Great Big Sea at the Moore, 10/1/08
Oct. 2nd, 2008 10:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annathepiperAnd now, the post at least some of y'all have been waiting for: the Review Post of Great Big Awesomeness!
The evening was highly enjoyable all around, in no small part due to the fabulous![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mamishka, casirafics, and technoshaman forming the party with whom I attended the concert. It was also delightful to bump into kendaer, seattlesparks, prettyshrub, and solcita, as well as GoatLady from the OKP, at the Moore.
This was in particular Glenn's first GBS concert, and I was very pleased he was not disappointed; I'm always happy to introduce my B'ys to a new fan. And playing their stuff in Jam is one thing--but hearing it come straight from them is another thing entirely. Still, a tiny part of me is always a little nervous that someone might look at me funny and wonder what the hell I'm on about. ;) Last night's show, though, put those worries to rest for another round. As I fully expected it would!
I was quite happy to have enough energy to make it downtown on my own around 3:30 in the afternoon, after spending most of the day conserving my strength. It was quite strange to be taking the 522 downtown at that time of the day on a weekday, too--I wound up arriving just as everybody else downtown was preparing to come home. But I'd wanted plenty of time to spare, so that I could take my time going from Barnes and Noble to Pike Place Brewery and then at last to the Moore. It's not much of a walk when I'm in normal shape, but in the middle of surgery recovery I didn't want to take any chances.
The main goal for hitting B&N was to buy a little Moleskine notebook for taking show notes, which was duly accomplished. It should surprise none of you that I also walked out with four new books. I am biologically incapable of disliking a GBS show, and also of walking into a bookstore without buying something. *^_^*;;
Since I had time to kill, I popped into this place next. They are the folks who make the gelato carried by local pizza chain Pagliacci's as a side dish you can order with the 'za, and I wanted to check out their store. They served me an unbelievably delicious raspberry/creme caramel shake. Highly recommended.
Heading next into Pike Place, I made an initial foray into Lark in the Morning, which is really rather required prior to a GBS show. After a pleasant chat about guitars with the gent at the counter, I wandered northward into the market and found Glenn--only to have to come back to Lark in the Morning by text message request fromsolarbird to see if they had anything useful for un-sticking strings when she tunes her mandolin. They didn't, but I did have another very pleasant chat with another of the store staff, who recognized that I was wearing a GBS shirt. She chatted up a storm with me about them, including being rueful that she'd missed appearances of the B'ys themselves in that very store in years past. And she also told me about how she's the caregiver for a disabled fellow in a wheelchair--and how playing GBS music for him snapped him out of a deep funk and engaged him so heavily that he demanded that she play it again.
I am always happy to hear about when GBS music is magic for people who aren't me. So that was a delightful note to lay down the foundation for the evening!
Glenn and I then hied off to the Pike Place Brewery to meet Meems and Jen for dinner. Tasty food and beverages were had by all, although I had to eschew anything alcoholic due to painkillers, so no raspberry lambic for me. And with plenty of time to spare, once we were done, we ambled over to the Moore to get settled in for the show.
We were all interested in hitting the swag table, and happily, there was much swag to be had. Jen, Meems, and I all wound up buying the new red Fortune's Favour shirt; Glenn got a hat. Meems went back later to score another of the shirts, too!
The mood of the audience was quite high. Some folks up in the balcony had a great banner that they hung off the railing, reading: SEATTLE LOVES THE SHANTYMEN GREAT BIG SEA. That got them loud cheers and applause once we all spotted it down on the main floor.
I'd seen Alan post on From the Road that this tour would be in the same 2-set vein that the tour for The Hard & the Easy had been... but I'd also seen fellow fans on my Friends list posting about opening acts at shows they'd attended, so I wasn't sure what was actually going to happen to start the show. My own anticipation was spiked by a couple of hopeful starts of the GREAT! BIG! SEA! chant whenever the background music faded down to a lull--the first time that I can remember hearing the chant start up at the beginning of the show.
Happily, and unsurprisingly, the word of The Doyle was the word to live by. And not too long after 8pm, we headed straight into the show.
