cortez the killer wrote:I've been a big McMurtry fan ever since I heard Live in Aught Three about 6 years ago. I had never seen him live, until last night. He played a sold out show at a small little venue (Iron Horse Music Hall) in Northampton, MA. It was just James and a couple of acoustic guitars. He opened with an excellent version of "Down Across the Delaware." A few other highlights for me were Rachel's Song, Choctaw Bingo, Hurricane Party, and Ruby & Carlos. His playing is so crisp and his voice is very strong. How he has not garnered more of a following is beyond me. Incredible talent and a great way to spend a Wednesday evening. If he comes your way, you should make every effort to check him out.
Yes. Great, great evening on Thursday.
Awesome gentlemen. Love James McMurty, and Cortez you're so right such a great voice.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved
cortez the killer wrote:His playing is so crisp and his voice is very strong. How he has not garnered more of a following is beyond me.
Nowadays the musicians themselves have to take the initiative and generate their following themselves. They cannot rely on a record label, p.r. firm or big name manager to do that. It is all about establishing relationships. These relationships are with the fans, club owners, record store owners, other musicians, etc... It involves direct communication through the internet, lots of touring and a whole lot of hard work.
I have nowhere else to go. There is no demand in the priesthood for elderly drug addicts
cortez the killer wrote:His playing is so crisp and his voice is very strong. How he has not garnered more of a following is beyond me.
Nowadays the musicians themselves have to take the initiative and generate their following themselves. They cannot rely on a record label, p.r. firm or big name manager to do that. It is all about establishing relationships. These relationships are with the fans, club owners, record store owners, other musicians, etc... It involves direct communication through the internet, lots of touring and a whole lot of hard work.
And word of mouth - McMurtry's had some famous cheer-leaders (namely Stephen King & John Mellencamp), he's a critic's darling and he's relentlessly toured the past 20 years (and when he's not touring he's got a residency at the Continental Club in Austin). It's a mystery to me why he hasn't caught on more.
He is one of the best songwriters out there, if not the best. But look at everything Patterson and DBT are doing to generate enthusiasm for Go Go Boots. That sort of thing is the difference maker when it comes to getting a big following. And the artist has to take the lead in doing those sorts of things.
I have nowhere else to go. There is no demand in the priesthood for elderly drug addicts
RevMatt wrote:He is one of the best songwriters out there, if not the best. But look at everything Patterson and DBT are doing to generate enthusiasm for Go Go Boots. That sort of thing is the difference maker when it comes to getting a big following. And the artist has to take the lead in doing those sorts of things.
Well that's true and he's probably not going to do that at the age of forty eight. I'm not sure how much he wants it now anyway. People forget that his career started with John Mellencamp as his champion. His first record featured Mellencamp's band in fact.The label pushed it pretty hard too and "Too Long in the Wasteland" got significant FM radio play. He never quite reached as high again. The music industry is a different place from what it was in 1989 and as I said, I'm not sure McMurtry has the will to put in the kind of work you're talking about. It doesn't make it any less regrettable that this amazing performer doesn't have a bigger audience.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved
cortez the killer wrote:I've been a big McMurtry fan ever since I heard Live in Aught Three about 6 years ago. I had never seen him live, until last night. He played a sold out show at a small little venue (Iron Horse Music Hall) in Northampton, MA. It was just James and a couple of acoustic guitars. He opened with an excellent version of "Down Across the Delaware." A few other highlights for me were Rachel's Song, Choctaw Bingo, Hurricane Party, and Ruby & Carlos. His playing is so crisp and his voice is very strong. How he has not garnered more of a following is beyond me. Incredible talent and a great way to spend a Wednesday evening. If he comes your way, you should make every effort to check him out.
Yes. Great, great evening on Thursday.
Imbibe any Bud Lite limes?
