Mats in MPLS
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monkeyboy
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Re: Mats in MPLS
Reports on Facebook are that it was UNBELIEVABLE, and we're likely to get a live release and DVD at some point!!!
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Rick V
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Mats in MPLS
Far and away the greatest musical experience of my life. No question about it. Had one helluva fun time all weekend with old friends I met-up with and great new friends made.
Lucero and The Hold Steady were the openers and both put on fantastic performances - particularly The Hold Steady. THS were amazingly good. Seriously tight. Their whole set was incredible. And when they tore into "Sequestered In Memphis" Ben Nichols, showing his Memphis pride, came back out and performed the song w them. "Stuck Between Stations" was probably my personal highlight of THS' set. Freakin love that tune. (My personal highlight of Lucero's set was probably "What Else Would You Have Me Be".)
Just before The Replacements took the stage, the mayor of St. Paul came out with plaque in hand and proclaimed Sept 13, 2014 "The Replacements Day" in St. Paul.
The 'Mats played 31 songs. Paul & Tommy were in a great mood the whole time. They both looked genuinely so damn happy. As we looked at them, you couldn't help but think "You know what? The 'Mats won after all!"
All 4 guys came out wearing matching plaid suits! Looked awesome (and very 'Mats-y). They opened up with "Favorite Thing" and you could tell after the first 8 bars that they were just freaking ON. This was one 'important show' that they were not gonna tank. I took this shot during "Favorite Thing":
The whole show was unreal but there were several personal standout moments. "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out/Take Me Down To The Hospital" (w/a bit of Hendrix' Third Stone From The Sun in the middle) was killer. Crowd was in a frenzy. One thing I should note - unlike many shows these days by 80s bands where the crowd is muted and sedentary, this crowd, young & old, was ape-shit the whole time. That had such a huge effect on the band and the vibe in general.
Right after that Paul told the crowd that they were gonna do a Michael Jackson song and that they wished Michael was still with us. They played "I Want You Back" and, honestly, it sounded great. Paul's rhythm guitar was awesome on that one. But in typical 'Mats fashion, and very much like The Shit Hits The Fans, they petered-out about 2/3 of the way into the song b/c Paul apparently forgot the rest of the lyrics! Was great while they played it though. "Kiss Me On The Bus/Androgynous/I Will Dare" was amazing. Shortly after that they went into a killer Chuck Berry medley which included Maybelline. Paul was loving playing that old classic stuff. Played a great version of "Merry Go Round" which Paul said was at the request of his sister, Mary. "Love You In The Fall" from the Open Season soundtrack was a surprise and sounded incredible. "Bastards Of Young" was arguably the highlight of the show. Fucking amazing version. As 'Mats as it gets.
The second encore was "Unsatisfied". As he was playing the melodic intro, just before he started singing, Paul took a big drag on a cigarette, spit the cig out, then just belted the vocals out. Paul sang that one straight from the core of his guts. You knew when that song ended there was no way they were gonna play another song. Wasn't possible.
They were tight as hell. That's unlike the drunken 'Mats from yesteryear but it was of course a great thing. The drummer, Josh Freese, is awesome. If Paul & Tommy record again they'd be nuts to not use his skills behind the kit. Kept perfect time , didn't overplay, tasty fills. The lead guitarist, Dave Minehan, is a keeper too. He knows it's Paul's & Tommy's band - plays great lead fills, does a lot of lifting but never overplays. Has a great rock n roll look and 'tude too. He made sure to never try to take the focus off of Paul & Tommy - he stayed out of the way but clearly enjoyed the living hell out of himself all night.
Two moments worth big mention: during the first chorus of "Kiss Me On The Bus" Paul went over to Tommy's mic so they could sing it together (a la Mick & Keef) and Tommy kissed Paul! Crowd ate it up.
The other moment was when after the final song of the night Paul went over to Tommy and emotionally embraced him. Was such a great thing to see. Happened right near me too.
There was a really funny moment (and I captured it on video) during the encores where the band put on St. Paul Saints team jerseys with their last name on the back. Paul was #25, Tommy was #15. Paul didn't want to put his on at first but Tommy shouted to him "Put that fucker on!!!" After he put it on Paul said "You think Bob Dylan put this fucker on? You think Michael fucking Stipe put this on?!?!?Tommy said something like "Whooaa! Now we goin down there?" Then they lit into "Left Of The Dial". Here's the video I took of that:
https://vimeo.com/106251451
[Sorry for the bass distortion in the above. That's just the limitations of my phone, not the actual sound. The show's sound was perfect.]
Another interesting moment was when Paul introduced "Nowhere Is My Home" as a song they "never really released...and suddenly it's true." That's a reference to what was surprising news to me - Paul is recently divorced from Laurie Lindeen. I was unaware of that until I got to MPLS and read an article in the MPLS Tribune which mentioned it.
