and they were AWESOME! I have loved the Femmes for a looong time, but last night was the first time I had seen them live. The music was great, the crowd was fun and friendly, and the weather was perfect. Brian Ritchie was amazing as was the rest of the band.
The set list was a good mix of hits and lesser known songs, including one or two that I hadn’t heard. They ended the set with “Add It Up”, which I think is the quintessential Femmes song, and then returned for an encore with “Blister in the Sun” and “Kiss Off.”
At every other concert I have attended, people begin to leave after the regular set without waiting for an encore. Last night I looked at the fairway before the encore and it was completely empty. These people were not going anywhere without just a little more.
Also, a band called Ha Ha Tonka opened. They have a myspace page which I haven’t checked out yet, but if you feel so inclined to search they were very good. I got to talk to the members after the show and they are friendly, down-to-earth guys from Missouri. Their debut album, “Buckle in the Bible Belt,” comes out in September. I plan on picking it up and you should, too.
They definitely have a bit of the Violent Femmes sound with a little bluegrass thrown in. There were some sound problems during their set, which they covered for very well by having an audience sing along and performing a nice a capella number. I don’t see them ever being huge, but hopefully they will do well.
All in all it was a great night (with the minor exception of the deer we hit. In a borrowed car. Half an hour from home. After a three hour drive.) I GOT TO SEE THE VIOLENT FEMMES! HOORAY!
(If this belongs in MPSIMS, feel free to place it there.)
Sweet! I’ve seen them twice, and they were awesome both times. Well, the second time for sure, I don’t remember the first very well, as it was during my extreme drunkenness (college) era. I do, remember, however, being kind of bummed out during the first time I saw them because hardly anyone was actually in the auditorium enjoying the show. But, it was at the college, and students got free tickets, so it’s doubtful that most of the attendees were fans. They all ran in for Blister in the Sun, though.
Second time was at the Orpheum in Minneapolis, though, and the audience was great.
Hey, Country Death Song just came up on my mp3 player…nice timing.
I saw them about 5 times in the mid-nineties, and they were excellent. I imagine that they’ve only gotten better since. I love the Femmes; to me, they represent an almost alternate reality view of where the American Underground almost went in the early eighties, toward Americana rather than punk and hardcore.
They released a few non-U.S. records in the nineties, like “Rock!,” some of whose songs have become fan-favorites and live staples (“Digeriblues” and “four seasons” spring to mind).
Nice! I love the Femmes and have seen them twice. One of my favorite concert memories is listening to 500 people all stutter, “time time time time t-t-t-time time t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-time t-time time” in perfect unison when they got the the end of “kiss off”.
The Femmes are legend, everyone should see them live at least once. And then buy the Viva Wisconsin live album. Best version of “American Music” ever recorded.
I saw them first at the Town and Country Club in, I dunno, 1986? I was in the front row of the crowd, up against the stage, crushed to shit and the bass player spat beer on my head. Then again at UI Bloomington in something like 1989, in the mosh pit and smacked around like a ragdoll. Great gigs the both of them - the first is one of my top five Best Gigs Ever.
they were here in Phoenix about 7 years ago at Lalapalooza and a bunch of people in the crowd started throwing water bottles and such at them. They said if one more thing got thrown thew were not going to play, right then a bottle wized past the singers head and they walked off stage. The crowd cheared, that sucked i wanted to see them play :dubious:
I saw them for free a couple years ago in Atlanta and it was damn awesome. I play bass and I really liked the bassist’s style and I thought it was cool how the drummer stands while playing. They definitely keep you entertained throughout the concert.
I was mildly in to them in the 90’s when I won free tickets to a show. I hardly knew anything about them other than the few songs I knew and I was TOTALLY blown away by the show.
I don’t go to shows much anymore (down from like 2 a week in my teens to maybe 2 a year now) but I think I might keep an eye out for them to blow through town.
My favourite aspect of the gigs: The Horns of Dilemma. A part of the band comprising anyone who blows stuff that makes a noise, usually recruited during the day, and brought on the stage to improvise. In particularly good use during Black Girls.
When I saw them in London, they’d grabbed an old bagpipe-playing busker from the streets that afternoon.
When I saw them in Indiana, they’d recruited a school marching band.