SMMD - Higher Ground, Burlington, VT

[bear]

1: Home away From Home*, Get 2 Heaven (B4 I Die), Roses and Bottles*, I'm No Good at All*, Joelle*, When a Woman, magic trick**, Sisyphus, Unprotected Sex Song, No Rest For the Wicked, Gonna Have to Move*, Fat King of Gods, Little Boat, Hollow, Everything Must Go

E: As the Crow Flies By***, 19th Nervous Breakdown#

* new tune, not sure of title. ** with some circusy music behind it. *** 4 part harmony A Cappella song, seemed like a traditional with Brad singing a blistering falsetto lead line. I have it on video - will share later. # w/ Mike Gordon on bass

dope show, room was a 1/3 full but still electric.

[BrentW]

Great time last night. Feeling it this am though. I dug the new tunes, I think they will develope more as the tour carries on. It was great to see BAM (and of course Nathan as always) play again, hard to believe it's been so long since I have seen them last. I thought Brad totally ripped the stage up last night. And Mike Gordon on the encore? Total surprise to me.

[lucasdavidsamuels]

i think i heard rumours that maybe brad and andrew will part of his backing band at all these festivals this summer, could explain why he came for the encore!
really pumped to see that vid by the way!

[Cleantone]

That rumor is sort of inflated. Mike has been auditioning people for a touring group. Don't expect Brad or Andrew to be in it however sweet that would be. Mike came out to see Nathan on 4.7.08.

[chloe]

dude, show was f*^#!n HOT.

[harrymcq]

Looks great!!! Hopefully it was recorded. Can't wait to hear the new stuff. Mike Gordon!!!

Room was only 1/3rd full? They did play the smaller room at Higher Ground, right? What are people thinking?

Thanks for the reports from the road!

[tyler]

ho-lee shit that was epic. one of the tightest shows i can ever remember seeing. it was awesome to see everyone in the band looking like they were having so much fun just being there. great experience. highlight for me though was Brad's singing. I know there was that topic a few days ago about Brad's voice but last night was about the best I can ever remember hearing him sing. hit every note. I don't know if that was just because it was the start of the tour and fatigue hasn't set in, or if he's been taking voice lessons, or if he drank a nice amount of vodka to keep the vocal cords loose, or what (I know he hasn't quit smoking, he lit up a butt on stage, that was amusing), but he was so on. it's so awesome to have these guys back.

of course my ears are still ringing. serves me right for being up front.

also is the guy who called out Fat King of Gods on here? if so, great call sir.

[lucasdavidsamuels]

sounds like it was a great time, was anyone taping this bad boy?

[BrentW]

I saw a mic to the side of the bar. Not sure who it belonged to. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Yeah, 'Fat King of Gods' was killer. Great choice. For me, the highlight was 'When a Woman'.

Brad was on fire the whole show. I mean all of the guys sounded great but I was blown away with Brad's playing and singing. The range he had on that accapella encore was amazing.

[tyler]

oh and how about those openers? Glad to have seen Cannon Fodder after all the good words I've read about them in Seven Days, and they were good. even better they're playing here at St. Mike's on Sunday afternoon so I can see them again.

and The Low Anthem! damn. they were great. got their CD, not quite as interesting as the live show but good nonetheless. i'm not usually big on folky music like that but they really made it their own.

[tyler]

here are some pictures, though most are a really oversaturated reddish tone because I'm not very good at operating my digital camera, and the lighting was far from ideal.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... =173702519

[lucasdavidsamuels]

what's brad rocking out on there, a new (vintage) Guild or a Gretsch?, never seen him playing that one before

[tyler]

it was a Gretsch.

[harrymcq]

Looks like a Guild headstock...

[tyler]

oh. maybe it was. I don't really have any idea what I'm talking about. I just seem to remember seeing a funny German name on the headstock and thinking, hmm that's new. maybe it was a different guitar or maybe i invented a memory.