Please forgive me I don’t mean to seem insane.
Current mood: pleased
Category: Music
Yesterday I visited a place I had never been, saw something I had never seen and heard something I had never heard.
Lakeway is a community on the shore of Lake Travis, west of Austin. Basically built around a golf course, there isn't a straight piece of road in the place. Lakeway Resort is on a hillside overlooking the lake, which means you have to negotiate all the hilly, curvy streets to get there. Good thing I had a GPS with me, or I would never have found the place.
The resort is beautiful, of course. The centerpiece, and the place where the show was held, is the large three-tiered swimming pool. Imagine three long, rectangular pools stacked one on top of the other, overlooking the lake. The stage was set up between the pools and the lake, making it quite an interesting sight.
I got there fairly early; early enough to see the band setting up on the little stage next to the hot tub. The idea of Fastball playing next to the Hot Tub made me chuckle (a joke only hardcore Small Stars fans will get). As the band went through their sound check, I noticed Miles playing a few licks from "Wind Me Up." I thought that was interesting. They then ran through "Always Never" without the bass (Bruce's bass hadn't arrived yet). I also noticed that Miles and Tony were wearing swimming trunks. Sure enough, as soon as the sound check was done, they took a quick dip in the pool to cool off.
Bruce's bass arrived just in time for a quick tuning, then the band came on to start the show. By this time, the weather, which had been hot, muggy and overcast, turned into hot, muggy and rainy. Thankfully, the shower was light and brief, and didn't affect the start of the show.
By showtime, the pools were pretty crowded. I wonder if the guys had ever played in front of a couple of hundred "half-naked people" as Tony commented. Those of us not in the water were relegated to a few rows of chairs set up along the side of the stage (across from the hot tub). Surprisingly, despite the strange angle, the sound was pretty good. I was seated stage left, and since the majority of the people were toward that direction, the main speakers were pointed in my direction. Hey, I didn't complain.
This was one of the most enjoyable Fastball shows I've been to, and I wasn't even drinking. Everywhere you looked, people were relaxing, beach balls were bouncing and kids were running around. This was clearly a party atmosphere. The guys were loose and having a good time, too. But that doesn't mean the music suffered. In fact, this was one of the best played shows I've seen. Rather, it seems that they felt free to improvise more, turning some songs into all-out jams and throwing us a curve every now and then.
The first curve ball came just four songs into the set, when they launched into "Wind Me Up," with its unmistakable intro. So that's why Miles was playing it during the sound check! That was something I had never heard before. It's a tricky number, with all those time changes, and Tony did get caught once. They quickly recovered, though, and I think they did a great job on it.
Later during the show I heard bits of "I've Got A Feeling," "Electric Avenue," "Tequila" and even "Gypsies Tramps And Thieves."
Tony broke a string during "Always Never." Fortunately, he had another guitar handy, so it only took him a few minutes to get the replacement. It interrupted the flow, though, and threw Miles off for just a bit. So naturally he improvised with a whole new guitar solo. It was great. When Tony got back, they just picked up where they had left off.
Even "The Way" took on a new life, as Tony decided to prolong the silence after the first guitar solo, taking a sip of his Dos Equis while the crowd cheered. Miles started a new guitar riff, and eventually they picked up the song and finished it off.
And everywhere, it seemed, the guitar solos were longer and more interesting.
During "The Keys To Your Heart" the wind picked up, the sky grew dark, and drops started falling. By the time they had finished the song, it was pretty clear the clouds were about to burst. Sadly, the show had to end. They hurried off the stage as the crew covered up the equipment. I hauled ass to my car just in time to avoid getting soaked.
I smiled all the way home. This is why I love this band.
Fastball August 17, 2008 Lakeway Resort & Spa Lakeway, TX
Tony Scalzo - Lead vocals, guitar Miles Zuniga - Lead vocals, guitar Joey Shuffield - Drums Bruce Hughes - Bass, vocals
01 All I Was Looking For Was You 02 Little White Lies > 03 Fire Escape 04 Wind Me Up 05 She's Got The Rain 06 You're An Ocean 07 Vampires 08 'Til I Get It Right 09 We'll Always Have Paris 10 Out Of My Head 11 Always Never 12 The Modern World 13 Don't Let Me Down 14 The Way 15 The Keys To Your Heart (The 101ers)
The white hot spotlight
Current mood: animated
Category: Music
An audio recording of the last (so far) Small Stars show is now available at the Live Music Archive. You can stream it or download it in mp3, flac or other formats.
