bradley's almanac - a boston music blog

boston area shows of note:

sunday, september 7th

ryan adams & the cardinals

@ the bank of america pavilion

monday, september 8th

mates of state

the cool kids

tim fite

(free, but students only)

5:30pm @ northeastern university

tuesday, september 9th

paul weller

@ the berklee performance center

wednesday, september 10th

'what the fluff?' fest

comic book art exhibit opening

somerville community access tv

5-8pm, 90 union square, somerville

friday, september 12th

mission of burma

in-store performance

7pm @ newbury comics, newbury st.

friday, september 12th

buffalo tom

@ the boston arts festival

6pm @ christopher columbus park

saturday, september 13th

rogue wave (in-store)

@ newbury comics grand opening

8:30pm in norwood, ma

saturday, september 13th

wfnx disorientation 2008

the kooks, flogging molly,

alkaline trio, rogue wave,

and more to be announced

@ bank of america pavilion

sunday, september 14th

juliana hatfield (full band)

hayden

@ the brattle theatre

sunday, september 14th

lymbyc systym

this will destroy you

arms and sleepers

@ harper's ferry

sunday & monday

september 14th & 15th

james

unkle bob

@ the paradise

monday, september 15th

lagwagon, mxpx,

only crime, & tat

@ harper's ferry

monday, september 15th

sunset rubdown

@ the middle east

tuesday, september 16th

a place to bury strangers

sian alice group

neptune

@ the paradise

thursday, september 18th

bell x1

wild light

@ the paradise

thursday, september 18th

the walkmen

@ the middle east downstairs

friday, september 19th

sigur ros

@ the bank of america pavilion

friday, september 19th

the swell season ('once'/frames)

bill callahan (smog)

@ agganis arena

friday, september 19th to

sunday, september 21st

all tomorrow's parties

with my bloody valentine, low

built to spill, mogwai, shellac,

polvo, yo la tengo, lilys, autolux

dinosaur jr, mercury rev, & more

@ the catskills in nyc

saturday, september 20th

mike viola (solo)

(1st of 3 weekly residencies)

with guest blue and their

band, the major labels

@ the lizard lounge

saturday, september 20th

noah & the whale

@ toad

sunday, september 21st

the low lows

magic magic

ryan lee crosby

@ tt the bears

monday, september 22nd

wye oak

@ cafe 939 @ berklee

monday, september 22nd

the broken west

@ the middle east

monday, september 22nd

oxford collapse

love as laughter

takka takka

@ tt the bears

monday, september 22nd

mogwai

fuck buttons

@ the wilbur theatre

tuesday, september 23rd

writer dennis lehane

(release day for 'the given day')

@ the coolidge corner theatre

tuesday, september 23rd

weezer

angels & airwaves

tokyo police club

@ the tsongas arena

tuesday, september 23rd

cut copy

the presets

@ the paradise

wednesday, september 24th

joan as policewoman

@ the middle east

wednesday, september 24th

low

tulsa

@ the museum of fine arts boston

wednesday, september 24th

gemma hayes

sydney wayser

@ great scott

friday, september 26th

ben folds

missy higgins

@ the orpheum

saturday, september 27th

mike viola (solo)

(2nd of 3 weekly residencies)

@ the lizard lounge

saturday, september 27th

julie doiron

mount eerie

calm down, it's monday

@ massart

saturday, september 27th

built to spill

performing 'perfect from now on'

dinosaur jr.

meat puppets

@ the orpheum

sunday, september 28th

the bird and the bee

willoughby

@ great scott

sunday and monday

september 28th and 29th

ratatat

panther

e*rock

@ the paradise

tuesday, september 30th

boston spaceships

(gbv's robert pollard)

big dipper

@ the paradise

tuesday, september 30th

say hi

jukebox the ghost

@ the middle east

wednesday, october 1st

chromeo

treasure fingers

@ the paradise

thursday & friday

october 2nd & 3rd

baltimore round robin

29 bands playing in a circle,

non-stop, one song at a time,

with you in the very center

with dan deacon, beach house,

creepers, the death set, adventure,

and everyone listed here

@ mass art

friday, october 3rd

death cab for cutie

@ agganis arena

friday, october 3rd

the fratellis

airborne toxic event

electric touch

@ the orpheum

saturday, october 4th

mike viola @ friends

(3rd of 3 weekly residencies)

@ the lizard lounge

sunday, october 5th

old 97s

@ the wilbur theatre

sunday, october 5th

pinback

sbach

@ the paradise

monday, october 6th

the wedding present

the jealous girlfriends

@ the middle east downstairs

monday, october 6th

fleet foxes

frank fairfield

@ the somerville theatre

monday, october 6th

stereolab

le loup

monade

@ the paradise

tuesday, october 7th

liam finn

the veils

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 8th

lucinda williams

@ the orpheum

wednesday, october 8th

the opening night of

carrie fisher's one woman show

'wishful drinking'

