Guest Concert Review: Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar live at the 9:30 Club
One Fast More or I’m Gone, the collaboration soundtrack by Gibbard and Farrar for the new movie about Karouac, is pretty dang good. So, when Michelle told me she saw the recent NPR concert and asked I I would want her to write a guest review, I answered with a definite yes. So, without further adou, here’s her review. I recommend listening to the NPR stream at the link below in its entirety. It’s great…especially when they play “Couches in Alleys”
In support of their collaboration Benjamin Gibbard and Jay Farrar hit the stage at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. to play the One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur soundtrack. NPR recorded the show so watch for the downloadable podcast version soon for now you can stream it here.
Rather than make the show about themselves it was a tribute to the influence of Jack Kerouac. I really enjoy listening to this album and couldn’t pass up the opportunity when I found out they added a tour date playing in Washington. The real standout was Mark Spencer (Son Volt) on the steel guitar for most songs. “Breathe our Iodine” and “Voodoo Candle” were really spectacular. The whole show was so well orchestrated and executed, watching the guitar switches and Benjamin and Jay take turns on the piano for various songs with minimal banter kept the show about the music and the writings that inspired it.
So for one night a piece of 1960’s Big Sur, California shone in the greyest of places, Washington, D.C.
Here’s the setlist:
SETLIST:
“California Zephyr”
“Low Life Kingdom”
“City And Sur (Willamine)”
“All In One”
“These Roads Don’t Move”
“Big Sur”
“One Fast Move Or I’m Gone”
“Final Horrors”
“Couches In Alleys” (from Styrofoam’s Nothing’s Lost, 2004)
“Sea Engines”
“The Void”
“Breathe Our Iodine”
“Voodoo Candle” (from Jay Farrar’s Stone, Steel & Bright Lights, 2004)
“San Francisco”
ENCORE:
“Absolutely Sweet Marie” (Bob Dylan cover)
“Old Shoes (And Picture Postcards)” (Tom Waits cover)
The Tom Waits cover as the closing encore song is worth the wait.
side note: I saw Ben Gibbard’s wedding ring up close, sorry Kellen.
