MoF: Louisville. Palace. Halloween. Discuss.

[goose]

MOF after a great show!




And best costume of the night possibly!

[mlbrady89]

did anyone else see the guy with the video camera?

[st. john]

werewolf bar mitzvah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukjCcUFMbSE

[ms. yvon]

goose!  so glad you got that pic of the guy in the MoF album cover! i was just telling my housemate about him.  really creative!

here it is 24 hours later and i am on my couch back in los angeles.  FANTASTIC but brief weekend!!

[TEO]

Nancy saw that guy with the album cover and thanks for the great pics!

[goose]

did anyone else see the guy with the video camera?

Yeah, I saw him back stage during the whole show.

[aMillionDreams]

The show was a blast.  The KISS costumes were a nice surprise.  M Ward was amazing and they worked really well together.  The crowd gave M a lot of love so hopefully he'll come back sometime (this was the first show he's played here to my knowledge).  It was definitely the first time I had seen him and I was blown away.

Thanks to Goose for the tickets and the parking pass.  It was so nice hanging out with everyone.  Meeting up with familiar peeps and getting to know new ones.  I can't wait to do it again sometime.

[sweatboard]

GREAT NIGHT!!!!  I haven't stopped thinking about how awesome the whole thing was.  It was great seeing everyone, we were to spent to make it to Bearno's.  I ordered a large pizza back at the hotel room and AB was asleep by the time it got there.   :)  I loved everyone playing air guitar and singing along for Don't Get Fooled Again during the intermission, God that sounded so good.  So many great moments, thanks Dylan.  :-*

[Soulshine]

Hey Everyone,

I would just like to preface everything I'm about to say with a big THANK YOU to everyone here for making Saturday so special!
Saturday exceeded my expectations in every way. The show totally blew my mind. I was so impressed by the whole thing. Dear God was explosive and amazing. Smokin From Shootin was bad ass. The whole section I was sitting in was on their feet about ½ way through. I almost cried during Golden and His Master's Voice...so beautiful. M. Ward blew me away! I'm not terribly familiar, but I'm about to be. He was incredible. The whole KISS ending was not only one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen, but they made it badass. The crowd was amazing. I was a little surprised they didn't come back out with how hard the crowd was roaring, but after an encore like THAT there's really nothing left to top it.
Penny, L Dogg and I are out front before the show and I turn around and see a pig costume with H1 (or N1 I cant remember) and I say "hey she's got hams disease!" then, someone steps out of the way to reveal Patrick in the matching costume. L Dogg says "that's f*ckin' Patrick!" and Penny took a picture of them. Patrick's wife complimented Penny on her coat and we all parted ways. I just stood there and smiled. I think Penny and L Dogg had some other good encounters that night.
Finally, I would just like to say that driving out of Lville yesterday I had a heavy heart. I think part of it was sadness that an amazing night that I had been looking forward to for so long was over, but also that my heart was full of gratitude for finally meeting everyone. Sometimes you cross paths with people in life and they float in and out seamlessly and sometimes you cross paths with people and they give you that feeling of "home." Well, I felt like I was "home" on Saturday night.

I am honored to be here and call all of you my friends. I can't wait to see you all again.

Loves,

Soulshine (or Sunshine if you're L Dogg)  :P

[BH]

awesome.  I got chills with that post soulshine.  I know exactly how you felt.

[AMightyCaporal]

don't know if this was posted- shepardspy sent me this awesome link!

http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/2009/11/02/video-monsters-of-folk-cover-kiss-detroit-rock-city-in-full-kiss-makeup/

[TEO]

Sweet post Soulshine... :)

[mlbrady89]

did anyone else see the guy with the video camera?

Yeah, I saw him back stage during the whole show.

a DVD would make my 2009

[Love Dogg]

I think I just came down...

My interpretation of the night is just as sporadic as the highlights were.  There is no order...there are no favorite parts.  However there are superlatives upon superlatives.  Be prepared.  This ramble goes like this:  BTW-most sentences will begin with I, my, or me...because I am the only one who knows how this night made me feel.

First of all, I'm glad Penny came down for the show.  While we both chatted it up with everybody else more than each other, knowing she was near-by felt good to me.  I'm sad she had to go back.

I got to meet Patrick (picture to come) and his wife before the show and expressed my love for the best drummer in Rock n Roll.  I got to meet Tommy after the show (picture to come), and got some pretty good vibage and info on the future of the Jacket!

BBC pre-show: Penny, Goose and I walk in to open arms from TEO!  A good sign that this will be a memorable evening.  Someone I look forward to seeing every time I know I'll see him.  And Nancy (CrazyLove) was just as precious and lovely as ever, as she shared the same excitement we all did.  It was good to see Candace sitting in the booth eating pasta and drinking a beer...she had been beneath the weather lately.  I knew then that the after show was ON!  Even though I'd seen Dylan earlier in the day, seeing him trying to hide his enthusiasm behind his big beard  meant something special was going to happen.  Dylan knows a lot about the people on the Forum and is good to make someone feel comfortable.  I always look forward to looking straight up at the ceiling and seeing Kory looking down at me.  Even though I've never tried, Kory seems to be one of the most huggable people on the planet.  And he is always so selfless.  Good conversation, flawless photography, top secret information, recording equipment, etc.  Sometimes all of the above.  Of course KC is always a pleasure to talk to.  I think it surprised us both that we hadn't known each other as long as we thought we had.  And the adorable Sunshine...e'hem...Soulshine.  What a sweetie!  Fellas, somebody needs to snatch her up!  Cute and funny and cool...'nuff said.  I also got to meet another veteran whom I've been a fan of for awhile...a handsome fella who's known as Sweatboard.  What a cool cat.  Reserved...sharp ...kind.  As well as his wife AnnaBeth.  Both a pleasure to talk to.  The Dark, swooped down from Cincy (with Dad in tow) to grace us with his shining light.  THE coolest 16-17 year old on planet earth.  Steve is to cool, what Gorilla Glue is to strong adhesives.  We didn't visit a whole lot because I felt guilty drinking and smoking around him.  Ms. Yvon rolls in as the cutest candy corn this guy has ever seen, with a few friends accompanying her.  Wendy, who'm I'd met at the Waterfront show last year, and Heather, Ross and Paul(?), I think.  All great people.  Very nice.  Flyguy, the artist formerly known as KYKid, drifted in after the UofL game, and let us know how cool he is.  I knew he was good people.  I see Goose a few times a week, and he's arguably the best guy in this solar system. But to hang out with him at Jim related events is so fucking cool because none of our other friends "get it" like we do.  His buddy, Matt seemed to be nice, although I didn't get to talk to him much.  My endorphins were so flooded by that point, I couldn't even touch the ground anymore.  I know there were a couple of others from the board who showed up right before the show, but currently I draw a blank.  And then there were some Forum lurkers who introduced themselves.  There was even a guy who looked like Eisenbraun, even though we knew he wasn't there.

Great costumes.  I saw a great Bob Dylan.  I loved Wooderson and Cynthia from Dazed & Confused.  Papa Smurf and Smurfette were cool!

A block down the street was a delta of people spilling into The Palace.  This is where we saw the pigs, H1 and N1 (Pat and Bridgid, respectively)!  The show started but the camera got confiscated, so we had to deal with that shit.  Finally got to our seats 8th row, center isle (side Jim)...great spot for it all.  And really didn't think about anything except how great they looked and sounded and how perfect this crowd was.  The great songs sounded better, and the studio cuts we were all afraid might not translate well live, were pristine.  *Props to Tieoptional for assisting me with some of the Matt and Conor songs I was unfamiliar with.  But those guys' songs were great too.  Matt is so fucking cool, I can't stand it.  What a sweet guitar player, and he's got a smugness about him that pulsates from another time period altogether. It's like he knows who killed JFK or something...and he's the only one. I dig the shit out of Conor, I don't care what anybody says.  He's a good songwriter, and he has full credibility, as far as I'm concerned.  His voice and presence seems to have finally grown into his lyrical wisdom.  I was always anticipating what Mogis was going to play, and he performed so well...however, I missed that amazing solo on Say Please.  What an amazing musician.  I got to see Will Johnson this summer and I like his style.  He really shined on stage, I thought and played whatever roll he needed to.  And I thought it was cool when he came out and played with Jim on Bermuda Highway.  To answer the question in the thread about the next monster...Will Johnson.  He already is!

