richard avedon would surely approve

Though the Verve were the big Coachella coup of the season, they weren't the only ones crowding my concert docket. The festival also ushered Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks back into town, and that's a ticket I can't refuse.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, the Fillmore, April 27, 2008: In case you haven't kept count, this marks the fourth time Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks have dropped in on San Francisco in the last year and a half. I've caught three of those shows (I was in New Orleans when they played Amoeba Records), and tonight, Brianne was joining me for her first real Malkmus show. It was also the first time I've seen the band since Real Emotional Trash was officially released.

If I like a band enough, I don't care whether they're promoting new material, trying out songs in progress, or just having fun on the stage. Generally, the second and third categories are my favorites, but it depends greatly on the band in question. The last couple of times I've seen the Jicks, they've put on strong shows--that is, they were engaged and exploratory, and I'm constantly surprised by how little (if at all) Stephen trades on his status as the former Pavement frontman.

From the beginning of the set, all signs pointed to a great gig. Steve came out chatty, loose, and grinning (and hot), and he stayed in that zone throughout the gig, discussing (as always) local sports teams, among other topics. As is also his wont, he seemed to detour from the setlist several times, occasionally alerting his band members when he wanted to stick to the original plan. Not that his records were always so accurate--early on in the set, he announced they would do "Elmo Delmo" next, but Joanna Bolme reminded him that was their opener.

Speaking of Joanna, she and Janet Weiss get a good amount of attention in the band, and it's no secret why. When introducing the band, Steve in all sincerity called Joanna "a very dear friend," and she's not shy about calling him out when he's being particularly silly. But she also handles his musical divergences with aplomb, even when the songs traipse off into Jam Land, and her playing shone on "Baltimore."



Janet is a force unto herself, inspiring cries of "We love you, Janet!" from the audience. One of her major moments in the spotlight was probably in "Real Emotional Trash," as her rhythm drove the bridge. In fact, the whole song sounded like the most complete band effort I've yet heard from the Jicks. It's no wonder why it's the album's centerpiece.

Mike Clark was not to be ignored, either, and I'm not referring to his garish gold jacket (an homage to the 49ers, according to Steve). On "Gardenia," he threw off his guitar to do a running-in-place dance while also playing the keyboards. Unfortunately, this thoroughly messed up his axe, but they were able to get a replacement in a few songs later.



When we were in L.A. the following weekend, we listened to the Jukebox Jury on Indie 103, and I believe it was the critic Ann Powers who noted that Malkmus may be the only person trying to meld punk and prog. I wouldn't disagree with her; in fact, during the course of this show, I kept thinking that Malkmus had not necessarily thrown over his earlier band's influences, but had at least come back to the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival for inspiration. He may also be the only one who can get away with it.

In addition to the songs from Real Emotional Trash, they pick and chose through their back catalog for "Vanessa from Queens," a great, heavier version of "It Kills," and a crowd request for "The Hook," from which Steve sort of distanced himself after they played the song. They closed with a tune by Mungo Jerry, "Alright Alright Alright," with instructions for us to YouTube it after we got home.

The Joggers also from Portland opened. I saw them a few years ago touring with M. Ward; from what I could recall, their sound has filled out somewhat to include harmonies, for example. Maybe their claim to being voted "Tacoma's third-best Three Dog Night cover band" was true after all.

See also:
» too awake to be famous
» done well is so much fucking better
» green typewriters

where they feel safe and sound

Though we knew this was no longer, in fact, Largo's Last Stand, we could hear the rumblings of the club's coda approaching. However, I'd say that those of us who've loved Largo for all these years required no attitude adjustment going into these shows; we've always known that every moment at this club, especially the Friday nights with Jon Brion, should be savored.

Jon Brion, Largo, April 26, 2008: Jon started off per normal, slamming down on the keys-based implements before punching out a moody piano piece that eventually led to "Trouble" (the song, of course, not the situation). His second song, though, offered the first glimpse of the closure we were all seeking; leave it to Ray Davies to have penned the words so fitting for the situation.

From there, he mixed up his own songs with covers before asking for requests. "Casanova" jumped off my tongue before I realized, and Jon hit a couple of lines before abandoning it for an "extremely edited" track off the same album (Roxy Music's Country Life, in case you're wondering). Taking us from Bryan to Brian, Brion rounded out the rock block with some Eno, thus heading off the inevitable showdown between Roxy Music purists.

For "I Believe She's Lying," he pulled off one of those WTF Jon Brion feats, playing guitar and piano at the same time. And for Nilsson's "One," he asked us to supply the vocals, which we did grandly, though maybe our harmonies fell somewhat short of the dreamy mix that characterizes the original composition.

For me, the next major moment in the set came when, after another sequence of his own songs and a cover or two, Jon built up "Happy with You." We noted the Les Paul-style fingerpicking on the bridge, as well as the bird he flipped at the guitar pickups, but there was also Jon's comment on taking his time with the song, as it would probably be the last night he did it at this particular Largo. I can't wait to see the new place, but it's still a bit jarring to hear about The End from the performers themselves.