My friends and I couldn't have asked for a better spot in the crowd. We were perfectly positioned all night. Everyone was in a festive mood, great vibe.
Here's the video I took of Paul doing "Skyway":
https://vimeo.com/106252537
The sound-man deserves a gold medal for the way the sound was mixed. Could hear every note of music. No wall-of-sound bullcrap, thankfully.
One more thought: there were several times throughout the set where Paul's voice broke/cracked in that way we've heard from him so many times over his career. That vocal break/crack of his just might be my single favorite thing to hear in all of rock n roll.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Lucero and The Hold Steady were the openers and both put on fantastic performances - particularly The Hold Steady. THS were amazingly good. Seriously tight. Their whole set was incredible. And when they tore into "Sequestered In Memphis" Ben Nichols, showing his Memphis pride, came back out and performed the song w them. "Stuck Between Stations" was probably my personal highlight of THS' set. Freakin love that tune. (My personal highlight of Lucero's set was probably "What Else Would You Have Me Be".)
Just before The Replacements took the stage, the mayor of St. Paul came out with plaque in hand and proclaimed Sept 13, 2014 "The Replacements Day" in St. Paul.
The 'Mats played 31 songs. Paul & Tommy were in a great mood the whole time. They both looked genuinely so damn happy. As we looked at them, you couldn't help but think "You know what? The 'Mats won after all!"
All 4 guys came out wearing matching plaid suits! Looked awesome (and very 'Mats-y). They opened up with "Favorite Thing" and you could tell after the first 8 bars that they were just freaking ON. This was one 'important show' that they were not gonna tank. I took this shot during "Favorite Thing":
The whole show was unreal but there were several personal standout moments. "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out/Take Me Down To The Hospital" (w/a bit of Hendrix' Third Stone From The Sun in the middle) was killer. Crowd was in a frenzy. One thing I should note - unlike many shows these days by 80s bands where the crowd is muted and sedentary, this crowd, young & old, was ape-shit the whole time. That had such a huge effect on the band and the vibe in general.
Right after that Paul told the crowd that they were gonna do a Michael Jackson song and that they wished Michael was still with us. They played "I Want You Back" and, honestly, it sounded great. Paul's rhythm guitar was awesome on that one. But in typical 'Mats fashion, and very much like The Shit Hits The Fans, they petered-out about 2/3 of the way into the song b/c Paul apparently forgot the rest of the lyrics! Was great while they played it though. "Kiss Me On The Bus/Androgynous/I Will Dare" was amazing. Shortly after that they went into a killer Chuck Berry medley which included Maybelline. Paul was loving playing that old classic stuff. Played a great version of "Merry Go Round" which Paul said was at the request of his sister, Mary. "Love You In The Fall" from the Open Season soundtrack was a surprise and sounded incredible. "Bastards Of Young" was arguably the highlight of the show. Fucking amazing version. As 'Mats as it gets.
The second encore was "Unsatisfied". As he was playing the melodic intro, just before he started singing, Paul took a big drag on a cigarette, spit the cig out, then just belted the vocals out. Paul sang that one straight from the core of his guts. You knew when that song ended there was no way they were gonna play another song. Wasn't possible.
They were tight as hell. That's unlike the drunken 'Mats from yesteryear but it was of course a great thing. The drummer, Josh Freese, is awesome. If Paul & Tommy record again they'd be nuts to not use his skills behind the kit. Kept perfect time , didn't overplay, tasty fills. The lead guitarist, Dave Minehan, is a keeper too. He knows it's Paul's & Tommy's band - plays great lead fills, does a lot of lifting but never overplays. Has a great rock n roll look and 'tude too. He made sure to never try to take the focus off of Paul & Tommy - he stayed out of the way but clearly enjoyed the living hell out of himself all night.
Two moments worth big mention: during the first chorus of "Kiss Me On The Bus" Paul went over to Tommy's mic so they could sing it together (a la Mick & Keef) and Tommy kissed Paul! Crowd ate it up.
The other moment was when after the final song of the night Paul went over to Tommy and emotionally embraced him. Was such a great thing to see. Happened right near me too.
There was a really funny moment (and I captured it on video) during the encores where the band put on St. Paul Saints team jerseys with their last name on the back. Paul was #25, Tommy was #15. Paul didn't want to put his on at first but Tommy shouted to him "Put that fucker on!!!" After he put it on Paul said "You think Bob Dylan put this fucker on? You think Michael fucking Stipe put this on?!?!?Tommy said something like "Whooaa! Now we goin down there?" Then they lit into "Left Of The Dial". Here's the video I took of that:
https://vimeo.com/106251451
[Sorry for the bass distortion in the above. That's just the limitations of my phone, not the actual sound. The show's sound was perfect.]
