Feature: Greetings From the Edge // Redux (David Thomas & Two Pale Boys, Vic Chessnutt)

by James M. Graham

Greetings From The Edge // Redux digs through the archives of James M. Graham's once celebrated column "Greetings From The Edge" that he wrote for AOL from 1996-1997. What follows are selections from the column, reposted verbatim.

David Thomas and Two Pale Boys (03/9/97 - NYC)
David Thomas, Keith Moline and Andy Diagram took the stage at The Wetlands on a dark, cold Sunday night in New York in front of, oh, probably about 40 people, and magic ensued. A veteran of at least seven Ubu or Ubu-less David Thomas shows, I can absolutely testify that, other than the first (always a charm), this was the best. David stood, played his melodeon ( or is it an accordion?) while Andy strummed guitar in a rhythmic keep-the-beat kinda way. Keith played treated trumpet - a radio mic sending his breath through a rather inconspicuous, but sinister rack of electronic effects. 

They cut through David’s new release, Erewhon, a meandering jazz/beat/free-form sort of record doing more jazzy, beaty and free-form versions of most of the tunes. David was in rare form, pulling on a flask, between monologues and working himself into a relaxed, but intense mood. The Pale Boys seemed to be mostly improvising, although a close eye would reveal that the songs were tightly structured loose and flowing things - kinda tough to pull off. Moline summoned electronic trumpet demons from hell as David launched into "Surfer Girl" by the Beach Boys. Beginning the story of the beautiful beach-bound muse, Thomas eyes began to tear (I don’t know what’s going on at home) and Moline began to sing into the end of the trumpet providing the mandatory Beach Boys backing track. 

After David went to the bathroom while the Pale Boys improvised, he began "The Beach Boys" (from the last Ubu record) and told the long, drawn-out tale of a country in South America ruled by The Beatles and Rosanna Arquette (because "she's beautiful"), that had David and Brian Wilson at a local bar discussing "the things they’d seen." David Thomas is a vital artist. You wouldn’t think so, but he is. Its hard to explain, but I can offer help - David Thomas and all that is Pere Ubu is explained perfectly at http://ubuprojex.net/.

David Thomas and Two Pale Boys

Vic Chessnutt (03/16/97 - NYC)
Vic seemed almost as tired as I was. This, being the second show of two at The Knitting Factory, he pretty much asked for requests and obliged with incredibly heart-felt renditions of his back catalog, despite his fatigue. There's something really, really charming about Vic, I don’t know if its his deep Athens, Georgia accent or the simple subject matter of his songs - probably both - but he is an incredible example of transcending ones' physical self and making music that means something. At least to me.

Vic Chessnutt

Photos/Review: Roger Waters performing The Wall @ Yankee Stadium

Roger Waters @ Yankee Stadium - July 7, 2012

Photos: James M. Graham / Review: Debbie Chou & James M. Graham

The first chord of The Wall at Yankee Stadium will stay in my mind for as long as I live. Mind you, I only saw the film for the first time one week ago. "In The Flesh" has to be one of the best opening tracks of all time. Cue fireworks. Jaw drops and stays open for the remainder of the song.

I was probably five years old when I first saw the video for "Another Brick In The Wall." Mean teachers, students in a meat grinder, and rioting in the classroom meant nothing to me. And then I experienced public school in Taiwan. Let's just say I wish those teachers would leave us kids alone. The children in the choir was something I looked forward to seeing the most. It was a delight to see them in black t-shirts bouncing from side to side, clapping their hands, and air-punching the inflated "teacher" that was at least ten times bigger than they were.

Photos/Review: Amanda Palmer @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

David Byrne on stage with Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - June 27, 2012
Photos/Review: James M. Graham

She had her bass player open. He had a horn section and David Byrne. Good.

She had her guitarist open. He had a Scissor Sisters vibe and no David Byrne. OK.

She came on and played most of her new album, ----. A handful of Dresden Dolls songs ("Missed Me") and "Leeds United" from the very underrated "Who Killed Amanda Palmer."

Then she closed the show with David Byrne doing a full-on horn section Talking Heads "Burning Down The House."

It's as close as you're gonna get to a Talking Heads reunion EVER, I think - I hope, so dig it hard.

Me: I saw you in 1982
David Byrne: Where?
Me: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland
DB: My parents live there. I mean they used to.
Me: With Adrian Belew and Steve Soles
DB: Right.

Amanda's fans are rabid. Doors at 8pm/show at 9pm - observation at 8pm: floor full and packed.

And she just raised a million dollars (1.2, actually) on Kickstarter. The first to do so.

