Live: Silver Jews, 9/12/06

The Silver Jews’ D.C. Berman doesn’t like being called “Dave.” I learned this last night after his band’s performance at the Henry Fonda Theater, where they played to a packed, enthusiastic house. Dude came out and signed autographs for every last one of us afterward and we had a conversation about how he wanted to get a bunch of Davids together in Portland to fight back against being called “Dave.” I told him I used to be of the same opinion because I related the name to the dad from “Alvin and the Chipmunks” but then I got over it. I think that got a chuckle out of him.

The show was great. The audience had obviously been waiting a long fucking time for the “Joos” to tour, much less come to Los Angeles. Lots of request-shouting. The band played the hits – “Random Rules,” “Smith & Jones Forever,” “Dallas” and lots of new stuff, with only a few minor gaffes. Watching Berman forget the second verse of “Random Rules” was pretty funny after hearing about him using lyric sheets for some of the earlier shows — the band definitely had its training wheels off tonight. Unfortunately, there were some sound problems at the usually immaculate Fonda — the mix got pretty muddy toward the end, though it was great to hear the speakers spit fire when Berman was singing “I love you to the max!” Whenever he wasn’t singing, he was watching his wife Cassie (on bass and vocals). It was very cute.

Before the Jews went on, I met Satisfied ’75 from An Aquarium Drunkard. We talked shop as the openers — fittingly, an Israeli band, presumably Jews — went absolutely nuts and attacked the crowd. To finish off the week, on Thursday I’ll be seeing Hem at the Troubadour. The venues keep shrinking on me — next thing you know, Bishop Allen will be doing kareoke in my kitchen.

Silver Jews – “Dallas”: mp3
Silver Jews – “Punks in the Beerlight”: mp3

(Buy Joos records from Drag City)