Tom waits

[fishdawg40]

Ok, this is big for me. I've been into Tom Waits since I started to really appreciate music as a teenager. He's an inspiration on many fronts. I think to me he most represents originality and to be yourself no matter what. Now I'm finally gonna get to see him in concert. One of his 9 tour stops is Jacksonville FL (of all places to come). But there is nothing random about that stop. If you watch Tom's press conference about the tour you will see what I mean. website (http://tomwaits.com/)
There's still tickets to the Jacksonville show. Any other Tom Waits' freaks out there? I know you're out there.

[Michael H Geimer]

I've been playing a bunch of his songs on piano lately, while I RICE an elbow injury which has been cutting into my picking time.

Thanks for the heads up about the shows. We were just about to buy tickets for the Knoxville show ... and then noticed the ticket price. Ouch! Even for Mr. Waits, it's too much for us to justify. Nevertheless, I bet the tour sells out.

- MG

[Jim Garber]

I see what you mean by high ticket prices. $85 for Knoxville. Man, if he ever does New York City it will be $200. Then again, how often does he perform?

Great little press conference. Very funny.

BTW does this mean he will have a new CD coming out?

[Alex of the North]

I saw him in NYC in 1999 at the Beacon, it was $49, which seemed like a lot back then... He played for nearly 3 hours without a break. I think it would be completely worth $90 (if you're a fan). I only wish that he were playing somewhere closer to me than St. Louis (6 hours by car from NE Wisconsin). If he were playing Chicago, I'd go for it.

[JEStanek]

Big Tom Waits fan, not played his stuff on the mando...

Jamie

[swampy]

Big fan! I saw him n Boston in 99, or maybe it was 00, anyway, he was absolutely fantastic! Worth every penny!

[fishdawg40]

He's gonna be such an inspiration for me and my music. To me he is on my top 5 list for sure, possibly number 1 just because he's every genre and the weirdness factor is so high, but he can pull it off without being hokey. His tunes and/or interpretations of tunes (thinking of Sea of Love) bring me to other places and dimensions. He's a musical huckster that gives rather than takes.

Jamie, I found the chords to Rain Dogs and I was messing with those yesterday. Here they are - Rain Dogs (http://www.azchords.com/w/waitstom-tabs-4682/raindogs-tabs-166079.html)

[JEStanek]

Sweet. Thanks, Fishdawg40.

Jamie

My favorite CD of his is Frank's Wild Years. My favorite song, Singapore. He's a real force of nature.

Jamie

[hoffmannia2k7]

that press conference explains it all!

[fishdawg40]

Just saw this great quote by Waits regarding the use of his songs in commercials. I love it when musicians take a stand against the corporatization of their tunes (although it's very rare)....

http://www.elpasotimes.com/entertainment/ci_9567755

--Waits won't license his songs for commercials. He's sued to block soundalikes and unauthorized use. They're his, he told Mojo last year. "But beyond that, it's more that songs have great value to me, they have meaning, and if you pervert the meaning -- which is what it really is, what you're saying is, 'While you're enjoying this song, and all your rich, warm, delicate, tender memories of what that song means to you, I want you to be thinking about toilet paper and buying it.'

[Spruce]

I've seen Tom a lot over the years, from small clubs when he was first starting out, to the last time on the '99 tour....

One memorable night was at Zellerbach auditorium in Berkeley, with original DGQ lineup opening....

His recordings are my touchstones as a recordist. #
Sloppy, sometimes out of tune (intentionally in a lot of cases I'm sure), courageous in their sonic audacity (listen to "Bone Machine" sometime), but always based around a good song...

And his stage bands lately have been perfect. #Smoky Hormel on old Silvertones, keyboard player on old pump organs and Farfisas, a cool drummer on an oversized 30's kit, and Larry Taylor holding down the fort on doghouse....
Not sure who's touring with him these days, but he always taps the cool players...

I thought for sure that "Mule Variations" would do what "Nick of Time" did for Bonnie Raitt (popular recognition and multiple Grammies), but no....

I guess it's better that way.... # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Just go see him if you have the chance. #
He's a national treasure....

[Avi Ziv]

Makes me want to go and rent "Down by Law" again. So many great moments in that movie...Which then makes me pull out some Lounge Lizards on vinyl.... but I digress


Avi

[Spruce]

OK, here's one for you Waits fans....

Go to the NPR Site (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92916923), and you can listen to--or better yet download--Tom's show at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Ga. on July 5, 2008....
All legal and above board...

The last soundboard that I can remember of a Wait's concert surfacing was Bremen '77, so this is huge for us fans of Tom's live shows...

Enjoy!

[jasona]

I (literally) bumped into Tom Waits at a gas station between LA and San Francisco. It took all of my will power to not get my mandolin out and do the version of "Old Shoes (and Picture Postcards)" I had just worked up the week before. Instead, I gave him his space.

[jasona]

Wow, great link Bruce, thanks bunches!

[Martin Jonas]

Thanks for the link, Bruce. Looks like the podcast is only available for download for a limited time, and then is only archived streamed, so it's a good idea to download now rather than wait.

The All Things Considered NPR podcast has had some great stuff. I managed to download the Richard Thompson podcast last year, but I now see I missed Doc Watson and Nickelcreek (still availabel streamed, but not for download).

Martin

PS: Bruce -- I take it you're not counting the official "Big Time" live album as a soundboard recording then? I thought that was thoroughly enjoyable. My own favourite album of Tom's is probably "Alice"; just a little bit more melodic than most of his recent work.

[fishdawg40]

Well, thanks for the link. #There have been live recordings of the tour circulating but no soundboards. #The show in Jacksonville (like the others from what I hear) was amazing. #The best concert I've been to. #The man is a mad genius. #I'll end it there.

edit: fyi My avatar is a photograph of Tom Waits in a tree. It really represents a lot of what his music is.

[Brandon Flynn]

fishdawg, I've noticed that a lot of bands that I listen to have been going to Jacksonville (I'm in Ocala). Probably one of the last places in FL I'd expect them to come.

[hoffmannia2k7]

it's a sad and beautiful world

[Spruce]

"Bruce -- I take it you're not counting the official "Big Time" live album as a soundboard recording then?"

I was kinda talking about, ahemmm, unofficial live soundboard recordings....

Soundboards have circulated throughout the years of just about everyone you can imagine in every genre, except for Mr. Waits....

His folks guard the board pretty heavily.... #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

And ya know, I'm listening to the Fox Theater recording, and my ears are hearing a very good audience tape, so all this might be a moot point...
But it's still a killer recording and well worth grabbing....

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Hi folks,
All of the shows mentioned in this thread are available if you subscribe to the NPR: Live Concerts from All Songs Considered podcast. This LINK (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=267972899) will take you to the iTunes page when you can subscribe.

Bonus shows are "Tiny Desk" concerts, which are videos of artists playing 4 or 5 tunes in the NPR office. Vick Chesnutt, Sam Phillips, Sera Cahoone have done these. Sera Cahoone is a great find.

Daniel

[fishdawg40]

fishdawg, I've noticed that a lot of bands that I listen to have been going to Jacksonville (I'm in Ocala). Probably one of the last places in FL I'd expect them to come.
Yeah, didn't Wilco get up there recently? Old Crow was just in St Augustine and Punch Brothers, as I'm sure you know, will be in Gainesville in March. Let's here it for Northern Florida! Well, I grew up in South Florida and it always seemed like it was void of anything culturally stimulating.


it's a sad and beautiful world
Well, placed...Down By Law....How about this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rK3s_BP9kE&feature=related).

[Brandon Flynn]

Wilco is going to be up there next Wed, and I'm going! It figures that Punch Bros come to Gaineville, 45 min from me, after I go to college in Chattanooga. But they'll be in Chattanooga in March, so it's all good. It is kind of a shame though, not many bands come to FL, especially folk bands.

[Terraplane Blues]

Saw his stop in Knoxville, in the "front row" no less (there was a VIP section of about 3 rows in front of me, but still...) and the steep ticket prices are worth it. It was easily one of the best show's I've ever seen. There was even a bit of mandolin on one tune (I can't remember which one.) But yes, a great evening. Didn't hurt that I got offered a gig with a bluegrass band outside an IHOP in Pigeon Forge on the way back home....

[Chrissy]

I just saw him last month at the Fox!! I flew down, spur of the moment and i'm telling ya....it was the best. I've seen him a few times in Minneapolis but I swear, the older he gets, the better he gets. His son Casey was playing drums with him. Great show.

[jasona]

Just got my copy of Orphans, and let me tell you, this is great stuff! And it sounds like there is some mandolin in the mix, although none are mentioned in the liner notes.