Jon closed with "Waterloo Sunset," a song he's done often, but it took on a different light in the shadow of Largo's impending move. It remained, however, as gorgeous as always.

The second set began with Cole Porter in what may have been another parting shot to the old space before Benmont Tench and Fiona Apple were called to the stage. They weaved through a set of familiar standards; of those titles, Flanny's request for "Blue Skies" was probably the highlight, as it inspired a magical run by Benmont. Jon himself yelled, "More!" at Largo's favorite piano player.

Sebastian Steinberg joined them for a Bill Withers song, which turned out to be an absolutely essential segment of the set if only for the exchange between Jon and the audience that led to a fan's response to the question of whether Bill is still alive: "He's still With-Ers." Har har har.

Back on the musical side, however, Fiona and Ben ended up taking the first and second verses, respectively, of the song. Benmont came to the rescue once again a couple of songs later, though this time with an effervescent piano solo, on "Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me."

Sara and Sean Watkins had now arrived, and there was more pow to be wowed as they mentally rifled through their repertoire. They landed on a gem: Gillian Welch's "I Want to Sing That Rock 'n' Roll," featuring the two ladies. I'm not always a fan of female singers, but there was no denying that Fiona and Sara are a formidable team when sharing a microphone.

Fiona disappeared for the next several songs, which comprised tracks from the Watkinses' usual grab bag and some surprises too. Jon, in fact, had to ask them the title of one tune, though he had just played along to it. Fiona, however, returned to lend her voice to the last couple of numbers, bringing us one step closer to the Last Friday (For Real This Time!) at Largo.

Set 1
--synth/MicroKorg/piano
--Trouble
--This Is Where I Belong
--It Looks Like You
--Round Midnight
--Walking Through Walls
--Please Stay Away from Me
--Casanova
--A Really Good Time
--Some of Them Are Old
--I Believe She's Lying
--Stop the World
--One
--I Fall in Love Too Easily
--Same Mistakes
--Knock Yourself Out
--Eternal Sunshine theme
--piano
--Happy with You
--Waterloo Sunset

Set 2
--Every Time We Say Goodbye
--You Belong to Me [Fiona] *
--I'm Beginning to See the Light [Fiona] *
--Don't Get Around Much Anymore [Fiona] *
--Blue Skies [Fiona] *
--Ain't No Sunshine [Fiona and Benmont] **
--Crazy [Fiona] **
--Everyday [Fiona] **
--Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me [Fiona] **
--I Want to Sing That Rock 'n' Roll [Fiona and Sara] ***
--I Want You Back [Sara] ****
--I Go to Sleep [Sara] ****
--Too Much Beer and Wine (?) [Sean] ****
--Rock Hard to Break (?) [Sara] ****
--My Baby Left Me ****
--Jeepster ****
--Walking After Midnight [Fiona and Sara] ***
--Tonight You Belong to Me [Fiona and Sara] ***

brackets indicate singer
* = with Fiona Apple and Benmont Tench
** = with Fiona Apple, Benmont Tench, and Sebastian Steinberg
*** = with Fiona Apple, Benmont Tench, Sebastian Steinberg, and Sara and Sean Watkins
**** = with Benmont Tench, Sebastian Steinberg, and Sara and Sean Watkins

See also:
» Night One: i go for it every time

i go for it every time

Let the record show that between these dates and my last visit to Largo, Jon Brion played four--four!--shows that I didn't attend. And yes, there will be write-up of the Real Final Jon Brion Show at Largo on Fairfax, but it's going to have to take a number and get in line, just like all the other gigs I attend.

Jon Brion, Largo, April 25, 2008: For the last few months and for various reasons, I've somewhat struggled to fill my Largo reservations. The details usually work themselves out in one way or another, but there has been some finagling along the way. Not so this month, when a familiar cast of characters made the trek to Los Angeles for what we assumed were Jon's last shows before the move to the Coronet. Actually, I suspected that May 2 date would eventually loosen up, but we were kept guessing until shortly before Friday's show.

Flanny's announcement to the rest of the audience cut through the tension somewhat, but the air of finality managed to work its way into several numbers, though not immediately so. Per usual, Jon alternated a couple of instrumental piano pieces with more familiar compositions, in this case "Someone Else's Problem Now" and "Here We Go."

The "public soundcheck" concluded, he moved to the guitar for "Love of My Life" with a noisy ending and declared he was "ready to play." Rounding out the onstage loop, he went to the drums to build "Girl I Knew," but a broken string somewhat held back the song. Jon's emphasis on his own material carried through the next half-dozen songs, including an instrumental ragtime version of "That's Just What You Are." Somewhere in this sequence, he opined, "I hate guitars," but it was only a matter of time before he returned to them.

