- Birmingham Mountain Radio anniversary party, Workplay, Jan. 6, 2012
- Punch Brothers with Loudon Wainwright III, Alys Stephens Center, Jan. 28, 2012
- Mike Doughty concert, reading and q&a, WorkPlay, Feb. 10, 2012
- Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, Bama Theater, Tuscaloosa, March 23, 2012
- Great Book of John and Lauren-Michael Sellers, Relax by the Tracks at Railroad Park, April 12, 2012
- Sharon Van Etten with Flock of Dimes, Bottletree, April 22, 2012
- Punch Brothers, Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, April 30, 2012
- The Head and the Heart, Birmingham Mountain Radio in-studio session, May 5, 2012
- Todd Simpson and Mojo Child and Gip Gibson, Relax by the Tracks at Railroad Park, May 10, 2012
- Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Alys Stephens Center, June 16, 2012
- Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, July 3, 2012
- Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, WorkPlay, July 29, 2012
- War Jacket, WorkPlay, Aug. 4, 2012
- The Great Book of John, Preston Lovinggood and The Grenadines, Communicating Vessels, Aug. 10, 2012
- Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters with Hayes Carll, Alabama Theatre, Aug. 12, 2012
- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, WorkPlay, Aug. 17, 2012
- Azure Ray with SoKo, Bottletree, Sept. 4, 2012
- The Secret Sisters with Dillion Hodges, Vulcan AfterTunes, Sept. 22, 2012
- Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, Alys Stephens Center, Oct. 6, 2012
- Jason Isbell with Andrew Combs, Vulcan AfterTunes, Oct. 21, 2012
- Neil Young with Alabama Shakes, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Oct. 25, 2012
- A Charlie Brown Christmas performed by Jeffrey Butzer and T.T. Mahony, with Jeffrey Butzer & the Bicycle Eaters and Chad Shivers & The Silent Knights performing “The Ventures’ Christmas Album,” Bottletree, Dec. 21, 2012
I need a little place in the sun sometimes or I think I will die
The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV was a dangerous purchase, but it was a required text for my school counseling graduate work. As I cycled between classes, learning about counseling styles, schools of psychological thought and social and emotional disorders common in adolescents, I turned to the DSM-IV time and again. Yes, it was a valuable resource for understanding the disorders I studied during my single semester of counseling classes. But I was even more interested in using it to self diagnose, and to identify issues my roommates struggled with. I knew just enough to be dangerous, and I still regret selling the DSM-IV back when I decided to pursue additional education elsewhere. (It remains on my amazon.com wish list, though it’s probably for the best that no one has purchased it for me.)
I long to turn to that handy manual again as winter breaks, showing the South hints of spring. I face seasonal affective disorder every winter, and perhaps it’s made worse by the short short short winters I grew up with in Florida. Around February in each of the past few years, I’ve found myself listening to the Beatles nearly non-stop. Even their saddest songs avoid sounding depressing (“For No One” has never made me cry). Though I love depressing indie folk, sometimes I need sunshine and the only place I can find it is in music. (This also explains the year I decided to wear skirts every day till Easter, my own unintentionally Lenten ritual of sorts. I wanted spring so badly, I dressed for it long before it arrived.)
That feeling started far too early this winter; I began battling the doldrums in November, and found solace in a playlist I labeled “Sunshine for the Soul.” But spring has also come early, with several perfect, sunny and mild days in mid-February.
It feels silly to be so affected by weather and season, but I’ve come to accept their impact. As the South livens up with its early spring, I’ll concentrate on accepting the sun and warmth as the gifts they are.
- A Love that’s Stronger than Our Fear – Derek Webb
- No Bad News – Patty Griffin
- Lantern – Josh Ritter
- Shelter – Ray LaMontagne
- Try – John Mayer Trio
- Walken – Wilco
- Chin Up, Cheer Up – Ryan Adams
- Bottom of the River – Adam Arcuragi
- Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
- Wake Up – Arcade Fire
- The General Specific – Band of Horses
- Raining at Sunset – Chris Thile
- Babylon – David Gray
- Sons and Daughters – The Decemberists
- Long Shadows – Josh Ritter
Today’s subject line comes from Patty Griffin’s “Moses.”
