Tuscaloosa, AL 031704

[DixieMedley]

I've got my tickets - do you have yours?!

I will say that I'm a bit disappointed, though. My tickets bear the numbers 11 and 12. Surely there are more people in Tuscaloosa with good taste than THAT.

Granted, the show is two weeks away (from tonight!) and we're a college town... but COME ON. How often does a Grammy-award winning band (and the best band in the biz, as we all know) play Tuscaloosa?

The answer: Not often enough!

[fiddlincklcrker]

If they can go to your town how about they come to Vegas. I am sure someone besides me would go and see them.

[DixieMedley]

Well they played Tuscaloosa once before, and everyone who saw them then tells me how great they were. (As if I didn't know.)

I'm sure the show will eventually sell a lot of tickets... I'd be shocked if I showed up to a half-empty room. But my theory is that people are slackin' because we're a bunch of poor college students. Or somethin'.

I hope.

PS - We're not a town. :) We're one of the biggest cities in the state.

Yes, I realize how sad that is. :D

[JFP]

I'll be driving down from Nashville for the show, should be great! St.Patty's day show! My ticket is waiting at will-call.

I'm looking for a place to crash after the show if anybody's got floor space (fraternity ok too!). I need to be back in Nashville by 9am Thursday and would rather drive in the morning than at night.

Also willing to carpool if anyone else is heading down from Nashville.

Any tips on where to grab a beer before the show?

[DixieMedley]

Well, the show's on the strip, so there are plenty of places nearby to grab a beer before the show. Of course, the Jupiter is a bar, so there's that. But if you want something earlier than that... Buffalo Phil's is a block down... there are half a dozen bars around there (though I'm not sure what time they're open, I haven't been to any of them)... or you could drive downtown and grab something down there. It's the same road that Jupiter's on, just further from the University. Mellow Mushroom might be a good choice. (If you're leaving from Jupiter, for example, you would go away from the University, and Mellow Mushroom is downtown on your right. It's only a mile or two from the venue.)

I'm afraid I don't invite strangers to sleep on my floor, though. :) Sorry!

[JFP]

Thanks for the advice! I've never been to Tuscaloosa, but I should be able to find my way to the strip. Is there a microbrewery in close vicinity to Jupiter? I enjoy sampling various microbrews.

DixieMedley, I wouldn't expect a female (I think you're female) to invite a stranger to crash! Now that I think about it, it was probably inappropriate to ask that question at all in this day and age....think I'll get on Priceline.com.

[DixieMedley]

Ha - that's fine! I just didn't want you to think I was rudely ignoring your request. :)

I don't think there's a microbrewery in Tuscaloosa, period! :) Sorry. There might be one in Birmingham, if you wanted to stop on your way down here...

If you need directions to the strip, I'd be glad to help you out, but mapquest might be able to provide them fairly easily?

[DixieMedley]

Popping in real quick to be a total loser and say that I've spent the afternoon sitting five feet from Chris & Sean....

[DixieMedley]

Okay, so for those of you who get a kick out of this kind of thing ('cause I sure do ;))....

My roommate and I went to my favorite local coffee shop today to do some work. (I'm a journalism student, and sometimes I've got to get out of the house to write. I spend a LOT of time sitting in front of the computer, and it can be really distracting.) Anyway, we were joking about how funny it would be if the band were there, 'cause y'know how they have a love of non-Starbucks coffee shops.

When we drove past (looking for a parking space), my roommate said, That looks like Chris setting up his laptop! We parked, walked in... and discovered that it was, in fact, Chris Thile.

How funny is that?

Sean was sitting on a couch nearby. We ordered our drinks, dropped our stuff at the table next to the couches (I needed room to spread out), and whispered for several minutes about what we should do. Finally, I just got up, walked over and said, I'm sorry, I can't sit here and not say hi. We're fans, so it's cool to run into you here.

We talked to the guys for ten or fifteen minutes (about the new album, the current tour, the weather... whatever) and then we returned to our work. Chris left with his wife after a while, but Sean and Fielding (who joined later) were just packing up when I left (fifteen minutes ago).

Thought that was a fun little story. :) Looking forward to the show tonight!

[kate]

Just wondering how the concert went. :)

[obsessedwithNC]

Amazing coffee shop story! How was the concert?

[dmm]

The Tuscaloosa show was awesome. The only complaint was they came out about 15 minutes late, but they then played for 2 full hours.

They were doing some things that I hadn't seen before -- arrangements and such. Much slower arrangement of Should've and then they played a verse or two of Nirvana's Lithium (90% sure it was that song) mixed into some of their own work. Some of the instrumental bits had a funk feel to them.

