Deep Ellum Live, Dallas, TX16th November 1997 |
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Eric's review
GREAT SHOW IN DALLAS TEXAS
Got down to the venue around 12 noon and hooked up with Larry I. Berger.
Watched the load in a little bit and then came back around 4 pm.
Hung on the bus with Jen the tour manager and Andy S. and Jason Mercer.
I kind of knew that Andy was Andy after a few minutes but had no idea
who Jason was till sound check.
When we first entered the tour bus Ani was sleeping under the kitchen
table kind of and Larry helped her into a bunk so she could stretch out.
She looked tired. They had a long 5 weeks
Sound check was a real treat as all the songs soundchecked were given
very bizarre treatments with different timings and lots of experimenting.
At one point the room which was basically a tin shed probably the
nastiest venue of the month for the band. Well the room was totally echoing
and slapping back hard delay while Andy was smacking the drums in the fast rhythm
and the echo slapback was kind of very freeky - sounding like a drum
machine almost - and Ani started scratching the mic with her finger nails
and started talking like an educational nature show about how the female
dung beetle will be seen here killing its mate and tearing the head off
and how the mating rituals of the African beetle bla bla bla and it was
funny as she was goofing on like being the narrator to National
Geographic.
Also a few nice Ani tunes for soundcheck and also the Beatles Dear
Prudence.
At the end of soundcheck Ani sat behind the drums and Jason played
guitar and the jammed a bit and then it was over.
Back on the bus for a few after soundcheck.
I get to meet the folksinger and hang on the bus for a few laughs about
some photos of me and the PA tech Larry I. in our highschool garage band
18 years ago. She thought they were hysterical as we all did
Next Jason and Larry I. and myself went in to downtown Dallas' west end
where the mission at hand was getting these guys some real Texas BBQ.
The whole Texas leg of the tour depended on this so we ate like pigs
ribs and beers and chicken and it was good.
They were so happy. After dinner I drove Larry and Jason to Dealy Plaza where John F.
Kennedy was assasinated.
It really is a bizarre sight to be at and it blew Jason away so much
that after the show he took the video girls that have been following the
band and filming everything down to the SIGHT to shoot some video and
see it again before leaving Dallas.
The set list was great
Gravel
Eric
Willing To fight
Little Plastic Castle
Fuel
Diner
Two little girls
Anticipate
Letter To A John
Untouchable Face
Every State Line
Shy
Fire Door - very different arrangmnt no drums, Ani on BANJO - very
slow and mellow
Napoleon
Cradle And All
Shameless - also new beat break down to start the song very different
from the Living In Clip version
encores:
Worthy
Not So Soft - just Andy and Ani with drums between their legs going nuts and
Ani doing the talking rapping thing