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Undone mp3 Medeski, Martin, and Wood Radiolarians III
You know I’ve been listening to MMW for only about a year now, and from the moment they hit my ears, I’ve been craving the opportunity to hear all this jazz-rock wildness live. In most things, this tart gets her way. And Saturday night, as the crowd roared (absolutely roared!) their welcome, Medeski, Martin and Wood took the stage. It was all madness from there on out. I could give you my usual metaphors and flowery language, and frankly music like this deserves that, but the lasting impression of this show was just one of breathlessness. Even when they toned it all down and play slowly, giving drummer Billy Martin a moment to wipe the sweat from his face, I found myself all tensed up and excited still. The opening number must have lasted fifteen minutes, building and crashing and warming up the crowd. Did I already mention they were absolutely roaring? The House of Blues knows a thing or two about selling the bar. And the atmosphere was very party-hearty.
I climbed up to the upper balcony to catch a good stage view. It’s not easy being a shorty in a crowd like that, and luckily this venue is made for people like me. Peering down at the trio, I could trace how John Medeski (often labeled an octopus for his skill at handling so many keyboards in an elaborate setup) not only hit the keys but also the melodica, to my delight! You KNOW it’s gettin good when the melodica comes out. No, I cannot tell you the titles of anything they played, well…. I did hear quite a bit from the Radiolarian series, and therefore I know I heard some “Riffin Ed” and some “Flat Tires” as well as “Chantes Des Femmes” and so much more…
You must go over here and read Radio Free Chicago’s interview with Chris Wood, his bass playing was/is truly a masterpiece. When he switched to upright bass the audience went a little crazy, and I watched him carefully go from plucking to bowing to thumping and knocking and just abusing the hell outta that instrument in such a lovely manner. I have to admit, that was a highlight of the show for me.
Well, that and one other bit that perhaps only I appreciate because I’m just one of those quirky little people. The transitions between songs, the moments when the band has to accommodate someone changing out instruments, or taking a moment to catch a drink, or simply to just change up the pace, those transitions are flawless. After nearly 20 years playing together, MMW have perfected the art of easing from one song to the next and they do so in some unique little ways. At times Billy will reach over for a rattle or shaker or both. Or turn all the way round and tackle his metal disks with a small mallet. There were so many noise-makers on his table of goodies, and he used them all in various ways along with John and Chris to set the tone for the next piece. It was simply fascinating each time it happened and I found myself paying as much or more attention to this between-song or slow moment as I did to the fast, jazz flurry of truly inspired music that dominated the evening. And of course, there were the drum solos. I need to see them again, I’ll tell you more when I can stop shaking my head in amazement and disbelief and breathe more deeply. It was gorgeous, m’dears, xoxo
Their three record set is repackaged for holiday release with some real nice goodies, including live tracks that I’ve heard and that are truly beautifully, improvisational. Go directly to the band or to Amazon to check out Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set for that music lover you’re buying for this season.
I told you I had an amazing few days with lovely musical people. Well, along with spending some quality time with The Calm Blue Sea (who put on a really wonderful show for what turned out to be a disappointingly small crowd of us) I met two guys who make up The Soil and The Sun. I want to tell you all about them, but first, the four really cool guys from Austin, TX. I don’t want to take away from what The Calm Blue Sea did and traveled so far to do for us lucky few here in Chicago. And let me say, their final number, ”Literal” was phenomenally good and even if it hadn’t been dedicated to me, I’d have been wow’d by it! The venue was small and underpopulated. The floor was shiny and surrounded by mirrors so playing with electricity and amplifiers was particularly tricksy, I was told. Chris took his shoes off mid-song on the first number, which puzzled but amused me and lent a sort of homey, casual air to the whole non-event, event. The Calm Blue Sea didn’t play a long set, as there were four acts on the bill Saturday night and they wanted to give everyone fair time. That’s a typical Chicago practice, unfortunately, booking so many bands into one night, and while the bar thinks they might come out ahead it really does no favors to the musicians. Chicago really sucks for indie bands, I’m afraid to say. So, if you can do anything for a band coming through town, please go ahead and buy them a beer, put them up on your sofa, eh?