One of these days I will bring an iPhone or some such to a show and will see about getting pics of my own to share. Until that happy day, y'all will have to make do with textual ogles.
I know, I know, I say this at every show, but damn Alan looked especially pretty. Marriage and fatherhood look really good on him; he's slimmed down some, and was devastating even from six rows back, all in black with a loverly patterned shirt. I am told by my lucky sod friends up on the front row that he flirted shamelessly with the entire row. It is probably good for my recovering self that I was not up that far. *^_^*;;
Really, all the B'ys looked gorgeous as always, and everybody seemed to be pretty much in black--with the exception of Séan with a white shirt on under his black outer shirt. I didn't get much of a look at Kris from my vantage point, but he seemed to be in keeping with the basic black theme the rest of the band had going.
For the Shantyfen on my Friends list (I'm looking at you,raise_a_jar), The McCann had a short-hair-plus-sideburns look going on, and I think that suits him quite well. The white shirt accent to the overall black also worked on him splendidly.
Bob was over there looking stalwart in full dark jacket, and he's back to his short, spiky hair and goatee look. Murray, over on the left, was all lean and dashing.
And now, for the really important part: the music. First, the Set List, in its full two-act glory:
"Banks of Newfoundland" has only a nominal presence in the set, really--I include it because a snippet of it is what they used as "coming out on the stage" music. I still maintain that "Donkey Riding" is the best "coming out on stage" song, and I'm a little bummed that we didn't get all of this song as part of the concert set since it is one of my repeat listens off Fortune's Favour. Plus, bonus points for it being one of the few tracks where Bob sings lead.
I was however quite delighted that "Love Me Tonight" was the first thing in the show. As I've posted about in recent Jam Reports, this is the first song off the new album that's made me want to grab the guitar. It was very satisying to see it performed live, especially when Séan got us all clapping together on the bridge. I couldn't clap much, but I did my best to make up for it by punching the air with my left hand and singing "ALL TOGETHER YOU AND ME A SINGLE NOTE DON'T MAKE A MELODY" at the top of my lungs.
Next up, squee, "Chemical Worker's Song"! This is another Jam favorite at the Murk, and aside from my very first GBS show where I don't actually have a record of the set list, this is the second time I can remember ever seeing them do this one live, and certainly the first time with Kris and Murray. Oh man they nailed it, too. Extra fun percussion goodness with Kris back there backing up Séan on the bodhran, as well.
"The Night Pat Murphy Died" got the expected "all the Seattle girls got loaded drunk" line out of Séan in the intro. Not expected was a male voice somewhere behind us bellowing "YEAH BABY!" This amused Séan, and I didn't catch what he sang next--but I did catch "but that's okay, we're Canadian!"
There was one particular moment in this song where I desperately wished I had a camera--because a couple of thin beams of light bounced off Alan's bouzouki, and from my vantage point, that would have been an awesome photo. Not to mention that it reflected my general love of that particular instrument. <3 I noted as well that Alan was looking particularly focused and intent during the bridge; it makes me wonder whether, even after all the times the band has played this song, if he still has to focus to get that bridge out in sync with Bob. This would not surprise me. That bridge is hard.
Alan was milking it as per usual in "When I'm Up", too. In fact, he looked rather tickled as those of us of the female persuasion in the audience got a little ahead of him on the vocals--and he wound up pointing at himself with this "no, I'm the boy" look. And he ripped through the tail end of the song as he always does, filling the room with that one long held note on "no", and zooming up and down his range like a rollercoaster.
He was in decidedly high spirits, as was evidenced when he told us after that song that it didn't feel like a Wednesday; it felt like a Friday! He promptly declared it a holiday and informed us all that he could "feel the love", complete with a bit of sung snippet from the appropriate Disney ditty. This was a fine lead-in for "Jack Hinks".
Afterwards the festive mood continued, as Alan modified his prior declaration to "a summer holiday Wednesday", and he and Séan launched into a long string of banter. This apparently miffed at least one person in the audience--possibly the same gentleman who bellowed YEAH BABY--who shouted "LESS TALKING MORE ROCKING". Grr. People, Alan and Séan bringing the banter is a big part of the Fun!
