From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V5 #47 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Wednesday, March 12 2003 Volume 05 : Number 047 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] they say the memory is the first to, um, er, I forget [Jim Colbert <] [RS] Ann Arbor (3/9) and Grand Rapids (3/10) [patrick t power Subject: [RS] they say the memory is the first to, um, er, I forget > > Hmmm... if I did I don't recall it now. > > O.K. I looked it up. You did. As follows: > (I keep everything. You should see my house) > > 'He commented several times on how much he was enjoying playing on the bill > with Joan and Dave and Tracey- mentioned he's been singing harmony on the > mountain and singing some backup in Sumerian, too.' > > So, there you go. Probably much the same as what they are doing now. > And I stand corrected! Well, amended, perhaps. I didn't deny it, just didn't remember it. Man, ya'd think that woulda been one I would have recalled! See ya the 22nd, Shelley! (I've got treats!) jim btw, Richard sat in with Tracy and Garnet Rogers yesterday for a few songs on WYCE- man, the DJ did not have a clue who any of them were! So the interview was, let's say, less than insiteful. But the music was good, as would be expected. I don't know if they keep those active or archived, but they're at www.WYCE.org if anyone wants to check it out. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 08:59:13 -0500 From: patrick t power Subject: [RS] Ann Arbor (3/9) and Grand Rapids (3/10) Ann Arbor (3/9) Tracy Grammer opened the show solo, then welcomed Byron Isaacs up for "Ordinary Town", et al. Her set list: Gun Metal Eyes Ordinary Town Gentle Arms Of Eden The Power And Glory Shadows Of Evangeline Hey Ho Hard To Make It Love, The Magician* The Mountain* Gentle Soldier Of My Soul *with Richard The spot lights were just a bit too bright for Tracy, so she asked for them to come down so that she could see some semblance of an audience, then began her story of having met Dave at an open mic in Portland . . . that "Gun Metal Eyes" was the first song she'd heard him sing that night. I didn't take notes, but Tracy spoke eloquently all evening about Dave and the origins of some of the songs. There were times that she appeared (to me) to get emotional -- it's hard to know, of course -- but she otherwise seems very comfortable with the set she's developed and the stories she's telling. Byron Isaacs' presence is likely very crucial to this comfort. He's also a delight to watch during his interactions with Tracy . . . he looks as if he could be all of twenty-one years old (if that!) . . . such boyish looks! Such a toothy grin! Richard joined them for "Love, The Magician" (a song the three of them clearly love singing together!) and "The Mountain" to which Richard added guitar accompaniment and harmony as well as the Sumerian counterpoint. Richard's set list for this show: Beyond The Iron Gate Next Best Western Grey Green** Che Guevara T-Shirt** Reunion Hill** Arrowhead** The Last Fare Of The Day Are You Happy Now? Fishing Wisteria Sonora's Death Row Transit Farewell To St. Dolores (encore)* ** with Tracy Adding to Joe's comments about Sunday's show at the Ark in Ann Arbor . . . I didn't notate for myself which songs Tracy joined him with fiddle and mandolin, but I *think* I've recalled correctly. Byron Isaacs sat in (again, if memory serves) on bass for the entire set. After "Beyond The Iron Gate", Richard stated that he wanted to go on record "right here, right now . . . that this song is not about _____________ !" Apparently, the song has been misinterpreted beyond what he considers reasonable. I'm guessing that this "anti-explanation" (my terminology) of the song will be part of the show for a while, so I won't spoil it for you who haven't seen him yet. >>Richard's three new songs were Gray-Green, Che Guevara T-Shirt, and The Last Fare of the Day. All very, very good.<< Indeed, these are all terrific songs . . . "Grey Green" has a lovely melody and wonderful imagery. >>Richard seemed completely at ease and was very funny. He made an outrageous number of mistakes, frequently tuning in the wrong key and then having to retune or forgetting lyrics (only really problematic during Fishing, where the flub was significant enough to rob the song of some of its power). But the mistakes were generally more funny than annoying--and because he was unfazed by them, so was the audience.<< I don't know that I'd characterize the number of mistakes he made as outrageous . . . his guitar was certainly giving him problems, but he didn't tune it in the wrong key. (Once, I think, he was capoed either too high or too low for Tracy's likes.) Towards the end of the set, he opted to play Tracy's CFox as it was holding tuning better. As for his lyric flubs, he immediately got off on the wrong foot with "Arrowhead" with: "Mama, if you could see me now The men all say I've brought this good luck spell . . . " He finished the verse out, then went to: "Mama, they're treating me right well The men all say I've brought this good luck spell . . . " Realizing that he'd screwed something up, he announced that he was just going to "jump ahead to the dinner." His only other lyric flub came after the instrumental break of "Fishing", which, of course, drew a laugh from the audience in recognition of the irony when -- in trying to recall the words -- he repeated the line "Where were we then?" (It seems to me that in all the times I've seen him, this is a pretty common place for him to get lost.) This is probably one of the looser performances I've seen with Richard . . . he was miffed about his guitar, to be sure, but things worked out. He's clearly enjoying the company of Tracy and Byron -- on and off stage. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------- Grand Rapids (3/10) There is a restaurant in Grand Rapids called the One Trick Pony that for the last several years has hosted a free concert series called "Hat Trick" concerts. The shows are sponsored by the local indie radio staion WYCE and a hat is passed at the intermission for a local charity. This was Tracy Grammer's show that Richard came along for and eventually sat in . . . Garnet Rogers performed what was ostensibly an opening set and did a fine job. Tracy asked Richard to come up towards the end of her set . . . unfortunately, Richard was still upstairs in the "green room" and had to be beckoned a number of times before he made it to the stage . . . only to have forgotten the lyrics to the song he was going to sing. So, he snaked his way back through the audience and went back upstairs while Tracy performed another song. He returned with lyrics in tow and sang "Che Guevara T-Shirt" . . . Garnet Rogers also joined in on electric guitar (with Tracy on fiddle and Byron on bass) . . . unfortunately, the mix wasn't all that good for Richard's guitar, which (because it's a Martin) was way too loud; it was hard to really understand what he was singing. Also, Tracy's fiddle was virtually lost in the mix. He stuck around for a few more, doing the lead vocals on "Farewell To St. Dolores", and harmony and guitar on "The Mountain" and "Love The Magician". The mix by this time was better, with Garnet providing some nice electric guitar riffs on "Love, The Magician" Tonight . . . Creole Gallery here in Lansing. Pat ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V5 #47 **********************************