kurt's nightmare

Generally, I post once a week. Topics are randomly selected and depend mostly upon whether it's baseball season or not. Other topics will include sex, politics, old girlfriends, music, and whatever else pops into my little brain. If you'd like to read, or ignore, my blog about China: http://meidabizi.blogspot.com/

Name:
Location: Dayton, OH, Heard & McDonald Islands

I'm an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dayton. I represent no one but myself, and barely do that. I'm here mostly by accident.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Stupid List Deux

I'm confident that people offer lists in this kind of context because they don't have anything else to say. Other than wondering about degrees of truth--can the bumpersticker "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention" become more true?--that's probably correct.

(In my logic class, I've sometimes referred to the "George Bush (pére) fallacy," committed by believing that if "p" is true, saying "p" louder makes it "more" true.) My guess is that I will be returning to politics next week.

In the meantime, I offer a second list, now of my favorite top ten concerts. A couple of provisos, of course: I tend not to list very small club dates, and I haven't listed "classical" shows, like the amazing performance of Kathleen Battle doing the "German Requiem" with the Chicago Symphony. I also didn't list the show I saw with my friend Goober at Stanford, around 1978, which was some group of folks playing very rhythmic music for about 3 hours; it was a "rave" before there were raves, I guess. Since I don't know who they were, I skipped it.

Here's the list, leaving out many great shows (some of which I give as "honorable mention"), and limiting myself to an alphabetical list, with--again--brief but superfluous comment. Some of these dates are, well, guesses.

Beausoleil
Canal Street Tavern, Dayton (OH); (~1995)
The place was packed, and you know the show was good if I was dancing. So was my favorite Frege scholar, who danced with Robyn and me.

George Jones/Patty Loveless
Star Theater, Merrillville (IN); (~1986)
George did his standard set, although at the time I didn't realize how standard that set was. Not many at this time had heard of Patty Loveless (I know I hadn't); she was powerful. This was after George had sobered up, and the audience was no longer at risk of hearing him talk like a duck all night.

Grateful Dead
Memorial Hall, Kansas City (MO); (~1974)
I couldn't get anyone to go to this with me; the one guy who liked the hipper stuff (and this was, at the time, pretty hip) was worried that they were a country band (as if that's a drawback). So I went alone; my Dad took me, I called him before the encores, he picked me up. There really isn't anything else like a Dead show, as they say, and this was my first of a few.

Hüsker Dü
Riviera (?), Chicago (IL); (~1988)
Loud and amazing. This was the "Warehouse: Songs and Stories" tour; I found out about them way too late, because they played Chicago a lot while I was in graduate school, and this was the only time I got to see them. It must have been good: I bought a t-shirt!

Lightnin' Hopkins
Mother Blues, Dallas (TX); (~1976)
He was old, and no doubt had seen better days, but the presence of the man spoke volumes about what he'd done, what he'd seen, and who he'd done it and seen it with. I'm proud I got to shake his hand.

Los Lobos
Riviera, Chicago (IL); (~1983)
They hadn't been touring long, and this was, I think, one of their earliest national tours, just after "Will the Wolf Survive?" came out. They were loose, jammed quite a bit, had a good time, and just pumped out amazing song after amazing song.

Lucinda Williams
Emmajoe's, Austin (TX); (~1980)
$2 cover, $1 Shiner Bocks, about 20 people in the audience. This was back when Lucinda played mostly Delta blues, and I remember to this day a riveting version of Robert Johnson's "Malted Milk."

Muddy Waters
Some dinner club, Kansas City (MO); (1970)
I got my parents to take me to this when I was 13. About 15 people in the audience, the band (including Pinetop Perkins) played a couple of songs, then Muddy Waters came out with his guitar and put on a show, including playing a good bit of slide guitar. The band seemed to notice this weird little white kid, with eyes the size of saucers, taking it all in. Formative, I tell 'ya.

