Performances: 2006 - 2010
2006 |
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| DATE | VENUE/ LOCATION | VERIFICATION |
| May 12, '06 | The second annual MusiCares (a Grammy Awards subsidiary) MAP Fund benefit concert, honoring singer/songwriter/guitarist and Metallica co-founder James Hetfield and concert promoter and manager Bill Silva, at The Music Box @ Fonda. All proceeds benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation. Hetfield was honored as the recipient of the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund and his devotion to helping other addicts with the recovery process. Silva was the recipient of the MusiCaresFrom the Heart Award for his unconditional friendship and dedication to the mission and goals of the organization. Tickets were offered at three price levels: floor placement in a private living room grouping of 10 for $10,000; floor seating for $1,000 each; and balcony seating for $250 each. (Source: MusiCares official site. April 24, 2006). Tom Waits & Larry Taylor setlist: Tango 'Til They're Sore, Invitation To The Blues, Lucky Day,You Can Never Hold Back Spring. | Recorded. MusiCares official site. April 24, 2006. Musicares program as shown below |
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MusiCares program, list of performers for the May 12th benefit | |
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ASCAP advert from MusiCares program for the May 12th benefit | |
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Start USA tour promoting Real Gone/ Orphans |
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| Aug. 1, '06 | Tabernacle. Atlanta, GA/ USA. First live performance of "Who's Been Talking" (Howlin' Wolf). - "Enough people know and care about Tom Waits that his tour-opening show Tuesday night at the Tabernacle sold out in less than half an hour. He has no new record to promote, which hardly mattered. Waits rarely tours - this was his first Atlanta performance in about 30 years - and you never know when the 56-year-old artist is going to hang up his performing career and devote his life to some marginal pursuit, like junk collecting or knife throwing. And so the Tabernacle was clogged with hard-core fans. The hard-core Waits fan demographic seems to be hipster adults - in the audience was everyone from Criminal Records boss Eric Levin to Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers... Waits performed "9th and Hennepin," about a place where people behave like dogs and "all the doughnuts have names like prostitutes." The song was inspired, Waits swore to the audience, by a night he got caught between two fighting 11-year-old pimps who threw utensils because "they couldn't afford firearms." (Source: "Tom Waits well worth long wait". The Atlanta Journal. August 2, 2006. By Nick Marino) |
Recorded. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006. Poster as shown below. |
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Poster promoting the Aug. 1st Atlanta show. | |
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Source: "Tom Waits at the Tabernacle", AccessAtlanta.com. Date: Tabernacle. Atlanta, GA/ USA. Aug. 1, 2006.Credits: photography by Robb D. Cohen. | |
| Aug. 2, '06 | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Asheville, NC/ USA | Recorded. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006 |
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Source: "Worth Waiting?", Scan musicblog. Date: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Asheville, NC/ USA. Aug. 2, 2006.Credits: photography by Derek Anderson | |
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Ticket for the Aug. 2nd Ashville show. | |
| Aug. 4, '06 | Orpheum Theatre. Memphis, TN/ USA. - "It's good to be back in Memphis," Tom Waits said shortly after taking the stage before a sold-out audience at the Orpheum, the singer-songwriter's first concert in Memphis in 29 years. "I gotta say, though, what happened to Lansky's? Did it move to Florida or Cuba?" An audience member soon set him straight on Elvis' favorite clothier, now at The Peabody. But just mentioning it displayed a light, personal touch from Waits, who all night deftly balanced his dark, macabre tales of dropouts and burnouts with humorous riffs on coffee bars and unemployment line bums." (Source: "Rarities like Waits are worth the time". By Mark Jordan. The Commercial Appeal. August 6, 2006) |
Recorded. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006 |
