From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V6 #272 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, November 22 2004 Volume 06 : Number 272 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] If I were the man from the Netherlands [BashamPAS@aol.com] [RS] Richard at World Cafe Live thingy? [Bobdog25nj@aol.com] [RS] The Impossible Dream (This is my re-quest....) ["Gene Frey" ] [RS] I am a man from the netherlands ["Paul Mepschen" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 13:38:04 EST From: BashamPAS@aol.com Subject: Re: [RS] If I were the man from the Netherlands I had a similar experience as the man from the Netherlands when Richard found out I'd come from England to see him. I asked for "I Saw My Youth Today". He played "Nora". Not a bad substitute I must say. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you on the other side of the blue divide. Phil In a message dated 21/11/2004 23:17:54 GMT Standard Time, gsherida@optonline.net writes: > Subj: Re: [RS] If I were the man from the Netherlands > Date: 21/11/2004 23:17:54 GMT Standard Time > From: gsherida@optonline.net > Reply-to: shindell-list@smoe.org > To: shindell-list@smoe.org > Sent from the Internet > > > > Pat, > > "The Nether"? That must be off of > "Somewhere Near Amsterdam". > I heard he doesn't play that one. I was wondering > what Richard would have said if Ronnie asked for > "The Weather". I guess he would have said "I don't > know that one". He did say "I'll do any song you want", > but he quickly added "anything that I know". > > So Pat, what would you have requested? What about > everyone else? I guess there are 2 ways to play this game. > One is to assume that Richard would have literally played > anything that you requested. The other is the realistic > approach - there are some songs that he really doesn't want > to play. > > Greg > > >Greg posed: > > > >>>Janet, just curious what song you would have requested if you had been > the man from the Netherlands.<< > > > >No doubt, had you asked this of Gene, his answer would be "The Nether." > > > > > >Pat > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >________________________________________________________________ > >Juno Platinum $9.95. Juno SpeedBand $14.95. > >Sign up for Juno Today at http://www.juno.com! > >Look for special offers at Best Buy stores. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 13:58:02 EST From: Bobdog25nj@aol.com Subject: [RS] Richard at World Cafe Live thingy? ummm.... not to seem dumb - but I am all confused. I listen to world cafe frequently on WFUV here in New York City. Can someone explain two things - explain all the stuff I need to know about this apparently new venue where the world cafe is being taped ( ?) but you can attend a show? Is this taped at an existing Philadelphia music club? Is this a new venue? How much did the tickets for the Richard show run? How did you get them? Is it a good venue? I live very near New York City - but Philadelphia is within range. Is David Dye there? Does he interview the musician right there on stage with everybody watching? Also - when will the taping they did with Richard be on the air? ( And don't say "it already was" ). I checked the FUV website - and they are not broadcasting any World Cafe featuring Richard Shindell this week. Lots of cool taped concerts - including Brian Wilson at Carnegie Hall - but no Richard. If the Richard World Cafe is gonna be on this week I will probably need to listen over the web - which I will do if I have a "head's up" - as to the when and where. Any Philly people? A little help? thanks in advance... Bob Paterson ps - thanks for all the nice reviews and comments about the shows at joe's pub. Too bad for me - I missed them. But reading your reviews took a bit of the sting out it. I did get to see Freedy Johnston and his amazing dog Sparky instead - so it was not a total loss. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 13:59:46 -0500 From: "Gene Frey" Subject: [RS] The Impossible Dream (This is my re-quest....) Hey you guys, Pat punned: >>Janet, just curious what song you would have requested if you had been >>the man from the Netherlands. No doubt, had you asked this of Gene, his answer would be "The Nether." << Written, of course, by Holland-Dozier-Holland. Gene F. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 11:56:33 -0500 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: [RS] world cafe live 11/21/04 It's not in the subject heading of my last message, but my "Joe's Pub" e-mail includes a discussion of the Sunday night Philadelphia show, as well. Peace, V ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 00:21:53 +0100 From: "Paul Mepschen" Subject: [RS] I am a man from the netherlands Hey, I am also from the Netherlands, I had no clue there was anyone else from our little corner of the world on this list. There is a song on Gail Ann Dorsey's new album called Nether Land - I heard her play it when she opened for Ani Difranco in Amsterdam last week and it's wonderful. By the way, it's quite a shitty place to be right