I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 7, 2018] Sloan

Sarah and I went to see Sloan at Boot and Saddle back in May.  It was a fantastic show.  When they announced that they were swinging back around and playing White Eagle Hall, a favorite new venue in Jersey City, I knew I had to see them again.

There were a few strikes against this show for me.  It was the middle of three shows in a row (Judas Priest last night, First Aid Kit tomorrow night).  It started at 9 and I’d be missing out on some stuff at home.  I considered not going, but thought I’d be mad if I blew it off.

Well, I arrived on time and there was hardly anyone there (Boot and Saddle was packed).  Then they didn’t start for some 20 minutes.  People started to fill in at last and I was able to get a nice spot right front and center.

I probably should have realized that, since this was the same tour that they were on (promoting their latest fantastic album 12), that the setlist would be largely the same.  But the setlist was so different on the previous tour, and they made it seem like the Boot & Saddle show has some unique elements, that I was surprised that the first set was identical to the Boot & Saddle show.

I guess the surprise was that this was the second leg of the tour.  They had taken a little break and were resuming.  Our night was the first night of the new leg, so I thought maybe it would be extra special.  Maybe having a poor turnout doesn’t make you want to do anything special–although the band played great and seemed in very good form.

Not terrible, since the songs are great.  But a little disappointing to be sure.

Worse yet was that at some point during the first couple of songs, the sound went totally nutso.  Chris’ bass was really loud–or if not loud, very sensitive.  You could hear every click of his pick on the bass.  And Patrick’s guitar seemed to fade to obscurity.  I wasn’t sure if it was because I was standing in front of Chris or what, but it was unsettling (although it was cool to hear all of the great bass work that Chris does which sometimes gets lost).

This is all especially surprising because White Eagle Hall has as great sound system.  It was as if whoever was doing sound was totally unfamiliar with the board.  The lights were also weird–very unprofessional feeling.  With lights going off and on the band at weird times and getting aimed at the crowd occasionally, too.  It was weird, although the lights did allow me to get this great picture of Chris.

Like last time, they started with the great intro music from The Electric Company’s Counting Song

Since the first set was the same, I can pretty much copy what I wrote last time (with different video links).  I took fewer videos this time because I’d heard all of the songs last time.  It might have been interesting to compare sound quality, but I’m not that anal retentive.

They opened with two songs from 12 “Spin Our Wheels” (sung by Chris) and “Have Faith” (sung by Patrick).  They followed that with a song from Jay, an older awesome sing along called “Who Taught You to Live Like That?”  A great song if ever there was one.

And then they went off the set list by playing “Fading Into Obscurity” (Chris) (“Carried Away” was supposed to be next).

Chris took a vote to see of we wanted “Carried Away” or “Fading.”  Since they had played “Fading” last time I voted for “Carried.”  However, with the weird bass sound issues, I thought his bass sounded great on this version, so I’m glad they played this slower song.

Patrick got one more older song “It’s In Your Eyes,” and it reminded me yet again that I will never be able to determine whose songs I like best.

Next up was “Step On It, Jean” which was a huge surprise in Philly but almost passe here.  Still, no complaints about it.

Then came the change up.  Andrew came from behind the kit, grabbed the guitar and sang lead.  Chris went back to the drums and Jay switched to bass.  Andrew sang two, “Gone For Good” and “People of the Sky” (ba ba bah dah daaaah).

The one big difference about this show from the previous one was that my sightlines were much better. The guys were spread out.  I could see Greg McDonald on backing vocals very clearly.  And I could really watch the drummer.  It was fun seeing Chris on drums because he was clearly enjoying himself and he did a wild fill at the end, that looked like everyone who every wanted to play drums but never had the chance (except that he’s good at it).

I love their album Between the Bridges, so it was great to hear “Losing Californoa (Patrick).  And then it was back to the new album with what should be a huge hit, “Right to Roam” (Jay). They ended the first set with a wild rendition of Chris’ “Follow the Leader.”

The first set seemed to be so short.  It didn’t feel short last time.  But they took a break and fixed whatever technical issues they were having because when they came back out for the second set, everything sounded great.  Is this because I moved over in front of Patrick?  I don;t know.  Were there horribly obnoxious people near me yelling to the band during the show?  Yes.

Set two was largely the same as Set Two last time.  Again, a little disappointing, but this is a tour for the new album.  And, I don’t have any problem with them playing ten songs from that album.  But the good news is that they mixed up a few of the older songs and even played a couple of songs I’d never heard before.

Regardless, the sound was so much better and Patrick seemed to be in a great mood (I think he didn’t like the sound issues in Set 1 either, given how much he fiddled with his gear).  The first song was the same, Chris’ new song “Don’t Stop (If It Feels Good Do It).”

The setlist indicated it would be Jay’s “Beverly Terrace” (like last time), but instead they played Jay’s awesome “Don’t You Believe a Word.”  I loved when they played it in 2016 and I loved it again tonight.

And then another great new song (this new album is really terrific), Patrick’s “Day Will Be Mine.”

At this part in the show seems to be where there’s some flexibility.  They played “The Other Man,” a dark song that is really catchy and wonderful.  The crowd was really into this one.  They didn’t play this last time, but they did in 2016 and I feel like it was a highlight back then, too.

I see that in the previous show I saw “they played the song they skipped earlier “Carried Away” (Chris)–this time it was switched out with “The Other Man” (which they played last time as was great, but it’s always fun to hear different songs.”  So I guess even the switch out songs have a rotation of some sort.

It’s hard to pick a favorite song on the new album but Jay’s “Essential Services” is certainly close.  Then came another rocker from Patrick, “Live On.”

