Son Volt at Gruene Hall

And we've all been told

My blog is of course named after the Uncle Tupelo song New Madrid. This is a song about Iben Browning's prediction along the New Madrid fault in Missouri.

On Friday, the wife, me and some friends were going to see Son Volt down at Gruene Hall. Ironically (maybe not so Ironic? Maybe I should ask Alanis. She seems to have a pretty good handle on it), early Friday, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the heartland.

Unfortunately, not a New Madrid quake. But, still the first thing I thought of that day. And, with a much anticipated show at Gruene Hall that night, it fit just perfectly.

I've only been to Gruene Hall once. And ashamed that I haven't been more. We saw Ray Wylie Hubbard. Probably around 1994 or so. Don't remember a whole lot of it. Didn't remember a whole lot of it at the time either. All I really knew of Ray Wylie Hubbard is that he had written the Redneck Mother song that Jerry Jeff Walker sang so well. So well.

As they say, that video is worth the price of admission. As I've grown older and started to appreciate music and songwriters, Ray Wylie has become a much bigger part of my music library.

Enough remembering. This night is about Son Volt and the fact that I would get to see them in a classic Texas Dance Hall.

I've seen Son Volt twice before. Once at ACL Fest 2006 and 2007 at Stubb's. The ACL Fest show completely turned me on to the greatness that is Son Volt. After the performance of Tear Stained Eye, I was completely hooked.

That led me back to Uncle Tupelo, and then to Wilco. More on that after May 11 at Stubb's.

We arrived at the Gristmill at just before 7. Our goal was to eat dinner and get to the show around 8. As we walked by Gruene Hall, we saw a line 10 deep. Uh oh. Then we realized gates didn't open until 7. 10 people. No problem.

This is the first time I've been to the Gristmill. Like I said before, my previous visit to Gruene was riddled with lost memories.

The night was perfect. Maybe 70 degrees. Blue sky. Full moon. Just like the Pat Green show. Live music on the patio. Outhouses. Gristmill serves double Jack Daniels in a mason jar. They also serve double Jack Daniels w/ Coke and a splash of Sprite in a mason jar. Not because it was requested, but only because our waiter was a little slow.

Queso burgers, fried jalapenos, quesadillos, artichoke dip. A good base as my friend Speaker would say.

We saw a guy in a ridiculous green jumpsuit and headband at dinner. Turn out he was the bassist for the Bobby Bare Jr. band.

Went to Gruene Hall right at 8. Bobby Bare Jr. was opening up. Pretty unknown to me, but one of songs was really good: Kill Your Valentine. Plus, he told a great story. "If you ever order pizza in Nashville and one of us shows up, remember when you saw us here."

Chris Masterson, the lead guitar from Son Volt, joined them onstage for a couple of songs.

Son Volt came on around 9:15. Becky and I immediately went up close, but were stuck in front of the speakers. We stuck it out and quickly moved up to a great position almost right in front of the stage.

They opened up with Bandages and Scars.

I've never been this close at a Son Volt show. And it was awesome.

Some highlights:

• The Picture had no horns. Just a harmonica playing that part. I hated the horns, so this was perfect.
• Slate. Uncle Tupelo Song.
• Jet Pilot. Love this song. "Only trouble is, word gets around."
• Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way was the encore. This is on the re released version of Anodyne from Uncle Tupelo.

Being up close was seriously cool.

Pretty much my favorite Son Volt song. (and in my top songs ever) Windfall.

Gruene Hall is cool because there really is no backstage area. Backstage is on the way to the bathroom.

They cut if off right at 11. Must have been a city ordinance. I read other reviews where they played a 4 song encore including Tear Stained Eye. That song was an obvious exclusion from this show.

The setlist represents what I could piece together. Songs I didn't know I tried to get some lyrics from. Those with a * I didn't know or they are a best guess. Good chance they're wrong.

• Bandages and Scars
• Live Free*
• Gramophone
• The Picture
• Hanging Blue Side
• Big Sur
• Underground Dream
• Exurbia
• Creosote
• Slate
• * (Jay broke his A string on this song)
• Highways and Cigarettes
• Methamphetamine
• Ipecac*
• Jet Pilot
• Automatic Society*
• * (Mighty wings ofsound?)
• Afterglow 61
• *
• Medication
• Windfall
• Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way

Wow. An awesome show. Jay Farrar isn't the best showman, but that doesn't matter because the music is so damn good. I bet they don't play a lot of places anymore like Gruene where people are playing pool during the show.

Tons more to say, but I'll just close out with the lyrics to New Madrid. (Yes, I know it's a Tweedy song. But it's still Tupelo. And Jay Farrar.)

