Mr. Heartbreak Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Jealous AgainThick N' ThinHotel IllnessMovin' On Down the LineSister LuckMedicated GooWiser TimeThe Garden GateShe Talks to AngelsHigh Head BluesThorn in My PrideSoul SingingNonfictionRemedyHard to Handle > Hush > Hard to Handle E: Peace AnywayWillin' Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday night by any means. The Mahaffey Theater is a big old musty theater in downtown St. Pete, right on the water (hmm, would anyone ever associate the words old and musty with St. Pete? Nah...), and it was my first time there for a show. The guys seemed to be in fine form, but they should fire their sound man. Maybe they have been playing a lot of outdoor gigs or places with shitty acoustics, but I can't imagine this Mahaffey joint is normally a shitty place to see a show. The acoustics should be good, and this was one of the worst-sounding shows I have seen in some time. When Blue Oyster Cult opened for Aerosmith, it sounded worse than this, but not much. The bottom end was a muddy mess, and Chris's vocals never really punched through the mix like they should. It got somewhat better throughout the night, but not enough. In fact, the instruments I had the hardest time hearing were 1) The keyboards, and 2) Chris's voice. Fail. All that being said, the crowd was into it, and Chris seemed to be having a ball up there, with lots of smiles throughout the night. His brother is one dour dude, though. After a while, I started watching him just to see if he ever cracked a smile. He did not. You'd think he would be happier than a pig in shit, since this is probably the biggest payday he will get this decade, but he looked like he was at a funeral. Sort of a Jay Farrar vibe. Anyway, it was still a decent time, and I don't regret taking a chance on seeing them. Surprised they ended with Willin' for sure. That might have bummed out some hard rock fans in the crowd, but it made my night. Hell, Uncle Tupelo covered that old war horse back in the day... Enough rambling...time for bed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
suites Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Thanks for the review. On my way to venue for tonight show HOB Orlando. I am pissed that i will not get willin. Maybe we will get Dixie down or sweet nothin or stones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 My pleasure. Hope the sound there is better than it was at The Mahaffey. If not, at least you know to keep your expectations somewhat low. If you get clear, clean, crisp sound, you are doing better than me last night! Whatever the case, they put on a good performance. My first time seeing them, and it was enjoyable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shug Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Rich is always that way. He just doesn't smile. It doesn't mean he's bummed out or angry, its just his introverted personality. I've met him and he's a real even-tempered calm guy, but friendly enough, if kinda shy. I'd like it if he rocked out a little bit on stage and was more expressive, but it just ain't gonna happen. Chris' personality, obviously, is suited for the frontman role and Rich is the reserved riff-meister, the musical genius behind most of their songs. Them being so different is probably part of why they have had such a volatile history. Glad you enjoyed the show. They are far past their prime, IMO, but they are still one of the last real rock 'n' roll bands from the old school. They do know how to put on a good rock show, still far better than most bands IMO, even if its gotten a lot more folky/singer-songwriter-y and less hard rocking over the years. When I saw them in Chicago last month, they NAILED Ry Cooder's Boomer's Story. They do Willin' real good, too. I love that stuff, myself. You should hear 'em do Roll 'Em Easy, that is sweet! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 Thanks for the info. I am a casual fan at best (I didn't even recognize Thick 'N Thin), but they were a decent night out. Honestly, it made me appreciate Wilco that much more. We have really gotten spoiled by so many great performances by Jeff and the guys. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
suites Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Great show in Orlando. Sound was great. Standard set list. Pretty much all of the southern companion and many off the first. Sounded really good. I caught a few smiles from rich. Love the hard to handle / hush. First time at HOB in Orlando. Very nice venue Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 Great show in Orlando. Sound was great. Standard set list. Pretty much all of the southern companion and many off the first. Sounded really good. I caught a few smiles from rich. Love the hard to handle / hush. First time at HOB in Orlando. Very nice venueCool! Glad they got the sound right...And I am amazed that Rich smiled. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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