Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends; 2/11 Kris Kristofferson Concert Review

I saw Kris Kristofferson tonight in concert at Jesse Auditorium on the University of Missouri Campus in Columbia with my dad. I'd been in Jesse Hall many times, but never in the Auditorium as far as I could remember. It's a pretty intimate venue. I got tickets that were about 13 rows back and right in the middle. A little far back, but a great view still.
The time on the tickets said 7 PM so we got there a little around 6. I wasn't sure if that was opening door time or the actual start time. We had to wait around awhile, and even ran into people we know from our hometown, small world and the doors opened at 6:30. And right around 7 or a little after the house lights dimmed and a local dj came out and did the intro and announcements. And then Kris came out. I didn't know how the set-up would be, if it'd be him or a band or something else. But throughout the whole night, it was just Kris, his guitar and harmonica.
Here's a partial set list, based on an earlier tour stop. It's pretty close to the same order, but he played 33 songs by my count tonight. Will be reedited if I see another set-list. Here's a link to another set list from another earlier stop

Shipwrecked in the 80's
Closer To The Bone
Darby's Castle
Me and Bobby McGee
Best Of All Possible Worlds
Here Comes That Rainbow
Help Me Make It Through the Night
Casey's Last Ride
Nobody Wins
Daddy's Song
The Heart
Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)

---Intermission----

Jesus Was A Capricorn
Come Sundown
Duvalier's Dream
Just the Other Side of Nowhere
Jody and The Kid
The Pilgrim Chapter 33
To Beat The Devil
The Promise
The Final Attraction
Sunday Morning Coming Down
The Silver Tongued Devil and I
For The Good Times
-----encore------
A Moment Of Forever
Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends
Why Me Lord?



Other songs I know he played were Johnny Lobo, Sky King.
For a man of 73 and the life and times he's lived and experienced, he looks pretty good. And he was in good spirits, joking around with the crowd all night. After the first song he said, "...I used to work at Columbia Records. I have a son named Jesse. Coincidence? I think not." Then following the next couple of songs, he mentioned how he was battling a cold and in self-deprecating manner said, "...Not like you can really tell the difference... I know just what you all paid good money for, to see an old fart up here blowing his nose." He did have to wipe his nose quite a bit. And through the later part of the first set, didn't use his harmonica, because "No way I can reach that, so I guess I won't use it."
He added all kinds of ad-libs throughout the night during the songs. Toward the end of Best of All Possible Worlds, he said that Roger Miller could do a great outro-guitar part, but that he can't, "...So the song ends here." And I can't remember the song, but it was inspired by Roger McGuinn keeping a camera watching the front of his driveway and Kris and some others wanting to play a prank by letting his neighbors know about it.
Kris' voice is no longer gravelly like it used to be, but now it's more of a weathered voice that has lived through the songs and into old age. You can feel the emotion he still pours out, straining to get some of those notes. I already mentioned the wit and wryness that comes out in some of his songs, but he runs the whole gamut. You can feel the pain and sorrow, he sings then watch as he turns in ballads of redemption and takes on freedom and love.
He didn't say very much political. He did mention during one song about America having 'the most people in prison of anywhere else in the world,' and after Nobody Wins, said "This is what Dick Cheney said to George Bush in the shower." But I'd read a review from a show a year before and it looked like he said the same thing then.
In the second part of the set he had a song called Sky King, to the tune of Big Bad John about his army flight instructor that was hilarious. And a song called the Final Attraction, he said was about watching Willie Nelson perform from the side of the stage and later mentioned heroes and friends that have fallen (Hank, Johnny and June, Roger Miller, Mickey Newbury) and accidentally mentioned Willie, when he meant Waylon. He also in the first part of the show mentioned his friend and guitar player Stephen Bruton who recently passed away.
Highlights for me, were seeing the classics of course, but my faves in particular of his are, The Pilgrim Chapter 33, The Silver Tongued Devil and I and Loving Her Was Easier. Before the Silver Tongued Devil, he played Sunday Morning Coming Down and mentioned why he was wandering the streets on a Sunday morning, was because the bars were all closed on Sunday mornings in Nashville. "But by sundown," led him going into the Tallyho Tavern. He stopped after the first verse and related how his son at age five, heard him playing it, and told him it was a bad song, because "You're trying to blame your problems on someone else!" Gotta love it because he picked that up, but still too young to get the dual nature of the song. He didn't play the second verse though, don't know if he forgot or what...
But for the encore he was gone maybe 2 minutes, and came back, "Guess you could tell I wasn't going very far," or something along those lines.
All in all a great performance. I talked with a guy sitting next to me, who'd seen him the year before and said me and my dad would enjoy it. Said, he'd play his hits, some new stuff and not draw songs out, which he didn't. He played for a little under 2 hours, with the 10 min or so intermission("Get whatever you can get done in 15 minutes" Kris said before the break).
Another legend that everyone should see while he's still with us...

