you've got Tennessee tendencies, and chemical dependancies

so the silver jews were just as totally awesome as i hoped they would be.  david berman was standing like 15 feet away from us while the opening "band" did their thing.  i am kinda at a loss to describe what that was all about...  so i will refrain from comment other than to say, there was a very dicey few moments where i was very, very concerned that i was about to get a full-frontal view of the charles manson-esque lead "singer" and i can't tell you how relieved i was when he settled for dumping someone's beer on his (clothed)crotch instead.  whew!

anyhow, the jews were killer.  d. berman and c. berman, his wife, are totally meant for each other.  it's so cute.  i really liked when they sang tennessee together.  i am sure they have sung that song a hundred thousand times but it still seemed like new, and the way they kinda gave each other they eye during lines like "marry me, leave kentucky, come to tennessee..." and "i've looked through offices and honky-tonks for men man enough to be... mr and mrs tennessee."  and he looked so happy for her when she was belting out the chorus of suffering jukebox...  awww... i am such a sap.

they played a bunch of great songs that i was so happy to hear, it was just as i wanted it to be.  except for the inevitable hipster annoyances, like shouting out song titles in between songs.  nothing says "i am insecure in my level of coolness, which is a situation i will try to compensate for by yelling out the most obscure title in this band's catalogue repeatedly during any relative silence" like yelling out obscure song titles from the band's catalogue repeatedly during any relative silence.  that shit drives me insane.  

a) i didn't come here with preconceived notions of what i must hear in order for this to be a good show, and you shouldn't have either, because that is essentially the most asinine reason for coming to a live performance.  which brings us to...

b) it is a "live" performance.  a "happening" if you will.  so let it happen!  let dave berman do whatever it is dave berman is going to do!  observe what it is he does!  do not attempt to force feed your own desires to him or the band or the audience because you feel it is important that everyone know what your favorite songs by the silver jews are, and that they are obscure!  i want to murder you!

c) if you want to hear certain songs so desperately, please do stay home and listen to the record!  that will also take all the fun and anticipation out of the experience, but at least you won't be shouting in my ear!

sheesh.  oh, and the hipster attention span is about four songs, or beers, as it were... which means that after four songs, they reserve the right to start talking to the people around them about themselves rather than shutting up and listening to the band they have paid to see.  so you can usually count on hearing all about their job, their dating adventures, their other concert experiences, any old thing really... their i phone, their laptop, their bicycle, their total lack of ANY REDEEMING QUALITIES.  that kind of thing.

but.  all in all it was just wonderful, and i am so glad i got to go.  thanks kels and trey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  you guys rock.  mountain goats are up next!!!!  i will get on that right away!