Robyn Hitchcock
Concert appearance: Sat., 30 Oct. 2004
Cactus Café
Austin, Texas US
Set list:
Visions of Johanna (Bob Dylan)
I Got the Hots
Swirling
Point It At Gran
Mexican God
Heart Full of Leaves
I Got a Message for You
Queen Elvis
Somewhere Apart
Be Here Now (George Harrison)
We're Gonna Live in the Trees
Sometimes A Blonde
Chinese Bones
Only the Stones Remain
Full Moon in my Soul
Autumn Is Your Last Chance
You and Oblivion
Creeped Out
Airscape
Last Saturday night my wife and I drove to Austin to catch Robyn at the
Cactus Club. After I parked the car, we walked toward Guadalupe Avenue,
but when we got there, we realized we didn't know how to get to the
Cactus Club.
We looked left, we looked right. We scratched our head. So I figured
I'd ask someone for directions.
Just then, a tall man with green pants, white shirt, and a mop of
salt-and-pepper hair sauntered next to me and stood, waiting for the
light to change.
"Hey Robyn, where's the Cactus Club?"
"Um, go down the street that way, hang a left at the light, and the
door to the club is in that courtyard."
"Thanks, Robyn! We'll see you later!"
"Okay."
What perfect timing he has.
So we followed Robyn's directions, stood in line, got our tickets, and
watched him perform. It was a huge turnout, and the club was packed.
He took the stage to standing ovation. "Wow, this sounds like an
encore," he said. "Too bad about the world."
He wore black pants and a dandy white shirt with swaths of green and
red. He did a rather short set. His voice was tired, but he enjoyed
himself and seemed to really be into playing his guitar, more so than
usual. He did a lot of fingerpicking and seemed to be relishing the
chords.
Highlights include a stunning "Heartful of Leaves" on acoustic and
"Autumn Is Your Last Chance" on a tobacco-sunburst Telecaster. The only
Forbidden Song he did was "I Got A Message For You." The banter was
fun, but he was clearly tired.
A most enjoyable performance. I believe this was my twelfth time seeing
him and I rank it in the Top 5.
-Gene
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