Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins

[Mystik Spiral]

First off, I have to admit that I was WAAAAAAAAAY late in coming to the Rilo Kiley party. I had never heard of them until early this year, when I kept hearing all this buzz about the new Jenny Lewis album. I think I checked out Rabbit Fur Coat before I got into Rilo Kiley... either way I am totally enamored of both bands. I think that Rilo Kiley is my current favorite band - a dead heat with the Eels, anyway.

 

I have a huge girl crush on Jenny Lewis. HUGE. So when I found out a month or so ago that she was coming to Denver I was ever so excited. September 30 at the Fillmore. I thought.... wow, the Fillmore is a really big venue for JL and The Watson Twins to be playing. They played a date at the Bluebird over the summer that I missed (for which I subsequently and repeatedly kicked myself). I'm terrible at estimations, but I'd have to guess that the capacity of the Fillmore is at least 4x that of the Bluebird.

 

I didn't think much of it though... at least until I got my ticket in the mail:

 

 

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!? Live Nation advertised this show as "Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins". At least when I first found out about the show. I bought the ticket through the ducatking website, and no mention was made of the North Mississippi Allstars. I should have known. It wouldn't really have made a difference - I mean I would have gone anyway. But I was really juiced for a JL show, not a JL opening set. And maybe it's me, but JL and North Mississippi Allstars seems like quite an odd pairing. Oh well.

 

On to the show. They opened with Run Devil Run - a severely different version than that on the album. But it was awesome. Then on to The Big Guns. After that, I can only say what songs they played... I have no memory for such things as song order. They played the following songs from RFC:

 

Rise Up With Fists!!!

Happy

The Charging Sky (my favorite on the album!)

Melt Your Heart

You Are What You Love

Handle With Care

 

There was a song where the girls sang a capella - the parts I remember are something like this: sunday I missed him, wednesday I dated him, thursday he didn't call, friday he did, saturday I dumped him. Ha ha, that is totally paraphrased, but it was beautiful.

 

There was a song that included the lyrics "I'll treat you kind, I'll rob you blind", and a song called Jack Killed Mom. I don't know if these were covers, or what.

 

She also did two new songs. One was called Fernando and was very catchy and had some great dance moves by the girls... The other was Jenny and her guitar with the rest of the band singing into the mic. The chorus was "I'm A Liar". Also about building fires and whatnot. It was fabulous. Neither new song sounded remotely like a Rilo Kiley song, so it'll be interesting to find out what she does with them. I wouldn't be too upset about another JL & TWT album down the line.

 

They ended the set with Born Secular and left the stage in phases... Jenny and the twins first, then the steel guit player and bassist, then the guitarist, finally the drummer. Stupid Fillmore teased us by letting us cheer wildly for about a minute and a half before turning up the lights & house music. So no encore. Pisser.

 

Jenny has just the most amazing voice. Her albums don't do her any justice at all. Although there were 7 people on stage, I was completely mesmerized by her the entire evening. Whatever it was that made her forego her acting career for a life of music has brightened this world and made us all very lucky people indeed.

 

I had been debating (since receiving my ticket!) whether to stay for the Mississippi Allstars or not. I've never listened to them, but really have never had the desire to. I would have been willing to give them a chance, but it was about 800 degrees inside the theatre and I was very sleepy after drinking beer all afternoon at my parents' house. Also, I was there alone and not really in a "talking to strangers" kind of mood. When Jenny thanked the "Mississippi Allstars" for letting them play, I took it as a sign and left after her set.

 

It was kind of humorous to see the place after it was made clear there would be no encore. Kind of like a changing of the guard - all the JL fans were pouring out as the NMAS fans were pouring in. There were a LOT of people who left at the same time as I did.

 

Overall, I'm pleased. It was a great show... kind of a bummer to pay $25 for an hour long JL set, but it was still worth it. I just wish Jenny was getting most of my money.....

[Preferred B]

Thanks for the report, Bridget! I'm seeing Jenny on Tuesday, and I'm very excited.

[gogo]

Bridget, I just had to go and check my ticket to be sure! We've got tickets for the show at the Fillmore here, but as far as I can tell, they're headlining. Sucks to find that out at the last minute, but it sounds like you had a cool (pre)birthday night out anyway.

[Albert Tatlock]

a song called Jack Killed Mom

This was introduced as a 'new song' when I saw her, and was possibly my favourite of the night. Like you said, there's plenty to anticipate for a follow up album.

[rareair]

This was introduced as a 'new song' when I saw her, and was possibly my favourite of the night. Like you said, there's plenty to anticipate for a follow up album.

 

agreed. that was one of my favorites as well.

[watch me fall]

I saw Jenny and the twins over 6 months ago and still get the chills when I think about it. Hopefully this time around they have better opening acts.