Lucky for us, the heavily feared BLIZZARD OF '09 was a total fucking dud and we easily made it out for this show. By "us" and "we", I mean, Hern, Lisa (on the 6th Anniversary of their first date which was at a Camper Van Beethoven show- Happy Anniversary you crazy kids!), and myself. I haven't been to the Bowery Ballroom in years, it's still a fun place to see a show and as a matter of fact, "fun" was the descriptive word of the evening.
Camper Van Beethoven were really fucking fun. It was their 25th Anniversary show and the 2nd of a 2-night-stand at the Bowery Ballroom. I was only introduced to CVB after being a devoted Cracker fan for years (early members of CVB eventually became members of Cracker)- many friends would provide me with mix tapes of an obsessive nature which I always appreciated and enjoyed, but never really pursued them much further than that. A few years back Cracker played at moe.down but I think that was technically considered a co-mingled "Cracker Van Beethoven" show. If anyone can answer that for me so I don't have to look it up, it'd be much appreciated.
Not being rabidly devoted like so many of their fans, I didn't have the option of picking apart the tunes or scrutinizing the setlist in any way (recognized many tunes, didn't know all of 'em), which is one of the reasons this show was so damn fun. It was straight up ROCK led by David Lowery's distinct voice, Greg Lisher's wailing guitar, and Jonathan Segel's scorching violin work. Absolutely slamming. There was a woman wearing all pink, with a Macbook, holding a key-tar up in the balcony who was running the footage on the giant screen in back of the band. I just like saying "key-tar".
The opening band was Wormburner who we were enjoying down in the lounge and finally hauled our asses upstairs only to be mesmerized by the kinetic lead singer. I would call it narrative-art-house-loud-rock's-hyperactive-cousin*. The lead singer was shouting the story of two kids in love while video of Sega's Out Run ran on the big screen- wind waving in the hair of the two convertible passengers. It was very fun and truly an entertaining time.
Camper Van Beethoven's 25th Anniversary show, 1/10/09, the Bowery Ballroom, NYC: 9 HUZZAHS! So much fun!!! (Also the place wasn't a total clusterfuck which helps- don't think it was sold out and the weather-scare probably kept people from showing).
CVB is taper-friendly and wouldn't you know it, we spotted a taper in the balcony (step 1, we know the tapes exist). The following day Joe Madonna sent me the link to the Friday night show and with a little patience, eventually the Saturday show also appeared! WOOT. Awesome to have a copy of this for the ipod:
1/9/09, Friday night's show for DL
FRIDAY SETLIST
All Her Favorite Fruit
Sweethearts
Waka
Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Mao Reminisces About His Days In Southern China
The History of Utah
The Long Plastic Hallway
Circles
Cowboys from Hollywood
Sad Lovers Waltz
Tania
Eye Of Fatima Part 1
Eye Of Fatima Part 2
New Roman Times
Unabomber Song
White Riot
Wasted
Shut Us Down
R ‘N’ R Uzbekistan
The Poppies of Balmorhea
One Of These Days
Ambiguity Song
Take The Skinheads Bowling
L’Aguardiente
Cattle (Reversed)
Club Med Sucks
Interstellar Overdrive
E:
When I Win the Lottery
Seven Languages
1/10/09, Saturday night's show for DL
SATURDAY SETLIST
ZZ Top Goes to Egypt
Flowers
Waka
Pictures of Matchstick Men
Mao Reminisces About His Days In Southern China
Turquoise Jewelry
Tania
Eye of Fatima Part 1
Eye of Fatima Part 2
New Roman Times
Balalaika Gap
Tina
Good Guys and Bad Guys
Joe Stalin’s Cadillac
R n R Uzbekistan
All Her Favorite Fruit
She Divines Water
Seven Languages
The History of Utah
Abundance
Payed Vacation: Greece
Where the Hell is Bill?
Ambiguity Song
Take The Skinheads Bowling
Skinhead Stomp
Might Makes Right
Hippy Chix
The Day Lassie Went to the Moon
Club Med Sucks
E:
White Riot
Wasted
Shut Us Down
We’re a Bad Trip
* I don't know what that means but they were good.