Charleston, SC

[tmcgovern]

Did anyone go to this show? No posting, no reviews? No fans in South Carolina?

[chouli]

i cant believe it. here it is almost 24 hours after carolina show and nothing. what happened???

[jramats]

tmcgovern said:

Did anyone go to this show? No posting, no reviews? No fans in South Carolina?

For some reason this doesn't surprise me. I've been to this club many times and it's cool. As much as I like Charleston, I hate to say it but the place has a weird, isolated vibe to it.

Michael B? Can you help us out?

[FirstAveFiend]

Maybellene was there but I don't know that she's had computer access since she went right from there to Orlando last night. I hope she posts some reviews.

[maybellene]

I was there but being that I haven't slept in about 4 days its a little mushy. All shows were good, but there was something special about this one. I'm not a "set lister" so I apologize. The band went on at 1030 and played for a little over two hours. The crowd was real small, maybe 350 people and nowhere near capacity. There was a radio station sponsoring the gig called the WAVE. Ugh, I'm thinking it was an adult contemporary station. So this dj comes out and is all dj voiced saying "Are ya ready for the Paul Westerberg band? Put your hands together folks, let me hear ya!"

He did a wonderful version of "Don't Want Never" and "Nevermind", plus all the requisite covers. The crowd was pretty subdude, but the band won them over. Kevin came out with a marked up forehead painted with the word $LUT. Paul threw the mike in the audience at one point and jumped into the crowd after it. At another point during the show. He looked one way and says "Now I see that the mens bathroom is over there." and points stage right. "Wheres the womens bathroom?" People point stage left. He jumps off the stage, barrels through the crowd, all the while the band still playing and heads to the ladies room. Hes gone for awhile and comes out with two new female friends and pulls them up onto the stage. The ladies do not care to stay and depart quietly. He tells the audience that he highly recommends visiting the ladies room. He was happy and feeling fine. Sorry I'm just not a reviewer but out of all of the shows, I just really enjoyed this one best. Oh, I hope someone got a boot of this show because I don't think there was one lyric that wasn't changed to something else. It didn't seem to be due to any forgetfulness but more because he felt like it.

[A Regular]

Sounds like a really fun show.

Next time I get caught in the Ladies' Room I'll just have to exlain that "Paul sent me".

Crying shame only 350 saw it.

[michaelb]

jramats said:

For some reason this doesn't surprise me. I've been to this club many times and it's cool. As much as I like Charleston, I hate to say it but the place has a weird, isolated vibe to it.

Michael B? Can you help us out?

i don't think so...this whole tour is just one big blur, for me....in a good way, though....

M.B.

[FreeRider]

A said:

Sounds like a really fun show.

Next time I get caught in the Ladies' Room I'll just have to exlain that "Paul sent me".

Crying shame only 350 saw it.

Wow, that reallyis a shame that the audience was so small. But on the brighter side, a low attendance sometimes makes for a special, more intimate concert.

[maybellene]

And one more thing... Remember that green polyester jacket? At the end of the show Paul brought it out, threw it on the ground and lit that sucker up. It was kinda like watching a 16yr old pyromaniac get glee from setting a fire...

And no boot? CHRAP...

[WestyTarheel]

Maybellene said:

And one more thing... Remember that green polyester jacket? At the end of the show Paul brought it out, threw it on the ground and lit that sucker up. It was kinda like watching a 16yr old pyromaniac get glee from setting a fire...

And no boot? CHRAP...

I was at the Seattle show when some guy threw that jacket to him on stage. He wore it the next night in Vancouver and again in Dallas when I was there and I know it made appearances elsewhere.

[kgp]

Maybellene said:

. At another point during the show. He looked one way and says "Now I see that the mens bathroom is over there." and points stage right. "Wheres the womens bathroom?" People point stage left. He jumps off the stage, barrels through the crowd, all the while the band still playing and heads to the ladies room. Hes gone for awhile and comes out with two new female friends and pulls them up onto the stage. The ladies do not care to stay and depart quietly. He tells the audience that he highly recommends visiting the ladies room.

That's hilarious.

WestyTarheel said:

I was at the Seattle show when some guy threw that jacket to him on stage. He wore it the next night in Vancouver and again in Dallas when I was there and I know it made appearances elsewhere.

Same one he wore in Chicago and Norfolk--right? Maybe the previous owner put a hex on it. He was possessed by lime green polyester--that explains a few things.

[rankel]

He also wore that green jacket at the 2nd NYC show...

