Okay, time to post some final comments about the Detroit show, Thursday, May 22, 1997, at the "Magic Stick."

songs and robyn's banter(B)...

...acoustic...
Gene Hackman
(B) - "The next one is about a WWII reconnaissance aircraft flying endlessly over a checkerboard landscape about 600ft above the ground...there's a thin river of blood it's tracing...this bloody red river...and there's these huge 700ft high chess pieces...you know the knight if you play chess...there's all these horses' heads and they're swivelling to follow the plane...they've got red eyes that glow...as the plane passes they trip a photo-electric cell and this causes a toilet to flush in Ann Arbor."
Lysander
Serpent At The Gates Of Wisdom
Clean Steve - using a "d" harmonica and some fab lyrics
...joined by Tim...
De Chirico Street
dedicates next song to a Detroit dj
(B)- "who played some fantastic records this morning which I didn't listen to 'cause we didn't realize he had played them until we turned the radio on after he had stopped...but it's nice to hear some really good records back announced...it's like someone comes on and tells you what they aired...unless you're really starving you're quite pleased for them...you can enjoy hearing about how the avocado was chopped and the splintered bloody ribs and all that kind of stuff."
Madonna Of The Wasps
***new song - titled "Elizabeth Jade"
RH introduced -
"this song has never been played anywhere at all...it's being test driven specifically here in Detroit"***
...exit Tim...
(B)- "I'm sorry to hear they're demolishing the Hudson's building...it's a shame you can't take it with you...I saw Donald Trump once...and he was standing outside this new tower he'd just built called 'Trump's Great Erection' or something...he had to be there so you knew who it was and who he was and the two were indelibly linked and I thought...this guy is never going to be able to take any of this with him and I felt a pang of pity for him but it'd be nice to take Hudson's with you."
I'm Only You
...electric...
I Am Not Me
You and Oblivion
She Doesn't Exist
Freeze
Kingdom Of Love
...encore...
Speed Of Things
...enter Tim who tells RH to mention the merchandise for sale...
(B)- " Theoretically I would have been selling a lot of cones tonight but I only managed to manufacture four before I passed out."
Oceanside
(B)- "I've just got to find the 'hail mary' pick...most of the set I use a 'baby jesus' 73mm pick...but for this song I use a 'hail mary'...you might find it hard to tell the difference if you were just walking along the street and you saw them on the pavement...you might not instantly realize which is which...the 'baby jesus' is a little bit thinner...the most interesting thing about this is that the 38mm...which is really
flimsy and thin...if someone assaulted you with one of those it wouldn't be a problem....they're very flippy....that one's called the 'father joseph.'"
Queen Of Eyes
Beautiful Queen
(B)- thank you...goodnight...sleep well

Time for some personal comments.

I was thrilled to be at the show because it's the first time I've been healthy (and relatively pain-free) in longer than I care to remember. As I mentioned in another post, I was disappointed that Robyn played
only two new songs, but I was happy to hear really good versions (IMHO) of Clean Steve, Kingdom of Love, Lysander, Madonna, and Oceanside.

I was spellbound (as usual) by his fingers dancing over his guitar...one of the four cones he drew now lives in my bedroom...and it was the first time I felt like Robyn was a friend, rather than some mysterious mystical figure. And though I've witnessed better RH performances, my overall concert going experience rather wonderful thank you very much.

On to the information portion of this review.

First some background about me and my Robyn connection.

First song I ever heard - Kingdom of Love
First album I bought - Fegmania
First time I saw Robyn - 1984 in Toronto with The Egyptians (and every time since.)

....I finally got up the nerve to approach Robyn a few weeks after I had surgery #3 (for Crohn's disease - Inflammatory Bowel Disease) in 1993. Partly because of that conversation, partly 'cause I interviewed him for CBC radio in 1994, partly because he loves my hair (apparently Bob Dylan would be green with envy - Mr. Dylan please get better soon,) and partly 'cause I snuck out of the hospital in Oct '94 to see him play...when I walked into the "Magic Stick" in Detroit, I heard someone calling, "Randi! Randi! Randi Spiegel!"

Robyn and Tim and Steve (manager) were just sitting down to dinner. After a round of questions from Robyn and Steve about surgery #8 (March '97 for Crohn's) I managed to get a few questions in edgewise. We also talked after the show, so here is a summary of info I think/hope everyone will enjoy.

1. Both Robyn and Steve kept asking me about the feg list...if I enjoyed it, what I posted about, what I liked reading about, and if I'd ever met anyone from the list. They were really interested in hearing about 'fegmaniax,' which I thought was great. They both claim to be computer illiterate: their biggest technological triumph was the purchase of a calculator for this tour.

2. Steve was curious as to how people discovered Robyn...so I'd be forever greatful to anyone who would like to e-mail me, and tell me about their first RH experience, their first album purchase, their first RH concert, and where they live. I'm hoping to put together a package to send to Steve around the end of June...

3. Robyn was exhausted in Detroit. He mentioned it to me, so did Steve, and it was evident in Robyn's lack of stage banter, which may have been a relief to some fegs, but I was disappointed, not nearly
enough talking for my liking. Steve was really concerned about getting Robyn to bed after the show, so it seems he takes a fatherly attitude towards Robyn, and Robyn takes one towards Tim...hmmmm, what a big happy family. The boys were all excited because they were taking two days to drive from Minneapolis to Boulder.

4. I asked Steve if there was any life left in "Moss Elixir," he said no. The record didn't do as well as they had hoped and Robyn is _really_ disappointed about that.

5. When Robyn was touring with the Dear Janes he got to know Steve and his style of management and that was the catalyst for the 'breakup' with Peter Jenner/Sincere Management.

6. Steve will be cutting down on the amount of touring Robyn does. I asked Steve if he would have let this tour happen if he had been the manager at the time and he said "no." He won't let Robyn tour again without a reason, so we won't see RH again until the time when the film and soundtrack are released. Steve wants it to be more of an 'event' when Robyn tours, so that more people will come out to hear him play.

Well, I hope I've made everyone feel like they were right there in Detroit with me, and I wish more fegs had been, though I most enjoyed meeting Mary and Beth (Beth: I lost your e-mail address so send me a note!)

Thanks muchly to those who posted about Chicago and Minneapolis and Boulder...looking very forward to reading more reviews...and let me just say I love this list...I could gush about it (I did to Robyn and Steve) but I will restrain myself now...except to say I'm just so damn fond of you all :)

Randi

"You've got a cigarette and good breath? How long do you think those two are going to be compatible?" RH