Time to continue with the concert review, this time with some shows from the great state of Missouri. I’ll try to show a little more enthusiasm in this post. As many people know, I had to write my Year-End Review email this weekend which I think clocked in at ten pages and pretty much has left me running on empty from a creative standpoint. That and the fact that I actually have to start working again and facing a slog to a cubicle is never something one finds inspiring. Anyway, more concerts that I vaguely remember
Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club (Kansas City, MO)
1) Richard Buckner (Opening Act: Some guy whose name I didn’t catch): Richard was accompanied on this set by one of the guys from Guided by Voices. I would not want to try to play guitar with Richard as his shows are lacking in a few aspects. Like breaks between songs. Or stage banter. Hell, Richard hasn’t written a song with a chorus in eight years. The guy (whose name I am just too lazy to look up right now) played the set with just pages of notes in front of him so he could keep up. Still, a fun show and different than his usual set (which I’ll be talking about in a minute).
2) Garrison Starr: A while ago my mom asked me what type of music I’ve been listening to recently. Thinking better of having to define the entire “No Depression” genre I went, “I’ve been listening to a lot of girls play guitar.” It’s kind of a shorthand for the incredible number of female singer-songwriters that I have in my CD collection. For some reason I seem to be drawn to this music, maybe it’s because of the emotional content, maybe it’s because any woman playing guitar on stage immediately becomes attractive to me. Take your pick. Garrison falls into this category with her southern drawl and attitude and interesting songs. (Side note: I recall being yelled at by someone in the crowd at this show because I was standing. I apologize for actually being, you know, interested in the band.)
3) Patrice Pike (Opening Act: Ginger Leigh): Patrice is one of my favorite voices in the Austin music scene and much to my dismay, finished middle of the pack on Rock Star: Supernova. I’m not quite sure how she would have performed in a band with Tommy Lee. Or exactly why she would want to be in a band with Tommy Lee. Great music from her solo work as well as her days in Sister Seven.
4) Jon Dee Graham: I’ll talk about this more at number seven…
5) Richard Buckner: I’ve described his shows before but I’ll repeat it again. The stage is bare except for a chair and two guitars. While the crowd is mulling about he stumbles to the stage and seemingly starts tuning. Except that he isn’t, he’s started the show and they haven’t turned off the house music yet. He starts the first song and when he finishes he starts looping a guitar part. With the loop playing in the background he puts down the guitar and picks up the other one and starts playing the next song. This goes on for an entire set. After the last song he just has a loop playing in the background as he walks off stage. After we cheer him back he plugs back in, plays an encore and says the only words he’s spoken to the crowd the entire time “Thanks, you’ve guys have been great. Good night.” I have all of his music and even I can’t tell where songs start or end. It’s as bizarre a show that you ever could see.
6) Alejando Escovedo: It’s always great to see Alejandro on stage. As sick as he has been in recent years, the fact that he is back on tour and putting on killer live sets makes life worthwhile. This show didn’t match last years two night bill mainly because those were probably in the top five shows I’ve ever seen in my life. Still, there are very few shows you can ever see where the band will break into The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and feature a cello solo in the middle of it.
7) Jon Dee Graham: One of the reasons why Alejandro’s show wasn’t at its peak is that Jon Dee (his usual guitarist) was touring in support of his solo disc. And man, what a great disc and show it is. With a gravely growl of a voice he’ll sing a song about abandoning your car and disappearing without a trace and then follow it up with a song about how it’s a big, sweet life. In between he tells the funniest stories imaginable and you spend more time laughing than anything. Hell, at one point in the show he fired his backup band in order to invite strangers in the crowd to play with him. (The strangers being the local legends, The Gaslights). He is a talent that is woefully underappreciated.
8) Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys (Opening Act: Switch Hitter): If I remember correctly, Switch Hitter’s lead singer was a guy in drag. Actually, I really hope that I am remembering that correctly. If I imagined it then I probably should up my medication. Rex Hobart is a KC act, though I first saw him back when I was spending all of my time at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn. I think every song he has written is about drinking and heartbreak and drinking because of heartbreak. Basically whenever you ask yourself “Why isn’t she returning my calls?” it’s time to break out Rex’s CDs.
9) The Gaslights (Opening Act: The Expassionates): My New Year’s Eve show, marking the third straight year that I rang in the new year at Davey’s. Just a good rockabilly band featuring one of my former bartenders. They’re a talented bunch, my bartending brethren. Mainly, I just like spending New Year’s Eve listening to good music in a fun atmosphere where the fact that I don’t have a date isn’t the end of the world.
Uptown Theater (Kansas City, MO)
1) Robert Randolph and the Family Band (Opening Act: “Something” Soul): Yeah, I was rather lazy in getting the names of opening acts this year. Mainly because they were rather forgettable. Now I like Robert Randolph as he is one of the best pedal steel players out there and he does things with it that I didn’t think were possible. But this show fell into my dreaded jam band category where even someone like Bela Fleck (who might be the most talented musician alive) becomes incredibly boring to me after an hour. I care less about musical technicianship than I do about emotions and lyrics. So while this was a good show I’ve realized I just can’t stand solo after solo.
2) Wilco (Opening Act: Mess Hall): Wilco is on my short list of best bands on the planet and much like I’ve said about Jay Farrar, over the past decade I’ve probably not gone more than two weeks without listening to a Jeff Tweedy song. On the plus side, I’m happy to see that Wilco is now at the point where they can sell out the Uptown. However, this means that there are a lot of people at the show who don’t appreciate the music and for some reason think that Wilco is a great band to get drunk to. Doesn’t make sense to me at all. Great set and really the only way to appreciate the album “A Ghost is Born” is to see the band live. The songs make a lot more sense in that content.
3) Lyle Lovett and his Large Band: One of the reasons I go to concerts is that occasionally they send a chill up my spine. This show did early on with a song I had never heard before. It started with four people on stage and every once in a while another person would step on stage and start playing until it ended with seventeen people joining in. You didn’t really notice it until it was complete and it was damn impressive. I like Lyle, who has always been his own man and can write a song better than almost anyone else on the planet. People get on him for his look but he ended up with Julia Roberts. Can’t argue with success.
Knuckleheads Saloon (Kansas City, MO)
1) The Iguanas: One of my favorite bands from New Orleans who I have seen numerous times over the years. Caught this show during one of those down times in my life and as they usually do, they helped bring me out of my funk. It was also great to talk to the guys in the band between sets and they encouraged me to get back down to Nola and help out. I still don’t think I’ve done enough for that town (given all that it has done for me) but this show helped me realize that what I loved about the place was still there.
That’s it for tonight. One more to go though that might take a few days. Tomorrow night is Notre Dame-LSU and well, that is going to be my focus for the night. And I probably won’t be able to focus by the end of it…
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