New Year's Eve and it's hard to believe
another zodiac has gone around.

While you drank yourself high on hoping
and watched the ceiling spin from the ground.

Counting down from ten it's time
to make your annual prayer.

Secret santa in the sky
when will I get my share?

Then you tell yourself
what you want to hear.

Cause you have to believe.

This will be my year.

This will be my year...Semisonic


Go Ahead Punk: E-Mail Little Squaw @ squawpunch@hotmail.com

AIM: gimletgurl7 (Remember when she used to be here?)

Saturday, February 21, 2004

First Fountains of Wayne show of 2004 Princeton, New Jersey...

Okay I am writing this in bed because we have people coming over tomorrow. And I'm guaranteed not to have any time to myself until late late tomorrow night.

Just had a brief chat via messenger with one of my friends/co-workers...kind of topical it will make it into a later post...But I don't want to get distracted. My true calling this evening is to speak of the Fountains of Wayne show which I just attended.

Set list...
Bought for a Song
Denise
No Better Place
Utopia Parkway
Red Dragon Tattoo
Hackensack
Hey Julie
Valley of Winter Song
Leave the Biker
Stacy's Mom
Mexican Wine
Bright Future in Sales
Radiation Vibe
Survival Car

Encore #1
Flair
Troubled Times
Joe Ray

Encore #2
Go Hippie

Honestly it was an odd show for me for a couple of reasons. First of all it was in a theater with seats. I don't think that I've ever been to a concert at a theater with red velvet seats before, let alone a Fountains of Wayne show. I never ever ever go to shows where I can't be right next to/infront of the the stage. Music is very much a tactile experience for me, meaning that I like for a live show to rattle my cage. Though I always wear ear protection because I think that I have tinnitus already.

Anyway, the setting was strange plus Princeton always throws me off. There's cold comfort in knowing that F. Scott Fitzgerald went there...but then again so did Brook Shields. It brings out the worst in me. That most likely being jealousy and resentment. II think that for the most part people who go to Princeton have got to be loaded. And the town just makes me feel inferior. Though the campus is beautiful. Just drop dead gorgeous. It's also very large and as we saw tonight, very, very dark. I noticed an extreme lack of panic buttons around the walking paths, which made me nervous. My experience with larger schools is that they usually have a lot of them. I base that on my numerous visits to Syracuse and the University of Maine Orono in particular. Anyway, Gill and I decided that we were very happy to have gone to smaller school. Mostly because a spread out campus would have made us feel disjointed. Plus with how dark this one was we would have gotten run over crossing the street.

Princeton is a mad crazy pedestrian town. Those folks are ornery. They wait until just right before the light is changing to cross the street. So they make you wait while the light is green in your favor. I swear it's a conspiracy against any common man who might wander into their gilded streets.

It's like being in a Jay McInerney or a Bret Easton Ellis book.

Okay, I just remembered I've been to one show in a theater with seats, Garbage at the University of Chicago? But that was for work and I didn't pay and I didn't even watch most of it because I was discussing financial benefits of t-shirt sales with the t-shirt girl. We also discussed how the custom orange Garbage fingernail varnish while great in concept was a horrible sale item because it weighed a ton to ship and breakage was high.

Back to this evening...

I was a bit rattled based on me being irritable with the potential student audience (they sold a lot of the tickets to actual students)...about 150 or so I think and the venue only holds maybe 300 or more? But I was also hell bent on enjoying Fountains of Wayne's new found audience...popularity...success...etc...

I think that you should always feel happy for a band that you love when they do well. As much as I would love to always know that I'll be able to get that prime spot right in front of Chris C's monitor at every single show I attend, I know it's more important for them to succeed. No band wants to play small venues for the same 100 or so people forever and you're a selfish fan if that's what you wish for them. They need to make a living too.

I was excited to see all the little kids with their parents. Which were mostly little girls (10-13) I'd guess.

This is where I just come to terms with the fact that arguably I am most likely one of the most fanatical, loyal, and supportive Fountains of Wayne fans on the planet (who's not related to the them by blood or marriage)...I don't know why that is but it's like the sky is blue. It's just true. (Okay I didn't mean to rhyme but it is late.) While I know this, I must come to terms with the fact that it really doesn't matter to them. The only thing that matters is that they get new potential fans at each show and hopefully some of them stick around for awhile. That makes me sad. I think I am just cog in the machine. At this point in my life as I struggle to figure out how to maintain a healthy balance between my silly/quirky/slightly self-centered/independent/dramatic/music loving self with my married/future focused/crazily fortunate/uncomplicatedly loved/family oriented/stable self all of this seems very important.

I don't ever want to feel like I gave up one for the other.

Anyway I just this evening came to terms with the fact that I am indeed a cog. I need to get used to it and potentially move on to other things while enjoying it for what it is.

So our seats were stage left row S. The place filled up pretty quickly a lot of younger kids with their parents and a lot of students on dates, in groups, etc...

The ushers were the typical goofy college types which all of us were at point or another.

Gill was happy to have a seat. I was worried about not being able to see when everyone stood up. He told me to stand on my seat or he'd lift me up. That's a bit of humor there. I'd never stand on a seat and well my husband holding me up would be a shortlived experience to say the least.

The band's equipment was set up center stage. It felt like a video. It was surreal to see it all up there with the gels shining down on them. I saw Chris peeking out into the audience from behind the curtain so I assumed that he was looking for family or friends etc...

I wanted to seize the opportunity to make my normal request but I pretty much have figured out (as part of the cog scenario) that it's a futile request to ask for "I Know You Well." It's really just a Chris song not a Fountains of Wayne song and at this kind of show, again they are trying to develop an audience not satisfy one girl with a request for a song that has never been and probably will never be released.

If that's not a cold shower comprised of the harsh reality of it all and a bar of bitter soap well, then I don't know how else to look at it. I will never hear that song live not even if I go to 20 more shows. I giggle right now thinking how dramatic I am being. How indulgent it is of me to become so melancholy! How it allows me to still be that person I am afraid will evaporate!

It was weird not to have to stand through multiple opening acts. Gill pointed out that one of the reasons that I probably get so riled up at shows when they finally come on is that the pressure of waiting builds up a lot of anticipation for the band I really want to see. I think that's a very good point indeed.

They came out and looked amazing on the stage. It was a perfect fit. A stage with a curtain and decent lighting really suits them. They played the set list (as listed above) and I have a few random comments...

Adam mentioned meeting Joan Rivers..."We recently met Jone Rivers and it was like meeting a person with a Joan Rivers mask on..."

Jody and Brian were very "rock starish" tonight. Jody didn't do his Keith Richards shtick (as in lurch about with a ciggy hanging out of his mouth)...but rather he and I quote Gilly, "was Jimmy Page down to a t." Brian was throwing his sticks way up into the air. Which I think was a benefit of being in a theater. Most venues don't afford you that kind of headroom. I've never seen the sticks go that high at the Bowery. :)

Touching moment...to me at least was when Chris introduced "Valley of Winter Song" he said, "Here's a song about my home town." Touching because every other time I've heard him sing it he said something about, "Cold depressing town that I live in..." It's good to hear he misses his current home based on all I've learned about it and it's occupants lately. Plus the usage of "home town" seems much more intimate given the fact that he didn't grow up there. I would never call where I live now my "home town." My "home town" is where I grew up. Kind of like a house is not a home...etc...

Funny fame comment from Chris..."We met Nora Jones recently which was cool. Or at least that's what I'm telling people."

He's still referring to Lilith Fair when they play acoustic songs. But he should realize that a lot of the kids at the shows these days are young enough now not to even know what the Lilith Fair is.

About the audience...I've said who it comprised of but I haven't spoken to their behavior. The crowd was tenacious until some kid (either a music lover or a narcissist) stood up and waved his hands to get people to stand. Up until that point I was leaning forward bouncing on the edge of my seat because I didn't want to stand and obstruct the view of the people behind me. So the crowd stood and cheered and such but it was pretty obvious that the majority of them weren't familiar with the music. That kind of makes me sad given how easy it is to get all the Fountains of Wayne albums instantly on the internet (legally of course)...I mean when I was that age before I went to a show I would listen to or the buy the opening acts CD's to become familiar with them, so that they would have the benefit of a reactive audience and so I would enjoy it more...of course I'd do the same for the headliners...

I still do it if you want the truth.

So the audience wasn't getting too into it. I was feeling the "isn't this great we have a cool band here" vibe going on not the "OH MY GOODNESS THEY ARE GOLDEN GODS!" vibe. Again this is mostly a good thing for the success of the band. Cool is good. Bored is bad.

Chris mentioned, "I almost came to this fine institution, but it wouldn't have me."

"Hackensack" got from Chris, "Well since we're in New Jersey..."

Funny audience actions...the girls who were screaming "I WANT YOU!" to Josh the guitar tech. Hmmm, I'd wager that they didn't know he wasn't in the band, yes? Then once the band came on they were screaming it at Chris. No wonder rock stars are so screwed up.

