The Raconteurs; The BlackLips @ Terminal 5

The Raconteurs; The Black Lips
@ Terminal 5
New York, NY - May 31, 2008

Is it me? Maybe it's me. Sure, the new record is one bit of awful but why should that affect the live show? These are the Raconteurs after all, this is Jack White after all. Whether it did or not, it was bad. Bad bad. All those little things that signify a Jack White show - the between-song pounding, the ins and outs and ins again of songs, etc etc was annoying. They even looked annoying. Obviously, the venue didn't help with its stifled sound and ridiculous set up.

The Black Lips are the most overrated band in America. They cannot play. And not in that punk aesthetic sort of way. They just can't play. Their songs that sound good on record still sound good live but we're talking about a handful of songs like "Bad Kids", "Oh Katrina", and "Make It". Otherwise, they are pretty damn bad.

Maybe it's me.

Dream Ticket: The Raconteurs and the Black Lips

Well...is it really a dream ticket? The Black Lips, much beloved by the hipsterverse for the last year, really only have about 4 or 5 good songs and the rest is wasted by their sloppiness and general lack of class. The Raconteurs are of course the Raconteurs but just a couple posts below it was established just how yucky the new LP is. And the show is at Terminal 5, the place to be that also happens to have awful acoustics. So really...dream ticket?

Yeah dream ticket. Jack White is going to wail on the guitar. The Lips are going to have fun. The crowd should have fun. Dream ticket it is.

Terminal 5, May 30

Update: Dream Ticket? No. 40 dollars? 40 dollars (pre-fees mind you) to see the Raconteurs? At Terminal 5? Are you kidding me?

Consolers of the Lonely: The Pennypacker Perspective

To be done in the style of a Donald Rumsfeld monologue:

Is the sophomore album by the supergroup known as the Raconteurs good? No. What's wrong with it? Almost everything. Is it really that different from the first album though? Sure and not in good ways. How so? The first album was a delicious little slice of 70's power pop, classic rock hits, and sweet, simple balladry while this album is a big, heapin' chunk of AOR filler. Could I be more specific than that? Sure - the vocals sound bored and dull, the power chords are lost in some kind of a panoply of mush, the song structures just aren't where they should be. Is this the end of the Raconteurs? No of course not - I know you read this and think "henny penny, the sky is falling" but look - mistakes were made, words were said, it takes two to lie, one to lie and one to listen but there is almost no doubt that when heard live these songs will sound better - "Five on the Five" sounded excellent when it was performed during the first album tour. Is anything on this album worth listening to? The first half of "Salute Your Salution" is pretty much on target and "Hold Up" is as good as the album gets. Is that it? The middle third of the record actually holds up OK but it is bookended by such trifle that it doesn't really matter. Is it possible I may like this album someday? Anything is possible - just like loving an album on the first couple listens may eventually lead to hating it down the road or liking some parts and hating other parts of an album may switch - the problem with album critiques is that they are read as being a constant, never accounting for the possibility of a change of mind somewhere down the road. Is this the worst music Jack White has ever been involved with? Almost - he did produce Whirlwind Heat's first record and well, while a free people are free to do whatever they want, like looting, that's just one bit of music that is probably just unforgivable and I think the American people understand that. Thank you for coming.

The Raconteurs Announce Next Album...One Week Before Release

Gotta give it to 'em (Check the news section). In order to put a stop the time honored tradition of leaks, early listens, early reviews, and the general idea of "build up" (and the modern addition of spoiling build up though said leaks and such), the Rac attack have announced the sudden release of their new record, Consolers of the Lonely, just within the last couple hours. The album is out a week from tomorrow in all legal, available formats in stores and online.

This is kind of neat, a little variation on Radiohead's experimentation with new ways to release music in this digital, pirate age. BUT - it wouldn't be a Jack White thingamabob without some sort of long winded, proud explanation, once again ol' Jackie standing on a soapbox and shouting something or other. I'm just ribbing the guy. He cares about something. It's cute.

But whatever - new Raconteurs album. Suddenly. How Exciting.

Also suddenly exciting...(see next post)...

