Post Show Banter >>>>

[bearman🐻]

Catching up:

Jason Narducy house show in Baltimore at Club603, was very much fun. Got to chat with Bearman, who is close personal friends with Jason.

So great to see you...that show was SO fun. Really, one of my favorites of the year...I just find him so funny, engaging and sharp. And a great storyteller and musician. Ironically, I've never seen him in a living room setting. I've seen him open for Bob Mould and play a bunch with Bob...but the living room setup works really well for him. Great group of folks there too. The hosts are awesome.

[challenged]

Catching up:

Jason Narducy house show in Baltimore at Club603, was very much fun. Got to chat with Bearman, who is close personal friends with Jason.

So great to see you...that show was SO fun. Really, one of my favorites of the year...I just find him so funny, engaging and sharp. And a great storyteller and musician. Ironically, I've never seen him in a living room setting. I've seen him open for Bob Mould and play a bunch with Bob...but the living room setup works really well for him. Great group of folks there too. The hosts are awesome.

Yeah, they're the best hosts; and Jason is so funny.
goodtimes!

[challenged]

Dark Star Orchestra: Paramount, Huntington, NY.
Needed to get out of my mom's house and was able to go to this show and to catch up with a couple of high school friends. Saw the opening set, and it confirmed for me that this band, is not, my scene. The folks purposely attending, however, seemed to really be into the 17 minute version of little red rooster. Highlights: dudes in purple bear suits; and Little Vincent's Pizza down the block afterwards.

[challenged]

Friday. Hold Steady/Bad Moves - Brooklyn Bowl - Bad Moves were really good, tight, catchy. Will see again for sure. Check out "Cool Generator" for an idea. THS was great, set of mostly more obscure songs.
Saturday. Hold Steady/Jay Gonzalez (AM Gold) - Brooklyn Bowl -Jay (from the Drive By Truckers) opened solo on keyboards and played classic rock songs and members of THS joined him. Fun. Sunday. THS was great for the finale of their home-stand. Great set, amazing energy.
Soccer Mommy/Ratboys - Metro Gallery - Ratboys were a surprise, fun high energy band. Soccer Mommy was good. Short-ish set, mostly with band, some solo. Enjoyed the band songs more.

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 50th Anniversary Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Chris Hillman/Roger McGuinn w/Marty Stuart and the superlatives were superb last night at the Strathmore

My personal journey to the Byrds/Graham Parsons came via Uncle Tupleo.  Back when there was just an infant of the internet of today, people got on list servs that you'd email back and forth about bands you loved.
Other than Hutch, I didn't know anyone who had any interest in Alt-Country.  But the Postcard Listserv quickly turned me onto Whiskytown, the Old 97s, Bottlerockets, the Gourds, Marah, Blue Mountain, Freakwater and others.

But the thing I really got from that listserv was trading cassette tapes.  One of my prize possessions was a poorly recorded tape (was actually a soundboard, but my copy, was a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy I guess) of Coffee Creek, a little side project that Jay, Jeff,  Mike Heidorn and their Guitar tech Brian Henneman at Cicero's in St Louis (kinda their home base)
They did nothing but (mostly)country covers, but turned me on to music I'd never heard before in my life.  Just fantastic selections like:
 Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? /  Is Anybody Going to San Antone /Mendocino/ Wrote A Song For Everyone (Tweedy's only vocal, but awesome nonetheless)/ Do Re Mi.  (This has to be one of my favorite Woody Guthrie Covers, used to sing my daughters to bed with this one)

But these three songs were always some of my favorites
You're Still On My Mind
Sing Me Back Home
Drugstore Truck Driving Man

I knew they loved GP and Sweetheart, but for some reason the originals never spoke to me as much as these mid-western guys in the 90's covering them.  It was such a treat to hear some of these songs and my personal connection to them (and music in general)

The show was so good and we got treated with lots of banter too.  Chris Hillman was easy to understand and thankfully he did most of the talking.   He said it was true that he met GP in a bank (then he joked "cashing a trust fund check") and knew a little about him and asked him to audition...oddly enough they had him audition with jazz piano tunes,  Roger loved it, and the rest is history
Roger said that he and GP wrote DSTDM (then GP left the band before recording it) in London to get revenge (in a song) about a DJ that hated and wouldn't play some of their new countrified tunes when the were recording SHOTR.  Was also fun to hear about Mr. Tambourine Man and they way they originally planed to cover it (which the world is glad they didn't), then they treated us to the version everyone knows

