The Tension's Mountain Boys (Chris Thile Project, Living Room)

“They’re all taken.”  Thile’s making jokes about his nameless band, again.  “You come up with a band name, and I guarantee you someone’s taken it, already.  Either that, or it’s stupid.”

There were two sets at the Living Room, this time.  That, the show’s proximity to the holiday, and the slow march of the TWU strike helped make the crowd more manageable; I only went to the early set, as I had to walk home afterwards – hooray – but Thile promised some different songs for the next show.

Much was the same as last time (and seriously, read that last entry for specific names and such; I’m tired); there seemed to be a little less spirit, perhaps – or is it just that the entire city seems weary, now?  Many of the same songs – the instrumental “Song for a Young Queen,” the Band’s “Ophelia,” the first composition for this new project (“Blind Leaving the Blind” – got that wrong, last time, sorry) once again leading into Don Stover’s “Lonesome Road.”  In addition, Thile played a medievalish-sounding solo piece (that came off a bit sloppy, actually) and a saccharine song called something like “You’re an Angel and I’m Gonna Cry” which he said was about Audrey Tautou.

“This is also about Audrey Tautou,” Noam Pikelny joked when introducing his composition “Manchicken.”  This, like last time, was a highlight, a round-robin frantic jam that gets the room hooting and stomping and laughing.  A lot of what was in “Manchicken” seemed to be missing from a lot of the set – including a chance for guitarist Chris Eldridge (who’s amazing) to stand out.

There was – and this is probably the whole reason I’m bothering to write this up, again – the “world debut” of the unnamed second composition for the band.  “Blind” is... okay.  This was astounding.  It was obviously complex – the band looked like it was sweating blood – but flowed flawlessly.  After they finished it, bassist Greg Garrison explained that they’d had all of four days to learn and memorize it, and that no one in the band had ever played anything that approached its level of intricacy.  Or words to that effect.  Anyway, it was a phenomenal piece of music – even just to watch.

And it, like this band, doesn’t even have a name.

*

Man, I wish my camera was better in low-light conditions.  Occasionally I think that I’ve banged it up good, and that there’s a loose element in there... and then something’ll come out perfectly, beautifully in focus.

Nothing came out perfectly, beautifully in focus, tonight... which sucks, because the view from the Manhattan Bridge after dark is awful pretty.  Very frustrating.  These are the best I got, and I know I can do better.  Aargh.

tags: chris thile  nickel creek  

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