From: owner-lucy-list-digest@smoe.org (lucy-list-digest) To: lucy-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: lucy-list-digest V6 #75 Reply-To: lucy-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-lucy-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-lucy-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk lucy-list-digest Tuesday, April 6 2004 Volume 06 : Number 075 In this issue: [lucy-list] Hot Curry No. 2 Re: [lucy-list] Hot Curry No. 2 [lucy-list] Please help! [lucy-list] Re: Please help! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 09:51:00 -0500 From: "Timothy Bruce" Subject: [lucy-list] Hot Curry No. 2 With apologies to Benay, here is my rather spotty review of Lucy's show in Minneapolis Saturday night. I must begin by saying that I'd recently become a volunteer for the Cedar Cutural Center which was the venue Saturday night. I took an assignment working the concession stand for the first half of the show so that I could work with a friend who was also a volunteer and whom I'd taken to the Lucy's last appearance in these parts (Mable Tainter Theater in Menomonie, WI). Lucy's last appearance in the Twin Cities themselves was the State Fair Grandstand Extravaganza with Joni Mitchell and friends...and twin jumbo screens that made Lucy's head as big as a car (see "What Were You Expecting, Rodgers & Hammerstein?" in the list archives for August 27th, 2003). My friend Susan got the job of pouring the half dozen varieties of wine and dozen varieties of beer and I got the job of serving food: veggie curry with rice, chicken curry with rice, naan bread, samosas as big as your fist and the all-encompassing "combo platter". Bob Feldman grabbed some curry for Ms. Kaplansky who wondered aloud if I was an employee of the Cedar now. For better or worse, the place was jammed with older fans having fistfuls of money! So business at the concession stand was brisk to say the least. This SERIOUSLY diminished my ability to take in the first half of the show. Benay, to her credit, had offered-up an excellent suggestion to me in a prior e-mail--simply yell, "Free beer! Free food!" at the start of the show and then split. Nice thought, Benay, but a higher duty was calling...Sloppin' the curry! I had thoughtfully installed a baby monitor in the theatre before the show in hopes that I could eavesdrop on the first set, but reception was ppor and the rumble of the refrgerators and general hubbub made it useless. A pity! Because there seemed to be some new (or, at least, uncommon) twists. One was the return of "Evangeline", last mentioned on the List in 2002 as a Robbie Robertson and The Band tune popularly covered by EmmyLou Harris. "The Tide" made a re-appearance (and Lucy took this opportunity to heap thanks and praise on Red House president Bob Feldman for giving her "the opportunity to do this for a living". I also heard a peppy "Don't Mind Me" and "Brooklyn Train" done on piano through that dark crack in the door. Also "For Once In Your Life" and "I've Just Seen a Face" from FLESH AND BONE were welcome treats. Lucy pulled "Five in the Morning" out as well (likely because Libby has recently re-popularized it by putting it on her CD!) Steve Earle was covered with Lucy doing "You're Still Standing THere". Also done on piano were "Wille" and "Just You Tonight" (which Lucy expained was penned on an airplane..."It's not the altitude, that takes my breath away..."). I had JUST had a conversation with one of the ticket-taker volunteers who knew little of Lucy's music (...except what songs of hers they play on our highly eclectic morning public radio show). She asked me about "Guinevere" and I said Lucy typically only plays that one when requested, and she was dismayed. But then she got her break and took her turn in the theater and, right away, Lucy asked for requests. Amoung the usual dozen requests shouted out, "Guinevere" was the one Lucy chose to do first. And the lucky ticket-taker lady came back beaming. It was she that had called it out! I combined schmoozing and working during the set break, when I went around the packed house picking up coffee cups and glasses to bring back and wash. Then I was FREE! So into the theatre we all went to catch the second set, which was as lengthy as an entire show in itself. (The show began just after 8:00 and went past 10:30 PM) Geez it was dark in there! I tried to write the song list as best I could in the dark (with pencil) but I could not see that I was writing over what I'd already written on the paper. So, upon coming out and looking, I realized that, alas, my review was likely going to fall short of List expectations. (Does Lucy do a song called "No Basser Bartle"? How about "Liquae Gord"? Actually I solved THAT one. It was "Line" (short for "Line in the Sand") written over "One Good" (short for "One Good Reason") the two songs that opened the second set. Lucy played alone, which was unusual for her at this venue, where she typically brings guests to accompany her. But I had already noted on the web that John Gorka, Jon Herington, and Larry Campbell were all performing elsewhere that night, and Jonatha Brooke (who would be performing in town the following night) was off singing elsewhere as well. So I was mentally prepared for the solo show. The