Resurrecting this collection of reviews posted through the DBIS during David and the NFU’s tour across the US in the summer of 2002. These posts were part of a ‘Tour Review’ section on the site at the time - so this is my way of not only bringing them back - but getting them in the message board archive for posterity. Starts with the tour schedule and then the reviews in chrono order.
| Date | Venue |
| Fri, May 31 | KGSR radio show - Austin, TX |
| Sun, June 2 | Continental Club - Houston, TX |
| Mon, June 3 | Parish House of Blues - New Orleans, LA w/ Abra Moore w/ Abra Moore |
| Tue, June 4 | Red Light Cafe - Atlanta, GA |
| Thur, June 6 | 12th and Porter - Nashville, TN |
| Fri, June 7 | Lincoln Theater - Raleigh, NC |
| Sun, June 9 | Fletchers - Baltimore, MD |
| Mon, June 10 | Iota - Washington, DC |
| Tue, June 11 | Village Underground - New York, NY |
| Wed, June 12 | North Star - Philadelphia, PA |
| Thur, June 13 | The Attic - Boston, MA |
| Fri, June 14 | East End Festival, Montage Outdoor Stage - Rochester, NY |
| Sun, June 16 | Peabody's - Cleveland, OH |
| Mon, June 17 | Magic Bag - Detroit, MI |
| Tue, June 18 | Abbey Pub - Chicago, IL |
| Wed, June 19 | Fine Line Music Cafe - Minneapolis, MN |
| Thur, June 20 | Blueberry Hill - St. Louis, MO |
| Sat, June 22 | Soiled Dove - Denver, CO |
| Tue June 25 | The Blackbird - Portland, OR |
| Wed, June 26 | I-Spy - Seattle, WA |
| Fri, June 28 | Slims - San Francisco, CA |
| Sat, June 29 | Soho - Santa Barbara, CA |
| Sun, June 30 | The Mint - Los Angeles, CA |
| Mon, July 1 | The Mint - Los Angeles, CA |
| Wed, July 3 | Cajun House- Scottsdale, AZ |
| Fri, July 5 | Gypsy Tea Room - Dallas, TX |
| Sun, July 7 | Steamboat - Austin, TX |
| Thur, July 18 | The Grove - Austin Texas |
| Tue, July 23 | Waterloo Records - Austin Texas |
| Sat, Aug 31 | Steamboat - Austin, TX |
| Sat, Dec 14 | Antones Austin KGSR CD Release Show |
| Sun, June 2 | Continental Club - Houston, TX | Continental Houston Web |
| Name | Date | |
| krm | 6/5/2002 | |
| Houston show The setlist at the Continental Club Houston 6/2/02 was something like this: 1. Hellbound Train 2. Swallowed by the Cracks 3. Silver or Lead 4. Why? 5. Toughest Whore in Babylon 6. The Crash 7. Wild West 8. Bitter Tree 9. Me and My Girl 10. Compassion 11. Welcome to the Boomtown 12. Black Mamba Kiss ("this one's mellow, for the ladies") 13. Love #29 14. Waiter 15. Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down I probably missed one or two toward the end, since I'm not too familiar with his work from Triage or the Fine Mess material. On one of them he was saying a bunch of lyrics really fast. And the last song I think they said was a new one ("new" new, or just new for the tour?), and I don't remember any lyrics from it for the life of me. This is my first time seeing David live, and he came across as a seasoned pro onstage. The show was quite enjoyable. Abra Moore went on first, and was vivacious and seemed to enjoy her first out of town "giglet" as she called it. She had some good songs in her set. There were about 30 people for her set, and it dwindled down to about 20 for David and the NFU. It was interesting hearing the David + David material interpreted by the NFU. Oh, and David said "Go Lakers" between songs at one point, betraying his true loyalty to his Boomtown team. :) |
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| Tue, June 4 | Red Light Cafe - Atlanta, GA | Red Light Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Bianca | 6/9/2002 | |
| David was sooooooooo hot at the Atlanta show!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!He is such a good musician. Did you notice how good Abra Moore was!! I did. I searched for her on the web and I found an online team.I joined right then!!!You guys have to become a fan. And if you do, here's a link to the team... Website http://www.abramooreonline.com |
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| Thur, June 6 | 12th and Porter - Nashville, TN | 12th and Porter Web |
| Name | Date | |
| John Morton | 6/11/2002 | |
| A really good show Abra Moore played first. They got a late start and so she played when she was supposed to at 10pm and the NFU played after. There were about 100 people there. Silver or Lead was fantastic. Boomtown and Swallowed by the Cracks could have had a little more enthusiasm, but the rest of the set was great. The irascible guitar didn't want to stay in tune, but that seemed to be the only technical problem. David was his smooth baritone self. Will's voice is a nice complement as he and David have a similar sound, Will has a higher range which augments the sound well. The drummer was an outstanding substitute for JJ. |
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| Fri, June 7 | Lincoln Theater - Raleigh, NC | Lincoln Web |
| Name | Date | |
| HalWeaver | 6/10/2002 | |
| Happy Birthday Hal I was there too. My wife and I drove down form Va Beach for the show. I too was shocked at the light attendance, I'd put the crowd at around 30, but AM and DB both played as if it were a packed house. Got a chance to talk briefly with Mr. Baerwald before the show. He was friendly and easy going. I let it slip that it was my birthday that day and that coming to the show was my birthday to myself and he asked me my name again, we chatted a bit more and that was it. I forgot about the birthday thing until midway through the set DB dedicated "The Waiter" to me and even worked in "Happy Birthday Hal" into the song itself. Well, that made my night, if you read this Mr. Baerwald, thank you, very cool gesture. So Kevin, I will be sending you a blank to get a copy of the show. Thank's for recording it and making it available. In fact, I recall seeing you jack-in early in the evening. My wife and I were sitting in the booth right behind you. OK HW |
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| Name | Date | |
| KeithFromNC | 6/9/2002 | |
| Lincoln Theater, Raleigh, NC 6/7/02 The night was beautiful with a cool breeze. The show started about 10:00. My wife & I strolled in the small but cozy venue. Not many people there. I walked over to the soundboard & asked the guy there if I could plug in my Mini-Disc player for David Baerwald. He said sure. I got set up & checked if I had a feed. Everything checked out. Abra Moore came on & did her set. Very nice. As she was performing, ""The Thin Man"" walked by carrying a brief case. His bandmates flanked him on either side like a group of hitmen. After a few minutes he walked in front of me, I said ""David"" as if I'd known him personnally. He glanced at me with a smile & a barratone voice muttered, ""Yeah"". When he walked back to his buddys, my wife said, ""Go talk to him!"" I just smiled. She went up front & I got up enough courage to walk up to him. I said, ""David, I'm Keith From NC, from The Infosource."" He looked at me with another smile & said, ""No Shit!"" ""Come on back stage & we can talk."" I proceeded to follow him back to a small room back stage. It had 2 couches & a stocked fridge. We talked for a while and I asked him about what he was going to play tonight. He said ""Oh yeah I've got to do that. Have you got a pen?"" I gave him a pencil & he started writing down his set. I said I wanted to record the show & he said, ""Cool."" As he was writing the band members came back & he introduced me to all of them. I asked for a picture & one of the guys took on of us. Am I a groupee or what! David was very plesant & friendly. I also got several shots of the show, (That annoying woman was my wife, Jeff). I wished him luck & went back to my place by the soundboard. Abra had finished & I was ready for David. As he came on I checked my recorder & I had no signal!! I looked desprately for the guy I had talked to & he wasn't there! David started into The Wild wild West & I had no signal!! I was in panic! As David went into his second song, Compassion, The sound guy appeared. I wispered in desperation, ""I have no sound!"" He said, ""Well what do you want me to do about it?!?"" Luckly he was joking & switched me on. The rest of the show went smoothly as follows... Why, Silver or Lead, The Crash, Nothings gonna Bring Me Down, Swallowed By The Cracks, Bitter Tree, Boomtown, The Waiter, Black Mamba Kiss, Toughest Whore In Babylon, Love # 29, Aids & Armageddon, Me & My Girl, Hellbound Train & Heroes. All in all it was a very satisfying concert. Everything was kind of laid back & mellow. Swallowed & Boomtown had sort of an acoustic twist to them. I'd like to share the show with you guys. I thought if you wanted a copy you can mail me a blank Cd in a self addressed envelope inside the envelope you send me. I'll burn you a copy. After the show I managed to get my hands on the setlist & got David to sign it. I hope I didn't bug you too much, David. As we walked out David & another fan were sitting at the bar throwing back a few while discussing his music. Keith Partido |
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| Name | Date | |
| jeffbond | 6/9/2002 | |
| Friday, June 7 at the LIncoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC The show at the Lincoln Theatre was poorly attended, as a consequence of little or no advertising. I spoke to one guy there who had been a fan for years (turns out we both attended the same D&D; show in Raleigh in 1986), and he found out about the show that morning by a brief newspaper article about coming weekend events. David was in the bar shortly after I arrived. The other guy and I spoke to him briefly. David was quite cordial and willingly signed a few things for us. We spoke briefly about the lack of advertising for the show and about the fans on this web site, then we left him alone. As a result of the very small crowd (I'd say less than 50), neither Abra Moore or David Baerwald and the NFU seemed particularly energized when they hit the stage. I don't have a setlist, but DB and NFU did a really good version of AIDS and Armageddon. We were treated to alternative and slower takes of Welcome to the Boomtown, Swallowed by the Cracks, and the show closed with Heroes. Both shows were poorly mixed. I've never seen a show at this venue before, but I'm told it has good acoustics. The bass often swamped the guitars and voices. There were two sound boards, one just off-stage, and one in the back, and they just couldn't get the mix straight. There was also an irritation factor via a woman with a cheap "use-one-time" flash camera who seemed to take every damn shot on the roll during the DB and NFU set. I'm glad I was there. I enjoyed seeing him live again after all these years. I hope shows at other stops of the tour are better attended and more energized. |
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| Sun, June 9 | Fletchers - Baltimore, MD | Fletchers Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Eugene | 6/12/2002 | |
| DB and NFU at Fletcher's , 6/9/02, in beautiful Baltimore,MD,USA Hi everybody, and Reg, I really wasn't taking the kettle off the stove, I actually poured myself a nice glass of Hoegaarden (fabulous Belgian white ale). Now to DB and the show. First, the setting. Fletcher's is located in Baltimore's Fells Point, off the harbor. Normally a place hustling with activity in it's bars and restaurants. However, this was Sunday night (the dreary, depressing time before Monday work, for a lot of us), and..there may have been an Orioles game on. Whatever the reason, attendance was "modest", and therefore, intimate. We all got to know each other by the evenings' end. The first person I saw, was Dan out on the sidewalk in front, with his beautiful lady friend. Very soon, after we went upstairs to the club, I saw an EXTREMELY thin man engaging in conversation at the bar (so thin, in fact, I think a light breeze could carry him away), who looked like, and was, in fact, the wonderful David Baerwald. We talked, at length, about the tour, music, guitars, recording systems etc...and he was very friendly, funny, and happy to meet some of the "message board" folks, as well as anyone else in the audience (I am embarassed to say, even though I predicted a full house in "hip" Baltimore, there may have been 20 or so of us there). Now to the music. Abra Moore opened. I liked her, though to my ears, nothing original. Great acoustic guitar, open and altered tunings, gnarly, tortured voice,and very wonderful backup band. She falls into the Alternative chick sound...okay that's all I'm gonna say. Now, to DB and NFU. First, let me preface everything that follows, by the FACT that..Fletcher's sound system was marginal, despite the concerted efforts of David's road manager, minding the knobs...AND, as David told me later...UNSAFE...like if you kiss the mikes accidentally, the juice can go right through you,and give you a Hendrix-style "do" before you drop...Not only that, there was a VERY annoying hum (probably from the lights) that was picked up by the mikes and acoustic guitars, which, as it turned out, changed EVERYTHING for David's choice of guitars. Just before the music kicked off, as the band was tuning, I saw David's fingers scurrying all over the fret board of an old Gibson (I think it's a 1940's F-5 or J-5...David correct me,please), laying this fabulous country and western or bluegrass riff, just to "limber" up...probably he'd been listening to too much Tony Rice (is there EVER enough???). The set kicked of with : WILD WILD WEST. At this point the acoustic "problem" was not evident,and the version was fabulous. I love the way David punctuates all the vocal accents,often with great use of silence or gesture. Will Sexton sang harmony and played a ??Hofner Paul McCartney style bass guitar. Also, a VERY nice, friendly,unassuming guy. Talked with us pre-show. Next, a silence, followed by the "Sha La La" of COMPASSION. I always love this tune, and the live version is very spirited. David next said something about the way he likes to collect "corrupt Politicians" rather than baseball cards etc..and then went into SILVER or LEAD. Excellent as well. Took me by surprise at first, cause I'm not familiar with the tune. WHY was next...