Last Thursday - March 22nd 2012 - I went to see Richmond Fontaine at Tvornica.
In October 2009 when they played in Kset I went there with expectations of a fresh, few-months-worth-of-listening fan and I was surprised, overjoyed and pleased with the experience.
This time around Richmonds were not presented as a whole band but just by Mr. Vlautin and Mr. Harding performing for us.
When I saw them in 2009. I was surprised how their music sounds post-rockish and firm as opposed to mellowed down sound you hear on studio recordings. During the time from 2009. until this concert I spent more time re-listening old stuff I had, listening to new that just only got out and getting better acquainted with Vlautin's poetics (Listen here to beautiful short story "A Motorcycle for a Horse"). Two weeks ago, for my birthday, I got few of Vlautin's books as a gift from a dear friend. All this made me more susceptible to this kind of show - small-scale, intimate, streaked with humorous remarks and acoustically beautiful - show that has the best of both worlds: both music-making and storytelling as it should be relayed from producer to recipient, direct, un-mediated, relaxed.
It felt like getting together with an old friend and catching up by the campfire.
I like how the sound was adjusted and so did the Richmonds as they specially thanked the sound guy.
I like how they were honest and confident telling: "We will be a bit indulgent now but we wrote a song this morning and we're gonna play it out for you now. So don't clap yet, until you hear it."
I like how Mr. Vlautin was genuinely moved and happy and thankful when couple of us asked him to sign his books for us .
I love how all this concert-going business is becoming more and more involving and personal and how it shows, more than anything else, that wonderful people exist all around this planet.