The End is Nigh! A Republican Win in Massachusetts

Scott Brown wins the special Senate election in Massachusetts! And the former seat that was held by Ted Kennedy, no less! Sure he may be a RINO, but puts the breaks on the Democratic machine from going full-speed ahead. But still A Republican state-wide win in probably the most liberal die-hard Democrat state there is(Sorry Vermont, you have elected several Republican officials and independents in the last few years). What's next, South Carolina voting for a pro-Abortion, tax raising, Atheist?

Should Indianapolis even bother showing up next weekend?

They might as well just forfeit. It would hurt them anything, except maybe Peyton Manning's consecutive start streak, but hey after today its apparent they don't care about anything like that.
And it would be smart. They'd save money from having to fly the team and all the personnel to Buffalo and it wouldn't cost them anything. Plus, they'd be sure not to risk any kind of injuries to anybody. And it would give the Bills, a potential A.F.C. rival, a later pick in the draft. It's win win!

To me it boggles the mind, why you wouldn't try to keep the streak going and try for the perfect season. You could see the fire and desire in Manning's eyes, with his helmet on throughout. I hope if they don't win the Super Bowl, whoever had the final say in this is canned.

Bands that should get back together(Original Members!)

There are always bands breaking up and going on reunion tours. Half the time acts from the 70s and 80s, you see might have two original members at best and are usually playing casino's and other venues that should be way too small for them. I'm looking at you Foreigner.
I'm talking about groups that should get back together and hit the road and studio for new material, with the original members or at least a lineup that was considered its best.

1. The Kinks - This would be my personal fave to see happen. All the principal members are still alive and kicking. With the passing of Pink Floyd's Rick Wright, no other major band of the 60's can make this claim. The Kinks are probably the most underrated band in the history of rock music. They've been called the "quintessential British band" and have the eccentricities and kitschy-ness that make them unique. Although I'm not a die-hard fan, there's just something in their songs and melodies that jump out for me. They go all over the spectrum from their early British Invasion type songs, then into the concept albums and of course one of my favorite songs Lola(It's not a cross-dressing man... or it doesn't have to be). If they would go out on the road again, I'd make it a point to catch them.

2. Van Halen- I'm talking about the 4 original members, not with little Eddie playing bass and making it a Van Halen family affair. For the record I don't mind "Van Hagar." I guess Sammy gives 'em a little more guitar sound if need be. Get Michael Anthony back on bass on their next go round though. I'm not a big fan of the group(Way to overplayed on a local rock station), but it'd be interesting to the lineup...

3. Guns and Roses- And you thought there'd be drama with that one above. I highly doubt they could ever recapture their glory of the late 80s, but if it could last they'd be a blast to see. They weren't a hair band, more a really, really hard rock band, but even before their break-up felt the effects of Nirvana. But Aerosmith came back with a bang after 10 years or so in the dark and fragmented...

4. Alabama- Yeah, they went on a "Farewell Tour" in 2004, but do you honestly expect to never preform together again? Sort of like Brooks & Dunn's farewell for 2010. They will regroup. Hell, Garth Brooks came out and did a run of shows in Kansas City. The boredom, money and sense of camaraderie will come out in time. Just get it done with.

5. The Eagles- They need to get Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner back for a tour. It'd be hard because they don't really seem concerned with making a bunch of more cash like Henley and Frey seem to do. But I'd love to see them return more to their country-rock roots of the first couple of albums. It'd be cool to see them do "Desperado" the album in concert, which seems to be one of the trends these days. They are the forefathers of the music on country radio today after all. You notice they don't stand a chance on any kind of rock stations...
They don't even have to get rid of Joe Walsh and Timothy Schmidt. Willie Nelson has two bass players or I'm sure one could play piano/keyboards or another guitar, while Frey or Leadon plays other instruments at different times. Just lose the other 10 guys they have on stage..

Changing fonts constantly. Why?

Why does this thing always want to change Fonts, when I'm in the middle of writing something? And it never edits correctly and I wind up having three different fonts in a post, because it won't change the fonts and sizes even though I change the whole thing. Aggravating...

