Show Report

Show Report: Black Mustard, Guelph
The "Everything He Ever Wrote Acoustic Revue"
January 27, 2000



The "Everything He Ever Wrote Acoustic Revue" tour kicked off in Guelph at the Black Mustard. The venue was roughly the size of the average basement, and we had to come back (and go back out into -30 degree weather) several times before being let in, but I did get a free beer (our table was taken away, and in the confusion I scored a Keith's Pale Ale) and free tickets, so I will not complain!
I'll explain this show in a little more detail than the rest, as the big things will probably be the same for all of the acoustic shows. The show featured Ron on acoustic guitar & vocals, Lawrence on harmonica, melodica and backup vocals, and Julie Penner on violin. However at this show, hopefully unlike the rest, everything technical that could go wrong did! Good news is that the result was just a little longer wait than expected for the start, and a slightly difficult encore.
Overall, the show featured a very good mix of Ron's catalog: Lowest of the Low stuff to keep the frat boys interested, but enough Nails and solo stuff to entertain the hardcore fan. I can't remember a setlist or anything like that, so just imagine what songs would translate acoustically, and they probably played them. Songs I remember being played are:
- 4 O'clock stop
- So Long Bernie
- Salesmen, Cheats and Liars (sing-a-long song #1)
- Rosy and Grey (sing-a-long song #2)
- Eternal Fatalist (sing-a-long song #3)
- For the hand of Magdalena
- Bleed a Little While Tonight
- Under the Carlaw Bridge
- City Full of Cowards
- Black Monday (which for some reason, someone shouts for at every show!)
- Last Lost Generation
- Bit
- The Tame, the Half-born, The Wild, and You
- Three Penny Operator
- Blur
- an expanded version of Lulu
- Pokerface
- Someone Else's Baby Now
- Ghostwriting
- St. Valentine's Day Massacre
- Small Victories
- Ruby's Arms (cover of a Tom waits song, thanks Blitz!)
- Turpentine (hands down, still my favorite Ron Hawkins song of all time!)
- Partners in Crime
- Little Backstabber (runner up for my favorite song, currently)
- Guttering
- Crackstatic
plus more I probably don't remember!

My hilights of the show:
- "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" with Lawrence on harmonica
- they played "Bit"!
- "Small Victories" with Julie on violin
- a relatively small crowd (although the show was sold out), compared to the next night's show in Toronto anyways!




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