From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V4 #81 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 Thursday, March 7 2002 Volume 04 : Number 081 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Richard, et. al. in NYC [RockinRonD@aol.com] [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V4 #80 [Jennifer Coia ] [RS] Transit ["Sandra J. Smith" ] [RS] dwg [jim colbert ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2002 08:31:25 EST From: RockinRonD@aol.com Subject: [RS] Richard, et. al. in NYC Sorry for the cross-posting and to those who may be forced to read this twice... The new Joan Baez tour played to a sold-out audience at venerable Town Hall in New York City on Tuesday night. The decidedly older crowd was clearly in love with Joan but warmly embraced the indisputable talents of Richard Shindell and the charming duo of Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. This is easily the most entertaining and inspirational show currently on the folk music tour and one anybody with a semblance of appreciation for both traditional and contemporary folk would love. It was great to see Dave and Tracy on one of New York's greatest musical stages. They are clearly having the time of their lives. Richard's opening set was sensational and he nailed every song he played. I especially loved how he opened the evening with "Out Beyond The Iron Gate," a song he doesn't do all that often in performances of late. He also added some new lines to "I Am" his recent ode to the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster. It drew loud and long applause from the New York audience, many of whom were probably seeing him for the first time. He was also playing a new Martin--or at least, one I've not seen him play. I believe it's a 12-fret D-15. It sounded terrific. Though I'm not a huge Joan Baez fan, I must say that I was thoroughly entertained by her performance last night. I still think her versions of certain songs, such as Steve Earle's "Christmas Time In Washington" and Shindell's "Reunion Hill" are somewhat wooden and a little forced, her renditions of classics such as "Deportees" "I Thought I Saw Joe Hill" and "Sweet Sir Galahad" were fabulous. Her solo on Janis Ian's "Jesse" was a high point of the evening. She gave D&T ample time to play a few of their own tunes unaccompanied, and our favorite duo won over everyone in the audience it seemed. This tour is definitely going to boost their musical careers in a major way and for that, Joan is to be commended. She also continually signaled the sound man to up the volume on Richard's guitar and microphone--well warranted requests. In my opinion, Dave and Tracy seemed extremely relaxed and happy. And while Dave's guitar was not turned up nearly enough to adequately hear his lead fills, Tracy's mandolin and violin solos--if you could call them that--were terrific. And her voice on "Lily of the West" sounded better than ever. A great show that lasted about three hours. Two standing ovations. It was great to see this in such a discerning city. Didn't stick around afterward, but the CD tables were mobbed as I left Town Hall around 11:15 PM. Don't miss this show. It's worth a bit of a drive to see Richard (in his neatly trimmed beard), Dave and Tracy having such a great time. They deserve it. Thank you Joan. New York clearly loves you. RonD ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2002 08:46:09 +0000 From: Jennifer Coia Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V4 #80 Yes, and there is nothing I like better than someone with a wit that can show the dual sides of something..the humor and the tragedy in a given situation. jc > > Re: [RS] chortles and guffaws ["Andrew Bonime" ] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------ > > Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 22:48:01 -0500 > From: "Andrew Bonime" > Subject: Re: [RS] chortles and guffaws > > That's the brilliance of RS: To some there's humor, to others, it's tragic. > To yet others it's a little bit of both. It all depends on your perspective > and your mood at the time. > > Andy Bonime > > - ----- Original Message ----- > From: > To: > Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 8:17 PM > Subject: Re: [RS] chortles and guffaws > > > In a message dated 3/5/02 4:53:40 PM Eastern Standard Time, > > jcolb@barashgroup.com writes: > > > > > > > This song is nothing but funny! I am not sure where you are from, but > if > > > you've ever > > > experienced NJ traffic, you might also find it funny. > > > > > > > > > > > > Isn't the New Jersey driving motto "you gotta laugh sometimes cause you > > > just can't shoot > > > EVERYONE?!" (It's not? Oh, never mind.) > > > > > > > > > > Actually, I thought the NJ motto was either "Welcome to NJ, now go home" > or > > "Eat $#!