Random note:

I learned via Darren / He’s A Whore that SNL/Dylan/Hall & Oates guitarist G.E. Smith was at one time, married to Gilda Radner.

I had no idea. Did you?

You learn something new everyday on this internet thing.

Buddy Guy with G.E. Smith – Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues

Speaking of other things that I’ve recently learned, let’s jump back to Saturday night, early evening at Case Western Reserve University here in Cleveland. My buddy Pat and I were jetting over to Case to catch an opening set from Cleveland rock god trio young ‘uns The Suede Brothers, who were opening a special students-only gig for Third Eye Blind.

As a band, the gigs that you don’t take pictures of, are the ones where you are playing on a stage in a gymnasium in front of a giant Third Eye Blind banner that would look really cool, if it didn’t say “Third Eye Blind.”

I had no idea Third Eye Blind were still around and touring, but it was entertaining being surrounded by young college urchins getting into the rock and roll that The Suede Brothers were throwing down.

We departed immediately after the band’s set, and made our way to the Beachland Ballroom for the night’s officially scheduled event, a Matt-pleasing double bill of Matthew Sweet with The Bridges opening.

The Bridges are out in support of their debut national release Limits of the Sky, which Sweet produced. Imagine a modern day version of Fleetwood Mac where Lindsey Buckingham gets kicked to the curb in favor of another chick instead, and you’ve got a good idea of what Alabama’s The Bridges sound like. And oh yeah, they’re all related – it’s a family thang.

I was fortunate enough to see them on their first trip through Cleveland in 2007 opening for The Bangles, and since Limits of the Sky was released earlier this year, it has spent quite a bit of time spinning on my Ipod.

During their opening set for Sweet on Saturday night, I was impressed at how far The Bridges, already a great live band when I saw them the first time, have come. With a little bit of luck, these girls (and guy) are going to be stars. If it doesn’t happen for them in the pop/rock world, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them blow up in the country world.

The best part – The Bridges are young, so there is plenty of time for future success!

As for Matthew Sweet, the Beachland show was a long overdue return to Cleveland, and it was my first time seeing him in 13 years. I certainly had no idea when I saw him in 1995 on a triple bill with Soul Asylum and The Jayhawks, that it would be such a long time before I would catch him again in the live setting.

Even though Sweet continued to make music in recent years, things have been kind of quiet to the point that the average Joe probably didn’t realize Sweet was still recording. A new record deal with Shout Factory and an album of covers with Susanna Hoffs have finally put Sweet’s name back on the radar.

The result is Sunshine Lies, a new album that is drawing many comparisons to Sweet’s classic Girlfriend release. Phrases like “return to the sound of the Girlfriend album,” and “best album since Girlfriend,” are a couple of the lines I’ve heard used to describe Sunshine Lies. I’m not sure that Sunshine Lies is all that, but it’s nice to see Matthew Sweet getting positive coverage and reviews after his last few releases were virtually ignored by critics and music fans alike.

Anything that keeps the funds rolling for Matthew Sweet to make albums, I’m cool with it.

I wanted Sweet’s set to be great, but honestly walked away thinking it was a bit average in comparison to the previous shows I’ve seen and heard from Sweet. The first half of the set was heavily slanted towards material from Sunshine Lies, and Sweet was struggling a bit to hit the high notes on some of the older material. The Beachland gig was the 6th show in a row, and the last one before a scheduled day off, so it’s possible that Sweet might have been a bit worn down from so many shows in a row.

Sweet’s longtime tradition of employing some of the most talented lead guitar players (Robert Quine, Richard Lloyd, holy crap!) to walk the planet remains intact. I spent most of the night watching lead guitarist Peter Phillips rip through solo after solo in the midst of the wall of guitars formed by Sweet and longtime Velvet Crush compadre Paul Chastain. Ric Menck, the other half of Velvet Crush, anchored his usual spot behind the drum kit with a scruffy beard to end all beards, accessorized with a hat that made him look as if he had just stepped in from gigging with The Blues Brothers. Bass player Tony Marsico rounds out the talented lineup in Sweet’s band.

The older songs in the setlist drew heavily from Girlfriend, Altered Beast, and 100% Fun, with “We’re The Same” making a surprise appearance in the setlist. Sweet noted that they were playing it for the first time that night, and apologized in advance for any lyrical flubs in the song that he “wrote a long time ago.” After “I’ve Been Waiting,” Sweet grinned and said “what else can I play off that album?” before ripping into the title track from Girlfriend.

After the main set wrapped with “Sick of Myself,” Sweet was back for a double encore/three song add-on of old favorites with “Divine Intervention,” “You Don’t Love Me,” (!!!) and “Superdeformed” wrapping up the evening of music.

Matthew Sweet – You Don’t Love Me (live in 2004)

Superdeformed on Beavis and Butthead

With those last two tracks, I can forgive the large amount of new material in the main set that I wasn’t into, and it’s a toss up which song I was happier to hear, because I love ’em both. The years I’ve been waiting to see Matthew Sweet certainly all paid off, getting to hear “Superdeformed” live.

It’s nice to see Matthew Sweet back out on the road, and if you have the chance to catch this current leg with The Bridges opening, you certainly won’t regret it. Check out tour dates to find out whether or not they’re coming to your neck of the woods.

Bring your merch money – Sweet is selling t-shirts, the new CD, and also the vinyl of Sunshine Lies.

As for future plans, Sweet is working on another Under The Covers album with Susanna Hoffs, this time focusing on the ’70s. Reportedly, it will be a double album. Cool!

Setlists:

Matthew Sweet:

Time Machine
Room To Rock
Byrd Girl
Dandelion
We’re The Same
Feel Free
I’ve Been Waiting
Girlfriend
Sunshine Lies (with The Bridges on background vocals)
Someone To Pull The Trigger
The Ugly Truth
Flying
Sick of Myself

encore:

Divine Intervention
You Don’t Love Me

2nd encore:

Superdeformed

The Bridges:

All The Words
One I Love
Echo
Runaway
Unconditional
One Way
Say The Least
Finding It Hard
Pieces
Blue