May
21
2006

Circus Mexicus May 2006

The Show

PhotosSunday, May 21, 2006 - 11:03:01 am (Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 06:03:01 pm MST)
(Posted Under: Travel, Music Music, Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene)
Photobox ImageTime had come for the main event, the big rock show. We made a move down to the street outside Pinacate, where a line starting at the gates of the Sunset Cantina parking lot are. We jumping on the end of the line, which before long stretched all the way down the street. The intent was to go straight in, however, the line wasn't moving one bit. So I lit up a smoke, while we waited. Katie relayed that the other times had she been that you couldn't walk right into the concert venue pretty much at five. Up a down the line there was bitchin' about the wait, and cries of "just let us in". During the wait was a good photo opportunity for Katie to do her "T-Rex impression". A few people got in here and there, yet the line hardly moved. There was talk that the band had gotten held up with visas at the Mexican border, and hence the delays.

At about 6:30pm, the line started to move and before long we were inside the Sunset Cantina dirt lot, which is the concert venue. In the earlier days of the Mexico shows, it was held on the roof of Sunset Cantina, but has since grown to large and has been moved to the adjacent parking lot.

Once inside we walked around and took a look, before back tracking to the merch table at the rear of the lot, before getting drinks. It was pretty packed, and hard to make a decision, so I just got Honky Tonk Union (which I'd never brought, in hope of getting one of the limited edition double CD's - it was about time I just goddamn brought it) and Live At Billy Bob's, with the intent of going nuts tomorrow at J.J's.

After negotiating the merch table, it was off to get some cervasas. And wait. And wait. [smile] Jamie Lee came out here and there, but it seemed like the show would never start. As more people piled in, we took up a spot just south of the lighting boom. Eventually Roger came out, apologising and explaining the cause of the wait - the problem with bringing the equipment over the border, and procceded to introduce Johnny Hickman and David Lowery (Cracker) opening. This was somewhat of a disappointment, because traditionally there is a mariachi band, the opener, then the Peacemakers, and I had certainly been looking forward to seeing the mariachi band.

David and Johnny when to start, which last not long before some huge pops and cracks sounded out. Technical problems seemed to abound, which seemed like would result in much more waiting. Roger quickly ran out, again, toggled some leads and what not, and re-introduced Cracker. This time David and Johnny started, without a hitch. David in what looked like a white polyester suit and acoustic guitar, and Johnny left of stage looking bad ass, with his Lucky 7's guitar. My familarity with the songs was varied, mostly on the unfamilar side, and in highensight, I would love to go back, and familarize myself more with the Cracker repetue before the show. It was so enjoyable, not knowing a lot of the songs, I can only imagine how awesome it'd be knowing more of them. Certainly, even without the huge familarity level, I don't think I could think of a more suitable and fitting opening act. And similarly, I can't think of anywhere better to see Cracker for the first time than in Mexico. A couple of songs, including (I think) Duty Free) I recognised from Johnny playing with Steve at Last Exit on Thursday night. And hence, even if I didn't know the songs, it wasn't hard to sing along with them. Cracker songs are just good like that.

Despite the Peacemaker's setlist saying they did Eurotrash Girl, I am pretty sure David and Johnny did this, David saying that Mexico has the best eurotrash girls. Which was awesome, and received a lot of applause, although the irony became a running thing for Cate. Eurotrash Girls was great, I also distinctly remember them doing Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now). Another I didn't know, yet it took no time to pick it up (as it turns out, I'd probably heard it once or twice on a Cracker live show I have) and be screaming out "What the world needs now, is another folk singer, like I need a hole in the head!". Too much fun, I kid you not.

