I'll leave others to post the complete set list later. Nowhere near the direction of night one, this was more of a straightforward set./ However, the band was in excellent form, and there were quite a few gems tonight, from the opener Recurring Dream to Whispers and Moans, an exceptional Private Universe, and She Goes On during the encores. The new songs are finding their way along. And don't be surprised to see some audio surface from this night in the not too distant future

Even though I knew that CH mixes up the setlist nightly I was still pleasantly surprised by how different tonight's show was compared with last night's. It seemed like more than half of it had been changed. Some other bands could learn a thing or two from CH about keeping it fresh...

I want to know if they played "Pineapple Head" (for personal reasons).

first time posting - though ive been following along with you all for a while. i was also lucky to go to both shows (got some last minute tix to tonight's) - and thought the mood was significantly different tonight.

monday was a magical evening where all were in jovial moods, kidding around about sharks, irish handcuffs, and man servants. tonight seemed a different - the audience seemed little less into it...but maybe it seemed different because i was sitting in the mezzanine tonight vs the floor on monday? just felt as if the band wasn't feeding off the audience as much...

that said - of course it was still an amazing show. i enjoyed hearing almost an entirely different setlist, which was a treat for fans who went both nights. the new songs are terrific - im excited for the release!

set list, in order, i think i got everything?? (apologies for the new songs - i really have no idea what they're called and sometimes couldn't quite make out the lyrics) - i hope someone else can fill in the blanks...

recurring dream
don't stop now
new - turn it around (blame it on the drugs)
new - these times come once in your life
private universe
into temptation
new - either side of the world (when you're in love)
whispers and moans
new - beautiful life
pour le monde
chocolate cake
new - ??
world where you live
something so strong

encore 1
love you till the day i die
pineapple head
distant sun
weather with you

encore 2
dont dream its over
she goes on
four seasons in one day

so great to have the band in boston (excuse me, somerville, as they pointed out) for 2 nights. they were all so gracious after the show, as well, signing and taking photos with other fans. nick did mention that though they did play some of the new songs on both nights, they were arranged a bit differently, as they're still working them out. sound great either way to me

toronto - enjoy!!

Tonight was my ultimate Crowded House experience. It started off with me getting in to Somerville quite early. I found a parking space right next to the theatre. When I got out of the car (at about 4 PM) I could hear the band running through one of the new tunes. I immediately followed the music and found myself at the backstage door. For about an hour I listened to them do multiple attempts at this one song (not sure of the name of it, the chorus goes "you'll love this one" - probably my favorite of all the new ones I've heard so far.) Several times during this hour, one member of the road crew came out for a smoke and said "this is how they drive us crazy, by playing the same song over and over." I had to laugh. Listening to the Crowdies every day sounds like heaven to me, but I guess you can have too much of anything, LOL.

Anyway, after about an hour, soundcheck was over. One by one, each member of the band emerged. All were very kind and signed an autograph for me. I was quite lucky as nobody else was hanging around outside, I had the band to myself. Matt came out first, then Nick. After that Mark came out. I was quite surprised to find Mark the most talkative of all the band members, especially after I mentioned that I had seen him several times with Supertramp. He told me that Supertramp were no longer together although Rick Davies has been talking about putting the band back together. Mark said though that he couldn't possibly be in two bands at once so if it came down to a choice, he'd be in Crowded House. Glad to hear it. (Don't get me wrong, I love Supertramp, but I think Mark shines much more in the Crowdies.) Then finally Neil emerged. I told him how much I was enjoying the new songs. He said that he hoped they would sound better in three months. Then, I took a risk. I asked Neil for a favor. I had my portable digital voice recorder with me and I asked Neil if he would record a short station I.D. for the college radio station I do my show at. He was more than happy to. I turned on the voice recorder and Neil spoke into it: "Hi! I'm Neil Finn and you're listening to WESU Middletown. Aren't you lucky!" (You can bet I'll be playing that one every week!) Then, last thing, I asked Neil if he could possibly add "Whispers and Moans" to the setlist that night. He said he would.....and indeed, he did. Having not had my first live Finn expeience until the 1996 Finn Brothers tour, I had never heard this one live and it was #1 on my wish list and was so excited to finally hear it. (Incidentally, I also mentioned to Neil that the name of my radio show was called "Chocolate Cake," and that song made the setlists tonight too!)

