2-7-09 Osaka, Japan

[dragonboy]

I love this last one just because I managed to get all 5 guys in the shot!



Sorry if that's too many - I might have got a little carried away  :-[

[dragonboy]

What an incredible show!!! What an incredible day! My wife & I are still glowing & probably will be for days - I can't stop tearing up  ;D

The venue was great. It's amazing to think that the same band were at MSG a few weeks ago & we got to see them play the last night of the EU tour at the kind of venue they were performing at in the US 5 or 6 years ago - so lucky!

We got there early & had a sniff about. Didn't see any of the guys but sat outside for a while listening to the soundcheck. The show didn't sell out but there was a good crowd & the place looked pretty full. They played the infamous soul-mix (James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke too I think) & a minute or 2 after 7:00 they played a really cool old, jazz/big-band sort of song...anyone know what that might have been?  ;)

The sound was amazing right from the start. The only problem they had all night was Carl's sax mike @ the start of Dondante. There was a slight buzz when Jim plugged in his acoustic (for Golden, i think) & he made a funny comment about it. He didn't talk much but kept thanking the crowd in both English & Japanese.
The songs from EU are completely different beasts live. I'm Amazed was excellent. Jim played an incredible (short) solo that begged to be let loose.
They played a fantastic intro to one song, almost Spanish guitar sounding - i think it was Mahgeetah? Incredible!
Gideon was out of this world!!! Absolutely amazing! & the way they played it into Librarian was superb! The whole show was amazing but halfway through the first set (from Mahgeetah right through to the end of Run Thru) things got turned up to 11! I think I said the same thing after seeing the band last time - Carl plays like a man possessed! He plays with such amazing focus & intensity, a truly amazing sight to behold...the man is incredible!
The first set was nearly 2hrs on the dot...

Bermuda Highway solo was beautiful as was Look At You until some c*nt at the back shouted out something that made my blood fucking boil! It set my heart racing & my wife (who I was hugging at the time) must have felt my adrenaline rush because she told me to 'just ignore them'. The poor sound guys stood there with their jaws on the floor. Why oh why do these fuckers come to shows?!! I hope Jim didn't hear it & I hope it doesn't show up on any tapings that might surface. Sorry, rant over (part of me still wishes I'd clocked the fucker!)

If they turned things up to 11 somewhere during the first set then things went way past 12 for Wordless Chorus & Highly Suspicious.
Clearly the band were having so much fun. I forget what song it was but at one point Bo was playing the tambourine & had a smile on his face with a look that suggested complete euphoria! Jim was entertainer-extraordinaire with his cloak! During one song I thought he was going to fall off the stage again, spinning in circles!!!
Tommy, who had hung back for most of the show came right to the front towards the end & let rip grinning from ear-to-ear. During one song (i think it was Dondante) I swear his bass was going to tear the roof off!
& Patrick? Patrick is Patrick, isn't he? The man is a living legend IMO!

And then that was it. Jim strapping on the Flying-V was such a bittersweet moment - you know you're about to hear one of the greatest songs of all time played live by the greatest live band of your generation but you know that it also signals the end of the show!
2hrs30mins in total.

We hung back outside the venue afterward with a group of Japanese fans (we met one lady who had gone to Bonnaroo last year just to see them!) & were lucky enough to meet all of the guys. They were absolute stars, true gentlemen, until the Japanese staff told everyone they had a schedule to keep & ushered them into a van.

My wife & I missed the last train & payed $140 for a hotel (we were in the room for six & a half hours! $140?!! haha) but I didn't give a shit* & it only added to the adventure...I had just seen my favourite band play an incredible show, once in a lifetime show** @ a tiny club here in Japan & was (still am!) on cloud nine!!!



*ask me again when the CC bill comes  ;)

** that doesn't mean I don't want them to come back  ;) ;)

[jones]

Thanks for the pictures and story, DB!

[mjkoehler]

Damn! Awesome. So glad you got to see them, and in such a small venue. So Jealous. I can't even imagine the sonic destruction...oh wait yeah I can as it would have been about what I had the first time I saw 'em. Enjoy the after glow and hopefully the tape turns up soon if it hasn't already.

[Ruckus]

What a review! :D

Thanks for the pics and write up.  Awesome..

So now I'm dying to know what cockstain #1 in the back said that made your "blood boil"  If it's that bad, PM it.  The curiosity will destroy me :)

[MarkW]

Great pics and review DB.  Sounds like they really were on top form for you!

