From: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org (jinglejangle-digest) To: jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Subject: jinglejangle-digest V1 #169 Reply-To: jinglejangle@smoe.org Sender: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jinglejangle-digest Friday, August 21 1998 Volume 01 : Number 169 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [MLL] Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review [scarter@law.harvard.edu] [MLL] August 19 Lilith--my review [scarter@law.harvard.edu] [MLL] Mary Lou rocks Lilith [Rachel Kramer Bussel ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 20 Aug 98 20:36:21 -0400 From: scarter@law.harvard.edu Subject: [MLL] Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review Hi everyone, I'm a first-time poster, but I've been lurking for about... 6 months now? Anyway, I figured what better way to start than by transcribing a review of Mary Lou's August 19 Lilith performance. (I'll post my own review later--suffice to say I met her, and she was so sweet!) Mary Lou's show was the highlight of Lilith for me, but I guess it wasn't for "Gemma Tarlach of the Journal Sentinel Staff" (who I've never heard of, incidentally--she's not a regular critic). Side stages show budding young talent at Lilith Fair Call them the Little Liliths, musicians learning from their big sisters as they hone their skills in front of an appreciative audience. Despite a few cracked voices and bum chords, the acts featured on the village and second stages at Lilith Fair on Wednesday at the Marcus Amphitheater showed there's plenty of potential in the minor leagues of women singer-songwriters. Former subway busker Mary Lou Lord still has all the charm--and shortcomings--of the sidewalk folkie entertaining passers-by with the hope of getting a few bucks tossed into her open guitar case. Headlining the second stage alone with her guitar, Lord warbled her way through finely crafted tunes such as "Western Union Desperate" and Bevis Frond's "He'd Be a Diamond," which she dedicated to Bill Clinton ("Is he lying to get what he wants/or does he mean it this time?"). The girlish Bostonian sprinkled her set with self-deprecating humor and engaged the crowd in a discussion of which songs she should play next. But as Lord herself acknowledged, she occasionally drops a few "clunkers" of sour chords on her guitar, and her voice has the tendency to thin into nothing when pushed on either side of a limited, breathy range. - ---- The article continued by giving much more favorable reviews to Neko Case ("a tiny voice is not Neko Case's problem") and N'Dea Davenport (a "diminutive diva in complete control"). Whatever. Suzanne ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Aug 98 20:56:35 -0400 From: scarter@law.harvard.edu Subject: [MLL] August 19 Lilith--my review It was great, better than I expected (and my expectations were high). It was my first ever time seeing Mary Lou in concert, and I was maybe 20 feet away from the stage. What impressed me was how respectful and quiet the audience was--totally different from the audience I found inside the ampitheater. Setlist: I'm Talking to You Western Union Desperate (She said it was about her mother. Aww... :) He'd Be a Diamond (Dedicated to "anyone with allergies, or a cold, or an asshole boyfriend. But especially, this song is dedicated to Bill Clinton, because he deserves to have a song like this dedicated to him.") She Had You (About an "adolescent crush that never materialized.") Black Vincent Lightening 1952 ("If you know this song, you'll probably hate me, because I'm about to butcher it. If you don't know the song, I hope you like it.") I Figured You Out (She told how the song was written by Elliot Smith, and "he threw it away. 'That was a beautiful little song? Why'd you throw it away?' And he said, [here she adopts a deep, dopey voice] 'it reminded me of the Eagles. Every time I'm singing a song, I don't want to think about Glenn Frye running down the road lightening his load.' And I thought, hmm... maybe I don't either! But I picked it out of the trash, and I rescued it, because we can't afford to throw perfectly nice songs away. At least I can't afford it; maybe Elliot can.") Unknown Song (Mary Lou said she didn't know the title--it was on a mix tape someone gave her. She thought it was a Lucinda Williams song, and she said that if any of us knew what it was called, we should tell her after the show.) My favorite non-musical moment of the concert had to be when Mary Lou got out a disposable camera. "Can I take your picture?" she asked the audience. "I'm having a baby, and I'm making it a scrapbook so it can see what its mother was doing while she was pregnant. It will be like, 'you did what?' 'you were where?' Because," she continued, "you know this is never going to last." I think she's wrong. Now I'm going to sound like a gushing fan. :) But although her set was only seven songs, it easily ranks among my top 5 concerts. Something in her voice just really moves me, even though it isn't technically great. Maybe the fact that it isn't allows her fans to connect emotionally to her... After the show, I went to the Tower Records tent, where she was signing autographs and taking pictures. What impressed me about her was how totally natural and un-pretentious she was (she seemed surprised by her ampitheater escort's asking her if she wanted a coffee from Starbuck's!). I was able to talk to her for a few minutes (she was in no hurry to move any of her fans on, she even signed multiple autographs for some), and I told her how happy I was she came to Milwaukee. "Yeah, I'm really sorry the set is so short. I only get to do like 5 songs. I keep apologizing to people." I told her that I went to school in Cambridge, and she said that she's going to be doing a college tour, and she'll definitely be in Boston and/or Cambridge, so "maybe I'll see you walking around Harvard Square." Right then I could have died happy!!! Suzanne And is your place in heaven Worth giving up these kisses? These kisses? - --Tori, "Cooling" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 04:07:41 -0400 (EDT) From: Rachel Kramer Bussel Subject: [MLL] Mary Lou rocks Lilith - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 22:21:25 -0400 (EDT) Subject: BOUNCE jinglejangle@smoe.org: Non-member submission from ["fisher" ] From: "fisher" To: Subject: Mary Lou rocks Lilith I saw Mary Lou for my very first time yesterday. MAN. Was it ever awesome! I was standing in line for the lawn seats (the line went back practically miles) and it was about 2:30 when I spotted Mary Lou and Kevin going in the gate carrying her guitar. I tore through the trees and went up to talk to Mary Lou without considering that maybe I'd freak her out with my enthusiasm. Dork that I am, I had my Got No Shadow poster ready for signing. I talked to Mary Lou for a while and couldn't believe how nice and down to earth she is. She seemed genuinely surprised that I'd driven 3 hours for her 30 minute set. She's really into our idea of covering her songs--so let's do it! Is this Mary Lou cover tape even happening anymore? Her set kicked ass. I couldn't stop smiling. Mary Lou came and talked to my friends and me after and signed a bunch of stuff for people. For the second stage, she had a pretty big audience and people seemed to be into it. Rachel---I know you won't be home for a while, but it was great meeting you. Where did you disappear to? It was fun. We have to trade pictures, okay? I arrived at Lilith loving Mary Lou a lot and left loving her even more. Oh yeah. If there are any other listies who were at Sunday's show, e-mail me-- maybe we chatted. In my excitement I made friends with all the people standing around me. - -LAura ------------------------------ End of jinglejangle-digest V1 #169 **********************************