--- “I love playing The 9:30 Club.” We love you playing here. Well, Danny doesn’t, since it’s far from her favorite band, and she can barely see the stage. [Should have realized the height issue months later when prepping for Noah Kahan…]
--- “Evil Eye” features a ton of funky, playful call-and-response light work. Somehow it’s my favorite so far?!
--- THE FIGHT!!! There’s literally a fight in the audience, and the band stops the whole show. That’s a first. The band isn’t thrilled by the fight, but it’s a huge boost for the next song. When they restart, “Do You Want To” EXPLODES. So high-energy!!! Woo at the “lucky lucky” response section.
--- “Dark Side of the Matinee” loses a bit live. Brilliant song though.
--- “Walk Away”!!! So well-paced. A rare song tonight that I leave with *more* appreciation for.
--- “Billy Goodbye”: At least Danny liked my Brody-esque “what is DAT” to the clangy malaise of it all.
--- “Love Illumination”!!!! It fully survives any stress. So damn good — especially the hammy two-guitar interplay. DANNY CLAPS. “The Fallen” keeps the energy going.
--- “Take Me Out”!!! The core lick and the crowd are killers. Unprompted applause from Danny.
--- “Michael” has a cool auto tune effect this time. And a killer jag that gets Danny swaying -- also a laugh at “el mismo del album.”
--- “Stand on the Horizon”!!! Love how spacey and different it is -- and that we actually prepped it on the way here. Danny claps longer than I do!
--- Random drum session?! Lol. Again, Danny with a more vocal reaction.
--- Looking into upcoming concerts at the box office before the show was brutal. Every ticket was a billion dollars and/or unavailable.
--- Surprised to see a former coworker walk past me in the upper deck and genially curse me out when I ask him if he’s seen Rage before. I should have expected it from him, and he meant it to be a joke, but still…
--- The passion from the band and crowd is amazing. And yet…….the rhythm, delivery, and profanity is so monotonous, I can’t connect.
--- The same issue for the second song. Serious props to the Upper Deck crowd though -- they are killin’ it. Moving and pumping at everything.
--- “Bulls on Parade”!! Infinitely better rhythm, infinitely better song.
--- “Bullet in the Head”!!!! What I said for “Bulls”…but DOUBLE. I’m involuntarily launched from my seat. Outstanding variation. Omg, the guitarist is playing the guitar with his teeth. Who is he, Hendrix?!
--- “Testify”: smart change of pace. The closest they get to funk -- and restraint.
--- “No Shelter”: back to forgettable.
--- “Take The Power Back”: greater vocal clarity -- and awesome escalating feedback halfway through! Oooh, a genuine downshift with “no more lies” pays such dividends!!! Makes the “take it back” finale electric.
--- “So many people coming together from different backgrounds. We’re in for the fight of our lives.” Disappointingly, he only mentions neofascists and child labor. Does he not want to alienate certain fans?
--- Tearrrrr at this version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Ghost of Tom Joad.” It’s so sad because the Bruce / Tom Morello combination is incredible -- better than Bruce’s original! This version indistinguishable from most of their other songs. Instead of a thoughtful, layered escalation of anger, we hear sonic sludge. So disappointing.
--- “Solution”: I’m shocked how few people are paying attention. I can already tell though; this will be great. The way he’s…scratching?...the guitar grabs me. By the end of the song, people are falling in line. Legends build their own arenas.
--- “When you’re done doing her, can you come hook a brother up?” HA.
--- “Clear Blue” has such soul. The stop-and-starts a la “Buddy Holly” have a real kick.
--- Hahahaha at Angie requesting “All Day Long” and Dave Tieff not knowing it.
--- Heh at his “Country Song.” Solid inflection on “my balls” and creative cluck-cluck section. “But she could suck a possum through ten feet of garden hose.” Lol.
--- Backup singer Dave Tieff did a solid job on “Roll Into The Light” -- especially the low, quiet section halfway through. It’s undeniable though: Angie Bryl owns the song.
