No Tears Tonight

Eugene Chadbourne & The Chadbournes, Live at Kent State University, Kent, OH (5/7/81) Part 1
Eugene Chadbourne & The Chadbournes, Live at Kent State University, Kent, OH (5/7/81) Part 2

This is a typical, which means when applied against a concert by any other performer, totally atypical, show by Eugene Chadbourne. There's nothing like a Chadbourne gig except another Chadbourne gig and then only because the common denominator is Eugene Chadbourne. There's complicated algebraic proofs hidden somewhere in there, I'm certain. John Zorn, Tom Cora, David Licht and the then still "Mark" Kramer with Eugene on this one, as "The Chadbournes"! So, this is kinda proto-Shockabilly going on here, but less psycho-billy-garage than we'd hear in the next few years. More avant-country-blues-rock-jazz-lounge-schmaltzadelica. Got it? Good. I have no setlist because I attempted to create a setlist for a Eugene show in the past and nearly lost my mind in the attempt. Help me, please, but I love this music so much, so very much.

Saw Eugene multiple times but never enough in the 80s and caught him for the first time with my wife a few years back, bugging out of a wedding to run 'cross town and see him. We were not in our current home town that night, I can assure you, but hundreds of miles away. And Eugene was as wonderful, as weird, as exciting as ever that night. Nice, too, once you get him going. Always found him hard to talk to and very hard to crack a joke with. Made him sign many albums I hauled along with me, though he was stubborn and wouldn't sign them where I wanted him to. Of course. Because he's Eugene.

Mr. Chadbourne is, I think, a great American hero, an iconoclast and genuis to the ten millionth degree. His far-left politics are as beautiful as his music. He's the only man alive that could stop a roundhouse kick from Chuck Norris with a single note from his guitar. I hope you enjoy.

And buy shit, dammit, buy shit!!!

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