Welcome Fats Domino

This nonsense I like to call a blob of a blog and last.fm's rwagner would like to welcome Fats_Domino to his Top 50 playlist with 542 plays. With the minimum requirement of over 500 plays to crack "rwagner" Top 50 this is quite a coup for Fats (like it really matters much to Fats or his next of kin). Most of these plays have come in recent days as the "house music" for the Chick N Dip Drive In (as seen in the book "Drive- In Deluxe") in Hampshire, Il. Fats' early rock n roll recordings, that were so influential at the dawn of the rock era, sound right at home in the dining room of the Chick N Dip whose birth itself took place in the 1950's. In fact, one recent diner in the diner commented, "This music is perfect for a place like this." Most of these listens came via the Fats Domino box set "Walking to New Orleans". If you don't have it, do yourself a favor and get it.

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard at Lincoln Hall, Chicago, Illinois

On October 26, 2009 I was fortunate enough to attend one of just a handful of shows Jay Farrar (of Son Volt) and Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) performed at the new Lincoln Hall in Chicago. The venue is in what was the old Three Penny movie theater on Lincoln Avenue. It's just a few doors down from the late great legendary Lounge Ax Ax as well as across from the Biograph Theater, where John Dillinger saw his last film.

Farrar and Gibbard recently united to record songs inspired from Jack_Kerouac's book, "Big Sur". The record, "One Fast Move or I'm Gone", is one of my favorite new releases of the late 2009 season. While, admittedly, I'm not well versed in the DCFC catalog (that won't be for long), Farrar has long been one of my favorite's since my introduction to Uncle Tupelo in 1992 with "Still Feel Gone".

The pristine new Lincoln Hall with it's friendly staff (I wondered to some friends if they could bring that ol' cranky door man from Lounge Ax) was full capacity and a scarce ticket. Farrar and Gibbard were accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Mark Spencer, Jon Wurster (of Superchunk, who also played on Farrar's 2001 release "Sebastopol") and Nick Harmer on bass. The acoustics in LH are tremendous and the crowd was so attentive that if one spoke between songs it would have been akin to speaking loud in a library. Farrar had commented that this was the "one week anniversary" of the band. This caused Gibbard to quip, "Oh, I forgot to pick you up something." The band, surprisingly tight for only being together for a week, played the entire record. In addition a few choice covers that included, Bob Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie", Farrar's own "Voodoo Candle" done as more of a pop song, and Tom Waits "Old Shoes" (and Picture Postcards). Both singers songs from the new record are very strong and both vocals accompany each other quite well, especially Farrar's backing vocal on "One Fast Move and I'm Gone". Gibbard made it a point to state that these songs were, in fact, written by Kerouac. It was also nice to see Farrar out of his element a bit as opposed to his shows with Son Volt. It's just nice to see him change it up a bit and just be a dude in a band.

It was a great introduction for myself to the new Lincoln Hall. It's only a matter of time before the place gets that lived in rock show feel but by initial appearances this is going to a well-run club, incidentally, owned by the same fine folks who run Schubas. Also, it would be nice to see Farrar and Gibbard collaborate again in the future.