# I just saw Tom Waits. Who wants to touch me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 2, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007 "2006-08-02T11:43:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/1 "2006-08-02T11:43:15Z")
Well, I JUST got home from the first show of Tom Waits’ new tour, his first in a few years and his first trip to the South in more like 30 years. I drove eight hours from Orlando FL to Atlanta GA, parked right next door to the Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta and got in just as they started opening the doors (it’s an amazing venue, by the way). After that, I stood in place for three hours to hold my spot, enjoyed the hell out of the show once it finally started, and drove straight back home afterwards. That’s how pumped I was after the show, to be able to go all the way home without getting a motel room or crashing anywhere… but large quantities of Mountain Dew helped keep me awake and alert. Anyway, we were all in the presence of greatness last night. Tom Waits is a consummate performer and a charming, charismatic guy, just as you could tell if you’ve ever listened to _Nighthawks At the Diner_ or _Big Time_, or seen his classic \*Austin City Limits \* performance. It was general admission, so I was about five people back from the front center of the stage, with a clear view of him the entire time. Literally stood in the shadow of a giant. He had a four-piece band, including Duke Robillard (sp?) on guitar, an upright bassist, and his son Casey Waits on drums. The keyboardist/percussionist (perhaps the guy who played on _Real Gone_?) was outstanding, and Tom occasionally picked up a guitar himself or sat at a grand piano to slow things down. Here is the setlist, although I didn’t know the names of a few songs and guessed on a couple of them: Make It Rain Hoist That Rag Shore Leave God’s Away On Business November Cause of It All (Howlin’ Wolf cover) Bye Bye Baby Blue Valentine Some Lucky Day Send Me Off To Bed Forevermore House Where Nobody Lives Don’t Go Into the Barn You Got To Lie To Me, Baby (another cover, perhaps of a ‘60s girl group song) Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard 9th and Hennepin Trampled Rose ??? (I had no idea what the next song was.) Murder In the Red Barn Shake It Encore 1: Singapore Goin’ Out West (these two pretty much brought the house down!) Encore 2: Day After Tomorrow Heartattack and Vine Okay, now I’m tired, after being awake for 24 hours and driving for 16 of them. But it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to, and I feel like a hardcore champion for my handling of the logistics. Tom Waits is my favorite musician of all time, and considering he’s reclusive and isn’t getting any younger, nothing would have kept me away now that he’s on tour again. I never thought I’d get to see him perform live, so last night was a truly life-changing musical experience for me. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/2 "2006-08-02T11:52:48Z")
I’ve got tickets for next Monday night in Louisville. I’m pumped! (BTW, if anyone in the area would like to go, I may have an extra…e-mail is in the profile.) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/3 "2006-08-02T13:32:31Z")
Well…I don’t particularly want to touch you, because Tom Waits used to come into my bookstore from time to time. (Well, presumably he still does, but I don’t work there anymore.) Glad you enjoyed the concert, though. ---
**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/4 "2006-08-02T13:33:04Z")
I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy! You lucky bastards, I live in the wrong continent right now… ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/5 "2006-08-02T13:46:48Z")
_grope, grope_ Who’s Tom Waits? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Salt\_Seller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Salt\_Seller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salt_Seller)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/6 "2006-08-02T15:41:56Z")
Seeing him Friday night in Memphis. It’s only about a ten minute drive, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/7 "2006-08-02T16:05:49Z")
(My OP title was referencing a line Cartman said in the \*South Park \* movie, for anyone who thinks I was just being unnecessarily lewd and lascivious.) ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/8 "2006-08-02T16:32:41Z")
I hate all of you… All OF YOU! ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/9 "2006-08-02T16:34:11Z")
I screwed around and didn’t get tickets to the Memphis show before they sold out, because I’m a dumbass. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/10 "2006-08-02T21:10:31Z")
Saw him years ago. Just after " Small Change" album(and it was an album. My roomate and I got to go backstage. She was sleeping with some VIP and always ended up backstage. If you know what I mean?(wink wink) Met him. Kinda laid back. Cool dude. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/11 "2006-08-02T21:25:23Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] You Got To Lie To Me, Baby (another cover, perhaps of a '60s girl group song) [/QUOTE] There’s a Toni Braxton song that contains that line entitled [Just Be A Man About it](http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=50:lxoibkr9ha4v~T)…but that CAN’T be it ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/12 "2006-08-02T21:34:39Z")
I’m green with envy. “Goin’ Out West”? Live? I’d…well, I wouldn’t _kill_ to see that, but I’d do something good. Lucky bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-tom-waits-who-wants-to-touch-me/367007/13 "2006-08-02T21:59:13Z")
[QUOTE=JohnBckWLD] There’s a Toni Braxton song that contains that line entitled [Just Be A Man About it](http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=50:lxoibkr9ha4v~T)…but that CAN’T be it [/QUOTE] Not to speak for Mr. Waits, but I think he’d rather die than cover Toni Braxton.