SPECTACLE APOLLO 2 debut!

[bronxapostle]

did NICK play bass??????????????

[Ken(adian)]

did NICK play bass??????????????

Yes Nick played bass on a couple of songs and acoutstic for a couple more. He joked about his ability, saying something like "The only way to get into a band was to play bass because nobody wanted to play bass".

There's lots more but sorry no time right now.

Cheers,
Ken(adian)

[johnfoyle]

http://www.relix.com/Features/Daily_New ... 54235.html


Friday, 25 September 2009


Mike Greenhaus


Levon Helm, Richard Thompson, Allen Toussaint, Larry Campbell, Ray LaMontagne and Nick Lowe shared the stage with Elvis Costello & the Imposters last night. The all-star jam took place at New York’s Apollo Theater as part of a taping for Costello’s Sundance Channel talk show program Spectacle. Costello has been filming his show at the Apollo all week, including episodes featuring Sheryl Crow, John Prine and Lyle Lovett.

The night opened with Campbell jamming onstage with Costello & the Imposters on “Blame It On Cain” and “Rag Mama Rag.” Costello then shifted into talk show host mode, introducing and interviewing Fairport Convention’s Richard Thompson. The two musicians discussed their longstanding friendship and performed a few songs together, including “Shoot Out the Lights” and “How I Wanted To.” Thompson remained onstage for the show’s next segment, which featured Allen Toussaint (who Costello referred to as A.T.). Costello has performed with the New Orleans legend a number of times since first collaborating on a Yoko Ono record in 1983 and released the collaborative LP The River in Reverse in 2006. The two musicians discussed their longstanding friendship onstage and played a few songs, including “Fortune Teller” (Toussaint had not performed at the famed venue since 1957).

After a short break, Lowe—another one of Costello’s heroes—took the stage for a similar segment and jam-session. Costello told a humorous story about trying to buy the seminal musician a drink before reaching the legal age and joked about the white haired singer’s punk roots. Costello, Toussaint, Thompson and the Imposters then backed Lowe on “Ascension Day.” Lowe also offered an acoustic version of “The Beast in Me.”

The show’s final segment was something of a tribute to Band drummer Levon Helm. While introducing Helm, Costello discussed the drummer’s connection with each musician onstage, especially Toussaint who produced two records for the Band (Costello and Toussaint also previewed some songs off The River in Reverse at one of Helm’s Midnight Rambles in 2006).

Helm has been unable to sing or speak in public since July due to a vocal strain and, in a particularly humorous moment, answered Costello’s questions through a serious of drum fills. The evening’s entire cast—including Campbell—then took the stage together for an all-star jam-session. The set’s clear highlight was a Costello-sung version of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed.”
Ray LaMontagne, who recorded an episode of the program a night earlier, also sat in on two sing-along versions of “The Weight.”

Bruce Springsteen will tape an episode of Spectacle at the Apollo this evening.

[jmm]

Had the privilege to attend the Spectacle taping with Allen Toussaint, Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Levon Helm, as well as the Imposters plus Larry Campbell last night. It may be the most unique and interesting show I’ve ever seen – although I admit a positive bias for these artists. As such, I’ll try to avoid too many GREATs and EXCELLENTs, etc but they belong everywhere!!

The theme of the show was “build a band” which EC introduced with the Imposters and LC on stage and each of the guests sitting in the first row in the audience for Blame It On Cain (new arrangement with Larry Campbell) and Rag Mama Rag (into which EC nicely worked the guest intros).

The guests joined the band sequentially as the evening went on and the basic format was intro – song – interview (not sitting but in place with instruments), second song, repeat with next guest.

Richard Thompson was up first and EC’s intro included “someone who REALLY plays the guitar”. Shoot Out the Lights was distinguished by his incredible guitar play. The interview was about influences and connections and RT’s engaging wit was evident throughout. For example, when the audience applauded even for his obscure “guitar heroes” he threw in a made up name just to make sure we were following along. Followed that up with How I Wanted To.

