News April 2004

28 April - Alejandro Escovedo benifit
According REMhq "The Minus 5" has joined the growing list of artists who have signed on to contribute to a two-disc tribute record to Alejandro Escovedo, the Texas singer/songwriter who was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in July 2003. Proceeds from the record, titled "Por Vida," will benefit the Alejandro Escovedo Medical & Living Expense Trust. For more information, please vist alejandrofund.com.
19 April - Seattle Solo Show Review
Scott played another solo show in Seattle, backed by John Ramberg and special surprise Kurt Bloch. Jane and Matt attended the show at Hattie's Hat and had this to say about it.
It was worth the drive, worth switching my shift at work, worth three hours in a car without cruise control, worth the bath mapquest directions (they are SO getting an angry letter from me) The show last night was, by all means, in-fucking-credible. The show was in the back room of a little tiny bar in Ballard. We managed to make it there with enough time to snag a table up front with our friends. Scott and John sat at an angle from us, the place was dark, the beer flowed freeley and the sound was wonderful. Scott and John Ramberg began the show together. Both playing acoustic guitars they whipped through Ghost Tarts, Got You, the Old Plantation, John Barleycorn Must Live, and Where will you go (dedicated, as always, to christy and nadine). Kurt Bloch snuck in during this first part and sat up front. He provided handclaps throughout the evening, and startling Ramberg during Little Black Egg Ramberg took off for a bit, leaving Scott alone to play With A Gun, Hotel Senator (a new song), Tunnel Of Lungs, and Cigarettes, Coffee and Booze. Scott then took off, leaving Ramberg to play two new songs "Big Electric Light" and "Monumental" (Which is what I've called these, as these words were parts of the choruses) and Hacksaw Hip Hooray from the Model Rockets. Scott returned and, along with Ramberg, played a new Ramberg song, "This rifle called goodbye" (another new song... this was the chorus), what goes on by the beatles, One bar at a time, and Hard to know by the Model Rockets. I'm not bitter was a request (i think by my friend) and Scott played that... which turned into a sing-a-long Ramberg then invited Kurt Bloch to the "stage" and took off. So, we got treated to a mini fellows set of Barkley's Spiritual Store, For The Love Of A Girl, Hang Out Right (my favorite fellows song), Deep Down and Inbetween, The Ballad Of Only You And The Can Prevent Forest Fires, and Hillbilly Drummer Girl. Back Room Of The Bar was being requested a lot. So, Kurt and Scott began it. But a measure or so into the song scott stops and says "this isn't right." He and kurt unplug and scott climbs up onto one of the tables (someone quickly removed the candle from at his feet) and played the song from his new vantage point. Kurt stayed on the floor and played, Scott at one point stopped playing, stretched his arms out and sang... I wish I had my camera. Route 66 was the last song of the evening. With Kurt and Scott singing from the floor without PA. Scott did his "Drunken runningman" dance. It was a great way to end the evening. SO much fun and scott gives MUCH better directions than mapquest -Jane McDonald Since I'm writing this a day late, and as such I can't really give a moment by moment thing, here's some really cool memories that stuck out from the show. Being memories, they may turn out to be erroneous. Sorry. 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 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. - Rev. Syung Myung Me

15 April - Scott McCaughey Interview with CNN
The unstoppable man of music Scott McCaughey, endlessly involved musician By Todd Leopold \| CNN (CNN) -- Somebody stop Scott McCaughey before he writes another song. Better yet, don't. Need a tribute song to a Croatian surf band? McCaughey's written one ("Bambi Molester"). A never-used theme song for the "Austin Powers" movies? McCaughey's got one right here ("Dr. Evil"). A song that, by turns, manages to describe a phony catastrophe, mention the members of the band Chicago ("Among the casualties/Daniel Seraphine/Cetera, Lamm and Pankow/Not Terry Kath but the guy who replaced him") and recount a dismal Minus 5 show in the tradition of "Smoke on the Water," with the nifty title "The Night Chicago Died Again"? It's been done. Not only has McCaughey written and performed all of those songs -- all very catchy, too -- they're all on the same album, "The Minus 5 In Rock" (Yep Roc), a re-release of a limited-edition album the ad hoc band recorded in 2000. McCaughey is the peripatetic sort. He co-founded college radio faves the Young Fresh Fellows in the '80s and formed the Minus 5 -- a revolving unit that has included R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, John Wesley Harding, the Posies' Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow and several others -- in 1993. He's also an adjunct member of R.E.M., with whom he's played for several years, and has performed with Wilco, Tuatara and a Nick Lowe cover