If you have read this blog recently then you are well aware of my affinity for the new Mount Eerie record Lost Wisdom. Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing Mount Eerie along with Julie Doiron, Calm Down It's Monday, and Matty Pop Chart at Skull Alley, and I can safely say that it was one of my favorite shows of all time. Period.
I had tried to get some friends to go with me to this show, but no one was really biting the hook except for my buddy Matt who was going to meet me up there. He is basically the only other person I knew that would be there, and I feared that very few people would show up except I knew that Matt Tobey (from Good Luck) was doing a solo set as his solo act Matty Pop Chart. The Good Luck show was very well attended so I figured there'd be some trickle from that, but I wasn't aware of Mount Eerie being popular in town.
I got there a little later than I wanted to but just in time to see Matt Tobey start the night. I hadn't listened to a lot of his solo stuff so I wasn't sure what to expect from him. I love, love, love his band Good Luck so I was just preparing myself to have a great time. He played about 8 songs (a few with some help) and just floored me and Matt with his heart-shattering songs that took the intellect of his writing in Good Luck and married it with an intimacy you can only get in a one-man band. His songs are honest and open, brutal and vulnerable simultaneously. He also got major bonus points for telling one of the funniest stories I've ever heard about a dream where his friend learned about an alleycat's "true name" which was 8 Houses. Moral of the story: don't ever call a cat by it's True Name.
Next up was Calm Down, It's Monday which is a collaboration between Fred Squire (who did the electric guitar on Lost Wisdom) and Julie Doiron (who did the harmonies). I had heard a couple of songs on MySpace and was really excited to see them because I loved what I had heard. Their one song called "The Sweetest May" (which closed out their set) is fantastic! Even Fred calls it (with his tongue glued to his cheek) his "real hit song." Calm Down, It's Monday is the only band that I could ever describe as delicate riff-rock. Fred looks like he had come straight from working under the hood of an old '32 Vicky somewhere in Iowa. The only exception would be his neon green thong-sandals that were a nice touch. He is a lean man, with wiry fingers that coax soul out of his Ibanez hollow-body while he sings starkly, yet warm like a blue-collar family member. Julie softly sat behind him with an occasional perfect harmony stumbling forth in between her minimalist drumming. He was very funny on the mic as well in between songs. During this set, I actually looked over to my left and next to my buddy Max just happened to be standing one of my biggest musical influences of all time, Will Oldham. I got instant butterflies as I came to the realization that him and I might just like the same bands!! I went from Zero to Superfan in about .3 seconds.
Fred and Julie then switched places as Julie paced through a set of her own post-Eric's Trip songs. She has released several records since the demise of her seminal Canadian rock band, and she has honed a craft so delicate and strong that you fall in love the moment she sets her fingers to the strings, and her voice to the air. She has an amazing command of her voice which is reminiscent of another Candadian Crooning Beauty named Leslie Feist. Another buddy J, said that she was like Cat Power, but with a lot more talent. I didn't disagree. Her set was stunning and so were her boots made out of light blue jeans which nestled snuggly underneath her dark blue jeans. Blue jeans on blue jeans.
Phil Elverum then set up a line of 3 folding chairs on the edge of the stage for him, Julie, and Fred to perch on and perform as he kindly and meekly asked us all if we wanted to sit down. The three of them wandered through each wonderful track of Lost Wisdom in the same order that it was on the record. Elverum admitted his reservations about doing the same set every night, but that he felt like it was much better than he thought it would be. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Each song gripped me like welcome hug. I sang every word like I was 16 and didn't care what cool person would think I was lame for singling along. The songs were mesmerizing and cathartic, emotional and calming. I have not felt so overjoyed with music in a long time. Phil closed the set out with another 3 wonderful songs from the Mount Eerie catalog and didn't disappoint a smidgeon.
Shortly after they played I wandered into the other room to pick up a few records (I got a real copy of Lost Wisdom and Julie Doiron's Goodnight Nobody) and eventually got to meet Mr Bonnie "Prince" Billy himself. I know this might not be a big deal for some people, but his song "Hard Life" is one of my favorite songs EVER and there are only a few musicians/artists who are a bigger influence on me and their names are Bob Dylan and Robert Zimmerman. This was a big moment for me. I didn't know if I wanted to talk to him though because if he turned out to be a jerk then it might ruin the whole thing for me. But, I felt compelled to profess my love for his music to him and guess what....he was one of the nicest and most genuinely appreciative musicians I've ever met. He let me tell him how much I looked up to him and how much I love "Hard Life" and then he got us into talking about how awesome Mount Eerie was. I'm still on cloud 9. It was magic.
Made my week for many.
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