April 4, 1998 -

Reviews by...
Vernon Knight
Jess

Cracker put on a great, if somewhat short show, at the Capital City Barn Dance last night at Alley Katz. Dave and Bob were sporting some serious haircuts since the last time I saw them. Joan Osborne sang back up on most of the songs and lead on 2. They played quite a bit of new material so I probably don't have the proper titles for the new songs, but the set list went like this:

 (new) Been Around the World (?) 
 
 (new) Seven Days (?) - (Joan - Backing Vocals) 
 
 (new?) I Feel So Good (?) - (Joan - Lead Vocals) 
 
 (new) Get A Hold Of Myself - (Johnny - Lead Vocals) 
 
 I See the Light 
 
 (new?) All By Myself (?) - (Joan - Lead Vocals) 
 
 Mr. Wrong - (Joan - Backing Vocals) 
 
 Shriner Song - (Wes (lead singer of Drive-By Truckers) - Lead Vocals) 
 
 White Riot 
 
 Lonesome Johnny Blues 
 
 Encore 
 
 Sweet Thistle Pie - (Joan - Backing Vocals) 
 

Wes, from Drive-By Truckers, is apparently painting the cover of the CD. (or as David phrased it "Wes is painting the cover to our new album as we speak...Uh, actually he's singing the next song as we speak, but you get the idea.") The drummer du jour was someone named "Snoopy". Finally, David announced that they would be playing a "secret" show in Richmond Tuesday night (04/07/98) at Moondance. For those of you who've never been to Moondance, it is a very small club (under 100 people).

Quote of the evening: David after Joan gave a powerful performance on All By Myself (?): "Shit. Goddamn...Well that's all you can say after song like that."

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Now for last night .... Dave characterized it as a "review" rather than a full concert .... It was a short show after 3 other bands played. I didn't really like the other bands ... Throughout the evening Cracker folk were about enjoying the show. (Johnny and family? etc.) When it was time for Cracker to go on the first thing I noticed was that Dave and Bob BOTH have gotten haircuts. Both have short hair now. Dave looks very much like he did in the Kerosene Hat period, and Bob doesn't look like Bob! (his hair looks kinda like Jimmy's Smits' hair ... )Oh and Johnny didn't play his usual guitar, instead he had one similar in shape (I don't know about guitars but it was a Gibson Les Paul) but it was gold with fish all over it, not his cool black one ... Joan Osborne was there and did a few songs with Cracker.... Here's the set list as I got it:

1. new song "Around the World"? (VERY awesome song, GREAT guitar solo at the end. I'm hoping this one will be their first single on the album...)

2. new song "Seven days"? Joan Osborne sang backup on this one, also a great song (of course)

3. Possibly a Joan Osborne song (I'm not familiar with her stuff) she sang lead "feel so good"?

4. new song (they actually did this one at a previous Barn Dance) "Hold of Myself"? Johnny sang lead on this one. good song, country tinged.

5. I See the Light (awesome rendition w/Joan singing backup)

6. another Joan Osborne lead song... Johnny with some awesome guitar work "Help me"?

7. Mr. Wrong (Joan singing backup)

8. Shiner Song (Wes Freed sang lead)

9. the song the did from the Clash tribute album alas I know nothing about the Clash... I think it had a line about going for a drive in it a lot. Johnny ripped the best guitar solo I've ever seen at the end of this one. really great.

10. Lonesome Johnny Blues

11. encore -- Sweet Thistle Pie

Other notes... god only knows who the drummer was... The guys seemed to be really in to the music. Dave was smiling and cool. He looks really good... The sound was REALLY great. This was the best sound I've ever heard at a live show. I mean I could understand EVERY word Dave sang. Too bad Alley Katz is so tiny or it'd be a great place to see Cracker at a normal show (the place was packed with Cracker fans even though the show was hardly publicized...) Dave said that Wes was doing the cover art for the new album. He might have been joking but I think he was serious and only joking about when he would actually get started on it....

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