so. here is the beginning of my three concert reviews this week. its wednesday. im at dors work, its 6pm. we have a rufus show in san diego in two hours. its a two hour drive. we make good time and get to jasons about 8, and to the venue about 8:30. a teeeeeeny little place in hillcrest. I cant even describe the inside. it was like a churchhall. there was a white piano on stage because there was no stage door. the stage was also only about a foot of the ground. i felt like we were watching a recital. everything was super smooshed. so we got there just as martha wainwright was bowing off stage. YAY! we didn't miss ben lee. i had JUST found out about ben a few days before. here is my ben history:

when noise addict released the LP "i wanna be him" orsomething, when ben was like 12...about 5 or 6 years ago i had it. bizarre. the only album i owned of bens was away with the pixies and i had bought it YEARS ago. i loved it....in all of its indieness. and i had always wanted to see him when he played the roxy and such, but i just never did. and thats all i knew of him. the kinda thing where when i'd hear his name i'd go "ohhhhhhh....i love him" just based on what i have. well now i do love him. hahaha

he came out by himself in a dark blue shirt, hes so skinny! i was so afraid jason and dor would hate him. he said they were having technical problems so we got a few 'extra' solo songs. he did 3 or 4, then the band came out. he was just....SO fantastic. dor and jason both loved him. he's just a fantastic performer if you give him a chance. he is SO passionate and so into it. the songs were fun and sad and just great. i wish i knew the titles but i dont. i enjoyed the one he did acapella a lot. And cigarettes will kill you..the keyboardist has so much fun jumping around. And then ofcourse, sleepwalking he does last. he sat on the amp with his back to the audience and sang into the mic. it was so passionate, i loved it. now rufus time

here's the set list
Danny Boy
Matinee Idol
Damned Ladies
California
In My Arms
April Fools
Greek Song
Baby
Millbrook
Leaving You
Imaginary Love
Barcelona
Beauty Mark
Foolish Love
--------------------------------
Sally Ann


basically the whole album and three new songs. i really love California, and greek boys is pretty good. The cowboy song, Leaving you...is a bit dragged out. Rufus looked SO GOOD. it was so good to see him again. he had on boots, tight dark blue jeans and a tight vneck sweater with an orange polyester shirt beneath it. The white piano was up for comments all night..and this running joke about marines. And how he loved them, and that san diego was full of them and that any had a backstage pass...as he talked about them..he was trying to get the mic to stand up for him..and he commented 'limp mic' and then moved the mic to point straight up and he threw back his head and LAUGHED so hard, for a bout a minute. it was freaking hilarious. he talked a LOT. between each song. Funny, he got through the first 4 or so lines of foolish love..and he stopped and said 'i bet those marines are here tonight' and then started over. it was REALLY funny. hes so cute and hilarious. oh yeah, he also commented on how the venue reminded him of hitler and he did a funny german impersination. and he also talked about christening the venue as rufus wainwright hall. and..ummm..god i cant think of what else. but he was hilarious, adorable, and very charming. my friends loved it.

when the show was over we wandered over to the bus with, about 20 other people..and five minutes later rufus walked out. thats a first. five minutes. i was shocked. hahaha. we were like the 4th or 5th people to talk to him. jason and dor just had stuff signed basically. i handed him the funny pic of us last may and said 'this was at the instore in hollywood last year, could you sign it please' and he studied it a bit (haha, i could tell he didnt like it) and said 'oh i remember that, that was crazy' and then he signed it. i was slightly pushy cos i gave him a silverpen that didnt write at first. i remember apologizing for that..hmmm then i handed him a postcard and told him a friend of mine couldnt make it, and asked him to sign it and he was very nice to do so. he also asked 'why isnt he here tonight!" it was cute. i love the way he talks. his voice. hee. so...prissy. but then we thanked him and walked away. around the parking lot ...pretty far off, we could hear his REALLY geeky but adorable 'huhuhuh' laugh. it was like booming. good night. very fun :]