Allen Toussaint joined next. Much influences focus, as you might expect, centered on AT and Levon’s effect on the other “band members”. AT started with the fact that he was last on the Apollo stage in 1957! He talked about the NOLA piano and Professor Longhair and played little parts of Tipitina, Big Chief and I think one other. The band played a great version of Fortune Teller and hopefully they will mix AT’s vocals a bit higher for broadcast. EC and AT talked more about NOLA, etc and the two of them played Ascension Day.

Nick Lowe was next on bass. He sang Lover Don’t Go – playing acoustic guitar. The conversation between the EC and Nick was immediately easy as expected. Nick joked about the good old days when EC took instruction from him vs. the other way around. Nick talked about taking up the bass since no one else in the school band wanted to play the instrument; Bill Wyman as a bass hero “especially for the way he held it”; EC told the story of their first meeting in a pub; how Nick liked playing great “obscure” songs from others (like AT’s Wonder Woman) since people might think he wrote them; Nick’s stripped down song / playing style; the fact that Nick does NOT get calls from young bands to produce and “isn’t sure he still has the chops”. Nick told the story of writing The Beast in Me for his then father-in-law Johnny Cash while getting more drunk one night and then having to sing it for him the next day. Followed that up with a nice rendition of that song.

Levon Helm was up last. EC explained that he’d strained his vocal chords and therefore wouldn’t sing or even be conventionally interviewed. Levon last appeared at the Apollo in 1959. EC related some Levon stories that he confirmed non-verbally – for instance, he played the drums in different ways to confirm the level of “drum hero” status. Lots of interviews with the other guests about the influence of The Band. RT said “they had short hair and spurred Fairport Convention to explore or own musical roots”. AT talked losing the original horn arrangements he’d written for them between landing in NYC and Woodstock.

The entire band played great versions of Tennessee Jed and ATs A Certain Girl. RT’s guitar on A Certain Girl was a particular highlight, even the incredibly perfect little fills – AMAZING. Davey and Pete didn’t play they sang back-up and clapped.

This fabulous night of music ended with a group performance of The Weight (eventually performed twice, not that anyone complained – so EC could give Ray LaMontagne a proper intro). Ray joined to sing the first verse and they then traded-off to Nick, RT, EC/Ray. Ray had been on the show the night before and apparently asked to come back when he heard the plan and line-up – he was a wonderful addition.

The blend of exuberance, mutual admiration / respect and off the charts talent levels of the night was hard to believe. Certainly a band I’d go back to see any place and any time – not that I expect to get the chance. What a night!

[Who Shot Sam?]

Had the privilege to attend the Spectacle taping with Allen Toussaint, Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Levon Helm, as well as the Imposters plus Larry Campbell last night. It may be the most unique and interesting show I’ve ever seen – although I admit a positive bias for these artists. As such, I’ll try to avoid too many GREATs and EXCELLENTs, etc but they belong everywhere!!

The theme of the show was “build a band” which EC introduced with the Imposters and LC on stage and each of the guests sitting in the first row in the audience for Blame It On Cain (new arrangement with Larry Campbell) and Rag Mama Rag (into which EC nicely worked the guest intros).

The guests joined the band sequentially as the evening went on and the basic format was intro – song – interview (not sitting but in place with instruments), second song, repeat with next guest.

Richard Thompson was up first and EC’s intro included “someone who REALLY plays the guitar”. Shoot Out the Lights was distinguished by his incredible guitar play. The interview was about influences and connections and RT’s engaging wit was evident throughout. For example, when the audience applauded even for his obscure “guitar heroes” he threw in a made up name just to make sure we were following along. Followed that up with How I Wanted To.

Allen Toussaint joined next. Much influences focus, as you might expect, centered on AT and Levon’s effect on the other “band members”. AT started with the fact that he was last on the Apollo stage in 1957! He talked about the NOLA piano and Professor Longhair and played little parts of Tipitina, Big Chief and I think one other. The band played a great version of Fortune Teller and hopefully they will mix AT’s vocals a bit higher for broadcast. EC and AT talked more about NOLA, etc and the two of them played Ascension Day.

