#the noisemakers

[sinceileftyoublog]

Bruce Hornsby Continues on the Trail

Bruce Hornsby performs at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, 10/17/23

BY JORDAN MAINZER

At one point last Tuesday in Milwaukee, in response to one of many moments in the night fans shouted their requests at him, Bruce Hornsby joked, "I love the battle between disparate elements of my audience." Funny enough, I can't think of a statement that better defines the virtuosic pianist and singer-songwriter. That is, what's amazing about Hornsby is not just that he's traversed the worlds of rock, jazz, bluegrass, but that he has diehard fans of each of his endeavors. Go to a Hornsby show--even a solo one like at the Pabst Theater, sans defunct backers The Range or current band The Noisemakers--and you're bound to find both classical music appreciators and Deadheads alike.

In that sense, 1998's Spirit Trail, a storied and purposeful left-turn into modern rock after the jazz-focused Harbor Lights and Hot House, exemplifies Hornsby's multi-pronged approach. On Friday, Hornsby will release a 25th anniversary reissue of the record via Zappo Productions and Thirty Tigers. It contains a remastered version of the record, four "lost" songs from an unfinished record that was meant to be Spirit Trail's follow-up (shelved in favor of the almost piano-less Big Swing Face), and previously unreleased live performances of many of the album's songs. In Milwaukee, venue employees were handing out early CD copies of the reissue, the night a celebration of both Spirit Trail and Hornsby's discography as a whole.

Per usual, audience members requested songs both by shouting them out and via written submission, dropped off on stage prior to the show. As expected, they were all over the place, from Spirit Trail and even Lost Trail tunes to songs he simply refused to play because they were too boring or didn't age well, like "Dreamland" and "The Old Playground". Ever cheeky, at one point, Hornsby asked for requests and responded to the various audible shouts, "I haven't heard what I'm looking for yet." It was clear he wanted to give preference to Spirit Trail. He led off the night with "Preacher in the Ring Pt. I", his jaunty piano playing covering the song's ground in totality. You didn't even miss Sonny Emory's clacking drums from Live Trail, nor the dulcimer from both the studio and live versions of "Shadow Hand". Hornsby's finger exercises were simply a masterclass. He wrote standout track "Sneaking Up on Boo Radley" by learning to play over a left-hand ostinato, appropriating György Ligeti's "Etude 13: The Devil's Staircase", and nailed it live. It was a perfect Spirit Trail song to play without a band. His voice, too, was on point, wailing on the Black Crowes-inspired Lost Trail tune "Living in the Sunshine", doing justice to the studio version that indeed sounds like it could be sandwiched between the Southern rockers' "Remedy" and "Thorn in My Pride".

Yes, Hornsby's reach and influence goes beyond Spirit Trail. "The Show Goes On" has been featured in everything from Ron Howard's Backdraft to The Bear. During the set last Tuesday, he segued "Sidelines"--a duet from 2022's terrific 'Flicted with Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig--into his most famous song of all, "The Way It Is", during which he invited set opener/Bon Iver drummer S. Carey out to harmonize. That over the past decade Hornsby has fostered fruitful collaborations with the likes of Justin Vernon and Blake Mills is more evidence that he's as shaped by his contemporaries as his organic musical interests. So put yourself in his shoes in the mid-1990s, and you can hear his response to the sociopolitical and musical landscape of the past decade in many of the songs on Spirit Trail. He's asking himself tough questions about his own Southern heritage, challenging institutional racism on songs like "See the Same Way". The strummed mandolin of "Preacher in the Ring Pt. II" recalls Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road", "Resting Place" and "Pete & Manny" the radio-friendly heartland rock of Mellencamp and Petty. Yet, Hornsby's also dipping his toes in the worlds of electronica and hip hop, songs like the shuffling "Line in the Dust" written on a synth bed and with a drum machine beat like much of the second disc of Spirit Trail. And of course, the goofily titled "Sunflower Cat (Some Dour Cat) (Down With That)" is built around a sample of Jerry Garcia's riff on "China Cat Sunflower", as Hornsby was trying to explain the appeal of the Grateful Dead to producer Mike Mangini, a hip hop head. Mangini was so taken aback by the former band member's performance that he wrote a groove around the riff.

On fan favorite piano ballad and Spirit Trail highlight "Fortunate Son", Hornsby sings, "I've stared down the devil and had to look away." The song is ostensibly written from the point of view of a wheelchair-bound military veteran, lucky to be alive but maligning society's penchant to ascribe sacrificial glory to a life of physical limitations. I've always heard it, though, as the general antithesis to tough guy nihilism, whether action heroes or strong and silent singer-songwriters. Hornsby is the ultimate reflector, yet not quite ready to face mortality like many of the characters in his songs. After last Tuesday and 25 years of Spirit Trail, it certainly does seem like he's only just getting started.

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price as Vincent Van Ghoul - 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo (1985)

[ryuusea]

some silly doodles upon finding out I’m the one April baby in a server full of January babies haha

[localcoffeeshop]

BACK AGAIN with a variety art dump

[smalliinsaneone]

I’ve seen that post about what if for Halloween the Batfam all dress up as each other and patrol like that, but consider: in a universe with Jewish Bruce Wayne (and Tim Drake, obviously), they do the same thing but for Purim. It has the added benefit of confusing all the people who aren’t up on the Jewish holidays, while being a nice nod to their heritage.

[crowtrobotx]

Chrysalis Ch. 24 is up on AO3!

[sparring-spirals]

wow, the animation team is going to have to draw SO many turtles.

[queertranshappiness]

Some pieces of queer joy we've experienced lately:

We're in holiday at the east coast of the UK at the moment, and in the place where we're staying, one of the outdoor goods stores has a progress pride flag and the logo of Queer Surf Club in the window, which was very cool to see.

A transfem family friend of ours has gotten into her first choice university to do geography, and we are very excited for them.

And we have found a big anti-dysphoria/oddly transmasc song we had forgotten about: Better Days by NOISEMAKER. It's very good. (https://open.spotify.com/track/3T3Yn6EyXL3tCJZMv0Nnp4?si=55b3570e9e304547)

[mychemicalbrromance]

BIRTHDAY POST FOR MITHRUN Ik it was yesterday, i made it posting it last minute on my instagram but not here bc i had 2 go to bed. Enjoy My Silly/Cringe Ass Comic Thing Boy. YAY !

[powpowhammer]

PURIM IN EIGHT DAYS

[personinthepalace]

Mr. Noisejam spending time with their adopted son Otis in Villains in Need Are Villains Indeed - Odd Squad

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price always knew how to have a blast no matter what he does!

[hypogryffin]

as a lord of projection, thank you for adding fuel to the fire by listing akechi as jewish based on vibes. he is my current blorbocus (blorbo focus). on a related note, i think ultimately he wouldn't connect much with the teachings of judaism but i like the idea of him celebrating the holidays in small ways. like carrying around a noisemaker on purim with no elaboration

akechis jewish but after his mom died and he went into the foster system he wasnt given the resources to celebrate jewish holidays and lost every cultural artifact he could have held onto from his childhood. by the time of canon he barely remembers even celebrating holidays

[spellboundcities]

I am no longer baby. I want power

[crewmatecherry]

I've been trying out the new amogus roles!! (They're so cool btw) So here's a little comic panel based on what happened during one of the rounds...

[evillandscaper]

Can we have more mr. noise jam

old geezers in love (I LOVE THEM)