Cleveland (OH) - House of Blues, August 13
Goin' Out West
219 (My Baby's Leaving on the)
Way Down in the Hole
November
Blue Valentine
Big Black Mariah
On the Nickel
Cemetery Polka
I Wish I was in New Orleans
Johnsburg, Illinois
Metropolitan Glide
Heartattack and Vine / Spoonful
Make it Rain
Circus
Singapore
It Rains on Me
Don't Go Into that Barn
Ramblin' Man
Whistling Past the Graveyard
Buzz Fledderjohn
58 comments:
On the Nickel??? man... that would've been cool to hear in Nashville...
I once heard a public performance(90's or so) in which you have a man from the audience who asks Tom to sing On the Nickel, and he answers that he keeps making a fool out of himself because he kept on forgetting the lyrics, explaining that way he wouldn't and couldn't sing On the Nickel... knowing it has been a song he used to sing during every performance (late 70's) it must be cool to hear Tom sing it on the Orphans Tour.
Now, it's a pity I never heard 2:19 (once I heard it, but sang by another singer we all know the name of). This song is a little like Down by the train... a Tom Waits version is available, but how to get it?
On mistaking, I also have a live version in which he plays a mistake during Johnsburg, Illinois... i read people writing Tom may have sung mistakes, or sentences twice... maybe he did it on purpose... maybe not.
Now, about my question : I am sorry to maybe take the risk of making a fool out of myself (that's why the Anonymous), but I never understood what the Webmaster and the people writing meant by Spoonfull and snippet. Who or what the Hell is Spoonfull Snippet?
I mean: I knew KC Avery, I understand the lines he covers from Howlin Wolf, but Who or what the Hell is Spoonfull Snippet?
Although I wasn't there (sadly), I understood it as a "snippet" of the song "Spoonful" by Willie Dixon -- Made most famous by Cream in the 60's.
My God he played Buzz Fledderjohn. I hope a recording of this show surfaces.
Thank you cracker! I really thought Spoonfull Snippet was a thing I never could have once understood. And a big thank you to all the crackers out there!
Thats correct, "Spoonful" is a Willie Dixon tune, but 'made famous by Cream' is subjective. The song is a classic that has been covered by just about everyone including the early British blues bands. Seems like on this blog most are associating it with the Howlin Wolf version. A lot of Waits music is similar to a lot of old blues, that's why it's easy to segue into a song like Spoonful with the audience realizing later it's a different song.
DANG DANG DANG DANG!!!
I prayed the powers that be would give me, "Blue Valentine" in Akron.
Apparently, my prayer was answered late.
The man is a master.
Damn, this is probably the best setlist of the whole tour.
The man repeated some verses doing on the nickle.He did about half the song.Damn fine moment anyway.The sun shone down on me.
Although I felt I was going to have a psychotic break after seeing that Eric Clapton video repeated yet again after 23 previous times (how much does House of Blues SUCK???) all the standing, waiting, for 3+ hours, and risking claustrophobia was completely worth it. I'm still buzzing. (And the "I ain't allowed..." singalong is still buzzing in my head. So to speak.) Such a small venue, such a generous artist. Wow. Now I really can die happy.
Sae anonymous as above, but... did I read it good? Did Tom Waits cover Hank Williams? I mean, did he make the Johnny Cash song about the day Hank Williams came to town true? I mean, also : you know, I can easily believe that he covered Leadbelly's Goodnight Irene, buuuut that he's sung one of my all time favourites?????? I can't believe it. If Tom only knew how many memories from Paris the is song brings up to my memory... I wish I could see, or at least hear the bootlegs from this tour, for, none knows it (not even my girlfriend)but Gee, I am a Rambling Man...
This post is dedicated to Leadbelly, and Amélie too...
Only one woman can understand that I am a rambling man, I guess.
