Next it was around the corner to see David Ford at Rockwood Stage 2. When we walked in David was still working on his elaborate set-up.

rtb and I were right at the stage and mollyT and Peter stood behind us. We had an excellent view of all the pedals and cables. While rtb was in the bathroom, I was telling a story to mollyT and Peter and I swung my hand back and slapped rtb right in the face (I had not realized that she had come back and was behind me). Luckily she likes me.

David also loops and does so brilliantly. It was the first thing that caught my ear when he opened for Ingrid Michaelson many years ago and I really appreciate how he uses the looping thoughtfully. Unfortunately, as David started to add in the drums the looping was not working. It kept adding an extra bar and he could not figure out why. He was annoyed and threw the drumstick behind him. So he played the song without the looping. But on the next song a guitar string broke and he did not have another to replace it. So now he was down to one guitar and not sure if he should play certain songs because they played better on one guitar rather than the other. David was getting angrier and he was taking it out on the instruments/equipment. He tried the looping on another song and it still would not work. His frustration was getting the better of him. He flung the guitar behind him. But, as he apologized to us, he said that we would all be fine with him playing just guitar and piano and leaving all this equipment home (and we assured him that that was true). Especially since Rockwood, although an excellent venue, leaves very little time to set-up between shows. He noticed a cable that was not plugged in but it still was adding the extra bar. Then he noticed a cable was missing. He went back to his bags to find the cable but it was not there. And then, while performing, he noticed the missing cable unplugged and just sitting near the equipment. Finally, the looping was working. He went back to a song he had abandoned earlier and miraculously the guitar he had thrown was still in tune.

Then he asked if we wanted a sad song or a happy song. I called out for a sad song and he played a new song (not on the new album). David said he wanted to write the saddest song ever and the song is sad but I think it needs one more verse to establish the relationship and get us more involved before the sad part happens.

Because of the technical difficulties, we heard fewer songs, I think. It’s a short set anyway. But his songs are so well-written and then performed with so much heart that it still was (as always) an amazing experience.

Set List

Real Damn Slow
Pour a Little Poison
Waiting for the Storm
The Ballad of Miss Lily (stopped because looping was not working)
We Always Knew
Downmarket
The Ballad of Miss Lily
When We Were Young
Why Don’t You Answer Your Telephone?
Animal Spirits
Every Time

By Carene Lydia Lopez