Somewhere in the bowels of this web site lies a lengthy post, never completed, on why Calexico is The Greatest Band In the World.
It was a wordy dissertation on their particular blend of expert musicianship, ethereal, cinematic sound, and — most importantly for the broader and now-forgotten point I was trying to make — openness to collaboration. (They’re the backing band on the last Los Super Seven album, one of Neko Case’s best albums, a random Nancy Sinatra track, most of Giant Sand, and older Friends of Dean Martinez. There’s a real artistic generosity to them.)
Basically, I love this band and want to have its children.
Which is why I say, with the firmest possible conviction, that all right-thinking people in the Dallas area should go to the Ridglea Theater this Saturday and see Calexico’s joint show with Iron & Wine — themselves one of this reporter’s favorite performers. It will be life-changing.
The plan is that Calexico plays a set, then Iron & Wine plays a set, then they all play the entirety of their recent collaboration together. With the promise of special guests — like Mike Watt and Victoria Williams in L.A. Just be there, okay?
Finally someone else in Dallas who has heard Calexico. I love In the Reins. I'll be there.
I'm so hardcore that I'll be there all the way from Baltimore. :)
This show kicked sooo much ass last night in Tulsa.Edith Frost was the opener.Just a warning,Calexico will play a criminally short set,maybe an hour.The Iron & Wine set was top notch,with members of Calexico periodically jumping in.Oh,and Sam Beam's sister is sorta cute,to boot.Oh,and shirts were only $15.
Joshua Benton is the director of the Nieman Digital Journalism Project at Harvard University, among other things. Before that, he was a staff writer and columnist for The Dallas Morning News. (More.)
About | Archives | Contact | Writing | Photos | Links | Wish
06 Aug: COLUMN: A year’s wait can make all the difference for your child
Any opinions expressed here are solely mine, and not those of my employer. In many cases, they may not even be mine.
Comment Preview
said: