SOUNDTRACK: RHEOSTATICS-Fall Nationals, Night 8 of 10, The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (November 18, 2004).
The Rheostatics, live at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, November 18, 2004. This was the 8th night of their 10 night Fall Nationals run at the Horseshoe. Featuring a crazy 17 minute medley followed by Neil Young’s Powderfinger.
Kevin Hearn played keyboards for much of the show and they played a number of songs from the Group of 7 disc and Harmelodia. The show ran for 2 and a half hours. There’s only one recording of this show, and it sounds great.
The show opens some what mellow-ish with “Digital Beach.” It’s a pretty version of this unexpected song and it’s followed by an awesome “Boxcar Song” with Kevin Hearn on keys.
“P.I.N.” sounds lovely. Midway through, you can hear bongos playing and Martin sings “I’m in the snow / playing bongos.” He’s quite growly through the song. After the song, you hear people shouting: “Come on let Martin sing!” Dave: “I think he is for hire, sir.” Mike: “But only as a mohel.”
Kevin Hearn is on the organ for “It’s Easy To Be With You” and he sings on “Yellow Days Under A Lemon Sun.” Actually everyone seems to take a verse on this song (but I think they’re making them up as they go along). At the end, Tim says, “We started off with no keyboard players and now we have two.”
Mike asks if he can get more of Kevin’s sampler? Dave: “Careful what you wish for–he’s got some Buddy Hackett in there.”
It’s followed by three more from Harmelodia: a sweet “Loving Arms,” a fun “Home Again” and a romping “I Am Drumstein.” Tim says he is disappointed because he missed a perfect bongo opportunity in that last song.
After an introduction of Chris Stringer on “the organ and effects and other stuff,” they move toward 2067 with “Marginalized.” There’s a sweeping, trippy keyboard solo in the middle. And then some guys start shouting “Whale Music” and other things. Dave says “Loud guy crowd. Every Fall Nationals there’s a loud guy crowd.”
Introducing “The Tarleks” Dave says, “Dr. Johnny fever was here last night in the flesh, it was rather exciting.” (Did they really not mention Howard Hessman the night before?).
Over the entire run there’s been constant requests for monitor sound level changes, especially by Mike. Mike says he could use less of Martin’s vocal (groans from the audience) and says he can’t hear Martin’s guitar. Martin asks if his guitar sounds okay out front. There is much applause. Mike: “you’re just fishing for a compliment.”
Before “Pornography,” someone asks where the bongos are. They are put to good use in the song. After saying how proud they are of the new album the opening of “Shack In The Cornfields” sounds a little off. But it is quickly righted and off they go. The song ends with what sounds like a skipping record and very quiet percussion playing as the s song slowly segues into “Try To Praise This Mutilated World.” Martin says, “I like that song. Dave wrote it. We’re the Rheosatics. Are you having a good night?” Someone shouts something and Martin snarks: “You wanna hear our older, funnier stuff?”
They go old, but stay mellow. Tim is “gonna serenade you with a song.” “All the Same Eyes” is one “we don’t do anymore. And now one we just started doing, ‘Here Comes the Image.'” Tim introduces it by saying “This is a lesson for all you drummers out there. Never be late for a rehearsal or you will be banish-ed to the keyboard. Because everyone else wants to play those drums, including me and Dave. This next song takes place in 2067, so best of luck to you all.” It’s followed by another mellow song “Who Is Than Man, And Why Is He Laughing?” with Jen Foster on accordion. After the song, Dave says, “I don’t know if I was dying back there or if someone is cooking but I smelled pancakes. Kevin, you got a griddle back there?” Mike also says, “Shameless plug. Jennifer has her CD for sale at the merch booth.” Tim: “It’s called Shameless Plug.”
Dave notes that they are “just entering the ‘shang’ part of the evening, folks.” Whatever that means, the first song is a rollicking “Stolen Car.” It feels a bit shambolic, but never out of control. There’s some cool keyboard sound effects during the middle jam. There’s a pretty “Little Bird, Little Bird”and then a powerful “California Dreamline.” It segues somewhat oddly into a grooving “Horses” (the only time they’ll play the song during the nine nights). Kevin gets a wild keyboard solo in the middle of the song.
