From: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org (alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest) To: ammf-digest@smoe.org Subject: alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V1 #190 Reply-To: ammf@smoe.org Sender: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest Monday, August 3 1998 Volume 01 : Number 190 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Frustock aka KoP show review (really long) [rvenkate@spiketrain.npa.uiuc.] Short 'n' sweet: 7/31 & 8/1 [ceelove@ibm.net (Colleen Campbell)] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 Aug 1998 05:37:08 GMT From: rvenkate@spiketrain.npa.uiuc.edu (Kumar Venkateswar) Subject: Frustock aka KoP show review (really long) Before I start, I have to apologize if I forget anything (like people's names, for instance :-) - my mind really is a sieve, especially this late at night. So if anyone can fill in the holes, go right ahead, though it's ended up being longer than I intended already :-) The playlist: Sahara Jockey Full of Bourbon [gazebo improv] BJ Don't Cry Video Bargainville I Love My Boss Spiderman Fly Boo Time Mistra Know-it-all Pisco Bandito The Greatest Man in America I Will Hold On [dave will be beaten improv] Present Tense Tureen Johnny Saucep'n Philadelphia (?) (something like Let's Play to the Chief?) Missing Her King of Spain/GE&H [w/ lora's theme (?) improv] My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors Get in the Car Love Potion #9 Michigan Militia [something I couldn't identify] The Drinking Song I'm still disappointed someone beat me to posting about the show, but at least this'll be the first review :-) My cousin (a Fruvirgin) and I left his place in Hatfield around 4:15pm, and thanks to Mary's excellent directions made it there and even knew where to park. We set up stage Murray near Mary and Misty, who I met for the first time (and Misty, if you're Maige, I feel like a real idiot because it didn't strike me until now, but then again I am really bad with names). The opener act was okay, though I'm not really that much into real folky music. I also met John (at least I hope that's your name) and his family from DC, and their Fruvirgin friend Pauline (who comes in again later). When Fruvous came out, I glanced behind, and realized that this is absolutely the biggest crowd I have seen at a Fruvous show, which explains why the announcer made some comment about it being Fruvous Woodstock (along with the jugglers and the scary half-naked guy with a stick, but we'll get to that again). There must have been at least a couple thousand people, I think. Nothing really striking about their clothes, except Jian was wearing an "I dig your boyfriend" t-shirt, which I've never seen before (not that that means much). They started out with Sahara (extended), and then did Jockey Full of Bourbon. (Oh, heck, now I realize my notes don't say who said anything, so anyone who wants to fill in or correct me, go right ahead :-). Since they were playing in some sort of gazebo-like structure, they talked a while about gazebos, and how this is a gazebo-to-gazebo tour, and Murray said that they actually drive the gazebo around from concert to concert, and they launched into an improv that was something like "We're gonna sing in a gazebo". They then sang BJ Don't Cry, with "He'd rather rock in Pennsylvania" instead of "stuffs his letters full of moxy" (can't remember the previous line :-/ ), followed by Video Bargainville. After that, the scary half-naked guy wearing a skirt-like thing walked across, and Mike said, "Look, a Scotsman!". The guy then walked onto a path in the middle of the stage, and bowed down before Jian, and Murray said something about it being like Joseph the Impromptu Musical, and Jian said something like he was carrying the Moslem thing too far. Then he noticed the camera, and decided it was the Viking 7 lander. Then they talked about Philadelphia's thriving economy and launched into I Love My Boss. Then Mike went out into the audience and started webslinging, and explained that the reason they go out into the audience is to get (I don't remember the exact phrase, but it was something like illegal substances) from the audience, and proceeded to get "blackberries in vodka" from Pauline, and drink milk from the Viking lander, then they played Spiderman. Then Jian talked about a request for a song the band got from someone that was breaking up with his girlfriend, and that the KoP concert was the last thing they would do "together", and then they played Fly. The next song was Boo Time (all I have of the scat is Upper Marion/something clarion/something stogie/something hoagies/Valley Forgin'/something encouragin'/Monica Lewinsky/.../Had a little Rush with the King of Pruss). Then they did Mistra Know-it-all, with a really neat bass solo by Murray. Then they talked about