Yesterday we went to see Calexico in Mainz. The concert was ok but very similar to last year's one at the Frankfurt University. The first half was nice with a very good trumpet solo by the Mexican guy whose trumpet sound can be very similar to the cold and lonely intonation of Miles Davis. Joey Burns did some nice distortions with his electric guitar and also with his voice whenever he used the left microphone. He must have learnt that trick from Howe whom I missed sadly. There were also some quiet songs, I think I heard a Nick Drake cover, but it was not Clothes of Sand. That song can be found on the nice exclusive tour CD Aerocalexico with some live stuff and covers, e.g. a great instrumental version of Goldfrapp's Human renamed Humano.
The second half (no pause) was too Mariachi, Tex-Mex for my liking. The trumpet parts were very predictable. I liked it when they played this very calm song (do not know the name) and suddenly went berserk in the middle of it bursting into an amazing cacophony of sounds. For a minute or so we listened to a free jazz session. Besides Burns and Convertino there were four other musicians. Two trumpet players who were also playing guitar and singing. Then there was a bassist who looked like the son of Phil Collins. And finally the pedal steel player. The pedal steel sound was really predominant, but not annoying though it gave the music the C&W tinge. The pedal steel is a kind of guitar which (from far) looks like a keyboard. The way it is played reminded me of the washboard which is used in Bavaria but apparently also in Zydeco and Skiffle.

Pale blue eyes
Yesterday we went to see Aimee Mann. Very good concert. When she arrived on stage she looked so pale and ill and was really shy. But after a couple of songs she had warmed up. She really looked like the daughter of Joni Mitchell. Resembling her like hell and the songs of Aimee are maybe less poetic but definitely more pop. She told us (after her first short tour in Europe) that German audiences are the best ("after a million concerts that I have done"). And I believe her. She cannot lie. Impossible with such a face (found using this Google image search). She also told us that the concert the night before (in Stuttgart) was really bad. And then she corrected herself, it was just her who was terrible, the other musicians are "professionals", it was her who was just a dabbler. Of course this was an understatement. She did two encores. Altogether 18 songs. She started with "..One.." and finished with "Deathly" from the Magnolia soundtrack. The guitarist was great (some nice distortions). Altogether a very nice inauguration of the Unionhalle in Frankfurt.