In!

Sweet Mother of Jesus, someone contact The Museum Of The Hard To Believe!

See everybody tomorrow

In, and in.

In for two.

Flea wrote:Sweet Mother of Jesus, someone contact The Museum Of The Hard To Believe!

WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS

Smitty wrote:WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS

Wait....what??

Zip City
Heroin Again
Filthy and Fried
The Righteous Path
Ramon Casiano
Darkened Flags on the Cusp of Dawn
Sounds Better in the Song
The Living Bubba
3 Dimes Down
Sinkhole
Slow Ride Argument
The Perilous Night
Kinky Hypocrite
The KKK Took My Baby Away
Do It Yourself
When the Pin Hits the Shell
Ronnie and Neil
Women Without Whiskey
When the Levee Breaks
What It Means
Surrender Under Protest
Let There Be Rock
Shut Up and Get on the Plane
Angels and Fuselage

Smitty wrote:WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS

Wow. When I got to Norfolk Tyler told me they had soundchecked it earlier. Wondered if they were eventually gonna work it in somewhere

Missing from the set list is that Erika Wennerstrom sang convincing lead and some kick ass dude whose name I didn't catch blew a mean harp on "Levee". The crowd loved it but the happiest folks in the place were the 7 musicians on stage - one might have gone blind from all the smiles. Also for you completists out there, Erika's guitarist also played on Levee and David Barbe played guitar on the last 3 songs.

Heroin Again is so much different and better than the original version that it might as well be a different song. Well done, Patterson.

more in the later am.

beantownbubba wrote:Missing from the set list is that Erika Wennerstrom sang convincing lead and some kick ass dude whose name I didn't catch blew a mean harp on "Levee"..

That was Danny Clinch. Same guy who took the photo which became the cover of American Band.

ramonz wrote:

Smitty wrote:WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS

Wait....what??

ALWAYS go to the show

uncle rickey wrote:Zip City
Heroin Again
Filthy and Fried
The Righteous Path
Ramon Casiano
Darkened Flags on the Cusp of Dawn
Sounds Better in the Song
The Living Bubba
3 Dimes Down
Sinkhole
Slow Ride Argument
The Perilous Night
Kinky Hypocrite
The KKK Took My Baby Away
Do It Yourself
When the Pin Hits the Shell
Ronnie and Neil
Women Without Whiskey
When the Levee Breaks
What It Means
Surrender Under Protest
Let There Be Rock
Shut Up and Get on the Plane
Angels and Fuselage

Got to the venue "Tyler" early. Rewarded with standing alone outside Brooklyn Bowl for a good thirty minutes as the weather got more raw by the minute. Did get to catch up briefly with a few folks coming and going from venue to bus. ("Hi, Cole! Hi, Paul! Hi, Sean!") In the spirit of Cooley Girl pulling me to the rail with her and Uncle Rickey for my first show in Westbury last February, I was bringing a friend to her first show, and made sure she had her place along the stage. She'd shared, in a significant way, one of the personal losses that the Truckers helped me get through when I first fell in total love with them, so having her there was very meaningful.

Through the first 100 or so minutes, I'd describe last night's show as "Super Solid". "Slow Ride Argument" is a fast-grower; my sense is that as they play it, it will become even more focused, especially the vocal counterpoint (Patterson's "slow down/take it easy" against Cooley's chorus. A vocal style to my recollection they've never attempted, but which is striking, and works already). But I also feel that Cooley presents more "complete" songs at this stage that PH does; Patterson's songs, as BTB alluded to with "Heroin Again" REALLY evolve as they get played by the full band, and where they wind up when and if they're set to record will likely be a fair distance from first versions live.

"Sinkhole", "Ronnie & Neil", and "Women Without Whiskey" worked their usual magic; the crowd audibly responding with the first familiar notes. We were standing right in front of the vocal wedge, stage left, so could hear clearly how strong the vocals were last night. Cooley in particular was in GREAT vocal form. He did less "talk singing" than I'd seen recently, and on something like "Sounds Better in the Song" the vocal absolutely carried the performance, in a really challenging room for quieter songs. (As someone midway back in the audience screeched during SBITS, the look on Patterson's face was priceless). Both Cooley and Patterson keep evolving and improving as singers. At this point in their career, to say that's unusual among rock singers is an understatement.