Back to the positive! These Austin guys rocked out! Two really creative guitarists, a solid, strong all-over-the-neck kinda bass player and a drummer who knows just when to hit it hard, and right, and sweet. The Calm Blue Sea has an array of songs that capture your imagination. Musically, I find myself working hard to remember that playing like that is NOT as effortless as they make it out to be. In other words, they make it look so easy to produce these complicated, beautiful, yet also clearly delineated cathedrals of songs. There’s a really dense writer that I studied in college, whose work was described as being structured grammatically like cathedrals. Each sentence was complexity built on complexity; from a foundation of an idea it increasingly spiraled out of control in layers of theoretical complications , so that by the end of the paragraph-long sentence you had lost the point, way up in the towers of it and had to go back. But if you did, you could see how it made sense. The more you read him, the more you knew what to look for and after about 1200 pages or so it became quite easy to wade through the architecture of it all. The Calm Blue Sea does this with music but they clear the path from the beginning so that there’s no need to go back. As the song is wrapping up, you hear that refrain you heard at the start, perhaps down a third or up a fifth or something. But it’s there, connecting the whole back together again. In the middle is this tangle of smaller excursions and spirals of flourishes and other places they go and circle round again. And as it builds and falls, Chris rises off his chair, Kyle grooves in and out, inching closer and further away from the center, and Aaron (who is joining them from the great band Cougar, for this tour) often crouched down to his controls, provides amazing cover with a dense and intricate array of guitar stylings. All the while Steve lays in wait for the perfect moments to pounce with his sticks or brush or foot pedal and his drums carry every everyone off and on their way.
I have to say, Miska’s isn’t the first choice of venues in this town. But all four acts that night gave great performances and it was a beautiful night of music. Crooks and Children were engaging and interesting as they were the last time I saw them. I’m always intrigued by their switching of instruments after every song. For a band to be so versatile as that, it’s wonderful to hear so much variety and talent. I’ve got a few of their CDs on my pile and a more thorough review is in order and on its way!
The Calm Blue Sea is halfway through their tour, do go and catch their show. You’ll certainly not regret it and talk to them before or after the show, they’re a great group of guys! xoxo
Buy The Calm Blue Seahere
Buy Seigfriedhere
reviewed here
Tour Details
09/07 Toronto, ON – NEU+RAL
09/08 Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant St
09/09 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
09/10 Columbus, Ohio – Bernie’s
09/11 Cincinnati, Ohio – Covenant Church (4139 Kirby Avenue)
Play it while you imagine sitting in possibly the most, best, perfect theater to see a band perform the entire album from which that song is cut. Imagine that you have played that album over, and over, and over since it was released on March 24. And as you’ve digested every chord of this “concept album”, no… for the love of god, don’t call it an opera… you’ve imagined how it would be played: no goofy costumes, no characterizations, no props, just the music. That was exactly what I got on Saturday night in Milwaukee at the Riverside Theater. The Decemberists came onto the stage under the shroud of fog and to riotous applause and proceeded to take instrument in hand and simply play. No introduction, no banter between songs, there was no in between songs. It was all of a piece, and set against the grandeur of a tremendously large stage and before an audience of 2,500 Colin Meloy and company (the usual plus the wonderful Shara Worden and Becky Stark) seriously gave me chills.
No, strike that. There were small breaks between some songs, but only to change guitars or to give people enough time to get to appropriate microphones on stage. And we clapped until our hands were red and tired, and cheered ourselves hoarse. Colin’s voice was in great form, and the instrumentation was, …. well, what can I say? They played like it was the thing they loved to do the most in the whole wide world. I think that night that was exactly right.
