Collected Sounds

Artist: Tara MacLean

Date: January 27th, 2000

Venue: Coffee Gallery

City: Minneapolis, MN

Review by [Amy Lotsberg] Producer of Collected Sounds

Well we wanted to make sure we go there in plenty of time. When I called earlier the guy on the phone had given her start time as “8 or 8:30”. So we got there around 7:30 (in case it was 8pm) and the place was packed! There was no place to sit and people were already standing. So we crunched to the back and stood sweating for an hour and a half until she came in the front door.

I said to my husband, Greg, “I bet she was across the street!” (in a bar called Oliver’s). I am still kicking myself for not going there before the show, because at one point when she messed up on something she remarked, “Oh, man, we should have left the bar earlier!”

She came in, took her coat of and got on stage. She was very loopy (I’ll just say it…tipsy) and silly. She started with “That’s Me” ad I thought we were going to see the same show as before, but she added some other songs unknown to me. (see set list at the end of the article)

The coffee shop is pretty small and built like a long hallway. The stage was at the front of this “hallway” set up in the front window of the shop. She said, “I feel like everyone is looking at my ass!” But they were making it steam up enough so that no one would have been able to see anything anyway.

Someone asked if she had any CDs for folks to buy and she said they were supposed to be FedExed here that night but got stuck in Tennessee because of the snowstorm.

The evening was very relaxed. She mentioned a few times that they hadn’t had a day off in months and they were “wingin’ it!” She asked for requests and the owner of the shop yelled out, “Inna Godda Da Vida”. When the laughter stopped Bill very quietly began playing the intro.

She mentioned that she sometimes plays covers when she’s on tour. She introduced one as a song written by a friend of hers who was very talented and funny and the song had done really well on the Canadian Charts.
The artist was Kim Stockwood and she called the song, “The Jerk Song”. (Amazon lists it as just being called “Jerk”)

She mentioned that it was on Kim’s CD called “Bona Vista”. She recommended everyone go out and get it.
Click here for information on ordering Kim Stockwood’s CD

Tara was, at once point speaking about Shania Twain and remarked, “She needs to do some sit ups, but otherwise…” which drew a huge “Oooooohhhhh!” from the crowd. I hope she was kidding!

Tara also mentioned that she was doing an interview for Playboy the next day “I’m not posing, don’t worry!”, she said.

Set list

That’s Me
Evidence
Passenger
Jerk
If I Fall
Red
Unloved (a Jann Arden song)
Higher
Settling
Child
Unknown–the lyrics start out, This old house is falling down…

[Tara MacLean Official Site]

Artist: Mute Cute Girl (Sarah Slean and Friends)

Date: January 27, 2001

Venue: Rivoli

City: Toronto, ON Canada

Review by by James McGarry

Sarah Slean was scheduled to perform at the Rivoli in Toronto, ON on Thursday January 27th. She unfortunately got laryngitis and was instructed not to sing at risk of doing permanent damage to her voice. But like a true performer, she didn’t want to disappoint her fans. She show must go on! So Sarah and her Manager, Heather, put together a wonderful show!

Here is a recap from one of her fans who attended the show.

I think we’re all still in awe, Heather, “I just made some phone calls, man”, managed a, there’s no other word, miracle. I just don’t know what to say, gushing words don’t even do it…

The band:

Sarah Slean: piano and dry erase board
Sjanie McInnes: backing vocals and Sarah’s “Voice”
Kurt Swinghammer: guitar magic
Drew Bersten: bass
Mark Mariash: percussion
Tory Cassis: trumpet

There’s no real describing it though. I must say when Ms. Pollack tells
you there is a “surprise” you will be _surprised_. This was a dream, it
had to be, kids, this did happen, right?

All I’m thinking is, “Anyone else woulda just canceled. No one, on
_this_ planet would’ve rounded up a pile of musical pals and made
magic.” I’m so giddy thinking about this 🙂 It, it… it was an amazing

Get well soon, Sarah!

James.

Set list

(Thanks Tab!)

Me & Jerome by Jay Englishman
Before Your Time by Kurt Swinghammer
My Invitation by Sarah Harmer
Habit by Dave Matheson (Moxy Fruvous)
Bonnie’s Song by Coco Love Alcorn
High by Tory Cassis
Eliot by Oh Susanna & Leslie Fiest (Fiest/By Divine Right)
Weight by Moe Berg
Blue Parade by Sjanie McInnes

[Sarah Slean Official Site]

Artist: Tara MacLean

Date: January 25th, 2000

Venue: The Loring Bar

City: Minneapolis, MN

Review by [Amy Lotsberg] Producer of Collected Sounds

We got there in what we thought was plenty of time, but there are only a few tables and a few couches…all taken. So we hung out next to the bar.

I looked for Tara in the crowd but didn’t see her until she was getting up on stage. She was very stylish in her black bell-bottom slacks and a black shirt with a sun on the chest and red mesh sleeves. Her hair was in pig tails and she had on big chunky boots.

She chatted like she knew all of us personally and told some funny stories: Her husband, Bill gave her the boots she was wearing. She said, “I was sick and that’s what he does when I’m sick, he buys me shoes! A perfect man, perfect man.” Then she lifted up her pant leg and showed that the boots came up past her knees. He crowd “who–hoo”ed.

She said she put them on in the hotel and was, like, “whoa! So if I go bailing off the front of the stage…that’s why!”

When she introduced the song “Red” she said it was written for a former boyfriend. She dated Dennis for awhile (like 3 years) and he turned out to be a drug dealer “Don’t they all?”. And after they had broken up she ran into him in a bar. He was with a sleazy “bar fly” and Tara got angrier than she ever had been. She said, “You know how that is when your scalp tightens and your face flushes?” And she stared heading over to the girl to “take her out” (she described her as having “big hair (gestured big hair) and big __(gestured hips)”).
A bouncer who was a mutual friend of theirs stepped in a scooped her up and carried her out of the bar. She never got to beat the crap out of the girl but she said, “They’re married now.”

She spoke of growing up on Price Edward Island and of her father who was a sailor. When he would go out on the boat he would first teach her a guitar chord and she would practice it until he came back. When he would return she would be very excited that she had learned it. She said, “But I only know 5 chords…(fake weeping) he never came back”. Then giggled and said “No, I’m kidding!”

The encore. Child, was about when she was going through the bad breakup that resulted in her writing most of the CD Silence. “Most of that CD was written when I was getting over this fella.”
The song is the advice that her mother gave her. She said that she made it into a song so that one day her little girl would think that she was really smart.

After the show, she jumped off the stage and stood there while people came up to meet her. She signed autographs and sold some CDs.

I went up to her with my “Silence” CD in hand (the one I bought years ago) and asked her if she would sign it. She said, “Sure” and took the booklet out of the case. She said, “What’s your name?” I told her and she signed the booklet. I noticed that others were buying CDs but they looked different. I said, “Are those the same CD as this one?” and she said, “Yeah, they wanted me to be more direct I guess.” I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I gathered it was the cover art where she was looking straight into the camera instead of glancing downward.
She gave me back my CD and said, “It was nice to meet you Amy.”

Tara was adorable, funny, and personable and has a wonderful voice. I was actually surprised at how strong her voice is. She doesn’t cut loose as much on the recordings but her voice is positively beautiful!

Set list

That’s Me
Evidence
Passenger
Red (dedicated to Dennis the Drug Dealer
If I Fall (One I wrote for ‘Felicity’)
For You
Jordan – Dedicated to her dad A man of great faith.
Divided

Encore
Child

[Tara MacLean Official Site]