i knew the gig was gonna start around 10p or 10:30p, so when the house lights went down at 10:20p, for some reason, i was still not prepared for how i was going to feel when the cardinals started their set.
the opener, magnolia mountain started off really solid. they used the bridge from most of the 07 shows, which despite my not loving it, i was fine with hearing, as i was just sort of loosening up to the whole idea of a cardinals show taking place.
i was struck with the "it is what it is" feeling. i mean, i'm @ my hometown venue, i'm surrounded by many of my closest friends, i've got my favorite band playing...by the time Mag Mt. ended, i was READY.
the bartering lines>goodnight rose was gorgeous. let it ride was really pretty, esp in that room, with the chandeliers. i was personally happy with this tune selection because so many of my friends who were there are not necessarily hard core r.a./cards regulars (some DEF are), and the cards made those first few tunes very accessible and beautiful.
then comes the first new tune of the night. i'll need to hear this song again to truly comment, other than to say, it was nice to hear something debut.
the everybody knows was SMOKIN'. yes. SMOKIN'.
wonderwall: soft & tender, of course, and really moody. amazing to hear in that room.
why do they leave: amazing, per UJ. started with harmonica, so that's neat. cuz sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't.
peaceful valley: this was rad. the intro was minus the meandering frolic that they played in 07. i always enjoyed that frolic, but they just got right to the nitty gritty with this PV. it was heavy right off the bat. like it used to be. so that was rad. towards the end jam I SWEAR i heard a trouble on wheels tease. did anyone else hear this? i was sure they were going into it. then they peeled off and went into...
beautiful sorta, which was fine. admittedly, i was a little disappointed for a SPLIT second (just cuz i LOVE trouble on wheels, which is rarely played & i SWEAR i heard a tease), though i do LOVE beautiful sorta and i was just absorbing the whole thing perfectly fine.
"i'm buzzing like a jar full of lightning bugs!!!" pretty much, yep. i was.
GO EASY: this is by far my favorite new song. maybe because i can use someone telling me that more often than not. and the sound of neal and ryan singing this together, "go easy...go easy on yourself", well, okay guys! thanks for the advice!!! it really is an "instant classic", hands down.
off broadway: was excited to hear this because a friend who is a new cardinals fan was there, and he REALLY loves this song. so i was especially stoked for him. not to mention, it just sounded great!
long ramble...ya know...most of the time the stories are pretty hilarious. this one was no exception. it had to do with ryan being @ a danzig show and how they had nuns dressed as strippers (but he didn't come right out and say "strippers" and it was cute how he was having a hard time spitting that word out) so yeah, ryan was going on & on about how only danzig could pull something like that off and that he didnt remember staying for the encore. or something.
cold roses: they RIPPED into this, esp after a fairly long break with no music during the danzig/stripper story & they really did shred this song. i give it an 8 (out of 10) as far as versions of cold roses i've seen, so that's pretty good. maybe even an 8.5. or really a 8.75. yeah. almost a 9. def decent. & just to give you a gauge, i'd give the cold roses from halloween an 11, as well as the one from seattle earlier this year (can't remember the date) an 11, as well.
shakedown on 9th: i was distracted looking for friends during this song, but it gave me a great soundtrack to track them down...
i see monsters: yum.
Set 1 (1:30)~~~~~~
Maggie Mountain->
Bartering Lines->
Goodnite Rose
Let It Ride
*New Song "I Fix It"
Everybody Knows
Wonderwall
Why Do They Leave
Peaceful Valley->
Beautiful Sorta
*New Song "Go Easy"
Off Broadway
(Long Ramble About Danzig)
Cold Roses
Shakedown On 9th Street
I See Monsters
interestingly enough, just in reviewing this show, i'm sorta puckered out after the first set. it was def a long, AWESOME first set. i was in the poster room when i realized the second set had started, and of course, panicked. i'll list the second set here now, with the encore, then write how the songs went for me...