All my daydreams are disasters
She's the one I think I love
Rivers burn and then run backwards
For her, that's enough

They all come from New York City
And they woke me up at dawn
She walked with me to the fountain
And she held onto my arm

Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back

There's a man of conviction
And although he's getting old
Mr. Browning has a prediction
And we've all been told

So come on back from New York City
Roll your trucks in at dawn
Walk with me to the fountain
And hold onto my arm

Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back

Full picture album is here.

Raw notes from the show:

Bobby bare
Valentine
Pizza deliv
Chris masteerson joinewd th
Woodie guthrie61stay in deltsa blues

3 generations
No horns! Harmonica instwadf
Say hello to
Big sur
Hollywood
Gapimg hole in the sky
Widesprerad changes
Violin farcvical force workin halls of shsame slate
Don't know broke string
Breakaway string
Take me back n caro

Leave behind
Hword gets around jet pilot
Nothing matters
Mighty wings ofsound
61
Not surew small eyeds
Medication
A jam
Bathroom
Pool
Down in this valley winter cold
Doug sahm? We used to walk thjru thr park
Windfall
Encore
Hank done it this way

Feist at the Palladium Ballroom

Wednesday night in Plano. Having dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, which I always do when I'm up there for work. Reading through the Dallas Morning News' Quick. (If you've never read Quick, it's a mini version of the DMN, with more entertainment stuff. Perfect to read over dinner.)

I saw Feist was playing at the Palladium Ballroom. I didn't know too much about Feist except for the Apple Nano commercial. And that various publications were big on her. So, a gametime decision. Nothing else to do that night, so a $25 concert sounds good. Luckily, I avoided the stupid ass Ticketmaster fees by buying directly at the venue.

As far as I can tell, Gilley's Dallas and the Palladium are the same thing. I think they just reuse the concert hall or something like that.

Hayden opened up for Feist. Someone I had never heard of. I only caught the last half of the show. It was just him and a guitar and a piano. I bought his CD In Field and Town. Still listening to it, but the song "Lonely Security Guard" is awesome. Reminds me a lot of Josh Ritter.

I got settled in with a decent spot where I could sit down on the ledge between acts. Kinda wedged between a trash can and some passed out chicks. That, or they were just resting their eyes.

I quickly realized there were three types of people there: Hipsters, Lesbians, and Me. Luckily I don't care if the Hipsters and Lesbians even noticed me. In my khakis, button down solid blue dress shirt, and dress shoes. (Yes. That Guy.)

The show started off with a sheet attached to a frame. And a bird show of some sort. And a lantern.

The lantern silhouetted Feist when she came out and sang the first song. (I'm not even going to try and piece together the set list from this show. Too much I don't know.)

Some random thoughts from the show:

• On a few songs, she sounded a lot like Jenny Lewis. And I LOVE Jenny Lewis. Seriously. I gotta crush on her.
• Feist engaged the crowd pretty good. There was a great bit about the Mythical Place Called Canada.
• There was a huge canvas background behind the stage. Instead of showing video or a light show, there was a couple of girls (I call them the Feist Art Girls) doing a great show with random objects (feathers, parchment, hands, rocks, jewels) that was projected up on the screen. It was all real-time, not taped. They also would take the camera around tape random stuff like the pedal hitting the bass drum. However, that kind of looked obscene. A little bit. If you have a dirty mind, I guess. (I do.)
  
• It's always amazing when I see a show in Dallas how dressed up the women are. High Heels. Cocktail Dresses. Preposterous.

One thing I got out of this show is an amazing new song: The Park. The simple guitar, the vocals, and the lyrics together are very powerful. The band all played some very light horns on this song during the show. It was a great live interpretation of the song.

My raw notes from the show: (On my blackberry as usual. Yes, I am also that guy. But it looks like I'm texting. So that makes me cool with the Hipster and Lesbian set.)

Hayden singalong
Big canvas background
Weird sheet canvas frame
Lantern
Lean there
Horrible sound
I am girl
Disco ball in the corner effect
Mythical olace called canada
Redemption. Sounds like jenny lewis
Other soing I've heard
Some kind of organ
Xlyophone
Birdcalls?
Crawl? French horn sax big trumpet
Girl shinig stuff on screen
Art screen awesome
Feel it out (all)?
Some sort of camera/canvas thing with two girl artists
Totally a good idea for bg of pc video
Hipsters lesbians and me
Slow in the middle
Dallas chicks in cocktail dresses and high heels
Back to the future onstage romantic game on hump day
Lesbian giveaway. Keys on carabiner on belt
1234 sesame street?