Woods' "Songs of Shame" LP and "Sunlit" 7" haven't strayed too far from my turntable since their respective releases. So I was beyond stoked when it worked out for Woods to stop in Jackson this summer. I also wasn't quite sure what to expect. The songs themselves are fairly classic, but the recordings send them to an off-kilter orbit. It's texture. But it's vital. When I put on a Woods record, it's likely to stay on the turntable for a couple of days. I get sucked into the sound and nothing else will do.
Their tour rider was pretty basic - sound system and refreshments. It did specifically mention Jim Beam. So I figured that was the least I could do. Then at the package store, I found the most magnificent bottle of Beam ever: OPERATION HOMEFRONT. I figured such a combo of patriotism, bravado, and booze would end in an inspired set.
It also almost ended in jail.
During the opening act, the Woods boys took a table up front and passed the bottle around wild west style. Later on, round about the time for Woods to be taking the stage, I spot a very large and angry police officer by the door to the club. He's corralled the Woods boys and is brandishing the Beam bottle at them. Luckily, Gorjus noticed the scene, too, and springs into barrister mode - smoothing out a near-tragic breach of Jackson's open container law. They even got to keep the whiskey, and everyone celebrated with a round of Gorjus' "short drinks." Operation Homefront: mission accomplished.
Turns out the problem with seeing Woods live, is that now the records just don't cut it anymore. I want to be there, five feet from the Silvertone guitars and that battered suitcase full of delay pedals and cassettes. All that psychedelic texture comes from Lucas - howling into a reverse-wired pair of headphones while hunched over a couple of old Panasonic tape players run through a DJ mixer. Oh yeah, and he kept a stick of incense burning through the set. Nag Champa, I believe.
Hal & Mal's never smelled better. Come back soon.
Woods "Rain On" from Wes Williams on Vimeo.
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