Post by beentocollege on Nov 9, 2004 22:09:48 GMT -5
Another excellent show. I might have to give the first night a slight edge based on the sheer excitement of hearing the power of this band for the first time. There also seemed to be a bit more energy on Friday - you could practically feel a crackle in the air. But, now that I think about it, any show with performances as white-hot as “IOU” and “Alex Chilton” on Saturday is a show to remember. Given the “lost years” nature of much of the last decade for him, I don’t see how anyone could expect anything more from Mr. W and company at this point.
Paul didn’t look quite as deranged as night 1 (spray painted suit, gloves clipped to his sleeves - looking more than a little like a Monty Python “twit”), coming out looking rather natty in a suit vest, pimp hat, loud bow-tie and louder dress shirt. His spirits seemed pretty “up” - he bounced around, cracked some jokes and, once again, seemed to be enjoying his moment in the spotlight. At one point he pulled out what appeared to be a tube of lipstick and proceeded to “touch up” a hapless Kevin Bowe. Boquist was in his best “rock star” mode, teetering around as he and Bland provided the kind of foundation that, to put it kindly, has been missing from much of PW’s recent basement recordings.
For the most part, things were predictably a bit tighter on night 2 - lots of seamless segue transitions - but there was also a gaffe or two and, at the end of “It’s All Over Now,” things ground to a halt rather sloppily. Not exactly the kind of f*ck-all insouciance Paul’s old band used to revel in, but it was hard not to think of <insert your fave ‘mats train wreck moment here> as things fell apart on stage. He also false-started “Crackle and Drag,” momentarily losing his focus. He started again, mumbling something like “OK, Paul, on stage now, people watching, must sing...”
During the Grandpaboy opener - vintage Westerberg-as-contrarian, starting a show with a blues cover - I wondered if maybe things were gonna be drastically different on night 2. What if Paul was in one of his “moods” and everything fell off the tracks? Not to worry, though, the setlist from night 1 soon fell into place, so much so that I eventually started to wonder “is this gonna be a rehash of night 1.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that...
Not many wholesale changes in the setlist from night 1, but it was sure nice to hear anything (3 on Saturday!) from “14 Songs,” an album full of songs that I think this band would do right by. The acoustic set was revamped, thankfully including a gorgeous “Skyway,” always special for the hometown punters since it’s kinda “our” song. The show on Saturday really picked up steam in the second half, culminating in an “Nevermind” / “IOU” 1-2 knockout punch. “IOU” was never a “major” ‘mats track IMO, but it sure works well live (it was also a major highlight as a closer during the ‘96 PW tour). The performance on Saturday was simply volcanic, same with “Alex Chilton,” which has never sounded better. During “AC,” Michael Bland was just destroying his drum kit, those tom-tom smashes sounding like a jack hammer about to explode. I looked around during “AC” and most everyone was just standing there, slack-jawed and awed, a suitable reaction for much of what had transpired over the last two memorable nights.
Paul Westerberg and the Painkillers *
6 November 2004
Pantages Theater - Minneapolis, MN
* = Kevin Bowe (guitars, vocals), Jim Boquist (bass, vocals), Michael Bland (drums)
Dust My Broom (Elmore James cover)
Waiting For Somebody
Final Hurrah
Kiss Me on the Bus
My Dad
AAA (with bits of Anyway’s All Right)
Mr. Rabbit (up tempo country-rock version) (Bowe on mandolin)
Making Me Go
No Place For You
Now I Wonder
As Far As I Know
Born For Me
High Time
Little Mascara
Skyway (solo acoustic 12 string)
Things (solo acoustic 12 string)
Crackle and Drag (solo acoustic 12 string)
Lookin’ Up in Heaven (acoustic 12 string with band)
What a Day (For a Night) (acoustic 12 string with band)
Waitress in the Sky (acoustic 12 string with band)
First Glimmer (electric 12 string with band)
I Will Dare (electric 12 string with band)
I.O.U.
Nevermind
ENCORE 1
MPLS (PW on blues harp) >
It’s All Over Now (Stones cover, actually originally done by Bobby Womack)
Knockin’ On Mine
Can’t Hardly Wait
ENCORE 2
Alex Chilton
Left of the Dial
Setlist variations from night 1 (not counting covers): no “Achin’ To Be,” “Let the Bad Times Roll,” “Valentine,” new song, “Sadly Beautiful,” “If Only You Were Lonely,” “Love Untold,” “I’ll Be You,” “Folk Star / Jingle.”
