Charleston

[ms. yvon]

just slept 10 hours, showered and have ordered up room service coffee.

got to see the show last night with ruckus and his pal, jordan!  it's always great to be around people in the crowd who are there to see the show.  sounds like a no-brainer, but you know, there are those who go to a concert as an event, and those that go to see the performers.  i just find the peeps there to see the show make better company.  :)

i left st. augustine at about 11:15.  turns out the hwys between FLA and SC run through a lot of little towns, so the trip took a lot longer than i'd expected. add to that a the street i wanted to use to get from one hwy to another in one of those towns (speed limit 25mph) was shut for a bike race/street fair/butter churning.  i don't know, but it made finding my way out of there challenging.

anywhoo.

i got to charleston, checked into my hotel (populated by 175 teens, a youth group or something.  apparently the room next to mine was party central.  oof)

the venue was lovely.  who knew?  i expected it to be much bigger, but it didn't seem massive.  the light & sound boards were on the ground level at the end of the court.

there was not a cloud in the sky.  really, just beautiful.  the crowd was really slow to file in.  it's such a funny thing about when an act tours with a supporting act.  everyone is in the lot or lobby until just before the headliner takes the stage.  i've done this, but when you're inside seeing it happen, it's just weird.

bear antics:  when pooch & denise came out stan* (name changed for discretion) put them with denise stage left, pooch stage right.  but before the show started, someone else came out and swaped them.  what cracks me up is that there is a particular arrangement of who goes where.

PHJB:

--jelly roll
--short dressed gal
--a bad ass song that reminds me of "sing sing sing".  it's just drums and trumpet for most of the song.  cannot convey the swing of this song.
--ole man mose
here, mark braud introduces the band, then brings out jim for...
--tennessee hustler  (when jim came out the girl next to me said to her boyfriend, "he's cute!")
--another song that sounds like a take on st. james infirmary
then patrick, carl, bo and tom come out to play percussion (lots of shakers!) for...
--st. james infirmary sung by clint maedgen

i think this was the last song.  my end of set notes are always spotty b/c i get in the momentum of the show.  at the end of the song, clint m. sat down.  there were a couple of looks exchanged among the band and they ended the set.  they probably had another song or two to play, but cut it short.  either b/c of the late start or b/c st. james was such a blow-out.

the crowd for the start of these PHJB sets has been SMALL.  small enough that as the band takes the stage you can see them marvelling and shaking their heads at the hilarity of it all. and when they start playing some of the crowd seems not sure what is happening, but two songs in and the crowd loooooooves them.  which is fantastic.

watching them last night i kept thinking that this tour is really special.  that we're getting a chance to see PHJB like this, outdoors, small crowds, swinging, swinging, swinging.  fucking brilliant.

[ALady]

the crowd for the start of these PHJB sets has been SMALL.  small enough that as the band takes the stage you can see them marvelling and shaking their heads at the hilarity of it all. and when they start playing some of the crowd seems not sure what is happening, but two songs in and the crowd loooooooves them.  which is fantastic.

Yep.

Great review!  I also enjoyed the bit about the butter churning   ;D

[easy way]

So... that shit was effen bonkers! At Dawn, they ride again!!!

[Ruckus]

It was a pleasure and surprise to meet you Ms. Y!  Just happened to be behind you I guess. ;D  I was my usually drunken self and I couldn't help but just hug Ms. Y when Dancefloors started. ;D ;D ;D

[todd]

Dancefloors with horns = Awesome

[todd]

Here is the citypaper review with lots of pics:

link

[Ruckus]

Here is the citypaper review with lots of pics:

link

Just read the meh review but then watched baustin's beautiful youtube video of OBH.  And sure as hell, there was a dude on a dude rockin' out.  Toolbox...

[ALady]

I'm cross posting that vid 'cause it's just that awesome:

baustin's OBH video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBE9ZTbSJ6k

[tdb810]

I'm cross posting that vid 'cause it's just that awesome:

baustin's OBH video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBE9ZTbSJ6k

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was awesome!   48 HOURS TIL MPP!

[jones]

I'm cross posting that vid 'cause it's just that awesome:

baustin's OBH video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBE9ZTbSJ6k

Uh huh. Baustin is the fan of the day.

[Ruckus]

Alright charleston peeps.  I'm at the Tin Roof in West Ashley and I just witnessed a Touch Me Pt. II cover.  Ha!

[ms. yvon]

ha!

ok.  in the interest of finishing what i started, but not being up until 2am, i'm going to list my set list notes as written.  this might be comedy since the notes are not so clear.   ;D

when the band came out carl sat at the pedal steel, so i had no idea what they were going to play.  here begins the transcription...

--tonight i want to celebrate with you:  IT'S ON.

--@ dawn!  diff jim bit (i think this was referring to a really loud, or odd key start to the song by jim)

--gideon --diff outro.  (i think this was an uptempo outro.  i love when you're digging a song and it takes an unexpected turn.  i was thinking "where are you going?!"  it's exciting {i sound like an absolute dork, but it's been a loooong time since i've seen a show.  so.})

--OTR:  the sun is down now, but still dusk.  tom & carl exchange a "ready?" type look.  the eyes in back drop are lit red

--wonderful man!

--amazed: at end jim shoots pat w/toy gun as he falls

--touch me pt 1:  enter drunken bargers

--golden:  ok.  side bar:  overall the crowd was great.  the people around me were having a great time without being creeps.  but.  the drunk chick contingent was strong.  the "this is my song! let me tell you why while they play it!" girls were out in force.  

--thank you too:  jim's gretch beautiful!  (i'm not a guitarist but i have a soft spot for the sound of these.)  end of song patrick mimed shooting jim

--mags!  mid-set mahgeetah.  it's crazy to hear it coming out of such a slow groove like TYT.  starts off a bit swingy.  fucking brilliant.

--lay low

--low down!

--wonderful

--librarian:  the girl to the left of me (non-drunken contingent) was miming some of the story of the song.  kind of sweet, really.  :)

--STEAM:  NONE OF THIS IS PHYSICAL  really beautiful.  really.  (this tour coincided with the end of a very demanding job.  so, being outdoors, singing, hollering, dancing, being on the road, it's all part of a big joyous picture.  and that is what i was thinking here.)
at the end ruckus tapped me on the shoulder and said, "best steam engine ever"

--smokin from shootin:  WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! soooo good to see mmj doing this again!  at the top of the song the stage was bathed in read light, by the end it was glowing white.  striking!

(crazy how they ride the momentum of smokin into...)

--end of run thru:  carl leap!  3 guitars up front just badass (this is just rock show fucking badassery.  i just kept shaking my head at the epic-ness of what was happening up there.)

--touch me pt 2:  tom uses a pick on this song.  who knew?

(here they tried something new...insteading of ending cold after TM pt2, they segued into OBH.  they may have done it last week:  i've kept myself in strict set-list black out since the tour started.   ;)  )

--OBH:  big fun!  carl came out to the edge of the stage, playing and dancing with the crowd
--------------
ok.  nothing could have prepared us for this:
--over the rainbow:  the sax player in PHJB, the man whose name i don't know, but is listed on the set list as Weenie, stepped into a spot and played this solo.  fucking stunning.  just heart breakingly beautiful.
soooo happy this call was made.  (whoever suggested this in the set-list, this was an inspired move  [smiley=beer.gif] )

--wordless:  knee slide!

(phjb comes out...)

--evil urges!  (not used to hearing this in the middle of a set!)

--DANCE: OUT OF CON...  (this is what i scrawled as i was leaping around, grinning at ruckus and losing my shit.  WHAT A GREAT TIME!!  currently i am nursing a bit of a sore throat.  all evidence points to my activity during this song.   ;D )

--HIGHLY:  continued mayhem with the band and PHJB

--carnival time:  love watching many of the guys on stage singing along to this

--move on up:  curtis mayfield.  curtis mayfield.  curtis mayfield.  huge!

the sound was terrific!  even up front.  the mix coming thru the audience monitors on stage was so even.  often bo's music gets lost amid the guitar amps close to the stage, but not last night.  
as i was leaving the show i kept singing out loud the bright horn part from move on up.   ;D  and i realized that i was in such a hurry to get to the show (arrived in charleston just in time for rush hour) that i didn't make note of where i parked.  since this wasn't the oakland coliseum, that was not an issue {like that roger waters show in 1985...}.

there were a few cars post-show tailgating as i left.  the people behind me were playing james brown.  fucking a.

it's been so long since i've (we've) seen mmj perform these songs live that everyone is a surprise.
and now it is 2am.  and i intend to leave here at 9.  so.
thanks for tolerating, and often encouraging my profanity-laced stream o' consciousness reviews.  [smiley=beer.gif]


damn.  what a great fucking time!
 

[air jordan]

chucktown was the shit!!!! when the band hit the stage there was a glow from the sun and the energy between the crowd and the band. there was a smile on jim's face that was priceless. i was expecting an OBH opener because of the way the tour had been so far, nope ..."tonight i want to celebrate with you!" and then what seemed to be a transition into  "AT DAWN!!" i about shit myself!!! wow!!! unreal! unbelievable! and they kept bringing it, lowdown, steam engine! the ending of run thru was nicely place between smokin and touch me 2. it worked very well! dancefloors encore with phjb and on and on. move on up was sorta extended out with some great jamming from the bands!! good good stuff!! off to raleigh in the morning. if its anywhere near as good, it will be heaven once again!! see ya there.  :Dpeace.

[Ruckus]

Thanks Ms. Y for the love.  I, in no way, am like many of the vets on this wonderful board so I don't have as many experiences as you guys do to compare Charleston to.  That said, as I've had time to digest last night's show, I've more and more come to think that it was the best Jacket show I've been to.

My highlights were for sure the beginning:  Tonight and At Dawn, Lowdown, Wonderful (never seen it before), that song called Steam Engine (I think), Rainbow and DANCEFLOORS!

I have to say, Wonderful Man was a great tune, thinking I wouldn't hear it.  I never thought I'd rave about a show that didn't include Dondante or TWTHS.  I'm learning.... :)

[billk]

Who is  Baustin ?
I was in the front ,watching Jim most of the night so this is great to see the big picture so to speak.
We will be at Koka Booth tonight and I think we will step back a little to see everything.
It was definately great to see Jim's exuberance up close and those smiles will stay with me for a long time !

Did he ( or she )  record the whole show ?
Any way thanks for the video , you definately are one cool person.

[pawpaw]

Once again, thanks for the outstanding review Ms. Y! I especially like the parts where Ruckus was drunk.  ;D Oh, and that OBH video was a great treat too Baustin!

Man, I'm a real fiend for Dancefloors, and to hear it with the PHJB horns must've been a riot.  8-)

[ALady]

Who is  Baustin ?

A god among men.

[Winterland]

anybody know if the show was taped, or will end up on the archive?

Thanks

[jack_ass]

[jack_ass]