| Aug. 5, '06 | Ryman Auditorium. Nashville, TN/ USA. - "Here's the deal... you don't want to oversaturate the market." Thus spake Tom Waits in explanation of his three-decade performing absence from the city of Nashville, one he more than made up for Saturday night at the Ryman Auditorium in front of a sold-out house of Waits-starved worshippers... For all the hypnotic intensity that Waits put into his songs, once the music stopped, he slipped easily into his amiable bar hound -with-a-non-sequitur-back persona, addressing spontaneous audience queries. "I'm still working at the airport. But I travel a great deal." "How do I like the weather? Weather of any kind is pleasant. When you're gone there's no weather. So yes, I like the weather." After an enthusiastic audience participation stab: "That was great, you guys can sing. Oh hell, you're in Nashville - everybody sings in Nashville." (Source: "Review: Time at the Ryman worth the wait". The Tennessean. August 6, 2006. By Peter Gilstrap) - "Tom Waits did something last Saturday at The Ryman that may have been a first in the annals of Nashville music: he asked the moonstruck audience to stop clapping in time as he played. Perhaps only he could have pulled it off without seeming like a prima donna or a dick, but his mock self-deprecation only stoked the giddy crowd more as he blamed his own faulty sense of rhythm. "You're a fuckin' metronome," he deadpanned, before resuming the macabre piano bounce of "Cemetery Polka." (Source: "Waits World". Nashville Scene - The Spin. August 10, 2006) |
Recorded. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006. Poster and ticket as shown below. |
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Poster promoting the August 5th Nashville show | |
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Ticket for the August 5th Nashville show | |
| Aug. 7, '06 | Palace Theatre. Louisville, KY/ USA. - "Most of the set was culled from his last four albums, with the emphasis on his latest, 2004's "Real Gone." The oldest tracks were 1976's "Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)" and 1985's "Tango Till They're Sore," from his landmark "Raindogs" album. Appropriately, he mangled the lyrics of both but managed to be charming while doing so." (Source: "Tom Waits delivers on his legend at Palace". The Courier-Journal. August 8, 2006. By Jeffrey Lee Puckett) |
Recorded. Ticket as shown below. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006 |
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Source: Musicpix/ Mitchell archives, 2006. Date: Palace Theatre. Louisville, KY/ USA.Aug. 7, 2006. Credits: photography by Steve Mitchell | |
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Ticket for the August 7th Louisville show | |
| Aug. 9, '06 | Auditorium Theatre. Chicago, IL/ USA. - "At the sold-out Auditorium Theatre on Wednesday, the 56-year-old troubadour entered as a scarecrow-like silhouette from behind a backlit curtain. He didn't so much wave as extend a claw in greeting. With his porkpie hat and black jacket, he lurched and contorted his frame like a Skid Row hunchback on a center-stage riser. He bellowed into a megaphone and turned a large magnifying glass into a distorting lens, his face contorted as he observed the crowd observing him like a curious insect." (Source: "Waits' music distorts all but the truth". Chicago tribune. August 11, 2006. By Greg Kot) - "Maybe Waits has a soft spot for Chicago, though he said he was disappointed that the city's Cows On Parade had disappeared since his last visit. At one point, he reminisced about staying in a rundown hotel at Belmont and Sheffield. "The lady behind the counter was the mother of the Marlboro Man," he noted, adding how disappointed he is when the colorful places he recalls from years ago have become generic and gentrified. "Now you say, '9th and Hennepin' to someone in Minneapolis, and they say, 'Oh, yeah, my wife got some sandals there.' Sandals? I got shot there," Waits cracked." (Source: "Waits' return long overdue". Daily Southtown. August 11, 2006. By Robert Loerzel) |
Recorded. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006. Ticket as shown below. |
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Ticket for the Aug. 9th Chicago show. | |
| Aug. 11, '06 | Opera House. Detroit, MI/ USA - "One of the evening's most solemn and stunning moments was his subdued rendition of "Day After Tomorrow," a letter home from a soldier who wonders why he's fighting - the crowd broke into applause at lines like "don't they pray to the same god that we do?" Backed with tasteful restraint by a four-piece band that included son Casey on drums and percussion and guitar slinger Duke Robillard (who gives the music a bluesier touch than Waits' usual axeman, Marc Ribot), Friday's performance served as a powerful reminder of what good storytelling, a little imagination and a lot of heart can do." (Source: "19 years since last Detroit stop, Waits worth the wait". Flint Journal. August 14, 2006. By Doug Pullen) |