* and die" ( I always get that confused with "Live free or die" - > > sorry ... NH?). I was at the Morristown show as my sister Fran duly > noted, > > and felt kinda weird about the laughs for any of Richard's songs. Maybe > it's > > because I don't find Transit to be funny, nor The Ballad of MM. In fact, > > they both make me a bit weepy. Transit, because of the human condition > he's > > singing about - and, hey ... I drive home every day on Route 3 in NJ; some > > days I'm civil, somedays I should be sent to the Watergap (or re-routed > into > > the Meadowlands to join Jimmy Hoffa, etc.) I don't think it's a funny song > > because it hits too close. There's that whole thing we don't *get* about > > forgiveness. How can the prisoners be forgiven while all these other > people > > get sent to who knows where? > > > > TBofMM, I don't find to be a knee-slapper, either. It's a love song. > "His > > career or mine," may be a way to get the listener's attention, but I don't > > think it's meant to be funny. Really, it's kind of tragic, since she's > left > > this profession that supported her for a better way, and now her savior is > > gone from this earthly existence. > > > > And anyway, doesn't RS say he gravitates to those "mining disaster" > songs?? > > > > So, in Morristown last week, he sounded great, but looked tired. Fran and > I > > had 5th row center seats (got 'em last September...can't believe I could > > remember the "safe" place I put them). I don't know that his guitar was > ever > > properly amplified during Joan's set, nor was his mic at times. Nice to > hear > > Sing Me Back Home with the full group. Would like to have heard RS sing > the > > harmony on If I Wrote You, instead of Tracy. And, as I posted on D&T's > list, > > there should be a law that only Lucy Kaplansky can sing harmony on Next > Best > > Western. > > > > Anybody hear Richard this am on FUV? I caught some of it, but not all. > > > > Putting my wet blanket back in storage for the moment, > > Nancy T > > ------------------------------ > > End of shindell-list-digest V4 #80 > ********************************** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2002 09:30:44 -0500 From: SELogan@uss.com Subject: Re: [RS] chortles and guffaws While it was Confession that first caught my interest and introduced me to Richard's music, I was immediately attracted to Transit with it's marvelously ironic, 'Twilight Zone' type story. But I never thought it was especially funny until about a year ago when someone on this list made a witty observation along the lines that a "nun changing attire" by the side of the road would certainly cause a traffic jam, even in New Jersey. Now, every time I hear that line I get a bizarre mental image that makes me smirk, if not an outright chuckle. ~Sue ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2002 12:17:23 -0500 From: "Andrew Bonime" Subject: Re: [RS] chortles and guffaws > witty observation along the lines that a "nun changing attire" That pun works until you get to "Sister Maria tightened the bolts of the spare." Not to mention the CD's lyric sheet which says "a tire". Just listened to Transit again on CD. RS reading doesn't sound to me to be a comic delivery (contrast with AYHN). Note the increasing intensity in RS delivery through to the climax. I hate to over analyze these things. The finest poetry always has a strong connotative quality anyway. Andy Bonime ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2002 11:57:12 -0800 From: "Sandra J. Smith" Subject: [RS] Transit For the benefit of those of us in the West, could one of you New Jersey people explain what the "Delaware Water Gap" is? I love the song, but that image has always eluded me. Thanks, Sandy - -- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2002 15:33:24 -0500 From: jim colbert Subject: [RS] dwg Sandy asked For the benefit of those of us in the West, could one of you New Jersey people explain what the "Delaware Water Gap" is? I love the song, but that image has always eluded me. If you don't mind an answer from a Pennsylvanian, DWG is the dividing line between PA and NJ on rt. 80- it's wooded, hilly park and recreational area; you cross over the deleware river, which has created the gap- hey, between minsi and tammany (spellings seem to vary) as you are crossing states. The area is very popular for things like whitewater rafting and mountain biking. If you've only ever seen the meadowlands, a trip to the area would help you understand why NJ is called the Garden State. It's a very pretty area. ( I assume it's still part of the Poconos? Not sure where the oft-loosely defined dividing lines to these areas are.) So when you've come all the way to deleware water gap, you have come as far in NJ on 80 as you can go. Ever notice how you can get into Jersey for free... but it costs ya to get out? Just an observation from the PA side. Jim Colbert ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V4 #81 **********************************