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1/26/02 Even before the doors opened the place was packed! And when Michael took the stage and launched into "Upside Down", he appeared before a not only huge, but also incredibly enthusiastic crowd...
My wrong side's been For far too long..."
Accompanied by TJ and Jack (on bass and bongos respectively) throughout the evening, Michael played many songs I'd never before heard live, including the darkly intense "Just West of Eden"...
In which even the noblest fall, Love's longing flower
"Yeah, her amulets and
...though, of course, he threw in a bit of standard (although far from tired) fare as well, including "Leave It Up To The Angels", which the entire crowd clearly -- and very thoroughly -- enjoyed...
"I'm frightened by the I'm losing faith in
After this Michael moved to the piano for the always beautiful, "Bourbon Blue"...
"Downward I was For a strand so true... I'll keep holding on For my bourbon blue."
Only with you
Michael then invited the crowd to join him in a special song..."Happy Birthday"...in honor of Jack...before moving on to another of his as yet unreleased (and also among his most instantly appealing) songs, "What You Think You Become"...
and "Summer Days", a song I'd often heard before on piano. This time, however, Michael performed it (very beautifully) on guitar...
"Just feelin' disconnected,
Next Michael dedicated to his mom an incredibly moving and eloquent performance of the gorgeous and seldom heard live, "Right Here With You"...
"There's nothing I'd
Than to be
...which was followed by another of his latest compositions, "The Sword of Damocles" -- a song I'd also previously heard only on piano. Hmm, come to think of it, I can't help wondering if the flying beer you may have read about during his energetic performance of the piano version of this song at the December Bryn Mawr show may have prompted Michael's (safer?) decision to switch to guitar! But, whatever the reason, it still sounded great...
"Is it your reflection Or just a disease When you gaze upon The sword of Damocles?"
And just when it seemed the night couldn't possibly get any better, the moment came for the always searing -- and soaring -- "Wounded"...
This dirty sky for rain To wash away my So I may rise again..."
...which was followed by "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues", a cover for which Michael asked Gary Stier (who had opened the show) to join him onstage, and which he said the late Mike Jordan had long ago performed...
Some gotta lose...
But good time Charlie's
As the set began to wind down, Michael embarked on a series of staples performed at nearly every show, beginning with the ever-popular, "Unemployed"...
You can call me But I'm just a With a prince's
...and the lyrically ever-changing "20 Miles South of Nowhere"...
Everybody's watchin' The music comes back
...then moving on to the pounding intensity of "Junkie Girl" (aided by some excellent background vocal work from Jack)...
"The smartest woman That I'd ever met...
My sweet soul lover I'd never forget.."
...before at last concluding with the McDermott classic, "A Wall I Must Climb"...
"My feelings, they were I was submerged down But I smiled for a second, And for that second I felt Pain is a wall I must climb..."
And although Michael indeed left the stage after this song, fortunately he proved very willing to quickly return in response to the crowd's eager demand for an encore. Taking a seat at the piano, he laughingly stated, "I'm like the guy at a party who won't start a conversation, but once somebody else does he never stops talking!" And so the musical conversation began afresh with the lovely "Around The World"...
I've been in movies. I've flown over six
I had to travel around Just to find my way
...and continued with the jaunty "Broken Down Fence"...
"Into a hip-hop daydream And the cevuessier And on the same stones With the same mistakes,
There's a doorway to
...the memory of which will surely by none present ever be forgotten.
As always, for everything, Thank You, Michael!! (And, by the way, Look out, Chicago...because I warn you... I'll Be Back!!!)
Or go check out...
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It wasn't until discovering the website (then known as) myklmcdermott.com
back in late 1999 that I first realized the artist whose work I'd long since
come to know and love on the albums, Gethsemane and Michael McDermott
was a native of Chicago.
instantly
became one of my all-time favorites), I had written him (in care of Steppenwolf)
praising this endeavor, and been surprised and thrilled to receive from him a
few weeks later a 2-page handwritten response.
Naturally, this sealed in me something of a fondness for this "Windy
City" I'd never yet had an opportunity to explore. And, of course, as
I became more familiar with the music of Michael McDermott and discovered that
so many of the colorfully depicted places scattered throughout his songs could
be found in and around this town, the desire to one day experience Chicago
firsthand 
transformed
into an unwavering determination to indeed eventually pay this city a visit -- a
visit which couldn't possibly be complete, of course, without the key ingredient
of a show by this incomparable artist performed on his "home
turf". 
off,
sparked by what might arguably be termed a bit of manic artistic madness, at
last the time arrived for a long overdue lesson in history and geography -- not
to mention one really fantastic Michael McDermott show... And just in case
anyone's still wondering, yes indeed it was worth the trip!!!
