Here you go...it's a long recount but hope you enjoy the old posts. :)
Keith......
From: Michael Ecker
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 00:27:20 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Philly: the Sidewalk Concert
Setlist for TLA, Philly 7/16/95
Curious
I Hear You Say So
Surreal
That's all, folks...the shortest IM set to date, live on South Street.
Not in the building--in the street. As Bono might say, Rock and Roll
Stops the Traffic.
It turned out that TLA lost all their power due to a small fire that
knocked out their transformer. I arrived early to meet with Gary Goldman
and buy his extra ticket (BTW, it was nice meeting you and I enjoyed
your company during the "wait"). The power was out then, and the gig was
a question mark. Just after 8 PM we were told to return at 8:45, at
which time they would know for sure whether or not the show would go on.
This gave me a chance to stroll a few blocks to Tower Records, where I
located a rare copy of _My Love_ by Pet Clark, an excellent find (all
right, I'm an eclectic weirdo, what can I tell you?).
We came back to the TLA, and they confirmed that the show was off, but
in a highly professional effort to redeem the evening, the band came out
to the sidewalk--Don and Karen on acoustics, Mike on upright bass (which
I believe he borrowed from James' bass player), and Steve on snare--and
did a mini-set of the aforementioned 3 songs. The crowd was delighted
and appreciative--I know I was. Even without amplification, they were
just loud enough to be heard by the entire crowd that now spilled onto
the street. Everyone leaned in and kept quiet, and it worked perfectly.
It all happened so quickly that I didn't have time to get my DAT gear
together and roll tape, but the recording conditions were less than
optimal anyhow, so I just took it all in and had a good time.
When it ended, they apologized for the aborted gig, and they went back
inside the building. The novelty of the situation--and the spirit the band
displayed in taking it to the street and making the best of it--left
everyone with a good feeling, despite the long wait and the humid,
sticky weather. I spoke briefly with James Boggia, who I was looking
forward to seeing again (and taping this time). Like everybody else, he
was taking it in stride. I hope when they reschedule, he gets the opening
slot again. Go Frieda!
After saying my goodbyes to Gary and James (and Bill Howard, who turned
up just in time for the sidewalk set), I noticed that the band was
hanging out in front and talking to fans, signing autographs, etc. I
normally don't approach people, but this time I made it a point to corner
Mike Bitts and introduce myself. He said that they would reschedule the
date sometime after the tour ended. Although this subject was covered
before, I chose to ask him face to face about stealth taping and how he
felt about it. He said it was no problem, and in fact he *liked* the idea
that "someone was getting this stuff down" on tape. I even pulled out my
gear from the bag and showed it to him. Really nice guy.
So that's it people.....IM reduced to playing on the street for their
supper. If there was an open guitar case, I'd have thrown in a dollar :)
Mick
========
From: Gordon Rice
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 01:24:10 -0400
Subject: TLA Show . . .
It's really very strange. I hadn't been planning to go the Philly TLA
show this evening. Fact is, I'd been expecting to be out of town,
meaning that the show would have been added to the very short list of
Philadelphia Innocence Mission shows I *haven't* seen since 1987.
It turned out I was in town after all.
Without a ticket, I showed up at the TLA at 7:30 and was informed that
while tickets were still available, the show was in doubt due to a
Philadelphia Electric transformer having quit.
At 8:45, an announcement was made that the show was off, but would be
rescheduled. Further, the band wanted to say something to those of us
who had waited outside in the heat.
Damned if they didn't come out and play three songs ("Curious," "I Hear
You Say So" and "Surreal") in the open air in the middle of South
Street. It was simply *lovely*. While I'd never had the experience of
hearing the band in such a totally acoustic setting, their performance
this evening surpassed any imagining I'd ever done.
Really weird coincidence: The last time The Innocence Mission played
the TLA was in December of 1989. Two nights were booked. The day of
the first show, something like 18 inches of snow fell in Philadelphia.
The show went on anyway--something like 50 of us made it to the theater
despite the weather. Nevertheless, I think it's a bit strange that
small disasters of various sorts keep interfering w/IM at the TLA.
Perhaps the band should consider the Trocadero instead? :)
Many thanks to the band for doing what they did; I thought it was really
special, one of the most memorable "shows" I've seen them do (and I've
seen a *lot* of really good ones over the years . . .)
- ----------------------------------------
Gordon Rice
Up too bloody late again . . ..
=============
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 15:12:16 -0400
Subject: Philly Show: An "Insider's" Report
A TRUE STORY
I thought it might be interesting for those of you who were at last night's
aborted TLA show to get some additional scraps of info from inside the
theatre (where most people never got the chance to reach, unfortunately).
I arrived at around 5:30, after getting lost in North Philly (I have an
infamous lack of sense of direction) and IM was already on stage in the
beginning of their soundcheck. Yes, there WAS power at this point and all
seemed to be going well, if a bit behind schedule.