This is my first ever soundboard/audience matrix recording. I patched into the soundboard for one recording and used my Core Sound High End Binaural microphones for the other. I then mixed the two. It sounds really good.
Look for a three camera video soon. We're still tweaking it. When it's ready we'll probably put it up on Vimeo, maybe YouTube. And there will be a DVD.
Also, the audio recording of Fastball's White Rabbit set is available.
She showed me both heaven and hell
Current mood: pure
Category: Music
San Antonio really is lame. Yes, I live here, and believe me I wish it weren't true. That's why I spend so much time in Austin. I'm not making excuses for my fellow San Antonians. But it does explain a lot about last night's Fastball show at The White Rabbit.
The whole idea of Fastball playing a show at The White Rabbit seemed a bit incongruous. The White Rabbit used to be a haven for up-and-coming indie rock bands but over the last several years it's become a hangout for young punk metalheads. The bands that play there are usually second-rate local metal bands. Still, I did see Spoon there a couple of years ago, so they occasionally have good music.
The night began strangely when, as Nese and I approached the gate, a guy standing outside asked us, almost in a whisper, if we had a pack of Camel Cigarettes. Were we supposed to know a secret password or something? We, of course, said "no" and he directed us to the ticket booth. Once in the courtyard, there were Camel Cigarette ads and booths set up all around. Turns out the concert was sponsored by Camel. Who knew?
We got there late enough that we missed the first opening band, and only had to endure half of the second one's set. The third opener was actually not terrible. Still, I was glad I had earplugs on me (and an extra set for Miles when he walked in).
Fastball came on stage around 11:15, as Led Zeppelin's "In The Light" played on the PA. As the overhead music faded, Bruce went right into the bass intro to "Little White Lies." The sound was boomy and bassy, as might be expected from a place like The White Rabbit. Still, the sound guy did a great job of balancing things out. From there they went straight into "Fire Escape," which brought a round of applause from the audience once they recognized the song. The rest of the set was a nice mix of old hits and new songs. Highlights were a rousing rendition of "She's Got The Rain," a great guitar duo on "Don't Give Up On Me," and really great versions of "Always Never" and "Mono To Stereo." I really like those two new songs.
I sound like a broken record here, but I can't say enough about Bruce Hughes' contribution to this band. His bass playing is impeccable and his vocals are amazing. Sometimes he just fills out the sound, and other times he expands it and enhances it. He has truly been a great addition.
This show was definitely one of the more interesting Fastball shows I've seen. There was more improvisation and ad libbing from the band than usual. "The Modern World" started with Miles on vocals solo for the first verse, Tony joining in on the second. Even "The Way" was given a new twist with an extended guitar intro. It's always interesting to see the crowd reaction when they start playing this one. It usually takes them a while to realize what it is; as recognition sets in, people suddenly start clapping and cheering. In this case, one couple even started dancing in the middle of the floor.
Near the end of the set, Miles announced that he really didn't feel like putting his guitar down, going off stage and then coming back to do an encore. Instead, they would assume we wanted an encore and just play through. The pseudo-encore started with "Soul Radio," which sounded really good. The set list showed "Get Yourself Together" and "Crawling From The Wreckage" after that, but some kid came up to the stage and requested "Freebird." Miles refused to play it, but much to everybody's surprise, instead launched into Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." The rest of the band followed suit and they pulled it off. It actually sounded great. Afterwards, Miles told me had had heard the song on the way down to SA and, although he loves the song, he hates the arrangement, and had always wanted to do it himself.
