The Jayhawks
A Stage at
Summerfest
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
July 3, 2011

Source: Church Audio CA-11 cards => UGLY pre-amp => Tascam DR-2D (24/48)
Transfer: DR-2D => WAV => Audition 1.5 (dither to 16-bit) => WAV => Magix Audio Cleaning Lab => WAV => FLAC (level 8)

Location: Appx. 10th row, in line with left speaker stack

Disc one (49:17):
(1) Wichita (6:27)
(2) Two Angels (4:23)
(3) Real Light (4:03)
(4) Red's Song (4:24)
(5) Nothing Left To Borrow (4:25)
(6) Closer To Your Side (7:18) *
(7) Settled Down Like Rain (3:09)
(8) Nevada, California (5:12)
(9) She Walks In So Many Ways (2:33)
(10) Blue (3:28)
(11) I'd Run Away (3:50)

Disc two (48:06):
(1) Miss Williams' Guitar (3:39)
(2) Black Eyed Susan (5:52)
(3) Bad Time (3:36)
(4) Hide Your Colors (4:11) *
(5) Waiting For The Sun (4:49)
(6) Over My Shoulder (3:55)
(7) Guilder Annie (3:59)
(8) Clouds (6:07)
(9) Encore break (1:52)
(10) Lights (6:51)
(11) Up Above My Head (2:27)
(12) Band exit (0:42)

Md5 signature file is included. Sorry, no artwork (feel free to make some)

* world premiere

Comments:

Great performance by the Jayhawks on the 2nd date of their summer 2011 "reunion" tour. As with the brief winter 2011 tour, the set featured a heavy dose of material from "Hollywood Town Hall" and "Tomorrow The Green Grass," with a few new songs and oddities mixed in. Hopefully as the tour progresses the band will integrate more post-Olsen material into the setlist (e.g. songs from "Smile" or "Rainy Day Music"), but considering it's still early in this band's regeneration, this was a very enjoyable 98 minutes. The set featured four songs from the upcoming "Mockingbird Time" album, including two never performed in public -- "Closer To Your Side" and "Hide Your Colors," both of which fit nicely stylistically and lyrically with the oldies. Truthfully, the other two new tracks ("She Walks In So Many Ways" and "Guilder Annie") didn't do much for me when they were played in January, but the arrangements have become more interesting and they've grown on me ... however, I think the two songs that premiered in Milwaukee are much better songs.

I was really happy with the recording; it was my first time using my new Church Audio cards and thought they did a great job. I was about 10th row in line with the left speaker stack, and there weren't many audience members around me to interfere with the stealth recording. There are a few talkers here and there (you can hear some brief phasing, as I moved around a bit to get away from the chatter), but not enough to distract from one's enjoyment of the recording. The mix was great, and the mics caught the full dynamic range. I hope to have the same luck in the future in such festival settings.

If you're a fan of the Jayhawks - or beginning to get into them now -- this should be worth the download, if nothing else to check out the new songs. Then, be sure to buy the new album when it is released in September.

Mp3 samples are included in the comments.