band called the Lowe Beats. And he's always got a song to sing. As some biographical material for the Minus 5 notes, the "Minus 5 started when McCaughey realized he had a dumptruckload of songs that the Young Fresh Fellows would either never get around to, or wisely chose not to." So the question becomes, How does he do it? Where does all this music come from? McCaughey, reached by phone in the Bahamas -- where he's recording the new R.E.M. album -- is modest. "I like weird turns of phrase," he says. Funny vs. not funny "The Minus 5 In Rock" began as a side project, one of many McCaughey has going. He has a recording studio in his house and, whenever there would be a critical mass of material, he'd put out a record. "We made up this little label [Book Records] whenever we wanted to do 1,000 copies of something to sell at shows," he says. "In Rock" originally consisted of 10 songs, of which two originals were dropped and four new ones added for the recent re-release. Why release it now? McCaughey was pleased with the job Yep Roc did with "Down with Wilco," Minus 5's previous work (a collaboration with, of course, Wilco) and thought they should handle "In Rock." The songs showcase McCaughey's ever-present sense of humor, but McCaughey says he's struggled with the "novelty band" rap that other bands, such as They Might Be Giants, have been saddled with. A little. "It irritated me for a brief period in 1987," he says cheekily, "but I got past it. I decided [the Young Fresh Fellows] are funny, so if people think we're funny, that's OK. We wanted people to come to shows and have a good time. "But I don't think the Minus 5 is funny," he adds. "Though our shows can be." 'I never thought this would happen to me' Naturally, McCaughey's plate is full for the time being. R.E.M.'s record is due in the fall, and he expects to work on another Tuatara record, a Minus 5 record and perhaps some more work with Wilco. And when he's not playing, he's listening: to the Kinks, Guided by Voices, the Beach Boys, Neil Young, the Handsome Family and the Mendoza Line. Sometimes, he says, he can't believe his good fortune. "I never thought this would happen to me," he says, marveling at the idea of being a full-time professional musician. "I had a job when Young Fresh Fellows came along, working in a record store." There may be a live show or two in the coming months, but McCaughey says he'll probably be hanging out at home or in the studio until R.E.M. hits the road, perhaps late this year. But he won't be quiet. "I'm going to keep playing music until somebody shoots me," he says.
13 April - Another Magazine Feature
Scott McCaughey (plus all his work with YFF/Minus 5, etc.) is featured in the new issue of MAGNET (#63, May/June 2004), for all of you who are interested in this, you can order it (N.America + overseas for a reasonable prize) at www.magnetmagazine.com or find it in newsstand store near you pretty soon.
12 April - Seattle Show review
Bradley went to the show on Friday in Seattle, and gave us a little review
The Triple Door in Seattle is not your typical Scott venue. It is a converted theater set up as a dinner theater. The crowd was largely there for John Wesley Harding, but that worked to Scott’s advantage as they tended to listen to the lyrics a little closer that a room full of fans. In attendance were Kurt Bloch and Bill Rieflin. Scott came out in his green plaid jacket and pink tennis shoes, but was having a bad hair day. He did about a 45 minute set, and came back to join Wes for three songs during his set. The set list was similar to the Portland show, Mamie Dunn/With A Gun/Old Plantation/What I Don't Believe/Worthless/Groove Supply/Mr Salamander's Review (describing it as a song about the manager of his group before YFF)/How Much About Last Night/Cigarettes Coffee & Booze (Scott said this would be on the next Minus 5 CD which would be released….someday)/Wes joined for the next two songs, The Girl I Never Met/Boeing Spacearium (Scott led the audience in a “sing-along” by repeating the word “and” in the middle of the song, you had to be there.)/Your Day Will Come (most of the audience hadn’t heard this song before, so the lyrics got quite a few laughs). Scott then joined Wes for :Lady of the Highways and Tell It To The Raven in the middle of his set and for Twilight Distillery (an unrecorded Minus 5 song) during the encore. - Bradley
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12 April - Minus 5 Magazine cover
Logo Created by Jane	Peter and Scott are on this month cover of Harp Magazine, it's probably the first time that "The Minus 5" graced a cover of a magazine, inside the magazine is 3 and half page feature about the band. Harp is widely available at retail outlets like Barnes and Noble, Borders, Tower, Books A Million, Hastings and Media Play, as well as hundreds of independent newsstands, CD outlets and bookstores. In other news, YepRoc is making a T-shirt for 'The Minus 5'; the front will have the label artwork from side 4 of the upcoming 'Down With Wilco' LP. The back will have a 'The Minus 5' logo created by Jane McDonald (Myrna Loy on the forum).