So, why was it lame? First off, the crowd was rather small. A small crowd can still be a good crowd, but San Antonio crowds are notoriously quiet and unresponsive. With the exception of a few die-hard fans, who were up against the stage, dancing and clearly enjoying themselves, most of those present were standing around or wandering in and out of the place. It's a shame, really. It's hard enough to get good music in San Antonio. When we do get a kick-ass band like Fastball to come do a show, and they get the reception they do, it further cements our reputation as a musical dead zone. It's not very likely Fastball will be playing The White Rabbit again any time soon.
Oh, well. At least Austin is only 80 miles away.
Fastball June 27, 2008 The White Rabbit San Antonio
Tony Scalzo - Vocals, guitar Miles Zuniga - Vocals, guitar Joey Shuffield - Drums Bruce Hughes - Bass, vocals
01 intro (In The Light recording) 02 Little White Lies > 03 Fire Escape 04 She's Got The Rain 05 You're An Ocean 06 Vampires 07 Rampart Street 08 All I Was Looking For Was You 09 Out Of My Head 10 Lou-ee Lou-ee 11 Don't Give Up On Me 12 The Modern World 13 Always Never 14 'Til I Get It Right 15 The Way 16 Mono To Stereo 17 White Noise [pseudo-encore] 18 Soul Radio 19 Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen)
Just close your eyes and we’ll make a wish
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Music
Last night's Small Stars show in Port Aransas was....
Wait a minute. Week before last? Oh man. Where did the time go?
Truth is, I've been pretty busy since that weekend. First, of course, recovering from the weekend. And, as Guy pointed out, since we're getting a little long in the tooth, it takes about five days to recover. Then, I went and saw Spamalot (great show). Then I went and saw Li'l Cap'n Travis (great show). Then I went to my brother's 50th birthday party. You get the idea.
But back to the subject at hand.
The Small Stars returned to the scene of their last crime, The Back Porch Bar in Port Aransas. It wasn't as hot and stifling as last August, but it was close. At least there was a breeze where we were sitting. The stage was another matter.
The boys were all there, of course, looking as dapper as ever, at least at the start. Did I mention it was hot and humid? By the end of the show Guy had lost his coat, his sunglasses and almost his shirt. Even the ever-cool Richard Steele had to take his coat off for the third set. Only the indefatigable Buddy Llamas managed to maintain not only his trademark coiffure, but his pristine white linen (or was it polyester?) suit.
I mentioned to Buddy Llamas before the show that they should start the show with "Keno In Reno" for old times' sake. "We should," he replied enigmatically. Much to my surprise, they did exactly that. Buddy Llamas opened the show by introducing "The host with the most from the West Coast, Mr. Excitement, Mr. Spinal Alignment, Guuuuuuuuuuuy Fantasy!" I hadn't heard that classic intro in god knows how long. It sent chills up my spine. In keeping with the old-school feel, "Keno In Reno" was followed, of course, by "Two Girls Are Better Than One." Crowd favorites "True Hollywood Story" and "Boogie Stop Shuffle" came next, and the patrons at The Back Porch Bar were loving it. The first set closed out in rocking fashion with "Sweet Sweet Sweet" and the seldom heard "Vehicle" by The Ides Of March.
After a much needed break, the band came back on to do a set of songs about alcohol, gambling and drugs. Typical Small Stars fare, that is. The highlight was a great rendition of The Kinks' "Alcohol" featuring Guy staggering around the stage and collapsing to the floor in a mock drunken stupor. Good times. Someone from the audience requested "Tequila" and offered to pay $4 for it. Guy accepted it, of course. Hey, $4 is $4.
By the third set, of course, all bets were off. Buddy Llamas started out by auctioning off the LAST Small Stars T-Shirt, ever. Guy took over as the T-shirt auction morphed into "We Love You." There was lots more banter from Guy Fantasy by this time, including impersonations of Elvis and Joel Osteen. He tried to end the show with "Don't Keep 'Em Waiting" but the crowd would have none of that, demanding one more song. The show ended, as it had started, with a return to The Small Stars roots, with "The Small Stars Theme," including, of course, all the hilarious band introductions. (By the way, I would totally vote for an Obama-Llamas ticket.)
