Monday brings with it an assortment of blues every week, but this upcoming Monday will feature sadness to be loved. Pop phenoms Eels roll into town for a date at Luther’s Blues Oct. 20.
The 2003 Tour of Duty in support of the band’s latest release, Shootenanny (2003), has been in progress since a July 17 kickoff at Los Angeles’ Roxy. In the interim, Eels have been to stops including Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland, Italy, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Scotland and, most recently, Japan.
Best known for their 1996 freshman opus Beautiful Freak, featuring the MTV Buzz Bin favorite “Novocain for the Soul,” Eels have recorded five albums to date. Always a fan of dark aesthetic, topics have ranged from cultural disarray (“Susan’s House,” Beautiful Freak) to death (“Going to Your Funeral,” Electro-Shock Blues) to alienation (“Woman Driving Man Sleeping,” Souljacker).
Still, every album retains a self-proclaimed focus on hope, and the darker material serves to make that redemption sweeter. Tracks like “Fresh Feeling” and “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues” are pure pop morphine to the ears as well as the soul. Even dark odes like “Cancer For the Cure” and “Last Stop This Town” have enough soul to make even the most jaded hipsters nod their heads despite themselves alongside studio executives — a fact duly proven by the latter’s nomination for an MTV Video Music Award.
Shootenanny is the continuation of a stylistic departure that began on 2001’s Souljacker, abandoning slick production for more straightforward country blues. Despite this change, Eels frontman Mark Oliver “E” Everett maintains his bittersweet take on life and unmistakably gritty delivery, which makes an ever-so-smooth transition to the new format.
As for what to expect from the live show, the experience has never been boring. Two years ago Eels brought an orchestra and guest artists along for the ride. While no orchestra has been mentioned, Eels’ website, www.eelstheband.com, defines a “shootenanny” as “(informal) a social gathering at which participants engage in folk singing and sometimes dancing, but mostly the shooting of guns.”
Regarding the purpose of the tour, E is quoted saying, “Over the years we’ve spent so much time in Europe, and we’ve really neglected America. Meanwhile, we’ve had so much support from the colleges in America. We made a conscious decision to spend more time in America this year, and now we want to specifically go to some of the places we never went to and also thank the college folks. Thanks!”
In his online advice column, “Dear Uncle E,” Everett also says, “We like to think that playing music for you is a form of making love,” adding, “Really. Think about it.”
Expect E to remain true to form at Luther’s Blues this Monday.
Live tracks, a complete archive of videos, the aforementioned advice column and two short films, including “The Making of Shootenanny,” are available from the band’s website, www.eelstheband.com.
