Twice if you're lucky

Plenty has happened since the last time I saw Crowded House in August 2007.  Though the band hasn't toured these parts since Time On Earth, I haven't exactly suffered from a Finn drought.  There was the Split Enz concert in Wellington, 2008; Neil solo and with the 7 Worlds Collide brigade at Largo in 2009.  Young Liam also toured the midwest in 2009 with that other band I like.  But when 2010 brought a new Crowded House album and tour, I was happy to sign on for the local concerts: Chicago and Milwaukee.

The two venues didn't have much in common.  Chicago's show was at the House of Blues, with a raucous, drunk, very enthusiastic audience.  In Milwaukee the band returned to the lush Pabst Theater, with a smaller, more attentive, (mostly) more sedate crowd.  I had a good time at both shows, but oddly Milwaukee featured more audience banter and interaction.  Mark Hart even climbed down into the crowd during the show, tasked with deciphering the request of an inebriated audience member.  Mark was sidetracked by someone else, which was for the best: the man wanted Neil to play a song by himself.  However, Neil was determined to find out what the guy was saying.  He announced that if someone could land a paper airplane onstage with a transcription as well as their own request, he guaranteed they'd play it.  What an offer!  I can't fold a paper airplane, but from the third row I'm sure I could have fashioned something that would fly far enough.  The only thing stopping me was a complete lack of paper.  Maybe the drunk man's comment wasn't worth hearing, but I would have reported the hell out of it in exchange for "Catherine Wheels."

Nevertheless, I have no complaints about the songs that were played over the two nights.  Chicago's setlist held its own with songs like "Chocolate Cake" (echoing the jokes we'd made at dinner when Sam got free birthday chocolate cake at the HoB restaurant) and the insanely fun "I Got You."  (I challenge anyone to stand still during "I Got You.")  A guitar-tuning jam evolved into a cover of CCR's "Born on the Bayou" with Mark on lead vocals.  Neil's dad was hooked up to watch the show by video chat, via a laptop that sat onstage the whole night.  At the end the crowd got the opportunity to say hello, and listen in as Nick Seymour ask the elder Mr. Finn a few questions.  "Is it a nice day there in New Zealand?"  "No, it's a terrible day."

Milwaukee's setlist was substantially different from Chicago's, featuring eight songs that hadn't been played on Sunday.  I was pleased to hear one of my favorites from the new album, "Amsterdam," even if  the song seems to cast the entire city as a bastion of immorality.  The verse of "Black and White Boy" spliced into "Private Universe" was also a treat (I'm not counting that as a ninth different song), and I could sing along to classics like "Mean to Me" and "Weather With You" all night.  But when Neil sat down at the keys to play "Message to My Girl," the acoustics of the Pabst really came through.  Speaking of the theater, Neil seemed to find the confluence of consonants in "Pabst" entertaining.  He also mentioned the Pfister Hotel.  "You're probably used to it, but I find it quaint and exotic."  And, once again, Wayne's World came up.  I wonder if Dana Carvey and Mike Myers are aware of being the world's Milwaukee ambassadors.   

After the Milwaukee show was over, I lingered outside chatting with friends.  When I finally headed to my car I noticed the band had begun to emerge from the theater.  Having scored a setlist earlier from the soundboard, I decided that stopping for a bit would be worth the later bedtime.  At long last, I met Neil Finn.  For about ten seconds.  (I don't think letting him and Sharon past at the soundboard after Wilco in Wellington counted as a meeting.)  The rest of the band signed my setlist too, and it was a nice ending to my two days of Crowded House.  There was talk that the band might return to play a few big-market shows in the U.S. next year.  I'd prefer Madison, of course, but if the Crowdies come within my Mad-Mil-Chi concert radius, I think you can count me in.  

For the accurate setlist as played, look here.

Tonight will be an open mic

Maybe it wasn't quite an open mic, but Saturday's New Pornographers/Dodos/Duchess and the Duke show in Milwaukee featured plenty of folks taking turns on vocals.  Between the three bands, there were more lead vocalists than I've seen at one non-variety show, possibly ever.  Despite my initial "I'm too old for this" grumpiness about multiple openers, I can't complain.

According to my sources in Chicago, The Duchess and the Duke were coming off a big night of drinking and performing at the Empty Bottle.  Perhaps that's why they winced in pain when the spotlights came on.  They requested the lights be dimmed, and then toward the end of the set, requested twice more that they be turned down.  After that last request (which was just before the last song), the lighting guy turned the spotlight off entirely.  Ha!  Their finale of "I Am Just a Ghost" ended with everyone on stage singing the lyric a capella, over and over.  I'm not sure how long they planned to continue, but the end came definitively when someone accidentally kicked over a microphone and the Pabst erupted in cheers.

The second openers, The Dodos, were very percussiony. That happens to be the quickest path to my heart upon first listen to any band, especially live. The drummer attached a tambourine to his foot via duct tape straps, and there was a vibraphone player who also had a drum kit. Two drum kits!  What more could I ask for?  Well...

