From: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org (believers-digest) To: believers-digest@smoe.org Subject: believers-digest V3 #12 Reply-To: believers@smoe.org Sender: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk believers-digest Saturday, January 16 1999 Volume 03 : Number 012 In Today's believer's digest: ----------------- Houston performance [ssimpson@bcm.tmc.edu (Suzanne Simpson)] Re: Houston performance [Christopher ] Bonsai/FRFF'99 [Sherlyn Koo ] Fw: Houston performance ["Ron Rosen" ] Re-Send of Dallas post [PBCoustic@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 12:03:04 -0600 (CST) From: ssimpson@bcm.tmc.edu (Suzanne Simpson) Subject: Houston performance SW's performance last night in Houston was a tad weird (see note to my friends below, and their replies). What gives? Does she hate us? (I know she once said she used to have a boyfriend here.) A blow-off venue? I love her work and I know she's human and vulnerable, and I hope she's O.K., not suffering from exhaustion. Please don't slam me for asking; I remain a loyal fan and hope she continues to tour down here. I think one can do just so much mugging, though. Among her strange characterizations of Texas, she kept referring to the erstwhile Texas Prison Rodeo, which was about as central to Texan culture as say, professional wrestling is to NYC. (That is, who even notices?) And I don't think that program was as backward or sinister as she seemed to think. It was a program wherein "good-time" prisoners (typically dainty sorts who have such interesting lives in prison) were allowed to put on a full rodeo (play clowns, rope calves, whatever else is done at a rodeo--I'm sure some of it is rough and risky) and win cash and other prizes. I think the prisoners enjoyed it mightily and looked forward to it but I believe the program was cut because of liability concerns or cost or something. They still have the Texas Prison Art Program, other such endeavors, though I think cost is becoming the overriding concern. (Plus an active death row, reported abuse by guards, overcrowding, etc.--I know that.) Also, one of the friends who joined me grew up in Iowa, and those stabs as well were pretty hard and unrelenting, so I felt embarrassed. Maybe this is in part a culture clash. (Actually, I was the only Texan at our table. One from Boston, one from NYC, etc.) ************************************* Hey, ya'll. Thanks again for coming last night. I was rather baffled by SW's performance, though, in particular her clowning and mugging with such a bitter edge through almost the entire show (and all the put downs of Texas ["trucks, football, and dogs"], Iowa, etc.), even in her songs in which it wasn't appropriate. When she sang the couple of "broken heart" songs toward the end, she seemed really upset and worn, though. Maybe she's just broken up with someone or had a loss. Or is using. Or road weary. Or am I reading too much into it? Maybe it was just a funky mood or a performing impulse; I suppose it's boring to do the same songs over and over, but that's show biz, right? We all earn our livings by basically doing the same things again and again. Her previous performances here were much more balanced emotionally; she used some clowning for an edge but not as the focus. REPLIES: A It's difficult to know what was going on with her. Somehow I got the feeling that she's been through some tough times recently. Last time I saw her, she was more upbeat (though still with an edge). I guess that when you're an artist, you draw on your life's experiences (good and bad) for your creations, but it's pretty difficult not to let those experiences also manifest in your personality. She may have looked tired because her current hair color makes her look washed out. B I had a blast. It was nice to get out. I agree about her seeming out of it. I thought maybe too much pre performance imbibing brought about by depression of some sort. I don't think you were reading too much into it. C She has some funny songs. She went too far with the rude comments about Texas, especially with an audience full of Texans. I was impressed that no one said anything back. After all, these are people who paid to see her. HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 15:07:13 -0500 From: Christopher Subject: Re: Houston performance Thank you, Suzanne, for your candid observations from the Houston show. (Usually it's us NYorkers getting bashed!) I am seeing Susan on the 20th and wil watch with a new awareness. I hope she's OK and I hope she doesn't harbor any real animosity towards a state or it's people. Maybe it's because she does consider Philly her home and is upset by the double loss to the Cowboys this season? HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 10:11:34 +1100 From: Sherlyn Koo Subject: Bonsai/FRFF'99 Hey folks, Did anybody ever manage to get the actual answer