Sparklehorse
2/22/07
Double Door
It’s been a long time since the world has glimpsed Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse on stage. After six years, he has put finally put out another album, swelling with guest appearances ranging from Tom Waits to Danger Mouse: Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain. Not only are the high quality songs on this newest release in the same vain as in the greatly loved 2001 release It’s a Wonderful Life but they also hold up just as well and demonstrate how a man can put out consistently great material…even if it takes him a little longer than us music fans would like.
One wouldn’t necessarily picture Mark Linkous as a real captivating frontman. Instead, you might picture him alone in black and white obscured from the public with an amorphous object by his side, which incidentally happens to be exactly the main picture on his myspace page. While it’s true that he is somewhat understated, making minimal banter and refraining from launching into any heady overextended guitar solos, there were some definite things that added to his stage presence. For one, the fan blowing around his rock style hair lit up by oranges and blue tinges helped. He also really looked at the audience when he was singing and acted as if, despite reporting feeling ill, he was glad to be adored by so many.
The strange thing about the night was perhaps the fact that, despite his recent album’s release, the setlists he is playing on this tour mainly consist of songs off of older favorites of his from 1995’s Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot which seems odd considering most musicians and bands tour to support their new songs and encourage more fans to purchase their new album. Despite this, the 75 minute set rewarded both old and new fans with the dynamically tight playing of his backing bandmates helping to bring about bass, keyboards, and pedal steel to the range of wafting guitar effects. I’m sure most of the audience felt he left the stage too soon despite playing an encore of “Gold Day” from It’s a Wonderful Life (for some reason, he decided not to play “Homecoming Queen” even though it’s abbreviated H.Q. was written down at the bottom right of the setlist).
View the complete photo set with Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter on flickr
click more for Sparklehorse’s setlist and remaining tour dates:
Feb 26 2007 8:00P
The Paradise Lounge w/ Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 28 2007 8:00P
Webster Hall w/ Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter New York, New York
Mar 1 2007 8:00P
Ram’s Head Live w/ Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter + Water School Baltimore, Maryland
Mar 2 2007 8:00P
Cat’s Cradle w/ Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter Carrboro, North Carolina
Mar 3 2007 8:00P
The Music Farm w/ Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter Charleston, South Carolina
Mar 4 2007 8:00P
Variety Playhouse w/ Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter Atlanta, Georgia
February 26th, 2007 at 6:35 am
He didn’t play “Homecoming Queen” in Toronto either and it looks like we got a very similar setlist overall, so I’m surprised the Toronto show seemed so much shorter. Maybe I didn’t look at my watch right, but I’m pretty sure it came in at under an hour. I could have listened to those songs all night…
February 26th, 2007 at 6:40 am
Hmm…well, I still think he’s worth seeing on tour…I also think that he may have been getting progressively more ill throughout the tour unfortunately…
Btw-I don’t know if you watched the Oscars last night but that Wes Anderson commercial was my favorite part-oh besides all the Little Miss Sunshine bits.
February 28th, 2007 at 12:28 am
We don’t get the same commercials here because the show is broadcast on a Canadian network. However, if you are referring to the American Express commercial where he is shooting some film that involves bayonettes (I think), then I HAVE seen it, and it is rather fantastic!