SOUNDTRACK: RHEOSTATICS-The Quilted Bear, Banff, Alberta (February 11, 1997).
I am quite surprised that the Rheostatics Live site doesn’t make a bigger deal about this show, given its unique nature. This is an acoustic show that sounds like it was played in front of ten people and a lot of beer.
The shows seems to have started with the second song (at least the way Dave introduces it). But the first track is a romping acoustic “Record Body Count” (sound check? or maybe just put out of place?). Whatever, it sounds great with some electric guitar squeals but mostly just folk style with lots of backing singers).
The show proper starts with Dave introducing “an Ontario drinking song.” There’s lots of shushing as people keep talking over him (although those people might be Tim an Martin). Dave says, “a drinking song, there’s got to be some drunks talking.”. Dave tells the story behind the sons and then they launch into a spirited rendition of Stompin’ Tom Connor’s “Midnight Ride of Red Dog Ray.”
Next comes “Christopher.” It’s hard to believe they used this version for Double Live because it is so imperfect. Martin coughs in the beginning and his voice cracks a bit. But it sounds great and is a wonderfully unique version, especially for the live record.
It’s followed by a folksy rendition of “Chanson les Ruelles.” Although Tim is too quiet. mid song, you can hear someone in the crowd says “is it in French? Yea!” The version of “Wendell Clark” that comes next is only the second part. But it is stompin and rompin (with someone yelling “yeeeha”). At the end someone shouts Wendell broke his back. “He didn’t really break it.” “Well, he hurt it.”
Someone shouts for “Palomar” (or “Alomar” that seems less likely). But they play “Take Me in Your Hand” instead. It is also a folkie version and the end features a percussion addition of wood blocks.
Dave shouts “Hey, Mike, you wanna do Noah’s Cage?” I have to assume this is Mike O’Neill from The Inbreds (the song is an Inbreds song). They play the song although Mike forgets the second verse so he repeats the first. He says its been a while since he played it.
Martin introduces “Introducing Happiness: as “this is a song about being happy.” Dave says, “I hope so.” It’s followed by a surprising acoustic version of “P.R.O.D.” Surprising only because the song tends to get noisy and out of control, but it’s not in this version. Towards the end, Dave shouts “all percussion solo–whatever you got.”
Martin busts into the melody of “Dope Fiends” but instead they play a long funny version of “Desert Island Discs.”
Dave: AC/DC-Back in Black; Ramones-Rocket to Russia; Martha and the Muffins-Danseparc.
Tim: The Inbreds-Hilario; The Inbreds-Kombinator ; The Inbreds-It’s Sydney or the Bush.
Donny: Randy Newman-Creates Something New Under the Sun; Grace Jones-Nightclubbing; Herbet von Karajan conducts Beethoven’s… “Last Waltz?” (Dave: could you believe he said the classical one?)
An audience member: Kiss-Dressed to Kill; The Beatles White Album, and… someone says Billy Idol-White Wedding. Dave: Billy idol? Gigs over. And a later line: I’m going to get me to an island not with that guy though, he wants to bring Billy Idol. I don’t even think White Wedding’s the name of the album (it’s not)–although the fans argue the point).
One last guy: Pink Floyd-The Wall; Led Zeppelin-IV… how many picks? How many picks!?) ZZ Top-Degüello.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is sung my Tim, Dave sings “I wish I was back home in Derry” at the appropriate moments.
They end with a piano-based version of “Jesus was Once a Teenager Too.” He has to start again (“it’s just that that thing fell over”), but when he does it sounds really good–very different.
What a fun show to have been at. There’s a lot of interaction with the band and fans–I really wonder how many people were there.
[READ: April 3, 2017] “Girlfriend on Mars”
This story is probably my favorite Lucky Peach story (even if it had nothing to do with food). Although the end seemed to maybe spiral out of control a little bit–with a finale that was, possibly, a little trite (although, not exactly).
This plot is simple. Amber Kevinn, the narrator’s girlfriend is going to Mars. Well, maybe. She has (unbeknownst to Kevin) entered a reality show contest in which two winners will be selected to travel to Mars on MarsNow. They will live on Mars until they die–no hope for returning. This story intersperses the contest with just how Amber’s boyfriend feels about the whole thing.
Amber and Kevin are drug dealers. Well, not exactly–they sell drugs, but only to family and friends. They grow them hydroponically–this skill with plants was one of the reasons she was accepted for Mars in the first place. But why didn’t she say anything to her boyfriend (of twelve years!) until it got to this point?
She made a video, she sent in an essay she even met with the TV people–all without him knowing. Of course, Kevin’s a pretty heavy stoner at this point so he doesn’t notice much. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 