(the acoustic guitar, buzz thing was beginning to raise it's ugly head at this point). I also had some trouble hearing Will's harmony vocal line. NOthing's Gonna Bring me Down. The live version is soooo nice, you really don't miss the horns all that much. Maybe next tour... CRASH...this tune gives me chills, and it still did. BUT , at this point David tossed in the towel, and, obviously fed up with the hum etc...did it on the Telecaster; yep...I know, can't imagine this NOT on an acoustic, but it sounded great! He has a very interesting Tele...with a whammy bar of sorts..mighta been a Bigsby...I'm not sure; guitar aficionados..ask David! BOOMTOWN...Darwin Smith played the eerie lead line perfectly...signature sound. VERY different from the original; wonderful. I was surprised they did this one. BITTER TREE. Now how did this happen? David switched to an acoustic guitar; Collings, in fact (they are handmade,in Texas? Austin) and are absolutely "honkin'" in sound. I think it's an altered tuning (hello guitar fans, again), double drop D to my ears. More chills...Isn't that one of eeriest, disturbing pieces he has written? AIDS and Armageddon; This was still very funky and rockin' like on the CD. David played the bluesy lead thing on the Telecaster. WAITER...at first, I couldn't tell, 'till they were several bars into it. Bukka did the thing on the keys, and somehow it worked; of course none of the effects as on Triage, but..."still Crazy after all these years". HELLBOUND TRAIN: Now, this sounded totally different, and the feel was definitely "jam"...The whole band just kicked ass, Bukka's accordion gave it a Cajun feel, and then David finished it off with some very impressive blues licks on the Telecaster. Encore was HEROES (requested by a "new" friend Jason, who lives in York,PA, and visits this site on occasion). My overall impression: Wonderful. I think it would have been better of course, with the sound system problems resolved, and a full house, but I was thrilled to be there, and honored to meet and talk with fellow fans and David. Brings to mind a song I remember from the late 60's (and if anyone out there can remember the artists, please let me know; boy and girl duo, like Delaney and Bonnie): It was titled "Dance Hall Girls", and the refrain was.."is that the way it always is here in Baltimore?" Afraid so, guys, but next time, after the CD is OUT, I promise...full house...and, no electrical problems! P.S. Of all the musicians I listen to, I have always dreamt of meeting two, especially, and I met them, finally both in Baltimore..so it must mean something. One was Cecil Taylor (an evening I will always cherish), and the other, David Baerwald...so there! You will have to ask Dan about the Iota gig. Love and Peace to all, Gene P.S.S. I know I didn't mention the drummer, JJ Johnson, but he was very tasteful, and creative. The whole band worked very well together. Summarized Set List: 1. Wild Wild West. 2. Compassion. 3. Silver or Lead. 4. Why. 5. Nothings Gonna Bring me Down. 6. The Crash. 7. Boomtown. 8. Bitter Tree. 9. AIDS and Armageddon. 10. The Waiter. 11. Hellbound Train. Encore: 12. Heroes. (Total set time, I think around 75 minutes). |
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| Name | Date | |
| Dan | 6/11/2002 | |
| Fletcher’s - Baltimore, MD – 6-09-02 This being my first DB show, I was, of course, very excited to finally meet David. When my girlfriend, Mindy, and I got to Fletcher’s we met up Gene standing outside waiting for the doors to open. A little after 8 we were let inside. I met Dave Wiley the tour manager slash sound guy slash roadie slash overall nice guy. Mindy and I ordered a couple of Guinness (in plastic cups!) and had a seat with Gene and later Jason. We talked about DB music for a bit (and to echo Jason’s comment, it was very nice to talk with fellow DB fans). David walked in a bit later. My first thought was just – yep, that’s David. I introduced myself and David graciously bought Mindy and I another round. We ended up chatting it up for a little bit until Abra came on stage. I also got a chance to talk to Will Sexton and I asked about the origins of Little Fat Cowboy. For the record – it’s not about GW…or at least Will didn’t let on to the fact. Anyway, the NFU came on about 10:30ish. The setlist went like this – Wild Wild West Compassion Silver or Lead Why Nothing’s Gonna Bring Me Down The Crash Welcome To The Boomtown Bitter Tree AIDS and Armageddon The Waiter Hellbound Train Heroes The show was great. I know the room was crappy and there was a definite possibility that David was going to get electrocuted…but it was still great. The band sounded tight and looked very relaxed. It was a surreal moment for me – standing there listening to some live Dave in a small club – I was wearing a pretty wide grin most of the night. Over the course of the two nights (I went to the following night’s gig in Arlington) – I asked Dave a few questions and learned a few things in no particular order – The TV show coming out soon called Boomtown will be using the D+D track as the theme music. There probably won’t be a video shot for Compassion – David would rather spend the time and effort playing live shows. There’s no official moratorium on playing Bedtime Stories songs – the band is learning All For You and Hello Mary (among others). I was fortunate to read a snippet from Dave’s book – and it hilarious – can’t wait for it to be published. Dave’s having a blast on this tour – he called it Summer vacation. Dave’s keen to the idea of doing something again like A Fine Mess – no real details on that, though. And there might be some other things I’ll remember later. Oh yeah – I videotaped the show and it turned out really nice. I will try to post a bit of it here on the site shortly. Overall – a most excellent two days. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Jason | 6/11/2002 | |
| baerwald by the bay I arrived early or the show and the anticipation was killing me. The doore opened at around 8:15 and in the bar we went. Everything was running late so there was time to talk. I ran into Dan and Eugene, great guys, and talked to them. They asked if i was the Jason from the site and I told them I wasn't. Anyway we talked for a while and it was amazing to talk to people that new DB's Music. after a while we disbanded and went our own way. Withing a few minutes in walked DB, casually walking through the bar. Dan called out his name and introduced himself soon followed Eugene then myself. The next 30 to 40 minutes were a blur as i stood and listened to the three of them talk and just took in in. DB nursed some Jameson and answered all questions. At this point AM came on and starting her set which was excellent althought the only tune i really new was four leaf clover. DB left and returned and i finally got a few words in and we talked a little about Austin and the bands that come from there. Promo for the band Slobberbone. Then he left to write a set list. AM concluded and the stage was transformed for the NFU. Out they came. They had electrical problems as did AM. DB played Will's guitar to start as his had one hell of a buzz in his. Anyway the set was amazing and included: (not in order and going only from memory) Opened with In the Wild Wild West, Compassion, Crash, Why,Bitter Tree, Waiter, AIDS & Armageddon, Boomtown, Silver and Lead, and ended with Hellbound Train. They then left the stage. After a few they returned to the stage and and belted out a friggin beautiful version of Heroes, slower than album and a hell of a lot more powerful in the vocals. This list as I said is not all inclusive and is out of order. It was very difficult for me to take everything in as i was pretty much in on cloud nine. As i said there were electrical problems throughout the show and when DB returned to the barroom he made several comments noting that. Once again Db sipped some Jameson and signed things for us. The only thing i had hoped to hear that wasn't played was Swallowed by the Cracks. Sorry to ramble about the experience, but it was amazing to finally see DB after all these years and actually meet him. I am sure Dan or Eugene will give you a more detailed account of the show, but this is my account of an experience. I hope to be at the show at northstar in philly on wednesday, maybe see you there, later. |
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| Mon, June 10 | Iota - Washington, DC | Iota Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Dan | 6/11/2002 | |
| Iota - Arlington, VA - 6-10-02 I ended up going solo to this show. The setlist for the evening went like this - Wild Wild West Silver or Lead Compassion Why Toughest Whore in Babylon The Crash Welcome to the Boomtown Bitter Tree The Waiter AIDS and Armageddon Hellbound Train Darwin hurt his foot somewhere between Baltimore and DC and played the set in a chair. The crowd was about 3 times the size of the night before – but I think quite a few had come to see Abra and stuck around for David’s set. The band rocked pretty good and had more than a few drunk DC girls swaying to the tunes. I taped this show as well, but the video didn’t turn out nearly as nice as the night before. I got a chance to talk to Darwin for a bit after the show. He had some great things to say about this site. Again – I must say that my experience meeting and seeing DB perform live was most excellent. I had a great great two night stretch. |
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| Tue, June 11 | Village Underground - New York, NY | Village Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Pat | 6/15/2002 | |
| Great Show! I think Chris pretty much nailed it, so I'll just add a few comments. My wife and I got there early, and we were able to catch Kelly Owens and Abra Moore. Owens was great - she played a short set, but sang and played really well. She seemed very natural and "real". Abra Moore was really good too. I'd heard a couple of her songs before, but it was nice to hear her stuff live. David and The NFU were incredible! Real strong singing and playing - these guys are top notch! David seemed so comfortable on stage - he really has a nice rapport with the audience. I've been waiting to see David for over 10 years, and I'm so glad that made it to this show. I hope they come back to NY again soon. A couple of notes - a mentor of David was in attendance - Davitt Sigerson. (Songwriter, producer, ex-EMI record exec...) He requested "Come What May", so David obliged. He forgot a phrase or two, but it was still great - especially with no preparation! DB and NFU were joined onstage for the last few numbers by an old friend of Will Sexton. I can't recall his first name, but his last name was Margulies. (He joined them on accordion.) If you can catch DB on this tour - by all means, GO!! |
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| Name | Date | |
| Chris | 6/12/2002 | |
