Forum MVP chuckvegas Posted April 17, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 A hiatus can be therapeutic...sometimes you have to take a step back, and another step back, before you can go forward. And that is especially true for those of us who are slow learners. God knows I qualify there. It had been 6 months since my last show, and ennui verging on apathy was setting in. Time to stop the whining. Time to head north by nothwest. Plans had been made for Seattle, but plans change for the best of reasons, so that meant parachuting into Portland and friends' lives. Thank you, Jordan! Talk about a day with rock-star coincidences of timing, from first class seating with no wait in the best breakfast place in town, to walking right up to will call just before the human tsunami hit; it was proof that clean living really does pay off. The Crystal is one of my favorite venues, and not just because of the bouncy floor. I rarely dance there anyway, and thank God, because as well noted, I have never seen the place so packed. The Tokyo subway stuffers would have been proud; "sold out" is one thing, but "begging to be shut down by the fire marshall" is problematic. The solid wall of humanity went all the way past the merch table (my usual point of refuge there) to the entrance to the dance floor. And being west coast and all, the fashionably late locals kept coming, and coming, and coming. I can only imagine the search for miracles out on the street that night. Glad to have missed it... Especially considering the show! God, thank you! It dispelled any anxiety, any doubt, any lingering questions about why I/we do what we do. Six months of sludge melted away (at least for the weekend) and left the core of love that motivated me to begin with and helped me go for the Year of Bliss. With the Bucket>Alabama opener it looked like an '80s show, and that would have rocked just fine. It was strong out of the gate, and human dodgeball conditions hadn't quite set in yet in front of the merch table (stop by and say hi to Winky!). That old feeling was washing over me on several levels. Comfortable in my own skin and head... The LL>Supplication got the hands-in-pocket-by-the-water-table crowd moving, and (as also mentioned by others) that is a good thing because potted plants in jeans or skirts can made for pinball on a floor. This is one of several tunes (Rooster being another) that Eaton has made me appreciate more than I did when the GD would play them; by the '80s my touring was winding down to nil anyway so I've had a whole new level of exposure through DSO. It Must Have Been the Roses is one of those quiet gems that reaches back to the days when all we had was albums, and Mattson's finesse shows in numbers like this. Comparison to "Reflections" (or even "Steal Your Face") came briefly to mind since I was on some level seeing what condition my show condition was in, and it was at this point that the perma-grin kicked in. Rocking out hard to Big Boss Man was a natural, and the dance gods graced me with their kindness. I had an envelope around me for the rest of the night. Not to put too fine a point on it, and not to wander even more into the realm of "me me me" but truly it was the strangest and most blessed experience to be mostly left the fuck alone and to have just as much space as I could use when I wanted to use it. Given the constant to-and-fro of the crowd, this was no small matter. By now I was getting pretty saturated and that may have had something to do with it, too. Time for Esau. I gave it all I could in your honor, buddy! This led to the SOTOFW and C.C. Rider powerdrive to what quite possibly was the highlight of my four shows - Positively 4th Street. Just exactly perfect on every level, from the ground to the top of the sky. At the first note it was obvious where the band was going and there was no place I'd rather have been than taking that ride on this side. It has always been among my top Dylan songs, his songs have always been among my favorites period, and to be there for it brought a personal coda of sorts. I don't usually sing along, which is a gift to all around, but sometimes you just can't help yourself. This is one that should be put into heavier rotation, since somehow I don't think the "all Dylan" tour is coming up anytime soon. Anyway, catharsis is fun! The Saturday Night was big, raucous, full tilt. Not necessarily one of my favorites but God damn you can dance to it and that one was a contender for sure. Clearly the set closer, it was quickly followed by the exodus to wherever it is that people go when they go to wherever they go to. I was in show-room womb mode and not going anywhere, so this worked out just fine. Set break - say hi to Winky! Seriously, you all, the new merch girl is in the best tradition of DSO folks, and I know no one will be shy on either side of the table. Ask Tinky. Help>Slip>Stranger has got to be a great variation on the standard theme, and with the opening "Paradise waits..." the set break shakes fell away immediately. Those lyrics are some of the best stand alone GD poetry and what this band does to it now can be breathtaking. Portland was no exception, and it set the stage for one of the best original second sets I have seen in a while. Of course, I don't get out much these days so my standards of comparison have lapsed and what do I know anyway? Still, when it went into Stranger no one seemed too damned disappointed! With Believe It or Not I became a puddle inside as well as out. Once more, as noted, the beauty of this song lies in the perfect combination of heartfelt deceptively simple lyrics and a tune that grabs the heart with a grace and dignity to befit the words. Mattson has mastered