Just got back from the first night at the Great American Music Hall.... and good god damn...can someone explain to me how this band just keeps getting better and better? I'm in double digits now seeing the mighty S-K, and I almost want to get mad that they never disappoint me. Once again, this is the best that I've ever seen them. Unfortunately, I didn't have a pen to write down the set list, but they opened with Call the Doctor, followed by Start Together. They played two new songs, which they did not mention by name, and which I could not even venture at a title for, given Corin's not so deciciferable voice. No covers at this show. The third song from the end of the set was Dig Me Out, featuring what I will argue was the longest documented live jam session by the ladies - absolutely fabulous. Everything seemed to go by so fast, and it wasn't just my imagination. Corin mentioned that the last time they toured they were told that they were playing most of their songs a little more slowly. She cited Jimmy's outstanding concert archive as being the source of these observations. (I'd like to take this moment to again congratulate and thank Jimmy for maintaining such a wonderful resource for fans, one which I have been vistiting and pouring though for years now. Thank you Jimmy!) In recognition of their slower playing the last time around, they admitedly tried to play everything a little more quickly this time - the "speed metal version" as Corin said. After this commentary, they introduced a "mid-tempo" number, one which "you can sway back and forth to": Quarter to Three!! I'm fairly certain this was the first time I've seen them play it live. I was also pleasantly surprised to hear Things You Say and Banned From the End of the World. After a high energy Words and Guitar, the crowd applauded and screamed until they came back for an encore. Carrie said that they would play three more songs, but they played four (no one went on the record as complaining.)
I felt that the most welcomed songs of the evening were from Dig Me Out, reinforcing my belief that it's their strongest album. From it, they played DMO, Turn it On, W&G, Not What You Want, and Things You Say. All three of the girls were animated and aggressive throughout the set, but it seemed that it was particularly on these songs that the emotion and power shone through the most (ok, and also on End of You.) They absolutely ripped through all of those songs, and yet they still could have delighted their fans by pulling out One More Hour, Drama, Heart Factory, It's Enough, Buy Her Candy, Dance Song, or Jenny (some I assume will be played tomorrow night.) This proved to me that there is simply no weak point on that album. However, I don't want to take away from the rest of their work, particularly the later albums - they're all great. I just think that the fans crave the drama of that particular album, or perhaps that era. Maybe it's just elapsed time that seems to loft the work of their mid-career. In three more years their fans may respond even more rabidly to Ironclad or Youth Decay, both of which were played tonight. Whatever my current theory is, I was estatic to see them in such fine form once again. I look forward to seeing them again tomorrow night, and even more, I can't wait to see what the greatest rock and roll band in the world will do in the coming years.