Jon had already started calling for requests, and from them he chose his first cover of the night. He asked for duct tape, with which he pinned down some hammers inside the piano, and beat out a rhythm from the same surface. I thought we might hear one of his old songs, but it turned out to be "Just What I Needed" à la "Same Thing." The Queen cover was beautifully straightforward, a contrast to the version he recorded for the tribute album a few years back, but the Replacements song might've been the biggest and most charming surprise.

I believe it was someone from the table next to ours who requested "the first song you did at Largo." Someone who was actually at that first show will have to verify if Jon made good on the suggestion, but his choice of "I'll Take You Anyday" seems like a reasonable response. Following that, Jon voiced a need to rock, but I'm not sure his languid, moody Ellington build qualified. More memorable (at least for me) was the way he seized on the "Personal Jesus" request and twisted it into "People Are People" in the style of Les Paul. That's not something I would've guessed I'd ever hear when listening to the band in 7th grade!

The second set started off with more technical problems, but Jon used it anyway to create the foundational drone upon which he eventually built "Tomorrow Never Knows." From there, he went the more direct route for requests with a straightforward command, "Call it." Heidi got the first one off the bat (T. Rex), and I think I got the second one ("Love Is the Drug"), for which he invited Sebastian Steinberg onstage. Unfortunately, two things interfered with the performance: the D key on the piano gave out, and Jon couldn't quite remember it, though we got the whisper of a couple of verses. What the hell, I won't say no.

Largo's own Griffy stepped onstage to do his best MacGyver impression; with nothing but a cocktail straw and his Spidey sense, he jimmied the errant key in place and was asked to supply the musical accompaniment to "Cinnamon Girl." Fortunately, a replacement in the form of Benmont Tench (who must've zipped over from the Mudcrutch show at the Troubador) relieved him of his duties.

Benmont made his presence known in the next several songs as well. For "Time of the Season," he supplied the backing vocals (as did we, it should be noted), along with the syncopated handclaps. Meanwhile, his piano skills were as prominent as ever, as he worked his way from deliberately ham-fisted maneuvers to twinkly, dainty notes.

Jon asked us to drum on our tabletops for the next song, which turned out to be "For Your Love." I don't know if we held up our end of the deal, but Jon and Benmont certainly did.

From there, it was the chamber pop stylings of Sex Pistols, in what I usually characterize as a "Penny Lane" pace. Benmont furnished a clue to part of the inspiration when he dropped "Candy Man" on the celeste into the mix.

With David Garza jumping into the action, they first went into the audience request for "Raspberry Beret," featuring Jon and David on alternating vocals. The third verse once again flummoxed the crew, but tonight, Heidi and I (mostly Heidi) helped fill in the blanks until they regained their footing in time for the lyrical payoff.

David explained that the next song was something he always wanted to dedicate to Jon, and this was finally his opportunity to do so, and they tore into "Johnny B. Goode," followed by the apropos "Save the Last Dance for Me." After Jon's turn at the mic for "To Know Him Is to Love Him," David took the reins for a song he did last month, though in a slightly different style. Benmont mostly sat out the Stray Cats song, perhaps due to that faulty piano key, but he returned to the action by directly playing the piano hammers instead.

Jon often demurs on the requests for "Let's Get It On," but the quartet gave it a try tonight. While David retreated to the drums, Jon at first picked up vocal duties, but he somehow transferred them mid-song to Sebastian instead. Sebastian, for his part, had the kind of deep voice suited to after-hours entertainment, but he forgot most of the lyrics and started ad-libbing them instead (to hilarious effect). Jon, meanwhile, supplied harmonies -- when Benmont's solo wasn't transporting him. They then closed the night with two instrumental tracks of the slinky, seductive variety.

Stay tuned for part two.

Set 1
--piano
--Someone Else's Problem Now
--piano
--Here We Go
--Love of My Life So Far
--Girl I Knew
--Over Our Heads
--Knock Yourself Out
--Hook Line and Sinker
--That's Just What You Are
--Croatia
--Why Do You Do This to Yourself
--Just What I Needed
--Making Plans for Nigel
--Play the Game/Life on Mars
--Unsatisfied
--I'll Take You Anyday
--I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)
--People Are People [Les Paul style]

Set 2
--Tomorrow Never Knows
--Life's a Gas
--Love Is the Drug *
--Cinnamon Girl **
--Time of the Season ***
--For Your Love ***
--Anarchy in the UK ***
--Raspberry Beret [Jon and David] ****
--Johnny B. Goode/Save the Last Dance for Me [David] ****
--To Know Him Is to Love Him ****
--Stray Cat Strut [David] ****
--Let's Get It On [Jon & Sebastian] ****
--Sleepwalk ****
--Albatross ****

brackets indicate singer
* = with Sebastian Steinberg
** = with Sebastian Steinberg, Griffy, and Benmont Tench
*** = with Sebastian Steinberg and Benmont Tench
**** = with Sebastian Steinberg, Benmont Tench, and David Garza

See also:
» the world will revolve
» it's been said many times, many ways
» the end is near
» Night Two: where they feel safe and sound