Last night i was in new Albany getting things ready for THE ROCK N ROLL BALLET (which you should go to tonite at 7 at the NEW ALBANY AMPHITHEATER) and realized one of my favorite musicians, Damien Jurado, was playing at the 930 Listening Room, so i jumped on the Honda CX500 and raced to smoketown to catch the tail end of the show. i maybe missed the first half of his set, but the second half was very satisfying. it seems he played his new album, Saint Bartlett (which is awesome, go buy it, or steal it) from beginning to end, and then played some juicy slices after. one song, Diamond of The Sea, he said he just wrote, and wanted to play it, even though the band wasn't that familiar with it. i jumped to the iphone and recorded it, unfortunately the iphone fuzzes out at peak sound, but the song is amazing, and if your a fan, give it a listen.
but the best part of the evening for me was meeting Jurado and his Lovely wife. they are spending this tour following the tour van in their car together, very sweet. at first i thought maybe Jurado was a little annoyed with me, but he talked with me for a half an hour, so surely he wouldn't have done that if he was hating on me. he was really funny and dramatic, and has a sarcastic sense of humor (like me) so i'm sure onlookers were quite amused as we harassed each other over everything from which weather is best, and which cities suck worse.
for a guy who keeps his personal life close to the chest, he was very open about his life and what he hopes for his future. i only recently found out he wasn't a bachelor (damn), and when he mentioned he had a 10 year old kid, i was shocked. he talked about how he hates touring (after 10 studio albums, this is his first time in Louisville) and loves Seattle and yelled to the crowd that i was wrong for liking Oregon. when i mentioned i ran a record label and was getting killed by illegal downloads, he said he didn't care if people stole his music as long as they were listening to it. for a guy who barely tours, i was surprised by that, but he has a great catalogue of music, so go nuts kids, you have permission (my favs include "i break chairs" "on my way to absence" and "the ghost of David"). he said he is solely supported by his music but wouldn't like to get as popular as My Morning Jacket, as he loves to disappear when he wants too.
we talked about growing up and he was shocked that i hadn't seen my first naked girl until i was in high skool, and said he stole his first car at age 12 (an impala). he looks like a scary fellow you wouldn't want to meet in a Seattle alley, and apparently he is a badass too, but a very nice guy. his music is raw and heartbreaking, which i suppose could only come from someone who has been through it all, which it seems he has. all in all it was nice evening, and two girls helped me get a fan pic for this post -thanks Scott! (yes, the girl's name is Scott)-
if you aren't familiar with Damien Jurado, pick up his new album, and if he ever plays louisville again, you'll see me there.
Damien Jurado - Diamond of the Sea
