From: owner-edheads-digest@efohio.com (edheads-digest) To: edheads-digest@smoe.org Subject: edheads-digest V6 #36 Reply-To: edheads@efohio.com Sender: owner-edheads-digest@efohio.com Errors-To: owner-edheads-digest@efohio.com Precedence: bulk edheads-digest Saturday, February 22 2003 Volume 06 : Number 036 Today's Subjects: ----------------- jeff lang [ImSerius2@aol.com] EFO wsg/Jeff Lang 2/20/03 [ImSerius2@aol.com] Re: EFO wsg/Jeff Lang 2/20/03 ["Ron Rosen" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 06:59:39 -0500 From: ImSerius2@aol.com Subject: jeff lang I will post a set list and more details later...just wanted to chime in and add my .02 re: Jeff Lang. Got my first taste of him at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival this January - wow - and then again when he opened for EFO last night in Ann Arbor, MI. (Paul Brown, I'm pretty sure I saw you walking up the aisle once...dammit, I was in Seattle the day the tickets went on sale and completely forgot about it until Monday, which is why I was in Row R......arrrrrrrrrrr) Sadly, this was NOT at the Ark, cuz, well, it just doesn't get any better than the Ark...but rather at a much larger theatrical-type venue, there was still a lot of hubbub and seating and talking going on when Jeff began. Luckily he did a pretty long set and so the audience settled down eventually. But the very cool thing was that he joined the band on a few numbers - Mike introduced him as 'the wonder from down under', and he really added a lot to the performance. As one of 'em said (probably Mike), they have worked with Jeff before, and they really like to, because he's one of the few folk artists artists around that is shorter than they are. He's great - check him out! st ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 20:39:42 EST From: ImSerius2@aol.com Subject: EFO wsg/Jeff Lang 2/20/03 EFO wsg/Jeff Lang, Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI 2/20/03 Well, I gotta say that, while the concert was great, the REAL highlight of the evening was discovering that the Greek restaurant we chose for dinner was also playing host to the entire EFO/Jeff Lang entourage! Too much fun, having dinner in such close proximity to greatness! ;-) And, in response to my own question from the other day re: the band's affinity for 'A Prayer for Owen Meany', I got to ask Robbie about it, and he was very gracious. I asked if there was a song about it, he said no, but there should be - with a twinkle of his eye. Heck if anybody can do it, he can, right? So yes, I was/am a gushing fan, and he made my night! The show was - well, I dunno. I just gotta say that something was off. Hey, maybe it was the Greek food. Maybe it was the fact that because I snoozed, I lost, and was out of town the day tix went on sale, and didn't buy mine until they'd been on sale a few days, putting me in row R. Maybe it was the large group of incredibly rude obnoxious people in front of me who were apparently oblivious to the fact that this was indeed a concert and thought perhaps they were still at whatever restaurant they'd had dinner. Perhaps it was the woman in front of me with the Very Large Hairdo who simply could not keep her head still, thereby ensuring my total lack of a clear line of sight. I dunno. But the band seemed a bit subdued to me, and the sound seemed muddy. Mike certainly was more quiet than usual. But, hey, EFO on a slightly off night is still better than just about anybody else on a good night. And besides, having seen 'em so many times from the front row (read: 3 feet away) at the Ark, well, a girl gets spoiled, I guess. So. Opener Jeff Lang was great, and I felt bad for him, as there were still SO many people streaming into the theater, talking, standing, sitting, jostling - - and not paying attention to his work. Which is a shame, because he's great. He did a nice 7 or 8 song set and really does miraculous things with his guitars - the sounds he coaxes from them often defy description, and I mean that in a very good way. And he has a pure, clear tenor voice that gives me goosebumps. Then without any fanfare or intro whatsoever, out came the band. They opened with 'Irish Dream' followed quickly by 'Loitering in the Lobby'. Julie, Mike, and Robbie were all dressed in black - Julie in black slacks and a very cool long black coat. Eddie had black slacks and a red shirt. Mike was wearing a brand new 'M' shirt under his jacket, compliments of one of the