In Which I Bet You Can't Guess Who My First Concert Of 2013 Was

Okay, so I can't resist a Rhett Miller solo date at New York's City Winery.

It's a fact. So sue me.

It's especially difficult to pass up when Southwest thoughtfully puts their flights to Newark on sale for less than half price.

DING!

My all-things-Rhett/Old 97's traveling companion, Steph had just returned to work after maternity leave and couldn't make the midweek journey this time around. Boo. I always miss her, especially in the Big Apple. Believe it or not, I actually contemplated canceling the trip altogether.

WTH?!??

I know, right? Geo didn't believe it either. Clearly, some aberrant fever cast a pox on me. At the last minute, my nephew's girlfriend, Kelly accepted my invitation. I've been talking about the lovely blue-eyed one ad naseum for years to her. I think I finally wore her down. Ha!

Kelly and I made it to the venue in time to catch the opening act, and Irish band called the Dunwells. The five lads literally landed in the US with barely enough time to make it to the Winery gig, let alone check in at the hotel. Even though they were disheveled and sleep deprived from their transatlantic journey, they put on a fun, high-energy show.

yes.the drummer is playing a box

They all came out to the merch table afterwards. Very sweet young guys with a lot of talent and, hello... irresistible accents. You had me at, 'Allo.

It's a great joy for me to introduce Rhett's music to a newcomer. Being familiar with his recorded works is one thing, but seeing him perform live for the first time is an entirely different beast. I get a renewed appreciation for his talent watching him perform through a newbie's eyes. I get a kick seeing a first-timer's jaw drop and eyes widen when Rhett starts ripping through his setlist, thrashing around, singing and strumming with such passion. You can sense them drinking the Kool Aid of the converted. I recognize that look. That was me years ago.
Kelly was familiar with a couple of his songs, but had no idea what to expect. By the third song, Broadway, she leaned over, eyes wide, to mouth, "I love his words!" and then "He has so much energy." It makes me so happy to share my exuberance for his work with others who come to appreciate him, too.



(a rare performance of Adelaide)

Mr. Miller was on, as usual. He never disappoints. NEVER. The evening's setlist was killer. He played a number of rarities, Adelaide, Busted Afternoon, Cryin' Drunk, New Kid and Jon Landford's Over the Cliff in honor of the ridiculous fiscal cliff BS all over the news. Hell, we were even treated to the Heisman line in Won't Be Home. Clearly, he is at home here.



(A great tale pertaining to the naming of his band Old 97's)

He was giving his all, bopping up and down, doing his signature half-Townsend windmills,  furiously thrashing his head up and down, anointing the first several rows with droplets of  sweat. Seriously. how does he not concuss himself?!? One of my favorite parts of the solo shows is his playful banter with the audience while he's tuning or peddling through a song. I love the stories and insights into the background of his songs, not to mention the glimpses into his charming personality.


(Rhett's referring to Springsteen's Born in the USA prior to singing Perfume)



(The Conscientious Haberdasher hawking his wares - Picture This)


After the ovation died down for the long, satisfying 29-song setlist, a group of us regulars stuck around to bask in the glow of the magnificence that had played out before us. Kelly's sentiments echoed our own long-standing beliefs. He's an extremely clever writer, expert at turns of phrase and an amazing performer possessing dynamic showmanship.

Yep. I think we got us a new fan here. Welcome to the fold, friend.

Lost Without You

Doreen

Broadway (oh that killer high C!)

This Summer Lie

Lonely Holiday

New Kid

Need to Know Where I Stand

Barrier Reef

Adelaide (a very pleasant surprise)

Murder or Heart Attack (AKA, the Kitty Cat song)

Out of Love

Over the Cliff

Busted Afternoon (another rare treat)

Caroline (she may have been in the audience)

Perfume (it WAS a beautiful day outside)

Won't Be Home No More (avec Heisman)

Fireflies (delightful schitzo role play)

Question

Let the Whiskey Take the Reins (sigh)

Picture This (awww...)

Cryin' Drunk

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome 

Big Brown Eyes (YEAH!!)

Wreck of the Old 97

Our Love

encore:

Wish the Worst

Queen Bitch

California Stars

Time Bomb

the end of the party :(

Of course, there are more videos from this event and others on my Youtube channel here.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation - Part Tres
(because I'm bilingual, Bee-yatch)
or hold on to your lunch--it's Rhett Miller time :-)

Okay, so I'm not bilingual--as if I have to clarify that, but I just did so...whatev. But this is all about the start of an amazing three-date stint engulfed in the magical musical stylings of Mr. Miller.

such a great dimple

Warning: you are entering the embarrassing gush zone. Please keep your arms and legs in the car at all times as it moves through the spectacle. And please, no flash photography.

look... he's thinking how cool it is Geo and I drove up to see him

So my Geo and I got to spend the bulk of my last week of vacation together on a multi-city tour. I so enjoy these jaunts together. We rarely ever get to spend this much quality time in each other's presence. This trek had the added bonus cocktail comprised of a double shot of Rhett Miller in NYC and Amagansett, followed by a Francis Dunnery chaser in Ewing, NJ.

