The Magnetic Fields in Boston (aka Stephin Merritt vs. Will Sheff)
Posted on February 13, 2010 at 12:45 am | No Comments
The second show of The Magnetic Fields‘ two-night stand at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre was full of memorable moments, and for anyone who’s seen them before, you know I’m not just talking about the music. The back-and-forth between Stephin Merritt and bandmate/manager/longtime friend Claudia Gonson ranges anywhere from awkwardly amusing to flat-out funny, and we had a whole bunch of that between the 30-or-so songs they treated us to on Thursday night.
From Claudia’s opinion on the Who playing the Superbowl (“It must have been a recession special. Aren’t those guys like 70 or something?“) to discussion of their intermission ritual (tea-warming and coke-snorting?), to the best place to avoid vampires (gay bars, because there are so many mirrors), the unplanned asides can bring as many laughs as the dry wit in Merritt’s lyrics.
But one diatribe in particular struck me, mostly because I’m an Okkervil River fan. Here’s what Mr. Merritt had to say before the band kicked into “We Are Having A Hootenanny”, off their just-released “Realism”…
Stephin Merritt: So I was just buying this hat, in a clothing store – as you can tell, not a wrinkle on it – and they were playing an album by a band called Aqua-something River?
Claudia Gonson: Okkervil River.
SM: … Okkervil River. And their instrumentation was shockingly similar to not only the Magnetic Fields new album, but… this show. And I have been telling interviewers how proud we were that nobody has ever had this lineup or anything like it, for two months or something like that, six or seven times a day. Oh yes, who has ever used the 8-string ukulele, acoustic guitar, cello, pianette, and auto-harp together?… Well, they [Okkervil River] have, I think it’s auto-harp, cello, pianette, acoustic guitar, 8-string ukulele, and… mandolin, or something like that.
CG: The moral of the story is… don’t buy hats.
SM: Yes, don’t buy hats, before you play a show.
CG: Don’t do anything before you play a show. Including eat gigantic Chinese food.
SM: Yes, that either. But also, they had quite good lyrics.
CG: What?
SM: They had quite good lyrics. Which was a problem for me.
(audience laughs)
SM: I’m used to saying “I’m not just the best lyricist in the English language, I’m the only lyricist in the English language”.
(more laughter)
SM: But now there’s competition on both fronts. I think they have industrial spies they’ve sent out…
(he looks suspiciously towards auto-harpist/vocalist Shirley Simms to his right)
SM: … and it might be Shirley.
(and Shirley stares slyly back)
Gotta wonder if Okkervil River’s Will Sheff had a serious case of burning ear on Thursday night as he received that fairly impressive long-distance compliment.
Also pointedly amusing, after the band descended into a downward spiral of banter during the encore, was this quick one…
CG: We’re playing to 2300 people in a couple of days (ed: tonight at Brookyn’s BAM), and we’re going to get our act together. Be professional. We’re going to dress up and shut up.
SM: Maybe it’s better if you all pretend we ended after the second set. If there are any bloggers out there… (pauses)
CG: Please forget the last 10 minutes or so.
SM (continuing): …get a life.
OH SNAP!
Addendum: Anticipated 2010 Album Release Action
Posted on February 10, 2010 at 1:05 am | No Comments
As a follow-up to last week’s list of the 2010 album releases I’m looking forward to, here are a few I forgot, some that were recommended, and a couple that have been announced since. Thanks to readers and friends for the reminders, and to the labels and bands who’ve gotten in touch. FYI, I’ll also be adding these to the original post if you want to take a look there for the full run-down…
[Feb. 23rd on How is Annie Records/Norway]
[MP3] “To Sit Down Or To Follow, So I Follow“
[March 1st on Fat Cat Records]
[Video] “Nothing Like You“
[download code available at 3/6 Great Scott show / possibly vinyl later]
[MP3] “You Ruined My Election“
[March 9th on Columbia/Sony]
[Video] “The High Road“
[March 16th on Bar/None]
[MP3] “Fifteen“
[Download] a free Christmas song @ SPC
[Available on March 25th at shows]
[Stream] “Enjoy The Silence” (Depeche Mode/home demo)
[In March? on their own PeMa label]
[Watch] “When I Still Have Thee” (new song, live acoustic)
[Watch] live videos of three other new ones
[March 30th on Cooking Vinyl]
[“Early 2010” on Killer Pimp / 7″ available now]
[MP3] “But It’s So“
[“Early 2010” on Killer Pimp / 7″ available now]
[MP3] “Someday“
[Spring on Rock Action Records]
[Watch] “Burning” teaser trailer
[Download] “2 Rights Make 1 Wrong“ live MP3 w/email address
[May 4th on Arts & Crafts, I assume]
[May 18th on Casa Nuevo]
[Download] free MP3 with email addy and code ‘paris’
[June on Own Records]
[June 7th on Odd Box Records/UK]