Recorded. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006. Ticket and poster as shown below. |
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Ticket for the Aug. 11th Detroit show. | |
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Poster promoting the Aug. 11th Detroit show. | |
| Aug. 13, '06 | Akron Civic Theatre. Akron, OH/ USA (early show) | Recorded. Anti records press release. July 5, 2006. Ticket as shown below. |
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Ticket for the Aug. 13th Akron show | |
| Aug. 13, '06 | Extra show added: The House of Blues. Cleveland/ USA (late show). - "All ticket orders are WILL CALL and can only be picked up at the box office on the night of the event at door times (11 PM). There is a two (2) ticket maximum per household, and the guest of ticket purchaser must be present at the time of will-call ticket pickup. All patrons will be required to present a valid picture ID matching the name given at the time of purchase AND the credit card used for the ticket purchase in order to receive their tickets and gain admittance to the show. Patron names may not be transferred once the ticket purchase transaction is complete." |
Recorded. Anti Records press release. Aug. 8, 2006. Ticket as shown below. |
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Ticket for the Aug. 13th Cleveland show | |
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End USA tour promoting Real Gone/ Orphans |
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| Nov. 27, '06 | Late Show With David Letterman. CBS television talkshow. Ed Sullivan Theater. New York/ USA. Interview and performs "Lie To Me". With: Larry Taylor, Duke Robillard and Casey Waits | Recorded. Video screenshot as shown below. Transcript |
| Nov. 28, '06 | Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Comedy Central television talkshow. New York/ USA. Interview and performs "Day After Tomorrow". With: Larry Taylor | Recorded. Video screenshot as shown below. Transcript |
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Waits performing "Day After Tomorrow", November 28, 2006. | |
2007
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| DATE | VENUE/ LOCATION | VERIFICATION |
| Apr. 7, '07 | Waits honoured at the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI) at the Teatro Presidente Alvear/ Buenos Aires/ Argentina. Waits sang two songs: You Can Never Hold Back Spring and Tom Traubert's Blues | Recorded. BAFICI official site, 2007 |
| May 4, '07 | Late Night show with Conan O'Brien. NBC television talkshow (USA). Orpheum Theater, San Francisco/ USA. Interview and performs Lucinda. With Eugene Huggins: harmonica. | Recorded. NBC official site, 2007. Transcript |
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Waits performing "Lucinda", May 4, 2007. | |
| Oct. 27-28, '07 | Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre near San Francisco/ USA. With the Kronos Quartet and Larry Taylor on upright bass. Live version of What Keeps Mankind Alive on both shows. "After a quick introduction from Metallica’s James Hetfield, who called him his “favorite lyricist in the whole world,” Tom Waits joined the Kronos Quartet on stage for the day’s most interesting and exciting set. Waits’ odd but undeniable charisma and the quartet’s stellar musicianship won the crowd over (except perhaps for the John Mayer fans), with songs such as “Day After Tomorrow” getting bursts of applause as they unfolded." (Source: "Bridge School Benefit" by Shay Quillen. Mercury News. October 28, 2007) | Recorded. Bridge School official site, 2007 |
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Poster promoting the Bridge School Benefit shows | |
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Shoreline Amphitheatre. Date: Oct. 28, 2007. Credits: photography by Dan Bournay | |
2008
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| DATE | VENUE/ LOCATION | VERIFICATION |
| Jan. 22, '08 | Benefit for the Bet Tzedek Legal Services - House of Justice at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on January 22. Honoring attorney Kevin Marks with the Luis Lainer Founder’s Award, O’Melveny & Meyers LLP with the Rose L. Schiff Commitment to Justice Award and Anna Burns with the Jack H. Skirball Community Justice Award. 20-minute set, with Larry Taylor on bass. Proceeds benefit the organizations efforts to provide legal counsel for underprivileged citizens. Tom Waits: “Kevin Marks is a longtime friend and ally. He is a champion of artist and human rights. He has pulled my goyim tuchas out of many a fire.” (Source: "Waits To Perform At Legal Benefit". Los Angeles Times. By Geoff Boucher. Dec. 14, 2007). Setlist: "On the Nickel", "Innocent When You Dream". "Come On Up To The House" and "You Can Never Hold Back Spring". | Bet Tzedek Legal Services official site |
