Record shopping today before a taxi-mare over to Allston to meet EdV and his old friend Jeff Stupakevich for Malaysian lunch. Then after more record shopping this afternoon, we meet Mark Kraus and Maureen for dinner at The Middle East, being joined by Michael Paulo before hitting the venue at 10 for this intriguing show (so intriguing that I'd booked tix for this one earlier this week!). Despite being due on at 10, however, Buffalo Tom guitarist Chris Colbourn didn't arrive onstage until half past!
Nevertheless, once ensconced he played a very fine solo set, opening with "My Responsibility" and "Rachael", 2 of his compositions for da Tom, and I'm surprised at how well they stand up, stripped of the "oomph" of the perennial brilliantly powerful "live" Tom performance. Without the full-on amps, Chris' voice is somewhat idiosyncratic - higher than I thought, with a reedy yet charming lilt - and his slower, unknown material (new stuff for The Tom? Or for a solo record perhaps?) fits it very well, lending it a naked, eerie feel. 2/3 of the way through, Chris is joined by Hilken Mancini from Fuzzy, to duet on a touching and starkly beautiful song. Then, in all too short a time, the set was over.
By this time we'd been joined by an ebullient James Horrigan, back from South Carolina and now a Godfather. We chat during Blake Hazard's set; she's apparently the great grand-daughter of F Scott Fitzgerald, she smiles a lot (a lot!!) and has a very girly vocal delivery, but I confess I was enjoying the company more than her folky introspective set. Horrigan leaves and we check out some of Tom Leach - he and band were too Nashville Country for my liking - before calling it a night and heading back through the restaurant. Here, however, we encounter not only Jim Gilbert of The Sheila Divine again, but also Chris Colbourn himself, who amazingly recognised me from my Q Division trip last August, and said I should have spoken to him at Buffalo Tom's recent LA2 show! Don't worry Chris, I will next time!
Showing posts with label Chris Colbourn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Colbourn. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
510 CHRIS COLBOURN AND HILKEN MANCINI, TT The Bear's Place, Cambridge, MA USA, Wednesday 20 June 2001
An early start for the first Boston trip that Rachel and I make as an "official" couple! We leave Swindon at 6 am for a direct flight, getting into Boston's Logan Airport at 1.30 US time. We head over to EdV's (our kind host for this trip), then a quick shopping trip before the first gig of the holiday - straight in tonight at TTs!
However, by this evening, we're both shattered from the early start, flight, time difference etc. But hey, it's Chris! So we force ourselves into action for this thankfully early one. Chris and Hilken take the stage at 9.30 and run through a clutch of new songs, plus a couple of covers; one Rolling Stones song which I don't recognise, and a Dylan number which I believe was "Saved". Chris and Hilken's musical relationship has clearly developed since she "guested" with him last time, and it's quite an effective dynamic now, with Hilken mainly taking lead vocal chores, apart from a couple of numbers which are obviously Chris' own work, sharing the same song structures and dynamics as some of his Buffalo Tom numbers.
We speak to Chris briefly on the way out; we're even more knackered now so we don't have the energy to stick around for headliner Ben Lee. Shame, really, but the sack calls!
However, by this evening, we're both shattered from the early start, flight, time difference etc. But hey, it's Chris! So we force ourselves into action for this thankfully early one. Chris and Hilken take the stage at 9.30 and run through a clutch of new songs, plus a couple of covers; one Rolling Stones song which I don't recognise, and a Dylan number which I believe was "Saved". Chris and Hilken's musical relationship has clearly developed since she "guested" with him last time, and it's quite an effective dynamic now, with Hilken mainly taking lead vocal chores, apart from a couple of numbers which are obviously Chris' own work, sharing the same song structures and dynamics as some of his Buffalo Tom numbers.
We speak to Chris briefly on the way out; we're even more knackered now so we don't have the energy to stick around for headliner Ben Lee. Shame, really, but the sack calls!
Monday, 1 February 2010
607 JASON HATFIELD AND THE MARMALADE, CHRIS COLBOURN AND HILKEN MANCINI, The Kendall Cafe, Cambridge MA USA, Sunday 28 September 2003
Surprisingly, Rachel's parents are in Boston at the same time as us! So we turn tour hosts, going on a Duck Tour, a meal at the harbour, and a walk through Quincy Market, the Common, and Back Bay, However, they decline to join us for tonight's gig. So we go along and hang out as Gravel Pit drummer Pete Caldes, whom we've seen a lot of on this trip, serves the drinks and wisecracks about today's weather (drizzly and miserable) and how it should make us Brits feel right at home. Despite the cracks, he's been great company throughout this trip. Mike Gent shows up to do the sound for tonight, then EdV turns up with a group of chaps he'd been producing earlier today. We chat over a Caldes-served "side of fries", before the music starts up in the back room.
The first act, Jim Bunni, drifts by with us both in the main bar, but we hand over the $10 cover to Gent for Chris Colbourn's set. Chris, again accompanied by Hilken Mancini, plays an enjoyable acoustic duet set of easy melody and laid-back mood. No Buffalo Tom numbers, but that's not a surprise now really! We stay in the back room for a nice set from Jason Hatfield, younger brother of Juliana. No "And The Marmalade" in evidence, as billed, unless it was a jar of said breakfast produce on the speakers behind him! No, Jason's flying solo, with material that's a little wistful and forgettable after Chris and Milken's set, and surprisingly (or maybe not) he shares the same high-pitched voice as his sister! Afterwards, we catch up with Chris, a nice guy, and then EdV introduces us to Hilken and the 4 of us chat before Rach and I head off back to our digs.
The first act, Jim Bunni, drifts by with us both in the main bar, but we hand over the $10 cover to Gent for Chris Colbourn's set. Chris, again accompanied by Hilken Mancini, plays an enjoyable acoustic duet set of easy melody and laid-back mood. No Buffalo Tom numbers, but that's not a surprise now really! We stay in the back room for a nice set from Jason Hatfield, younger brother of Juliana. No "And The Marmalade" in evidence, as billed, unless it was a jar of said breakfast produce on the speakers behind him! No, Jason's flying solo, with material that's a little wistful and forgettable after Chris and Milken's set, and surprisingly (or maybe not) he shares the same high-pitched voice as his sister! Afterwards, we catch up with Chris, a nice guy, and then EdV introduces us to Hilken and the 4 of us chat before Rach and I head off back to our digs.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
693 JULIANA HATFIELD, Chris Colbourn and Hilken Mancini, London Shepherd's Bush Bush Hall, Wednesday 8 March 2006
The first gig in a hectic March was the much-anticipated return of an old Boston favourite who'd not muddied these shores since 1995! Indeed she only played Reading Festival that year, having cancelled a solo tour earlier that year due to nervous exhaustion. The excellent Fuzzy were scheduled tour support, and I had tickets - d'oh! Anyway, enthusiasm for this was initially tempered by the news from EdV that Juliana was "flying solo" on this tour, rather than bringing her band - which included both Ed and fellow Gravel Pit man Pete Caldes! Then enthusiasm was revived by Buffalo Tom man Chris Colbourn and ex-Fuzzy vocalist Hilken Mancini being announced as support. Lose some, win some...
So Tim, Penny and I scooted down the M4, parking up and meeting Rachel (working/ shopping in London today!) in the venue just before Chris and Hilken's set at 8.15. They were all amped up and accompanied by a drummer, which unfortunately tended to smother their fine vocal interplay somewhat. The set, almost exclusively from their fine recent CD, was beset with sound problems, and their Buffalo Tom gone country (the apples don't fall too far from the tree, after all!) easy melodic material occasionally sounded discordant. That said, a brilliant "Darl" was a real highlight, and the set overall was entertaining despite the issues, Chris insisting on introducing each track as either a "good girl" or a "bad girl" song!
Juliana was next up, prompting a mass of male movement towards the front, even to take pix of her tuning up! Looking older and stick-thin, Juliana kicked off with a technically-beset "Hotel" which needed 3 attempts to finish! This unfortunately set the tone for her set - she seemed distracted, why particularly we didn't know, but it consequently felt that the opening numbers were a chore for her, until an excellent "Girl In A Box" seemed to rescue things somewhat. However, 20 minutes and a fine "Everybody Loves Me But You" later, we nipped into the bar, disappointed that she didn't have the whole band with her, as in the acoustic stakes her melodic college pop doesn't have the quality of, say, the Lemonheads material, and solo, it just seemed a little flimsy and lacking much-needed oomph.
However a disappointing evening was rescued by our running into Chris Colbourn at the bar, who remembered us from various Boston encounters, and we spent time chatting and being bought drinks by this very affable Bostonian. Popped back in for the denouement, which included a discordant "Spin The Bottle" and a good "Raisans", and Juliana promising to bring her band next time. Let's hope so!
So Tim, Penny and I scooted down the M4, parking up and meeting Rachel (working/ shopping in London today!) in the venue just before Chris and Hilken's set at 8.15. They were all amped up and accompanied by a drummer, which unfortunately tended to smother their fine vocal interplay somewhat. The set, almost exclusively from their fine recent CD, was beset with sound problems, and their Buffalo Tom gone country (the apples don't fall too far from the tree, after all!) easy melodic material occasionally sounded discordant. That said, a brilliant "Darl" was a real highlight, and the set overall was entertaining despite the issues, Chris insisting on introducing each track as either a "good girl" or a "bad girl" song!
Juliana was next up, prompting a mass of male movement towards the front, even to take pix of her tuning up! Looking older and stick-thin, Juliana kicked off with a technically-beset "Hotel" which needed 3 attempts to finish! This unfortunately set the tone for her set - she seemed distracted, why particularly we didn't know, but it consequently felt that the opening numbers were a chore for her, until an excellent "Girl In A Box" seemed to rescue things somewhat. However, 20 minutes and a fine "Everybody Loves Me But You" later, we nipped into the bar, disappointed that she didn't have the whole band with her, as in the acoustic stakes her melodic college pop doesn't have the quality of, say, the Lemonheads material, and solo, it just seemed a little flimsy and lacking much-needed oomph.
However a disappointing evening was rescued by our running into Chris Colbourn at the bar, who remembered us from various Boston encounters, and we spent time chatting and being bought drinks by this very affable Bostonian. Popped back in for the denouement, which included a discordant "Spin The Bottle" and a good "Raisans", and Juliana promising to bring her band next time. Let's hope so!
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