Anna's First Great Big Sea Concert Review

As originally posted on the GreatBigSea.com message board


As I write this, I have come home tired and sweaty and achy and grinning like an idiot. I've just watched my second live Great Big Sea show, and can now say with distinct pleasure that the rush of excitement I felt when I heard they were going to play in Seattle on St. Patrick's Day has been thoroughly justified.

This is my first review of a Great Big Sea show as well, and I hope you folks bear with me if I ramble -- it's late, and I'm exhausted. But anyway, here goes!

It was an evening of firsts for me all around, and random cool observations.

The first overall one of these was that I know too damned little about the city I live in -- and this is after ten years of living here. After we got downtown and found parking, we passed an instrument shop called Lark in the Morning, which I'd actually heard of before because I'd run across references to them on the web, but I'd had ABSOLUTELY! NO! IDEA! that they were actually here in Seattle and downtown. We did stop for a moment and gawk lustfully into the shop window, and I in particular ogled an impressive-looking array of flutes, but sadly we didn't have the time to step in and browse since we had to meet everyone at the Brewery. (I do, however, absolutely intend to go back and check that place out post-haste.)

Similarly, I'd had no idea about the existence of the Pike Place Brewery. That turned out to be a fun experience, particularly as there were a bagpipe player and a drum player up one level above us and playing as we came in. Granted, bagpipes aren't exactly Irish, so one might wonder about hearing them on St. Paddy's Day -- but well hey, it sounded AWFULLY cool.

We gathered within, a dozen plus one strong by the time all of us arrived. A good percentage of the Murkworks jamming group (still more or less unnamed, though we have been debating the merits of Three Good Measures, The Brute Squad, and We Are Not Ready as monikers): me, Cyn, Kathryn, Fred, Monica, and Mimi. In addition, we had Kathryn's mate Erik; my long-time housemate Paul; our friend Regis and her sweetie visiting from Boston, Claudia (and who, I might add, both decided that "Boston and St. John's" is the ultimate Long Distance Relationship Song); Fred's brother Chris (who had just come from seeing his very FIRST Great Big Sea show in Portland last night) and Fred's roommate Ed (who, I discovered, plays the trumpet); and Monica's very pregnant close friend whose name has now just totally zipped right out of my head, and to whom I publically apologize via Monica who will no doubt read this. ;) (But again, I remind you, gentle readers, it's way late and I'm trying to get all of this out before I go fall into bed!)

Once within, we wiled away a good two hours with conversation and food. Two thumbs up to the Pike Place Brewery's salmon sandwiches. Yum. I announced my intention to try, for the very first time, a Guinness -- but as the Brewery did not actually HAVE Guinness, we had to settle for a stout. Which I did try, and found very bitter; I couldn't actually finish it. I am informed by Fred, who is far more knowledgeable about such things than I, that beer is an acquired taste; I don't appear to have acquired it yet.

We sent periodic scouts out to check the line or lack thereof in front of the Showbox, and by 7pm, we were ready to go join the gathering hordes.

We wound up sort of spread out through the line, and separated as well since one of the Showbox bouncers came out and informed us that they needed to keep the doors and the sidewalks clear. So Mimi and Cyn and I wound up close to the front of the line, and hanging out and yakking there. There was a chick in front of us with a candy apple coated in caramel and white chocolate and cookie bits, and she started handing pieces of it out to folks behind her, because she couldn't eat it all. Two thumbs up on THAT, too!

Mimi sat down on the concrete by the wall, and shortly thereafter Cyn and I joined her. Thinking I'd start taking notes for this very review, I whipped out my handheld computer and started trying to write up a few lines. And I should say, just because Mimi announced that I should record this for posterity, that she determined that sitting on cold concrete did yea and verily make her bottom cold. I did not, however, get to actually record that timeless bit of discovery into my handheld, for I got distracted as the three of us more or less impromptu decided to belt out "Consequence Free", just because we could, and because it seemed to us that it'd be extremely cool if we could actually jam while in line. But as I was the only one with an actual instrument on me (I never go anywhere without at least one flute in my backpack), we stuck to singing a capella instead, and I do note with pride that we kept on key and remembered all the words!

Sadly, we got absolutely no applause, though I did notice that the yakking around us did die down a bit as we were singing. ;) Plus, it also made the aforementioned candy-apple-distributing chick observe, "It's a filk convention!"

Which made me start and look up and blurt, "You're a filker? Cool!" And we promptly launched into a conversation about various filk conventions -- and I apparently stunned her by telling her that not only had I been to the Ohio Valley Filk Fest, I'd attended the one where Tom Smith and others had performed Tom's marvelous creation, the Rocky Horror Muppet Show. She also yakked with Mimi and Cyn about theater and art and how this was going to be her very first Great Big Sea show because her workplace kept sending her hither and yon and making her miss previous shows by about <> this much. She recognized the name of Heather Alexander and merrily related the tale of Heather and 300 cranky filkers belting out "The March of Cambreadth" in a hotel lobby, which was delightful to hear. And she told me her name was Seanan McGuire, that she runs the music for Consonance down in California, and that we should come to said convention next year. We observed that by then, perhaps we'd actually sound good!

Oh, and I should mention that she also informed me that "Boston and St. John's" scanned alarmingly well to a tune that has also just now zipped right out of my head at this late hour. But I can still clearly relate that I retaliated by trying to see how well "Boston and St. John's" scans to "Alice's Restaurant". For those of you not familiar with filkers, it is long-standing wisdom amongst them that every song on the planet scans to that particular ditty, and I have yet to really find one that can't, though I think "Boston and St. John's" will have to be tweaked some to make it work. ;)

Aaaaaanyway, they opened up the doors at 8pm, separating those of us who held actual tickets in our actual hands from those who needed to be in the Will Call line, and in we went. Fred had already enthused at us about the dance area being right smack dab in front of the stage, but still it was very fine to come in and see all that lovely wide open space in front of the four standing microphones. Our group scarfed up several tables towards the back which still afforded a decent view, and several of us who were willing to watch over various personal belongings took up residence there while the rest of us scampered up to the stage to wait for the show to start. I had to take a brief detour, however, when Paul asked me to stuff a freshly purchased Great Big Sea sweatshirt into my backpack -- and I was like, "Whoa! They're selling stuff? Where?!" Feeling a vital need to acquire a piece of clothing with the name of our B'ys inscribed thereupon, I ran off to do that very thing, and am now the proud owner of a nice large green T-shirt.

Up by the stage, I got handed an actual Guinness, which I report that I did in fact like better than the stout at the Brewery, and I did in fact finish it all. But I'm still not convinced I'm a beer person. ;)

We realized that the Casey Neill Trio would not in fact perform, as there was pretty much no mention of them anywhere on the billing or the posters hung up or anything. Plus, we saw the B'ys' set list right in front of the microphones, and the instruments lying out in wait did seem rather like the ones they'd play. Mimi pointed out three, count 'em, THREE, accordians lined up and waiting (as it turned out) for Bob.

Monica scarfed a chair for her very pregnant friend to sit upon right in front of the stage, and the rest of us clustered around her so that she could get a decent view -- and so could we. We yakked some with one another, and with folks surrounding us in the crowd. Fred grabbed my attention and pointed out another OKP'er (whose name I also have dropped, but if you're reading this, HI! :) ). Somebody standing near us had a positively swoonable Irish accent. And at least two rounds of a "GREAT! BIG! SEA!" chant started up before the B'ys finally came out and we all went nuts.

Opening song: "The Chemical Worker's Song". I tried to sing harmony, but under no circumstances, I discovered, was I going to be able to hear myself. When you're screaming at the top of your lungs while trying to sing along with the fellow on stage, you're doing well to keep to what he is singing. ;) Still, though, it was extremely cool to hear that one done live.

I am not going to try to put these songs in order, as I can't remember the proper order at this point, but here's what was sung:

• "The Chemical Worker's Song"
  
  
• "Billy Peddle"
  
  
• "Jolly Butcher" -- Which, I might add, Alan noted was a "special request", though he didn't say of whom. He also claimed it'd been a while since they had done this one live and that he might not remember all of the words, but it looked like to me that he was remembering them just fine! Still, he had us singing along on the choruses anyway.
  
  
• "Ordinary Day"
  
  
• "When I'm Up"
  
  
• "End of the World" -- Also extremely cool to hear this live, though the crowd had absolutely no chance of actually singing along with ALL of those lyrics!
  
  
• "Fast as I Can" -- I alternated between watching Alan and watching Bob on the whistle on this one. (Yes, Gracie, I got in extra ogles just for you. ;) ) I already sort of knew the whistle parts to this one on the flute, though it was very nice to hear it up close. And I had NO idea that whistles could come that large.
  
  
• "Goin' Up" -- Performed with Alan making jokes beforehand about us all being thankful that we had absolutely no earthquakes happening, and how in general it was extremely fine to have St. Paddy's Day on a Saturday, and how we should remember this in October on a non-St.-Paddy's-Day Saturday "when earthquakes are everywhere". Got us going on the call and response bits you hear on Road Rage. Yay!
  
  
• "Lukey" -- WHOO HOO! :) Tried to sing harmony on this one as well, but once again discovered that that was just not happening when you could barely hear yourself think, much less sing. But after having recently seen the lovely Fire in the Kitchen version of this, I was all over hearing this live.
  
