From: owner-mad-mission-digest@smoe.org (mad-mission-digest) To: mad-mission-digest@smoe.org Subject: mad-mission-digest V7 #23 Reply-To: mad-mission@smoe.org Sender: owner-mad-mission-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-mad-mission-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk * If you ever wish to unsubscribe, send an email to * mad-mission-digest-request@smoe.org * with ONLY the word unsubscribe in the body of the email * . * For the latest information on Patty's tour dates, go to: * http://www.pattygriffin.net/PattyInConcert.html * OR * go to http://www.atorecords.com * . * PLEASE :) when you reply to this digest to send a post TO the list, * change the subject to reflect what your post is about. A subject * of Re: mad-mission-digest V6 #___ gives readers no clue * as to what your message is about. mad-mission-digest Thursday, January 23 2003 Volume 07 : Number 023 Today's Subjects: ----------------- MM: Patty in Pittsburgh ["Don Henn" ] MM: omission ["Don Henn" ] MM: Best of 2002 lists - CMT, Pgh Trib-Review ["Scott Antall" ] MM: Re: GROVEL: Rasputina 11-05-02 (NPC) [Matt Bouchie ] MM: pearls of water on my hips.... ["Janet C. Jordan M.D." Subject: MM: Patty in Pittsburgh MMers , Grammy nominee & best of field , Patty Griffin , graced the stage of the sold-out Byham Theater , with her presence , her voice , & her music. A perfect antidote for a bitter cold , otherwise dreary winter evening in Pittsburgh. Expectations ran high , & as usual , Patty's performance matched or exceeded. Attended with my daughter , her husband , one of their employees & his wife and/or SO , & an old friend. All were duly impressed with Patty's talents. Also met a local Patty fan & her daughter , who joined us for dinner. Patty was joined by bandleader & guitarist Doug Lancio , Michael Ramos on accordion & keyboard , & 2 new members. Brian Owings on drums & David Sacques on bass ( I would have spelled it Jakes , but I'll take Emily's word for it , who nailed the setlist ) Sacques - Jacques , do I perceive an insidious Evil Gary influence ? Set List : Lost & Looking (Thanks again to Emily ) The Long Ride Goodbye Making Pies Be Careful Top of the World Christina ( solo ) ( ?? ) French song that Patty said her mother used to sing to her. ( solo on piano ! ) My Dear Old Friend ( solo on piano ) Let Him Fly ( Patty & Doug ) Rain Chief Stolen Car Truth # 2 Mil Besos Encore Tomorrow Night ( Patty & Doug ) Tony Nobody's Crying Patty made the most dramatic entrance I've seen yet. She took the stage in complete darkness , & waited for the crowd to quiet down. Then waited at least another 10 or 15 seconds before the bassist started with a few slow notes , & the spotlight came up after she started singing , revealing her in a long black dress with a little red on the bottom. After all that , she started out with a song that I've never heard before , & it may be the first time she performed it. Also , she had 2 new band members that she rehearsed with only briefly. Patty's creative boldness still flows as strongly as ever. "Lost and Looking" was a great , bluesy , breathy song. Loved it except for a previously unseen tendency to "Mariah Carey" disease ; tending to turn one soulful note into 2 or more not-so-soulful notes. Between that , the slight cleavage that's rarely , if ever there , & the comment about warning her , if her static cling causes her dress to raise to waist level , I wondered if she was hanging out with Mariah lately. Anyway , I hope it's a new Patty composition. Always like to hear "The Long Ride" & "Goodbye". "Top of the World" was excellent , vocals & Doug's solo. Think I heard "Christina" at a Patty show for the first time & was enthralled with her vocals after some halting vocal rhythms early on. Was slightly disappointed with the next 2 solos b/c there were so many more that I would have liked to hear after her not playing the piano for such a long time. I found myself hoping for "Night" , one of her many great compositions. "Let Him Fly" was top-notch , & as often happens , during "Stolen Car" I noticed a step up in what was already an excellent concert. While I missed Brians' cello for the most part , shortly after I perceived a rise in Patty's vocal intensity , the bassist came in with a deep bass line that was so low in frequency , I could feel the vibration. It was a bow stroke , like a violin , rather than plucking strings. I've whined before , about Brian's line having too much bass , but this was a whole 'nother thing. Doug's haunting guitar line also added to this great version. Was slightly