Tom Waits in Concert

July 29, 2008 4:05 PM

Glitter And Doom: Tom Waits In Concert

"A trip through the world of Tom Waits can be disorienting. His ramshackle story-songs, with their creaky instrumentation and dusty poetry, usually leave listeners with more questions than answers, and his persona outside of his music revolves around a playful but guarded mix of fiction and reality...." (Via 'Sound-Scavenger').

posted by acro (22 comments total)

Nice, thanks. I was listening to an NPR podcast earlier this afternoon which referenced this concert. You saved me the search.
posted by nevercalm at 4:09 PM on July 29, 2008

Tom Waits? He's the guy who does the Scarlett Johansson covers, right?
posted by yoink at 4:22 PM on July 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

While this is undoubtedly superior than listening to most other things that can be heard by the human ear, the visuals of a Tom Waits concert, the demented Chaplinesque shimmy, the German Expressionist shadowing, the dust kicked up by rhythmic stomping, the single light bulb grasped by a claw-like hand in a coal black theater during 'story-time,' the mirrored bowler that sends beams of silver light out into the audience like tracer fire, would have been nice too. But at least you get that demented falsetto.
posted by Football Bat at 4:23 PM on July 29, 2008

Support for NPR is brought to you by PBR?!!

*groans*
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 4:25 PM on July 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ambrosia Voyeur, you beat me to it, but still, NPR being brought to us by PBR is just a freaking haiku.
Nothing and everything is cool now.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 5:35 PM on July 29, 2008

waits is a god. a bizarre, wonderful, god.
posted by msconduct at 7:45 PM on July 29, 2008

I listened to it this morning, fun stuff as always from Mr. Waits.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:25 PM on July 29, 2008

thanks.. I was bummed he wasn't anywhere near being reasonable to get to on this tour (by "near" I meant 8 hours or less). AT least there is this.
posted by edgeways at 8:56 PM on July 29, 2008

Am trying to figure out why no one has noticed that Heath Ledger's 'Joker' in the Dark Knight is 95% based on the incomparable Mr. Waits, (his mannerisms, speaking style, tone, etc.).
posted by jettloe at 9:23 PM on July 29, 2008 [3 favorites]

Because 95% of the population has no idea who he is?

and the other 5% is happier for knowing?
posted by davejay at 11:27 PM on July 29, 2008

Here is a sample of said performancing.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:55 PM on July 29, 2008

At first I thought, 'Here's another one-link YT post to a favorite song', but then I saw it was more than two and half hours of Tom Waits from a single performance. Well, that's a hell of a lot better than a sharp stick in the eye. Thanks!
posted by sluglicker at 12:14 AM on July 30, 2008

Its annoying that he refuses to come to london.
posted by verisimilitude at 1:32 AM on July 30, 2008

Nice. Just saw him on Monday. An epic gig!
posted by opsin at 3:09 AM on July 30, 2008

Why are there so few tour locations in the US? That is very sad and annoying for many.
posted by miss tea at 4:23 AM on July 30, 2008

There isn't a way to download a recording of this concert, is there?
posted by vernondalhart at 8:46 AM on July 30, 2008

Yes we can.
posted by acro at 10:05 AM on July 30, 2008 [3 favorites]

Yay, I'm going to him on Friday. Phoenix Park, Dublin. Happy dayz.
posted by fcummins at 11:11 AM on July 30, 2008

Fuck, I have never looked forward to a gig more than seeing Tom tomorrow night. Listened to this last night and loved it and now Football bat has me even more excited! Can understand why he refused to play to a bigger crowd at an outdoor gig, even though he would have got a stack more cash out of it.
posted by twistedonion at 11:48 AM on July 30, 2008

I'm intrigued to see how it's set up as an outdoor show. The Playhouse in Edinburgh kind of wound up being ideal, being a very typical, showy 20s theatre. That and his stage setup just went together so well.
And his dusty stagelet is fantastic. Never seen a better stamp!
posted by opsin at 2:09 PM on July 30, 2008

It's not actually going to be outdoors. Apparently he has adapted the Marquee used in the Cork festival (or it's a completely custom built tent based on the Marquee , can't quite work it out)

Should be interesting.
posted by twistedonion at 3:17 PM on July 30, 2008

Its annoying that he refuses to come to london.

Why are there so few tour locations in the US? That is very sad and annoying for many.

Ahh, I've just realised... its the constellation Erasmus - its known for its wildly varying path and it'll controlling and dictating Tom's path from Spain to Dublin.

Of course!
posted by verisimilitude at 12:55 PM on July 31, 2008