I’ve been pestering my Facebook friends with my affection for Jakob Dylan‘s new CD, Women And Country, so some of you might already be hip to this new obsession of mine. Produced by one of my favorite musicians and producers, T Bone Burnett, this record features guest appearances by avant guitarist Marc Ribot, fiddle/mandolin genius (and ex-Alpha Band member) David Mansfield, and, most notably, the stellar back-up vocals of Neko Case and Kelly Hogan.
I’ve learned to pay attention to what makes me cry, and, for whatever reason, these songs make me cry. There’s a deep beauty and wisdom about them, going beneath the surface of things:
Through rolling acres of boneyards we drift
Our spirits’ been broken been splintered to bits
Faith is believing what you see ain’t so
…we got to learn to live with these ghosts
They can’t leave and we can’t go.
-“Everybody’s Hurtin'”
Then again, maybe I’m just bone tired, like a child who’s gone too long without a nap. Looking back over the calendar, we’ve had more than 75 shows since the first of the year, and I’ve been there for nearly every single one.
(That’s a lot, even for a strapping young guy like myself . 😉 )
I’m not complaining; so much great music has been a gift to present and to take in. I want to take a moment to express how deeply grateful I am for our fans, for those of you who have come out to our shows this spring. We simply cannot do this without you.
As our spring season winds down, we at True Endeavors look forward to an exciting summer schedule featuring artists like The New Pornographers (featuring the aforementioned Neko Case), CocoRosie, and the recently-announced Black Mountain show. (See our Music Calendar for tickets and a full list of upcoming concerts.)
But I’m also looking forward to a break, to things slowing down. Personally, I hope to do some traveling to New York, Boston, Montreal, SF, and possibly/hopefully to Haiti. (In the short term, I’m on the lookout for a cabin up north—someplace without wi-fi, electricity, cell phone coverage, computers, music or tour managers. Just the crickets and my thoughts. If anyone has the hook-up, please let me know.)
But tonight, my dear friend Kevin May and I are going to the Pabst in Milwaukee to see Jakob Dylan with Neko Case and Kelly Hogan.
It’ll be nice to get away. I might even shed a few tears.
Thanks again for a great spring season!
-Tag Evers
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Filed under: Indie, Music Shows This Week in Madison, Singer-Songwriter, Sounding Board Blog | Tagged: Jakob Dylan, Neko Case, Women and Country |
Great post, Tag!
I have nothing but the highest respect for Jakob. He’s a phenomenally talented artist, and an immensely generous, sweet man. So glad to see him have continued success—seems like everyone’s raving about his new album. I’m anxious to hear how you enjoyed the concert.
I really like this line you wrote: “I’ve learned to pay attention to what makes me cry…” Reminds me of “Rubber Ring” by The Smiths:
But don’t forget the songs
That made you cry
And the songs that saved your life
Yes, you’re older now
And you’re a clever swine
But they were the only ones who ever stood by you
I think you can learn a lot about a person by what moves them. Songs can be so damn emotional sometimes.
As for the spring–hope you’re able to enjoy some much-deserved time off and come back ready for some more rockin 🙂
Thanks Shell…
The show started out kinda rough. The mix seemed off, overly loud and muddy. Neko’s vocals were too up in the mix, almost screechy, and it just wasn’t working for me at first. It got noticeably better as the show went on, but, unfortunately for me, my favorite songs were played at the beginning of the set and were just not very sweet on the ears.
It was fun for me to see Neko and Kelly doing their back-up vocal thing, along with Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel and Tom Ray on stand-up bass. I’ve known these guys forever…they’ve been with Neko since the early days. She obviously had a hand in putting the band together. There was a strong chemistry between Neko and Jakob. Lots of professional respect.
All in all, a good night, even though we took a wrong turn on the way home with all the construction and found ourselves miles later heading to Green Bay!
(There was one odd moment where some radio DJ came out as the opening act was finishing their set and proceed to take off his shirt and mimic a male stripper. It was totally random and not well received. VERY STRANGE.)
The Pabst is a great place to see a show. I’ll be back there on May 22 to catch Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.