2006: The Year In Music

Before we get into it, let me warn you that this is, like pretty much all lists, a grossly uninformed and limited view of pop and rock music. And in comparison to previous years, I don't personally feel satisfied with the amount of music I have heard by which to judge these categories. So take everything with a grain of salt and the notion that this is the opinion of one rock n roll fan and the music he has heard, and not a music critic instruction manual in what was good in music in 2006:

Best Artist With A New Album
Josh Ritter – The Animal Years

If only because this is a classically perfect album. It's almost too good and mechanically so. Every song is a melodic radio friendly bit of singer-songwriter pop. And yet this kind of music doesn't make a dent in the charts anymore. And although garage rock and blues are arguably my favorite genre of music, this is the third year in a row that an undeniably non-garage rock record wins. Blanche won 2 years ago and the Decemberists won last year, indicating that it takes something special and different to stand-out, even if, as in the case of Ritter, sounding different means sounding so predictable. Not to mention, The Animal Years wins by eeking out other albums that were near-perfect and split the difference. Listen to some stuff here.

Runner-Ups:
Bob Dylan – Modern Times

At the top of many other lists this year (and shockingly shun by the Grammys), the legendary Dylan's new record is one of many albums this year that are half-perfect and half-flawed. Like many other records, it peters out with some filler but what's good about it is so good that it is still part of the Top Albums of the Year. See the video for "Thunder on the Mountain" below.

The Black Keys – Magic Potion

Like the Dylan record, what's great on this record is great enough but it sort of weakens out as it goes on. Not to mention, trying to follow up Rubber Factory is like God trying to show up...well...Dylan. Here's the video for "Your Touch".

The Changes – Today Is Tonight

A sharp, sudden, and stylish debut from these pop-rockers out of Chicago. Jingle-jangle all the way. Listen.

The Decemberists – The Crane Wife

After having last year's Best Album with Picaresque, it was going to be hard for the Decemberists to match it completely just one year later. They almost pulled it off with a handful of solid tracks and a couple of shocking departures but all together it's a bit too much to take in at once. Plus, it's way too derivative of Pink Floyd, ELP, and Talking Heads at different times, and even as the Decemberists do the homages well, they're above it. But still...a fine record to remember the year by. Expect the Decemberists to stick around a long time, if they choose to do so. Now how about some Colbert-inflamed "Valencia"?!

The Flaming Lips – At War With The Mystics

By Lips standards, this is an eclectic record filled with nice twists and turns. No Flaming Lips record is a complete masterpiece (though The Soft Bulletin came closest) but this album held on from its spring release to remain a top entry. Scroll down below in the video section for the "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song".

James Hunter – People Gonna Talk

I first heard James Hunter on Dave Raven's Raven N Blues podcast and it turned out he was getting help from some big time stars, Starbucks, and Virgin Records Stores. So he was stuck in my head. The second coming of Sam Cooke provided the most lighthearted and pleasant record of the year. Listen to some of the stuff here.

Mondo Topless – Take It Slow

The best garage rock record of the year, Philadelphia's Mondo Topless takes too long to put out new albums but if consistency requires big lapses of time, then let them do what they want. Listen.

The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers

Yeah yeah yeah yeah, I know. How could the official band of the Blue Republic blog not have the Album of the Year? In all honesty, it would be a little unfair. The Raconteurs were not the only band around in 2006. That's obvious. And if I have to get technical, let's just say "Call It A Day" cost them the victory. They should have put the live version of it on the record and we'd have a different story. My Baby's on the "Level".

M. Ward – Post-War

M. Ward has yet to make an album I completely love from beginning to end, but he gets better every time and he's become of the most endearing authentic artists out there. Listen to some tunes.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones

For most of the year, it was probable that the YYY's third album would shock the world and be the Best Album of the Year. It was tough not giving it to this unique and important (band-wise) record which showed the trio could shift their sound without changing their aesthetic. See the videos for "Gold Lion" and "Turn Into" below.


Best Song/Single Released by Band , Group, or Duo

TV on the Radio – “Wolf Like Me”

Usually I break this category down into three winners but this year there was almost no contest. The true number 1 - and certainly one of the best singles of this decade - is TV on the Radio's "Wolf Like Me". It's everything that experimental rock n roll should be. Their albums remain too much for my taste but I appreciate where they are coming from and what they are trying to accomplish and producing songs like this certainly make that possible. Listen here and see their Letterman performance here.