now, this nether land, with all the hatred and that. I wish we had a Richard Shindell. Oh, and by the way - I am so happy so many of you let your heart speak after the elections - that so many of you are so intelligent and progressive, was quite encouraging... later, Paul ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 11:55:23 -0500 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: [RS] Joe's Pub, 11/19/04 and 11/20/04 This weekend, I made up for what can only be considered a certain kind of drought. It had been roughly a year and a half since last I'd seen Richard play (April, 2003 in Pittsburgh). This being the case, I was made ecstatic by news of Richard's latest tour, and quickly made plans to see him play the Joe's Pub and World Cafe Live shows. Yes, folks: that is three shows in three nights. I thought about seeing him in Cleveland last Wednesday, but didn't, because *that* seemed a tad excessive. On Friday, I attended the show with three friends. Two of them had been with me to see Richard before, and the third had not. Since I'd been unable to make us table reservations, I insisted that we line up very early. We were rewarded with four seats at the bar, all with excellent sight lines. The food and drink was good, though of course, overpriced. I didn't mind paying $12 for what turned out to be a very stiff margarita, but $7 for shoestring Ore-Idas... ::shakes head:: Joe's Pub is a nice performance space, all wood paneling and candlelight. Eliza came on at 7 sharp, it being the case that another act was scheduled to play at 9:30, and time was tight. I'd never heard her before. She has a wonderful, rich, full voice and writes very nice songs. Since I knew that whoever the opening act was, I'd be listening to him or her three nights in a row, I was glad to find that the opening act was really quite good. Richard joined her onstage for a few numbers, and I was reminded that Richard qua harmonist is almost as transcendent in its own right as Richard qua lead performer. After a short break, Richard took the stage. I'm terrible with set lists, so it's good that a few other folks have posted theirs. The sound at Joe's Pub is very clear, although perhaps not as full as one might like. That said, my friends and I were all very happy with the acoustics. Richard sounded great. His voice seems much smoother, now (which is, I think, not better or worse, but only different). He certainly becomes increasingly more technically skilled as a vocalist. Rad joined Richard for a number of songs. Rad played in the right key and didn't hit any clunkers. It was the best I'd ever heard him play. Richard played a shorter set than usual, and with little banter. I still can't believe the venue had booked the shows the way they did: different performers playing at 7, 9:30, and 11. After the show, folks gathered in the foyer to buy merchandise. Richard attempted to do a bit of meet and greet there, but a) the space was very tight and b) the management was asking people who had attended his show to clear out, because they were already ticketing for the next show. Up to that point, I had found the staff at Joe's Pub rather friendly and helpful. But this impression was reshaped negatively by what I considered poor planning compounded by a lack of consideration for the artists. The management provided no area where the artists could conveniently sell their merch, and when the management saw that this was a problem, they seemed much more interested in collecting money for the next act than they were in attending to the needs of the last one. However, if necessity is the mother of invention, then wherewithal is the midwife, and Richard simply moved the operation to a back hallway and conducted sales there, which seemed to work out fine. I saw Harvey in the post-show melee, and it was great to catch up with a fellow lister! All in all, it was a good show. :) I saw Richard again on Saturday. This time, I attended the show by myself and I did have a table reservation. I sat closer to the stage, about four tables back and to the left of center. I ordered their Tuscan Bean salad, which was good, but I left most of it untouched. I'd already stuffed myself at Risotteria, my new favorite NYC restaurant because it has a gluten-free, vegetarian menu, and even has a gluten-free beer! Anyway, this is not a story about gluten. Eliza took the stage and once again, was really quite good. Once again, Richard harmonized and was transcendent. After the break, however, when Richard took the stage, it became clear that this was going to be a very different show from Friday night's. He was accompanied by Lincoln Schleiffer and Dennis McDermott. Denny's percussion is wonderful: subtle and nuanced. Usually, I find myself enjoying these band shows but yet secretly wishing that it were just Richard and his guitar. There was no time for such thoughts on Saturday. I was too busy having thoughts like, "This is incredible," and "Damn, Lincoln plays a great bass." I have a confession to make. I was never a big fan of "There Goes Mavis" on the CD. In fact, it was a