Central Ontario and how Americans visit there for the introduction to Pisco Bandito, except they got distracted by the noise from the congas (I vaguely remember a comment about nuclear radiation) before they started the song. Then they talked about when they first came to America (with sound effects) and played The Greatest Man in America. By this time, the "bugs from the Greater Philadelphia area" converged on the gazebo, but they valiantly continued on with gazebo banter, since it is an underused word (gazebo as a spice in an Italian dish, the president gave an address from the Oval gazebo, and something about preferring to refer to rubbers as gazebos). Then they played I Will Hold On, after which Murray made a comment about how being in a band you get used to playing even when a bug descends straight at you, and you exhale through your nose to keep the moth from going to your brain, when Dave made a comment about how it wanted to join its family, which prompted the Dave Will Be Beaten improv. They continued about how the bugs are really an American plot to kill Canadians, known as Gorefest, and that we weren't there to listen to them but to see them eaten alive. Then they launched into Present Tense Tureen, during which "mean and evil" Mary lit her citronella candles and took them to Tobey to put on stage. After the song, Jian made a comment about it being like a Sarah McLachlan concert with all the candles, and then they launched into Johnny Saucep'n. After that, Mike talked about how he came up with a song about Philadelphia two weeks ago when he walked to the bus station at 7am to get a haircut, and proceeded to sing a "little ditty". After that, since the candles weren't working as well as could have been hoped, though they were warming Murray's shins, someone took them Skintastic. Then they played the song I couldn't identify, then Missing Her. Then they started monk-like chants about being eaten by bugs, then launched into the introduction to King of Spain, and someone made a King of Prussia joke, so they made fun of him, and Mike introduced Captain Viagra Falls, the King of Spain! Then they played King of Spain (gazebo overhead instead of roof overhead, Flyers call me up instead of Leafs), which led into GE&H. When they got to the part about the Beatles, Dave's kung-fu reaction to screams at him was confused with a bald eagle (Jian, I think?). This led to slow-motion fighting, which ended in dancing to Lora's theme (?), and when Jian tried to get back to GE&H he cracked up and had to start it again. The next song was My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors (my baby's hooked on my crucifixion, and an Elvis-like "turning pages" at the end), which led into Get in the Car. After that, Jian told everybody they were crazy for showing up and paying to see them (to which my response is "but it's a _good_ kind of crazy!") and launched into Love Potion #9. The first encore was Michigan Militia, followed by a cover that I couldn't identify (someone posted what it was, but I think the moths in my head ate it 'cause it's gone now). Then they went off, came back on and played The Drinking Song. They seemed pretty tired, which may or may not be a result of not being able to turn the vocals up any higher (as they found out at the beginning of the concert). On the whole, a good show, and an especially good crowd, and I even got to meet Fruheads that I didn't know. Kumar, who's ending it here since he's may fall asleep at any second - -- (Until a sig randomizer is installed, this space is free for organizations promoting the use of elk secretions in perfumes - call 217-ELK-ODOR for info) Ravikumar Venkateswar rvenkate@uiuc.edu http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/rvenkate ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Aug 1998 13:57:17 GMT From: ceelove@ibm.net (Colleen Campbell) Subject: Short 'n' sweet: 7/31 & 8/1 The shows, not the reviews. *smile* Y'all should know by now that I have a difficult time curbing myself when it comes to talking about Fruvous. The shows were both shorter sets, outdoors (and unfortunately for the lads, staring straight into the setting sun throughout, both times), and very well received, both by the surprisingly large number of Fruheads and by the rest of the audience. The reason I was partcularly pleased by both these shows is that I saw a number of short, outdoors, folk-fest-type sets last summer, and while there was some variety in the setlists, it wasn't as great as in these, nor were they what I go to see Fruvous for. These were real "Fruvous shows" for me, in that the guys didn't try to keep the show within certain parameters, didn't curb their proclivity towards improv and interaction with the crowd. I don't have a perfect memory for setlists, but Friday's show, performed at Quincy Market in Boston, included (possibly among others) BJ, Jockey, GitC, Horseshoes, Boss, Spiderman (which was requested by a balcony contingent), Michigan, Johnny, Minnie the Moocher (a terrific rendition!), Message to You, KoS/GE&H, and Love Potion # 9. No new songs, but that's okay, 'cause I think most of the MIT crowd from May turned out for the show (gauging from how many MIT references were made and how much of a reaction they got) and they'd already heard many of them. *grin* Saturday's show, performed at the South Norwalk Celebration of the Arts in Connecticut, included Authors, River Valley, GitC, Horseshoes, Boss, YWGTTM, a surprise appearance of the Chia Pets doing Oliver's Army, Sad Girl, Message, Michigan, Johnny, Minnie the Moocher, Greatest Man in America, Mistra Know-It-All, KoS/GE&H, and Love Potion # 9. Neither show included an encore. The lads were in fine spirits and fine form for both shows, and I was relieved to see that none of them were suffering ill effects from their car accident of a few days back. When Jian loped onto the stage on Friday, I thought perhaps he'd picked up a wardrobe addition from the lead singer of BARK like a dog, Scott Benjamin (who showed up for the performance), yellow-tinted glasses; but I was informed that he'd been wearing those years ago. I'd never seen them before, though, and I have to admit, he can pull off accessories I wouldn't be caught dead in. ;) There, your hair-and-clothes report. Friday's show was quite spicy, and I had my impression reinforced that Fruvous knows they can and are expected to get away with all kinds of hijinks in Boston. (I for one was a bit startled to realize just how many Frufans I know from the Boston area and greater Mass area.) They said they had to be introduced by a person with pink hair--wait! and here one was, how convenient! They called her up on stage, but apparently wanting to make a politically pink wardrobe statement doesn't equate to having chutzpah; she was a fish-out-of-water. Michelle had brought them a little cluster of musical lawn gnomes, and Jian joked about his, "Nome Chomsky." *Groan.* Fruvous made it through five songs, I think, before they abandoned propriety and started messing around with us. They serenaded a guy on the balcony (who was dancing rather enthusiastically in, I believe, a hockey jersey; don't ask me what team!), who obliged unabashedly with jaunty moves and later started making arcane hand signals at the guys, which at least one of them tried to replicate. It was hilarious. Their impromptu tune segued into a "Triangle Man" reference, similar to the "Media Lab" song of MIT last year: "Balcony Guy." (Later, when Jian asked who hadn't seen Fruvous before in the KoS intro, he was shocked to find that Balcony Guy was a virgin and said he hoped the deflowering experience was a good one.) The "stage" for the show was just a roped-off area between pilons (with people peering down from the walkway above), so Fruvous was on the same level with the crowd and the vast majority couldn't see the band at all. Since most of the first 10 rows of fans were crammed with those of us who'd seen Fruvous several times before (does that make us sluts?), we were quite into the game when Jian started ordering us to sit down and stand up in musical time. We were divvied into the first five rows, the second five rows, and "the useless f***ers" (which he amended later, perhaps realizing it was a family show--including Harry Keates & daugher *smile*) behind us. Group A sit down! Group B sit down! Useless f***ers, wave! We did all stay seated during an entire song (I don't remember which one), and remained patiently crammed & crouched until I asked if we could get up now. Group A get up! It was hilarious, but maybe you had to be there. During KoS, Murray interrupted Dave to say, "King! King! I have a question! Do you consider your wardrobe choices to match?" (They clearly didn't.) Dave snuggled up against Murray and replied, lisping slightly, "Yes, they match *yours.*" The crowd howled. Minnie the Moocher was really fabulous, including a verse about Chappaquidick (which I'm sure I misspelled) and how we love Kennedy anyway, and another about Kenneth Starr's ego. There was one about the rampaging Godzilla and Taco Bell's "little chinchilla; actually, the real name of the creature is a chihuahua, and I'm pulling off these rhymes by dint of bravura!" The standout verse, though, was about how we should lay off Clinton, it was just "old-fashioned sinnin'," it's time to let him off the "Presidential cooker" and focus on Chelsea, "I think she's a lesbian hooker." That got a roar! During "Spiderman," I couldn't even locate Mike while he made the usual web-slinging noises; finally everyone pointed up and there he was, appropriately enough on the balcony. And for much of the rest, the show was spiced up for me by the familiarity of the