to the question about what Susan is singing in the background behind "Some trees we trim" bit of "Like Bonsai"? And, does anybody have any vague idea about dates that Susan might be playing in mid/late July? I'm hoping to make Falcon Ridge this year and see her there, but it's not too early to start planning to try and see her other venues before or after the festival... :) sherlyn =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-= a+e=ig Sherlyn Koo - sherlyn@fl.net.au [Sydney, Australia] "But the wall came down and there they stood before me, With their stumbling and their mumbling and their calling out, Just like me..." - Dar Williams HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 17:56:47 -0800 From: "Ron Rosen" Subject: Fw: Houston performance >SW's performance last night in Houston was a tad weird (see note to my >friends below, and their replies). What gives? Does she hate us? (I know Susan did a performance in an antique dress and furniture shop called "Frills" in Monrovia, California (a small suburb about 15 miles northeast of downtown LA) in May of 1995. It's a nice little town with some very old houses and a street fair most Friday nights. It was a very odd venue, and I have no idea why it was booked. They served strawberry short cake and tea between sets. Anyway, I invited a couple friends who live in Monrovia and had never heard of Susan. Well, Susan took many cheap shots at Monrovia, and I was a little uncomfortable because of my friends and because Monrovia is not a bad place. It was clear to me that she knew nothing about Monrovia, and it was a little irritating to have someone go off about something that they knew nothing about. It seems Susan was reacting to some image she had or wanted to project that it was a hick town. Maybe she was unhappy that she was playing in a dress shop. Maybe it's what she considers schtick. I guess it is what Susan does sometimes. A couple years later Susan was doing a gig in Hollywood and someone in the audience said something about "Frills in Monrovia." Susan snapped at him, "What is Frill's and why should I care about it?" I think she just has this quality, whatever it is. So I don't know that there's cause for alarm. HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 01:30:00 EST From: PBCoustic@aol.com Subject: Re-Send of Dallas post Sorry 'bout the repeat, but I'm not sure if the first send went through.... here's the scoop!!! >> Greetings, fellow Susan-aholics... Just got home from tonight's Dallas show, and thought I'd give you the rundown!!! Unfortunately, Mike Sumler came down with Laryngitis, and couldn't perform... the replacement opener was Adam Carroll, a "youngster" (24?) from Tyler, Tx, who is very talented, and performed some very clever stuff during a 40 minute set... a couple that come to mind were "Snow Cone Man" and one about getting gum on the bottom of his shoe being fate... watch for him on the folk circuit! Susan came out after the break, and immediately complimented Adam on his set... and started on the piano. OK, I must admit that I've thought that previous "set list" postings by other believers were a bit "obsessive/compulsive" -- but here I am, gonna give you the list... ROFL!!! 1st Set: *Last Go 'Round *Tappan Zee *Your Old Mistake *Got To See The Body (about the girl or boy that stole her man) *Last of the Good Straight Girls (fingerpicked version instead of strummed!) *Boy From East Dubuque (hilariously modified version of "Girl from Ipanama") *Year of the Bad President (followed by a brief meditation on current affairs, including the rhetorical question, "What do you wear when you get thrown out of the White House? Do you get your hair cut/done?" ROFL!!! ) *Bonsai *Sorry 'Bout Jesus (the Uncomfortable High School Reunion song) *Lonely Tonight (finishing the religious section of the show) 2nd Set: *Petaluma Afternoons *Time Between Trains *Courting the Muse *Society Ball *Maybe If I Sang Cole Porter *Don't Miss You Much At All *Can't Stop Loving You (?) *Movie Of My Life *Standing In My Own Way (at the end of which she BROKE A STRING, and did a clever ad-lib, retuning on the fly and finishing brilliantly) She Encored with "La Vie En Rose", in French sans microphone, and then sang a finale without guitar of "I Only Have Eyes For You," complete with scat singing... All in all, another fine evening, and thank you SO much, Susan, for signing my coffee cup!!!! It was a pleasure meeting you! And if you're reading this in Austin, GO SEE HER tomorrow night!!!!!!!!!! Paul HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ End of believers-digest V3 #12 ****************************** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- This has been a posting from the Susan Werner believers-digest To unsubscribe send mail to Majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe believers-digest" in the body of the message