--- Hahaha at Daryn showing him “All Day Long” on the phone. Still nothing lol. He says not knowing makes him look bad, but to me, it’s endearing.
--- “Head Wide Open”: Kevyn’s request. Such a tender rendition.
--- “Isn’t he so charismatic and talented?” “Yeah.” “I want to get inside you. You’re so bizarre.”
--- Angie requests 90s alternative, which leads to…“Jumper”! Aww, Hark and every last person there is singing. Good choice, Dave.
--- Something new for me: “Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots.
--- Alice In Chains request, from Kevyn: “I find it repeating in my head.” Who knew he had that falsetto?!!!
--- I ask Dave and the crowd, “Is this Kevyn’s 40th birthday or my 38th?” Well, glad I know what I’m doing when I’m 40!!!! [Update: the hourly rate and travel rate to book Tieff for a party makes it unlikely I’ll book him for my own 40th birthday. I’m thankful though that Kevyn and Lisa invited me to this show!]
--- The way he says “You’re asking me to try I am” breaks me into pieces. Hahahaha at the muted “shut your mouth.” Nick Oben would be proud! Solid progression to high energy halfway through.
--- Heh at all the acronyms in “Don’t Tell The CIA.” Laurie Keith declares, “This is a fun one.” I agree.
--- “Do I have to do the other version? No. Well, I’m going to do it anyway.” He lives to serve.
--- I told Dave of my Poetry Club deadbeats and how he was a talentless hack. It went well. :)
--- Awww at Angie and Tom in sync for every word of “Ten Thousand Miles”!! Heh at Dave pausing to ask “how’s the cake?” and then shifting seamlessly back to sincerity. Pro!!!!
--- Hahahaha at our topical Tipper Gore riff, “we don’t need no education,” and “another 12-15 years, Orioles will be right back in this.”
--- Now he’s on a hilarious/meaningful riff about taking risks and experiencing things for yourself. Amen.
--- All the singers come out --> Hark for Buffalo Springfield’s “Stop Children, What’s That Sound,” Tom for the start of “Sense,” and Tom and Angie together for the back half!!!!
--- Sublime’s “What I’ve Got” and “Cyrus Column” are worthy finales.
--- Best night in a backyard since camping at Welch’s house in West Virginia – since college.
--- Opener JD McPherson had a strong voice and sound, but I wish Merriweather had told me he existed. Ugh, opening bands… “Let The Good Times Roll” is super catchy. JD’s vocal clarity and musicianship makes me consider looking for them as a solo act in DC. Good for him.
--- “Rich Woman”: Danny and I hated it before the show (so listless), but it’s real smart live. A moody tease is perfect — don’t reveal too much too quick.
--- “Fortune Teller": so much better than the album! Playful, the Krauss section, the late guitar, and to quote Danny, “la voz!” This concert is going to be something else.
--- “The Price of Love”: already awesome on the album, so !!! Killer lyrics.
--- Heh at the intro to “Rock and Roll”: “It’s great to back here and on the road for the first time in a while.” Not possible to feel lonelylonelylonely during that solo!!!
--- “Please Read The Letter”: one of Danny’s favorites. A bit slight for me, but the combination of patience and insistence from “Quattro” works here too. Omg, the last two minute go into another dimension!!! Best of the night so far?! Also: Danny’s first tears.
--- “Let Your Loss Be The Lesson”: back down her earth. The strong title and voice get stuck into the midtempo muck.
--- “High and Lonesome”: who knew a quiet violin at the end would make a song? Such a cool surprise.
--- “Last Kind Word Blues”: Krauss’ voice is incredible. That’s all that’s needed here. !!!
--- “You Led Me To The Wrong”: Guy in front of us: “They sound amazing right now.” TRUE STORY. The effect of a smoke at a snail’s pace makes this one stand out. !!!! Lol, the guy says “holy shit” a second after I sent that message to James.
