Carbon Leaf - Radio Radio Indianapolis - 10/19/2014

 Clearly, this is a promo shot, I didn't take it.  I do have one picture from last night of me and Barry, but I look awful in it and you'll never see it.  :-)

Artist: Carbon Leaf
Venue: Radio Radio Indianapolis
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2014

Set List (again, dismally out of order, and potentially not complete, but as usual, I forgot to make notes so this is the best I could remember the next day):

What About Everything?
Life Less Ordinary
Love Rain Down
Februaery Detailles
Alcatraz
The Boxer
The Donnybrook Affair
Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle
When I'm Alone
Paloma
Comfort
Raise the Roof
One Prairie Outpost
She's Gone (...For Good This Time)
Two Aging Truckers
Ragtime Carnival
Tombstone vs. Ashes
Let Your Troubles Roll By

Last night we broke from tradition and, instead of going south to Nashville, we headed north to Indianapolis for our second Carbon Leaf show.  The first time we saw them live (in Nashville) was so stinking good, we were super excited to see them again.  For this tour, they're on the road in support of their latest release, Indian Summer Revisited.  Because a record company the band is no longer associated with owns the master recordings of their beloved 2004 release Indian Summer, they decided to re-record the album so the ownership of the songs and the recordings is now with the band, where it belongs.

This was the only show I've been to (that I can think of) that didn't have an opener and I was really okay with that.  I mean yes, I've found some of my favorite artists via them opening for other people, but sometimes it's nice to skip the formality and just get down to business.  It seemed like there was a quite a wait between when the doors opened and when Barry, Terry, Carter, Jon and Jason took the stage, but good company (and perhaps a bit of vodka) made the wait totally enjoyable.  This was our first time at Radio Radio which is a neat little venue in downtown Indianapolis.  With a 250 person capacity, a beautiful glass-topped bar and plentiful seating, it's a cozy place perfect for an intimate show.

When it was time for Carbon Leaf to take the stage, they did so with seemingly boundless energy and crowd support, just like the last time we saw them. The set list was heavy with songs off Indian Summer, which is cool because they're all crowd favorites.  However, this time it seemed that they were playing them with such renewed vigor, they felt like brand new songs.  It seemed as though, in working with them so extensively, the band had breathed new life into these songs and the audience reciprocated that.  Personally, I was excited to hear them perform "Paloma" and "When I'm Alone", a couple of my favorites.  They are both such beautiful songs and it was amazing to ride along on the ebb and flow of them.

While they stayed primarily in the newer albums, they did dip back in the catalog and pulled out "Comfort" from Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat and crowd favorite "The Boxer" from Echo, Echo.  Both songs were apparently well known by the crowd and we all sang along enthusiastically.  The sing-along aspect of the evening reached its peak during "One Prairie Outpost" during which Barry was able to stop singing completely and just let us handle that for him.  I love when that happens, but I have to say that my favorite part of a Carbon Leaf show is when they all gather around one microphone.  Sometimes the songs they play in this format get a bit lost in the chatter of the rude people in the back of the room, but I still love them if only because the band seems the happiest playing around a single mic like that and it's fun to be a part of it.

Just as the last time we saw them, they closed with the absolutely perfect "Let Your Troubles Roll By".  I'm not sure I've ever heard a better song to close with.  After the show, I visited the merch table and picked up one of the few Carbon Leaf albums I didn't already have.  Because the guys always mingle in the crowd after shows, I was able (with a lot of encouragement from my friends who are much cooler characters than I am) to speak to all five of the band members and get their autographs.  They're all incredibly friendly and, even after all these years performing, they seem truly grateful that people come out and listen and enjoy their shows.  I had a lot of things I wanted to say about how wonderful the show was and how amazing Indiana Summer Revisited is, but I'm mostly just happy (and eternally grateful to my friends) that I even manged to talk to them and not say anything too embarrassing.  This was the last show for us for the foreseeable future, and I can't think of a better way to wrap up the year.

Why 2013 Kicked Ass

This is not a "best of" list by any means.  You're tired of those.  I'm tired of those.  Trust me, writing them is just as boring as reading them.  No, my friends, this is simply a recap of why 2013 totally kicked ass.  And believe me, it did.  

