Anyway. Last night I arrived safely from Switzerland and went straight to The Borderline to see Jenny Owen Youngs. The photos on her page don't do her justice, so I'll put one of my own here and more on Flickr, but in person she looks like what would happen if our lovely and fun friend Lindsay Mac had babies with the uber-talented Kaki King:
Since Meg couldn't come with me, I promised her a setlist, complete with jokes. Unfortunately Miss JOY was a bit sick, so the set was a little shortened, and there's a bit of rambling, but she's an amazingly talented singer. There weren't a ton of people there, so I got to be up front, and weirdly a lot of them had only heard one song of hers (more on that in a bit).1. Coyote
Jenny asks everyone to set their ring tones to g-sharp, the key of the next song.
2. Lightning Rod
Someone's phone rings, but in the wrong key. A new verse for the song is written - "I thought we talked about the ring tones."
3. A new song, I think, which I'm calling Dissolve
4. Drinking Song
Here, the English cold medicines begin to take effect on Jenny. She finishes the second chorus, then can't remember whether or not she's played the second verse. Since hardly anyone in the audience knows the music, no one can say for sure. She begins again with the second verse. Someone shouts "We've heard that bit." The third verse begins.
Dave House is in the house. He joins Jenny on stage. They play "the one with the cursing":
5. F**k was I
Jenny asks if we've brought our feeleings. Someone in the audience says, "We're English, we don't do feelings." Jenny says, oh right, you live in this country that's cold, rainy, and full of ennui.
6. Porchrail
Dave leaves before the song is even over.
7. P.S.
8. Woodcut
Now, we find out that Jenny loves the English "beans on toast," which makes their poor excuse for coffee almost tolerable.
9. From Here
Dave returns.
10. Keys Out Lights On
Jenny promises she'll put on an evening gown later, since that's what we've all come for: "If I were a crack dealer, these songs would be my pancake store. Do you have pancakes here?" An American in the audience laments the lack of Aunt Jemima to go with pancakes. We also learn that Jenny ordered flapjacks once, and got a "horrible excuse for a granola bar," and warns us all not to go to America and order flapjacks and expect that.
11. Voice on Tape
Dave leaves again. He hasn't said a single word all night.
12. A song I'm calling Avalanche, by someone who I think is called Garinne Hawk
13. A new song I'm calling The English Language
14. Another new song I'm calling I Couldn't Want You
15. Her cover of Hot in Here, which turns out to be why everone came to the show. For the first time all night, they're singing along! Too bad the show is over now.
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