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM
cortez the killer wrote:I've been a big McMurtry fan ever since I heard Live in Aught Three about 6 years ago. I had never seen him live, until last night. He played a sold out show at a small little venue (Iron Horse Music Hall) in Northampton, MA. It was just James and a couple of acoustic guitars. He opened with an excellent version of "Down Across the Delaware." A few other highlights for me were Rachel's Song, Choctaw Bingo, Hurricane Party, and Ruby & Carlos. His playing is so crisp and his voice is very strong. How he has not garnered more of a following is beyond me. Incredible talent and a great way to spend a Wednesday evening. If he comes your way, you should make every effort to check him out.
Yes. Great, great evening on Thursday.
Great time last night at the World Cafe Live. Good thing Mrs and I arrived on time at 7:25 because there was no opener and JM took the stage at 7:30 sharp. Sat second row, center. So many great songs, one after another. Highlights for me included Choctaw and Levelland. The man sure can play the 12 string. Another two minutes of Ruby & Carlos and Mrs Clams would've been weeping in her seat. Did not get Just Us Kids or Fire Line Rd but did catch Can't Make it Here to close out the show. Had a chance to shake his hand and say a few words after the show; JM is a man of few words. A very satisfying night of music.
Missed him this time around, but in fairness to the fans this Northeastern tour was kind of off the beaten path. No NYC gig. And Maxwells in Hoboken would have been a great place to play if he wanted to avoid the wait at the Holland Tunnel.
I will probably have to fly to Texas sometime in 2011 to catch James McMurtry. It would make a nice excuse for a two or three day trip to Austin.
I have nowhere else to go. There is no demand in the priesthood for elderly drug addicts
RevMatt wrote:He is one of the best songwriters out there, if not the best. But look at everything Patterson and DBT are doing to generate enthusiasm for Go Go Boots. That sort of thing is the difference maker when it comes to getting a big following. And the artist has to take the lead in doing those sorts of things.
Well that's true and he's probably not going to do that at the age of forty eight. I'm not sure how much he wants it now anyway. People forget that his career started with John Mellencamp as his champion. His first record featured Mellencamp's band in fact.The label pushed it pretty hard too and "Too Long in the Wasteland" got significant FM radio play. He never quite reached as high again. The music industry is a different place from what it was in 1989 and as I said, I'm not sure McMurtry has the will to put in the kind of work you're talking about. It doesn't make it any less regrettable that this amazing performer doesn't have a bigger audience.
I don't know about this. I mean literally, I'm not sure how to think about it. It's always been a mystery why some artists "hit" and some don't, even back in the glory days of mega sales. McMurtry has clearly worked very hard; simply touring as much as he does in the places he plays is hard work. I don't keep up w/ him the way i do w/ dbt, but i know he at least used to do the usual meet and greets, radio appearances, opening for big names, etc. There are lots of factors, known and unknown here, but if u want to specifically compare DBT (hardly megastars themselves) to McMurtry, one difference is that one "face" of DBT is hardcharging, hardpartying loud rock band and that gives them somewhere between a toe and a leg dipped into the mainstream. McMurtry is what? singersongwriter? intellectual (gasp!)?, folkie? country? alt country? a man and his guitar? Tough row to hoe, especially for an avowed and obvious leftie.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard
Rev Matt hit the nail on the head. In this day and age, an artist who wants to make it big needs to market and sell him/herself. I emphasize wants because I'm not convinced that JM really wants commercial success. He doesn't seem to reach out in the ways that most artists who are looking to move up the commercial ladder do. And after seeing him perform, and meeting him (albeit briefly) after the show, I'm not sure he's got what it takes to promote himself like, say, Patterson does. He seems pretty introverted. When performing, he looks you dead in the eye only while singing; when talking to the audience and making b/w song banter, his eyes were cast mostly down on the floor. And he seemed sorta awkward when meeting/greeting fans after the show, esp considering he's probably been doing that kind of thing for 20 years now. I'm not saying any of this to knock the guy - he's obviously a fucking genius in every sense of the word and I could give two shits if his records go gold or if my friends know who he is or not. It's just that I think he chooses to express himself solely by singing his songs and playing his guitar, and he's just not so interested in reaching out in the other typical ways like blogs, radio interviews and the like.
