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So if "Awake Is The New
Sleep" as according to Ben Lee's latest cd...I did a lot of sleeping
before I went to the gig.
We were waiting outside about 35 minutes after they said the doors were
to open for the venue. Anyways, at least it wasn't raining at that
moment in time. We got in and the bar was already packed and the stools
by the stage were already occupied. So I guess we did the only logical
thing and sat on the stage. The doorman said that the opening act was a
bit late pushing Ben's starting time to 10:45. So there was lots of time
to kill. I looked on the stage and found a clock. Coincidence that it
was about 35 minutes behind our watches?
When New Buffalo stepped out, basically just this woman and I
guess maybe her board engineer. The crowd cheered until she opened her
mouth into this dreary number. Her voice was soft and hard to hear.
Either way I was about to kill myself thinking of all the things that
were better than standing for this. Keep in mind I've been on my feet
most of the day. She's like a poor, poor substitute of Liz Phair. Now
Ben and Liz should've done their Seattle gig together. Oooh. Too bad.
Some of the songs I felt like I heard before. So maybe I did hear of
them, either that or they're ripping something off. I do have to give
props to the lead woman, Sally?, on playing all of her own stuff. She's
better musically, but her voice just didn't have it. There was one point
I could tell she was ticked off my the constant chatter of the audience
and she actually belted out her words in a growl. Emotions! I think I
liked that song the best...whatever it was. I felt sorry for her and the
crowd openly said things like "I should've brought my scrabble
board." Some respect! I wanted to die, but I didn't let it show.
During one song she said that Ben wrote the lyrics for it. Compared to
hers, he was like Bob Dylan.
I actually spent most of my time watching the engineer guy. Looks like
he had similar thoughts. Throughout the set I was holding back laughs as
he dusted around with his finger and seeing the lint that had collected.
Playing with the cell phone. Looking out into the crowd. Just anything.
During the wait for Ben the girls next to me started chattering very
loudly. They were big fans, I could tell. When they posted the set list
in front of us they kept shrieking. Little did I know that they
would sing along very loudly to almost everything Ben played. Umm. I
came to hear him.
There were 4 members in his
band that came out and took their places among the flowered up mic
stands. I must say that lead guitarist can make the sweetest sounds I've
heard in a while on the electric guitar. When Ben stepped out he went
straight towards my direction to hand the girl behind me a banana. What?
I don't know. Unfortunately that trip made him knock over his water
bottles. Pesky little things.
Setlist (that I got from the Velvet Underground roadie,
but everything looks about right):
Begin - great choice for an opener
Into The Dark
Gamble - (niiiiice)
Running With Scissors
Right Angles
Apple Candy
No Room To Bleed
Back In Your Life
Metal Firecracker (duet with that Sally)
My Guitar
Ciggys
Close I've Come
Catch My Disease - near the end Ben came and stood right in front
of me.
I didn't know where to uh...look. [video
here]
Then Ben brought up this guy who brought up his girlfriend. You can
guess what happened. There was a proposal! Of course she said yes.
This even made it into the setlist.
Question - The Old97s cover Ben dedicated to the newly engaged
couple.
[video
here]
Whatever
All In This Together - Ben was really throwing around those
flower petals! He jumped into the crowd and played for a bit.
Naked - For the last song Ben passed by us again saying he wanted
to do the song from the bar. He climbed up there and I must say I really
loved this one.
Great show...and all for free thanks to KMTT
radio. What a nice birthday gift.
at the bar
cute shoes shot
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