WOW. I went to four of the shows on this tour. But this line up blows them all away. I would have love to be there.
on the final encore, he came out and during the last song reached into his pockets and threw huge handfuls of glitter everywhere. it was the best (see my blog name...) did he do this at other shows?
maybe he knew i was in the audience and did it just for me!
http://glittergirl1970.blogspot.com/
Hey Glittergirl? Did you used to post on the Counting Crows board back in the day?
Okay, I need more details please...I was at Akron but not Cleveland, so what time did the Cleveland show start? End? Was it scaled back in terms of the band? Did he do any kind of intro to "Wish I was in New Orleans"? Tell me more about what I missed. Thanks!
Let me tell you about Cleveland....
I am a bit too tired for full details right now - a long night and the 7 hour ride back home...
The Cleveland show started around 1:30 and went for almost 2 hours. We arived there from the Akron show at 11:10 and the line was already two and a half blocks long. Even with the wait, we were able to get right up near the stage. He had an assortment of horns in front of the drums, but they weren't the same ones from the Akron show.
Here's a few pics from my cellphone.
http://blackrider23.com/tomwaitsfantemp/viewtopic.php?t=1378
I'm not recalling an intro to I Wish I was in NO.
Waiting for Waits was a bit trying. However, at precisely 1:26 a.m. Monday, August 14th Tom and the entire band made the two hour wait (not counting line time) worth it. I won't repeat the set list, nor will I wax on about how fuckin' cool it was to be at a Waits show in the middle of the night in a town that goes to sleep at 10 P.M., maybe 9 on a Sunday night. So while the entire town slept, a handful of very lucky Waits' fans were treated to arguably the best show of a very short concert tour (based on numerous persons in attendance who were at several shows). The H.O.B. always makes things more difficult than they need to be but, in this case I am greatful that the venue was able to score Tom for this unique appearance. Standing within spitting (his, not ours) of this great musician/artist adds an extra special quality to the performance. Tom gave it his all and by 3:05 a.m. he was obviously spent. Being his second show in seven hours, it was understandable. The crowd however, which included Cuyahoga Falls native and film director extraodinaire, Jim Jarmush, seemed ready to see the sun come up. The Tom Waits buzz hung on the blurry-eyed fans like the sweat soaked suit which Mr. Waits was wearing as he bid us farewell. As the lucky few retreated into the allies trying to remember where they parked their cars, traffic cones became megaphones and even the woman were replying to questions in raspy tones with raised eyebrows. At that moment, Cleveland, Ohio, was the place to be. (MSB)
I was able to be at both the Akron and Cleveland shows. And I all I can say is the only thing better than seeing Mr Waits in an evening is seeing him twice in an evening !!!
Two totally different and fantastic shows. Stage set was just about the same but the feel was very different as the HOB lent itself to the late nite bar feel. The only thing missing was the smoke..cause there was plenty of whiskey and lost souls. Thanks for the set lists, i thought about keeping track but was enjoying the moment too much. only thing I know was he did play Get behind the Mule...I think at HOB. Anyway won't bore you more. just wanted to say thanks for the nice site and set lists.
I do agree with some of the reviews from the media (links to them are posted on this blog). All of the shows were very "Waits-lite" and adult-contemporary, rather than the offbeat, creative ones we have been treated to in the past. Kind of watered down McWaits in Concert. Nothing theatrical, everything very planned and steady and on course with a band that was just "OK." For most performers, that would be a good thing but not for Tom Waits. Maybe we have been spoiled for too long. I loved attending the shows but I was slightly disappointed. I was glad that he dug into some of the older material and attempted a smattering of everything, though. Even if he does often forget the lyrics to his own songs. . . . I am going to be kicked off of this website for even suggesting that Tom was undaring and "just OK," so I will stop now. . . .
His voice was really rough from doing 2 shows in one night, and probably from doing the whole tour, in general.