But fortunately that was the only uncouth audience remark, because indeed, the accounting of how they got lost jogging in Seattle and found themselves unable to spot the Space Needle in fog was great fun. Particularly the part where Séan asserted how they'd assumed that since they're from Newfoundland, they'd thought they'd be able to see through fog. "Where's the Space Needle?" "Oh, it's right there!" Hee. It makes me wonder whether anyone has explained to them about the mountain yet.
It was during this bit where Alan poked fun at American perceptions of Canada by saying how they'd flown in from Vancouver the night before, that Vancouver was "north of here", in "Canada" (complete with air quotes), and how they were having an election too. Snerk.
Not to be outdone, an audience member yelled out "Did you get the beer?" Looks were exchanged onstage, and the B'ys promptly stated that actually, no, they hadn't! "Any other gifts?" Séan inquired pointedly of the audience. "We're looking for muffins. Special muffins."
Séan eventually worked his way around to saying that none of that, except perhaps the part about being lost in the fog, had anything to do with the next song. Which was "England", and which was quite nice to hear performed live. The B'ys nailed some beautiful harmony on the choruses, particularly right before Bob's whistle solo in the bridge. And Alan was particularly approving of the song, for he informed Séan immediately afterwards that he'd totally be making out with him in the back of the bus. Muaha.
More Disneyesque mood from Alan then, as he made Beauty and the Beast jokes and Séan announced that the last movie he'd seen was The Godfather. "Very similar movies!" he said. "That's why we're attracted to each other." Muaha #2. Of course, Alan wasn't restricting his affection to just Séan. He took a moment to point out Kris, observing of him, "Not just a sexy bugger!"
Bob got in some great fiddle work on "Charlie Horse". Which both Mimi and I were delighted to see in the set, since that's a favorite of both of ours.
Bob got some love from Séan in the intro for the next song as well, in which there was much quippage about how Séan had learned the word "proclivities" from Bob. And, one infers, about Bob's actual proclivities. ;) The song of course was "Hard Case", in which Alan wandered around the stage pointing out his bandmates' contributions to the song--like Kris jumping in with some notable backup vocal for once, go Kris! And afterwards, Alan congratulated Murray on his singing. "Murray sings?" Séan deadpanned.
"River Driver". Always slays me. Always. How nothing but five voices and a drum can flatten me with a wall of deep rumbling harmony never fails to amaze and delight me. And oh gods, that last chord. How a skinny guy like Murray can open his mouth and unleash thunder always amazes and delights me as well.
"Here and Now" impressed me because in the past, I've always known that Bob is capable of playing Everything. In this song, however, I saw him playing two things at once: the harmonica on a mouth stand, and his zouk. Go Bob!
Next up was a special treat. Everybody left the stage but Alan, who proceeded to tell us about how on this tour they'd been taking the time to sing songs they didn't do as often, and how he was actually kind of shaky on the words for this one. Naturally, he invited us to sing along--on "Tickle Cove Pond". <3 I've written about how I love this one quite a bit and how I'd wanted to hear it live. Not having the full band to belt out the harmonies on the chorus was a shame, but it was more than made up for some delicious guitar work from Alan and all of our voices in the audience singing along with him.
"Company of Fools" caused another first for me at a GBS show. A particularly enterprising young lady jumped up on the stage during the song and started stepdancing in time along with them! This didn't throw the band at all, and I caught Alan shooting her what looked like a surprised and impressed glance. Afterwards I also spotted Security coming over to have a Word with the lass.
Last up for the first half of the set was "Run Run Away", which made Glenn to my right splutter as he hadn't been aware that GBS had covered that song. Muaha!
During the break I went out to get bottled water for myself, Jen, and Glenn--and the stepdancing girl was two people behind me in the line. She said that Security had been going to throw her out of the show but that the band had said that she could stay, although she was under firm instruction not to leave her row of seats. She'll have an amusing story to tell her grandkids someday, I think. ;)
Coming back into the show, we got yet another surprise--Alan, Séan, and Bob coming out to sit down in front of the drum kit with bouzouki, accordion, and bodhran, to rip out a bit of an instrumental medley. That was unexpected and neat. Much of it I felt like I should recognize, although the only bit of it I actively identified was one of the tunes from "Tishialuk Girls Set" on TH&TE. It was fun in general to see them do that and I appreciated them doing something a bit different.
