Kevin's Watch

What can I say? I'm very photogenic!

I found out last week that Eels are playing a few European and British festivals but none that I'm going to.

But yesterday they were added to the lineup of the one I go to in Ireland in September

Happy Stone!

Yay! I'm sad they aren't playing in the States this time as they usually come around where I'm at. Whether or not I'm able to make it is another thing. Enjoy! They put on an especially good show.

Eels touring!!



I've already booked my tickets for August 15!

Another album due out in August - whew!

Kick ass - they are playing the Ogden in Colorado, which is where I saw the Pogues. It is October when they are coming though, fer chrissakes. But this year I'll make it happen, unless I have a new job then (fingers crossed for that).

A good friend of mine (who's going to the Eels concert with me) just bought me End Times - Eels latest album.

It's more reflective, and more pleasant on first listening to Hombre Lobo. I hear it's part of a trilogy - Hombre Lobo being "the before" - the hunger that starts everything. End Times deals with "the after" - dealing with the aftermath, and the forthcoming Tomorrow Morning apparently deals with "the redemption" - a new beginning, and is apparently his most uplifting album yet... coming out near the end of August.

Pity the concert is on mid-August, so I won't get a chance to listen to the latest one before the show.

I plan to see them in October, but haven't bought the ticket yet. I should probably get on that. But yeah...I will get a chance to listen before. I hope the new album is better than the previous two, as I have been a little bored, sadly. I definitely liked End Times better, but having gone through what he is singing about the majority of the time about 4 years ago, I find it a bit of an irritant. I'm looking forward with hope to the new album.

I know what you mean. I feel similarly towards End Times, but I haven't listened to it enough to decide what I really think.

On the first listen, some of the End Times stuff sounded similar to his early solo stuff... I guess it's hard to repeat Daisies or Electro-shock Blues.

REALLY looking forward to the concert though!

Wonderful! Is this your first Eels show?

Each of the 3 shows I've been lucky enough to see have each been very different, but each a hell of a lot of fun. They do shows like I would want to do shows - with a plan. It's more than just seeing the band perform their songs, which is nice.

Yes, this is my first ever Eels show!

I agree that it's very disappointing to watch a band live that you love just pump out a bunch of songs and walk off, without interacting with the audience, or adding any spice to their songs.

I've seen a couple of Eels DVD's which gives me hope that it will be a good show.

One word of warning about their shows - they bring up the house lights at the "end" of the show and all signs point to it being over. Don't believe it. They always (at least the shows I've been to) do a couple more songs after the crowds thin out, logically thinking the show is over. It is always worth sticking around for.

Excellent - thanks for the tip! I'll be in no hurry to go, so I'll stick around and see if it happens!

Last Stop: This Town

How good is that?

It is indeed Stone! Now, I'm hurt because now I know you don't read every post I make - I linked that song on my very first post of this thread. Shame on you!!

I never really got into 'Electro-Shock Blues', Stevie. But with Electric Picnic coming ever closer, i thought I'd check it out again. I'd forgotten about this song! so so so so so good.

Was really diappointed at the weekend I couldn't get their new one for less than £15 which is unheard of these days! Will check online tonight.

Electro-Shock Blues is the album I was listening to around my one and only divorce, so that album carries baggage, and was hard for me to get into. It is still something of a slow burn album for me, and now I think it stands up well. I really immediately liked Last Stop: This Town and 3 Speed. The rest were just ok. Now, after seeing them perform P.S. You Rock My World live and it absolutely gutting me, I've become a huge fan of that song that I never took much notice of before. Particularly this set of lyrics:

Laying in bed tonight i was thinking
And listening to all the dogs
And the sirens and the shots
And how a careful man tries
To dodge the bullets
While a happy man takes a walk

The lyrics to that song are fantastic. The song itself has never done too much for me musically, but I've always loved the lyrics.

Electro-shock blues was a late bloomer for me. I bought the album based on Last Stop: This Town, and really got a shock when I listened to it. It was nothing like what I expected. Over the years, life dealt a few blows and I picked it up again from time to time, liking different songs each time. It was when my good friend had a major tragedy that suddenly this album came to life. He found it almost reassuring that someone else in this world may feel the same way as him.

I love the intro: Elizabeth on the bathroom floor, and Going to your funeral part 1. And apart from Last Stop:This Town, my other favourites are 3 Speed and Climbing to the Moon (which I reckon is a complete heart-wrencher).

End Times is stripped back, Stone - almost a cross between Electro Shock and Blinking Lights. It's not an uplifting album, but I'm finding it a better listen than Hombre Lobo or Blinking Lights at this stage.

I hope I don't get destroyed by the double-post enforcers ...

Just wanted to highlight some great lyrics by E in the latest album - End Times:

...and trouble is a friend of mine
i'd like to leave behind
i like my friends more refined

It's close til I see E in concert - getting excited!!

Sorry, I was waiting patiently for someone else to post in this thread so it didn't look like I was ... anyway...

Saw Eels on Sunday night. I loved it of course! E has a great sense of humour, doesn't take himself too seriously, and performs really well.

All the band members have beards, which is a nice touch, I think . E didn't talk too much (I'm glad of that, nothing worse than a band that talks too much), but he introduced the band, which was great fun, did a couple of encores, and spoke with great humour at the encore. He didn't patronise or condescend to the audience, which seems all too common these days.

It was fantastic to see the Chet and Kool G Murder... a great mix of songs, some oldies and some from the new albums including a few near the end that I didn't recognise - must be from "tomorrow morning". And a unique version of Mr E's Beautiful Blues - damn it was funny!

I think half the pleasure of it is that he doesn't have a chip on his shoulder, he takes things (life) with a grain of salt and good humour, despite the shit that has been thrown at him, and the music is cool, the performance was polished.

No coming back after the lights came on though, unfortunately. We hung around until security kicked us out. I'm wondering if they would have come back on, because we saw Kool G and the Chet hanging around at the back of the stage - but security were keen to get us out, so we had to leave.

All in all, I had a great time - didn't even drink too much (for a change) and it was all well worth it. I think I have the bug again - so... Dandy Warhols are coming to town on my birthday, and I'm thinking of going to that again... and Muse in December... here we go!!

Ahh, damn, that's a pity. That was always my favorite part of the show, when they play after everyone leaves. I wonder if the club owners screwed it up.
Well, I've got to pick up my tickets and get the next day off work still so I can see what they have become. And I'm going to pre-order the new album. I'm glad you liked it. I have always felt moved, amused and thoroughly rocked at their shows. I do have to admit that I miss Butch, the old drummer.