I started out 2013 by seeing Matchbox Twenty at the Palace Theater in Louisville.  While this wasn't exactly a mind blowing show for me like the ones that would follow later in the year, it was very cool to finally see the MB20 guys live.  I've been a fan since they released their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in 1996 and it's always cool when you're finally in a room with people you've been a fan of for that long.

Then came a couple new releases from one of my all-time faves, Ryan Schmidt.  So far we just have two singles from his up coming album, but I'm super excited about the new direction he's taking.  In looking back, I've just realized that I've only told you about "Another Friend" but there is also "Next Mistake" (I'll have to rave about that one later...I can't believe I haven't already!)  As much as I completely adore my birthday present that was White Horse (and believe me, I do), I know that the work Ryan is doing now is going to make him a megastar one day and that's so exciting.  I just can't wait to see what happens for him next. 

Later in August, Matt Nathanson released Last of the Great Pretenders which is an absolute stroke of genius. Of course he toured to support this record (and because I'm pretty sure he'd shrivel up and blow away if he didn't do at least a little touring every year) and, of course, we went to see him.  This time we got to see him right here in Louisville at Headliner's Music Hall and it was fucking amazing because, well, it was a Matt show and I got to watch Aaron Tap play guitar for 2 hours - what's not to love?  Then, by some weird twist of fate, Matt actually read that blog post, which lead to my all time favorite moment of the year, which was this tweet:

 

This was amazing because he actually read it, he got was I was saying, and it meant enough that he actually took a minute to say something about it.  It's been like 2 1/2 months ago and I still get a big stupid grin every time I read that tweet.  :-D

After that amazingness, we went to see Carbon Leaf for the first time ever at The High Watt in Nashville, TN while they were out supporting Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle and Constellation Prize (both really great records that have added to the fantastic soundtrack of 2013).  It was a great show and we even got to meet Barry and Terry after the show and got our copy of Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle signed.  The Carbon Leaf show was truly wonderful and we'll go see them again as soon and as often as possible.  While we were in Nashville we made time to stop at Grimey's, possibly the best record store east of the Mississippi, and I picked up a copy of Nevermind on vinyl while we were there.

We also got to see Dr. Dog again this year, this time at Headliner's in Louisville.  This tour was in support of their amazing newest release B-Room.  As usual, they completely blew my mind.  Any year that contains a Dr. Dog concert is a good year.  If you're not familiar with them, you really need to get that way, then you need to go see them live because they are the absolute epitome of what live music is supposed to be.

The last record that has made this year awesome for me was Jason Isbell's Southeastern. I'm still playing the shit out this thing, I just can't get enough of it.  His voice is perfect, the lyrics are perfect, the guitar parts are to die for.  The whole this is a complete work of art.  I've been directed to some other examples of his work and I plan to check them out as soon as I can tear myself away from this one.  And finally, the last thing that has made this year rock has been the community of Matt Nathanson fans on twitter.  I've found some awesome new people over the years through music, but have just recently met several cool folks just because of him and that's been fun.

Apparently a few amazing shows, a handful of mind blowing records and a small group of cool people are all it takes to make for a great year.  So, now that we know the formula, making 2014 even better should be a snap!

Carbon Leaf - The High Watt - 10/29/2013

Artist: Carbon Leaf (with guest Andrew Duhon)
Venue: The High Watt, Nashville, TN
Date 10/29/2013

View from our hotel balcony - that brick building in the upper center is Cannery Row where The High Watt is located.

  

Set List: (I know this one is accurate because, since my friend wasn't there to take a picture of the set list for me, I bought a live recording of the show...best decision ever!!)

1. A Song for the Sea

2. What About Everything

3. Comfort

4. One Prairie Outpost

5. Alcatraz

6. Life Less Ordinary

7. Love Rains Down

8. Desperation Song

9. She's Gone

10. Midwestern Girl

11. Two Aging Truckers

12. Another Man's Woman

13. Block of Wood

14. Ragtime Carnival

15. The Fox & The Hare (!!)

16. Februaery Detailles

17. The Boxer

Encore:

18. A gospel song (I'm not sure the name)

19. Let Your Troubles Roll By

 



 My take from the Carbon Leaf merch table (friendliest merch people ever, btw!!).