The New Pornographers opened with "Sing Me Spanish Techno."  Talk about setting the energy bar as high as possible.  They were more than up to the challenge for the rest of night, and I think the crowd was too.  It turns out Carl Newman loves both of the opening bands.  "I'm not usually one for watching bands.  I hate music.  But I had to watch those guys."  He also loves the Pabst, claiming he wants to change the vote he gave in a Pitchfork interview for best venue.  Sure, he probably tells that to all the cities.

I have to consider the possibility that my slightly negative impression of the last NP's show I saw in Madison might have been due to the simple fact that it was my first NP's show without Dan Bejar, after having finally seen them with Dan in 2007.  The wealth of talented individuals The New Pornos bring to the mix (including a cellist/saxophonist for a grand total of nine people in Milwaukee) notwithstanding, there's something magnetic about Dan Bejar.  Whenever he took the stage, cheers of "DAN!" - mostly masculine - could be heard from the audience.  The loafers and white pants (a look I somehow simultaneously associate with Europe and boating), the back-to-the-crowd guitar stance, the omnipresent glass of wine or beer bottle, the flourish of a bow before a quick exit after singing a song, the distinctive voice and inscrutable lyrics, the perpetual air of nonchalance ... all part of the package.  I'd love to see Destroyer sometime.

Neko Case was in excellent voice as well.  Though Kathryn Calder can more than hold her own vocally - and did on such songs as "Adventures in Solitude" - Neko's presence in the lineup shouldn't be underestimated.  (And never seems to be, judging from reviews.)  My favorite of her performances Saturday night was the powerful "My Shepherd."  During the show, I realized I was standing in nearly the same spot I sat when Neko joined Jakob Dylan at the Pabst in April.  Neko probably thinks she has a Milwaukee stalker now.  Of course, it's possible that she does.  While John Collins worked out a tuning issue, Carl announced he would take questions from the audience.  Someone: "I LOVE NEKO!"  Carl: "Could you phrase that in the form of a question?  'Why do I love Neko so much?'"  Carl suggested it was because Neko makes dog cookies that are almost good enough for people to eat.  Neko said actually, that wasn't her.

The questions continued: what does Dan do when he's not on stage?  They didn't know for sure.  Both Neko and Carl said they could guess, and put money on the fact that he was drinking beer or wine.  At this juncture, Dan appeared on stage with a bottle of beer.  He wandered over to Carl, conferred, and headed off again.  Carl joked about his mysterious manner.  "He just said something about an apothecary."  Next question: what happened when your bus broke down?  Carl: "Really?  That's news?  Since I slept through it, I'm going to say that ... the bus broke down, and it got fixed."

Dan's duo of Jackie songs - "Jackie" and "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras" - was fun to hear in the same show.  Toward the middle of the set, Dan came out for a vocal turn.  Carl demanded to know where Dan got his Spotted Cow, and whether he had a stash.  Carl requested the bottle, which was handed over.  He said this was all about giving; a good intro to the next song.  Dan looked at him.  "Isn't this 'Spirit of Giving?'" Carl asked.  "I'm not holding a guitar..." Dan replied, grinning.  "Oh, right.  Never mind."  Carl told Dan to get another beer, because it was too weird for him to be on stage without.  Dan grabbed a PBR tallboy from the stash near the drum kit.  He opened it, took a sip, and grimaced elegantly. Then began the song.

At one point, Carl impulsively asked for audience requests and then proceeded to shoot them all down.  "I hope someone happens to request something we actually want to play," he explained.  I called out for "Breakin' the Law," but it got lost in the shouting.  Or ignored.  Someday ... someday.

I'm now even more torn between my choices for August 4th: stay in town and see The New Pornographers again at the Orpheum, or trek back to Milwaukee for The National?  Time will tell.

Printed setlist is accurate, except they didn't play "The Body Says No"

Singin' songs I knew

If I don't write about this now I'll never get to it, so: I saw Jakob Dylan and Three Legs last night at the Pabst!  I confess that I bought a ticket to this show for two main reasons: first, Jakob Dylan is touring with Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, whom I like very much.  Secondly, in high school I had a bit of a crush on Jakob Dylan.

Even if these weren't the soundest of reasons to attend a weeknight show in Milwaukee, I enjoyed myself.  Guitar player Paul Rigby and Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel were major reasons for that.  Jakob Dylan has really assembled an excellent band.  Most of the songs played were from Jakob's latest album Women and Country, but there were some selections from his previous solo album and two from Bringing Down the Horse ... a record I remember fondly from 1996.  It was a trip to hear "6th Avenue Heartache" live, with Kelly Hogan and Neko Case singing backup.  Neko and Jakob had a lot of fun singing together on "All Day and All Night," complete with some graphic hand gestures from Neko.  Kelly got a great response from the crowd for her lead verse of "Three Marlenas."  I'm glad I made the trip to Milwaukee - after all, what would I have done at home instead?  Packed for the wedding weekend instead of doing so right now?  (Eeep!)