Day three of my New Year’s weekend culminated with a concert from Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker at Seattle’s Crocodile Café. 2017 marks the 30th year I’ve been a Camper Van Beethoven fan. I saw them for the first time at the Central Tavern in October of 1987 and still have the photos I took.
Camper Van took the stage first opening with the all instrumental Waka. This was followed by their hit (pretty much their one and only mainstream hit) Pictures of Matchstick Men. I think their version of that song is better than the original by Status Quo.
Camper Van’s music is rife with catchy guitar licks (from Greg Lisher) and the violin playing of Jonathan Segel (I’ve always had a crush on Jonathan). If you can imagine what a violin sounds like if it giggled, that’s an apt description of how it sounds in Camper Van’s songs. Even when Jonathan played it pizzicato it still sounded happy.
Camper Van played many of my favorites including Northern California Girls and even did a cover of the Clash’s White Riot, done pop country and not at all (but every bit as good) as the original. But this is what makes Camper Van such a great band. They have their own unique sound albeit a very California flavor.
There is no other band that can wail the words make me a sandwich over and over and make it sound so damned good. The sound was absolutely impeccable. The vocals of Dave Lowery came through crystal clear and I could hear each individual instrument.
Unfortunately the last 35 seconds of their set was cut short when the club’s fire alarm kept going off. It would stop, then start again, then stop, then start again. No one demanded an evacuation of the building and eventually the alarm problem got sorted out and Cracker hit the stage.
David Lowery, who fronts both bands, said Camper Van would return at the end to finish the last 35 seconds of their set. Apparently he was joking because Camper Van didn’t come back.
Only three Crackers came on stage at first (David on acoustic guitar, Matt Stoessel on pedal steel guitar & Johnny Hickman on electric guitar) and opened with the haunting Dr. Bernice. Jonathan returned for the second song, Loser but this time made his violin scream a mournful scream instead of the giggling he did in Camper Van. Bass player Bryan Howard joined the fray sporting long dread locks that hung to his hips along with drummer Carlton (Coco) Owens. The tempo kicked up a notch or two thereafter. It was Johnny Hickman’s guitar playing and on stage energy that kicked up said tempo. He made his strings scream and wail as if begging for mercy. He even sang lead on a couple songs including California Cowboy. After, Jonathan and Matt left the stage and the rest of the band lit into Teen Angst, a song that got generous airplay on commercial radio in the early 90s. Matt returned to the stage and Johnny again took over on some lead vocals and a mean harmonica. They then played their other “hit” Lowe, in which David (jokingly I presume) said the original title of that song was going to be Anal Probe.
They then played my favorite, Eurotrash Girl. By now the club was packed. It had been maybe two-thirds full for Camper Van.
I love Cracker and their set was full of good energy, but Camper Van is still my favorite. Last year we got both these bands on New Year’s Day as well. What a great way to ring in the new year that otherwise promises strife and trepidation.
Camper Van Beethoven
Cracker