 

Yesterday my Husband and I made (what is fast becoming) our annual pilgrimage to Nashville, TN for a concert.  This time we hit the music city to see Carbon Leaf and Andrew Duhon at The High Watt, a small, intimate room that is part of Cannery Row.  I was not familiar with Andrew Duhon before I heard he was opening for them, but I had a chance to check out some of his music before the show and we were both excited to hear him play.  Let me tell you, I honestly can't remember when I saw an opening act that captivated a room the way he did.  With his bluesy voice, harmonica and heartfelt lyrics, we were all drawn in immediately.  Not to mention, his finger-picking is a thing of beauty.  The audience paid attention to him as if they were all there to see him specifically, which is always a nice thing to see.  Like I said, I'm not really familiar with his songs, so I can't speak too much to which ones he played specifically, but I thoroughly enjoyed them all and I look forward to getting to know his music.  For his last song, I do know that he broke out the slide and played us a real blues number from his new album, The Moorings, called Sidestep Your Grave.  This song really showcased where his voice and his playing belong.  The crowd went nuts, I went nuts - it was awesome.

 

After he finished, it was time for Barry Privett, Terry Clark, Carter Gravatt, Jon Markel, and Jason Neal, the men of Carbon Leaf, to take the stage.  Before last night, I had never been to a Carbon Leaf show before, so I had no idea what to expect.  I'm kind of a recent fan (although my collection of their albums is almost complete after shopping in Nashville) but I know enough to know that they cannot be defined by genre.  They are largely Celtic influenced, but they have entire records that don't really reflect that too much.  Also, I'm only familiar with about half of their catalogue, so I rather expected them to play a lot of songs that I don't know.  Suffice to say I was really excited to see what would unfold.  If you're familiar with them (and if you're not, you should be) you can see from the set list that they ended up playing a perfect combination of older and new songs.  They played all the favorites from Indian Summer and still properly supported the two new albums Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle and Constellation Prize. Somehow they managed to play everything I wanted to hear and then went back and picked out some songs that I didn't know, but they knew I'd love.  These guys are really good at making a set list!

 

They opened with A Song for the Sea from Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle, it's a beautiful song, especially to hear them perform it live, but the crowd really got involved when they next broke into the classic What About Everything off Indian Summer.  Everybody in the place got caught up in this song and they held us in their grip from that point on.  The audience participation reached it's peak during One Prairie Outpost. This might be my most favorite Carbon Leaf song because it's pretty much perfect and apparently I'm not alone on that point.  Somewhere in the first verse, Barry stopped singing altogether and the audience (that couldn't possibly have been more than 250 people because that's all The High Watt holds) sang it to/for him loud enough that we can be heard over the band on the live recording.  He smiled pretty big about that and seemed pleased by it, it was certainly one of my favorite moments of the night.  In fact, Barry, Terry and Carter seem to have a lot of fun on stage in general.  They are very connected with the audience and that always makes for a fun show, it makes it feel like we're all in it together, which is how a live show should feel.  I don't mean to leave Jason and Jon out, but I couldn't see Jason from where I was during most of the show and Jon is wicked good on the bass (or anything else he picks up to play it seems), but during shows he kind of stays in the back and plays, which is cool, I'm just glad he's playing.

 

As I had hoped, the night included a number of loud, fast songs that simply demand you clap your hands and sing along such as She's Gone, Another Man's Woman, The Boxer, and Life Less Ordinary.  My absolute favorite moment of the night was when the multi-talented Carter busted out his hurdy gurdy and they played The Fox and the Hare (which we have claimed as "our song").  I mean seriously, how often do you see a hurdy gurdy played live??  It was so much fun to sing along with these songs in that hot, sticky room full of strangers, led by such great showmen on stage.  The best part of a Carbon Leaf show is that they are so talented that they can weave exactly the opposite spell with equal skill.  At one point it was only Barry and Carter, two stools and microphones and they played Midwestern Girl, a quiet, acoustic, beautiful song, for a completely captivated audience. 

 

For their encore, they sang an a cappella gospel song.  I'm not sure the name, but it was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking.  They said it was for Lou Reed, but I couldn't stop thinking about mothers who are no longer with us, my own and others, and I was very nearly in tears by the time they finished.  It was such a powerful moment.  They invited Andrew Duhon and his harmonica back on stage to finish out the night with an absolutely epic rendition of Let Your Troubles Roll By, during which Carter's fingers did some amazing stuff.  Overall, it was exactly why we buy tickets to live shows, with hopes of experiencing that kind of magic.

Location, Location, Location

Now that a number of summer/fall tour schedules have been released, I'm absolutely beside myself with excitement about the shows we're seeing in October.  First up is Matt Nathanson back in Louisville at Headliners Music Hall on October 23.  I haven't seen any definite confirmation that Aaron Tap will be there to his right, but I'm an optimistic kind of girl so I'm just going to say he will be until I'm proven otherwise.  The very next week will be Carbon Leaf at The High Watt in Nashville.  The first venue holds 500 people, the second 250.  I could not be happier.

I'm thrilled that these shows are in relatively small venues because of the atmosphere that can be created with an audience that size.  The most magical thing I have ever experienced (hands down) was a Matt Nathanson show at The Cannery Ballroom in Nashville with 1,000 people in attendance.  The second best night was the Dr. Dog show we saw last fall at Marathon Music Works in Nashville where there were no more than 500 people.  There's just something so cool about the vibe that can happen in a crowd that size.

It's so easy to get caught up in it, to really be a part of something that becomes much greater than the sum of its parts.  The artist can create such an environment, such an experience. I've seen some really great showmen in bigger venues and there is just something missing.  I've even seen Matt (and I think we've established how fond of his live shows I am) in a large arena and it is just not the same.  There is something more intimate about a small venue, especially a standing room only room without rows of chairs separating the people.  Where you bump into one another and can stand right up by the stage, right up by the speakers, right up in the lights where you can bask in the circle of magic cast by the talent and heart of the artists. 

So, my point is, I don't want to wish away my summer, or hope myself any closer to the start of another tax season, but damn, am I ever excited about October!!

Good Stuff 2012

So here it is, the obligatory "year in review".  I don't have the typical "best of" list for you or any of that crap.  Instead, I thought I'd recap the live shows that we saw this year (since those are always highlights) and then tell you some of the stuff I loved the most this year.  That's it, short and sweet.  Well, probably more sweet than short, I've never been known for my brevity.

We saw four live shows this year.  I know that's not very many for a lot of people, but for me it was a huge increase.  Hopefully 2013 has even more shows in store for us!  (We already have tickets to see Matchbox Twenty in February, so that's a good start)  In February we saw Matt Nathanson at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY.  Rachel Platten opened for him and it was a great show (as always).  It was far and away my favorite show of the year because we met Aaron Tap after the show.  I was totally star struck and probably didn't say anything intelligent to him, but he was very friendly nonetheless and it was totally cool to be in his presence.  Maybe someday I'll run into him again and be able to string more than 2 words together in a row, that would be cool. 

In June my sister and I sold merch for the aforementioned Rachel Platten when she came back and played Headliners as a headliner.  Madi Diaz opened for her and they really put on a great show.  So good in fact that our next show was a week later when we went to see Madi open for Harper Blynn at zBar in Louisville.  She is so great that we just went to see her. We both had to work the next day so we only stayed for one song of Harper Blynn's set. 

Our final show of the year was Dr. Dog at Marathon Music Works in Nashville.  The openers for this one shall remain nameless to protect the sucky, but I cannot say enough about Dr. Dog live.  They are absolutely amazing and I loved every second of it.  Which leads me one of my great loves of 2012 - Dr. Dog.  If you're not familiar with this band, I suggest you get that way.  I have 4 of their albums so far and I have yet to hear them make a sound I don't love. 

I've also been very into Paula Kelley's work this year.  I can't get enough of her vocals and all of her arrangements are genius.  Every time I listen to anything by her I hear something new and wonderful in it.  And it's not only the music, her lyrics are so intelligent and crafty - seriously, what's not to love about this woman?  On a related note, I've also been totally obsessed with Betty Goo (which, admittedly makes me kind of sad since they're not active anymore).  Betty Goo was fronted by the multi-talented Aaron Tap and they are just awesome.  I love the quirkiness of them and I love that it feels like 90's rock (which it is) but with so much more soul and brains.

I've also come to really love Simon and Garfunkel this year.   Yes, I'm aware that I'm about 40 years late to that party, but better late than never, right?  They are just so amazing, there is a reason their music has stood the test of time.  Another band wagon I'm a little late to is Carbon Leaf.  Their music is so good, so heartfelt, and they seem like such nice guys.  I highly recommend you give them a listen.

