Tuesday, September 23, 2008

David Lindley...

Well...I went off to Hugh's Room a couple of weeks ago to see Mr. Dave.  Rich and I had a great table right in front of the stage, and for dinner we had the salmon.  It wasn't as good as the salmon I make (a little dijon, some horse radish, wrap 'em in foil and barbecue them gently, opening only to finish them off...don't overcook!) but it was certainly better than the hard slab of fish I ate in Minneapolis last week!  But I digress.  Mr. Dave and his tech arrived about the same time we did, and stacked the stage with seven or so instruments of different sizes and shapes. Bouzouki, Weisenborns, and Lindley's prize electric oud!  Amazing.  Dave disappeared and the tech tuned, and the waiter waited, and so did the audience.  Before too long Mr. Dave arrived decked out in typical polyester garb and he played through most of his new CD (although not in the same order) and in long jam versions.  The guy can play.  I knew that going in, but Rich was amazed, moreso with each tune.  Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road," Warren Zevon's "Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse" or one of Dave's own weird almost surreal classics...like "Cat Food Sandwiches" whatever he played...he sure played the beejeebers out of it.  The Weisenborns sounded full as Dave's fingerpicks flashed and his steel slid up and down the strings.  The bouzoukis added a touch of Europe and the oud?  Well the oud took us all to a place somewhere else.  Somewhere weird.  

After the second set, and no requests...(play "Mercury Blues"..."No!") Dave moved out to the lobby to sign CDs and pose for pictures.  That's the 2 Mr. Dave's together at last!

Look for a 30 page feature on Lindley in the new Fretboard Journal coming soon to a quality bookseller near you!