As Guy said above, we all had a wonderful time. That should come as no surprise, as all Small Stars shows are lots of fun. But this one, of course, was special. To start with, we hadn't heard these guys in like 10 months. To be honest, I was a bit concerned about how they would sound after such a long time. I mean, in NBA Basketball, when a team has a four or five day layoff, they always come out cold and tentative. As it turned out, there was nothing to worry about. The Small Stars come out smoking right from the get-go. They were hot, and not just because of the sultry Gulf Coast summer weather. Admittedly, they were a bit rough around the edges, and did get a bit sloppier toward the end of the evening, but then we were all a bit sloppy by then.
It was a bittersweet end to the evening. It was wonderful to see the band again, and to once more get to hang out with Small Stars fans, old and new. On the other hand, there was a sense of finality to the show. We were all left wondering, will there be another one?
The Small Stars June 14, 2008 The Back Porch Bar Port Aransas, Texas
Guy Fantasy - Vocals, guitar Buddy Llamas - Saxophone, guitar, vocals Richard Steele - Guitar, vocals Godfrey McCambridge - Bass, vocals Brick Masterson - Drums Red Rojas - Keyboards
Set One: 01 Introducing Guy Fantasy 02 Everything's Keno In Reno 03 Two Girls Are Better Than One 04 True Hollywood Story 05 Boogie Stop Shuffle (Charles Mingus) 06 Girl Trouble 07 That's What God Made Whiskey For 08 Nitty Gritty (Doug Sahm) 09 Sweet Sweet Sweet 10 Vehicle (The Ides Of March)
Set Two: 01 Ooh Las Vegas (Gram Parsons) 02 Alcohol (The Kinks) 03 Twenty-One 04 Tequila (The Champs) 05 Otra Vez 06 Volver (Fernando Maldonado) 07 The Peanut Song (Luis Guerrero) 08 Tijuana Dreams
Set Three: 01 We Love You 02 The No No Song (Hoyt Axton) 03 Let's Hit The Town 04 Bad Boy (The Jive Bombers) 05 Don't Keep 'Em Waiting 06 Small Stars Theme
Oh, and for those who care about such things, the show was filmed and recorded. We're working on the footage right now and should have a pretty nice video before too much longer. The audio recording will be available in the next day or two.
She came to New York City and she shed her skin
Current mood: impervious
Category: Music
I had never been to NYC (not really, anyway, just a drive-by several years ago). So I decided to make a long weekend of it and went a couple of days early. I did the obligatory tourist thing: took a bus tour, caught a couple of Broadway shows, stuffed my face in the great delis along 7th Avenue. And spent a fortune in the process. Oh, well, it was worth it.
The highlight, of course, was the three-hour cruise on the East River and New York Harbor, partying with Fastball.
From start to finish, this was one of the most unique and entertaining Fastball experiences of my life. The adventure began with a hair-raising cab ride from the hotel to the pier. Once there, a quick phone call to QGirl (who was already aboard) pointed me in the right direction. Thanks to Tony and Joey we were able to bypass the line and board the Half Moon ahead of time, where I got to hang out with old and new friends. I met Fran, a lovely lady and quite fun to hang out with. Of course QGirl was there. She is, without a doubt, one of the neatest people I have ever had the pleasure to know.
Eventually, the rest of the crowd was allowed to board. I have no idea how many people were there, but I would estimate about 100.
The Half Moon is a smallish ship, with two decks. The upper deck is covered by an awning of sorts, and holds maybe 50 to 75 people. The place was pretty crowded with the real fans. Casual listeners were scattered about on the fore deck and the lower deck, where the band could be heard but not seen. Interesting set up.
There was an opening band, a local outfit called The Energy. They were pretty decent, although I admit I was hanging out on the lower deck visiting with old and new friends while they played. Besides, that's where the bar was.
I met a couple of people there that "knew" me from my internet presence. One was a fan from Montreal, who traveled eight hours by bus the day of the show and was leaving for home immediately afterwards. Apparently, he's been lurking on the Fastball message boards forever but has never made his presence known. O.K., Gil, the jig is up. Time for you to step forward.