distracted by a couple who were swaying to the song at about 3 times the actual tempo. They got up to dance during the previous song , "Chief" , & I got the impression from his hand movements , that he got lost on the way to an Eminem concert. I had hoped that Patty was solo , or just with Doug , b/c I haven't seen her that way in a long time , & b/c the first show after not playing together for awhile impacts the cohesion. I was even more concerned about 2 new members. Although a few numbers suffered slightly , for the most part they were polished & supportive of Patty's vocals. No song showed that any more than "Truth #2". I loved the way the music swelled & faded between vocals near the ending. I'm still waiting for CMT to put the Chix version in their rotation. They could have a monster on their hands , if they did it right. "Mil Besos" kept the increased intensity level going. The Spanish phrasings definitely lifted the song , as Patty becomes more familiar with it. I'd like to hear her do one of her French songs after becoming that familiar with the phrasings. My curiosity about the bongos was sated when the drummer played them during the song. Between them & the bass line , "Mil Besos" had a very different arrangement. Patty came out quickly for the encore ( get back to the warm bus or room for the night ? ). "Tomorrow Night" is one of the most variable songs that Patty does. Unfortunately , this version didn't have the high level of sensuality that Patty usually brings to it , & ranked near the lower end of the TN scale. Back to the heights for "Tony". Great , powerful vocals , & great , unintrusive music. I only noticed the music between the vocals , & it sounded like it was born to lift this composition. I did miss Brian's repeated 2 note ending , though. "Nobody's Crying" was indeed , The Grand Finale. It's said that familiarity breeds contempt , but I won't allow that feeling to inhabit me. In my case , familiarity usually breeds indifference. After more than 3 years , of attending Patty concerts , there's no indifference here. Unlike most Patty fans , I don't get transported easily by Patty anymore , but there she goes again , wrenching me out of myself , & taking me away. Surely you knew that , after 4 months w/o attending a patty concert , & her appearing for her first indoor headliner in my home town , this would be one of my long-winded , self-indulgent posts ? I'm not done yet : ) A few comments from the old friend who attended with me ( female ) ; She had such a very modest way of being quite deliciously sexy. When she sings she has no body , just her soul. Loved the concert. To women she is a fairytale we have all dreamt. Opener was Bill Deasy , excellent voice & singing ability. Good music if you get into it , but I favor the music that gets into me. Had a flashback to the Dallas opener when I heard the line "Blue Sky Gray" , from his song that is in WYEP's rotation , but not sure if it was accurate. It's said that timing is everything. A few relevant lines for the occasion ( paraphrased , I'm sure I don't recall every word , but I know the gist ) . Human salvation will eventually come from the creatively maladjusted. You don't have to see the whole staircase Just take the first step The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Don ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 04:36:28 -0500 From: "Don Henn" Subject: MM: omission MMers , Was writing in the dark , & just discovered that I missed "Mary" as the last song before the encore. One of the lesser versions. Best ones were with the "Flaming Red" band. Don ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 09:43:58 -0500 From: "Scott Antall" Subject: MM: Best of 2002 lists - CMT, Pgh Trib-Review Jen, everyone - I was searching on Patty's name this morning on news.google.com. (Which, by the way, is a great way to find recent news stories about someone!!) I ran across these two "Best of 2002" lists. I don't recall seeing either one mentioned here. Scott - ---- CMT http://www.cmt.com/news/events/bestof2002/index.cont.jhtml 10. 