Nick Lowe was next on bass. He sang Lover Don’t Go – playing acoustic guitar. The conversation between the EC and Nick was immediately easy as expected. Nick joked about the good old days when EC took instruction from him vs. the other way around. Nick talked about taking up the bass since no one else in the school band wanted to play the instrument; Bill Wyman as a bass hero “especially for the way he held it”; EC told the story of their first meeting in a pub; how Nick liked playing great “obscure” songs from others (like AT’s Wonder Woman) since people might think he wrote them; Nick’s stripped down song / playing style; the fact that Nick does NOT get calls from young bands to produce and “isn’t sure he still has the chops”. Nick told the story of writing The Beast in Me for his then father-in-law Johnny Cash while getting more drunk one night and then having to sing it for him the next day. Followed that up with a nice rendition of that song.

Levon Helm was up last. EC explained that he’d strained his vocal chords and therefore wouldn’t sing or even be conventionally interviewed. Levon last appeared at the Apollo in 1959. EC related some Levon stories that he confirmed non-verbally – for instance, he played the drums in different ways to confirm the level of “drum hero” status. Lots of interviews with the other guests about the influence of The Band. RT said “they had short hair and spurred Fairport Convention to explore or own musical roots”. AT talked losing the original horn arrangements he’d written for them between landing in NYC and Woodstock.

The entire band played great versions of Tennessee Jed and ATs A Certain Girl. RT’s guitar on A Certain Girl was a particular highlight, even the incredibly perfect little fills – AMAZING. Davey and Pete didn’t play they sang back-up and clapped.

This fabulous night of music ended with a group performance of The Weight (eventually performed twice, not that anyone complained – so EC could give Ray LaMontagne a proper intro). Ray joined to sing the first verse and they then traded-off to Nick, RT, EC/Ray. Ray had been on the show the night before and apparently asked to come back when he heard the plan and line-up – he was a wonderful addition.

The blend of exuberance, mutual admiration / respect and off the charts talent levels of the night was hard to believe. Certainly a band I’d go back to see any place and any time – not that I expect to get the chance. What a night!

Great summary and I can't really add much more to what you've said. I knew I had forgotten a track - "A Certain Girl". As I mentioned below, they also did "Ascension Day" from River in Reverse, but I can't really remember where that was in the order. It was an incredible experience seeing all these legends on stage at the same time and I feel really privileged to have been there - for free, no less!

[And No Coffee Table]

Thanks for all the reports, but I'm confused about this...

Ascension Day (with Allen Toussaint and band)

Costello, Toussaint, Thompson and the Imposters then backed Lowe on “Ascension Day.”

EC and AT talked more about NOLA, etc and the two of them played Ascension Day.

Was "Ascension Day" really done with the band? Or was it just EC and AT, as it is on the studio version? (That one review makes it sound like Nick sang it!)

[jmm]

Nick did NOT sing Ascension Day - EC did.

I only remember AT playing but guess I should be wrong.

To me it sounded like when I heard just the two of them do it at Joe's Pub but can't rule out selective memory

[And No Coffee Table]

From Twitter:

majoracarter: at the Apollo with Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen:41 shots still moves people. thanks Bruce

[MOJO]

/

[scielle]

From Twitter:

majoracarter: at the Apollo with Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen:41 shots still moves people. thanks Bruce

Is that THE Majora Carter? Awesome woman!
http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=1085737298

[And No Coffee Table]

From a Springsteen message board:

What an amazing night two of all time favorite artist,will have a full review when I'm less tired but,here are the songs they did tonight for those who want to know. Most of the songs happened into between some interesting conversations. The show lasted a little around 3 hours and 40 minutes with long intense interviews.It truly was a spectacle to witness live.