Public Enemy
Mandel Hall, Chicago (IL); (1988)
Touring on "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back." A very bizarre show, 2/3 of the audience serious rap fans from the South Side, 1/3 University of Chicago dorks. This was the whole deal, with guys marching with guns, Professor Griff, etc., and one of the best shows I've ever seen. After the show, Chuck D. took questions from the audience, including a number about the Nation of Islam and its views of Israel; Chuck (Mr. D?) was informed, patient, humorous, and the discussion was civil if a bit hostile. Quite a night.

X
Metro, Chicago (IL); (~1988)
One of my favorite bands, this was the only chance I got to see them. I don't remember the details too well (hmmmmm), and Billy Zoom was no longer with them; but Exene and John Doe were really great together, and unlike many bands they get lumped with, X drew on a long and deep history of music (which one can see by their work with the Knitters).

*************

Honorable mention (alphabetical):


Allman Brothers (Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City)
Bluerunners (Fitzgeralds, Chicago)
Bob Dylan and the Band (Checkerdome, St. Louis)
Brave Combo (Bluebird Cafe, Fort Worth)
Del McCoury (Ryman Auditorium, Nashville)
Jimmie Dale Gilmore (Canal Street, Dayton)
Joe Ely (Some bar in Dallas)
Leo Kotke and Emmylou Harris (Star Theatre, Merrillville)
Little Charlie and the Eager Beaver Boys (AusTex Lounge, Austin)
Quicksilver Messenger Service (Memorial Hall, Kansas City)
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder (Taft Auditorium, Cincinnati)
Sleepy Labeef (Fitzgerald's, Chicago)
Tish Hinojosa (Canal Street, Dayton)

18 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I noticed Canal Street was the venue to more than one of the acts you listed. I like the place simply because of the variety of acts I've seen there. The last act I saw there was The California Guitar Trio. Excellent show and I think a larger venue would have somehow made the show less gratifying.
But my favorite performer(s) I've seen there was this guy who referred to his band as EYE. He started off with an AC/DC song that goes, "T-N-T!", except he sung, "E-Y-E!". He was truly bizarre. Half his hair was blonde and the other half was black. He referred to himself in the plural sense ("We would like to thank you for coming out to see us!"). He would also walk around with his wireless guitar and mic and sing to people entering the bar. This often frightened the people because they didn't realize he was the one performing at first. He played some guitar and the rest of his 'band' was a drum machine with some programmed bass lines in it. He was scary, but not in the frightening sense. I never felt threatened by him but I didn't wanna turn my back to him either. He couldn't sing but that didn't stop him from trying. His guitar playing ability was probably on par with mine (which is not a compliment) and he seemed rather out of touch with the audience as a whole. Then there was the part where he laid down with his

1:16 PM  
Blogger Bazarov said...

I noticed Canal Street was the venue to more than one of the acts you listed. I like the place simply because of the variety of acts I've seen there. The last act I saw there was The California Guitar Trio. Excellent show and I think a larger venue would have somehow made the show less gratifying.
But my favorite performer(s) I've seen there was this guy who referred to his band as EYE. He started off with an AC/DC song that goes, "T-N-T!", except he sung, "E-Y-E!". He was truly bizarre. Half his hair was blonde and the other half was black. He referred to himself in the plural sense ("We would like to thank you for coming out to see us!"). He would also walk around with his wireless guitar and mic and sing to people entering the bar. This often frightened the people because they didn't realize he was the one performing at first. He played some guitar and the rest of his 'band' was a drum machine with some programmed bass lines in it. He was scary, but not in the frightening sense. I never felt threatened by him but I didn't wanna turn my back to him either. He couldn't sing but that didn't stop him from trying. His guitar playing ability was probably on par with mine (which is not a compliment) and he seemed rather out of touch with the audience as a whole. Then there was the part where he laid down with his arms outstretched while singing some top 40 song (i can't remember the song, some grunge hit that was popular for a few weeks). He seemed to think he was at a sold out hall holding 20,000 spectators and not a smokey bar with 20 people spread about.
All for less than five bucks! I won't say it's the best performance I've seen at Canal Street but I'll never forget it.

