The song that Dave played solo is called "Every Grain of Sand." Yes, it's by Bob Dylan and it's amazing. I hate Bob Dylan's voice, so it's so frustrating that I just happen to love all of his lyrics. Anyway, you can find the lyrics at:
http://orad.dent.kyushu-u.ac.jp/dylan/everygrain.html
Mike's solo choice was "Lenny Bruce," also by Dylan.
http://orad.dent.kyushu-u.ac.jp/dylan/lennybruce.html
Jian's choice, his new song called "Natalia," was beautiful. I actually found it very endearing that he was so nervous to play it- especially because he said he had never played it before really, and even the guys hadn't heard it. It was fantastic, and it would be quite cool of Jian if he perhaps went with the wave of the future (like cell phones, heh heh heh) and uploaded an mp3 of it onto the website.
The show was really great, and quite a treat for me. I've been to about 15-20 Fru shows but hadn't heard a lot of these songs before live. I have to say that opening with two slow songs (Down From Above, Horseshoes) was kind of a downer. Both great songs, but the crowd was itching for something uptempo. I understood that they were pacing themselves for the long night ahead and such, and I also understand that the Bottom Line commands a different kind of show since nobody stands up. Still...
If anybody taped last night's show, please contact me? I would really love to have Dave's version of Every Grain of Sand- it was so beautiful and really spoke to me, as did Jian's choice. I have a bunch of stuff to trade, Fru, BNL and otherwise.
Back to lurking! ;-)
From Michelle:
Woohoo! Not only was tonight my frist ever Fruvous show, I might as well make it my first real post as well... so here's the setlist from tonight's show at the Bottom Line in NYC.
(as scribbled illegibly on my napkin...):
Down From Above
Horseshoes
-talk about the "big apple" and how in the musical Evita they call Buenos Aires
the big apple... also how tonight will be a "protracted" show ("Protracted
means longer!")
Splatter Splatter
Lazy Boy
Kick in the Ass
-talk about how in 10 years all phones will be cell phones, or something like
that
Sad Girl
-Dave alone on piano singing a Bob Dylan song (someone know what it's called?)
Independence Day
Heatseeker Boy
Pisco
-Jian alone on piano singing a song he wrote called Natalia
BJ
Boo Time
-call up audience member, who they named Silhouette but was actually naed
Carolyn, she picked names and insturments out of a hat and then they improvised
a waltz about Penicillin
Ash Hash
-Murray alone on guitar, Love Set Fire
Michigan Militia
Present Tense Tureen
Saucepan
Guinea Pig
-Mike alone on piano, another Dylan song
MBLOBOA
Get in the Car
Psycho Killer
-------
Disco Bargainville
------
IOYK
The show was INCREDIBLE and I'm so glad I got to be there (i'm underage so i had to talk my dad into taking me-- now he's saying he might even be willing to go again tomorrrow! Fruconversion, woohoo!)
So that's my story.
a very happy fruhead
From Jen:
hey all--
I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents about last night's show. Now, perhaps it was because I haven't seen a "full length" (i.e., not "festival length") show in a few months, or maybe its just the general groovy ambience of the Bottom Line, but I thought the show was exceptionally good.
Since the set list's already been posted, I'll just throw in what I can remember of the banter: [DISCLAIMER: my retellting of banter is woefully inadequate. Flip the humor level up several notches, and you'll get the idea]
(and a brief note from the future: this wound up way longer than I expected, but what can I say? They talk a lot ;-)
some monitor banter
Jian: I'm about to say something that I don't think I've ever said before.... Can I get a little more Murray and Dave in the monitor?
Big Apple banter
Basically, to the effect of, in "Evita," there's a song that refers to Beunos Aires as "the big apple" (and sings a bit, to prove the point ;-) Jian says that he was going to say it was great to be in the big apple again, but there might be those in the audience for whom that phrase would be confusing. Murray points out its a very ethnocentric usage of the phrase.
talk of a protracted set
Jian says that the band feels an obligation to play a "protracted" set. Silence from the audience. "That means long." (It does not, however, mean you'll need a protrator to measure it ;-) as the banter has already gone on for several minutes (most of which I forget ;-), Murray points out that "you're well on your way." Jian mentions that he's going to give his play by play-- every 2 songs, we'll get his perspective on the evening. We can pretend it's a reality TV show, and he's in the confessional. Like survivor ('tomorrow night at 8!").
the need to pace themselves - the worst show they ever did was at Bottom Line in 1994 when they opened for Peter H.)
