elliott san francisco 12/17/01

Set List:  (thanks Bradley)

Let's Get Lost
Don't Go Down
Passing Feeling
Strung Out Again
Pretty (Ugly Before)
Needle in the Hay
Shooting Star
True Love
Division Day
New song - ???
Fond Farewell
Say Yes

first encore:
Bron-Y-Aur (Led Zeppelin cover)
Independence Day
No Name #4 (aborted)
Between the Bars

second encore:
Somebody's Baby

 

This was posted on sweetadeline.com by a Bradley

 As some of you may have heard, Elliott Smith was scheduled to play at the
Great American Music Hall in San Francisco tonight - the first of two shows.
As it happens, I was there, and thinking often of the lovely people on the
Sweet Addy board.

What is the maximum number of smiley faces I'm allowed to use in one post?
Is it six? Or seven? Anyway, I'll use a bunch of them up right here - but
believe me, I need 'em all!

So here's everything I can remember about the show that ended about 30
minutes ago...

First off, for those of you who are 'fashion conscious,' Elliott came out in
gray jeans and a brown T-shirt. His hair is now VERY long - as long as I've
ever seen it. Well past his shoulders. The man looks pretty damn hip, I'd
say.

No more 'Willie Nelson' style braids - just great looking 'hippie-ish'
straight long hair - and unshaven as well - the "look" was George Harrison
circa 1970-71 - i.e., the cover of"All Things Must Pass."

Now, for the rumor-mongers, shit-stirrers and folks who are truly concerned,
let me just say that ELLIOTT LOOKS FINE.

He looked healthy, he sounded coherent and he sure seemed like he was in a
good mood throughout the ENTIRE evening. Yes, he is pale and thin - but he
looked exactly the same to me as he always has before.

I have no idea how healthy he actually is, or what drugs he is currently
doing, etc... (though he did sing some songs about rehab and drugs, etc. -
more on that later) - but in response to the people who have been saying he
looks like "walking death" and all that - BULLSHIT! He looks like good old
thin and pale Elliott to me. And he certainly didn't "nod off" or anything
during the show...

Now to the music...

When he first came out onstage, he noticed there was no capo waiting for him
(a device used to adjust the key of a guitar), so he asked for one and told
the audience that he was "waiting on a friend" - a nice Stones reference.

After telling the crowd he didn't know any jokes, the capo arrived - just in
time for some meathead a few feet away from me to shout, "CRANK IT UP,
FUCKER!!"

Elliott, showing good humor, responded, "Crank it up, fucker? I've heard
THAT before!" and started playing the first song...

(I did my best to keep track of every song he played, but I am at a bit of
loss on one of the new ones....but here goes on the rest):

The first song was "Let's Get Lost"...and right away I could tell he was in
fine form. His guitar playing was flawless, and his voice was strong. Man,
how incredible it was to hear Elliott's voice wafting through that hall for
the first time - my favorite artist - in my favorite place in the world to
see live music...

The second song was "Don't Go Down," another new one.

Third was "Passing Feeling" - man I hope I don't fuck that song up for the
tribute record.

I ran up to the balcony as soon as he started playing it, to see if I could
catch a full view of him playing that song to the hushed house...and what a
beautiful song. He played a quiet, 'fade-out' type ending that isn't on the
Sweet Addy Real Player clip version - or at least he tried to...by that time
in the song, people were drowning him out with applause.

Next was "Strung Out Again"...and then an *incredibly* beautiful "Pretty
(Ugly Before)". I had never heard him play that song live and solo before,
and all I can say is "wow" - an amazing version...

Next was "Needle in the Hay" - resurrecting it for the new movie perhaps? -
and then another new one, "Shooting Star."

"True Love" followed that (with it's plentiful mentions of "getting sick,"
rehab, and needing a "safe place to bleed") and then "Division Day."

The next song I didn't recognize, and didn't jot down any lyrics for, so I'm
afraid I have no idea what it was...it must have been new, though. I think
this is the only one I missed or blanked on...but the next one after that
was "Fond Farewell."

About this time, someone in the crowd shouted "BEATLES!!!" and Elliott, not
hearing them right, responded, "Huh? EVIL?!"

What followed was one of the highlights of the show. People had been
shouting for "Say Yes" throughout the entire show, and he kept saying he
didn't remember "the middle part." Nonetheless, he started playing it, and
the whole hall erupted in cheers. Sure enough, he didn't remember the
words - pausing forgetfully at the beginning of the second verse and
elsewhere in the song - but it didn't matter, cause the audience sang the
rest of the song for him!!