Blanche – “What This Town Needs”

Oh boy - here they are again. 2 years after winning it all, Blanche is back. Those of you who thought I shilled for the Raconteurs (and for that matter, the Dirtbombs)...just wait till 2007 when the full Blanche lp is released! This sneak preview, released off an October EP, demonstrates that Blanche is going down true rock n roll paths on their continuing unique road. Listen.

The Raconteurs – “Broken Boy Soldier”

Yep, here they are. But it can't be helped. By the sheer technicality of releasing this mostly-title track as a single at the end of the year, the Racs sneak into the winners circle. But they deserve it. It's Led Zeppelin, Decemberists, White Stripes all in one and all at their finest moments. Scroll down to the video category to check it out.

Runner-ups:
The Black Lips – “Oh Katrina”

Atlanta's Black Lips are fast becoming a band that when they're good, they're good and when they're not good, they're not good. "Oh Katrina" is pure good. Hookish, garage-ish, fun-ish. Good. Google search - find it.

Electric Six – “I Buy The Drugs”

Switzerland may have been an overall bust, and even the live show slacked off at least one night, but E6 can still put out the singles that ought to be hits. Here's the video and here's hoping they pull out all the stops on New Year's Eve at Maxwell's.

The Flaming Lips - “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”

See below.

Gnarls Barkley – "Crazy"

It had to be on here. It was that good. And that's the end of it. The video.

The Soledad Brothers – “Good Feeling”

They came, they saw, they broke up. But they left this shoulda-beena-classic behind. See the video below.

The Strokes – “You Only Live Once”

Last year's First Impressions of Earth came out too late to matter last year and had too much filler to be considered this year but the band wisely released the opener as a single. It's the best song on the album. the video.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Gold Lion”

The video.

Best Song/Single Released by a Female Artist
Jenny Lewis (w/the Watson Twins) – “Rise Up With Fists!!!”

No contest this year. No female-sung song stuck in my head quite like this one. See the video below.

Runner-ups:
Cat Power – “The Greatest”

Chan Marshall gets better all the time and less of a secret each time at that.

Neko Case – “Margaret vs. Pauline”

Neko's voice is one of the best in the world and she shows it off on this diddy from Fox Confessor Brings The Flood. Watch

Best Song/Single Released by a Male Artist
M. Ward – “Right In The Head”

How did M. Ward fend off Bob Dylan and the album-winning Ritter? By combining rock, country, folk, and pop into one haunting little song that's how. Watch.

Runner-ups:
Bob Dylan – “Thunder on the Mountain”

Nothing was finer on Modern Times than this opening track. The video.

Josh Ritter – “Girl In The War”

Barely losing to M. Ward in this category, it's the best song on the best album. Listen again.

James Hunter – “I’ll Walk Away”

Listen to this episode of Raven N The Blues to hear it.

Best New Artist
The Changes

An impressive combo of a great live show with a solid debut album is all it took for these boys to win it.

Runner-ups:
James Hunter

Did I already mention he's the second coming of Sam Cooke?

Les Sans Culottes

The live show says it all. So much fun. Listen.

Best Live Act
The Dirtbombs

Winning it outright 2 years ago, and sharing the title with about two dozen bands last year, the Dirtbombs sieze it outright again this year. No one does it better. No one. Listen to the live "Missionary Man" on the greatest MySpace page in the world. Watch something.

Runner-ups:
The Changes

You'll want to date Molly Ringwald after listening to this band live. Maybe.

The Decemberists

Colin Meloy remains the great frontman and the band remains a killer live show. Watch.

Electric Six

Yes they had one sour show but they are still E6 and they are still better than you on your best day. Watch.

Les Sans Culottes

If you see them live, request "Les Enfants Terrible". But here's "Ecole De Merde" in the meantime.

The Mooney Suzuki

I caught the Suzuki three times this year in three radically different stages. No bass player, a brand new bass player, and finally, a working band. I don't know how the next album will turn out, but live-wise they're getting it back together. A taste.

Mondo Topless

The best way to appreciate the Topless is to see them live. Give them a beer!

Pas/Cal

Not your typical Detroit band, Pas/Cal stays outside the box with their own brand of pop. Listen. Watch (kind of - the idiot cameraman is an idiot friend of mine).