I am only a caged bird singing
My final assignment as a journalism grad student was to write a series of articles of some length on some topic. At the time, that was an overwhelming charge: What can I write about? Anything? Really, anything? How many stories should I write? How long should they run? I had lots of questions. But in retrospect, I understand why the guidelines for the master’s project were so open ended. Those are the types of questions I answer every day. Reporting and the publication itself determine the answers. I just start with the topic.
My master’s project was a series of three articles about independent musicians. I was fascinated by these people who built careers apart from the music industry marketing machines, and some of my sources had experience both on major labels and off.
Six years after I walked across the stage at Coleman Coliseum, I’m still able to explore music and its industry changes, sometimes through reviewing new albums (self-released, indie releases, major label releases–there’s a lot of great stuff coming from all directions), sometimes through interviewing national and local musicians. On Friday, a couple of Birmingham musicians promoted their evening gig with surprise lunchtime performances at local restaurants. I was there with video camera in hand, and it was such an adrenaline rush to see music performed in an unexpected context. That master’s project was more than a semester-long assignment necessary for my degree; it was the first step toward writing about an art form and business that continues to move me every day.
Gum Creek Killers make two surprise appearances at Birmingham eateries, Birmingham Box Set
(The subject line comes from “The Glass Ceiling” by another Birmingham-based musician, Jon Black.)
2011 concerts
- 30A Songwriters Festival, including Katie Rogers, Roy Schneider, Mike Whitty, Jon Black, Dannica Lowery, Melanie Hammet, Carmel Mikol, Erick Baker, Keegan Dewitt, Lauren Lucas, Rachel Loy, Jeremy Lister, Callaghan, Dar Williams, Angel Snow and Shawn Mullins, Scenic Highway 30A, Fla., Jan. 14-16
- Sanders Bohlke, Gum Creek Killers and the Great Book of John, Bottletree Cafe, Feb. 4
- Josh Ritter, Terminal Five, New York City, Feb. 12
- Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center, March 2
- Colin Hay, WorkPlay, March 5
- The Civil Wars with the Gum Creek Killers, Standard Deluxe, Waverly, March 25
- The Avett Brothers with Band of Horses, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa, April 1
- The Great Book of John and K. Taylor and the Twerps, Bottletree, April 2
- Guster, WorkPlay, April 4
- Jason Isbell with Doc Dailey, Shoals Theater, Florence, April 8
- Jason Isbell with Maria Taylor, Zydeco, April 9
- Jonny Lang, Alys Stephens Center, April 23
- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Jon Cleary, George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners, New Orleans Fairgrounds, April 29
- Dead Confederate plays Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night, with Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires, Bottletree, May 7
- Secret Stages: The Sunshine Factory, Howlies, The Bear, Model Citizen, 13ghosts, Noot d’Noot, Vulture Whale, Dylan LeBlanc, Kovacs & The Polar Bear, The Great Book of John and The Green Seed, downtown Birmingham, May 14
- Hangout Music Festival: Umphrey’s McGee, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, My Morning Jacket, Widespread Panic (one song), Dead Confederate, Foo Fighters cover set, Primus, Avett Brothers, Flaming Lips (a few songs), Motorhead, Foo Fighters (three songs), Old Crow Medicine Show, Drive-By Truckers, Girl Talk, The Black Keys (a few songs), Justin Townes Earle (a few songs), Paul Simon, Gulf Shores, May 20-22
