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Raleigh, August 12, 1996

Jump down to...
--> The Tag Team Review
--> The She Who Must Be Obeyed Observation
--> The Sean Ragged Glory Dail Review
--> The Big Red Beacon Review
Also See:
--> The Raleigh RustFest
--> Lookout Mama's Neil-Encounter
--> Jim McKelvey's Neil-Encounter
--> The MecKleys' Zeke-Encounter


The Set List

    electric with band
  1. Hey Hey, My My
  2. Pocahontas
  3. Big Time
  4. Slip Away
    solo acoustic
  5. The Needle & The Damage Done
  6. Heart of Gold
  7. Sugar Mountain
    electric with band
  8. Cinnamon Girl
  9. F*!#in' Up
  10. Cortez The Killer
    solo acoustic
  11. Music Arcade
    electric with band
  12. Like A Hurricane
    first encore
  13. This Town
  14. Sedan Delivery
  15. Welfare Mothers
    second encore
  16. Roll Another Number
  17. Drive Back


Raleigh, August 12, 1996

tag-team review by
Electro~Tech
Thrasher
Youngster
Big Red Beacon
Lookout Mama
McKelvey
Hi-ho Rusteroos...

First-time poster Jay Smith here.

First things first, here's the set list:
(see above)

Well, NY & CH was able to do what no other group (not even Neil with Booker T & the MGs) was able to do--end my boycott of Walnut Creek Amphitheatre. Let's see, my first post, my first concert at Walnut Creek--heck, this was my first Neil concert!

The general consensus among the more well-traveled concertgoers was that this show was definitely better than Atlanta, and possibly better than Charlotte. I will leave it to others to post their comparisons.

For me it was a near-transcendental concert experience, one where I found myself zoning out into a zen consciousness during some of the extended solos. There was no crowd. There was no amphitheatre. There wasn't even a band. Just music. A couple of times I forgot I was standing up and almost fell over. Wow!

Electro~Tech

Thrasher here.

Major Rustoleum event. The one and only Lookout Mama was present for the big gig at the Creek. Many, many Rusties were seen. Much Barn t-shirts, also.

This was our third show of the tour in the rust@death-mobile. The Youngster was piloting us through the rain. Shakey was belting out the tunes. Me, Thrasher, well, I just live to Ride.

So for the 2nd time in a row it's pouring rain on the way to the venue. But as soon as Neil & the Horse ride up, the sky clears. No see the sky about to rain. Basically, the same setlist. The intensity of the boys just gets hotter. I think Neil likes playing in his jams shorts. Very loose.

Once again, massive grungy chunks of feedback drenching the crowd. Crowd goes berserk. The ever talkative Neil says, "We like it here. We'll be back." No doubt. Blitzkrieg bop lives.

At the end of the first encore, we held up a sign saying "ECHOS". Neil acknowledged the sign and proceeded to play a searing Drive Back.

All I can say is that it made the night.


Youngster here.

Great show as always. I needn't say any more. Lookout Mama just came back from the show and she will fill everyone in about her backstage rendezvous. More Rust reporting tomorrow!


Big Red Beacon speakin'...

...My eardrums are leakin'. My eyeballs are streakin', and my brain is still freakin'.

Lookout Mama promises she'll go next, so I won't stay on long. Neil seemed downright jolly, and I was glad to hear Drive Back. Also, nice noise on LAH - sorta like a cross between an orgasm, a heart attack, and a thermonuclear war.


Yo! Lookout Mama here!

What can I say??? Totally awesome Fuckin' Up, incredible Hurricane! Got to go backstage after the show. Strange....

I really didn't like the way Neil was trotted out to meet everyone. They make you sit at a table and Neil is supposed to come around and give you 2 minutes. But instead everyone rushed him so I got sorta shuffled back.

But, I did get to give him the shirts personally. Told him that they were from Rust and Brad Brandeau. Neil takes the shirts and says "Oh yeah... Rust." (Zeke, who was given his shirt earlier also knows about us.) So I get him to sign the back of my MORE BARN! and he leaves. But I did get to tell him that Rust says thanks.

So Neil leaves, and goes to his bus and we're all getting ready to leave and one of the crew guys comes running over to me and says that Neil is like totally crazy about the shirts. So much so, that he's walking to the bus with one under each arm. Maybe some of you later Rusters will get to see Neil & Co. make a fashion statement!!

Anyway, it's too dark to put the key in my ignition right now, so who's next????

HyperRust Editor's Note: Read Sheila's full story in the Rust Encounters pages...

McKelvey here.

Had a great time but never did sit in my seats. That is one of the wonderful things about sheds...you can sort of sneak around. Somehow hit the backstage area with my oldest son and Lookout Mama. It was a wonderful seven or so minutes with his Neilness.

