My friend B is awesome, you guys. Not only was she going to be my ticket fairy for the (now cancelled) McGarrigle/Wainwright Christmas concert but she sent me a short and sweet email this weekend. It said, "Fiona Apple is listed on the Largo site!" I checked it out and she was right - my favorite musician was scheduled to perform with Dave Palmer, a musician who was in her band on the Extraordinary Machine tour but is an accomplished pianist of his own right. I called to get a reservation, but of course, no dice. So a line-up for the bar was necessary. Art and Heather (a live Fiona newbie) agreed to go with me so I wouldn't fall apart.

And then on Wednesday morning her name disappeared from the site. Figuring that Largo was up to its usual tricks of being secretive about who is performing but fearing Fiona had been struck with her notorious shyness, I called the little club again. The message said, "Dave Palmer tonight with very VERY special guest." Ah-ha.

So we went. Way too early. We were just second in the bar line and got actual seats (something not that easy to come by). I sat around feeling anxious most of the night. I am so seriously not cool at all around her. I second guessed my decision to be a teetotaler (just three more weeks of no drinkin'!) but sucked down a Diet Coke or two. Largo holds about 140 people total, so she walked right past Heather a couple of times and I'd dork out. I spent time telling Heather about the other times I had seen Fiona sing there and prepped Heather by telling her how she very rarely sings her own songs there and trying to like, I don't know, prevent disappointment for Heather or something.

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Monday night I returned to Largo with my friend B to see my original music boyfriend, Teddy Thompson. Teddy is the son of Richard and Linda Thompson but I first heard about him via Rufus Wainwright (another son of folk-rock luminaries). When I followed Rufus around in 2002, Teddy opened all of his shows and played guitar in his band. As an opener he was quiet between his songs and when he did speak, he was often rude and glared at the audience (leading superbonbon4 to call him The Devil). Of course, I fell in love with him the first night I heard him play in Washington, D.C.

Last night's opener was this extremely cute boy with a mess of curly hair who I thought could not be any older than 18. Imagine my surprise when I realized (not til very late the next day) that this Steve Schiltz person was the lead singer in Longwave. Ooops. You know, you'd have thought I'd have caught on when he sang "There's a Fire" and I thought, "Wow, he sounds JUST like the guy in Longwave!" All I can say is that I never purported to have a very quick mind. He did a nice set of mostly acoustic songs and I am now kind of crazy about him.

When Teddy finally took the stage, I was so excited to see him. It's been a while since I last saw his live show and he's improved so much since that first time I saw him so long ago. He looked really confident and had dropped the false bravado. His songs have become much more alt-country (as opposed to the alt-country lite of his first album) and while it surprised me on the album, it felt natural in a live setting. His lyrics are intelligent and kind of fun. Yes, even the song about depression. Teddy did a set that was comprised of stuff from his latest album (released this past February on my birthday because he obviously still loves me) and I just loved it. He completely reignited my Teddy Thompson love, so much so that I was completely bummed that I didn't bring his cd with me so I could continue listening to him on my way home from the club. He was even kind of nice to the audience! Though, I'm not sure how rude you can be when you're drinking a Seabreeze on stage.

A big highlight were the guests - he had Steve Schiltz playing with him on electric guitar for most of the set but then he called up another legacy of 70s folk, Chris Stills (son of Stephen for those playing the home game). Chris, Teddy and Rufus used to sing together regularly at Largo back in the late 90s/early 00s and I hate myself for not knowing about any of them back then. Chris and Teddy did a two songs together and they brought the house down. I didn't really think it could be topped (and Chris Stills wears his Converse low tops without shoelaces, just like me!) until Teddy asked his mom to join him for a song. She cursed at him in her clipped English accent, but she gamely jumped on stage. She looked like she was in her jammies which was adorable. Linda decided she wanted to sing a song she wrote about Pete Doherty and added, "God love him." The song was pretty biting and hilarious with mentions of Kate Moss. The last verse was sharp and basically said that there were many more like him just waiting in the wings with their own "dark brown eyes and deep blue songs." I wish I could remember the exact lines because it made the audience all, "oooh," when she sang it. And then the show was over, and even though it was very late, I was sad because Teddy was so awesome I could have watched him sing for hours longer.

I've uploaded a few of his songs if you want to check him out, I definitely recommend. I decided to up the Longwave song also, so that others may benefit from my error. And if you want all of them, I decided to zip up all four songs for a faster download.

