The following story is absolutely true. After writing about music all night I dreamt that I was dating Kathleen Edwards. One of those wonderful dreams where you are constantly in each other arms and every moment seems perfect and joyous. Then I woke up. There is no worse feeling in existence then waking up and feeling that you are in love with this beautiful and talented woman only to slowly realize that in fact you are alone, without a girlfriend and living in Delaware. You should not have to go to work on days like that. You should be able to call in and be marked absent with a reason of “discovered that the universe is patently unfair.”
Here are my top five shows. As each show has a story I will share the story and a video. That works a little better than last night’s vague attempt at music criticism (though you must listen to the Josh Ritter song.)
# 5: The Get Up Kids (Farewell Show) (Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO): It was the last stand of The Get Up Kids, the best band out of Kansas since, well, Kansas. I actually have a connection to the band as a coworker and fellow blogger just happens to be the brother of the rhythm section. This led me to being in the VIP section (or at least closer to the bar) at one show. But for this one it was me on my own and that made it incredible.
Because as a result I experienced one of the most amazing crowds ever. When I drove past the theater at noon that day there was already a sizable line of people sitting in the July heat for hours before the doors opened. When I got there the line was three blocks long. While in line I found out that people had flown from Japan to be there. Then I met some people who came from Australia to see the band’s last show. Think about it. That is literally on the other side of the world. What have you done in your life that has caused anyone from the other side of the planet to visit you?
Finale shows are usually bad. Even last shows of a tour tend to be bad because the band is sick of each other by that point. When the band is breaking up they typically just want it to be over. The Get Up Kids broke the mold with this show. They played all out from start to finish with the crowd into it from the moment they took the stage. It really felt as though they were never going to end the show. I think the only reason they did was curfew and threats of arrest. But it was just one night of a band saying that they were going to go out with a bang.
# 4: Alejandro Escovedo (with Jon Dee Graham) (Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club, Kansas City, MO): I’ll start this by giving praise to Jon Dee Graham, the man I saw in concert more than any other act in my five years in KC. Given that he is based in Austin and I probably missed three of his shows due to being out of town it shows a) just how much he tours and b) just how big of a fan I am. I was watching a documentary on him and they described him as music for adults. It is sad that when the words Adult Themes are used we immediately think of softcore porn. But Jon Dee sings about Adult Themes. About struggling through life and having to deal with defeats and the beauty in the struggle. He’ll never be famous, he’ll never be rich, but he has produced art at a level that I dream of.
As for Alejandro, I started going to his shows when I was in Chicago and was just amazed by the sheer power of his work. Here is a guy whose punk rock band opened for the last Sex Pistols show and he had evolved to someone who would take the stage with a cello and violin and still cover I Wanna Be Your Dog. As a huge fan I was stunned when I heard that he had essentially collapsed on stage and nearly died. I contributed to his medical fund and still wear my Por Vida (For Life) shirt with pride. For all that his music did for me it was the least that I could do.
This show was on his first tour back after several years of recovery. It was a two night affair and every single person in the room was a fan. When Alejandro thanked the crowd it was one of the most heartfelt moments that I have ever seen on stage. Then he just rocked it out as always with the addition of a beautiful string section that just left you haunted. This clip isn’t the best but it is the only one that I could find that showed the pure power of his music. Sometimes music unites people and that is what happened at this show.
# 3: Jay Farrar (The Bottleneck, Lawrence, Kansas): I have said in the past that I have never gone more than two weeks without listening to a Jay Farrar song. That is probably a little bit of hyperbole but if you add in the bands that were directly influenced by him it probably is true. Without a doubt, his music from Uncle Tupelo to Son Volt to his solo work has been the soundtrack to my adult life.
So when I found out that he was playing in a small venue I had to be there. In fact, I scheduled the day off so I could be the first person at the door when they opened. I didn’t want to have to do my usual change at the office and hope I make it there in time. Nope, this entire day was going to be all about music.
However, in a sign that maybe I should have gone to work for another company, that wasn’t the case. See, a few weeks after I scheduled my day off the VP decided to hold an informational meeting with my group on that day and my boss decided to try to guilt me in to not taking the day off. I wish I had said, “Screw you. It’s my vacation and I’ll use it whenever the hell I feel like it.” But instead I was a good employee and sat in a meeting where all I did was nod and then raced to the concert in a bad mood. I still hate myself for that.
I did end up in front of the stage though with a crowd that stood there in stunned awe. At one point the crowd organically began to sing along. It wasn’t a crowd interaction moment, there was no enticement from the stage, just an entire room full of people being compelled to simultaneously sing. He even played “Still Be Around”, a song that I never dreamed that I would ever hear live. Just an amazing night.
# 2: The Polyphonic Spree (Granada, Lawrence, Kansas): On the plus side, I’ve already told the lead up to this story in my latest KC Dating Scene post. Yes, I could have taken the librarian to the second best show I saw in KC but didn’t. No wonder she didn’t want anything else to do with me.
I’ve tried and tried to explain what it is like to see the Spree and I still don’t think I’ve accomplished it. Twenty five people on stage including a full choir, a string section, a brass section, a rather cute flautist, and a harpist. I’ve never seen a band with a harpist before. Nor have I seen a band take the stage for the encore wearing matching choir robes. Some people have said that their positive energy is an act but I swear to God that this show lifted my spirits like you wouldn’t believe. It was two hours of amazement and wonder. And I decided not to have a cute girl next to me throughout all of it. What an idiot.
# 1: Damien Rice (with The Frames) (Liberty Hall, Lawrence, Kansas): The best show I ever saw and I almost didn’t go. I worked late in the office that day and I asked myself if I really felt like driving all the way to Lawrence to see two acts I had barely heard of. I am so amazingly grateful that I made the trip.
To show how close I cut it, I entered Liberty Hall, bought my beer and got to the front of the stage just as Glen Hansard from The Frames plugged in his guitar. This was the first time I had ever seen The Frames (even though I still think I may have caught them in Chicago once) and they just floored me. Opening acts are never supposed to be that good, nor are they supposed to break into songs from Willy Wonka and have it work. From the moment I heard them play this mix of rock songs with an Irish fiddle in the mix I was hooked and would promote the band to everyone I met. A few years and a hit movie later, Glen would be on stage accepting an Oscar. If you haven’t seen the movie Once, rent it. If you don’t own a Frames CD, buy any of them. And if you ever get a chance to see them in concert jump at it. Best live band on the planet today.
(Oh, and if I ever had to choose a song to play over the credits of my life this would be it.)
I’m not sure if I can even describe Damien Rice’s set in full sentences. It was almost like a collection of magical moments. Lisa Hannigan sitting on the ground rocking back and forth to the music. Vyvienne Long’s intense cello. Damien finishing the song “Amie” by kneeling on the floor, staring at the ceiling, and slowly modifying his looped tracks until you felt as though the aliens were about to arrive. The Frames returning to the stage for the encore for a cover of “Halleiluiah” and a second edition of “The Blower’s Daughter”. A crowd that stood for the entire encore and literally left the theater dancing in the streets. I wanted to lift up a car after this show. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so alive. Seldom do you get to see bands on a perfect night but this was it.
This song is the best that I’ve ever found to capture that moment in the encore where everything just became perfect. Enjoy.
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