I loaded in with the help of Don Peris (who really is the helpful sort),
found the rest of my band, and enjoyed what turned out to be the closest
thing to an Innocence Mission show inside the TLA last evening.
I believe it was during "That Was Another Country" that the power went out.
This was with the full band playing, the soundcheck having progressed past
the "okay, can I hear just the snare drum" phase.
CRUEL JOKE OF THE EVENING:
When the power went out, IM kept playing until the end of the tune. They had
assumed (as did I) that someone was just mucking with the house lights. What
I'm saying, if you haven't gotten it already is that THE POWER WENT OUT
THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING, EXCEPT ON STAGE. The lights onstage worked, the
sound worked, (almost everything else went dead). An interesting side note:
the power in the dressing rooms also mercifully remained in tact. Their's
had
a fan, so it became the communal room. The band was also quite generous with
their supply of cool beverages.
We were asked to set up and do a quick soundcheck, and then power everything
down. At this point, no one was quite sure how extensive the power outage
was, and the TLA crew wanted power off on stage as quickly as possible to
avoid the risk of gear getting fried. I have to say, the sound on stage was
really nice, certainly the best situation my band has played in. I was
geared
up for the show and not really facing the reality yet that there was a good
chance that it wasn't going to take place.
After soundcheck, it became a waiting game. We would get scraps of
information; there was an underground electrical fire across the street,
PECO
had a crew there, they couldn't yet estimate a time for the repair.
There was also conflicting info about whether or not the show could take
place with the power off. Electric Factory's (the promoter of the gig , NOT
to be confused with the PECO) 1st position was that they'd purchase a bunch
of flashlights, bring the audience in and try to play. Then, there was
concern about the gear on stage. Then they weren't sure. No one really knew
until about 10 minutes before it was announced to the "outside" world.
THE DELIBERATIONS
I thought you'd all be interested to know about the band deliberations
regarding the "to play or not to play" situation if the power remained off.
It was a good learning experience for me in how a band looks out for it's
audience. Karen and Don had a pretty long conversation about what would be
the right thing to do for people. They talked about the safety of the
audience, what the conditioons were like in the theatre comfort-wise
(actually, the un-air-conditioned theatre remained cooler than the dressing
room with the operating fan, but they were concerned about how quickly it
would heat up when 200 people came in and the lights (what there were) came
on). They also considered the price of the show, and what people should
expect for that. They considered the ramifications of playing a shorter set
if it got too unbearable. Like I said, I was really impressed by how much
thought they put into it.
THE STREET CONCERT
Even before it became clear that there would be no official show, the band
was talking about what songs they could play out in the street for the
people
who came down. When the decision to cancel was made (by the TLA btw, not the
band). the activity level jumped up a notch and people started gathering
what
they needed to play outside.
It was at this point that it was discovered that Don didn't have an acoustic
with him. Don asked me if he could rent mine (don't insult me!), and of
course I charged him plenty. No, joking. I told him I'd be more than happy
to
let him borrow it.
SIDEBAR: MY JAM WITH KAREN
In the dressing room earlier, Karen was playing through Curious. What a
@$%^)^* up guitar part that is! For those of you who play, she starts with
an
E in second position, then the second finger hits a C# in the bass for the
second chord. AND THEN SHE RAISES HER SECOND FINGER UP TO THE D SO THAT IT
IS
EXTENDING A FRET BEYOND WHERE HER 3RD AND 4TH FINGERS ARE PLANTED. As she
was
playing this, I looked up at what she was doing and expressed my utter
dismay. If you don't play, believe me, this is not human. She sort of
giggled
and said "Don, yells at me for playing it this way, but it works."
So, after going back to our dressing room to get my guitar, I figured "what
the heck" and asked Karen to show me how she did that (I'm too sly). So,
before you know it, we were playing through Curious together! This held up
their performance for those of you outside about 3 minutes. I do not care. I
cry no tears for you. I played Curious with Karen Peris and I will show no
remorse.
BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME
So, my acoustic in Don's hands, the IM proceded downstairs. Mike Bitts had
brought his acoustic guitar bass that he played on the TIn Angel shows with
him, so he was about to play that when Paul asked him if he'd like to use
the
upright. After they played, Mike said it had been about 10 years since he'd
played upright. I thought his intonation was astonishingly accurate for not
having picked up that beast of an instrumeny in that long.
As a musician trying to gather up a flock of supporters, I was really moved
by their performance outdoors, particularly their connection to and the
reception of the crowd. It was a very special thing and even though it was
only for three songs, I felt a great sense of community among band and
audience, kind of a "we're all in this together, struggling through"
feeling.
There was actually breif (and not wholly serious) discussion about us
opening
for them outside. We'd do one song, then they'd come out and do their three.