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Start Glitter and Doom tour, USA/ Europe |
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| Jun. 17, '08 | Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. "For all his lyrics' barbs and allusions to bad intent and tribulations, Mr. Waits has a charm that permits his fans to identify with him. I suspect that they believe his sympathy for his characters is sincere and mirrors a generous soul. A hipster's hat may not be the right accompaniment to shorts and flip-flops, but many in the audience wore one in apparent tribute to Mr. Waits. Never before had I heard a crowd so eager to yell out to a performer of Mr. Waits's status." (Source: "Tom Waits in Concert: Gruff Yet Tender". Wall Street Journal. Jim Fusilli. July 3, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
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Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Published by PitchforkMedia. Date: June 17, 2008. Credits: photography by Joe Odea | |
| Jun. 18, '08 | Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. Live version of A Litte Rain. | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008 |
| Jun. 20, '08 | Plaza Theatre, El Paso/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. Live version of The Other Side Of The World. "A dozen songs into the show, the lame'-suited Waits moved from his instrument-festooned platform center stage -- where he had stomped, howled, pointed, strutted, posed and kicked up white dust -- to a black mini-grand stage left. El Paso police officer Frank Perez nervously ambled onstage, prompting the soulman shaman to turn comedian, uttering alibis like "I paid all those tickets" and "She was dead when I got there." Officer Perez was really there to announce a special presentation from El Paso City Councilwoman Susie Byrd (whose hubbie is a big Waits fan), who handed the guest of honor a plaque-mounted key to the city. The crowd, which didn't know what to make of it all, erupted. "This is a first for me, a real first," he noted with a straight face. "Apparently this fits every lock in El Paso," Waits added. "If you find me in your living room in my underwear, we have an understanding." (Source: "Tom Waits bares soul, receives key to the city". El Paso Times. Doug Pullen. June 21, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
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Plaza Theatre, El Paso/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Waits presented with a key to the city of El Paso by City Councilwoman Susie Byrd. Published by El Paso Times. Date: June 20, 2008. Credits: photography by Fernie Castillo | |
| Jun. 22, '08 | Jones Hall, Houston/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. With a live version of Tom Traubert's Blues. "The presentation was full of rearrangements that blew new life into familiar songs. Murder in the Red Barn was completely reconceived as a jazzy number. The brass and piano were played up on Hoist That Rag. And Waits ditched his whispery vocal on Get Behind the Mule (which he described as a song "about the first vehicle") in favor of his growl. The effect was a stirring reinvention, taking the song from moody to menacing. Atop a low platform, Waits avoided his bullhorn but twisted around his mic stand like a snake. He'd grab a guitar or a set of maracas, always for a bit of added texture. The hall was deathly quiet during a beautiful spell that found Waits on piano, backed only by bass. There was but one peep — a goober's yeehaw — in the middle of a pretty and pained Tom Traubert's Blues. It wasn't met with laughter (which would've been irritating) or shushing (even more irritating) but with continued silence as people took in the one representative from Waits' '70s work." (Source: "Tom Waits performance all that fans wanted". Houston Chronicle. Andrew Dansbt. June 23, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded |
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Jones Hall, Houston/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Date: June 22, 2008. Credits: photography by Jay Lee | |