These are photos, mostly of the show at the Hollywood Palladium on May 19, 2009, from flickr. I’m honestly at a loss for words on what else to really tell you. Buy the album. Listen to it all in one sitting. It’s all there, and it was all there that night in Milwaukee, and more. The energy poured off Colin Meloy. He was absolutely drenched in certainty. He knew he was bestowing this gift, live…. upon an audience that already knew the words, the chord changes, the concept. And when Becky Stark and Shara Worden sang their parts, the energy level rose to the very top of that great concert hall.
I took M.Chutney, the little wife, with me. I thought that this would be one indie concert she would like. She’s into guitar-heavy rock and roll; this translated I hoped. At intermission (yes, they performed the whole album and then took a break only to come back and play some more!), I looked over at her and she said “Well, that sucked.” Ha! There’s no accounting for taste in this family!
What followed next can only be described as a whole other concert. It was a two-for-one night, much to the wife’s relief! Songs included “Leslie Ann Levine” (what I requested via twitter while in a three-block-long line to get in), “Yankee Bayonet” (M.Chutney’s favorite), “We Both Go Down Together,” and more. It all ended with a giant sing along and invitation to come up on stage which I think Mr. Meloy might have later regretted. Look at MChutney’s picture below, almost the entire standing area hopped up there!
Oh Lordy! I almost forgot to mention perhaps the crowning moment of the evening for MChut and me; Shara Worden and Becky Stark sang a spine-tingling cover of Heart’s Crazy On You. Yeah, all us 40-somethings (and late 30-somethings) danced our asses off to that one! It was gorgeous!
buy Heart’s Dreamboat Annie, it’s a great, classic album
You know I’m gonna fall for this one Alice Mae, right? Bluesy rock, with that Southern feel that I grew up on, Hill Country Revue is two parts Mississippi Allstars (Chris Chew and Cody Dickinson) and thoroughly Memphis. At first listen you might think it’s a total throwback to 70s rock a roll, but the energy is pure 2.0 with guitar work that takes you back and forth between eras. Taking their name from a show the North Mississippi Allstars did at the Bonnaroo Festival in 2004, this band is all about musical collaboration and it shows. You don’t get these extended jam sessions from being an iconoclast in the business. Enjoy this song and let it whet your appetite for the whole 45 min. album Make a Move, available now, here. (I hear you can get two bonus tracks if you buy it on itunes, but you know I’d never send you there, right?)
Tour Info
05.15.09 – Hal and Mal’s – Jackson, MS
05.16.09 – Batesville Springfest – Batesville, MS
05.22.09 – Minglewood Hall (CD Release Party) – Memphis, TN
05.23.09 – Summer Camp Fest – Chillicothe, IL
05.27.09 – The Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
05.30.09 – The Jewish Mother – Virginia Beach, VA
06.01.09 – The Windjammer – Isle of Palms, SC
06.02.09 – The Windjammer – Isle of Palms, SC
06.03.09 – Live Wire Music Hall – Savannah, GA
06.04.09 – The 5 Spot – Atlanta, GA
06.05.09 – Wanee Festival – Live Oak, FL
06.06.09 – Red Rocks (w/ Big Head Todd & the Monsters) – Morrison, CO
06.21.09 – Birmingham City Stages – Birmingham, AL
06.25.09 – Revolution Music Room – Little Rock, AR
06.27.09 – North MS Hill Country Revue Picnic – Potts Camp, MS
07.04.09 – Rothbury Music Fest – Rothbury, MI
07.10.09 – All Good Music Festival – Masontown, WV
07.16.09 – The Handlebar – Greenville, SC
07.17.09 – Jazz After 5 – Asheville, NC
07.25.09 – Masquerade (Gov’t Mule After Show) – Atlanta, GA
07.31.09 – Verizon Wireless Center – Noblesville, IN**
08.01.09 – Verizon Wireless Center – Noblesville, IN**
09.01.09 – Sunset Plaza – Telluride, CO
09.05.09 – Long Beach Blues Festival – Long Beach, CA
I saw An Horseback in March and they were young and fresh. They’re still on the road, touring with Telekinesis and hitting California, the Midwest and then onto the East Coast. I’ve got a widgety thing for you, I know, they’re kinda cool, kinda lame, eh? Watch out, this one has an iTunes button, eek! But don’t fear, there’s also a great song, Camp Out which was one of my favorites that they played off their new album Rearrange Beds. I swear, the more I listen to Kate’s voice the more I really love it. And as I wrote back in March, when they sing together, on the same note, it’s just creepygood, you know what I mean, the kind of good that makes the hairs on your arms rise a little bit. The tone is so pure and clear, whatever force it was in the universe that pushed them toward one another, it was an amazing thing. Seriously, go see this duo if they come near you, this is going to be one of those groups that we’ll say we saw them when.
