speed of dark

Uncle T, our Dallas connection, saw Tom Waits in concert a couple of weeks ago, and today shares the experience. Waits, with over 30 years' worth of recordings, provides us with a time-traveling setlist.

Tom Waits at the Palladium, Dallas, 6-23-08

The band:
• Tom Waits: vocals
• Omar Torrez: guitar
• Larry Taylor: upright bass
• Casey Waits: drums, percussion
• Patrick Warren: keyboards, accordion
• Vincent Henry: Saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor), harmonica

The show:

The legendary Tom Waits last played Dallas in 1979 and rarely tours, so when I happened to read the announcement of this concert on his “Glitter and Doom” tour, I bought tickets the evening of the day it went on sale. I half-expected it to be sold-out, but it seems that fans could’ve still bought tickets the day of the show, which usually would be unheard of.

My sister (who I generally credit with turning me on to Tom Waits years ago) and I arrived at the Palladium around 6:30 pm, and saw a long line of people waiting to get in. Not good, I thought. After we parked and made our way to the back of the line, we actually got in very quickly.

While purchasing a pre-show bottle of water at the bar, the bartender said they were going to turn off the A/C during the show though she didn’t say why. I thought this very odd, since it was high summer in Texas and had been 95 degrees that day. I learned from that same bartender, after the show while purchasing an after-show water to get my severely depleted liquid levels back up, that Tom Waits had asked that the A/C be turned off for his voice (huh). At any rate, the lack of A/C made for a sweltering time for much of the show and detracted a bit from enjoying it.

The show didn’t begin until around 8:35 pm, and about 30 minutes prior to show time the A/C was cut off and the perspiration began. Body odor competed with wisps of pot smoke. The hot and cramped conditions made for a testy crowd (mostly in the back), though most of the people around us were nice. During one song I witnessed a shoving match and a quick fight in the crowd to my left. It quickly resolved itself somehow.

Tom Waits was in magnificent form, as was his band. He wore a black bowler hat and a dark suit, and the show was pure theater, not unlike a Vaudeville act. He was very physical, pumping his arms up and down, swaying like a teetering drunk, and even doing a Frankenstein walk. He sang very well throughout the nearly two-hour show, so I guess the lack of A/C did its job there. In short they put on a great show, and the skewed and other-worldly nature of his music along with the wilting heat at times complemented one another. However, it still would have been much more enjoyable without the heat.

At some point between songs, a girl in the crowd yelled out: “I’m hot”. To which Tom replied: “I know you’re hot, baby; but not to me. But I know you’re hot to somebody in this world. Perhaps you’ll meet them here tonight.”

The following is the song set list, courtesy of a Tom Waits fan site: Eyeballkid.blogspot. Many of the songs I recognized, but there were a number I didn’t even though I own CDs containing them. He played songs from all over the map from the last 30 years or so. He’s got such a large catalog of work to choose from, and I was generally satisfied with what he played.

Set list (in this general order) and comments:

1. Lucinda (Orphans: Brawlers, Brawlers and Bastards, 2006): Tom came out with both hands raised above his head like a faith healer. The lyrics of this song mention “leaving Texas”, so I thought that may be why he chose it as an opener; otherwise it wasn’t particularly an upbeat number. Starting the show with relatively sedate numbers seemed odd, but as hot as it was that seemed okay.

2. Way Down in the Hole (Franks Wild Years, 1987): This may be one of his better known mid-period songs courtesy of “The Wire” TV show. This was great.

3. Anywhere I lay my Head (Rain Dogs, 1985): Didn’t recognize this slow number, though it sounded familiar. Much better than Scarlett Johansson.