After that, though, out came the electrics for "When I Am King", and it was during that one that I noticed that Séan had abandoned his heavier black shirt. Afterwards Alan informed us that he felt like "a rock god". Justifiably. Damn, but what he can do with that Les Paul.
"Shines Right Through Me" mostly stood out for me with what Séan was doing with the backup vocals--in fact, his backup vocals stood out a lot for me all throughout the show for some reason, which was unusual and fun.
"Thank you for not leaving!" Alan and Séan told us all after that one. Séan told us as well that they were all still on Newfoundland time and approximated that it was "next Wednesday" by their own internal clocks... and that "Bob just poured coffee all over himself." Which he apparently found quite sexy. ;) Then Mr. McCann announced, "I'd like to sing a happy song--but that's not what I'm going to do."
At which point he went into "Long Lost Love". Fun guitar noises out of Alan there, too, just listening to the various nuances and slides he pulled out of that instrument.
"Scolding Wife", huzzah! Best part of that one was Alan coming over to rest his head on Séan's shoulder as Séan sang his verse.
"Helmethead" was duly introduced as an "audience participation song"--"Not that in their own way they all haven't been," added Alan.
"Dream to Live" was next, and I noted that it had a heavier arrangement live than it does on the album. There were more talky guitar noises out of Alan.
Afterwards Séan quipped that "this was just breakfast" and that he had a lot of coffee in him, undoubtedly a consequence of the fact that the B'ys are husbands and fathers now, for they also joked that "We have children of our own now--who haven't got a chance." Hee. More Beauty and the Beast jokes came from Alan, who then went into telling us that the first time they'd played Seattle, it had been at the Tractor Tavern, that there had been about fifty people, and "we rocked". He proceeded to laud the lovely after-show times they'd had as well, and announced that the next song was an ode to Seattle and "acting irresponsibly".
With a buildup like that, it was not surprising that the song was "Consequence Free". Always a joy, that one.
"Mari-Mac" sizzled as expected. Especially with something the lighting guys did towards the end where the backdrop washed out white and left the band in silhouette against it. That was very cool.
I am told that I lit right up during "Ordinary Day". This does not surprise me. I'd spent much of the concert at this point sitting on the turned-up bottom of my seat, the best compromise I could achieve between fully sitting down and actually seeing the band--but I had to be on my feet for "Ordinary Day". I just had to. <3 But damn, by then I was tired!
"Walk On The Moon" finally appeared for the first encore. After that, we got Alan and Séan improvising their way through random lyrics all about Seattle, adventures with seaplanes, and such, while Bob chimed in with occasional deeply rumbled "Seattle" bits below them. This was also a lengthy musical hint that why yes, the B'ys would be at Kells after the show, and that if someone wanted to buy them pints, that would be a good time. "Not that I've ever had any," Alan claimed, straight-faced.
Mimi and I giggled hysterically throughout this entire improv, which turned out to be the longest intro to "Old Black Rum" ever.
Encore #2 brought us "Gallows Pole", about which I have two delighted words to say: Damn, Séan! This was one of the extras greatbigsea.com was handing out for album pre-orders and it hadn't grabbed me that much on the first listen... but after hearing Séan devour this one live, I'm going to have to give it another chance.
"Straight to Hell" was the expected final number before the closing snippet of "Rant and Roar", and they were both thoroughly wonderful.
Mimi had to work the next morning, and since I am still Recovery Girl, we opted to get me straight home so I could fall into bed. Weary and content, we parted ways with Glenn and Jen, and waved at the shiny new Great Big Tour Bus on the way out of downtown. Maybe next time, there can be Kells!