follow An Horse on twitter, MySpace, facebook AN HORSE 2009 TOUR DATES
05/19 The Casbah San Diego, CA
06/07 Schubas Tavern w/ Telekinesis Chicago, IL
06/10 The Horseshoe w/ Telekinesis Toronto, ON
06/11 Club Lambi w/ Telekinesis Montreal, QC
06/13 Union Hall w/ Telekinesis Brooklyn, NY
06/14 Mercury Lounge w/ Telekinesis New York, NY
06/16 Kung Fu Necktie w/ Telekinesis Philadelphia, PA
06/17 Black Cat Backstage w/ Telekinesis Washington DC
06/18 Local 506 w/ Telekinesis Chapel Hill, NC
06/19 The Earl w/ Telekinesis Atlanta, GA
06/20 The End w/ Telekinesis Nashville, TN
06/21 Off Broadway w/ Telekinesis St Louis, MO
06/22 Slowdown w/ Telekinesis Omaha, NE
07/18 Slottsfjell Festival w/ Kaiser Chiefs, The Streets, The Wombats, Foals & more Tonsberg
The night World Inferno Friendship Society hit Chicago was a four band, insane night of music! I missed the first one on the bill, Jewsus but I heard from everyone that they were pretty awesome! Ska/funk/punk goodness was the general description and I dig that, so them being a Chicago band, I’ll have to check it out and get back to you.
The second one up just happens to be Chicago Twitter friends of mine, Post Honeymoon. It’s a husband/wife duo and even though we’ve been tweeting for what seems like ages, we’d never met. They have this wonderful gothic pop sound that really rocks. Rachel looks like this little sweet thing but don’t be fooled, she may sing sweetly, sadly for a bit but watch out – the kitty has claws! I loved every minute of their short show, Nick bounced back and forth between drums (which he whaled on!) and guitar (searing, piercing and harsh!). Their songs lull you into feeling sorry for them at first but by the end you’re just as pissed off as they are. Post Honeymoon has a sound all their own, they’ve got a tour coming up to support their new LP, Post Honeymoon, coming out June 9 and I’m telling you now; this band is going to GO somewhere soon! Their promo describes them as “think Siouxsie Sioux meets The Motels, meets Love & Rockets (without the guitars).” Need I add that Rachel’s voice is just gorgeous?
May 14 2009 9:00P
The Empty Bottle w. Baby Teeth and My Dear Disco Chicago
Jun 2 2009 8:00P
The Bluebird w/ Push-Pull – The Coke Dares & Prizzy Prizzy Please Bloomington, Indiana
Jun 4 2009 8:00P
Sky House Nashville, Tennessee
Jun 5 2009 8:00P
The Buccaneer w/Red Mollies Memphis, Tennessee
Jun 6 2009 8:00P
Greencup Books Birmingham, Alabama
Jun 9 2009 8:00P
The Wormhole Savannah, Georgia
Jun 12 2009 8:00P
Pianos New York, New York
Jun 13 2009 8:00P
The Shank Brooklyn / Greenpoint
Jun 16 2009 8:00P
Mohawk Place Buffalo, New York
Jun 17 2009 8:00P
Lager House Detroit, Michigan
Jun 28 2009 8:00P
Ruby Room Pheonix, Arizona
I need to mention Easy Action as well, they’re traveling for a few shows, with World Inferno. Based in Detroit, they rocked, and I mean, good, old-fashioned, punk scream-fest rock. Nick and I watched them play and we were overjoyed at the intensity of the show. Their drummer was simply amazing, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Lead singer John Brannon was one big, angry dude! You might have caught them at SXSW, I hear they gave a great show. While not exactly my favorite kind of punk, it was damn good to hear a hard, ear-splitting, cock-rock band rile up the crowd that night. I need that once in a while, ya know?