Encore was almost a full half-hour, with a number of Irish tunes (it was St. Patrick's Day, after all). Closed with the hymn that I have seen them close a lot of shows with. The band was also asking for any sort of Irish drinks to be brought up -- finally, a tray with four Guinesses appeared. Sara mentioned something about wishing she liked beer. Typical Nickel Creek stage chat.

The thing I find amazing about this group is that after most other shows, I will actually avoid listening to that group's CD on the drive back. With Nickel Creek, I often find myself listening to their recorded stuff on the return trip.

Here's the set list from the show -- if anyone can fill in the encores, that would be great. This set list was pulled from Sara's spot on the stage.

Scotch& Chocolate
Should've
WYCBD
Smoothie
Trouble
We Know You Know We Love You
Ode (this had the Lithium part I believe)
Speak
Seven Wonders
They're Only Pictures
Itzinay
Reasons
House Carpenter
Ferdinand
Starve
Doubting
Tom
Out of the Woods
Jacksmith

I had a hard time believing that they could top their Portland, Maine show in July but this one did it.

Peace
Darin

[Tottenham]

Just wondering, if I'd been lied to....
My tickets and the NC website said that the Jupiter show would start at 9:00pm so I showed up around 8:30 to get a good spot for the concert. Someone else mentioned that the band was only 15 mintues late coming out onto stage. By my count, they were an 1:15 late in starting the concert b/c they didn't come out until 10:15! That would have been fine if the concert was supposed to start at 10pm instead of 9. I don't necessarily blame the band but someone obviously got the concert time wrong and didn't bother to let the fans in on the news. I noticed that the Auburn concert started at 10pm so I was wondering about the confusion. It would have been nice to know so my friends and I didn't have to stand around forever before the concert. Other than that, the concert was amazing!!! I love that they performed some of their older stuff that I've never heard them do in concert (like Out of the Woods, Speak, and 7 Wonders). The new stuff was cool too...I especially like Doubt.
:)

[dmm]

To answer Tottenham's question, they were scheduled to take the stage at 10 -- the tickets didn't have a time printed on them (I just looked at mine personally), but the website for ordering tickets had will call opening at 9 (though I got there at 8:20 and got my ticket no problem). Most people must have been under the impression that it was a 10 PM show, since there were maybe two dozen people on the floor at 9 (I was there, mainly to claim a good spot and chat with some other fans).

Here's more on the show, it's from a reply to a PM someone sent me, so I figured I'd let everyone see it

Well, what can I tell you....

The venue they used in Tuscaloosa was a club called the Jupiter Bar and Grill -- it's on what's called the strip in Tuscaloosa (University Blvd), basically you come into the bar area (pool tables, a couple TVs, and a central bar) and then step down into the concert area (not nearly as big as the State Theater, probably could hold a couple hundred on the floor itself, with more seating back in the bar itself -- can hold five hundred or so I think).

Sara wore the green swan skirt that I have seen her wear before -- not sure if it was Portland or Jackson where she wore that.

The new stuff is more or less in the same vein as their released stuff in terms of genre, but the lyrics seem to be even more thought-provoking. We Know You Know We Love You is a new song they did -- they described it as being about the effects of bad relationships between parents and children. Looking over the set list I liberated from the stage, it looks like they're doing about 1/3 from the first album, 1/3 from the second, and 1/3 new stuff. They seem to have a funk influence that shows up on a couple songs, and that adds a certain amount of energy to the show -- they moved around a LOT during the show, playing off each other, more so than I had seen in previous shows.

About 90 minutes for the main set -- I have 19 songs on the set list. The encore was about 30 minutes -- 7 songs maybe, 3 of which were basically Irish drinking songs (one called Jug of Punch), they also did The Fox which a number of people called for, and a song called Arthur McBride (I initially thought it was another Irish drinking song, but a bit of internet searching tells me that it's actually a Bob Dylan song from the album Good as I Been to You). They closed the encore with the hymn they did in Portland -- last two or three songs were in front of the microphones but not the whole encore.

I went to the stage area right before 9 (they took the stage about 10:15) and was basically in the second row, could touch the stage but wasn't right on it.

They have some new merchandise as well -- specific T-shirt for the tour (Tuscaloosa was the 2nd date on the tour), and they are probably going into the studio after this tour ends -- at least that's the impression I got from listening to their stage banter.

I'm going to post this on the public forum as well, but I figured you should get the courtesy of a private reply.

Other questions, PM me.

