| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AMERICAN MUSIC - July 16, 2003 * * * THE VIOLENT FEMMES Email List * * * * * * * * * * List archive online at http://www.oocities.org/violentfemmeslist ************************************************************************* TOUR DATES (*=New Dates) Thursday 8/21/03 Anaheim CA House of Blues Anaheim Friday 8/22/03 Las Vegas NV Skin Pool Lounge (Palms Hotel) Saturday 8/23/03 Del Mar CA Thoroughbred Club Sunday 8/24/03 Ventura CA Ventura Theatre Saturday 9/20/03 San Bernardino CA Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavillon *************************************************************************** IN THIS ISSUE: Tour Date Ticket Info Official Site Updated Memphis Mud RE:Mud in Memphis East Coast Road Trip RE:Mud in Memphis **************************************************************************** For upcoming show tickets: 8/21 ANAHEIM $32 http://www.hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=21244 8/22 LAS VEGAS $20-25 http://www.skinpoollounge.com/http_docs/skin/skin.asp 8/23 DEL MAR $Free$ http://www.dmtc.com/season/events/event.php?id=18 8/24 VENTURA $22 www.ticketmaster.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Official Site Updated ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check out the official page! There is a new group shot from the OZ tour and some shots of the Femmes with Ben Kweller from Chicago. There are also some new 7/2003 fan letters and responses from Brian. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Memphis Mud ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What do people expect? Don't get me wrong-I love the Violent Femmes, but didn't anyone notice that they don't even PLAY anything new anymore? If no one noticed or cared about that, and if everyone only wants to hear the songs that are 20 years old anyway, why would they bother putting anything new out? Personally, but if having Victor back means that the newer stuff will never be played again, I would take Guy back anyday. Maybe Gordon just figures no one wants to hear brand new stuff, so why record it. Julie pish_tish@yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Mud in Memphis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I wish somebody could get close to Gordon and tell him how much his decision to do no future records with the Femmes hurts his dwindling group of fans. Gordon, it doesn't matter how many albums you sell. You are good enough, you are smart enough and dog gawn it people like you. I also echo the writers opinion who said he felt ripped off by the band sticking to only the early music. It bums me out to go to a show and know I won't hear Sleepwalkin or Rejoice and be Happy. Why not just play the first album over and over? Has anyone bothered to ask why they are only playing the old songs? Victor seems so happy to just be on stage with the guys that he would play row, row, row your boat if they asked him, so it must be something more to it. It always is, isn't it. Brain makes the comment in the article that they are not an oldies nostalgia act, but isn't that what they are becoming if they don't continue to produce any new material? It's all compounded by not playing any of the music they've done over the last 10-12 years. Somebody please tell Gordon to stop being a knucklehead. Brain and Victor are having fun. Life is too short, get on with it and bring a little joy to your fans. Is it too much to ask to have your favorite band just play the songs you love and maybe come up with a few new ones when they feel like it. My God, its not like we are asking them to solve World hunger, but apparently it is just as large a request. SCPGAMEDIA@aol.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ East Coast Road Trip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello everyone, I just got back from my Femmes 761 mile marathon tour to the Baltimore, Norfolk and DC shows. My son Dan's tuba was aching to play again with them and I was hungrier than ever for the sounds of the band I never tire of seeing and hearing. The Baltimore show at the Powerhouse live took place in a sporadic drizzle which never seemed to dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic, party-minded crowd. Highlights for me were hearing Dan play tuba with Jared Oldman on Sax for I Held Her In My Arms and hearing the rarely played I Saw Her In The Crowd by special request of Brian's wife Varuni for their 5th wedding anniversary. There is such love between this couple! The Norfolk show was played in this stiflingly hot warehouse -like venue which Brian told me they have played more than any other venue. The crowd was really into the show although the temperature out on the floor must have been more than slightly uncomfortable. Once again, Dan got to play I Held Her In My Arms with Jared and as a spectacular treat for me, they played Sweet Misery Blues, my favorite Femmes song. I had mentioned to Victor in Baltimore that I never heard them play it live and after the Norfolk show they told me that they played it for me. It was definitely one of my premier Femmes moments. Brian Ritchie's solo on Good Feelings and all of his "stand up in front of the crowd" solos constantly astound me. The man is definitely the musician extrordinairre of the group. His shakuhacchi solos add such a dimension to the music. And I can't even imagine what they would do without the enthusiasm and energy of Victor on drums. He's such a dynamic personality.The