This is might be a little out of order:
Opened with Elvis Costello and the Impostors-Point Blank
Nils Lofgren and the Impostors-At the Movies (Nils Song)
Elvis Costello,Nils, with the Impostors-She's the One
Bruce with Nils and Roy on accordion-Wild Billy's Circus Song
Bruce(solo)-American Skin (41 Shots)
Bruce(solo)-The River(partial)
Bruce and Roy-Galveston Bay
Bruce,Elvis, Nils,Roy and the Impostors-I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
Bruce and Elvis-Pretty Woman (partial)
Brue,Nils,and Elvis-Black Ladder (Patti Scialfa song-Elvis on lead)
Bruce,Elvis-Brilliant Disguise (Elvis on lead)
Bruce,Nils,Roy,Elvis and the Impostors-The Rising
Bruce,Nils,Roy,Elvis and the Impostors-Seeds
Bruce,Nils,Roy,Elvis and the Impostors-Radio Nowhere/Radio Radio

[scielle]

http://www.nj.com/springsteen/index.ssf ... _with.html

Bruce Springsteen appears with Elvis Costello at Spectacle taping
By Stan Goldstein
September 26, 2009, 4:27AM
Elvis Costello had Bruce Springsteen as his guest on Friday night at the taping of "Spectacle" his talk/music show on the Sundance Channel.
The show was filmed at The Apollo Theatre in 125th Street in Manhattan. I was fortunate to be there and here's some (a lot) of thoughts on the evening:

Incredible night, it was a privilege to be there.
My first time at the Apollo Theater, it is a beautiful venue and the acoustics are perfect.
Show began right around 8 p.m.

I'd rank it right up there with the first night at Sommerville, Mass., - the benefit for Doubletake Magazine - in February of 2003, as far as Bruce opening up and hearing stories about his songs, music, life etc.
Bruce sometimes isn't the best interview, but tonight, for the most part, he was very comfortable and told a lot of great stories, At other times things did slow up a bit and got a little too much talking, but in a three-hour-and-45-minute show you will have that.

Musical highlights:
Point Blank by Elvis Costello
Like Rain by Nils Lofgren
Wild Billy's Cirus Story by Bruce, Nils Lofgren and Roy Bittan (who played the accordion).
A little of The River by Bruce
41 Shots by Bruce
Galveston Bay by Bruce
Brilliant Disguise by Elvis
Black Ladder - a Patti Scialfa song which was done by Elvis, Bruce and Nils
I Can't Stand Up for Fallilng Down (Sam and Dave song)
Pretty Woman - Although it was stopped about midway through by Bruce.
The Rising by Bruce, Nils, Roy, Elvis and the Imposters,
Seeds by the same group.
Radio Nowhere/Radio Radio medley by all


I emptied out my notebook of most everything I wrote down. It's very long and just a summary of what Bruce and Elvis Costello talked about.