The evening was highly enjoyable all around, in no small part due to the fabulous
mamishka, casirafics, and technoshaman forming the party with whom I attended the concert. It was also delightful to bump into kendaer, seattlesparks, prettyshrub, and solcita, as well as GoatLady from the OKP, at the Moore.This was in particular Glenn's first GBS concert, and I was very pleased he was not disappointed; I'm always happy to introduce my B'ys to a new fan. And playing their stuff in Jam is one thing--but hearing it come straight from them is another thing entirely. Still, a tiny part of me is always a little nervous that someone might look at me funny and wonder what the hell I'm on about. ;) Last night's show, though, put those worries to rest for another round. As I fully expected it would!
I was quite happy to have enough energy to make it downtown on my own around 3:30 in the afternoon, after spending most of the day conserving my strength. It was quite strange to be taking the 522 downtown at that time of the day on a weekday, too--I wound up arriving just as everybody else downtown was preparing to come home. But I'd wanted plenty of time to spare, so that I could take my time going from Barnes and Noble to Pike Place Brewery and then at last to the Moore. It's not much of a walk when I'm in normal shape, but in the middle of surgery recovery I didn't want to take any chances.
The main goal for hitting B&N was to buy a little Moleskine notebook for taking show notes, which was duly accomplished. It should surprise none of you that I also walked out with four new books. I am biologically incapable of disliking a GBS show, and also of walking into a bookstore without buying something. *^_^*;;
Since I had time to kill, I popped into this place next. They are the folks who make the gelato carried by local pizza chain Pagliacci's as a side dish you can order with the 'za, and I wanted to check out their store. They served me an unbelievably delicious raspberry/creme caramel shake. Highly recommended.
Heading next into Pike Place, I made an initial foray into Lark in the Morning, which is really rather required prior to a GBS show. After a pleasant chat about guitars with the gent at the counter, I wandered northward into the market and found Glenn--only to have to come back to Lark in the Morning by text message request from
solarbird to see if they had anything useful for un-sticking strings when she tunes her mandolin. They didn't, but I did have another very pleasant chat with another of the store staff, who recognized that I was wearing a GBS shirt. She chatted up a storm with me about them, including being rueful that she'd missed appearances of the B'ys themselves in that very store in years past. And she also told me about how she's the caregiver for a disabled fellow in a wheelchair--and how playing GBS music for him snapped him out of a deep funk and engaged him so heavily that he demanded that she play it again.I am always happy to hear about when GBS music is magic for people who aren't me. So that was a delightful note to lay down the foundation for the evening!
Glenn and I then hied off to the Pike Place Brewery to meet Meems and Jen for dinner. Tasty food and beverages were had by all, although I had to eschew anything alcoholic due to painkillers, so no raspberry lambic for me. And with plenty of time to spare, once we were done, we ambled over to the Moore to get settled in for the show.
We were all interested in hitting the swag table, and happily, there was much swag to be had. Jen, Meems, and I all wound up buying the new red Fortune's Favour shirt; Glenn got a hat. Meems went back later to score another of the shirts, too!
The mood of the audience was quite high. Some folks up in the balcony had a great banner that they hung off the railing, reading: SEATTLE LOVES THE SHANTYMEN GREAT BIG SEA. That got them loud cheers and applause once we all spotted it down on the main floor.
I'd seen Alan post on From the Road that this tour would be in the same 2-set vein that the tour for The Hard & the Easy had been... but I'd also seen fellow fans on my Friends list posting about opening acts at shows they'd attended, so I wasn't sure what was actually going to happen to start the show. My own anticipation was spiked by a couple of hopeful starts of the GREAT! BIG! SEA! chant whenever the background music faded down to a lull--the first time that I can remember hearing the chant start up at the beginning of the show.
Happily, and unsurprisingly, the word of The Doyle was the word to live by. And not too long after 8pm, we headed straight into the show.
One of these days I will bring an iPhone or some such to a show and will see about getting pics of my own to share. Until that happy day, y'all will have to make do with textual ogles.
I know, I know, I say this at every show, but damn Alan looked especially pretty. Marriage and fatherhood look really good on him; he's slimmed down some, and was devastating even from six rows back, all in black with a loverly patterned shirt. I am told by my lucky sod friends up on the front row that he flirted shamelessly with the entire row. It is probably good for my recovering self that I was not up that far. *^_^*;;
Really, all the B'ys looked gorgeous as always, and everybody seemed to be pretty much in black--with the exception of Séan with a white shirt on under his black outer shirt. I didn't get much of a look at Kris from my vantage point, but he seemed to be in keeping with the basic black theme the rest of the band had going.
