Note: All audio posted recorded by Hudson Hawk, all pictures by Miranda Jane. This one will probably be quite long (rivaling the books posted by Sir Bence) since it features three main acts. I apologize in advance.
The Show - Railroad Revival Tour: Certainly the most interesting tour to come about in years. Three unique bands: Old Crow Medicine Show, Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros travel by railroad, in vintage train cars, up from Northern California down through Arizona, Texas and finally ending up in New Orleans for six shows. Only thing it’s reminiscent off of the top of my head is the 1970 “Festival Express” tour by train in Canada featuring The Band, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, or maybe the 1975-76 Rolling Thunder Revue featuring Bob Dylan, Bob Neuwirth, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, T Bone Burnett, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and others.
The Venue - San Pedro, California: I've only been near San Pedro before, in Costa Mesa (also for a concert). It was easy to see it’s an area dominated by the fishing industry and I enjoyed both walking up and down the various ports and docks, visiting little shops and even a fish farmers market of sorts. We also took a trip up 6th street into more shops and an interesting record store, interesting in that it had records, clothes and was complete with…exotic fish and turtles? Okay, nothing much was to be found in it’s un-organized bin save for a Joy Division John Peel Sessions OOP record. We then traveled past the train tracks the bands would soon be arriving on to find the venue...
Not exactly an arena or amphitheatre, no, they really stick to the train theme here. The train they ride on travels right through the fishing/port town of San Pedro, so they stopped the train right next to a parking lot, right next to some docks, and set up shop for somewhere around 5-7,000 folks. If the smell of fish didn’t bother you, the sight of the hipster tools from the unholy land of Doucheganistan surely will. Wherever the eyes peered they were covered in a sea of plaid and rayban wayfarers both legit and of knock-off brands (let it be said I started wearing Wayfarers back in 2005, long before they became the newest hipster fad). Some conversations I heard? Two hipsters let their girlfriends play a game of who could use the word “like” the most while they talked about starting to work out, one bragging about the 20lb weights he has in his garage. Sad, strange little men. The only saving grace was getting a glimpse of Mumford & Sons doing their sound check.
Easily the worst crowd I’ve ever been in for MANY reasons. While I was glad San Pedro was the only RRT to allow you to bring in your own water bottles (there were about 9 different chuck-wagons with variations of food and drink in the gaited venue to fulfill your needs as well) they also allowed you to bring in your own lawnchairs. This leads to the two 35-year old tools who get as close to the stage they can, and basically set up camp. Now, in a GA show, there’s not a lot of room to begin with, then you have these two genius’ roasting marshmallows and posting on their blackberries in their space that could have fit easily 9 people. Luckily, including my fiance (and no, that term does not get any less gay when it applies to you) I was surrounded by girls. I'll be honest, if I'm going to be surrounded by not only lots of people but lots of tools, I'd hope that most of them be of the female persuasion. At least two of the girls next to us were fairly cool, and were obviously into Mumford before they became radio and grammy darlings.
Speaking of that, there’s the sad realization most people are here because they know “Little Lion Man” by Mumford & Sons off of the radio, great. I once had the chance to see them in a dive bar in Phoenix called the Rhythm Room with about 150 other people. I had to work (the same reason I went to the San Pedro show instead of Tempe) and soon there after “Lion Man” is a radio hit (despite it’s use of the F-Bomb, which, in context to the song it’s not a derogative use but simply a level of screwing up extremely bad) and they’re playing on the Grammies with Bob Dylan. I’m glad for their success (the TRUE indie rock darlings of the year, not Arcade Fire) however it sucks when it comes to ruining the crowd for a show. Pushy, scratching, hipsters from hell…
Band One – Old Crow Medicine Show: So Old Crow Medicine Show (who I’ve seen live before and know what to expect) come and after an improvised version of the folk classic “16 Coaches Long,” lead into “Hard to Love,” and they split their audience. You have half who immediately got it, and half who sort of have dumb-founded looks on their faces, and some who make fun of them doing little jig dances because, hey, these guys have a banjo and fiddle (nevermind Ketch Secor plays the fiddle like Jimi Hendrix plays a guitar) in their band (these same idiots would be hoopin’ and hollerin’ for the same instruments by Mumford later). It annoys me because Old Crow’s energetic mix of acoustic rock n roll, bluegrass, pre-World War II folk/blues songs and loos alt-country sound is a fusion like few in music, and one to be enjoyed best by a live crowd. By the way, some other bands/artists who use such instruments as the fiddle, mandolin, stand-up bass and have been influenced by bluegrass/country? Hmm…Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Raconteurs, Flogging Molly, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, The White Stripes, The Black Keys and countless others.