@ the huntington theater (bu)

wednesday, october 8th

allison moyet

@ the wilbur theatre

wednesday, october 8th

wire

@ the middle east downstairs

thursday, october 9th

chuck ragan (of hot water music)

ben nichols (of lucero)

tim barry (of avail)

with guest jesse malin

@ the middle east

saturday, october 11th

les savy fav

passion pit

@ the middle east

saturday, october 11th

the feelies

@ the roxy

sunday, october 12th

the residents

@ showcase live, foxboro

sunday, october 12th

the notwist

@ the roxy

sunday, october 12th

jamie lidell

janelle monae

@ the paradise

sunday, october 12th

against me!

ted leo & the pharmacists

the future of the left

@ the wilbur theatre

monday, october 13th

tv on the radio

the dirtbombs

@ the wilbur theatre

tuesday, october 14th

cold war kids

@ the paradise

thursday, october 16th

ben kweller

whitley

@ the paradise

thursday, october 16th

jonatha brooke

glen phillips

(from toad the wet sprocket)

@ the wilbur theatre

friday, october 17th

hallelujah the hills

wonderful spells

capstan shafts

needy visions

@ tt the bears

friday, october 17th

jonathan richman

with drummer tommy larkin

@ the somerville theatre

saturday, october 18th

asobi seksu

the broken river prophet

@ the middle east

saturday, october 18th

ra ra riot

walter meego

the morning benders

@ the middle east

sunday, october 19th

the spinto band

frightened rabbit

@ the middle east

monday, october 20th

magnetic morning

(adam swervedriver & sam interpol)

julie ocean

springhouse (w/jack rabid)

@ great scott

tuesday, october 21st

minus the bear

annuals

sylvie

@ the wilbur theatre

tuesday & wednesday

october 21st & 22nd

billy bragg

@ the somerville theatre

wednesday, october 22nd

yeasayer

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 22nd

lyle lovett & john hiatt

(acoustic, on stage together)

@ the orpheum

thursday, october 23rd

lykke li

@ the paradise

thursday, october 23rd

deerhoof

experimental dental school

@ the middle east down

friday, october 24th

fujiya & miyagi

prototypes

@ the paradise

sunday, october 26th

scars on broadway

the duke spirit

@ the paradise

sunday, october 26th

broken social scene

land of talk

@ the wilbur theatre

monday, october 27th

matthew sweet

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 29th

legendary pink dots

@ the middle east down

thursday, october 30th

of montreal

@ the orpheum

friday, october 31st

hotel cafe tour

with rachael yamagata, meiko,

thao nguyen, samanatha crain,

and jenny owen youngs

@ the paradise

friday, october 31st

the rumble strips

birdmonster

@ tt the bears

friday, october 31st

david byrne

performing the songs of byrne & eno

@ the wang center

saturday, november 1st

henry rollins (spoken word)

@ the orpheum

monday, november 3rd

matt and kim

best fwends

@ the middle east

monday, november 3rd

coldplay

@ the td banknorth garden

wednesday, november 5th

conor oberst +

the mystic valley band

@ the roxy

thursday, november 6th

the decemberists

loche lamond

@ the orpheum

friday, november 7th

"my name is bruce"

area theatrical premiere

with director/star bruce campbell

@ a boston-area theatre (tbd)

sunday, november 9th

the hold steady

drive-by truckers

@ the orpheum

tuesday, november 11th

deerhunter

times new viking

the vivian girls

@ the paradise

wednesday, november 12th

the sea and cake

@ the middle east down

wednesday, november 12th

kings of leon

we are scientists

the whigs

@ the orpheum

thursday, november 13th

nicole atkins & the sea

salt & samovar

@ tt the bears

thursday, november 13th

scarce (cd release!)

wheat

triplethick

@ tt the bears

tuesday, november 18th

m83

school of seven bells

@ the middle east down

thursday, november 20th

bishop allen

@ the middle east

friday, november 21st

robyn hitchcock

performing 'i often dream of trains'

@ the somerville theatre

saturday, december 13th

neil young

wilco

@ the dcu center, worcester

visit tourfilter for more shows

Monday, October 30, 2006

Mp3s: Cat Power at the MFA Boston

This year has easily been the busiest and most media-exposed Chan Marshall has been since she started performing as Cat Power a dozen or so years back. It's seemed non-stop since the release of her seventh studio album, "The Greatest", back in January: The abrupt cancellation of the supporting full-band tour for "health reasons", its eventual rescheduling, the revealing New York Times piece, a solo tour, a job as 'the new face of Chanel Jewelry', and now a final tour with the Memphis Rhythm Band starting this Wednesday. Dozens of articles, interviews, live sessions, and media appearances, including tonight on Conan O'Brien.

