Making history, folks
Tonight, I was part of history in the making. Chris Thile and the How to Grow a Band played their first ever triple-encore at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard, Washington. You heard it hear first, folks...er, unless you were at the Tractor.
My desire to hear "Set Me Up With One of Your Friends," "Ophelia," or anything pre-Deceiver (or, for that matter, anything from Deceiver besides "Ready For Anything") continues to be thwarted; however, the show was still fantastic. They played "The Beekeeper," which always rocks to the very core of my existence and is all I can ever really ask for. Actually, they did everything from How to Grow a Woman From the Ground except "I'm Yours If You Want Me." Outside of that album, they also did what I really hope is a new song, but may be a cover I haven't heard yet, called "I Will You Will"; another new one about the devil, which Gabe sang (I really love his voice, so this was almost compensation for them not doing "Ophelia"); "Ready For Anything" remains the only song I've ever heard them do from Deceiver, and the new arrangement is really, really good; one song of Pickles' and one of Bryan's; and if there was more than that, I've forgotten it.
The How to Grow a Band wins for best stage banter ever, particularly between Chris and Pickles. That's really one of the highlights of the show. Once again, Chris accused Seattle of having some kind of conspiracy with the Weather Channel, since whenever he comes here the weather is awesome.
You know the way it always goes at shows these days; the band "finishes," leaves the stage, waits a few minutes, and comes back for an "encore." People expect it, that's just the way things are. They did two more songs, said goodbye, and left again. A few people left, but most everyone kept clapping and cheering. I thought, "Oh, this is silly, nobody ever does two encores. They're tired, they want to have a drink and shmooze." But people kept at it, and eventually they came back on stage to do "If the Sea Was Whiskey," which is so very good live. Chris commented that this was only the second time that they ever did a second encore, and that he felt like it was right that their only two double-encores should be in New York and Seattle. When they left the stage again, everyone continued to clap and cheer, and at this point I couldn't help getting swept up in it and cheering along. I could hardly believe it when they came out again. "Goodbye, New York," Chris said as they began to play, which either refers to the fact that we beat them for the most encores, or means that he's going to move here. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?
In closing, despite the fact that I wore my lucky mandolin underwear, Chris Thile and I did not run away together tonight.
Maybe next time.
My desire to hear "Set Me Up With One of Your Friends," "Ophelia," or anything pre-Deceiver (or, for that matter, anything from Deceiver besides "Ready For Anything") continues to be thwarted; however, the show was still fantastic. They played "The Beekeeper," which always rocks to the very core of my existence and is all I can ever really ask for. Actually, they did everything from How to Grow a Woman From the Ground except "I'm Yours If You Want Me." Outside of that album, they also did what I really hope is a new song, but may be a cover I haven't heard yet, called "I Will You Will"; another new one about the devil, which Gabe sang (I really love his voice, so this was almost compensation for them not doing "Ophelia"); "Ready For Anything" remains the only song I've ever heard them do from Deceiver, and the new arrangement is really, really good; one song of Pickles' and one of Bryan's; and if there was more than that, I've forgotten it.
The How to Grow a Band wins for best stage banter ever, particularly between Chris and Pickles. That's really one of the highlights of the show. Once again, Chris accused Seattle of having some kind of conspiracy with the Weather Channel, since whenever he comes here the weather is awesome.
You know the way it always goes at shows these days; the band "finishes," leaves the stage, waits a few minutes, and comes back for an "encore." People expect it, that's just the way things are. They did two more songs, said goodbye, and left again. A few people left, but most everyone kept clapping and cheering. I thought, "Oh, this is silly, nobody ever does two encores. They're tired, they want to have a drink and shmooze." But people kept at it, and eventually they came back on stage to do "If the Sea Was Whiskey," which is so very good live. Chris commented that this was only the second time that they ever did a second encore, and that he felt like it was right that their only two double-encores should be in New York and Seattle. When they left the stage again, everyone continued to clap and cheer, and at this point I couldn't help getting swept up in it and cheering along. I could hardly believe it when they came out again. "Goodbye, New York," Chris said as they began to play, which either refers to the fact that we beat them for the most encores, or means that he's going to move here. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?
In closing, despite the fact that I wore my lucky mandolin underwear, Chris Thile and I did not run away together tonight.
Maybe next time.