Her fans are rabid.

Her show rocked my world. Her enthusiasm rocked my world. You could not help but smile. And for god's sake she did a Motels cover???!!!

And that voice...

I love Amanda Fucking Palmer.

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Photos from last week's show are below...

Feature: Greetings From The Edge // Redux

by James M. Graham

In 1996 I was hired by AOL to be their FIRST music critic, writing a column a week. I was paid $20 per article, which even by today's standards is pretty hefty. My column was called GREETINGS FROM THE EDGE and ran for about a year and a half. I scored comp CDs, tickets to shows and attended press events. I walked out on the Echo & The Bunnymen reunion tour, cried at a Paul Westerberg show and fell in love with a band called Guided By Voices.

When AOL was bought by Warner (or someone else who regrets it, stock-wise) I was "let go" - unceremoniously. Whatever. I got paid to write about the great and not so great music I saw between 1996 and 1997. Looking back on it now for Fucking Nostalgic, I'm amazed at the number of bands that are not together anymore, the people I saw that are not alive anymore, and the general demise of everything I loved. All in 15 years.

But there is always hope. Who the hell is "Thrall?" Well, they were fucking amazing as you will soon see via my archival contributions...

As Frank Zappa once said, "Music is the best."

Photos/Review: The Dandy Warhols @ The Bell House

The Dandy Warhols @ The Bell House - June 6, 2012

Photos/Review: James M. Graham

I cannot say enough great things about the Bell House. It is truly Brooklyn’s BEST venue. The only negative thing I can say is I haven’t been there enough. I was there on Wednesday night for the second sold out Dandy Warhols show, the first being at Irving Plaza the night before. I did not attend the Irving show, but The Bell House show seemed very intimate – because of the venue, easily 1/4 the size of Irving, and because of the band’s rapport with the audience and the set-list.

This was my 4th DW show. Back in 1997, I reviewed a T/K Records showcase for CMJ at, oddly enough, Irving Plaza. The Dandy’s preceded The Wipers, who I was there to see, but they charmed me and the next day I bought CDs (perhaps you’ll see that 15 year old review here at some point). I’ve been a fan ever since. I sort of put The Dandy’s in the same category as Queens of the Stone Age – they don’t take themselves too seriously, but they kick ass.

Photos/Review: Pulp @ Radio City Music Hall

Pulp @ Radio City Music Hall - April 10, 2012
Photos/Review: James M. Graham

Pulp’s triumphant reunion, shouted about loudly from the European music press for the last year, was not exaggerated. It had been nearly 14 years since Pulp played NYC, June 16, 1998 at the Hammerstein, a show which I did not attend. I missed the Hardcore tour for some reason and since I thought then and still believe that it is the band’s masterpiece, what ended up being their final tour for We Love Life didn’t appeal to me that much. A decision I do not regret after getting to see them for the first time on Tuesday night, the 1st of two sold out shows in NYC.

The excitement was palpable upon walking into the auditorium. The world famous Radio City stage curtains hung in front of a smokey scrim while a rear-projected green laser beam displayed myriad messages on the scrim like “Hi, how are you?” “Are you ready to party?” and finally “Do you remember the first time?” which catapulted the crowd into a full standing roar. The first notes of that very song began and four huge neon lights spelling PULP sputtered on one at a time in the space over the heads of the band. Lights revealed the band; front man Jarvis Cocker in the center on a riser surrounded by a keyboard and a huge drum. He didn’t stay up there for long. As he belted out the line, “I know it’s getting late, it’s so strange,” he leapt from the riser to the stage and for the next two hours never stopped moving, dancing, vogueing and generally doing what can only be described as “that cool lanky boogie shit that Jarvis does.”

Review: Mark Lanegan Band @ Bowery Ballroom

Mark Lanegan Band @ Bowery Ballroom - February 7, 2012

Review: James M. Graham, Photo: Debbie Chou

Mark Lanegan and his band performed Tuesday night at Bowery Ballroom for the first show on the Blues Funeral tour, and easily his first solo show in NYC in at least ten years. The only other US date for the tour is Los Angeles, so the tickets for the Bowery show went fast.

Lanegan has been notorious for canceling shows and his unmoving hands-on-the-mic stage fright as a front man, but he seemed to get a second wind playing sideman to Queens of the Stone Age, The Soulsavers, Isobel Campbell, Greg Dulli's The Twilight Singers and the Dulli/Lanegan project The Gutter Twins. His last solo release was 2004's Bubblegum, a masterpiece that has let fans wondering for seven years if he would ever record solo again and if his new release would live up to his last one.

