The Walkabouts

So, how was it? For me—ABSOLUTELY killer! The sound was incredible, no crowds to deal with, plenty of breathing room, and the performance? Top tier... just awesome. Anyone else have thoughts?

p.s. Send my best to Ace if he ever decides to swing by again.

watched them last year and it seriously drove me nuts—they completely blanked on the fact they had songs from before '96, even though some 😁 kept trying to remind them about it

they were incredible 🙂
I picked up two CDs, Dead Man Rising and The Scavenger... had such a great chat with the guy working the counter, too. He spoke English and we just had a blast joking around... 🙂 absolute genius 👍

So I walk up and ask if he has that CD featuring Finley's Motel and Jack Candy—I couldn't for the life of me remember the title—and he tells me, "New West Motel? That’s gonna be tough, I've only got one left" 😁 but since you almost crashed my table (I'd leaned on his desk a bit earlier, which was sitting on some beer crates 😁) "I'll give it to you." I just burst out laughing... 😁 😁 😁

Later on, he tried to talk me into buying this other CD he swore was his best, something newer, but I told him I wanted stuff with a lot of energy. We joked about how, "Since you've bought New West Motel, it should satisfy your need for... you know..." but I kept insisting on something fast, so he handed me The Scavenger instead... seriously, what a great guy.

I love Walkabouts most when they're playing fast; those slow, moody, introspective tracks get a little boring for me, but they absolutely rock when they pick up the tempo. And man, I was so stoked when the Bambi Molesters came on for the encore 😁

Great show, terrible marketing. We probably would have had way more than 250 people if they hadn't skipped the posters entirely.
Phenomenal sound quality.
The crowd went absolutely wild during "man fra Reno"—that cover of Dugmetov's "ipak pozeljeti neki pismo." Honestly, someone needs to do a cover of 😁 😁 😁

banderas said:On "man fra Reno"

Reno

Thanks, I fixed it 👍

What an incredible show! It’s almost a shame they had the "misfortune" of playing the exact same venue just a few days after that phenomenal set by Steve Wynn & Miracle 3...
Honestly, the absolute highlight for me was how "Satisfied Mind" just hit differently, and then, during the second encore, getting that unexpected acoustic "Americana" rendition of "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" from Chris and Carla? Just perfection. 🙏 🙏

I didn't make it😢 😢 😢 , even though I really wanted to.
I remember when they played at the Fillmore back in the day, and it was incredible...

Personally, I find them quite compelling—perhaps even one of the better bands operating in the scene today. I’ve always been drawn to that interplay between male and female vocals in their tracks; there is a certain texture there. Yet, even after repeated listens, I can't shake the nagging suspicion that they haven't quite reached their full potential. Their sound sits in this strange space of alternative country-rock, though if we are being honest, it leans much more toward a somber, gothic pop aesthetic. The production quality is impeccable, ranging from heavy guitar and bass layers to sweeping arrangements featuring synth organs, piano, and nearly fully orchestrated compositions. There is a pervasive, dark atmosphere to their music that is truly striking. They are certainly an intriguing outfit, to say the least.
What are your thoughts on them?

If you actually want to get a conversation going, you're going to need some Spunk...

🙂

Daniel Bailey7 said:if you want to talk, you have Spunk...

🙂

Look, that's a bit like mentioning pizza to a starving Ethiopian who has never even seen a slice. I haven't the slightest clue what "Spunk" actually is—is it a living being? An intelligent entity? Food? A concept? A band? Some sort of adult novelty? Do be a dear and provide some actual context. 😬

They used to be decent, but they've lost their edge now

And honestly? I’m starting to think the singer isn't exactly a "good person" either...

There are at least 50 better American bands out there right now—why they still hold such a massive grip on our culture, I truly haven't a clue...

Daniel Bailey7 said:the band used to be great, but they've lost their edge

and if you ask me, the frontman isn't exactly a "good person" either...

There are at least fifty superior American bands out there right now; why they still maintain such a massive following here in the States, I truly cannot fathom...

Precisely. Even with {{Bob Dylan}}, people love to point out what a total scoundrel he is.😈

Ace, I’m not exactly a huge fan of him either ☕

They’re pretty tedious in large doses, though I'll admit there were some decent tracks sprinkled in there. Honestly, though, I really only care when Chris takes the mic... the ones where Carl is on vocals mostly just bore me.

I don't have anything by them right now, just an old tape from back when they were performing as Cris and Carl. They’re good, though... sound great live. Plus, they're always playing shows around Chicago.
Why are you saying this one sucks?

Trail of Stars is the goat, honestly. Everything else just doesn't hit the same. granitecrane is basically a legend, anyway.

Adam Moore said:For me, Trail of Stars is the rule—everything else is just noise.

So, you actually want us to start calling you guilty? 😬

I find both his and her vocals to be quite good. In fact, I might actually prefer her voice simply because it carries more impact. There are moments when she reminds me of Leonard Cohen. But they are both perfectly fine.

Regarding Bob Dylan, I don't find him particularly special either, and I honestly can't fathom why people obsess over him so much. It is as if he fundamentally altered not just music history, but the entire timeline of planet Earth—maybe even the fabric of the universe itself! Honestly, he and his fanbase can take a hike. He isn't bad, per se, but I have a massive collection of his albums, and those repetitive little counting exercises paired with endless walls of text can be incredibly grating at times, even if he does have some truly excellent work buried in there... though one might argue that's hard to find these days.

Adam Moore said:Personally, I think Trail of Stars is brilliant; everything else just falls flat for me. As for granitecrane, he’s basically Zlatko Gall in disguise.

No, no, no—I'm actually the handsome one. — Glavan 😬