big NPR score
At the last moment NPR’s Weekend Edition called and asked me to stop by their studio in Washington DC this morning. I’m an avid listener, as are my wife and kids, to this and several other NPR shows (Fresh Air, All Things Considered, Morning Become Eclectic etc.) so I’m delighted they had me on. It was taped and will be broadcast on New Year’ Eve, 12/31/06, in the second hour.
I played four songs live–including as solo version of ‘Airwaves’–but they will edit the whole piece down to 16 minutes so I doubt any songs will be played in their entirety. Still, they promised to send me a CD of the whole thing, so maybe there will be something I can plunder for a future podcast. Oh, and they had a kick-ass Steinway, BTW. Noodling on it was very therarpeutic at this stage of the tour (see Lunesse’s pic below.)
I have to say though, after setting up and recording an important show like this, I’m pretty much done in for the day. Now I’m sitting here 15 mins away from the start of a 1.5 hr Birchmere concert. I expect I’ll summon up the energy from somewhere!
BT’s mum is sitting here in the green room and is every bit as taurine-powered as BT is! The other night she was on on the bus with us, splitting her sides laughing at ‘Little Britain’ and screaming out things like ‘SWEEET dude! Awesome! This is freakin’ OFF THE CHARTS!’
I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Congrats on the NPR score! But editing your appearance down
to 16 minutes…? Sacrilege!
Currently sending you lotsa good energy-vibes, or attempting
to– I don’t actually know if that “new-age” stuff works, but it
can’t hurt to try. Knock their socks off at the Birchmere!
Sayyyy, I just received the marvellous “Sole Inhabitant” CD today {signed, thank you, and it’s #202, nice palindromic
number that it is}, and I just finished writing a review thereof on
Amazon which I hope goes some way to capturing the beautifully-
produced, crystalline-layered audial perfection of this CD that
we know you worked so very hard to create–it was sooooo worth it, it’s wonderful. Your music has got me SO spoiled–only your
and Prefab Sprout’s music satisfies me now, and as you worked so hard on a goodly chunk of their music too, it all comes out to the same thing anyway…
This is, of course, coming from a lady with a permanent case
I actually popped over here with
of audiophilia, hee hee.
the intention of tacking a reply onto your last blog, and lo and
behold if you didn’t just post a spankin’ fresh one! Awesome!!
Peace and bending the music to your will,
Kara
Oh, oh, I forgot to mention… as I was listening to your S.I. CD
through headphones, I found it shivery-cool the way, during “I Live
in a Suitcase”, your regular vocal predominated in my right ear,
even as the vocoded version thereof predominated in my left.
Both ears are thrilled, as is the rest of me. Thank you again for
going that extra 22 hours to perfect your music.
Peace and a slight forgetfullness on my part,
Kara again…
What a wonderful concert! My wife and I truly felt that it was one of the best shows that we have ever seen. Being an electronic musician myself, I felt very inspired by the experience. Watching you guys play made me realize that I made the right decision when I decided to go after a career in writing/recording music. Hell, I know I’ll most likely never be rich but I’ll at least be able to enjoy my work (lucky for me I have a wonderful wife that supports me). Like BT, I only hope that one day I’ll be able to know what it’s like to collaborate with such an inspiration. Thanks!
Reading this in my hotel room in Chicago, very sad to have missed the Birchmere gig tonight. But, since I don’t have fret about packing for San Francisco now on New Year’s Eve now, I’ll be able to tune to Weekend Edition and listen intently for some moments of solo “Airwaves.” Bliss. I’ll be hoping you can podcast that at some point.
One more night. May New York treat you well! Good travels home to you and all the Petrie Dish crew!
Getting 4 songs into 16 mins is easy, just speed up the tempo. I can’t wait to hear ‘Airwaves’ sung like the chipmunks!
Grats on doing stuff with NPR! I was at the Birchmere tonight, and It was amazing. I agree with theshaggyfreak. One of the best shows I have ever seen. Thomas, your work on the personal ballads you talked about in baltimore truly makes for some awesome music. I stayed after the show to tell BT how awesome it was, I was looking for you. The way you put in MLK’s I have a Dream speech into The Flat Earth was phenominal, and truly very special. My only regret is that I cannot relive that moment in it’s entirety. -Geist
Did they ask you to respond to Don Was’s accusation?
Shimeny!
Great grand children of Jefferson Davis’ enslaved camels and refugee tigers one day. NPR the next! How do you process that during the 3000 mile oddessy?
Would it sound like Armageddon? Koyaanisqatsi? Carmina Burana?
A breath? A heartbeat? A roar? A moan? A scream? A gracenote before the supernova?…
Adulation of Fans, Heartfelt connections with Beasts (who know more than they’re telling), Melting Icecaps, Tundra in Denver. In which key would that be? Can’t wait to find out. All the best in 2007 Mon. Muse. Thanks for a splendid gift in 2006! And safe trip home y’all!
Oh yes!
I’ve been trying to find this is the NPR schedule to see if I can listen here. The national broadcaster in Finland transmits some NPR shows in Finland. I also love All Things Considered and Fresh Air.
I’m betting that this is not going to be available here but maybe it can also he heard online. I must find out.
How was the recording made? Was is just you and piano? Judging by what you have written it sounds like you had little time to transport and set up major kit so the versions maybe the ones so many of us are waiting to hear…
Which other songs? Please tell more.
‘Really hope that I don’t miss out again by geographic disadvantage.