Andrew came back out for the second set and played two new songs, the catchy “Year Zero” & the complex and really enjoyable “44 Teenagers.”

The previous show at this time, the setlist said “Underwhelmed” but they played “Gimme That” (Chris) from Action Pact.  This time they just played “Gimme That,” with no hints at anything from their debut.

In fact, they played nothing from Smeared at all (I did rather hope they would play “Underwhelmed” since they didn’t last time, but alas).  But instead they played two songs that I had not heard live before.  So that’s awesome and really served to make this set worth staying for (along with the far better sound).

First it was “Burn For It” (Patrick) a song I don’t know that well from Parallel Play (note to self, listen to that album again).  It was followed by the classic jay song “I Hate My Generation” I had not hear either of these songs live before, so that was great.  It was especially cool to hear “Generation” with the gotta-see-it-in-print lyric:
S’ ‘E’ ‘A’ ‘N’ ‘S’ ‘A’ ‘I’ ‘D’
‘P’ ‘L’ ‘A’ ‘why’ yeah yeah yeah yeah

The final new song of the night was the undeniably catchy “Wish Upon a Satellite” (Chris/Patrick).  Seriously, why isn’t this album huge?

They ended the set with the other anthemic song about feeling good and doing it: Patrick’s “If It Feels Good Do It” (he wrote his first).  During the song, Chris led us in the quintessential Sloan chant of Slooooan.

And that was the end of second set.

I decided, since the crowd was still pretty thin to go to the other side of the room for fun.  So this time I was in front of Jay.  The sight lines weren’t great actually (very tall people), but the sound was good.  And it was nice to be in front of Jay for “The Lines You Amend” a terrific song that I loved hearing again.

The left for an encore break.  Last time they did one of my favorite songs, “The Rest of My Life.”  But this time Chris said that since their previous tour was when they played One Chord to Another in full, they hadn’t been playing anything from it (not exactly true).  But now it was time to take some of those songs out of jail.

And the show ended with the supremely catchy “Good in everyone.” (Patrick).

I had had some misgivings about coming out for this show, but they totally made me feel good by the night’s end.  And if it feels good, do it (as they sing on two different songs).

I didn’t bother sticking around after the show, although I’m sure that at least Chris was there to greet everyone and sign things.  There was no merch left for me to get, so I just went home.

Chris hinted that their next tour might be for the 20th anniversary of Navy Blues (technically 20 years is this year).  I would totally go to that show.  But even better is if they do a 20 years of Bridges.  I can’t pass that up!  However, I will note not to bother seeing them twice on the same tour.

 

 

May 9, 2018	May 9, 2018	October 15, 2016
Set 1	Set 1	Set 1 (One Chord to Another)
Spin Our Wheels [12]	Spin Our Wheels [12]	The Good in Everyone [OCTA]
Have Faith [12]	Have Faith [12]	Nothing Left to Make Me Want to Stay [OCTA]
Who Taught You To Live Like That? [Never]	Who Taught You To Live Like That? [Never]	Autobiography [OCTA]
Fading Into Obscurity [Comm]	Fading Into Obscurity [Never]	Junior Panthers [OCTA]
It’s In Your Eyes [Pretty]	It’s In Your Eyes [Pretty]	G Turns to D [OCTA]
Step On It, Jean [Pact]	Step On It, Jean [Pact]	A Side Wins [OCTA]
Gone for Good [12]	Gone for Good [12]	Everything You’ve Done Wrong [OCTA]
People of the Sky [Twice]	People of the Sky [Twice]	Anyone Who’s Anyone [OCTA]
Losing California [Bridges]	Losing California [Bridges]	The Lines You Amend [OCTA]
Right to Roam [12]	Right to Roam [12]	Take the Bench [OCTA]
Follow the Leader [XX]	Follow the Leader [XX]	Can’t Face Up [OCTA]
Set 2	Set 2	400 Metres [OCTA]
Don’t Stop (If It Feels Good Do It) [12]	Don’t Stop (If It Feels Good Do It) [12]	Set 2
Beverly Terrace [XX]	Beverly Terrace [XX]	Underwhelmed [Smeared]
The Day Will be Mine [12]	The Day Will be Mine [12]	C’mon C’mon (We’re Gonna Get It Started) [Navy]
The Other Man [Pretty]	Carried Away [Comm]	Money City Maniacs [Navy]
Essential Services [12]	Essential Services [12]	So Far So Good [Comm]
Live On [Pact]	Live On [Pact]	Worried Now  [Twice]
Year Zero [12]	Year Zero [12]	Who Taught You to Live Like That? [Never]
44 Teenagers [12]	44 Teenagers [12]	Sinking Ships [Navy]
Gimme That [Pact]	Gimme That [Pact]	People of the Sky [Twice]
Burn for It [Parallel]	Sugartune [Smeared]	Don’t You Believe a Word [Bridges]
I Hate My Generation [Twice]	Take Good Care of the Poor Boy [Bridges]	I’m Not a Kid Anymore [Parallel]
Wish Upon a Satellite [12]	Wish Upon a Satellite [12]	Unkind [XX]
If It Feels Good Do It [Pretty]	If It Feels Good Do It [Pretty]	Snowsuit Sound [Twice]
encore	encore	The Other Man [Pretty]
The Lines You Amend [OCTA]	The Rest of My Life [Pact]	Losing California [Bridges]
The Good in Everyone [OCTA]	The Good in Everyone [OCTA]	encore
		The Marquee and the Moon [Bridges]
		If It Feels Good Do It [Pretty]