Peace
Darin

[DixieMedley]

I'm working on a review of the show (for a class that I'm in), but I will reply a bit before posting that later.

In addition to the set list posted -- the hymn was Be Thou My Vision (in keeping with the Irish theme, and of course NC plays it a LOT). Did y'all stay for the bus side show after the fact? The cops made us move back out of the street (the alleys alongside the Jupiter and other strip businesses are one way and thus fairly narrow, and the crowd was blocking the road). When we stepped back onto the sidewalk, I was literally trapped behind Chris, with Mark Schatz forward and to my left and the stock of Sean's guitar swinging dangerously close to the right side of my face from time to time. Two other loyal fans were trapped behind the band with me - I don't know about them, but I found it fairly amusing. (At one point, Chris turned around and said to me, Don't worry, I won't squish you. And then he very nearly did. Y'all know how he gets into it when he plays. I think he forgot I was back there! :))

They played Green & Gray, The Lighthouse (I & II) and several instrumentals out by the bus.

The doors were to open at 9 and the show was to start at 10. My ticket DID say 9 on it... but for future reference, always double check these things.

I dug the new stuff and I appreciate the full set list!

In addition to new shirts, they've also got a spring tour poster. That was a bit of a surprise and found me out $10 more than intended! It only lists seven cities, including Tuscaloosa, so I had to snag one. Mine is now hanging on my bedroom door, proudly sporting the band's autographs.

[lizbeth_marie]

Did anyone happen to spot any tapers at the show? I'd absolutely love to get a copy if possible. Being all the way up here in the midwest, it's not looking good for anything being within a real logical driving distance. I'd love to trade with someone if you happen to come across a copy (of any of the new shows they've had lately.)


:)
Liz

db.etree.org/lizbeth_marie

[boy_like_me]

What Liz said.

Brian (also in Indianapolis)

[Elizabeth]

With regard to what Liz said, as they haven't allowed the 3/18 Largo gig to be traded I'm wondering if they'll let anything else be traded before the new CD is released but I hope they do. I'm dying to hear the new songs!!! I'm now curioous to hear Scotch & Chocolate, coz it's a rather odd title - anyone care to share what the lyrics are about?

I wish they did random playing after their UK gigs like they do out there by the bus etc, that'd be so cool. Perhaps their not sure how a UK audience would react. Also, not as many people hang around afterwards, but I always do - my own private gig would be amazing, but I doubt it'll happen! I've also noticed that US gigs start a whole lot later than UK ones, I've never heard of a band going on stage at 10, ours usually start around 8. It's interesting to see how gigs and stuff differ between the 2 countries.

I'm still praying that they'll visit us this year, it was exactly one year ago on Tuesday since I last saw them. But until then, I shall have fun reading all your accounts of their escapades! :)

[obsessedwithNC]

Originally posted by dmm
With Nickel Creek, I often find myself listening to their recorded stuff on the return trip.

...

Scotch& Chocolate
Should've
WYCBD


I absolutely refuse to listen to any recorded NC stuff for at least 4 days after the concert, because I like to keep the live versions stuck in my head. I prefer live music. :p

Oh, WYCBD live! *dies* I have -never- heard that song in concert... or found a recording of it.

[DixieMedley]

Scotch & Chocolate is an instrumental.

They played a very different version of When You Come Back Down. As Chris and Sean described it, they said that it's slower but louder.

I did spot a taper. Don't know who he was - meant to talk to him after the fact, but forgot.

[OkieLovinNC]

Originally posted by obsessedwithNC
Oh, WYCBD live! *dies* I have -never- heard that song in concert... or found a recording of it.

Alli, darling, I do believe I may have one. Talk to me later. :p

[JFP]

A couple notes on the Tuscaloosa show:

I liked the new songs, a couple of which they've been playing for a while, and they bode well for the new album.

For the first hour or so of the show the crowd was incredibly rude. On Chris's long, mournful version of House Carpenter, many folks were talking loudly to each other, as though the music was too loud for their conversation. I also saw several cell phones to ears. I could hardly hear Chris.

The crowd finally got into the show, and NC fed off that energy and the last hour (including encore) was very enjoyable.

I was in the same coffee shop around 8pm working remotely. Sara was there, and Sean and Fielding showed up later. They all had dinner and were on email.

Wish I could have stuck around afterwards, but I had to begin my 4hr trip back to Nashville asap.

[DixieMedley]

Because someone else asked....

Here's a picture of the tour poster they're selling right now.

http://rmfo-pics.net/albums/CJ_NC/NC.jpg