Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: Part Deux

Night two at The Warfield was even better! Given how off the mark the setlist I posted last night was, I'm not going to put tonight's setlist in order until I can confirm it tomorrow. But here's what was played:

Night of the Lotus Eaters
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Tupelo
Today's Lesson
The Mercy Seat
Deanna
Midnight Man
Nobody's Baby Now
Papa Won't Leave You, Henry
The Weeping Song
Moonland
We Call Upon The Author
More News From Nowhere
Love Letter
Jesus of the Moon
Get Ready For Love
Hard-on For Love
Stagger Lee

Update: I don't go to very many shows. Tickets are usually pricey and I don't like to be disappointed when a band can't match their studio wizardry in a blood and guts live setting. I don't want to be entertained. I want to come out of the venue with my sensory processes temporarily impaired (in a good way). Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds remain a refreshing anomaly in rock music, surpassing the dark intensity of their recorded work with the primal energy of their performances. "Night of the Lotus Eaters" was one such example last night. "Get ready to shield yourself," (a lyric which sounded really depressing to me when I mistook it the first time I heard it for "get ready to shoot yourself") Cave admonished as the band took the stage with Mick Harvey on drums for the opener. Cave and company tore through the set, which included most of the same songs as the previous evening, with ferocity. I would almost describe it as a fire and brimstone ferocity, as Cave towered over us during "The Mercy Seat," taking on the aspect of an evangelic preacher, were it not for his crooning on the gentler ballads and the singer coyly referring to himself as "that beautiful face on the cover" when introducing one of the songs (I don't remember which. He's on so many of their album covers.) Highlights of the evening for me were "The Mercy Seat," "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry," "The Weeping Song," and "Love Letter." I thought "Stagger Lee" sounded better the first night, but it's one of my favorites so I'm not complaining. The band also appeared a lot looser tonight, but perhaps that was due to the consumption of the various alcoholic beverages on hand (ex. beer, red wine, and a mysterious ruby liquid in a cup). There were two hitches, one with Harvey's guitar and the other, Jim Sclavunos' off-timed finish on one of the last songs (I wanna say "Hard-on For Love," mainly because it would make for a nice pun). Warren Ellis and Mick Harvey did double-duty on several instruments: Ellis on violin (shredding it like a guitar), samplers, fender mandocasters, keys and flute; Harvey on guitar, keys and drums. The guys seemed to have a good time and we certainly did. It was a night I won't soon forget.

Now we'll just have to sit tight for the releases of "The Road" (Nov. 26) and Cave's new novel (Sept. 2009).