  
• "Old Black Rum" -- Prefaced with Alan's public service announcement that as they four were such models of restraint ("cough* *snicker* *grin*) it was their duty to sing us an anti-drinking song.
  
  
• "Little Beggarman" -- Belted out by Darrell and quite nicely. Though more melodically than I am used to, and in fact a lot more similar to how Kathryn in our jamming group sings it.
  
  
• "Consequence Free"
  
  
• "Jack Hinks" -- Played with a longer instrumental intro, starting with the bass laying down a few simple beats, and bringing in the other instruments to start setting the beat. I wasn't quite sure exactly what they were actually going to play until the melody line kicked in; for a bit there I thought it was going to be "Lukey". But it was pretty fun hearing a more rocking version of this one!
  
  
• "Boston and St. John's" -- Introduced by Alan saying it was about time for a sappy love song. ;)
  
  
• "Everything Shines" -- We were all singing with this one, of course, but I don't know the words well enough yet to properly belt it out. Dang!
  
  
• Two instrumentals I didn't recognize. These must be the new pieces? Very, VERY cool!
  
  
• The ditty about the canary -- which I also don't know well enough, and I don't even know the title yet. But I know it's been mentioned here, so you long-time vets probably know what song I'm talking about. ;)
  
  
• "Excursion Around the Bay" -- The obligatory encore. Also belted out by Darrell, of course, with thunderous resounding "HEY"s from the crowd as was right and proper.
  

I THINK that's the lot of them, but if I'm missing anything OKPer's more alert than I can fill in the blanks, I'm sure!

You'll notice that all of the above songs were ones on which Alan (or Darrell) sang lead. We didn't get "Mari-Mac" (though a good portion of the crowd kept yelling for it), "General Taylor", "The Night Pat Murphy Died", or "I'm a Rover", all of which had been performed at Chateau Ste. Michelle. This was apparently because Sean McCann was feeling poorly. He kept to the bodhran and his other instruments, and though he looked pretty tired throughout the set, he played like a trooper. (Well done, Sean! Take it easy, now!)

Our herd was positioned at, as Monica describes it, Stage Bob. So we got very good looks at Bob doing his thing on the whistle and the accordion and the fiddle, and some great up-close looks at Sean banging away on the bodhran as well. Darrell was at the opposite end of the stage, and Alan was pretty much all over the place -- being, well, the perky Mr. Doyle we all know and love.

For the aforementioned encore, we noted with amusement that the obligatory "GREAT! BIG! SEA!" chant was in fact being done as a round, as half the crowd was a beat ahead of the other half.

And at the end of it all I was very, VERY overheated. My feathers were falling out of my hair, and I desperately needed water, so I staggered off happily back towards our tables.

Commence more yakking and much consumption of water, and rearrangement of assorted Murkworks denizens and Murkworks friends, as we had lots more people than we did actual chairs to sit 'em in.

Then the Paperboys came on. I don't know their material even a quarter as well as I do Great Big Sea's, but I recognized several ditties off their current album, Postcards, as well as their previous one, Molinos.

And I cannot complete this review without noting that there I was, gulping down water and cheerfully watching the band on the stage, standing right behind Monica's pregnant friend. I happened to turn and look to the left and--

BOOM! ALAN DOYLE! RIGHT THERE!

Kathryn tells me that the look on my face was, quote, "indescribable and priceless", unquote. She also tells me that if she had had to translate that look into actual sound, it would have come out something like "Guh? Gluh? Bibble?"

It seems that our Monica, who has much more sensitive radar than I do, had espied Mr. Doyle en route to the bar and had summoned the courage to corner him by telling him he had to come say hi to the Youngest Great Big Sea fan, so over he came to greet her very pregnant friend. Which he did, demonstrating general overall class. :)

I managed to reconnect my brain and my tongue and blurt out, "Before you get out of earshot, I just want to say your band is responsible for us becoming musicians! Thank you!"

And he promptly looked aghast and observed that he wasn't sure if he should apologize or not, and noted we should be careful about that. Demonstrating overall impish humor. ;)

Off he went, then, and I was rather concerned about my knees for a moment as I did in fact wobble a bit there where I was standing. Kathryn helpfully kept me upright, while the rest of the group engaged in much giggling and inquiring of me whether I needed to sit down. I eyed Kathryn and demanded to know, "You're not going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Nope!" was her cheerful reply, though she did also point out that if she could keep attention focused on MY reaction, it'd divert people from HERS. She also congratulated me soundly on not sounding like a blithering fangirl.

Cyn also cornered Alan and yakked with him for a bit, and came back to report that he apparently didn't know what a contralto was. And that she said that this basically means she sings Darrell's parts. She, too, was pretty much grinning like an idiot at this point as well.

After that it was a little hard to keep my attention on the band up there on the stage, but it helped immensely that the Paperboys put on one hell of a show. I am now in awe of their fiddle player and their flute player as well, and lusting after the instrument of the latter. Maybe Lark in the Morning'll help me out with that, hey?