Show began at 8 p.m. with Elvis coming out, talking about the series of shows he's been doing and "they've been beyond my imagination. I'm having the time of my life doing these."
He then brought out the Imposters and they played "Point Blank."
It was very well done.
Nils Lofgren then came out. Elvis said he remembered when Nils opened for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in London.
They then performed Nils' song "Like Rain."
Nils said how he's been fortunate to be playing for 41 years in a row.
Elvis then brought Bruce out around 8:30 p.m.
He was wearing a black sport jacket, which he later took off.
Bruce sat down on a stool with Elvis and it was just the two of them,
Bruce held a guitar in his hands, I've seem him do this in past inteviews lately, he seems much more comfortable holding a guitar while doing an interview.
What followed, may have been the best interview I've ever seen Bruce do.
Maybe because it was a fellow musician or just the questions were better, but Bruce really opened up about his early bands, Asbury Park and a lot of other things.
Some highlights:
Bruce said that No music industry types came to the Jersey Shore to find bands. "It was in its own wilderness in the late 1960s early 1970s. Asbury Park was like a low rent Fort Lauderdale."
"Bars, cars, girls were the things I wrote about."
He told Elvis he had only been to New York City one time before he was 15 and that's when his mother took him to see the circus.
The bars at the Jersey Shore catered to top 40 bands in that era and you could get beaten up for being in a band.
Elvis talked about the Stone Pony, how he had played there "the night before I nearly ended my career" when he appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1977. And how his bass player was named Bruce and when he introduced him "as the future of rock and roll bass players" people booed him at the Stone Pony.
Bruce talked about how he's lived locally (Jersey Shore) for most of his life, and pre Internet it was pretty easy. He could go out to a bar and make a fool of himself, He was out of the tabloids and could have a normal life.
He said he felt some of his heroes have lost their own history. He didn't want to do that, but also "being paranoid and having stardom" were good things.
Elvis talked about when Bruce first played London in 1975 and all the hype "about the future of rock and roll"
"I kind of like the way it sounded," said Bruce. "But I might be in a (a lot) of trouble also."
He talked about playing in Asbury Park in the early 1970s and that they weren't a top-40 cover band. Bruce said he and Steve Van Zandt went to all the bars in Asbury Park ("we went from one end of the town to the other') trying to find a place where they could play. They finally found The Student Prince which was run by a guy from Freehold.
They would charge $1 at the door and keep it. The first week they had 20 people, the next week 30 people and it started to grow.
Bruce talked about his voice, saying the first band he was in wouldn't let him sing at all. But then he realized he had to make it with his voice and his guitar.
Elvis mentioned some other singer, songwriters - John Prine, Loudon Wainwright and Bruce added Elliott Murphy who had some success in the 1970s.
The conversation then came around to the circus and Bruce said how he had seen the Clyde-Beatty Cole Circus in Freehold (near the racetrack) when he was a child.
"At the circus there were things you were interested in and you saw some things that you weren't supposed to see.
Talked about his mother paid 50 cents so he could see a giant in the circus sideshow. "he had this huge hand and you could take the ring off his finger and put it back on.
"I was both thrilled and frightened by the sideshow."
Roy Bittan and Nils came onstage to join Bruce in a great "Wild Billy's Circus Story."
The topic came back to Asbury Park and Bruce said how the town is in the middle of a resurgence. "It's been fabulous down there on Friday and Satruday nights recently."
He said he was in Asbury Park recently with a friend (Sept. 5) and they decided they were going to stop and have a beer at every place from one end of the boardwalk to the other. Also talked about Madam Marie's fortune-telling stand still being open and that her daughter does the readings now.
Then Elvis asked how Bruce could walk the Asbury Park boardwalk "unmolested" these days. Bruce's response was "I'm not sure that's the point."
He then said how Asbury Park is a great place right now with a lot of different cultures.
Elvis mentioned how Bruce came to see him play at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, N.J., one night in 1977.
The conversation then turned to Darkness on the Edge of Town and Bruce said "people didn't take to it right away. It was three years after Born To Run" and Bruce mentioned how Elvis was once quoted saying "the songs on Born To Run were too romantic."
Elvis said: "Ah, you've been waiting 30 years for this moment to say that to me."
Conversation went back to Freehold, Bruce said it was a real blue collar town. "These are the people I'm conecting to. I wanted to be about something."
He said that Born To Run only had one outake and other albums have tons of outakes.
"He said he was elated and embarrassed by his success" at ages 25-28 after Born to Run.
Also said everything he writes "is about identity, identity, identity."
"My music has been about who am I? Where do I belong?"
He and Elvis joked that rock and roll musicians have to be desperate at times. "You have to have something bothering you all the time," Bruce said.
He said on the River he "wanted to write songs that were exciting."
He talked about seeing The Ramones play in Asbury Park at the Fast Lane in 1979 and how they asked him to write a song for them. He wrote Hungry Heart but Jon Landau told him "We're not giving that one away."
Conversation came around to the song "41 Shots" and Bruce explained the background on it.
He said he "had lost some of his focus on how to write for the E Street Band" during the 10 years he wasn't with them. "I wasn't sure if I had songs for them" but that Land of Hope and Dreams "at the beginning of the tour" and "41 Shots" at the end of the tour were songs he wrote to do with the E Street Band.
He talked about performing "41 Shots" for the first time in Atlanta in June of 2000 and then the reaction it got in the New York newspapers. He remembers being called a "dirtbag" and a "floating bag."
He knew what a "dirtbag" was but he had to look up "floating fag" to try to figure out what that meant.
Bruce played a beautiful acoustic version of "41 Shots."
Nebraska was discussed and Bruce said how it came about by accident. He was watching some movies at the time, "True Confessions" was one of them which influenced the album.
He said there was even some discussion of releasing "Nebraska" and "Born In the U.S.A" at the same time so the fans could have an acoustic album and and a rock album.
Bruce then performed "Gavelston Bay" from the "Ghost of Tom Joad Album."
Elvis asked him about liking comedy and Bruce said "Steve and I are like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis."
Elvis asked "which one are you?" and Bruce said he wasn't sure
Next, Elvis talked about how much he enjoyed doing Roy Orbison's Black and White Night and that he still gets asked about it constantly because it's played on TV so much. Bruce talked about it a bit also.
They talked a little bit about the Apollo Theatre and Bruce said he had never been there before.
Conversation came around to Sam and Dave, Bruce said he saw them at the Satellite Lounge near Fort Dix, N.J. and also one night (1980) at the Fast Lane in Asbury Park and that night "there were only around 100 people in the place."
He said how Sam Moore was one of the best band leaders he's seen and both Bruce and Elvis discussed how they were so special and there may have been times when Sam and Dave weren't even talking to one another.
They then did a great "I can't Stand Up For Falling Down"

