Musings on the Most Ridiculous Band I Can't Stop Listening To

Tag: amoeba music

In-Store

I linked to this while it was happening, but here’s the video: Bobby, aided by Josh Kaufman, playing tunes cowboy and otherwise at the legendary Amoeba Records in Los Angeles. Here’s the set list:

Intro 0:01
Walkin’ Blues 0:45
When I Paint My Masterpiece 7:35
Blue Mountain 14:40
Only a River* 20:20
Lay My Lily Down* 27:20
Peggy-O (traditional)* 33:30
Ki-Yi Bossie* 40:15

Go and watch it, or at least listen. I’ve mentioned this before, but–unlike just about every other rock star his age–Bobby can still sing like a shaggy angel. Check out Masterpiece: he nails the high(ish) notes with the strength of a 28-year-old, but the precision of a 68-year-old.

Plus–and this will sound like heresy–he does Peggy-O better than Garcia. There, I said it. Don’t argue with me until after you watch Bobby’s version.

Essentially

bobby-dan-kaufman-amoeba

Evolution pares, Enthusiasts. What once took an entire cohort of Grateful Deads can now be achieved by only one, armed with just an acoustic guitar and a Jew. So far, Bobby has:

  • Identified the ringing sound by its frequency.
  • Worn an outfit he got at Creepy Ernie’s.
  • Forgotten the lyrics.
  • Tuned.
  • Re-tuned.
  • Begun the song only to realize he was out of tune.
  • Re-re-tune.
  • Got in an argument about what key something was in. (He was up there by himself and it was weird.)