It was an amazing show. He played a lot of great songs, and told a couple of awesome stories about how he saw an underage pimpfight at Belmont and Sheffield several years ago and how he got someone at weiner's circle fired for not accosting him. The low point was the crap ass bar band blues version of Murder in the Red Barn. Does anyone know if he played a second encore? I hauled out of there to beat the crowd.

Notes:

- Killer use of floodlights and shadows to make a great entrance.

- Most songs he had a new take on vocally, however Tom Traubert was sang with complete respect to the recording. This sounds like a put-down, but considering how live that performance is on the recording, it was probably the most powerful song of the night.

- Great stories about his stay at Belmont and Sheffield the first time he was here and the Weiner's Circle

- His son, Casey, was very impressive yet tasteful on the drums.

- Would have preferred a more original sounding guitar player. He handled the songs well, but his solos and fills were a tad on the generic side.

- Check that about Tom Traubert, the Day After Tomorrow was the best song of the night.

- It was ridiculous how many people wore Tom Waits hats to the show.

It was a decent show. He definitely displayed some vigor. It was sweltering hot among we peasantry in the second balcony. The sound wasn't very good up there, and it didn't help that the majority of the crowd insisted on clapping for the beginning of songs (I recognize that!), for the middle of songs (I recognize that but don't know when it ends!) and before songs were properly concluded. One would think given that he tours once in a blue moon people would hang on every word and note, like at a Low show.

I was appalled that he trotted out such network timekillers as "Don't Go Into That Barn," "Murder In The Red Barn," and, most egregiously, "What's He Building In There." However, I was very pleased that he played some tunes off of "Blood Money." "Singapore" was awesome, as was "Tom Traubert's Blues."

There was a second encore, but they bleed together in recollection. I want to say he concluded the evening with "Time."

One of my friends lucked out and scored front row tickets for last week's Nashville show. We drove from Florida---who would have thought that Alabama was such an interminable state? In every conceivable sense.

Anyway, the show, needless to say, was kick ass. Natually, my impression might owe to the fact that we were so close, but that's not the sole factor. The highlight for me was "Tom Traubert's Blues." Besides that, just watching so many people dig such weird music.

Worth the time, money, and travel. Highly recommended.

And Nashville just knocks me out. Live music everywhere on the strip, great food, old-fashioned hospitality, gorgeous women. What a city.