The Weepies

Well, it's been some time since I've reported back on a concert! I've learned that not much comes through here, compared to my prior community.

There, I could've gone to a show twice a week and not repeated any band all year long. Here... I find that I can really plan ahead. ;)




A new venue, in a new community, about a two hour drive away, but oh, so worth it to see a band I've been following ever since that JCPenney Christmas commercial where they sang "All That I Want".




The lobby was crowded, waiting for the doors to open, but the theatre was probably only 2/3 full by the time the headliners took the stage. It was a Tuesday night, after all, in a relatively small (albeit a college) town in the middle of ... cornfields. You can understand low attendance, on - you know - a school night. ;)



The crowd was pretty mixed. Not many teens, but lots of college-age and a bunch of older types, too. It's kind of ageless music, I guess, with broad appeal. They had the stage set with luminaries and candles, which was cool. And as often happens with me, I liked the opening act a lot: Matt the Electrician.



He was a folk/pop singer/songwriter with a great sense of humor and nicely spun stories. I picked up his latest "Animal Boy" as an advance birthday gift for self, to be opened on the day.



The Weepies themselves were on tour to promote their latest (and 4th) CD, "Be My Thrill", which is full of the same combination of light pop feel, deep lyrics, and gentle two-part harmonies, definitely in the indie style of chording (no Everly Brothers major thirds here).

There are great turns of phrases in some of their songs, like this one about a guy who is trying to deal with missing a girl, and doesn't want morning to come:

"Sun's coming up slow, like he's thinking it over; the moon throws a dirty look over his shoulder."



I had tweeted them earlier in the evening, requesting that they play "Painting By Chagall", which.. they did! Aww.. I always get sentimental when I hear that one. Yes, alright, I get sentimental about a lot of stuff, but.. some things more than others. :)