Mp3s: Camera Obscura live in Allston
Posted on July 26, 2006 at 9:30 pm | No Comments
Scottish sextet Camera Obscura are at the tail end of a North American tour that brought them to Allston’s Great Scott a couple weeks back, and the packed room was more than happy to have ’em. Reviewers can’t seem to resist referencing Belle & Sebastian when they write about them, thanks to their shared homeland, similar instrumentation, and gentle-pop stylings, but that didn’t really occur to me until I read it somewhere (and I lost my B&S love long ago). I get a ‘slightly more somber Heavenly‘-vibe from Tracyanne Campbell’s songwriting, and appreciate the way they’re easily able to incorporate varied styles (motown, country) into their work. Their latest disc, “Let’s Get Out Of This Country“, is their best yet, both production and song-wise, and they did an excellent job of bringing the new stuff to the stage. Here’s their Boston set…
Live at Great Scott
Allston, MA
Thursday, July 6th, 2006
01. Come Back Margaret
02. I Love My Jean
03. The False Contender
04. Teenager
05. Tears For Affairs
06. Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken
07. banter 1
08. Dory Previn
09. banter 2
10. Let’s Get Out Of This Country
11. If Looks Could Kill
12. banter 3
13. Country Mile
14. banter 4
15. Eighties Fan
16. banter 5
17. Razzle Dazzle Rose
18. I Need All The Friends I Can Get
19. banter 6
20. Suspended From Class
Tracyanne relays this story in the banter above, but it’s worth a retelling here: When the band pulled into town, they noticed a couple of teenagers hanging around outside the doors to Great Scott. Too young to get into the show, they actually had a note from their mom, in hopes that would be enough for the staff to let their ages slide. Unfortunately, thanks to Boston’s ultra-strict liquor-laws, that was a no go. Their mom was still in the area, so she came by to try and chaperone them inside… but no luck there either.
But here’s the thing: It was Lloyd Cole’s family. Yes, that Lloyd Cole. The Scottsman who wrote 1984’s “Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?” with his band The Commotions. The song that Camera Obscura’s “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” was written in response to. Mrs. Cole & kids had driven 90 miles to see the band play it, and they were sadly shut out. Some band t-shirts, and perhaps a muffled listen outside the fire door, were all they got. But hopefully the kids will surf by here and get a listen to the song they drove all that way to hear.
Something else you’ll hear between songs: The band dedicates a number to my pals Jesse & Keira (aka The Flarsons), who were celebrating their wedding anniversary that night. A nicer couple you will never meet, and it was super-cool to hear the crowd share in the congratulations (and to hear Keira’s ‘thank you!’ on the recording).
Some Camera Obscura-related links for you…
Chromewaves writes up the first show of the tour in Toronto, and provides us with some beeeeyooootiful pictures. His shots get better and better. For the Records wrote up that show as well. The band has a tour blog, but it’s very much in need of an update. Openers Georgie James were quite good, prompting me to dig deeper into their stuff. Exitfare profiled them recently. The band gets a write-up, and Tracyanne gets interviewed, at Rolling Stone online. Can’t remember the last time I had a reason to link to, or even think about, Rolling Stone. Have a look or listen to their appearance on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic from last week. Eight songs live in the studio, including a Sheena Easton (!) cover. Check out the video for “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” over at YouTube. Lots more CamOb video to be found there, too, including a newly-recorded live clip of that song from the Troubadour in Los Angeles. The Village Voice reviews the new album.
Camera Obscura’s North American tour finishes up this week with just a few more dates, so don’t miss ’em if they happen to be near you…
Thursday, July 27th – Varsity Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
Friday, July 28th – Logan Square – Chicago, IL
Saturday, July 29th – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
Sunday, July 20th – Southgate House – Newport, KY
as always… If anyone has an issue with this live set being made available, just say the word (email link on left). Recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then edited to 192kbps mp3s. Mp3s are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.
I’ll end this with a chance for kindness: Gabe over at Audiocrush (one of my favorite indie podcasts) has a 10-month old kitty named Gertie, and she fell three stories to the ground last week. She’s doing ok now, but not after a painful $3000 in vet bills. If you’re feeling generous, help Gabe & Gertie out with a little donation. It’ll do your heart, and Gabe’s wallet, a whole lot of good.
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