"The Stars Are Just The Neon Lights..."

And so another Magnolia Electric Company concert is (sadly) behind us.

For Vicki and I, this was MEC concert number three; for Tammy, her first. This was also the first time seeing them live without being accompanied by the person who introduced us to them, our buddy Tim. He unfortunately had a conflict this time around, as otherwise I'm sure he'd have made the trek to Lee's Palace with us.

During the opening act, which was a female-fronted band called the Watson Twins (who I can't help but think PeterJ would've enjoyed immensely), MEC lead singer and songwriter Jason Molina once again wandered among the crowd for a few minutes. I almost didn't recognize him this time, as he's now sporting a different look: longer hair, mustache, red hankerchief and a fedora-type hat. In fact, as he stood just a few feet away from the three of us, I looked over and was just convincing myself that it wasn't him, when he met my gaze and flashed what I'd love to interpret as a glint of recognition (but which was more likely simply a "oh dear, I've been spotted" reaction). At any rate, I was emboldened to say "Hey, Jason!" and from there we struck up a short conversation.

After I complimented the recent box set, Sojourner, Molina described how it had been a fairly risky undertaking for the band, costing as it did "about a quarter million dollars to produce." I asked him how it was selling, and he kind of dodged the question by saying that they'd only made 5000 copies, since each one required a hand-made wooden box (which is admittedly one of the cooler physical attributes of Sojourner). I hope they've at least sold out of what they produced, since my math would seem to indicate that doing so would represent at best a break-even proposition, seeing as how each box set retailed for around $50 and thus it's hard to imagine that they've made their $250,000 back! Fortunately I did my part and just have to hope another 4999 MEC faithful did the same! Jason mentioned that it was intended as a 10th anniversary gift for the fans (Songs:Ohia launched in 1997), rather than being for the band. Which is pretty damn impressive! At one point I asked Molina if he was making much money off his song-writing (since I'd heard at a previous concert that he sometimes paid the other band members from that source) but he shook his head and made a sour face. Almost immediately, though, he brightened up and said, "No, but it's OK, we're doin' fine" which I hope was more than just politeness.

I didn't ask for a photo opp with him this time around, but contented myself with a few minutes of conversation that would be unheard of with bigger name talent. As far as I could see, not too many others there 'cornered' him as I had, which either speaks to the unfamiliarity of his new look, or just his anonymity in general! By the time MEC took the stage, an hour later, Lee's Palace was packed and really jumping, with the Friday night crowd getting totally into the performance.

In hindsight, I was probably too close to the stage for once. I spent the concert right in front of a speaker, and by the time the show was in its closing moments, I could barely make out any of the words! It was great from an access point-of-view (as some of the photos definitely highlight) but not so good in terms of hearing!

Bereft of any opening chatter, the band launched right into a raucous version of "Montgomery Bound" that set the tone for the evening. This was the loudest and rocking-est show I've seen MEC do to date. Later, they'd add more musicians to the stage (from the Watson Twins, I guess) and things would get even livelier, but even from the start it felt more energized than normal.

Next up was "Hammer Down," maintaining the high tempo and building on it with a longer offering than the two-and-a-half-minute opener. The crowd really started to get into it at this point, as "Hammer" is one of the band's signature songs these days.

"Talk To Me Devil, Again" slowed things down ever so slightly, while providing the second song from Fading Trails for those fans who maybe had only heard that CD (the most recent MEC release that was, at the time, 100% new material).

One of the rare out-and-out-quiet songs of the evening, "The Bowery," followed, allowing the band to catch its breath for the first time. This song first saw the light of day - in my house, anyway - on the Hard to Love a Man EP, before appearing on Sojourner earlier this year.

The crowd revved up again with "The Dark Don't Hide It," another perennial favourite. This was when I realized there were a lot of actual fans in the crowd, as quite a few people reacted to the opening notes before I even recognized the song myself!

Similarly, "Hard to Love a Man," while not as up-tempo a song, was warmly received by most in attendance. It's always a bit of a disappointment to hear this one played live, though, as the studio version has a female backing vocal to it that's missed in concert.

"Shiloh Temple Bell," from the Shohola disc of Sojourner, was next. I didn't recognize this one, but was able to ask the band member on the "steel organ" (my name for it; no idea if that's what it was) what the title of the song was, and he (shown here) graciously supplied it between songs!

The next song was also unknown to me (or unrecognizable, as my ears were really starting to give up the ghost) but featured the refrain "It's time..." so I should really be able to figure it out eventually!

The band then performed "It's Easier Now," from Jason Molina's Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go, but beefed it up considerably in the process (the original features just vocals and a quiet piano accompaniment).

Another unknown song followed, and it was by far the most country & western sounding tune of the evening. Again, I'll try to track it down, as I noted the lyrics "since you been gone" but I suspect those may not be uncommon enough to help!

"Be Simple Again," one of my favourite MEC songs, came at around the time that I expected the band to be wrapping up. Typically, their shows are only about an hour long (what do you expect for $17?) but tonight was going to be different. By the time they were finished, including the encore, they'd played for over ninety minutes! Just another reason why this one was special!

It was also around this point that several additional band members joined the five Magnolia players on stage. This gave them two drummers, four guys on various guitars (bass versus guitar, I can never tell the difference), and a couple of keyboardists. Each of the remaining songs got the royal treatment, with a noticeable increase in complexity and even an amazing drum duet! This all started with an older song, "Steve Albini's Blues," from the Songs:Ohia CD, Didn't It Rain? I was officially blown away during the course of this song!

Another crowd-pleaser, "Farewell Transmission" (from the crossover Songs:Ohia CD, entitled Magnolia Electric Company) closed out the initial set, featuring an extended instrumental section that ended with the aforementioned drum duet and had all of us breathlessly in awe of what we'd just witnessed and heard.

My ears were so far gone that I have no idea what the encore song was, except that it included all of the expanded lineup once more, and also had a mid-song guitar transfer between two of the musicians, which I was close enough to observe in such detail that I can attest to the fact that no note was missed in the hand-off! I was literally open-mouthed gaping at the sight, and got a smile from one of the guys involved when it was all over and done with (I think he liked that somebody noticed!)

Tammy said that she enjoyed it, or at least that the band sounded "better live." I don't think we turned her into a Magnolia fan, but that wasn't really the point. Vicki and I had yet another fantastic concert experience, and the three of us spent the time between bands bonding. Although, in their case, beer may've played a part in the bonding process:

After the show, we wandered back toward Tammy's apartment around 2:00 a.m., making a stop at Pizza Pizza along the way for a post-midnight snack. All in all, it was a wonderful night out for the Family Three.

"When it's been my ghost on the empty road
I think the stars are just the neon lights
Shining through the dance floor
Shining through the dance floor
Of heaven on a Saturday night"
- Magnolia Electric Company, "Hammer Down"