Robyn Henslin & Les Noble's, Verona WI - Apr. 4, 2008

[AndaleOrbea]

Hey Folks!

Another spectacular EP Show tonight. This one in the basement of Robin and Les’ home in Verona WI. I counted at least 32 people seated before Ellis started playing, so the basement out sold Shank Hall from the previous night. We got there at about 20 minutes before show time and Ellis asked us why we were running so late – he was obviously kidding. We saw Jason and Kristina – the young couple who came to Ellis’ birthday show at FitzGeralds in Chicago, and the same woman whom Dusty (the radio-controlled dragonfly) flew into her wine glass and spilled it all over her. It was great to see them.

Les introduced Ellis and told a story about how he was first introduced to Ellis several years ago at the Café Carpe in Fort Atkinson.

Here's the setlist:

1. Hurricane Angel (keyboard)
2. Once Upon a Summertime (keyboard)
3. Jukebox On My Grave
4. Walkin’ After Midnight/Change Medley
5. I Can’t Make You Love Me
6. Maria’s Beautiful Mess
7. Rattle My Cage
8. Words
9. Take All the Sky You Need
10. 3000 Miles
11. If You Break Down
12. The World Ain’t Slowin’ Down
*Interval* I didn’t see any cakes though…
13. The Night Hank Williams Came to Town (keyboard)
14. If I Could Catch the Rain (keyboard)
15. Alice’s Champagne Palace
16. Calendar Man
17. Because It’s There
18. She Was
19. Waking up to Me
20. Jamiel Shaw
21. Martyr’s Lounge

Ellis told a lot of stories – He started off reminiscing about being in the basement, with strobe lights, lava lights and black lights and being in the 7th grade, and girls – something the teenage boys could appreciate. He also told one story about driving around in his rented Mitsubishi coupe convertible this trip with barely enough room to carry his guitars and his enormous suitcase that is taking over the entire front seat of the car; the car had a subwoofer in the back seat (which really is an exaggeration, there was no back seat) and the subwoofer also took up most of the trunk too. He talked about some 12 venues he’s played in Madison over the years – probably more than any other city anywhere he’s played. He was bonding with the teenager boys – I think they are Robin and Les’ children – showing them how he plays the guitar. He told them (the boys) the story about how he tries to simulate a band during Maria’s Beautiful Mess – then how the drummer is the first one to die, so they need to be ready to find a back up drummer at any time… He talked about Keith Moon of The Who, who drove into a swimming pool with a Cadillac (both of which Keith could have afforded). He also told a story about when he grew up in Presque Isle, Maine – where he was running on the road between 12 foot high snow banks on either side of the road, with the wind so strong and the temperature so cold that his glasses broke – apparently that didn’t keep him from still running into his college years.

All in all, another great night listening to Ellis. We head back tomorrow to Chicago to see him at Schubas – a really great venue.

Good night, ya’ll.
Dean (and Elaine)

[Richard + Jela]

Wot no cakes!!!!

Seriously tho' thanks for another great report - 21 songs that's a long show. You just can't beat House Concerts for seeing your fave artists 'up close' so I love going to them.

Look forward to the next report from you Dean.........have fun.

Jela

[KarenZ]

Great to wake up to these reports Dean! Thanks for all the details on the stories. Sorry about there not being any cakes, though. I went to a Pat Wictor house concert last night and I swear there was enough food (cakes included) to have easily fed 100 folks more than the 30-35 that were there. Pat mentioned that last weekend he did some shows in Texas with Ellis Paul - who he now considers a good friend. Music is a common denominator, no?

Have fun at Schubas tonight! If you see IllinoisBill, give him a hug from me!

KarenZ

[paddyinthepub]

Suddenly, I'm craving cake for breakfast.....

Dean, sounds like another one of a kind as only Ellis Paul can deliver concert chalk full of anecdotes, stories, and crowd interactions. I got a kick out of Ellis chiding you and Elaine for arriving so close to showtime. Picturing Ellis driving his car rental with the boom box taking up most of the backseat (if you could call it that) and the trunk has me chuckling a bit this morning. You guys got quite a setlist and by the looks of it Ellis dusted off "Rattle My Cage" which shows me he's reading the forum and maybe even considering the suggestion that the song makes it onto the new record. I've seen Ellis on a Youtube from The Town Crier in Pawling, NY where he kills off the drummer....too cool.

And....he's out there telling stories about Keith Moon of The Who driving expensive cars into expensive swimming pools......ROCK ON!!!

Thanks for the report, Dean (and Elaine)

I got a feeling you two should adopt a new concert road trip motto:

BYOC........

Safe travels, again.......tell IllinoisBill I say Hello, too.

