From: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org (believers-digest) To: believers-digest@smoe.org Subject: believers-digest V4 #173 Reply-To: believers@smoe.org Sender: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk believers-digest Sunday, October 29 2000 Volume 04 : Number 173 In Today's believer's digest: ----------------- Susan at Tin Angel, 10/28 ["Tim Dunleavy" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 00:13:45 -0400 From: "Tim Dunleavy" Subject: Susan at Tin Angel, 10/28 Sometimes all you need is some of your favorite music to remind you that life is a swell thing. It's happened to me again, because this week I saw my two favorite singers in concert, and they stunned me again. On Monday night I saw Richard Thompson for the 27th time, and tonight I saw Susan Werner for the 26th time. Nothing like an evening or two of dazzling singing, songwriting and musicianship to make you believe that all is right with the world. I know it's been said before, but there's *nothing* like seeing Susan at Tin Angel. "A lot of familiar faces here tonight... am I getting paid for this? It's a family reunion." Lots of jokes that she probably wouldn't try elsewhere. Like her discussion of buying her new tight, black paisley pants ("You can spill something on them and no one will notice") at a South Street clothing store frequented by transvestites... and a priceless comment by the Korean owners after the transvestites left. Or a strange encounter with a woman in Scranton not too long ago... a story that probably wouldn't go over well with a crowd that hadn't seen her before and knew she wasn't completely serious. Even a joke about Bush and Gore that she seemed at ease delivering. When she finished her first encore, longtime sound guy George Pierson (who engineered the "Live at Tin Angel" CD) turned up all the house lights as if the show was over. (Some people gave her a standing ovation-- first time I've seen one at this club.) Then over the cheering he called her back for a second encore. As she returned to the stage she looked out and said "Wow, I can see you all now!" Then as she started strumming she said "OK George, you can turn down the lights now"-- and George turned off ALL the lights (including the stage lights)! That got a big laugh from the crowd and a wicked grin from Susan. I didn't take notes, but here's the set list to the best of my memory. I may be off on one or two songs, including the placement of "Ain't I Lonely Tonight." Thanks to Woj for his posting of the "Me and Thee" set list a few weeks back-- a lot of the set was the same. About seven songs were new to me, and as usual they gave me a lot to think about and a lot to smile about. Petaluma Afternoons (she began by singing "Getting colder, getting colder" before she plugged in her guitar-- a natural progression) Time Between Trains Some Other Town (with references to the Philadelphia teachers' strike slated to begin Monday, and how some welfare mothers may be forced to leave their children home alone) Another Shade of Gray Blue Guitar This Little Yellow House (an amazingly effective spin on a traditional country blues-- not too many words, and a melody that sounds like it was stolen from Woody Guthrie or the Carter Family, yet it cuts completely to the core. Susan lulls us in by making it sound simple and unsophisticated, then surprises us with how contemporary it really is. She writes about specific moments of loneliness in this song, and the traditional setting makes you realize how universal that despair really is. Typically offhanded Susan brilliance.) Big Big Car (hysterical! The line where she says driving her big car makes her feel "like Patton rolling over France" just floored me.) Sorry About Jesus Ain't I Lonely Tonight (singalong time! With a fragment of the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" in the middle. She then encouraged everyone to tell the person next to them "I love you", and added "I'll be accepting I love you's after the show." A lot of people yelled it out to her right then and there, including George the sound guy.) Like Bonsai Dow Re Mi (still gets a great reaction!) (switch to piano for her "relationship set") Tall Drink Of Water Maybe If I Sang Cole Porter (with two bars of the Michigan fight song at the "football" line! And more Cole Porter references than ever at the end, each with audience participation-- although only a few theater geeks like me got the "Love for Sale" and "Easy to Love" references) No One Needs to Know Light Sleeper Much At All (with a longer piano solo than usual. The solo quoted "Maybe If I Sang Cole Porter" to bring the whole "relationship set" full circle.) So Nice Seeing You Again (a real winner) (back to guitar) Misery/Happiness Standing In My Own Way Encore 1 All of the Above Encore 2 Everybody's Talkin' - -Tim 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 V4 #173 ******************************* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- 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