Set 2 (1:10)~~~~~~
Rescue Blues
Dear John
Mockingbird
* New Song "Windowpane" ("Like Yesterday" is the name I've seen written)
Elizabeth
Pearls On A String
A Kiss Before I Go
Games
When The Stars Go Blue
Please Do Not Let Me Go
*New Song "Evergreen" (confirmed name as I've seen it written)
Two
Easy Plateau
rescue blues: great hearing the slyder (jon graboff) on the axe for this.
dear john: lovely & had a sicko neal solo.
mockingbird: omg. go easy is going to give mockingbird a run for its $$$ being my favorite tune, but i will ALWAYS always always love hearing this mantra of "Don't Give Up On Love". there was a new arrangement, as well, and it sounded THICK and ridiculous. esp for the first time hearing it. LOVE. nothing too diff or flashy, sorta subtly diff, but def diff. towards the end.
new track: can't really say, other than i did love all the new songs. some stuck with me more than others, i guess...there wasn't a new song that i was like, "Oooh, i don't like this..." but as always, there will be some that i like more than others and so far, i only know that i love GO EASY, evergreen, and cobwebs are fine. the other 2 are prob fine, too, i just can't remember them as well.
elizabeth: there was something interesting about this version...though i can't remember what it was! omg. it was either that there was no intro or no outro or something like that. silly me, it was a long show!!!
pearls on a string: a first-timer, whom i'd given easy tiger as a gift to, has a daughter named pearl, so i was excited they were playing this!
a kiss before i go: honestly, the fillmore was like a bliss bubble for me...i was just so happy to have that music in that room and to be there for it. cute!
games: i had wandered to the front left by now, and though this song is not normally a fave, i enjoyed the heck out of it @ the fillmore. "high & mellow, slow & steady..." ohh yeah...
when the stars go blue: pretty.
please do not let me go: at this point, the set had been super mellow for a bit, and was seeming to wind down, which was fine for me. again, pretty.
evergreen: i really love this new tune. good stuff.
two: loved this new version. a fave of one of my bestie's who was in town from the east coast, i was thrilled they were playing this.
easy plateau: what started as a fun romp, ended with a purging-style, hypnotic pleading ryan adams..."I want an easy plateau..." it was seriously so intense, not unlike the chicago HOB "What Sin" ending that happened in jan 07. it was almost a pain transfer, hearing him sing/scream this, but somehow, it falling on my ears with no judgment made me realize, that i too, want an easy plateau. sometimes exactly the way he was asking for it, even though it might not come out quite like that. thanks, ryan, for taking it to that level...it was almost shamanic. wild. i dunno. INTENSE.
Encore: (20 min)
Sweet Lil Gal
(Improv Song)
Nightbirds
*New Song "Catch Me" ("Cobwebs" is the name I've seen written)
sweet lil gal: amazing.
improv song: silly, something about asking the band to come back out.
nightbirds: i'll never forget this part of the show for as long as i live. i had a moment with a friend that ended in me on the ground, laughing so hard i could barely stand up. it was so weird, during this serious song...but i did enjoy it to pieces, and apparently, i really needed a good laugh.
cobwebs: "if i fall will you catch me?" ending with a new song~ bold move. good for them!!! what a long show...to go along with this long review!!!
oh yeah. i noticed right off the bat ryan has a new guitar. i don't know anything about guitars other than i'd never seen the one he had...and he used it often.
couple things to note: they used the backdrop from the summer/fall 07 tour, the starry night backdrop, which was GORGEOUS in the fillmore. the lights looked awesome, and there really was that float-y, twinkle in the air, bouncing off the chandeliers
as always, huge amts of gratitude to the cardinals & the cardinals crew, esp the fillmore, for hosting such a sweet night of music.
thanks to la cienega/katie for shootin' the vids*
setlist: courtesy of ryan adams archive
pixx courtesy of: To Be Young forum, (VIA Ryan Adams Archive)
Posts
3 comments:
thanks michele. glad to hear you had a great time. as much as we love hitting the road to see them, there's nothing quite like a hometown show. which is why i wish it was october.
Glad you had a blast, 'Chele. Thank you, as always, for your review. Love.
Dying with glee about this show - also melting with envy and quivering with "aww nuts" that i missed it.
Post a Comment