I thought for sure we'd get a pun about the song One Hundred Years From Now...being only 50 years away now

For the last set they came out with So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star and joked how people always say "that's a great Tom Petty cover"
The Byrds had a connection with Tom Petty and ended the show with a little tribute to him. 
So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star

King of the Hill which Roger McGuinn wrote with Tom
Great cover of Wildflowers
and a killer blue grassy version of Runnin' Down a Dream

no 8 miles high...but again, the only version I like is by Husker Du

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives put on a rocking 3 song set in the middle ...I'd catch him again in the future!

Oh and thanks again DotTheEyes for hooking me up with the ticket.  First time at the Strathmore too...cool venue

[Space Freely]

Thanks for the Sweethearts review. Was Chris Scruggs in the band?

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Thanks for the Sweethearts review. Was Chris Scruggs in the band?

nope, but Marty name dropped him at one point

[Bagley]

My personal journey to the Byrds/Graham Parsons came via Uncle Tupleo.  Back when there was just an infant of the internet of today, people got on list servs that you'd email back and forth about bands you loved.
Other than Hutch, I didn't know anyone who had any interest in Alt-Country.  But the Postcard Listserv quickly turned me onto Whiskytown, the Old 97s, Bottlerockets, the Gourds, Marah, Blue Mountain, Freakwater and others.

Sounds like a great time Hatch!  To this day, the Uncle Tupelo shows at the old 9:30 remain as some of the best live shows I've seen.  I, too dug the alt-country scene way back when.  I had the pleasure of hanging out with Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers in front of the club after their set.  Also saw Blue Mountain, Freakwater, the Long Ryders, Green on Red, Jason and the Scorchers, Rank and File amongst others at the old place.   All great shows.  MISS THOSE DAYS!

[hutch]

Tupelo at the old 930... so jealous

[Space Freely]

Tupelo at the old 930... so jealous

I was living in Baltimore at the time and thought about going to that show, but foolishly decided not to go. I did later catch Wilco at the Club in 1995.

[twangirl]

Thanks for the Sweethearts review. Was Chris Scruggs in the band?

nope, but Marty name dropped him at one point

Chris Scruggs was there, switching between upright and electric bass, acoustic guitar and, for the Sweetheart set, rocking the pedal steel with some lovely flourishes. And singing backup vocals as well. Kenny Vaughan on electric and acoustic guitars and BGVs, drummer Harry Stinson is a great singer, he can hit any note there is. The harmonies from all these guys were so rich and beautiful. This band really is fabulously superlative, Marty chose the right band name for sure.

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Thanks for the Sweethearts review. Was Chris Scruggs in the band?

nope, but Marty name dropped him at one point

Chris Scruggs was there, switching between upright and electric bass, acoustic guitar and, for the Sweetheart set, rocking the pedal steel with some lovely flourishes. And singing backup vocals as well. Kenny Vaughan on electric and acoustic guitars and BGVs, drummer Harry Stinson is a great singer, he can hit any note there is. The harmonies from all these guys were so rich and beautiful. This band really is fabulously superlative, Marty chose the right band name for sure.

my bad...he was awesome on pedal steel, I guess the name drop to say he was on stage
and yes Harry's vocals were fantastic
Kenny was one of my favorite parts too...
and this man knows how to sport a real nudie

[bearman🐻]

Went to check out Dean Wareham and Cheval Sombre at le poisson rouge in NYC on Friday. Great show, and they made a really good LP together. The Galaxie 500 covers were amazing, and Dean played a few solo tunes as well, and they sounded terrific. I wish I had known about the secret "Galaxie 500" show that he did in Brooklyn Saturday night at Alphaville, but apparently it was really exclusive. It was Dean, Britta and his backing band doing Galaxie stuff. I saw a short clip and it sounded spectacular.

