OK, here's what...I am not a Tom Waits expert, and I would not insult those who are by claiming to be. However, I could probably write a small treatise on the show last night alone. I'll try and sum it up as much as possible. Of course, it was amaz-ing. I have never seen anything like this man, nor do I think I will again. Seriously, if you ever get the chance--go see him. It's worth whatever paper dollars you will have to pay.

So first, big long will-call line. Whew. Really, it seemed to be moving fairly quickly, but I had my ticket mailed, so I bypassed the standing and into the Fox I went. I love the Fox; we really are lucky in our city to have such a beautiful, old theatre around still. Lots o' people were in the lobby, but sometimes I don't do well with crowds, so I looked around for just a bit then went to my seat.

Everything got very dark, then happiness sprung up as the show began with much stomping and dust. (do they tote dirt around, or is it local? I couldn't help but ask myself.) We grooved in our seats to Mr. Waits and his band's bluesy goodness. Sitting in seats is hard at a concert, especially with such music as this that makes you want to move. I was amazed by the sounds coming from the stage, though. He can move from ballads that bring tears to the eyes to full-on carnival soundtracks. It's fantastic! His voice is so gritty it's almost unreal, and I believe this music to be perfect for seduction on a steamy June night. I wish I had had someone next to me to seduce.

Interlude in which Tom Waits plays piano-lovely songs and discusses with the audience such topics as not eating in restaurants that are on fire in Oklahoma and buying rare things on e-bay. I think I would like to be friends with this man. He seems like a nice guy, with a good sense of humor, and that's what every gal wants, right?

After the beautiful piano, we move back into groovin' circus-style and makin' it rain (not in the clubbing sense, thank you fat joe featuring lil' wayne). Amazing song and it came complete with glitter! so that pretty much made my night complete. For the rest of the night, Tom Waits had a slight golden sparkle in my eyes. He handled responding to nonsensical outbursts from the audience with class and provided us with an encore of goodness.

So really, he is not like anyone else I have ever heard. I marvel at how a mind comes up with this music. And in such variety, with such beauty, and with so many elements working together. It was an awesome, mind-blowing, earth-rocking show (literally. I thought the Fox was going to split in two at one point.) that I am glad I had the good fortune to see.

fin!

Busy days at work...

mean there is little time to post, especially when it's a show night.

But in case you want to hang out where I will probably be on Saturday, I will be at the Taproom.
Who will be joining me you ask? Well, my friends, that would be Corey Saathoff, Caleb Travers & the Big City Lights (who does open mic night on Tuesdays at one of my favorite places to frequent), and the Wooden Kites (who released the album The Orchard earlier this month!).
I'm quite looking forward to the show, and it's FREE, so you should go, too.

Ok, no time, no time. If I could, I would put a full list of weekend goodies, but for now, just try this.

Off to Tom Waits! Later people!

