Jim Carroll with Band at Crocodile Cafe
Seattle, WA, 17 November 1998
Review by Tom Wear
Well, now that it’s about 24 hours after I got home from the show last night, and I guess I have sufficiently recovered to try to send along some impressions:
Oh my GOD, that was amazing!
Not that it was a nostalgia act by any means, but when I say last night’s show took me back 15 years to when I used to see the Jim Carroll Band constantly in New York, I mean that Jim has lost none of the fire and intensity that made him one of the most compelling rock performers ever. Match that with the verbal brilliance and charisma of his spoken “performance” and I can’t imagine how it could possibly have been better, except if it had all gone on twice as long and then it was all going to happen again tomorrow.
Jim looked fantastic, by the way. Probably the best I’ve ever seen him. He’s probably put on a couple pounds in the last couple years, which moves him up from emaciated to thin. Basically, totally fit and radiating energy. Even his speaking voice was stronger and deeper than ever. I took a few pictures, especially while he was singing, and it struck me that these will look almost exactly like pictures I took of him 15 years ago.
So, here’s how it went:
Readings (no musical accompaniment):Jim started with a few pages from a novel in progress, about a young artist in NY. Jim spent a while setting the scene, telling about how the artist freaks out at a Velazquez exhibit at the Met, spends some time in Bellevue (Jim noted that he was born in Bellevue — it’s a regular hospital too. “My mom wasn’t in no straight jacket.” Anyway, the scene he read was about the artist (temporarily named Billy) visiting the Empire State Building for the first time, upon his release from Bellevue, hoping to gain some perspective or enlightenment from the heights. Unfortunately, the day was hazy, “not so much from pollution, but the kind of haze that comes from the heart.” Or words to that effect. His choice and economy of words, as well as the level of insight and perception sure made me eager for the whole novel to come
out. All of the other readings were from Void Of Course:
Locked Wing
The Ocean Below
8 Fragments for Kurt Cobain (very well received)
Facts
Poem “Vertigo, discord and certain trees…” (the audience didn’t really get it
when this poem ended, so he segued into:)
Poem “Female as thunder…”
Train Surfing
Sick Bird
Spy
Poem “Alright, Buddha gets a backstage pass”
Poem “Nobody is going to ruin me”
Message Left On a Phone Machine (“Which is exactly what is was”-JC)
Music (in pretty close to correct order):
Catholic Boy
It’s Too Late
I Want the Angel
Wicked Gravity
Runaway (the Del Shannon song–this was done sort of accidentally while they
were tuning up for the next song. Jim started sort of humming it, then the
band followed, and it ended up with an audience sing-along. Only one verse
and chorus, though.)
Falling Down Laughing
People Who Died (aka “THAT song”. One Drano, one non-Drano, for those
keeping score at home)
—
Encore: City Drops Into the Night
at which point I about dropped into the floor, since that’s my favorite JC song, the way it’s so evocative of NY, besides just being beautiful. A few people were yelling out song titles when Jim first came out for the encore, and I almost yelled that one out, but didn’t because that’s not something I really do, plus it’s kind of a long title to be yelling. But I guess maybe
the psychic yelling worked, so that capped a perfect night.
The band:
rhythm guitar and band leader: Robert Roth, Seattle musician who co-wrote Falling Down Laughing and Hairshirt Fracture;
lead guitar: Kurt Bloch, local Seattle guy who’s been in a lot of local bands;
drummer: didn’t catch his name, but I recognized him as one of a couple of
guys who played drums at various times in the Posies.
bass: someone named George.
The band went well beyond just a competent backup. They added a lot of musicality beyond just the basic chords to make the songs work, and they rocked with all the energy Jim’s songs (and his delivery) demand. All the more impressive since they had only had one rehearsal with Jim, because he was at a book signing at Tower earlier in the day (which I was NOT aware of, dammit.)
The Crocodile, which is a decent-sized club (I’d guess about the same capacity as the Bottom Line) was PACKED, I was thrilled to see, and the audience reaction was very positive. I’m hoping maybe it’ll help generate some “buzz” for Jim and the CD, since Mercury doesn’t seem too interested. Some of the crowd may have been caused by rumors that some of Pearl Jam might be in Jim’s band, but if anybody did come just for that reason, as far as I can see they ended up loving the show anyway.
Jim seemed to be having a great time too, so lets hope this whets his appetite for more shows, especially more shows with a band.
I hope some of you in California get to see him when he’s down there. Even though I have the impression those will be “just” readings, I’m sure they’ll still be great.
Photos by Tom Wear. Check out all of Tom’s photos of this show.