- Pine Hill Haints, Bottletree, May 27
- Black Jacket Symphony and Alabama Symphony Orchestra present Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Alabama Theatre, June 3
- Joe Purdy with the Milk Carton Kids, WorkPlay, June 9
- Mumford & Sons with Matthew and the Atlas and the Low Anthem, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, June 12
- Bama Rising, including Alabama, Blind Boys of Alabama, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow, Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks, Kellie Pickler, Dierks Bentley, Sara Evans, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry, Martina McBride, David Nail, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Ashton Shepherd, BJCC, June 14
- David Mayfield Parade with Joel Madison Blount, WorkPlay, June 22
- David Gray with Lisa O’Neill, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, June 28
- U2, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., July 2
- O.A.R., Soja and Kelley James, Sloss Furnaces, July 17
- Josh Ritter, Mountain Session at Boutwell Studio, July 24
- Josh Ritter with Yellowbirds, Alys Stephens Center, July 24
- Beth Wood, Jesse Terry, James Casto and Matt Blanchard, Eddie’s Attic, Atlanta, Aug. 5
- Justin Townes Earle, Alys Stephens Center, Aug. 11
- Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, WorkPlay, Aug. 12
- Tonal Vision, Birmingham Arts and Music Festival, Stillwater Pub, Aug. 13
- Ben Folds, Alys Stephens Center, Aug. 20
- Patty Griffin, Alys Stephens Center, Oct. 7
- Stranded: A Day of Desert Island Music, Bottletree, Nov. 17
- Maria Taylor with Dead Fingers, Bottletree, Nov. 24
- Cedric Burnside, Gip’s Place, Dec. 17
- Dead Fingers, Monarchs, The Great Book of John and The Magic Math, Avondale Villa, Dec. 23
- Black Jacket Symphony presents U2’s The Joshua Tree, WorkPlay, Dec. 30
The sails of memory rip open in silence
Songbook, Nick Hornby’s collection of essays about music, is one of my favorite books. But I disagree with him on one thing: I don’t think associating favorite songs with a specific memory weakens the song’s power. “Life is Beautiful” takes me to fall 2008 (even though, yes, it came out years earlier) and the months I spent listening to little besides Ryan Adams’ Cold Roses. It still elicits a certain emotional response that’s difficult to describe, or explain, because I think it’s far from Ryan’s best work but it still gets me every time. “Raining at Sunset” reminds me most strongly of the day I decided not to go on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ, but it is also a song I turn to when I need to calm down. “The End” now takes me back to seeing Paul McCartney play in Nashville earlier this year, but it’s also my favorite song from my favorite album, and it captures my attention to the point that I can’t accomplish much when it’s playing. It demands my everything.
Maybe age is a factor; Hornby mentions songs that carry you through different stages of life, and he’s experienced more of those than I have. (As I near 30, I think I can look back and reflect on all I’ve learned during my adulthood. But I’m not so naive that I don’t realize there’s so much left to experience.)
For now, at least, songs take me back to the time when I initially heard them, and the events for which they served as soundtrack. Because my work allows me to spend so much time acquiring and listening to new music, each year develops a soundtrack of its own. Check back with me in 10 years and we’ll see if these songs have endured. My guess is that even as these songs become associated with different events, they’ll still bring me back to 2010.