crowd seemed not to mind. As for the attendance, Red House decided to experiment with supply and demand this time, raising the ticket price another notch (to $22). And there were about 20 or so tickets left in the box at the end of the night (so probably 400-420 in attendance. This compares to a string of at least three sold-out shows at this venue in the past. Worked for me....fewer mouths to feed! "Vosmo" from the list was there with his wife--having made quite the trek up the road from Omaha! Perhaps he has something to add: My party didn't stick around after the show. Sorry for the skimpy content of this review. But Benay, for one, was expecting SOMETHING at least. Timothy in south Minneapolis ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 11:23:12 -0400 From: Subject: Re: [lucy-list] Hot Curry No. 2 Tim did a great job of reviewing the Minneapolis show, and he serves a great plate of food, too. I would add that it was great to hear Lucy do "The Tide", "Goodnight", "Evangeline", "I've Just Seen A Face", and especially my very favorite "Just You Tonight", which ended the show. I love that song. It just might be my favorite song, ever. Another highlight was "Ten Year Night", which was beautiful and tender and just perfect. And Lucy getting choked up talking about Molly was tremendous. And now I have a question, not meant to be a criticism--why do you think Lucy so frequently starts her show with a cover song, often obscure, that isn't on any of her albums? Saturday it was that Townes Van Zandt song, and when she asked who knew it, not a soul did. Traditionally artists start with a well known song, and save the covers for later. I think it would be cool if Lucy started with Scorpion. Immediately recognizable and one of her hits. Anyways, what a great show. We were second row, about 10 feet from Lucy. I got a couple of pictures that I'll edit and post somewhere. Rick V vosmo > > From: "Timothy Bruce" > Date: 2004/04/05 Mon AM 10:51:00 EDT > To: > Subject: [lucy-list] Hot Curry No. 2 > > With apologies to Benay, here is my rather spotty review of Lucy's show in > Minneapolis Saturday night. > > I must begin by saying that I'd recently become a volunteer for the Cedar > Cutural Center which was the venue Saturday night. I took an assignment > working the concession stand for the first half of the show so that I could > work with a friend who was also a volunteer and whom I'd taken to the Lucy's > last appearance in these parts (Mable Tainter Theater in Menomonie, WI). > Lucy's last appearance in the Twin Cities themselves was the State Fair > Grandstand Extravaganza with Joni Mitchell and friends...and twin jumbo > screens that made Lucy's head as big as a car (see "What Were You Expecting, > Rodgers & Hammerstein?" in the list archives for August 27th, 2003). > > My friend Susan got the job of pouring the half dozen varieties of wine and > dozen varieties of beer and I got the job of serving food: veggie curry > with rice, chicken curry with rice, naan bread, samosas as big as your fist > and the all-encompassing "combo platter". Bob Feldman grabbed some curry > for Ms. Kaplansky who wondered aloud if I was an employee of the Cedar now. > > For better or worse, the place was jammed with older fans having fistfuls of > money! So business at the concession stand was brisk to say the least. > This SERIOUSLY diminished my ability to take in the first half of the show. > Benay, to her credit, had offered-up an excellent suggestion to me in a > prior e-mail--simply yell, "Free beer! Free food!" at the start of the show > and then split. Nice thought, Benay, but a higher duty was > calling...Sloppin' the curry! I had thoughtfully installed a baby monitor > in the theatre before the show in hopes that I could eavesdrop on the first > set, but reception was ppor and the rumble of the refrgerators and general > hubbub made it useless. A pity! Because there seemed to be some new (or, > at least, uncommon) twists. > > One was the return of "Evangeline", last mentioned on the List in 2002 as a > Robbie Robertson and The Band tune popularly covered by EmmyLou Harris. > "The Tide" made a re-appearance (and Lucy took this opportunity to heap > thanks and praise on Red House president Bob Feldman for giving her "the > opportunity to do this for a living". I also heard a peppy "Don't Mind Me" > and "Brooklyn Train" done on piano through that dark crack in the door. > Also "For Once In Your Life" and "I've Just Seen a Face" from FLESH AND BONE > were welcome treats. Lucy pulled "Five in the Morning" out as well (likely > because Libby has recently re-popularized it by putting it on her CD!) > Steve Earle was covered with Lucy doing "You're Still Standing THere". Also > done on piano were "Wille" and "Just You Tonight" (which Lucy expained was > penned on an airplane..."It's not the altitude, that takes my breath > away..."). > > I had JUST had a conversation with one of the ticket-taker volunteers who > knew little of Lucy's music (...except what songs of hers they play on our > highly eclectic morning public radio show). She asked me about "Guinevere" > and I said Lucy typically only plays that one when requested, and she was > dismayed. But then she got her break and took her turn in the theater and, > right away, Lucy