Tuesday 5th November 2002:
Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, California :
Set List:
When You Come, Try Whistling This, One Step Ahead, Anytime, Driving Me Mad, Human Kindness, Fall At Your Feet, Fingers Of Love, She Will Have Her Way, Lullaby Requiem.
Performing as part
of the "Step Up" benefit concert series organised by
"Vanity Fair" magazine and DKNY, Neil shares the bill
with Rosey, Joe Henry, John Doe (with Grant Lee Phillips), Lucinda
Williams, and Aimee Mann.
Neil's approximately hourlong set was the penultimate one of
the night and began with solo acoustic performances of "When
You Come" and "Try Whistling This" before Jon
Brion was introduced and took a seat in front of his battery
of minature keyboard instruments. Neil joked that he told Jon
"everything had to be small". Jon remained on stage
to participate in the rest of the set, beginning wth Split Enz'
"One Step Ahead" to which he added a series of keyboard
effects and chimes.
Next a bearded Liam Finn was introduced and took to the stage
to play electric guitar on "Anytime", "Driving
Me Mad" and "Human Kindness" - at this point Neil
remarked that one of life's shocking moments was the realisation
that "your son can grow a better beard than you". Neil
and Jon then dueted on "Fall At Your Feet" before Liam
rejoined proceedings to play on a fantastic "Fingers Of
Love". Jon's 12-string was utilised for "She Will Have
Her Way", and the set was completed with "Lullaby Requiem".
Friday 8th November 2002:
Largo, Hollywood, California :
Set List:
I Can't Get Started, Sunny Afternoon, Wherever You Are, Walking On The Spot, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Golden Years, More Than This, Day Tripper, A Day In The Life, Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey, I'm So Tired, You Can't Always Get What You Want/The Only Living Boy In New York.
Jon Brion's regular
Friday night Largo show in addition to being as entertaining
as ever was complemented by a host of guest appearances tonight.
Prior to Jon starting his set, Lisa Germano was introduced and
performed a new song on piano which she said was written yesterday
as she awaited news of an operation her father was undergoing,
followed by a song from her new album. She then made way for
what turned out to be Liam Finn's first ever solo appearance
- he was encouraged to perform a short solo set by Jon Brion.
Beginning with a new song, he also performed Betchadupa material
on Jon's acoustic guitar.
Introduced by comedian Paul Tomkins, Jon then performed a roughly
2 hour set of his usual musical, multi-instrumental wizardry
which ended with Lisa Germano joining him for her "Paper
Doll".
Around half past midnight after an intermission, Neil and Jon
stepped up and began a set with "I Can't Get Started"
- the Gershwin song popularised by Bunny Berigan which Neil had
taken to performing for his Father on a few of the East Coast
dates of his Summer tour. A version of The Kinks' "Sunny
Afternoon" followed with a few lyrical trips.
Jon requested "Wherever You Are" and Neil obliged as
Jon backed him on piano. Thereafter Lisa Germano joined Jon and
Neil to trade verses on a cover of Neil Young's "Only Love
Can Break Your Heart" - just as they did in July at the
Showbox in Seattle.
Jon then asked Neil to play "Walking On The Spot" because
he wanted to hear it, and Neil gave a solo piano performance
to end his guest set.
At that point Robyn Hitchcock was summoned from the crowd and
played "Into The Arms Of Love" before Grant Lee Phillips
was invited to join the party on "I Feel Beautiful"
and then embarked on a series of Robyn-led covers the first of
which was David Bowie's "Golden Years" seguing briefly
into "On Broadway" - Neil couldn't resist the temptation
to fill the vacant drum stool, and remained there for a cover
of Roxy Music's "More Than This".
Then followed an array of Beatles covers with Liam on drums (Neil
attesting that he was "really good") and Grant on bass:
Day Tripper, A Day In The Life, Everybody's Got Something To
Hide Except Me And My Monkey, and I'm So Tired were all performed.
While contemplating a suitable song to end the night, Jon played
the choral introduction to the Rolling Stones' "You Can't
Always Get What You Want". Robyn Hitchcock pointed out that
the chords were the same as Simon & Garfunkle's "Only
Living Boy In New York" so Neil started singing that instead
before reverting to the Stones' song with Jon Brion doing James
Brown's show ending routine complete with his jacket for a cape.
This completed a fantastic 4 hours entertainment at close to
2am.
Saturday 9th November 2002:
Largo, Hollywood, California :
Set List:
Distant Sun, Coming Into Los Angeles, Part Of You Part Of Me, Love Is All That Remains, Sweet Secret Peace, Anytime, Driving Me Mad, I Can't Get Started, Fingers Of Love, One Step Ahead, So I'm Sitting Waiting, Not The Girl You Think You Are, Hole In The River, Fall At Your Feet, Last To Know, Private Universe, Wherever You Are, Human Kindness, She Will Have Her Way, Honey Don't Think, Ashes To Ashes, I Got You, Don't Dream It's Over.
