As with last week's show, I brought my reporter's notebook (I was not completely unprepared for the evening) with the intention of jotting down pertinent details for this review. I found myself barely able to keep up the setlist during Guster's performance. I was having way too much fun enjoying the music and the performance to sit and make stodgy notes. In fact, I didn't sit. Once. During the entire set. I can tell you what songs they played and I can tell you I sang along with them and got a lot of the words right. I recognized everything, even if I had to look some of the titles up the next day. I found out I know Keep it Together and Ganging Up on the Sun pretty well but could stand to brush up on my Lost and Gone Forever.
I was sure the band would return after playing "I Spy" at the end of their encore because they had yet to play "One Man Wrecking Machine." I was right, but for the wrong reason. They did return, but not to play "Wrecking Machine." I would have lost money before the show because I never dreamed they wouldn't play it.
I would like to have heard it and was shocked they didn't play it, but the two songs at the top of my wish list for the evening were "Ruby Falls" and "Jesus on the Radio." When I saw Joe carrying his banjo as the band walked to the front of the stage, I knew my second wish was about to be granted. They played "Jesus on the Radio" sans microphones, asking the crowd to be perfectly quiet as they gave one more song before leaving.
Murphy, you got served.
Ray LaMontagne's set drew heavily from his 2004 debut, Trouble. He is slated to release the follow up to Trouble on August 29, 2006, and he did perform a pair of songs from the upcoming release. For one of the new songs, he brought out Rachel Yamagata to sing backing vocals and also performed the new set's title track, "Till the Sun Turns Black."
That twit Taylor Hicks may run around calling himself the Soul Patrol (or some stupid thing like that), but he cannot hold a candle to LaMontagne when it comes to pipes. It is not, perhaps, the most obvious comparison, but the first moment I heard him sing on stage, it jumped immediately to mind. People are falling all over themselves to embrace phony, wannabe soul while an artist like LaMontagne is on a different trajectory entirely when it comes to commercial success.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
you are now one of those kids i saw in the Guster On Ice video who had given themselves up to the music in the moment.
pretty cool stuff.
2 - Mat Brewster
Confessions of a Guster Fanboy <--new title for your recurring thingy
very cool stuff Sir DJ. I guess I really have to go out and listen to me some Guster so you'll shut up about them already. Your're getting to be as bad as Saleski and freaking Metheny.
Ok, enough smirkiness. This was a darn fine review. One of your best.
3 - Aaron Fleming
I too must track down some Guster, see what the big fuss is all about.
Oh and who is this Murphy guy? It's not the guy from the class action suit advert in the BC sponsors righthand column is it?
And great review BTW.
4 - Mary K. Williams
I'm guessing Murphy, as in Murphy's Law
Very good work Sir DJ.
5 - DJRadiohead
The Wife to Whom I'm Married had never heard of Murphy's Law. Here I was thinking I was being obvious. That's what happens when I try and go literary. I better stick with flinging the fucks.
Thanks, Mondoites, for checking out the review.
6 - Mark Saleski
never heard of murphy's law?! ...and she's married to YOU?!
7 - DJRadiohead
What can I say? I am a living embodiment of the concept "Married Out of My League."
8 - Aaron Fleming
Ah, THAT Murphy, silly me! I guess I'm just used to the Duke's use of manic characters to colour his writings, so much so that such an allegorical usage swept over my head. Nah, keep it up, it's good, I'll be more keen eyed next time, I promise!
And I also wanted to make reference to the class action suit guy, he cracks me up.
9 - DJRadiohead
Sir Fleming, never let literalness get in the way of a great one liner- that's my advice. And you're right, the class action guy is great for a laugh.
You're right... The Duke's characters are fantastic pieces of his writing. I haven't the manic talents to summon them in my own writing. The cursing, on the other hand, has been a lifelong pursuit of mine.
10 - Tom Johnson
Crap. I just made the mistake of clicking over to Amazon and listening to clips. After reading all these pieces by you and Mark for a while, I still had yet to hear a single note by these guys, and the moment I heard the first song, I knew I'd like 'em. Dammit. Off to Best Buy today, I suppose . . .
11 - DJRadiohead
You won't be sorry, Tom. Ganging Up on the Sun and Keep it Together should be in your possession this very day.
12 - Brian
Hey man, I met you at "will call" when they couldnt find our tickets, and then talked to you between sets. Your review is incredible, it descibes the mood and everything of the show perfectly. Ill have to check back here in a few months, good luck with the tom petty thing, cyaa
13 - DJRadiohead
Brian, it was very cool meeting you. Thanks for checking out the review- I'm very glad you liked it. Thanks for that.
Petty looks "on" so far, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. Stop back any time.