It's going to take me a moment to figure out my set. It changed the moment I walked in and scoped out the venue. Not drastically, but I realized I would need to do something a little more "rock" and a little less "singer songwriter". Not that I HAD too, mind you. Matt Coleman, the curator for the evening, gave me full permission to run my hour however I wanted, but I decided to alter my set slightly to make it flow better in the environment. (Read "Lots of people drinking and walking around, stage next to bathroom").
First, The Vault is a bar with a very unique set up: the inside has a great vibe and then you head out back into the alley. Old brick buildings go up two or three stories with lights hanging across between buildings and chairs and stools against the sides. It was really cool environment to play in and I hope to do it again. My only issue was the lighting. I had a hard time seeing my lyrics, which at some points I desperately needed. Oh well.
Opening the evening was a lovely bilingual set from Olga Tapia. She played acoustic guitar and had a wonderfully tasteful bassist accompanying her. I wish I could have heard her a little better, but I was sitting toward the back of the room and was hearing both the music from the front bar and from the little side bar farther back in the alley. She still did a great job and I really dug the cover song she played, but I can't for the life of me recall what song it was now.
Here's the set I played as I remember it. Please feel free to correct me if you remember it differently:
American Girl *This was planned originally and left, because who doesn't like this classic Petty song?)
Simple Math *My friend Eric really likes this song and as it turns out it also seems to be one a lot of people liked (including my brother who has recordings of just about every song in my repertoire). My brother Dave and his wife Elsa also really like this one. I need to do a proper recording. The one I do have doesn't even have the bridge section, which is really cool (imho).
Tammmy Faye, I Love You *I love this song. It's also been a favorite of many people at live shows and via my myspace page. This (along with "Questions for the Wiseman") will be on my solo album that is nearing completion. I can't wait for everyone to hear the final version.
Move On *I introduced this as "Not a political song"...because it's not. But that's the title of part of the Obama campaign so some may have taken it as a supportive song in that vein. It's neither for or against either candidate...unless you want it to be. :) I had a hard time with this song during the key change. I could sing it just fine, but I kept missing the chords. Nothing like missed chords to keep you humble. Well, if you don't take risks, you can get stagnant, right?
Short People *Not the song by Randy Newman, though I TOTALLY stole the first several notes and words. After that it's all me. Several lines were given to me by my good buddy, Mini Mendez.
Los Angeles/Stand By Me/Bridge Over Troubled Water *Los Angeles is a Pushstart Wagon song that has been a long-time crowd favorite and is almost always a request of someone. I love the fact that a song that has NO chorus and really, no repeating lyrics is such a favorite. It's just four verses with a repeating chord pattern of C-Am-F-C.
Green Beans For Breakfast *Another fun song that people seem to enjoy even though it's just totally wacky. I always have fun performing it too. I just wish I could do a better mouth trumpet noise. I really need to invest in a decent kazoo. Anyone wanna donate one? I used this song to switch moods after the heavy medley preceding.
Don't Give Up (I Hope This Finds You) *This song was written awhile ago for a friend at work that eventually passed away from cancer. I was never able to play it for her. This song is another that people seem to connect with when I play it live. Perhaps because it came from a genuine place. Not that that is the only reason a song connects with people, but in this case I think that's why.
May He Keep You As You Go *An alternate title for this song could be "The Irish Blessing Song". I wrote it to be just that. This will also be on my forthcoming solo release. I can't wait. It came out wonderfully in the recording.
I'm Sure I've Made Some New Friends *I'm using this song to close my sets because it just seems like a good show ender. Another tune that should make it to my solo album. Keep your ears peeled.
Following my set was a great set by Chad Villareal. He plays a mean funky acoustic guitar. His rhythm and lead playing reminded me of Dave Matthews (in a good way). He also had a sweet drum machine that he jammed along with. He really go the crowd moving and much dancing occurred.
The evening was closed out by Matt Coleman and friends. Longtime friend and collaborator Chad joined him on drums and I wish I had everyone else's names. All I know is that the combination of bass, drums, electric guitar, and Matt singing and on acoustic was magical and a near religious experience. It was obvious that this group of players not only loved music, but loved playing together. (And if they didn't, man they sure faked it well!)
This was a late evening for me. I crawled into bed around 2:30. Yowzer. I'm an old man now. :)
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