For the Shantyfen on my Friends list (I'm looking at you,
raise_a_jar), The McCann had a short-hair-plus-sideburns look going on, and I think that suits him quite well. The white shirt accent to the overall black also worked on him splendidly.Bob was over there looking stalwart in full dark jacket, and he's back to his short, spiky hair and goatee look. Murray, over on the left, was all lean and dashing.
And now, for the really important part: the music. First, the Set List, in its full two-act glory:
- Banks of Newfoundland
- Love Me Tonight
- Chemical Worker's Song (Process Man)
- The Night Pat Murphy Died
- When I'm Up
- Jack Hinks
- England
- Charlie Horse
- Hard Case
- River Driver
- Here and Now
- Tickle Cove Pond
- Company of Fools
- Run Run Away
- BREAK
- Instrumental medley
- When I Am King
- Shines Right Through Me
- Long Lost Love
- Scolding Wife
- Helmethead
- Dream to Live
- Consequence Free
- Mari-Mac
- Ordinary Day
- Encore #1: Walk On The Moon, Old Black Rum
- Encore #2: Gallows Pole, Straight to Hell, Rant and Roar
"Banks of Newfoundland" has only a nominal presence in the set, really--I include it because a snippet of it is what they used as "coming out on the stage" music. I still maintain that "Donkey Riding" is the best "coming out on stage" song, and I'm a little bummed that we didn't get all of this song as part of the concert set since it is one of my repeat listens off Fortune's Favour. Plus, bonus points for it being one of the few tracks where Bob sings lead.
I was however quite delighted that "Love Me Tonight" was the first thing in the show. As I've posted about in recent Jam Reports, this is the first song off the new album that's made me want to grab the guitar. It was very satisying to see it performed live, especially when Séan got us all clapping together on the bridge. I couldn't clap much, but I did my best to make up for it by punching the air with my left hand and singing "ALL TOGETHER YOU AND ME A SINGLE NOTE DON'T MAKE A MELODY" at the top of my lungs.
Next up, squee, "Chemical Worker's Song"! This is another Jam favorite at the Murk, and aside from my very first GBS show where I don't actually have a record of the set list, this is the second time I can remember ever seeing them do this one live, and certainly the first time with Kris and Murray. Oh man they nailed it, too. Extra fun percussion goodness with Kris back there backing up Séan on the bodhran, as well.
"The Night Pat Murphy Died" got the expected "all the Seattle girls got loaded drunk" line out of Séan in the intro. Not expected was a male voice somewhere behind us bellowing "YEAH BABY!" This amused Séan, and I didn't catch what he sang next--but I did catch "but that's okay, we're Canadian!"
There was one particular moment in this song where I desperately wished I had a camera--because a couple of thin beams of light bounced off Alan's bouzouki, and from my vantage point, that would have been an awesome photo. Not to mention that it reflected my general love of that particular instrument. <3 I noted as well that Alan was looking particularly focused and intent during the bridge; it makes me wonder whether, even after all the times the band has played this song, if he still has to focus to get that bridge out in sync with Bob. This would not surprise me. That bridge is hard.
Alan was milking it as per usual in "When I'm Up", too. In fact, he looked rather tickled as those of us of the female persuasion in the audience got a little ahead of him on the vocals--and he wound up pointing at himself with this "no, I'm the boy" look. And he ripped through the tail end of the song as he always does, filling the room with that one long held note on "no", and zooming up and down his range like a rollercoaster.
He was in decidedly high spirits, as was evidenced when he told us after that song that it didn't feel like a Wednesday; it felt like a Friday! He promptly declared it a holiday and informed us all that he could "feel the love", complete with a bit of sung snippet from the appropriate Disney ditty. This was a fine lead-in for "Jack Hinks".
