From: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org (jangle-poets-digest) To: jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Subject: jangle-poets-digest V9 #219 Reply-To: jangle-poets@smoe.org Sender: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jangle-poets-digest Saturday, September 27 2008 Volume 09 : Number 219 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [JP] Maura Kennedy, Pete Kennedy 9/24/08 Living Room NYC [MercyHouse1@aol] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:09:45 EDT From: MercyHouse1@aol.com Subject: [JP] Maura Kennedy, Pete Kennedy 9/24/08 Living Room NYC This has been my busiest month ever for seeing the Kennedys, and this week has been my busiest week of that busiest month. Tuesday night I saw Vance Gilbert, Tracy Grammer, We're About 9, Katryna Nields and Dave Chalfant, and Chris & Meredith Thompson at Club Passim in Cambridge, and I had to write one of my longest reviews ever that same night, because I was leaving for New York the next morning to complete the Grand Slam of the four Kennedys September solo residency shows at the Living Room. Wednesday I spent most of the day driving to and from NYC from Boston, with a little slice of heaven in between, Maura solo and Pete solo. I would not have been doing these Wednesday drives if seeing the Kennedys at these Living Room shows didn't mean a lot to me. Thursday I worked a full day at my job and had to drive directly from work to see the Maggies Reunion Show at the Sierra Grille in Northampton, starting at 10PM and not ending till 1AM, the first Maggies show in six years. Then I had to work another full day at my job here in Quincy on very little sleep indeed. Now I'm finally able to get these two reviews out, before seeing the Kennedys again tomorrow at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River. There's been a hardcore contingent at each of the four Kennedys solo residency shows at the Living Room, including what I call the Gang of Three, being myself, Bill King, and Gordon Nash, all of whom were at all four shows -- me coming from Boston, Bill from NJ, and Gordon from being lost in Yonkers. Both Pete and Maura have mixed it up a little bit from week to week, putting on interesting shows at a wonderfully intimate venue at an extremely interesting point in their own musical journey. They've just moved back to NYC from Northampton; they're re-establishing themselves in the city and putting down new roots; and they're reaching out to new fans with a new look (solo shows) and new music. Maura said near the end of her set that she never wanted to September to end, and wanted to "Make It Last," and I feel the exact same way. I'm glad I've been able to be a part of it. Maura soundcheck -- Shining Eyes (Matt Mays) Pete -- You Can't Catch Me Alabama Rain Nature Boy Eldorado Same Old Way Eldorado (reprise) Maura -- Chains Patience Just the Rain Sun Burns Gold New Way to Live Make It Last There's a way I can "Make It Last," this month of September that I didn't ever want to end. In a stroke of synchronicity, the first song that was piped in over the venue sound system after Maura's sound check, when fans were streaming into the room, was "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," my favorite song by the Smiths and one of my theme songs from the very beginning of my Nields Career in 1995, which has later grown to encompass not just the Nields, but the Kennedys, the Maggies, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Chris & Meredith Thompson, the Strangelings, Hungrytown, and Women in Docs, in chronological order. "Take me out tonight Where there's music And there's people Who are young and alive -- Driving in your car I never never want to go home Because I haven't got one anymore -- " The second verse is much like the first -- "Take me out tonight Because I want to see people And I want to see lights -- " And the song ends with the repeated refrain -- "There is a light that never goes out There is a light that never goes out There is a light that never goes out There is a light that never goes out -- " I've never discovered for myself what Morrissey meant, and what that light that never goes out really is. But it might be that the enjoyment of the present moment, surrounded by the eternity of past reflections and anticipations of the future, is the "light that we're given." This is how I'm going to "Make It Last" -- through remembering it, through writing about it, through reflecting on what it all means for a long time to come, through hoping for a future that is integrally connected to all of these moments -- and to enjoying it in all its glory while it still lasts! Bruce Check out the Kennedys' Official Home Page: http://www.KennedysMusic.com/ Fab photos, the Official tour diary, dashboard Buddha haiku, groovy merchandise...what more could you ask for? ------------------------------ End of jangle-poets-digest V9 #219 **********************************