10/25 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Concert Review

On this rainy Sunday night the Boss returned to St. Louis and the Scottrade Center, a little more than a year after his last appearance at the same venue. Like last year, which was sort of a mixed bag for me, I went with my dad. I wasn't a real big Springsteen fan then and the general consensus was it was the best show of the Magic Tour. Since then I've become a bigger and more familiar Springsteen fan. So how did the Working on A Dream Tour stop go?...
We got there about 40 minutes before the "scheduled" start time of 7:30, but like last year it wasn't anywhere close to starting then. I had better seats, 22 rows back, but right to the side of the stage. A little difficult to see the video screen, but a great view of the Big Man and nice view of seeing the whole band. While waiting we noticed a yellow foam cowboy hat with Cadillac Ranch written on it. I was hoping maybe an early request that might get honored, but alas it wasn't meant to be...
It was a little before 8:30 before Springsteen & Co. took to the stage(Better than last year's hour and a half wait, but still pissed my old man off) with Big Boss Man playing on the loud speakers. About a month ago it was announced that here and other concert stops he'd be playing complete albums in concert and it was Born to Run for St. Louis. Tomorrow night KC gets Born in the U.S.A., a flip of the coin for me, the latter has more friendly songs, but the former has my favorite song... And last year he did play 5 of the songs off Born to Run here...
The opening song was his recently written one about the closing of Giants Stadium, Wrecking Ball. It was alright, maybe its also possible thoughts on the future of the E Street Band...
Like I said I'm a lot more familiar with Bruce now, and overall this was a better experience. He played a few more hits and I recognized a lot more. Heck, except for a few moments during the Born to Run album sequence, the whole night flew by. I couldn't believe it had been three hours...
Set List

Wrecking Ball
Seeds
Prove It All Night
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Curt Ramm)
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She's the One
Meeting Across the River (with Curt Ramm)
Jungleland
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Working on the Highway
The Promised Land
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Badlands
No Surrender
* * *
For You (solo piano)
Raise Your Hand (instrumental)
Roll Over Beethoven
Surprise, Surprise
Detroit Medley
American Land
Dancing in the Dark
Rosalita (with Curt Ramm)



During Hungry Heart, he made his way to the back of the front GA pit and did his usual crowd surfing back to the stage which was a hoot. His wife, like last year, wasn't with the band. He didn't do much talking except at the very beginning saying "Hey St. Louis!" and he yelled out "How are you doing Sophie?" at one point remembering the sign which read 'Sophie Loves Bruce' from last year, which gave him the push to play one more song, Twist and Shout, last year. And before introducing Born to Run and a little of the history about it and its importance. At the end he gathered Max Weinberg, Clarence Clemons, Garry Tallent, Steven Van Zandt, Roy Bittan and the spirit of the late Danny Federici, acknowledging the men who made the album with him.
Thunder Road was cool to see again, but didn't really get me excited. The second song of the album is my fave and was glad to hear after not getting hit with a Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out last year. That's where it started cooking for me. The drumming of Mighty Max starting Night was simply amazing work and made me appreciate that song more than I normally do. Like last year, he's the driving force and constantly working. Backstreets was a stellar emotional performance, one of the best of the night. Then the house lights came up mid set for usual set closer Born to Run, which had a lot of added jamming. She's the One, not my favorite and while Meeting Across the River and the start of Jungleland was one where everyone sat and you could hear a pin drop, 2-5 songs were the heart of the album performance.
Waitin' on a Sunny Day, Bruce did his usual routine of gathering a little kid to help sing the chorus and the little kid did a heck of a job, and with Bruce's help at the end, shouting out "Take it Big Man!" After that hearing Working on the Highway and No Surrender were treats for the fans. The only songs I couldn't figure out were Seeds and shamefully The Promised Land.
There really wasn't much of a encore break. The gathered after No Surrender and Bruce collected a sign that read "Bruce Play the Piano," which he did while everyone else left the stage. For You was another one where everyone in the arena was quiet. He added some more humor by having trouble with the lyrics(they were on front and back) and getting sound to the piano. It was another good moment, though he did play the song by sign request last year with the whole band...
And once again he picked up a Chuck Berry inspired sign request, "We always get Chuck Berry requests when we play in St. Louis," and played Roll Over Beethoven, "Like We do it on E Street!" which was another blast of the night. After that for a girls fifteenth birthday Surprise, Surprise was played by request. And the final request was for "Devil in A Blue Dress", which turned into the Detroit Medley, another song played last year, but another rocking tune which got everyone cheering, even my dad. Other sign requests not honored I could see and remember were for, A Night with the Jersey Devil (from Sophie), Because the Night, Pink Cadillac, Blinded by the Light, Candy's Room, Mary's Place, Paradise by the "C", and Held Up Without A Gun. Dancing in the Dark not one of my faves, would have much, much rather gotten a Glory Days. But it was fun and house lights up, with Bruce grabbing up several younger women to dance, as well as a woman with a Red Headed Woman sign. And Rosalita brought the rock & roll show to a rollicking ending.
One of the other best moments came during the band intros. When finally getting to Clarence, he added "...Bigger than Shakespeare!" while the Big Man was holding a copy of his new book. Priceless.
Like I said, for me, this was a much better experience(I got to him do my fave song of his!), but to the expectations from last year and the fact that this tour was winding down as well, especially after rave reviews from his recent Philly shows, it probably was disappointing for the really die-hards. I know Backstreets.com echoed this thought in their review, while the Post Dispatch review was quite the opposite. I think the playing of the album cut down on some of the spontaneity and set changing. Plus last year was the penultimate show to the Magic Tour and it was still late summer. I mean the crowd was into it, but after Rosalita, there wasn't a real hard push for "one more." Maybe Bruce just wasn't feeling it tonight, not to mention possibly fighting a cold.
Obviously, there could have been one or two more, another hit some place, but I had a ball. I'm tempted to call in tomorrow and go to KC...

