From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V1 #52 Reply-To: good-noise@smoe.org Sender: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk good-noise-digest Monday, December 7 1998 Volume 01 : Number 052 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Review: 12/5 The Painted Bride (long post) [Jay Votel Subject: Review: 12/5 The Painted Bride (long post) Dec. 5, 1998 at The Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia. Reviewed by Jay Votel -- jvotel@cpc.chespub.com 1. Like My Watch 2. I'm From New Jersey 3. I Saw A Stranger With Your Hair 4. Where the Bottles Break 5. Edgar The Party Man 6. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day 7. January Floor 8. Good 9. Down in the Milltown (on piano) 10. Houses in the Fields (on piano) 11. Raven in the Storm 12. Cypress Trees 13. Branching Out 14. When the Ice Goes Out 15. Land of the Bottom Line 16. Blue Chalk 17. Semper Fi 18. When He Cries 19. Let Them In (on piano) 20. Thorny Patch 21. Pass the Wheel (Andy Stochansky on vocal and guitar; Gorka on piano and backing vocal) 22. Good Noise Encore: After Yesterday Aside from some pesky sound problems, this was one of the best John Gorka concerts I have ever seen. Andy Stochansky, who played the drum parts on the "After Yesterday" disc, came on for "Where the Bottles Break" and played with John the rest of the show with the exception of "Semper Fi" and "When He Cries." Andy played light percussion on a small drum kit -- mostly with brushes -- as well as African drum. His personality meshes with John's so well on stage. He added some harmony vocals, notably on "Edgar," "Blue Chalk" "Thorny Patch," and "Down in the Milltown." He didn't sing the whole harmony part for the chorus on "Milltown," though, to my disappointment. It's hard to believe they have only actually performed together, in the same room, since Dec. 2. Andy recorded the percussion parts on "After Yesterday" separately from John's parts. They weren't even in the same country. Andy's from Toronto and recorded there; John was in Minnesota. Andy has a breathy, tentative tenor voice, a great sense of humor and stage presence. I am sure he has broken some hearts in his time. Toward the end of the evening, John turned over his guitar as well as the lead vocal chores to Andy on an old-style blues number, "Pass the Wheel." Of course, this all adds a new wrinkle to John's "chaos theory" of performing, which he again explained to the delight of the 400 or so people in the audience. He jokingly took questions after "Where the Bottles Break." A woman asked, "What happened in Alabama?" John said he was "late for a show -- 24 hours late. I feel really bad about it." The humor didn't stop there. Introducing "When the Ice Goes Out," John deadpanned, "We have a new governor in Minnesota now," former professional wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura. John said he himself voted for Humphrey, but he is "glad Jesse won over that other guy, Coleman" a former Democrat Gorka referred to as a "smarmy Republican." Gorka said the failed candidate switched parties because "he thought he could make more money as a Republican." Ventura won, according to John, because "Minnesota wanted a strong leader in the event of a war with Iowa." John read the lyrics from "Let Them In" at the piano. He told the story of the song's origins as a poem in a yearbook from a military hospital in the Philippines during World War II. He put the words to music. The percussion adds so much, it's a wonder he hasn't traveled with a drummer before. Although John's shows are always enjoyable to me, I sometimes feel some of the songs sound a little thin live, since I listen to the albums so much. It would be wonderful to see John tour with an entire band: Andy on drums, Michael Manring on bass, John on guitar and John Jennings on lead, slide and Martin backpacker guitar. Heck, maybe Lucy Kaplansky could be coaxed into coming along to sing backing vocals. She could add another guitar on occasion. I would drive for two days to see such a performance. The opening act for this concert was Washington, D.C.-based singer-songwriter Julie Sanderson, backed by hot picking Buck Brown on lead and electric slide guitar. She performed about a half dozen songs including the title cut from her debut disc, "I Want the World," which was produced by D.C.- based singer-songwriters Pete and Maura Kennedy. Julie plays energetic folk rock. Her sad song, "River Run," pulled at my heart. I will definitely go see her again. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 10:52:12 EST From: SAbrams613@aol.com Subject: Re: Upcoming concert Is anyone going to John Gorka's concert this Friday night (12/11/98) at the Highland Theater in Akron, Ohio? The concert is sponsored by WKSU 89.7 FM, Kent State University's station. Jim Blum, one of the announcers, runs a folk music program every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 8 PM to midnight, and you can pick it up on the Internet. For anyone not going, there's a good chance that the concert will be broadcast live on the station (they do about 50% of the concerts they sponsor as live shows). Friday night is the one night of the week I can never attend any event, so once again, I am foiled in my quest to hear John Gorka perform live! Barbara ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 11:14:38 EST From: SMOKEY596@aol.com Subject: Re: Upcoming concert Barbara! For goodness sakes, make sure you try to tape that show if it's on the radio! If you can't go, best next thing to being there! I wanted to go see him this Thursday, but...being a 2 1/2 hour drive and a work night, I guess it won't work out. :-( SMOKEY Bloomington, IN In a message dated 12/6/98 10:55:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, SAbrams613@aol.com writes: << Is anyone going to John Gorka's concert this Friday night (12/11/98) at the Highland Theater in Akron, Ohio? The concert is sponsored by WKSU 89.7 FM, Kent State University's station. Jim Blum, one of the announcers, runs a folk music program every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 8 PM to midnight, and you can pick it up on the Internet. For anyone not going, there's a good chance that the concert will be broadcast live on the station (they do about 50% of the concerts they sponsor as live shows). Friday night is the one night of the week I can never attend any event, so once again, I am foiled in my quest to hear John Gorka perform live! Barbara >> ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 11:33:19 EST From: ThePsyche@aol.com Subject: Re: Upcoming concert In a message dated 12/6/98 10:17:59 AM Central Standard Time, SMOKEY596@aol.com writes: << I wanted to go see him this Thursday, but...being a 2 1/2 hour drive and a work night, I guess it won't work out. :-( >> TWO 1/2 HOURS? IS THAT ALL? A WORK NIGHT? AHH....I guess I must be deeper into the Gorka addiction than others. That sounds quite reasonable and do- able to me. Adios, Bryn ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 14:51:17 EST From: SAbrams613@aol.com Subject: Re: Upcoming concert Smokey- The reason I can't attend is the same reason I can't tape the show. I am a Shomer Shabbat (Sabbath observant) Orthodox Jew, and I am prohibited from this kind of activity from sundown on Friday (now about 4:39 PM) to post-sundown on Saturday (now about 5:47 PM). If he were only singing Saturday night, I wouldn't be gnashing my teeth right now... Barbara ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 17:36:46 EST From: ThePsyche@aol.com Subject: Re: Upcoming concert OH. Nevermind. Shalom, Bryn ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 18:37:01 EST From: SAbrams613@aol.com Subject: Re: Upcoming concert However, if anyone is taping it for themselves, I'd be grateful if you'd let me borrow/copy the tape. The only stipulation is the 'taper' can't be Jewish (whether observant or not doesn't matter). Barbara ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V1 #52 *******************************