local college (UofM) shops. They then did a request, dedicated to someone's parents who were in attendance, the someone being a young man whose name I wrote in my notebook but now cannot decipher for the life of me - hey, it was really dark, what can I say? - so if you're on this list, young man, speak up - anyway, Robbie said it was one of their biggest Edhead fans who'd seen them all over the country, and currently lives in Seattle, and his parents were there tonight, so this was for them - "Number Six Driver". Robbie then intro'd "20000 Hearts" saying it was for his sister...then, a treat, 'The Simile Song', followed by 'Hey Little Man', after a brief discussion about potty training - with the band reiterating that the first time they'd ever done that song was at the 2001 Ann Arbor Folk Festival. And it received thunderous applause, to which Robbie replied 'oh, sure, she gets more applause for her poopy kids than I do for my sensitivity for my sister!'. Robbie then dedicated a song to his wife, who is currently going to nursing school, and, specifically, enrolled in Pharmacology, about which they made endless drug-related jokes, the best one being Mike, saying 'Farmer Collegy - isn't that the school in East Lansing?'. Anyway, Robbie spoke of how his wife had taken a test and had received the highest score of anyone in the class, and he was very proud, and dedicated that nights' performance of 'Quick' to her. Then a rambling discourse by Mike on how Michigan was a border state, and they'd recently been in New Mexico, and somehow he tied it all together to, of course, 'Tommy the Canexican', which brought the house down. Then they invited Jeff Lang out, or, as Mike called him, 'The Wonder from Down Under', and he rocked with 'em on '1000 Sarahs'. Then, a very touching moment, referring again to that same 2001 Folk Fest wherein the band had met Dave Carter for the first time, and how they'd performed at the tribute at last year's FRFF, and they did a beautiful cover of Dave's 'Farewell to St Delores', with Jeff accompanying them still. It was awesome. Then, time for Eddie's solo, mind-boggling as usual, leading into 'Candido and America'. They ended the show with a rousing 'Old Dominion' to crashing applause and a standing-o - and me with my customary goosebumps when Robbie hits that low note at the end! After some banter, when they returned to the stage, and folks were yelling out all sorts of stuff (to which Robbie kept saying 'um..nope.....nope....uh-uh.....no, I don't think so....nope) someone yelled out 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' - and Julie, who was holding a guitar all of a sudden, started strumming - and they actually did, like, an entire verse/chorus with harmony. After which Robbie said 'maybe you'll be a little more careful about what you request from now on!' Then, seriously, they did an absolutely stunning cover of the Youngbloods' 'Love One Another'' Wow. It was beautiful. I didn't think they'd come out for another encore, but they did, after a bit - - and after a brief consultation, did 'Three Fine Daughters of Farmer Brown'. And I was wrong, it was not Paul Brown I saw walking up the aisle - Paul, maybe I'll see you in Grand Rapids instead! Oh, and the Three Rooms t-shirts are very cool! happy listening, suzie tee ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 18:06:56 -0800 From: "Ron Rosen" Subject: Re: EFO wsg/Jeff Lang 2/20/03 > Opener Jeff Lang was great, After I saw Jeff, I said to people, ''You know those really long, quick guitar runs that no one ever actually nails but you think they're amazing just for trying? We Jeff Lang nails those.'' > Then, seriously, they did an absolutely stunning cover of the Youngbloods' > 'Love One Another'' Wow. It was beautiful. Just for a little background. The song, which is titled Get Together (sometimes Let's Get Together) was written by Chet Powers, who was also known as Dino Valente, who became the lead singer of the Quicksilver Messenger Service. Get Together was originally recorded by We Five (''You Were On My Mind'') and hit number 31 on the Billboard Charts in 1965. It was on the Jefferson Airplane's first album, Takes Off, in 1966. The Youngbloods, one of my favorite bands, whom, along with the Airplane, I used to see a lot in those days, hit number 62 with the song in 1967 and then hit number 5 with it in 1969. ------------------------------ End of edheads-digest V6 #36 ****************************