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About an hour after April Smith and the Great Picture Show‘s Cleveland set, something special happened.
While Smith and the guys signed CDs and took pictures with fans, they were approached by two girls with one simple request: Play more songs. They pleaded their case, saying they were told the wrong start time, which then caused them to miss a good chunk of the set. Apparently, these tenacious go-getters even spoke to the sound guy, who agreed to keep the band’s equipment mic’ed. As my buddy said to me after I told him the story, it takes a lot of balls to ask a band to play more songs once the players have called it a night.
So it was all set. All Smith had to do was say ‘yes.’
Of course, being the darlin’ she is, she agreed. But there was one problem. Thirty or so minutes of continued cordiality with straggling audience members passed and the sound guy got tired of waiting. No more mics. Smith, who I happened to be speaking to when the girls presented her with the request, later walked by expressing disappointment.
It didn’t look good. But then, just a few minutes later the band was back onstage. Smith picked up her acoustic guitar and took a seat. The rest of the fellas huddled in close. Three songs later, including an appropriately placed little cover of Melanie’s “Brand New Key,” the surreal evening came to a close. Take a listen…
[The main part of the set can be seen here.]
1. Brand New Key
2. Movie Loves a Screen
3. Can’t Say No
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdFG76we7oY
There are some performers who have moves. Others who have musical ability. Then, there are those who simply have “it.” Like, the complete package. Someone who’s completely immersed in showmanship. What is “it”, though? I guess that depends on individual interpretation. For me, it’s possessing unique style, class, humor and ability all the while being in complete control of one’s mannerisms and emotions for maximum audience reaction.
Vague? Yes, perhaps. I could go on and on expounding and whittling it down. Or, I could just show you what I’m talking about.
Continuing the Inglourious Black and White video series I bring to you April Smith and the Great Picture Show performing songs from the band’s new album, Songs For a Sinking Ship. The setup: a slightly muggy-but-pleasant Monday evening. May 25, to be exact. Cutie-pie Smith and her well-dressed boys graced the less dramatic section of Cleveland’s Beachland, the tavern (as opposed to the grander elegance of the ballroom), but still managed to whirl the audience into a surreal cabaret world of mimbos, potential catfights and acts so horrendous they can’t be mentioned.
As with the previous sessions, this one was captured on DVC. But be warned: The sound is a bit harsher on a couple of the songs this time around. It could be where I was sitting, or I may have damaged the mic somehow. Not quite sure. But seeing as I uploaded the entire 10-song set (the mini-unplugged encore will arrive shortly), there’s enough good to outweigh the bad.
Charming, equally sassy, but always lovable, here’s April Smith, live in Cleveland.
1. Movie Loves a Screen
2. Drop Dead Gorgeous
3. Terrible Things
4. Stop Wondering
5. What’ll I Do
6. Colors
7. Can’t Say No
8. Dixie Boy
9. The One That Got Away
10. Wow and Flutter
(Photo taken by J.J. McCarthy) Guitarist Bradley York and Nicole Atkins
Nicole Atkins and her new band, the Black Sea, are currently on the road promoting their upcoming album, which Atkins says her and the guys will record this January. On Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, Atkins and her Jersey posse breezed into Cleveland from Chi-town. McCarthy’s Media Menace was there to capture it. Well, sorta. I was armed with my Sony DCR-HC21 mini-dv camcorder along with all my other journalism stuff, but the thought of holding a camera an entire set without break seemed daunting. Long story short, after chatting with Atkins and making small talk with the rest of the group, drummer Chris Donofrio nudged me into undertaking the project on which I was teetering.
So, enough prose. Here, in order, are all 11 songs Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea performed that night presented in digitized Inglourious Black and White. (Note: I missed the first few seconds of the first song.)
1. Kill the Headlights
2. War Torn
3. Maybe Tonight
4. Civil War
5. Make You Mine
6. Hotel Plaster
7. You Come To Me
8. Cry Cry Cry
9. The Way It Is
10. The Tower
11. Neptune City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sQKTp0oz_A
