Apples in Stereo
[02.12.2007]
Assembly of Dust
[02.04.2007]
The Hackensaw Boys
[01.27.2007]
Paul Luc
[01.20.2007]
Local Honey / Slim Cessna
[01.13.2007]
Bob Seger
[12.14.2006]
Skinks / Rahim / Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[11.25.2006]
The Big Sleep
[11.18.2006]
Local Honey / The Izzys
[11.10.2006]
Cloud Cult
[11.07.2006]
Grand Buffet / Magnolia Electric Co
[10.31.2006]
Norman Nardini
[10.28.2006]
Wilco
[10.20.2006]
Wilco
[10.18.2006]
Kid Congo Powers
[10.12.2006]
Dave Alvin
[09.23.2006]
Wolfmother
[09.22.2006]
Mountain Goats
[09.20.2006]
World Party
[08.27.2006]
Gil Mantera's Party Dream
[08.16.2006]
Whiskey Daredevils / Local Honey
[08.11.2006]
The Silver Jews
[07.28.2006]
The Bottle Rockets / Marah
[07.27.2006]
Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[07.15.2006]
Alejandro Escovedo
[07.10.2006]
Cat Power
[07.09.2006]
Life In Bed / The Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[07.07.2006]
Violent Femmes
[07.01.2006]
Guitar Zack Wiesinger / Pittsburgh Pirates Loss # 54
[06.30.2006]
The Black Crowes \ Robert Randolph \ The Drive-By Truckers
[06.25.2006]
Pearl Jam
[06.23.2006]
The Octopus Project \ Black Moth Super Rainbow \ Amoeba Knievel
[06.19.2006]
The Bottle Rockets
[06.14.2006]
Govt.
Mule / Local Honey / Wil E. Tri
[06.08.2006]
Tehran Iran
[06.03.2006]
Astronautalis
[05.25.2006]
Grand Buffet / Cobalt Black
[05.19.2006]
Phil
Boyd w/Manny Theiner & Weird Paul / The Codetalkers feat. Col. Bruce
Hampton
[05.15.2006]
The
Four Seasons Boys
[05.11.2006]
The
Supersuckers
[05.02.2006]
The Breakup Society
[04.28.2006]
The Four Seasons Boys / The
Gris Gris
[04.19.2006]
Rhett Miller & The Believers
[04.14.2006]
Good Brother Earl
[04.08.2006]
Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[04.03.2006]
"Guitar" Zack Wiesinger
[03.25.2006]
The Minus 5 / The Silos
[03.24.2006]
The Mendoza Line / Great Lake Swimmers
[03.12.2006]
Dave Alvin
[03.10.2006]
Apollo Sunshine
[03.07.2006]
Lyle Lovett / John Hiatt / Joe Ely
/ Guy Clark
[02.14.2006]
Marah
[02.12.2006]
Marah / Slim Cessna's Auto
Club
[11.12.2005]
Ted Leo + Pharmacists / Sharon
Jones and the Dap-Kings
[11.08.2005]
The National
[11.02.2005]
Modey Lemon
[10.07.2005]
Gang of Four
[10.04.2005]
Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers
[09.24.2005]
Thunderbirds Are Now!
[09.22.2005]
The Walkmen
[09.17.05]
Circle
[09.15.05]
Akron/Family, Great Lake Swimmers
[09.05.05]
Los Lobos
[08.21.05]
Grand Buffet, Magnolia Electric
Co.
[08.20.05]
Joe Ely
[08.19.05]
Solomon Burke
[08.14.05]
Billie Joe Shaver
[08.11.05]
Robert
Randolph & The Family Band
[08.07.05]
Oneida
[08.06.05]
Richard
Buckner
[07.13.05]
NYC Road Trip
[07.08.05]
Stars
[06.23.05]
Aimee
Mann
[06.19.05]
Bobbie
"Blue" Bland, Michael Penn, Erin McKeown, OPEK, The Mavens
[06.18.05]
The
Holmes Brothers
[06.15.05]
Drive-By
Truckers, Deep Purple
[06.11.05]
Los
Lonely Boys, Martin Sexton
[06.10.05]
Marah
[06.08.05]
Brant Bjork & The Bros.
