Get Out: The Monthlong Birthday Celebration Edition (Week Two)

The first full week of the Monthlong Birthday Celebration brings four shows featuring three of my all-time favorites, including what might be the best double bill in a year of really good double bills.

WED 11/8--The Bottle Rockets (Europa, Brooklyn, NY)

Assuming that I have enough energy by Wednesday to expend on a midweek trip to Greenpoint, this will be the fourth Bottle Rockets show I see this year. I'm torn because it's an opening set (for the Hackensaw Boys, who were good both times I saw them, but I don't know if they're worth staying in Greenpoint until midnight for) and thus may not be as mighty and powerful as the three headlining gigs I've seen this year. But then again, an earlier set means I may get more than six hours' sleep. So I think it's a good thing. I've only been to Europa once before (and never to the continent of Europe, if you're keeping track), but as I recall, it's a weird disco-type of place. Oughta be interesting. I've expounded upon the virtues of the Bottle Rockets before, so all I can say is it'll be a good time. But you know what will be an even better time?

THU 11/9--The Yayhoos/The Bottle Rockets (Mercury Lounge, NYC)

The only thing that prevents this from being the greatest thing ever is that it's not on a weekend. But that's why you leave those extra vacation days on the table for November and December. Two of the greatest live bands I've ever seen are playing on the same bill for the bargain price of $13. This is God's birthday gift to me. Thanks, Chief. I can't see how this show could possibly suck. Maybe if the Yayhoos threw Terry Anderson out of the band right before the show and replaced him with Phil Collins. But I don't suspect that will happen. And so, in a year with Yayhoos/Avett Brothers, Bottle Rockets/Bobby Bare Jr., Drive By Truckers/Bobby Bare Jr., and Alejandro Escovedo/Marah, this gig is primed to be the Double Bill of the Year. If you don't go because you have other commitments, I'll understand (and like you a little less). If you go and don't have a good time, I officially hate you.

FRI 11/10 and SAT 11/11--Matthew Ryan/David Mead/Michelle Malone/Thad Cockrell (The Living Room, NYC)

It's two evenings of Songwriters in the Round at the Living Room, with one of my favorite songwriters (and author of the phrase that gives this blog its name), Matthew Ryan, leading the way. I know very little about the other three folks on the bill, but Ryan's involvement assures my attendance at at least one night. He's got a new CD coming out (for sale at the show) that I'm anxious to hear, and when I last saw him with the now-defunct Strays Don't Sleep, there was a confidence in his performance that I hadn't seen before. In fact, one of my concertgoing highlights of the year was Ryan singing "Cars and History" directly behind a woman who was chatting away and oblivious to what was going on around her. I love it when the concert chatterboxes are embarrassed. It makes the world seem like a better place.

Anyway, it should be a cool couple of nights at the Living Room. Come on out; it's the weekend.

Speaking of the Living Room, here's a brief recap of the three shows I prattled on about last week. The Jon Langford show at the Living Room (with Sally Timms, Jean Cook, Bill Anderson from the Meat Purveyors, and special guest John Wesley Harding) was the usual loose, ridiculously fun Langford show. The music was, as usual, stellar, but you can't beat the between-song repartee between Langford and Timms. The quote of the night came from Langford: "I would take the Dalai Lama roughly from behind." I'd give you the context, but what fun would that be? You should've been there.

The Bloodshot BBQ was its usual fun time, capped off by the bittersweet farewell performance from the Meat Purveyors. They're a helluva live band, mainly because, like all bands worth anything, they seem like they're having the time of their lives while they're up on stage. You could see the mixture of sadness and gleeful, reckless abandon when the band played, and when they finally ended the show with their cover of "We Kill Evil," it was a moment that, well, you should've been there for. And you should've checked out the Deadstring Brothers and Bobby Bare Jr. sets, too. The Bloodshot BBQ rarely disappoints.

And the Maybe Pete/La Dolce Vita show was fun, too. Or it started to be fun after the Sweet Sixteen that broke out between the opening band (The Morning Theft) and La Dolce Vita sets came to a close. Some people shouldn't be given alcohol and digital cameras. And most of them were at Maxwell's Saturday night. Hoo boy. I thought the Michael Jackson songs would never end. But they did, and then Michael Imperioli and La Dolce Vita started up. I don't have much to say about them. It was neither completely awful nor astoundingly good. It was just sort of there. Maybe Pete, though--now that's a band. You, y'know, should've been there. And I'm talking to you, you Soprano-ogling cretins. Stick around next time, wouldya?