Monday, 8 August 2011

Mark Eitzel: The Hideout Inn, Chicago, USA, December 6th 2002


Eitzel performing in Chicago, 2002

I’m a bit calmer now I’ve had my American Music Club inspired rant…

This is what I intended to post before I got all righteous. It’s a great live recording from the Hideout Inn, Chicago on December 6th 2002. It’s a superior audience recording, I think. Check out that setlist kids…AMC gems rub up against tasty morsels from his criminally underrated solo repertoire. When I downloaded this a few years back, I expected it to be a solo gig, but he’s accompanied by a small, sympathetic band. The material does benefit from that, too.

I really love his voice. He ain’t Pavarotti or Celine Dion…his voice can fail, go off pitch or crack mid song. On ‘Western Sky’ from the ‘Songs of Love’ live CD (fortunately still available. Buy it immediately), he chokes back tears whilst singing. In other words, his voice is real. Not pitch perfect or classically trained, but real. A voice which conveys emotions perfectly. I could not give a shit if he misses a note or two, it’s the delivery that matters and when Eitzel sings about being at the end of his tether, or full of longing or regret, you believe him. What’s the alternative? Some hermetically sealed, autotuned, ProTooled, over rehearsed, bland, multi octaved, over-melismatic ‘performance’ where empty words, written without passion, clang against generic, laboratory tested Muzak? Not for me, thanks. I’ll take the middle aged, balding guy with the weird guitar who’s lived every note of his music.

Now I’m all worked up again.


('Jenny' Live in 2007)

Chicago 2002



Mark Eitzel: The Hideout Inn, Chicago, USA, December 6th 2002

01 Intro
02 Ladies and gentlemen
03 Last harbour-Jenny
04 Theme song for a documentary on the discovery channel
05 Sleep Intro
06 Sleep
07 Gods eternal love
08 To the sea
09 Apology
10 Patriots heart
11 Evangeline
12 Tuning
13 Jesus hands
14 Home
15 Mission Rock
16 proclaim your joy
17 Ive been a mess
18 Western Sky
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4 comments:

  1. Anything Should Happen9 August 2011 at 00:06

    You're obsessed man! Only Kidding.

    Just read the excellent Rushbo Guide.

    Bolton is a town famous for Peter Kay and the last stagecoach leaving at Eight sharpish.

    Love the pic, you look like Dean Friedman, he says thanking his lucky stars.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ralph Dodger9 August 2011 at 12:53

    Here's hoping you stay all worked up if you keep on serving up gems like this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oxy10 August 2011 at 07:12

    Rushbo, This is your baby and your blog, so I understand that not every post you put up is going to be to my liking, but damn, man - you are on one mother of a roll! Can't say thanks enough (but I'm trying).

    ReplyDelete
  4. GRK.28 September 2011 at 03:13

    Appreciated greatly. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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