During the Cracker set, and after, we slowly moved forwards, settling in front of the lighting boom, which is the position we occupied for the next two sets. Night had certainly set in by this stage, although it was possible to look back, and see the absolute sea of people behind us. Which was remarkably different to when we got there, and during the Cracker set. The time between the Cracker set and Peacemaker's sets were thankfully not that long. After 15 or 20 minutes, the Peacemaker's filled out. While waiting, there had been comments about the stuffed perched on P.H's drumkit. Roger walked out, who'd previously been seen in a yellow t-shirt was adorn in a pirate outfit, as were his mates, hardy mates. Larson looked particularly bad ass, in his pirate getup. Which Katie was extremely giddy about. Nick looked suitably silly, red stripped t-shirt, and a fake mustache. Joining them was Louis Butler (ex-Muddy Violets, and RC&PM roadie) on a second drumkit, backing up P.H, who'd last month fractured his collarbone. This was his first show since the accident, and without fully recovering yet, recruited Louis to back him up. Roger apologized about the delays again, gave the Louis & PH rundown, and before long, the rock was set off, with the traditional Circus Mexicus opening - "Uno, dos, tres, quatros. Here comes another song about Mexico...." as fireworks go off above the stage. Rock n' roll.

It took no time at all to think how cool the whole thing is, the rock 'n roll, under the sky on the coast in Mexico. I definitely thought of how cool the stage, particularly with the palm trees backdrop behind it looked, and how the whole thing looked a lot different to how I'd always pictured it (always picturing it literally on the beach) and that I preferred what it was, rather than what I'd pictured.

The concert was a lot different to my experience of seeing the band last year, which had more of a feeling of taking it in, as opposed to just absolutely rocking the fuck out. Last year I'd had been right at the front of the stage, and I also thought how I was more happy with the position we had for this show, and that I really couldn't be bothered trying to deal with the crazyness of a Circus Mexicus front row place.

It's hard to do a blow by blow account of a rock show spanning 3 sets and probably 3 or 4 hours! It'd been a reasonably hot day, and the sheer volume of people packed into the Sunset Cantina lot meant that didn't really change once the sun went down. The dirt was not by any stretch of the imagination, and combined with the growing piles of Tecate cans, it really was a road dog experience, especially having stood around so long waiting for the show to start - the dust and the grease and the grit and mud. Katie was a trooper, putting up with my domestic violence - smacking her in the head with my new cowboy hat, more or less everytime I leaned in to note something. Considering the volume of people, being in Mexico for a weekend of drinking and debauchery, the crowd was better than I expected, only a few fights breaking out in our vacinity. The band ripped through song over song, Roger being quite funny through a lot of them, and Larson with that pained facial expression as he ripped through every solo. Throughout the night, different costumes loosing authenticity, however Larson, the one you'd least expect to be comfortable in a pirate outfit, kept all his getup the whole time. Rock 'n roll. The band played Your Name On A Grain Of Rice early in the first set, which Katie noted to me that I got my Name On A Grain Of Rice. I'd noted a lot before the trip how I'd be pissed if 1) PH didn't play and 2) They didn't play Your Name On A Grain Of Rice.

Towards the end of the first set (I believe, though it could have been later) Roger announced that Sunset Cantina was completely out of beer. Pretty impressive. The back story being that this show was the biggest circus Mexicus turn out ever, combined with the fact that the owners of Sunset Cantina had had a death in the family a few days earlier, which effected organising beer for the show. Apparently throughout beer had been supplied from other Cantinas, and that two dried up.

The first set was closed with Preacher's Daughter, after which Roger announced that the band would be back in 15 minutes, not before reminding everyone to pace themselves, it was going to be a long night. Once the rock stopped, the sheer pain of walking around the fish markets today, combined with the standing in line for the show, plus standing for about 2 hours thus far with Cracker and the Peacemakers, all of a sudden became obvious. We talked somewhat about going back to the condo, and coming back later, which I actually considered. It takes a lot for me to give up on the rock, but I felt okay with it, that's how sore my feet were. And I'd felt that I'd adequately rocked out during the first set. Cath went to get some drinks, and during the time she was gone, I thought about waiting the whole last 12 months to be here, all the bullshit, long days at work - and I'm bitching about my feet being sore? Fuck that. Not that they weren't, but there was no way I wouldn't regret missing any over the show. Not tonight, I felt okay with it, but it wouldn't take me long to want to kick myself if I did. I've got plenty of time once I go back over the border/fly back from the US for my feet to recover, so suck it up pussy! It wasn't hard then to decide that I definitely was going to keep rocking out!