Cheers,
Jon
Here is some possible good news. A few weeks ago, The Ed Palermo Big Band was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday. Like you, they also performed four songs which were edited for broadcast. But the segment that was broadcast, as well as all four unedited songs are available to listen to on the NPR site (in this case, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6202839). Maybe NPR will make a page like that for your segment.
J. D.
Amazing show last night as always made better by the fact I had one of the best seats in the house just steps away from you at the table next to an even luckier fellow who saw you 22 times this year, wish I could’ve. Still get chills. Again, an 8 minute song of yours is never too long, in fact your time on stage seemed way too short. But I guess you can’t just play your entire catalogue…can you, would you, will you? Thank you for signing for us waiting at the stage door. Will definitely be listing for you on another favorite, NPR.
Girl in the white TD shirt.
I’m thrilled that NPR’s Morning Edition will be featuring you and your recent endeavors. Too bad it wasn’t at the BEGINNING of the tour!! I’m sure a lot of your fans weren’t aware of this tour and will be kicking themselves to know that they missed it.
I listen to NPR daily, but your feature will be one that I’ll actually miss, as I’ll be out of the country (vacation to Costa Rica… poor me!). I’ll try to find the archived story upon return or look for a future podcast…
Have GREAT final show of the tour, and thanks for putting yourself out there again.
Beech
I don’t know where you summoned up the energy from, but my wife and I are glad that you did. The show last night was a blast!
We hope you have a great final show tonight, and a wonerful holiday.
Skoal!
I am the wife of ginnungagap42 and I can confirm that we both really enjoyed this show! I think this is one of the best muscial concerts I have ever attended. I had not been to the Birchmere before and enjoyed the venue and being so close to all your wonderful music! My only regret was not yelling SILK PAJAMAS! in counter point to Mr. Buick…
I have one question about your music: in the song Silk Pajamas at the end of the song, which I have listened to numerous times, under different conditions, even hijacking my husbands expensive uber tech headphones. I keep hearing at the end “hey guys” in the headphones it definitely sounds like you trying to sound like a women. RIght before the “all you have to do is play it wrong”…can you tell me if that is your pith helmet wearing missing friend showing up again…just one of life’s litle mysteries I would love to have solved.
lady_tomyris@comcast.net known as Tomyris_beat
Hey tomyris_beat, that always sounded like Dolby-giggles to me.
Yup, yet another
I’ve sometimes wondered how Thomas ever managed to sing
those lyrics at all–I giggle my butt off every time I hear
‘em. How many takes did it take, Thomas?
query about “Silk Pajamas”…
Peace and subtle background murmurings [and ample giggling],
Kara
p.s. agghhh! my birds are destroying the place! I have heard the
flapping of doom…
tomyris_beat,
Being a longtime Flat Earthling, I hope I can help answer your question. This is all from memory from the time the A&H CD was released, so someone can correct me if I’ve got a few things out of alignment. TMDR went to New Orleans, and made DAT tape recordings with cajun musicians to lay down tracks on A&H, namely I Love You Goodbye and Silk PJs. I think the man speaking at the end of the song is fiddle player Michael Doucet, who I remember turning up on an AOL chat Thomas was doing in mid-90s. Thomas asked if it was really him and he answered “Yeaux, Thomas, it’s the real thing!” Thomas then asked Michael to get in contact with him.
Thomas,
I find all this touring–particularly full-rig *solo* touring–absolutely hilarious because somewhere on an ancient backup tape from the mid-90s, I have an email from you (I believe from your Compuserve days) in which you told me, “I’m afraid my touring days are over.” I knew that was crap when you wrote it and I’m thrilled it was. Please don’t ever stop making music and touring. Despite your technoriety, you’re simply one of the greatest musicians/composers on this flat old Earth.
- Matt
P.S. If I find that email, will you autograph it so I can have it framed?
It’s funny — both of your messages remind me of a time, many years ago, that I too received a reply from Thomas via email. I was so convinced it was someone playing a trick on me, I responded with a how-dare-you. I feel badly about it to this day. I apologize for being so cynical, Thomas. And, like Matt, I’m glad you were wrong about touring being a thing of the past. Merry Christmas and we can’t wait to see what 2007 brings.
To be more precise, SCIENCE Teacher and a woman …
Just heard the NPR story and it brought back such fond memories for me. I was 21 and working as a high school science teacher in 1983-85 when “Blinded Me with Science” came out.
My (male) students would sing the title line when they learned something really cool in class (like the demo of sodium crystals igniting), and when they received an unfavorable grade … I think the song really did shift their attitudes about science, which I perceived was one of the artist’s goals.
BTW–”Hot for Teacher” was also quite big at this time, and, while I did have to deal with that on this job, the song itslef was not nearly as popular as “Blinded” …
BT is cool!! In my profile I mentioned several including Daft Punk and Air, I’d place BT in there too but I wasn’t sure anyone would know him.. I also have a DDR dance pad (it’s quite funny to watch a an adult on a DDR pad, but I’m not bad I look like I’m tap dancing).
I think it is “DDR extreme” that contains his song “Sleep Walker Song” (Somnambulist). Hey it’s good exercise if you hate treadmills and can’t dance. BT isn’t french? Air and Daft Punk are.. I’m wondering if Phoenix is.. I don’t know what it is but I just naturally like French stuff.
Grim Reaper: Shut up, you American! You Americans, all you do is talk, and talk, and say “let me tell you something” and “I just wanna say.” Well, you’re dead now, so shut up!
Okay