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| From | "Frank Padellaro" <kingradio@pumpingstation.com> |
| Subject | Pernice Brothers in Boston - via correspondent |
| Date | Fri, 25 Jul 2003 09:06:07 -0500 |
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I won't detail the setlist of the show; I'd rather leave that to the hardcore folks on the Pernice Brothers website.
Anyhow, I've seen the band many many many times, and was impressed by the new lineup and how much it had revitalized their stage act.
Thom Monahan has switched from his funky old hollow body bass and/or his cheapo Ibanez electric bass to a more substantial looking Rick. I thought it was funny that he would follow the same path as McCartney in this way. Does this mean the Pernice's are entering their Wings phase? Unfortunately the bass tone was pretty mangled and muddy sounding, so I couldn't really tell what the differences were. There have been other comments to this effect about other shows, here and elsewhere, so I'm not sure what burden to place upon the club and the soundman. The Tyde's bass sound was problematic (although not to such an extent) Our bass was pretty murky and subsonic too, so I'm likely to blame the club this time.
A couple of good one-liners. Joe told a nice story about him and his friends squirting themselves with lighter fluid as kids and then throwing matches at each other. Another kid would wait with a hose in case someone really got going. I'm not sure if this is a story he's told at many of the shows, but it had special resonance as his parents were in the house, and he looked down at his mother and said sheepishly, "sorry, ma"
The first part of the set was mostly new material, and the mood seemed to really pick up as they started up on a few old favorites. "Wait to Stop" "Clear Spot" and "Overcome by Happiness" all slayed. The band also wailed on some to be expected cuts from their last record. I missed some of the more obscure tunes that used to make their way into sets from Big Tobacco and Chap. Skyline. But between the new material and the old faves, I guess there isn't time for much fooling around anymore. Overall, the set was probably tighter and punchier for it, but I missed the raggedyness of a song that seems like it was pulled out just for you. Joe came out and did his acoustic encores, which are always a highlight for me. "Silo" was particularly strong, and dedicated to his Uncle Ducky, a booze chemist, who often factors in many of Joe's funny personal stories.
The cover! I'd seen that they'd been playing "Talk of the Town" online, and I was really hoping to hear it. I'd actually heard the Scuds perform the tune sometime around 1995 with Joe and Steve singing the harmonies. Played by his band, it really sounds like a Pernice song, and I'd never noticed how much his vocals could sound like Chrissie. I liked the idea of the cover a lot. Joe had been doing a lot less cover tunes with all his bands since Pine Box, which was kind of a bummer, because I originally fell in love with Joe's voice through covers, and I think he is very well known (and deservedly so) for doing such great interpretations of great songs. And though the band has pulled out a cover every once in a while over the last few years (new order, etc.), it had become an abberration rather than the norm. So I was pleased, and it reminded me of seeing an early Pernice Brothers show in 1998, where I was absolutely flattened by a monster version of "Get Off My Island" by Dumptruck. Patrick from the Bigger Lovers was electric on the drums and as the band pounded out the cover and went into "Flaming Wreck" things really took off, and Joe was transformed from the soft rock second coming into a full on power pop maniac. He rocked the telecaster on both songs, so there were three guitars all smashing my face in. AWESOME! I expected any moment to hear Green Grass and High Tides! :) Just Kidding.
And now a brief word about James Walbourne:
This guy has totally kicked the band in the ass! He played slide like Harrison. His piano sounded great and did all the right things. His vocals were spot on. So his addition has really brought a lot. The on stage chemistry between Joe and Laura Stein may be gone, but it has been replaced by a multi-instrumentalist of the highest order.
So there you have it. The first Pernice solo show I saw was Joe, Thom Monahan and Bob Pernice live at the Kendall Cafe, and I've seen every lineup since. Gone is the funky touring outfit with their ups and downs and figuring stuff out, replaced with a serious rock and roll machine. Some stuff has (and probably had to in the end) fallen by the wayside. The show was much closer to the loud dynamic than Joe's shows ever have been and didn't vary very much from that height. There was no Chicken Wire segue into Bjorn Borg. But it's hard to argue with success and I think the band is unequivocably tighter, punchier and more professional than they have ever been.
A final note, Joe chickened out from singing Wichita with us but promised it tomorrow in NYC. The KR set had its ups and downs, but I'm looking forward to doing several dates in a row with the same string section, which will be a first. Overall, we did well, sold a bunch of discs and made a lot of fans. Apologies for spelling and grammar. I still haven't slept since the gig.
Your man on the scene,
Frank Padellaro
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