Jian explains that the *reason* the band feels the need for the protracted set is because they played their worst show ever at the Bottom Line. Murray says something to the effect of, "I know it's surprising, but we do occaisionally have bad shows." Jian says that they've actually only had 1 bad show, and it was here--their first show ever in the U.S. They were the young upstarts from Canada, and all these big important people had come to see them, "and we were so nervous we couldn't even.... we couldn't even..." Murray: "sing." So that's why tonight's show would be long-- like a springsteen show. Mike: "not *that* long"
somewhere in here, as Jian is talking, someone from the audince yells "Can we get a little more murray in the monitor?" ;-) Jian: "ahh.. a smart ass. This guy-- I wasn't going to say anything about this guy, but since he started it..." During horseshoes, JIan explains how he watching this guy and how right on the beat at the pause of the music, the guy takes a great big bite of chicken, nearly ruining his compsure for the "serious song."
Jian: Murray, what happens when you murder a chicken? Murray: uhhh.. I don't know. What does happen when you murder a chicken? Jian: C'mon-- I'm trying to do a transition to the next song.. Murray: ahhhhh... It goes "Splitta Splatta"
talk about how in 10 years all phones will be cell phones, or something like that
It started out with Dave pointing out how, in Lazy Boy, they used the phrase "cellular" to describe the "mobile phone," and how at the time it was this new technology.
Mike (I think): Well, Dave-o, frvuous has some ephemeral songs. Murray: Like us still claiming to be 25 in the Gulf War Song Jian: Well, what do we call the cellular phones now? Dave: mobile phones. Jian: noo... cell phones. Like cellular.
Anway, they go into some odd discussion that I didn't completely follow, about how soon they're songs will be dated about 10 years, the opposite of TLC, who look about 10 years into the future for their songs to come up with lingo like "scrubs." And what will dcell phones be called in 10 years? phones.
Sad Girl (done on a piano, not electric keys - it was so pretty) Jian's intro here went something like:I'm going to create my own reality show. It'll be like survivor, but there will be only britney and christina. And then you can vote them off, and after that, it'll be just 15 weeks of looking at the island.
Like Every Grain of Sand (a Dylan ? tune done solo by Dave on piano)
*this* was one of my favorite moments of the whole night. There's just something about Dave alone at a piano that's very moving. It was a beautiful rendition...
Independence Day Murray's into: This is song about when you feel really down, and you want to destroy not only yourself, but everything around you. ... *Really* down. Mike: I wish you would have told us that before we recorded it...
Heatseeker Boy Mike: A song about everything that's right and then wrong with the music industry, and then right again at the end.
- a few bars of Welcome to C by Jian on piano into a tune he said he'd finished writing at Bottom Line - - Natalia (Jian's tune - also solo on piano)
This was all very cute. He was obviously nervous, or else just really playing the "oh boy, I'm nervous" card. He said he was going to play a song that he'd only played for two poeple, and that the rest of the band hadn't even heard it yet. And that, frankly, he was a lot more nervous about playing it for them then playing it for us. He explains "the way the we work, someone will briong a song to the band, and everything's very cordial. no one will ever say 'that song's crap.' Instead there's just a very fine line between, 'oh yeah, that-- that was just great,' and 'yeah....great.' Which makes you just go 'well, maybe I'll just file that song away for awhile...'
He explains that he was down at the Bottom Line in February writing a song with "my friend Dar Willims " (cheers from the audience). "Yeah, don't let how great she is raise your expectations about this song." Anyway, the two of them were writing, but this song really had nothing to do with her "so don't let whatever you think of this song reflect on her at all." He had finished writing the song at that very piano, and was going to play it on guitar, because he was more comfortable with that instrument, but decided not to, becuase, this was the piano.
Anyway, onto the song. The basic premise, as far I could gather (keep in mind, it's generally really hard for me to process lyrics on the first listen) is that there are two people in the relationship: Natalia has a drinking problem. She doesn't have the strength to stop drinking on her own-- she needs someone to make her stop-- but the narrator cares for her so much that he doesn't have the strength to take that stand for her. So eventuaklly, in order fro her to get better, he has to let her go so someone else can help her recover.
I think, I could be wrong ;-) Another happy fruvous love song ;-) Overall, it's a really beautiful song. My only issue with it is similar to my issue with "when she talks"-- the opening phrase being a little trite: "when she talks, I listen," seems a comparable opening to "Natalia, put the bottle down." Once past that phrase, however, I really liked the imagery and the cadence of the piece. Very pretty.