Only a moron non fan would complain about this show with that unbelievable set list. The songs are american classics. November was devistating. Cementary Polka was a riot. Singing "It Rains On Me" along with him a few yards away was one of the biggest thrills of my life. Yet you always wished he sang certain songs from years back. Everyone wished it would of went a couple more hours, but that would be too good to be true. Stopped at McDonald's for some coffee and thought a hamburger might hit the spot. They were serving breakfast. That frigging show started at 1:30 a.m. which made it even more surreal and dreamlike. He's an icon. Like Abraham Lincoln or a werewolf.
Akron to Cleveland:
Akron Civic Theatre was something out of Alice, wonderland of color, style, designed like an Ancient dream castle...Red velvet chairs and mirrors and vines. In the theatre they had created the castles's amphitheatre, ivy hanging off everything, stars in the ceiling and cloud formations passing over...not certain how they made that effect happen, but it was something. Anyway, it was an amazing place to see him.
I cut quickly to my personal story, balcony II 4th row there was a girl. I was in the row in front of her. Talked through the first 2 songs, started singing along, much to the distraction and consternation of many of the people around her. At one point she was just singing and it was too much I turned, bowed, and said, "Please." All eyes around were looking because she really had distracted people away from seeing Tom under these otherwise amazing conditions.
She startd cursing and arguing, other people started arguing, one guy went to security, she spent some time quiet and eventually it was OK, but to those folks in that section, our experience was unfortunately compromised...Wish that all could have gone differently...
His set seemed to be strongest on the Real Gone material, and there were some solid moments. I will leave it to others to describe the highlights...what I wanted to say was that my overall impression is his Akron performance did not reach his potential. He did not dig into the peaks and valleys of his vocal range like we all know he's capable of. I felt lucky to have seen him, I was not blown away.
Please take my report as seriously skewed, tempered through the eyes of the balcony 2 H-I-J experience.
Stayed to the end and pulled onto the inner beltway to route 77, having had the grey tour bus behind us at the light on S. MAin Street.
Got to Cleveland HOB at 11:40 and they had not let people in yet. After many small advances (5 feet every 3 minutes, increments, not gradual motion) everyone got into HOB and the screen lifted to the full band already full steam into G.O.W. Immediately I noticed his mojo was different.
You know how they calculate what percentage of the water of the Niagra river goes over niagra falls and how much goes into hydroelectric power generation...by somehow determining how much of the water going over the falls will satisfy the romantic impulses of the people who visit them for romantic or other inspiration...And what would Niagra look like if there were no more diversions, that it could just throw its whole self over the falls? It would look like Waits' mojo at the House of Blues...
I mean, blistering. Any sense of doubt about the 1:30 start and it being a school night were destroyed and a collective consciousness transcended...As was explained perfectly by Glittergirl, Tom was the generator of it but also a participant in it. He just let it all out, brought out the megaphone and the glitter and everything. He gutted himself and everyone else.
Again, I will leave most of the song details for later or others, but it was better than I could have possibly imagined...the only repeat from Akron to Cleveland was Make it Rain, and the Cleveland version was far better...he was content to bark it out in Akron, in Cleveland he worked its subtleties...the thing I was saying about his vocal range, he exercised more of it, put in more shrill and swagger(i.e. Temptation), and he extended it.
Duke...was on his game at the House of Blues...hats off, his solos were kick a*s, Blue Valentines to choose one of several...
Tom leading the band into unfamiliar territory, his whistles and his hands conducting while he sang...
The audience partipation request in Rains on Me...brilliant
Then his moves (previously mentioned again) on Buzz Fledderjohn which, although an unlikely closer, was this huge group of release of something good and wicked and he brought in the audience generously and he was as good and controlled and crazy as he's capable of and he just destroyed ths HOB. F*!king killed it.
I was at both shows. The Cleveland setlist was better, but both were amazing.
Thank you with all my heart to Mr. Waits for this amazing tour.We would all love to see you back soon, But I look forward new records just as much.
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you all for adding the details I was looking for in this Cleveland HOB concert. Setlists are great but I also love hearing about the little details, so thanks. I am amazed that he did a whole new set after doing the whole show in Akron; I figured the second show would be scaled back. Boy was I wrong!
