From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V2 #270 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 Sunday, September 24 2000 Volume 02 : Number 270 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] East Lansing, Michigan Playlist -- 9/22/2000 [patrick t power ] [RS] Pat's Weather Report [Gf212121@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 08:52:42 -0700 From: patrick t power Subject: [RS] East Lansing, Michigan Playlist -- 9/22/2000 With apologies to Gene (I couldn't resist!), here is what *really* happened last night. Confession The Kenworth Of My Dreams Wisteria The Ballad Of Mary Magdalen The Hobo Song I Saw My Youth Today The Next Best Western Memory Of You Fishing Abuelita Arrowhead Lazy You Stay Here Are You Happy Now? On A Sea Of Fleur-de-Lis Reunion Hill Sittin' On Top Of The World Transit (encore) May Sing Me Back Home Pat _ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 09:12:46 EDT From: RockinRonD@aol.com Subject: [RS] Blue For Me For me, "Blue Divide" represents quintessential Richard in many ways, but most of all it's the melody -- so offbeat, unusual, as it twists and bends while telling a great story through imagery and reflection, part dream, part reality. I love this song. Richard really doesn't get enough credit for his melodies, which are so beautiful and original. Neither is he cited enough for how well he sings, something he didn't start out to do early in his career as a musician. Now his voice is one of folk music's greats. Ron ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 10:37:06 -0700 From: patrick t power Subject: [RS] East Lansing Well, weather-wise, it was a crappy evening in East Lansing last night. Rain, rain and more rain. I was a little concerned about how it might affect the turnout for the show, but upon returning to the venue with Richard's meal after sound check, I was delighted to see a line snaking up the stairwell at the Unitarian church. I was also a bit concerned that Rad was playing with Richard since Rad hit numerous clunkers on the piano the last two times I've seen them together. This was not to happen this night. I've maintained that when these two are on that they're really on and last night, they were indeed on. With the exception of a workshop stage at Falcon Ridge, Richard has always performed standing up, but last night he chose to play while sitting (which I hope wasn't too much of a problem for the folks in the back of the church). He told me later that he was really tired (hmmmmm . . .). Perhaps also due to his being tired, he didn't say much for much of the first half of the show (other than to announce when a song was off his new record), although he gave a brief lead-in to "The Hobo Song" informing us that he had heard it on the Jerry Garcia / David Grisman project, "Old And In The Way" (which also features Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements and John Kahn). Just prior to playing "The Next Best Western" he announced that "We're gonna do a couple more then take a short break, then come back and play, then take a really *long* break." After leading off the second set with "Fishing", Richard claimed he used to spend his summers in Ontario, and that his father upon first hearing the song was a bit confused . . . "I thought you liked those fishing trips." Richard explained that he is living in Buenos Aires (I had introduced him at the show's onset as being from Argentina) as he introduced "Abuelita." He sang "How she loved my Juan Luis" at the end of the song and there was a very silent "Yes!" from me. The introduction to "Arrowhead" involved Rad and Richard discussing the arrangement while driving in the car. They stopped at a Citgo station, said Richard "in the middle of a corn field" and while refueling Rad got out the accordian and scared an elderly couple into getting into their car and locking the doors. ("God's honest truth," Richard claimed.) He has a hilarious, new introduction to "Lazy" that I think I'll let go undescribed here as those who've yet to see him on this tour might surely appreciate hearing it in person. He mixed up the second and third verses of "You Stay Here" (going for coats *then* bread). The thought that hit me during this song last night was that the repeat of "You stay here, I'll go look for wood" at the end was the voice of yet another provider in another household -- that the same drama was going on in household after household. He remarked after the song that someone took him to task for "How dare anybody presume to talk to God like that" to which Richard said he responded, "Have you ever read . . . Job?!" It's always good to hear the laughs during "Are You Happy Now? -- that means (I think) that there are people in the crowd who are being exposed to Richard for the first time. "On A Sea Of Fleur-de-Lis" was a request by you-know-whom (actually, I asked for either that or "Nora" -- the latter I've never heard in concert). There is something about hearing this song live that is simply transporting. I caught myself exclaiming, "Jesus!" upon its conclusion. Jesus! It's *such* a wonderful song! And Rad's piano was a beautiful addition. I was curious how he was going to treat "Reunion Hill" with Rad sitting in -- it was back to its CD pace. I have to admit to really liking the very slow arrangement he gave it the last time he was up Michigan-way, but it remains a glorious song in any form, I think. Leading up to the song, he asked the audience if they could handle some more accordian (which thentofore, Rad had only played on "Arrowhead"). "Sittin' On Top Of The World" was Richard's nod to Radoslav for his accompaniment; Rad's two piano breaks were well-received as indicated by rousing applause during and after the song. Richard then explained that he employs the Herbert Marcuse style of band management with Rad. ("I allow him to do that and for that moment, he thinks himself free.") Richard blew the lyrics to "Transit" at "half of them clearly impaired" singing "No one even vaguely aware." So, he stopped and said that he screwed up and that he wanted to get it right. "Shhhhh . . don't tell anyone," he told the audience. I always wonder how "Transit" goes over with people because of its not-so-transparent writing, but a friend of mine remarked afterwards (about "Transit" specifically) that Richard was a genius. Over drinks later, she gave me a more detailed and emotional explanation, which I was astonished to hear. I guess that people either *get* the song from repeated listenings (and *thinking* about it) or they dismiss it immediately with a simple "Huh?" and move on. Standing ovation . . . For the encore, Richard seemed a bit unsure as to what to do, or at least making a remark about whther or not he remembered the song -- it turned out to be "May." He hit a sour note in the intro, stopped and re-tuned, then quickly started over. Ed Dupas (who made the drive up from the Detroit area) noted afterwards that he started the song out in DADGAD then re-tuned to open D tuning. He momentarily forgot a line towards the end, but recovered quickly. "One more," he promised, "one more quick one" then he went into what I thought (and reeeeeally hoped) was "Sonora's Death Row") but turned out to be "Sing Me Back Home." It was terrific despite the slight disappointment. Standing ovation again. Of the eight solo performances (not counting the half-hour set at Folk Alliance last winter or his workshop set at Falcon Ridge) that I've seen this was my favourite (Hi Kerry!). Perhaps it had something to do with his being tired (and therefore a bit more loose) or maybe it was the Indian food, but this was as *on* as I've seen Richard (except perhaps for that aforementioned half-hour set). Pat + ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 11:08:46 EDT From: Gf212121@aol.com Subject: [RS] Pat's Weather Report Hey you guys, Pat confessed: << With apologies to Gene (I couldn't resist!), here is what *really* happened last night. >> Hook, line, and sinker, my man. I was torn between jealousy, and respect for the sudden influence the list had on Richard's set-list. But mostly jealousy. I should have suspected as much. When was the last weather report you heard that was correct? By the way, you and Susan are both getting detention for passing notes in class. (Don't worry, her confession came WAY after I was at the dock being weighed.) Regarding songs that Richard actually would play live, is it too late to add 'Sparrow's Point' to the 'Essence' thread? Another tale of a person trying to get by in circumstances way beyond his or her control, which, to me, is the quintessential Shindell theme. Is quadressential 80% of quintessential? Gene F. (who is trying to line up Three Tenors tickets for the inevitable 'Boogie Oogie Oogie' debut) ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V2 #270 ***********************************