Califone Living Room Show Tour

[M. (hristine]

I caught this tour in Dallas last week. One of the best shows I've seen in a long time... Honestly, I think the new songs were the best ones, too. I'm seriously stoked for this new record now. Seems like it will be more song-oriented and less sprawling than Funeral Singers... maybe closer to Roots & Crowns.

Funeral Singers is probably my favorite album in a decade, so I wouldn't have minded...

 

I was just surprised at the personal aspect of the lyrics. Angela Bettis (Tim's significant other/actress/Zel in the FS film/merch girl) is traveling with them. The songs were clearly about their relationship. Tim kept looking at her and even asked at one point, "You ok?" 

 

Do you know the wonderful musician traveling with him?

[MattZ]

I will be at the NYC and Brooklyn shows and will report back. Can't wait!

[augustus westerberg]

Trying to imagine Electric Fence without drums & just can't, but will hear for myself soon enough in Ottawa & Toronto I hope. Will also report back here. Someone posted a few nice pics on Califone's facebook page, looks like just a duo - anyone know who the other musician is? 5 more days, can't hardly wait....

[LouieB]

ahhhh, i'm so stoked!  this will be my first time seeing Califone...and in this intimate of a setting!  can't wait.

 

any word on whether Jim Becker and Ben Massarella will be re-joining in the future?

No Jim Becker?  But they are calling this Califone? 

 

LouieB

[M. (hristine]

Trying to imagine Electric Fence without drums & just can't, but will hear for myself soon enough in Ottawa & Toronto I hope. Will also report back here. Someone posted a few nice pics on Califone's facebook page, looks like just a duo - anyone know who the other musician is? 5 more days, can't hardly wait....

You will be amazed what two guys can do.

 

[M. (hristine]

No Jim Becker? But they are calling this Califone?

 

LouieB

If Wikepedia is to be believed, Califone is Tim Rutili and whomever he wants to play with.

[LouieB]

If Wikepedia is to be believed, Califone is Tim Rutili and whomever he wants to play with.

I am sure this is true, just as Wilco is Jeff Tweedy and whomever he asks to play with him.  I know Jim and just didn't know he wasn't working with him at that time.

 

LouieB

[M. (hristine]

Right but Becker has been touring with Iron and Wine.

[LouieB]

Right but Becker has been touring with Iron and Wine.

Is he still?  I wasn't sure.

 

LouieB

[M. (hristine]

Yeah, I don't know the current status of that tour.I just got the idea that this was a low key tour to perform the new songs live in a venue Tim called 'healthier' for him. Up until a month or so ago Tim wasn't sure even who was going out with him. When I asked him about the release date for the album, another guy said that wasn't soon enough and Tim replied that it was plenty soon. That Iron and Wine tour was fairly extensive I think. Adamik, Massarella and Becker might just be taking the summer off.

 

This is all conjecture and assumptions born out of pretty limited conversation with Tim.

[LouieB]

Maybe I will ask Jim if I ever see him. It all seems strange. I don't know how happy those guys were playing with Iron and Wine anyway,, but it paid the bills.

 

LouieB

[M. (hristine]

As I said earlier in this thread, I'm assuming that with the September release of Stitches, some rendition of the whole band will be touring.

[DrNo]

As I said earlier in this thread, I'm assuming that with the September release of Stitches, some rendition of the whole band will be touring.

Tim told us there would be a full band tour this fall with two drummers and the whole bit. Didn't say exactly who it would be though.

[M. (hristine]

Tim told us there would be a full band tour this fall with two drummers and the whole bit. Didn't say exactly who it would be though.

Oh thank baby Jesus. Now Lou can sleep easy.

 

How was the show?

[MattZ]

NYC and Brooklyn were great shows. The new songs sound great and everyone is in for a treat when the album drops in sept. Especially movie music kills a kiss and Moses. Amazing that Tim can still be coming out with new stuff that sends chills. Both set lists were pretty similar but Brooklyn closed with a cover of the Stones' no expectations which was simply sublime. Tim asked how many people at the Brooklyn show had been there the prior night, and I was one of the 4 nerds to raise my hand. A great two nights.

[calvino]

NYC and Brooklyn were great shows. The new songs sound great and everyone is in for a treat when the album drops in sept. Especially movie music kills a kiss and Moses. Amazing that Tim can still be coming out with new stuff that sends chills. Both set lists were pretty similar but Brooklyn closed with a cover of the Stones' no expectations which was simply sublime. Tim asked how many people at the Brooklyn show had been there the prior night, and I was one of the 4 nerds to raise my hand. A great two nights.