The Raconteurs

Despite breaking the single-year record for most times I've seen an act live, the Racs came up just short in this category too. And they did so if only because it's impossible to best the Dirtbombs and because it was more interesting seeing them perfect their sound each time they played. The Raconteurs of April were good but they were not the Raconteurs of September, who were flawless. Also, it helps to have the world's greatest living rock n roll guitarist in your band. Nothing beats "Headin' For The Texas Border".

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Sexy sexy nights out thanks to YYY. Believe it.

Best Music Video
The Raconteurs – “Broken Boy Soldier”
If only for the cannon-firing squirrel, here's the winner.
Plus, for all the non-stop attention I gave them, they deserved more than just a co-win for Best Single and coming in second in two other categories.

Runner-ups:
The Flaming Lips - “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”
Why is Wayne Coyne the goddamned greatest?

Jenny Lewis (w/the Watson Twins) – “Rise Up With Fists!!!”
Dang cute.

The Soledad Brothers – “Good Feeling”
The band put together this one official video, filled with friendly cameos (including the one and only Dan Miller). A fond farewell to some good time guys.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Turn Into”
As intoxicating as the song.

The Modern Times of Bob Dylan & The Raconteurs

Bob Dylan; The Raconteurs
@ Wachovia Spectrum
Philadelphia, PA - November 18, 2006

I saw Bob Dylan three times, three years a row (1999, 2000, 2001), each in the third week of November. Fast forward 4 years later and I am again seeing Zim in the third week of November and for the second time at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. My one complaint for all three of those Dylan shows was Dylan himself - his insistence on wailing and whining his lyrics instead of singing the way he had sang on Time Out of Mind and Love & Theft: that of an aged, gruff, learned bluesman. I don't know when he changed, but 4 years later, with his excellent Modern Times completing his latest trifecta, Bob is finally singing the way he should. This now translates to a complete, perfect, performance package.
And what's up with the logo? After all these decades, Bob Dylan has a logo?


And while Dylan is currently sporting the look of a Spanish lover, a gentleman known for dressing close to that look last year, took the stage with his bandmates before the headlining act. Jack White and co., known very well on this blog as the Raconteurs, continue to sound better with every gig. Taking more elaborate chances, though a little stifled by the mellowed and large confines of the Spectrum, the Racs are more full of soul, rock n roll, and good times than they were at the very beginning of their run. Jack and Brendan Benson in particular seem to never have been happier (and opening for Bob Dylan surely plays a role in that), and it really affects the band's performance. The Raconteurs have broken the record for most gigs reviewed in a single year (the record was five, set last year by the Dirtbombs) and this will (most likely) be the last review of the year for the band. So take heart, readers, you won't be reading the Raconteurs name again for awhile. Haha.

Plaid Cowboys Ride Again

The Raconteurs; Dr. Dog
@ Roseland Ballroom
New York, NY - September 25 & 26, 2006

First off I need to apologize to readers of this blog. I did not intend for the music half of this blog in 2006 to be almost entirely focused on the Raconteurs. It just happened to work out that way (multiple gigs, affordability, news & developments). By now, anyone who actually reads this thing must groan at sight of the name "Raconteurs" and probably for that matter "Dirtbombs" as well but that just the way it be right now, kids. So bear with me.

I still don't understand how the band of storytellers came up with this Western motif they got going on (Ennio Morricone theme entrances, the occasional cowboy-esque hat, the brown and gold colors) but it works. Initially the band had no theme (the website is still designed as a primitive old Commodore style computer) but this is clearly the direction the band has taken. And it works.

When I first saw the band live at Irving Plaza in April, they were great but it didn't feel perfect. The songs clicked but not all the way. The band was tight but not incredibly tight. All that has now changed. Over the last few months, touring incessantly, this little outfit has filled in all the extra adjectives. In a microcosm, let's take their cover of "Bang Bang" (the Cher/Bono song made famous by Nancy Sinatra and revived in Quentin Tarantino's ode to Spaghetti Westerns, Kill Bill). When the band first started doing the song over the summer, the mp3 bootlegs revealed a disjointed, sloppy sounding stutter step (in fact, the way it was done, it sounded better for the White Stripes to cover). But by these last two nights, it's become more than solid, more than finely executed - it's perfect. The band sounds perfect. Maybe they were helped by the acoustics of Roseland but I first caught wind of this at the Prada gig. They are now fulfilling the hype the fans of their previous bands generated. They have met expectations. (Notice I did not say "exceed" because that would set the bar impossibly high but that day may yet come.)