that latter in a way that is uncanny. His ability to reach into what has to be a deep soulful conviction and share it with us is alone enough to make a believer of anyone who doubts the power of this band. To mourn what was is an intrinsic part of the human condition and I believe a lot of our best art comes from that wellspring, but while feeling the power of that yearning he sure makes me believe that the best is yet to come. Cliched as that may sound, I have no doubt of its truth. Right now while the sun shines on the crest of the hill... Then part two of the one-two contemplative punch. Unbroken Chain is another blend of lyrics with a lot going on and an offbeat tune. It wasn't a fav when "Mars Hotel" delivered it to us, and I find it interesting that it took the GD so long to break it out live. I have to say it has grown on me lately and that night it fit in perfectly with the sense of joy this set kept on bringing me and those all around; by this time a nice group of like-minded folks had fled the mass of the front. The merch table scene embodied all that is good and true about the west coast to a tourist like me. Beauty, truth, introspection, navel gazing while trying to do something like dance are all well and good. But next up was, in the words of one of the most perfect characters in cinema, what I'm talking about when I talk about America: High green chilly winds and windy vines in loops around the twining shafts of lavender, they're crawling to the sun... [anyone who started reading this has long since given up and so no one will care that it is to be continued] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Mango Posted April 17, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 How you going to leave me hanging like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerrapinJen Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 How you going to leave me hanging like that? agreed! keep on typing chuck, i want the rest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pdxhead Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Ok the Viola Lee Blues- Jesus- what the fuck was that- it was like a small chevy van turned into a loaded 18 wheeler- they took it to unimaginable heights and then just smashed us like little bugs- so so so enjoyable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Island Bro Posted April 18, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 A hiatus can be therapeutic...sometimes you have to take a step back, and another step back, before you can go forward. And that is especially true for those of us who are slow learners. God knows I qualify there. It had been 6 months since my last show, and ennui verging on apathy was setting in. Time to stop the whining. Time to head north by nothwest. Plans had been made for Seattle, but plans change for the best of reasons, so that meant parachuting into Portland and friends' lives. Thank you, Jordan! Talk about a day with rock-star coincidences of timing, from first class seating with no wait in the best breakfast place in town, to walking right up to will call just before the human tsunami hit; it was proof that clean living really does pay off. The Crystal is one of my favorite venues, and not just because of the bouncy floor. I rarely dance there anyway, and thank God, because as well noted, I have never seen the place so packed. The Tokyo subway stuffers would have been proud; "sold out" is one thing, but "begging to be shut down by the fire marshall" is problematic. The solid wall of humanity went all the way past the merch table (my usual point of refuge there) to the entrance to the dance floor. And being west coast and all, the fashionably late locals kept coming, and coming, and coming. I can only imagine the search for miracles out on the street that night. Glad to have missed it... Especially considering the show! God, thank you! It dispelled any anxiety, any doubt, any lingering questions about why I/we do what we do. Six months of sludge melted away (at least for the weekend) and left the core of love that motivated me to begin with and helped me go for the Year of Bliss. With the Bucket>Alabama opener it looked like an '80s show, and that would have rocked just fine. It was strong out of the gate, and human dodgeball conditions hadn't quite set in yet in front of the merch table (stop by and say hi to Winky!). That old feeling was washing over me on several levels. Comfortable in my own skin and head... The LL>Supplication got the hands-in-pocket-by-the-water-table crowd moving, and (as also mentioned by others) that is a good thing because potted plants in jeans or skirts can made for pinball on a floor. This is one of several tunes (Rooster being another) that Eaton has made me appreciate more than I did when the GD would play them; by the '80s my touring was winding down to nil anyway so I've had a whole new level of exposure through DSO. It Must Have Been the Roses is one of those quiet gems that reaches back to the days when all we had was albums, and Mattson's finesse shows in numbers like this. Comparison to "Reflections" (or even "Steal Your Face") came briefly to mind since I was on some level seeing what condition my show condition was in, and it was at this point that the perma-grin kicked in. Rocking out hard to Big Boss Man was a natural, and the dance gods graced me with their kindness. I had an envelope around me for the rest of the night. Not to put too fine a point on it, and not to wander even more into the realm of "me me me" but truly it was the strangest and most blessed experience to be mostly left the fuck alone and to have just as much space as I could use when I wanted to use it. Given the constant to-and-fro