Jim James.

For the record: I'm glad they're playing songs from Evil Urges on this tour.  It's a really good album...accept it.  Secondly...Monsters of Folk fucking ripped Smokin' From Shootin', and tried to claim it as there own.  I'm not saying they did...but it's arguable.  Just sayin'.

I really got to bond with Nancy during the intermission.  I just want to point that out.  It's not often that you can talk about intangibles, and people get it.  But I think we are totally on the same page.  It's such a good feeling.  Thanks, dear.

I loved the KISS thing.  I loved when Conor had trouble standing on his amp with the platforms on...and when he did, everybody cheered.  He almost had as much trouble getting down, though because his amp kept teetering.  They were pretty determined to put on those costumes and keep them on.  They're all such little guys, they didn't quite fill them out.  LOL.  Jim did, of course, but....  

Bearno's after-show:  The Green Woods performed one helluva show, in my opinion.  Most of the folks from the pre-show party were there, with a small few missing, and several more added.  Over-all I think there were upwards of 30 or more people there.  At any given point there were 20-25 of us there listening, eating, drinking, enjoying, talking, etc.  TEO Speedwagon sat front row and rocked it with a smile!  I felt, and still feel very fortunate that I got to play some songs with Dylan and Candace.  I've been a fan of theirs since I first heard them play and I'm proud they asked me to join them.  And I don't think it sounded bad at all, if I do say so my-damn-self!  But when I wasn't playing, I enjoyed listening.  They're a good team, and I like to see and hear them.  Good people.  I'm just glad Candace had a voice.  I think we all were.  You guys were great!

Thanks to Michael Hieatt (Bearno's GM) who set up and let us use the space for free.  I know he enjoyed the show (even though he was a little under the weather) and was glad to see everybody out at his place.  I'm proud you all showed up, and spent your money there too.  That means we have some weight to swing around every time we want to get together!

Got to meet MarkusErealEus (from Denver) and a few others at the end of the night, but the visits were short because the night was over.  I hope to see you again Mark.  You're cool.

It was all very surreal.  I got to see the best band currently touring-which happens to be one of the best bands of all-time.  Got to see 3/5ths of the best band of all time...two of which I talked to.  My woman was there.  My friends were there.  It was in my city...Possibility City...Louisville, Kentucky.  I ate Pumpkin with Chocolate Chip cookies.  I drank good beer.  I knew that everybody I cared about was either safe, or with me.  I floated along about six inches off the ground Saturday night, and I didn't need any chemicals to assist.  It was pure adrenaline and exuberance.  I felt like Rudy being carried off the field.  I felt like Cinderella at times, being carried and carted with royalty.  I felt like I was the Grand Marshall of the Halloween Parade in Louisville, riding on the biggest, grandest float.  Somehow I felt like I was the luckiest guy in the world that night.  And I really don't think I wasn't.

Halloween is one of those times, like New Year's (or any holiday, for that matter) that sometimes has a big build up, and never much of a payoff.  I look forward to it, but it never meets my expectations.  I'm usually let down in some capacity.  This was different.  This night far exceeded any expectation I ever considered considering.  It was perfect. Maybe it had to do with Jim's cosmic relationship with Halloween.  Maybe it was Yvon's Rampant Badassery stickers.  Maybe it was because team belt buckle was four strong.  Maybe it was because I needed a fucking break from reality.  Maybe it was because of all you monster folkers make this world a better place!  Maybe it's because I don't even know everybody's name, but you're all still family to me.  