1:16 PM  
Blogger kmosser said...

He seems to have affected you. He seems to have affected you. He seems to have affected you.

1:27 PM  
Blogger Bazarov said...

yeah, i hit a button i shouldn't have apparently and it posted the comment as such. forgive me and my fingers...

2:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Re: Arkady-
Then there was the part where he laid down with his...

Wow, it suddenly turned all Lady Chatterley and everything and then snap,... he was singing top 40 grunge.

I was disappointed, aroused, amused, disappointed and then wanting all at the same time.

It came off very funny, thanks for not editing.

That's just awful I can't believe I dove for the gutter in a millisecond. And yet
nudge, nudge, say no more, eh? eh?
I mean, WAAAAAAAAAA? right?

11:27 AM  
Blogger kmosser said...

Your wife--she's a goer, eh?

12:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Kurt,

I've been meaning to add to this list since you told me about it - My list of 10 most favorite shows is everchanging but I will list 10 of my favorite, in no particular order except the first one.

1. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, 1981.

This was supposed to be my first big rock concert, but Springsteen got sick and pushed the date back a month. So it was my second show. By pushing back the date it also became the last night of the world tour for The River - and was stunning. It was truly a mind altering experience to see that level of a show as a 13 year old - if that is what rock and roll was I wanted to be there every night! In the 25 years since then, I have seen a lot of great shows, but they all get measured agains that one. I could write a lot more, but if you have seen Springsteen you already know what I mean.

On with the rest, numbered but in no order.

2. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Cincy Gardens, Cincinnati, 1991.

I've seen Neil in most of his incarnations more that 15 times since 1982 - he remains a favorite of mine especially with Crazy Horse. I've seen him do better shows than this one, but this one was cool because he had Social Distortion and Sonic Youth as the openning bands - instead of being afraid of the new music he embraced it, promoted it, and then went onstage and showed them how it was really done. This was also just after the first gulf war started and the only political statement he made was a great instrumental version of Blowing In The Wind.

3. Roy Orbison, Ohio Theater, Columbus, 1988

This was a show that was put on by Nationwide Insurance for their employees - no tickets were sold to the public, but being the resourceful people we were my roomate Bernie and I snuck into the show as "guests" of Mr. Orbison. It was an odd triple bill, he shared the stage with Miami Sound Machine and Dennis Leary. We were sitting almost on the orchestra pit wall when Roy hit the stage and opened with "Only The Lonely" and hit every note - you knew you were in for something special then. He did all his great oldies, Travelling Wilburys, and new material off his yet to be released Mystery Girl album. Bernie and I were lucky enough to meet him at the stage door after the show, he was nice and talked to us for a moment and signed an album for me (still on my wall). Not long after this show (I was trying to determine the date but since we snuck in I don't have a ticket stub for reference) he had his fatal heart attack.

Okay this is taking me longer to do than I thought so I will update with more shows soon.

Till then I hope you enjoy,

Jeff Opt

5:10 PM  
Blogger kmosser said...

An interesting list of 10 as 3. I didn't know you and Roy were so close!

2:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yep, me and Roy go way back! You know he is the whole reason I wear Rayban sunglasses - not Tom Cruise. Okay more shows, I will try and be more concise. Again in no particular order.

4. Dick Dale, Stache's, Columbus, OH, late 80's or early 90's.

He's another person I have seen multiple times, and will continue to see whenever I can - so few people live up to the term legend - but he is one, to see him onstage blazing away at top volume pulling sounds from his guitar - it is a battle between him and his guitar, and he will do his best to get the most out of it. Very raw and powerful. He also interacts well with the audience, so the samller the venue the better. For me the shows at Stache's were always great (the bar alas is no more), a couple of hundred people, packed sweaty dance floor - and if so inclined easy to fight your way to the front. Best memory from one of these shows is Dick giving me his first broken guitar pick (how many people do you know who actually wear out multiple guitar picks during the course of a show?) mid-song during his cover of Link Wray's Rumble. He still comes around this area about once or twice a year - go see a legend while you still can.

5. Tori Amos, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH 1992

This tour was in support of her first album "Little Earthquakes" and she was out to prove who she was. I had the album, and wondered if she could pull off headlining a show with only one album's worth of material. Went to the concert and they had tables set up on the floor for seating (very unusual for Bogarts - normally this area is wide open for the crowd to stand or dance in)- I heard that this was done at Tori's request, that she did not want people up walking around distracting from the show - apparently she also did not want waitstaff walking around taking orders either but Bogart's drew the line at this, they are a bar after all. So she comes on, just her and a piano and completely mesmerizes the audience. Amazing and powerful with her expresiveness - she had total control of the crowd. I went in skeptical and left a believer. I have seen her a couple of times since then, and while good, it has never been quite as special as that first time.

6. The Blasters, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH, Nov. 9, 2002

This is a band I had wanted to see forever, except I was a little to young to get into the bars during their heydey and they had split up before I got a chance. In 2002, the brothers, Phil and Dave Alvin, reunited the original band for a short tour and I finally got to see them. Amazing, though the show was not well advertised and their were only 150 people there at best - the Blasters rocked like it was a packed house. They released a live album from this period that is well worth seeking out. Definitely one of the most underated west-coast bands of the 80's.

7. Brian Wilson, Rosemont Theatre, Chicago, IL, March 10, 1999

I was sitting in a gas station parking lot in Bloomington, IN several months before this when I read that BW would play Chicago on his upcoming tour and flipped out - could it be true that the insane genius behind the Beach Boy would actually tour? I could not believe it but bought my tickets just in case, and then waited... He canceled the first 13 shows of the tour, playing only one show before Chicago - even as my friend Sallie and I were driving to Chicago, I was not certain he would show up. I think that was the feeling of most everyone in attendance, what would we get? When he did walk onstage he got a standing ovation just for being there. Most of the night was tightrope-ish, his piano was not plugged in, just there for support, and you could tell there were points when he was not comfortable being in the spotlight - but the band he put together, 13 players with 10 of them singing backing vocals, allowed him to play some of his most complex and beautiful music live for the first time. He played most of Pet Sounds, along with some of the classic Beach Boys and new material - but to here him do "God Only Knows" that night was worth the ticket and trip alone. He continues to tour and I have seen him since this show, but that night was special - everyone appreciated what they were seeing, the fragility of the situation, and really wanted him to succeed.

Okay, once again this takes longer than expected - I spend too much time flashing back and reliving these old shows. The final 3 shows will be up soon.

Jeff Opt

1:37 AM  
Blogger kmosser said...

To confirm your comment about Staches; a good place to hear music that is, alas, no more. I remember a Bela Fleck/Flecktones show, and a Bluerunners' show, with great fondness. The guy who runs it seemed to be proudest of having had the whole Sun Ra Arkestra up on stage at one point. One of OSU's Kant seminars met there on a regular basis (after class); I was the only person whatshisface ever gave a free beer to out of our group.

Would have liked to have seen the Blasters, but I think Steve Berlin made the right career choice.

10:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Alright - time to list the final 3 of 10 of my favorite shows - again with the exception of the Springsteen show, these are only favorites, not all time favorites or best shows ever - just favorite shows of mine that come to mind when I look back fondly.

