lifeblood: listlogs: 2002v05n133-news

ig-news-digest monday, june 17 2002 volume 05 : number 133

today's subjects:
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[ig-news] atlanta shows [ron mcbay <usul@mindspring.com>]

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date: sun, 16 jun 2002 15:23:57 -0400
from: ron mcbay <usul@mindspring.com>
subject: [ig-news] atlanta shows

[sherlyn's note: this is an excerpt of a message which was originally sent to the indigo
girls mailing list at netspace.org.]

hey all,

[...]

friday:
danielle howle and the tantrums opened. i like her voice a lot better than
her songs; i always wish she'd throw in a country cover in her set just so you
could appreciate her better. as is, the quirkiness of her personality dominates
the impression you get.

  i didn't write down the setlist either night (hopefully, somebody else can
supply the specifics).  they opened with "bitterroot", which i must say i like
better live (as with everything on the new cd).  i couldn't make out what was on
amy's t-shirt (it was black with some musician's face on the front and tour
dates on the back; the writing was in red glitter; maybe somebody closer can
tell what it said).  they did "tried to be true" both nights, not one of my
favorites but still nice to hear after so long.  "deconstruction" is a really
pretty song, but i wish they hadn't slowed it down so much.  it was so great to
hear "the wood song", still my favorite lyric by emily (always a nice shot in
the arm when you wonder why things always seem to have to be done the hard way).
"starkville" is very good, but again, i wish they had left it more like it was
before the recorded version.  i tend to think ig needs the most minimalist
drumming possible, so i'm not much of a fan of what brady blade adds to their
sound.  the overkill bashing on "yield" was annoying, but as sedate as the crowd
was, it probably helped pep them up.  i didn't think the crowd loosened up until
"least complicated" (about halfway through the set); chastain's a place where
you bring your catered dinner inside and eat all through the opening act and
digest your food for the first half of the headliner.  danielle sounded pretty
good on the guest vocal for "closer to fine".  (i'm so tired of hearing that
song, which was never much of a favorite with me, that the guest spot is the
only thing to look forward to by now.)  "faye tucker" and "reunion" were great
to hear.  i'm glad they're doing "laramie" and it does sound pretty good, but
it's not as raucous as when amy does it with the butchies.  i thought it was odd
to play "she's saving me" as the first encore; after they had the audience on
their feet, they had to sit back down and listen to a quiet, introspective
sound, but it worked.

saturday:
  k's choice opened.  good voices, good-looking, nice-sounding band.  better
than danielle howle and the tantrums and more mainstream appeal than, say, ellen
james society.  can't remember any of their songs, though, except the one where
the lead singer (sarah bettens) was panting into the microphone.  (it was
something about breathing.)

  amy had on these tartan pants with two skirt pieces draped over the front and
back with lots of cords tied off at the knees and cuffs; it was like something
out of "braveheart", but it was a nice look.  danielle howle had on a
knee-length dress/skirt (which never looks right to me when you're standing up
playing guitar); sarah bettens just had on a faded t-shirt and pants; amy's look
on saturday was something in between.  "collecting you" is very nice but it's
almost too fast for its own good.  glad to hear them do "trouble", but the crowd
was sitting on its hands for that, "go" and "laramie" -- it just ain't right.
"ozilline" was a highlight.  sarah bettens sounded good doing the guest vocal on
"closer to fine".  nice to hear "jonas and ezekial" and "watershed".  "virginia
woolf" is always great when they get to the big crescendo at the finish.  maybe
best of all was the encore of "kid fears" with gert bettens (k's choice) doing
the real michael stipe part.  all this time, i've practically never heard them
do it with a male third voice. i guess i must have heard shawn mullins, gerard
mchugh, michael lorant, (?matthew sweet?) fill in over the years somewhere along
the way, but this guy really got it right.  they wrote such a wonderful
three-part harmony and we practically never get to hear done properly live.

[...]

ron
- --
ron mcbay                | "you think i'm vulnerable to your pressure
usul@mindspring.com      |  tactics because i shed a tear."
www.mindspring.com/~usul | "all the hatred in the world is what got me
              /hoops/    |  here today, but i know that love is gonna
              /view.html |  set me free."
                         | "stay human." -- michael franti & spearhead

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