--- “Trouble With My Lover”: Interestingly, it was one of my favorite on the album, but it’s lackluster live.
--- HA, “that woman can sure sing the blues.” Indeed…
--- “Go Your Way”: useless on the album, rich live. Go figure!! They complement each other so well. Gravitas.
--- “It Don’t Bother Me”: Omg, Krauss is taking a listless song and making it a mountain!!!!
--- Unknown uptempo number: it’s great. [Apparently it’s “Leave My Woman Alone,” a Ray Charles cover!]
--- “Battle of Evermore”: !!!!! “Holy shit” x 5. Yields a gradually-unfolding, involuntary standing O. I won’t soon forget it.
--- No “Searching for My Love”?! Wow, straight into “Levee.” Intense.
--- “When The Levee Breaks”: Krauss’ violin is a goddamn scalpel. Now a second violin is playing off it. UN. REAL. Everyone is holding their breath!!!!!
--- “Gone Gone Gone”:!!! Swell victory lap. The episode “Us” after “The Train” in This Is Us.
--- “Stick With Me Baby”: Chill. Wish the song order was switched, but a nice sound.
--- “Can’t Let Go” / “Somebody Was Watching Over Me”: Same comment as before. There was such a tidal wave before it though, that the show still deserves top marks. Heh, fun electric and piano in the back halves.
--- Awesome paisaje [scenery] on the way there as Danny and I enjoy Ganging Up On The Sun.
--- Solid dinner with Kyle, Hannah, and Alex Clinch at the Dots Back Inn beforehand.
--- I hadn’t realized that this was Guster’s first show of the tour. “Don’t worry. We worked the kinks out first. We played a few songs in our hometown before you. We’ll talk more about Richmond later.” Aww at the personal touch!!
--- Love how Danny’s getting a panorama video -- drinking it all in!!
--- “Demons” takes on a new meaning with its repetition of Ted Lasso’s “belieeeeeve”!”
--- “The Captain”!!! Love the jumping guy near center stage. As Nadine Curley Verbesey would say, “these are…”
--- Heh at Danny mimicking Brody’s “i’s a rainbow” during “Hello Mister Sun.” Still a weak song though.
--- Heh at “Barrel of a Gun”‘s 4, 3, 2, 1. Mindless fun.
--- “May Gay Parade” is a major upgrade! I dig the higher key at the end, and it has a lot more yearning!!
--- Aww at Danny’s joy for “Satellite.” Woo at the spacey solo.
--- “Come Downstairs”!!!! LA BATERISTA.
--- I have no clue what it is, but I’m all about it!!! Apparently it’s “Terrified,” off Look Alive. Great lyrics, different style, insistent claps, what a discovery. “Everyone’s got it hard. Everyone’s terrified. Open up your heart.”
--- I appreciate the falsetto and twinkly Friday Night Lights sections in “Ramona.” Given their crazy-deep catalog, it’s baffling that they continue to trot it out though.
--- “Doin’ It By Myself”!!!!! A picture is worth 1,000 words.
--- “Manifest Destiny”!!! Awwww at Danny telling me “es perfecto.” Slightly better than a night in class at Lado… Heh at delivering the line “build a town and then secede” IN RICHMOND.
--- “Amsterdam”: They finally played it for me!!!! Never noticed the cool mini washout at the end.
--- “When are we supposed to done? 8:30? 8 minutes? Let’s hurry then.”
--- “Hang On”: I’m hanging on every word.
--- “This Could All Be Yours Someday”!!!! I PLAYED FOR BRODY LAST NIGHT. IDEAL ENDING.
Grade: A
Endnote: Visiting Geri and John Krause in Ashland afterward was the icing on the cake. There are usually few better feelings than the last day of school. This year, the night before the last day of school topped it. Guster and Geri Krause back to back. It was a long, late drive back from Richmond, but it flew by. What a trip.
