Selected Memories of a Scott McCaughey Concert from 7 years ago.
A number of sand dollars on a seabed
A number of sand dollars on a seabed (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scott and John Ramberg playing “Ghost Tarts of Stockholm”, including all of the Fa-fa-fafafa bits, which actually went for a pretty long time.

The song “Got You”, which is one of my favorites from “Let The War Against Music Begin”, and me realizing again for the first time as I do every time I listen to the song, how completely wonderful and beautiful the lyrics are. Like the lyrics about drawing her face in the sand with seashell eyes and sand dollar teeth. And it’s a picnic and a nightmare when you love someone. And the entire hole-in-the-leaf scene.

The riffing on “Old Plantation” where he talks about it being a place we can all relate to, and how we all came from there.

The similar-to-“Got You”-style-realization during “Old Plantation” at the wonder of the “Did you ever try to peel away the sky?/…/Neither did I?” lyric.

The Incredibly Pretty version of “John Barleycorn Must Live”.

Scott introducing “Tunnel Of Lungs” as a song he’d never played before; I think he meant live, perhaps. He also apologized for how it was going to sound, despite him doing it really really well.

The ST”GY”SR during “Tunnel” that for a long time I had the exact “It’s not all right/It’s never OK” musical/lyrical phrase in my head before I’d ever heard the song. Slight annoyance that Scott beat me to writing a song based around it, which is quickly abated when it is clear that his song is way better than mine would have been. Then the realization that my lyric/musical phrase was actually different, so I’m in the clear, but Scott’s song will still probably be way better.

Noticing that I think Kurt Bloch actually recognized me from the Supersnazz show!

The “I’m Not Bitter” outro-singalong thing. With everyone doing the ending “I’m not bitter…” backing vocals.

The guy shouting “Back Room Of The Bar” all night. I’m typically not a fan of shouting out requests (since, I don’t know, I typically figure the singer’s going to sing what they’re going to sing, and it’s their show, so…), and I personally wouldn’t have, though I stand behind the request he made, since it’s one of my favorite Fellows songs.

When Kurt came up and he and Scott did a bunch of Fellows songs, including “The Ballad of Only You and the Can Prevent Forest Fires”, which actually had a couple people singing along and the crowd erupted in applause and whatnot when Scott sang the first line.

The explanation of how Scott felt like playing a little lead before he and Kurt went into “Barky’s Spiritual Store”.

Kurt’s harmonies on a lot of the songs (though sort of quiet since not in the mike) like For The Love Of A Girl (which also featured the cool Spanish-Style Solo!)

“Hillbilly Drummer Girl”, which was sort of technically the first Fellows song I was familiar with, since Mono Puff‘d covered it a long time ago. Which also had a bit where they messed up and laughed. And it’s got such a great riff.

Scott finally starting “Back Room Of The Bar”, then claiming it wasn’t working out and apologizing. Then sheepishly going “I’m just kidding around…” and climbing up on a table, almost falling since the table was one of those with a central-post, and then doing the rest of the song on a fan-supported table, while Kurt walked around playing the other guitar and doing vocal harmonies and such.

Scott jumping off the table at the end of “Back Room Of The Bar” in Rock ‘n’ Roll Mode and getting a long cheer.

Being cajoled into an encore of “Route 66”, where he and Kurt completely rocked out. Doing the cool running with guitar thing, walking around and looking at the audience, and turning it into a singalong.

Scott mentioning that, after all, it was a Hootenanny.

The end of the show where Kurt joked that they had 3 dollar demo tapes with “Back Room of the Bar” and “Route 66” available at the bar.

Kurt also mentioned they had a cheap gun at the bar for sale, even though it only had two bullets left in it. He noted it could be used for knocking over a bank, or knocking over someone.

The end of the show where Scott announced that they’d said all they had to say.

The obvious camaraderie and close friendship between Scott and Kurt as they were talking and performing, and just the whole feeling of warmth and sheer good-naturedness and fun in the room during the entire show emanating from the area-in-which-they-were-playing.

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