[Jon T.]

Cheers, Andrew!    :)

[aMillionDreams]

I'm so happy for you, DB!  Looks like you got a good one, for sure!

Thanks for the great review.  :)

[Dudley]

What a review! :D

Thanks for the pics and write up.  Awesome..

So now I'm dying to know what cockstain #1 in the back said that made your "blood boil"  If it's that bad, PM it.  The curiosity will destroy me :)

I would like to know as well.. Sounds like the guy I heard at Bonnaroo 07 during Flaming Lips.. He was hammered and screamed about him talking on the mic.. " Play some fucking music guy!! It's Fucking Bonnarooooo!!" Kind of funny but anger scared me when I was on the farm for some strange reason.

[goose]

Great review DB!  congrats for the great time!

[ALady]

I have a huge smile reading your review, db.  Sounds like you had an absolutely amazing time.  SO happy for you!!!

[capt. scotty]

Great pics!

Sounds like it was better than my Iowa City experience with JJ falling offstage 30 minutes in  :D

Id also like to know what they guy yelled out  ;D

[dragonboy]

Thanks everyone!

Yeah what an incredible feeling! My wife has been a big fan ever since I introduced the band to her but after the show she's taken things to another level. She said something funny at the dinner table in her beautiful, broken English last night like "If I'm quiet it's because I'm thinking about My Morning Jacket. Sorry. I still love you but I can't stop thinking about My Morning Jacket!" & she won't stop dancing around the house to EU...she never dances!!!  ;D

I think meeting the guys has bewitched her...she probably has a crush on one (all?!!) of the guys but she won't say who  ;)

[dragonboy]

The guy said he didn't think EU was very good - just not so politely. The whole show had been pretty quiet. There was a small group of foreigners down the front who were talking a little but they were just having a good time, nothing too disruptive. But then these two guys came out of nowhere during Jim's solo set & started talking. They started out during BH talking about how professional the guys are?!! At least they were complimentary at this point. I told them to be quiet & they were for a while until one of them suddenly shouts "Your new album ((isn't very good))!!!" at the top of his voice during Look At You (still solo). I shot the guy a glance & he said "Sometimes, it ((isn't very good)) sometimes." & gave me a sort of apologetic wave. A Japanese lady told them to ssh! & they were mostly quiet after that, only because they were so drunk I think (they were supporting themselves on a rail, swaying from side to side finding it hard to stand it)
I thought that was the one things we'd be safe from here in Japan...high ticket prices & early starts but at least the fans are quiet/polite. Who pays for a ticket & then comes to a show to abuse the band?
W A N K E R S !!!

[jones]

Wankers, indeed.  Glad you and Mrs. Dragon still had a great overall experience!

[dragonboy]

Wankers, indeed.  Glad you and Mrs. Dragon still had a great overall experience!

Thanks KY! I think Mrs. Dragon has joined the "wants to be Mrs. James/Blankenship/Hallahan/Koster/Broemel" club though!

I've lost my wife to the Jacket!  ;D

[red]

Concert shouter drive me crazy!  Although, I must confess to shouting once -- it was to proclaim my love to Janet Weiss.   8-)

[weeniebeenie]

DB, awesome report!!! I am super jealous and I just saw them not even two weeks ago.
The song that you mentioned Bo playing Tambourine, could that have been Lowdown??? Just a guess.
Also, I know exactly what you mean about Carl playing like a man posessed. I am honoured to have seen a genius like him play.
Let's hope they're back soon with more face melting songs.

[dragonboy]

DB, awesome report!!! I am super jealous and I just saw them not even two weeks ago.
The song that you mentioned Bo playing Tambourine, could that have been Lowdown??? Just a guess.
Also, I know exactly what you mean about Carl playing like a man posessed. I am honoured to have seen a genius like him play.
Let's hope they're back soon with more face melting songs.

Hey WB! I'm pretty sure it was Lowdown, yes. All of the the songs had amazing intros/outros/solos/beautiful moments etc I wish I could remember more!

[st. john]

DB,  remember when the guardian called mmj the unsexiest band in rock'n roll?   ;D :D ;D

so glad u guys had such a great experience.

i second ur wife. after a great mmj experience i just want to be quiet and process the bliss.  and so i missed the best boogie in manhattan on the night.

http://www.archive.org/details/duo2008-12-31.flac24

don't u just love tapers.