My first Clarendon concert felt like two separate concerts: the one the band was putting on and the one the format was allowing. Will Baskin, Dan Lyster-Mensh, and Eian Burgess sounded good throughout and tore through an impressive array of covers: everything from “Drive” to “American Girl” to “No Diggity.”
It was sad that they were held back at times by the vibe at the venue – that focused more on drinks for bros at the bar than showcasing talent. Early on, they were reduced to a jukebox in the background. The low point was a clap prompt during “Life Is A Highway” – the equivalent of half the cameras being off during a virtual meeting.
Fortunately, as the night went on, attention grew, and people really took to the performance. As they should have, since there were genuine bursts of creativity throughout. My favorite moments included the unexpected Sublime / Chumbawamba mashup, the funk licks during “Another One Bites The Dust,” the keyboard plinks during “The Middle” / “Semi-Charmed Life,” the ‘campfirrrre’ inflection during “Sweet Home Alabama,” the electric solos during “A Thousand Miles” / “Lose Yourself,” and the realization that the setlist was one mega Carlock playlist. More than a decade later, I still recognized Yellowcard’s “Ocean Avenue” because of those mixed CDs.
Ultimately, I’m glad I saw the show and dig the band. It was great to meet another potential Poetry Club guest (comedian Justin Um) and to support frontman Will Baskin. Will inspired my students at Busboys & Poets and at the year’s last club meeting. The feeling was apparently mutual, as Will pledged to use students’ ideas for the second verse of his new song. He also said he left the meeting on a “artistic high.” If you haven’t heard Will’s acoustic stuff, I would definitely recommend it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Icr6epg7Ihttps://www.instagram.com/wfbaskin/?hl=en
--- What a privilege to attend with Nick, Angie, Dave, Chris Hartten, and shock of shocks, Kevyn and Lisa?!
--- Heh at ‘party check,’ ‘this is our last song,’ and Dave Tieff’s maniacal energy during “Now and Then”! There’s also zero vocal dropoff.
--- Hahahaha at Angie dancing and RAPPING through the whole Chris-assisted “Solution”!!!
--- Wow at the drummer Will winning a Grammy and guitarist Dan playing with a prosthetic finger he made!! Chris: “Hard to get more rock than that.” True.
--- Heh, apparently I’m the only one from Virginia. When Dave finds out someone came from Massachusetts: “Why?” HA. They really should see if anyone’s from Maryland…
--- This is the first time they’ve played together in three years!
--- Aww, Angie’s so happy for “Clear Blue.” It sounds great.
--- “Shadow Child” has a cool calypso vibe. Awwww that there are other old people bouncing!!!! Gripping.
--- OMG, KEVYN BOOKED DAVE TIEFF FOR HIS 40TH BIRTHDAY JUNE 25TH?!?!
--- “I found nothing”!!!! I am in awe of the demon calm of it all. Aww at Nick reminding me there about the dramatic pause.
--- Heh: “I’m going to dedicate this to homeostasis.”
--- Angie jumps in during “Kashmir”: “I forgot to tell you: they play it every show.” I tell her I’m seeing Robert Plant this summer. “You ARE?!” Awww.
--- Heh, they employ space-age tech to practice a new song (“Anti Social”) with Will, who was in California. I like the electric beast at the beginning and this chorus: “everybody’s in a hurry to get to nothing.”
--- HA: “Was that ‘f’ you’ or ‘f’ yeah’? The second has a little more pep and zest to it.”
--- “Roll Into The Light”: I dig the acapella opening line, and the fact that the Tool bassist sings during it. Plus, awww for Angie – they played her song.
--- Wow, there’s about to be a middle-aged mosh pit.
--- “Wrinkle” is solid mid-tempo. Thanks for the title ID, Chris.
--- “American Boy” has outstanding command and momentum. Reminds me of Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy.”