New on night 2: “No Place For You,” “Now I Wonder,” “Born For Me,” “Skyway,” “Things,” “Waitress in the Sky,” “First Glimmer,” “I.O.U.” “Nevermind,” “Knockin’ On Mine”
Paul didn’t look quite as deranged as night 1 (spray painted suit, gloves clipped to his sleeves - looking more than a little like a Monty Python “twit”), coming out looking rather natty in a suit vest, pimp hat, loud bow-tie and louder dress shirt. His spirits seemed pretty “up” - he bounced around, cracked some jokes and, once again, seemed to be enjoying his moment in the spotlight. At one point he pulled out what appeared to be a tube of lipstick and proceeded to “touch up” a hapless Kevin Bowe. Boquist was in his best “rock star” mode, teetering around as he and Bland provided the kind of foundation that, to put it kindly, has been missing from much of PW’s recent basement recordings.
For the most part, things were predictably a bit tighter on night 2 - lots of seamless segue transitions - but there was also a gaffe or two and, at the end of “It’s All Over Now,” things ground to a halt rather sloppily. Not exactly the kind of f*ck-all insouciance Paul’s old band used to revel in, but it was hard not to think of <insert your fave ‘mats train wreck moment here> as things fell apart on stage. He also false-started “Crackle and Drag,” momentarily losing his focus. He started again, mumbling something like “OK, Paul, on stage now, people watching, must sing...”
During the Grandpaboy opener - vintage Westerberg-as-contrarian, starting a show with a blues cover - I wondered if maybe things were gonna be drastically different on night 2. What if Paul was in one of his “moods” and everything fell off the tracks? Not to worry, though, the setlist from night 1 soon fell into place, so much so that I eventually started to wonder “is this gonna be a rehash of night 1.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that...
Not many wholesale changes in the setlist from night 1, but it was sure nice to hear anything (3 on Saturday!) from “14 Songs,” an album full of songs that I think this band would do right by. The acoustic set was revamped, thankfully including a gorgeous “Skyway,” always special for the hometown punters since it’s kinda “our” song. The show on Saturday really picked up steam in the second half, culminating in an “Nevermind” / “IOU” 1-2 knockout punch. “IOU” was never a “major” ‘mats track IMO, but it sure works well live (it was also a major highlight as a closer during the ‘96 PW tour). The performance on Saturday was simply volcanic, same with “Alex Chilton,” which has never sounded better. During “AC,” Michael Bland was just destroying his drum kit, those tom-tom smashes sounding like a jack hammer about to explode. I looked around during “AC” and most everyone was just standing there, slack-jawed and awed, a suitable reaction for much of what had transpired over the last two memorable nights.
Paul Westerberg and the Painkillers *
6 November 2004
Pantages Theater - Minneapolis, MN
* = Kevin Bowe (guitars, vocals), Jim Boquist (bass, vocals), Michael Bland (drums)
Dust My Broom (Elmore James cover)
Waiting For Somebody
Final Hurrah
Kiss Me on the Bus
My Dad
AAA (with bits of Anyway’s All Right)
Mr. Rabbit (up tempo country-rock version) (Bowe on mandolin)
Making Me Go
No Place For You
Now I Wonder
As Far As I Know
Born For Me
High Time
Little Mascara
Skyway (solo acoustic 12 string)
Things (solo acoustic 12 string)
Crackle and Drag (solo acoustic 12 string)
Lookin’ Up in Heaven (acoustic 12 string with band)
What a Day (For a Night) (acoustic 12 string with band)
Waitress in the Sky (acoustic 12 string with band)
First Glimmer (electric 12 string with band)
I Will Dare (electric 12 string with band)
I.O.U.
Nevermind
ENCORE 1
MPLS (PW on blues harp) >
It’s All Over Now (Stones cover, actually originally done by Bobby Womack)
Knockin’ On Mine
Can’t Hardly Wait
ENCORE 2
Alex Chilton
Left of the Dial
Setlist variations from night 1 (not counting covers): no “Achin’ To Be,” “Let the Bad Times Roll,” “Valentine,” new song, “Sadly Beautiful,” “If Only You Were Lonely,” “Love Untold,” “I’ll Be You,” “Folk Star / Jingle.”
New on night 2: “No Place For You,” “Now I Wonder,” “Born For Me,” “Skyway,” “Things,” “Waitress in the Sky,” “First Glimmer,” “I.O.U.” “Nevermind,” “Knockin’ On Mine”