 

 

The Stones played No Expectations for the first time on this tour on the 8th in San Jose. Would have been cool to hear Rutili play it.

[M. (hristine]

NYC and Brooklyn were great shows. The new songs sound great and everyone is in for a treat when the album drops in sept. Especially movie music kills a kiss and Moses. Amazing that Tim can still be coming out with new stuff that sends chills. Both set lists were pretty similar but Brooklyn closed with a cover of the Stones' no expectations which was simply sublime. Tim asked how many people at the Brooklyn show had been there the prior night, and I was one of the 4 nerds to raise my hand. A great two nights.

I'm still hungover from last week.

Can not wait for Stitches and an autumn tour.

 

Also, Wil Hendricks is the other half of the livingroom tour duo.

 

http://loftypillars.com/hendricksbio.htm

[augustus westerberg]

Only 4 nerds made it to both NYC & Brooklyn? I'm doing a 900+ km round trip to Ottawa for tomorrow's show, then back for Toronto show Monday, I'm gonna be the super nerd of this tour! Would have considered Montreal tonight too but I bought Breeders tickets months ago & the show is walking distance from my apartment. Have to save some mileage for the album release tour later on! So excited for tomorrow & Monday.

[augustus westerberg]

Ottawa was great, there was a female singer "Jesse" with them who sang on all the new songs (5!) and a few of the old ones too, and played some harmonica. Bottles & Bones devolved into an effects pedals freak-out after the bridge & they never came back to finish it, too bad since the backing vocals were sounding great on that tune with the extra voice. Not that I didn't enjoy the "Space" segment, I definitely did. Such a treat to hear that amazing music in such an intimate setting, without a bar full of drunks and scene-makers babbling over it. Looking forward to Toronto show tonight, the local hockey team is in a deciding game 7, kind of a big deal around here to put it mildly, wouldn't surprise me if there were a few no-shows because of it. Ottawa setlist:

 

Orchids

Funeral Singers

Michigan Girls

Vampiring Again

Stepdaughter

Movie Music

Moses

Electric Fence>

(new song)

Fisherman's Wife

Bottles & Bones

Stitches

No Expectations

(new song)

[mountain bed]

The Stones played No Expectations for the first time on this tour on the 8th in San Jose. Would have been cool to hear Rutili play it.

My old buddy Basil II sent me a Califone mix tape about '05, and at the end of one disc was No Expectations. That thing just sunk me so deep into the chair. Still one of my favorite covers ever, no kidding.

[augustus westerberg]

Toronto setlist was almost identical to Ottawa, they did Braindead in place of No Expectations and returned to finish Bottles & Bones this time after the Space-y interlude. The new songs are sounding really great, Stitches can't get here soon enough and hopefully some nearby dates on a fall tour!

[M. (hristine]

Toronto setlist was almost identical to Ottawa, they did Braindead in place of No Expectations and returned to finish Bottles & Bones this time after the Space-y interlude. The new songs are sounding really great, Stitches can't get here soon enough and hopefully some nearby dates on a fall tour!

[KevinG]

New (non living room) tour dates and plus listen to the title track to the forthcoming Stitches.  

 

http://pitchfork.com/news/51154-califone-announce-new-album-stitches-share-title-track-plot-tour/

 

Like the sound, though Tim is sounding more an more like Bowie (not old Bowie but current Bowie).  

[M. (hristine]

New (non living room) tour dates and plus listen to the title track to the forthcoming Stitches.  

 

http://pitchfork.com/news/51154-califone-announce-new-album-stitches-share-title-track-plot-tour/

 

Like the sound, though Tim is sounding more an more like Bowie (not old Bowie but current Bowie).  

I heard the first seconds of this and was reminded of Tim Hurley's vocals and sound in Sin Ropas.

[mpolak21]

My old buddy Basil II sent me a Califone mix tape about '05, and at the end of one disc was No Expectations. That thing just sunk me so deep into the chair. Still one of my favorite covers ever, no kidding.

 

I miss Robert, are you in touch with him at all these days? He put me in touch with a lot of a great stuff when I first starting posting here. He and M. Chris led me right to Quicksand/Cradlesnakes and Califone has been one of favorite bands ever since. I owe my Califone and Jon Brion obsessions to this place for sure.