To bad to hear it's up in jacket heaven now...

[FirstAveFiend]

WestyTarheel said:

I was at the Seattle show when some guy threw that jacket to him on stage. He wore it the next night in Vancouver and again in Dallas when I was there and I know it made appearances elsewhere.

Ok this really confuses me. He was actually given the green jacket at the Portland show which was two shows after Vancouver.

He wore it in SF and LA 2. I think it also made an appearance in Chicago. Its sad they're starting to run together.

[WestyTarheel]

FirstAveFiend said:

Ok this really confuses me. He was actually given the green jacket at the Portland show which was two shows after Vancouver.

He wore it in SF and LA 2. I think it also made an appearance in Chicago. Its sad they're starting to run together.

My bad, I meant to say wore it the next night in Portland. All those damn towns in the nortwest look alike to me.

[jgolden]

My wife and I went to the Charleston show and it was my first time seeing Paul live ever('mats or solo). I have been listening to his music since '84, but have never been in close proximity to a show.

It was all I could hope for in a Westerberg show, first one or otherwise. Seems to me that the band played more like 3 hours, as they started at 10:30pm, and we were out back waiting at the bus door by around 1:30am. But, I was so overwhelmed, I may have lost track of time.

As others have said, it was not a capacity crowd, but as others have also said, it made for a more intimate setting. I didn't think the crowd was that subdued, but this was my first Paul show (so I had nothing to compare it to, and most of the shows I have been too lately have been overpopulated by "music snobs" that weren't born yet when I started going to shows, and don't react much to any band they see. I think that most of the crowd at the Paul show was really excited to see the band, but maybe getting old like me, and not as energetic as we used to be.

The band came out to a roar of applause, to which Paul said, laughing, "Where the hell you been the last 10 years?" and it was off to the races. Paul was in a great mood, his voice sounded awesome (for the entire set), the band had great energy together, and the drummer kicked ass.

I was in such a state of disbelief that we were there and that the show was so excellent, that even now, I am having trouble remembering every song they played, and my wife and I are still debating whether or not they played this or that one, because we can imagine them up there playing every song he ever wrote and we had the ipod playing every Paul/Mats song we own for days before and after the show. Never had that happen at a show before.

That said, some of the other highlights:

They started with Stain Yer Blood, which had Paul perching himself on a monitor, and then falling off into the crowd. Never heard him miss a note.

6 covers, I think, including "I Think I love You" and "I wanna be your Boyfriend", "Different Drum", that Billy Joe Shaver song they have been playing, and two blues covers I did not know.

The afore-mentioned jaunt into the Ladies bathroom and the Jacket burning.

Paul's response to a request for Unsatisfied (which was the only song they did not play that I was really hoping to hear) which was: "I'll never play that song again as long as I live. Cross my heart. Unless it's tomorrow." (Laughs)

A long set with a little of everything from his albums from Let It Be to present. Don't recall any songs pre-Let It Be. Maybe someone else does.

An acoustic break with Skyway.

A little ad-lib (I think directed to Kevin, the Guitar Player) between songs based on the first line of Androgynous.

A long encore which included Alex Chilton, a rocking version of Let the Bad Times Roll, and ended with Left of the Dial.

The most memorable part of the night for me was at the meet and greet, when those gathered were brought on the bus in pairs to meet the band, and we all (in turn) got to sit down in the back of the bus with Paul (and Jim) to talk and get stuffed signed. Paul was most gracious, and in response to my wife's thanks for taking the time to do the meet and greet said, "This is why I do this."

The only bad thing about the show for me is that I have tickets for the next month to see a Spoon show, a Pixies show, and a Richard Buckner show (all major favorites of mine) and I'm afraid there is no way any one of those shows could top this one. Damn you, Paul Westerberg! And thank you.

[jgolden]

Oh, and another highlight: WHile playing another song ( I wanna be your boyfriend, maybe) the band switched to I Will Dare, which they finished up by slowing down the tempo.

Please...someone who was there, and who was able to keep there senses...post a set list so I can get full recall of this great night!!

