Minneapolis, MN

August 18, 2002 ... Theatre de la Jeune Lune

SETLIST

Lose Me On the Way
On the Low
Clear Day
Charlotte
Butterfly Mornings
Friends of a Smile
Bavarian Fruit Bread
Drop
Silver and Gold
Around My Smile
Suzanne

Encore:
Louise
Play With Fire (The Rolling Stones)

REVIEWS

• Jim: What a wonderful evening! Unlike many of the other reviews to date, this venue was NOT hot, overcrowded, or smoky. It was a small 300 seat theatre with great ambiance and general admission seating. They had wine and beer available, but no smoking. They even allowed people to come forward from their seats and sit on the floor right in front of the band. Those so inclined got to sit 5 feet in front of Hope.

  The Soledad Brothers were great fun, and I personally enjoyed them. They were very loud and energetic, and as one who usually hates opening acts, I was pleasantly surprised.

  Hope's band finally emerged, and were well worth the wait. This was the darkest concert I've ever witnessed, with no spotlight and just a few colored lights above the stage. You could see the band up there, but no detail. Just swaying figures in the shadows. You could not see Hope's face or expressions, and from her body language, that's how she prefers it. She didn't address the crowd once. I thought that was a bit weird, but no big deal. The music was beautiful, haunting, hypnotic. The players were awesome, and Hope's voice was on. She even played some instruments. I don't own her solo record, so I had never heard any of the material. But I found the songs to be every bit as enchanting as her Mazzy material. If Mazzy Star is truly over, then this band will easily fill the void for the fans of Ms. Sandoval. If this show comes near your town, don't miss it.

  If there was one downer, it was the crowd. They simply didn't applaud much, and it was a bit embarrassing. A song would end, and the applause would die out very fast, followed by awkward silence. They could barely get it up enough to get the band out for an encore, there were honestly a few times when i felt like the only person still clapping. And then there are the young women for whom this was not a chance to sit quietly and take in a rare moment, but rather a social event for which the intent is to get noticed, talk throughout the show, and not even turn off their damn cell phones. Why do these people, with zero attention span, even bother to come? Why not just hit the bar and save yourself $25? But enough, didn't mean to rant....

  And alas, I really want to thank Colin for his work posting these reviews and photos, and for his great website. It is very much appreciated.