Well, last night was a fucking musical feast! Marco Benevento came to town with two friends in tow and made an entire evening of noise, gloriously wonderful melodic noise. With Reed Mathis on bass and the irrepressible Simon Lott on drums, the Logan Square Auditorium reverberated with energy to an intimate but enthusiastic crowd. I was transfixed, absolutely transfixed on the whole experience of it. Hearing it recorded is just a sliver of what it is like to physically be in the room with all that noise and that moment of creation. Half the time I nodded my head to the beat, half the time I had my head cocked to the side, eyes squinched, wondering what was going through Marco’s mind right then to produce what I was hearing. Of course it helps that he is engaging and just a bit self-effacing and incredibly emotive when he plays. It is play for this man. His piano is all tricked out with a bunch of reverb/distortion pedals and knobs of all sorts, and he’s constantly playing off his drummer or bassist. It was impossible to not be drawn into it as they exchanged those knowing looks, exaggerated smiles and nods and just straight up “yeah I get it, man!” shakes of the head. This was music to move to!
Here’s a video of what folks in Brooklyn got on March 7th with some other supporting players, it’s much like what I heard last night. Just look at what he does, at that energy!
No, I can’t tell you a single title of what they played. It was jazz, it was improv/experimental, it went in all sorts of directions throughout and sometimes seemed to fall right off the cliff to be scooped up halfway down by the strong beat of a bass guitar or a fresh breath of a recognizable piano strain. This is not just a guy and a piano, it’s loud, it’s raucous, it’s jazzy and it grooves… women danced, “Marv” demanded it!
Sing It Again mp3 Marco Benevento Me Not Me
[edit: go and listen to NPR's song of the day today, by happy coincidence it's Marco Benevento's cover of My Morning Jacket's "Golden"]
This track isn’t very much like what I heard last night… well, I should preface that by saying it was a long set… and I heard so many tracks. They opened with a nice loud number, the third or fourth one in simply took me up to the ceiling and back again as it built and fell with a shimmer of cymbals and electronic noise. After that it was a series of songs, including one by George Harrison, a bit of chatter in between but not much. Toward the end, some requests taken from the meager audience and a pause for breath and some Maker’s Mark (this man had been literally hammering away for over an hour and a half!), and a few more, and then a beautiful closing number. I shook his hand afterward, thanking him for coming to our city; it was a warm, soft, tired hand that night.
official site……… buy the album, Me Not Me here! and hear a lot more music there too.
[edit: I totally forgot to mention the amazing opening band that played last night! Liquid Beat Allstars are not to be missed!!! Last night they had Allie Kral on violin, with them, from Cornmeal, who was great! .... see down below for gig dates/times here in Chicago]
Go see this amazing artist on tour!:
04.10.09 Fri
Vaudeville Mews
Des Moines, IA
with Reed Mathis and Simon Lott
04.11.09
Dakota
Minneapolis, MN
with Reed Mathis and Simon Lott
04.12.09
CSPS
Cedar Rapids, IA
with Reed Mathis and Simon Lott
04.17.09
Ithaca, NY
Castaways
with Marc Friedman and others
Nathan Moore opens
04.23.09
New Orleans, LA
Tipitina’s
with Adam Deitch, Papa Mali and many others
4.24.09
New Orleans, LA
Riverboat
with Stanton Moore, Mike D and Skerik
4.25.09
New Orleans, LA
The Maple Leaf
with Johnny Vidacovich (late night)
4.29.09
New Orleans, LA
The Howlin Wolf
- solo early set -
-late set – with Stanton Moore, Mike D and Skerik
4.30.09
New Orleans, LA
The Maple Leaf
with Johnny Vidacovich and George Porter
11pm set
05.01.09
New Orleans, LA
One Eyed Jacks
with Stanton Moore, Mike D and Skerik
LATE NIGHT AT THE COLTON THEATRE -
Benevento Russo Duo – show starts 2am.