Afterwards the festive mood continued, as Alan modified his prior declaration to "a summer holiday Wednesday", and he and Séan launched into a long string of banter. This apparently miffed at least one person in the audience--possibly the same gentleman who bellowed YEAH BABY--who shouted "LESS TALKING MORE ROCKING". Grr. People, Alan and Séan bringing the banter is a big part of the Fun!
But fortunately that was the only uncouth audience remark, because indeed, the accounting of how they got lost jogging in Seattle and found themselves unable to spot the Space Needle in fog was great fun. Particularly the part where Séan asserted how they'd assumed that since they're from Newfoundland, they'd thought they'd be able to see through fog. "Where's the Space Needle?" "Oh, it's right there!" Hee. It makes me wonder whether anyone has explained to them about the mountain yet.
It was during this bit where Alan poked fun at American perceptions of Canada by saying how they'd flown in from Vancouver the night before, that Vancouver was "north of here", in "Canada" (complete with air quotes), and how they were having an election too. Snerk.
Not to be outdone, an audience member yelled out "Did you get the beer?" Looks were exchanged onstage, and the B'ys promptly stated that actually, no, they hadn't! "Any other gifts?" Séan inquired pointedly of the audience. "We're looking for muffins. Special muffins."
Séan eventually worked his way around to saying that none of that, except perhaps the part about being lost in the fog, had anything to do with the next song. Which was "England", and which was quite nice to hear performed live. The B'ys nailed some beautiful harmony on the choruses, particularly right before Bob's whistle solo in the bridge. And Alan was particularly approving of the song, for he informed Séan immediately afterwards that he'd totally be making out with him in the back of the bus. Muaha.
More Disneyesque mood from Alan then, as he made Beauty and the Beast jokes and Séan announced that the last movie he'd seen was The Godfather. "Very similar movies!" he said. "That's why we're attracted to each other." Muaha #2. Of course, Alan wasn't restricting his affection to just Séan. He took a moment to point out Kris, observing of him, "Not just a sexy bugger!"
Bob got in some great fiddle work on "Charlie Horse". Which both Mimi and I were delighted to see in the set, since that's a favorite of both of ours.
Bob got some love from Séan in the intro for the next song as well, in which there was much quippage about how Séan had learned the word "proclivities" from Bob. And, one infers, about Bob's actual proclivities. ;) The song of course was "Hard Case", in which Alan wandered around the stage pointing out his bandmates' contributions to the song--like Kris jumping in with some notable backup vocal for once, go Kris! And afterwards, Alan congratulated Murray on his singing. "Murray sings?" Séan deadpanned.
"River Driver". Always slays me. Always. How nothing but five voices and a drum can flatten me with a wall of deep rumbling harmony never fails to amaze and delight me. And oh gods, that last chord. How a skinny guy like Murray can open his mouth and unleash thunder always amazes and delights me as well.
"Here and Now" impressed me because in the past, I've always known that Bob is capable of playing Everything. In this song, however, I saw him playing two things at once: the harmonica on a mouth stand, and his zouk. Go Bob!
Next up was a special treat. Everybody left the stage but Alan, who proceeded to tell us about how on this tour they'd been taking the time to sing songs they didn't do as often, and how he was actually kind of shaky on the words for this one. Naturally, he invited us to sing along--on "Tickle Cove Pond". <3 I've written about how I love this one quite a bit and how I'd wanted to hear it live. Not having the full band to belt out the harmonies on the chorus was a shame, but it was more than made up for some delicious guitar work from Alan and all of our voices in the audience singing along with him.
"Company of Fools" caused another first for me at a GBS show. A particularly enterprising young lady jumped up on the stage during the song and started stepdancing in time along with them! This didn't throw the band at all, and I caught Alan shooting her what looked like a surprised and impressed glance. Afterwards I also spotted Security coming over to have a Word with the lass.
Last up for the first half of the set was "Run Run Away", which made Glenn to my right splutter as he hadn't been aware that GBS had covered that song. Muaha!