--- The A/C was so high Raynaud’s was flaring up in my hands most of the start of the show. The band was so high energy that they overcame it. First my nose, then my fingers; pink skin again!!!!
--- I looked at the clock for the first time. 9:02. Complete immersion.
--- Heh, Lisa disagrees that Laughing Colors has the same feel as Beach House.
--- Kevyn asks me what I think of the show. I admit I hate it.
--- “Cyrus Column.” Heh, Chris is proud he’s at 100% accuracy so far. Angie hilariously ID’s the song way late. I enjoy the acoustic change of pace. Being honest though, the back half is half-baked.
--- Heh: “this song is about one of the greatest weekends ever had in the Northeast. It’s a fungus.” Don’t insult my intelligence, Chris haha: I know it’s “Mushroom.” It’s by far the best improvement from the album. The goddamn progression!!!! Kevyn needs that at his birthday.
--- DISTINCTION: I have never been at a show with a more diverse group of friends enjoying it in different ways.
--- “Sunrise Highway”: Tool is back. I ran to the song this morning! Long Island, represent!!
--- “Mercy”: As lick lick licky as ever. Aww at Chris playing the whole thing on his body. “Please allow me to introduce myself” as the licks swirl. Artistic AF!!!!
--- “Hotel Room in Hell”!!!!! The high point of the night. Oh. If. He. Could. Ever. Come. To. Poetry. Club.
--- I tear up during his “all my heroes are going” intro, and when he explains the support he’s been given by his ex wife. You could hear a pin drop.
--- Perfect shift to “Sense” and its key lyric: “someday this will all make sense to me”!!! Love how he stalks the stage – not a hint of Trans-Siberian schlock. Aww at Angie and I noticing how the disco ball literally “turn turn turns.”
--- Hahahah at the band playing “Free Bird” after giving a free bird.
--- “Big One Small One”!!! Aww, so relaxed and communal. Heh at “shut the f’ up” ad-lib after all the “shut your mouth”s.
--- Heh at the bold stance: three “f’ Putin”s at the start of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Aww at the drummer’s solo and the rather-relevant lyrics: “listen to the sound of the whole world breaking down.”
--- “Strange”!!! “We’ve been around a long time, and our paths have all to led to this. One of the coolest parts is getting to see you guys reunite who haven’t seen each other. All we can say is ‘f’ yeah.’”
--- Heh at Chris and I both calling the one-two “Light” / “Samhouse” punch at the end. Love the messages: “I can see the walls are coming down” and “it’s never too late to save yourself.” Chris mentions their haunting rendition of “Samhouse,” complete with the National Anthem, right after 9/11. Heh at Dave Tieff grabbing a kid on FaceTime: “give it up for Bob.” The ENERGY during these last two is unreal. I don’t want to see too easy, but credit where credit is due: !!!!!