of the crowd, this was no small matter. By now I was getting pretty saturated and that may have had something to do with it, too. Time for Esau. I gave it all I could in your honor, buddy! This led to the SOTOFW and C.C. Rider powerdrive to what quite possibly was the highlight of my four shows - Positively 4th Street. Just exactly perfect on every level, from the ground to the top of the sky. At the first note it was obvious where the band was going and there was no place I'd rather have been than taking that ride on this side. It has always been among my top Dylan songs, his songs have always been among my favorites period, and to be there for it brought a personal coda of sorts. I don't usually sing along, which is a gift to all around, but sometimes you just can't help yourself. This is one that should be put into heavier rotation, since somehow I don't think the "all Dylan" tour is coming up anytime soon. Anyway, catharsis is fun! The Saturday Night was big, raucous, full tilt. Not necessarily one of my favorites but God damn you can dance to it and that one was a contender for sure. Clearly the set closer, it was quickly followed by the exodus to wherever it is that people go when they go to wherever they go to. I was in show-room womb mode and not going anywhere, so this worked out just fine. Set break - say hi to Winky! Seriously, you all, the new merch girl is in the best tradition of DSO folks, and I know no one will be shy on either side of the table. Ask Tinky. Help>Slip>Stranger has got to be a great variation on the standard theme, and with the opening "Paradise waits..." the set break shakes fell away immediately. Those lyrics are some of the best stand alone GD poetry and what this band does to it now can be breathtaking. Portland was no exception, and it set the stage for one of the best original second sets I have seen in a while. Of course, I don't get out much these days so my standards of comparison have lapsed and what do I know anyway? Still, when it went into Stranger no one seemed too damned disappointed! With Believe It or Not I became a puddle inside as well as out. Once more, as noted, the beauty of this song lies in the perfect combination of heartfelt deceptively simple lyrics and a tune that grabs the heart with a grace and dignity to befit the words. Mattson has mastered that latter in a way that is uncanny. His ability to reach into what has to be a deep soulful conviction and share it with us is alone enough to make a believer of anyone who doubts the power of this band. To mourn what was is an intrinsic part of the human condition and I believe a lot of our best art comes from that wellspring, but while feeling the power of that yearning he sure makes me believe that the best is yet to come. Cliched as that may sound, I have no doubt of its truth. Right now while the sun shines on the crest of the hill... Then part two of the one-two contemplative punch. Unbroken Chain is another blend of lyrics with a lot going on and an offbeat tune. It wasn't a fav when "Mars Hotel" delivered it to us, and I find it interesting that it took the GD so long to break it out live. I have to say it has grown on me lately and that night it fit in perfectly with the sense of joy this set kept on bringing me and those all around; by this time a nice group of like-minded folks had fled the mass of the front. The merch table scene embodied all that is good and true about the west coast to a tourist like me. Beauty, truth, introspection, navel gazing while trying to do something like dance are all well and good. But next up was, in the words of one of the most perfect characters in cinema, what I'm talking about when I talk about America: High green chilly winds and windy vines in loops around the twining shafts of lavender, they're crawling to the sun... [anyone who started reading this has long since given up and so no one will care that it is to be continued] Now if I were a professor at Garcia University I would be giving out some rather high marks for the recent "term papers" being written around here based on folks' in-depth research done along the west coast tour,,,,but Mr. Vegas, I need to remind you that in order to receive full credit, you will need to complete your work. Your initial work received is of excellent quality and greatly appreciated, but we wouldn't want an "incomplete" on your transcript, now, would we? As always, the work is due shortly after inspiration moves you brightly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP chuckvegas Posted April 18, 2012 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 I specialized in independent studies. Fewer of those pesky deadlines. It made touring a little more compatible with higher education. Your last point, quite valid to be sure, has been addressed in minor detail. And Christ, I hated all nighters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP chuckvegas Posted April 19, 2012 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted April 19, 2012 Soon, Cavey, soon. I just have to cut a few Gordian knots on a couple of ties that bind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Tea Posted April 19, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted April 19, 2012 This is why I want to mate with you. Cavey I knew Chucks silky prose would get Cavey out of his hole....watch out he's definitely in HEAT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerrapinJen Posted April 20, 2012 Report Share Posted April 20, 2012 chuck i do believe you said that today is the due date for your "to be continued." i'm going to hold you to that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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