There was about a 10-minute intermission at 10:25 p.m and many thought the show was over before being told it was only an intermission.
Bruce told a dirty joke which got some laughs from the crowd. It wasn't too bad.
The second half of the show began with Elvis talking about Patti Scialfa and how she talks to his ' wife (Diana Krall) a lot about children and things. Also how Bruce and Patti were able to get Elvis on a horse when he visited Bruce's farm one time.
They then did Patti's song "Black Ladder" - it was Bruce, Elvis and Nils.
Elvis asked Bruce about his children. He said how his youngest son is listening to a lot of classic rock and one night Bruce was watching a DVD of Bob Dylan at the Newport Jazz Festival and his youngest son was vvery much into watching it with him.
One night Bruce heard his youngest son listening to "Chimes of Freedom" and he asked him what he thought about it. "Just epic Dad! Just epic," he said.
Said his oldest son was into Rage Against the Machine and had introduced him (Bruce) to the Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion (I think that was the other band).
Bruce said how Bob Dylan was the first to give him a true vision of the country.
Elvis then talked about and performed an acoustic "Brillilant Disguise" and Bruce clapped for him when it was over.
Bruce talked about playing at the Lincoln Memorial this past January and what a thrill it was for him to perform with Pete Seeger.
As they finished up the interview, Bruce said "Im tired of talking about me!"
And as they broke for a few minutes getting the band and TV ready, Bruce said "Quick before I think of another joke!"
They then finished with "The Rising," "Seeds" and the "Radio, Radio/Radio Nowhere" medley.
Show was over at 11:47 p.m. clocking in at more than 3:45.

Other notes:
In the audience were Allen Toussaint and Jesse Malin.
Theater appeared to be full, the lower level definitely was.

[johnfoyle]

http://behindthecornea.blogspot.com/200 ... tudio.html

[BlueChair]

Wow - sounds like some incredible shows so far, especially the Springsteen episode. (Can't wait to hear Elvis' version of "Point Blank," one of my favourites)

I'm gutted to hear that Levon Helm didn't do any singing in his episode. His voice is actually quite good again these days, as is evidenced on the fantastic Electric Dirt album, but I suppose with the fact that doctors never thought he'd sing again after his throat cancer scare in the late 90s/early 2000s he'd want to be pretty cautious with it.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Nick did NOT sing Ascension Day - EC did.

I only remember AT playing but guess I should be wrong.

To me it sounded like when I heard just the two of them do it at Joe's Pub but can't rule out selective memory

I think it was just AT and EC.

[johnfoyle]

From a Thompson discussion list -

25 Sep 2009

And then I woke up on a dark train with no shoes, an aching head, and
a sore throat.

