Benjamin Gibbard at the Palace
acutejam
Posts: 1,433
Benjamin Gibbard at the Palace of Fine Arts, SF, CA
Tuesday, November 13
I've been a fan of Ben's, Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie for awhile now, he's a great songwriter, and I was pretty stoked when I heard he was doing a solo gig.
He did not dissapoint, admittedly the wrist-slicing sorrow wasn't there on most of the new tunes, but opener and Seattle-scene regular Damien Jurado certainly sent a few jolts through the brain. After an esp distressing song about pleading with God to take the life of his mentally ill brother, he politely informed us. "These stories aren't true...."
Damien was great. And then Ben came out, a grand piano on stage he ignored for the first hour as he just switched between two well worn Gibson acoustics, standing and belting out tunes.
He noted, "Live albums are usually just greatest hits played faster. On this acoustic solo tour, i'm going for greatest hits played slower..." And his arrangements of some of PS/DCFC's hits were wonderful in a striped down format. You could sense a kind of sitting around fiddling with songs as he's writing them, perhaps a glimpse of the genesis of how some of these songs started. We got about 6-7 of those, Title & Registration and Cath being my two favs.
And he pandered, playing us "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" noting that Scott McKenzie had recently passed and he thought it fitting to play a tribute to him.
I went into the solo show blind, haven't bought the solo album wanting to hear 'em live first, but I'll pick it up soon. Funny to note, with DCFC this year, he wears all black -- for the solo gig, he came out like a lumberjack! Seattle flannel flyin proud!
Wondeful night of music!
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/201 ... f_fine.php
Tuesday, November 13
I've been a fan of Ben's, Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie for awhile now, he's a great songwriter, and I was pretty stoked when I heard he was doing a solo gig.
He did not dissapoint, admittedly the wrist-slicing sorrow wasn't there on most of the new tunes, but opener and Seattle-scene regular Damien Jurado certainly sent a few jolts through the brain. After an esp distressing song about pleading with God to take the life of his mentally ill brother, he politely informed us. "These stories aren't true...."
Damien was great. And then Ben came out, a grand piano on stage he ignored for the first hour as he just switched between two well worn Gibson acoustics, standing and belting out tunes.
He noted, "Live albums are usually just greatest hits played faster. On this acoustic solo tour, i'm going for greatest hits played slower..." And his arrangements of some of PS/DCFC's hits were wonderful in a striped down format. You could sense a kind of sitting around fiddling with songs as he's writing them, perhaps a glimpse of the genesis of how some of these songs started. We got about 6-7 of those, Title & Registration and Cath being my two favs.
And he pandered, playing us "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" noting that Scott McKenzie had recently passed and he thought it fitting to play a tribute to him.
I went into the solo show blind, haven't bought the solo album wanting to hear 'em live first, but I'll pick it up soon. Funny to note, with DCFC this year, he wears all black -- for the solo gig, he came out like a lumberjack! Seattle flannel flyin proud!
Wondeful night of music!
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/201 ... f_fine.php
[sic] happens
Post edited by Unknown User on
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I had a really good view and shot a few vids on my phone if you're interested.
www.youtube.com/leatherman1377
I think Title & Registration is the first song I ever heard of his, but I liked his contribution to Home so I was stoked to see him unplugged. I jsut love the acoustic solo format, so a lot of time I was just soaking that in rather than what he was actually singing. Noted I tuned out for a few....
Sweet! Snagged a mov of my fav! Thanks!