Live Spree

July 5, 2012 6:25 AM

The Polyphonic Spree perform a 45 minute set on WXPN's Live From World Cafe, from May 25, 2012. (audio only)

Photo slideshow from the performance.

posted by hippybear (21 comments total)

Set List:

"I'm Calling"
"2000 Places"
"Hold Me Now"
"Light To Follow"
"Bullseye"
"See Me Feel Me/Pinball Wizard"
"Soldier Girl"
"What Would You Do?"
posted by hippybear at 6:34 AM on July 5, 2012

This is a very cut-down version of what I've seen tour; are they the Wee Spree?

Props to them for rocking a purple pBone, though.
posted by scruss at 6:50 AM on July 5, 2012

Oh, cool. Glad to see that they're still doing their thing, all these years later.
posted by schmod at 6:51 AM on July 5, 2012

I wonder if Tim has started paying all the members of the group or if he's just continued the practice of only paying his favorites.
posted by item at 7:02 AM on July 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Every time I see the Polyphonic Spree, the thought that immediately jumps into my head is "how do they make a living at doing music when there's so darn many of them?"
posted by mcstayinskool at 7:03 AM on July 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

This is a very cut-down version of what I've seen tour; are they the Wee Spree?

The Biphonic Spree.
posted by deathpanels at 7:05 AM on July 5, 2012

"how do they make a living at doing music when there's so darn many of them?"

See previous item, posted by item.

(Would this be apres-nysterical?)
posted by Strange Interlude at 7:06 AM on July 5, 2012

It doesn't seem like it'd feel quite right, being in a headlining, internationally-touring band playing to capacity crowds and coveted festival slots and having to purchase your own plane tickets and lodgings.
posted by item at 7:12 AM on July 5, 2012

It doesn't seem like it'd feel quite right, being in a headlining, internationally-touring band playing to capacity crowds and coveted festival slots and having to purchase your own plane tickets and lodgings.

Damn right. But, hey, this is the Age of Lowered Expectations for musicians, right?

Otherwise, from the NPR link:

The group's mix of upbeat, melodic songs and heavy themes has made The Polyphonic Spree known around the world.

Hey, like, um... who the fuck is writing these blurbs for NPR, high school students?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:03 AM on July 5, 2012

who the fuck is writing these blurbs for NPR

The same bot that's running @horse_ebooks
posted by DigDoug at 8:24 AM on July 5, 2012

It doesn't seem like it'd feel quite right, being in a headlining, internationally-touring band playing to capacity crowds and coveted festival slots and having to purchase your own plane tickets and lodgings.

Are you kidding? Best vacation ever.
posted by empath at 8:38 AM on July 5, 2012

I wonder if Tim has started paying all the members of the group or if he's just continued the practice of only paying his favorites.

Every time I see the Polyphonic Spree, the thought that immediately jumps into my head is "how do they make a living at doing music when there's so darn many of them?"

While seeing them at 5th & I in DC recently, it seemed to me kind of like maybe their whole cult-y robes & swaying shtick isn't maybe actually a shtick after all? Like their giant grins indicated they truly feel blessed or blissed just to be under the sway of this charismatic character, living wage be damned. Wild speculation hooray!
posted by psoas at 8:39 AM on July 5, 2012

I think maybe calling the spree musicians is a bit of a stretch, though, right? I thought some of the appeal of the group was that the performers aren't trained musicians and are kind of winging it?
posted by empath at 8:40 AM on July 5, 2012

Are you kidding? Best vacation ever.

Yeah, um, vacation from what? From your job as a musician? Guess not.

the performers aren't trained musicians and are kind of winging it?

Most of the best, throughout the history of folk/blues/rock/pop music weren't "trained". Nonetheless, they rarely paid their own travel and lodging on tour.

Sigh... tough going for musicians these days, I guess. Maybe tougher than ever.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:49 AM on July 5, 2012

No, I mean, the impression that I got was that he just picked some random people who kind of know how to play and made them a band, and that it's not their full time gig. Maybe that's wrong. If its their actual job, the that's kind of bullshit that the aren't paid.
posted by empath at 9:38 AM on July 5, 2012

PS has primarily been made up of musicians from less popular local Dallas bands, bands that have ended up having to cede their schedules to that of the Spree's. There's definitely been some 'tourists' in the band, but for the mist part the members consider themselves real musicians.

And going on tour is no vacation whatsoever. While you might get to (very) briefly occasionally see the sights at exotic locals, it's a full-time job that's exhausting, tedious, and lonely - no matter if there's 3 people in your group or 30. If I'm gonna be buying a round trip plane ticket, food, and lodging to Japan or Germany or wherever, I'm going to want to do it on my goddamn schedule and do and see what I feel like doing and seeing and not be paying to work for free for an egomanical boss who's convinced himself he's the lovechild of Brian Wilson and Wayne Coyne. Especially if other members of my party are being paid.

If you haven't been able to tell by now, I may or may not have history with this band. Feel free to PM me if you care what it exactly is.
posted by item at 10:00 AM on July 5, 2012 [3 favorites]

That all said, the World Cafe is such a weirdly sterile place to see a show. Like a lot of cold venues, it has excellent sound, comfortable seating, and unobstructed views - pretty much all shit that while in theory desirable, in practice makes me feel really old when attending a show.
posted by item at 11:04 AM on July 5, 2012

Meh, he may be an ass, like you say, but I enjoy the music. I hear Prince is also a terrible asshole, but people like his music.
posted by zombieApoc at 11:08 AM on July 5, 2012

That all said, the World Cafe is such a weirdly sterile place to see a show. Like a lot of cold venues, it has excellent sound, comfortable seating, and unobstructed views - pretty much all shit that while in theory desirable, in practice makes me feel really old when attending a show.

Yeah well The World Cafe is pretty much for old people.
posted by ludwig_van at 2:44 PM on July 5, 2012

Meh, whatever. I love this band, love the music they play, love seeing them live. Don't care if Tim might be an asshole; he's spreading anti-asshole vibes into the universe with what he does with his group, and my little hippie self approves of that.

If it were really such a miserable experience for those involved, they wouldn't be doing it nearly 15 years later. And yes, I know that they've swapped a lot of members out over the years, but a lot of them keep coming back time again so it can't be THAT awful and can't involve too much not-getting-paid-to-do-this-stuff.

Anyway, they're off on their own now, with no major label support. Recording a holiday album for release this fall (right this very minute, actually), taking their Holiday Extravaganza on tour for the first time ever this winter, and will have a new album of original material out in 2013.

That's a lot of busy-ness for a band with a leader that apparently alienates everyone. I wonder how they manage to keep going?
posted by hippybear at 6:33 PM on July 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Here they are covering Neil Young's Heart of Gold at the AV Club.
posted by davidjmcgee at 9:33 AM on July 25, 2012