10/13 Tom Russell at Mojo's in Columbia Concert Review

The very great and under appreciated Tom Russell played at Mojo's Tuesday night in Columbia. He played there last year I believe and I didn't go. Then when I saw on his tour schedule months ago he was going to be at the Blue Note, I started making formulative plans in the back of my mind. Well, it ended up being at Mojo's after it was announced, more on that later...
It was a pretty crappy day and night overall, raining non-stop. After a slight detour to Slacker's to kill some time(and a couple of bought cds), I made it to Mojo's a little after 7 and the show didn't start for an hour, but it took a little while to keep warmed up. I'd never been to Mojo's before, the nickname of being a "little sister" to the Blue Note is pretty accurate. It's even more confined and less space and sort of off the beaten path on the very northern edge of the downtown business district and bordering residential areas. I'm not knocking the venue, but for an artist of Tom Russell's caliber and stature(Grammy winner?) he should have at least been at the Blue Note or Jesse Auditorium or the Missouri Theater...
It made for an "intimate" show though. Heck there's no backstage and the performers came up from behind the audience, which was made of mostly over 40 people with a few gray beards. There was one kid, I saw was a minor without the Bud wristband, with his dad, so I wasn't the youngest person there, minus the staff...
Now, I thought about it there were a few more younger people in the back.
But on to the show, it was a great show. He didn't play the two songs I was most familiar with Gallo del Cielo or Navajo Rug, but I had bought his latest album "Blood and Candle Smoke," and listened to it a couple of times. He ended up playing every song off of the album throughout the evening. He played around two hours with a ten minute intermission. Here's the set list from my memory the order on the songs are probably jumbled

• East of Woodstock, West of Viet Nam
• Mississippi River Runnin Backwards
  
• Nina Simone
• Guadalupe
• Criminology
• Darkness Visible
  
• Stealing Electricity
  
• Finding You
• Who's Gonna Build Your Wall

-----Intermission--------

• Don't Look Down
• Santa Ana Wind
• Crosses of San Carlos
• The Most Dangerous Woman in America
• American Rivers
• a spoken poem by Charles Bukowski /poem> That's What Work Is/a story about Dave Van Ronk >Orphan Train
  
• Blue Wing
• Tower of Song>Pugilist at 59

I don't know if I have a favorite song of the evening. Pugilist at 59 was very good and Who's Gonna Build Your Wall? was hilarious. He related a story about playing it near an Arizona border town, where most of the audience up and left.Well, American Rivers stood out as it was one of the ones I liked best after listening to the album. It just captures the feeling of life, personal and societal in yesteryear and today, with rivers serving as a metaphor. Something in it just captures that nostalgia for childhood nostalgia and wanting to learn.
Throughout the night he was loose and enjoying himself, having fun with the crowd. A guy was taking some pictures and he didn't mind, "Do what you need to do," he said. He then joked that they needed security, but after earlier conversations with the staff found out they were sons of hippies, who wouldn't hit anybody...There were at least another dozen moments of hilarity...He also appeared on the Letterman show the night of the infamous sex confession or whatever. And he joked that that he was proud he was responsible for the ratings jump...He was also chiding the audience and others, by saying "Bastards!" frequently.
And he knew the area pretty well, mentioning his next tour stops in K.C., St. Louis and in Mt. Olive, Illinois and mentioning that he was going to be on 88.1 KDHX , a public radio station out of St. Louis. I know my old man always listens to it on Saturday morning/afternoon when he goes to St. Louis, when they are playing acoustic hour, bluegrass, and true country among various things. I know my dad said, Russell appeared as a guest on there last year...
His guitar player, Thad Beckman, was awesome, playing lead parts and some great fills. On the lengthier sorta jam later in the set, he played some hot guitar in various styles such as Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt and someone else. Russell, even chided him that it made up for a few of the earlier mistakes.
To me, Tom Russell, in addition to an uncanny songwriting ability, has one of those great recognizable unique voices, like Van Morrison or Joe Cocker. Just a well played and enjoyed show. After it was over he went to the merchandising area and was signing items for people, still in very cheery spirits and thanking people for coming. I bought one of his cds Love and Fear (cheaper than the record store even) and had him autograph it.
Anyone reading this, I highly recommend listening to some of his work and seeing him in concert, even if he doesn't play his "cowboy" songs as much anymore.