Clams wrote:Rev Matt hit the nail on the head. In this day and age, an artist who wants to make it big needs to market and sell him/herself. I emphasize wants because I'm not convinced that JM really wants commercial success. He doesn't seem to reach out in the ways that most artists who are looking to move up the commercial ladder do. And after seeing him perform, and meeting him (albeit briefly) after the show, I'm not sure he's got what it takes to promote himself like, say, Patterson does. He seems pretty introverted. When performing, he looks you dead in the eye only while singing; when talking to the audience and making b/w song banter, his eyes were cast mostly down on the floor. And he seemed sorta awkward when meeting/greeting fans after the show, esp considering he's probably been doing that kind of thing for 20 years now. I'm not saying any of this to knock the guy - he's obviously a fucking genius in every sense of the word and I could give two shits if his records go gold or if my friends know who he is or not. It's just that I think he chooses to express himself solely by singing his songs and playing his guitar, and he's just not so interested in reaching out in the other typical ways like blogs, radio interviews and the like.
Quoting from friends who have interviewed him over the years, McMurty's demeanor can best be described as "surly". That's not a knock either just an honest observation. Perhaps he's like Prine, Earle, Clark, Jerry Jeff and so many others who are perfectly content with their cult level status. I just don't see McMurtry making the rounds on talk shows.
I first heard of James McMurtry when that first album came out in 1989 and immediately dismissed him as I figured he just got a record contract because he has a famous dad. (kind of like Michael Penn getting a record deal because his brother was married to madonna) I don't even think I was aware he had still been making records until on 9B's people were talking about Live in Aught Three (Cortez in particular) so I gave him another chance and picked that one up and loved it. I now have almost all his records and he is definitely my favorite 9B discovery.
Just got Where'd You Hide the Body and that one just might be my favorite McMurtry record.
Looks like a bunch of little whiny fucksticks to me
Gator McKlusky wrote:I first heard of James McMurtry when that first album came out in 1989 and immediately dismissed him as I figured he just got a record contract because he has a famous dad. (kind of like Michael Penn getting a record deal because his brother was married to madonna) I don't even think I was aware he had still been making records until on 9B's people were talking about Live in Aught Three (Cortez in particular) so I gave him another chance and picked that one up and loved it. I now have almost all his records and he is definitely my favorite 9B discovery.
Just got Where'd You Hide the Body and that one just might be my favorite McMurtry record.
Sometimes a break is a break Gator. Sometimes those famous relative things are duds (Chris Jagger anyone?) sometimes they're amazing like JM. Oh and don't dismiss Michael Penn either, he's a hell of a songwriter.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved
At Uncle Ricky's prompting I splashed out on a copy of Just us Kids before Christmas but I've only just got round to listening to it. Really impressed reminds me a lot of Warren Zevon and also Lou Reed. Going to treat myself to a copy of Aught Three when it's reissued in February.
"Guitars talk. If you really want to write a song, ask a guitar." Neil Young
before writing this i briefly glanced at the previous reviews ( by cortez the killer and clams) mostly, my thoughts, exactly same set up same show same brilliance
but my feelings, they way the songs, those words, that pickin', the heartfelt delivery made me FEEL, well, i felt beat down and exulted at the same time the man has a way to capture poverty, disillusionment, sadness, life, longing, love, heartache, the bittersweet like not many others... ( tvz does come to mind ( though JM is more political) as does john hiatt ( though hiatt is a little lighter) maybe john prine ( but JM is more cutting) his playing was supreme. clean, strong, yet simple. his acoustic 12 string and the sound man were near magical.
the room was a brand new venue about 15 miles outside the city. in a airport hotel lounge. walked in around 8:30 and mr.mcmurtry is sitting at the bar, black fedora,baby blue guayabera, and big glass of red wine he went on around 10 played til 12 with very little banter , a little bit of dry humor, and a solid set list.
