From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V6 #58 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 Tuesday, December 9 2003 Volume 06 : Number 058 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Berkeley ["Susan Krauss" ] Re: Berkeley ["Timothy Springer" ] Re: Berkeley ["Gina" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 18:32:51 -0800 From: "Susan Krauss" Subject: Berkeley John was in Berkeley Saturday night. I only made it to the 8pm show (last time I attended both the 5pm & 8pm shows). The San Francisco Chronicle reviewed the 5pm show in today's paper (12/8/2003) and there was even a picture. Review posted below. I was exhausted and cranky but the music helped my mood considerably. No set list - but we didn't get Abraham in the second show and while there were several requests for "Houses in the Fields" we didn't get that either. There seemed to be a lot of songs from Jack's Crows (which I've been listening to a lot lately), including "Night is a Woman," "Silence," "Good," "Where the Bottles Break" and, of course, "I'm From New Jersey." Let's see, maybe I can get all the songs by looking at the albums. From "I Know" we got "Love is Our Cross to Bear" and "Branching Out" with fabulous opener Christine Kane. From Out of the Valley we got "That's Why." From The Company You Keep we got "Saints Complaint" (also with Christine Kane), "Let Them In" and "People My Age." And a bunch from the new album. There hasn't been a whole lot of discussion about the new record. I wasn't sure I liked it on first listen but I listened again before last week, in anticipation of the show, and loved it. Hearing the songs live cemented that feeling. I know John's songs aren't all autobiographical but I guess I wasn't the only one questioning the state of his life and relationships after hearing the album. The first thing the woman sitting next to me did when John came on stage was move her head around the tall guy in front of her to look at something on the stage....then she said to her boyfriend/husband - "well, he's still wearing his wedding ring." susan in alameda This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/1 2/08/DDG453HRIT1.DTL - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, December 8, 2003 (SF Chronicle) John Gorka's alluring songs of sadness/A warm voice offsets the melancholy Joe Brown, Chronicle Staff Writer Before he said a word or sang a note, John Gorka looked up at the wooden rafter beams and smiled at the sound of the rain on the barn-style roof of the Freight & Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley. One of the leading lights of the "new folk" movement, with one of the warmest voices in all of pop music, Gorka did two shows at the Freight Saturday evening, and the steady rain made the always intimate Freight feel even cozier, like a campfire sing with particularly talented friends. Moving between guitar and piano, with a self-deprecating charm bordering on goofy, Gorka played a few songs from his new album "Old Futures Gone," his ninth. He grinned when an infant in the audience provided impromptu background vocals on the new song "Always," which Gorka described as a "jaunty song of sorrow." In fact many of Gorka's best songs are of a lonely, melancholy bent, thoughtful story-songs sung in a resonant, world-weary baritone (occasionally textured with a Richie Havens gravel-growl) that seems to make its way directly to the left side of the listener's chest. "I tend to write about people who are in trouble ... I don't do it just because I want to make sad songs," he told the crowd, which kept calling out requests for tear-jerking favorites. "It's just the way they come out." Gorka can rock and rollick with the best of them, and pack a potent political punch, too, as he did in the Dylanesque "Oh, Abraham," in which he wondered what the guy depicted on the penny would think about his grand old party today. Another new song, "Soldier After All" ("If you believe what's right is right / then you will always have to fight / I guess I am a soldier after all"), might be a modern-day "Blowin' in the Wind," if folk music had the power to sway the masses as it did in the '60s. But ultimately the allure of sadness was too sweet to resist. As Gorka finished up with one of his oldest heartache songs, "Love Is Our Cross to Bear, " in the hush that followed, the rain sounded like applause. E-mail Joe Brown at jbrown@sfchronicle.com. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003 SF Chronicle ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 21:38:55 -0500 From: "Timothy Springer" Subject: Re: Berkeley i know what you mean about no one really mentioning the new cd. but yeah, i totally love it. it's true Gorka in every sense of the word. i'm especially fond of all the anti-war anthems as well as "Always". "Always" is up there with "Like My Watch" in one of the favorite hidden Gorka melodies that's one of my FAVORITES! :) i can't wait to hear some stuff live! ~tim - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Krauss" To: Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 9:32 PM Subject: Berkeley > John was in Berkeley Saturday night. I only made it to the 8pm show > (last time I attended both the 5pm & 8pm shows). The San Francisco > Chronicle reviewed the 5pm show in today's paper (12/8/2003) and there > was even a picture. Review posted below. > > I was exhausted and cranky but the music helped my mood considerably. > No set list - but we didn't get Abraham in the second show and while > there were several requests for "Houses in the Fields" we didn't get > that either. There seemed to be a lot of songs from Jack's Crows (which > I've been listening to a lot lately), including "Night is a Woman," > "Silence," "Good," "Where the Bottles Break" and, of course, "I'm From > New Jersey." > > Let's see, maybe I can get all the songs by looking at the albums. From > "I Know" we got "Love is Our Cross to Bear" and "Branching Out" with > fabulous opener Christine Kane. From Out of the Valley we got "That's > Why." From The Company You Keep we got "Saints Complaint" (also with > Christine Kane), "Let Them In" and "People My Age." > > And a bunch from the new album. > > There hasn't been a whole lot of discussion about the new record. I > wasn't sure I liked it on first listen but I listened again before last > week, in anticipation of the show, and loved it. Hearing the songs live > cemented that feeling. I know John's songs aren't all autobiographical > but I guess I wasn't the only one questioning the state of his life and > relationships after hearing the album. The first thing the woman > sitting next to me did when John came on stage was move her head around > the tall guy in front of her to look at something on the stage....then > she said to her boyfriend/husband - "well, he's still wearing his > wedding ring." > > susan in alameda > > > > This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The > original article can be found on SFGate.com here: > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/1 > 2/08/DDG453HRIT1.DTL > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Monday, December 8, 2003 (SF Chronicle) > John Gorka's alluring songs of sadness/A warm voice offsets the > melancholy > Joe Brown, Chronicle Staff Writer > > Before he said a word or sang a note, John Gorka looked up at the > wooden rafter beams and smiled at the sound of the rain on the > barn-style roof of the Freight & Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley. One > of the leading lights of the "new folk" movement, with one of the > warmest voices in all of pop music, > > Gorka did two shows at the Freight Saturday evening, and the steady > rain made the always intimate Freight feel even cozier, like a campfire > sing with particularly talented friends. > > Moving between guitar and piano, with a self-deprecating charm > bordering on goofy, Gorka played a few songs from his new album "Old > Futures Gone," his ninth. He grinned when an infant in the audience > provided impromptu background vocals on the new song "Always," which > Gorka described as a "jaunty song of sorrow." > > In fact many of Gorka's best songs are of a lonely, melancholy bent, > thoughtful story-songs sung in a resonant, world-weary baritone > (occasionally textured with a Richie Havens gravel-growl) that seems to > make its way directly to the left side of the listener's chest. "I tend > to write about people who are in trouble ... I don't do it just because > I want to make sad songs," he told the crowd, which kept calling out > requests for tear-jerking favorites. "It's just the way they come out." > Gorka can rock and rollick with the best of them, and pack a potent > political punch, too, as he did in the Dylanesque "Oh, Abraham," in > which he wondered what the guy depicted on the penny would think about > his grand old party today. Another new song, "Soldier After All" ("If > you believe what's right is right / then you will always have to fight / > I guess I am a soldier after all"), might be a modern-day "Blowin' in > the Wind," if folk music had the power to sway the masses as it did in > the '60s. > > But ultimately the allure of sadness was too sweet to resist. As > Gorka finished up with one of his oldest heartache songs, "Love Is Our > Cross to Bear, " in the hush that followed, the rain sounded like > applause. > > E-mail Joe Brown at jbrown@sfchronicle.com. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Copyright 2003 SF Chronicle ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 20:10:55 -0800 From: "Gina" Subject: Re: Berkeley I just ordered the new CD from Amazon yesterday. I had intended to get it when John was in town, but missed the show. Ummm, can you fill me in on "Like My Watch?" Gina - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Timothy Springer" To: Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 6:38 PM Subject: Re: Berkeley > i know what you mean about no one really mentioning the new cd. but yeah, i > totally love it. it's true Gorka in every sense of the word. i'm especially > fond of all the anti-war anthems as well as "Always". "Always" is up there > with "Like My Watch" in one of the favorite hidden Gorka melodies that's one > of my FAVORITES! :) i can't wait to hear some stuff live! ~tim > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Susan Krauss" > To: > Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 9:32 PM > Subject: Berkeley > > > > John was in Berkeley Saturday night. I only made it to the 8pm show > > (last time I attended both the 5pm & 8pm shows). The San Francisco > > Chronicle reviewed the 5pm show in today's paper (12/8/2003) and there > > was even a picture. Review posted below. > > > > I was exhausted and cranky but the music helped my mood considerably. > > No set list - but we didn't get Abraham in the second show and while > > there were several requests for "Houses in the Fields" we didn't get > > that either. There seemed to be a lot of songs from Jack's Crows (which > > I've been listening to a lot lately), including "Night is a Woman," > > "Silence," "Good," "Where the Bottles Break" and, of course, "I'm From > > New Jersey." > > > > Let's see, maybe I can get all the songs by looking at the albums. From > > "I Know" we got "Love is Our Cross to Bear" and "Branching Out" with > > fabulous opener Christine Kane. From Out of the Valley we got "That's > > Why." From The Company You Keep we got "Saints Complaint" (also with > > Christine Kane), "Let Them In" and "People My Age." > > > > And a bunch from the new album. > > > > There hasn't been a whole lot of discussion about the new record. I > > wasn't sure I liked it on first listen but I listened again before last > > week, in anticipation of the show, and loved it. Hearing the songs live > > cemented that feeling. I know John's songs aren't all autobiographical > > but I guess I wasn't the only one questioning the state of his life and > > relationships after hearing the album. The first thing the woman > > sitting next to me did when John came on stage was move her head around > > the tall guy in front of her to look at something on the stage....then > > she said to her boyfriend/husband - "well, he's still wearing his > > wedding ring." > > > > susan in alameda > > > > > > > > This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The > > original article can be found on SFGate.com here: > > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/1 > > 2/08/DDG453HRIT1.DTL > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Monday, December 8, 2003 (SF Chronicle) > > John Gorka's alluring songs of sadness/A warm voice offsets the > > melancholy > > Joe Brown, Chronicle Staff Writer > > > > Before he said a word or sang a note, John Gorka looked up at the > > wooden rafter beams and smiled at the sound of the rain on the > > barn-style roof of the Freight & Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley. One > > of the leading lights of the "new folk" movement, with one of the > > warmest voices in all of pop music, > > > > Gorka did two shows at the Freight Saturday evening, and the steady > > rain made the always intimate Freight feel even cozier, like a campfire > > sing with particularly talented friends. > > > > Moving between guitar and piano, with a self-deprecating charm > > bordering on goofy, Gorka played a few songs from his new album "Old > > Futures Gone," his ninth. He grinned when an infant in the audience > > provided impromptu background vocals on the new song "Always," which > > Gorka described as a "jaunty song of sorrow." > > > > In fact many of Gorka's best songs are of a lonely, melancholy bent, > > thoughtful story-songs sung in a resonant, world-weary baritone > > (occasionally textured with a Richie Havens gravel-growl) that seems to > > make its way directly to the left side of the listener's chest. "I tend > > to write about people who are in trouble ... I don't do it just because > > I want to make sad songs," he told the crowd, which kept calling out > > requests for tear-jerking favorites. "It's just the way they come out." > > Gorka can rock and rollick with the best of them, and pack a potent > > political punch, too, as he did in the Dylanesque "Oh, Abraham," in > > which he wondered what the guy depicted on the penny would think about > > his grand old party today. Another new song, "Soldier After All" ("If > > you believe what's right is right / then you will always have to fight / > > I guess I am a soldier after all"), might be a modern-day "Blowin' in > > the Wind," if folk music had the power to sway the masses as it did in > > the '60s. > > > > But ultimately the allure of sadness was too sweet to resist. As > > Gorka finished up with one of his oldest heartache songs, "Love Is Our > > Cross to Bear, " in the hush that followed, the rain sounded like > > applause. > > > > E-mail Joe Brown at jbrown@sfchronicle.com. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Copyright 2003 SF Chronicle ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V6 #58 *******************************