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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1035 Posts |
 Posted - 03/25/2003 : 14:32:41
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Setlist: (first three songs I'm pretty sure are right, same with the last song and the encores, the rest are random)
Where is My Mind?
Robert Onion
Six-Sixty Six
Jane the Queen of Love
How You Went So Far
The Black Rider
Los Angeles
Bullet
Southbound Bevy
Gouge Away
Manitoba
Headache
Mr. Grieves
I Want Rock and Roll
Nimrod's Son (fast into country)
Holiday Song
Hermaphroditos (no extended ending)
Velvety
Black Letter Day (great extended ending)
California bound
Monkey Gone To Heaven
Crackity Jones
Nadine
Cold Heart of Stone
Beautiful Day
The New House of the Pope
John the Revelator
the Snake
Cactus
Conversations that follow are paraphrased.
This was, without a doubt the best show I've ever seen. Before they let us in, I saw Dave McCaffrey and talked to him briefly, thanking him for their music and asking if maybe they'd play John the Revelator. He said, he'd see.
Later, as I waited with another FB & the C's fan in front of the stage, (Scott) he pointed out Frank in the hallway (by the merch stand) talking to someone. Feeling a bit greedy, (I'd already asked Dave for the song and if it was meant to be, I'd hear it), I walked over to where they were talking. I waited till they finished their conversation and as Frank began walking I told him,
"Hi, I really love your music. It means a lot to me."
"Thanks." he smiled. "Thanks for coming out."
"Umm...maybe you'd consider, just maybe, take it under consideration, a request...to play John the Revelator."
"Consider it under consideration," he smiled again and stopped walking.
"Thanks, that's all I'm asking. Have a great show." I gave him a thumbs up and walked back to the stage.
It's always strange talking to someone whose work you admire, I never want to harass them, instead I just basically want to thank them for their work and try not to mumble and stumble over my words.
Anyway...
The opening band was a local band calle Roue, that I kinda liked, especially the last three songs. They didn't have a record for sale, otherwise I would've gotten it. At this point the venue wasn't too full and a few people were sitting on the floor watching them play.
But between their departure and the onset of the Scientific Phenomenalist David Lovering, the place filled up really fast. Dave's show was pretty much the same as the other times I've seen him; I liked how no one yelled out "La La Love you!" at him. In Columbus, this one guy kept yelling it out over and over. It was pretty annoying.
As equipment is shifted for the Catholics I see a Saxophone. I wonder when Rich is going to play that.
Eventually they come onstage, go right into Where is My Mind (which is a great opener) and then Robert Onion and Six-Sixty Six. During this song, there's all kinds of awful feedback coming from Rich. He shifts around on stage. Frank goes into this intense groove and then stops playing. He asks the soundguy to turn up the drums. I guess they didn't get turned up enough because he goes, "It's okay, I'll deal with it. I guess we'll play another song, that one's ruined."
"No," some people shout (me included, this version of Six-sixty six is my favorite...a harder rocking version of the one from the album)
"What? You want us to play it?" Frank smiles at the crowd, teasingly.
Now there's a big burst of applause.
"Are you sure?" More cheers and off they go into it. What else, what else happened? At the start of one song, I couldn't tell what it was. It almost sounded like some kind of different version of Freedom Rock, but then it became Headache.
During I Want Rock & Roll, Rich played with a beer bottle and then smashed it against the strings and played with the jagged edge.
After a smokin' version of Nadine they left the stage. Another amp and a saxophone are set up by Rich's pedal steel, then out they come again, leading off the encore with a very nice version of Cold Heart Of Stone. Then Frank introduced Jack Kidney of the Numbers Band (a group from Akron, OH).
"He's going to play some songs he doesn't even know," looks at Jack, "but that shouldn't be a problem."
They play Horrible Day/Beautiful Day, a very sweet version, with Jack playing Harmonica. As he soloed, the Catholics watched with grins on their faces. At the end of this exceptional version, Frank smiled at Jack.
"This is another new one, called the New House of the Pope."
A very, moody song, pretty good, again with some nice soloing all around.
Then Scott lays down a bass-drum beat and Frank looks at Jack,
"Hey Jack, do you remember that guy that came up to us in the hall...Do you know the old Son House song, John the Revelator?"
Jack nods.