Now It'll be harder to wait for the new album... Even more when I think of those 3-4 cameras stacked in the Akron Civic Theatre...
One mans journey from New Orleans:Like to here it,here it goes.
Mundane alert #1
Got two tickets from ticketbastard
left coworkers in a fog,said i had tickets for the Beatles.
Mundane alert #2
Found Euclid av and 9th thought of a dirty book store.Gave a bum a cigarette.
Found the Madhatter on Prosprect av
bought a porkpie hat and a big bag of tube socks, the socks on impluse.
Mundane alert #3
Sat. went to the rocknroll hall of fame.Paranoia set in,cant die before tom,mean streets with walking tombstones,fastcars, and big empty buildings.
No inkling of Tom in the hall of fame not even a suit from the salvation army.
Mundane alert #4
Sunday: Gave an old woman all my change, she call my bluff by rattling her cup.Bought Black Rider
in an obselete record store.Sported my porkpie hat.
Mundane alert #5
Sunday nite 1:00 against the stage
Kyle and his silent wife,a big guy from Syrucuse, and a small guy from Utica,sang Innocent When You Dream.Standing in beer,sporting my porkpie hat the curtain parted and
Doctor Bliss slipped me a preparation
Mundane alert #6
Thursday as I was leaving the NASA
facility in New Orleans to home then the airport for Cleveland,A chicken ran across the street before me,now this chicken had no business in this area of New Orleans,but somehow I understood Tom..
A couple other subtle differences between the shows...At Cleveland the band was already on stage and a curtain was simply pulled back when the show started. The overall light show was not as dramatic as it had been at other shows. Also, he didn't use the baby grand piano. He used a much smaller one and even commented on it at some point saying something about "I know, I know, the piano needs more body."
DOES ANYONE REMEMBER WHAT TOM'S MONOLOGUE BEFORE THE PIAONO SET WAS ABOUT?
did anyone get into the HOB show that did not have tickets already? we were at the akron show and considered driving into cleveland and waiting without tickets but decided to go to the lime spider instead.
Before the piano set, Tom's monologue was about how you have to RENT shoes for bowling, which is like renting underware. (The years of germs contained in bowling shoes seemed to skeeve him out. Who can blame him?)
I heard he said something to the effect of, "There's only one thing better than roses on your piano... tulips on your organ." as he sat at the piano.
beuroncannon! you were the nice fella from New Orleans with the pork pie hat that said Tom Waits on it, right? I dont think we were introduced, but i think i kept looking over my shoulder at you guys (was that your wife/girlfriend with you?) and exchanging excited smiles while suffering through eric clapton video footage. Me and my girlfriend were right next to Kyle and his wife, who we were supposed to exchange contact info with but never got to :(
i was the tall red headed guy with a hat on...sorry if my fat head got in anybodys way. :/
Dear redheaded guy with the big head:
I am that one,still smiling.Good to hear from you.innocent when you dream,Kyle/love to you and your
family big guy.
didn't he also play Down, Down, Down? Am I crazy?
Good to see the cluster from the front-center have all found the way home.
we were right behind the fella from Philadelphia, and to the side of the fella from N.O. - we were the two from Pittsburgh.
Great show.
Thanks to sound guy L for the special gift at the HOB show - Happy birthday!
And thanks to every great person I met throughout the trip...
-NYC
Yeah it was a great show, except for the "yellers" right behind me and my buddy. Along with his girlfriend stepping on my toes, spilling drinks on me and breathing on my neck. I understand how the fight happenend in Akron, it almost happened in Cleveland, too. I still loved the show along with the Detroit show. Quite a weekend. I could rant but I won't spoil 2 of the nicest shows I've seen in awhile. Thanks to the other 99.9999% great listeners.
@ Gene Felice and Anonymous: I deleted a comment from you. If you give me an e-mail (or contact me at eyeball@gmail.com), I'll be happy to explain why.
hey! the couple from pittsburgh! if i remember correctly you guys were couple who seemed really nice and i was terrified of being in the way of. Great concert, great people. awesome.
