[Misty's Big Adventure, Major Matt Mason USA, Shwervon! and the Jeffrey Lewis Band @ The Musician, Leicester on Sunday 18 May 2003]

To round off the B'day weekend a few of us (Me, Ale, Pablo, Lee, Ted, Katy, Jill, Locklan) went to see the Antifolk night at the Musician, a venue more used to roots/country/folk/americana than these young-uns. The first 'wha-hey' of the night came when I saw the advertisement of the great Kinky Friedman's upcoming date at this very venue, yes sirree.

Misty's Big Adventure were first up. As Grandmaster Gareth (the frontguy) announced, they we're normally a nine-piece, but only 3 of them could make it tonight. There's a frightening picture here if you're inquisitive. A guy with a geetar, a gal with a sax and a bloke banging drums. Best song - 'I'm Cool With a Capital C'. It was nice use of sax that made this rather enjoyable. A pleasant start to the evening. They seem to be from Birmingham although it wasn't immediately clear that they were English.

Next up was a guy who was on the Antifolk tour date last year at Sumo, Major Matt Mason USA. I have to say I wasn't particularly keen last time, but I really enjoyed him this time round, and the stuff he did with Nan Turner as Schwervon! later on in the set was pretty cool as well.

So we were having a pretty good night anyway. And then Jeff Lewis stepped up to the stage. An unassuming figure (a lot of us had seen him before, but didn't recognise him sitting down the front) he looks pretty nervy until he gets his stuff together. But when he gets it together, he's pretty damn amazing. Jeff starts up solo, with just a flip book of drawings to accompany him. His Bro' Jack joins him later on but the flip book videos he does - especially the classic 'Champion Jim' are unbelievably awesome. He stretched out into some new stuff, the highlight (among highlights) of which was a stunning song which involved meeting Will Oldham on the metro and harassing him and getting buttfucked by him when he gets pissed at you. I can't quite put into words how great that song was, except to say 'whooohweee'. Twice.

To my utter joy, we also got a hard kicking version of 'The Man With The Golden Arm' and a rather smart Part Two to 'The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane' which may have been called 'We Don't Want No LSD Tonight' or somesuch whimsy.

i went to the gig that Jeff did in The Waterats in Kings Cross, London, in May and absolutely loved it. I have been arguing with one of my friends, who is a big Jeff-fan, about the lyrics of Champion Jim. Does any one know them? I want to know if he swam to shore with his tongue or his chin!!!

naomi x