All Eyes Out For You

Mavis Staples took me there! (The Crighton Theatre - Conroe, TX; 05/14/2010)

Have you ever seen Regina McCrary play tambourine?

Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Mavis Staples was in Conroe Friday night to play at the lovely Crighton Theatre, which is celebrating its 11th season of the Sounds Of Texas concert series.  The folks who book and present those shows are local treasures, as they continue to bring unique and wonderful shows to a restored venue that is by far my favorite place to see a show in the area (Conroe is about 40 miles north of Houston).

The area storms - the first we've seen in a long time - probably kept some folks at home, but the crowd was enthusiastic and Staples had them eating out of her hand.  Her band was stellar, anchored by the swampy guitar work of Rick Holmstrom.  Her band was filled out simply by bass and drums and three backing vocalists.  If you've heard her Live: Hope At The Hideout record, Friday's show was a pretty good reflection of that setlist and performance, but brought to remarkable life by the impressive acoustics of the historic theater.  Those who bolted before the encore missed a wonderful rendition of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken".  Just amazing on so many levels.

Of course, some credit for warming up the crowd has to be give to Mike Farris and his Roseland Rhythm Revue.  Nashville's Farris is a name that has circled my radar for a while, but I'd never actually heard him.  Boy, have I been missing out.  His band - nine performers in all! - simply blew the roof off.  He's won a Dove Award for Best Traditional Gospel Record for his 2009 live release Shout!, and his music could only be described as a soul-gospel hybrid, firmly rooted in all the right influences (see: Mavis Staples).  Anne and Regina McCrary, the best gospel singers in Nashville, are part of his regular band, and simply have to be heard and seen to be believed.  Only a performer like Mavis Staples would have the courage to follow a Mike Farris performance.

And, man, can Regina McCrary ever play that tambourine!

Drive-By Truckers @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA; 05/07/2010)

Well, seeing Drive-By Truckers in LA became a bit of secondary priority (you can read why here), but I caught them nonetheless in the rather fantastic confines of the Avalon Hollywood, which sits across the street from the Capitol Records building.  The club has a fairly small floor space, surrounded on multiple levels by an array of loungy seating.  I, naturally, was pushed right up front where the sound was generally a murky mess, but also where you could just about catch the ashes from Mike Cooley's cigarette.

Of the many times I've seen DBT, this occasion probably seemed the least urgent.  It seemed to me the new material dragged a bit, at least until Cooley laid down the 12-bar sledgehammer of "Get Downtown," which was followed closely by a pounding version of "Told You So," with bassist Shonna Tucker taking her lone turn at the mike that evening.  Patterson Hood appeared to bear no ill-will toward Southern Califonians, following the theft the previous evening of one of their backdrops in San Diego.  I'm guessing the band was up against a deadline, as the Truckers' clocked in under two hours and the lines of regular Avalon club-hopping clientele were forming up outside just after 10:30pm.

At this point, however, DBT is facing the same problem Wilco has, which is too much good material from a succession of excellent records to possibly squeeze into a normal headlining set.  Wico, for their part, seem to recognize this problem as their most recent U.S. dates were billed as "An Evening With Wilco," with no opening acts and setlists that were topping 30 songs.  I don't know if this will be Wilco's template going forward, and I realize that's a lot to ask for bands who grind away on the road nearly constantly.  Still, DBT's set on Friday was pretty much the expected mix of new stuff along with what most fans would consider classics.  "Let There Be Rock", "Zip City" and "Shut Up And Get On The Plane" are pretty reliable encore selections, and the single encore of the Avalon set was made up of all three.

Still, I'm nitpicking because, after all, it was a DBT show, which means I was still nearly pounding my skull into the barrier rail for a good third of the show.  The opening set from The Henry Clay People was pretty great, and they took the stage promptly at 7:40pm.  Considering the time constraints (again, I'm speculating this was the case), everyone did an admirable job squeezing in as much rock and roll as could be had within three hours.  LA crowds, in my experience, can be a bit restrained but are always enthusiastic and generally well-behaved, and this show was no exception.

