Saturday, October 16, 2004
Tom Waits at the Orpheum
Last night at the Orpheum was my first time seeing Tom Waits in concert. I've heard his live performances on CD before so I was prepared to be impressed and entertained. With Marc Ribot in his band again I was doubly pleased. I'm told that this show was a stripped down affair with none of the usual stage props accompanying Waits. No matter, with a crack rhythm section of Larry Taylor on upright bass, Brain Mantia on drums and percussion and Casey Waits on percussion and turntables, many grooves ranging from latin to waltzes to downright rock and roll were in evidence by the way my hips and head were swaying.
Tom prowled centre stage with his multiple personalities, stories of freaks and circus-like folk and inquiries into the world of nature. Perhaps Tom enjoys the Discovery channel. One question he asked the audience was, "they discovered a 12 foot earthworm in northern Australia with the body diameter of a coke can...what would you catch with that?"
some songs had him using a megaphone and the beginnings of some songs had him stopping and restarting the band at a slower tempo or having, supposed trouble, getting into the groove. And Tom Waits and his various bands are groovemasters, no doubt about it. Material covered was from Swordfish Trombones to the current Real Gone an impressive catalogue of material.
Marc Ribot, I worship at the altar of Marc Ribot's various sessions with Waits, his own solo material and, of course, his recent sessions with John Zorn in Electric Masada. Ribot had a simple setup which consisted of four or 5 pedals through a Fender Champ or Vibrolux. He used his volume pedal to great effect on the harder rocking pieces. He played various electric guitars, a red Fender Strat and a golden hollowbody Gibson. He also played banjo and some classic 40's jazz on an acoustic tenor guitar. Beauty pure unadulterated beauty. ca me rendre incapable de parler. I clapped and hooted alot. Enjoyment for the whole family, provided your family enjoys having the underbelly of american pop-culture exposed, deconstructed and thrown back at them with vigour and dark-humour.
oy baby oy! I'm still tapping my foot. go now buy his whole back-catalogue and enjoy!
Tom prowled centre stage with his multiple personalities, stories of freaks and circus-like folk and inquiries into the world of nature. Perhaps Tom enjoys the Discovery channel. One question he asked the audience was, "they discovered a 12 foot earthworm in northern Australia with the body diameter of a coke can...what would you catch with that?"
some songs had him using a megaphone and the beginnings of some songs had him stopping and restarting the band at a slower tempo or having, supposed trouble, getting into the groove. And Tom Waits and his various bands are groovemasters, no doubt about it. Material covered was from Swordfish Trombones to the current Real Gone an impressive catalogue of material.
Marc Ribot, I worship at the altar of Marc Ribot's various sessions with Waits, his own solo material and, of course, his recent sessions with John Zorn in Electric Masada. Ribot had a simple setup which consisted of four or 5 pedals through a Fender Champ or Vibrolux. He used his volume pedal to great effect on the harder rocking pieces. He played various electric guitars, a red Fender Strat and a golden hollowbody Gibson. He also played banjo and some classic 40's jazz on an acoustic tenor guitar. Beauty pure unadulterated beauty. ca me rendre incapable de parler. I clapped and hooted alot. Enjoyment for the whole family, provided your family enjoys having the underbelly of american pop-culture exposed, deconstructed and thrown back at them with vigour and dark-humour.
oy baby oy! I'm still tapping my foot. go now buy his whole back-catalogue and enjoy!
