Day 4 in Austin came way the hell too early, as usual, but I dragged my ass toward a shower and breakfast before catching my shuttle back downtown. I hit one panel on licensing, a Day Stage set by the Big Pink, and then decided, "Screw it! It's St. Patrick's Day!"
By noon, 6th Street was painted with all shades of green. I'm a good Irish girl and made a point to find a good Kelly green tank top to brighten my day. I wandered for a while, listening and watching, and was surprised to realize I was ravenous. Chupacabra Cantina it was for some great Tex-Mex tacos. And some Jack. The hot bartender bought me a second round. Turns out he used to play hockey for the former Atlanta Thrashers' feeder team, and his ex-wife used to babysit for Ed Kowalczyk, former LIVE frontman. (More on that later.)
Jack and Ginger and I danced our way down 6th, and we were immediately drawn to this voice coming from inside Friends. It was sand-in-your-ass-crack gritty and awesome. Turns out it belonged to Austin blues singer Rachael Crawford, and it was totally worth the chafing. She did the best version of "Folsom Prison Blues" I've heard since the original.
But Jack and Ginger and I had big plans for the evening. After four good dances, we decided to shuttle our way back to the hotel for a shower and a quick nap. Candlebox was doing a short acoustic set at the Bayou Lounge at 7 p.m. I watched them do "Cover Me" and "Far Behind" then walked with Kevin and Sean over to Antone's for the Microsoft Big App on Campus party, hosted by the Gracious Few.
I was in the door quickly, at the front of the stage where Chad Taylor normally stomps. The Canvas Waiting opened, their set including a fabulous cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle", which holds a very special place in my heart. I totally approved.
Then my groupie love, the Gracious Few, took to the stage. I hadn't seen them since May and was thrilled that they opened with "Silly Thing". It's my song. I loved it long before my path intertwined with theirs, and it's one of those songs that can sweep me away to a deeply, personally happy place, every single time I hear it. TGF holds the spot for two of my top-five favorite songs (the other being "Labor of Love"), so it made me stupidly happy to start the night with it. (No, Kevin, I don't blame you for not singing it with me this time. For so many reasons.) They were good. They were my band. And I was overjoyed to feel that pulsing rhythm that has been the soundtrack to so many miles of the most recent part of my journey.
Blahblahblahblah from Microsoft. Then came LIVE.
So, the boys from LIVE had been on a hiatus for nearly three years, mutually cutting ties with Ed Kowalczyk. This was their first public show with their new lead singer, Chris Shinn. They'd played a private event in York, PA, on Monday night. I was supposed to have been at that show but had a last-minute family emergency that prevented me from going. I was heartbroken at having missed such a special event in the life of the band I've loved for nearly twenty years, but it was unavoidable.
Chris had previously been with Unified Theory. He also released a self-titled solo record in January that I really love. It's a grown-up album and wasn't at all what I expected when DH gifted it to me during surgery recovery. But I was concerned that Chris was too first tenor for the LIVE catalog. (Later in his career, Ed's voice settled more toward his falsetto, but there are certain songs that even my natural contralto can't quite reach, when I have to pop up an octave to maintain the melody.)
The guys came out to the first strains of "The Dam at Otter Creek", which was the song to open the best LIVE shows I've ever seen. The whole set list was good—though I was very surprised to see "Freaks" on it. There was nothing from Mental Jewelry, which was a little disappointing, but there was also nothing from V or Birds of Pray or the wretched Songs from Ed's Big Head Black Mountain. It was fantastic to see Chad Taylor stomping and playing Ruby Lou. Chad Gracey was out from behind the Plexi panel and pounded the fuck out of his drums. I saw Patrick Dahlheimer smiling more on stage than I can remember having seen in years. Sean Hennesy was kind enough to play the part of Adam Kowalczyk for the evening, even though that meant he had three straight sets with three different bands.
Chris seemed visibly nervous, and who can blame him? The LIVE fans are rabidly split about whether or not they can support "their" band without Ed. I wondered about it two years ago, too. But this is totally up to Chad and Chad and Patrick, and I was more than willing to give a chance to any singer with the balls to step into that groupie firestorm. Does he sound just like Ed? No. But there's a similarity there that lends his voice to the old songs. Having been to dozens of LIVE shows over the years, I couldn't help but see the shaven ghost of Ed stepping across the stage, passing through and around Chris as he did his own thing. But he did his own thing, and it was good. I am looking forward to seeing where these guys go now that they're really opening a new chapter of their career.
More Microsoft blahblahblah.
Strangely, it was my first Candlebox show. I was never a huge Cbox fan (Kevin, you were right—I always loved LIVE more.), but it was interesting to see how different he is on stage from one band to the next. You don't notice it as much with guitarists, who can hide behind their instruments, but there was a different onstage persona that came out of him for each band. My heart is still with TGF, but I knew enough Cbox to sing along and have him put his mic in my face, like he always has. Okay, yeah, so it was "Far Behind", but I have my strangely personal reasons for liking that song, just like everyone else does. (Well, except that I didn't get laid to it.)
After the show, though, was my favorite part. Walking past the bar, I heard, "Stephanie!" I turned to see Chad Taylor standing there, who I hadn't seen since May. Big hugs and laughter. "Gracey said to me, 'I think that skinny girl is Stephanie,' and I said, 'No way!' Oh my God! Look at you! You were right in front of me for the entire Gracious Few set, and it wasn't until I came out with LIVE that I realized it was you!" He promptly took me by the hand and twirled me around to see the difference that even the last forty-five pounds (and a new belly button) had made. I knew I must be doing something right if even the rock stars can see the difference.
I was exhausted, having stood and danced in the same spot for five hours. Two of my very favorite songs were played that night ("I Alone" is on that list, too. Strangely, Chad and Chad and Patrick, you have four of my five favorites.) , and it was exhilarating to be swept up in the music and the moments I love the most.
I bravely stomped around Austin in my Big Girl panties and my persona non grata t-shirt, on my own for five days, and I loved every second of it. Even my nervousness and being in a strange city, on my own, served only to invigorate me, and I splashed my muchness all over that fucking town—in my own way, sparkled with purple, just like I always do.
Hee hee, I feel the same way about "Silly Thing." I can't explain it, but I feel like I have loved that song even before it was written.
Posted by: Cheryl Porter | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 03:10 PM