On Walking Concert
Posted on October 19, 2004 at 2:14 pm | No Comments
While the rest of Red Sox Nation was still celebrating last night’s win (or gasping for breath on their floors), I was racing over the Charles towards the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, where Walter Schreifels’ Walking Concert was about to hit the stage. A man of many great bands (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Rival Schools), his latest project is a poppier affair, and judging from the sadly-too-small crowd last night, his former hardcore fans may not be along for the ride. Or you could blame the weeknight, or the Sox game… that’s some pretty serious competition.
That said, I seem to dig everything the guy does, and W.C.’s debut disc “Run To Be Born” is no exception. Short, sharp, shocks of pop rock, guitar goodness and catchy hooks aplenty. Expectedly, most of last night’s set was from the album, with a few really promising new ones thrown in.
The mix at the MidEastUp wasn’t all that hot, so my recording suffers a bit, but here’s the setlist and mp3s nonetheless…
1. Eyes Reg? (a new one, faded in, title abbreviation from setlist)
2. Hello Sensei (new)
3. But You Know… It’s True
4. Save the Savables (new)
5. What’s Your New Thing?
6. Mustang Ford
7. Studio Space
8. Girls In The Field
9. Mind of a Boy (new)
10. Hands Up!
11. The Animals
12. Calypso Slide
13. What Does Your Heart Say?
Despite their NYC origins, they dedicated new song “Save the Savables” to the night’s pitching hero, Tim Wakefield, and ended the set with a “Go Sox!”. Mets fans, I’m guessin’. As if he needed to endear himself anymore to us Bostonians, he was also sporting a Modern Lovers t-shirt. Nice.
They shoulda had a much larger crowd, and I hope the low attendance doesn’t keep ’em from returning sometime soon. It didn’t seem to effect their performance, Walter was rockin’ out, but these guys deserve a weekend show (and a non-playoff night). Looks like they’re taking a live break for awhile, but hopefully they’ll get back out there. In the meantime, pick up their disc over at the Some Records site.
Jon Stewart recounts his Crossfire appearance on last night’s Daily show here. The clip has been tough to grab from the original link, so I’ve shared it up on my server. Get with the grabbin’. Washington Post story on Crossfire’s reaction to his appearance here. The idea of James Carville calling anyone a ‘pompous ass’ amuses the hell outta me. Carville, meet Kettle.
We’ve Already Won
Posted on October 19, 2004 at 8:47 am | No Comments
No Yankees’ celebration on the field of Fenway. No champagne in our visitor’s clubhouse. No pin-striped high-fives, no balco-boosted chest-bumps, A-Rod won’t be puckering his purple lips to plant one on Jeter’s posterior as the beaten down faithful wander home for another off-season. Hell no, not in our park.
So the Bronx blowhards are nobody’s daddies, just the stuck-up cousins you tolerate at holidays, the ones who prove your mama done raised you better.
Our belief, even our hopes, they wavered, but it seems our team’s never did. Hands-down heroics from the bullpen, especially Sir Tim Wakefield. The image of the three amigos striding across the outfield in extra innings. Of Timlin, arms raised, asking the crowd for even more noise. And Ortiz. His picture will be under ‘clutch’ in the Boston baseball dictionary.
Everything beyond the major league low of Saturday night is a bonus. Near defeat, they put up a fight, showed spirit in the face of the Yankees eye rolling and pouty mouths. (Did anyone else catch A-Rod’s dismissive little hand gesture after Trot burned him with that ace outfield catch? Such a massive tool.) Whatever else happens, however Schilling pitches tonight, whether or not Damon finds his swing, they flat-out refused to stay down. For once, instead of boosting our hopes just to let us fall, they squashed them then raised ’em high. Even if they come up short tonight, they’ve given us grand theater, put on one hell of a show.
For one more day, we are not commiseration nation. Win or lose, the Red Sox 2004 season can only end on a high note.
Be sure to check out Surviving Grady’s as-always excellent write-up, Boston Dirt Dogs headlines, and the genius of ESPN’s Sports Guy, Bill Simmons.