The Songs from Left & Leaving || The Independent || San Francisco, CA

Can I just say that I adore Weakerthans crowds?  They are a delightful bunch of people.  Everyone is always so happy to be there that they smile at each other while they sing like we are all in this together and we all "get it".  It makes me proud to be one of them.  And today, in fact I met two other groups of people who traveled for this show... one from LA and the other from Colorado.  That's Texas, Colorado and Georgia in the house... and I know there are more of you.

Tonight may have been one of my favorite Weakerthans show ever.  They just had an amazing energy that translated to the crowd.  They always put on good shows (well... there was that one show in Birmingham... see I am honest) but tonight there was something special in the air.  A great energy.  A comfort.  A connection with everyone in that room.

In the past, I have overlooked the specialness of Elegy for Elsabet -- until I see it again live, that is.  Not only is this the one where Stephen gets out his whirly toy, but the weakness that JKS lets creep through in his voice... the way he lets it crackle a little with the high notes... makes it a very intimate and precious song.  Like you are laying witness to something very tender and personal.  Also the live version of Without Mythologies is a haunting, thunderous version of the original.   And of course best of all, the one that changes everything Left and Leaving.  There is something that happens when JKS starts into that little rolling riff.  The air clears, peoples ears perk up, everyone smiles and energy of the room changes.  I am not making this shit up!  Something about the energy of the room significantly changes every time they play this song. It's as if the air gets clearer and we all become present.

Tonight was a joy.

I know, no head.  But I loved the artsy lighting.

So, after all these niceties, I have to admit that I simply could not stand the opening band for the past two nights.  I tried! I promise, I really tried.  I am a huge musical Canadaphile and they were from Vancouver but I have to be honest and say just could not get into the angular, prog-rock, ADHD on steroids musical that I experienced over the last two nights. I tried to not let this show on my face, but I am a pretty honest and I have a feeling they could tell.

To add to my guilt in admitting this... at one point the guitarist leaned down to me and asked me to strum a note for him.  It was nice.  It broke the tension and pleased the crowd... and I admittedly smiled.  So, they broke my stealth austere but I still couldn't like em.  It just obviously was not for me.

Tomorrow we here the songs from Reconstruction Site... I also hope they throw in Night Windows: A respectful song about dead people.