However, most fans were won over soon, and if not soon, when the opening chords to “Wagon Wheel” began to play they surely were (“Oh hey, they do ‘Wagon Wheel,’ holy crap”!). I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, an artist releasing an unreleased Dylan song, no biggie (dime a dozen in the 60’ and 70’s) however, an artist (even past that an artist unknown at the time) completing an unfinished sketch of a Dylan song, and Dylan himself passing on it being released, well, it’s the only time it’s happened.
The opening act SHOULDN’T steal the show, it’s just an unwritten rule of rock n roll. However, this wasn’t your typical rock show, and Old Crow was head above water of the other two acts this night. All in all Old Crow mixed it up pretty evenly in their setlist from their respective three “major” LP releases, including favorites like “I Hear them All,” “Alabama High Test,” as well as older folk and blues covers such as "CC Rider," "Down Home Girl" (Stones fans may know that one) and “Tell it to Me.” If you like songs about women who screwed you over, women who make you feel better after getting screwed over by said women, cocaine and various addictions taking all your friends away, drug pushing fugitives, redemption, booze, salvation, and parties where right-wingers aren’t allowed (they're a bit unclear on the subject of left-wingers being allowed or not), you’d enjoy a set by Old Crow Medicine Show. Just don't judge or criticize until you've actually seen one...
Highlight of the Night & Final Score: “Wagon Wheel” is an obvious highlight from any Old Crow Show, however the jam band (“We’d like to bring out some of them “Mumford Boys” and the “Mag-ah-na-etic Zero’s” out here for this one”) version of “Raise a Ruckus” was fun one, though both brands brought out had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the Old Crow guys. This is what happens when two young un-seasoned bands step up to the plate with a group of seasoned touring veterans of over a decade.
Also, the 40-or-so year old man, three songs into the setlist, yelling out “F**K THIS! I came to see rock n roll with electric guitars!” then pushing and shoving his way out was hilarious. Especially when he pushed the wrong guy and found himself apologizing VERY quickly…
The set could have been longer but the show was a definite 4.25/5
“It’s hard to know if you’re on the railroad tour adventure of a lifetime getting to hang out and play alongside two of the best bands in the world or you're just in a dream bound to wake up back home. But I look over there and see her, in all her sixteen coaches of silver glory. (Crowd Cheers) Oh, don’t blush sweet thing, but they’re talkin’ about you!” – Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show
As the roadies continue to break down from Old Crow and set-up for Edward Sharpe, this large man begins to sound check the drums. His idea of soundchecking the drums meant sitting there and bashing the same cymbal over and over again. He reminded me of those little ape toys where he bashes the drums, but, you be the judge…
Now, realizing what a book this concert review is becoming (three major acts is hard to cover without rivaling the size of a dictionary) so for now I'll be leaving you with that beautiful image in your head and dreams of that prince of a Roadie. We'll be back in Part 2 (as long as Manny doesn't fire me in the meantime) with more pics, more audio and I'll be covering Jim Morrison re-incarnated as an even more funked out psychede..., er, I mean Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros as well as Mumford & sons. Until then, Hawk naps.
Tuneful of Sugar: For those who find pics and reviews to not be enough…
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