you may be sweet talking, daddy

I've been feeling kinda lazy about going to shows lately, especially when my friends ditch me, but I made it to this gig--and was incredibly happy I did so.

Crooked Fingers, Great American Music Hall, April 16, 2005: I realize that it's easy to fall into the trap of being a fan of so-called indie music when "your" band gets big and you scoff at the people who got into them after you (never mind the fact that, most likely, there were people who were fans before you). God knows I feel that way all the time. And it's not as if you don't want "your" band to get big; it's just that you want them to stay at a level where you can enjoy their music without a ton of other people getting in the way. But at the same time, it's nice to see little bands get more recognition, and it's great to be a part of that movement. And that's where Crooked Fingers come in.

I really, really like them, and for me, they're easily in the second tier of current active bands. I think I've seen various incarnations of Crooked Fingers at least half a dozen times by now, from the solo setup to a more fleshed-out arrangement, and this was the biggest version of the band I had yet seen: six people in all, including a trumpeter and a flautist, who did double duty with other musical responsibilities. Also, this was the first time I've ever seen them headline, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

They opened with "Islero" from the new album, and I could hear strains of Calexico when the trumpet kicked in. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a setlist, but I recall that "Bad Man Coming" was pretty different from the very spare album version. Other highlights included old favorites such as "New Drink for the Old Drunk," "The Rotting Strip," and "Call to Love," which would be a huge summertime hit single in a perfect world. For the encore, they did that thing that I know they've done before, where they go totally unplugged and bring their instruments down to the crowd and play right there, as if we were gathering around a big campfire. I know I'm a big wuss, but it put a huge smile on my face and I loved it.

I left the concert with that old feeling of having witnessed something special. I mean, I always feel great after, say, seeing the bands I love, but I get such a thrill after going to a gig that you're not entirely convinced is going to be worth your time, then getting your socks blown off. Hooray for the little guy--and at the least, it'll keep this girl coming back for more of this band and bands like it for at least a little while to come.

this is what i do

I'm slowly realizing that I'm still in the midst of a bout of PCD and in withdrawal from the wonderful events of March. But whining and moaning is the last thing I want to do (this post aside), so I figure you just gotta move on and get back on the horse. Fortunately, there are certainly opportunities to do so in this town.

Rhett Miller, Swedish American Hall, April 2, 2005: On the way in, I noticed that the little bulletin board by the entrance has a list of the hall's events posted--not gigs, mind you, but meetings of the Swedish Ladies Society and such. So cute. I have visions of a buffet of meatballs and, um, aquavit.

The hall itself is a gorgeous affair, looking like something out of, errrr, The Crucible. It has great wood detailing and clean, open lines. I always think it'd be a great place to have a wedding, but I've only been there for shows. I understand that it sometimes hosts readings as well.

I hold my breath every time a Largo regular shows up in San Francisco, in the hopes that Jon Brion will decide to tag along with them and jump onstage at some point during the show. Of course, I've been wrong every single time I've anticipated an appearance, and he instead shows up at the least likely shows (Critters Buggin', Polyphonic Spree), so I really should just give it up. This time, when I saw the baby grand still under wraps and pushed back in a corner, I knew this would be a truly solo show, though on certain songs I could hear Jon's backing vocals in my head (oy, I'm hopeless).

Last time we saw Rhett was with the Old 97's at the Fillmore last summer. Now, he's about to start his second solo album, which explains why he's making appearances at Largo again and why he's doing San Francisco. It also explains his setlist, which covered a number of new songs. I don't know who's producing his new record, so who knows how the songs will sound in their final incarnation, but they were pretty straightforward and patently Rhett. My favorite of the bunch was a country/western-style duet for which he has yet to find a female lead. I believe it was called "Firefly," and a local group has also recorded it. Of course, he did tons of old favorites too. The song selection for the encore were inspired by his friends' recent engagement. The tunes included "Question," "The New Kid," "Our Love," and "Erica the Beautiful." All the way through, he told numerous charming stories. It's hard not to get swoony over him. Swooooooooooooon.

By the way, he was as cute as a button. He cut his hair, he has bangs again, and he did that hip and arm thing. Rowr.