I also ran into Andrew, whom I had actually met two years ago in Fredericksburg, Texas when Fastball played at the Auslander Restaurant. We both shot video of Fastball that time, and you may have seen his clips on YouTube. He goes by "andyman25video." I had decided in advance that I was not going to record or film this show and did not even take my gear to NYC . I intended to simply kick back and enjoy it. Fortunately, Andrew did shoot video of most of the show (his battery died during "The Way"). Tony posted one of his video clips on his MOG and he has a few more up on YouTube. You can find them here:
The reason the camera angle on these videos is so strange is that the floor in front of the band was crowded with people standing literally in Tony's and Miles's faces. It gave the show an exciting, intimate feel. One fan remarked afterward it was like a house party with Fastball.
If you've read Tony's recent entry on MOG , you know that he thought it was a really fun show. And who am I to disagree? It was obvious that the band was ready to have fun. After the initial warming up, Bruce started off with the echoing bass line that introduces "Little White Lies" and we were off. One song after another, the band was right on. The set was energetic, the band was tight and the sound was really good. Everybody had a great time. The setlist, of course, was heavy on the new material. Quite a few in the crowd seemed to be familiar with at least some of the new songs, no doubt having heard them on MySpace. Of course, the "hits" ("Fire Escape," "Out Of My Head," and "The Way") received the most enthusiastic responses.
Highlights for me were, once again "Always Never" and "Mono To Stereo." Man, I love those songs!
Toward the end of "White Noise" Tony broke a string, leading to what can only be described as a train-wreck ending for the song. Hey, I've heard worse. While he quickly worked on replacing the string, Miles, Joey and Bruce launched into "Slow Drag." That was a surprise. After that song, Tony came back on "stage" but left his guitar behind, singing his part of "Soul Radio" American Idol style.
After a brief break, they came back on for an encore. One of my favorite, seldom-heard Fastball songs is "Every Time She Walks" so I shouted out the request, and Miles was kind enough to oblige. They closed out the show with The Small Faces cover, "Get Yourself Together."
I took a bunch of photos, which I posted on Flickr. It's a new camera and I haven't figured out all the settings yet, so some of the photos suck. Still, what I have is here:
Click on "Slideshow" up above the thumbnails and scroll through them for the best look at them.
Next up: The Small Stars in Port Aransas. I can hardly wait.
Then: Fastball at The White Rabbit in San Antonio. Should be interesting.
Fastball May 31, 2008 Rocks Off Concert Series aboard the Half Moon New York City
Miles Zuniga - Vocals, guitar Tony Scalzo - Vocals, guitar Joey Shuffield - Drums Bruce Hughes - Bass, vocals
01 Little White Lies 02 Fire Escape 03 She's Got The Rain 04 You're An Ocean 05 Vampires 06 Rampart Street 07 All I Was Looking For Was You 08 Everyday All Of The Time 09 Out Of My Head 10 Lou-ee Lou-ee 11 Don't Give Up On Me 12 The Modern World 13 Always Never 14 'Til I Get It Right 15 The Way 16 Mono To Stereo 17 White Noise 18 Slow Drag 19 Soul Radio Encore: 20 Every Time She Walks (by request :D ) 21 Get Yourself Together (The Small Faces)
Your voice is breaking
Current mood: excited
Category: Music
Oh, man. What a show.
It had been somewhat over two months since my last Fastball show, but it seemed like longer. I was really looking forward to last night's show, and I wasn't disappointed. It was a stiflingly hot night, sign of a long hot summer to come. I was uncomfortable, so I can only imagine how the guys felt on stage (especially Joey!). Still, despite the ridiculous heat, the boys put on a hell of a show.
The crowd, as usual for Austin, was laid back and reserved at first, but soon warmed up (no pun intended). The outdoor venue was set up with about 50 feet of empty space in front of the stage, then rows of chairs toward the back. Everyone was sitting down at the back or hanging around on the sidelines. After a couple of songs, Miles and Bruce insisted people come up to the front. Eventually a bunch of people did, and after a while people were dancing and having a great time.