| Underground at the Underground The NYC gig was an excellent evening of top-notch music. For anyone thinking about ditching Abra Moore, please rethink your strategy. Moore and her band were smokin', and she looked like a beautiful bad-ass in her wife-beater T-shirt and dark eye shadow. I think someone went on before Moore (Kelly Owen), but I didn't make it to the venue in time to catch him or her. Moore took the stage about 9:10, played one song solo, and then her band joined her for another eight tunes. A highlight was Moore's hit from a few years back, "Four Leaf Clover." Moore finished her set around 9:55, and someone from, I guess, her J Records street team went around handing out a two-song sampler of a pair of cuts from her upcoming album ("No Fear," July 23). At 10:30, DB and band took the stage. What a thrill it was to finally bear witness to David's music. Here's the setlist: In the Wild Wild West Compassion Why Silver or Lead Come What May The Crash Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down Bitter Tree Welcome to the Boomtown The Waiter The Toughest Whore in Babylon AIDS & Armageddon Black Mambo Kiss Hellbound Train Heroes The clock read 11:46 at the end of the set, and David and company headed up to the bar right after. Rambling off the top of my head here... "Welcome to the Boomtown" had a more sinister sound to it, and it barely resembled the original version. It was fantastic. Sadly, that was the extent of the David & David catalog performed. As he introduced "Come What May," David said something along the lines of not having done this one before, and he seemed uncertain how it would turn out. It sounded great, but he missed a couple lines (which he jokingly murmured through). Actually, he missed a few lines here and there during some songs -- but I sure as hell didn't care. A friend (who he referred to as a mentor figure in his life, I believe) came onstage and played accordion during the last two songs. I thought the band fired on all cylinders, though "The Waiter" was, IMHO, rough around the edges. I would say it was the least rousing song of the evening. Everything else, however -- esp. "Bitter Tree," "AIDS & Armageddon," and "Heroes" -- Jesus, what am I saying? It was all great, great music. And "Hellbound Train" was an absolute romp. I swear if I had a pair of pistols strapped to my sides, I wouldn't blown through each and every chamber as the song came to an end. Amazingly, there were a number of empty tables around the stage -- though all the booths that lined the walls were full, and there were plenty of folks hanging at the bar. Here's hoping the band gears up for another swing sometime in the future. |
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| Wed, June 12 | North Star - Philadelphia, PA | North Star Bar Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Jason | 6/13/2002 | |
| North Star Show What a night! Still reeling from the whole ordeal but i will try to recap. It started out horribly due to the fact that I live in the state with the most horrific roadway system in the country. It took nearly four hours to get to the North Star due to multiple construction areas. I arrived to the venue and ordered some food and brews and then headed in. Ran into a guy named Bryce there and we shot the music scuttlebutt for a while. Kelly Owens came on at about 9:15 and played for about 1/2 hour. She was into it and talked to us quite a bit explaining her songs and how she wrote them. Not a bad performance and she made the crowd laugh and got them going for AM. AM walked on the stage around 10:00. from the beginning the sound was much better than the show I saw in Baltimore. Everything seemed more crisp and audible. She was looking quite alive and seemed to really enjoy the set. The band was joking and really seemed more energized than sunday night. It was quite the show and it got me quite stoked for NFU. Unlike the Baltimore show DB wasn't floating around the room while AM was playing. Anyway AM played great and the crowd really seemed into it.THe Crowd was about 20-30 people for KO and AM, maxed at about 35-40 for DB with some people watching through the windows from the other side of the bar, cheap bastards! Around 11:30 the NFU was ready and they had to find DB. Then in he walked in a crisp black shirt and new jeans (standard boots)and went straight to the stage. Db opened with the disclaimer that the band was pretty "spent" and they wer going to do a "softer" (i think that is the word he used)set. Someone in the back yelled "bullshit" and Db responded "Yeah, we'll probably get sick of that after a couple songs too" So they started off with a shortened version of Swallowed by the Cracks. They moved through the set pretty swiftly. There was a lot less talking by DB then there was in Baltimore. The crowd was really into the Boomtown and Triage stuff. They were very cordial and really seemed to like the fine mess/HCTNFU stuff and sounded eager for more. The set was definately more laid back that Baltimore but it did not take away from the experience at all. This being my second DB show ever and also second in four days it was cool to see two completely differant approaches to the show. Most people you see back to back you'd be lucky to see any variation in the set list. Here i got to see two different set lists and even in the songs that were included in both show they were played in completely different moods and i couldn't have asked for any better. They did pick it up a little for Bitter Tree and AIDS & Armageddon although before A&A; DB made sure to say it was being played to stick with the uplifting theme of the night's music. DB also told a little story about Come What May and his response upon hearing the NK/EM version of the song. After the show Db went to the bar and talked to the crowd, I stopped by and thanked him for the two great shows and out the door I went knowing I had three hours of really crappy roads ahead of me. Setlist 6-12-02 North Star Bar Swallowed By the Cracks (Shortened) In the Wild Wild West Why Compassion Silver and Lead Love #29 Come What May A Bitter Tree The Crash Boomtown The Waiter AIDS & Armageddon Heroes Later, Jason |
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| Thur, June 13 | The Attic - Boston, MA | The Attic Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Reg | 6/16/2002 | |
| The Attic & The NFU Well, I've read the other reviews and I don't know if I can add much to what's been said. The band was great and I think if you get a chance get out and see them. I took three friends who knew nothing about Baerwald's music and they all loved it. I am now making copies of AFM for all of them and they are all gonna go out and get the new record when it comes out. David really is just a really great down to earth kind of guy and I think it would be difficult to describe how generous the man is. I was stunned when he even asked where my wife was because he remembered from my description of her that she really must be something...and to tell you the truth she is. She unfortuantly couldn't be there becuase she had to do a French play that night. I thought David would get sick of me at some point because we spent about an hour and a half backstage together (an hour of that with Dale & Peter who joked when they found me back there that I was holding out on them). We left David to write up his setlist and before the show began he came out and found me at the bar again and we talked for about another half hour about a wide range of things. After the band played one hell of a cool set David located me again shook my hand and said "Come on out to the bus I wanna give you a shirt." We then spent at least another hour on the bus talking. I would just like to express my gratitude for his being so generous and taking so much time with not just me but Dale, his buddy, Peter, and my friend Bob. I actually walked away from the talk we were having at the bar because there were so many other people around that wanted to talk to him I felt like they all should get their chance as well. Sure enough as soon as I cleared out others gathered in around him to chat. David accommodated everybody. It's not to tough to figure out that this is a guy that not only seems to lay his heart out on the line with his songs but he's also very giving of himself to the people that support him. Really to anyone out there that's on the fence about making the drive to go and see him because you got to travel a bit to do so...make the effort you won't be disappointed. I also talked to Darwin the guitar player who is a bit hobbled right now with a bad foot and he is also a fantastic guy. Not to mention the depth he adds to the band with his musical skills. David said to me that night that he felt damn lucky to have a group this talented playing behind him and if you go out to see them play you'll hear what he means. As a bit of an explanation for Dale's story about David mistaking his friend for Dan...I would actually blame that on sheer exhaustion. From the second I layed eyes on David that night you could see this was a man that needed some rest and by the end of the evening at 1:30 or so in the morning I don't think there was any gas left in the poor guys tank. He had indicated to me that this was a tough leg of the tour travel-wise and it showed on David's face and general posture. He made that little faux pas becuase he had been talking about how huge a part Dan and this message board had played in getting him back out doing this and I think he was so moved by that particular moment he started to write out that autograph to Dan. Hey I'd take it as a huge compliment that he was thinking of you Dan. You really deserve David's praise and our thanks. Anyway I think I've rambled enough but those were a few thoughts on a really great night. Thank's David for giving it to us. Thank's Dan for the part you played in it as well. I'm sure that copy of the book he signed will be headed your way at some point. Reg |
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| Name | Date | |
| Will | 6/14/2002 | |
| The Attic, Newton, MA 6/13/02 Can't really add a lot more than what has already been said about the show. It was fantastic, David was very gracious with conversation and signing things. A late night (back in NH at 3 AM) but well worth it. Looking forward to seeing DB and the NFU later this year on their return trip. A special thanks to David for giving me the prototype liner notes to the new CD. Someone "borrowed" the CD liner notes for Triage that I brought and David signed. I was bummed out and David signed the mock-up version of the liner notes for the new CD and gave it to me. He said to me that the item is "super rare" as it is the only one. Folks, the liner notes look great and include lyrics and a few pictures of DB and the NFU. After helping load some of the band's equipment on to the tour bus/truck, DB also gave us NFU t-shirts. An incredibly generous man, both with his time and music. Thanks again! It was nice to meet a few of the people from the board. I can't beleive a couple dedicated souls made the journey from Portland, ME (a solid 3 hour one-way journey) and drove back home after the show. If you can't decide about going to see a future show-GO! You wil not be disappointed! |
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| Name | Date | |
| adam white | 6/14/2002 | |
| boston ruled! What an amazing show and evening. I didn't keep a setlist either, but I'll try to recall and see how my memory holds up- The false start to the song about "government kissing babies", Swallowed by the Cracks, Compassion, Why?, a song about a molested girl ("She was only 12" was the tagline to the chorus), Boomtown, AIDS and Armageddon (unreal), The Waiter (DB flubbed some lyrics, but there were moments where I got chills- amazing vocal on the chorus), Bitter Tree (sick), Wild West (beautiful) Love #29, The Crash, oh yeah, he played the full version of the song he started the show with a few songs in, Hellbound Train, Heroes, Come What May (solo encore). There may be a couple more I forgot. Anyway, there were about 50 people there, almost all of them very enthusiastic (a couple of chatterboxes DB sort of shushed). I'll post part 2 later- I have to go see Elvis Costello. Thanks- Adam |
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| Name | Date | |
| Carl | 6/14/2002 | |