[challenged]

I enjoyed the Gang of Youths show at 930 last night.
Really energetic front man and the drummer was a full on animal.
Shrunken club set up, so floor was fairly full, but not a well sold show.
Veggie Burger remains on-point at Food Food.
Tasty Burger is no longer in existence.
around 55 minutes Club to Towson which is the new normal.

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Phosphorescent
Devotchka

Can't believe you paid over $30 when tickets are currently $12 on StubHub space!

For which show? Paid $25 for Phosphorescent and haven't bought the Devotchka ticket.

Can't play the numbers game for tickets when babysitters are involved. Need the advance tickets to make definitive plans.

was originally a response in roll call....but seemed more appropriate here

had a new kid/concert experience
we didn't have tickets to the Jingle ball at Capital One Area last night
I'd dealt with no less than 10 scam artists trying to get a good deal on tickets...
there were easily 500 seats availble..with a ton on the floor in the back
So I knew we'd not get sold out, but ticket prices started at $60 for the 400s and went up to $250 ...face
but I was convinced I could get a better deal due to the tons of avilable seats and people just stuck with tickets
but for some reason the stubhub/seatgeek market wouldn't break at all
especially for 3 seats
I was a little shocked that all these seats were still available at 6PM with a show that started in 30 mins
I really thought some of those people with $250 tickets would say 'f-it I'd rather make $100 than lose $500'
but was constantly going back and forth between stubhub/seatgeek and some other brokers (most use the same data)
I got to imagine some of those seat were from people who some how got the tix for free, so not getting their money wasn't that big of a deal

what I didn't realize is that you can't buy tickets online via Ticketmaster an hour before the show start? (or something like that...as at 5:15ish I couldn't on my phone or desktop get tickets and doors opened at 630
so I couldn't get a guaranteed ticket and wasn't willing to pay more than face for a ticket...
So I stepped out of my comfort zone and was going to do it for the kids
I pack the two kids 12/9 in the car and we're just going to wing it on the mean streets of DC (this town used to be much sketcher at night)

I get down there and promptly was warned by one of the cap center staff to 'beware' of scalpers which my kids heard and I could tell sent shivers down their spines

I go to the box office and didn't talk to them yet as I saw a gaggle of scalpers
course they didn't have 3 in a row
they also knew the cheapest tix was $90 at the box office

did feel a little sketchy with my young daughters, dealing with an illegal transaction in broad daylight with cops no less than 50 yards away
especially after that foreshadowing from the security guy
There was definitely a bead of sweat on my brow as our tickets were scanned...

all ended well because there were 20% empty seats in our section
and paid off big time as I got dad of the year award smiles as they sang every note of all the acts
Show overall wasn't that bad...although probably couldn't see my self going for free...the things you do for love

Chainsmokers...the final act...was a major letdown IMO
all the guest vocals were just the studio tracks (c'mon get a good back up singer, jez)
and he did the Chris martin part poorly
they did have some crazy pyrotechnics...and being 10 rows away and up...we felt it

Sabrina carpenter...we actually know her stuff, but only caught the last 90 seconds of her set...nice red suit tho
Bazzi was really good and didn't realize I'd already heard some of his songs, #2 performance for me
NF was ok...surprised he can pack the anthem, his last two hits are fun, but ...most of the vocals were pre recorded(theme)!? He did come out in a cage and climbed all over it during his set, which I thought was a nice touch
bebe rexa was very good and really hammed it up with the crowd, not my thing but she delivered on what was expected
Shawn Mendez was probably the best performance of the night, tight band, great songs and he's kinda dreamy (kid quote)
G-eazy - I do/did like his song with Halsey Him and I ...but her part was just a studio track and it's almost half of the song, rest of his set was meh.  he just annoys me, I guess that makes me blind to his raw talent?...but he's just not believable as the tough guy he acts like.  NF was much more convincing
Meghan Tranior - I expected this to be my fav, but just wasn't that wow'd She had a great band and dancers, but just sounded thin.  especially after g-eazy blew everyone ears out prior

Let both the kids sleep in and got hassled by both schools for bringing them in late
still ended up being kind of expensive, but we got decent seats and they had an awesome time (which is an awesome time for me even if I didn't love the bands)