Many thanks to my closest friends that came out to support my first acoustic performance at Good Hurt on Thursday. It was a fast 25 minutes for me, but your support has truly had a lasting impact. I’m looking forward to playing again with all new tunes on June 1st and hope to do many more beyond that…
In the meantime, I’ve created this setlist blog as a way to connect you to the songs I’ve performed and help you see them through the lens that I do. I’ve included some personal context as well as video and purchase links wherever possible to make it easy for you enjoy the tunes and support the artists. I was somewhat surprised at how many things are not available on iTunes, but if you’re reading this you’re probably someone who doesn’t mind digging a bit deeper for great music. Thanks for looking and hope to see you at another Razorface show soon!
May 19, 2011 - Club Good Hurt - Solo Acoustic
1. “One Thing Real” - Dan Bern (Fifty Eggs - 1998)
Audacious and crafty, Dan Bern actually wrote many of the tunes for one of my favorite comedies, Walk Hard - the Dewey Cox Story. The first album of his that grabbed me was New American Language and although the version of “One Thing Real” that appears on Fifty Eggs is not on iTunes, you can get the record here.
2. “All Men Are Liars” - Nick Lowe (Party of One - 1990)
I discovered this clever warning song from a killer Nick Lowe tribute album released in 2001 called Labour of Lust as covered by Dar Williams. Her version isn’t on iTunes, but his can be found here. The world is still waiting for a response song from Rick Astley…
3. “Alice” - Tom Waits (Alice - 2002)
Gritty, raw, and beautiful. The song is the opening track on the album of the same name that was released simultaneously with the deliciously dark Blood Money. You can purchase the album version of “Alice” here,though I performed something closer to a bootleg version called “There’s Only Alice” that I found at Charley’s Records in Albuquerque, NM. Apparently Waits recorded demos for the entire album completely differently years prior to it’s release, but the recordings were stolen out of his car. I prefer the demos if you can find them - he even does a very spirited rendition of Lewis Carroll’s The Jabborwocky called “One, Two And Through”
4. “The Other Side of Summer” - Elvis Costello (Mighty Like A Rose - 1991)
A quirky, upbeat romper, this is not for the faint-of-heart Elvis fan. You can find this tune on iTunes, but it’s definitely worth experiencing the outrageous music video Elvis made for “The Other Side of Summer.” When you’ve recovered, go listen to This Year’s Model or Armed Forces to be reminded of how edgy the guy truly is. Even still, this tune has always been a favorite of mine and a great album opener.
5. “Imagination (Is A Powerful Deceiver” - Elvis Costello (My Aim is True [DELUXE REiSSUE] - 1977)
I can’t seem to find this song on iTunes, but I discovered it on a fantastic series of reissues that Rhino did in the 90’s of Elvis’ debut album. Evidently this tune was recorded as a demo sometime in ‘74/’75 with Flip City as the backing band. I learned this song in high school and have never forgotten a word of it. Check it out:
6. “Unbroken (Hotel Baby) - Monster Magnet (Monolithic Baby! - 2004)
This extremely underrated band from Jersey is irreverent, psychadelic, heavy, and infectiously catchy. I would travel anywhere to see these guys in concert, and listening to “Unbroken” at ridiculous volumes is still one of my favorite ways to spend 3 1/2 minutes, check it out here.
7. “To Ramona” - Bob Dylan (Another Side of Bob Dylan - 1964)
Not an hour before my set I read a blurb that Jackson Browne wrote about this song in the latest Rolling Stone (featuring Dylan on the cover) - it came in at #70 with a bullet on their list of Dylan’s top 70 songs. Browne’s take on the song as a powerful civil rights anthem totally opened my eyes to it’s meaning - check out the article next time your at a newstand and purchase the tune here. A few weeks earlier I had stumbled upon a devastatingly gorgeous version of the tune by Irish singer Sinead Lohan - worth a listen here:
Ultimately though, “To Ramona” reminds me most of my sister Kara - her all-time favorite song by her all-time favorite artist. She played it for me years ago and I can’t even think about the tune without thinking of her. Even though she is far away in Georgia (and recently engaged!), in a huge way my performance of this tune is for Kara.
See you in June for 3 more rounds!
Upcoming Razorface shows:
- Wednesday, June 1 - 8pm at Brennan’s Pub
- Thursday, June 9 - 8pm at Good Hurt
- Thursday, June 23 - 8:30pm at Good Hurt
Picture by Kevin Pierce