Dave says there are here the next two nights and the Loud Guy says “we’re coming tomorrow.” Dave: “Thanks for the warning.” Dave seems a bit tired of the bozos. But he does seem to like the fans up front: “You guys have great looking twin shirts there. I can’t read what’s on the second bus though. Nowhere and Boredom.” Mike says he’d choose Nowhere over Boredom, but Dave’s not so sure. “Boredom gives you something to work with.”
Tim says, “Bear with us while we do this song for our friend Ron Koop. He is having a hard time right now and hopefully he draws something from this.” It’s a lovely version of “Making Progress” which is followed by an upbeat and rather silly “Monkeybird.”
And then comes the above mentioned 17 minute medley. I’m glad Darrin wrote all the songs down, because it’s hard to keep track:
The Horseshoe Medley (The Pooby Song / The Hockey Song / Devil Town / The Ballad Of Wendel Clark Part II / Bees / Folsom Prison Blues / Ring Of Fire / Old Vancouver Town / War Pigs / Human Highway / Rockaway Beach / Walk On The Wild Side / So Long Farewell / Who Stole The Kishka / Let’s Go Skiing In The Morning).
It begins with Dave playing the acoustic guitar and singing “The Pooby Song.” “Take one, Kevin” and Kevin gets a simplistic guitar solo. Dave shouts “take it to C” and they start Stompin’ Tom’s “Hockey Song.” After the “second period” Dave notes: “last game of the lock out season that didn’t exist. Doesn’t matter, we got enough hockey stored up in our heads that we’re skating all the time anyway.” The songs ends, but that isn’t the key from the first tune, we gotta go back to the first tune. Tim: “Take it to B flat. I love B flat. Now, back to D. You got any chords you like?” Kevin starts singing Daniel Johnston’s “Devil Town.” Up to E sharp (or F, whatever you want to call it). Back down to D take it to C. They start “Wendel.” Kevin’s got one. “‘There are bees, there are bees, everywhere’ you know this one, right?” Tim: “Does this take place in the devilish town?” Take it to C, for Dave to sing Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” then Kevin switches it to “Ring of Fire.” Tim picks up with Stompin’ Tom’s “Bridge Came Tumbling Down.” Kevin resumes with a hilariously upbeat and folksy “War Pigs” with Martin doing some suitably metal guitars sounds. They even try to do the heavy staccato part before resuming the bluesy part. “Go to G.” Dave sings Neil Young’s “Human Highway” but messes it all up, “Okay, never mind go back to E again.” Tim: “Take it up to A” for “Rockaway Beach.” Then it’s Kevin with an amusingly upbeat take on “Walk on the Wild Side.” Mike jumps in with a goofy stab at “So Long, Farewell” and then Dave takes over with “Who Stole the Kishka.” Tim is yelling “someone call the motherfucking cops.” The medley should end there but someone keeps it going “a two-step nightmare.” Dave sings Frankie Yankovic’s “Let’s Go Skiing” while about three other songs go simultaneous. Someone chants “four more years” and then Dave starts “Powderfinger” in the medley. He kind of screws it up and as it fades, Martin asks, “What’s the next verse?” “Something about hunting” and then Martin takes it over for real. He knows some of the words, and they kind of salvage it.”
At the end Dave even says “Thanks, I think.”
But after 8 days in a row, you’re allowed a bit of a fun meltdown.
As they walk off, Martin asks, “Hey Dave what’s a kishka? A sausage type thing?” A fans shouts, “a small donut.” Dave: “It’s not a small donut. But that’s funnier.” It’s a great and funny end to a wild show.
[READ: July 11, 2017] Real Friends
I’ve enjoyed Shannon Hale a lot recently, so I was pretty happy to read a new book by her. Sarah had told me that it was a really excellent portrayal of girl friendship in grammar school. It is also biographical and makes me think that it’s pretty amazing that Hale made it through to high school at all.
The book is divided into sections with friends’ names, and each of these sections is basically how she met these friends.
Shannon was the middle child between a pair of older girls and a pair of younger siblings. She was kind of alone and was very clingy to her mom. But on her first day of kindergarten, despite being nervous and sad, she made friends with Adrienne.
They were soon inseparable. Shannon made up games for them in which they fought off bad guys (boys who just seemed to want them in whatever capacity a five year-old girls thinks boys might want them). I love that their game was utterly feminist and yet they were portraying Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders because that’s who was popular and everyone wanted to be one. And yet these cheerleaders had pet saber toothed tigers and sharks and they beat up ghastly boys. (more…)
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