Lloyd
The band did a "meet and greet" at 7pm at Music Millenium (an hour late, but
no one cared). They were all very cordial. Steve mentioned to someone that he
hated this, though. As we spoke, the store phone rang and I said that it was
for Steve. He said it was his mother and had told her not to call him here.
The band stayed for about an hour, signing and talking to about 75 or so. The
store played all of "Hologram", then played "Bastard Universe" which caused
Marty to stand up and jokingly yell "BORING!".
The show had the same set list except for one variation from the others. They played NSEW before Ripple. There were about 400 in attendance. Pilot was indeed the opener. They played a type of psychadelic-roots rock.
Aura- With the intro playing out as the band walked in, the woman next to me kept saying "oh my god" over and over. With the line "They worshiped Baal, they worshiped the sun (Son?)", it proved to be a great opener.
Myrrh- It was clear already that the band had not lost anything. Tim makes them even more solid. What a drummer! Marty really was into playing live again it seemed.
After the song Steve said "You're not loud enough" jokingly, then added "I'll need to see an ear therapist tomorrow.".
An Interlude- It seems no one had forgotten this song at all.
NSEW
Ripple
Old Flame
Louisiana- Tim played a cool one minute or so intro to this. The album had only made it to Music Millenium, so not everyone seemed familiar with this song yet. The crowd's response was still strong.
Hotel Womb- The crowd was cheering all throughout this song. That was one thing that held true for the crowd-they cheered during the middle of the songs for whoever was playing their part. Most audiences seem to cheer only after songs! Not Church fans! After the song someone asked for "Milkyway" and Steve said that "someone else did that." Then he finished with saying "The Fixx!!".
Grind- Steve added the Aerosmith part "Everytime I look in the mirrior..." as he had in the other cities. The crowd that caught on loved it.
Buffalo- Steve said "this is off the new record that just came out, or did it?!
Day Of The Dead- It was great to see Peter add his part to this song. After it ended, someone near me exclaimed "That was wild!" It really was. Seeing Marty and Peter playing together can be a mystifying experience!
UTMW- Yes, everyone knew this!
Two Places At Once- Marty got big cheers when he started his vocal part.
Almost With You- Once again a big cheer for a classic that has not been forgotten.
Reptile- The crowd went absolutly nuts for this song. Marty plays "Rock God" and everyone knows he can!
Encore 1
The band comes out and Marty says "Maybe next time we'll be upstairs", refering to the bigger room above us. Steve replied "Maybe next time we'll REALLY be upstairs!" The crowd knew he didn't mean the room!
Destination- Steve sings " It's not a religion, it's just a technique. It's just a way of making you FFFFFREAK OUT!".
Tantalized- Yes, we all were!
Encore 2
You Took- Marty tries out his Big Muff that he purchased earlier that day in Portland. As the last notes of the song rang out, Marty handed his guitar to the audience! They did give it back!
This show was amazing. There truly is no other band that plays so well together. Welcome back Peter! After the show, backstage, Marty was asked where they found Tim and he said "on the beach under a rock in Bondi!. They all stayed and talked backstage for at least an hour (minus Peter-he had technical difficulties and was not happy, though I'm not sure anyone notice any problems with his sound). Everyone was in a good mood and we all felt somewhat blessed and energized for the 2.5 hour road trip to Seattle for tomorrow's show.
Observations:
* Aura was an unexpectedly great opener. Pete achieved the swells and washes with a synth-like effect and quick strumming.
* An Interlude was just remarkable, it's always been a fave of mine and it was great here. Tim just exploded the energy level when they went into the outro.
* Old Flame was very lovely; Steve's picked bass didn't sound quite as creamy as on record, but Marty's warm arpeggios and Peter's "echoey-achey" volume swells were alternately pretty and haunting.
* Louisiana came off great, but both here and in Seattle, the crowd seemed to think it was UTMW at first, cheering loudly when Marty started strumming the intro! Perhaps, like they did with Buffalo, they should announce it's a new single.
* Hotel Womb--this was where I had my clearest sense of how great Peter and Marty work together. Their parts and interaction were just beautiful.
* Day of the Dead--Peter created some very strange and edgy atmospheric sounds with slide and effects.
* UTMW - seemed a bit flat but was recieved with vigour (it's a paradox--a classic that really isn't one of their most compelling songs, espc. live)
* 2 Places at Once--very good and never seemed to drag despite its length. Peter handled the electric guitar role and put some very nice twists on Marty's parts. Marty's harmonies on Steve's choruses were a bit off, but he nailed his own choruses.
Overall, a great show. It was so very good to see Peter--he is really the sonic sky in which Marty flies. Though he was pretty reserved, and his mike went unused all night (he was singing in Seattle, though). Tim was a tremendous anchor--there was just a palpable sense that this was a real band. Steve wasn't talkative and only smiled a few times, but they were too good for me to quibble any further! Marty was pretty much a live wire all night, and recieved the lion's share of attention.
It was also a blast to see them at Music Millennium before the show--I was nervous but it was till fun. Steve had a _very_ grim and unenthused look on his face when he first walked in, but seemed to warm up as things went along. Peter was quiet but personable, Tim was very nice and talkative, and Marty was jovial. I brought a copy of Snow Job for Tim to sign and he said he really thought that was an album that deserved more success (and I agree). Marty seemed a bit surprised to see my copy of Seeing Stars; he asked if I liked it and said it was "recorded in 20 minutes".
I could go on, but that's enough for now. It was worth the flight from Missouri, and I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to see them while it's there!
take care,
Kevin
Marty expressed no condolences when I lamented missing him in Minneapolis in 1990 because I was too young, instead told me he was "really great" that night, then when I asked about how he got to Australia, he mentioned his ex-wife - I asked about his name, he said family name, I said, I'd heard that's a good sign in Britain (stupid, stupid, nervous me!), and he spun this outrageous story about his millionaire father who had an unfortunate gambling/alcohol addiction losing his last million on the roulette table just after Marty was born forcing Marty to grow up without shoes until he ran away from home at the age of ten, finding his first guitar and working as a street minstrel. It was incredibly funny, except that I was totally embarrassed for being an idiot, but he seemed to get a good laugh out of it.
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