Oh, but that's not the interesting part. Let me back up about 16 hours.

After a train, a subway, and a somewhat frantic two-block walk, I
found myself in front of Harlem's famed Apollo Theatre. Dear Jesse was
already there, holding a spot in line. (Sorry; the New York usage
is "on line.")

Checking my paperwork, I discovered that I was holding an e-ticket
from the promoters AND a letter that said I had tickets at Will Call.
Assuming that the latter process would get me better seats, I
checked in with Will Call. Several hours and machinations later,
Jesse and I found ourselves inside... in the back right-hand
corner of the theater.

The ticket dispersal seemed somewhat random. Now, the tickets were
free, and I was not ungrateful, but...well, you folks might have heard
me say I'd shove a Make a Wish kid aside to get up front. It's the
only area of my life in which I'm this assertive, possibly even
aggressive, person.

Negotiations didn't work, but at some point, after they'd closed the
doors, people started moving (or being moved) toward the front
center section. Tenacity and luck got us toward the back of that
smallish section. (I was delighted to see another friend, at the
very last second, moved into the second row--two seats from one
labeled "Richard Thompson"! But I'll let him tell his own
stories.)

Elvis Costello is a relaxed and gracious host. As an interviewer, he's
no Christiane Amanpour, but neither should he be. He's an
enthusiast, or comes across as one. He told us that he'd be
"building a band onstage" that night. After an energetic version
of...oh, gee, I can't remember, one of his very old songs, backed
by the Impostors and Larry Campbell, he went into a sort of rap
about the night's performers which included a reference to Our Man
as "Tommy Gun." (I think. The whole thing, the more I think about
it, seems like a strange and wonderful dream.)

Throughout the taping, there were pauses for technical stuff and
consultations about what was to happen next, but I've been to
conventional concerts that were more poorly paced. I guess we were
there about 2 and a half hours.

Anyway, he introduced Richard, who gave us a killer version of "Shoot
Out the Lights"--electric, with Elvis' band. Then there was an
onstage chat between Elvis and Richard. Elvis talked a lot about
Richard's music and its folk roots, although some of what he said
blurred the lines between the genuine traditional music that
Fairport and Richard have explored and songs of Richard's own,
such as "End of the Rainbow." Then Elvis asked whether he could do
one of Richard's songs. He played and sang "How I Wanted To," with
Richard on guitar and the band backing.

Elvis is one of those guys who throws himself into this stuff like
Marcel Marceau in a real windstorm. His version was just this side of
overwrought. I loved it. He had said that he saw it as the sort of
song a classic soul singer might do, or something like that.

Speaking of kinetic enthusiasm: Our poached seats were in back of a
pair of seemingly very intoxicated gentlemen who left at various
times, stood to yell a lot, and carried on mercifully brief
snatches of conversation during the set. I wonder what it would
have taken for them to be thrown out. The less obnoxious of the
two had an odd habit of applauding by slapping the top of his bald
head. The other one talked very much like Father Jack, even
saying, "Oh, feck off" once to something.

Next out was...wow, I'm surprised to find that I can't remember
whether it was Toussaint or Lowe. Let's say it was Toussaint. Elvis
had him playing all sorts of piano snippets and telling old
stories. He and Elvis did a song adapted from "Tipitina"; I can't
quite remember the name (it might have had "Ascension" in it).
There might have been more. It's getting blurry.

Nick Lowe looked surprisingly old. I made a mental note to check which
was the youngest of Elvis' four main guests; I think it might have
been RT.

What I remember most about Nick's performance was that song called
"The Beast" and the story he told about writing it for Johnny Cash
(then his father-in-law) over the course of a drunken night in which
"I became Johnny Cash"--and then being forced to sing it in front
of the man himself.

Richard wasn't too involved in either of these performers' featured
bits; he sat over by Levon's drum kit, generally in the dark.

Elvis explained to us that Levon had severe vocal strain and couldn't
sing--in fact, he could barely talk. He told us a bit about how he
was going to do most of the talking and let Levon's drums talk as
well. He said something about not wanting to be lots of "drama"
when Levon came out.

