Sally Dworsky, who is a frequent guest on Prairie Home Companion has included a cover of Broken Bicycles on her most recent album, Start it All Over. Her brother Richard Dworsky, also a Prairie Home Companion regular, appears with her on the album.
Ben L. on the Raindogs Mailing List found a Tom Waits themed cafe in Taiwan. Actually, it looks way too clean to really be Tom Waits themed, but it’s a start. A few dozen invading Raindogs ought be able to beat the place into a suitable level of squalor. If nothing else, they probably have a great jukebox. Anyone out there visited the place?
I’m in another of my catching up on old news moods. I’m sure a lot of this info has already been found by the persistent fans out there. However, just in case anyone might find it interesting, I’m going to post a bunch of stuff from my most recent absence.
I posted on this Tom Waits extravaganza last year. Inside a Broken Clock is a full fledged cabaret based entirely on the music of Tom Waits taking place in the great city of music, Austin, TX. From what I heard, it is a wonderful show that does great honor to Mr. Waits. The organizers do a great job of describing the show in their press release:
A small-scale spectacular featuring dance, puppetry, vaudeville comedy and other weirdness set to the music of Tom Waits, played live by some of Austin’s finest junkyard musicians. Expect to be titillated by Vegas showgirls, a dancing bear, disgruntled gravediggers, a mad scientist and dancing skeleton, German prostitutes, a drunken ringmaster and other ramshackle characters from the big top and back alleys of the Tom Waits universe.
Well, after much public demand, they are bringing the show back for three more nights between October 5th and 7th. There will be two shows a night. The venue hasn’t been nailed down yet, but I’ll post it as soon as I know. Prepare to buy your tickets early, all of the performances last year sold out fast.
Update: The show will be held at the Elks Lodge, 700 Dawson Road, Austin, Texas. Tickets are now on sale.
We’ve been hearing rumors about an album called Orphans for quite some time. Well, thankfully all of the rumors are true. The album, officially called Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, will be a three CD set and will be released on November 21st. It will encompass 54 songs including 30 new recordings. Additionally, it will include a 94 page booklet giving great detail about these recordings. Waits as described Orphans as:
“Orphans are rough and tender tunes. Rhumbas about mermaids, shuffles about trainwrecks, tarantellas about insects, madrigrals about drowning,” says Waits. “Scared, mean, orphans songs of rapture and melancholy. Songs that grew up hard. Songs of dubious origin rescued from cruel fate and now left wanting only to be cared for. Show that you are not afraid and take them home. They don’t bite, they just need attention.”
Source: ANTI- Album - Orphans
I think Mr. Waits will find many to take these songs under their wings.
Here is the track listing:
CD 1: BRAWLERS
CD 2: BAWLERS
CD 3: BASTARDS
Sorry, coming back from vacation always puts you behind. Here’s the set list for the House of Blues show in Cleveland, OH on August 13th:
Encore 1:
Encore 2:
August 13th Set List:
Encore 1:
Encore 2:
August 11th Set List:
Encore 1:
Encore 2:
Sorry, I was out of cell phone range and I couldn’t post anything. In any case, there’s a bunch to post, but I’ll have to stick with the set lists until I get back home. Here’s Chicago’s:
Encore 1:
Encore 2:
Press release just sent out from Stuart Ross, Waits’ touring manager:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2006
TOM WAITS
Intimate nightclub performance
“And there he is at the center of the frame, Tom Waits. Jumping right off the screen and straight into our f***ing laps. This is rock ‘n’ roll baby–the IMAX version.” Harp Magazine
“Even back in the ancient, pre-country days when the holy structure was an actual church, it’s hard to imagine a more passionate sermonizer gracing the boards than Waits…A few songs in, the band left the stage as a piano was wheeled out. With nothing more than 88 keys and a baby blue spotlight, Waits sat down, removed some of the gravel from his voice and turned the auditorium into an intimate nightclub. ‘Tom Traubert Blues’–with its echoes of ‘Waltzing Matilda’–was simply a moving thing of beauty…” The Tennessean
THIS Sunday, August 13 * doors at 11:00 PM
Ages: 21 +
On sale Thursday, August 10 @ noon
All ticket orders are WILL CALL and can only be picked up at the box office on the night of the event at door times (11 PM). There is a two (2) ticket maximum per household, and the guest of ticket purchaser must be present at the time of will-call ticket pickup.
All patrons will be required to present a valid picture ID matching the name given at the time of purchase AND the credit card used for the ticket purchase in order to receive their tickets and gain admittance to the show.
Patron names may not be transferred once the ticket purchase transaction is complete.
Tickets will go on sale Thursday, August 10 at noon via the House of Blues box office, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), or charge by phone at 216-241-5555 in Cleveland, 330-945-9400 in Akron or 330-747-1212 in Youngstown.
The House of Blues box office at 308 Euclid Ave. is open daily at 10:00 AM Monday through Saturday and at 9:00 AM on Sundays.
Encore:
I just wanted to add my two cents here and say that the Ryman show was unbelievable. I had really enjoyed Memphis, by this show just blue it away. The band just seemed infused with twice as much energy and everything just seemed to be lined up for a great show. Not to mention, the setting just couldn’t be better. To me, the really stand out performances to me were Tom Traubert’s blues and a highly comedic performance of What’s He Building in There, but really everything was great.
I also just wanted to say how great it was too meet a great many people who’ve I’ve corresponded with over the last few years. It’s always nice to put a face to a name and I hope to see you all again next time we’ve got a tour that I can make it to. Hopefully, it won’t be another seven year wait.
I was out of cell phone range for the last two days, so sorry for the delay in posting this:
Encore:
This is a very rough set list from Memphis. You’ll have to forgive me, but I’ve had a bit to drink and am horrible with song titles to begin with. However, the show was great and he played some really unusual songs. So here’s my first pass, let me know what I got wrong and missed:
Encore:
