Wow, this show sounds like it's going to be badass! Options

[edstipe]

Eddie Kowalczyk of LIVE
February 9, 2009
Hotel Cafe
Los Angeles, CA

I did a little research and discovered the following:

Citysearch:
Winner for best live music venue in L.A., 2006 http://losangeles.citysearch.com/bestof/wi...ive_music_venue

Paste Magazine:
Voted one of America's Top 40 best music venues.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2007...sic-venues.html

And finally:
Location(s) Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active 2000–present
Capacity 165
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Caf%C3%A9


Capacity 165? Talk about intimate!

[jaybb]

Eddie Kowalczyk of LIVE
February 9, 2009
Hotel Cafe
Los Angeles, CA

I did a little research and discovered the following:

Citysearch:
Winner for best live music venue in L.A., 2006 http://losangeles.citysearch.com/bestof/wi...ive_music_venue

Paste Magazine:
Voted one of America's Top 40 best music venues.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2007...sic-venues.html

And finally:
Location(s) Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active 2000–present
Capacity 165
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Caf%C3%A9
Capacity 165? Talk about intimate!

It's a really different venue. Located just under an old hotel that ceased being a hotel years ago. It is the location of choice for a lot of artits that want to play a smaller, private show to test out new material, play their own music, practice arrangements before tours, etc.

Of course, this is in addition to hundreds of other smaller, unsigned artists that play there each year.

Adam Kowalczyk played there once a long time ago.

[edstipe]

It's a really different venue. Located just under an old hotel that ceased being a hotel years ago. It is the location of choice for a lot of artits that want to play a smaller, private show to test out new material, play their own music, practice arrangements before tours, etc.

Of course, this is in addition to hundreds of other smaller, unsigned artists that play there each year.

Adam Kowalczyk played there once a long time ago.

Awesome. Thanks for the info. Is it standing or seated?

[jaybb]

Awesome. Thanks for the info. Is it standing or seated?

There are a bunch of small tables (the whole place is basically a long, narrow coffee shop). There is also standing room along the wall and in the back I think. It's an uber-small venue.

In the back there is a counter that serves beer, wine and various coffee products.

For anybody that is going, it is really easy to miss this place. The entrance is in an alley just off Cahuenga.

[edstipe]

Just got back from the show. After seeing Live as a band over a dozen times since the late 1990's, and seeing pretty much the same exact setlist at the last few shows, I have to admit I had begun to lose a bit of the excitement the band used to bring out in me during their shows.

But Ed brought it back! He only played for about 50 minutes, but hearing an all-acoustic solo show really made the songs fresh for me again. Ed did A LOT of talking and was in a very happy, playful, joking mood -- by far the best attitude I have seen from him at any show to date. The crowd adored him and he really fed off of it.

The setlist wasn't anything at all unique, but it was solid and Ed's voice sounded fantastic. As best I can remember, he played (some of the songs in the middle are probably out of order):

1. Sophia
2. I Alone
3. Mirror Song
4. The Dolphin's Cry
5. Forever
6. Selling the Drama
7. Turn My Head
8. Heaven
9. Lightning Crashes

Encore:
10. Overcome

There were a handful of audience members with cameras filming the entire show, so I wouldn't be surprised if an audio and/or video torrent came out soon...

This post has been edited by edstipe: Feb 10 2009, 7:51 pm

[SecretInsomnia]

But Ed brought it back! He only played for about 50 minutes, but hearing an all-acoustic solo show really made the songs fresh for me again. Ed did A LOT of talking and was in a very happy, playful, joking mood -- by far the best attitude I have seen from him at any show to date. The crowd adored him and he really fed off of it.

that sounds good cool to hear you had a great time. Maybe there will be more solo shows in the future.

The setlist wasn't anything at all unique, but it was solid and Ed's voice sounded fantastic. As best I can remember, he played (some of the songs in the middle are probably out of order):

1. Sophia

well if I remember correctly we never got to hear Sofia acoustic before? How did it sound?

[PurdueSteve]

that sounds good cool to hear you had a great time. Maybe there will be more solo shows in the future.
well if I remember correctly we never got to hear Sofia acoustic before? How did it sound?