Once more the treat
of a low-key Neil Finn headline show at Largo presents itself
and the usual wildly varied bag of musical offerings transpire.
A relief to be on the reservations side of a very long line stretching
along Fairfax outside Largo when doors opened.
First onto the tiny Largo stage tonight was Liam Finn who once
more played a solo acoustic set of Betchadupa songs - at times
lamenting the absence of his bandmates, at times expressing satisfaction
at being able to perform some alone. Liam was proud to declare
that he was recently informed that he's been nominated for a
NZ Silver Scroll songwriter award - he sure has a wealth of musical
experiences in the bag for his 19 years.
Liam's dad stepped on stage and kicked off his set with a solo
acoustic "Distant Sun" and followed it up with Arlo
Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" - as requested
by Largo's proprietor Flanagan - on this occasion some lyrical
amendments diverted the song's flight to New Zealand and added
sheep to the cargo!
I had been hoping to hear a new Finn Brothers song this week,
and Neil delivered with a first performance of a song called
"Part Of You, Part Of Me" which sounds like an exciting
taster of things to come. At this point Jon Brion stepped up
to add piano to "Love Is All That Remains" - one of
the songs recorded with Neil's touring band this time last year
for the release of "One All" which didn't make the
release.
Neil acknowledged the presence of his record company in the room
and performed "Sweet Secret Peace" his contribution
to the just released "Maybe This Christmas" CD - he
dedicated it to Michael Leunig who wrote the song's lyrics.
Liam Finn returned to the stage to play some "One All"
songs with his dad, and took to the drums when Neil and Jon reprised
last night's performance of Gershwin's "I Can't Get Started",
he then picked up electric guitar for a solid run through Crowded
Houses' "Fingers Of Love".
The next diversion was one of the more interesting ones Neil
has undertaken at Largo - he asked us to "..welcome The
Like" and I'm sure eyebrows were raised when Neil and Jon
were surrounded by a young three piece all girl rock band who
backed Neil on "One Step Ahead" - their singer taking
the song's second verse. The night's funniest moment came when
Neil urged them to play one of their own songs for the audience
as he sat next to Jon on the piano stool - a song called "So
I'm Sitting Waiting" was performed with Jon and Neil joining
in on piano and guitar. Neil remarked afterwards that there was
something odd about himself and Jon singing a song whose main
refrain was "I want to be bad for you"!
The Like were introduced as Tennessee, Charlotte and Zee(?) -
bass player Charlotte's father Mitchell Froom, was next to grace
the Largo stage and he gave Neil piano backing on "Not The
Girl You Think You Are", and a fantastic "Hole In The
River" which was performed with a stunning outro. Jon Brion
returned to assist Neil and Mitchell on "Fall At Your Feet"
(it's second performance of the night, as Flanagan had earlier
led Neil outside to allow him perform it on the Fairfax sidewalk
for those fans shut out of the show).
Wendy Melvoin was invited on stage and she and Neil played their
"Last To Know", each on acoustic guitar. Wendy suggested
playing "Private Universe" and it was delivered. Jon
Brion was back on stage for "Wherever You Are" and
"Human Kindness".
Apparently Sebastian Steinberg was flying into Los Angeles and
was expected at Largo, but didn't materialise so Grant Lee Phillips
stepped up to play bass on "She Will Have Her Way"
which was also notable for Liam's fine backing vocals and the
fact that Neil played it on 6-string guitar. Lisa Germano has
been present as the night began but had left before Neil could
use her talents.
Grant's bass player Bill Bonk was encouraged up on stage and
Neil dueted with Grant on Grant Lee Buffalo's "Honey Don't
Think" with Liam Finn on drums and Jon Brion on piano. Apparently
it's a favourite back in Auckland on the Finn's iPod - in fact
Neil went out of his way to estoll the virtues of apples iPod
(I'd have to agree that it is the best thing since square pieces
of lightly cooked bread). A chief highlight of the night followed
as the aforementioned collection of musicians gave a fantastic
rendering of David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" with Grant
handling most of the vocals, Neil the rest. Jon Brion played
out of his skin on this one coaxing all manner of effective sounds
out of his array of keyboard instruments, even using a vocorder
at one point.
Two of Neil's key songs ended another remarkable night with Neil
and friends at Largo - "I Got You" was performed with
full band backing on acoustic guitars and Jon Brion replicating
Eddie Rayner's recorded keyboard work, and for a final encore
Mitchell Froom backed Neil on piano for "Don't Dream It's
Over".
Neil had sincere words of thanks for Jon Brion and Flanagan for
his many fun nights at Largo, and for Grant Lee Phillips for
introducing him to the venue, saying that it makes Los Angeles
a more friendly place to be. What a week of music - One All U.S.
tour second leg coming to a city near you late January/early
February!