Mp3s: Kristin Hersh And Her Charms
Posted on October 3, 2007 at 10:27 am | No Comments
Rather than sharing an entire live set this week, I thought I’d do something a little different in anticipation of the very special sold-out Kristin Hersh / Tanya Donelly team-up shows this weekend at Cambridge’s Brattle Theatre. In case you were unaware, the former co-Throwing Muses (and step-sisters) are doing two shows on Saturday, October 6th, during which they’ll each play a set of their own solo stuff, then join together on stage for a collaborative set that’s bound to include some TM songs. As a longtime fan of the Muses, their solo work, and various other bands (including Tanya’s Belly & Kristin’s 50 Foot Wave), it’d be an understatement to say I’m looking forward to this.
Back in late May, at the end of the U.S. tour in support of her latest solo album, “Learn To Sing Like A Star”, Kristin played a full-band show at the wonderful Hi-N-Dry studio space in Cambridge for a few dozen lucky fans. Her rhythm section was non other than her comrades from 50 Foot Wave, drummer Rob Ahlers and bass player (and fellow Throwing Muse) Bernard Georges. Opening the night, and also backing Kristin & co. for the full set, were the UK-based husband-and-wife string duo The McCarricks. It was as magical as it promised to be: a night of gorgeously intense, songs in a comfortably unique setting. It ranks high in my best shows of the year, and may end up on the very top.
Easily my favorite part of the night was hearing the latest incarnation of the ever-evolving “Me and My Charms“, a song that first appeared in acoustic form on Kristin’s debut solo disc, “Hips and Makers”, back in 1994. It remains among the best she’s written, and has thankfully made its way into many of her solo setlists over the years.
Later in 1994, 4AD released Kristin’s “Strings” EP, an eight-song disc that included four songs from “Hips and Makers” reworked with string arrangements from the McCarricks, including “Me and My Charms“…
When it was first announced that the McCarricks would be joining Kristin for her tour earlier this year, naturally I hoped we’d get finally hear them backing her up on this particular song, but what I didn’t imagine was how much new life the full-band arrangement would bring to it, adding intense rise-and-fall dynamics to an already moving song. I can only say that it blew me away, and here it is…
(live at Hi-N-Dry, Cambridge, MA, May 27th, 2007)
Consider that a tease for what is currently in the works: An officially released full-on DVD of that entire show. Yes, that special night was well-documented, and should eventually find its way into fans’ happy hands.
Speaking of happy fans… see you at the Brattle this weekend?
[Live MP3s] Interpol in Boston 2007
Posted on September 20, 2007 at 7:29 pm | No Comments
It took me five years to get around to seeing Interpol, but it wasn’t for any lack of loving a healthy number of their songs. “PDA” and “Obstacle 1” (off their 2002 debut, “Turn On The Bright Lights”) have found their way onto many a mix disc of mine, and while I wasn’t as enamored with the follow-up (2004’s “Antics”), I still figured I’d catch them on stage eventually. I just never made it a priority, and thinking about it, it may have been a combination of the conventional so-called wisdom that their stage presence lacked a certain spice, and my ever-increasing aversion to affectation, especially when it comes to a band’s wardrobe (yes, this is coming from a guy who long ago flirted with his own goth phase, and actually donned a black trenchcoat).
The day that tickets went on sale for their performance last week at Boston University’s Agganis Arena, that particular morning I was ears-deep in their latest record, “Our Love To Admire”, and by the time “Who Do You Think” rolled around, I made with the mouse clickin’ to see what kind of seats were available. The new album is a marked improvement on “Antics” (although each would have made absolutely perfect EPs with some trimming), and knowing the band now had three discs worth of material to pull their live set from, a good spot on the arena’s floor was enough to get me in attendance.
When I arrived, after a paranoid pat-down from arena security (they made me ditch my man-bag, but seemingly had no interest in cameras or recording gear. I’m guessing they were primarily safeguarding against smuggled alcohol or weapons. And free Mentos samples.), Liars were already on stage, and making one hell of a racket. They’re all about the cacophonous rock, but in the echo chamber of a not-yet-half-full arena space, it wasn’t quite working. I’d imagine in a club, up close, and with a soundman who focused as much on their mix as the headliners, these guys would kill. Still, frontman Angus Andrews courted the crowd with a Paul Pierce Celtics jersey, and the fact that they gave it their all despite the environs was enough to get them solid applause from us early arrivals.
Liars’ sound mix had me prepared for the worst when the lights came down and Interpol took the stage — without serious tweaks, it was going to be a muddy, imbalanced mess — but my fears were fortunately unfounded. Whoever was behind the board worked wonders with the massive room, and from the 18th row it sounded as good as it could have in there. The band ran through all the expected singles and faves, with three old ones to close things out. Here’s the entire set…
Live at Agganis Arena
in Boston, Massachusetts
on Wednesday, September 12th, 2007
01. Intro
02. Pioneer to the Falls
03. Obstacle 1
04. C’Mere
05. NARC
06. Say Hello to the Angels
07. Pace is the Trick
08. Mammoth
09. Hands Away
10. No I in Threesome
11. Slow Hands
12. Rest My Chemistry
13. The Heinrich Maneuver
14. Evil
15. Not Even Jail
encore…
16. NYC
17. Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down
18. PDA
For those keeping score, that’s a very even split between all three albums: six pulled from “Turn On The Bright Lights”, five off of “Antics”, and six from the latest. I was a little disappointed not to hear “Who Do You Think“, but they made up for it slightly by delivering “Pace Is The Trick“, another standout from the new stuff. Other high points were both “PDA” and “Obstacle 1“, a fantastic “Rest My Chemistry“, and main-set closer “Not Even Jail“. “Evil” sounded a little loose, and, at least in the arena setting, a couple other songs (particularly “Mammoth” and “The Heinrich Maneuver“) were victims of their own on-disc studio production — the recorded versions are so full and punchy that their live performances paled a bit in comparison. Makes me sorry I waited so long to see ’em, and likely missed out on the chance to ever see them in a smaller, more powerful setting.
Some Interpol links…
the ol’ footnote… If anyone has an issue with these Mp3s being made available, just let me know (my contact info in the ‘nac faq). Live sets recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then edited to 192kbps Mp3s. Files are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.