[06.03.05]
Railroad
Earth
[05.20.05]
Andrew
Bird
[05.17.05]
Ryan
Adams & The Cardinals
[05.13.05]
Rosavelt
[05.12.05]
Green
Day
[04.23.05]
The
Shins
[04.15.05]
Bonnie
"Prince" Billy and Matt Sweeney
[04.14.05]
The
Beakup Society, Whiskey Daredevils
[03.25.05]
Apollo
Sunshine
[03.12.05]
From The Jayhawks: Gary Louris
and Mark Olson
[03.11.05]
Clem Snide, Archer Prewitt
[03.07.05]
Norman
Nardini
[03.04.05]
The SPUDS, Norman Nardini
[02.18.05]
The Comas
[02.15.05]
Tarbox Ramblers
[02.12.05]
Black Tie Revue
[01.28.05]
Elvismas, Shade
[01.08.2005]
Chalk Outline Party, Comrad
[12.18.2004]
One Star Hotel
[12.10.2004]
Ted Leo + Pharmacists
[12.03.2004]
Thanksgiving Eve / The Italian
Club / Blairsville, Pa
Sue Foley
[11.20.2004]
The Whiskey Daredevils
[11.19.2004]
The Arcade Fire, The Cynics
[11.15.2004]
Steelers v. Patriots
[10.31.2004]
Mike Watt
[10.21.2004]
Magnolia Electric
Co.
[10.14.2004]
The Mendoza
Line
[10.09.2004]
The Black Keys
[10.07.2004]
The Secret Machines
[10.06.2004]
The Fiery
Furnaces, Charles Bissell (The Wrens)
[09.23.2004] |
The Bottle Rockets / Marah
7.27.2006 - Hilton Ballroom- Springfield, IL
 In St. Louis for a week of “vacation” at the in-laws, I was searching the Net and discovered this show. Only 100 miles away it was a no-brainer. Wifey and I headed out towards Springfield, Il on Thursday with a small cooler full of beers and the hopes of getting there by 7 P.M. After an initial coffee stop I ingeniously discovered that we could now fill our empty coffee cups with beer and not have to hide the can every time we took a sip.
This was billed as a concert to follow the arrival of NASCAR driver Kyle Petty promoting an annual charity motorcycle ride. It was supposed to take place on the roof of the parking garage of the Hilton hotel. As we approached Springfield, the 30 story high Hilton building dominated the landscape and Wifey mistakenly got excited about the concert on the roof. Damn! That would have been cool. Turns out the whole thing was moved inside with the threat of rain and now would be taking place in the Hilton Ballroom. We parked and surveyed the scene in front of the hotel and standing outside was Brian Henneman from the Bottle Rockets. We shot the shit for about ten minutes and he was very cool, sharing with us his woes regarding the recent storm that hit St. Louis, where he resides. I mentioned to him that we were at his show at The Next Decade in Pittsburgh when the bar caught on fire and that Marah had opened for that one as well, but he had a vague memory of it. We then hit the bar in the hotel basement, stopping to chat with Dave and a few of the guys from Marah in the lobby. We had a beer then headed back out as the motorbikes began to roar in. We found Kurt from Marah wandering around and then ran into Serge as he said they’d probably be hanging out in the bar after the show considering they would be staying the night in the same building, a first.
When we found out that a night at the Hilton was going to run close to $200 we decided that Wifey would be driving home and I proceeded to drink like the beer was going to run out any minute.
Inside the ballroom, the scene was a little odd as this looked more like a wedding reception than a rock show. The back half of the room was roped off for a dinner buffet for the ride participants. There was an open area in front of the massive stage and then rows of tables that people were sitting at, picnic style.
As soon as Marah took the stage people got up and filled the area between the tables and the stage. I think I’ve said this before regarding a Monday night Club Café show in Pittsburgh, and it applies to this night as well, but if there ever was a night when Marah could have phoned one in I figured it would be this night. I’d say about only a third of the folks in the ballroom were even paying attention but the boys played to those who were and once again made it a special evening. They were only on for barely over an hour but as usually played their hearts out every minute. I’m at a loss recalling any set list but stood up front most of the show enjoying every minute.
After a short break, The Bottle Rockets hit the stage to a more vocal audience and proceeded to go through a mix of old and new songs. I was feeling pretty good by then and Wifey put up with me obnoxiously taking pictures while standing in front of the stage shouting lyrics.
I barely remember walking back to the car afterwards and woke up with only 10 minutes to go before we were back in St. Louis.
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