However, was it worth trekking halfway across the country to see a DBT set that I've seen before and will likely have the chance to see in my own town, probably sooner rather than later?  Probably not.  But should you absolutely, positively make sure to catch Drive-By Truckers when they swing through your neck of the woods?  Well, duh.

U2 @ Reliant Stadium (Houston, 10/14/09)

What could I possibly say about it that hasn't already been said by many (like Chris Gray of the Houston Press)?

I can't say I was really all that charged up about the show.  Babysitter fell through, and Mrs. K got last-minute-ditched for a good buddy (thanks, honey), and the throng of traffic was daunting to say the least.  But we were in our seats by the time U2 hit the stage, and oh-my-freaking-goodness what a stage!  Balk at the ticket prices if you like, but your money was pretty much accounted for up on that incredible stage, the biggest and most stupendous setup I've seen since, well, PopMart (my only other U2 show).

No band on the planet does the grand gesture as well as U2, who incidentally put on a helluva music show even without the larger than life production values.  And though I'm sure there were a few there would would've preferred more Unforgettable Fire than No Line On The Horizon, give the band credit: they build their shows around their latest material and make sure it gets a fair shake.  Will all of it survive the test of time?  Probably not, but U2 knows how to extend the vibe of a record to a massive stage show, with plenty of the hits mixed in.

I'm not the world's most hardcore U2 fan by any means, but I'll tell you this -- go see this show whenever you get the chance.

(Personal faves: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" - all raw power and simplicity against a backdrop of solidarity with Iran's revolutionaries; "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" - perfect song made complete with Bono's laser jacket; "One", "Where The Streets Have No Name" - my favorite two U2 songs bridged by a 60,000-crowd singalong of "Amazing Grace."  Pretty amazing.)

Wilco @ Abraham Chavez Theatre, El Paso (6/17/09)

It appeared to this out-of-towner that Wilco's first-time visit to El Paso was greeted as some sort of watershed cultural event for the city, yet another sign that the town is quickly becoming a major urban center in the Southwestern U.S.  The band appeared on the cover of El Paso's weekly entertainment rag, and the review of the show at the Abraham Chavez Theatre was spotlighted on the front page of Thursday's El Paso Times.

More indicative, however, was the reaction of the fans who filled about two-thirds of the lovely downtown venue.  I've been to several Wilco shows before, but I've never been part of such an adoring crowd.  They were on their feet from the get-go and never sat down again.  I thought it would be great to see Wilco in a proper theater, but my major concern was that the crowd would be seated and sedate for much of the show (that was apparently the case at Thursday's Tuscon show).  But any such concerns were entirely misplaced because the El Paso fans came to rock.  And Wilco returned the gesture.

Clearly thrilled to be opening for Wilco in front of a hometown audience, openers Sleepercar probably overstayed their welcome by a couple of songs (they were good, but I saw at least one crewmember give them the "wind it the fuck up" signal).  With the Wilco set not starting until around 9:20, I was concerned that the band was up against an 11 o'clock curfew.  Though Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates blazed through the first half of the set with hardly a break between songs, they ultimately went until almost 11:30 and disappointed probably no one in attendance.  The set was balanced nicely with songs from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and beyond, including four songs from their upcoming Wilco (The Album).  Tweedy was a bit reserved until about halfway through the set, but the audience's enthusiasm clearly loosened him up, and he was positively giddy by the end.  The best moment of the show (or maybe any show I've been to in a while) was when he invited a youngster in the front row to pick his guitar while he fretted the notes on a solo during "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" (very awesome to see that song back in rotation).

I'm usually impressed by the crowds at Wilco shows.  They're generally attentive and enthusiastic (and often much younger than I expect).  But with all due respect to my fellow Houston-based Wilco fans, these El Paso folks were in a different realm on Wednesday.  My guess is that another Wilco show is in El Paso's future.

Sky Blue Sky

Wilco... El Paso... Tonight!

