From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V2 #52 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 Monday, May 1 2000 Volume 02 : Number 052 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Iron Horse show [Kerry Bernard ] Re: [RS] Iron Horse show [Vanessa Wills ] Re: [RS] Bottom Line 7:30 [Lee Wessman ] [RS] Bottom Line Review [RockinRonD@aol.com] [RS] Great (p)reviews of Richard, but don't forget us in the bandless zone... [Timothy Bruce Subject: [RS] Iron Horse show Well, with apologies to all you non-east coasters, I just have to concur with what everyone said about Richard with the band and, in particular, the Iron Horse show. I was *enthralled*. Really and truly, one of the best shows (of anyone) I've ever attended. The only comment that utterly confused me was: >Lincoln on bass was OK. >Dennis McDermott on drums was, to echo Lisa's description, "uninspired." Um, HUH? I think it takes an exceptionally talented person to play bass well because, in the end, I think the bass should sound so good that you barely notice it. Lincoln wasn't flashy but he was *awesome* - subtly adding just the right amount of intensity and oomf to the songs. I thought he was fabulous. And as for Denny, well, I couldn't always see him (simply because of where I was sitting) but the drums on "Fishing" (with a t-shirt draped over one drum to muffle the sound and really give it a wonderfully thick, thumpy sound) absolutely knocked my socks off. I craned my neck to see him and he was so completely *into* it, smiling and bouncing his head and just giving it his all that it made me grin, too. "Uninspired" is the LAST word I'd have used. And Larry, well, as I said to Katie, that's one dashing man. Got me a wee crush. ;) But I think the best part of the whole show, for me, was just seeing how happy Richard was. I've never seen him smile so much on stage before. Talking afterwards, he said again how he really doesn't know how he can go back to playing solo after this and I can certainly see why. The man was having a ball! Seeing him step back, close his eyes, tilt his head down a bit, nodding and grinning while Larry did that cool intro to "Transit" practically made me cry, it was so adorable. Ok, enough gushing out of me. Put simply, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT show. Kerry :) NP: Peter Case, "Full Service No Waiting" - After Richard's show in Northampton, I went down to New York with Chris Smither, where Chris played a co-bill with Peter Case at The Bottom Line. I'd never heard Peter before but he was *great*. Very much the "mad artist" type but, bizarre though this may seem, he struck me as an interesting cross between Richard and Peter Mulvey - he has a striking voice and penchant for story-songs like Richard but is also a pretty funky guitarist, much like Peter. Very interesting stuff (I'm particularly enamoured with the songs "Spell of Wheels" and, from his newest CD, Flying Saucer Blues, the song "Blue Distance"). Soundclips and info at: http://www.vanguardrecords.com/case/Home.html =================================================== Kerry Bernard kerry@younghunter.com Young/Hunter Management 781.643.2773 (ph) Arlington, MA 781.643.0416 (fax) =================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 13:03:10 -0400 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: Re: [RS] Iron Horse show I wrote: >Lincoln on bass was OK. >Dennis McDermott on drums was, to echo Lisa's description, "uninspired." Kerry Bernard wrote (and later explained): >Um, HUH? She also wrote: >And Larry, well, as I said to Katie, that's one dashing man. Got me a wee crush. ;) OK, well, we can agree to disagree on Lincoln and Denny (although I could see myself being swayed by your argument that the bass (and perhaps the drums, too) ought to be so good as to be barely noticeable), but maybe we can arm-wrestle for Larry? ;-) - -- "You told me again you preferred handsome men; but for me, you would make an exception." --Leonard Cohen, "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 09:40:15 -0800 From: Lee Wessman Subject: Re: [RS] Bottom Line 7:30 Thanks, y'all, for the reviews of the Iron Horse and Bottom Line shows. Several of you mentioned electric guitars. Was Richard on an electric (?!?) or was that Larry? Also, how big were the crowds? Someone mentioned a request at one of the shows for the sinister "By Now." Reminded me of a story. I saw Richard play to a very small crowd in a Carmel art gallery once, back in about 1993, when Sparrow's Point was his only album. In the middle of his show, a wino wandered in off the street and sort of staggered around the back of the room for a few minutes, trying to bum a few cookies from the refreshment table. Richard was singing "By Now" when the wino decided to stagger back out the door. Richard timed the "By Now" in the chorus perfectly and sang it right at the wino, pausing to wave as the guy wandered out. Pretty funny moment. It almost seemed like a set-up. Well, it sounds like the shows with the band were very exciting. The more a group like that plays together live, the more they're able to explore the dynamics of the