Site Specific Music

First off, I'm sorry I skipped Audience Participation last Monday. I was so flattened by work it was all I could do to finish the Life is Good write-up. As we head into this weekend show heavy autumn you can generally expect a show write-up on any Monday after a show, in lieu of Audience Participation, unless I get super motivated. Normally it takes me so long to do the write-ups that with work, one entry is all I have time for. I hope nobody minds too terribly.

Second, does anyone have any suggestions or requests for topics they'd like me to cover in Audience Participation? I'm starting to run a little light on ideas.

And third, Venue Songs! I promised when I mentioned Venue Songs in my countdown that I'd share my list of favorites so here you go. I think Venue Songs has a higher concentration of songs I love than any other "album." Of course there are a lot more songs so that's probably not a fair comparison. I was going to do a top 5 list until I realized there was no possible way I could narrow it down to just 5, so I'm going with 10.

It is frankly mind boggling how many really good little tunes came out of this project considering they were all written the day of the show. When I get my time machine, I am totally going back to see them all in their original performance. Any time I see that they have played one of the non-studio released venue songs on a return trip to a venue, I enjoy picturing the guys, before soundcheck, all huddled around a recording, trying to figure out how the heck the song goes again. We actually got a little taste of that in Asheville this spring, since we were outside while they were soundchecking and could hear them hashing out The Orange Peel once more.

So here is my list:

10. Houston - I actually really like the music to this one. It's a rockin' little tune.

9. Columbia - Someone I know once dubbed this to be the happiest song the band has ever written. I can't say I disagree. It's like a Shirley Temple song.

8. Albany - I don't know if I would like this one as well as I do if I had not personally experienced The Egg on multiple occasions. It so deserves this song. Plus it's the first venue song I ever heard in it's venue.

7. Asheville - There is just something about the way Linnell says "orange" that is amusing. And the song makes a great sing-a-long. But it wasn't until we were crossing the French Broad River in March that I realized that was what the line in the song was. I guess I just never thought to look it up.

6. Minneapolis - I can not listen to this song without laughing. Just the mental image of all the guys in a huge screaming, throwing stuff fight (because I find that so unlikely) and then coming out to rock the shit out of the stage.

5. London - Silly, silly, silly song. I am so sad this club isn't there anymore so I will never get the chance to hear this one live. Ah, the trials and tribulations of being on the road.

4. Towson - "This will make more sense as we go." Really John? Will it? This is how I feel every time there is a show I can't go to.

3. Vancouver - Sometimes I am tempted to get a monocle, just so I can be the girl in this song. Love this one. Music and words.

2. Pittsburgh - Happy, happy song. So bouncy and rockin'.  This is one of my favorite videos too.

1. Los Angeles - I think this songs stands on its own, outside of being a Venue Song, better that any of the others. It's just a great song. When I was making my list of favorite songs, this was the Venue Song that almost made it onto the list. It would definitely be in my top 50. And another great video.


Now, you must all participate or the Deranged Millionaire will continue to stare at you from your computer screen delivering biting commentary until you give in.