BOC: San Francisco 2/24

[Chris Baker]

(cross-post from AOL)

--This was the first San Francisco appearance by the band since the release of
Heaven Forbid, and the crowd seemed somewhat larger than last year’s—pretty
much packed all the way to the back, and I think Slim’s capacity is about
800
?  I ditched the opening act to go across the street to the Paradise
Lounge, where a co-worker’s band was playing, and arrived just in time for the
intro music (and BTW who was the person who hit on using this music?  It seems
so natural now that I’ve almost forgotten about the Wagner, etc
anyone
remember what else was used in years past?)

--I wonder how many people were disoriented by seeing Al P. in Allen’s spot
if
he was even mentioned, I missed it, but I guess there’s no other way to play
it without getting into lengthy explanations.

--This was the first time I’d seen the "Burnin’ For You" opener
it’s always
great to hear the first chords of any BÖC show, of course, and in that regard
it might not be the worst place for it.  I’d prefer a harder-edged kickoff,
but hey, at least it’s not still crouched there seventy-two minutes in, or
whatever, heralding the final stretch of the show.

--"
Last Days of May" was about as good as any version I’ve ever heard, I have
to assume from Charlie’s comments that it’s been that way all down the coast
here.  If there’s ever been a poor version they musta killed the witnesses and
burned the tapes, but Jesus this one smoked
the intro to the solo seemed very
open, lots of space around the minimalist guitar figures BD was playing
and
the solo seemed to build for longer than usual before the tempo was actually
increased, and the increase came it the gradient of it was more imperceptible
and less mechanical than it has sometimes sounded.  The grave, elegaic tone
that BD conjures in the early part of solo—although always seemingly
approached from a different angle, recombined, endlessly refined and
reworked—has always struck me as part of the best lyric/music mirroring that
the band ever did, the most ambiguously "truthful"  Ideas spun off each other,
a corridor of mirrors where it’s unclear who the elegy is for and who is doing
the mourning, questions that for me have certainly never been cleared up by
the last verse.

--On a more concrete note:  when did BD start singing "
bags, a scale to weigh
the stuff"?  Wasn’t it always "bags and scales"?  Which probably wasn’t the
most realistic inventory (how many scales do they need?), but I’ve only
noticed this recently.  Am I hearing things?

--How did he manage to play that solo on LDOM and leave the guitar intact, and
then bust a string on "In Thee"?

--Further disorientation:  "Cities on Flame" as the second song
I think eight
minutes into the show is a litte early for call-and-response audience-
interactive "Rock-and-Roll!" stuff
would it be heresy to suggest that this
song be shorn of the trappings it has garnered over the years, and just be
played straight?  I like to see Buck flex his fingers as much as the next
man--well, unless the next man is Marty--but stopping dead in the midst of the
second tune


--I think EB (who was in fine voice all night) had some kind of personal best
for saying fuck, managing four within the space of one set of comments, and
ridiculing the Grammys into the bargain.

--It was great to hear "Jailbreak", I was a little surprised that no solo was
featured
of course the album version didn’t have one, but the live versions
always did:  nothing major, but there’s that sustained note at the end of the
siren interlude just hanging there waiting to get belted into the rafters
when
it didn’t appear I thought "oh, OK
"
but then they do the siren interlude
again!  And fooled me again!  Cool finish but jeez if I’d ever been told BÖC
would be playing songs without guitar solos in the encore I’d have said
"Gramps, put down the cough syrup".  Nice to hear EB mention Phil Lynott,
though, and I’m sure Bolle dug it too.

--I know there’s a heavy Italian element in the band nowadays, but does Bobby
have to do that stuff with the sticks before the last verse of DFTR that looks
like he’s tossing a pizza?  BR is a fine drummer but IMO there was far more
drumming going on in the outro solo to DFTR than is necessary, a spectacularly
unsuccessful portion of which threw the song into a chaotic spin right at
solo’s beginning.  While I’m risking BR’s wrath may I ask what happened to the
double snare hits in ME 262?  Sure it always sounded kinda chunky but that’s
the song!  I mean, I understand why the most distinctive drum part in "Cities
On Flame" is gone, since AB threatened to sue anyone else who played it, but


(That was a joke)

--Yes "The Red and the Black" was indeed awe-inspiring, Al P. is a fine guitar
player and everything from the bass lick on was always my least fave part of
this tune, live
I could never hear what was going on, making the guitar-duel
thing is an inspired idea.  Of course BD’s so much the better player he spots
him all that volume
jeez guys turn Buck up already!!

Minor quibbles overall, great to hear the band again