"This is for that guy..." Frank pauses, "That guy in the hall,"
And they launch into John the Revelator. I was amazingly happy. It was a great version, Frank and Dave singing back and forth, "Who's that writin'...John the Revelator!"
As the song concluded, I was jumping up and down. I made eye-contact with Dave and yelled, out, "Thank you!" giving the thumbs up. He smiled, nodded and winked.
Jack picked up the sax.
Frank then said,
"Hey, can we have the house lights up, please? I want to see the ugliness. No, no, you're not ugly, it's just, sometimes I want to see the smoke by the ceiling."
We all wait for the lights to come up, but they don't. Someone yells out, "Fuck the houselights, Frank," but the Black Rider continues looking out over our heads until they finally come up.
"Okay, thanks for coming out, this is a new one, it's called the Snake."
This is a pretty rocking song, Jack wailing with his sax into the mike.
I thought that was the end but then Frank launched into Cactus, a wonderfully rocking version that crashed the night to a close. He thanked us again, I shook Dave's hand and thanked him again, he shook some other fans hands and as they moved off Scott threw his drumsticks.
I caught one.
Frank Black and the Catholics exited and the house music came up. Feeling weary and happy, I walked away from the stage and talked to my friend Scott.
I showed him the drumstick.
"Hey, look." he said.
The top of it was bashed up, with tiny splinters around its circumference, the bottom says,
Vater LOS ANGELES 5A fb and the c's
Scott and I saw Jack Kidney and we went up to him and asked some questions. Turns out he played with the band out in L.A. and they contacted him before this show, asking if he'd like to come down and play with them. He told us he plays Sax on the Snake and he played on a couple other tunes.
A few moments later we talked a bit with Rich, who was very nice. He thanked us again for coming and we thanked him for playing. He said the album's coming out in Sept.
A bit later outside, I came up to Frank (he was with Jack again) and thanked him for John the Revelator.
"No problem," he replied, smiling.
I told him how much I love his music, that they're an amazing live band and that...
"You guys kick ass,"
He smiled again, thanked me for coming again and shook my hand. I thanked him from the bottom of my heart and that was it.
Well...this was the greatest concert I've ever seen. I was right at the front of the stage, there were no moshers, no drunk idiots (at least where I was), in fact there were a lot of women around us, so maybe that's why there was no moshing...regardless, it was great to be able to enjoy the music without being smacked around.
I got to hear the song I requested, I caught a drumstick, we got a guest muscician onstage and Frank and the whole band played a hell of a show.
On the chance anyone from the band reads this, thanks again to all of you for a great rock concert and thanks Frank and Dave for John the Revelator.
I hope all of you going to the shows have a great time. I did and I'm grateful for it.
cheers
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Edited by - El Barto on 03/25/2003 15:10:49 |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1035 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2003 : 14:36:23
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@$#!!!!
I can't believe I typed 3/23 instead of 3/24. If anyone can fix that, it would be much appreciated!
cheers |
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mdisanto
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2003 : 14:50:18
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hah sounds insane, cool that you got to hear the debut of the Snake which ive never heard mentioned before. Frank always said he wanted to do more with saxophone, i guess well be hearing it on the sept. record. thanks for the great story!
-miked |
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2003 : 15:11:11
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| Consider it changed. Great review :) Sounds like a great show. |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1035 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2003 : 15:49:13
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Thanks and thanks for the edit. It was a great show, I'm glad other board members were there as well.
cheers |
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Ten Percenter
- FB Enquirer -
United Kingdom
1733 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2003 : 02:07:42
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| Thanks for that review - very interesting. |
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Speedy Marie
- FB Fan -
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2003 : 04:08:26
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Hmmmmmm...I think you were standing pretty near me then, because I'm the possessor of the other fb & the c's drumstick. Rock on!
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KoolWhp
- FB Fan -
11 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2003 : 19:44:06
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| Yeah, that was a silly good show. I had to take off early, unfortunately, but, as the kids say, he rocked it hard. Perfect mix of old and new. |
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Little Black Francis
> Teenager of the Year <
3648 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2003 : 01:01:44
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great post - thanks for letting me live vicariously through you -
"Snooch to the muthaf**kin Nooch" |
Edited by - Little Black Francis on 03/27/2003 01:02:09 |
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