Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters

Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters
25 August 2008
Captain's 'Nest', Great Western Rd, Glasgow

I live to be awakened.
Most of the time though, I feel like Rip Van Winkle.
How much have I missed?

Then there's Kartusch and learning to close your eyes once in a while.

Jeffrey Lewis was a real puff of fresh air in the clammy heat of the Captain's Rest, and it was my talented friend Lewis who introduced me to them. When I later showed my drawing to my sister I mentioned how apparently big these guys were, and how lucky I was to get in, and she was like 'Yeah Jenny, Jeffrey Lewis is big.' Like 'Yeah Jen, where have you been?'

I really like the drawing I did, but I like Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters even better. The words, manner, fantastic timing, humour, demeanor, comics, asides, intelligence, completely out of the box imagination and the rest. How to capture that in one show?

I felt like such a fraud sitting there beside the tiny stage in this highly intimate setting where the audience seemed comprised of a lot of the good, great and alternative in the Scottish music scene and mostly ardent knowledgeable fans of Mr J.L. In a rare silent moment, one female member of the crowd, who was sitting round the corner from me, asked Jeffrey in a most audible voice 'Can you explain this lady here?' To which he replied that No, he couldn't explain me, much as he couldn't explain anyone else, and if he found he had to explain himself he might be in a bit of trouble, and so on, in such a lovely manner but basically meaning 'I have no friggin' idea why this nutter is in the corner sketching away - she's not part of the show if that's what you're implying!

So like an animated stiff, I cringed with embaressment, helplessly grinned and stared hard at the picture I was determined to draw well, if not at least interesting. I didn't want to seem like a complete ignoramus, even though I tend to orchestrate it that way...

It all turned out well though, and they were top chaps too. Artists! It seems to be the trend that the bands I'm attracted to are visual artists too.

Thus my mission to draw those bands that are creative, original and important to the current music scene seems to be going along very nicely.

Thanks to Lewis for introducing me. And thanks to Caz? for getting me in.
Also better mention that John B MacKenna and the other chap supporting were also very good, soulful with acute observational wit. I liked the first chap's last song about Jackets. I think his name was Dave but I could be completely wrong!