From: Melinda This is a long post, but I just can't help it, I'm sorry. SETLIST AND COMMENTARY (I JUST CAN'T SHUT UP) GREAT WOODS -- MANSFIELD, MA -- JUNE 12 ============================================== Well, I just finished skimming through all the setlist notes I've been saving for a month, and it has been an interesting comparison. I'm extremely jealous of the people who got to see "Man Out of Time", "High Fidelity", and "20% Amnesia", but I'm more than just about glad I got to hear "Waiting For the End of the World". "Hand In Hand" must have been good, but I don't mind trading it for "You Belong to Me" Probably my favorite thing of the whole show was the opening moment -- see, as y'all are painfully aware, I have not been reading any of the setlists, so had no idea what he was going to open with. I ran into Dan Coughlan and Matt Lister before the show, and I said, "Boy, you know what would be a cool opener? `No Action'!" but I honestly didn't expect him to do it!! I notice in my notes I wrote "PETE!!!!" several times -- he really blew me away. My sister was amused/thrilled to see that Steve jumped around pretty much like he does in the "Radio Radio" video. Bruce was mixed WAY too low -- I could hardly hear him at all. Elvis...well, heh... No Action The Beat Waiting For the End of the World Beyond Belief Sulky Girl London's Brilliant Parade Deep Dark Truthful Mirror Pony St. New Lace Sleeves Clown Strike Kinder Murder Clubland w/On Broadway (but to tune of Clubland! Nifty!!) Rocking Horse Road Still Too Soon to Know Everyday I Write the Book My Science Fiction Twin Watching the Detectives (then right into) You Belong to Me Thirteen Steps Lead Down (1-2-3-4 into) Radio Radio -------------------- Lipstick Vogue w/Chelsea in the middle Party Girl (the only song I could hear Bruce on -- he was great) -------------------- Puppet Girl Alison/Tracks of My Tears/Tears of a Clown/some other tears song Accidents Will Happen (Pete mouthed "scare me so" as he hit the drums) -------------------- All the Rage (w/ "special goodbye") Peace, Love, and Understanding Pump It Up [I keep thinking there was one more, but am I crazy?] Random thoughts, go ahead and delete if you just don't care... * After hearing so many of my favorites that I truly didn't expect (No Action, Waiting For the End of the World, New Lace Sleeves) I almost expected to hear Love For Tender (well, no, I didn't really). I did half expect to hear New Amsterdam, though. * Whole effect of Deep Dark Truthful Mirror amazing, yellow/fuschia lighting, curtain in the back, very LARGE-feeling, song really built up from mellow to bursting * Expected to hear more bending and playing from Elvis' voice and Steves fingers on Beyond Belief, but how can that song not be good? * Several times I really wished the Attractions would sing a bit -- Pony St., Clown Strike, and Pump It Up could have used it -- then again, it made the HEY!! in Lipstick Vogue that much more exciting (they were a bit out of synch on the second one, but hey, it's charming) * Halfway through New Lace Sleeves, right about when Steve plays that little run before the "salty lips" verse, I thought to myself, "I can die now", but then I realized that I needed to live in order to possibly see Elvis again... * They all seemed to rock more on the newer songs, some of the older ones -- well, the "obvious" ones, like Pump It Up -- sounded good, but Elvis looked kinda bored. He seemed to be having a great time on New Lace Sleeves, though, had an extended jam at the end * It was really too bad that I couldn't hear Bruce on Kinder Murder, because the bass is almost the focal point of that song * Clubland really surprised me, and apparently most of the audience, too -- everyone seemed extremely into this one, shouting, everyone around me was singing along. Elvis with great "heh heh" expression just before throwing in On Broadway * Review in this morning's Boston Globe called "Rocking Horse Road" really monotonous and said it dragged down the show. No. No fucking way. I put two stars by it in my notes last night. It opened much harder than the recording, and had a real garage-y "Wild Thing" quality throughout. I was thrilled to watch him play those trills (I am indebted to my sister and friend for getting me some binoculars) * That's a great guitar he played on "Everyday", anyone know what it is? Elvis was really bopping up and down and enjoying this one. I thought of Mark Schnitzius when I noticed how much Elvis uses that thumb -over-the-top-of-the-neck trick, which we short-fingered people can't do * The guy down front with the TV-shaped "Science Fiction Twin" sign -- is he one of ours? Also guy doing "we're not worthy" gesture in front row during "Accidents Will Happen"? * Steve incredible and outta hand, nearly knocking stuff over, even if he was rude to me a few years ago, he rocks butt. Sounded like Pac Man, Space Invaders, car alarm on Lipstick Vogue, then sounded like that Edgar Winter song "Frankenstein". * People kept leaving and coming back throughout whole show! Folks next to us left after CTDs. I was all set to see Elvis throw his head back at the opening of the "Still Too Soon" bridge, and the people in front of me stood up! Everyone sat down at Sulky Girl and didn't get up again until the end of Radio Radio, and I would have liked to bop to You Belong to Me. There were some hyperactive people over in Dan and Matt's vicinity -- maybe it was them. I was in the deadbeat section. * How come I never noticed the end of Party Girl is "1-2-3-4-5-6-7, all good children go to heaven..."?? * Everyone swaying and singing on "Alison", and I had to laugh. I was attentive with the binoculars, looking for the stalker gleam in his eye. I didn't find it, but he most assuredly looked pained in a violent way on "I can't stand to see you this way..." ;-) * Some people mentioned earlier about All the Rage being more personal than they'd originally thought, and I had the same revelation last night -- he really set it up with that "special goodbye" message. It was really hitting me on "say goodbye, baby can't you act your age" -- fascinating. He must feel very close to this song, because I watched him with the binoculars and his face was more expressive than on any other song the whole show -- almost like he was in a play, which in a way, he was, perhaps. * He did grin several times at the end, though, especially when they put on the house lights for a few seconds, and he looked out over the crowd. Corny but true. Melinda