The More the Merriweather

So, I'm not really digging the Merriweather schedule so far. It's cool that Decemberists and Mumford & Sons are coming. But I've seen Decemberists so many times already (and can't risk hearing the Mariner's Revenge Song ever again). Hint: the Mariner's revenge was that he willed Decemberists to write a horrible horrible grating song and then close every show with it... As for Mumford, I think the album only has about three solid songs.

And I’m totally bummed that the Bright Eyes/M. Ward show is going to Wolf Trap instead of Merriweather. It’s not that I don’t like Wolf Trap. I love it. How can you go wrong with a concert where you bring your own picnic and beer/wine. And where you barter with your neighbors to trade beer for brownies? But I HATE Northern Virginia.  I hate it during the week and I hate it on the weekend. I hate it in the rain, I hate it on a plane. I hate it in a boat, I hate it with a goat.

You get my drift. In fact, I’ve long held that the state slogan accidentally replaced an “s” with a “v.” We all know what they meant to say was Virginia is for Losers.

But rather than sit here and complain about NoVa, I’ll make a list of shows I’d like IMP to pull together for Merriweather for this summer.

1. Wilco – They will have a new album out and I’ve seen some good Wilco shows at Merriweather. They’ll have a new album out.
2. My Morning Jacket – Two years in a row? I hope so! They will also have a new album to support and seeing them at Merriweather last summer was one of my music highlights of the year.
3. Band of Horses with Jayhawks. Yes. These two. Together. They recently played together in the Atlanta area. And aside from me having a hard time coming to terms with Jayhawks opening for BoH, it would be a great pairing. And listening to them in the open air seems like a great idea.
4. Black Keys – I think they are big enough to play Merriweather. If Mumford & Sons can headline, it seems reasonable for Black Keys. Black Keys seem to always play short sets. Maybe combining them with Iron & Wine (full band version) would work. It would certainly be a cool package.
5. Ryan Adams – The king of the train wreck! So he quit music a few year ago to be a “writer.” He’s back!? And playing shows in Europe. I’ve seen him 10+ times. You never know who will show up. He might play for four hours and blow your mind with a blistering set of country/rock with Stones and Gram Parsons covers thrown in. He might have the 9:30 Club setup folding and play Madonna songs on a turntable. He might have a nervous breakdown in the middle of the Meyerhoff, leave the stage for an hour and fifteen minutes and then return and stand on a stool in the middle of the auditorium playing acoustic guitar that only the first five rings of people around him can hear. He might play the same songs three times in a row. He might spend 15 minutes of an hour long set rambling about restaurants needing serve eggs after 10 am, and then play four or five Grateful Dead songs. It doesn’t matter. It will be entertaining. You’ll either have your mind blown, think he’ll be dead in two months, or want to punch him. At least you’ll have an experience.

I have not yet given much thought to who the opening acts should be, but I would enjoy Henry Clay People, the Head and the Heart, and Smith Westerns with any of these bands. hocoblogs@@@