Patterson Hood & the Downtown Rumblers in Vancouver Sept. 29

[SouthernFriedCanuck]

Well, that was one helluva great show! I really enjoyed it. I went in basically blind, not knowing any of the new music. Usually going to a show, I know the songs, but I went in happily ignorant to what was coming, and came out very happy. (still ignorant, in other aspects of life ) My plan was to just sit back and enjoy, not even keep a setlist, but I did anyway. Suprisingly, there were 5 rows of chairs at the front of the stage. Appropriate though, the band were all sitting, why not the audience too? The show was very well attended, easily over 200. Very attentive, enthousiastic and happy crowd. Unfortunately there was still that bunch of folks that like to stand at the back of the room, but not all the way back, and talk through the entire show. Why the fuck would anybody pay to see an acoustic show and then babble loudly throught the whole thing?! Idiots.

As usual, our Border people gave them a hassle getting across. So much so that they did not get to the venue in time to do a sound check, it was done throughout the show. Not a problem though, I think it added to the imprompto and cozy feeling the show had. I thought Hope for Agoldensummer were excellent. Great, easygoing music, with fun personalities. Unfortunately one of their members could not cross the border because he was a bad, bad person. They even played a saw!

Basically, everyone played with everyone. No setlist for the openers, but here's Hood's:

12:01
Leaving Time
Little Bonnie
Pride of the Yankees
Daddy Needs a Drink
Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife
Better Than the Truth
Disappear
Bulldozers and Dirt
After the Damage
Uncle Disney
untold pretties-instumental
Opening Act
Pay No Attention to Alice
Betty Ford
Better Off Without
Pollyanna
Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance.......my favorite song of the night, and off the new disc I bought last night
Come Back Little Star
15 Days
Righteous Path
Back of the Bible

I felt very privelidged to see this show. To put up with all the bullshit at the Border to bring his solo band, let alone his better known one, to play in an area where he gets no radio play whatsoever, is a huge gesture from him. I think so anyway.

Thanks for reading. Cheers!

[badeconomist]

Thanks for the setlist, SFC, and good to see you again.

Interesting that they played pretty much the whole new album (except Depression Era). Great versions of the songs. The gals from Hope for Agoldensummer were amazing on harmonies and back-up guitars (saw, too, but there was a lot of three guitar action on stage). Slow acoustic version of the Righteous Path is a real winner to me. The crowd was calling out for more famous DBT songs but the Rumblers did mostly DBT songs that you would not normally hear at a DBT show.

I was listening to the recording from New York a few weeks back (amazing sound, grab it if you have not already) and it has essentially the same set list. One notable in the recording is the cello -- he did not make it across the border and had to stay in Seattle, "with their drugs." Aside: It pisses me off that both the Canadian and US sides of the border make it such a hassle for musicians to get across and do their thing. I think a lot of bands skip Vancouver as a result, unless they are much bigger acts. In Canada we hear a lot of bs about free trade with the US, but apparently that is just for big corporations.

Anyway, I highly recommend taking in the show if it comes near and nabbing that NYC recording if not -- part of me really wants to fly to Europe and catch one of those Patterson/Finn/Johnson shows (I hope to hear a good recording instead). Just a great couple hours spent at the show. We picked up the Hope for Agoldensummer CD -- mellow acoustic with lovely harmonies.

[Seattle Heathen]

Hello SFC-
We met in the lineup in Seattle one night a few years back.

I'm jealous you got to hear Disney and pay no attention to Alice-though we did get Bonnie last night which you don't hear often at the DBT show. PH joked about the border issues and I talked to the cellist about it after the show. It's too bad he didn't perform becuase the Cello really worked with the material.

Seattle Heathen

[frontrow]

SFC
Much appreciated write-up about the Vancouver show.

Little Bonnie live! Holy crap.

Wish I was there. That's what I get for living 6 hours north of Vancouver.

Great comment about Patterson making an effort to cross the border to a place with no radio airplay.
I'm making the trip next time for sure. Hopefully it's not a couple of years til his (or DBT's) next visit.

[SouthernFriedCanuck]

Glad you enjoyed it frontrow.
Six hours away is tough to do. I did 5 hours down to Portland once. Once.........so far And that's a short trip for some board members. I hope DBT comes back soon and it's on days that you can make it down for.

Cheers!