As I said previously, I did manage to complete the Rock N Roll Marathon Thursday night.
Trying to get out to the Edgefield, we realized that the freeway as really messed up. So we decided to take Foster to 122nd to Halsey and just go out on the surface road. It didn’t take too long. Apparantly there was a huge traffic jam somewhere along the way and that prevented people from getting to the show in a timely manner. We got great parking in the first row of cars closest to the exit.
Stardeath and White Dwarfs were the first band. Jason liked them a lot and purchased their CD. I wasn’t really paing a lot of attention as I was mosly into people watching and knitting at that point. We saw two people dressed as Santa Claus. There was also a guy dressed in a naked suit that got ejected from the venue.
Built to Spill were next and they were pretty good. They played one song I recognized as one in Jason’s iPod. Jason said they only played about 4 songs, I thought they did more.
Finally it was time for the Flaming Lips. As you can see from the pictures there was a half circle as the backdrop that was coated in LED lights and movies were played on those lights. The movie started out with this mostly naked cosmic woman dancing around. Eventually she sat down and this light started shining from between her legs, then the camera panned in and lights started flashing like crazy. Then a door opened halfway up the backdrop and one by one the band entered. The idea being that the cosmic woman gave birth to the band. Then the backdrop changed to black and white strobing semi circles while a gigantic clear ball was being inflated on stage. The strobing made the ball appear bigger in segments rather than a smooth fiilling up. Then Wayne Coyne, inside the giant inflatable hamster ball began rolling around the stage and out over the crowd. Confetti cannons were being shot, giant balloons thrown at the crowd (which got caught in the breeze and drifted away quickly) all while the band played Race For the Prize from the Soft Bulletin.
Wayne Cam
So they played the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Song which featured Wayne riding around on the shoulders of a giant gorilla. Later in the evening there was someone dressed as a giant butterfly on one side of the stage and a Catfish on the other side.
The crowd was a little lame, Wayne tried to get us to sing along but no one would. Which was a shame as I wanted to sing, but didn’t want to belt it out if no one else did.
My only complaint: They played my two favorite songs Fight Test and Yoshimi in a very simple, delicate, mellow manner. I’m very happy I got to hear those songs, but I wanted them to ROCK.
They ended their first set with She Don’t Use Jelly. I read once they play that song at every show because its the hit that everyone knows and they want to connect with as many people as possible. I like that.
Only one song for the encore as Edgefield has a very strict curfew. That song was Do You Realize? Which was punctuated by a storm of confetti, balloons, and streamers. Then it was over.
We got out of the venue quickly. And got to our car quickly. And into the line to leave quickly. And then on the road quickly. It was barely 10 pm and we decided to go for it. Twenty minutes later we parked the car not four blocks from Berbati’s Pan. As we walked to the club I was afraid it was closed as it looked so quiet and empty. When we got to the door, there were people there checking IDs and collecting cover charges. As the gal checked our IDs, I asked if we had missed the High Strung and were told they were on next. Amazing! We did it.We got to the bar right as the band was saying “We’re the High Strung and we’re from Detroit Michigan”
I am SO glad we went because there were only about a dozen people there and I think they were mostly relatives of the band. I think the High Strung is fast becoming one of my favorite bands ever. They played to that crowd of 12 like it was a crowd of 500. Jason and I were the only people first parked at one of the pillars, then planted at the foot of the stage. I danced my ass off.
They played many songs from their latest album including Real Stone, Standing At The Door of Self Discovery, Guilt is How I’m Built. And my two favorites from teh new album The Lifestle That Got Away and Bad With My Hands. The latter goes “You say your heart is broken, along the seam but I can’t sew. I can’t sew. I can hardly tie a knot” which I love because it mentions sewing.
I love the High Strung
Since we were singing along and dancing we got many approving looks from the band and they were willing to indulge our requests for songs. We had done some quick cramming on the way over so we knew song titles. So we heard The Gentleman and Real Meal Ticket ended the show.
They played a song which I think is called Cored Out Apple which features Chad slamming his bass on the floor. He slammed it so hard that he broke the jack, threw the bass on the ground, sat down and laughed for a minute, then grabbed his spare bass and finished the song.
We received high fives from Josh the Singer and a hug from Chad who said something to the effect of “I have no idea who you guys are, but you’re cool.” We hung out with Josh for a few minutes outside and told him how we had come from The Flaming Lips show and how, in a way, the Flaming Lips had opened for them. We spoke with Derek the Drummer for a moment then decided it was time to go home. We were tired.
The next day Jason and I picked up Best Friend From College Rob who was in town from Idaho and went to breakfast. Then, back to our house where Rob and I massacred some of your favorite Irish Tunes. Me on the Fiddle, him on the Hammered Dulcimer. We even sort of taught Jason to read music so he could play guitar with us.
