COMBINED REPORTS - Paradise Rock Club, Boston MA, April 22 2001

To: hix@yahoogroups.com From: Glenn Kennedy Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:36:49 -0400 Subject: [hix] Boston Show Report Hello Gang, Another fine show by Dan & Co last night at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Possibly even better than their last swing through town which was at the House Of Blues this past September. Dan was obviously in GREAT spirits and looked rested and relaxed. He was full of it ! The band cooked ! Brian was smokin, literally, the stage lighting was such that it caught a stream of smoke coming off of Brian's bow with each pass on the violin strings, it was wafting right into Tom's face. We had a new Lickett this outing...her name was Molly Homes ? She and Susan Rabin work very well together. Dan did a few scat steps with the Licketts, the snare drum, "Beat, Beat, Beating the Heat" etc... There was a quick reference to the new live CD when Dan introduced "this next tune ,"Somebody Tell Me The Truth" by John Henry, will be on the new live CD expected out this summer". (no date or month was mentioned) Although the house was only about 75% capacity, the audience was very appreciative, the applause was extremely enthusiastic after each number, we sounded like a full house. I swiped Dan's set list after the band left the stage and have posted it at the following URL: http://people.ne.mediaone.net/gleff/setlist.html The actual set list varied from the post as follows: Canned Music Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy Wild About My Lovin ...... "Jim Kweskin wrote this one" Somebody Tell Me The Truth Topsy/Swing 42... Cozy Cole and Django mention. I Got Mine ........."so where was everyone when I was at the House Of Blues ?" 4-5 Times (Bob Wills) scatin with the Licketts and Dan also played the harmonica I Scare Myself How Can I Miss You Strike It While It's Hot.....Dan forgot the words out of the gate on this one...stopped and started over :-) Capo someone yelled out Euphonious Wail and they IMMEDIATELY went into 1 or 2 lines of it....then Dan smiled and said something like "maybe next time" .... I Feel Like Singing Neck of the Chicken....never heard this one before but it was HOT ! scattin with the Licketts again. -------------------------------------Encore------------------------------------ Payday Blues..........group sing-a-long ! Where's the Money.....sounded as good as the original....the Licketts were real close to the original here. Milk Shaken Momma Show over..... Photos are in for processing and they should be ready to post by this Friday. And as far as bootie slapping goes... (as the Boston Herald had predicted) I didn't see any, but I did hear someone yell out "WHO'S YOUR DADDY " !! So, how about Great Barrington and NYC ? Anyone ???? Hummin em to myself, Glenn To: hix@yahoogroups.com From: DrTelevision Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 00:39:05 -0400 Subject: Re: [hix] Boston Show Report Not much to add to Glenn's fine review of DH&THL show at the Paradise Club in Boston Sunday night. It was a little disappointing that the show didn't sell better, but it also meant that I got to sit in the front row. I arrived an hour early, hoping to get a good seat. I had not been to the Paradise in about 15 years, so I didn't know what to expect. The setup was rows of folding chairs around the stage. So I had plenty of time to eavesdrop on conversations behind me before the show. One group was discussing the fact that they hadn't heard anything about Dan Hicks since the '70s. They were surprised he was touring.They must have been big fans at one time because they were obviuosly excited to be at the show. There seemed to be a fair number of people who came to hear the old tunes. I wondered if Dan was anticipating that, when he came out on the stage and right away informed the audience that the band would be doing a variety of tunes, including some of the old numbers as well as songs from the latest album and some standards. (Of course he announced this in his inimitable mock sincere stage manner.) They opened with "Canned Music", but then performed six songs in a row that might not have been recognized by fans with limited exposure to Hicks's more recent material. Knowing how little Dan likes to hear song titles shouted from the audience, I wondered if making that announcement up front was an effort to head off shouted requests. If that was it, it did seem to work for a while. I agree with Glenn that Dan seemed to be in a good mood. He didn't even mention the conversation noise coming from the bar area, which wasn't noticeable during the songs, but was quite audible between tunes. He even ignored those calling out for specific songs later in the show, and apparently added "Payday Blues" to the encore after someone yelled it out. I arrived having no idea that there was going to be an opening act. It turned out that it was Chandler Travis and band. I remember seeing Travis, a veteran Boston area performer, in the '70s when he and Steve Shook fronted "Travis, Shook and the Club Wow." From the stage, Travis said that he last opened for Dan Hicks about 25 years ago. Chandler Travis is in many ways a perfect opening act for Dan Hicks, because he also combines an acerbic wit with the music. True to his roots, Travis performed barefoot. I know because during on of his more flamboyant numbers he almost kicked over my drink, which was sitting on the edge of the stage. Both bands put on a good show. -- Dr. Television