Inara George was the opener, and she was accompanied on acoustic guitar and backing vocals by a guy named Mike. It took me a while to remember that they play Largo all the time, and they certainly fit the mold. Inara has a lovely voice, and their set was fine and low-key.

i'll be out on the town

During my self-imposed blogging siesta from October through January, I went to a lot of great gigs, including an awesome Wilco west coast run in November. I don't think it'd be worth it to post about them now, but I gotta get two of them on the record before I forget.

Britt Daniel, Swedish American Hall, October 29, 2004: The setlist 'cos that's how I roll.

1. Lines in the Suit
2. Beast & Dragon (new song)
3. Mr. Valentin (new song)
4. new song (Delicate Place? it was my favorite of the new tunes--very melodic, great chorus)
5. I Could See the Dude
6. Stay Don't Go
7. They Never Got You (new song)
8. Sister Jack (new song)
9. The Way We Get By
10. new song
11. Minor Tough
12. I Am the Key (La's cover)
13. Metal Detektor
14. Anything You Want
15. I Summon You (new song)
16. Paper Tigers

***encore***
17. Everything Hits at Once
18. Me & the Bean
19. Waiting for the Kid to Come Out

Nothing too surprising here in terms of the setlist, but it was a very solid show, and the admiration flowed from both the audience and the performer. It's hard to say anything about the new songs. I mean, they all sound pretty solid, but they may take on whole new dimensions when the rest of the band is through. My only observation is that they don't sound as spare as the tunes on Kill the Moonlight, and I think Britt may have relied less on his backing tracks for them. Now that I've seen Britt solo a few times, I can say that I'm even more raring to see/hear Spoon live again.

Jon Brion + friends, Largo, November 19, 2004: My awesome cousin Annie volunteered to pick us up from the Wiltern and take us to Largo after the Wilco show. We were pretty tired after 6 days of rock tourism, but I'm so glad my friends decided to humor me and check out this Largo thing for themselves. We made it in time for the second set. The club wasn't too crowded when we got in, and most of us managed to find seats shortly after Jon started playing. Here's my attempt at a setlist:

**Jon Brion solo**
--Summertime
--Get What It's About
--Didn't Think It Would Turn Out Bad
--Let's Stay Together/Running Up That Hill
--I Was Happy with You

**with Glenn Kotche**
--All I Have to Do Is Dream/punk version/Wipeout/God Save the Queen/Just What I Needed/Controversy/Flagpole Sitta/Star Spangled Banner (Hendrix version, with lots of encouragment from Jon for Glenn to extend the drum jam)

**with Glenn, Benmont Tench, Nickel Creek**
--Aqualung (snippet)
--Taxman
--Ain't Misbehaving

Jon started with a wildly distorted one-man version of "Summertime," then proceeded with two songs from the Huckabees soundtrack. The Al Green song was a request from the audience, but the segue into "Running Up That Hill" took us all by complete surprise. "I Was Happy with You" is an unreleased song that Jon has been playing for a while.

During the initial portion of the set, Sam Jones came in with Glenn and Miiri Kotche. They ended up taking the table right in front of us, i.e., the best seats in the house. Glenn was obviously enjoying the set, and I recall very clearly hearing a resounding "Oh shit!" from him as he watched Jon doing the one-man-band thing during "Let's Stay Together." Mind you, my friends and I were in shock too, and I kept telling everyone that they got Jon on a great night.

Not long after, Jon invited Glenn up to the stage. Glenn, ever so modest, didn't realize that Jon was asking for his presence, even as he was calling him by name. At first, they both stood sheepishly on the tiny stage, and Jon informed Glenn that he should take an instrument. Definitely surprised by this development, Glenn opted to go with the drums--a wise choice. Jon stuck to guitar and vocals. Glenn looked very confused at first but managed to keep up with Jon's hairpin turns. Best of all, he got a drum solo during "Wipeout!"

While we were still in shock, Jon invited Benmont Tench and the members of Nickel Creek to form an insta-group. They finished with a couple of great covers. I don't think I stopped smiling for the entire hour. And I haven't even mentioned how a stuffed dolphin toy became a percussive element during at least two points of the set.

Afterward, Glenn told us that he had met Jon at a party at Sam Jones's house just a couple of days earlier and that they had jammed together that night. Still, he had no idea that he would be called upon to play. I hope it won't be the last time he graces Largo with his presence.

See also:
» turn to crystal form
» top 5 Largo memories
» get a load of the lengths I go to