Robyn whoever you are THANK YOU!!!! i know someone who might be able to clear out the backround noise so if you wanna give me an e-mail i will let you know if we can... but once again THANK YOU!!! i so wanted to go to that show and just couldnt... saw him in detroit though and that was amazing.. oh ya e-mail address is wellumok@aim.com
@ Robyn: I deleted your comment. If you give me an e-mailaddress I'll be happy to explain why.
I've never heard the song buzz fledderjohn. What album is it from?
Buzz Fledderjohn was on the UK release of Mule Variations...also done by John Hammond on his Waits cover album Wicked Grin...also will be released on Orphans...
orphans... ??? A guy in front of me was wearing a orphans tour T-shirt -- where can a guy find one of those? Also, this one has been bugging me for awhile last spring I travelled through nelson BC up into revelstoke and beyond, while there late one night on Canadian Bravo TV there was a Tom Waits concert / documentary looking like it was shot in the 50's at an old movie theatre it shifted between commentary of some sort into live performances by Tom performing with a mechanics light hanging from his mic. Anyway, that was my first exposer to Tom and inspired me to check out this tour which was as wild as the film -- anybody know where I can buy an orphans tour T-shirt or this video I am explaining. I even tried contacting Bravo Canada at one time to see what it was called.
I just punched buzz fledderjohn into itunes and found it both on John Hammonds album and on an album "Connections 2" limited edition jackalope records 2004 just downloaded both -- check out beaver's tarantella by hot fritattas on this album if this doesn't inspire Tom to tour southern italy.....
I know this probably seems like a dumb question, but where can I get "It rains on me"? Has this ever been recorded?
It Rains on Me is on Chuck E. Weiss's Extremely Cool.
The Orphans T-Shirts were made by a couple of kids out of WI. I'm surprised they made it to Cleveland. Wait, no I'm not. Best dmn 5 shows I ever saw in two weeks!
3rd Time seeing TW (twice in 99), what a show, I don't think any of us regular folks will ever have the opportunity to see Mr. Waits in such a "barroom" type venue again.
With JJ in the box along with what appeared to be TW's daughter and possibly his wife and son, the setting was intimate to say the least.
No critical review of the show here, just trying to mentally digest what happened that evening.
Fantastic.
The line was too long waaaaaaaaaaaaah
They didn't start until 1:30AM waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
Loved every minute of it, it's all about the expereince
I've seen the Orphans tees on ebay.
A little too high of a price for my
wallet.Also the Ctown show was not
on the shirt.
P.S. come onn 11-21!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just following up the Buzz Fledderjohn comments - I never realized this, but my copy of Mule Variations (which I bought in Australia) has two bonus tracks being "Buzz Fledderjohn" and "Big Face Money"
Glittergirl! ~ You asked if Tom threw glitter at any other show...well, I was only at Asheville, and I didn't see any glitter...so maybe he just knew you were there! :)
one can also download Buzz for free on amazon, just search the song title in the download section.
I'm a bit late on this blog: But, here is my two cents worth. I have been following him since 1976. Saw him for the first time in Manhattan 1987. Then again for a benefit gig in Oakland,CA. Twice for the Mule Variations tour (Oakland's Paramount & L.A.'s Wiltren Theatre). Now, I have just seen him twice; Detroit Opera House and Akron Civic Center. Guess you could call me a Raindog.
He was at his peak in 1987 (voice wise. To hear him shout out Shore Leave back then was shrilling!).
Artistically/performer wise, I like the Wiltren gig I saw. Will I see him still? Any damn chance I get. He's my favorite and one of the best!
you can now download the entire cleveland show for a small fee here: http://www.mp3stor.com/albums/84/126/
scroll down to the "bootlegs" section. this was just added on 9/10/06
beuroncannon - thanks for helping this rain dog's uncle. With out your extra help we would have lost our way...killer hat!:
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