skipper for me. I think it really says something about the quality of the performance Saturday night that Richard, et. al. were able to finally convince me with their playing that "There Goes Mavis" is a darn good song. Even if the lyrics are perhaps still a little too sweet for me, the melody is beautiful and so was the accompaniment from Lincoln and Denny. And this is one of those songs where Richard gets to show off what an expressive vocalist he is. While the melody is so involving even in principle, in practice much of its richness and complexity comes from Richard's nuanced approach. Gorgeous. I am a "Mavis" convert. Lucy joined Richard on some songs! This was, of course, a very welcome surprise. She pulled Eliza on stage, as well, to help harmonize on AYHN (this was the only time over the weekend that Richard sang it). Richard played "Famous Blue Raincoat," as I was hoping he would. It was in many ways a very faithful rendition of the Cohen song, but yet Richard managed to make it his own, as he always does. Post-show meet'n'greet went much more smoothly this time, the back-hallway plan having been already given a test run the night before. Again, a good show. :) On Sunday, I came home to Philly and my mother and I went to see Richard play at the new World Cafe Live venue. Richard was playing in the Downstairs area. The place is beautiful, a harmonious combination of homey comfort and modern elements (let's put dark wood-paneling on some of the walls, and arrange big rectangles of color on some of the other ones!). It works. My mother and I had incredible seats only a few feet away from the stage. Yes, I am quite handy with a mouse, a credit card, and a secure socket layer website. The staff there is friendly and helpful, both, it seemed, to concertgoers and to artists (from what I could tell). The venue has a large, brightly-lit area outside the performance room where merchandise can be sold, and they had a member of the house staff manning the table. This was a far cry from the crowded foyers of yore. The food was uneven in quality. My mother and I ordered some calamari which was *horrific*. It was soaked through with grease and sat in one's stomach like lead. I only nibbled on it after my mother had picked at it for a while. I felt bad: it was my treat, which is probably why my mother didn't complain and said that it was ok even after I asked her, "Is it bad? It looks like it might be bad." If I'd realized earlier how awful it was, I would have sent it back to the kitchen, which is something I never do. The mussel stew, however, was *amazing*. Soooo good. Coconut milk, hot chilis, tons and tons of ginger... So, so good. Richard had much more time to play a less rushed set, and also got to indulge in a bit more stage banter. Last night was my favorite of the three shows. A) It didn't feel like someone was holding up a stopwatch, and B) it was just Richard and his guitar. When it comes right down to it, that's what I always like to see best. And as is usually the case when it's just Richard and his guitar, Sunday night featured the best guitar-playing of the three nights. Stunning guitarwork. I mostly closed my eyes and let myself be totally overwhelmed by the sounds. "Arrowhead," especially, sounded as good as I've ever heard it. I don't understand how Richard's guitar playing becomes ever more miraculous even while he makes it seem increasingly effortless. The crowd was a typical Philly crowd, and by that, I mean that they shouted out lots of weird things throughout the set. There was one loud guy in particular, who seemed to be genuinely enjoying the show and yet found this to be not at odds with his desire to interrupt it whenever possible. At one point, he yelled out to Richard, "Te quiero! Te quieeeero!" Richard merely chuckled and said softly, "Tengo mis dudas." ("I love you! I looove you!" "I have my doubts.") For the third night, I heard Richard introduce Cancion Sencilla (forgive the lack of accents in this e-mail client). I had to smile and shake my head a little bit as he went on about how simple it is, and how any hopes of a positive reception depend on lowered expectations for the song. The song, as Pat has noted, has actually quite an intricate and even complicated hidden structure. It is one of the best love songs I have ever heard, and that opinion is confirmed with each new listen. I think it is an amazing achievement, both technically and in terms of the depth of feeling it conveys. I'd already been a huge fan of this song but I certainly like it even more now. Seeing these three shows back to back, I was reminded of why I will never grow tired of Richard as a performer. He makes it all new every single time. He loves these songs and can communicate that love and make you love them, too, even if you don't at first (which was the case with me and "There Goes Mavis"). And he is always getting better and better. Whenever there's a new tour, I want to know how he's going to sound *this time*. - --Vanessa ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V6 #272 ***********************************