UPDATE:  I'll have more later, but this was the best Wilco show I've attended.  Here's the review from the El Paso Times.  The EP fans were stupendous, and the band returned the favor...

Justin Townes Earle in Houston this weekend

Probably the best low-key release so far this year is Justin Townes Earle's Midnight At The Movies.  Earle will be back in Houston this Sunday, hot on the heels of South By Southwest for one last date before he hooks up with Jason Isbell for a short national tour.

So make sure to catch him at The Mucky Duck (two shows: 6pm and 9pm) with special guest Amy LaVere.  I'll be there, and I believe our good buddy John C. will be there with his entire clan.

Country Standard Time has a really nice article on Earle here.

UPDATE:  The Houston Press' Craig Hlavaty gives the record a big thumbs up and catches one of Earle's sets at SxSW.

Lucinda Williams @ Warehouse Live (Houston, TX - 2/21/09)

So what did Lucinda Williams do over her winter break?  Well, she most definitely auditioned guitarists.  Having picked a good one (the terrific Eric Schermerhorn stepping into Doug Pettibone's sizeable shoes), it seems to me she made a concentrated effort to come up with an airtight setlist that gives a nod to literally every stage of her lengthy career.  Though there was some variation between the Austin and Dallas sets, this third stop in Texas and her third show of the new year was pretty similar to the Austin set (though we got a new R&B-ish cover in the encore - extremely awesome, but I don't know the title).  My guess is that many of these songs - especially the meticulously worked out older tunes - will be the staples of many of her upcoming shows.  This is as exuberant as I've ever seen Lucinda (except for maybe the 2007 LA shows), and she seems to have put many past moody performances behind her.  If Little Honey is her "happy" album, then it definitely reflects her current state of mind.  She was similarly upbeat (though much more nervous) when I saw her in Nashville in October.  That show, however, was a more typical "here's the new stuff" setlist, as Little Honey had just been released.

Which is not to say the new record got the shaft during her show in Houston.  Far from it.  The difference is that the set is balanced by some great selections from her Folkways (yes, you read that right) albums and her self-titled album.  All the staples were included as well - "Joy", "Pineola", "Changed The Locks" - and Car Wheels got a substantial nod (can Lu really play Texas without "Lake Charles" and "Drunken Angel"?).  Rounding out the set were a few songs from the recent albums West and World Without Tears (no Essence tonight).  All in all, it was definitely the best set I've ever seen Lucinda play, deliberately paced and thoughtfully executed.  There was, naturally, plenty of chatter about Anderson Fair and her days in Houston between songs, which played well to the audience, many of whom were probably around during those formative years (I won't even guess the median age last night).

It's actually been quite a few years since Lucinda played a proper Houston show.  Now with venues like Warehouse Live and House Of Blues, some promoter seems to have figured out that it makes no sense for artists like Lucinda and Steve Earle to bypass the Bayou City.  It seemed like a pretty packed house, and folks showed up early for a good spot up front or along the handrail.  That's a far cry from her Fall '08 tour, which was hounded by reports of poor ticket sales and lackluster attendance.  Maybe this new set answers the complaints of some longtime fans, who had grown tired of the newer material.  Or maybe it's the excitement of a new band member.  Whatever it is, Lucinda seems to have found a little extra joy for her 2009 tour.

The word is officially out -- this Lucinda show is not to be missed when it swings through your town.

Oh, and drummer Butch Norton is The Man.  I forgot to mention that elsewhere.

(You can read my report from the October show in Nashville here.)

(On a personal note, I had the great pleasure of meeting and dining with longtime correspondent Matt N., who moved here back in the summer.  It was his first Lucinda show so I hope he enjoyed it!  We had a LOT to talk about music-wise and otherwise over dinner and before the show.  Thank, Matt!)

UPDATE:  Madella has some nice shots from the show over at her Flickr site.

UPDATE II:  Over at the Lu message board, Stoger (who attended all three Texas shows) has posted the setlist from Houston, reproduced below...