current music: Rats and People, Sorry to Miss the Affair

Innocent Magic

So last night was the rum drum ramblers, john barrett’s bass drum of death, and dax riggs at off broadway. first of all, I don’t know how much you kids know about dax riggs’ band history, but let’s just say I felt a little...out numbered...by men...wearing black t-shirts. There were a lot of them. Really, I always end up being somewhat surprised by the crowds at concerts. I don’t know why. I know about Acid Bath and Agents of Oblivion. So I guess it wasn’t surprise, just a slightly raised eyebrow at the level of testosterone. Moving on…
The Rum Drum Ramblers were just voted best americana/folk group in the 2008 RFT music awards (congrats), so I was excited to see them, and I had a second good opinion, due to my concert-going compadre Lindsay also working with the guitar player (that happens frequently). I wasn’t disapointed, which is always nice. These guys give credit to white boys playing the blues. They are GOOD, so if you get the chance, go see them. Their next show is Saturday at the City Museum, so not only would you get to see their awesomeness, but you get to see it in City Museum joy-land! While you wait, go to their myspace page and listen to/watch the magic. C’mon seriously, they use the much undervalued kazoo in a song, murder the harmonica, and don’t even hardly need the microphone to project the vocals. Thoroughly enjoyable and danceable, which is always a plus with me, and saying a lot considering I danced while still very full from mexican food (el scorcho!). I wanted to Charleston through half the set. Yay! They don’t have a record out yet, but I’m hopeful. (Put one out, guys.)
So then JBBDD (yeah, I’m not going to type out their whole name a bunch of times, sorry) took the stage. They weren’t on the billing, so confusion occurred for some minutes while we wondered “who are these guys and can that kid be out after curfew?” OK, no offense meant, honestly. JBBDD was really good. And I’m not good at judging ages; he just looked, well, young. It’s not a bad thing. And who really cares, cause he plays guitar really, really well. Quick and dirty. He came out and played multiple instruments with Dax as well, so it’s obvious this kid has a lot of multi-talents. I love random amazingness like that. So check out his stuff too. The crowd seemed to get into, too, after the initial “what’s going on?” wore off. Kudos OB crowd.
So then, of course, was Dax, of many bands fame including Acid Bath and deadboy and the elephantmen. IF you don’t know who he is, you should, for shame. I almost feel bad reviewing shows that I really wanted to see, because naturally, I have a bias going into it. Anyway, Dax is playing/releasing under just his name right now, which is fine with me. I saw deadboy when they were at blueberry hill...a while ago...and that was amazing, but his solo stuff is fantastic as well. The boy (can I use that term? he’s older than me. boy it is.) is talented. He has the most. amazing. voice. ever. EVER, people. I LOVE watching him live. He sings with his soul. That’s what I was thinking when I was watching him last night. It almost breaks my heart some of the time, because he just sings with this passion that aches through so much of the music. Granted, as I commented after the show, the lyrics are not often the most cheerful, so they add to the effect. But it feels like he is just putting his whole being into these songs, and his voice is so unique and soulful anyway, putting that much fire behind it makes for an incredible experience. OK, I’m just gushing now, so I’ll wrap it up. But please, listen to him, buy an album, go see him. He is a talent not to be missed, if one can help it. Oh, and he played much of the set on an acoustic guitar. For the encore it was just him and his guitar, which is my most favorite thing in the world. Someone with a beautiful voice playing beautiful songs, just them and a guitar. Seriously, as much as I love to rock out (and my car’s speakers will tell you, I do), there is nothing better to me than that. It’s just a spiritual experience, sharing that kind of, well, intimacy almost, with a songwriter who loves what they are doing. So, thank you Dax. It was an amazing show. fabulousness.
All right. Good show times three. Tomorrow night is Tom Waits at the Fox, which I’m predicting with fair-to-middling certainty will be incredible. You can still go, if you have some (ok, quite a bit of) expendable income lying around. Or are just willing to forgo food and an oil change for concerts. (Julie’s neon really needs an oil change.) Au revoir.

Music of the moment: the raconteurs, carolina drama

First

When I was in middle school, a DJ came to St. Louis radio for one year. His name was Tim Virgin. (He’s on the air now somewhere in Arizona. You can listen online, thank you world wide web.) Anyway, he was quite possibly the best DJ in the history of the world, and I adored him. I taped many of his shows, just his normal daily radio stuff, and I still have a lot of the tapes in my underground vault. It was a golden age for the Point, as I recall (um, which days are gone. LONG gone.) So, I wanted to be a DJ for about four years after Tim Virgin. Which I realized a couple of days ago is the longest I’ve ever wanted to be anything, for a straight period of time. Why didn’t I end up becoming one? I talked myself out of it. It wasn’t intellectual enough...or something… So I made the brilliant move of studying philosophy, a topic we will reserve for a later time. Since I gave up that dream, I have spent, oh, about nine years trying to figure out what in the name of all that’s holy I should do with my life. What the hell is the point? It seems St. Louis is starting to have a local music scene again. I remember when it was booming. (and I’m not that old, kids. It’s marginally sad that I can already “remember when” about this.) Maybe I haven’t paid enough attention, but since I moved back to the STL three or so years ago I haven’t felt a wealth of love and attention for our local bands, but that trend seems to be changing. For good reason; we have a lot to be proud of, really. Now if you have been a steadfast fan, I am not saying we had NO local music for the last howevermany years, just that it hasn’t seemed very promoted. I am swiftly becoming obsessed in our scene again, and while I don’t necessarily want to grace the airwaves with my dulcet tones, I do want to get involved on the production/marketing side of things. Hence, I shall be trying out KDHX soon. As long as my paltry expendable income holds out, though, I will try to see more local shows and buy (yes buy, purchase, pay money for. or borrow. Suck it, I’m poor) local releases. And I shall, because I want to impart my views on the world, review said local things and promote what I can online. That being said, tonight I’m going to see Dax Riggs at Off Broadway. He isn’t local, but the show should rock. I love music and I love musicians and who knows...maybe I was on the right track in high school and got diverted unnecessarily by ivory towers, espresso and the glamour of eating thirty different kinds of cereal anytime I wanted. There is something to be said for a University Education. OK, this is the beginning of a new-stage-in-life (that’s really overdramatic) chronicle. 26-year olds should not have new-stage-in-life-chronicles, but there it is.
Go see a show.