{"id":55,"date":"2008-06-28T22:38:26","date_gmt":"2008-06-29T02:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/?p=55"},"modified":"2009-01-04T09:42:09","modified_gmt":"2009-01-04T13:42:09","slug":"ruth-114","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/2008\/06\/28\/ruth-114\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruth 1:14"},"content":{"rendered":"

And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s always been something of a running joke of mine whenever live music is introduced into a topical conversation that I’ve played more shows than I’ve seen. & in fact, this isn’t a joke, I suppose I should just call it a running comment. But that doesn’t sound as good. My point is, I don’t go to shows very often. In fact, here is a list of the “real” bands I’ve seen live (quotes here denoting a contract, a label, notoreity, etc.):<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1. The White Stripes (right after Elephant<\/em> came out, in DC. It was good, it was my first concert.)<\/p>\n

2. The Fiery Furnaces (they were late & it was crowded, but their drummer was like the poor man’s Jim Carrey. Exciting hipster fun was had by all)<\/p>\n

3. Cake (at one of DC101’s Chili Cook-offs. The DJ introducing them encouraged women to expose themselves, & I was with my mother wishing I wasn’t. The band played & I was happy cos they were why I was there.)<\/p>\n

4. Negativland (in Baltimore last summer, in an Anglican church, it was a live radio broadcast & thus we were given blindfolds & it was implied we put them on to experience the show as it should be experienced: as a radio show. There’s a bigger blog post in there, I’ll do it one day)<\/p>\n

5. His Name is Alive (last September in DC. They handed out tambourines & jingle bells to the audience & everyone in the audience played along with them. They also handed out lyric booklets & everyone sang along. Probably my favorite show, plus it’s a 20-year old band that hardly anyone cares about anymore)<\/p>\n

6. Kanye West, Rihanna, N.E.R.D., Lupe Fiasco (Hah!! Rihanna danced with umbrellas like we all hoped she would. Everything smelled like weed & I kept tripping on empty beer bottles. What a night)<\/p>\n

So yes, it’s a meager list, but give me a break shows are way too much money these days & you get upcharged everywhere you go. Did you know when Wu-Tang came to DC a couple years ago, general admission tickets were 50 dollars? Yea, don’t get me started.<\/p>\n

So where do we go to see our bands live? The same place we go to see anything these days (this “we” is of course the infamous “royal we,” meaning “I”) — YouTube. With the joy of having an account with YouTube, I have amassed a nice little collection of some of my favorite performances, some old, some new, & J.Groom’s post on the worst music video ever<\/a> inspired me to revisit these gems & share them. Without the internet, how could I ever travel back in time & watch Sinead O’Connor perform in 1994, or His Name in 1993?? Take comfort in the preservation of music’s past & revel in the excitement of LIVE!<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/9CIpnhnbZ8o\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

Yo La Tengo “Mushroom Cloud of Hiss,” 1994. Arguments that there is a better Yo La Tengo song out there are invalid after one viewing of this video. Also: this is such an unattractive band!<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/rEGILTA3UYs\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

Sinead O’Connor (with Christy Moore) “In This Heart,” 1994. No. 1 on the staggeringly beautiful songs list! (Listen to the strain in this girl’s voice — it’s almost imperceptible!) Studio version is maybe better, but this is so strained & stripped! A prize.<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/bj9ayPMdgoY\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

Devendra Banhart “Doo Wop (That Thing)\/Your Home is Where You’re Happy,” 2006. This was played just about daily at top volume as I made coffee alone while I house-sat for my mother over winter break. A perfect mash of artists (Lauryn Hill & Charles Manson!!) to start your day.<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/ubI2TsIfCIw\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

Blind Melon “No Rain (?),” early nineties. Definitely not “No Rain,” & that’s the hidden prize! Cos it’s a way better song, & it’s like a minute long! Bada bing! (A bonus: he says, “Let everyone know where you’re from, Brad,” & I always say “Okay!!” & then I say aloud where I’m from. This is a fun kind of game I like to play sometimes, to pretend I am THE Brad, the only Brad in the world)<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/Fx-A1YklJfI\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

His Name is Alive “Are You Coming Down This Weekend?,” 1993. I’ve never heard this song’s full version before except in this video. It’s a great one!! What a captured moment in time, I love stuff like this. He was bald when I saw them last year, & she was on drugs (physically, obviously on drugs!). Who says you need two hands to play the guitar? I love it<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/XrkThaBWa5c\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

Tom Waits “Tom Traubert’s Blues,” 1977. Too painfully obviously amazing for a comment.<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/MD6lC9NrAbQ\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

The Cassettes “Lady Faire,” 2006. In a used record store in DC, crammed against a wall with a lovely arrange of instruments, & would you expect anything less from this band? I weep for having missed this show, I also weep for having missed them when they came to UMW (!!!!) the year before I started school there. O, Mary Washington Underground, where have you gone!<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/cmR03OGqOsM\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

Dreamland Faces “Smoke Rings,” 2007. Fine this is newer & these guys still tour like this, but the quality of this is undeniable! Music after my own heart<\/p>\n

I am quickly realizing I could do this forever, & there are a million ones I am missing (Andrew Bird…Half-handed Cloud…early Danielson…SELENA!!). The point, I suppose, is to not worry if you can’t make it to every show you wish you could, because YouTube is kind of like the friend you’ve known your whole life — it always has your back. & so, I leave with this stark contrast: The Foundations’ “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You” as performed in 1967 — an off-key, stupidly performed time capsule of a gem from 1967 — & Alison Krauss’ perfectly polished, sorrowfully heartbreaking version from 2002.<\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/NuHhLiRkxNM\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

[kml_flashembed movie=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/EvKtxTsVoMo\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" wmode=\"transparent\" \/]<\/code><\/p>\n

Keep the music alive & the tickets low!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. It’s always been something of a running joke of mine whenever live music is introduced into a topical conversation that I’ve … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[305,264],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-music","tag-youtube"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions\/125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.elsweb.org\/nsftmfx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}