[bombpop]

I've had some trouble logging on, so sorry this post took a while. As has already been mentioned it was a smallish to decent sized crowd, but i agree that everyone was obviously there with a purpose. Great energy from the crowd and the band. After one Replacements show and a handful of solo shows, this was definately the greatest night of straight rock I've seen Paul do. This band brings it from start to finish and they are all obviously having a blast doing it. My troubled memory and even more troubled scribblings now give you...the setlist:

Stain Yer Blood
- I thought this was the song with Paul going into the crowd, guitar clinging to his neck and all, so I didn't have time to reach for my pen
I'll Be You
Kiss Me On The Bus - smokin' lead by Paul
Merry Go Round
? - Elmore James Cover
Someone Take The Wheel
Live Forever
Makin' Me Go - with, as previously mentioned from other shows, ferocious drumming
Bad Times Roll
As Far As I Know
Eyes Like Sparks - Jim on sometime lead vocals
- my scribbling again
Now I Wonder
Mr. Rabbit
Lil' Mascara - another smokin' lead
Born For Me
High Time - Paul & Jim swapping vocal turns
Valentine - have I mentioned Paul's guitar playing?
Psychopharmacology - Paul calling out for Michael to count it in in Egyptian, with no audible response from Michael, just a pleasant stare
Don't Want Never - mostly new lyrics
Crackle & Drag
Skyway
?? - something aborted, with Paul incredulously asking "What do want a miracle?"
Lookin' Up In Heaven
? - undetermined cover
What A Day For A Night - with the mic somehow getting thrown/dropped into the crowd
Love Untold
Different Drum - truely every bit as good as other posts have indicated
Knockin' On Mine - have to say it again, another incredible guitar turn
Can't Hardly Wait
Borstal Breakout
I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
I Will Dare - more ad libbed lyrics, changes in tempo, great playing by Kevin, finished very slow
I.O.U.
Nevermind - my by now sloppy notes say only "wow"
I Think I Love You
Encore:
"I bought this guitar for $153 at a Wal-Mart in South Carolina and it only know how to play one song..."
If I Had A Hammer
An Aborted Things - never really got started, but its a favorite so I wrote it down anyway
Silver Naked Ladies - more on this later
Alex Chilton
Left Of The Dial - with a lot of "Blah, Blah, Blah" in place of actual lyrics, but still "Left Of..."!!!

Highlights:
1. Left Of The Dial, no doubt
2. After the heart racing, but wrong for the encore, start of Things, Silver Naked Ladies. I know this has already been discussed but here's my take: mid-song, Paul says "I see the Men's but where's the Ladies?" After some crowd pointing, he throws done his guitar with a thud and a hum, and proceeds to the ladies room. Since we were on that side of the stage, my wife went into the bathroom with him (she tells her friends I pushed her to go, but I like to think the woman I married would follow Paul by choice. huh?) After Kevin (kind of, some clever ad-libbing) took over vocals for a while, Paul holding my wife's hand and another woman return from the bathroom and start to climb back on stage. Paul dropped my wife's hand at the top of the stairs so she got nervous and came back. When I asked her what happened she reported that "He went in the stall...and peed."
3. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
4. Killer Knockin' On Mine, a song i sometimes forget about but always remember to love
5. Paul to some unlikely requester - "Sorry, we didn't bother to learn any of the good ones" to which said fans responds with something and Paul says "Well, I wrote 'em and you bought 'em"
6. Purely awesome from start to finish, if there was anything I wanted to hear, I forgot to care because of everything that was played.
7. Oh, and somehow I missed the ceremonial burning of the jacket. How (and when and where) did this happen.

[bombpop]

Oh, and another thing:
while taking absolutely nothing away from Michael and Kevin (both incredible players who played incredibly), on this night at least, Paul and Jim seemed to have great chemistry together. It was awesome to watch and hear them interact. Maybe it has something to do with the instrument in question?

[michaelb]

bombpop said:

Oh, and another thing:
while taking absolutely nothing away from Michael and Kevin (both incredible players who played incredibly), on this night at least, Paul and Jim seemed to have great chemistry together. It was awesome to watch and hear them interact. Maybe it has something to do with the instrument in question?

it has a whole lot less to do with instruments, than with the fact that jim is the only one of us who was willing to stay up all night before with paul, playing poker with twenty dollar bills, and drinking brandy and ginger ale 'til 6am.... that would be the "chemistry" you speak of, most likely... LOL!!!

michaelb

[jgolden]

MichaelB,
I really enjoyed your playing during the show, and the chance to say Hi on the bus later. You really and truly rock. I've been playing in bands for 20 years, and I can appreciate a drummer with excellent meter and the combination of flair and restraint that you have as there seem to be so few out there. I'm gushing, but during the meet and greet I did not have the presence of mind to say much more than good show, etc. I hope you guys will play some more shows in the Carolinas.