In this weird topsy turvy world we're living in, I haven't been to a live concert in almost a year. I've had other dry spells in recent years, but I've had the choice to attend or not. Now, at least here in Canada, gathering of people is still a non-starter and my guess is that it will still be a while before I can see a band or any type of live performer in the foreseeable future. Musicians have had to be creative to continue to make a living playing music and finding a venue for their performances have moved for the most part online. The last concert I personally recorded was the Wilco show last March a day or so before they cancelled the rest of their tour. It's funny because in the days and weeks leading up to the concert, I was considering cutting back on recording and taking the time to actually listen and enjoy shows without the worry of capturing a good recording. I haven't taken this approach in decades now because I was always worried I would "miss" some great moment I would regret missing. Now that there are no concerts to attend, I do miss the adrenaline of the live show and the reward of a great sounding souvenir. Enter the concept of live streaming concerts where bands can perform remotely from their home, recording studio or a stage in a cafe or club without a live crowd present, performing to an online audience. The quality of these performances have greatly varied, but they are rapidly improving and it's been worth checking out. Some are free, some you can donate what you want, while others you need to purchase tickets to view these live events. I have watched some shows from each category and while the performances have been generally good, the sterile atmosphere without an audience takes away that interaction, connection and excitement a live concert generates. This is similar to watching live sports (hockey comes to mind) without the crowds, it definitely loses something even with the fake crowd noise and flashing lights, it has become a made-for-TV event.
There are many pros to the online live streaming concerts to consider. You don't even have to leave your house (or apartment), you can eat and drink what you want during the show, you can wear what you want without considering the weather outside (hot or cold) and the comfort of sitting on your couch or desk chair is surely an upgrade from sitting or standing some distance from the stage. You don't have to feel crowded and squished while attending and as a taper, the worry of talkers, slammers or general ass-holes at the show sometimes makes attending a show an unpleasant experience. I stress a lot taping shows, on the lookout for bouncers and security, adjusting sound levels and pressing the right buttons in the dark and timing bathroom breaks (the balance of drinking vs not drinking during a concert). Location of the the seats or on the floor are also an important factors for getting a decent recording and since I'm height restricted (short), I often can barely see the stage, so it's much easier in the comfort of
home. While watching these live streams I've decided to put my recorder to good use and I'm inputting the audio directly into the recorder. Though the sound quality has been great, it hasn't been without flaws and glitches on my end with internet lag issues and me clicking the wrong buttons. The previously posted Juliana Hatfield streams sound fantastic, not without some issues that don't take away too much from the recording. The Jayhawks and front-man, Gary Louris have been streaming live shows throughout the pandemic and the latest group show was in January with an all-covers concert. The band performed many covers I've never heard them play and clearly many songs in the set they were still learning (sheet music), as well as a couple that have been known to be in a Jayhawks set (Driving Wheel, Revolution Blues). A very interesting, loose fun show (some false starts) with everyone in the band taking lead vocals, a refreshing take on these covers and I'm sure many of these songs will appear in future Jayhawks shows.
Notes:
- As mentioned earlier, there are glitches in this recording most obviously during the first track (Different Drum) where there are a couple of gaps of silence. Apparently, I clicked the screen when I was increasing the volume and it either paused or muted the audio for 10-15 seconds (twice!). I would have rerecorded the song if video was still up, but because of licensing issues it is no longer available. If anyone has a clean copy of the song, please DM me.
- A pleasant reoccurring appearance from sometimes Hawk/Smogger, Kraig Johnson on several songs and lead vocals on Revolution Blues, a Neil Young cover he sings with Golden Smog.
- Jim from the Facebook The Jayhawks Fan Page posted the setlist with the original artist and in bold, who sang lead vocals. (The setlist posted at the bottom of the page will be in the text file in the download.)
1. “Different drum” – Mike Nesmith 1964, also covered by Linda Ronstadt/Stone Poneys [GARY]
2.
“The End of the World” – Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee song, first made
popular by Herman Hermits, also covered by: Skeeter Davis, Brenda Lee,
Carpenters [KAREN]
3. “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” – Todd Rundgren 1972 [GARY]
4. “She Sold Blackpool Rock,” Honeybus (1960s pop group) [TIM]
5. “This Will be our year” - Zombies [GARY]
6. “King of Hearts” – Lucinda Williams (from Happy Woman Blues) [KAREN]
7. “Someone Who Cares” - The Only Ones [MARC]
8. “What the Hell I Got” - Michel Pagliaro [TIM]
9. “You Tore Me Down” - Flamin’ Groovies [GARY]
10. “To Sir with love” – LuLu 1967 [KAREN]
11. “I Don’t Want” - Sir Douglas Quintet [GARY]
12.
"Driving Wheel" a song written by British-born Canadian folk singer
David Wiffen, popularized by Roger McGuinn, Tom Rush, The Cowboy
Junkies, David Bromberg (appears on the Jayhawks “Live at the Women’s
Club 1 CD) [TIM]
13. “A Salty Dog” - Procol Harum 1969 [GARY]
14. "We Have All The Time In The World" – Louis Armstrong [KAREN]
15.
“Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
(glam rock, later covered by Duran Duran and Suzi Quatro) 1974 [GARY]
16.
“Satellite of Love” - Lou Reed, (from “Transformer,” produced by David
Bowie, Mick Ronson, later covered and made a hit by U2) 1972 [MARC]
17. “Got To Get Out of Here” - Badfinger (from “Wish You Were Here”) 1974 [TIM]
18. “Here Comes Your Man” - The Pixies [GARY]
19. “Revolution Blues” - Neil Young [KRAIG]
- Since the video is no longer available, I don't know about the logistics of posting the audio of the show. This whole live stream concert etiquette is still somewhat new, so if there is any objection to posting this show, either the band or management label people, please let me know.
Enjoy!
Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.
Please share!
THE JAYHAWKS
Slamhammer Production Facility
Minneapolis, MN.
January 10, 2021 Live Stream
All covers show!
01. Different Drum (G)
02. End Of The World (K)
03. Couldn't I Just Tell You (G)
04. She Sold Blackpool Rock (T)
05. This Will Be Our Year (G)
06. King Of Hearts (K)
07. Someone Who Cares (M)
08. What The Hell I Got (T)
09. You Tore Me Down (G)
10. To Sir With Love (K)
11. I Don't Want (G)
12. Driving Wheel (T)
13. A Salty Dog (G)
14. We Have All The Time In The World (K)
15. Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) (G)
16. Satellite Of Love (M)
17. Got to Get Out Of Here (T)
18. Here Comes Your Man (G)
19. Revolution Blues (KJ)
Musicians:
Gary Louris- guitar, vocals (G- lead vocal)
Marc Perlman- bass, guitar, vocals (M- lead vocal)
Karen Grotberg- piano, vocals (K- lead vocal)
Tim O'Reagon- drums, guitar, vocals (T- lead vocal)
Kraig Johnson- guitar, bass, vocals (KJ- lead vocal)