Five from 10: Carla Jean Whitley (from Birmingham Box Set, the Birmingham magazine music blog)
And when I thought about why this should be so, why so few of the songs that are important to me come burdened with associative feelings or sensations, it occurred to me that the answer was obvious: If you love a song, love it enough for it to accompany you throughout the different stages of your life, then any specific memory is rubbed away by use. … One can only presume that the people who say that their very favorite record of all time reminds them of their honeymoon in Corsica, or of their family Chihuahua, don’t actually like music very much. –Nick Hornby, Songbook, “Your Love is the Place Where I Come From”
2010 Concerts
- 30A Songwriters Festival including Shawn Mullins, Nicole Witt, Pete Sallis, Chas Sandford, Brian White, Rodney Crowell, Chely Wright, Ballog!, Dread Clampitt, Sam Bush, Susanna Hoffs, Evan McHugh, Gary Louris, Beaches of South Walton, Fla., Jan. 15-17
- Love You Live including The Enemy Lovers, Will Hoge, Preston Lovinggood and Matthew Mayfield, WorkPlay, Feb. 17
- Punch Brothers, Montgomery Performing Arts Center, Feb.25
- Over the Rhine with Jon Black, WorkPlay, March 9
- The Civil Wars, WorkPlay, March 19
- David Gray, Atlanta Civic Center, April 10
- Paint the Town Red including The Hearts, Sharrif Simmons, Todd Simpson and Mojo Child, The Enemey Lovers and Matthew Mayfield, Downtown Birmingham loft district, April 17
- Hangout Festival, including Alison Krauss, Ray LaMontagne, Guster, Michael Franti, Ben Harper, Trey Anastasio, AA Bondy, Brett Dennen and the Zac Brown Band, Gulf Shores, May 15-17
- Alabama Symphony Orchestra Classical Mystery Tour, Alabama Theatre, May 28
- Act of Congress and Three On A String with the ASO, Alabama Theatre, June 3
- Green Leaves Listening Party, Urban Standard, July 10
- Imaginary Planes/Sunny So Brite/Great Book of John, Bottletree, July 16
- Jon Black, Bottletree, July 20
- Paul McCartney, Bridgestone Arena, July 26
- Black Jacket Symphony presents the Rolling Stones Let It Bleed, WorkPlay, Aug. 13
- Birmingham Arts and Music Festival including Grey Haven, Green Seed, Delicate Cutters, Green Leaves and Vasa, downtown Birmingham, Aug. 20-21
- Delicate Cutters Listening Party, Urban Standard, Aug. 21
- Jon Black Listening Party, Urban Standard, Oct. 16
- Rosanne Cash, Alys Stephens Center, Oct. 23
- Mumford and Sons with King Charles and Cadillac Sky, Buckhead Theater, Atlanta, Nov. 8
- Punch Brothers with Michael Tolcher, WorkPlay, Nov. 17
- Through the Sparks with Sunny So Brite, Bottletree, Nov. 27
- Black Jacket Symphony presents AC/DC’s Back in Black, WorkPlay, Dec. 17
Sometimes you just need somebody else
Originally posted on Birmingham Box Set, Feb. 8, 2010. Reposted here because it’s what I need today.
As much time as I spend bouncing from concert to fundraiser to party, the truth of the matter is that I’m an introvert. I love spending full weekends curled up in bed with my cat, a book and a cup of coffee.
Two months ago, I moved in with a roommate after two and a half years living on my own. I loved living alone. I had my own space, everything was just as I wanted it, and coming home was like a little retreat. It’s not that I don’t have those things in my new house. But I opted to live with a roommate again in part because I am so prone to retreating when something’s on my mind. Sometimes my introverted tendencies get the best of me.
This is a playlist for those times.
And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make
Nashville’s Lightning 100 dubbed July 26 “McCartney Monday,” and the mid-day DJ filled the lunch hour with all Paul McCartney, all live versions, all by request. I stopped my car and texted the request email when I heard this, then sat in my car in front of the restaurant where I was meeting a friend, hoping to hear my request. When “Helter Skelter” came up third (after “Venus and Mars Rock Show” and “The Long and Winding Road”), I danced in my seat and celebrated my song being played. I felt like a teenager who finally got to tape her new favorite song from the airwaves.
And that’s how I felt throughout the Paul McCartney concert that night. That’s the power of The Beatles’ music: It brings out that pure, simple love of a good song. There’s plenty to digest, lyrics to think through, guitar solos to pick apart. But it’s also just good music in a way that even a child with a penchant for Top 40 can recognize.
Paul seemed to enjoy the music as much as the thousands of fans gathered for his first-ever Nashville show. He and his band calmly, quietly walked on stage, but they immediately kicked up the rock with “Venus and Mars Rock Show.” Several songs in, Paul said he wanted a minute to take it all in. He slung his Hofner over his shoulder, stepped away from the mic and gazed out into the crowd as we went wild. Paul McCartney was taking us in.