Though Mimi left early, the rest of us held out through the first of the encores. As they were starting their second encore we did decide to scram, and so we all staggered out into the night to the strains of the aforementioned flute player, splitting off to our various cars.

"I can't IMAGINE," Kathryn drawled to me en route to her and Erik's car, "what the highlight of your notes about tonight on the chat board is going to be!"

She's right. But hey, there's something to be said for reliability. ;)

You did good, B'ys! Bob, you look stylin' in black. Darrell -- I love the bass line you play on "Lukey". Sean, again, take it easy and rest up! Next time you guys come back to Seattle -- and I can actually come see you -- I hope to hear those fantastic pipes of yours belting out "General Taylor" and "Mari-Mac". And Alan -- yeah, this Seattle fan, at least, will be carrying the memory of tonight clear on in to October, full of non-St.-Patrick's-Day Saturdays, but hopefully sans earthquakes. Since I will not be able to attend the Bumbershoot show on 9/2, being able to actually exchange a word or two with you will make up for that quite, quite nicely.

I'm going to post this -- and go fall into bed. Good night, all, and Happy Post St. Paddy's Day!

Anna the Extremely Tired But Extremely Delighted Piper



Finished at 2:15am

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Addendum 3/18/01 5:17pm


For purposes of posting this on my personal web page, I'm adding in a few corrections here, courtesy of Monica and other members of the Online Kitchen Party chat board. I also added notes up above for "Jack Hinks" and "Boston and St. John's".

Monica's very pregnant friend's name was Kerry. I knew it was something like Carrie or Karen, so at this point I'm glad I didn't have to try to remember that because I would have gotten the spelling wrong anyway. And I missed one of the songs -- "Molly Malone", which was not actually on the set list, and which I also had never heard before. So when Alan got us all singing on the choruses, I had to more or less fake my way through it.

Other OKPer's filled in for review purposes what the B'ys were wearing, which is worthy of note here as well. Bob was primarily in black, except that his shirt had red fireballs along the bottom of it. Darrell had on a grey shirt and black jeans. Alan had a black shirt, and I believe some sort of necklace on as well, and blue jeans. Sean had on this sort of plum-colored shirt and jeans too. All of them looked pretty understated garb-wise, except for those flaming fireballs on Bob's shirt. ;)

Other random bits and pieces I also want to record here include:

• Fred's brother Chris rhapsodizing about "Billy Peddle", which our group agreed in general is a mighty fine song.
  
  
• Alan spilling his drink when drinks were brought out to the band on stage, and Monica hollering out something teasing to him.
  
  
• Mimi peering over the edge of the stage at the set list by (I believe) Sean's mike, and asking me what the various abbreviations on the list most likely referred to.
  
  
• Conspiracy for the Murkjammers to cry "FISH" at the bridge of "Jolly Butcher". Which I did not in fact do, but I was grooving quite heavily upon hearing Bob sawing away on "Salmon Tails Up the Water". It was also cool to observe that Bob had a black fiddle with a cord coming out of it -- presumably electric.
  
  
• As Monica wrote about in her own review, it was very fun for those of us right in front of Bob to scream out cheers for him and see him look rather startled.
  
  
• At the beginning of GBS's set, Sean's bodhran wasn't loud enough, but then they stuck a mike in it and that helped out lots.
  
  
• After the show, Erik observed with some surprise that for an opening act, GBS got an amazing reception from the crowd. Clearly, the crowd was full of fans. *beam*
  
  
• Kathryn told me I looked gorgeous. *blush* It was nice to know that my blue-and-green-and-black velvet cap, the feathers in my hair, my new haircut, and the poofy-black-sleeved-and-green-bodiced shirt I had on all worked well together. ;) Kathryn looked quite stylin' in her green velvet blouse, too, I might add.
  
  
• Alan made some very cute jokes about shameless pandering to the ladies in the audience for purposes of getting cheap applause -- which naturally delighted every female on the floor. As if Alan needs to work very hard to get us to cheer. ;) He also did the obligatory shameless self-promotion for Road Rage.
  
  
• The Paperboys did a cover of, of all things, "Sexual Healing"! And I had no idea what they were playing till after they were done, but they did it very well!
  
  
• The OKP'er mentioned above who spoke to me in the audience was Fran, who helpfully identified herself to me on the chat board and who reminded me that she thought I didn't sound like a Kentuckian in the slightest.
  
  
• Cyn helpfully reminds me that the song to which "Boston and St. John's" scans alarmingly well is "Horse With No Name".
  

It's official... I am well and thoroughly hooked on Great Big Sea shows. Next show of theirs after Bumbershoot within driving distance, I'm THERE!