BooTime the only line I remember is "killer 'skeeters." Damn encephilitis ;-)
Dave = Drums & Percussion this, IMHO, was the greatest part of the whole "pick a band member out of a hat" thing. I just so easily picture dave as the master of all instruments. He kinda resembled a chicken flapping his wings here. Murray was egging him on a bit :"you know, I can't quite make out the beat." The whole thing was rather priceless ;-)
- Love Set Fire (Murray - solo) "The other guys are all being rather adventerous. I, on the other hand, am going to play a fruvous song. The adventure for you lies in watching me try to play the guitar... well, at least that's where the adventure lies for *me*." This, too, was just beautiful.
The Dylan song Fordy did was "Lenny Bruce", Yet again, a great rendition. I love this "each member gets a solo" thing. It just reinforces to me that, though IMHO the band may be greater than the sum of its parts, each of the "parts" is a really strong adn compelling performer in his own right.
Afterwords, Jian (I think) assured the audience that both him and murray, and then him and murray together would be playing dylan songs later in the set. When they came out for the first encore, Dave sits down at the piano and starts in on "How many roads..... just kidding" ;-)
Moving on to a small bit of banter in, I think, the second encore. Jian explaining how they'll be playing here agian tomorrow night. ("If tonight was a 9 out of 10, tomorrow should probably be like a 7.5") And then Mike makes some comment about the audince instead deciding to check out the act at the knititng factory (which is another music club in NYC). Jian syas he pictures Allen Pepper (the CEO, or what have you, of the Bottom Line) talking to the proprietor of the knitting factory at that moment, trying to set up a deal ("yes, i think we should ddefinitely collaborate in the future...") as that phrase is being uttered. A knitting needle goes crashing to the floor. Murray pictures a knitting needle stabbed into Allen Pepper's front door... and so on... Jian :"You know what's really funny? How we could just continue this conversation backstage *after* the show." Audience cheers, implying "stop tlaking and play the song." it was funny.
ok, the end. ;-)
Like I said, woefully inadequate retelling, but I wasn't about to take notes, and that's the best I could do (sorry, Sara ;-). Wish I could've gone again tonight, but alas, life and work call...
From Robin:
Howdy all! Sara and I (Robin) just got home from Tuesday's Bottom Line show and it was GREAT! We had such fun - after navigating into NYC with a terrific map (printed out by my sweetie, Tim) & no NY driving know-how! The lads came on at 8:45 and here's a quick rundown of the evening:
- Down From Above - Horseshoes (some monitor banter - Big Apple banter & talk of a protracted set, the need to pace themselves - the worst show they ever did was at Bottom Line in 1994 when they opened for Peter H.) - Splatter, Splatter (banter about the 2 or 3 best shows they ever did were also at Bottom Line!) - Lazy Boy - Kick In The Ass - Sad Girl (done on a piano, not electric keys - it was so pretty) - Like Every Grain of Sand (a Dylan ? tune done solo by Dave on piano) - Independence Day - Heatseeker Boy - Pisco Bandito - a few bars of Welcome to C by Jian on piano into a tune he said he'd finished writing at Bottom Line - - Natalia (Jian's tune - also solo on piano) - BJ - BooTime (here they ask for a volunteeer from the audience & Carolyn is chosen. there are 2 hats to choose from: 1 hat = band members; the other = which instrument they'll play! the results: Mike = Accordian Jian = Bass Murray = Electric Dave = Drums & Percussion they pass the mics around, deciding on the Key of A - The Canadian Key! and play a little ditty 'I found penecillin in my bread . . .then decide to play some 'Stones': Jumpin' Jack Flash, well part of it! it was great fun :) - Ash Hash - Love Set Fire (Murray - solo) - Michigan Militia - Present Tense Tureen - Johnny Saucep'n - Guinea Pig - Lenny Bruce (Dylan tune?) (Mike solo on piano) - My Baby Loves A Bunch of Authors - Get in the Car - Psycho and exit 1st encore: - Space the final frontier . . .they're all really good friends . . . Three Stooges type . . . - Disco Video Bargainville and exit 2nd encore: - Mike tells how much his wife and step-daughter like to come to the NY shows, but couldn't this time, so this was for them - - If Only You Knew
So there it is folks. Please feel free to add all the wonderful banter that I've left out (it is after all 1:30 a.m. and I have jury duty in the morning!). I truly look forward to tomorrow night's show.
Good nite all.
Some other tidbits from the performance include:
Back to the tour dates 2000 page