Ellis Paul’s In-House Concert
Ellis Paul at the keyboard from my phone
By luck or by fate I was hooked up with a seat to see Ellis Paul. For the less fortunate of y’all who are unfamiliar with Ellis Paul, do yourself a favor and check him out: http://www.ellispaul.com/ Go there now. I’ll wait for you to return…
In any case, this particular performance was at a house. I heard from a friend of a friend that he would be playing in Mesilla (adjacent to Las Cruces, NM where I live). Now, I’ll be honest, I was unfamiliar with Ellis Paul prior to the concert. I was told that he did the theme song to “Me, Myself, and Irene” but it had been years since I had seen that film. I purchased the ticket regardless, my friends told me I would not regret it. And I do not. The performance was simply great!
Upon first words sung, I knew I would kick myself for not taking notes (nerdy but effective). Paul was accompanied by Don Conoscenti, guitarist and singer/songwriter. Here’s their playlist:
- Rose Tattoo
- The Lights of Vegas
- Maria’s Beautiful Mess
- Dragonfly
- Ring of Fire
- Walking After Midnight/Change
- Hurricane Angel
- Once Upon A Summertime
- Annalee
- I Live in an Igloo (impromptu banter song)
- Martyr’s Lounge
- Dusty the Dragonfly
- Meet You on the Other Side (Don Conoscenti)
- Drink Another Round (Don Conoscenti)
- Alice’s Champagne Palace
- Take All the Sky You Need
- The World Ain’t Slowing Down
- Snow in Austin
- Home
- Jukebox
Two Ellis Paul CD's, signed
The neat thing is that you can listen to most of these songs on the website. I chose to purchase a couple of CD’s and got ‘em signed.
Both Ellis Paul and Don Conoscenti were gracious and kind and, above all, entertaining.
The entire experience opened my eyes. We get bombarded with media telling us what to like and what not to like. In the end, it comes down to human interaction. There’s no substitute for being in the same room with an artist, seeing the work before your eyes. And an artist who is willing to put himself in close contact with his audience shows trust and respect. I believe that trust and respect is reciprocated.
As I do my webcomic, I can advertise and advertise but I can only go so far with it. I need to take a page out of Ellis Paul’s book and get out there and talk to people, one-on-one. I do it in my hometown but perhaps I can take the show on the road. But enough about me.
Ellis Paul is obviously a talented musician but it’s his words that pierce you. He sways from poetic to gritty, melancholy to humorous. And there’s a sincerity in his songs. This is what makes true singer/songwriters true.
It was a great show and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to witness it. Hope he comes back around soon.
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