Aaaaaaaah! The aftertaste is so refreshing...

So as it turns out, the concert Gods arranged to have Rhett and Francis playing shows on the same extended weekend, once again converging our two loves. I adore coincidence. Sometimes life is so spectacularly serendipitous.

Anywho, our little anit-Bermuda Triangle of musical musings went from New York City to Amagansett, LI to Ewing, NJ. Geo and I made great time on the first leg, reaching our SoHo hotel in a mere 6 1/4 hours.

from our hotel window. love the blue water tower
plus you can barely see the dead body on the roof
i kid. he was just dazed.. or tazed. not sure which
again, kidding

We killed a couple of hours strolling around the shops of SoHo amid a warm, gentle mist of rain. It was one of those classic romantic Manhattan afternoons that begs for you to sit under an umbrella at an open cafe, sipping red wine, watching the working class go by...

But alas, we couldn't indulge. We had more pressing plans for the evening. My fantasy husband was going to perform in a few hours!! I mean, come on! Priorities people!

We were invited to a wine tasting prior to the concert. The wines were rich and full-bodied, but paled by comparison to the incredible company at hand. :-)

So the City Winery is this great amalgam of the owner's two loves...wine and live music. They actually make wines in the basement of the venue and they are damn fine!! We tasted a couple of reds that were truly some of the smoothest fermented grapes I've ever had the pleasure of consuming. The stage is in the middle of a sizable space filled with tables resting atop hardwood floors and a corner bar. There's not a bad seat in the house. The lovely blue-eyed one was having a three-week residency at the Winery, this being the first.

As an added bonus, the opening act was The Spring Standards who I had seen open in Pittsburgh for local favorites, The Clarks. They are awesome and so talented. I still marvel at their ability to juggle playing several instruments at once and sing. I was excited for Geo to finally see them live. They're really sweet, too. We caught up with red-haired James coming out of the winery on our walk back to the hotel.

James, on his way to walk dogs
with the red hair, we look related... of course his is real 

Heather was gracious enough to say hi after the show. She has the most incredibly clear voice.

Heather, being lovely

Mr. Miller was buoyant when he hit the stage. There were a lot of familiar faces in the crowd including a table of his close friends. We've been to shows in the past where his friends were in attendance. It's so much fun to watch him sing when he's comfortable and playful. Tonight was no exception. Rhett charmed the crowd with stories and self-deprecating humor while wowing us with his usual passionate, balls-to-the-wall performance breaking a few strings along the way.

He played a couple of new songs from the Old 97's upcoming release The Grand Theatre, Volume One. (available in stores and online October 12!! Order now!) Volume Two will come out next Spring. Yay!! (does embarrassing Elaine Benis-like, white girl happy dance!)

Anywho, he shared an anecdote or two before playing The Magician. You can hear Geo egging him on at the start.

(again, click on the video to link to YouTube for the full HD video)

He played another new one, Whiskey Take The Reins he wrote after his friend, Marcy nagged him to write after he made a flippant comment during a gig about ...  Oh just play it. He tells the story much better than I.

Can't you just see this character all smoky and liquor-drenched hunched over a splintered bar top?



Altogether now... please don't call me cool, just call me ... ASSHOLE!!!

Okay, one more because I'm hooked on his witty banter...

I love that you can hear Geo laughing and enjoying himself. Kind of justifies--in my head anyway--dragging him all over the Eastern seaboard to watch my fantasy husband entertain his adoring public.

If you're interested, you can view the rest of the videos from the evening on my YouTube channel.

One of the things I love about Rhett and the Old 97's is a sense of community among the fans. I've met a number of people, all of whom have been delightful. Through the magic of Twitter... yes, Twitter, I met a sweet, sweet young woman, Josyln.

With Josyln

She ended up sitting literally two seats in front of us. Another in a long line of coincidence. We've already discuss plans to meet up at the December shows--another coincidence for another time. It's so much fun to be with others who aren't afraid to sing along. We also met up with our fellow enthusiasts, George and Maria along with some new friends-- Jules, Marcy, Sara and Jen.

george, maria (with Geo's kick-ass tee), jeff, joslyn, me & geo

with our new friend, Marcy

Our little family keeps growing.

We didn't get to see the man of the evening after the show, but a very good time was had by all. Next stop.. Lawwng Islundt. Watch out Muffy and Biff... The Clampets are heading your way.