Al at McCabe`s 11.11.2011
Obsessive that I am, I got to McCabe's at 6pm, first in line for an 8pm show. Chris B showed up among the first five and we chatted for about an hour before we were admitted. One anonymous list member residing in the Pacific Northwest should be suffering burnt ears for praises sung about musical knowledge.
About five minutes after I'd established the line, an SUV did a U-turn of dubious legality and out popped a heavily laden Dave Nachmanoff, running late for a sound check. I rapped on the window in the door to garner the attention of the folks inside who couldn't see Dave and his burdens beneath the level of the window.
My subjective experience was that this was one of the better Al concerts I've been to, not that any have ever been bad. Part of it, I like McCabes as a venue... no alcohol in the audience is a plus, even if I myself wouldn't mind having a glass or three of wine with the show.
Being first in line with open seating, I got a seat I'd never gotten before. The front row at McCabe's is a very short row on the right half, the corresponding space on the left being the walkway between the stage and the left-hand seats. Other stuff is blocking this row to the right, so the row has only three seats. The seat on the aisle is dead center in front of the center mike and the sound was just gorgeous; I often just shut my eyes and let myself be immersed in the sound, thus missing the cue when Al stopped in YOTC and pointed for the audience to sing the line "...the Year of the Cat."
The show opened with Dave and a guitarist friend (name?) and a bass player Michael (Lindero?) and they played two songs.
Fragile Thing
two lines of which:
She's a fragile thing, a complicated angel
With a heart of glass and a checkered past
Love Keeps Going On
Then Al came down and the set seemed to be mostly in
line with many recent I've seen reported here with one wonderful exception:
Al & Dave, with Michael on bass for some songs:
House of Clocks
Lord Grenville
Flying Sorcery
A Child's View of the Eisenhower Years
On the Border
Night Train to Munich
then
Trains
Al forgot the lyrics a couple of times but I'd never heard
this live before. About 3-4 years ago at the Coach House,
he was talking about his affection for railroads and he faked me out...I was leaning to "Trains" when he sang "Apple Cider Re-constitution" instead...which I like as well.
Intermission
Dave and Michael came out and did:
Descartes & Amsterdam
It's good to be a stranger in a strange land
...
It's fine to be alone and unknown here
Grateful
almost a Thanksgiving litany, too saccharine for my
tastes.
Then Al again, sometimes joined by Michael
Warren G Harding
Midas Touch
Gina in the King's Road
Broadway Hotel
Soho (Needless to Say)
Year of the Cat
Encore:
Sheila (a Nachmanoff song)
End of the Day
I saw Marta & Craig there, Marta being the first to give me directions to get to this list. Met Phil, aka PD Wilson of this list, and chatted...Jean was up to her ears selling Dave's CD's.
A good night.
Looking forward to tomorrow. Sally arrives around noon.
Terminus est.
JimB
Vielen Dank an Jim Brunet!