The mood remained exuberant as Paul and the band switched from Beatles tunes to Wings songs to his solo material. The set was carefullly paced, with an interlude of quieter, piano-based songs (“The Long and Winding Road,” for one) followed shortly by tributes to John Lennon and George Harrison. As Paul played “Something” on the ukelele, the band returned to stage and kicked in, a moment so overwhelming it brought tears to my eyes.
There were several moments that brought me near to crying: “Blackbird” and his brief discussion of the American Civil Rights movement. The crowd sing-along during “Hey Jude.” (How cool to say that, for one night, my voice joined Paul McCartney’s!) When he spotted a fan whose sign asked him to sign the tattoo of his Hofner on her back, then brought the crying, shaking woman on stage to do just that, I wanted to cry and hug her.
There was also a lot of laughter. The screen behind the song showed Beatles Rock Band footage during “Got to Get You Into My Life.” Paul is still a showman, posing for the thousands of cameras every several minutes. When he flashed a thumbs up or winked, you could see the same boy doing that 40 years ago. He brought a young Mexican fan on stage for “Get Back.” The boy didn’t speak much English, but he sang it–and had no problem shaking his tush to the beat. I couldn’t help but laugh during the pyrotechnics of “Live and Let Die,” (I could feel the heat from the nosebleeds!) and my cheeks hurt from smiling (while I shook my own little tush) during “Helter Skelter.”
But the best, most overwhelming moment of all was the show’s conclusion. The band segued from “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” into “The End,” with Paul changing several of the “love you”s to “we really love you.” It was a celebratory cap on a special night. And as they shredded those guitars and the awesome graphics from the conclusion of Beatles Rock Band played, I literally went weak in the knees. There was one of my favorite musicians–the one who I wanted to see more than anyone alive, and who could only be topped by the band that made him famous–playing one of my favorite songs, a song that makes me stop and take it in even when listening to a mere recording, from one of my favorite albums of all time. There, in the room with me. I’ve only known and loved these songs, from the band that revolutionized music, for three years. How lucky am I to have a lifetime ahead with them?
- Venus and Mars Rock Show
- Jet
- All My Loving
- Letting Go
- Got to Get You Into My Life
- Highway
- Let Me Roll It
- Long and Winding Road
- 1985
- Let ‘Em In
- My Love
- I’m Looking Through You/Tequila
- Two of Us
- Blackbird
- Here Today
- Dance Tonight
- Mrs. Vanderbilt
- Eleanor Rigby
- Ram On
- Something
- Sing the Changes
- Band on the Run
- Obladi, Oblada
- Back in the USSR
- I Got A Feeling
- Paperback Writer
- A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance
- Let It Be
- Live and Let Die
- Hey Jude
First encore: - Day Tripper
- Lady Madonna
- Get Back
Second encore: - Yesterday
- Helter Skelter
- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)
- The End
Reviews:
The Tennessean
American Songwriter
Nashville Scene
Spinner
My life with The Beatles:
“It’s so hard to reason with you,” a tribute to “Please Please Me” and enduring Beatlemania
“All we are saying is give peace a chance,” or how the Beatles saved my friendship with Adam
“It’s a thousand pages, give or take a few,” and several hundred of them are about the Beatles
“I’m writing you to catch you up on places I’ve been,” in which the Beatles make the drive to New Orleans oh-so-much more bearable
“How do I feel by the end of the day?”–better with the Beatles.
“The more I think about it, the more I know it’s true” that the Beatles make me happy.
Top 10 albums of 2009
Originally posted on Birmingham Box Set
Every year I find myself going through phases with different albums. There are songs that show up on every playlist I make, others that bring me back to a specific moment. I think that’s one of the captivating powers of music, and for me, it’s also why it’s so fun to reflect on a year of music. I know there are dozens of albums I’ll fall in love with in 2010, some that I’ve already begun to review and can’t wait for you to hear. But these are 10 albums that will always bring me back to 2009.
- Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
During a ski trip last winter, I was immersed in this long-anticipated album from Damien Rice’s former side woman. Hannigan lived up to my high hopes with a beautifully crafted album that instantly takes me back to the ski slopes-appropriate for what sounds to me like a very wintry album. - Loney Dear – Dear John
Dear John is a similarly seasonal-sounding album, and I’ve returned to it often as temperatures have dropped this month. Emil Svanagnen layers instruments and vocals so densely that I’m still discovering more about these songs, nearly a year later. - The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
Hands down, this is my favorite album of 2009. I received a review copy in mid-January, and was still so excited about this rock musical that I was chattering incessantly about it when friends finally got their hands on it after its March release. The already-large band combined with Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond) and Jim James (My Morning Jacket) to create an epic album and, with Worden and Stark, one of the best live shows I’ve seen. - Maria Taylor – Ladyluck
I was late to the Maria Taylor game, as I didn’t discover her songwriting until her second solo release in 2007. But this Birmingham-bred musician is captivating with each release, and I often find “Time Lapse Lifeline” playing in my head. Incidentally, Taylor was also one of my more memorable interviews this year. I’ve got to like a musician who admits that getting nervous onstage helps keep her from crying during very personal songs. - Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome
Derek Webb has been one of my favorites through the years, beginning when he was one of the principle songwriters of Caedmon’s Call and continuing as he’s moved through a number of genres. His latest, Stockholm Syndrome, is sonically a complete departure from his past work, but Webb’s lyrics continue to challenge me. - Iron and Wine – Around the Well
Collections of rarities and unreleased tracks are generally not thrilling for anyone but the biggest fans of a band. But Iron and Wine is an exception, and this two-disc collection plays almost as well as a carefully thought-out album. - The Beatles – Stereo Box Set (remastered)
It’s the Beatles and it was worth every penny. Do I really have to expand on that? - The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
The Avett Brothers have generated a well-deserved buzz over the years, and it reached a crescendo with their major-label debut this fall. I and Love and You is a beautiful collection of songs, combining the band’s raw energy and musicality. Their live show is also great, as anyone who caught their set at Sloss Furnaces would attest. - The Duke and the King – Nothing Gold Can Stay
Although the songs were largely born of a difficult time in band member Simone Felice’s life, on this album pain is tinged with hope. - Fink – Sort of Revolution
I listen to a lot of different types of music-not everything, to be sure, but a variety-but mellow folk music tends to be what I listen to the most. Fink made an impression on me by combining some of those sounds with a groovy, lounge vibe. (Though I’m not including him on this list, Robert Glasper was also a contender for the same reason.)
Other contenders: Great Lake Swimmers, Sara Watkins, Robert Glasper, A Fine Frenzy, Dave Rawlings Machine.