We figured, hey, let's give them a taste of the whole show. But, besides not
wanting to make people stand around and swelter for any longer than they
already had, the TLA had to disavow any connection to the street activity.
Basically, they were fearing a confrontation with the police if traffic got
tied up, etc.
Boy, I still have more to say, but I've rattled on long enough. Yes, if it
can be pulled off, we will be on the bill on the rescheduled date. We look
forward to getting a chanv ce to paly in front of IM fans soon.
A MAILING LIST MAINTENANCE NOTE TO KEITH (the rest of you are excused):
Keith, can you switch this list to my "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" address for the time
being? It will be logitically easier for me to get to, and IM and related
info is kinda becoming my lifeline right now. Thanks!
=======
From: HEATHER
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 20:36:25 -0400
Subject: IM at TLA
Last night's show at the TLA in Philly would have been (was?) my first IM
concert experience. Despite growing up (and still living in) Harrisburg,
only 45 minutes from IM's hometown of Lancaster, I have yet to see them live
in concert. That is why I was *determined* to make it to the Philly show,
even if I had to go alone. As you all know by now, there was a power outage
and they didn't perform. Which shouldn't have surprised me all that much
since bad vibes just seem to follow me everywhere. When they announced that
the band would come out to say a few words, I thought that was very nice of
them. Then they came out with their instruments and played 3 songs
acoustically. That was even nicer of them. After they played, I saw Don
and
Steve come back out into the lobby. I didn't stay too much longer so I
don't
know if Karen and Mike came out later. I was too lazy to walk all the way
back to the car to get my CD for them to sign. I wouldn't have known what
to
say anyway ('am I still shy?'). But my hope of ever seeing them in concert
hasn't grown tired. Anyway, when they come back on the rescheduled date
and/or play Lancaster, I *will* be there. I hope to also meet some of you.
(sorry I missed you Gary, I just read your message today)
Heather
===========
From: Michael Ecker
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 00:36:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: "Insider's" Report
>In the dressing room earlier, Karen was playing through Curious. What a
>@$%^)^* up guitar part that is! (description of part).....
>.....If you don't play, believe me, this is not human.
After I saw this post, I pulled my guitar out and attempted the part.
James is dead right--this is *not* human.
This is an important revelation....not only does Karen rule as a singer
and songwriter, she rules on guitar as well. It's sick.
>Before you know it, we were playing through Curious together! This held up
>their performance for those of you outside about 3 minutes. I do not care.
>I
>cry no tears for you. I played Curious with Karen Peris and I will show no
>remorse.
If this hadn't happened, I might have missed the sidewalk set. I *thank*
you.
>After they played, Mike said it had been about 10 years since he'd
>played upright. I thought his intonation was astonishingly accurate for not
>having picked up that beast of an instrument in that long.
This made the "gig" even more special--seeing Mike on upright, which
never happens in real life. And he nailed it.
>As a musician trying to gather up a flock of supporters, I was really moved
>by their performance outdoors, particularly their connection to and the
>reception of the crowd. It was a very special thing and even though it was
>only for three songs, I felt a great sense of community among band and
>audience, kind of a "we're all in this together, struggling through"
>feeling.
I remember seeing you on the side with a big smile....I think we all felt
the same about that. We cared enough to stay, and they cared enough to
play. I left feeling satisfied, and I have to think that most everyone
else did too.
Thank you James for the "inside", and feel free to post any other
impressions you have.
Mick
>
>I was at the show that night. I had to be back in high school - that was a
>long
>time ago, at least 10 years. I was so looking forward to seeing them and
>was
>disappointed the show was canceled. They dragged their instruments out to
>the
>sidewalk outside the theatre on South Street. The small crowd that hadn't
>already left kind of gathered around them as they played. It was a
>memorable
>evening - very cool that someone else remembers!
>
>-Stacey
>
>Bill Howard wrote:
>
> > Hey everyone...
> >
> > This is kind of a weird question... but back during the Glow tour, the
>IM
> > were supposed to play a summer (I'm pretty sure it was summer) show at
>the
> > Theater of the Living Arts in Philly. When I got there, we were told the
> > show was canceled because of an electrical fire backstage. A group of us
> > were milling around wondering where to go from there when Karen and Don
>came
> > out to greet us. They went back in and came out with Mike and, I think,
> > Steve and their acoustic instruments. They felt so bad about the
> > cancellation that they played a mini-concert on the sidewalk for us.
>They
> > played maybe 4-5 songs... I remember "Curious," "I Hear You Say So" and
>I
> > think "Brave." Was anyone else on this list there? And did anyone by
>chance
> > happen to make a recording? And what else do you remember about that
>night?
> >
> > For some reason, this memory popped in my head and I wanted to share it.
>How
> > great are the IM?!!!!
> >
> > Bill
__________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message:
unsubscribe im