| Wow First of all, let me just say this: I have been to many concerts in my life, but that was arguably the best show I have ever seen. Sure, it helps that I am a huge DB fan, and that for awhile I thought I would never get a chance to see the guy play live, but honestly it was an incredible show. I wish I had the where-with-all to write down the songs he played so I could post the set list, but I was hammered by the end of the night. In fact, I even asked David if I could grab the set list from the stage to post it here today, and of course he said no problem, but my friends grabbed me before I had a chance to run back upstairs and get it. Next thing I know, I'm sitting at MaryAnne's plowing through more cocktails. I definitely annoyed my boss by coming in an hour late today. But I digress. Before they went on, a couple guys from the band (the keyboard / accordian guy and the drummer) hung out, watched the hockey game and played pool with us. I think the accordian dude was trying to put the moves on this girl in our group- can't say I blame him, she was pretty hot. I actually just met her that night (you know, she was a friend of friend type thing). Which brings me to the point of this rambling thought: GRAB ALL YOUR FRIENDS, BUY TICKETS, AND MAKE THEM COME TO A DAVID BAERWALD SHOW if you have the chance. None of my roommates / friends really knew about DB, but I bought them all tickets and told them they wouldn't be disappointed. By the end of the night everyone was thanking me for introducing them to incredible music. In fact, the all said they were going to go out and buy all the DB cds they could find. It was, like I said, a perfect show. I felt a little bad because there weren't too many people in the bar. But, the selfish side of me says that's okay because it was like I was basically on top of the band during their set. I suppose a lot of people didn't show because Abra Moore cancelled. But I saw her play a few years ago with Matthew Sweet, and while she's pretty good, she definitely doesn't compare with DB. I mean, really, how many times can you hear that song Four Leaf Clover? Also, the entire New Folk Underground was so gracious and friendly. DB signed a cd for me, and besides giving his john hancock, he also signed the names of his two dogs (he was nice enough to autograph the sleeve of Bedtime Stories). I got a chance to ask him (in my brief very conversation) if songs like Hello Mary, Collete, and China Lake were about real people and places. Indeed, they are. I woke up late this morning with a splitting headache, and as I glanced around my room I saw the t-shirt David gave me at the end of the night. And the entire evening flooded back into my memory. Thank you, David, et. al. for an incredible night of music. GO BUY TICKETS TO SEE THIS BAND PLAY. You will kick yourself if you don't. Also, like I said, bring friends. They will thank you profusely. I cannot wait for the new record to be released. Welcome back, David (and the New Folk Underground). It has been far too long since we've had a new album by you. Thank you for bringing Boston your music. Oh, by the way, that new song "Why"... um, yeah, it kicks ass. If anyone has a recording of the concert, if you'd let me know I would be incredibly grateful. I would be happy to send you a blank cd and cover the postage. I can't tell you how fortunate I feel to have been at the show last night. My email is [email protected] |
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| Name | Date | |
| Dale (or "Will" as Pete calls me! ;-) | 6/14/2002 | |
| Boston show Well, it was everything I was hoping for and MORE. Doors opened at the Attic at about 9:00. There was a note at the door stating that Abra Moore would not be appearing as she was going to be on Conan O'brien that night. Reg, Pete, Wally, Jeff and I went upstairs to get ready for the show. (Two more Bass ales, please!) As we were all standing there discussing all things Baerwald, in walks the man himself. He was carrying is briefcase and made a he bee line to the backstage door which was to the right of the stage. We all kinda looked at each other thinking "you go! No, YOU go!" After about 10 minutes the door opened and we see Reg in there talking to DB! How Reg got in without the rest of us noticing I'll never know. So Pete and I go backstage and DB is sitting there (looking a little tired) enjoying what appeared to be a glass of Scotch. For the next hour we talked about everything from his new record deal, his book (more on that later), his first record deal with Lars that never happened (thank God), some funny Springsteen stories, some funny Sting stories (Thanks again for the Sting "message" to my wife Dave. She loved it!!) as well as his very dark "triage" period. We could've stood there all night listening to the man. But it was now about 11:00 and it was time for the NFU to hit the stage. I brought along my video camera to record the show and was lucky to get a perfect spot above the sound board. On comes the NFU and they began with a song that I THINK I've heard before but I can't place it. Which is just as well because DB stops the song after about 90 seconds and says, "Wrong song." They then rolled into "Swallowed by the Cracks" and the show was on. The set lasted about 75 - 80 minutes and went by WAY too fast. They closed the set with a great rendition of "Heroes". DB thanked us all for coming and off they went. After some enthusiastic prodding from the ever faithful Attic-dwellers, DB came back out, solo, and told us he was going to play a really old song. We all tried to guess what the song would be by yelling out song titles. One person got it right; "Come What May." I had never heard the song before and I was hoping he would play it. Very beautiful and moving song. And that was it. DB and the NFU head backstage for a bit and then to the bar. DB signed everything he was asked, smiling all the while. Earlier in the evening DB told us he was very glad we came to the show and that he had some t-shirts for us. Well I really wanted to get one of these t-shirts so I went backstage again with Reg, Pete and Jeff looking to buy one. Hey, whatever I can do to help a "struggling" artist!!. DB says, "Hell, I'll GIVE you shirt. But they're downstairs in the van." He said we could all have one if we go out and give Dave (who was the sound man/bus driver/roadie) a hand loading up the bands equipment and help take it out to the truck. Now the 4 of us became official roadies for the NFU!! Once that's done and we have our t-shirts we now find ourselves on the bus with Mr B talking about other musicians, life on the road, and such. Then we begin talking about the "DBinforsource" web site. He told us how deeply moved and honored he was to find such a great group of fans all singing the praises of a very humble man. He said he owes everything that he's accomplished over the past few years to his fans on this board. And he REAlLY appreciates the work Dan spent creating and maintaining this site. Without Dan and the love of the fans none of this would have occured. No AFM, no NFU, no new cd. Man, I could've cried. I didn't but I could've... ;*)) So as Jeff, Reg, Reg's friend and I are sitting there in the bus I bring up DB's book again. He says it's done and that he actually has a copy. THE ONLY COPY. He looks at Jeff and says, "Do you want it?" Jeff of course says "SURE!!" Well here comes the funny part. All the while DB is singing the praises of Dan and his work on this website, as well as us, his humble fans; DB somehow thinks my friend (and neighbor) Jeff is DAN. DB takes the manuscript of his book and signs it, "To Dan, None of this would ever be possible without your efforts. I can never thank you enough! David Baerwald." (or something like that, but you get the drift...) After he's done signing it he gives it to Jeff. Jeff is obviously bowled over by the generosity and thank's DB for the book. (At this point Jeff doesn't know that DB thinks he's Dan. But I do and felt it necessary to set the record straight. DB is a little embarrassed, Jeff is a little embarrassed, I think it's pretty funny. Poor Jeff then gives the book back to DB saying there is no way he can take this book due to this little misunderstanding. I told DB that the REAL Dan should get it as intended. So Dan, you are one luck guy my friend, and more that deserving of this wonderful gift. I know you'll enjoy it. Well, that's about it folks. Sorry this was so long but it was a very special night for all and wanted to share it with the rest of our family here in the inforsource. Yes, even with Mick, the hobbitt!! One more thing; although this mini-tour wraps up early next month, DB said another leg will begin later this summer after the new cd is released. So thanks again everybody! Reg, Pete, Wally, it was great to meet you guys. Maybe we'll all see each other again in August when the NFU swing back into town!! "Let's all be heroes!!" Dale |
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| Name | Date | |
| wally | 6/14/2002 | |
| june 13 newton, mass. attic show just got back from baerwald's gig at the attic in newton, ma. i met a few people from this message board. dale and peter are the only names i remember. nice to meet you guys! it was good to meet some fellow baerwald fans. abra moore was supposed to open but had to cancel because she received a last minute invite to the conan o'brien show. can't really blame her for that; it's a good opportunity, but i was looking forward to seeing her. anyways, baerwald played about a 70 minute set which included reworked versions of some old classics like "aids and armegeddon", "boomtown", "the waiter", (and some others i can't remember right this minute)along with the new songs. a similar set list to the other gigs on the tour. he ended the set with the song he wrote for moulin (sp?) rouge, i think. any of you guys that i met from the messsage board who want a copy of the video i shot send me an e-mail, or post a reply. |
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| Fri, June 14 | East End Festival, Montage Outdoor Stage - Rochester, NY | Montage Grille and Music phone # - 585-232-8380 |
| Name | Date | |
| Stark Raving Brad | 6/18/2002 | |
| hell yeah, kent sweet-ass review, kent; thanks for all the great details of your memorable encounter. i cannot wait for the slim's show in two weeks - i haven't seen him in ten years (since he played a free show there on my birthday - now THAT's a birthday present.) anyway, i'm dragging a crew of three new converts. can't decide whether i want to videotape, audio through the board (cool as hell that he's down with people taping), or just bop, sing, cry and shout. probably all the above... i'll post a review, oh, you betcha. in fact, if you give a half a keerap, here's a sampler of my overly verbose and personal style, from last December when i followed the phenomenal John Hiatt & the Goners down the state for the last 5 shows of their 2002 tour: http://207.106.189.65/johnhiatt/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=170&forum;=1&6 i was a real mess back then (better now, thx!), so i'll try to stay on point in my DB review...but godDAMN i love good music by real people; it just makes me wanna blab like a fuckin idiot, really. the way great music affects your life - especially when you're going through rough times - is perhaps its greatest gift. and David Baerwald is the best kept musical secret in the country. |
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| Name | Date | |
| KentDB741 | 6/15/2002 | |
| End of a sixteen year journey . . . David Baerwald and the New Folk Underground Friday, June 14, 2002 Montage Grille - Rochester, New York (60 min. set - 13 songs) Review by: Kent Daniel Bentkowski Last night, my wife and I drove 200 miles to see David Baerwald and the New Folk Underground at the Montage Grille in downtown Rochester, New York. I had never been to this jazz supper club before, but it was highly appropriate for the music of the NFU. The show was indoors, because the weather decided to be uncooperative and rain. I reached the culmination of a sixteen year journey and wait, which was to not only see one my favorite living composers perform, but to also meet him, and just to say thank you for the excellent music, as well as being a kindred spirit. First of all, I am happy to report that the news of the NFU is getting out, because the Montage was filled to capacity. Although I did not do an exact head count, I would say that there was somewhere between 100-200 people there to see this phenomenal band! The guy and his wife that were sitting at the table next to Paula and I commented to us that they had been waiting to see David for sixteen years. It was a long wait, but, it was certainly worth it. For those of you who have not yet seen this band, you are in for a real treat! David in live performance is easily just as good as music industry veterans like Paul Simon, Neil Young, CSN, or even Bob Dylan. My frame of reference here is the storytelling musician. He definitely belongs in this group of storytellers. The band was completely excellent, and there were no rough spots to be heard anywhere in the arrangements or performance. David has assembled a top-notch group of musicians who are certainly worthy of sharing the stage with him. I was particularily impressed with both guitarist Darwin and bassist Will Sexton. Darwin laid down some ethereal and soul-wrenching guitar textures in WELCOME TO THE BOOMTOWN, and is an excellent lead player all across the board. Will is a great bass player, and an excellent singer besides. He seems to be David's right hand man in the band, as he played a featured role in A FINE MESS. David and the band played a 13 song set which lasted exactly 60 minutes. He left the stage with the crowd wanting more, and did not over stay his welcome in any way. During the set, David commented that "some people collect baseball players, me, I collect CROOKED POLITICIANS." that comment got a big response out of the crowd, and I got a big kick out of that one as well. Here is the complete setlist performed: (NFU began at: 9:52pm) Swallowed By The Cracks In The Wild Wild West Why Compassion Silver Or Lead The Toughest Whore In Babylon Love # 29 A Bitter Tree Welcome To The Boomtown The Waiter Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down AIDS + Armageddon Hellbound Train (NFU stopped at: 10:52pm) After the set, I walked into the bar area, and found David sitting at the bar, having a shot of whiskey poured for him by the bartender. I walked up, and placed my hand gently on his shoulder and said: "Hello David, my name is Kent from the Infosource." He responded: "Hey--- you're KentDB, correct? Sit down, I have been meaning to have a talk with you one day." He continued: "I have been reading the things you have been writing on the website. You are one of us." That was probably the biggest compliment he could have ever paid me. We then proceeded to have a nice 20 minute talk, which was private, and of which neither David or I want repeated. Suffice it to say that I came away with the confirmation that David considers me to be a kindred spirit, and I respect him in the same way. After we had been talking for about twenty minutes, I went and got my wife, whom David wanted to meet. He was very kind and polite, and Paula told him how much she loves his music, and then she took a photo of David, Will, and I. I didn't bother him for an autograph, and that is because I already have a framed and autographed copy of the BOOMTOWN LP, signed by both David Baerwald and David Ricketts. It hangs on my office wall, along with my other pieces of rare rock memorabilia. David also expressed genuine interest in the book I am writing, and I told him that he already has a copy reserved. He replied that he was looking forward to reading whatever I have to say. That was a huge boost to my confidence, as I consider him to be a personal hero of mine. All in all, last night was the culmination of a sixteen year dream. Peace and Prayers (Always), Kent Daniel Bentkowski Buffalo, New York USA |
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| Mon, June 17 | Magic Bag - Detroit, MI | Magic Bag Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Terry Breedlove | 6/29/2002 10:48:59 PM | |
| Second Time Around This was the second time we heard David Baerwald. The first time was several years ago, right after his second album, Bedtime Stories, was released. We saw him, then, at Rick's in Ann Arbor. We thought THAT show was fantastic, but this concert at The Magic Bag was even better. We hadn't heard any of his new material, but yet, listening to him perform it live, seemed like an old friend coming over to visit. We are looking so forward to his new album, and we'll be the first in line to buy it. David has so much talent, and we think he's one of the best songwriters of all time. He paints pictures with his songs, and not many artists can do this. We thought he had given up music for good, since he hadn't released anything in so long, and we were thrilled beyond belief when we read he was coming to The Magic Bag. We feel like we're one of the few elite who know about this man's talent; however, we would love it if this album goes platinum. Good luck, David, and we hope you come to Detroit again. (soon) |
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| Name | Date | |
| Eric Freeman | 6/24/2002 7:32:54 AM | |
| Great Show! This was truly a great show. Not just because I've been waiting 16 years to see David live, but because this is an excellent band. I really appreciated thier use of dynamics. They would bring the volume down so that David could just about whisper and you could still understand the lyrics, then, in the same song, the band would bring it back up and rock out again. At one point David asked the crowd if they wanted something mellow or something psychotic. Psychotic won and the band launched into AIDS and Armageddon which was totally awesome. David finished the night with a solo acoustic version of "Come What May". All in all, a fantastic night that I'll never forget. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Rosemarie Smith\Mary Anne Garzon | 6/19/2002 | |
| TERRIFI C SHOW ....HERE IN HOCKEY TOWN. It was a terrific show here in Hockeytown....the MotorCity.... So nice to meet David and the other members of the group.... Hope the best of success to them as they continue on the tour. Safe travel on that HIGHWAY...God Bless you all..... Thank you for the T-Shirt----wearing it proudly.....Take care.... Rea |
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| Tue, June 18 | Abbey Pub - Chicago, IL | Abbey Pub Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Amonte | 6/20/2002 2:36:57 PM | |
| The 2 guys I'm one of the two Swallowed by the Cracks guys at the Abbey. I got there at the start of Abra Moore's set, after which the only guy from her band in the audience was the bassist. I asked him the name of the "soundcheck" tune which I think was her second song. It is called "I Win" and is on her to be released album in July. I had been looking at this board the couple of days before the show to see what he's been playing and noticed Swallowed by the Cracks, which is second only to The Fairy Tale of New York as my favorite song, wasn't always in the set list. Between David's first and second encores I asked my new bassist friend, Glenn, if he thought Dave would play it. He suggested we go ask him. 1-2-6 I'm in front of the stage asking Dave if he'd please play it. He did. I was thrilled. I bought Glenn a beer, we talked about Austin, and then he made me show Abra Moore my funny impersonation of her between-song banter (It's actually pretty good). I recognized about five songs from Boomtown through BedTime Stories and look forward to seeing Dave again after I get the new album. But next show, do yourselves a favor. Instead of shouting out your requests, make friends with the opening band's bassist. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Rogertick2 | 6/19/2002 | |
| A Great Evening Mr. Kravitz nailed it. He is connected in ways I am not. I did NOT get up the nerve to speak to David. I get starstruck really easy. But the show, the important part, was great. The audience was smaller than I would have hoped for but those of us that were there were enthusiastic and vocal. The Abby pub is a decent size room, but the stage is TINY. The stage was packed with gear, As David & the Band were trying to get on and off the stage they had to step over there own equipment to get in and out. Musically the show was great. The sound in the room was perfect and the band was tight. Having waited so long to actually see David perform live, I have to say it was worth every second. The only thing I want to know is after the band played Nothing is Gonna Bring Me Down they were going they wer done but two guys came up to the stage (while the audience applauded the last song and said something to which David responded by telling the band "one more" who were they and what did they say ????????? Kravitz was that you ??????? My wife and the friends I brought with were also impressed. They came along based on my enthusiasm for the evening and they all told me they really dug the show. If David & The NFU are on the way to your town and you haven't decided yet ..... GO! You'll have a great time. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Kravitz | 6/19/2002 | |
| The Abbey gig I got to the venue at 7 and grabbed a ticket. The Abbey has a bar/restaurant next to the venue, and as soon as I sat down to get my first whiskey I ran into David. He remembered me from Austin, and obviously has suffered through my posts as well. We talked for about 15 minutes, and I was reintroduced to Will and got to meet the guitarist Darwin. I gave David a copy of the new Michelle Shocked cd, which, if any of you have heard it is an amazing recording. Once David's dinner was served, I volunteered my car and took off with Will and Darwin to find some Irish pub (The Hideaway) Will was incarcerated in one night. Will found my copy of Triage and started playing tracks for Darwin. The really cool thing is both of them are real fans of David's writing, and talked about nearly every track on the album. At times the two were mambling back and forth with all kinds of techno talk, and I felt like Dumbya in a cabinet meeting. We found the place, and Will told us about playing a gig there. The owners put the band up in a loft apartment over the venue, and locked them in overnight - but gave them access to the bar. After a healthy belt of Jameson's and a Harp, we headed back to the Abbey. I then met the keyboard/accordion player Bukka, the sound guy and a roadie. We sat outside on the patio for a half hour, and then David joined us. He and Will started putting together the set list. At first they were going to play the same set from the previous night in Detroit, but then scrambled it up and finally started over (the only song they didn't play from the Detroit show was Me and My Girl). Abra started playing her set inside, so I excused myself. Here's what I remember of the set list: Why, Wild Wild West, Waiter, Compassion, Toughest Whore in Babylon, Black Mamba Kiss, Aids and Armageddon, The Waiter, WTTB, Heroes, Bitter Tree, Silver or Lead, Crash, Hellbound Train (which David claimed was about 200 years old), and The Crash. For the encore David played Come What May solo, then was rejoined by the band for Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down and finally Swallowed by the Cracks. That makes 18 songs, while they played 15 at Detroit the night before. The place was pretty near capacity when Abra Moore played, but it did thin out a bit after 11 when NFU hit the stage. The set lasted about 75 minutes, and the sound was absolutely immaculate. The improvement in the show from the last time I saw them on 5/28 was amazing - everyone was hitting their spots perfectly (and that was without their regular drummer JJ who had to go to LA for some other obligation and arrived during the set). DB bumbled the lyrics to Come What May, but there were enough people in the crowd yelling to get him back on track. He also tweaked the lyrics to The Waiter, changing the radish to "eviscerated rabbit". The crowd was pretty pleased with the show, and the new material was very well received. Compassion got a really strong response, so it's obviously hitting the airwaves. Overall a completely amazing day. |
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| Wed, June 19 | Fine Line Music Cafe - Minneapolis, MN | Fine Line Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Kevin g | 6/20/2002 9:15:31 AM | |
| Short but Good Show The show was very nice and played to about 120 people. The set list was typical of what he's been playing to this point. I'd intended to post the list here but I can't find my notes. Actually, I know where they're at but in my star struck daze after the show I left them along with a grocery list my wife and I put together on a table backstage...sorry. Abbra and David's show was the first of two concerts scheduled for the Fine Line last night and the venue was about 30 minutes late letting us in. For whatever reasons the management decided to have NFU cut their show short to keep the following concert from being pushed back too much. As a result we had to settle for around a 50 minute show. JJ, (is that right?) their regular drummer was back in the lineup for the first time in a few nights. Some of the more noteable songs for me were...Why, A Bitter Tree, Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down, Boomtown and Heroes which closed out the evening. I especially liked WTTB as they played it in such a way that they sort of crept into it and kept it on a more subdued level. I didn't see David around much before the show except just briefly so I waited till after to shake his hand and give him my thanks. He's a very gracious man and took my wife and I backstage to chat for a bit. He mentioned their crazy drive from Chicago and a small accident they had or nearly had along the way. From what David said, it sounds like there will be another tour in the works once the CD is released. Don't pass up the chance to see them now if you can...you'll be glad you did. Kevin g |
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| Sat, June 22 | Soiled Dove - Denver, CO | Soiled Dove Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Colorado Chick | 8/2/2002 11:45:48 PM | |