Night 1 - photo by the New York Times

Check out the New York Times review of night 1. What an odd article. Kaleefa Sanneh (who I normally agree with and enjoy when he guests on WNYC's Soundcheck) seems to actually resent Jack White's efforts to blend into the rest of his band as an equal member. While it is true he has THE talent (though history may judge Patrick Keeler to be a drummer on par with White's guitar work), and the attention and the fame and the opportunities are all based on White being in the band, there is no point in slighting the rest of the band. Brendan Benson is a fine guitarist himself and he vocally provides the balance, control, melody, and pop authenticity that this band needs (and frankly, that Jack needed). The rhythm section - Mr. Keeler and bassist Little Jack Lawrence - to say "nothing to sneeze at" is a disservice. And besides, science has shown that no band is quite that good unless it has Little Jack in it. I stand by my words. And, the fifth Raconteur (live-wise anyway), Dean Fertita on the keyboards - without him, many a song would fail. "Level" is arguably the band's best song. And without the keyboards, there would be no "Level".


Night 2 - photo by Roxxan H

This has gone on way too long for its own good. I'll wrap up with Dr. Dog....Ehhhhh. I remember a few years ago when the hip culture papers in Philadelphia went nuts about this band as the city's potential representative in the hipster rock revival. Unfortunately, Dr. Dog turned out to be just another jam band. They offer nothing fresh or compelling or remotely interesting and Roseland Ballroom was too big for their britches. While live they don't sound anywhere near as bad as their recorded material, it still would have been better to have someone else - and yes, the first candidate is an aforementioned band that also starts with a D but let's not get into it.

Best Free Gig At Prada Ever

The Raconteurs
@Prada Store on Broadway
New York, NY - September 8, 2006

Yeah I was at a 200 VIP only party at the Prada Store for Fashion Week to see the Raconteurs play.

Actually I met my girlfriend outside the place because she wanted to get a glimpse of what was going on but we unexpectedly were able to hear the whole show loud and clear outside. Big thanks to the bouncer who let us stand right outside and even block the doors and also for rocking out with us!

The band was in great form, tighter than ever, even doing a smashing cover of Cher's (and Nancy Sinatra's) "Bang Bang" (I had hear an mp3 of previous performances and let's just say that the band has quickly worked this one out better and quickly at that).

That's pretty much it but if I have any readers that are into the Celebrity Gossip Sighting Stuff, here it is - a Blue Republic one time only event - Eric goes Hollywood: Orlando Bloom, Seth Green (who talks to the food truck guys outside), Mark McGrath, Griffin Dunne (!!! - actual talent), Lisa Marie Presley, Harvey or Bob Weinstein, Brian Grazer (who wasn't actually at the show but was walking away from the place as we were heading towards it), a guy from Interpol, Liv Tyler, Leelee Sobieski, and Winona Ryder (who left with the band, ha!).

Addendum: I can't believe I am going to address this but it's very interesting to see how gossip reporters who attend these kinds of events simply lie or print wrong information. This writer says Orlando Bloom arrived with Liv Tyler. Maybe they happened to be at the door together, but Mr. Bloom came with a buddy or two via across the street and cut in line. And this writer says she came in at the end of the line so there is no way she could have seen what she reported. And for the record, these two people being discussed also left separately. So there.
How do I know this crap? Don't ask - but I didn't want to let it slide.

MTV Awards

I actually watched that cavalcade of terrible rock and bland hiphop because somehow the Raconteurs got hired as the house band. The boys got progressively bored during the night, though they had fun with Lou Reed (!) and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. I think MTV has all the clips up on their site but there's nothing on You Tube yet. In the meantime, here's the Racs doing the Undertones' "Teenage Kicks " in Edinburgh:




Here it is! Lou Reed & The Raconteurs doing "White Light White Heat":

Rac Attack!

The Raconteurs – Tower Records East Village – New York, NY – May 18, 2006

Another sudden Raconteurs show in NYC, this time an in-store appearance at a Tower Records store. It was great seeing the band in an intimate setting (since they’ll never actually play small rock clubs) and it was great seeing them put up with technical difficulties that threw off the setlist (so the result was 3 acoustic songs, a 5-minute break, and then the real show). The songs are sounding solid and fantastic and it’s hard to believe this band is a collection of established artists.

