helenback: Great show last night. LOVED it! Loved the set list. Here are some quick and not particularly eloquent notes because I don’t have much time now.
(edit: Sorry if some of this is repeat info - just saw zanyzano's post)
Opening act was the BBC Parallel Lives documentary, played in its entirety on the stage curtain. As the credits rolled, the curtain went down and E took the stage, just him and an electric guitar. Same 'look' as the St. James show, by the way – mechanic outfit & baseball cap. He played a few songs and then introduced The Chet, and it was those two (mostly – more on that later) for the rest of the set, alternating instruments. Toy piano, saw, drums, pedal steel or whatever it’s called, electric guitars, etc etc.
In addition to playing a shitload of different instruments, Chet also read excerpts from E’s book between songs, prompting E to say, “what can else can I possibly make you do -- don’t answer that.” Each of the readings segued nicely into songs – for example, the story about E’s landlady seeing a ghost walk into his house, followed by Last Stop: This Town.
E talked a lot more to the crowd this time around – sharp contrast to the last tour -- and Valentine’s Day was a running gag throughout the night. Lots of tongue in cheek “I love you's” bandied about, with E wondering why it’s considered odd for men to say that to each other, ha.
But back to the music. Many, many highlights to the set: Flyswatter - kickass version with E & Chet alternating piano and drums. LOUD. This & I Like Birds in particular were crowd favorites. My personal favorites: Three Speed, Last Stop, Somebody Loves You, PS You Rock (the quintessential eels song and an ideal show closer – melancholy, hopeful and inspiring at once). Favorite cover of the night: Led Zep's Good Times, Bad Times with Chet singing & E on drums.
By far the biggest highlight came during the encore. E started playing Beautiful Freak on the piano, said he hadn't played the song in years and reminisced about the old days – flying around in the Novocaine video, Butch, Tommy, etc. Then he said he should call up those guys, though they’d probably punch him in the face, and as he continued with the song who should walk out onstage but … Tommy!! (who by the way looks fantastic). Wearing a BF shirt with the white cat, carrying his French Horn. E turned around, saw him and said: “Tommy! Can you hear me?” LOL. The song was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous, with the piano & French horn; Tommy had a huge smile the entire time, and afterwards he & E hugged and I think E said ‘I love you’ to him, seeing that it was, after all, Valentine’s Day. A great, great moment that gave me chills.
All in all, a masterfully crafted show – one befitting the retrospective nature of all the current releases.
Oh – no lights-on encore, although plenty of people stuck around hoping for one. Security shooed people out pretty quickly, so I assume PS You Rock was the last song played.
Sorry this is such a jumbled mess. I’ll post more as I remember, and hopefully others will come along with more detail (and photos -- saw a few cameras there).
Setlist:
DOTG What I Have to Offer Millicent Don’t Blame Yourself Ugly Love Strawberry Blonde!! Three Speed After the Operation Last Time We Spoke Souljacker I Elizabeth on the BR floor Dog’s Life Beloved Monster I Like Birds Jeannie’s Diary In the Yard, Behind the Church Last Stop This Town I Want to Protect You I’m Going to Stop Pretending Flyswatter Bus Stop Boxer Novocaine Good Times Bad Times (Led Zep cover) - Chet sings, E drums Somebody Loves You Souljacker Pt II
Encore 1 Girl from the North Country Can’t Help Falling… (Elvis cover) Beautiful Freak – with Tommy on French Horn
Encore 2 PS You RockEin Traum... Ich freu mich umso mehr auf die Konzerte jetzt... Und das mit E und Tommy ist einfach so toll  !
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