During the break I went out to get bottled water for myself, Jen, and Glenn--and the stepdancing girl was two people behind me in the line. She said that Security had been going to throw her out of the show but that the band had said that she could stay, although she was under firm instruction not to leave her row of seats. She'll have an amusing story to tell her grandkids someday, I think. ;)
Coming back into the show, we got yet another surprise--Alan, Séan, and Bob coming out to sit down in front of the drum kit with bouzouki, accordion, and bodhran, to rip out a bit of an instrumental medley. That was unexpected and neat. Much of it I felt like I should recognize, although the only bit of it I actively identified was one of the tunes from "Tishialuk Girls Set" on TH&TE. It was fun in general to see them do that and I appreciated them doing something a bit different.
After that, though, out came the electrics for "When I Am King", and it was during that one that I noticed that Séan had abandoned his heavier black shirt. Afterwards Alan informed us that he felt like "a rock god". Justifiably. Damn, but what he can do with that Les Paul.
"Shines Right Through Me" mostly stood out for me with what Séan was doing with the backup vocals--in fact, his backup vocals stood out a lot for me all throughout the show for some reason, which was unusual and fun.
"Thank you for not leaving!" Alan and Séan told us all after that one. Séan told us as well that they were all still on Newfoundland time and approximated that it was "next Wednesday" by their own internal clocks... and that "Bob just poured coffee all over himself." Which he apparently found quite sexy. ;) Then Mr. McCann announced, "I'd like to sing a happy song--but that's not what I'm going to do."
At which point he went into "Long Lost Love". Fun guitar noises out of Alan there, too, just listening to the various nuances and slides he pulled out of that instrument.
"Scolding Wife", huzzah! Best part of that one was Alan coming over to rest his head on Séan's shoulder as Séan sang his verse.
"Helmethead" was duly introduced as an "audience participation song"--"Not that in their own way they all haven't been," added Alan.
"Dream to Live" was next, and I noted that it had a heavier arrangement live than it does on the album. There were more talky guitar noises out of Alan.
Afterwards Séan quipped that "this was just breakfast" and that he had a lot of coffee in him, undoubtedly a consequence of the fact that the B'ys are husbands and fathers now, for they also joked that "We have children of our own now--who haven't got a chance." Hee. More Beauty and the Beast jokes came from Alan, who then went into telling us that the first time they'd played Seattle, it had been at the Tractor Tavern, that there had been about fifty people, and "we rocked". He proceeded to laud the lovely after-show times they'd had as well, and announced that the next song was an ode to Seattle and "acting irresponsibly".
With a buildup like that, it was not surprising that the song was "Consequence Free". Always a joy, that one.
"Mari-Mac" sizzled as expected. Especially with something the lighting guys did towards the end where the backdrop washed out white and left the band in silhouette against it. That was very cool.
I am told that I lit right up during "Ordinary Day". This does not surprise me. I'd spent much of the concert at this point sitting on the turned-up bottom of my seat, the best compromise I could achieve between fully sitting down and actually seeing the band--but I had to be on my feet for "Ordinary Day". I just had to. <3 But damn, by then I was tired!
"Walk On The Moon" finally appeared for the first encore. After that, we got Alan and Séan improvising their way through random lyrics all about Seattle, adventures with seaplanes, and such, while Bob chimed in with occasional deeply rumbled "Seattle" bits below them. This was also a lengthy musical hint that why yes, the B'ys would be at Kells after the show, and that if someone wanted to buy them pints, that would be a good time. "Not that I've ever had any," Alan claimed, straight-faced.
Mimi and I giggled hysterically throughout this entire improv, which turned out to be the longest intro to "Old Black Rum" ever.
Encore #2 brought us "Gallows Pole", about which I have two delighted words to say: Damn, Séan! This was one of the extras greatbigsea.com was handing out for album pre-orders and it hadn't grabbed me that much on the first listen... but after hearing Séan devour this one live, I'm going to have to give it another chance.
"Straight to Hell" was the expected final number before the closing snippet of "Rant and Roar", and they were both thoroughly wonderful.
Mimi had to work the next morning, and since I am still Recovery Girl, we opted to get me straight home so I could fall into bed. Weary and content, we parted ways with Glenn and Jen, and waved at the shiny new Great Big Tour Bus on the way out of downtown. Maybe next time, there can be Kells!