He would occasionally chime in on vocals, but for the most part, the crowd
loudly carried the vocals throughout - even during the forgotten middle
part.

Elliott was clearly amused and said "That was awesome! Thank you!" before
walking off stage to end the main part of the show.

When he came back out for the first of two encores, he told the crowd they
could sing along to the next one, and played a spot-on version of
"Bron-Y-Aur" by Led Zeppelin! I've heard him play plenty of Beatles songs
before, but I'd never heard him play a Led Zeppelin cover before - very
cool!

Next up was a pretty shaky "Independence Day." He screwed it up badly, so at
one point - obviously frustrated - he shouted, "FUCK!!" - and finished the
song "a capella" (no guitar - just vocals).

Next was an aborted attempt to satisfy a shouted crowd request for "One of
the ' No Names'!" He said, "How about #4?," and then got about half way
through "No Name #4" and finally just gave up.

He had warned us earlier that he hadn't played a lot of the older songs in a
*long* time, so he didn't remember them all that well...

At this point, he showed his sense of humor when someone in the audience
inexplicably shouted, "Elliott!! Where are you?!!

His deadpan response: "Where am I? Um...I'm right in the middle of
something..."

Everybody loved that...

He then played one of my personal favorites, "Between the Bars".

And - speaking of alcohol (the subject of 'Between the Bars") - onstage with
him throughout the show he had a beer (amber ale - probably Red Hook) and a
bottle of Smirnoff 'Ice' - which is that that newish vodka-based drink they
sell now (that's for those of you who care what he was drinking - I told you
I'd be thorough!).

Next he brought out a guy named Mike who is from a local band here in SF
called "Oranger" to sing back-up vocals on the final song of the night,
which was "Somebody's Baby."

He left the stage to thunderous applause, and that was the end of the
evening.

So, overall - *WOW*!!!

Pretty damn cool...I loved it.

The only complaint I have is that it was a fairly short set - or at least it
went by pretty quickly. His voice also started giving out towards the
end...but to me, Elliott Smith singing with a thrashed voice is still better
than 98% of the artists out there...

Tomorrow, I'm going again  - and I'll post more after tomorrow's show if you
guys want me to.

What a night!!!

Thanks for reading if you made it this far...!

I've added the concise set list below.

Bradley

---------------
Set-list
Monday, 12/17/01

Let's Get Lost
Don't Go Down
Passing Feeling
Strung Out Again
Pretty (Ugly Before)
Needle in the Hay
Shooting Star
True Love
Division Day
New song - ???
Fond Farewell
Say Yes

first encore:
Bron-Y-Aur (Led Zeppelin cover)
Independence Day
No Name #4 (aborted)
Between the Bars

second encore:
Somebody's Baby

From: "charlie" <yamato1@ix.netcom.com>

hi courtney and everyone! im burnt out! i really had too much fun. the shows were so awesome though. i had a really great time. i wish i could describe the shows better but im so tired. im sorry. i just wrote this little blurb for sweet adeline. im sorry

i cant be better :( anyway here u go

yay! elliott came back to san francisco on both monday and tuesday and i went to both shows. i had a great time :) both nights were pretty cool because elliott worked off a setlist and requests. a lot of the new songs were played and elliott tried a few older songs even though he hasnt played them for a while. i dont think i ever seen elliott do that before so it was neat. some were aborted but it was awesome that he tried anyway to do some random requests. i took some pictures and i hope to add em soon if they come out.

also elliott sold most of the merchandise they had at the shows. all the money is going elliott's charity he is starting for abuse children. there might be a few cds left for the upcoming shows so please buy some for xmas gifts or something. all of it is going to charity! anyway here are the setlists for both shows. thanks to bradley for posting it too on the sweet addy board!

dec. 17: let's get lost, don't go down passing feeling, strung out again, pretty (ugly before), needle in the hay, shooting star, true love, division day, little one fond farewell, say yes (with major audience participation), friends (led zeppelin cover), independence day, no name #4 (aborted), between the bars, somebody's baby (with mike from oranger)

dec. 18: let's get lost, give me love (give me peace on earth) ) (george harrison cover), passing feeling, strung out again, pretty (ugly before), fond farewell, shooting star, little one, pitseleh, alameda, don't go down, true love, independence day, the biggest lie, friends, angeles, blue eyes cryin' in the rain (willie nelson cover) waltz #2(xo), somebody's baby (with jason lytle from grandaddy and mike from oranger), say yes

also on a personal note. it was awesome to see everyone i know and got to meet!

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