| He certainly has the talent, charimsa, looks, musicianship and song writing ability to make it David Baerwald's Saturday matinee show at the Soiled Dove in Denver, Colorado on Sat. 06/22/02 was short but sweet. The Soiled Dove is a former house of ill repute during the pioneer and gold rush days of Denver. The proprietors have refurbished the turn-of-the-century architecture and have created a beautiful, Las Vegas style show room with excellent sound and comfortable seating at cocktail tables. This is one of the most classy, intimate venues in Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo). This is a nightclub that Lost Highway Records would do well to utilize more often in the future for new artists that draw a smaller audience. The crowd was sparse, but well satisfied with the "New Folk Underground" songs that David Baerwald offered up, and his show was met with extremely positive feedback by the crowd. He reminded me of a balladeer similar to Bob Dylan, with witty lyrics and a pleasant, jovial attitude. His songs were hauntingly reminiscent of a seasoned performer who has paid his dues, and is here to tell his tales with his own talented guitar accompaniment, and a tight, jazzy-bluesy-folksy back up band. I'm looking forward to hearing the entire CD, and hope that David finds success in his solo career with Lost Highway Records. He certainly has the talent, charimsa, looks, musicianship and song writing ability to make it. |
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| Wed, June 26 | I-Spy - Seattle, WA | I-Spy Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Kyle Thorleifson | 6/28/2002 7:31:50 PM | |
| Humbled,and Amazed I travelled from Vancouver,BC to see the gig. Arriving at I-Spy I met several fellow Info Source fans before the doors opened. We were in this small alleyway, enjoying the beautiful Seattle evening. Doors opened and the crowd of less than 100 easily found their way to a suitable seat. Sheila Nichols was already playing her tiny 30 min set but was enthusiastic and sounded quite talented. Abra Moore played a longer set switching from guitar and piano frequently. I thought she sounded like a Edie Brickell,Fiona Apple cross,then IT happened. The lanky fellow walking towards the bar was David. I manouvered my wheelchair as fast as I could, with a guitar on my lap,and simply said "Uh David would you please sign my guitar?" He obliged and then asked how I became paralysed. I told him the story which basically is the lyrics to "The Crash". We then continued a very personal and intimate conversation about my accident, that "We was far,so far from sober, we were driving much too fast" . That sums up why I'm paralysed. We were not interrupted until he told me he was going to slip out of the way and confirm the set list with the NFU. David and the NFU hit the stage and as he mentioned how nice it was to be back in the Pacific Northwest,and then right before they started into "Wild, Wild, West".David spoke into the mike and said that this evenings music,and performance was for a close friend.... "Kyle Thorleifson". I was nearly on the verge of fainting as those who know me applauded,looking right at me as the band played. The set list was very similar to many of the other gigs, with the inclusion of "Come What May". The 75+ mins. were simply amazing David in amazing vocal range and some great guitar work during "Aids and Armageddon". Will played a black Hofner Beatle bass ,and provided backing vocals. After they finished up, audience members helped load up amps,and P.A. stuff. Then all of a sudden Will was at my table and said that DB was very touched that his music meant so much to me. Will and I talked for 20 or so mins. about Charlie being Dylans lead guitarist,growing up and knowing Stevie Ray Vaughan,and so many other things that I don't think I could write about. Darwin also came by and chatted like we were old friends. Then lighting struck twice,David came back with a drink in his hand and we talked from everything from todays music scene,and back to his musical influences. Just David and I for at least 45 mins. in fact the stage was cleared and the house lights were on. When he finally had to get in the bus I was given a David Baerwald and The NFU t-shirt. I know this is rambling on for some of you but it simply one of the most influential and amazing 4 hours of my 30 years. Catch a show if you have to drive or fly to get to see David Baerwald, and David if you read this you have my most profound thanks for the gift of your music. Still Flyin'High, Kyle |
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| Name | Date | |
| Ed Lorah | 6/28/2002 1:15:02 AM | |
| Sleepless in Seattle A great, and for me, late show. (Had to drag myself into work this morning at 7AM) What a thrill to see Mr. Baerwald in action after all these years though. The band started playing about 11:00 and played for about an hour and a half I guess. The set covered a lot of history as well as newer stuff. I'd rather listen to the music than take notes so I don't recall the setlist exactly but they opened with In the Wild Wild West and Why. Played Bitter Tree (beautiful!), Armageddon and AIDS, and most surprisingly, Waiter, from Triage. Boomtown and Swallowed by the Cracks, a Blasters-like version of Hellbound Train. The band has great dynamics and clearly knows their stuff. The time flew by. I sincerely hope David continues to make the rounds and that the band returns to Seattle soon. One suggestion: David, check out the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. tractortavern.com It's really the best venue in Seattle and you would be well received there. Good luck with the new CD! Why aren't you rich and famous already? |
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| Fri, June 28 | Slims - San Francisco, CA | Slims Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Stark Raving Brad | 7/8/2002 4:13:34 AM | |
| Slim's, June 28, 2002 my god, i was excited about this show; it'd been ten friggin' years since i'd seen the man (a *free* show at Slim's, on my birthday, Sept 18, 1992. nice present). i brought my best friend and one of my angels; i got him hooked with TRIAGE, got her with NOTHING'S GONNA & BOZO WEIRDO from the gnu one. it being a friday night, i was kinda amazed at how much room to maneuver there was in the club...but that did at least mean enough room where i gotta be, up front, with my cassette recorder, whiskey (rocks), and boundless enthusiasm. yup. a couple hundred there, though, and we cheered lustily when the boys took the podium. he started with "i'd like to say three things: one, how nice it is to be in this incredibly beautiful city...two, my family's here tonight - my dad, Hans, my two sisters, my mom...i'm scaring the shit out of em, but here we go. and the third thing i'd like to say is...'there's a dead man lying right outside, his pants are crawled up his ass...'" ! i'd never heard WILD WILD WEST. i'd read the lyrics once, though, and was struck by 'everyone i know with half a heart has been driven half insane' and something about turning to the music so as to not hear them cry...brutal but true. as he is. WHY - floated along on the sweet guitars and vocals. kevin added some superb accordian (and AT NO TIME did i think of Italian restaurants with red&white; checkered tablecloths) but i recently found out what this one was about. don't ask me why, cause i don't know...a lyric that applies to too damn much. COMPASSION - intro'd with, "as a very great man said one night, 'a lot of people thinking globally these days. i wish they'd stop.'" ! then they ripped through it adroitly. i loved the strummed intro. life is so weird and demanding - *exactly*. great rendition of a great tune. TOUGHEST WHORE IN BABYLON - don't have AFM yet, so hadn't heard it. jazzy. liked it. NOTHING'S GONNA BRING ME DOWN - my favorite on NFU. he intro'd it by mentioning how he wrote it hanging out, smoking dope, watching the police through binocs from his roof. it was funky as shit. only critique is that the choruses need louder vocals right off the bat to elevate them above the verses (and i wished i'd brought a tambourine..) lyrics changed to 'good times come, bad times pass' band intro - kevin lovejoy on keys and 'cordian, davey johnson ('on his new kick drum'), will sexton on bass, darwin on guitar. a fan said, 'he's standing up!', so DB mentioned how darwin was cured of his broken foot in santa fe (it was darwin, wasn't it?). THE CRASH - i stood there, stunned, singing softly with tears running down my face. man, it hurts so when it hits you... SILVER OR LEAD - rocked, as i'll bet it does every night. BITTER TREE - he took a moment to plug the Collings acoustic guitars from Austin (which are better than a Martin, to his tastes), then launched into the opening chords of BITTER TREE, which brought a lot of applause [hey, we like the dark stuff]. he apologised to his father (as we laughed knowingly) and reminded us that it was a metaphor, in no way based on incidents real or imagined...and then they just absolutely killed it. powerful, powerful stuff. (and, yeah, that guitar sounded bright and clear!) BOOMTOWN - even with its slow start, i recognized it (it was the spot-on keyboards), and when he started in about Ms. Christina, there were appreciative cheers, cause we love the old stuff. it took me back to living in San Diego in '87, fresh out of the nest, discovering life on my own...and discovering a songwriter with a piercing and poetic insight and a tremendous gift for melodies. i've been making people go 'who?' ever since. THE WAITER - what an offbeat version, and what a treat. am i alone in this? and then he ~ripped~ out the beginning of AIDS & ARMAGEDDON. 'she said you know you're gonna die..yeah, but does it have to be RIGHT THIS MINUTE?!' damn! this song was the dope she wanted. he said 'one of the kicks for me about this band is finding old songs that i didn't think much about, and being able to play them with the group kinda brings out a whole different thing to them...and i think i like it.' into: SWALLOWED BY THE CRACKS - sublimely sorrowful and deliberate. lyrics changed to 'while i became this Hollywood whore!' again, like BOOMTOWN, slower than the record, which somehow made them older and sadder...or maybe it's just me. HELLBOUND TRAIN - man, whoever wrote that this one rips live wasn't kidding. i wish DB had taken a longer solo at the end, tho' - that tele sounded great, he was riding it hard, and shoulda put it up wetter. ENCORES COME WHAT MAY - new to my ears (hey, i'm not a movie guy) but purty. HEROES - doing the things that we know we have to do, ever hopeful and ever blue. an absolute gem. and that was it. a great set; i enjoyed every second of it. the sound was excellent, and the band played with such a delicious quiet competence. DB's vox were on, and i dug the way he played with the melodies and inflections according to his whims of the moment. will's playing was solid and his vox were very compimentary. kevin and darwin added highly musical textural spice with their understated chord work. davey's drumming is 'stiff' in a wonderful, funky way. but, the smallish crowds on the tour bum me out. they deserve so much better! at Slim's, there was a lot of applause after songs, and the crowd seemed to know their stuff, but, with the quality of the material and the latent power of the band, i can't help but wonder what it would be like with a fuller house. i suspect it could go to 11 very easily. i met andrea soon after (she'd spotted me pretty quickly...and *thanks!* - the postcard is on my wall), and DB was at the bar not long after that. i got to introduce my friends to him, and proudly; he was, of course, totally gracious. incredibly easy to talk to. and he was nice enough to sign the setlist that i'd boldly (okay, semi-drunkenly) ripped out of the notebook on the stage... i told him how my band used to cover NOBODY back in 93, complete with samples that we'd taken right off the record. i didn't tell him how i'd put two songs on the last mix tape i made (for my now-ex-wife): WALK THROUGH FIRE, and, as the last song on side 2, BORN FOR LOVE...with its slow sad fade through these strange uncertain days. two things i will always remember about talking to david: the look in his eyes as i told him of the best bridge i've ever heard, 'sometimes it gets so ugly all you can do is crack sick jokes, a little cyanide humor about lampshades and soap'. it's been three years now of such mirth, and good to know that i am not alone in this. goddamn, that lyric nails it. and his obvious pride and excitement when he asked if i would like to see a picture of his beautiful boy. fucking uplifting. i gave him a CD i'd whipped up of my [SF loony] stuff, thanked him thanked him thanked him, and bid farewell...but i WILL be at the next SF show (and maybe others) - and with even more new fans. the next night, i saw fishbone, and moshed happily to their slammin' version of AIDS & ARMAGEDDON. afterwards, i talked to my old friend angelo, who had only good things to say about DB. i'm'a try and drag that fool to Burning Man with me this year - cartoons like him just need to be there. the songs of some souls (such as John Hiatt, Townshend, Patty Griffin, Ani) sear right through my skin and into my heart, where they take their shoes off and settle down as if they've finally arrived home. they paint my life as if they were living it. they release the devastated tears and help ease the crushing loneliness. they are last-gasp life rafts which float me downstream through hailstorms of confusion and hurt. they make my friends love me even more for turning them on to it. they make me scream and dance like an idiot and play bad air guitar. they give me hope. said Carl Jung, 'that which is the most personal is the most common.' said Bono, 'the true artist reveals rather than conceals.' David Baerwald is an uncommonly real artist. there's nothing left to say except *THANK YOU*, and i hope to see you again ASAFP. no, YOURS, Stark Raving Brad |