[AndaleOrbea]

Thanks gals and guys for appreciating the report. Some times I never know how my report will come out - I remember posting a report from Ann Arbor, MI when what sounded like a shot rang out during Million Chameleon March (you know, baby's first protest song), and apparently I was misunderstood - or perhaps you guys are kidding around as much as I do sometimes... It's hard to give sentiment when your reading - at least my writing... we engineers tend to forget to add the emotion part. Am I right, Elaine??? Yes, Dean.

And Rattle My Cage was really great. I know Ellis struggled with it a bit - more with lyrics than the music - but I think he was trying to play some of the toughest finger action songs he could find just so he could show the Robyn and Les' boys how you could make the guitar sing. When he started playing it I knew right away what song it was. And I have to say that since I haven't been an EP fan for very long, I don't think I've seen him play that live. It was a real treat.

Anyway, what I should have said was Robyn and Les were extremely wonderful hosts with plenty of stuff for their guests in their home. They were extremely gracious and really funny and I'm grateful that they allowed me (and Elaine) to come to their home and watch Ellis perform. And while I didn't see any cakes at the Interval, I really meant I didn't look for cakes at the interval - there was plenty of other things, especially beverages and there may have been cakes in the kitchen, I just didn't venture into the kitchen to check.

It's a beautiful day in south central Wisconsin and got lots to do today in Chicago before the show. I'll look for IllinoisBill at tonight's show, but I think I remember him saying that he was at another show tonight in the Southwest Suburbs - but I can't remember. I promised to keep in touch with him, but haven't seen or talked to him since the Susan Werner show in Elgin, IL in early March - in fact I missed his birthday on March 27. I have to make it up to him. I'll say hello to him and give him a hug from you guys when I see him. He's such a great guy - of course you already know that...

Talk to you L8R
Dean (and Elaine) now Bringing My Own Cake

[paddyinthepub]

The road goes on forever and the party never ends......Robert Keen

Dean...adopting that philosophy and here to say that I'm lovin the way:

The road goes on forever and the stories never end.

Keep em comin.....

ps....I just laughed out loud at how you signed off on that last post and had to bring my wife up to speed. She too wondered if the ribbing about the lack of cake might not get to the eyes of the house concert hosts who are bound to read about the show on this forum. I told her that I would hope that they would know we were only razzin you about cake and not them. All in good fun!!! Hec, you probably should have gone into the kitchen. Dontcha know...that's where they keep the best desserts?

[KarenZ]

Dean,

Don't be worrying about how your reports may come out. Life's too short. Besides....

"who needs perfection, I like the tension when there's room for doubt?"

I was on my way to Texas on IllinoisBill's big 5-0 and sang him a rendition of Happy Birthday on my cell phone while waiting for my flight to Houston. I love singing Happy Birthday to friends!

KarenZ

[sgf64]

Great report about the show. Its nice to see that folks are willing to travel to see a show.

With regard to the 12 venues in Madison that EP has played over the years, I can tell you about one visit that I made with him. This would have been March of 1996. Carnival of Voices was in the can, but not out yet. In fact we were driving around listening to a mastered version and EP was trying to decide on the order the songs would take on the album. Needless to say, this changed hour to hour and minute to minute.

So there we were on the road for a few weeks in his Honda Civic that replaced the one that rolled over the previous year, which could only be packed one specific way with all the guitars and stuff that we had with us. We rolled into Madison and the gig was at a place he'd never played before. There was diner a few doors down and a pretty nice theater across the street that had Patty Larkin's name on the marquee.

The show was an early evening show so that they could bring in a salsa band to play later on. I don't remember much about the show other than the fact that it started with Autobiography of a Pistol as they all were at that point and that I learned a very important lesson that day. Should you ever, for any reason, see Mr. Paul with a pool cue in hand, do not, for any reason, pick up a pool cue. The man is a shark. It only cost me a shot of whiskey that day, which is still the last drink that I have bought to this day.

So to recap, small car, lots of guitars, Pistol, a pool cue, and a shot of whiskey.

Stuart

[KarenZ]

Stuart,

It is so nice to have you as part of our online community of devotees. Thanks for sharing that fun memory. Feel free to share others when they surface...if you discern that they are share-able.

So.....I guess you can really identify with that line from "Martyr's Lounge". You know, the one that says:

"Marilyn Monroe, Jacques Cousteau
talk about he sharks they used to know."

KarenZ
P.S. Cool sig file.

[paddyinthepub]

Stuart....thanks for the look back at your time on an Ellis Paul "roadtrip."

Funny, I met Barb62 from the forum and she talked about the time Ellis had played at her house and even played pool with her kids. No mention of "The Color Of Money" side of our favorite travellin troubador.

He must have taken it easy on them that night, but obviously has them right where he wants them!!

Keep em comin....fans live for this kind of stuff.