I have never seen Tom Waits in concert, and there are chances I will never be able to see him since he is so rare these days. He hasn’t toured since 2008, and has apparently no plan to do so, but if you are a fan and can attend Neil Young’s 27th Bridge School Benefit, this is your chance: Tom Waits was just added to the line-up for Sunday.
He will perform a full acoustic set featuring songs from his album ‘Bas As Me’ accompanied by his band (David Hidalgo guitar; Les Claypool bass; Casey Waits, drums; and more). He announced it with his usual surrealist and imaginative humor:
‘ I had every good intention to stay home and work on my JD Salinger Halloween mask, but when Neil told me yesterday he was serving burnt cow’s eyes on a flat tire and it’s all gluten free, I invited myself!’
I did some digging and Tom Waits has already played the benefit in 1999 and in 2007 (check out the setlists here and here), but it was about time he leaves his Sonoma county cave to play some live shows! Of course, you can buy tickets on ticketmaster, but I am not sure how long they will last. When I tried the only seats left were on the lawn, so very far away, and when you read this, they will probably be all gone. So why bother mentioning it? Just because this is a great surprise, Tom Waits is playing live again, and may be, just may be, it will be the beginning of more live shows?
The Bridge School Benefit, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help individuals with severe speech and physical impairments, has already a crazy line-up this year including CSNY, Queens of the Stone Age, Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis,… but also fun. and the Killers? Helen has already written about it, but the addition of Tom Waits would certainly make me fly up there if I could!