05.02.09
New Orleans, LA
Tipitina’s
with BUSTLE IN YOUR HEDGEROW
- late show -
05.03.09
New Orleans, LA
The Blue Nile
ME NOT ME CD Release Show
with Reed Mathis and Adam Deitch
05.06.09
Le Divan Orange
Montreal, Canada
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr
05.07.09
The Wescott Theatre
Syracuse, NY
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr
05.08.09
The Iron Horse
Northampton, MA
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr
05.09.09
Portland, ME
Empire Dine and Dance
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr
05.12.09
Hartford, CT
Real Art Ways
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr
05.13.09
Philadelphia, PA
Johnny Brenda’s
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr
05.14.09
Merkin Concert Hall
New York, NY
with Reed Mathis and Andrew Barr
05.15.09
Boston, MA
The Pardise
opening for TLG
05.29.09
Woodstock, NY
MOUNTAIN JAM
June 11th
NYC
The Stone
8pm and 10pm Solo
07.3.09
Quincy, CA
HIGH SIERRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
07.18.09
Sante Fe, NM
New Mexico Jazz Festival
——————————————-
Chicago! Go hear Liquid Beat Allstars
Apr 11 2009 9:00P
US Beer Co w/ Great Divide Chicago, Illinois
Apr 15 2009 10:00P
Tonic Room Chicago, Illinois
Apr 22 2009 10:00P
Tonic Room Chicago, Illinois
Apr 29 2009 10:00P
Tonic Room Chicago, Illinois
May 2 2009 8:00P
Illinois Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IL) w/ Raoul Duke Bloomington, IL
May 28 2009 9:00P
The Kinetic Playground w/ Steez & The Station Chicago, Illinois
THE DECEMBERISTS ON TOUR – purchase tickets
May 19 – Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA
May 20 – Fox Theatre – Oakland, CA
May 21 – McDonald Theater – Eugene, OR
May 24 – Wilma Theatre – Missoula, MT
May 26 – Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, CO
May 27 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO
May 29 – Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI
May 31 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
June 1 – Lifestyle Communities Pavilion – Columbus, OH
June 3 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
June 4 – Memorial Auditorium – Raleigh, NC
June 5 – The National – Richmond, VA
June 6 – Tower Theatre – Upper Darby, PA
June 9 – Bank of America Pavillion – Boston, MA
June 10 – Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY
June 11-14 – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Manchester, TN
July 18 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR w/ Andrew Bird
July 19 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR w/ Andrew Bird
(and apologies for the ads for IFC, not an endorsement, just couldn’t be avoided)
You never know what to expect out of a guy like Eef Barzelay. If you’ve been following the rumors around his band, Clem Snide, you know that unpredictability is his strong suit. No, scratch that… more like his suit of armor. Eef thrives on faking us out! He lies to us. He stops mid sentence, turns his back to us and turns around in a completely different character. His songs stop suddenly, changing genre, jolting us from easy-peasy mellowness into hard-rockin’, guitar-driving noise. Don’t go pretending you have Eef all figured out, you’ll only goad him on to more chaos. I can feel it just from the glint in his eye when he’s on stage, struggling to tune his guitar. He’s daring us to pin him down.
Last night a packed room of college-aged, 30-somethings, and die-hard music fans (we were the greying weirdos who were up way past our bedtimes, trying to not stand out too much in the youthful crowd) were enthralled with the band Clem Snide. With the wonderfully talented Brendan Fitzpatrick on bass playing straight man to his occasional stand-up show, Eef gave us the kind of comedic genius that cannot begin to disguise the real talent laying beneath it. While he sways and falls and pretends to make up words and phrases, you notice that none of it is off key. None of it is out of time enough to throw anyone off. None of his machinations are unplanned, unrehearsed, I’m guessing. This is the kid who practiced those funny faces in the bathroom mirror for hours and hours. He’s all grown up now and damn that kid can sing and write lyrics that make you ache.
