08-03-98

For your optimum viewing pleasure, switch the font on your email program to Courier New, size 10. or not...whatever. ************************************************************************ Some regular features have been deleted in this issue due to the fact that there was only 1 one ONE!!!!! submission out of roughly 800 of you. ************************************************************************ TOUR DATES: (NEW DATES MARKED WITH A **) **August 27- Ottawa Civic Centre Theater, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (O,P)** CONFIRMED ************************************************************************ The Quote Of The Day: Life was fun life was great til I made my big mistake oh no it'll never happen to me life was short and life was sweet -From Out The Window -Submitted by Jamie.Stinson --Send your VF quotes to patwary ************************************************************************ ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO PATWARY ************************************************************************ In Today's Issue: DC to WV Info Needed The Camden Show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DC to WV Info Needed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pat, please add this to the next American Music newsletter: Anyone from the Washington D.C. area planning on going to the West Virginia show? Does anyone know how long it would take to get there from D.C.? thanks, Catherine Eor24 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Camden Show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, folks, this was a weird one. We got to the venue before the first show, and since the ECenter page said that no more tickets were available I was expecting a huge crowd. I couldn't have been more wrong. The place was almost deserted. It must have been that fans of certain acts hung around mainly for that one act and then wandered around. This venue was very strange. There was an enclosed part and then the lawn part, which was waaaayyyy the hell away from the stage. The enclosed part was all seats, with no place to get up front close to the stage. Cameras were not allowed without a photo pass, and not even for those lucky ones with backstage passes could bring in a camera. Despite the tight restrictions, alcohol (beer,wine, mixed drinks) was available for purchase, and I did notice a couple of people who were more than willing to spend enough money ($6/beer?) to get good and shitfaced. As for the acts, they were all very good. I had seen Jonatha Brooke in Newport last year, but had more of a chance to enjoy her act this time. The Radiators were very, very good, although it wasn't quite the sort of music I usually enjoy. David Bromberg was most excellent. I'm sorry it took me 20 years to finally see him. Unfortunately he only played for 20 minutes, but the last song especially was unbelievable. He was accompanied during that song by the Radiators, and it was great. Indescribably so. Now for the Violent Femmes review. Well, hell. They are always great, aren't they? Brian mentioned at some point during the show something to the effect that it was the oldest audience for which they had ever played, and yes, it was true. Some people absolutely did not know what to think of them, because their range of musical styles made them impossible to pigeonhole. And then there were others who knew every word, at least every word to the older songs. Yes, the people on the lawn crowded as far into the pavillion section as they could to dance and sing along, and most of the people in the seats were swaying to the music. One guy had his daughter with him; she was probably no more than 18 months old, and she was just dancing up a storm, really loving it. Now, for the set list. They only played for about 45 minutes, so I'm going to go ahead and list the whole thing: Country Death Song Rejoice and Be Happy Blister in the Sun American Music Hey Nonny Nonny Jesus Walking on the Water Old Mother Reagan (ok let me break here and tell you that Brian really cut loose on this song. He was just screaming the backup vocal and it was so funny. What a ham. Austin and Ethan were just about rolling on the floor with laughter.) Dahmer is Dead Add it Up Chikugo Sashi (Brian solo with Shakuhachi. Eat your heart out Deana. It was great) Good Feeling Kiss Off Short but sweet. We had to leave after Rickie Lee Jones' act, because it was after 8; we had a 2-3 hour drive home, and two young boys who need to get to bed at a decent hour. So we missed the last three acts, all of which I had seen in Newport anyway. It was too bad, but what are you gonna do, eh? Now, let me say that this was the first show of the tour and it does appear as if the Newport Folk people have to iron out a few wrinkles. Personally I think they should have done things just as it is done in Newport itself. After all, they've had more than 30 years to get it right. Maybe it was just that particular venue. At any rate, the acts are all worth seeing, and I will still recommend this tour to anyone who has or will be getting tickets. Oh, yes, I did mention in a previous issue that Austin wanted the band to sign his cast. He is now possibly the only 10 year old in the world, maybe even in the history of the world, to have a cast signed by every member of the band, plus Willie and Caleb. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~