Levon, looking radiant in that way those who have been very ill, or
are very ill, or are very old can look, was received with great
effusiveness. Elvis wandered around a good bit nattering about the
connections among all his guests--he had Richard talking a bit
about the Band's connections with Fairport, for example.

They performed "Rag Mama Rag." I think that was at this point, and I
hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong. They also did
"Tennessee Jed," a song I'd heard on the radio earlier that day
and thought, "I hope Levon does that one!"

I'm sure I'm missing songs and anecdotes. What sticks with me the most
is "The Weight." A young bearded guy, who sounded very Band-y,
came out to sing the first verse; the others rotated through the
verses. (RT got the one with Jack the dog.) I think the audience,
or a good bit of it, was singing along. What a great
rendition--the energy of this band, with all of these guys
onstage, was amazing, and they seemed to be genuinely enjoying
themselves. The venue seemed intimate for such starpower and
energy.

After the song, Elvis told us that the young guy was Ray Lamontagne.
He had originally been announced as being part of this program,
but he ended up being assigned to the previous night's taping. But
he had told Elvis that he really wanted to sing on this number, so
he came back just for it.

Lamontagne's another one of those scary-intense guys. I'd heard that
he wasn't much of an interview subject the night before; he's
always come off to me as terribly shy and perhaps Nick Drakelike
in his sensitivity about his music. He definitely threw himself
into the song. The others did as well, but I noticed that the four
main guests share a sort of deeply calm demeanor that's very
appealing; the music seems to come up from within rather than
their reaching for the music.

Anyway, they did "The Weight" again--I think so that Elvis could give
Ray a proper introduction. And then, I think it was over. I
remember lots and lots of clapping as we hoped for an encore. I
remember the Band's recording of "Long Black Veil" coming on as we
walked out, and some of us singing along to it. I remember
assembling with friends in the lobby. I remember wandering all
over the subway system, eating a sandwich and a slice of
cheesecake each the size of a Doberman's head as Jesse and Moshe
talked about extremely intellectual topics. I remember sort of
limping to the train. I remember yogi-like contortions on a narrow
train seat hurtling through darkness.

And now here I am, and I keep feeling like something wonderful may
have happened last night and was yet somehow unreal. I have to get
back to reading about Epstein-Barr virus now, even as that part of me
I've come to know so well remains ready at the drop of a ticket to
run off somewhere for some other waltz that I hope is not the
last.

Pam

[scielle]

Another extended account of the Bruce taping:

http://www.jukeboxgraduate.com/2009/09/star-time/

[sweetest punch]

More accounts of the bruce taping:
http://community.livejournal.com/brucenews/73354.html
http://the3penguins.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... bruce.html

[Ypsilanti]

I wonder if they might turn the Bruce episode into a 2-parter. Seems like it would be impossible to cut it down to 1 hour.

[bronxapostle]

I wonder if they might turn the Bruce episode into a 2-parter. Seems like it would be impossible to cut it down to 1 hour.

GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE!!! i arrived at that yesterday as well. NO WAY can they do it in one hour and who better than BRUCE to do the first double???

[Santi]

Another review of the Bruce night:
http://matt.orel.ws/blog/2009/09/grand- ... ersey.html

Sadly, He said some preliminary remarks, then brought on the Imposters and went in to an intense version of "Point Blank." A good start for the audience, though Elvis said that it wouldn't be airing..

Shit, shit, shit.

[bronxapostle]

WTF????? i've GOTTA hear it!!!!!!!!!!

[Ypsilanti]

Jeez! Will you have to wait for the bonus material on the Season 2 DVD box set? That will be almost a year from now! Sorry, BA! It seems so unfair!

[jmm]

If they break it into 2 shows they will need 2 intro numbers and you might see it sooner than you think

[BlueChair]

I suspect they'd sooner air a 90-minute episode than split it into two airings. They also might be filming extra-long episodes on purpose for the purposes of online only content or DVD extras.