Mini-Mekons Wrap Up Tour in Rhode Island (While Planning For A Full-Band Tour Next Summer)

Last night Jon Langford and Sally Timms of The Mekons, along with Josh Kantor, wrapped up a six-show tour of New England with a fantastic set at The Myrtle in East Providence, Rhode Island. This show followed house concerts in Cambridge and Boston, along with sold-out shows at The Cut in Gloucester, Massachusetts and Stage 33 Live in Bellows Falls, Vermont. The Myrtle is a small venue, with a cool, relaxed vibe. There are couches and booths for folks to sit near the stage and on the sides, and space at the bar in the back for those who wanted to stand. The stage is just a few inches off the floor, and there are chandeliers above the stage, with shelving at the back (and animal print curtains). While the sound was being set up, Josh Kantor took a look at the records and various knick-knacks on those shelves. To the right of the stage (from the audience's perspective) was a baby grand piano, which Josh made great use of (his keyboard remaining packed up for this show). Folks might know Josh for his work in the band Jim's Big Ego, and Red Sox fans certainly know him as the organist at Fenway Park. It was his birthday last night.

The soundcheck included bits of "Wild And Blue," "Millionaire," "Abernant 1984/85" and "Pill Sailor." And then at 7:14 p.m., Chris Brokaw opened the show with a good solo set, performed on electric guitar. His set ended at 7:57, and The Mini-Mekons  took the stage twenty minutes later, opening with "Abernant 1984/85." Jon introduced Josh, "The birthday boy on the piano, Josh Kantor." And Sally joked that as a birthday gift, Josh would get to take the piano home. Sally then sang lead on "Dark Sun," a song from her Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments For Lost Buckaroos album. There was a great, loose atmosphere at this show, and while there might not have been quite as much energy as at the Gloucester show, the crowd was definitely into the music. Josh switched to accordion for "Pill Sailor," which followed "Dark Sun," and then moved back to piano for "I Picked Up The Pieces." For "Millionaire," Sally Timms went over to the piano, joking that she was unable to get on top of it. And so she leaned against the post just in front of the piano, and it seemed the entire audience was singing along with her. "Yes, the cruise ship awaits," she quipped.

Josh was back on accordion for "Lonely And Wet," a wonderful, slow number that was included on The Mekon's debut full-length album, 1979's The Quality Of Mercy Is Not Strnen (a glance at the album's cover will explain that odd title). "Why doesn't it rain when I'm sad/I'm just not happy anymore." They followed that with "Corporal Chalkie," a song from The Mekons' second album, released in 1980, and then "1 2 3 4 Ever." For "Junk Barge," Sally brought out the kazoo, and she also played it on "Slightly South Of The Border." Josh was on accordion for "Slightly South Of The Border." They then delivered a wonderful rendition of "Wild & Blue," with Josh back on the piano. This is a song that never fails to make me happy. Jon then led them in the Waco Brothers song, "Plenty Tough - Union Made." Josh delivered some great work on piano on "Seminole Wind," a song written by John Anderson. That led to Jon and Sally getting the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday To You" to Josh, with Jon joking that Josh plays harmonica for the Chicago Bulls.

The last section of the show was especially energetic and fun, starting with a couple of songs from the Mekons' great Fear And Whiskey album: "Last Dance" and "Hard To Be Human Again." Josh played accordion on "Last Dance," and Sally was on kazoo for "Hard To Be Human Again." They wrapped up with the set with "Memphis, Egypt," the song The Mekons opened with the first time I saw them in concert. "Destroy your safe and happy lives before it is too late." But the band wasn't quite done. They invited Chris Brokaw to join them on electric guitar for the two-song encore, "Sentimental Marching Song" and "Are You An Entertainer." Josh played accordion for both songs. "Get the money, don't leave anything behind/Just some pieces of your heart and fragments of your mind." Those lines make "Are You An Entertainer?" the perfect closing number. The show ended at 9:49 p.m.

The Mekons will be doing a full-band tour in July, covering a good portion of the United States. The full concert schedule should be posted within the next couple of weeks, and I'm hearing Jill Sobule is going to be opening some of the west coast shows. This is going to be absolutely fantastic, so plan your summer accordingly.

Set List

1. Abernant 1984/85
2. Dark Sun
3. Pill Sailor
4. I Picked Up The Pieces
5. Millionaire
6. Lonely And Wet
7. Corporal Chalkie
8. 1 2 3 4 Ever
9. Junk Barge
10. Slightly South Of The Border
11. Wild & Blue
12. Plenty Tough - Union Made
13. Seminole Wind
14. Happy Birthday To You
15. Last Dance
16. Hard To Be Human Again
17. Memphis, Egypt

Encore

1. Sentimental Marching Song
2. Are You An Entertainer?

The Myrtle is located at 134 Waterman Ave. in East Providence, Rhode Island. The show was free, with a beer pitcher passed around for donations.

And here is a photo from the Gloucester show. By the way, sorry for the crummy cell phone photos. I didn't bring my professional camera with me on this trip.