Once they brought on Erika Wennerstrom, Lauren Gurgiolo (EW's fantastic guitarist, combining some of the best elements of Richard Thompson and St. Vincent, wangling unexpected sounds from her instruments, multiple guitars and her lap steel), and harp player Danny Clinch, for a massive version of Zep's "When the Levee Breaks" (the reports from on-the-ground correspondents are TRUE!) it raised the force of the gig significantly, turning a solid and strong DBT show into something wilder and more raw. "What it Means", with the now-familiar, yet still urgent and deeply-felt Patti Smith "Love each other, motherfuckers!" story (well, let's do), a raging "Surrender Under Protest", "Let There Be Rock" bringing smiles to everyone's faces, onstage and in the audience, and then "Shut Up and Get on the Plane"; careening, loud, just on the edge of in control, all resolving in the pained majesty of "Angels and Fuselage". Scree-ing feedback, the band leaving one-by-one...Again, a solid show that suddenly became a special one.

"Bummers"? I'd have liked to have heard Jay better. From audience right, his guitar was a rumor, and his keyboards were inaudible. I hope they balance that in the house mix tonight. (Standing right in front of the vocal monitor surely did not help!) I did not have any fried chicken. (My cholesterol count was the only thing pleased by that).

Each time I've seen them, always in multiple show groups, for some reason, I've thought after hearing a terrific show, "well, lower expectations, they can't ALL be THAT good!" But, so far...they can be. This is a band operating at what has to be close to their peak. They love playing together; that is so perfectly obvious. They're playing nearly every part of their now enormous catalog with real passion as if it's all fresh. (Rumors of Cooley abandoning "Zip City" may, to paraphrase Twain, have been premature". New material is slotting in amidst classics with no diminution of the show's flow. And the audiences, with few exceptions, are aligned with the band in a way I've never seen with any other group.

So good to see so many of you last night. Man, this community. (There was GLITTER!) Tonight, another show. Maybe there will be chicken. But, there will be a great show. I can take that to the proverbial savings and loan venture...see lots of you tonight.

It seems that Glenn spent last nite/early this morning lodged in my head. Not only did he get it exactly right he used some of the same phrases I thought i was going to write LOL. So some confirmation and filling in:

Erika Wennerstrom: The songs were fine although it was typically difficult to catch lyrics on songs one is hearing for the first time. But the dominant impression was THE VOICE. She can flat out sing and it was a pleasure listening even lacking familiarity w/ the songs. Reports of the quality of her band were not exaggerated. They were excellent, particularly the guitarist (thanks for the name Glenn) and the back up singer. The 2 voices together were a real treat. Erika's "junior investment banker going on an job interview" suit was unusual stage garb and I wondered whether there was a message there (we're serious about what we're doing here, or w/ a more #metoo spin, "my eyes are up here") or just what she's comfortable in.

Glenn is dead on about the vocals but I also thought the dimmer twins played an incredible amount of lead guitar compared to the typical gig. It was a throwback in some ways to some of the crazier Isbell era guitar madness nites. Good stuff. And while cooley's vocals carried Pin Hits the Shell as Glenn described, Do It Yourself is evolving into a musical monster - a really intense rocker that is better now than ever.

Musically, i thought that Perilous Night was a real nice segue from Slow Ride Again. My first listen to the latter and I think that one's got legs.

KKK is clearly a crowd favorite but i thought it got an extra large welcome last nite and wondered if that was because we were essentially down the street from the Ramones' "home town".

I was closer to the stage than I usually stand and I had forgotten how much fun looking for the song signals can be. Filthy and Friend is a kind of "let your fingers do the walking" gesture (for those old enough to remember those ads) which I guess was a sashay of shame

Patterson struggled through one of the verses of Let There Be Rock and it was interesting to see him trying to figure out in real time whether to try to salvage it or just say "fuck it." He went w fuck it. Which reminds me that Erika literally forgot the words to the Townes Van Zandt cover she was about to do and was only saved after a couple of minutes by the drummer looking up the words on his phone. A very 21st century moment

In "this is how the mind plays tricks on you" dept, at first I thought Hood and Cooley were wearing bowling shoes (the venue is part bowling alley). Needless to say they weren't

Glenn got "Shut Up" exactly right. The mental image in my head as the song threatened to "careen" right out of control was of a centrifuge w/ the guitars threatening to just head out in all directions except that EZB and Matt frantically pulled the others back in.

I was on the extreme stage left (suburban cooleyville) and thought that was why Jay was so hard to hear but if the same was true even as far towards the middle as Glenn was standing then it was a problem that will hopefully be fixed tonite. Speaking of cooleyville, the band now displays a "march for our lives" poster to balance out the longstanding black lives matter poster on the organ.