I follow Ed's Solo Acoustic stuff and I've never heard of him doing Sofia. Mirror Song I don't think has been done by him entirely solo, at least I haven't heard of it. He performed it with Chad G in the early 99x show.

[edstipe]

that sounds good cool to hear you had a great time. Maybe there will be more solo shows in the future.

Ed mentioned something about how the solo-acoustic format of the shows really benefitted his ears, and how he wanted to be able to actually hear his kids when they get older. He then commented that as a result these types of gigs would become more prevalent in the future. (I'm pretty sure he was just being playful, though.)

well if I remember correctly we never got to hear Sofia acoustic before? How did it sound?

I think you're right on that. And it sounded good. It might just be the fact that I was thirsting so much for something different, but all of the songs sounded awesome to me last night.

I had hoped to be able to record the show, but my buddy had my recorder and I couldn't get it back from him on time. I did record it on my cell phone, but as you can guess the sound quality isn't wonderful.

Anyhow, if nobody else comes forward with something in the next week or so, I'll upload what I did get and let you be the judge.

This post has been edited by edstipe: Feb 10 2009, 4:17 pm

[+Ed+]

Can hardly wait really!

[Bob]

Ed mentioned something about how the solo-acoustic format of the shows really benefitted his ears, and how he wanted to be able to actually hear his kids when they get older.

That's why Ed should wear BOTH in-ear monitors on-stage and not have only one in the whole time. I'm pretty sure he does that so he can hear himself (and maybe the crowd, since those monitors cut most of everything else out), but that stuff should be fixable through the mixing board.

I'm looking forward to hearing/seeing this show... hopefully soon!

[edstipe]

I edited with the correct (and in order) setlist.

A few other quick, random notes from the show:

- The opening act was supposed to start at 7:00 with Ed on at 8:00, but everything ran late. The reason? Ed arrived late. I was sitting in the front section of the cafe at around 7:30 when he came in through the door with his tech guy, looking somewhat confused. I gave him a quick "what's up Ed?" before he figured out where the performer's entrance was. Could have been due to the venue itself -- the performers are made to park and enter the place exactly the same way that customers do, which I'm sure he's not used to.

- Ed was sporting a scarf throughout most of the show. After a few songs he was sweating like a pig, and at one point someone in the show shouted to him to take off the scarf. He kind of gave a "no duh" look and took it off. The same woman shouted that she would hold it for him, but Ed said that he got it from the pope, so he couldn't let anyone else touch it.

- Ed introduced "Mirror Song" by telling a story about how he wrote it after watching an episode of Phil Donahue when he was 19-20. Something about Harrison Ford (I think) saying something along the lines of "I give because I have" and being inspired by it.

- Ed led the crowd into singing the Doooh-doooh parts of "Forever." Kind of interesting given the very small crowd.

- After the first song Ed asked for a whisky. Said something about it being a whisky kind of night because whisky warms you up. Sure enough, by the next song he had a whisky.

- At the end of "Lighting Crashes," Ed added a few extra refrains -- "I can feel love coming back again," "I can feel hope coming back again," etc.



This post has been edited by edstipe: Feb 10 2009, 7:52 pm

[Pokey]

- At the end of "Lighting Crashes," Ed added a few extra refrains -- "I can feel love coming back again," "I can feel hope coming back again," etc.

lol awww he thinks he's obama

[turkish101]

That sounds cool! I hope a high quality recording comes up soon...

I like the full band acoustic (i.e. MTV Unplugged), but Ed solo (ala the VH1 songs) are hit and miss for me. I do dig Mirror Song acoustic (as seen on the early 99X show), so I'm really hoping that shows up. It'd be interesting to hear Sophia solo - I actually liked the solo versions he did for Mystery and the River.

Sounds like it was fun! /jealous

[edstipe]

Just fooling around with my awesome cell phone recording of the show. I uploaded the first song ("Sophia") here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SJ178MPM.

If this were 1994 people might actually want to hear this, but in 2009 I realize the quality is pretty laughable. So, I won't bother uploading the rest unless anyone askes me to.

[aLIVEinNORWAY]

Thanks.....