Jacket peeps are better than any fraternity.  Better than any church or community.  Better than...anything I could dream up.  You people are the best.  Thank you for being out there

Peace, love and monsters!    
-Toby  

[mlbrady89]

what info on jacket did you get from patrick if you dont mind me asking?

[the_wizzard]

 Maybe it's because I don't even know everybody's name, but you're all still family to me.  

Jacket peeps are better than any fraternity.  Better than any church or community.  Better than...anything I could dream up.  You people are the best.  Thank you for being out there

Peace, love and monsters!    
-Toby  

What an awesome review L-Dogg!  And I agree, this is the best damn community of music lovers out there!  Wish I was there!

[BH]

Sweet.  Thanks for sharing LD.  That was fun to read.

[Markus E. Realeus]

I flew down to Louisville for this show for a very specific reason; I wanted to see Jim James in his hometown.
When MoF announced the tour, I was bummed they decided to skip Denver, but welcomed it, in a way, as an opportunity to travel and catch a different flavor in another city.
A couple weeks before the show, my friend cancelled on me, leaving me w/ 2 tickets and the prospect of flying to a new city by myself, not knowing anyone.
Now, I've been traveling to see live music for my entire adult life, but this was the first time I've ever gone solo, and honestly, I felt a lot of anxiety at the prospect of arriving somewhere w/o the security blanket of "my people" to shelter me from bordom or awkward situations.
Luckily, it went well, for the most part.
The show was, in a word, amazing.
I was very concious of the fact that it is very rare to see these musicians together in this type of setting.
Who knows? Maybe never again.
I don't do the whole play-by-play review thing, but the highlights were many.
Jim, standing by himself on stage, laying down a heartfelt and poignet version of "Look At You." Of course, "Golden" was the reason I traveled 1000 miles in the first place. Absolutely beautiful! Oberst and Mogis delivered some great Bright Eyes material, including a super-rare live performance of "The Big Picture", which was a real treat. Matt and Conor also laid down the lovely duet "Smoke w/o Fire".
Again, super, super rare and very well played.
M. just killed everything he played. He def impressed me and made me want to get deeper into his music. Dude is such an accomplished player.
Also can't forget to mention "I Will Be There When You Die", which was the emotional highlight for me, and "Smokin' From Shootin'" just wrecked the house. You could feel the energy pop up about ten notches when Jim laid that one down!
Encore was just full-on Halloween fun!
Jim played the Gene Simmons thing up big time, and it was great!
Overall, I was very happy w/ the performance, and I loved the venue.

I was expecting to meet a bunch of locals who had seen MMJ  hundrads of times, but as it turns out, not so much.
The truth is, Jim and the boys were long neglected in their hometown, and that's a real shame.
Louisville, like a lot of cities, has sooooo much potential, but alas, much of it goes unrealised.
And don't get me wrong, I met many wonderful, humble, great vibin' folks who love music with an incredible passion (Love Dogg, Penny, Soulshine, Dylan etc.) and I'm not taking any shots at individual peeps here.
All I'm saying is: the show at the Palace was not sold out, and that's an embarassment. Hell, Oberst sells out any venue in Omaha he plays.
Don't tell me Jim doesn't deserve the same adulation from his hometown.

The after show at Bearno's was highlighted by some great, heartfelt renditions of many Jacket tunes and some other choice covers.
Thanks you again for the performance and for giving this old soul something to smile about!
For me, its hard to let go of that after-glow feeling I get after a show, because I just want it to last forever.
I had a rather pointed exchange with a woman who was very, very defensive about her favorite band, and that made me laugh. It just reminded me of that irrational passion that all obsessive music lovers feel for the bands they love, and I dig it. I can relate.
Its strange now, after all these years, to come to a point in my life where I feel like I've found something in Jim's music that stirs those old feelings of enchantment and magic which I felt so briefly with the Grateful Dead all those years ago.
I hope to see you all at the next show!

[tdb810]

Wow....thanks for that.  We are going to the Beacon show on Sunday and your post was really moving, and so well put.  I, too, find it hard to believe that there are still tix left for the Beacon show.  My husband and I both also followed the Dead (he more than me) and value the live music experience SO much....especially with someone as bloody brilliant as Jim James!  

Best wishes!  

[LifeWasted]

I've been a long-time lurker here, but never posted.  I've been a huge MMJ fan ever since I heard Z and seen them three times in concert.

I went to Bearno's after the show and met Penny Lane, Soulshine and others from this board.  I was the guy in the Devo costume.

I drove down from Cleveland with a friend of mine and we stayed at his uncle's house, which is about 20 minutes outside of downtown.  We knew about the costume contest before the show, with the chance to go onstage as a prize, so we got there right at 5:30.  There were four categories: sexy, scary, unique and MoF member.  I tried out for the sexy category, and to my amazement, I won!  I was suprised to win becuase there was a smoking hot girl in a border patrol costume to beat (and the guy who was running the contest told me afterwards that she complained to him that she didn't win).  I was going to be on stage with the Monsters of Folk!  Each of the winners was allowed to bring a friend with them, and we were to meet in the lobby at 9:10.

The show itself was incredible.  These guys make such an amazing sound together.  Before I heard about MoF, I knew next to nothing about M. Ward, but this show was officially made me a huge fan of him.  One Hundred Millions Years was a commanding solo performance, and the full-band rendition of To Save Me was a highlight.

Before I knew it, it was time to go backstage.  Now, while the onstage experience ended up being an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience, it came with a huge, huge catch.  We had to stay backstage for over an HOUR until it was our time to go to the stage for the encore, meaning that we missed an almost 45 minute chunk of the concert, including Smokin for Shooting.  We knew it was about time to go on when a roadie came back with a setlist in his hand.  I tried to get a look at it, and my eyes scrolled down to see what the encore was, and I damn near lost my mind.  As soon as I saw the words "DETROIT ROCK CITY" in block letters, I knew exactly what was about to happen.

It was about quarter after 10 when it was finally our time to go to the stage.  We were told that we could watch the encore from the side of the stage, and then go on the stage with the band for the last song.  We were led down a series of hallways and up a flight of stairs, and as we got closer the music was getting louder and louder until we got to the top of the steps, turned a corner, and saw the guys in their KISS costumes, which is a mental image that I will never forget.

All of us stood on the left side of the stage as we watched the first 4 songs of the encore, including a kickass Losin Yo Head.  Finally, they started playing "Rock and Roll All Nite" and we all run on stage.  For the first few moments, I could hardly believe it was happening.  I would look one way and see Mike Mogis dressed up as Ace Frehley standing a foot away from me, then turn around and see a crowd of thousands cheering.  It was absolutely surreal.  I made my way over (or danced my way over, that is) to JJ, and as I stood behind him, he was a towering figure in his platform boots.  I danced some more over by him, when one of the stage crew (wearing a mask), grabs me and tells me to go the front corner of the stage in front of JJ.  I did so, and danced some more, and even tried to headbang a bit until my flower pot hat fell off! The song comes to an end, and as the band is walking off stage, I go up to Jim, put my arm around his shoulder and say to him "That was awesome!" which he smiled at.  I get directed toward the exit, which takes me out to the side aisle.  I start running down the aisle, and everyone is giving me high fives!

After all of that was over, I make my way outside and meet up with another of the contest winners (the robots, who won the unique category).  The robots (who were a couple) were from Lousiville, and they were planning on going to a place called the Magnolia Bar, where they were having their own contest, so me and my friend went with them.  When we arrived, there were several people who recognized me from being on stage.  For the contest, they cleared off the bar and all of the contestants walked across it in order to be judged.  I walked across and got a pretty good response, but didn't win there.  My new robot friends, however, won the top prize of $100, and bought us several rounds.

After that, they dropped me and my friend off at Bearno's, which wasn't too far from where they lived.  I knew about it from reading this board as I was getting ready for this show.  I got there after the afterparty had winded down, but I still had a great time meeting you guys, and it was a perfect nightcap for an unforgettable night.