he called choctaw bingo his 'hit' fuck, that song is ridiculous. off the charts with his delivery . like 'listening' to a dysfunctional family photo album heading in all i really wanted to hear were levelland (* though i still have a soft spot for REK's version. recorded and live.)and ruby and carlos. he played them both. beautifully. we can't make it here is a tour de force holiday is like 'listening' to MY dysfunctional family photo album played live hurricane party may be one of my new favorite songs. for a long long time. it may have always been, i just had not heard it correctly before. red dress, saint mary of the woods,out here in the middle,peter pan, right here now, down across the delaware.*** jesus, *** "We get along in a manner of speaking We barely have to speak at all Small talk over take-out pizza Silently passing in the hall Post-It notes... and opposite shifts Once in a blue moon we'll wake up in the same room" ( holy hell. james mc murtry has bugged my house)
amazing. so so happy i went
only about 200 people there he is playing 2 more shows tonight at the old town school of folk music 7 and 10 then another very small venue in evanston tomorrow he was in milwaukee ( small shit bar) on thursday so, 5 shows in 4 nights, no more than 200 at each show the "break on through thread" had me thinking i do not know. i am not a singer songwriter touring musician but bands like the truckers, and centro matic and people like will johnson, aa bondy,james mcmurtry to name a few they would, they need to, play 200-300 nights a year because it is who they are. it is what they do. if the bills are getting paid and family is getting enough quality time, then, it does not matter if you sell out huge venues, make huge cash ( though, that has it's perks...and i would assume downfalls as well) etc. they are going to play. they want to have to need to. and we are more the lucky ( luckier?) ? for it. my world is a better place for the likes of these artists who play small shows, who tour religiously, who reward their fans with free downloads, and pre order deals, etc. i am not a rock star ( though i play one sometimes in rm. 203 at st.hilary catholic school in chicago) but i feel the same way i go to work all day. usually 7am til 5 or 6pm and on weekends and in the summer i tutor 4 days a week i make very little money i have to spend a lot of my free time and off time and own money trying to better myself as a teacher yet, i would not have it any other way. if i was born to teach. james mc murtry ( and the drive by truckers and will johnson, etc. etc. etc.) were born to rock. amen
"Live in Aught-Three" and "Childish Things" are getting the re-release treatment by Isbell's Lightning Rod Records. "L03" is being released in both cd and 2LP w/cd insert. "CT" is only cd. Both though, come autographed if you pre-order, if thats yr bag. $22 for the Live vinyl ain't too shabby. Might pick it up.
When I saw McMurtry, I sat front and center. Sometimes when he was singing he would look down and make good hard eye contact with this angry sneer on his face as he sang. Sometimes I think back to that. Damn.
McMurty and the Bottle Rockets are playing in Des Moines on April 2nd. I'm VERY excited. Hayes Carll is playing the next freaking night. Gonna be a rough weekend for this guy.
Do you find a sense of pride in the greater Texas songwriting tradition that you’re a part of? Does that sense of something bigger ever strike you?
JM: I don’t think about it all that often, because I think my songs are every bit as likely to be set in Maryland as they are Texas. From my perspective, I’m just making up stories accordingly to lines in my head. There’s a line in “Rachel’s Song” about the snow you see on coal cars...well, you never see that in Texas (laughs). I actually did see that in Maryland. I was raised in Northern Virginia, and I was riding in the back of someone’s station wagon, and I happened to look out the window and there was a bunch of coal cars that had a dusting of snow on them. I remembered that all the years later and that sparked the song.
McMurtry floats early 2012 as a possible release date for his next set of new songs, though writing likely will be suspended for a series of tour dates in March and April. "I tend to start songs on tour, but there's not much time to work on them when you're touring," he says. "On tour it's drive, load, play, unload, drive …"