A+
Photos and video by Roxxan H:

Little Jack Lawrence has to help Patrick Keeler on drums when the juice got knocked out:

Plaid Cowboys

The Raconteurs; The Muldoons
@Irving Plaza
New York, NY – April 7, 2008

Talk about a night of full circle. The most anticipated project in recent history made it’s American debut in bombastic style but was humbled both by its own hubris and its opening act. Let’s delve into this. The Raconteurs are the first side-project for Jack White since Loretta Lynn’s Do-Whaters and the first to be taken as a serious stand-alone band to remain around for a long time. The rhythm section of the Do-Whaters, who are also the boys from the Greenhornes, drummer Patrick Keeler and bassist “Little” Jack Lawrence (whom we also know from Blanche), are now the rhythm section for this band. Co-leading the band with Jack in vocals, guitar work, and song writing is Brendan Benson. The ultimate Detroit (with respect to Cincinnati) Supergroup has arrived, though Jack has moved to Nashville and is hailing the band as coming from there (or at least, so it appears). The Raconteurs released their first limited edition single last month, cut a video for it, and then did a handful of shows in England (how any legitimate American rock artist must start out) and a couple of radio shows. Then they announced their North American debut with this show at Irving Plaza. The gig sold out amazingly quickly and the hype was on. So we come to the show. The bouncers are absolutely paranoid about picture taking, on orders of the “management” (and later changed to the “band”) and there is an unfortunate but understandable barrier set-up between the crowd and the stage. It is apparent that Jack White is prepared for the explosion of the White Stripes to happen all over again (or something less flattering is afoot). But the crowd turned out to be fairly decent, no moshing or crowd surfing, but far from dull. And so the band took the stage to the sounds of old Western cowboy themes (including the theme used in Kill Bill Vol. 2) dressed in plaid as they’ve been known to do, a giant lush “R” and huge metal lamps hanging behind them, and the Plaid Cowboys let the show rip with their grooving blues-rock number “Level”. All night the band fluttered between out-right hard-rocking 3-chord rock and almost-progressive jam-like arena rock, with a ballad or two thrown in for good measure. The Raconteurs are meant to recall the hard rock bands of the 70’s with a fresh perspective (though their covers of the Flamin’ Groovies, Love, and Ron Davies indicate a respect for the less commercial music that inspired these guys and their peers). The penultimate song “Blue Veins” is an ode to Zeppelin/Floyd blues but with a stark presence of latter-day blues men like BB King and Buddy Guy – it was a surprisingly smooth and soulful blues epic rather than the nitty gritty dirty raw nasty blues we’ve come to expect from Jack. And in less than an hour, the show was over. A packed, celebrity-filled crowd, rock snobs, hipsters, rockers, stringent rules – you couldn’t get more hyped than this…but the Raconteurs delivered and delivered more than what could be asked for.

Dan Fertita is the able keyboardist who plays with the band live but gets no credit.
(Photos by Amauriaguiar)

But how is this full circle? The opening act were the Muldoons. Drummer Brian Muldoon was Jack’s teacher in his upholstery shop lo’ those many years ago in the 1990’s and was Jack’s first recording partner in the band fittingly called The Upholsterers. Brian has two sons, one middle-school aged - Hunter, the other elementary school-aged – Shane and he has taught them well in the school of rock. Jack produced their first single for Ben Blackwell’s Cass Records, and the trio played their first shows ever for the White Stripes last year. And here they are, making their New York debut, opening for Jack’s latest thing. Little Shane may not have the soothing voice, but it is a treat live, especially visually – what with his little tie, his little fingers on the neck, the little strap falling off his little shoulder, and his great ability to emulate all the great rockers as he crashes to his knees and plays the guitar behind his head. Older brother Hunter is shaping up to be an excellent three-cord guitar monster, best showing his chops on “Red and Black” and similar sounding songs. When the band took things to an all-out punk level, it seemed a bit much after awhile, but there is nothing to scoff at with these kids and their Dad. This was a smart and fun way to open up this full circle night.

(Photo by Laura of The Modern Age)

Rob Jones Poster sold at the gig