songs, and the less they tend to play everything at full gallup. So, howz about a tour? Yours in envy, - -lee ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 14:38:18 EDT From: RockinRonD@aol.com Subject: [RS] Bottom Line Review For those who asked, a copy of my review for Music Matters Review Online: Richard Shindell The Bottom Line, April 27, 2000 What's the greatest folk band in the world? Larry Campbell and anybody. For the uninitiated, Mr. Campbell is, among other things, a key touring member of Bob Dylan's band and producer of Richard Shindell's last two records, "Reunion Hill" and "Somewhere Near Paterson." At the Bottom Line last Thursday night, playing to two nearly sold-out audiences, Mr. Shindell, accompanied by Mr. Campbell (on fiddle, mandolin, various electric guitars, occasional harmony), Lincoln Schieffler (bass) and Dennis McDermott (drums) provided ample reason for working so closely with this gifted musician. Campbell's smooth, sexy lead guitar riffs offered seamless fills to Mr. Shindell's highly textured and highly melodic tunes. Often Mr. Shindell's songs would open slowly, with his picking or strumming either of his two Martin guitars (one kept in the open D tuning he favors, the other in standard, I presume) with Mr. Schlieffer's bass lines following, then joined by Mr. Campbell's guitar and Mr. McDermott's drums. The quartet played extremely well together, although the fact that they all contributed to "Somewhere Near Paterson" may have had something to do with it. This writer loved hearing some of Mr. Shindell's older tunes such as "The Kenworth Of My Dreams," "Are You Happy Now," and "Fishing," performed with a faster, almost rocking kind of beat. Ditto for the newer songs like "Confession," "You Stay Here" and "Transit," the latter of which Mr. Shindell wisely chose to end the show with. Mr. Campbell opened "Transit" with an inventive guitar solo, bending notes high up on the neck to give off a kind of unnerving sound that actually called to mind the stress-inducing cacophony of cars racing by on a highway, which of course is the setting for this dramatic, if somewhat surreal anthem to road madness. But as much as a delight it was to hear Mr. Shindell's masterful songs backed by a tight, well rehearsed band, the most outstanding moment of the evening was his solo rendition of "Reunion Hill," one of his greatest "story" songs and one penned perhaps as a PostScript to "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" for Joan Baez. This is the second time this writer has heard Mr. Shindell execute this song in a slower, more deliberate fashion, using his deep, emotional voice to dramatically punctuate many of the song's descriptive verses. Standing alone on the stage, confidently finger picking and crooning this haunting Civil War novella set to music, it became apparent to everyone in the audience that Mr. Shindell has indeed come a long way in the last five years. Two nearly sold-out, mid-week shows at the Bottom Line is testament to his newfound success. And while I would have liked to have seen more harmonies from the band, which Mr. Shindell jokingly referred to as "St. Agnes' Choir," it was hugely satisfying to see him having such a great time on stage surrounded by the musicians he loves and playing to the ever growing, knowledgeable audiences he so richly deserves. --Ralph DiGennaro ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 14:43:27 -0500 From: Timothy Bruce Subject: [RS] Great (p)reviews of Richard, but don't forget us in the bandless zone... Smokey wrote: >Thanks to everyone for the great reviews! As you may or may not know, I am going to be seeing Richard for the first time in a couple of weeks and it's great getting such a vivid "preview" from everyone!< To which I must add: I, too, will be seeing Richard for the first time (outside of CCC) in 2-3 weeks but he will be in the "lonely" solo mode. Sounds like even warmer-upper Jess Klein won't be making any contributions to his set..... I'll be hosting 3, 4, or 5 total newcomers to his music at his St. Paul show. I imagine he's got a whole different basket of songs to do when in that format. I realize that his band shows have created most of the excitement lately, but please keep the reviews coming as he takes off on his solo tour so we can get a feel for what tunes and arrangements might arise. ThankYo! As for Larry Campbell, someone draw up a quick and dirty, but legally binding contract for him to join Richard at FRFF and put it in front of him (maybe with a couple of shots of Scotch?) at one of Richard's "band" shows when he's likely to be in a very receptive mood. Last week I resigned myself to the reality that there may not be a "One-More-Time-Time-Time" set at Falcon Ridge this summer, even though it may be the only instance this year in which all three performers are together on the same day at the same festival. My consolation was that perhaps all three "Timers" would bring a band and totally rock out on their own material and newer works. Is this a realistic fantasy? Etimothy ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V2 #52 **********************************