Colin Meloy Tonight

[daves122]

So who's going?

[Cock Van Der Palm]

me

[shoelaces22]

Me too.

[Darth Ed]

Wouldn't miss it.

[miss pretentious]

I can't believe no one has written about this yet. Anyhoo, I'm such a fan girl... but I was really pleased with the set list. Especially him including 'Red Right Ankle' in the encore...
 
 Also, Laura Gibson was quite endearing. I enjoyed her a lot more than I figured I would. Although I think I'd have liked her better in a seated situation.
 
 Get your bingo cards out ..  there was a couple next to us that talked the ENTIRE show. They were asked to pipe down at least twice and drunkenly started trying to hum (and eventually sing) 'Hey Jude' over another humming part at one point. It was pretty awful.

[Darth Ed]

What's there to say? Either you love Colin Meloy or you don't. I thought it was a fantastic show. Probably not as good as his previous solo shows in this area, but it's still my favorite show so far this year due to the audience involvement.  It really was a campfire sing-along atmosphere with the majority of the audience singing along (quite loudly at times) to many of the songs. Colin Meloy is an enchanting performer. I've stated it before, but I'll reiterate: I actually prefer his solo shows to The Decemberists' shows because they are 100% pure Colin Meloy.
 
 I actually didn't care for the set list as much as you, Miss P. Maybe it's Bags' influence, but I've come to dread "Mariner's Revenge" and I got tired of hearing the story behind "The Apology Song" years ago. The rest of the set list was very good though, if a little heavy on "The Crane Wife" album (which I really adore, so that was fine with me). I *heart* "Red Right Ankle" and any show in which that song is performed gets bonus points, but, overall, I wouldn't say the set list was as good as his previous two solo tours. No "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist" or "Song for Myla Goldberg" or "California One/Y&BB" or "Bandit Queen". I did enjoy the Sam Cooke cover, "Cupid", with Laura Gibson on backing vocals, however.
 
 The audienced seemed to love Laura Gibson, but I wasn't as impressed as the rest of the audience. I thought she was just OK.

[xneverwherex]

Originally posted by Darth Ed:
  What's there to say? Either you love Colin Meloy or you don't. I thought it was a fantastic show. Probably not as good as his previous solo shows in this area, but it's still my favorite show so far this year due to the audience involvement.  It really was a campfire sing-along atmosphere with the majority of the audience singing along (quite loudly at times) to many of the songs. Colin Meloy is an enchanting performer. I've stated it before, but I'll reiterate: I actually prefer his solo shows to The Decemberists' shows because they are 100% pure Colin Meloy.
 
 I actually didn't care for the set list as much as you, Miss P. Maybe it's Bags' influence, but I've come to dread "Mariner's Revenge" and I got tired of hearing the story behind "The Apology Song" years ago. The rest of the set list was very good though, if a little heavy on "The Crane Wife" album (which I really adore, so that was fine with me). I *heart* "Red Right Ankle" and any show in which that song is performed gets bonus points, but, overall, I wouldn't say the set list was as good as his previous two solo tours. No "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist" or "Song for Myla Goldberg" or "California One/Y&BB" or "Bandit Queen". I did enjoy the Sam Cooke cover, "Cupid", with Laura Gibson on backing vocals, however.
 
 The audienced seemed to love Laura Gibson, but I wasn't as impressed as the rest of the audience. I thought she was just OK.

Thanks for this review. Im using it to get my friend and his girlfriend to come to the show    I know he'll appreciate it.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

And if you're the type of person who doesn't love Colin Meloy, you probably don't use the word "adore" to describe how you feel about an album.
 
 

Originally posted by Darth Ed:
  What's there to say? Either you love Colin Meloy or you don't. I thought it was a fantastic show. Probably not as good as his previous solo shows in this area, but it's still my favorite show so far this year due to the audience involvement.  It really was a campfire sing-along atmosphere with the majority of the audience singing along (quite loudly at times) to many of the songs. Colin Meloy is an enchanting performer. I've stated it before, but I'll reiterate: I actually prefer his solo shows to The Decemberists' shows because they are 100% pure Colin Meloy.
 
 I actually didn't care for the set list as much as you, Miss P. Maybe it's Bags' influence, but I've come to dread "Mariner's Revenge" and I got tired of hearing the story behind "The Apology Song" years ago. The rest of the set list was very good though, if a little heavy on "The Crane Wife" album (which I really adore, so that was fine with me). I *heart* "Red Right Ankle" and any show in which that song is performed gets bonus points, but, overall, I wouldn't say the set list was as good as his previous two solo tours. No "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist" or "Song for Myla Goldberg" or "California One/Y&BB" or "Bandit Queen". I did enjoy the Sam Cooke cover, "Cupid", with Laura Gibson on backing vocals, however.
 
 The audienced seemed to love Laura Gibson, but I wasn't as impressed as the rest of the audience. I thought she was just OK.

[azaghal1981]

Couldn't make it last night; thanks for the reviews.
 
 Guess I'll catch him in Milwaukee next week while I'm there.

[miss pretentious]

photos from the night a la pitchfork.
  http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49927-photos-colin-meloy-washington-dc-041308

[killsaly]

Man I wish I hadnt lost my tickets.  Between that and the Long/Short cancellation, I have been sans Colin.

[Bags]

Originally posted by Darth Ed:
  I actually didn't care for the set list as much as you, Miss P. Maybe it's Bags' influence, but I've come to dread "Mariner's Revenge" and I got tired of hearing the story behind "The Apology Song" years ago.
 
 The audienced seemed to love Laura Gibson, but I wasn't as impressed as the rest of the audience. I thought she was just OK.

We're on the same page, Darth.  I'm so over the clenching whale jaws for the Mariner's Revenge -- I loved it the first couple of times the whole band did it, but it's been done and done and done (that's one drawback to a band that tours so much -- it's not that I see them on one tour a bunch of times, they did it tour after tour for a while).  Although in the solo environment, it was less cloying, and it's been a while since they were doing the whole act.
 
 I also agree that you love him or not.  He can do little wrong in my book, and I really enjoy the intimate atmosphere of the solo show.  Even though he doesn't veer from the setlist, it feels like he's really reading the audience and involving them with the show.  [A long aside -- Laurence Fishbourne was on some talk show talking about a solo show he's doing on Broadway.  He was talking about how terrifying it is to be onstage alone, until the director told him that he has a new scene partner every night -- the audience.  That seems to be Colin's approach as well, and it works.]
 
 I also LOVE "The Crane Wife," but would have really enjoyed and appreciated going deeper into the back catalogue.  That often is one of the joys of a solo tour -- less schilling of the newest merchandise (not that it feels like Colin is schilling; I'm sure if you're an artist you love your new stuff.)
 
 AND, Laura Gibson did nothing for me on a Sunday night except make me regret getting there for her whole set.  Just too quiet and twee and humble and gosh-oh-golly-gee-did-she-get-that-dress-from-a-random-trunk-at-an-old-time-barn-raising?  Didn't enjoy the Sam Cooke cover because she was on stage and did her toddler-hello and goodbye wave.

[Darth Ed]

Originally posted by Bags:
 I also agree that you love him or not.  He can do little wrong in my book, and I really enjoy the intimate atmosphere of the solo show.  Even though he doesn't veer from the setlist, it feels like he's really reading the audience and involving them with the show.  [A long aside -- Laurence Fishbourne was on some talk show talking about a solo show he's doing on Broadway.  He was talking about how terrifying it is to be onstage alone, until the director told him that he has a new scene partner every night -- the audience.  That seems to be Colin's approach as well, and it works.]

I couldn't agree more with what you wrote there, Bags!