Incredible String Band
September 25 2004 Early Show
Joe's Pub, New York City

Recording by dgk on a Sony D7 using Sonic Studios DSM-6 Binaural mikes.

A review from the ISB Yahoo group follows, including the setlist. I threw in an extra track mark in the second song which explains why there are only 10 songs listed in the setlist and 11 in the posting.

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Well, we just got in from having seen the ISB perform at Joe's Pub.
This was our first time seeing the ISB, although our friend Paul who
is almost 20 years older than us saw them in their heyday at the
Fillmore East.

First off, we would like to point out that we had a fantastic time
and we find it hard to believe that anyone seeing the group at this
point could walk away dissatisfied. My husband was lucky enough to
come across Mike Heron while in his search for the men's room. He
had a chance to introduce himself and shake hands and found Mike to
be a very humble and friendly person.

Joe's Pub is a small but homey environment. This was our first time
there and we would gladly go back again. The food, drink, and
service were all fine. We were an arm's throw from the stage, so
basically the String Band were sitting in our laps.

We sat at Monica McCabe's table, which included about 14 people. It
was great meeting Monica, Kevin, Carol, and the other lovely people
who were with us at the table.

The opening act, a group called Espers that consisted of what looked
like very young people played some light and airy music that set an
easy going mood for the evening.

The String Band hit the stage and opened with "Everything's Fine
Right Now." Mike Heron's enthusiastic smile set a mood of whimsy
that carried through their entire performance. Clive Palmer looks as
if he has a well kept joke to himself. For when he lifts his head up
from his banjo playing, he always seems to be wearing a smirk.
Lawson Dando is a delight on keyboards, slide guitar (which was made
great use of on the "Hedgehog's Song"), and anything else he could
get his hands on to play. These men provided that NY audience with
such a fun and uplifting experience, that there wasn't a person who
walked out of there without a smile.

When the show was over, Mike was kind enough to chat with us a bit,
sign our ticket stubs, and pose for a photo. The endearing thing
about the ISB is that they are everyday folk with an extraordinary
talent. At no point does one feel intimidated speaking with them,
it's like running into old friends.

This lineup of the ISB brought a fresh sound to old songs that are
truly timeless. For those who were put off by the sound of the
recent radio interview, that was really more so the radio station's
fault in that the dj was disorganized and didn't seem to know much
about the band. We did not feel at any point that the group was not
up to old standards, and one would have to admit that for their age,
they still play damn well! Anyone expecting them to sound like when
they were 20 years old is not allowing this group to grow with age.
While Clive Palmer's vocals are a bit jarring on "Ducks on a Pond"
when you are used to Robin Williamson's interpretation, if you just
take a minute to close your eyes and let the song unfold, that
fantastic feeling you get whenever you hear it, will take it's
rightfull place in your heart.

Setlist for the Early Show at Joe's Pub, NYC, NY 9/25/04:

Everything's Fine Right Now
Ducks on a Pond
Empty Pocket Blues
Hedgehog's Song (superb!)
You were made for me (Clive's solo)
Sleepers, awake
Painting Box
You know what you could be
Very Cellular Song
Over in the Old Golden Land

Thank you ISB for providing us with an incredible night of music!

Christina

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This posting is the dgk master