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I've been adding to the "Bands I've Seen Perform Live" entry I made awhile back. (If I added local bands, this list might double. But I can't be bothered right now. Maybe I'll do a separate list someday.) On April 1st, 2008, I was able to add "Blind Melon" to the list. Whoa.
If I had a search function in this journal, I could find past entries and link to refresh your memory about this. But I don't! So, I can't! And I don't have time to manually search my archives all day! Okay, here's the most recent mention. And here's the wikipedia entry for the band, just for good measure.
The show was all ages and I hadn't bothered to even listen to any Blind Melon in the days prior to the show since I've been too obsessed with Nightmare of You! Also, I was feeling some hesitation over the new lead singer thing. I don't want to be one of Those People, but I was a little concerned about it. After over twelve years away, I kept wondering why would the band reunited to play those same old songs. We all know they're writing new songs, and have a new album coming out this month, so why didn't they just reform with a new name and simply move forward from there, throwing in a few Blind Melon tunes at their shows? I guess I was concerned that it was going to feel like Blind Melon karaoke, and then I was going to be weirded out and embarrassed.
I needn't have been concerned. Dwayne and I selected to stand on the side of the stage where Brad's (the bass player) stuff was set up. From what he'd seen on recent video footage from a prior BM show, he thought Rogers (one of the guitarists) was going to be on that side, too. As it turns out, Christopher (the other guitarist) was on our side. Right in front of me. By, like, three feet or something! There were times when his guitar and hands were mere INCHES from my face. And he shook my hand at the end of the show. I shook Christopher's sweaty hand! And Dwayne grabbed one of Christopher's dropped picks off the stage floor. I put it on my keychain. (Brad and Christopher are my favorites. I've listened to some of their side projects and seen them live... at least five times now.)
The band opened with "Galaxie," my favorite BM song. Which was very, very cool! But as the set went on, I actually wished they'd saved it until later. I think it would have been a great last song before the encore set. (Why don't bands ever consult me on these things?)
The set was 21 songs, and they interspersed about a half dozen of their new songs into it. Dwayne was diappointed that they didn't play "Soul One," and I guess I was, too. But it had never occurred to me that they would. (That's two shows we've attended in a row where the bands played MY favorite song, and not his.)
As far as the Blind Melon karaoke, it didn't feel like that at all. I mean, this was the real BM drummer and guitarist (both of whom I'd previously only seen in pictures and video)! And Brad and Christopher, of course, who both looked like they were having a lot of fun. I didn't have the best view of Travis, but he performed with energy and has a strong voice. And since the only BM performances I've seen with Shannon have been on video, I wasn't standing there all nostalgic for the olden days. (Although I have to say, I kept thinking about how it would have been such an awesome venue to have seen those guys in back then.)
For "No Rain," Travis and Brad only sang parts of it into the mic. Mostly, they indicated that the crowd should sing it. Which we did. I felt kind of corny doing so and kept wondering if the band even enjoyed playing this song anymore. The one big single that made them "One-Hit Wonders" according to VH1. But they were smiling. Especially Brad. And then I got over it. Brad wrote those lyrics over sixteen years ago, and I imagine it must be pretty cool thing to him to play at a club and have a few hundred strangers sing his own song to him. But maybe that's just my non-rockstar self talking.
Dwayne said he feels like the sooner they can move on to more of their new stuff live, the better it will be. Because Travis is a good frontman, and not just a Shannon replacement. I agree. Looking forward to the new record!
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