From: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org (jinglejangle-digest) To: jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Subject: jinglejangle-digest V6 #83 Reply-To: jinglejangle@smoe.org Sender: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jinglejangle-digest Saturday, December 20 2003 Volume 06 : Number 083 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [MLL] Elliott Tribute show at TT's [K3285@aol.com] [MLL] The L.A. show [Recordings@aol.com] Re: [MLL] The L.A. show [Trent Smith ] Re: [MLL] The L.A. show ["Cinnamon Brunmier" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 13:30:24 EST From: K3285@aol.com Subject: [MLL] Elliott Tribute show at TT's from the boston globe... >A public tribute Elliott Smith fans and local musicians take the stage to honor the late seminal songwriter By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff, 12/19/2003 Tribute concerts tend to be insider affairs, an opportunity for professional musicians to pay homage to one of their own: Sheryl Crow does Johnny Cash, Tom Petty plays George Harrison. All of which are well and good, but Mary Lou Lord had something different in mind when she began organizing a show to honor the late Elliott Smith, her good friend and an eloquent indie-pop songwriter who took his own life in October at the age of 34. "I had so many feelings that I needed to put somewhere, in a positive direction, instead of just being miserable," says Lord, who toured with Smith as her opening act in the mid-'90s. "I thought there were probably a lot of people who felt the same way, who needed closure, because his music meant so much to so many people. I didn't want it to be a big-name show. I really wanted it to be for the fans." So Lord posted a message at Smith's website, sweetadeline.net, offering stage time for anyone who wanted to participate. Seventeen fans are scheduled to perform Elliott Smith songs during an afternoon all-ages show at T.T. the Bear's on Sunday, along with a handful of local musicians including Jason Hatfield, Apollo Sunshine, and Phil Aiken. Lord will also be showing rare video footage shot on her and Smith's 1995 club tour, as well as screening "Strange Parallel," an experimental documentary about Smith directed by Steve Hanft, and carving out time -- she hopes -- for spontaneous words and music. Michael Ledoux, a 46-year-old software engineer from Natick, is going to sing "Can't Make a Sound," from Smith's 2000 album, "Figure 8." "That song has a lot of meaning for me," says Ledoux, an amateur guitarist who first saw Smith perform in a Seattle nightclub in 1996. "I was mesmerized. He reflected something in all of us, the way we feel about things when we're down. No other musician has affected my life the way Elliott has. I became like a disciple, spreading the word to my close friends over the years. I'm looking forward to the chance to come together with other people who found themselves in tune with Elliott." One of them is Aiken, a Boston singer-songwriter and a former keyboardist with the band Buffalo Tom. "Coming out of the '90s post-grunge thing, this lo-fi guy singing his songs without a lot of production was a breath of fresh air," says Aiken. "He wasn't a classic rock frontman. I met him once when he was on a bill with Buffalo Tom, and I'd love to say we hit it off and spent the night talking at the bar. But he was shy, and I'm a pretty reserved guy, too. We shook hands and that was it." Aiken will perform two songs: "Between the Bars" and "Miss Misery." The latter is Smith's best-known song, written for the "Good Will Hunting" soundtrack and nominated for an Academy Award in 1998. "I chose `Between the Bars' because one of the lines in the first verse -- `The potential you'll be but you'll never see/The promises you'll only make' -- spoke to me in light of what happened to him," says Aiken. "Plus I love the song." There have already been tributes in Los Angeles, Atlanta, London, and other cities; Lord's Boston tribute, a popular topic of discussion on Smith's website, has generated interest around the country. A couple from LA plans to attend. Another fan is trying to track down long-lost relatives in Boston to see if she can stay with them. One woman from New Jersey writes: "My boyfriend is planning to buy me a ring for Christmas. Next time I see him I'm going to request that he forget the ring and instead take me to Boston for the memorial tribute. It would mean so much more to me than any piece of jewelry, no matter how precious." Proceeds from the concert will go to the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund, established by Smith's family to provide financial support for abused children. It's a cause Smith was passionate about, according to Lord; Smith's sister Ashley Welsh is continuing the work on her late brother's behalf. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 19:47:59 -0500 From: Recordings@aol.com Subject: [MLL] The L.A. show Just spoke to ML on the phone. I'm paraphrasing here, but she said the L.A. crowd was "wildly enthusiastic." What were you guys doing? She's playing Largo tonight as well. I'm gonna miss that too, but she promises a tour to promote the new album. Dino ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 17:41:38 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: Trent Smith Subject: Re: [MLL] The L.A. show Recognizing her originals, applauding loudly, calling out legit requests (not "Free Bird"), paying attention (instead of chattering among ourselves) while she was playing. Nothing too out of the ordinary, except for one girl who was REALLY desperate to hear "The Bridge" and some crazy/drunk guy who climbed onstage to play harmonica and sing backup during "She Had You." (Crazy guy: "so, you have any other songs in that key?" MLL: "umm..." Audience: "No!!!") Mary Lou seemed genuinely surprised that we knew who she was and knew her songs -- does she think everybody outside of New England has forgotten who she is, or was she just expecting the worst from a bunch of jaded Angelenos? Hopefully she had a good enough time that she won't wait another 3 years before coming back... Trent - -----Original Message----- From: Recordings@aol.com Sent: Dec 19, 2003 4:47 PM To: jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Subject: [MLL] The L.A. show Just spoke to ML on the phone. I'm paraphrasing here, but she said the L.A. crowd was "wildly enthusiastic." What were you guys doing? She's playing Largo tonight as well. I'm gonna miss that too, but she promises a tour to promote the new album. Dino ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 18:43:12 -0800 From: "Cinnamon Brunmier" Subject: Re: [MLL] The L.A. show I missed the show because I was at a charity gig across town at the Hotel Cafe - -- which was full of talented folks in their own right. I was lucky enough, though, to have Mary Lou come by and say hello. It was all her old crowd from Boston playin the cafe (Kay Hanley, Dave Gibbs) and she looked adorable. Funnily enough MLL and my best friend, Dave used to work together at a record store in Boston back in the day. Dave always says it WAS Championship Vinyl. I'm so happy I got to see her and talk to her, even if for only 10 min or so...she looks wonderful. I'm so glad her show was a success. I am totally WORN out from my Crim Law final which was 3.5 hours starting at 9 a.m. this morning and as much I love both Largo and Mary Lou, I think I'm in for the nite. For those Angelenos who missed her last nite, GO TO LARGO. It's a great space and she will sound incredible in there. XoX--Cin (who's so glad to finally be finished with finals!) ----- Original Message ----- From: Trent Smith To: jinglejangle@smoe.org Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 5:41 PM Subject: Re: [MLL] The L.A. show Recognizing her originals, applauding loudly, calling out legit requests (not "Free Bird"), paying attention (instead of chattering among ourselves) while she was playing. Nothing too out of the ordinary, except for one girl who was REALLY desperate to hear "The Bridge" and some crazy/drunk guy who climbed onstage to play harmonica and sing backup during "She Had You." (Crazy guy: "so, you have any other songs in that key?" MLL: "umm..." Audience: "No!!!") Mary Lou seemed genuinely surprised that we knew who she was and knew her songs -- does she think everybody outside of New England has forgotten who she is, or was she just expecting the worst from a bunch of jaded Angelenos? Hopefully she had a good enough time that she won't wait another 3 years before coming back... Trent -----Original Message----- From: Recordings@aol.com Sent: Dec 19, 2003 4:47 PM To: jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Subject: [MLL] The L.A. show Just spoke to ML on the phone. I'm paraphrasing here, but she said the L.A. crowd was "wildly enthusiastic." What were you guys doing? She's playing Largo tonight as well. I'm gonna miss that too, but she promises a tour to promote the new album. Dino ------------------------------ End of jinglejangle-digest V6 #83 *********************************