Ray LaMontagne Live, 11-03-2008, recap w/audio

The clouds crack and growl
Like some great cat on the prowl…

-Winter Birds

On a rainy November 3rd, I went to see Ray LaMontagne at Oakland’s beautiful Paramount Theatre. The night was full of anticipation and excitement both because of the historic election that was coming the next day, and because we were about to hear Ray sing. At quiet moments between songs, people in the crowd yelled out refereneces to Obama like “Change is coming!” and the song request “Jolene!” in about equal parts. It was a happy night.

The theater was beautiful. It was a beautiful show. We had beautiful seats. Ray was beautiful.

I don’t know what else to say, except that “Gossip in the Grain” is a great album, and if you get the chance to see Ray live I really hope you do. He casts a spell and you just fall in…

Here’s the set list with some samples of my recording of the show:

1. You Are the Best Thing
2. Hold You In My Arms
3. Let It Be Me

4. I Still Care For You
5. Empty
6. Henry Almost Killed Me

7. Narrow Escape

8. Meg White
9. Burn

10. Winter Birds

11. Hey Me, Hey Mama
12. You Can Bring Me Flowers

13. Shelter
14. Trouble

-encore-
15. Three More Days
16. Jolene
-second encore-
17. Gossip In The Grain

Downloads to follow in a few days…(except for the two dudes in the second row who talked through ‘Empty.’ No downloads for you!)

Oh, and I’ll just come right out and say I’d love some comments on this one…either on this recording, or on the album “Gossip in the Grain” or on Ray or whatever…Please share your thoughts!

ETA: download of this show HERE.

Lyle Lovett, August 1 2008, Flac and mp3

Lyle Lovett
Saratoga Mountain Winery
Saratoga, California
August 1, 2008

source: SP-CMC-20>SP-SPSB-9>Edirol R-09
location: 11th row, far to the right.
conversion: R09>Audacity>CD Wave>FLAC Frontend
taper: T&Jam

Hear samples in my recap post here.

This was my favorite Lyle concert ever, and I’ve been to many of them. I wish the recording was a bit better, but I love it anyway.

Disc 1

1) Church
2) I Will Rise Up
3) Make It Happy
4) No Big Deal
5) banter>Private Conversation
6) If I Were the Man You Wanted
7) Truck Song
8 ) banter
9) This Old Porch
10) banter
11) Cowboy Man
12) banter

Disc 2

1) Penguins
2) Cute As a Bug
3) banter
4) Give Back My Heart
5) Long Tall Texan
6) Don’t Cry a Tear
7) banter
8 ) South Texas Girl
9) All Downhill from Here
10) banter
11) You Were Always There
12) banter

Disc 3

1) Keep It in Your Pantry
2) Up in Indiana
3) Happy Birthday Mitch
4) If I Had a Boat
5) She’s No Lady
6) North Dakota
7) My Baby Don’t Tolerate
8 ) That’s Right, You’re Not from Texas
9) I’m Going to Wait>I’m Going to the Place
10) Aint No More Cain
11) audience noise
12) Soldier in the Army Of The Lord

Download FLAC files here.
Download mp3 files here.

Back Door Slam, Oct 3 2008, FLAC and mp3 Download

Back Door Slam
Hotel Utah
San Francisco, California
October 3, 2008

source: SP-CMC-20>SP-SPSB-9>Edirol R-09
location: front of balcony, almost directly over the band
conversion: R09>CD Wave>FLAC Frontend
taper: T&Jam (tandjam@hotmail.com)

Hear samples in my recap post here.

Disc 1

1) Intro
2) Outside Woman Blues
3) –crowd noise- new amp brought in –
4) Heavy On My Mind
5) –crowd noise- “no monitor”
6) Riding With The King
7) –crowd noise- “technical grumblings”
8 ) Gotta Leave
9) Almost Cut My Hair
10) Tear Down The Walls
11) Come Home

Disc 2

1) Hoochie Coochie Man
2) Back Door Slam
3) Country Girl
4) Won’t Let It Happen
5) It’ll come Around
6) What in the Word
7) –crowd noise- calling for encore
8 ) Encore- Been Down So Long>???>Red House

Download Flac files of the show here.
Download MP3 files of the show here.

Oh Happy Day!

November 4th, what a happy day! And now it’s November 5th, and even happier day, because we have had longer to accept that it is true. We did it.  And we could have done it all along, we just needed to believe (and vote).  We just needed hope.

Group hug, America.  Group hug.

Now let’s sing and dance and give thanks.

Lord forgive me for misappropriating this song,  but I woke up today with it just about bursting out of my heart…