There were these two girls in the upper balcony wearing pleated mini skirts, fishnets, tight white button ups and askew ties with rude girl haircuts. Totally working the look and probably between the ages of 13-16. Their moms were sitting next to them. Their moms were going out of their skulls when the band played Stacy's Mom. I am sure the girls were irritated and embarrassed (having once been a teenager myself)...Gilly said that the moms were behaving that way because they'd like to be considered sexy by pubescent boys as well. I can't blame them but it was still funny/sad/weird and hopefully not indicative of how I will behave when I have kids.

I don't really pay attention when they play "that song." It's my little protest of sorts.

The crowd went NUTS for "that song."

They made mention of the Mexican Wine video featuring Drew Carry (s?) "who is not quite Rachel Hunter..."

Again Jody was totally being a "rock star" with lots of windmills and lifting his leg up in the air (which prompted Gill's J. Page comment)...at one point in the show he jumped up on the bass drum...he did a lot of that kneeling on the stage while playing business...

When they played "Radiation Vibe" Chris mentioned that it was their first single in 1996...a slight dig at the audience? I've never heard 1996 mentioned EVER at any of my prior 20 something shows. First single yes 1996 no.

The "Radiation Vibe" middle cover song section comprised of...and I have my husband "king of the guitar rock riff library" to thank for this list which is pathetically stitched together by moi:
Foreigner Double Vision...a Cars song (don't they all sound the same)...Jet Airliner Steve Miller...this is where I point out that the crowd went as nuts for Steve Miller as it did for "that song"...which supports my theory that when you go to college these days (and even when I did) they hand you the Steve Miller Greatest Hits album, Janice Joplin Greatest Hits album...the Police Greatest Hits album, etc...on your way into the dorm...Sharp Dressed Man (Chris still doesn't remember all the lyrics)...a Joe Walsh song...

The last song in the set was "Survival Car" Gill was very impressed with how quickly Adam plays on that song. Say what you will (and I've been known to say a lot)...but Adam is a very very good bass player...on his appearance...his hair is getting very long! It's a very interesting look for him.

Encore...cell phones are the new lighters...meaning that you open them up so the light shines...or rather you do if you're so inclined...at 'NSYNC shows they sell those little fiber optic flashlights and all the girls twirl them...it's quite striking really.

They played "Flair" and Jody went into the guitar solo ending of "Layla"...say what you will about Jody (and again, I've been known to say a lot...) but Jody is a very very good guitarist.

Chris commented on the little girls in the front row who were waving their arms and screaming the whole time.

He said something like, "There are some girls screaming in the front and they are very distracting. For real." Who's a rock star? He's a rock star. Like you wouldn't want to be a rock star too? He's got to love it. Why wouldn't he love it? I was loving it for him.

Chris's mom was there and he dedicated "Troubled Times" to her. How sweet is that? Jody totally dropped out of that rendition. It almost became a solo performance for Chris.

"Joy Ray"

and last encore...I thought that they would play "Super Collider" but they came out and Adam said, "Thank you for being so very very nice to us." and Chris said, "Now we have to hurt you." and they launched into "Go Hippie."

The usually leaving one by one bit with a huge drum/bass finale and that was that. The show was over by 9:30PM. Which made it in total a little less than an hour long set.

I was surprised that they didn't play more of the new album since that's what the newbies are most likely familiar with.

More Random Comments:

I hate being that far from the stage. I felt somewhat disconnected from the show. I took out my earplugs which is a big no no for me but I took them out because the show sounded a bit muddy with them in...was it the acoustics? I think that the instruments may have been up too high.

I've seen them at a university before. Rutgers in 1999 and as much as I dislike Rutgers a. because they are our arch nemesis and b. because back when I was in school they had like a million dollar concert budget and I am sure it's even higher now. The head of the concert committee would get beat up if they didn't book a cool enough band. Anyway, when we saw them there in '99 for Utopia that crowd was very into it. Very into it. The audio sounded horrible but those kids were whipped into a frenzy and the band really enjoyed it. Up to that point that show was the most excited that I had ever seen Fountains of Wayne.

Rutger's audiences get two thumbs up.

Ivy Leaguers are boooorrring Sidney. Borrrring.

Additional cog support Chris dedicated, "Leave the Biker" to "that girl over there..." Was my dedication of "This song is dedicated to the nice lady in the front with the home made t-shirt on" insincere? GRRRRRRR.

posted by JustKeepMum on 3:23 AM