audience with the material--the number of people who participated on King of Spain/Green Eggs & Ham, did the "Stayin' Alive" dance in Love Potion, etc. You'd think I'd eventually get tired of it all, but I never do. On Saturday, there was a *massive* turnout of Fruheads, including many from NYC, the Delaware/NJ/Philly contingent, those of us from Boston & Mass, some upstate-NY'ers, and the increasing number from CT. Fruvous went on very close to on time (shock!), but if they hadn't, we would have kept quite busy with catching up with each other! Most of us were crammed right up against the stage, in front of the speakers; I thought it fascinating to hear the production almost entirely from the monitors (and their echo against the metal stage), plus a bit from the guys themselves; it's the first time I think I've ever heard Murray's unamplified singing voice. Very keen. Highlights for me? Well, Mistra Know-It-All, which the guys so clearly enjoy doing--Murray's bass solo is, as Chris Traugott noted recently, superb. Minnie the Moocher two days running was a terrific treat, with Mike including the same verses about "lesbian hooker" and the chinchilla/chuhuahua and one about the giant puppet parade preceding the show, where someone had made a "love slave of one of the 10-foot-tall puppets." Love slaves unite! Jason's tape equipment was clearly visible in the crowd, and they kept commenting on it--"Where have you been the last couple of months? We could have released another live album off of people's bootlegs by now!" To introduce I Love My Boss, Murray said that America & Canada were both undergoing times of great prosperity that allowed them to buy nice things like dog collars--referring to Jered, who was sporting a mohawk and studded collar. There was also a guy standing right up against the stage that they teased as looking like Eddie Vedder (Mike worked him into the make-up verse of Love Potion), and during I Love My Boss, Jian came over and made bedroom eyes at him, grabbing his hair (he was thigh-high to Jian) and yanking him all around. I wish I had a picture of it; I was dying. The best part for me, though, was the technical difficulties. They were about to go into Sad Girl and couldn't get the keyboard working; Mike messed around with "Mello Yellow" (spotting a "Donovan's" store nearby) and they segued that with the Beatle's "Michelle." Then Jian started doing a very slow, acoustic version of "Tubthumping," ragging on it for stealing "Danny's Boy" and throwing in "he drinks a diet Coke," etc. Finally, when it was clear there was a big problem with the keyboard, Mike announced that they were going to reform as the Chia Pets and launched quickly into "Oliver's Army"--whoo!! Dave got the keyboard working partly through and, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and looking like the proverbial canary-satiated cat, joined in with a huge grin. Then they returned to "Sad Girl"; still not my favorite new song (that would easily be "Pisco Bandito," which I adore) but coming together better with the new harmonies, I think. Because of the time lost to all that, though, they apologized that they'd have to wrap up the show (eliciting a wave of protest from the crowd). . .in about two hours. Wild cheers! Too bad it wasn't true. Afterwards, we all stood around and visited with each other for an hour & a half, until the next group came on. It was terrific to see so many friends, especially since I won't likely see anyone until the end of October. But! Murray did confirm that, reporting that the Iron Horse dates are in the bag. (And Mike mentioned that they ARE playing San Fransisco this fall, so all you Californians can stop yer gripin' already!) So though I'm sorry to be missing everyone at the next upcoming "FruCons" of Toronto and Owen Sound, I'm expecting another for the Halloween shows! (And here's a pondering: playing two nights in a row at the Iron Horse, where they're given to taking every possible liberty with their setlists--I wonder if they're going to pull a "Phish" and do a bunch of covers for their Halloween show. . .? Just a thought. A very happy thought, seeing as how I doubt we'll get to hear "Poor Napoleon" any time soon otherwise, which is coincidentally playing next to me right now.) Okay, enough rambling from me. Many thanks to those of you who've been writing such great, vivid reviews of shows lately, and I expect many more to be forthcoming, to help me soldier through my next three upcoming Fruless months! Enjoy the shows for me, say hi to each other for me these next couple of weekends (and I'll enjoy Newport Folk Fest, with Ani, Dar, Indigo Girls, Loudon Wainwright, etc, for y'all), and I'll see ya in October! ceecee ------------------------------ End of alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V1 #190 ********************************************