DC show was almost canceled when, after a gloriously beautiful day, the sky erupted in a most violent thunderstorm complete with lightening and torrential rain which poured down right onto the front of the stage, just as the Femmes were scheduled to take to the stage. The crowd stood their ground and began chanting, "Rain or Shine", evidently the advertisement for the show. After what seemed like about an hour, the Femmes crew (surely the most devoted, efficient crew on the planet) mopped up the stage so those who were playing plugged in wouldn't get electrocuted and the guys took to the stage and played an abbreviated, but totally spectacular 45 minute set. It seems that DC had a very strict 10.00 curfew and even though the weather had hindered them from starting on time for a full set, the curfew remained in effect. The Femmes were disappointed and Victor told the crowd they wanted to come back some time to play a 3 hour show for them. I hope it happens sometime. I'll be there! Just one comment about Gordon's (un)stability. We all have our unstable moments, just not in front of the watchful eyes of thousands of fans. Without hesitation, I find him to be one of the genuinely kindest human beings I've ever met. And he wrote all of that incredible music when he was barely more than a kid. That's enough for me to just take him as he is. Marylee Rubaiyat@aol.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Mud in Memphis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I gotta say I am bummed about the new album thing but it is not suprising to me. I have heard from a Milwaukee source that Gordan had issuses with getting along with the others int he band at one point but then i thought things had smoothed over....oh well. finding that out really dissappointed me because seeing them on stage makes me think that they are different than other bands and that they have a bond, so thats why i see it as okay that they are not making a new CD becuz if they only did it for the money and publicity then i dont think that that would be like them, ya know? Anyway I would REALLY like to see another LIVE album! One from all these 20th anniversary concerts! That is waht would be freaking awesome, because we all know that they are the BEST LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay peoples rock on! And keep wishing with me you CHicago folk that they come back at least one more time this summer! The show on Halsted made me WANT MORE! PEACE! Jen yennifer_82@yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Mud in Memphis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ if i were a femme what would i do? i guess i'd ride it all the way. i dont know. i thought thats what this band was all about... never doing any thing they had to... only keeping it real. but just touring to make the bucks and not putting out new tunes doesn't seem that real to me. in fact it doesn't seem that diferent from my day job. but theres one thing i don't get. they put albums out when guy was here. no guy? no tunes? they aren't playing the old stuff now that vic's back. is vic a problem? i always thought 3 dudes - 3 votes. gordon wont record. vic won't play the new stuff. why is one guy able to rule the world? Eric wisconsinsane13@yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Mud in Memphis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I sent the message about the quote from Brian, and I am appalled by people's reactions. Questioning why people are still fans? Well, I am a fan because the music is good. Of course I would love the Femmes to get along with each other, for Gordon to be more happy and stable, and for Victor to play songs recorded origanlly with Guy, but I can't change any of that. I for one didn't find the fact that Gordon is a bit nuts surprising. Think of all the variety of emotions in his songs. But that is what makes him great. Also, I don't see how anyone can get that he doesn't care about the band from him being unstable. Gordon and Brian and Victor have all devoted most of their lives to this band and to bringing great meaningfull music to us fans. I don't think that Gordon doesn't care. He is probably just tired. I for one would like to give him the benefit of the dought. And in reply to the fan who disliked the set list the Femmes are currently playing: I recently saw them for the first time a few weeks ago in Memphis and was thrilled just to be there. They did tend to stick with the first album, but I'm not sure if that is in avoidance of Guy's songs. It seems to me that a majority of concert goers are not all the biggest fans, and typically know more songs off of that first album. I could be wrong about that though. Also Victor was a joy to see perform. His energy and enthusiasticness was contageous and he made the show extra special. He adressed the audience frequently while Gordon and Brian stayed fairly secluded. Victor jumped around and danced and genuinly conveyed a very warm and kind hearted personality. I had never gotten much of him out of the music, but now I really can see how he ticks. This may seems silly but I don't know why Victor left of why Guy left or why Victor returned. I'd love this information! Sunny Franklin LinoleumGRRRL@aol.com ******************************************************************* To POST, SUBSCRIBE, or UNSUBSCRIBE send any kind of an email to: violentfemmeslist@yahoo.com or violentfemmeslist@ameritech.net ******************************************************************* |