Music at the Mission - West Milford, NJ - Feb. 16, 2008

[KarenZ]

Folks,

Hey I heard via the EPU (Ellis Paul Underground) that Ellis did a brand new song at this show about the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Does anyone have any details about the show/song?

KarenZ

[paddyinthepub]

Leave it to Ellis to write a song about Katrina and then play it out there for other audiences and making us wait our turn to hear it out live.

Ellis' fondness for the city of New Orleans goes back a ways, doesn't it? Seems I remember Ellis playing in New Orleans and staying with friends there, all captured on the road movie and part of the DVD 3000 miles.

Then of course there's the fact that his song New Orleans is one of my wife's all-time favorite songs in the Ellis Paul songbook.

Yep.....I'd love to hear about this new Katrina song, too.

[shari]

I have been remiss! Sorry, it took me a few days to get to post.

I had not intended to go to this show, I was planning on doing a two night Ellis road-show next weekend (The Towne Crier in Pawling, NY and The Iron Horse in Northampton, MA) but alas, I must fly to San Francisco at the last minute for business on Thursday (I know that you all feel bad for me)… I am still hoping to make The Iron Horse….

Depressed about missing my two-night journey, I looked for when else I might see him when I found the entry for Music at the Mission at the last minute. I’d never been there before and it is only an hour from my house. It’s a great little venue, very friendly with lots of positive energy, although Ellis accused us of being a very serious audience.

Yes! He did play a new song and said that he thought it was the fastest time between completion and presentation. He completed it upstairs in the chapel while waiting to go on. He had not titled it yet, but I am calling it “Hurricane Angel” – he’ll have to correct if I turn out to be wrong about that.

Here is the setlist:

Summertime (on piano – I still like the crank you lyrics, but I lost that one)
Hurricane Angel
Take All the Sky You Need
Alice’s Champagne Palace
3,000 Miles
Because It’s There
Million Chameleon March
If I Could Catch the Rain
Maria’s Beautiful Mess
JukeBox on My Grave
Black Top Train (unplugged in the audience)
Home
Speed of Trees
Did Galileo Pray (Audience participation not optional)
The World Ain’t Slowing Down
Minor Key (encore)

I noticed similarities in the lyrics/themes between If I Could Catch the Rain and Hurricane Angel. Are these both about Katrina?

It was a great show with lots of laughs and great moments.

[KarenZ]

Shari! Yay! So glad you were there!

Thanks for the setlist and the report. The lyrics to "I can't catch the rain" that Dean posted do include the words "summer hurricane", but I don't think it's about Katrina. But what do I know? Nada!

Safe travels to San Francisco and I hope you make it to the Iron Horse!

KarenZ

[shari]

I got the song order wrong before... I have it scratched on the back of a bank deposit slip and it's a little crazy to follow... Here is the right order (with a little more commentary):

Summertime (on piano – I still like the crank you lyrics, but I lost that one)
Hurricane Angel (new song - he wasn't sure how to end it)
Maria’s Beautiful Mess
JukeBox on My Grave
Take All the Sky You Need
Alice’s Champagne Palace
3,000 Miles
Because It’s There
Million Chameleon March (baby's first protest song)
If I Could Catch the Rain
Black Top Train (unplugged in the audience)
Home (on piano)
Speed of Trees (request)
Did Galileo Pray (request - Audience participation not optional)
The World Ain’t Slowing Down
Minor Key (encore - request)