Post by kurto on Oct 1, 2008 11:19:09 GMT -5
I've been patiently waiting for more than 14 years to see JAMES play live in the United States. I was elated to find out that they were going to play not only my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin but 100 kilometers to the south in good old Chicago, Illinois as well! How lucky am I?
I drove to the show in Chicago on Sept 25th and arrived early so as to beat the rush hour traffic. When I arrived at The Vic Theatre I went up to the box office and asked the fellow behind the glass if he had any extra JAMES promotional posters that I could have and to my surprise he went in back and pulled one out of a box, rolled it up, put a rubber band around it and met me at the side door to hand it to me saying "don't tell anyone where you got it". I quickly walked across the street in the other direction making sure not to walk past the line of people waiting in line to enter the theatre. I then hung out at the JAMES tour bus hoping to find a band member or two to sign my newly begotten promo poster (cover art of HEY MA with text on the botton IN STORES NOW). After a few minutes who do I spy walking down the sidewalk towards me with shopping bags under his arms but none other than Tim Booth. I smiled and put my finger over my mouth as if to say "mums the word" and he looked at me and said something like "what? are you hiding out?"
I told him that I didn't want to draw attention and asked if he could sign my poster. He said "sure, do you have a pen?" and then asked me to walk a little further out of the line of sight of those people in line across the street. At that point another fellow walked up and offered his sharpie magic marker. Tim unrolled my poster on the cement sidewalk, drew a gun and signed it with just "Tim". I also had him sign the cover of my import "Hey Ma" CD while telling him that I've been a huge fan since 1992 and that these items would not end up on ebay.
I met people from Cleveland, Ohio and Salt Lake City, Utah that evening which reminded me of how lucky I was to be able to see JAMES two nights in a row and not have to travel more than an hour and a half.
The Chicago gig was brilliant as they say in the UK.
Here's the setlist...
Dream Thrum
She’s A Star
Oh My Heart
Waterfall
Ring The Bells
Hey Ma
Bubbles
Say Something
Five-O
I Wanna Go Home
Out To Get You
Upside
Whiteboy
Laid
Sit Down
Sound
<encore>
Top Of The World
Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)
Sometimes (Lester Piggot)
JAMES made a radio studio appearance in Milwaukee on the afternoon of Sept 26th in which they played both "Whiteboy" and "Hey Ma" live which was a real treat. Of course I had to record that for my collection of live JAMES recordings.
Here's the setlist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin from Sept 26th...
Dream Thrum
Oh My Heart
Ring The Bells
Waterfall
Hey Ma
Say Something
Bubbles
Honest Joe
I Wanna Go Home
Out To Get You
Upside
Whiteboy
Laid
Sit Down
Sound
<1st encore>
Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)
She’s A Star
Sometimes (Lester Piggot)
<2nd encore>
Top Of The World
Tim made mention during these shows that JAMES may be coming back to America again sometime soon and I can only hope that is the case and that they can play more venues so I can travel to see a few more shows next time around.
I drove to the show in Chicago on Sept 25th and arrived early so as to beat the rush hour traffic. When I arrived at The Vic Theatre I went up to the box office and asked the fellow behind the glass if he had any extra JAMES promotional posters that I could have and to my surprise he went in back and pulled one out of a box, rolled it up, put a rubber band around it and met me at the side door to hand it to me saying "don't tell anyone where you got it". I quickly walked across the street in the other direction making sure not to walk past the line of people waiting in line to enter the theatre. I then hung out at the JAMES tour bus hoping to find a band member or two to sign my newly begotten promo poster (cover art of HEY MA with text on the botton IN STORES NOW). After a few minutes who do I spy walking down the sidewalk towards me with shopping bags under his arms but none other than Tim Booth. I smiled and put my finger over my mouth as if to say "mums the word" and he looked at me and said something like "what? are you hiding out?"
I told him that I didn't want to draw attention and asked if he could sign my poster. He said "sure, do you have a pen?" and then asked me to walk a little further out of the line of sight of those people in line across the street. At that point another fellow walked up and offered his sharpie magic marker. Tim unrolled my poster on the cement sidewalk, drew a gun and signed it with just "Tim". I also had him sign the cover of my import "Hey Ma" CD while telling him that I've been a huge fan since 1992 and that these items would not end up on ebay.
I met people from Cleveland, Ohio and Salt Lake City, Utah that evening which reminded me of how lucky I was to be able to see JAMES two nights in a row and not have to travel more than an hour and a half.
The Chicago gig was brilliant as they say in the UK.
Here's the setlist...
Dream Thrum
She’s A Star
Oh My Heart
Waterfall
Ring The Bells
Hey Ma
Bubbles
Say Something
Five-O
I Wanna Go Home
Out To Get You
Upside
Whiteboy
Laid
Sit Down
Sound
<encore>
Top Of The World
Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)
Sometimes (Lester Piggot)
JAMES made a radio studio appearance in Milwaukee on the afternoon of Sept 26th in which they played both "Whiteboy" and "Hey Ma" live which was a real treat. Of course I had to record that for my collection of live JAMES recordings.
Here's the setlist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin from Sept 26th...
Dream Thrum
Oh My Heart
Ring The Bells
Waterfall
Hey Ma
Say Something
Bubbles
Honest Joe
I Wanna Go Home
Out To Get You
Upside
Whiteboy
Laid
Sit Down
Sound
<1st encore>
Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)
She’s A Star
Sometimes (Lester Piggot)
<2nd encore>
Top Of The World
Tim made mention during these shows that JAMES may be coming back to America again sometime soon and I can only hope that is the case and that they can play more venues so I can travel to see a few more shows next time around.