Sometimes my self denying ordinance of 'I should have seen that band or that singer twenty, thirty or forty years ago' needs a catalyst of some sort to break. This is what happened with Wilco and by association Dan Stuart. I'd never seen either live despite having the opportunity in the past. To be fair when I heard Wilco and Dan Stuart were coming to Edinburgh within a week of each other I was interested, perhaps a bit more than interested. Just not interested enough to get those tickets.
Then Wilco announced that the support would be Courtney Marie Andrews and I was in. I'd twice had tickets for Courtney Marie and had to miss the shows so I was not about to miss her at the Usher Hall.
Wilco intriguingly announced a new album 'Cousin' while touring the recently released 'Cruel Country'. I was a bit fretful that I'd fail to recognise many of their songs despite two things - I had the first four Wilco albums and they were heavily played when I got them they were rarely played now, I crammed 'Cruel Country' but was aware that with the size of their back catalogue I might be lost for sections of the set. Then given my aversion to nostalgia maybe that would be a good thing - fresh ears to unheard songs.
It turned out differently than I expected. Wilco included songs from all of the albums in my collection and although they did include songs across their catalogue including their latest LP and the new single 'Evicted' what I hadn't factored in was streaming - although I didn't have the albums I had obviously checked in on their albums over the years, played a few tracks, found what I liked and repeated those songs.
Has to be said they are a blisteringly good band to see live, the energy expended while making it look easy was amazing. The audience were up for it too and gave back generously. A word about the audience - despite the vintage of the band I'd expected mainly blokes like me, my age. While there were plenty there that fit that bill there were also a lot of younger folks in the audience. In my row in the 'gods' I was the oldest by my estimation and gender wise there were only two males and I had at least 25 years on the other guy. Someday I'll work out how Wilco reach beyond their demographic. I'm glad they do as it gives me hope that good music is universal.
All too soon it was over and the encore songs began. Jeff Tweedy invited Courtney Marie Andrews onstage to join them for 'You and I' and 'California Stars'.
When I got home I dug out Jeff Tweedy's book 'Let's Go (So we can get back)' and started reading it and there was a reference to Green On Red. And that is how I got to Dan Stuart who was playing the Voodoo Rooms a week later. I took it as a sign and bought a ticket. To be fair there was a fair chance of me going anyway but the weather report says there is a fair chance of rain. Signs is signs.
Dan took to the stage, one man, his guitar and a music stand with his novel 'Marlowe's Revenge' propped on it. Introducing himself to Edinburgh he confessed that he'd got into some heavy shit when he'd been here before. He didn't elaborate.
It's a long time since alt. country pioneers Green On Red folded and Dan, Chuck Prophet and Chris Cavacas went their separate ways. The memories of that seminal alt country band who blazed through this world spewing out incredible songs and living the rock'n'roll lifestyle loomed large over the night. Dan played their songs and reminisced about the band, picking out 'The Killer Inside Me' as being an album made when he was largely out of control. He described it as a psychic nightmare and has laconic disdain for the drum production which was of its time and 'hasn't aged well'.
It was great to hear stripped down versions of 'No Free Lunch' and 'Time Ain't Nothing' played alongside more recent songs like the descriptive 'The Day William Holden Died'. Dan has had an interesting career since leaving Green On Red. Not least in the creation of the alter-ego character 'Marlowe Billings' across not just three albums but three novels and it was from the book 'Marlowe's Revenge' that he read from and it was more than a reading as Dan inhabited the characters in the first two chapters of the novel in this hard boiled crime story.
He played two sets and invited us to choose the hard way or the easy way we chose the hard way and have no idea whether what he gave us the hard or the easy way. What he did give us or at least gave me was an insight to a rock'n'roll survivor who was described by his father as an entertainer and that is what he is doing night after night, finding simple pleasures like swimming in the North Sea off Bamburgh Castle while travelling to Scotland. He reckoned he'd try to get another swim while travelling down the west coast. Burt Lancaster in 'the Swimmer' came to my mind.
For so many reasons we are lucky to have Dan Stuart with us and to be able to spend some time with him as he wends his way, and tells his tales. The troubadour.
https://marlowebillings.com/centro
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