About 15 minutes later, the band returned, and launched into Mexicosis. Which I immediately thought how this was my first time hearing it live (it was the live debut of it, which was earlier released on Four Unlike Before this year), in Mexico, and would be the test of the song. If I couldn't like it under these circumstances, I couldn't like it. Admitadly, it was more enjoyable than it previous has been, but still - the worse song Roger has ever written. [wink] In anycae, Blue Colar Suicide, Wanted, ¡Americano! and Interstate followed. All which confirmed that leaving and listening to the show from the condo just wasn't an option. Definitely with Interstate which was awesome to see live, with Katie beside me. The rest of the set consisted of much of the same rocking out, and taking some photos here and there throughout. The only downside to where we were was the ability to take good photos. It was pretty much hold the camera as high as I could, and hope for the best. But that didn't bother me at all. Never Thought was another great one to hear in Mexico, and think about the fact of being in Mexico yelling "I never thought I'd go this crazy", and thinking about the last year, and how there is nothing as liberating. Not suprisingly, Roger went through a slew of sombreros, notible a ridiculously huge "Mexico" one, and a "The Office" one. Somewhere throughout this set, Roger got word that the tents were now also out of Tequila. The whole place was running dry, fast. Several times through he referenced the beer situation, obviously impressed with the feat of the crowd. At the end of the second set, which was probably an hour an a half, some more bobbing occurred, to try to allieve the pain of standing for so long. Certainly we felt more worn at this point, but with one set to go, the home stretch was in sight. Before Roger left the stage, he reminded everyone to pace themselves, though by this stage, Rog sounded like he needed to heed his advice also. [wink]

By the third set, the crowd had thinned out a bit, and I ventured a bit closer to the stage. After a while, Roger came back out, with Johnny Hickman, who incidently was also in full pirate getup, them both taking the stage for a duet of Green & Dumb, with Johnny on mandolin. Katie had said how awesome this was last year, and was something I was really looking forward to. After it, the rest of the band, including David Lowery came out, playing the entire third set / encore. Which was a mixture of Cracker songs, and Peacemakers songs, which was entirely cool to see. By this stage, I was fairly worn out, but had no trouble rocking it out, knowing I could pass out soon.

For such a long show, it's impossible to remember what was played, but this is the setlist according to people who scored them (striked songs weren't actually played):

Set 1.
  1. Mexico
  2. Bury My Heart At The Trailer Park
  3. I Don't Need Another Thrill
  4. Banditos
  5. Broken Record
  6. Colorblind Blues
  7. Horses
  8. Mexican Moonshine
  9. Sonoran Hope And Madness
  10. Your Name On A Grain Of Rice
  11. Feeling
  12. West Texas Moon
  13. City Girls
  14. Beautiful Disaster
  15. Captain Suburbia
  16. Little Hung Over You
  17. King Of The Hill
  18. God Gave Me A Gun
  19. Leave An Open Door
  20. Jack vs. Jose
  21. European Swallow
  22. Preacher's Daughter
    23. Set 2
  23. Mexicosis
  24. Blue Colar Suicide
  25. Wanted
  26. Americano!
  27. Interstate
  28. Tell Yer Momma
  29. Never Thought
  30. Down Together
  31. Better Beauitful Than Perfect
  32. Loco To Stay Sane
  33. Easy
  34. Honky Tonk Union
  35. Don't Wanna Know
  36. Psychosis
  37. Mekong
  38. Switchblade
  39. Love, Come Lighten My Load
  40. Leaky Little Boat
  41. Girly
    42. Encore
  42. Green & Dumb
  43. Bottom Of The Bay
  44. Low
  45. Take The Skinheads Bowling
  46. Eurotrash Girl
  47. Counterclockwise
  48. Nada
After the show we headed back to the condo, to prompt flop out the couch and rip our shoes off. There was some talk about going out (it was around 11 or 12), but at the end of the day, I don't think our feet would have carried us anywhere.

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