did anyone go?

Hi folks -- sorry this took so long, it's been a busy work week.

For starters, the mighty Jordan Katz was back. And he was not alone. This show had the largest Common Rotation lineup I've ever seen. Eric Kufs on lead vocals, acoustic guitar and electric guitar, Adam Busch on lead vocals, saxophone, glock, autoharp and harmonica, Jordan Katz on banjo, trombone and trumpet, Ken Beck on shakers and glock, Matt Young on stand-up bass, Mark McConville on pedal steel guitar and electric guitar, Ryan Raddatz on mandolin and piano, Davy ? on drum kit and special guest Dan Bern on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. That's a nine-man Folkharmonic Orchestra. Figure everybody's playing their customary main instrument on songs unless specified otherwise below.

Up first: "Union Maid," with Matt on bass, Jordan on both banjo and trumpet, Ryan on mandolin, Adam on harmonica, Davy on drum kit and Ken on shakers. The first verse had Adam and Eric harmonizing softly, with the second verse at more normal levels. All those strings! All that percussion! And a really wailing harmonica/trumpet outtro.

Ryan then took to the piano as sometime m.c. Mark Evan Jackson welcomed Jordan back. John DiMaggio (like MEJ, also of the Thrilling Adventure and Supernatural Suspense Hour) took the stage for a riff. Then he left and the band segued into "Drown Me Out," with Jordan on trumpet. Percussion came in midway through.

A cover of "I'm Your Puppet" was next. Adam and Eric shared lead vocals on the first verse, with Jordan on trombone, Mark McConville on electric guitar, Matt taking the lead for a verse while on bass, Adam wailing on sax and Dan singing bridge. Very powerful, fun sound.

Dan Bern took the lead on a song that I believe is one of his originals, possibly called "Leave My Body Sometime" or "Black Tornado." (Hey, I didn't get to see the set list, I'm just going by the lyrics.) He and Eric were both on acoustic guitar, with Ryan on piano.

"My Kingdom" had Adam on autoharp, Ken on glock, Ryan on piano, Jordan on banjo. Eric sang the first verse, with everyone chiming in on chorus. Dan took the second verse vocally, and there was a longer bridge than usual, with all the instruments coming in. Adam took lead vocals on the third verse, which had just the autoharp playing the first line, then all the instruments swooping in hard for the second line. It sounded fantastic.

Next came a rock number with Dan Bern on lead vocals, Ryan on piano, Adam on sax, Jordan on trumpet, Mark on electric guitar, Davy and Ken both on shaker-type instruments. The song is apparently called "Marilyn Monroe Didn't Marry Henry Miller" (it's about what might have happened if she'd married him instead of Arthur Miller). Jordan got a fine trumpet solo.

Dan Bern then soloed on "Joe Christ" (about Jesus' dad) and "I Married Myself."

Dan stayed on lead vocals as the rest of the band came back for "Don't Let Your Heart," with Ryan on piano, Jordan on banjo, Adam on glock, Mark on steel pedal guitar, Davy on drum kit and Eric on acoustic guitar and backup vocals.

Adam said, "This next song is about trying to sing folk songs with a bunch of comedians" (referring to the various "Thrilling Adventure" folks who chimed in on the breaks between songs). Adam took lead vocals on the first verse of "Bitter Honey," with Ryan on piano, Jordan on banjo, Mark on electric guitar. Dan Bern took the second verse, Adam, Eric and Dan harmonized on the chorus (with backup from the rest), Eric took the bridge, which built into a Jimi Hendrix-like wall of sound before Eric took lead on the third verse. Really rocking rendition.

Dan Bern took lead on a song about downsizing Christmas with a kind of calypso flavor. Jordan was on banjo, switching to trombone, and Adam was on harmonica.

Next came a kind of instrumental musical chairs, with Matt borrowing Eric's guitar, Mark taking over the bass, Eric taking Mark's electric guitar, plus Adam on harmonica ("in the key of D," he noted), Ryan on mandolin and Dan Bern on backup acoustic guitar for one of Matt's songs, "Here to Stay."

Then Eric retrieved his guitar for the off-mike finale, "There's a War on Christmas."

So -- big, big show, big, big sound, big, big holiday fun.

Shapenew

Sounds like quite the party! Thanks shapenew and Happy Holidays to you! Thanks ever so for the reports this year .. looking forward to many more in 2009 xx