| Jun. 23, '08 | Palladium, Dallas/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. With live versions of Frank's Wild Years and Such A Scream. "Performing underneath a pair of sculptures made of megaphones, Mr. Waits was flanked by an airtight quintet featuring his son Casey Waits on percussion. From avant-garde blues to creepy Latin funk, they played everything with a swagger that bordered on demonic. The show's only drawback was the venue. Insufficient air conditioning turned the joint into a sweatbox, and the lack of seats was inexcusable considering the ballad-heavy repertoire. With tickets priced at $85, you'd think Mr. Waits or the promoters could afford to rent some folding chairs." (Source: "Tom Waits' eclectic Palladium set ranges from demented to tender, with everything in between". The Dallas Morning News. Thor Christensen. June 24, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jun. 25, '08 | Brady Theatre, Tulsa/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Gettix.net. "Taking the stage in black pants, vest, jacket, and bowler, and backed by an enormous array of antique-looking speakers, Waits opened the evening with the same song he had opened all his previous tour dates with, "Lucinda." Brightly illuminated, grasping the mic' stand tightly, hunching his head and body low, and lifting his knees high to loudly stomp the dais upon which he performed, Waits showed that he still had the charisma, passion, and energy of a man twenty years younger." (Source: "Tom Waits Brady Theater, Tulsa, Ok. 06.25.08". Aversion News Wire. Doug Beam. July 3, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
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Brady Theatre, Tulsa/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Published by Aversion.com. Date: June 25, 2008. Credits: photography by Doug Beam | |
| Jun. 26, '08 | Fox Theatre, St. Louis/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Metrotix.com. With a live version of Heigh-Ho. ""Way Down in the Hole" was quickly stolen by Vincent Henry, who played on double sax. The song title, too, was an apt description for the sound mix. Though Waits' astonishingly tight and emotional band had the mix down, his grumbling vocals seemed to fall on either side of one's ear, but never quite in it. The nuanced performance lost some luster, on and off, as his lyrics were muddied. Solitary and sultry, Waits sang "Falling Down" in front of a red haze and built tension where previously there was none on "Black Market Baby." As the crowd shouted their I -love-yous to Waits in between tracks, he volleyed back "I love you too, babe," flashing the inside flap of his red satin-lined suit jacket. Omar Torrez, who kept his utterly delightful nastiness buried previously, started "All the World is Green" with a dextrous Spanish guitar intro. Waits' son Casey on percussion kicked off the sample-based "Heigh Ho (The Dwarfs Marching Song)," playing along on an intense wood block board -- think less "Snow White" and more "Alice in Wonderland." Waits finally gathered up a working bullhorn (which had yet to be dismembered) and otherwise cupped his hand about his mouth on this impressive vocal performance." (Source: "Waits Dazzles With Glitter". Billboard. Katie Hasty. June 27, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
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Fox Theatre, St. Louis/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Published by Riverfront Times. Date: June 26, 2008. Credits: photography by Scott Spychalski | |
| Jun. 28, '08 | Ohio Theatre, Columbus/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. "Waits spent all but three songs slouching on his two feet, half-upright in front of a center stage mic, a crooked halo of ancient loudspeakers and slanted lights dangling above him, occasionally playing an acoustic or electric guitar; but the trio of dark-hearted orphans he played on the keys gave him a chance to banter, his neck bent sideways as he faced the rapt crowd. Tom had been in Oklahoma (the oft-neglected Tulsa, of course) a few days prior, and he lectured us on the peculiarities of the state’s supposed laws. “It’s weird there,” he said, conjuring an imagined old, weird America. “You can’t eat at a restaurant if it’s on fire”—the audience laughed—“which really limits your choices”—more laughter—“You can’t get a fish drunk.” This was the audience favorite—we all howled—but Waits gave a straight-faced response, implying the crowd’s shared dismay. “I know. I know,” he sighed." (Source: "Keep America Weird". New York Press. Greg Burgett. June 20, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jun. 29, '08 | Civic Auditorium, Knoxville/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Knoxvilletickets.com. "At one point, Waits put on a hat that was covered in mirrors. The stage lights shining down on the mirror hat created a human disco ball as he sauntered around the stage. A little more than halfway through the show, a lone, slightly blinking light bulb descended from the ceiling to provide an eerie vibe for the creepy spoken word "9th and Hennepin." The set closed with a roaring "Make it Rain." As Waits barked the song's title, a burst of glitter rained down on the stage." (Source: "Tom Waits Knoxville concert review - Glitter and Doom in a sold out room" Sevier County News. Matt Scull. July 4, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008 |
| Jul. 1, '08 | Moran Theatre, Jacksonville/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. With a live version of I Can't Wait To Get Off Work. "He stopped from time to time, to advise the crowd that clapping along is fine, but it's better to be in rhythm. Or he dropped a bit of trivia here and there, about ant brains and ostrich omelets." (Source: "Crowd loved surreal theater that is Tom Waits". Florida Times Union. Roger Bull, July 2, '08)/ " | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
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Moran Theatre, Jacksonville/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Published in Miami New Times. Date: July 1, 2008. Credits: photography by John Hood | |
| Jul. 2, '08 | Saenger Theatre, Mobile/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. "To realize that Tom Waits was bringing something unusual to the Mobile Saenger Theatre on Wednesday night, one didn't even need to go inside. The parking lots nearby were full of out-of-state tags. Louisiana dominated, with Mississippi, Florida and even Georgia well-represented. This was not business as usual." (Source: "Waits brings in crowds for Glitter & Doom". Everything Alabama by Lawrence Specker. July 3, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
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Saenger Theatre, Mobile/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Published in The New York Sun. Date: July 2, 2008. Credits: photography by John David Mercer | |
| Jul. 3, '08 | Alabama Theatre, Birmingham/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. With a live version of Frank's Wild Years. "Scarcity adds to his eccentric mystique, but Waits didn't rely on reputation to make an impact at the Alabama. Everything, from the lighting to the costuming to the props, was calibrated to suit his aesthetic. Even the dust helped to set the mood, emerging in chalky puffs when Waits pounded his feet on a low platform ringed with colored bulbs. Of course, the enticing frontman - part ringmaster, part clown, part twisted tramp - took center stage. At times, it was difficult to tear your eyes away from Waits, but he often gestured to his five-member band, making sure its contributions were acknowledged." (Source: "Waits growls way through seamless two-hour concert". The Birmingham News. Mary Colurso. July 5, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jul. 5, '08 | Fox Theatre, Atlanta/ USA. Tickets on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster. Larry Taylor guesting on guitar."The avant-hobo persona Mr. Waits invented for himself is perfectly theatrical, a pleasure in its knowingly eccentric permutations. He took the stage in a plain black suit and a black bowler, gesturing like a storefront preacher and kicking his legs behind him at odd, splayed angles, every stomp of his work boots triggering a cloud of art-directed dust and, occasionally, a percussive clang from an effects box. Around him, the stage was lit in bordello red and toxic green. Above, an array of battered megaphones evoked a junkyard variation on the handmade instruments of composer Harry Partch. The challenge for this kind of show is how to recast a catalog of material — 19 studio albums in 22 years — without playing too easily to nostalgia, and how to tease (or aggravate) new twists out of material that is intimately familiar to hard-core fans — the kind who are willing to fork over $100 for a seat." (Source: "Closing Time for Waits's American Tour". The New York Sun. Steve Dollar. July 8, 2008) | Anti Records blog, May 5, 2008. Recorded. Aired on NPR Music’s “Live in Concert” series and available for both free streaming and podcast, July 29, 2008. |
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Fox Theatre, Atlanta/ USA (Glitter and Doom tour). Date: July 5, 2008. Credits: photography by Bill Ivester | |
| Jul. 12, '08 | Auditori Kursaal, San Sebastian/ Spain. Tickets on sale June 2.: "He is surrounded by primitive keyboards, beaten-up guitars, dusty horns and twisted percussive objects of uncertain purpose. Dressed in an ill-fitting thrift-store suit, he raises his dented bowler hat and soaks up applause with a gleeful grin. When he stomps his feet, clouds of powder billow up from the taut canvas beneath him, the oldest special effect in showbusiness lending him the air of a cut-price Mephistopheles. "Bo-um chaka boom - chaka boom - chaka! Bo-um chaka boom," he growls rhythmically, in a voice so ripped and torn it sounds as though it was long ago shot to ribbons in a late-night duel with a whiskey bottle. As the audience roar their approval, he peers across the footlights suspiciously. "Could be anything," he says with droll, belligerent humour. "Could be a thousand songs." (Source: "Tom Waits: the magnificently warped world of Tom Waits", The Telegraph. Neil McCormick July 26, 2008) | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008 |