As I wrote back in June after seeing her here in Boston, reports of her steadier and more confident live persona were not at all exaggerated, especially in the presence of that rock-solid backing band she'd pulled together. Hints of the old Chan showed during a short solo portion of the show, but it disappeared when the Memphis Rhythm Band came back out on stage. The night was an uplifting one, a word I certainly wouldn't have used for past shows, which ranged from slightly uncomfortable to emotionally draining, yet still somehow beautiful. It seemed as if those shaky days were long behind her... until she appeared solo at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston early last month.

It was the second show of the night in the museum's Remis Auditorium, after an earlier one that by all accounts went pretty smoothly. Unfortunately whatever comfort level she had with the monitor mix didn't carry over to the later set... Chan's always been particularly sensitive to sound problems, preferring to bail on songs rather than toughing things out, and did exactly that after starting a cover of "House of the Rising Sun". Some adjustments, and another attempt... still no go. She eventually moved on to her own "Love & Communication", coming close to making it through before stopping yet again. More sound issues, tuning problems, and getting somehow distracted by the stage-side soundman during "Wild Is The Wind" (who had no choice but to stare at her in case she indicated a level change, poor guy)... halfway through the show it felt like she hadn't made it all the way through a single song, although the recordings below reveal it wasn't as bad as all that. There was palpable tension in the room, especially after she abruptly left the stage for a few minutes for a self-proclaimed pee break. More than a few of us wondered if she would return.

But she did, and while the apologizing continued, the technical problems (or perceptions) disappeared. As she continued to sit behind her piano or strum her guitar, the awkwardness evaporated and the sparse beauty of her songs took over. When she'd add another "I'm sorry", some in the crowd let her know that everything was ok... and the applause were loud, the cheers enthusiastic, we became one big support group trying to hold her up. In the end, she pulled out of what could have been a tailspin to simply soar. Emotionally draining, indeed.

I'd actually considered not sharing this one up, or at least particular parts of it. But I fall on the side of the full experience, and I think the show as a whole is worth hearing, warts and all. It was a bear to edit down, and I did make one little chop, offering the original interrupted version of "Wild Is The Wind" alongside an edited one that removes the break.

Getting good pictures at this show was near impossible, as flash photos would have intruded on the mood even more, and the lighting was appropriately low. Glad I got a shot of one of the few times she smiled that night, though. Here's the solo set...

Cat Power

Live at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Boston, MA
2nd show on Tuesday, September 5th, 2006

01. Intro / House Of The Rising Sun (technical troubles)
02. Love & Communication (more tech trouble)
03. Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (Sandy Denny) /
The Greatest
04. Wild Is The Wind (Nina Simone) / edit
05. Living Proof
06. House Of The Rising Sun (traditional)
07. tuning troubles
08. Wolf Among Wolves (Will Oldham)
09. Hate
10. Ramblin' Man (Hank Williams)
11. "i'm sorry y'all"
12. Christopher's Walkin'
13. Paths Of Victory (Dylan)
14. How I Feel
15. Time, The Great Healer / Maybe Not
16. I Don't Blame You
17. John John
18. Islands
19. Empty Shell
20. Satisfaction (Stones) / Naked If I Want To
21. Say
22. Where Is My Love?
23. Could We
24. Good Woman
25. Anything But Love

Some Cat Power links...

Boston blog synapticblur was at the same MFA show, and offers up a brief review.

Vancouver-based From Blown Speakers saw the August 27th show up there and wrote that one up as well.

For another Canadian's perspective, check out Chromewaves' words and pictures from the Toronto show, which happened the night before the Boston stop.

For the 'records' was there in Toronto, too, and shares some thoughts.

The Boston Phoenix's music blog, On The Download, shares up Mark E. Moon's review of the show as well, dubbing it her "MFA Meltdown".

Cat Power's MySpace page, her Matador Records site, Wikipedia entry, and an album site for "The Greatest".

There've been two videos from "The Greatest" so far: "Living Proof" and "Lived in Bars".

Cat Power's last U.S. tour with the Memphis Rhythm Band behind her starts in a couple weeks after some dates overseas and a solo appearance at the Bob Dylan tribute show at NY's Lincoln Center on November 9. All date details can be found here.

And don't forget about her Conan O'Brien appearance tonight...

the fine print... If anyone has an issue with this live set being made available, just say the word (contact info in the 'nac faq). Recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then edited to 192kbps mp3s. Mp3s are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.

Labels: livemp3s