If you haven't been following along, last night was the much-anticipated Son Volt concert at the Crystal Ballroom (a mere 10-minute walk away). If you don't know Son Volt, "[their] music ranges from quiet folk/country ballads reminiscent of Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding to barhouse rockers in the spirit of Neil Young with Crazy Horse" (wikipedia). We got turned on to them in Missoula (Keith thinks it was Ted Lowe) and we don't know a lot of their songs (made obvious last night), but we love their music in general (anything with Jay Farrar), so we knew it would be good.
We'd also never been to the Crystal Ballroom, so we didn't know if there were seats (not by the sound of the name--ballroom) or just a dance floor. But we scored probably the best seats in the house. In the (geezer) balcony we found seats that had easy-out access and a great view of the stage. The opening band, Magnolia Electric Co., had to play while the sound board girl worked on her technique, which was frustrating. But by the 4th song or so they were beginning to sound really good. The lead singer had a voice modulation problem and some of the words were harsher than others, but... I guess that's why you have an opening band.
Son Volt came on at 10p (we got there at 8p). They played one song right after another, sometimes not even completely stopping before starting again. I think Jay Farrar changed guitars at least once a song. They had a lot of energy, all the way to the end. Third show into the tour, I guess that's a good time to see any band. The crowd was so mixed: high school kids (all ages show) to people with gray hair ponytails to frat boys to accountant-types.
So here's a video from the concert--one of my favorite songs of theirs, Windfall.
Switching it over to AM
Searching for a truer sound
Can't recall the call letters
Steel guitar and settle down
Catching an all-night station somewhere in Louisiana
It sounds like 1963, but for now it sounds like heaven
May the wind take your troubles away
May the wind take your troubles away
Both feet on the floor, two hands on the wheel,
May the wind take your troubles away.
Searching for a truer sound
Can't recall the call letters
Steel guitar and settle down
Catching an all-night station somewhere in Louisiana
It sounds like 1963, but for now it sounds like heaven
May the wind take your troubles away
May the wind take your troubles away
Both feet on the floor, two hands on the wheel,
May the wind take your troubles away.
And some photos.
balcony seats
balcony view