Yet with all that showmanship comes real tenderness. Songs about love and relationships and betrayal and death call for such nonsense on stage. I’m devastated when it turns out that his heart breaking explanation, about an aged couple, one dying of cancer, for “Born A Man,” really is true. I’m elated when he belts out “Ice Cube” with all its witticisms, and melodramatic tragedy, building it to a climatic end. The show, like the man (?) is a rollercoaster of experience, he works the crowd, pausing between songs to banter and endlessly tune that guitar. “This new album has a lot of tunings on it” he claims, each song requiring some adjustment. But I wonder if it’s not just Eef taking a breather between performances, between what must be exhausting episodes of emotional intensity. You really can’t just stand still and sing words like;
she asked him,
“why can we not be together
why is it we have to part
why did you leave with a stranger
when i am revealing my heart?”
because I love the unknown
I love the unknown
he says he loves the unknown
because I love the unknown
I love the unknown
he says he loves the unknown
Yes, “I Love The Unknown” was a definite highlight of this show, but there were many highlights, and this crowd ate them up. It was great to see the faces of the band when they saw the size of the crowd, the smile that spread across them. Chicago welcomed back Clem Snide with warmth, forgiving them for being away four, long years. Songs from older albums were sung loudly by the audience. At one point in the show, the drummer, Ben Martin was announced single and ready to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. His skills with the sticks surely should have garnered him a high price, not to mention his rugged good looks. In between songs, the crowd shouted out requests, all denied by Eef, he was running this show, don’t forget. I’ve recreated the setlist from my notes (yeah I’m the geeky girl in the back with her iphone out at the beginning of every song). In the process, I discovered that the opening song was a debut! It was grand! It was quintessentially Clem Snide. It was punchy and a little spiteful and a little sad, as I remember, and very, very, very good. The working title is “Walmart” and if you see them do it again, let me know what you think of it, and what it turns into, ok?!? Clem Snide is hitting the road with this new album, college radio is declaring it a real winner! All the big blogs have reviewed Hungry Bird and loved it, you will too!
“Walmart”
“Let’s Explode”
“Tuesday, October 24th”
“Something Beautiful”
“Born A Man”
“Yip/Jump Music”
“Fight Song Melody”
“Collapse”
“Ice Cube”
encore – “Ballad of Bitter Honey” (acoustic)
“Mike Kalinsky”
“Me No”
“I Love The Unknown”
“Man In The Mirror”
The running joke of the evening was “25 things about Clem Snide” in a kind of Facebook fashion. Eef was to give us a clearer picture of who this Clem Snide guy really was, and was he really Eef? In the end, he declared it a hopeless exercise. No one who loves unpredictability as much as Eef Barzelay could give us a list of 25 things that define this band. And none of us even wanted one. The beauty is in the surprise of not knowing what’s coming next.
Please come back to Chicago, Clem Snide. We promise to continue to be amazed and surprised and enthralled with you. And bring that gorgeous bass player, Brendan along too, ok? Watching him play was a little slice of heaven for this tart, xoxox
You know I’ve been listening to MMW for only about a year now, and from the moment they hit my ears, I’ve been craving the opportunity to hear all this jazz-rock wildness live. In most things, this tart gets her way. And Saturday night, as the crowd roared (absolutely roared!) their welcome, Medeski, Martin and Wood took the stage. It was all madness from there on out. I could give you my usual metaphors and flowery language, and frankly music like this deserves that, but the lasting impression of this show was just one of breathlessness. Even when they toned it all down and play slowly, giving drummer Billy Martin a moment to wipe the sweat from his face, I found myself all tensed up and excited still. The opening number must have lasted fifteen minutes, building and crashing and warming up the crowd. Did I already mention they were absolutely roaring? The House of Blues knows a thing or two about selling the bar. And the atmosphere was very party-hearty.
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