All songs now OFFLINE

Teddy Thompson, from Separate Ways
I Wish it Was Over
I Should Get Up
That's Enough out of You

Longwave, from There's a Fire
There's a Fire

Zip

For my pal aubreycolors who has been with David from the beginning and asked me for the details.

I have a huge crush on David Garza. I had kind of forgotten that with all my other huge obsessions, but it's true. I remembered it when he hit the stage last Monday in support of Fiona Apple. I remembered it because he didn't break out the things I love about him. He was dressed in like, a velvet jacket and regular pants. His hair was gelled. Barely any facial hair. I'm used to seeing him in clothes that are a few sizes too big and hair in every which direction and with the look of the guy who will ask you for change when you walk past him. He didn't speak! Not even to say, "I'm David Garza." That made the gentleman standing next to me for his set ask every song break, "Who IS this guy??" I was way too rude to answer him even though it was obvious I was a big fan, screaming for every song and writing down the songs from his set that I recognized. I'm used to him telling jokes that aren't really funny but I laugh at anyway (because I have that huge crush on him). No jokes. No songs in Spanish either.

He went out there and didn't hit any of my usual David kinks. Except for one - he put on an excellent show and played the hell out of his guitar. The crowd talked loudly over his first song, "Drone" (from his second major label effort, Overdub) but became less and less rude with each song. Drone had a slightly different arrangement, it sounded a lot more country than it does on the album. In fact, a few of the songs had a country bend, which isn't too surprising but I wasn't all that keen on it. I dug it much more when he rocked out. Since it took me so long to get to this actual review, I lost the receipt that I wrote his set list down on, bear with me while I try to remember everything. I know he did "Flower" (from his major label debut, This Euphoria and he did a couple of songs I didn't recognize (one was about a woman and how much he loves her, not unusual for a David Garza song), another song that he said was "for Flanny" and was obviously about Largo, complete with a reference to Jon Brion's infamous showtime black and tans. I liked that one but considering Largo isn't a huge draw in San Diego, I don't know how well it went over. His last song was "Too Much" which is one of his most requested songs (also from Overdub) and then just like that he was gone. His set was just six songs and lasted less than a half hour. I was really sad that he went off so soon, and yeah, I'll admit I wanted to hear "Disco Ball World." I'm a sucker for the classics. Also, "Butterflies" would have been nice too. Jebin Bruni (who was also in Fiona's band) and a female violin player backed him up for the majority of his set. By the end he had nearly the whole crowd on his side, they were cheering on his guitar and his songs. I was really happy for him.

Opening up for Fiona hopefully gave him a ton of good exposure. I think his romantic songs work a bit better in a more intimate setting but I know he can handle a larger venue if the crowd is there to see him. I do wish he had kind of talked it up a bit more, but he could have been nervous. He only gave his first name once, and it was kind of mumbled when he did say it and he sold a cd at the merchandise table but he didn't tell the crowd that. I only found out when I went to buy myself a t-shirt and saw it hanging up in the corner. Even the merch guy was like, "You want a WHAT?" when I asked for it! Still, I was thrilled to see him and his guitar heavy act was a good fit for Fiona's more fluid and now electronic sound. He is playing two nights at Largo this month, I think I'll stop in and see if he'll tell me some bad jokes. Hell, he doesn't have to say a thing - I totally crush on him.

She was AMAZING.

I just got to work after getting home at 2:30 am last night, so I can't elaborate right now. Just know that she is beautiful and sweet and I'm still a crazy obsessive.

I didn't see mutinousmuse though! BOO!!!

It was sooo good, which made it doubly disappointing that it was SO short. Well, it felt short anyway, Rufus did do five songs.

-The Art Teacher (LOVE!)
-Crumb by Crumb
-Gay Messiah (TIRED OF IT!)
-This Love Affair

and then Kate McGarrigle (his mother!) came out cracked a few hilarious jokes about Rufus' grandmother and then they did,
-Over the Rainbow

*swooooon!* Rufus' voice was on last night, vocally it was a great performance. I am just DYING for a full length show now. Anyone got some money to send me to Australia? Okay, how 'bout Baltimore?

I didn't go meet him or have anything signed because I've been there done that and got the t-shirt but the buzz is that there were 400 or so people there and he signed anything they wanted and he signed for everyone. That's nice! I'm impressed. Borders did a much better crowd control job and Bets and I actually got SEATS! It made waiting three hours that much easier. Betsy is so fun. We talked and gossiped and cracked on the board fanatics and just generally had a swell time.

Word on the street is Los Angeles Rufus shows in late February (happy birthday, Sin!) or March. And I am supposed to be leaving for work right now so I should get moving. See ya!