Louris & Olson

A return to the scene of the crime if you will–Chicago’s Vic Theatre last night for one in a series of Jayhawks’ reunions. To some degree, I was reliving Lu’s show here a few years back, which found me watching on the pavement after as she was almost dragged out of the venue by her then boyfriend/tour manager*: I watched in horror as she narrowly avoided pedestrian and automobile traffic to ascend the bus, me chatting with a pair of Yoakam fans who waited bassist Taras P out longer than I stayed. . . .

But Louris and Olson. I must admit that, important as the Jayhawks are to all this stuff (and despite being an adamant No Depression subscriber in that day), I didn’t really “discover” them fully until they opened for Lu mid-decade last, just before their “dissolution.” Perhaps some remember those shows, which Lu was gracious enough to frame as a “co-bill” and point out from the stage that “these guys probably sold a lot of tickets for us tonight.” The second night of the tour, Gary Louris looked at his watch between each and every song–shades perhaps of a Chrissie Hynde-like overreach on night one. Who remembers Stephen McCarthy along for the ride, former bandmate of the first husband of Lucinda Williams (no disrespect here Tom, just reliving the impetus for the great show in Chicago last night)? McCarthy added a lot on that run and on the Rainy Day Music record, though I think bassist Perlman resented him greatly.

“Sister Cry” was the band’s walk-off jam song on that co-bill with Lu, and my favorite last night. They played Hollywood Town Hall in sequence, with not much chatter, then immediately launched into “I’d Run Away” as if to plug the next night’s format, the album Tomorrow the Green Grass. There was even a ditty last night called “Tomorrow the Green Grass,” which repeated that line a dozen times. So 10 from Hollywood, 10 more straight on (including 4 that will certainly be played again tonight), final 3 by way of encore, including one token Tim O’Regan comp. and one from Blue Earth. Nothing at all from Smile or Sound of Lies. O’ Regan is a fine drummer but not on either of those records. And I’d have to agree with T Overby that Olson is the weaker harmony link. Still, great night. Karen Grotberg was up there, though she was not on the Hollywood record either. Louris had shout-outs to someone named Sarah, a redhead it would seem.

So wish me luck with the scalpers tonight–like a fool, I let night two sell out on me.

* think “Jailhouse Tears”/”Buttercup” protagonist