1 I Just Wanted to See You So Bad
2 Can't Let Go [with a mini-bio of the Minnesota-born Randy Weeks]
3 Happy Woman Blues [written in Houston]
4 Crescent City
5 Circles & X's
6 Pineola
7 Drunken Angel [with much talk of former Blaze Foley hang-outs in Houston like Theodore's and Anderson Fair]
8 Side of the Road
9 Everything Has Changed [followed by "I didn't realize how sad that song is"]
10 Something About What Happens When We Talk
11 Lake Charles
12 I Lost It
13 Joy
14 Tears of Joy
15 Real Love
16 Changed the Locks
17 Come On
18 Atonement [with a 3-4 minute intro, during which Lu makes an analogy between Houston and LA as towns that get a "bad rap"--as over against the Austins and San Franciscos]
19 Honeybee [with talk of Robert Johnson after]
20 Righteously
________________________________________________________________________
21 Motherless Children [solo]
22 Guitar Slim cover
23 It's a Long Way to the Top. . . .
________________________________________________________________________
24 Hendrix cover [with another mention of Anderson Fair, and some talk about some documentary which apparently Lu is signing a waiver for: not sure]
25 Little Rock Star

UPDATE III:  Tom Overby identifies the standout Guitar Slim song Lu covered over at the message board.  The song was also performed in Austin...

The blues cover is a song called The Things That I Used To Do. It was written by Guitar Slim who has become a blues legend much like Robert Johnson and for all the same reasons -live fast die very young- he died in 1959 at age 32-- only leaving behind about 30 or so recordings, which have been repackaged several times. Slim was legendary for wearing bright colorful suits and with hair sometimes dyed to match and also using a guitar cord estimated at 350 feet- long enough so he that he would finish the shows by leading the audience out to the parking lot and continue playing the whole time. With his master showmanship and flamboyance and unique ahead of his time guitar sound I've often thought of the Prince of his time. I can highly recommend his albums The Things That I Used To Do -The Complete Specialty Recordings or The Atco Sessions which he recorded for after he left Specialty. While they contain many of the same songs these two records cover pretty much everything he recorded.

UPDATE IV:  Limelight Imaging has some really nice shots of Lucinda from the Austin show over at their Flickr site.  And we'll call this horse pretty soundly beaten.  Have a great week!

LAST CHANCE: Heartless Bastards tix (Feb. 14 @ Last Concert)

You've got less than 24 hours to enter to win two tickets to see Heartless Bastards at the Last Concert Cafe this Saturday.  Simply drop me an email, and I'll enter your name in the drawing.

Deadline for entry is Friday @ 11am CST.

HEARTLESS BASTARDS @ LAST CONCERT CAFE (Valentine's Day!)

...and I've got a pair of tickets to give away.  Don't forget to drop me an email with "Heartless Bastards tix" in the subject line, and I'll get your name in the drawing.  Deadline is Friday @ 11am CST!

Also, if you'd like to take your honey out for a night of enchiladas and music, the Last Concert is offering a dinner and show package, which includes two tickets, fajitas for two, dessert and a bottle of champagne.  And a band named Heartless Bastards!  Regular tickets and dinner tickets can be purchased here.  (NOTE: Dinner package is NOT included in my ticket giveaway.)

BTW, if you didn't catch them on Letterman last night, they really ripped it up.  This is a must-see show.

UPDATE:  Here ya go...

UPDATE II: More Heartless Bastards goodies...

• You can stream and download tracks from HB's recent Daytrotter sessions here.
• You can download a solo acoustic version of "Early In The Morning" here.
• As previously mentioned, you can download the title track from The Mountain here.

HEARTLESS BASTARDS TICKET GIVEAWAY (Houston, Feb. 14)

I'll be giving away two tickets to the Heartless Bastards' show at the Last Concert Cafe on Saturday, Feb. 14.  Just drop me a line with "Heartless Bastards Tix" in the subject line:

Spend Valentine's Day with the Heartless Bastards!

(Email: dk.kennedy@gmail.com)