Another interesting moment was when Paul introduced "Nowhere Is My Home" as a song they "never really released...and suddenly it's true." That's a reference to what was surprising news to me - Paul is recently divorced from Laurie Lindeen. I was unaware of that until I got to MPLS and read an article in the MPLS Tribune which mentioned it.
My friends and I couldn't have asked for a better spot in the crowd. We were perfectly positioned all night. Everyone was in a festive mood, great vibe.
Here's the video I took of Paul doing "Skyway":
https://vimeo.com/106252537
The sound-man deserves a gold medal for the way the sound was mixed. Could hear every note of music. No wall-of-sound bullcrap, thankfully.
One more thought: there were several times throughout the set where Paul's voice broke/cracked in that way we've heard from him so many times over his career. That vocal break/crack of his just might be my single favorite thing to hear in all of rock n roll.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by Rick V on Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:27 am, edited 20 times in total.
the music knows
Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he come round
They sing Im in love Whats that song Im in love with that song
That which forces the breath into your lungs when all is lost and your path is dark is your glimmer of hope
Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he come round
They sing Im in love Whats that song Im in love with that song
That which forces the breath into your lungs when all is lost and your path is dark is your glimmer of hope
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Rick V
- Dora & Jayhawker's curse
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Re: Mats in MPLS
P.S. I posted a bunch of photos and video from the show on Facebook and I'll try to post some here a bit later.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
the music knows
Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he come round
They sing Im in love Whats that song Im in love with that song
That which forces the breath into your lungs when all is lost and your path is dark is your glimmer of hope
Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he come round
They sing Im in love Whats that song Im in love with that song
That which forces the breath into your lungs when all is lost and your path is dark is your glimmer of hope
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Rick V
- Dora & Jayhawker's curse
- Posts: 3820
- Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:49 pm
- Location: New Orleans
- Contact:
Re: Mats in MPLS
This was when Paul & Tommy hugged at the end of the show.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
the music knows
Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he come round
They sing Im in love Whats that song Im in love with that song
That which forces the breath into your lungs when all is lost and your path is dark is your glimmer of hope
Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he come round
They sing Im in love Whats that song Im in love with that song
That which forces the breath into your lungs when all is lost and your path is dark is your glimmer of hope
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monkeyboy
- Fookin' Unreachable Bassard
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Re: Mats in MPLS
Awesome write-up, Rick. Thank you.
Aside from a couple "what ifs" and afterthoughts, I've not heard one real complaint about the show. I've watched some of the videos online, including Unsatisifed (which nearly made me cry when the boys hugged), and it all just seemed EPIC! Yeah, Mats win.
Aside from a couple "what ifs" and afterthoughts, I've not heard one real complaint about the show. I've watched some of the videos online, including Unsatisifed (which nearly made me cry when the boys hugged), and it all just seemed EPIC! Yeah, Mats win.
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bltkmt
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Re: Mats in MPLS
Sounded like a fantastic trip for you Rick - thanks for posting on Facebook as well. A bunch of us lived vicariously through you I think. I would love to see a DVD produced of this show.
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Tuxedo T-shirt wrote:I mean I don't even know how they let you post here if you haven't developed a gamma-radiation imaging system yet. This isn't Reddit.
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Rockstar Aimz
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Re: Mats in MPLS
Awesome write-up Rick! So jealous!
"Far and away the greatest musical experience of my life. No question about it." This statement says a lot as I know you have been to hundreds and hundreds of shows in your time. Amazing.
My MOG says that they are making a DVD of this show. They had the real professional camera dudes up above the sound board taking video of the entire concert. Hope the DVD is ready for Christmas.
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Blaze
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Re: Mats in MPLS
Great write-up Rick. I really hope to catch them some time soon if they start touring a little more.
“What is it about a beautiful sunny afternoon, with the birds singing and the wind rustling through the leaves, that makes you want to get drunk?”
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paulhead
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Re: Mats in MPLS
He kissed Billy Joe Armstrong on the mouth at Forescastle, which was not quite as sensual as a Tommy smooch I'm sure, but I couldn't get over how happy this version of The Replacements seemed on stage. I've loved them for a long time but I honestly didn't have high expectations for how great the show would be. Erroneous idiot I was because I quickly found out I didn't want it to end it was so electric. I can only imagine how it felt to catch St. Paul and co. in St. Paul. Fantastic write up and videos Rick, you lucky bassard, and turk plaid even!!
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track11
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Re: Mats in MPLS
Great write up, RickV!
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paulhead
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Re: Mats in MPLS
I have not listened to it yet but there's a recording of this up on the Mats live archive.
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bltkmt
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Re: Mats in MPLS
I downloaded it yesterday, but forgot to listen...will try tonight.
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Tuxedo T-shirt wrote:I mean I don't even know how they let you post here if you haven't developed a gamma-radiation imaging system yet. This isn't Reddit.
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