A little later on, I saw Don hanging around outside and chatted him up also. He was incredibly nice. I mentioned to him that I had seen a few shows in the last week. He said "Oh, really? I'll throw in some different songs tonight then." When he did his set, he mentioned that he heard there were people in the crowd who had come the night before so he was throwing in some different songs. Between that and my request for "Whispers & Moans" it felt like I actually had some influence over the evening's events. Very strange.

Once I got into the theatre, there was a couple sitting two rows in front of me. After we chatted for a while, I realized that we had met at the Crowdies show at the Boston Pavillion the previous summer. That night I had been in the front row and they were two rows behind me. They had asked me to try to get their paper airplane on stage (I did!) Apparently, they (Steve & Meredith) had dinner with Don before the show. Don dedicated a song to them. It was Meredith's birthday. Neil granted her a birthday request and played "Distant Sun" for her. She also went home with a pick and a drum stick. Only at a Crowded House concert. I also got to meet Hobbes who took an extra ticket off my hands so it was a great night for hooking up with other fans.

Any night spent with Crowded House is always a special experience. But having read so many posts from people who have met the band and had their requsts played, I always wondered if I would be lucky enough to have such a night. Now I finally have and I'll treasure the memories always.

One last amusing anecdote. When I first arrived at the theatre, got out of my car and heard the band playing, I was so excited by the idea of hearing the soundcheck and possibly meeting the band that I totally forgot to feed the meter. When I got back I had a $20 parking ticket on my windshield. Did I care? No. It was the best twenty bucks I ever spent!

I took a few short movies with my digital camera and I'll be posting them on YouTube. The first one is here and another one is here. Enjoy!

And here are two more of the vidoes I took:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-mgNITmvZw


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ax2ROABO-4

quote:

monday was a magical evening where all were in jovial moods, kidding around about sharks, irish handcuffs, and man servants. tonight seemed a different - the audience seemed little less into it...but maybe it seemed different because i was sitting in the mezzanine tonight vs the floor on monday? just felt as if the band wasn't feeding off the audience as much...

History never repeats...

Privateuniverse, well done! This is a great story of a great night.

I love this band so much, their kindness is on a par with their music.

wow, private universe, wow

sounds pretty amazing! were you parked behind the theater by the bus? i parked there (much later, closer to 6) but it was fun to see them going in and out of the bus, repacking suitcases, etc. so glad you requested whispers & moans - so thrilled to hear it! i saw nick in back before the show and said hello - but i was actually startled by him as i was talking to someone else, and didn’t think quickly enough to request nails in my feet…which was the #1 song i wanted to hear. guess i need to be ready at every moment! but hey, can't complain, there were so many other great songs to enjoy (also when pour le monde began…)

not sure what to do this evening - perhaps turn on the farewell to the world dvd and pretend like it's a third night in boston...

Thanks lucyinthesky for the setlist. I'm at a loss for some of the new titles, but thankfully folks in the setlist thread have some actual setlists from the stage. Assuming that's the case, I guess the third song was "Turn it Around". I was wondering if it was 789 that others have reported since the time signature was odd. I was also trying to figure out if Neil was chanting "Blame it on the drugs" or "Blame it on the drums". Now there's a misheard lyric waiting to happen. Could have been both actually. Come to think of it, Neil did look a little medicated. . .

The 4th song I guess was "Lucky".

The song after Chocolate Cake was, "The Only Way to Go is Forwards" which is the first line of the song.