| Jul. 14, '08 | Auditori Forum, Barcelona/ Spain. Tickets on sale June 2. | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
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Auditori Forum, Barcelona/ Spain (Glitter and Doom tour). Date: July 14, 2008. Credits: photography by Toni Garcia | |
| Jul. 15, '08 | Auditori Forum, Barcelona/ Spain. Tickets on sale June 2. | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
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Auditori Forum, Barcelona/ Spain (Glitter and Doom tour). Published on elmundo.es. Date: July 15, 2008. Credits: photo credit EFE | |
| Jul. 17, '08 | Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan/ Italy. Tickets on internet presale through www.ticketone.it on May 23 and all other outlets from May 26. With You Can Never Hold Back Spring dedicated to Roberto Begnini. | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jul. 18, '08 | Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan/ Italy. Tickets on internet presale through www.ticketone.it on May 23 and all other outlets from May 26. | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jul. 19, '08 | Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan/ Italy. Tickets on internet presale through www.ticketone.it on May 23 and all other outlets from May 26. | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008 |
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Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan/ Italy (Glitter and Doom tour). Date: July 19, 2008. Credits: photography by Vincenzo Cosenza | |
| Jul. 21, '08 | KCP, Prague/ Czech Republic. Tickets on sale on May 30 through www.ticketpro.cz | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jul. 22, '08 | KCP, Prague/ Czech Republic. Tickets on sale on May 30 through www.ticketpro.cz.: "The main hall at Prague’s Congress Centre was built to host Communist Party meetings not rock concerts, and Waits himself said he’d tried the seats and they were too soft. The sound and even volume left something to be desired as well. But despite the shoddy venue the gigs went down a storm and have garnered absolutely glowing reviews in the Czech media." (Source: "US musician Tom Waits plays first ever concerts in Czech Republic". Radio Prague. Ian Willoughby. July 23, 2008) | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
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KCP, Prague/ Czech Republic (Glitter and Doom tour). Published on Radio Praha. Date: July 22, 2008. Credits: photo credit CTK | |
| Jul. 24, '08 | Grand Rex, Paris/ France. Tickets on sale as an internet presale on May 26 with all other outlets from May 28 | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded |
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Grand Rex theatre, Paris/ France (Glitter and Doom tour). Published on Le Cargo. Date: July 24, 2008. Credits: photography by Mélanie Fazi | |
| Jul. 25, '08 | Grand Rex, Paris/ France. Tickets on sale as an internet presale on May 26 with all other outlets from May 28: "We're treated to other surprises. He puts on a mirrored hat, which is then hit by the spotlights, casting a thousand more stars onto the ceilings and walls. The end of ‘Make It Rain’ brings a shower of glitter down upon Waits, and the audience squeals with delight and wonderment at such tricks. The songs themselves do more, hearts melted by the lovely, lilting sing-along of 'Innocent When You Dream'. The row of seats I'm sitting in sways softly from side to side with the weight of its patrons, and at once we take on the form of a league of cartoon Parisian alley-cats, heads tilting, murmuring away in gentle unison." (Source: "Tom Waits at Paris Le Grand Rex, Fri 25 Jul", Drowned In Sound. Teepee-uk, July 28, 2008) | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
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Grand Rex theatre, Paris/ France (Glitter and Doom tour). Published on billielolasorcha at Flickr. Date: July 25, 2008. Credits: photography by Simon from York/ UK. Kind permission Simon from York/ UK | |
