From: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org (jinglejangle-digest) To: jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Subject: jinglejangle-digest V2 #175 Reply-To: jinglejangle@smoe.org Sender: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jinglejangle-digest Monday, November 29 1999 Volume 02 : Number 175 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [MLL] Re: OT:Philly/Raging Teens ques. [RAVEN@igc.org] [MLL] Mary Lou Lord 11/27 The Middle East [Michael Zwirn asked: >I was wondering if anyone in Philly is planning on catching the >Raging Teens on Dec.5th at the Blue Comet? Also, anyone have any >idea where the Blue comet is b/c I can't find anything online or >anything so i'd greatly appreciate any info.!! The only "Blue Comet" I know anywhere near Philly is about 20 miles north, toward Pottstown (but east of there, in Skippack). It's on the property of an old farm, purchased by a motorcycle club as the location of their clubhouse. Blue Comet Motorcycle Club Mensch Road Skippack, PA 19474 info: 610-489-1240 RAVEN ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1999 22:55:10 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Zwirn Subject: [MLL] Mary Lou Lord 11/27 The Middle East I can happily report that the show I saw last night at the Middle East in Cambridge was probably the best I've ever seen Mary Lou perform, particularly in terms of guitar playing. If only she had come on stage sometime before 12:30 in the morning, following - among others - the final opening band, Wheat. At first I thought they were inoffensive American guitar rock in the tradition of the Connells but it quickly became obvious that this was the single blandest, most derivative, smug, self-satisfied act I'd ever seen. As I said to someone standing nearby (an absolutely lovely young brunette from Tucson whose name I couldn't catch, from the indie-pop listserv - anyone know her?), "At least I could amuse myself counting the cliches." "Very funny," she replied somberly. "Very true. Very sad." The other opening bands fortunately were far more tolerable. A young man who plays in something called the Ivory Coast did a solo acoustic set in particular that was very impressive, including a Nick Drake cover. Mary Lou, when she finally came on, did a set emphasizing a great deal of new material - at least for me. The highlights in terms of cover material were a spellbinding version of Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road," Billy Bragg's "Ontario Quebec & Me," _two_ Richard Thompson songs including the new "Galway to Graceland," (which I had asked for) and Shawn Colvin's "New Thing Now," directed at "a woman in Seattle." There was a rather familiar mix of the her own older Kill Rock Stars material and a few from more recent days, including a new song "in the Dixie Chicks mode" called "Aim Low," which is completely delightful and really quite countryish - even if it borrows a John Mellencamp opening riff. I've seen Mary Lou around 5 or 6 times in the past two years, which is an awful lot for me, and each time I come out of the club smiling. She always seems so happy to be playing for people, and wanders around the club during the soundchecks and the opening acts, visiting with fans and listening attentively to other performers, and is just such a joy to hang around with. Even if she never remembers my name. n.p. Mary Lou Lord, Martian Saints - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael Zwirn mzwirn01@tufts.edu ICQ #12755821 Kibbutz Music Reviews: http://www.tufts.edu/~mzwirn01/kibbutz.html Current: Tori Amos, Nine Inch Nails, Os Mutantes - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ End of jinglejangle-digest V2 #175 **********************************