My incomplete, alphabetical song list from last night:
Alone (encore)
Anymore
Blue Christmas (John on lead)
Call Me
Christmas Must Be Tonight (Matt/John alternate lead)
Dreams
Flow
Forgot Me Now
Help Me Find the Way
Maybe
Queen of Tomorrow
Snow Days (w/Dan on backing vocal)
Sound Waves
Spirit of Life
Stay Together
Stay With You (encore)
Telephone
Troublemaker
White Christmas (John on lead, backed by Rogue Valley)
Yes
The Dr. has a better song list than I do. I tried to post some brief notes, but got rejected as Spam. Story of my life. Any ideas on how to get around that issue?
There were a lot of songs. I was with a big group and doing a lot of chatting, so I didn’t take notes, but I’ll offer these memories:
Lots of friendly faces: Jane and her husband; Owlface and friend; Spike and his wife, resplendent in a Jackie O. fur hat; Dr. Neau and his lovely wife. And, we got to meet sequoia fresh from the road. He drove from Chicago for the show. Give the man a prize (or at least pay for his drinks whenever he makes a show). He’s followed Matt’s career since the beginning, and always did so from Chicago. As he was mentioning all the shows he’s seen, I asked “so when did you move to Chicago?” When he said, “I’ve always lived there” I did a double-take. That’s dedication.
John’s coat has to be mentioned. He walked in and the sea of people parted. He had the puffiest fur (faux-presumably) coat I have ever seen. It looked like he was wearing a Himalayan mountain goat on his back. The entire goat, not just the pelt. I hear that is how one fits in at Lutsen. Anyway, it was fun to arrive early and see the band stream in. Dave, Jacques, Steve (who dropped the hint about “Flow”), Matt. The Wilson parents and Dan also arrived before things got going. Aby Wolf, who was dj’ing after the show, also arrived early. She seems to draw eyes effortlessly. I couldn’t help myself and had to gush about “What’s Going On.” A video has to materialize at some point. Rupert was also there, but he didn’t dance. Said he was on vacation…
Rogue Valley did a great job, and the house was much more full than last year. The main floor was entirely open, with just a few tables roped off up front at the sides of the stage. Their harmonizing is very Trip-like. Highlight for me was, I believe, a cover. “Race car driver; faster, faster.” Please identify that if you know it.
The Twilight Hours set seemed to build as it went on. Omissions for me were no Descender and fewer guitar duels between Matt and Jacques, but it was the perfect way to mark the solstice and the lengthening of our days. Highlights that I remember:
Call Me Up. John just embodies that song.
Troublemaker (and yes, keep it away from Anymore—they are just so reminiscent of each other).
A discussion of “beseeching solos” and how Matt always forces John to take them.
Help Me Find the Way
Flow—purportedly an unrecorded Trip song. John said “there are maybe 20 of you here who will appreciate this.”
Anymore—with Dan taking the stage to join in. Very nice. *edit* Dan did not take the stage here. Rather, he was credited by Matt as a writer of the song.
Queen of Tomorrow
Telephone
Snow Days—with Dan taking the stage again. Like we remember it.
Christmas Must be Tonight, with a nice shout out to Craig Finn’s brilliant performance of the same song at the Fitz.
John and Matt with a riff on “holiday songs that are like marzipan—they just have to be endured.”
A doo wop “White Christmas” with the Rogue Valley guys harmonizing. This was absolutely brilliant. Matt not holding back. Mouth agape hitting the high notes. John taking the low, and all three Rogue Valley guys laying the honey over it all. That was my highlight. And it ended with a jingle bells ditty that seemed effortless but that took some serious chops.
Blue Christmas with John giving it the full Elvis.
Alone with a brief, but soulful guitar solo.
Stay with You.
Dan not on stage for Anymore that I remember. Matt pointed him out as co-writer after the song, but I think Dan participated from his chair on the other side of the velvet rope.
You’re right, Dr. I’m just remembering the hat tip to Dan. Didn’t he say something like “and thanks to my brother for the song-writing assistance” or something like that?
...Very nice show at the Varstity last nite…(I ended up going alone, as I did the State Fair…Wife was tired, no sitter for child…) Thanks to you kind folks for the better setlist! I made an attempt at recording, with mixed results…My recorder stopped at one point, maybe my fault, (d’oh!) and I did not notice til the encore break, so I did NOT catch the x-mas tunes and a few more…Got the 1st hour, and the encore, though! Ah well. I will process what I have and likely post it to Dime sometime soon, if someone else has not put up a better, more complete one…I am sorta surprised, given the level of “super-fan-dom” shown by some, that more people aren’t recording and posting these shows…! ( and not just five minutes on a smartphone for youtube or whatever!) ...peace to all, have a happy holiday…Thanks to Twilight Hours for the swell show!!
A friend of mine was in a band here in Chicago and would often end the show with ” There’s an old saying from vaudeville that goes ” Always leave em wanting more ” so this is our last song.” On the date of the winter solstice 2011 The Twilight Hours left me sated. That was a heaping helping of holiday cheer.
I was slightly apprehensive, but the first three songs were performed with strength and heart. I was told they didn’t have a chance to practice due to renovations at the practice space. This was far evident from what I witnessed. The guys put on a near brilliant performance. It was wonderful to see Dan pitching in, Snow Days was given a new twist with John on Uke, the weatherman helped out as well with a dusting of snow in the afternoon. I don’t know why I didn’t see it coming ( the song that is ), but it was a no-brainer, always a joy to hear.
One piece of banter not yet covered was John’s tribute to the people of Minnesota. “A true Minnesotan goes to bed in a parka under a huge pile of blankets.” I laughed picturing him in his fur coat bedded down under a pile of wool blankets. Matt quipping about John being Bob Cratchett to his Scrooge was a hoot.
Hey Dr Neau, one song missing from your almost comprehensive list is My Return. Beyond that it was great to meet those that I did meet and hope I can do it again, before the Mayan calendar runs out a year from now.
..sounds like a really terrific show…can you expand on Flow? I’m intrigued…..did any of you get to mingle with the guys after the show? Any hint of taking their show on the road…or more shows…or a new record…or something…..?
You know…this is weird, and I hate to glom on to my daughter’s scene..but her best new friend at Temple is from Minneapolis and she is going to be staying with us the weekend before the dorms open back up in January…and they are going to be rooming together next year, and probably for the next three years and so my daughter might actually be enticed to travel with me to Minneapolis next time in order to spend time with her new friend….and then I’m sure I can convince them to come to a show or two, so I’m hoping I can snare a couple more TH’s fans…I wonder if her parents are trip heads….hahahahahaha…that’s a funny thought…...
...and her last name is actually Tripp…no kidding…is that the strangest thing…..it’s so strange it must be true….and it is! I miss you guys…I miss my people….!