Wilco, The White Stripes, Dispatch, Muse, The Shins, Guster, Jimmy Eat World, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Ok Go, Foo Fighters, The New Rockers, Bruce Springsteen, Lifehouse, Nada Surf, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, REM, Alkaline Trio, Alkaline Trio, Bruce Sprinsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, The Offspring, Jack Johnson, Foo Fighters, Counting Crows, Ben Folds, Weezer, Cake, Alkaline Trio, Rise Against, Coldplay, The Who, Smashing Pumpkins, AC/DC, Oasis, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Jimmy Eat World, Ben Kweller, Tokyo Police Club, Girl Talk, Modest Mouse, Flogging Molly, David Cook, Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Leon, Sister Hazel, The Decemberists, Alkaline Trio, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Tv on the Radio, Wilco, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Blink 182, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against, Green Day, Jet, The Bravery, Blink 182, Weezer, Ben Folds, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, The Get Up Kids, Bob Dylan, The Pixies, Weezer, Rock and Cole, Rise Against, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Alkaline Trio, Spoon, Ben Folds, Nada Surf, Vampire Weekend, The Protomen, Phoenix, Weezer, Arcade Fire, Spoon, The Presidents of the United States of America, Live, Naughty by Nature, Everclear, Third Eye Blind, Billy Idol, Rock and Cole, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Gogol Bordello, Girl Talk, Jimmy Eat World, Bon Jovi, DJ Pauly D, Carbon Leaf, Dropkick Murphys, Girl Talk, The Strokes, Lupe Fiasco, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Jack's Mannequin, Guster, Wilco, Smashing Pumpkins, Givers, Ra Ra Riot, Wu Lyf, Foo Fighters, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rock and Cole, O.A.R., The Black Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Nada Surf, Guster, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Wilco, Motley Crue, Kiss, Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, Bruce Springsteen, Alabama Shakes, Nas, ZZ Top, Jack White, Nas, Skrillex, Dispatch, Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men, Rock and Cole, Fun., Mumford and Sons, Elliott Yamin, Crystal Bowersox, Rockapella ft. Carmen Sandiego, Alkaline Trio, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Grizzly Bear, The XX, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Guster, Ben Folds Five, BN Ladies, American Idol Season 12 Tour, Jimmy Eat World, Imagine Dragons, The Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand, Alkaline Trio, Alkaline Trio, Elton John, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kanye West, Rock and Cole, Rebelution, Young The Giant, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Alabama Shakes, Ben Folds, Queen ft. Adam Lambert, New Politics, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Phillip Phillips, OAR, Arcade Fire, Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Black Keys, Carrie Underwood, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Eminem, Taking Back Sunday, Ben Folds, Dave Matthews Band, Mumford and Sons, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Rise Against, OAR, Christina Perri, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Givers, Straight No Chaser, Melinda Doolittle, Muse, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Guns 'n Roses, Paul Simon, Panic! At the Disco, Weezer, Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Weird Al Yankovich, Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Jimmy Eat World, Green Day, Explosions in the Sky, Wilco, Rise Against, Dispatch, Jimmy Eat World, Incubus, Sister Hazel, Regina Spektor, Ben Folds, Roger Waters, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Colony House, Mutemath, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Haley Reinhart, Dispatch, Franz Ferdinand,U2, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience, The Pixies, Weezer, Gary Clark Jr., Muse, Snow Patrol. Ben Platt, The Rolling Stones, Ra Ra Riot, Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind, and The Mountain Goats, Sonic Castaways, Jeremy Eliot, Norah Jones, Mavis Staples, Katy Perry, Wilco, Nada Surf, Jazz Trotters, Foo Fighters, Guster, Rise Against, Sleater-Kinney, Wilco, The Eagles, Noah Kahan, Laughing Colors, Up All Night, Guster, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Dave Tieff, Rage Against The Machine, Franz Ferdinand, Dispatch, O.A.R., The Killers, Broken Social Scene, 'Bruce Springsteen' at Paul Verbesey's 'Surprise' Party, Arcade Fire, Noah Kahan, The Struts, Spoon, Jimmy Eat World, Straight No Chaser, Van Morrison [Newmyer Flyer], Bruce Springsteen [Newmyer Flyer], Colony House, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Lauryn Hill, Dispatch, Jason Isbell, OAR, Goo Goo Dolls, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, Hozier, John Legend, Wilco, Ben Platt, Joan Jett, Alanis Morissette, The Doors, David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Talking Heads, The Hives, Foo Fighters, Fitz and the Tantrums, O.A.R., Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Dinosaur Jr., The Flaming Lips, Weezer, Tonic, Violent Femmes, Girl Talk, Jimmy Eat World, Liz Phair, Dispatch, Rise Against, Bob Dylan, Laughing Colors, AC/DC, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. [Recaps still to come for Dashboard Confessional, Goo Dolls, and James Taylor.]
Upcoming Shows
Ian Tongi (Saturday, November 1, The Hamilton – DC). [There's literally never been a single entry on the Upcoming Shows list. If you have a good one in mind, lemme know.]
