Chris Thile - Miss Manhattan

[Jeff Mando]

or stated another way, "who sold more records Chet Atkins or the Sex Pistols?"

[John Hill]

Chris Thile playing bluegrass, yes. Chris Thile singing weirdness, no.

Nuff said.

Who is hosting a national radio program? Who has won grammys? Who has won a Macarthur Genius grant? Who gets to travel the world and play the mandolin for thousands of paying customers?

None of us bitching on the interwebs about some mandolin player not playing like we think he should. That's who.

'Nuff said.

[Mark Gunter]

They both miss the point. Present video is a good example, are you insinuating that Chris' music there is analogous to playing happy birthday? If you want to understand my point from that more juvenile retort, then consider it might require more talent to play Happy Birthday in such a manner to elicit a deep emotional response and captivate an audience than would be required to perfunctorily play an overture and bore them. But that's not what I had in my mind. I'm thinking, for instance, the guitar accompaniment to the "street performances" in the film, Of Mind And Music.

If you insinuate that my comment was meant to challenge unbelievers to perform Happy Birthday then we have a communication gap. I am challenging the snide comments that propose that Chris' performance is beneath his talent because he is not in his performance pushing instrumental music to new heights, as if that activity alone is the measure of talent. Poppycock, in my humble, happy birthday opinion

[Ron McMillan]

I always thought that, with his tie and antics, Thile had a vaudeville type feel to his performing.

And the prize for taking the near-inevitable Cafe turn towards criticism of his dress sense goes to......

Some people are riled by the best mandolinist in the world just because he's, well, different. I applaud that difference, respect that refusal to stand still in a cowboy hat and play Jerusalem Ridge at machine-gun speed all day long.

[JeffD]

duplicate post

[Mike001]

This thread has become nauseating.

[Mark Gunter]

This thread has become nauseating.

I agree, and I wish I had let those comments slide right on by instead of gettin' all pompous about it. I'm glad Ron shared the video, really enjoyed that. Life is short, play hard.

[BradKlein]

I agree, and I wish I had let those comments slide right on by instead of gettin' all pompous about it. I'm glad Ron shared the video, really enjoyed that. Life is short, play hard.

I think that we've all learned a valuable lesson. Let's never fight (about Thile) again.

[fscotte]

Who is hosting a national radio program? Who has won grammys? Who has won a Macarthur Genius grant? Who gets to travel the world and play the mandolin for thousands of paying customers?

None of us bitching on the interwebs about some mandolin player not playing like we think he should. That's who.

'Nuff said.

So nothing about Aerosmith singing opera?

Being critical about a musical performance is every consumers right. Some folks like Aerosmith singing opera. I don't.

Personally I hate opera, so maybe that's why it doesn't work with me. So, I usually don't buy anything with opera in it. But I'm sure someone has won lots of awards for singing it.

[choctaw61]

Again I think Chris Thile is great.The guy can do it all.I think he will do an awesone job with PHC.It seems if U voice an objective opinion sonething he does,it's kinda like when U say what bluegrass music actually is around here. All hades breaks loose.This one is allowed to voice their opinion that one isn't. No one disputes the Talent of Chris.I enjoy everything he does.The OP said some may disagree with this ONE song.Remember the old proverb(opinions are like A'HOLES WE ALL GOT ONE).THIS IS ONE WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE ON,YES.Now let's all go watch,listen,and enjoy some THILE!

[T.D.Nydn]

I am not insulting Mr. Thile. I gave him a lot of praise. A tie and antics is just how,I describe him, and playing vaudeville is not an insult either, it is a type of performing.When you post something, people give,opinions and that's what you get, there's no real reason to get nauseated or upset about it, it's only a forum, take it light and laugh about it, ...

[fentonjames]

amazing talent and intensity in the performance. chris is a boss.

having said that, i like his non vocal music better. obviously his bluegrass albums (was listening to leading off just yesterday) and the bach partitas is off the charts. but his hipster music isn't for me. but he has every right to do it and he does it very well.

[Delaware]

He can play a song like Miss Manhattan and Song For a Young Queen on the same show. I am grateful for both.

[colorado_al]

As far as I'm concerned, he can play whatever the hell he wants to as long as he is the host of PHC. His shows are the best that PHC has been in 30 years. Not to knock Garrison Keillor's role in keeping public radio going for the last 40 years, but he's been phoning it in for at least the last 2 decades on this show. I think it's a miracle that PHC has had a 2 hour weekend slot for all of this time with the same old tired shtick week in and week out. Not every song/skit that Thile puts out is going to be a hit, but at least there is some originality on this old show now. I look forward to where he takes it when he becomes the full time host in October.

[SincereCorgi]

I was thinking about this. Just as a thought experiment: if the person doing this song were playing an acoustic guitar instead of a mandolin, would you still think it was worth comment?

[fscotte]

I was thinking about this. Just as a thought experiment: if the person doing this song were playing an acoustic guitar instead of a mandolin, would you still think it was worth comment?

Haha... You are a conniving little man you... Clever thinking. My guess...the response would be meh.

[JeffD]

I was thinking about this. Just as a thought experiment: if the person doing this song were playing an acoustic guitar instead of a mandolin, would you still think it was worth comment?

In other words, (if I understand you correctly) would we be as exercised about a guitar player having as wide a range of musicianship?

Or is the question are we more comfortable with a guitar in a light hearted vaudeville setting, that the mandolin should be taken more seriously?

Or am I totally off the mark?

Suddenly the thread is interesting.

[fscotte]

I took it that if you put a guitar in anyone else's hands, and did the exact same performance, albeit on a guitar, it would receive less stellar excitement.

[JeffD]

I took it that if you put a guitar in anyone else's hands, and did the exact same performance, albeit on a guitar, it would receive less stellar excitement.

From us, you mean.

Because the general audience, like the general public, is not in the least challenged or even in many cases aware of Chris Thile's genre jumping. He plays that little thingy that Peter Ostroushko plays, but he is thinner.

[JeffD]

Here is the view from outside the mando-bubble:

When she’s not playing a witchy Hexenbiest on NBC’s "Grimm" new mom Claire Coffee stays busy chasing an active toddler, spending time with her husband, “A Prairie Home Companion” host and musician Chris Thile, and has just added “designer” to her resume, collaborating with “upcycling” apparel and accessory company Looptworks on a utility backpack for multitasking parents.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Before this thread gets closed down,& IMHO,it's quickly going that way - as the person who sounded the first note of dissent,may i say that whether we like CT's performance of ''Miss Mantattan'' - or not,it's our personal opinion against that of others. There's nobody on the planet who admires CT's huge talent more than i do,but talent is one thing, what use it's put to is another,& that depends solely on the performer.
As i said in a previous post,CT is free to play anything he likes / how he likes - exactly as we are,& i'd be the first to defend him (or any other player) on that. As for CT's ''dress sense', oh boy ! - i've seen far,far worse in the past & in folk with far less talent. That doesn't bother me,in fact to see him trussed up like a Xmas turkey in a suit & tie,would be out of keeping with his 'free-style' mandolin playing.
All power to CT & his followers,i simply wish that his music style was such that i was one of them - but 'currently',it ain't. My admiration however,still lingers !!!,
Ivan

[Delaware]

I think Chris has more or less responded to this line of thought already.

[Franc Homier Lieu]

I watch a lot of Mike Marshall videos on his (amazing) Artistworks school. The production values are very high quality. Especially the camera work, which, on close ups, reveals a profound sadness in his eyes, one which, if it could be expressed in words, would say something like "Why don't people on the Mandolin Cafe get so agitated about the fact that I long ago stopped playing only bluegrass and starting delving into the vast ocean of musical styles I am excited by? Why does no one criticize my Bach recordings? My fashion choices? The way I move on stage? Why?"

[FLATROCK HILL]

I respect him for being the great mandolin player he is but that particular song/style made me cringe. For one thing he needs to learn how to pronounce the word Manhattan.

That was part of the song. He is singing it in the role of an out of towner, coming back. Not a New Yorker.

I did not see the PHC show, so obviously I don't know the context of the 'Miss Manhattan' performance. My first reaction to it however, was the same as Mike001's. Especially the part about the pronunciation of 'Manha-in'.

From my non-enlightened perspective, I figured Chris was purposely emulating the recent and nauseating practice of leaving the 'T-sound' out of certain words in order to be considered 'cool' or 'hep' (Ok, yes...I'm old.).

But, if I understand JeffD's reply correctly, Chris' intent was to poke fun at the 'out-of-towners' who pronounce Manhattan, Manha-in.?.

I guess this level of sophisticated humor is way over my head. It's frustra-in.

Also, can I assume that he deliberately splays his fingers in an effort to demonstrate that sometimes he actually wants his thumb to overpower the non-supported fingers on the underside of his pick?

[JEStanek]

The Dude is a tremendous showman. Like most bands/performers I really love and keep going back to, they have pieces that resonate with me and others that don't. That's life. Even my wife, whom I adore more than anyone else, sometimes gets my dander up.

Every time I've seen him live, I've enjoyed the show. Every album has at least a few tracks I keep going back to. I'm very excited he's the new host of PHC. He's a true showman and makes interesting new material on a tight schedule. Impressive. What a collaborator in a variety show setting.

Jamie