Did get a chance to speak with Mr. Roberts from Lookout and the archives are on track for Christmas. We have it on tape that they are coming out at Christmas time. Good follow-up question came right out of my mouth, "'96 or '97?" You guessed it, '97. Total of 16 CDs in bursts of 4 with a completion date of 2020 per Mr. Roberts.

This is all on tape folks...btw, loved the show! The special Drive Back was awesome and "Hurricane" was just right for this rain soaked night. Told him about the Nils Lofgren internet project (which I hear costs $50 to be involved) and he sort of perked up but not too much. Well, it is late and I'll maybe turn this over to someone in the wings here...


Electro~Tech here again.

It is late, and it's time for me to go, so I'm going to sign off here and wish all of you Rusties just waking up across the pond a cheery "Good morning".

To the rest over here, I bid you, "Good Night".....


"Horsing" Around

observation by She Who Must Be Obeyed

Last night was my 4th Neil show, the second in a week. "Live music is better" and as if that wasn't the best, I finally had the pleasure of meeting Lookout Mama! If there is such a thing as "Rust Royalty"...she's it!

Ya'know, I'm starting to have serious suspicions about Poncho & Locator. Monday night, he spotted Locator again, this time in the 2nd row jotting down a set list and pausing only to play the next chord, he mimicked Locator's writting hand and mouthed "What's this?". I couldn't understand, this was the second time Poncho had made contact. It didn't stop there, oh no, after that he smiled and joked w/Locator at least 4 more times!...Can you see why I'm getting concerned ?

Could this be? and what will he do at Viginia Beach without me there to thwart his advances?

Oh, Rusties help me! There is definitely something going here! I've heard that "Rust never sleeps" I'm begining to think that Poncho doesn't either ;)

SWMBO


Raleigh: The Horse Hits Its Stride

review by Sean Ragged Glory Dail

Well, for those of you worrying that this may be some sort of farewell tour for Neil, here's the man himself (paraphrased) looking out at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh Monday night:

"Nice place you got here. Ya oughtta keep it, and maybe we can come back and play here again. See how many of these songs we can remember when we come back!"
Interpret that as you will...

Tonight I could actually make out the red bandanna on the Jolly Roger flag flying over Ralph's drumkit - the 20th row in Raleigh is one helluva lot closer than the 20th row in Charlotte! Though the setlist was largely identical to that show (no Bite the Bullet) until they reached the encores, this was a much more inspired performance than the one I saw Friday night - the version of Like A Hurricane they churned out tonight was a fuckin' masterpiece. Neil's playing just seemed more fluid and the interplay between he and the Horse rose to a higher level. And as I watched the man bounce around in those silk shorts, I kept thinking, yeah, he does look like he's trying to stomp a roach! :)

The real news, I guess, is that for the second show in a row now, there's been no Powderfinger. However, tonight it was replaced by a stunning rendition of Drive Back, a song which I've loved for years, but never expected I'd get to hear Neil play live. Hell, I'm even old enough to have bought Zuma when it was released in 1975, so this was a real treat...

And still no RITFW, but I have a sneaking suspicion that some of you guys are gonna get it as an encore in the next show or two...

The setlist:

(see review above)
Oh well, the tour ends for me, but I can still look forward to reading everyone else's awestruck reviews. And Farm Aid isn't out of the question.
Ragged Glory

PS: Is anyone taping this stuff? Please say yes...


Raleigh!

review by Big Red Beacon

Jeez, it was cool to meet some Rusties face to face. Things were sounding good in Meckley's garage, even though I was singing! I left at about 2:30, and some of the hardy souls were still going, got to my motel room and flopped at 3:00. Eleven hours later, I dragged myself back into the office (the drive back to Roanoke was better than the drive down to Raleigh. . . but the Drive Back Monday night was best!) to return a bunch of phone calls, all of which were good news. (Maybe the show rearranged my karma.)

A few of thoughts about the show. Cortez seemed a little perfunctory, but still good. The vocal part of Slip Away sorta plodded (but, let's face it, nobody plods better than Neil), but I really liked the instrumental section. Still think a lot of it reminds me of that Beatles song (I never can remember the name, maybe Tomorrow Never Knows - the one with "surrender to the void..." and such).

Billy's bass feedback in LAH was AMAZING. What I posted on that last night in whatever state I was in at the time holds true in the cold light of day. Now I know what it feels like to be run over by a freight train and survive.

And for you folks who were reading things into Neil's lyrics on BA, the sprightly old guy I saw last night doesn't look like somebody who's planning to hang it up anytime soon.

Well, as I type this, Neil is probably just about to come on at Nissan. I hope the intrepid travelers, Youngster, Shakey and Thrasher, had a good drive up and are in their appointed places.

And I hope Neil's enjoying his shirts.

Big Red Beacon


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