A measurable amount of 2012 was spent in record stores.  I've been collecting vinyl this year and there are few things I like more than leisurely browsing through racks of old vinyl.  Our local record store (Joe's Records) is my favorite in the area, but it was blown out of the water when I visited Grimey's in Nashville, TN.  However, Joe's is 10 minutes from my house and Grimey's is 3 1/2 hours away, so I'm pretty sure Joe's will get the majority of my business. 

Finally, my absolute favorite musical thing of 2012 is Ryan Schmidt's White Horse - EP.  It was released January 10, 2012 (the day before my birthday, coincidentally) and I've been listening to it all year.  I just love it.  It's raw and emotional and stripped down - just wonderful.  I get the feeling that we're not going to get another record from Ryan that sounds like this one and that's okay.  I'm just glad to have this one.  I like that so far all of his records sound different, you can hear him feeling his way around and finding his voice.  It's such a fun journey to listen to.

Here's a few more artists who's work I've loved in 2012 that you shouldn't miss:
- The New Complainers
- Jesse Macht
- Boy Wonder
- The Black Keys
- Violent Femmes
- Plants and Animals
- Rooftop Suicide Club (this one may be tough to find, but totally worth it if you can get it)

Okay guys, that's it for me for 2012.  This year had a little bit of everything - some fun, some hard times, some great music, some total crap, some awesome experiences and some low-key peaceful days.  Overall it's been a totally decent year.  I hope 2013 is even better for all of us. 

New Music Monday

Last week I was a major slacker in the new music arena.  I have more than made up for it this week.  I originally intended to listen to Green River Ordinance for today so I made a little nighttime playlist of their songs to that end.  However, I made the mistake of putting Matt Nathanson, Ryan Schmidt, Aaron Tap and Carbon Leaf in front of them on the playlist.  As a result, I only got through a few of their songs, but I did add a couple Carbon Leaf songs to this post.  So you get more variety!

"Life Less Ordinary" - Carbon Leaf
This song, from their album Indian Summer (an album so good that I bought a copy even though it was originally given to me for free) is one of the best songs I've heard in a while.  When I walk around the house singing a song and my husband goes, "Who does that <insert random lyric*> song?" and I tell him and he replies with, "That's a good song", then I know it's a keeper.  That happened with this one tonight.  I already knew of its awesomeness, but that just sealed the deal. 

"What About Everything" - Carbon Leaf
Another very cleverly written song by Carbon Leaf.  (Pretty sure I'm officially a Carbon Leaf fan at this point, which is cool)  The first time I really listened to this one, the line "What about that midnight phone call, the one that wakes you from your peace" actually made me tear up.  One too many of those midnight phone calls, I suppose.  Either way, they officially got to me with that line and I was hooked.  I highly recommend you give them a listen, you won't be disappointed.

"Dancing Shoes" - Green River Ordinance
This song, off their EP The Morning Passengers is the first song I ever heard by them.  Having no preconceived notion, I assumed they were a country band based on this song.  I mean, come on, between the harmonica, the mention of Emmy Lou Harris and sitting on the front porch - it pretty much is a country song!  As a general rule, I'm not a fan of country music, but I'm also not a fan of labels and I like this song, I don't give a shit what genre it sounds like.

"Come On" - Green River Ordinance
The next one on the playlist, this one is from their 2009 release Out of My Hands.  "Come On" has a much more rock music feel to it than "Dancing Shoes".  It's kind of Daughtry-esque, but much better somehow.  It's pretty much just a catchy little rock song about sticking it out and making a relationship work.

"Out of My Hands" - Green River Ordinance
The last one of theirs that I listened to enough this week enough to have an opinion on, "Out of My Hands" is another good song and it sounds entirely different from the first two I listened to.  But that's kind of where they're losing me, I think.  All of their songs (I've been through them all at least once) are good, I don't have any complaints about them really (except for the way he pronounces "girl" in "Endlessly"...argh) but they all sound so different from each other, I'm having trouble pinning this band down.  Variety is good, no doubt, but it's almost like they're struggling for an identity.  I'd be hard pressed to describe their sound, even in the most general terms.  But they're good, I like them and right now, that's enough for me.



*the random lyric in this case was "took the bones of me"