When I first heard that the name of the record was going to be Blues Funeral, I was relieved and when I first heard it streaming on MOJO last week, I was ecstatic. The song cycle is much more languid and plodding and less frenetic than Bubblegum, but in typical Lanegan style, the songs set a mood - dark, sinister and elegiac - and once the listeners allow Lanegan to take them by the hand, the only way out is to wait for the end credits.

When the band took the stage on Tuesday, the lights were lowered to a barely visible (and unphotographable) candlelight orange, Lanegan and band dressed entirely in black to thunderous applause. Without any acknowledgment, they immediately launched into Bubblegum's "Can't Come Down" belting the opening line "Don't give a damn for money..." in his trademark baritone. Consider the mood locked and loaded.

Lanegan performed eight out of twelve songs from Blues Funeral for the first time ever without a glitch or a hitch. The band was extremely tight and effective, impressive since this was their first show ever. The rest of the set-list hit Bubblegum hard, with songs from Field Songs, I'll Take Care of You and the EP Here Comes That Weird Chill, which were basically B-sides.

Personal highlights included "Wedding Dress," "Creeping Coastline of Lights" (a Leaving Trains cover!!!) and "When Your Number isn't Up."

The band ended with a wonderful rendition of "One Way Street" and after the applause and screaming died down, Lanegan said, "Thank you very much, good night," which is as much as I've ever heard him say in the myriad other times I've seen him - except this time, and I swear to god - he smiled.

Unpredictably, Lanegan planted himself down at the merch table and greeted a long line of fans for pictures and autographs. He seemed genuinely elated. How could he not?

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Check out some videos from the show in addition to the full setlist below...

Photos/Review: The New York Guitar Festival @ Merkin Concert Hall(Feat. Lee Renaldo, Buke & Gass, Kaki King & Twi The Humble Feather)

The New York Guitar Festival @ Merkin Concert Hall - January 12, 2012

Photos & Review: James M. Graham

The program featured NYC guitarists scoring live the silent films of Buster Keaton. Who in my estimation is right up there with Chaplin and eclipses Laurel and Hardy, god bless them.

First up was Twi The Humble Feather, playing accompaniment to The Garage (1920), which co-stared Fatty Arbuckle. I had never seen this film before so that and their take on it was a pleasure for me. Then came Buke and Gass scoring excerpts from Keaton’s The General (1926), arguably his masterpiece. The train, the buke, the train, the gass, the train – until they almost crashed.

Kaki King was next, scoring Keaton’s The Scarecrow (1920). I had seen this one, and again, her take on it was delightful.

Lights out.

Enter Lee Ranaldo, scoring Cops (1922). He introduced the concept of “suspended guitar” which, quite literally, had his guitar suspended on a rope. During the entirety of Cops Lee never once looked at the screen. He swung his suspended guitar over the first three rows of the audience and it swung back. Then he hit it with his hand, or a violin bow or whatever he had at his disposal. The noise was obliterating, sonic, if you will, and perfect. For over 20 minutes.

To watch a person not watch a film, but knowing exactly what was going on in the film while that person made perfect noise, was special.

I wept. It was that beautiful.

There really is no point in writing this if you weren’t there. It was one of those shows.

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The New York Guitar Festival continues at Merkin Concert Hall tonight, with a lineup that includes Califone scoring Buster Keaton's Go West (1925) and Howard Fishman scoring Keaton's The Frozen North (1922). The festival will conclude on January 29 at 92nd Street Y, with a day-long celebration of Italian guitar music, from the renaissance to music of today. 

Check out some photos of Lee Renaldo's suspended guitar below, and also be sure to preorder a copy of Lee's upcoming solo album, Between The Times & The Tides, out March 20 on Matador Records...

Future Nostalgia – The Antlers @ Webster Hall

The Antlers @ Webster Hall - December 10, 2011
Photos & Review: James M. Graham

The last time I saw The Antlers was when they opened for The National at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia two years ago. I was interested (Hospice had just been released) and I tried to pay attention, but it was not their crowd and not their venue and not their night.

Saturday at Webster Hall was a different story altogether. Returning from Turkey on December 6 and a long tour of the world including recent dates in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Sweden, they landed back at home in New York City.

At Webster Hall – Sold out fire-trap.

They hit the stage with “Parenthesis” from Burst Apart and within moments, they owned the room.

A four-piece now, with an additional guitarist, they soared through “No Widows,” and “Kettering”- the first song from Hospice and a reference to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the “world’s oldest and largest cancer center” located here in NYC.

After three songs, the crowd was rapt and avidly appreciating the song cycle that the band was unfolding.