Earlier this month, I surveyed my Twitter followers for their favorite albums of the year and received some great recommendations:
bhamboxset: Working on my top albums of 2009 post and would love to include reader picks. What’s your favorite? 4:05 PM Dec 11th from TweetDeck
mattplanet:@bhamboxset tough one…Kings of Leon would have to be up there…I’ll get back to you. 4:07 PM Dec 11th from TweetDeck in reply to bhamboxset
coflegel:@bhamboxset vulture whale, reigning sound, bondy, eels, deep dark woods, spiral stairs 4:27 PM Dec 11th from web in reply to bhamboxset
wchandlerparker:@bhamboxset fun., Passion Pit, The Damnwells, Sarah Siskind, Derek Webb, Imogen Heap, Manchester Orchestra were some of my faves… 4:44 PM Dec 11th from Echofon in reply to bhamboxset
Julie100178:@bhamboxset I like Brandi Carlisle’s Give Up the Ghost. 4:54 PM Dec 11th from TweetDeck in reply to bhamboxset
clayconner:@bhamboxset fav 2009 album: Bondy’s “When the Devil’s Loose” 8:44 PM Dec 11th from Tweetie in reply to bhamboxset
jamieparris:@bhamboxset The Low Anthem’s Oh My God Charlie Darwin and Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast 9:59 PM Dec 11th from TweetDeck
spitballarmy:@bhamboxset Farrar/Gibbard’s “One Fast Move…;” Dawn Landes’ “Sweetheart Rodeo;” Damnwells’ “One Last Century;” GLSwimmers’ “Lost Channels” 8:51 AM Dec 12th from TweetDeck in reply to bhamboxset
kristenmstewart:@bhamboxset Noble Beast, I & Love & You, Veckatimest, One Last Century, When the Devil’s Loose, No Line on the Horizon… 1:48 PM Dec 12th from Tweetie in reply to bhamboxset
And we’ll remember this when we are old and ancient
This is a concert experience so excellent it bears repeating.
I always tell people that the Ryman Auditorium is such a great concert venue, I could sing on stage and people would still applaud. There’s not a bad seat in that room, and there’s a certain magic to it. I’m not sure if that’s more because of history or acoustics. Either way, it’s a wonderful place to see a concert.
So I was thrilled months ago when it was announced that the Decemberists would be playing the Ryman in September. I’ve desperately wanted to see them on their current tour, during which they’re playing The Hazards of Love in its entirety, but their I had already been told a Birmingham stop was unlikely this time. I bought tickets immediately, so anxious to make plans that I didn’t even check my seats. It’s the Ryman. How could I go wrong?
An hour later I got curious and pulled up my confirmation email. Front row. Center.
Before the concert began, my friend Monica and I sat in our oh-so-close seats and discussed our expectations for the evening. We admitted we set the bar high: If this wasn’t the best show we attended this year, we would be disappointed. (And we both attend a lot of concerts.) But here was the thing. We were certain we wouldn’t be let down. The Hazards of Love is such an epic album that we knew the night would be memorable.
The Decemberists are apparently a brilliant live band (this was my first time to see them, but I’ve since heard that from multiple people). My heart was racing as they came on stage, and every moment of The Hazards of Love set was just right. When Shara Worden came to the front for her first solo, she instantly lifted the energy of the very excited but very polite crowd. (My mantra is now, “Shara Worden is the very definition of bad ass.”) “The Rake’s Song” was one of the evening’s highlights. I’d been anxious to see the majority of the band behind drums, and it was incredible. I thought the guys in the folding chairs set up before the front rows of pews were going to lose it.
The band took an intermission after The Hazards of Love before a second “greatest hits” set. I turned to Monica and said, “The only way this could get better would be if we were in the center of all the music.”
I’m not as familiar with the Decemberists’ back catalog, but I thoroughly enjoyed the second set. They finally got us on our feet with some gentle admonishing; I think everyone remained seated during the bulk of The Hazards of Love simply out of consideration for the rest of the audience. But now we were on our feet, singing along and cheering as Colin Meloy bantered with us.
I’m not a fan of standing ovations, and frequently plop back in my seat if I don’t think the performance merited one. This time, I was on my feet until the band returned for the encore. The final song of the evening was “Sons and Daughters,” and at the conclusion of the song Meloy prepared to lead us in a sing along. But before we could join in chorus on the song’s final line, he stepped to the front of the stage and said something to the effect of, “You guys. Get up here.”
I looked at Monica, wide-eyed, and took off. About 100 audience members clamored onto the stage. I looked up into the balcony of the Ryman as we sang, “Hear all the bombs fade away.” Sure enough, I was singing and they were still cheering.
And then, everyone on stage spontaneously began jumping up and down. It was such a communal moment; no one started it, but I don’t know that you could have remained planted on the ground unless you had a very large instrument holding you there.
At last, I was inside the music.