guitar, keyboards, and piano. Jon also invited Jeremy Stacey (whom I had seen on the Finn Brothers tour) up to the stage, and he took over for Matt. The former drummer, meanwhile, urged a "Mr. DeMarco" to come on up, and a younger, skinny guy sat down at the piano. They jammed for a while, and I vividly recall "Mr. DeMarco" playing simply gorgeous jazzy piano, but I couldn't place it. Maybe just for the hell of it, Jon added vocals for the Stones' "Miss You" to the mix.

The night wasn't quite over. As the sex ed album's preposterous contents sunk in, Jon looked around quizzically and was eventually driven to grip his forehead in disbelief. But not one to squander inspiration, he came up with a jaunty ditty speculating on the sex organs of Hitler, Goebbels, and a third Nazi I can't recall--though I suspect the general gist comes through.

Set 1
piano noodling
Ruin My Day [piano]
celeste + piano instrumental
Same Thing [piano + celeste]
Girl I Knew [song build]
Why Do You Do This to Yourself [electric guitar]
Someone to Watch Over Me [song build]
Trial and Error [piano]
I Believe She's Lying [song build]
I'm Further On [piano + harmonica]
ragtime piano
I Was Happy with You [song build]
Knock Yourself Out [guitar + harmonica]
Girlfriend in a Coma/Don't Fear the Reaper/Love of My Life So Far/Reaper/Love/Reaper ['20s style acoustic guitar]
More than a Feeling [piano + keyboards + vocoder]
Let's Spend the Night Together [piano]
unknown song [song build]
Ring of Fire [Les Paul style]

Set 2
Thelonius Monk piece [piano]
Maybe I'm Amazed [piano + keyboards + vocoder + celeste]
Walking Through Walls [song build]
new piano song [chorus: "The way it went/The way it's gone/Time was spent/Now time goes on"]
20th Century Boy [electric guitar]
Waterloo Sunset [electric guitar]
Tiny Bubbles [electric guitar]
Barracuda [outro]
Layla [outro]
Cinammon Girl [outro]
I Want You/She's So Heavy [outro]
Isolation* [piano]
Once in a Lifetime*/Miss You**
song about Nazis and testicles**

* = with Matt Chamberlain
** = with Jeremy Stacey and "Mr. DeMarco"

See also:
» top 10 concerts of 2005
» that ain't working, that's the way you do it
» let your heart be light

in the beginning, we closed our eyes

I'm not here too long this week, folks, but before I run off again...

Jeff Tweedy, the Fillmore, February 8 and 9, 2006: A couple of years ago, when there were some whispers of a solo tour by Jeff Tweedy, I guaranteed everyone that his next San Francisco stop would be the Fillmore now that he had far outgrown the Great American Music Hall. Then again, with Wilco's phenomenal success over the course of the last few albums, Jeff could've moved on to at least the Warfield by now, so I was grateful to see him at the relatively smaller venue.

It may sound like an oxymoron, but there are rules when it comes to going to gigs, and one of the foremost is that the last night is always the best, though there are some exceptions. The first night was certainly good, especially during the encore, when both Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche joined in, but the song selection was more customary. Yes, I realize a night where Jeff plays "Pieholden Suite," "Summerteeth," and "In a Future Age" can hardly be called ordinary, but the majority of songs wasn't too surprising. As usual, Jeff told stories and faced down hecklers. In San Francisco, the hecklers tend to be affectionate, if sometimes clueless. We can be a reverent lot, and for the most part, we stayed silent during all the important parts.

The second night saw a handful of repeats but, more notably, a ton of older songs that justified our goofy undertaking. I kept turning to my cousin Annie in amazement and telling her that she was witnessing a hell of a gig for her first solo Tweedy experience. Judy got "Lost Love" (one of my favorites as well), we were far from the only people singing along to "Someday Soon," and "Gun" is always rousing. Capping off the two-night stand with a truly unplugged "New Madrid" to a rapt crowd--and without the camera crew in the room--was the perfect ending. Our group was in wholesale agreement that we had seen one of the best shows of the tour so far. It was going to take a lot to top this one, but if it was possible, we'd find out in the next few days.

For these shows, Nels Cline opened the first night and Glenn Kotche the second. On the first night, they both joined Jeff on the encore, but it was just Glenn on the second night (Nels was on tour with Banyan, I believe). I hadn't seen Nels entirely solo before, so I was excited to hear him for myself. As usual, he surprised me yet again. As I suspected, there was some crossover in Nels's solo set and the improv nights with Jon Brion, but Nels took it a step further by singing into the hockey puck-like device, which in turn distorted and projected his voice into an eerie, airy drone. There were jagged, discordant passages, along with soaring, melodic lines, but I'm the wrong person to try to characterize them.

The affection between Jeff, Nels, and Glenn flowed freely, and the interaction between Jeff and Glenn tickles me to no end. Toward the end of the night, Jeff came over and kissed Glenn on the head. It would be presumptuous to give all the credit to this fair city, but we'll take them any day.

See also:
» it's still beyond me
» top 10 concerts of 2005
» i'll be back again
» the other side of the mountain

i'm beginning to see the light

One down, far too many to go, but you can read about those as they come in. May I present the first dispatch for the time being.

Jeff Tweedy, Van Duzer Theater, February 6, 2006: I made a speedy drive up on Super Bowl Sunday to meet Judy, Evonne, and Paul on the northern coast. Such a city girl am I that I've never been this far north in the state. Granted, it's ridiculously beautiful, and the terrain is breathtaking but when you don't tend toward nature-oriented activities, there's only so much time you can spend in the great outdoors. We explored the small town square and even took a wonderful hike out at the ocean cliffs. See, we know how to make the most of our day when we get the chance!

The show wasn't sold out, and the balcony was only half full. Our seats in the first row were shockingly close, and we had no problem settling in. I can't lie--I do this a lot, and it's not always easy to get excited, except for the prospect of seeing my friends and exploring new places. And as the show started, I wasn't sure I'd be thrilled. But when Jeff did "In a Future Age" and, a few songs later, "I'm Beginning to See the Light," I knew I wasn't going to forget this one soon. If Jeff ever drops by Largo, I think we know which song he can do. No one minded our singing along, and the crowd was wonderfully respectful. Even the 11-month-old baby, the inspiration for the Duke Ellington number, merely cooed throughout the set.

By the first encore, Jeff seemed suitably relaxed and got a lot of laughs, though at the expense of Glenn Kotche, perhaps one of the best sports I've ever seen onstage. At the very end, we saw something I've never seen Jeff do before: turn off the PA, come to the edge of the stage, and sing "Acuff Rose." If I were more jaded, I might suggest that the presence of the documentary cameras helped bring about that moment, but at that point, I was completely renewed for the upcoming string of shows.

Glenn opened the show with mostly the same set he did on the East Coast run last fall. He didn't bring the vibes this time, but he substituted a cool Steve Reich number that shows off a lot of his influences. He didn't sing on the João Gilberto song, but the other elements shone through.

For a supposedly low-key show, this gig was a great way to kick off this week's activities. Fillmore (and home), here we come!

See also:
» it's still beyond me
» top 10 concerts of 2005
» unplug the jukebox and do us all a favour