The Choir/Mike Roe - Circle Slide 25th Anniversary Tour 2015

                      A Potluck Suicide concert review (Fresno, Ca. June 10, 2015)

The bummer for bands that don't fit anyone's mold is they continue to make fine recordings, tour relentlessly, and don't get their "due" credit. The blessing for fans of these bands, is they get to experience intimate shows and occasionally even meet the crafters of songs that have shaped their lives. Such is the case with The Choir, as well as opening artist Mike Roe (of the 77s) at this Fresno, Ca. concert June 10, 2015. This was the Circle Slide album 25th anniversary tour. That same album was one of the first 25 CDs ever purchased by several in our entourage (before that, there were records and cassettes, in case anyone is confused - yeah we were late owning CD players, but we were starving grad-school students). Here's footage of one of our favorite tracks from the album we never thought we'd hear played live. The image is a little dark, but in the back to the left, yes, that's sax player Dan Michaels, making his first Choir concert appearance in California in roughly 20 years (and of course, Mr. Roe is on bass).

Yep. Um, pretty cool, wouldn't ya say? Compelling material and performances. Steve Hindalong's percussion strikes us as being more intriguing every time we listen to these guys - proving one need not beat the life out of things in order to be viable. Other highlight numbers from the night included Blue Skies from the Circle Slide set, and the powerful What You Think I Am from their latest album Shadow Weaver. You can check out more Choir tune-age by going here. The only beef we had with the gig was Mike Roe's set being too short. His songs were splendid, starting with a sedate version of Phony Eyes and concluding with an audience participation version of Nowhere Else (a song which he thoroughly ripped prior to performing - expounding on a story of "special music" girls being brought into the studio for the recording which they... hated - but we love! Classic Roe-isms). Still, only about 5 songs, total, and nothing in the vein of Why don't you get up/U-U-U-U/Nuts growling variety. I suppose the old adage applies "leave'm wanting more."

We did (want more). Still...

...we got to meet Mike after. We had a list of subjects to talk with him about and ended up conversing about... none ... of them. We were too intimidated. Hope to see them again, maybe at this same venue, when we've built up a little more nerve (you can check out 77s/Mike Roe tune-age by going right here)  

-P.S.