| Jul. 27, '08 | Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh/ Scotland. Tickets on sale May 27 through www.ticketmaster.co.uk: "Last night's and tonight's shows are the only UK stops on the tour. So the ticket price was steep and the anti-touting measures were stringent. But there were probably many in the audience who would have crawled over hot coals if that were an entry requirement to catch this old junkyard dog's first Scottish appearance in more than 20 years. Immediately this felt like a special event. In place of the usual glossy tour programme, there was a slim booklet containing quirky insights into the world of Waits, courtesy of his answers to such questions as: "What's wrong with the world?" and "What is the origin of the word bedlam?" The stage was evocatively lit and dressed with Waits jugband paraphernalia and an installation of loudspeakers. He eventually arrived, 30 minutes late as is his custom, to an ecstatic standing ovation, which he was happy to orchestrate." (Source: "After more than 20 years, old Tom proves his show is certainly worth the Waits", The Scotsman. July 28, 2008) | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jul. 28, '08 | Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh/ Scotland. Tickets on sale May 27 through www.ticketmaster.co.uk: "The Glitter and Doom Tour, its UK dates limited to two nights at Edinburgh Playhouse, costs £102.50 a ticket, and audience members are required to show photo ID on arrival. Waits takes the stage, the set resembling a carnival in a junkyard, 40 minutes late, just as the slow handclap starts, then orchestrates the ebb and flow of applause. He stamps his feet. Pre-positioned dust rises in a cloud. He sings, all the lyrics rendered incomprehensible by the growl that grows more guttural with the years. The band clump their clownish reels, a square’s idea of weird. Every shift in mood, every gesture Waits makes, is shadowed by superbly slick and subtle lighting changes. This isn’t a gig. It’s a theatre piece. And Waits and his band are actors, playing a band in an American gothic fantasy. During Eyeball Kid, Waits puts on a shiny hat that reflects the light. There's a standing ovation." (Source: "Tom Waits at the Edinburgh Playhouse - the Sunday Times review", Sunday Times. Stewart Lee. August 3, 2008) | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
| Jul. 30, '08 | The Ratcellar marquee "tented structure" on Phoenix Park, Dublin/ Ireland. Tickets on sale on May 27 through www.ticketmaster.ie: "Strict new anti-touting measures, being used tonight at the first of three concerts by Tom Waits, have been a "huge success" and would be considered for future events, the main ticket agent in the State has said. A spokesman for Ticketmaster said the organisation would look at the feasibility of applying the measures, insisted on by Waits, to future concerts and other events. The new anti-tout measures mean ticketholders must present photo ID - either a passport or a driving licence - matching the name of the purchaser printed on the ticket. Only tickets purchased from Ticketmaster will be valid and all are non-transferable. A spokeswoman for Aiken Promotions, which is promoting the concerts, said all tickets would be scanned to verify authenticity. "So far it's worked. No touts have got their hands on any tickets," the spokeswoman said. Asked whether such measures should be extended to other events, other promoters said they did not want to comment on agreements reached between artists and another organisation. There appears to be general satisfaction that measures already in place have minimised touting. For most events a person is limited to buying between four and eight tickets to prevent bulk-buying. Only one transaction with a credit card is allowed for each event. Ticketmaster tracks credit card-use, cancelling second or further transactions on a card for a single event." (Source: "Anti-tout system a success at Waits gig", The Irish Timest. Kitty Holland, July 30, 2008) | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
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The Ratcellar marquee on Phoenix Park, Dublin. Date: August 1, 2008. Credits: photography by Hans Nijs | |
| Jul. 31, '08 | The Ratcellar marquee "tented structure" on Phoenix Park, Dublin/ Ireland. Tickets on sale on May 27 through www.ticketmaster.ie: | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
| Aug. 1, '08 | The Ratcellar marquee "tented structure" on Phoenix Park, Dublin/ Ireland. Tickets on sale on May 27 through www.ticketmaster.ie | Anti Records press release, May 21, 2008. Recorded. |
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End Glitter and Doom tour 2008 |
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| *** No longer updated. Please refer to the official Tom Waits site and the Eyeball Kid blogspot *** | ||
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