The Jayhawks - Webster Hall 1/20/11

I've been waiting to see the Jayhawks for years.  Back when Hollywood Town Hall came out the kids were really young and I wasn't going to many shows.  However that album has become one of my all-time favorites.  So when I saw that they were playing it in its entirety at Webster Hall I jumped on tickets.

A word about Webster Hall.  It has to be one of my least favorite venues.  Way oversold which is a shame.  This would have been such a great show at the Beacon or one of the smaller theaters.  Maybe it's just me. I think I am done with club shows.  That said, the band was very good if not great most of the night with some moments of greatness.

Hollywood Town Hall kicked things off right around 8PM.  At times the performance felt a bit awkward to me and there seemed to be little interaction between Gary Louris and Mark Olson.  The harmonies didn't quite mesh at times and the years appear to have worn a bit on them both.  Was it awful?  Far from it.  It just wasn't what I had hoped, something which probably could not have been attained given the years.

It appeared that there was supposed to be an intermission but Gary led the band right into the second half of the show.  You got some unreleased tracks (both new and old) and a good chunk of Tomorrow The Green Grass which they will be playing tonight.  I suspect tonight's show will be a bit of a reverse.  All of TTGG and some of HTH.

I plan on running out to my local indie today and grab the new 180 gram vinyl editions of both albums, settle down on the couch with the wife and enjoy them both.  Perhaps even with a few cold ones.  Should be a nice afternoon.

Setlist and pics from the Village Voice...

Set List
Waiting for the Sun

Crowded in the Wings

Clouds
Two Angels

Take Me with You (When You Go)

Sister Cry

Settled Down Like Rain

Wichita

Nevada, California
Martin's Song
I'd Run Away
Warm River
Tomorrow In The Green Grass
Nothing Left To Borrow
There's No Place For People Like Him
She Walks In So Many Ways

Miss Williams' Guitar
Black Eyed Susan
Reason To Believe
Blue
(encore)
Tampa To Tulsa
Up Above My Head
Lights

Check out a few of the videos below if you are unfamiliar with the Jayhawks. One of the most important acts in shaping what has become known as Americana (or alt-country, or whatever the hell it's called now).