From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V4 #72 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Tuesday, March 3 1998 Volume 04 : Number 072 Today's Subjects: ----------------- welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's [meredith ] Re: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's [Andrew Fries ] Re: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's [Neal Copperman Subject: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's Hi! Okay, maybe I can manage to catch up tonight. :) Sure. Right. Waaaay back on February 19th, woj and I went downtown to catch Paula Cole at Toad's Place. It was an evening of serendipity; a parking spot opened up right in front of the club just as we drove by, and when we got through the door the Devlins were on their last song, so we didn't have to suffer through them either. (I got enough Devlins for a lifetime when they opened for Sarah McLachlan on the Fumbling tour; to me they only had one song, and it was a really boring one.) To make things even better, at Paula's request it was a non-smoking show, yay! And, since the club was so packed we got stuck way in the back, which meant I couldn't see, and believe it or not as far as I'm concerned that only enhanced the experience for me. I haven't seen Toad's that crammed with humanity since I saw the Cranberries there in the spring of '94. Yow. Since the last time Paula was there last February, her audience has, not surprisingly, grown exponentially: she even commented on it, thanking all the new fans for coming out to see her and making the place "a little bit more full than last time". :) There was a rather amusing group of people immediately behind us, consisting of two women who were recent converts to rabid Paula fandom and their dates, who had only heard the two mega-hits on the radio. Before the show the guys were asking things like, "Is the rest of her album like that cowboy song?". As the set unfolded they were progressively more impressed until at the very end they were hollering and cheering and saying "oh my GOD, I've NEVER seen anyone sing like that!" It was really funny. Musically speaking, it was a great show. I've fonted here on several past occasions about how Paula's performance style (heck, her entire personality) *really* rubs me the wrong way, and although she has toned it town a bit since the last time I saw her, as I said I was still glad I couldn't see much. She was in great voice, and her backing band was top-notch, as always. I was surprised by how many songs she did from _Harbinger_; I'll wager that more than half of the people in the room thought those were all new songs, judging by the polite applause songs like "Happy Home" and "Bethlehem" got as opposed to the shrieking ovations given to "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone" and "I Don't Want To Wait". She didn't do anything new, which while not surprising was rather disappointing, since I gather she has written some new songs, and it would have been interesting to hear some of them. Oh well, I'm sure we'll get a new album eventually. The highlights of the set for me were "Throwing Stones" and the segue of "Bethlehem" into "Tiger", which while kind of cliched still worked really well. The show ended with at once something really really cool and really really annoying: an obviously planned SECOND encore (after the requisite first encore of "Jolene", which I was amazed to see is still in her repertoire after all this time), which in my mind was just *too* presumptuous, even though she had definitely been called back for one. She came out in a blond wig and huge feather boa, and proceeded to do what the New Haven Advocate later called "a wigged-out, speedy 60's Euro-pop rendition of the Edith Piaf classic 'La Vie en Rose'." (So *that's* what that was!) It ruled. I don't know if I'm going to see Paula Cole live again, at least until her star sets and she's back playing places the size of Toad's for less than $20, so it was a great way to go out. So anyway, my love/hate relationship with Paula Cole continues. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in all my years of music fandom. Has this happened to anyone else? You worship the music, but want to drop-kick the artist? Am I even more of a freak than I realize? Inquiring minds want to know!!! +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | "things are more beautiful when they're obscure" -- veda hille | | *** TRAJECTORY: the Veda Hille mailing list *** | | *** http://www.smoe.org/meth/trajectory.html *** | +==========================================================================+ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:46:42 -0600 (CST) From: "Mitchell A. Pravatiner" Subject: The making of a catchphrase? This afternoon I was in Sam Goody buying some blank tape, and a couple of women wer ahread of me. As I waited, I saw on the counter a pad of entry blanks for a sweepstakes, apparently raffling off a date (or something) with Meredith Brooks, which bore the teaser line "What would happen if you got to hang with Meredith?" Not having any idea what I would do in such a situation, I decided to forego all that. But then I overheard one of the other customers say, "Wow, I have no idea." I am still clueless about the context, but the phrase has stuck in my mind ever since. It occurred to me that if I entered the sweepstakes and told them "Wow, I have no idea," I might at least win points for originality, honesty or both. Turns out all the entry form asks is your name, address, etc.; but Were I to enter and win, it might be fun to answer their original open-ended question with "Wow, I have no idea." (Seriously, I presume I would play it by ear in such a situation, having never met a show biz person before.) But beyond all that: Might "Wow, I have no idea" become the "Lost and Sexy" of the latter day? Only time will tell. Mitch ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 20:10:15 -0500 From: meredith Subject: Re: The making of a catchphrase? Hi! Mitch expounded: >which bore the teaser line "What would happen if >you got to hang with Meredith?" Not having any idea what I would do in such >a situation, I decided to forego all that. What would you do if you got to hang with me, Mitch? Well, let's see. There is precedent, so you know at least you'd get to experience some sort of live music. Maybe not The Nields this time. Chances are it would be Susan McKeown, with some incarnation of the Chanting House. You'd most definitely hear some Veda Hille CDs. And, since you'd be in New Haven, I'd show you what pizza is *really* supposed to be like. :> Oh, you were talking about Meredith *Brooks*. Never mind, then. ;) +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | "things are more beautiful when they're obscure" -- veda hille | | *** TRAJECTORY: the Veda Hille mailing list *** | | *** http://www.smoe.org/meth/trajectory.html *** | +==========================================================================+ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 15:08:00 +1100 From: Andrew Fries Subject: Re: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's meredith writes: >So anyway, my love/hate relationship with Paula Cole continues. It's the >most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in all my years of music fandom. >Has this happened to anyone else? You worship the music, but want to >drop-kick the artist? Am I even more of a freak than I realize? Inquiring >minds want to know!!! I hope not, or else I'm one of these freaks as well, because it's a relatively common experience for me. Tori Amos is one of these people whose music is very, very important for me, yet I have a feeling she'd be quite a handful to actually have around (when I read that note saying she got married, my first reaction was, "good luck to him - he'll need it!") And I can't help feeling some of the things she says in her interviews are just plain silly... Our local band "Paradise Motel" is another such case - I think musically they are one of the best things on our scene, but I've little desire to get to know them personally. While music is to some extent expression of artists' personality, it is usually only one aspect of it. On the other hand I think our reaction to music depends not only on what we actually hear, but at least as much on what we add to it ourselves (that is, our own personality/understanding/mood/whatever). So I see no great contradiction in liking the music but not its creator... - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- No more imagination, there's role to be played go to work and be milked like cattle everyday Human stables hold the herd, office stalls filled with stock the system keeps you docile by promising the weekend off... "Masses like asses", Def FX Visit my site devoted to little-known Australian bands... http://www.zip.com.au/~afries/hall.html - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 23:13:25 EST From: Paul2k Subject: Re: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's In a message dated 98-03-02 19:51:05 EST, meth@smoe.org writes: > So anyway, my love/hate relationship with Paula Cole continues. It's the > most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in all my years of music fandom. > Has this happened to anyone else? You worship the music, but want to > drop-kick the artist? Am I even more of a freak than I realize? Inquiring > minds want to know!!! me me me! I have the same affliction for the same artist! :) I really really enjoyed the albums when i got them, but my enjoyment decreased when I saw her live...first time was at the WXPN singer-songwriter weekend of '95...she was great, but she scared me :) And everytime i've seen her since, she's become more..umm...IMHO pompous and showboat-y...and she's let the "fame" and the performance get to her head... > ooh oooh....yum...