This is just a quick note on the Titus Andronicus in-store at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ last night.
CoolMom and CoolDaughter #2 spent all day busy with our annual tradition of cooking crates of overripe NJ tomatoes down so that we'd have a taste of summer into the fall. The house smelled like garlic and my Italian grandmother as I sat working in my office. CoolDaughter #1, just home from her Texas adventure, had plans to begin her own annual tradition of meeting up with friends before school started at the Fair Haven Firemen's Fair. I sat engaged in my almost daily ritual of trying to figure out if I could fit in a show that evening.
As it turned into late afternoon, I looked at what I had in front of me for the evening and decided, "Damn it! I can't miss Titus Andronicus just 30 minutes away from my house." I headed for the car promising CoolMom that I'd return home with some extra containers for all of her tomato sauce.
I arrived at Vintage Vinyl to find our friend, Ed The Punk, patiently waiting for things to start. Surprisingly -- or maybe not for a Wednesday -- I didn't see a huge line stretching out front for what is, so far, Titus Andronicus's only scheduled New Jersey date on the #TMLT Around the World Tour.
After tuning up and doing a mini soundcheck with the band, Patrick Stickles came back out for a solo rendition of "Albert Camus" from The Airing of Grievances. From there, the full band fought through some broken guitar strings and a wonky mic to deliver a set composed almost exclusively of tracks from The Most Lamentable Tragedy, Patrick Stickles down in front and heading into the stacks to grab the Sticky Fingers re-issue during intense performances of "I Lost My Mind (+@)" and "Fatal Flaw." They closed with the written for The Ramones but then Jon Landau wouldn't let him give it to them Springsteen classic, "Hungry Heart," mashed up with the "You will always be a loser" refrain from "No Future Part 3."
Throughout the set, Patrick Stickles made reference to the many wonderful items -- not just +@ records -- for sale at Vintage Vinyl. After the set, the band hung around in front of the stage signing records and CDs and posing for photos. Each member was incredibly gracious, and they were still chatting with fans and mugging for pictures when I left almost an hour after the end of the set.
I can't help it. I've been a fan of Titus Andronicus since The Airing of Grievances. The fact that they have been so supportive of what I do here at CoolDad Music means a lot to me. And that, coupled with the way I've seen them deal with their fans, has convinced me that Titus Andronicus are, as a friend of mine said, "the real deal."
Maybe you don't like their music. That's fine. Different strokes for different folks. But the way they support other bands and the businesses and people that support them sets a pretty good example, I think, of how to foster a music community.
Anyway, their tour starts next Friday in Philly with a sold-out show at First Unitarian Church. Here are the rest of the dates. Get out and see them if you can.
Sep 11 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church*^
Sep 12 Washington, DC – Black Cat*^
Sep 13 Richmond, VA – The Camel*^
Sep 14 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle*^
Sep 16 Nashville, TN – The Stone Fox*^
Sep 18 Dallas, TX – Trees*^
Sep 19 Houston, TX – Walters*^
Sep 20 Austin, TX – Red 7*^
Sep 23 Phoenix, AZ – Rebel*^
Sep 24 San Diego, CA – Irenic*^
Sep 25 Santa Ana, CA – Observatory*^
Sep 26 Los Angeles, CA – Roxy*^
Sep 27 Visalia, CA – Cellar Door*^
Sep 28 Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst*^
Sep 29 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel*^
Sep 30 Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s*^
Oct 02 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios*^ + in-store at Music Millennium
Oct 03 Vancouver, BC – Cobalt*^
Oct 04 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile*^
Oct 05 Boise, ID – Neurolux*^
Oct 06 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court*^
Oct 09 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock*^
Oct 10 Madison, WI – Frequency*^
Oct 11 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall*^
Oct 12 Detroit, MI – Marble*^
Oct 13 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern*^
Oct 14 Montreal, QC – Le Ritz*^
Oct 15 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall*^
Oct 16 Brooklyn, NY -- Warsaw *+
Nov 05 London, UK – Village Underground
Nov 06 Bristol, UK – Thekla
Nov 07 Brighton, UK – Bleach
Nov 08 Oxford, UK – The Bullingdon
Nov 10 Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds
Nov 11 Manchester, UK – Deaf Institute
Nov 12 Liverpool, UK – Kazimer
Nov 13 Glasgow, UK – Stereo
Nov 14 Leeds, UK – Beacons Metropolitan Festival
Nov 16 Nottingham, UK – Bodega Social Club
Nov 18 Paris, FR – La Mécanique Ondulatoire
Nov 19 Opwijk, BE – Autumn Falls Festival
Nov 20 Utrecht, NL – Le Guess Who Festival
Nov 22 Dublin, IE – The Hangar
* with Spider Bags
^ with Baked
+ with Ex Hex
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