This was my first time to see the new five-piece line-up (Fastball Mark VIII, as Tony called it), with twin lead guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. Keyboardist Derek Morris joined the lineup recently and he has added a whole new dimension and fullness to the sound. In some cases his contribution is subtle, but in others it really completes the song ("She's Got The Rain", "You're An Ocean"). And, by the way, he's an outstanding musician. (No surprise there.)
The band was tight and the sound was excellent. They were definitely "on." Miles was his usual self, joking on stage and engaging the audience. His guitar solos, as usual, were incredible. He broke a string during "'Til I Get It Right" but carried on and made it sound great anyway. While he was busy changing the string afterwards, Derek started a slow, bluesy piano intro to "The Way." Tony joined in on guitar, followed by Joey and Bruce. This serendipitous improvisation was amazing and breathed new life into the old standard. Miles then joked about missing his 300 lb ex-con roadie, who would have had another guitar ready for him. Tony was also great on his guitar parts, and his vocals were right on target. Despite the heat, Joey was his usual dynamic self on the kit. And Bruce's bass playing and additional vocals were also outstanding.
The setlist was obviously heavy on the new material. I suspected they might play a new song or two, but I was wrong. They played no less than four new songs.
That's right four new ones. A couple of them sounded a bit rough, but they are all great songs, and two of them literally gave me chills. "Always Never" is a real departure for the band. It starts as an atmospheric, flowing piece, reminiscent of The Doors and builds to a wall of sound punctuated by an amazing guitar solo by Miles. Miles recently put a video clip from the studio on YouTube and I had been wondering what it was ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PRI8NAlrJM ). Now I know. "Soul Radio" features intertwining lead vocals from both Tony and Miles, and is a slow rocking ballad, in the vein of "Our Misunderstanding." I can just imagine what these will sound like, given the full studio treatment.
All of the "older" new songs sounded great, too. This new record is shaping up to be an amazing collection.
The new record is "almost done" according to Miles. Nothing further, though, on a release date or distribution details. My guess is late June - early July, as they have a bit of a Midwest tour scheduled for late July and they probably want the CD available by then.
In fact, there's a bunch of shows scheduled over the next few months. Whatever it takes, everyone needs to get to one of these shows and see these guys. You won't be disappointed.
Fastball May 23, 2008 Threadgill's World Headquarters Austin
Tony Scalzo - Vocals, guitar Miles Zuniga - Vocals, guitar Joey Shuffield - Drums Bruce Hughes - Bass, vocals Derek Morris - Keyboards
01 intro 02 Little White Lies 03 Fire Escape 04 She's Got The Rain 05 You're An Ocean 06 Vampires 07 Rampart Street 08 All I Was Looking For Was You 09 Out Of My Head 10 Lou-ee Lou-ee 11 Don't Give Up On Me 12 The Modern World 13 Always Never 14 'Til I Get It Right 15 The Way 16 Mono To Stereo 17 White Noise 18 Soul Radio [encore] 19 Everyday All Of The Time 20 Get Yourself Together (The Small Faces)
I sure can’t be nobody else
Current mood: cultured
Category: Music
In preparation for the upcoming Small Stars show in Port A, I've started uploading video from their last show in Port A (August 18, 2007).
http://www.vimeo.com/album/12311
There is a weekly upload limit of 500 MB, which I reached with just four clips. (That's what I get for insisting on high-quality video.) The meter resets next Sunday, so this is all there is until then.
There was no keyboard for this show, which means great guitar jams from Richard Steele and Guy Fantasy. I especially like this version of "That's What God Made Whiskey For."
Hello, Goodbye
Current mood: tired
Category: Music
I decided to put a new playlist together tonight. In the midst of doing other things, of course.
A while back I started thinking about songs that said hello and/or goodbye. The prototype, of course, being The Beatles’ "Hello, Goodbye." iTunes makes the process fairly easy. Ever since I succumbed to the temptation and started putting all of my music on iTunes these sorts of compilations, which used to take days, now take minutes. Literally.
Here’s the interesting thing about this playlist. I have lots more songs with "goodbye" than with "hello" in the title. What does that mean? Are breakups more song-worthy than meetings? Do I just tend to gravitate toward breakup songs? I don’t know. Whatever it means, here is the list. The last song, by the way, by Fastball, is one of my all time favorites.
Hello, Goodbye - The Beatles Hello, Goodbye - Buttercup Hello It’s Me - Todd Rundgren Say Goodbye - Dave Matthews Band If You See Her, Say Hello - Bob Dylan Bye Bye Love - The Cars Bye Bye Love - Simon & Garfunkel Say Hello To Angels - Interpol Goodbye Blue Sky - Pink Floyd Hello, I Love You - The Doors Never Can Say Goodbye - The Jackson 5 Goodbye Caroline - Aimee Mann Hello, My Treacherous Friends - OK Go Adios, Muchachos - Flaco Jiménez Hello My Baby - Phish Go And Say Goodbye - Buffalo Springfield Hello Walls - Willie Nelson Goodbye To The Mother And The Cover - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Sigh Bye Sigh - Davíd Garza Hi Dear - Jonathan Richman Goodbye - Chicago So Long To The Captain - The Sea And Cake Hello In There - John Prine Just Say Goodbye - Malo Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) - Van Morrison 49 Bye-Byes - Crosby, Stills & Nash Hello Again - Dave Matthews Band Bye Bye Baby - OK Go Hello Again - The Cars Adios, Amor - Steve Jordan Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - David Gray Goodbye - Fastball
Currently
listening
:
The Harsh Light of Day
By
Fastball
Release date: 19 September, 2000
I’ve been crawling up the walls again.
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Music
WARNING: For Fastball (or music) fans only.
With the relative quiet between Fastball shows, I started getting a bit nostalgic, remembering some of my favorite Fastball moments. Of course with me, nostalgia means pulling out old recordings, and in this case uploading them to the Live Music Archive, where anyone else can download or listen to them, too. These are some of my all-time favorite live Fastball recordings.
August 21, 1998, House Of Blues, New Orleans: This is the only show of the bunch that isn’t my own recording. This was recorded from a webcast from the HOB website by someone else, and I downloaded the recording. I like it because it shows the guys in their heyday, right after they had the big hit, and when "Fire Escape" was the new single. You can sense the excitement of the band and the audience alike. Andy Blunda was playing keyboards. Tony was still playing bass, so all you fans of his bass playing should check it out. (The audio quality isn’t great, with some digital glitches here and there, but it’s o.k.)
April 15, 2005, Threadgill’s, Austin: This was the third time I saw Fastball, and when I got my copy of "Keep Your Wig On" autographed and took pictures with Tony & Joey. Jeff Groves was on bass, and the outstanding Matt Hubbard (Father Max Dolby of The Small Stars) sat in on several songs, playing keyboards, melodica and harmonica. His piano part on "You’re An Ocean" and harmonica on "Perfect World" really flesh out the songs. This recording also has my favorite version of "Our Town"; almost as if on cue, an Austin Police car sped by the outdoor venue with siren blaring. Good stuff.
August 6, 2005, The Saxon Pub, Austin: This was a really great, long show with lots of surprises. The band was clearly having a good time that night. The version of "The Way" that night had a crazy, psychedelic intro. Fastball played two (count ’em, two) Small Stars songs and two of Tony’s solo numbers. The highlight, though, was the totally unexpected Beatles medley during the encore (Mean Mr. Mustard > Polythene Pam > She Came In Through The Bathroom Window). You gotta hear it.
May 5, 2007, The Texas Theater, Waxahachie: This one was special because of the number of Fastball uber-fans that were in attendance. Many of the regulars from this forum were there. The performance was great and the vibe was perfect. This was the supposed recording of a live album, which, of course, never materialized. This recording may not be the greatest audio quality (the sound was boomy and somewhat muddy) but it’s better than no recording at all.
BTW, if you really want to hear these recordings at their best, I recommend you download the "flac" files then find a free program online called Flac Frontend to decode the flac files to the original uncompressed form. Enjoy!
pleased
animated
pure
hopeful
impervious
excited
cultured
tired
geeky