1000 Kisses, Patty Griffin It never dawned on me that this elegant songwriter might be considered country until "Chief" aired on CMT. She possesses the truly rare gift of conveying worlds of emotion in just a few carefully chosen lyrics. Now, if she could just clarify her lyrics about "pearls of water on my hips. " Pittsburgh Tribune Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/entertainment/s_110546.html "1000 Kisses," (ATO), Patty Griffin. A deceptively simple album, "1000 Kisses" grabs you with its sincerity. No one sounded better on record than Griffin did in 2002. _________________________________________________________________ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 15:45:26 -0500 From: "Don Henn" Subject: MM: Review Patty Griffin presents the priceless gift of song By John Hayes Post-Gazette staff writer Some people think that songs are commodities that can be traded on the open market. Others take them in stride like the musical wallpaper stuck to the hallways of their lives. Patty Griffin thinks that songs are precious gifts created to enrich the human soul. Last nights concert to a packed & enthusiastic Byham Theater crowd proved again that there's an audience for smart, introspective story songs that define the human condition. Griffin was a fireball of nervous energy , a waif in red & black gossamer & heels , her blazing hair scrunched in an awkward pony tail. She seemed more at ease with her eyes closed , voice raised , lost in the lives of the characters in her songs. Equally adept at wrapping her stories in folk , country , rock & Latin rhythms. Griffin sang simply in a voice stripped of complication & pretense. With sparse arrangements from her four-member band & some songs with no band at all , the spotlight was on her stories. Griffin revived the rich personalities she's been bringing to life since her first published album , 1998's "Flaming Red". "Christina" is a documentary of the short , troubled life of Christina Onanssis , daughter of the richest man in the world. "Mary" is about her grandmother. On "Tony , she asks a friend what's so great about dying , & "Top of the World" , covered on the Dixie Chicks top-selling "Home" album , is sung in the voice of a man who has died. They're true songs , offered by Griffin as a reflection of some part of every member of the audience. The Byhan was a performance laboratory of sorts. It was Griffin's first night with her rhythm section after practicing only twice , & she premiered two piano tunes that had never been played in concert. Griffin's awkward stage banter occasionally blunted the momentum of the music. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 12:50:24 -0800 (PST) From: Matt Bouchie Subject: MM: Re: GROVEL: Rasputina 11-05-02 (NPC) I have a friend who was at the Rasputina show at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA on 11-05-02 and is trying to find a copy. She said several people were videotaping it from the audience. If anyone has this show in any format (VCD or CDR), I'd like to work out a trade if you are willing. I don't know if there are any Rasputina fans on this list and I'm not overly familiar with them and don't have any of their shows. I do have lots of stuff to trade, including some Patty shows I taped. Thanks, Matt try to get back by eight Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 15:50:40 -0500 From: "Ed Felker" Subject: MM: RE: Review Geez, I just can not wait to see her next Tuesday. Never have seen her before, but this is going to be amazing. Ed. > ---------- > From: Don Henn > Reply To: Don Henn > Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 3:45 PM > To: mad-mission > Subject: MM: Review > > Patty Griffin presents the > priceless gift of song > > By John Hayes > > Post-Gazette staff writer > > Some people think that songs are commodities > that can be traded on the open market. Others take > them in stride like the musical wallpaper stuck to > the hallways of their lives. > > Patty Griffin thinks that songs are precious gifts > created to enrich the human soul. Last nights > concert to a packed & enthusiastic Byham Theater > crowd proved again that there's an audience for > smart, introspective story songs that define the > human condition. > > Griffin was a fireball of nervous energy , a waif in > red & black gossamer & heels , her blazing hair > scrunched in an awkward pony tail. She seemed > more at ease with her eyes closed , voice raised , > lost in the lives of the characters in her songs. > > Equally adept at wrapping her stories in folk , > country , rock & Latin rhythms. Griffin sang > simply in a voice stripped of complication & > pretense. With sparse arrangements from her > four-member band & some songs with no band at > all , the spotlight was on her stories. > > Griffin revived the rich personalities she's been > bringing to life since her first published album , > 1998's "Flaming Red". "Christina" is a > documentary of the short , troubled life of > Christina Onanssis , daughter of the richest man > in the world. "Mary" is about her grandmother. > On "Tony , she asks a friend what's so great about > dying , & "Top of the World" , covered on the > Dixie Chicks top-selling "Home" album , is sung in > the voice of a man who has died. They're true > songs , offered by Griffin as a reflection of some > part of every member of the audience. > > The Byhan was a performance laboratory of > sorts. It was Griffin's first night with her rhythm > section after practicing only twice , & she premiered > two piano tunes that had never been played in > concert. Griffin's awkward stage banter occasionally > blunted the momentum of the music. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 03:35:40 -0600 (Central Standard Time) From: "Janet C. Jordan M.D." Subject: MM: pearls of water on my hips.... I just wanted to share with you a comment I wrote to Craig Melburne of CMT. As per Scott's earlier message, Patty made the top 10 CD's of 2002. YEA!!!!! Craig (the editorialist) raised a question about the meaning of pearls of water on my hips" Like all of Patty's lines, I know we all have different interpretations..... .....this one is mine... 'Regarding......Pearls of water on my hips..... Just wanted to point you to John William Waterhouse's painting entitled Danaides. Lots of Patty's descriptions seem to conjure up some classical paintings.... Another would be "all the ladies, on the lake they start to dance") from her What You Are....I'm still looking for the exact picture........but for the time being, Waterhouse's Hylas and the Nymphs will do......... just food for thought...... which makes me think of "eating contradictions just like they was little snacks"....Ha!' Janet, a true Patty fan ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 21:27:43 EST From: Mooodeee@aol.com Subject: Re: MM: pearls of water on my hips.... Maybe this is like a Rorschach inkblot test, and whatever meaning you interpret is supposed to reveal something about you. I'll have to admit I've always thought she was referring to the sweat on her body while she's having sex and giving all the love from her lips. Mimi <> ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 22:58:19 EST From: Rockerpgh@aol.com Subject: MM: More on the Byham Concert Set List: Lost and Callin' For My Baby (may be the name) Long Ride Home Better Way to Say Goodbye Makin' Pies Be Careful Top of the World Christina (French song) My Dear Old Friend (I think) Let Him Fly Rain Chief Stolen Car Truth#2 Mil Besos Mary Tomorrow Night Tony Nobody's Crying The opening act Bill Deasy, local folk singer, was very gracious in mentioning Patty a couple of times. In one instance, he said that two highlights of his career have been opening for Bob Dylan and for Patty Griffin. Later, he stated that it is ironic that he, the opening act, wished for the opening act to be done so the main performer could go on. How kind of him to say that. This performance represented one of the first times that Patty, along with Doug Lancio and Michael Ramos, would be performing with two new band members, an upright bass player and a percussionist. Except for Tony, when standard rock drums were played, the percussionist played percussion rather than standard drum set (if I'm stating that correctly). There were many levels of excitement to the concert. The Byham is an old style movie house, with balcony as well as floor level seating, in the Cultural District of downtown Pittsburgh. This was Patty's first concert of the year, or one of her first. The place was packed, with young or youngish people mostly. Patty had recently been named WYEP's Artist of the Year (2002). There was a full house. Patty opened her set with the lights down, singing the bluesy number. And the fuller band accompaniment provided a somewhat harder, more exciting sound. All of the songs performed were excellent. I loved the full band sound. Top of the World, six songs in, marked a picking up of the fullness of the sound. This was a difference from 2002's simpler sound, and increased the excitement of the concert. The arrangement and singing of Stolen Car were perfect. The band was cookin' on Truth #2; I felt like I was listening to a smaller version of E Street band, notwithstanding the differences of instrumentation. Ironically, I felt that Rain could have benefited from the 2002 approach. (This is not a criticism, just a preference.) The performance of Tony was powerful, and represented the most rocking point of the evening. Can she sing! Thanks for coming to town Patty! ------------------------------ End of mad-mission-digest V7 #23 ********************************