The following are my comments regarding Randy Newman's concert August 24, 2003, at Villa Montalvo. It was originally composed for an audience of devoted Randy Newman fans whom are well-familiar with the general nature of a Randy Newman concert. As such, I fail to mention much of Randy Newman's stage patter, only commenting on things that were new to me, or at least struck me as worth mentioning. Sometimes I comment on a story he tells many, many times. I realize most of my readers (what readers?) will have no idea what I'm talking about, so will add brief, unsatisfactory explanations (I just wrote a very lengthy trip report, and don't feel like re-writing this too much). I have removed the opening greeting, and pick up with my arrival at Villa Montalvo for a pre-concert dinner:

The dinner was good, though perhaps not as good as I previously remembered. The cous-cous and fish, and essert, were the highlights. I sat with some group, which as near as I could tell consisted of parents meeting their son's fiancee for the first time.

They pointed out around 7:20 that we should probably take our seats, which is good, because I was somehow of the impression the show started at 8:00. My seat was amazing, eighth row, on my left, looking right over Randy's shoulder onto the keyboard.

Randy took the stage promptly at 7:30.

--Last Night I had a Dream

He made some mistake early on in the song, to which he commented, "First mistake in 14 years."

--A Wedding in Cherokee County

He told the story about the Albanian anthem. [The song began as a attempt by Randy to write a national anthem to Albania, whom he admired for actively antagonizing every nation on earth] "At the time, this was in the worst taste in Rock and Roll. It's help up nicely, I think."

--Birmingham

He commented on how he has to create the sound of accompanying instruments himself, because he's too cheap to hire a band. "There, doesn't that sound like a guitar? It's the same thing...fuck it."

--Living Without You

After "Living Without You," he played the first few chords of "Marie," then stopped himself to greet the people still arriving. "I don't want to embarass you, but stay where you are. I want to tell you what you missed." He explained that he had opened with a psychadelic number from his '70s folk rocker days. Then he said something about the Grateful Dead.

He again began to play "Marie," then changed his mind.

--Short People

--Marie

--The Girls in My Life, Part One

--The World Isn't Fair

--Red Bandana

Said something like, "It's hard to sound this stupid."

--Real Emotional Girl

--Follow the Flag

I read the Cerritos reports, so I was expecting "Song For the Dead" to follow [Randy had used the juxtoposition between the two to comment on our nation's recent imperial ways], but it did not. Randy simply remarked, "Coming from me, its hard to know how to take this."

--You Can Leave Your Hat On

--I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It)

--Guilty

Randy then remarked, "If you ask me, anyone who brings a kid to see me...I know, because of 'You Got a Friend in Me,' and I'm going to play it, but not until 10:30 after you've had to sit through all my other stuff."

--Political Science

Intermission. I decide to scout out the backstage area to remind myself where I need to be to see Randy. I also figure I'll keep an eye out for Suzanne, though all I have to go on is the Cerritos group photo. I scope out the area, and the table selling Randy CDs for a bargain-basement price of $20. I see a woman with her hair down, but who could be Suzanne, so I decide to ask, and it is, indeed her. So I was able to meet her and get all the details about Cerittos, and boost my LC meetings into the double-digits. I get back to my seat just in time. Not that I got a lot of Randy's comments before, but now it was quite dark, so I was lucky just to get the song list down, but I did get a few choice remarks. Rest assured there was more.

--It's Money That I Love

--Yellow Man

--In Germany Before the War

--Baltimore

I think it was after Baltimore, that he commented on the new Ikea opening. "I'm going to be the first Jew in Ikea."

--I Miss You

I believe it was now that he commented on his ex-wife, "Irrespective of what I look like, I'm a gold mine." He added that she deserves it.

--You Got a Friend in Me

--Dixie Flier

--Song for the Dead

Before Rednecks, he did the usual buildup [telling the story of seeing Lestor Maddox on the Dick Cavett Show, which inspired the song], though it was interesting to hear the "Only the good die young" comment now that Maddox is, in fact, dead. Randy also mentioned that Maddox has sent him a signed axe handle after the song came out, I can't remember if I'd heard that before.

--Rednecks

--My Country

--Louisiana 1927

--My Life is Good

--Shame

--I Love L.A.

--Feels Like Home

Encore:

--Sail Away

--I Think It's Going to Rain Today

It was a great show. The crowd seemed fairly enthusiastic, though it was a subscription type crowd. Though a lot of people took off before the encore, to get to the shuttles back to the parking lot.

After the show, I made my way to the back area where we met Randy last time. Security said it may be a long wait, but after only five minutes or so, Randy came out, and a line quickly formed. Security said Randy had very little time, and he did look like he was in a rush. But he was gracious and signed what was put before him and looked happy to see us as he always does. He remembered Suzanne from Cerittos, and I like to think there was a faint glimmer of recognition in his face when he saw me. He signed the Sail Away album cover for me, and I thanked him for the experience at the Seabiscuit scoring, and that I know it wasn't a pleasant experience for him, but that I enjoyed being a part of it. Unfortunately, my ball-point pen disappeared somewhere after the concert, and all I had was a sharpie, so I didn't take down his response until I got to my car. But this is a fairly accurate rendition of his comments: "I hate that director. He didn't want any syrup spilled on his god-damned horse movie. We couldn't let the horse gallop along or anything [hums some rousing music fit for a horse-movie]. And he says, 'It's not a horse movie, its about the bond between a man and his horse...' It's a god-damn horse movie." Randy then said something else, about what he wanted to do to the director, but since I believe Suzanne took that comment down, I'll let her tell it, because she can capture it more accurately than I.

After a nice exciting shuttle ride back (a tad reminiscent of the shuttles at Hearst Castle), I said goodbye to Suzanne and Jeff, left the parking lot, got thoroughly lost, and eventually found my way home. A fun time was had by all. I'm especially excited at the prospect of a trip to New York City to see Faust again [rumors are flying that Randy Newman's Faust may be New York bound]. That would be awesome.