4. November (The Black Rider, 1993): Odd slower number, which again sounded familiar.

5. Chocolate Jesus (Mule Variations, 1999): He brought out a megaphone on this up-beat mutant-gospel number. Very cool.

6. Franks Wild Years (Swordfishtrombones, 1983): Things slowed down again for this jazz-tinged monologue.

7. Singapore (Rain Dogs, 1985): This was a nice old number, with his band cranking out this warped tune. Wonderful.

8. Hoist That Rag (Real Gone, 2004): Tom began the song by shaking a couple of maracas to start the rhythm of this great Latin-sounding song. In concert the song stretched out, with guitar, keyboard, and saxophone solos. It was during this number that a small fight broke out between a couple of people to my left. Just a minor distraction however. My focus quickly got back on this great performance.

9. Get Behind the Mule (Mule Variations, 1999): Great, crazy old song.

10. Such a Scream (Bone Machine, 1992): The Internet set list of this concert listed this song, but I’m not certain he played it.

11. Eyeball Kid (Mule Variations, 1999): This is another one I didn’t recognize at the concert; however, it was done very well. He introduced this number as being about a very small performer, and at first I thought he was going to play “Table Top Joe”.

12. Lucky Day (The Black Rider, 1993): At this point in the concert, Tom sat down at a piano and played a few songs. I was unable to view him because of the crowd in front. Between numbers he cracked a few jokes such as: “Why don’t shrimp make monetary contributions? Because they’re shellfish.” I didn’t even remember this song, but it sounded much nicer in concert than on the original CD (my least favorite of his).

13. Invitation to the Blues (Small Change, 1976): This was the oldest song he played, which I did recognize. Very nice.

14. Lost In The Harbor (Alice, 2002): This was a weird, upbeat number that I had to look up afterwards because I couldn’t place it in concert. It may have been during this song where he swapped his black bowler hat to a matching one with mirrors on it, which spun off light like a disco ball as he twirled around onstage slowly. That was an odd sight along with the music being played.

15. Innocent When You Dream (Franks Wild Years, 1987): Tom got the crowd to sing the chorus on this sentimental grand weeper. I tried singing but my mouth was too dry, so I just enjoyed the moment.

16. 16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought-Six (Swordfishtrombones, 1983): This was a great old stomper. Excellent. He even did a few sharp punctuating whistles (at least I think it was him).

17. Lie to Me (Orphans, 2006): Tom started this song with his own “vocal percussion”, which the band eventually joined in on. This was really cool. Good song.

18. Fannin Street (Orphans, 2006): Tom played guitar on this wonderful grand weeper about a notorious street in Houston, TX. Very nice.

19. Black Market Baby (Mule Variations, 1999): Somebody from the crowd requested he play “Downtown”, but Tom slowly shook his head and said they hadn’t rehearsed that one. He fielded other requests before stating “Here’s one I think you’ll enjoy.” Not my first song choice, but they did a great job with it.

20. Misery Is The River Of The World (Blood Money, 2002): He introduced this song as “Misery”, and did a great job. He may have introduced the band at this point and they left the stage. The crowd clapped for more, and after about five minutes they came back.

Encore:
21. Make It Rain (Real Gone, 2004): This is a great song, and they played it well. Excellent choice.

22. Jesus Gonna Be Here (Bone Machine, 1992): This was another warped gospel number, which the crowd also sang along with.

23. 9th and Hennepin Time (Rain Dogs, 1985): Didn’t recognize this one at all. I think a single light bulb lowered down from the large sculpture of megaphones that hung above the stage while Tom was singing.

24. Time (Rain Dogs, Pt 1, 1985): Tom played guitar on this great old number to end the concert.

Concert afterburn:
“Hotter than blazes and all the long faces” wasn’t just a Tom Waits song lyric, wrote local music critic Thor Christensen in the Dallas News several days later, but “an apt description of Tom Waits’ show at the Palladium Ballroom”. Turns out, there may have been miscommunication between the Palladium staff and Tom Waits’ party about the A/C. Thor’s initial concert review blamed the venue, the venue blamed Tom Waits, and Waits’ party couldn’t confirm. At any rate, lots of people that attended were angry about the heat. I seriously doubt Tom Waits would have subjected the audience to that temperature had he known, so I suspect there had to be a misunderstanding between him and the Palladium staff about the A/C.

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Another good TW blog with links to others: Hoist That Rag
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