Also, there were bits of songs not included on the list. After Into Temptation, Nick was riffing on some song that I could not identify. This led to some comments from Neil which then led into Neil trying to get a noise out of his bottle of Poland Spring water. He couldn't. However, Matt stepped up with some lovely bottle noises leading into a short groove (American Water Bottle Jam), and a comment from Neil that it must be American bottles. Somehow, that led into Neil playing "I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)".

Following this was "Either Side of the World"

Also, after Whispers and Moans, there was some inside banter about "The Conductor, the one for whom Hilda has held a long and abiding crush". Then Neil played a short bit from a song that he said got it's first public airing since it was written in 1974 or 75, the lyrics: It's the part or so it seems, he's the man of her dreams, the man in uniform, always could sway, the guns (guts)" No clue on that one.

That led into Neil on keys for, "It's a Beautiful Life" with some nice melodica work by Don and a very interesting drum riff by Matt.

So here's my take on a complete setlist, the show clocking in at 2 hours on the dot:

Recurring Dream
Don't Stop Now
Turn it Around (new song, nice euphonium solo by Don)
Lucky (new song)
Private Universe
Into Temptation
American Bottle jam > I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)
Either Side of the World (When You're in Love) (new song)
Whispers and Moans
A Man in Uniform? ("first public airing"; Neil noted writing it in 1974)
Beautiful Life (new song)
Pour Le Monde
Chocolate Cake (with several endings)
The Only Way to Go is Forwards (new song)
World Where You Live
Something So Strong
-------------------
Love You Till the Day I Die
Pineapple Head
Distant Sun (dedicated to Meredith on her birthday, with extended intro due to serious tuning problems with Mark's 12 string)
-------------------
Don't Dream It's Over (another new one I think, maybe it was, "Hey Now, Hey Now")
She Goes On (by request)
Four Seasons in One Day

Wow -- sounds like a grea time had by all....

Regarding Turn it Round lyrics:

I heard it 2 nights in NYC. The first night I had a side view of Neil and for a portion of it -- he definitely sang "blame it on the drugs" -- then halfway through it sounded like "blame it on the dogs (with a long New Zealand "daawgs") but then I thought maybe it was "balme it on the dark" (again daaawk).

the second time I heard it, i didn't notice a switch. Maybe he's still trying to figure out what sounds best.

thanks for the edits/clarifications on the setlist! especially with the new songs - i was trying to figure out the titles but obviously have no idea!

cradle - that must have been what nick meant about different versions on monday and tuesday...they are works in progress!

quote:

Originally posted by privateuniverse:
A little later on, I saw Don hanging around outside and chatted him up also. He was incredibly nice. I mentioned to him that I had seen a few shows in the last week. He said "Oh, really? I'll throw in some different songs tonight then." When he did his set, he mentioned that he heard there were people in the crowd who had come the night before so he was throwing in some different songs. Between that and my request for "Whispers & Moans" it felt like I actually had some influence over the evening's events. Very strange.

Great story! Wanna take a crack at what Don threw in there? I'm curious what he played. Big fan of the MB and Don's solo cd.

Not too sure. These shows were my introduction to Don's music. I just now bought his solo album from iTunes.

quote:

Originally posted by hobbes4444:
Don't Dream It's Over (another new one I think, maybe it was, "Hey Now, Hey Now")

Now THAT'S funny!

quote:

Originally posted by privateuniverse:
I asked Neil if he could possibly add "Whispers and Moans" to the setlist that night. He said he would.....and indeed, he did. Having not had my first live Finn expeience until the 1996 Finn Brothers tour, I had never heard this one live and it was #1 on my wish list and was so excited to finally hear it.

Was "Whispers and Moans" everything you'd hoped it would be? It's one of my favorite CH songs to hear live!

quote:

Originally posted by double-H:


Was "Whispers and Moans" everything you'd hoped it would be? It's one of my favorite CH songs to hear live!

It rocked. Neil did an amazing solo at the end. The only problem was the seven-year old boy with the loud, piercing voice right behind me who knew every word, LOL