8. The Jolly Boys, Canal St. Tavern, Dayton, OH, Late 80's or early 90's.

I was trying to think of a good representative Canal St. show, like Stache's it is such a wonderful venue that almost any show has the potential to be special. Mick Montgomery, owner and booker for Canal St. enjoys all forms of music as long as it is good, and if he suggests that someone is not to be missed, he is usually right. Equally important, he is a strong supporter of the local music scene as well. I chose the Jolly Boys show because it is a great example of the electicism of music offered at Canal St. They are a Jamaican Mento band that has its roots dating back to the 1940's. Mento music is best described as the precursor to the music that would become Ska and Reggae - most of the guys in the band were in their 70's and early 80's, but they still swung - it was such a pleasure to see such "roots" music - and up close and in Dayton no less. If you live here and have not been to Canal St. you are missing out - go see the John Hammond show March. 18, you won't regret it.

9. The Animals, Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 1983

For a brief moment in 1983, the Animals reunited and toured in their original line up of Eric Burdon, Alan Price, Chas Chandler, Hilton Valentine, and John Steel - only the second time they had done so since spliting up in 1965. I was luck enough to appreciate this as a sophmore in high school and even luckier to score tickets. As a keyboard player I had always liked Alan Price and the Animals - it was a great show as to be expected, and afterwards they all came out and talked to the fans (except Eric who stayed on the bus). When the tour finished on the west coast they said they'd never do it again - and didn't.

10. Meatloaf, the Newport Music Hall (formerly the Agora), Columbus, OH, 1987.

I know what you are thinking... Meat Loaf? But it was a truly great show. He had gone from Hero to Zero at the beginning of the 80's and written off as a rock and roll casualty. In 1987, with no record deal and bankrupt from countless lawsuits, he set off on a tour of bars and colleges to rebuild his career - it worked 5 years later he released Bat Out of Hell II and had another smash hit. Now his music maybe a bit cartoonish and operatic, but as a showman he is stunning. Not pretty but you can't not watch him - some sort of animal rawness and intensity. I was lucky to see one of these 1987 shows, with maybe another 1000 people - general admission - I was up front in the first couple of rows. The lights go down, everyone is on stage, crowd anticipating the huge opening - the lights come up as the bass player hits the first notes - and all the power goes out. Confusion follows, Meat storms off stage thinking the venue has screwed up - no one knows what is going on. After a few minutes it is determined that a car had crashed outside and knocked out all the power for the block. The crowd stays put in the darkness - only the emergency lights are lit and a few minutes after that a much calmer Meat Loaf comes out and sits down on the front of the stage right near me and proceeds to chat with the audience for the next 45 minutes until the power comes back on - no rock star pretentiousness. The power comes back on, the band comes back out, and Meat Loaf then proceeds to do the full show to a more than enthusiastic audience. One of those odd concert moments that turned out much better than anyone could have predicted.

Okay, because my initial list was so long I won't include my honorable mentions - really though I have been lucky and only seen a few truly bad shows.

Kurt, you are right about Dan Dugan (owner of Stache's) - like Mick Montgomery (of Canal St) he is a lover of music, though his tastes seem to run more towards rock and jazz, where Mick's go toward folk. Sun Ra on that stage would be an achievement given the size of the stage - I remember seeing the Dirty Dozen Brass Band there once, not only did they fill the stage, but would parade through the audience on occasion... very fun. I would suggest that anyone go see a show at Little Brother's, Dan's post-Stache's bar in the Short North of Columbus - it is much larger, probably could hold 400+ people, but the acts he gets are still great and often cutting edge like the Stache's shows (I was just there last week to see the local band the Spikedrivers).

Thanks for letting me contribute to your list.

Jeff Opt

4:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

But have you ever seen Richard Thompson in concert? Now, there's sublimity wrapped up in an ironic package...

Check this blog out now, for there is a young actor whose name you'll remember. Scroll down to the bottom of this blog...

http://bluevoice.blogspot.com/2006_03_05_bluevoice_archive.html

11:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Didn't work. Try this...
http://bluevoice.blogspot.com/2006_03_05_bluevoice_a

11:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kurt,
If you ever have the chance, go see Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey. I saw him at Liberty Lunch in Austin- a real religious experience.

10:10 PM  
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