asked for requests. Amoung the usual dozen requests > shouted out, "Guinevere" was the one Lucy chose to do first. And the lucky > ticket-taker lady came back beaming. It was she that had called it out! > > I combined schmoozing and working during the set break, when I went around > the packed house picking up coffee cups and glasses to bring back and wash. > Then I was FREE! So into the theatre we all went to catch the second set, > which was as lengthy as an entire show in itself. (The show began just > after 8:00 and went past 10:30 PM) > > Geez it was dark in there! I tried to write the song list as best I could > in the dark (with pencil) but I could not see that I was writing over what > I'd already written on the paper. So, upon coming out and looking, I > realized that, alas, my review was likely going to fall short of List > expectations. (Does Lucy do a song called "No Basser Bartle"? How about > "Liquae Gord"? Actually I solved THAT one. It was "Line" (short for "Line > in the Sand") written over "One Good" (short for "One Good Reason") the two > songs that opened the second set. > > Lucy played alone, which was unusual for her at this venue, where she > typically brings guests to accompany her. But I had already noted on the > web that John Gorka, Jon Herington, and Larry Campbell were all performing > elsewhere that night, and Jonatha Brooke (who would be performing in town > the following night) was off singing elsewhere as well. So I was mentally > prepared for the solo show. The crowd seemed not to mind. As for the > attendance, Red House decided to experiment with supply and demand this > time, raising the ticket price another notch (to $22). And there were about > 20 or so tickets left in the box at the end of the night (so probably > 400-420 in attendance. This compares to a string of at least three sold-out > shows at this venue in the past. Worked for me....fewer mouths to feed! > "Vosmo" from the list was there with his wife--having made quite the trek up > the road from Omaha! Perhaps he has something to add: My party didn't > stick around after the show. > > Sorry for the skimpy content of this review. But Benay, for one, was > expecting SOMETHING at least. > > Timothy in south Minneapolis ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 11:40:58 -0500 From: "Timothy Bruce" Subject: [lucy-list] Please help! C'mon you guys! You know how little things like this can drive someone crazy! Does Lucy do a song entitled "No Basser Bartle"? (hee hee) Timothy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 13:20:17 -0400 From: "benruth@earthlink.net" Subject: [lucy-list] Re: Please help! You don't know No Basser Bartle? Come now, Timothy, that's one of my Lucy favorites---she does it EVERY show---it could even be the title of her next CD. Really, now, you must not have been paying attention! :-) But seriously...hmmm...No Place to Fall? No More Excuses? Nowhere? The "No" is plausible...it's Basser Bartle that has me stumped. The key to doing setlists in the dark, by the way, is to always bring the SAME kind of paper to write on and maintain a mental picture of its dimensions, while computing the rough trajectory of the pen as it comes down for each song listing, subtracting out the effect of friction...yes, I am lying through my teeth. But honestly, you didn't NEED to have a workable setlist to do a great review---atmosphere counts, too, and you did nicely with that! (And the food sounded good...it made me hungry. How come you get the gourmet stuff and I most often end up seeing Lucy in places that have pizza and burgers if that?) So you didn't take my suggestion about fleeing your duties for Lucy's sake and you instead decided to be a responsible human being, huh? Well, OK, if you insist. Kudos on creativity, though, for being probably the first person to TRY to listen to a Lucy show via baby monitor, even if it wasn't too successful! Evangeline? I don't think I've ever heard Lucy do that one! Hope she pulls it out again sometime for the rest of us. Sounds like you got a lot of raritie---very neat. About starting with cover songs...it's true, she almost always does. No Place to Fall, Cowboy Singer, He Thinks I Still Care, The Angels Rejoice, Wayfaring Stranger...I can't think of when I last heard her start with one of her own. But I don't know, I kind of like it that Lucy doesn't whack you over the head with one of her hits right away. Scorpion seems a bit too intense to me for a starter. The covers she starts with tend to be quieter, slower-paced...sort of an introduction to her voice before she introduces you to her songs. I'm sure she could also find some of her own songs that would provide a similar mood if she were so inclined...but for Scorpion and Ten Year Night and even Written on the Back of His Hand, the ones that show up in most shows if not every show, I'd usually rather wait a bit. It's interesting to consider, though... Benay - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . ------------------------------ End of lucy-list-digest V6 #75 ****************************** This has been a posting from the Lucy Kaplansky mail list digest To unsubscribe send mail to Majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe lucy-list-digest" in the body of the message