So, yes, folks, this is the "glenn already covered most of it" short version

beantownbubba wrote:The mental image in my head as the song ["Shut Up and Get on The Plane"] threatened to "careen" right out of control was of a centrifuge w/ the guitars threatening to just head out in all directions except that EZB and Matt frantically pulled the others back in.

Perfect description, BTB.

glennrwordman wrote:
"Bummers"? I'd have liked to have heard Jay better. From audience right, his guitar was a rumor, and his keyboards were inaudible. I hope they balance that in the house mix tonight. (Standing right in front of the vocal monitor surely did not help!)

One of the few (only?) downsides of being upfront is sometimes the sound can be a bit unbalanced. It's not really something that can be fixed in the mix, when you're that close you're getting more of the stage sound than the PA.

brett27295 wrote:One of the few (only?) downsides of being upfront is sometimes the sound can be a bit unbalanced. It's not really something that can be fixed in the mix, when you're that close you're getting more of the stage sound than the PA.

Yup. A few venues, like Webster Hall (R.I.P.), have the house mains set back "into" the stage, so even if you're right up front, you're still getting the house mix. Last night, the flown PA speakers were just behind our ears in the front row...

had I not personally seen glenwordman and btb in the same place, I might wonder if our Boston friend created a second 3DD profile...

phungi wrote:had I not personally seen glenwordman and btb in the same place, I might wonder if our Boston friend created a second 3DD profile...

Lie (correction; not lie): You saw us together at the Tiki Bar at Homecoming, Night #3. (Correction: THAT'S WHAT HE SAID, Glenn!) Or at least I THINK that was me. (Correction: How would you know it was you?) It really was all a beautiful blur. (Drink)

glennrwordman wrote:

phungi wrote:had I not personally seen glenwordman and btb in the same place, I might wonder if our Boston friend created a second 3DD profile...

Lie: You saw us together at the Tiki Bar at Homecoming, Night #3. Or at least I THINK that was me. It really was all a beautiful blur.

it appears that the word man needs to be a more careful consumer of words (see bold, above)

Just decided I'm coming tonight for a Brooklyn/Philly doubleheader.

emandrisdad wrote:Just decided I'm coming tonight for a Brooklyn/Philly doubleheader.

Excellent! I don't think I'll get there much before showtime tonite but still hope to see you.

Glenn if that wasn't enough to make u challenge phungi to a duel at dawn you are one seriously laid back dude

phungi wrote:

glennrwordman wrote:

phungi wrote:had I not personally seen glenwordman and btb in the same place, I might wonder if our Boston friend created a second 3DD profile...

Lie: You saw us together at the Tiki Bar at Homecoming, Night #3. Or at least I THINK that was me. It really was all a beautiful blur.

it appears that the word man needs to be a more careful consumer of words (see bold, above)

Mea Maxima Culpa, my friend. Readings iz hard!

beantownbubba wrote:Glenn if that wasn't enough to make u challenge phungi to a duel at dawn you are one seriously laid back dude

Well, he was right, and I was wrong, so he gets all the shots he wants.

beantownbubba wrote:

emandrisdad wrote:Just decided I'm coming tonight for a Brooklyn/Philly doubleheader.

Excellent! I don't think I'll get there much before showtime tonite but still hope to see you.

Glenn if that wasn't enough to make u challenge phungi to a duel at dawn you are one seriously laid back dude

Even a minor miscue is enough to get Glenn nervous about his standing for "Rookie of the Year" ...

phungi wrote:Even a minor miscue is enough to get Glenn nervous about his standing for "Rookie of the Year" ...

Sophomore slump.

Y’all have fun!!

Ramon Casiano
Baggage
Gravity’s Gone
Days of Graduation
Ronnie and Neil
72 (This Highway’s Mean)
Heathens
Marry Me
Buttholeville—>
State Trooper
First Air of Autumn
The Guns of Umpqua
A Ghost to Most
Used to be a Cop
Sounds Better in the Song
Lookout Mountain
Surrender Under Protest
Pauline Hawkins
Shit Shots Count
Why Henry Drinks
Women Without Whiskey
The Company I Keep
Slow Ride Argument
The KKK Took My Baby Away
Hell No, I Ain’t Happy

They came, they played, they conquered.

I. Love. This. Band.

All else is commentary.