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| Name | Date | |
| Dan Lindley | 7/1/2002 1:25:54 AM | |
| Good as it gets! Dang! I guess I left too early and missed the party after. I think Andrea and Andrew both did a good job of summing up the show. I brought my 16 year old son along and he really enjoyed it too, even though his tastes typically run more toward Tool and Silverchair. The highlights of the show for me were 'Aids and and Armageddon' and 'Hellbound Train' both of which really rocked the house. Looking forward to the return. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Andrea | 6/29/2002 5:51:28 PM | |
| Great Show! A night at Boz Scaggs' Slim's: I am not as precise as Kent timewise, but the NFU began around 11pm and ended around 12:45am. The set list was: Wild Wild West, Why, Compassion, Toughest Little Whore in Babylon, Nothings Gonna Bring Me Down, Crash, Silver or Lead, Bitter Tree, Welcome to the Boomtown, The Waiter (whole new arrangement), Aids & Armageddon, Swallowed by the Cracks, Hellbound Train, Encores: Come What May (David solo), Heroes. The evening began with Sheila Nichols, followed by Abbra Moore and then the NFU. Both Sheila and Abbra thanked David for having them with him. All bands said they were really happy to be playing in San Francisco, even though people were coming and going throughout the whole evening. It was a rousing show, with an enthusiastic, attentive audience, singing along to Aids & Armageddon, dancing, calling out requests and greeting favorites with cheers and clapping. The band was smoooooth and tight. Kevin did a fine job filling in for Bukka. David's voice was in perfect form, and his solo of Come What May was heartwrenchingly beautiful. The sound was excellent thanks at least in part to Gary who had mixed the album and was available because he lives in SF. As usual the band hung out in the bar. David signed some autographs, and great stories were told--one guy used his music at his wedding, another had driven 4 hrs to be there, another flew 3000 miles and drove 2 hours, and one guy told David he'd "been loving his music for 20 years". Very cool. Thank you Sheila, Abbra and NFU for a wonderful, memorable night! A good time was had by all. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Andrew | 6/29/2002 4:17:57 PM | |
| Dave's Parents are in attendance Great show! Both of David's parents were in attendance along with other family and friends. Great nervousness came from David when introducing "Bitter Tree" making the disclaimer that 'father' was a metaphor. Lots of hardy laughter. My friend Greg and I chatted with Dave after the show. A very gracious man, he showed us pictures of his 4 year old. We asked him if he was going to do a sampler intro disc like he did for both of his solo albums and he said that he just finished putting together something for Westwood One. I guess you could derive that it was something that discussed some of the songs to some extent. Greg asked him how he narrowed down the track list from AFM and he said that he took advice stating that he liked all of his songs from it, how can you choose? The only bummer in the evening was that attendance was sub-par. Hopefully, it's not something that will prevent him from returning, becuase the band was great and Dave was in fine voice. Rumor has it that the two LA shows are sold out. I'd love to be there. Here's some of the setlist in no particular order...Welcome to the Boomtown, Swallowed By the Cracks, Heroes, Why, Wild Wild West, Waiter, Compassion, Toughest Whore in Babylon, Aids and Armageddon, The Waiter, Bitter Tree, Silver or Lead, Crash, Hellbound Train and the Moulin Rouge tune, Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down. Kind Regards, Andrew |
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| Sat, June 29 | Soho - Santa Barbara, CA | Soho Web |
| Name | Date | |
| DavidM | 7/1/2002 11:00:28 AM | |
| AArrgghh! Due to road problems David was late getting to the gig, the club had another format scheduled for 11:30, so David was only able to play 3 songs! Wild Wild West, Compassion, and WTTB. I was very depressed . . . seeing as I had just driven down from SF to catch another show. Talked to him a bit after the show and he was pretty pissed about it too. |
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| Sun, June 30 | The Mint - Los Angeles, CA | The Mint Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Buzzy | 7/3/2002 6:09:14 PM | |
| David live in L.A. My girlfriend and I drove up to L.A. from San Diego. I had not been to The Mint since I saw Chris Whitley perform about 4 years ago. Sheila Nicholls opened the show. Yawn. Abra Moore was great. Her band kicked ass. She's definately worth checking out if you have not. David opened the show by saying how weird it felt to be back in L.A. He said, "I've seen two types of people, ones I've slept with and ones I owe money to" I thought David was a bit timid in the beginning of the show, but by the end of the show, the NFU were cooking and David was showing his true self. Laughing and joking about how he would go into truck stops and hear people say, "Why!!!" "Why do you write songs about drugs and politics" David relpied with, "Well, why not" The David we all know and love. David and the NFU started the show with Wild, Wild West. One of my favorites off of A Fine Mess. "Nothings Gonna Bring Me Down" was also played. David said the song was about his observations, sitting up on a roof in Venice Beach, looking through army field binoculars. I knew the song was about Venice Beach having been there numerous times and having visited there yesterday. It's even crazier now than ever. I can see why David relocated. I was impressed by the reworkings of songs like Boomtown, Swallowed By The Cracks(a highlight of mine, amongst others)The Waiter and Aids and Armageddon. They sounded really freash, as if they were new songs. No songs off of Bedtime Stories, but hopefully he will add some of those songs the next time. Hopefully there will be a next time. I did not get my fill of David and NFU yet. The show ended with David playing "Come What May" A song David has performed at weddings and funerals. It was a nice touch, seeing David performing solo. A nice way to end the evening. |
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| Name | Date | |
| jefwels | 7/2/2002 10:02:08 PM | |
| Silver or Lead @The Mint Saw, the Mint show on the 30th and man, the band extremely tight, the sound in the Mint was exceptional. Fortunate enough to catch the NFU set from a dinner table after failing to secure reservations from the beginning. I have to say that the high point for me was the performance of "Silver or Lead", simply amazing. A new perspective handed down when DB introduced the song, saying it was based on Senator Gary "I am innocent" Condit, and others like him. I wish the lyrics were to be posted here, how about it? Anyone else? Had the fortune of meeting up with Roger Arretche and his wife w/child, good luck and fortune to you and yours Roger!, it was a pleasure. Quite a crowd turn out, and I thought Sheila Nicholls was extremely cool and excellent choice of support for the NFU. Looking forward to hearing the band produce all new material for the next release. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Roger A. | 7/1/2002 11:48:27 AM | |
| Sold Out Shows I'm happy to report that both of the L.A. shows are sold out.I didn't keep a running list of songs,but the set consisted of the same songs from the San Francisco show.The band was loose,having fun,& sounded great.I didn't get a chance to hangout and see if David would be around to talk with.(My wife is 8 months pregnant and pretty wiped by the end of the gig)It was was great to talk w/Jeff Wells.What can I say that hasn't been said allready,except,when's the next tour for us all to enjoy again!!!!!!! |
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| Mon, July 1 | The Mint - Los Angeles, CA | The Mint Web |
| Name | Date | |
| STEVE HOCHMAN, Special to The Times | 7/12/2002 11:23:10 PM | |
| After the Grief, a Little More Warmth POP MUSIC REVIEW After the Grief, a Little More Warmth By STEVE HOCHMAN, Special to The Times "On a lighter note," said David Baerwald during his show at the Mint on Sunday, to introduce a noir-ish out-of-love song titled "The Toughest Whore in Babylon." Well, that was a lighter note compared with the thematic thread of several songs he'd just done from his album "Here Comes the New Folk Underground." The album, due July 16, is drawn from songs he'd written and originally recorded after the death of a friend's 7-year-old son four years ago, and they offer support for an argument that no human emotion--not love, not anger, not fear--is greater than grief. What the experience seems to have done for Baerwald is soften and humanize the detachment that long marked his savage, cynical observations. Even such older songs as the jaundiced L.A. tour "Boomtown," from his days with the duo David + David, took on warmth-by-association alongside the newer songs. Working with a four-piece band anchored by bassist Will Sexton on Sunday--the first of two nights on a bill with singer-songwriters Abra Moore and Sheila Nicholls--the former Angeleno (he's now based in Austin) split the difference between Woody Guthrie and Tom Waits musically and lyrically. Not that he's backed off from the blunt, Brechtian sociopolitical brutality of his last solo album, "Triage" (1993). But in the new "Hellbound Train," which charged along like "Highway 61 Revisited"-period Dylan, he places himself in the locomotive among doomed abusers of power. And when, in a monologue added to the song, the devil tells him he deserves to be there, he shrugs and says, "You got a point there, buddy." It wasn't even too jarring when he followed that with a solo acoustic encore of "Come What May," the baldly sentimental love song Baerwald co-wrote for the movie "Moulin Rouge." With no ironic winks, it further humanized Baerwald as an artist of earnest emotions, dark and light. |
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| Wed, July 3 | Cajun House- Scottsdale, AZ | Cajun House Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Kimmer | 7/4/2002 3:29:05 PM | |
| I've been waiting years to see DB, and he didn't let me down Hi Folks, Just wanted to say I saw DB last night, 7/3/02, at the Cajun House in Phoenix. The turnout was horrible, 49 peeps, 46 by the middle of the show, but that was okay by me, so woman wouldn't shut the hell up during the show, was bored and eventually left. I don't think it made for an exciting evening for the band, though, maybe a bit demoralizing. I've been waiting years to see DB, and he didn't let me down. Helluva show, helluva musician. I can't say enough about the band, too. Top Notch!What a good vibe. Got some pictures, too. I'll upload those as soon as I get them back. On a sidenote, one or two of the more humorous anecdotes of the evening was when Dave first came on, he acknowledged the fact the venue had spelled his name wrong on the tickets, posters, collateral materials, etc. His name was spelled David Buchewald, as in Buchenwald. Dave said, "My name is David Baerwald, not Buchenwald, in case you're wondering, and I'm not responsible for all of those lost souls." Dave also mentioned he had "solid, irrefutable, proof Bill Renquist had a journalist murdered in Phoenix years ago, if anyone was interested." The set lasted 60 minutes and was comprised of songs from every period. The audience kept yelling out requests and Dave said, "C'mon gives a break, we don't know that many songs!" The show was plagued with technical difficulties all night long, his mic kept cutting out and sound spikes just about eletrocuted the band. But, they all took it in stride and laughed it off. One encore only, with Dave playing the Moulin Rouge soundtrack tune solo cause he said "the rest of the band is tired and they want to go home and get some sleep." I'll post the pics when I get them. Kimmer |
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| Name | Date | |
| DAN | 7/4/2002 12:57:35 PM | |
