No matter how many times I see him (and it's been quite a few), Tim Fite never fails to disappoint. His live shows are so much more entertaining than his records, as I mentioned in my review of Fair Ain't Fair (which I have grown to love).
When you go see Tim Fite (and you should), you should be ready for fun. The stage is always set up the same, with a projector screen showing his heart/gun logo and a giant wooden boombox with flashing lights. And right off the bat, he makes sure everyone gets all nice and close to the stage, so he doesn't feel lonely.
Then the show starts. He has a couple of staples that he always plays, "No Good Here," "Away From The Snakes," "I Hope Yer There," "It's All Right Here," and usually a few more. But this time, he played a bunch of stuff from his new record which meant no "Forty Five Remedies" or "Camoflage." Instead, we were treated to "The Barber," "Big Mistake," and "More Clothes." Sadly, he didn't play "Roots Of A Tree" or "Rats & Rags," two of my favorites from Fair Ain't Fair.
But when Tim Fite plays a live show, it's not just about the music. No no no, there's also story time and sing-alongs. Yup, after every couple of songs, there's a break from the music where Tim tells his stories with the help of Dr. Leisure, who does the projection stuff (as well as help out with the music and going on hilarious stream of consciousness rants). There's stories called "Jo-Jo & Bobby Stab A Motherfucker," and ones about what dogs eat, and another about a rat named Juice. They're all charming and illustrated by Mr. Fite himself.
One of my favorite parts of his shows, though, is the sing-along to "Burn It Down." Tim talks about various places he was walking by and how he wanted to burn them down. It's best experienced live, but you can check out the video below for a clip of the song at Southpaw in Brooklyn.
The last song he played was "Away From The Snakes" and he was truly impressed by the crowd. He said, "I've never seen so many people singing this song together." It was quite touching. I think everyone in the club had a tear in their eye. Afterwards, Adam Green went on, but neither I nor anyone I was with were very interested in sticking around.
Seriously, Tim Fite puts on one of the most unique and engaging live performances ever. If you get a chance to see him, you should. He's still touring with Adam Green right now, so he might be playing somewhere near you. Go see him. You'll have a good time. I promise.
Tim Fite - Burn It Down (clip)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment