Los Angeles - Lodge Room - Oct. 9, 2019

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Terraplane
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Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:33 pm

Post by Terraplane »

Excellent review. +1000

grainpulp
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Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 12:33 am

Post by grainpulp »

Also want to say I love that they open the encore with "Hearts and Minds." Great song. Nice waltz for dancing.

TragicFig
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Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:02 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Post by TragicFig »

<<I'd love a straight rock record from this line up...>>

+1 :D

Gold Rush
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:48 am

Post by Gold Rush »

I've seen Son Volt 3 times this year and I'd guess my total number of Son Volt shows in nearing 20, and I agree with what you guys are saying about this incarnation of the band. I know there are loyalists who still pine for the original line up, but I'd argue that live, this group of musicians is putting out a better product.

I'd love a straight rock record from this line up...

Antelope850
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Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 5:42 am
Location: Up the Hudson Valley

Post by Antelope850 »

Great to see you on here grainpulp. Thanks for a wonderfully written review.

The 3 guitar attack is pretty sweet. And this lineup of Son Volt is really something special. Hope they do another album together and incorporate some 3 guitar stuff, some Spencer rock and roll piano, and the magic they make with Spencer's lap steel and Frame's slide guitar.

Here's a 3 guitar clip from the LA show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me-Y8a33MkI

Tokyo Fan
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Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:47 pm

Post by Tokyo Fan »

Terrific review, grainpulp. Wonderfully written. Thanks.

TragicFig
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Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:02 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Post by TragicFig »

Thanks for the terrific review GP. Life is sweet when SV is in town.

grainpulp
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Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 12:33 am

Los Angeles - Lodge Room - Oct. 9, 2019

Post by grainpulp »

I’ll keep it quick here… someone else chime in and share your memories…

Amidst the Santa Ana winds and lingering PG&E power shutdowns (to say nothing of the Dodger meltdown happening just up the Arroyo Parkway) the VOLT descended on So Cal, bringing their unholy noise to Highland Park. In a rare eastside appearance, forsaking the barren wasteland of the Sunset Strip, Farrar and Co. found themselves at the Lodge Room, a converted former Masonic Temple. Located on Ave 56, a sturdy box of bricks, antique mortar and memories, woodwork and tungsten. The October air was warm and pleasant, those winds blowing the atmosphere clean. Their bus parked at the front door, up the stairs, a group of folks awaited the music.

This is meditation. Drone, blues, country, rock. No one delivers this kind of experience. Hands down transcendental.

This was one of the best Son Volt shows I have ever seen. This incarnation of Son Volt has become fully and importantly its own thing. The band is just so tight and so good. Andrew DuPlantis has become such an integral part of the band - Farrar seems to have taken the Dylan approach and found his own Tony Garnier. Just love DuPlantis’ playing, you can feel the grit and integrity. He holds the thing like a hot shotgun. Rounding out the rhythm section, Mark Patterson is a keeper – love the attitude, the attention to detail, the heart and soul. Chris Frame seems forever young, some kind of Clapton spelling-bee whiz-kid, the guitar slinging stud. He is consistently rocking and eternally devoted. And, please, thank you Mark Spencer. His work on the keys is always dazzling, adding layers of depth and dimension – but, when he picks up a stringed instrument, you better watch out. The lap steel on "Union" positively shatters the foundation. And then, when he gets up on the electric guitar for the slew of classic Volt songs: View->Caryatid->Route->Drown. Let me tell you, tears came to my eyes. I was not expecting the three-guitar onslaught. If my memory serves me well, they did not do this on the last west coast tour. I was positively blown away by the sound.

And hey, thank you Jay Farrar for hanging. What a great night, what great songs.

And then they closed with Chickamauga.

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