Friday, January 16, 2009
Creamtastic Road Trip To Atlanta: The Pogues Play The Tabernacle Mar. 9
Posted by Adam Gold on Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Being a music a fan and living in Nashville involves the process of constantly reconciling yourself with bands not playing here. U2 are the biggest band in the world, and they haven't been here since they played the Murphy Center on Nov. 28, 1987. Given that one of Nashville's largest industries is Christian book publishing it seems like a huge cosmic fuck-up for us to be so so shafted by God. For that reason, people like myself are sometimes forced to take the great American road trip to get a proper concert fix. Some shows are worth it. One show that is sure to be just that is upcoming Pogues show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta.
For the last couple years, The Pogues have come across the pond around St. Patrick's day for four- to five-show runs of large markets like New York, D.C. and Boston. The Atlanta show, on Mar. 9, will be the first in the South--and possibly last, considering that Shane McGowen is someone I'd probably put in my celebrity dead pool if I were to have one--since the band reunited. Being that they don't do full-fledged tours I'd guess that their chances of ever coming to Music City are about .0000000000000000000001 percent.
I saw the Pogues at Boston's Orpheum Theater on St. Patty's day three years ago and it was everything I hoped for and more. By far the most rockin' show I've ever seen to employ absolutely no electric guitar. Shane kept it together pretty well--except for a couple times when he came in at the wrong spots and at the end of the show when he walked off the opposite end of the stage as the rest of the band, having to be physically turned around by roadies--and the set list was near flawless. The show I saw had one gigantic flaw however. The Orpheum Theater has a policy against bringing beverages into the main auditorium, which forced 2,000 people to cram shoulder to shoulder in the lobby, trying their hardest to reach the level of intoxication that is almost obligatory for a Pogues show. This also meant that the auditorium was virtually empty for the opening act, the fucking Walkmen!
Being a general admission venue, Atlanta's Tabernacle should be far more conducive to the Pogues experience. I wanna drive down there, get drunk off my ass and avoid taking a Doc Marten to the face while I sing along to "Body of an American" like I'm at a cop funeral on The Wire. Who's with me?
Atlanta really ain't that far, so if gas prices stay down and we take my car then it would be $37.14 each way (according to www.fuelcostcalculator.com). Totally worth it! Don't believe me? Check this out:
Comments (8)
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Tempting. I mean, he's sure to die soon so it's like every chance is your last chance to see them.
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Yes, I lived in the Cumberland downtown in 2000 and heard Oasis was performing at Atlanta's spring Midtown Music Festival. I promptly put in for a sick day at work so myself, one of the Cumberland morning concierges and his cousin could drive down for the Friday night show.
One must do what one must do what one can do it.
Gas prices may be the least of your worries...check out ticket prices ($77 - $91). Still totally worth it, but fffuuuuuccckkkk that's expensive.
Speaking of not coming here...
Morrissey US Tour 2009:
02-28 Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park
03-14 Washington, DC - Warner Theater
03-16 Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
03-21 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-22 Philadelphia, PA - Academy of Music
03-25 New York, NY - Webster Hall
03-26 New York, NY - Carnegie Hall
03-28 Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods
03-29 Boston, MA - House of Blues
03-31 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
04-01 Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
04-03 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
04-04 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
04-06 Minneapolis, MN - State Theater
04-07 Kansas City, MO - Midland Theater
04-10 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
04-11 Houston, TX - Jesse H Jones Hall
04-12 Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall
04-14 El Paso, TX - Chavez Theater
04-15 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
adam, thanks for the tip. just scored a pair of tix. awesome. caught them in 87, channel club boston, awesome!!
Anybody remember the Pogues show at the TN state fair in Sept 89? Cold cold rain, the band starts late, Shane comes out and says "Welcome to the sunny south." Drunkest man I've ever seen still standing, on stage or off. Only thing about the show I really remember otherwise is the rest of the band shined liked diamonds.
I saw them two years ago in Vegas, and it was hands down the best concert I've ever seen. Just fucking amazing.
all this talk of shane's being at death's door is very tacky. i stopped believing it 15 years ago. i humbly suggest you do the same now. the man sounded great at the tabernacle this week, and while his speech was slurred when he bantered between songs (years of excessive alcohol abuse will get ya like that), he handled the vocal duties like a champ. i was impressed. i was reminded of all my friends who told me kurt cobain was a terrible singer and guitar player in concert, then being thoroughly disproved when i saw nirvana in '94.
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