11 April - Portland Show review
Jane went to the show on Saterday in Portland, and gave us a little review
The show was at Lola's Room, which is part of the Crystal Ballroom Complex. Upstairs that night, in the main ballroom (my least favorite venue in Portland) was going to be a show by Modest Mouse. So, our show, Scott McCaughey and John Wesley Harding had to be early and short. Scott took the stage a little after 7pm. Wearing a cowboy hat belonging to a friend of ours, a bright orange shirt, black jeans, pink converse allstars (a gift from Peter Buck, he says), and the ever-present sunglasses. Announcing "hello, I'm the Minus 5... actually, I'm the Young Fresh Fellows" he began his show. Mamie Dunn, Employee of the Month began the evening. Followed by The Town That Lost Its Groove Supply. The sound was crisp and clear and Scott appeared to be having a good time. With a Gun, a new song, got a dedication to a friend (and was apparantly recorded with wilco, but not released yet). Scott prefaced The Old Plantation with "On the record, it sounds like an Al Green song, here its just gonna sound lame" Scott told a brief story before the next song. He said that it was a request that was about six months old and that it was about time he played it. He said the song was about being in college and not being cool. He messed up the fist verse and had to paraphrase it on the spot... but I finally had my request for Hang Out Right honored. Another new song, Cigarette, Coffee and Booze got a dedication as well. Scott then called John Wesley Harding (or "wez" as Scott calls him) to the stage to help him with the next two songs. The first, The Ballad Of Only You And The Can Prevent Forest Fires was beautiful with Wes taking the harmony and backup parts like he did on the album. The next song was The Girl I Never Met where Wes took lead guitar duties and the song ended with Beatlesque bows. Scott chose I Wish I Was Your Mother by Mott the Hoople to end the evening with. In the end, we got nine song in about twenty five minutes and all of it was wonderful. Later in the evening, Scott joined Wes for Our Lady Of The Highways and a Jimmy Silva song called (I think?) Despite Your Eyes (I know this song, and I have it somewhere... but I can't find it at the moment)(ed. note:It's "To Spite Your Eyes...") in all, I give the show an A+ -Jane McDonald *Setlist:* Mamie Dunn, Employee Of The Month The Town That Lost Its Groove Supply With A Gun The Old Plantation Hang Out Right Cigarettes, Coffee, and Booze The Ballad Of Only You And The Can Prevent Forest Fires The Girl I Never Met I Wish I Was Your Mother
If you have some comments about this, leave them here in the forum
09 April - 'Down With Wilco' Vinyl
As previous mentioned 'Down With Wilco' will be released on vinyl. The gatefold double LP (on a lovely 180-gram vinyl) will be released on June 1st 2004. The LP version will include 5 extra tracks 'Lyrical Stance'; 'Formerly Hail Centurion'; 'One More Bottle To Go'; 'Something or Nothing' and 'Days of Wine and Booze'.
If you have some comments about this, leave them here in the forum
07 April - Scott Solo Show
According to an add in The Stranger Scott will play another solo show, this time it will take place at Hattie's Hat, Seattle on April 17 around 11 pm. Apparently there's no cover charge (but don't take my word for it). Scott will also play two more solo shows opening for John Wesley Harding this weekend: Seattle, The Triple Door, 8 pm, Friday April 9; Portland OR, Lola's, 7 pm sharp!, Sat. April 10. If you have time, go check it out and let me know how it was.
© Christophe Claessens 2003-2004. Contact me if you have some news to add.