Loretta Lynn and Friends/Lucinda Williams

Jeff --

Man, I've had the worst fiching week.  My uncle had a heart attack last week, and has been in a coma, hooked up to life support ever since.  There is no activity in his brain save for the reflex actions controlled by the hypothalamus.  Other than that, there's no him.

Then there's the piddly stuff.  My job promoted someone over me, which has me irate, especially since my boss is treating it like it's the greatest idea in the world, asking for my approval.  My wife's out of town, in Pittsburgh.  She's coming home tonight.

Anyway, this is the state of mind I had when approaching Go Go Boots last night -- that is to say, even without alcohol in my system, I was ready for some lights out, if you know what I mean.

Interestingly, you zoomed in on two of my Achilles Heels in terms of my musical critical thinking skills: not having any preconceptions of the band/record (so hard when the band feels so close to you) and not paying so much attention to the lyrics (I take it you must have read me somewhere).  As a side note, I heard a Joe Tex song by chance the other day -- "Hold on To What You've Got."  Ever heard that one?  Great song.  Anyway, it made me realize what these guys are up to this time around: a country soul record.  I don't know why it never hit me before.  I can be slow sometimes.

Originally, I balked at the first song, mostly because two key changes in a song always feels like a forced climax to me (like Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You").  Now I was thinking about how that song made me feel -- sad, really.  I don't really have any memories like that about my uncle, not like my younger brother does.  I've always been sort of the loner of the family -- an outgoing loner, if that makes any sense.  But I found myself inside the song, to where Hood was, and when the key changes hit, I felt lifted every time -- just the way he intended it.

The title song didn't do anything for me first time.  This time, when the drums stumbled in, I was reminded off the dry, compressed sound of "Yer Blues."  Brutal.  So it made me pay attention, and boy did every word cut.  Then Shonna sang her song, and I was amazed how natural she sounded, especially in contrast to the Lucinda Williams tics everyone keeps bringing up.  "Don't let your diabetes get you."  Very nice.  And then the Mike Cooley song I didn't notice the first time made me laugh.  For no reason -- it just seemed warm and snide and knowing, all at the same time, and it made me feel good.

Needless to say, I was so amazed by what I was hearing -- every song coming into place.  The masterful story songs were even more riveting as a result.  I even liked the covers that I once thought were lame. 

So there you have it.  Aside from helping me hear something differently, I want to thank you, from one listener to another, for making me feel better this weekend, albeit indirectly.  Mercy buckets, brother. 

Michael

Having dodged all the concert talk for the entirety of this thread until a few posts ago, I figure I might as well put on my top 10 shows of all time while this comments section is still alive & sputtering:

1. Rhett Miller (’09) & the Old 97s (’07) – just the best rock shows I’d ever seen, period.

2. ACL (’08) – much hit and miss, but eternally memorable for two experiences: heard Vampire Weekend performed in its entirety (also “White Sky”, my first favorite from Contra) by the band after which it was named, and, far more importantly, heard Gogol Bordello for the very first time ever (not realizing I’d seen Eugene Hutz three years earlier in the lame-as/s Everything is Illuminated movie). I felt possessed.

3. Billy Joel (’99 or ’00) – at the peak of my obsession with my very first favorite rock artist (!), we scored nosebleed seats for this tour, my second concert. Shortly before the show started, we were approached by a guy (named “Joel” so my new theory is that he was a spiritual being of some kind), who told us Billy liked to pick out families in cheap seats and upgrade them to the first two rows. So I got to see Billy Joel from the first two rows. Would’ve touched him, too, but a bunch of teen girls got in the way (one of whom drunkenly called me “the coolest kid I know”; devastatingly, no tryst resulted).

4. The Magnetic Fields (’08) – went with my best friend and former five-year songwriting partner, who shortly thereafter got with a girl I was having an affair with and moved to L.A., and still refuses to talk to me. Shirley was there and they played “Give Me Back My Dreams” the moment I felt like it was high time to bring it up as a request.

5. Glenn Tillbrook (’01) – see earlier description

6. Brian Wilson & his band (’04) – touring SMiLE, performed in its entirety; all the hits got played and he was in good spirits, even as he was still limited to the corner of his mouth. Closed with a very pretty, very down-to-earth and affecting “Love and Mercy”.

7. The New Pornographers (’10) – only show I’ve ever been to alone, and I’m sure I alienated everybody with my frenetic bopping. Nearly didn’t make it and managed to arrive seconds before they came on. Whole band was in rare presence, so it didn’t matter that Neko was way off on “Letter from an Occupant”. Dan Bejar was everything I wanted him to be that night, everything he isn’t on his albums – cool, communicative, and with a clear sense of humor about himself even as he did his notorious stage-leaving shtick. As they closed with “Testament to Youth in Verse” he took one last swig of beer, turned his back to the audience and did this bizarre bop I’ll never forget.

8. Nick Lowe (’08) – cons: solo acoustic, showing major signs of age, opener was Ron Sexsmith. Pros: terrific voice featuring appropriate creaks, graceful & supremely witty (our host/hero’s apt At My Age pan notwithstanding), played every pick hit. A delight.

9. Bishop Allen (’07) – early in the stages of my second time being with my one true high school love, whom I’ve been with since our reunion. I never saw a note of this show; we spent the whole time outside talking, then went back to my house early to watch What’s Up, Doc? & share a six of IBC cream soda. The loveliest time of my life, so far.

10. Spring Awakening, Broadway touring company, Austin (’09) – the OCR of this is really lousy, and really confirms how sorry the songs are. But the first time, from a distance, it was a mysterious, dark revelation, and the second time, from the first row and off to the corner, it exploded with life and depth and beauty. Star: Jake Epstein, of Degrassi fame, with whom my GF got a much-desired picture. This was compensated for by the fact that former Canadian Idol Steffi D, my crush of the show, sang her part of the last number directly to me, a fact which she confirmed as we stood outside to greet the performers.

Squeeze are whores