Our fans might not know that we spend literally hours putting together our set list for our Tuesday night gigs at Mexico Lanes. What our fans probably already know is that working with a world-class talent like Dave teaches you to be flexible and to learn how to “go with the flow.” So, to show you what a big difference there can be between what’s on the page and what’s on the stage, we thought we’d share our intended set list for tomorrow’s gig along with a rough (but probably accurate) idea of what the show will end up looking like.
Intended Set List
Mexico Lanes, March 31, 2009:
“Pea Vine Special”
“Hard Backdoor Line”
“Man of the Lamp, Man of the Bell”
“Bird’s Nest Bound”
“Limp Dog Jump, Limp Dog Jump”
(Intro the Band)
“Big River Belle”
“Crazy Train” (with accordion solo)
“Blue Plate Siren”
“Clara Got Me Blue”
“Beeftown Ramble”
“Got Me Sweet”
(Break)
“Go Down, St. Peter”
“King Biscuit”
“Shreveport Pussycat Crazy”
“Crazy Crazy Crazy”
“Crazy on You”
“Bukka White Come Callin’”
“Ain’t No Love”
“Walk the Line”
Projected Set List
Mexico Lanes, March 31, 2009:
“Pea Vine Special”
“Hard Backdoor Line”
Dave tries to remember the chords for “Man of the Lamp, Man of the Bell”, gives up in disgust and starts into “Master of Puppets” instead.
First verse of “Bird’s Nest Bound”
Rambling screed about the government/nurses/both (Dave)
“Master of Puppets” (reprise)
“Limp Dog Jump, Limp Dog Jump” (unexpectedly extended version)
(Intro the Band, With Time for the Band to Correct Dave)
“Big River Belle”
First half of “Crazy Train” (with accordion solo)
Long, terrifying silence; Dave scratching his face and pacing back and forth.
(Break)
“Go Down, St. Peter”
Impromptu free verse poetry reading (Dave)
(Extended Break; Frantic Discussion with Management)
“King Biscuit”
(“Crazy” Medley Unexpectedly Excised From Set List)
“Bukka White Come Callin’”
An original composition entitled “Beat Me, Jesus, Til I’m Clean, Clean, Clean”
First half of “Walk the Line”
Good morning, all. This is day one of an experiment.
Taken on the Long March, outside Bear Cross, Missouri, in 2004.
If you’re seeing this, you were probably at our show last Thursday at the VFW in Danville since that was the first time we started selling our shirts with the new blog on it. I mean, we didn’t sell any, but they were there, and chances are you walked past them on the way to the bar a few times, or you saw some of them in the street out front after the mayor kicked our display over and told us to get the f-word out of the place.
So, yeah, we’re Machete Dave and the Roadside Attractions, pioneering this new sound we’re calling “Death-Polka.” It’s sort of this blues-metal-polka-yodelling fusion thing. There’s also some stream-of-consciousness performance art in there, too, depending on how closely our lead singer is following his doctor’s recommendations on a given night. We’ve also been known to break down into a tribal sort of primal-scream chanting screed. By “we”, I’m again referring to our lead singer.
Which brings us to our lead singer. Machete Dave Rosenberg probably won’t be posting much. While none of us in the band have ever been to his house due to various allergies and religious requirements, we’re fairly sure he doesn’t have an Internet-ready computer. Or the ability to read. But what he does have is the devil’s own voice, and two of the finest guitar-pickin’ fingers ever granted to man or beast. I’ve never seen a man whip a crowd up into such a toe-tapping, thigh-slapping, Negro-lynching frenzy before (although the other two members of the band and I are trying–really trying–to pursuade him to work the Negro-lynching part out of the set).
At any rate. check back here every day for more tales from the road. You’ll likely also read short stories and character sketches from our keyboard man, Pete “Birdman” Bellermo. And our resident artiste, Jill “Dirrrty Jack” Jackson, will likely post new sketches and paintings from time to time. Thanks for coming–enjoy the ride.
Tommy “Juggs” Siemisciwitz
Posted on I-70, 60 miles east of Columbia, Missouri.