*reliving memories of the Scrappy Bitches at the Iron Horse* Paul "goober" Kim ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 23:23:32 EST From: Towrinsis Subject: More Elizabeth Hummel dates! Hello! It was great to see some of you at the Genghis Cohen show! Thanks for coming out, Elizabeth really appreciates your support! She is playing at Genghis Cohen again next Tuesday, March 10th at 8:30 pm. She also has a show at Java Joe's in San Diego on March 20th at 9:00 pm. If you would like to be put on the "discounted guest list" for the Genghis Cohen show on the 10th, please e-mail me with your name. Hope to see you soon! Take care- Shelly ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 00:21:18 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's On Mon, 2 Mar 1998, Paul2k wrote: > In a message dated 98-03-02 19:51:05 EST, meth@smoe.org writes: > > > So anyway, my love/hate relationship with Paula Cole continues. It's the > > most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in all my years of music fandom. > > Has this happened to anyone else? You worship the music, but want to > > drop-kick the artist? Am I even more of a freak than I realize? Inquiring > > minds want to know!!! > > me me me! I have the same affliction for the same artist! :) > I really really enjoyed the albums when i got them, but my enjoyment decreased > when I saw her live...first time was at the WXPN singer-songwriter weekend of > '95...she was great, but she scared me :) That puts her right up there with woj and mike curry then! :) Saturday night I met up with Valerie, Kiri & Scott at the Birchmere for another wonderful show by The Nields. As always, they had more fun as a band than any other group I've ever seen. It's a marvel that they can do it so consistantly. Tons of new music too! And I stupidly forgot to bring the book that I found them referenced in. Damn. Did buy a snazzy new What's a "Nields" sweatshirt though. Neal np: Taj Mahal - Senior Blues ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 23:31:35 -0600 From: "Chad Lundgren" Subject: Re: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's - ---------- > From: meredith > To: ecto@smoe.org > Subject: welcome to the church of me: paula cole at toad's > Date: Monday, March 02, 1998 6:22 PM > So anyway, my love/hate relationship with Paula Cole continues. It's the > most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in all my years of music fandom. > Has this happened to anyone else? You worship the music, but want to > drop-kick the artist? Am I even more of a freak than I realize? Inquiring > minds want to know!!! > I have that same thing for Paula Cole. I think my problem is also with her on-stage movements and gestures. She's got this Karate Kid, wax on, wax off kinda deal going....or maybe paint the fence. I dunno, but it just raises the hair on the back of my neck when I see it. She does a little of that in her latest video "Me". Why can't all live performances be perfect? Why can't we go to a Tori concert without the following happening: 1. "little precious panties tucked inside the heart of every nice girrrrrrrrrrr*air-raid-siren-sound*rrrrrl." *Cue alterna-teens! 3..2..1..Wooooooooooooo! (and various screeches and screams) 2. "So you can make me cum, that doesn't make you Jesus." *Alterna-teens in 3...2...1...(same as above) 3. "Me and a gun...." *Cue Alterna-teen #147-82 in 3..2..1.. "We love you Tori!!!!!" I'm tellin you all...it's gotta be scripted. All in all, best ecto artist concert experience: Sarah McLachlan (FTE tour) at the Vic in Chicago....I met a bunch of ectophiles including but not limited to Vickie, Valerie, Mitch, Steve F....I took the train down from Milwaukee. I was soaking wet from the rain. I had to stay outside the train station until a cop took pity on me and let me in as I already had a return ticket. I slept (but not really) at Union Station overnight....and I would've done it again in a heartbeat. Some of the most fun Ive ever had. What a show! Close enough to notice a bead of sweat breakout on her forehead. In the words of Edith Bunker..."Those were the days." Enough ranting. I'll leave quietly.... ChadLead singer of The Indispensible Hiptones (Milwaukee rhythm and blues band) Visit our website at http://www.arcfile.com/hiptones "We're on a mission from God." -Elwood Blues If you're in the SE Wisconsin area and are in the mood for Blues/Soul/R&B....or just a fun time, check us out! ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V4 #72 *************************