Why Oh Why Can't I?

(Portions of today's post were originally aired in 2008.)


September 16th will mark the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest nights of music I have ever witnessed. It was billed as "A Benefit For Victoria Williams." The headliners were Marshall Crenshaw & Jules Shear, with some special guests that included Bob Mould, Shawn Colvin, and Lou Reed. Victoria Williams needed some help with medical bills, and it was a only a few months later that she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

The evening turned out to be full of surprises. One amazing performer after another graced the stage for mini sets that consisted of 3-4 songs each. The Jayhawks (great), Lucinda Williams (awesome) and an unsigned Jeff Buckley (only artist brought back for an encore. OFF THE HOOK!) all paid tribute. The last set of the evening before Miss Williams took the stage, was by Jules Shear, Marshall Crenshaw and third member, Graham Maby, billed as "Bag Of Soup." The longest set of the evening at a little over 30 minutes, this little super trio wowed the crowd with some fan favorites and a few choice covers, including a version of "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" that haunted me for weeks after the performance. I was so moved, and completely floored by the harmonies of the trio that I contacted Jules Shear, who I sort of/kind of became friendly with after I did some A&R work for a CD compilation, and begged him for a copy.  I've cherished this recording for years. (Thanks Jules, if you're reading.)

Bag Of Soup closed the set with Homer & Jethro's version of "Over The Rainbow," which took years to find in its original state. I woke up with Homer & Jethro's version on my mind. (You can discuss that bit of info on your time, thank you.)