| GOOD TIMES GREAT SHOW WITH DAVID AND HIS BAND. OPENED WITH NEW SONG 'WILD WEST'. HE FOCUSED ON NEWER AND MORE OBSCURE MATERIAL, WHICH WAS GOOD. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LARGER CROWD THERE, BUT DAVID'S NAME AS WAS ADVERTISED AND PRINTED ON THE TICKET WAS AS DAVID BUCHEALD. DAVID WAS A GOOD SPORT ABOUT THAT, AND HE EVEN JOKED ABOUT IT. HIGHLIGHTS WERE BOOMTOWN, SWALLOWED BY THE CRACKS, AND A GREAT VERSION OF A BITTER TREE. GOT TO MEET HIM AFTER THE SHOW AND HE WAS A REALLY NICE GUY. MAYBE THE VENUE CAN ADVERTISE THE SHOW BETTER NEXT TIME SO MORE PEOPLE CAN SEE THIS TALENTED ARTIST. |
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| Fri, July 5 | Gypsy Tea Room - Dallas, TX | Gypsy Tea Room Web |
| Name | Date | |
| Russell | 8/13/2002 3:35:51 PM | |
| Tea w/ David I drove w/ two friends, 5 hours one way for this show and have waited to see David perform live since 1988. I have ran sound, am a musician and both of my friends are professional musicians. We all agreed David did fine. It was good to see him on stage performing. Nice to see a person do what they were meant to do. As for the the sound in the Gypsy tea room. It was horrific at best. the sound guy at the board had over mixed and had it way too loud for the room. He (the soundman) was dancing around with his headphones on acting like a super star. I'm thinking; "Has he got a tape of the village people going on the side over there?" cause he sure wasnt hearing what were hearing. I visited w/ David after the set. He was gracious and congenial. "The road was fine and he was missing the kids" "Happy with the new cd" He was gonna give me a t-shirt, but got locked out of his tour bus. An akward moment, but that keeps it real. As for the band. I think they were having an off night. No one seemed strong and there were equipment problems. If David ever tours through Fayetteville, Ar. We have some fine venues w/ some great sound guys! Would I drive 5 hours on way again to see David perform? Not in the"Gypsy tea room! firm. Unless they were gonna let me run sound. As for the sound guy in the "Gypsy tea room" in Dallas tx. "Nothing a wire wouldnt fix" |
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| Sun, July 7 | Steamboat - Austin, TX | Steamboat phone # - 512-470-BOAT |
| Name | Date | |
| Pat Brown | 7/12/2002 12:59:02 AM | |
| Welcome Home Show Well it had been a month since I had seen the last show and I have to say that although the setlist had not changed much that the stage presence of David had. The opening band Colin Gilmore was very good and then Abra Moore came on and I immediately thought she sounded a lot like Edie Brickell. Her band to me was extremely tight and very good musicians. Most of the shows I had been to at the Steamboat had around between 4 and 70 people so I was surprised to see over 250 people (maybe more) for the show. I was sitting next to Drew who I just met that night and he was next to the Sound guy setting up to record the show. Drew definitely had the equipment to record live (over $2000 worth in a small suitcase). I was trying to pick up as much as I could about recording because I have been wanting to get into live recording (on the cheap :):)). Anyway this is what Drew said about the recording in an email to me a few days ago. "I think the recording came out very well. I'm glad I changed the mic configuration for DB as the Abra Moore and Colin Gilmore sound ok but not as good as DB." Sounds promising and if and when I get the recording I will put it up on the site. David to me was more conversational with the audience telling stories between songs. He told a story that led right into the 1st song Wild Wild West. The setlist was pretty much the same except he did not play 1. Swallowed by the Cracks 2. Black Mamba 3. Toughest Whore 4. Hellbound Train which left 13 songs plus the encore which was Come What May. Before the show started I had a chance to talk to David and this is what came up about the songs he mentioned on the board 1. Wild West 2. Come What May 3. Silver and Lead will be to bring the band together in the studio since they have never done any recording together(Although reading Dan's post some of the band has) David mentioned he just might put the tracks up on the site (who knows?). He also mentioned a unplugged tour with Jewel with just he and Will Sexton and Jewel. I dont think there will be any Austin dates but he did mention East Coast dates on that. One thing I would recommend is that David pickup a couple of songs from Bedtime Stories. There are a lot of people out there that remember that album and have no idea about Triage or HCTNFU. Stranger would be a killer encore as well as Liberty Lies and Dance would be great set songs Another keyboardist was sitting in for Bukka who had a show down with Ian Moore that night. The guy's name was Kevin and I will tell you the sound coming from him was not nearly as good as when Bukka was there. In talking with Darwin after the show he said that Kevin was going to be in the band somehow maybe as a second keyboardist or someting. As I was leaving I gave copies of the Raleigh show to both Darwin and Will who both seemed to appreciate it. Darwin did tell me that they had taped several shows on the road. Maybe they will turn us on to a couple of them. On the way out I picked up a Sampler of Davids stuff put out by Lost Highway. The only complete song on the Cd was Compassion. By the way if you want to see an unplugged(Acoustical) set with David there will be on July 18 at 8:00 at the Grove here in Austin with the entire band. http://www.kgsr.com/iTOOLIncludes/6468.php |
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| Thur, July 18 | The Grove - Austin Texas | KGSR - Unplugged at the Grove |
| Name | Date | |
| PatBrown | 7/19/2002 12:18:55 AM | |
| Awesome, Awesome, Awesome Well we got to the show early at the Grove which actually butts right up against Barton Springs Road near downtown. It was a totally outdoor show and a very small stage. Just enough room for 3 and barely. The players: 1. David Baerwald 2. Bukka Allen (Thank God) 3. Darwin Smith (Great Background Vocals and Filling in for Will Sexton) Will Sexton and JJ Johnson were in Mexico (David said) They all were sitting. I would approximate the people at around 200-300 people. As he started playing acoustical I starting thinking about the 1st time I heard Stranger off of Bedtime Stories and thinking Wow what a voice. Well that's how it was at the concert a showcase of his voice. I certainly hope someone else leaves a review here. I actually ran into a guy waiting to go the can that asked me where I got the CD (Best Buy of Course) He thought David would be selling them at the show. Anyway I did tell him about the site and hopefully he will find it. Unfortunately unless through some act of God I know of no tape of this show (maybe David taped it). This one would be the one that would be a great one to get a tape of but only from the board. Most of the stuff was probably unrehearsed as far as doing it Acoustically. The show's setlist 1. Why (Awsome) 2. Silver and Lead (Awesome) 3. Swallowed by the Cracks (Awesome) 4. Toughest Whore (Awesome) 5. The Crash (Now this one was interesting because he intro'd with something about making up a song that hopefully would not come true and then changed up the words from Rachel to Sarah. Sarah is sitting right there in the audience. I'm thinking hmmmnnn, I'm probably the only non-band member in the audience that realizes he changed up the words here) 6. Wild Wild West A heckler (One of David's buddys I think) yelled out real loud "Hey where's the other David. Of course David just responds without flinch "In Montana, he's doing great". At this point he realizes it's his buddy and just smiles 7. Love #29 (An intro about heading down an East Oakand Highway talking to the lady) (This song did not work and he re-started it once. Without Will the song just does not work. I thought Darwin did an excellent job on the vocals) 8. Nothings going to Bring me down (I think this song will be a bullet. A Hit It sounded and was aweseome) 9.Boomtown - Great vocal. He had some feedback problems. Something over and over about 120hz I would like to hear a new variation of this song. One that is slightly faster more up-tempo 10. Bitter Tree (In the Bathroom for this one) 11. Compassion I think the power of this song dictates an electric version. 12. Black Mamba Ok but without the drums in the background it lost something 12. Heroes Now I have heard so many stories on this song I'm wondering what to beleive He introduced it by saying he wrote it when he was 20 so he could play it at a first gig for a group that asked him to play guitar 13. Hellbound Train After the song he said it was written by a dead conductor or something I thought it was good 14. Come what May - A great song. Different. I'm looking forward to his recording it "I have not played this goddam song in like 10 years". "I going to bury a lot of memories here" "Bear with me I may forget some of the words" "Oh what the hell lets play the goddam song" And then 15. Leaving Las Vegas - Nailed it..Nailed it..Nailed it 16. Irish Tune about LA riots (Courage/Heaven Razor/Glass) (1st Encore) I really liked it 17. If(A boy Whore in a mans Jail) (Came back 2nd time) The final song and the 2nd yes 2nd encore. Everyone left the stage and David took the keyboard I felt like a cheerleader..Go David Go. This is one of my very favorite songs from the new CD and he never has played it. It sounded different because he had to cover the rolling chorus with the keyboard and I'm covering the background "Got very high". Oh well he ran out of songs at that point I finally took some pictures. If I ever scan them I'll put them up on the site. I did not speak to David or the band tonight David will do a CD signing party July 23rd (Tue at 5:00) at Waterloo Records |
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| Tue, July 23 | Waterloo Records - Austin Texas | In Store Performance at 5:00 p.m.(Web Link) |
| Name | Date | |
| Pat Brown | 7/23/2002 6:58:01 PM | |
| David Comes with the Family :):) Pretty informal atmosphere. David played only 3 songs. 1. Why 2. Compassion 3. Toughest Whore Compassion sounded much, much, better this time. Only David, Bukka and Darwin were present. David and Sarah brought Becker (their son) who sat right up there with Dad for 2 of the songs. Becker also brought a friend that reminded me some of my boy Sean. A handful. I did briefly talk with David after the show and here is what he had to say. 1. The tour is going to be with Tifth Merritt - Mid September on the start 2. He might throw the whole book up on the site although I had suggested just snippets though I would love to read the whole thing 3. He is doing quite a bit of movie work and looked tired because of it. This was the reason he only played 3 songs. Sounds like the movie work is keeping him busy. I did take some pictures that I will either have scanned or send to Dan for scanning. I got him to sign some stuff that I plan on offering to those that might want it (The Austin American Statesman Article Cover) --Pat |
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| Sat, Dec 14 | Antones Austin KGSR CD Release Show | Antones |
| Name | Date | |
| Fabian Perez | 12/19/2002 10:12:56 AM | |
| KGSR CD Release Party With the group of guys he plays with you can not go wrong. David played for about 30 minutes to a crowd of about 200-250 people. It was an older crowd for Antone's but an energetic one. Everyone has to love a free show. David did not play anything from HCTNFU but I really enjoyed hearing David perform "Political Science" from the KGSR CD with a full band. "Silver or Lead" was another favorite that he played. David quickly left the stage and was nowhere to be seen after the show so I did not get a chance to talk to him. |
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| Name | Date | |
| Pat Brown | 12/16/2002 7:23:52 PM | |
| Great Show but a little short The setlist was: 1. Wild West 2. Silver and Lead 3. Black Mamba Kiss 4. Political Science 5. Toughest Whore 6. Waiter 7. (New Song) I did not know the title The muscicians: 1. David Baerwald 2. JJ Johnson 3. Will Sexton 4. Darwin Smith 5. Trumpet Player (Dont know name) but the guy was fantastic 6. Ukelele player (Political Science only) The strongest song in the set to me was Political Science maybe because it was fresh in that I had not heard it before live but none the less the band did a great job with the song. I had to ponder what it would sound like to have David sing some big band tunes with the addition of the horn player it made me wonder what if the Orchestra thing had taken off. Overall I would have to say it was one of the better performances. Great vocals througout. I have pictures of the show which I will post at a later date |
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