Last night we mustered up the energy to get to Fez for the 11pm Colin Meloy show. We sat at a candelit table near the stage and listened to the Decemberist frontman’s dandy nautical ballads and Moz covers. It was perhaps too intimate: aside from one overzealous fan (who later requested “Grace Cathedral Pier“) the crowd was reluctant to respond to Mr. Meloy’s hilarious patter (or whistle or stomp along with the beat when he requested). But by the end we were all under his spell. I don’t have a set list, but some highlights for me were “Los Angeles, I’m Yours,” “The Sporting Life,” “California One Youth And Beauty Brigade,” “Red Right Ankle” and a trio of tunes “about people”: “Eli The Barrowboy” > “Jack The Ripper” > “Song For Myla Goldberg.” “Jack” was one of two or three Morrissey covers he played and will be a fixture on my iPod for the next few weeks. He closed with Cheap Trick’s “Southern Girls,” which I didn’t recognize, but Eliza did because the Bangs once covered it. Eliza also likes to pretend “Myla Goldberg” was sung to her, but if that were the case Colin would agree to play our wedding. Oh wait, here’s Eliza’s review via e-mail:
the evening was magical! colin meloy is adorable, well-dressed, talented, charming, and extremely funny! i want to hug him.
And our friend Christine’s:
colin meloy is an absolute dream. I want to have mini chimbley sweep children with him.
Uh, OK. Anyway, we’re all happy that Colin has fulfilled his teenage dream of recording a Morrissey tribute record (limited edition of 1000 available on this tour only … Colin says not to tell Morrissey’s lawyers). We’re also excited for Picaresque which we hope you’ll buy on March 22, even though if you’re a Decemberists fan you probably already have the MP3s. Hopefully Jenny will have some photos from the gig later, and I’ll link to them. The band will be back in NYC in May (Irving Plaza and Warsaw I believe). By then Colin is sure to remember what key to tune his 12-string, so don’t miss! (“Eli” is capo 4 for those playing at home.)
The Decemberists’ “Advance of the Picaroons Tour 2005″ Part One
3.16.05 – Wow Hall Eugene, OR
3.17.05 – Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
3.18.05 – Showbox Seattle, WA
3.19.05 – Richard’s on Richards Vancouver, BC
3.22.05 – Bimbo’s San Francisco, CA
3.23.05 – Bimbo’s San Francisco, CA
3.24.05 – Henry Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, CA
3.25.05 – Cane’s San Diego, CA
3.26.05 – Glass House Pomona, CA
3.28.05 – Lo Fi Cafe Salt Lake City, UT
3.29.05 – Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
3.31.05 – Trees Dallas, TX
4.01.05 – Fat Cat Houston, TX
4.02.05 – Emo’s Outside Austin, TX
4.04.05 – Blue Note Columbia, MO
4.05.05 – Granada Theatre Lawrence, KS
4.06.05 – The Mill Iowa City, IA
4.07.05 – Metro Chicago, IL
4.08.05 – Barrymore Theatre Madison, WI
4.09.05 – Fine Line Minneapolis, MN
4.11.05 – Montana – TBA
Okkervil River, who also have a great new EP, are opening.
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I think he said Irving and Warsaw in May…
You are kind to call the loud girl overzealous. We preferred to think of her as rude and silly bitch. Colin Meloy was amazing, though (and decidedly dreamy).
yea, it’s irving & warsaw and i can’t wait. the crowd for the saturday show was much more interactive and even convinced him to play one of his least fave’s – architecht (a birthday girl, alas). the whole night was well worth the snow-trekking. truly a delight…
these are pictures i took here in chicago (http://www.flickr.com/photos/5500/tags/colinmeloy/);
’twas a great show, as well.
i just feel a bit sad for the folks who were blizzarded out of making it to the fez (or, for that matter, the cancelled gig in boston).
i would go so far as to say that colin meloy is the dreamiest thing to happen to music. his morrissey covers pretty much solidified that for me.
Mmm, I fell in love with Colin at the Friday show in DC… The club was full and the crowd was quite well-behaved and responsive. I was a little sad that he didn’t play Grace Cathedral Hill; it seemed like it would have fit in well with the rest of the set.
So jealous you got to hear “Jack The Ripper”. In DC he played “Sister I’m A Poet” and “I’ve Changed My Plea To Guilty”.
That woman in the audience is vying for top honors in the Worst Audience Member at an Intimate New York Rock Show contest. At one point she actually set her hair on fire. It smelled. We’ll have a review of the show up on our site eventually.
he played those same 2 moz songs in SF that he did in DC; he also played grace cathedral hill. i’m not even a huge decemberists fan, just went ot the show on a whim, but it was amazing. the moz disc is great and he played 3 tracks off the first ep, which is my favorite thing they’ve recorded (apology song, shiny, my mother was a trapeeze artist).
that “worst of 2004″ list on buddyhead was really funny!
> At one point she actually set her hair on fire.
> It smelled
that was her too? yeah, that’s rude — even colin commented on it!
I thought the show was great. Colin was excellent.. even with the stink of burning hair. I have to assume that girl was wasted to be as obnoxious as she was AND to set her hair on fire. I was so glad he sang Jack The Ripper.. definitely one of my favorite Moz songs. I was on the “overzealous” side of the room when he asked everyone to stomp. I was a little surprised people weren’t really into it.. not sure why? Maybe that’s why we overcompensated… or it could be we excite too easily. Either way.. looking for to Irving (and possibly Warsaw)!
She was drunk, yea, but the hair thing must have only been noticable to the people next to her. I was sitting across from her and didn’t know until after the show that it happened (and never smelled it). Lighten up, you pretentious twats. He asked people to stomp their feet, so it’s not like he was asking for church-silent adoration, and she was as respectful as the rest during the songs. And didn’t the lot of you (meaning the Hipster Nation in fierce attendance there and here) get piss drunk at Terminal 5 and ruin a whole installation?
But it was a Morissey-fetish show, so I should expect you to be twee to a cavity-inducing degree. And don’t worry, she’s plenty embarassed by the whole affair.
i TOLD colin at the first LA show, after he expressed concern that morrissey was lurking in the shadows somewhere that he didn’t need moz’s permission to record covers (as long as his peeps were diligent about paying the compulsory license fee). silly musicians.
colin meloy is completely adorable and my current music-boy crush. if i was a prostitute and he was a sailor and we happened to meet in a dark alley in montmartre, circa 1879, i would totally let him sweep my chimbley.
i’m so glad i finally got to hear “grace cathedral hill” live.
here’s the EP tracks http://s2.torrentbox.com/torrents-details.php?id=11596&hit=1
Where can we buy or listen to the Colin sings Morrissey album??
Is he really only printing 1000?
Where can we buy or listen to the Colin sings Morrissey album??
Is he really only printing 1000?
Where can we buy or listen to the Colin sings Morrissey album??
Is he really only printing 1000?