They Call me William the Pleaser

Tom Waits is an acquired taste. When i first heard his dark growl i described it as, "Satan singing carny music." i still think that Tom Waits is what is played in the circus of the damned--no question--only now i think that it is just visionary, amazing music. He weaves simple blues progressions with bizarre instrumentation, dusty poetry and a voice that gargles with gravel and vinegar.

The last live album Waits put out was in 85 and he does not make frequent or very large tours, which makes live Tom Waits something previous and hard to come by. His current tour, Glitter and Doom, is only hitting cities in the south of US and parts of Eastern Europe. NPR recently came out with a live recording of a Waits concert in Atlanta and it is phenomenal and FREE. You can download it via their webpage or via the NPR All Song Considered podcast.

The concert begins with a mash-up of Lucinda (from Orphans: Brawlers) and Ain't Going Down to the Well. If this song does not get you pumped and get you in the mood for a 2+ hour spelunk into one of the best modern American artists, nothing will. Also, you should check for a pulse. And some musical taste.

It's not worth trying to describe Waits' concert because i assuredly lack the means to do so with any justice. Listen to it. Absorb it. It is the best that live music can be--free, energetic, fun, moving, engrossing, etc. The highlights? Waits' introductions to a few songs (WW2 Nazi swastika pasta known as Pastika, seriously wtf?!), 9th and Hennepin, Hoist That Rag, Make it Rain, Black Market Baby and Chocolate Jesus. They're not perfect renderings of the studio versions--they are perfect interpretations of those songs into something greater than their studio versions. The songs are transformed from studio recordings and given their true musical birthright as works of aural art performed for an entranced audience.

The Set List:

1. "Lucinda / Ain't Going Down to the Well"
2. "Down in the Hole"
3. "Falling Down"
4. "Chocolate Jesus"
5. "All the World Is Green"
6. "Cemetery Polka"
7. "Cause of It All"
8. "Till the Money Runs Out"
9. "Such a Scream"
10. "November"
11. "Hold On"
12. "Black Market Baby"
13. "9th and Hennepin"
14. "Lie to Me"
15. "Lucky Day"
16. "On the Nickel"
17. "Lost in the Harbor"
18. "Innocent When You Dream"
19. "Hoist That Rag"
20. "Make It Rain"
21. "Dirt in the Ground"
22. "Get Behind the Mule"
23. "Hang Down Your Head"
24. "Jesus Gonna Be Here"
25. "Singapore"

ENCORE

1. "Eyeball Kid"
2. "Anywhere I Lay My Head"

If you don't know Tom Waits, find him. Rain Dogs and The Ghost of Saturday Night are two of the most defining albums in American music in the last 40 years. They do not sound like they were recorded in the mid 80's and early 70's, respectively. His work has shaped songsmiths, balladeers and rockers. His songs have been recorded by the Eagles (and recently Scarlett Johansen (greeeeat)) and he's been nominated for academy awards for his soundtracks. The Walkmen point to him as a prime influence and if you can pop in Bright Eyes and not hear Tom Waits in there you aren't listening. He opened the door for non-psychadelic prog rock and danced his way through the door, singing songs about salesmen, whores and loss.

Listen if: You like music.