For Love of the Game: On the road with The Baseball Project
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Six shows. Five states. Sixteen hundred miles driven round-trip.
Six shows. Five states. Sixteen hundred miles driven round-trip. Sixty-nine unique songs. More than 3,500 pictures taken. Before you start questioning my sanity, there are two great reasons I followed The Baseball Project around on their recent tour: One’s intensely personal and the other’s wholly musical.
On a personal note, The Baseball Project is responsible for me meeting the love of my life.
On September 15, 2009, I went to World Café Live to see The Baseball Project, The Minus 5 and Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3. I arrived around 5:30 p.m., and was easily the first person in the door. This way I could stand on the right side of the stage, the Peter Buck side. R.E.M. was (and still is) my favorite band, and Buck was the main draw for me to The Baseball Project and this show. (A secondary hook was Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows and touring and studio member of R.E.M. since 1995).
At some point before the show started, a man and a woman stood next to me on my left. I exchanged glances with the lovely lady, but that was that. And then the first set of the night was played. During the break, I asked the two people to hold my spot as I went into the lobby to request a song from McCaughey from the latest The Minus 5 album, Killingsworth — “Dark Hand of Contagion.” When I returned, I struck up a conversation with the woman about music and about our favorite band. And then the second set began with “Dark Hand.” A smiling glance came from the woman and a chat after the show, some emails and many dates later led to the love of my life and wife of three years and counting.
(Crazy side note: A photograph of a Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 show at Johnny Brenda’s from earlier in 2009 revealed that my future was standing right behind me. Yes, Buck and McCaughey were also playing that show.)
At subsequent Baseball Project shows in 2010 and beyond, my wife and I have spoken to McCaughey about his band lighting the spark between us. He and the band were quite happy to hear it.
Beyond the personal connection, The Baseball Project is a fantastic group of musicians crafting sometimes quirky, sometimes sentimental but always catchy songs about baseball. Beyond McCaughey and Buck, the founding core of the group is Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon. They are certainly a dynamic pair: Wynn is the great guitarist and lyricist of The Dream Syndicate. He also has many other projects, including The Miracle 3 and Gutterball, to his name. Pitmon, his wife, is a phenomenal drummer who has played with Zuzu’s Petals, The Miracle 3 and now a new project with Alejandro Escovedo called The Fauntleroys. With Buck taking on other projects, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills is now also a key member. (He had pinch-hit for them in the past when Buck could not make it, but now is a full-time starter.) Buck rounds out the group as his busy schedule allows, and organist Josh Kantor joins the fray when he’s not playing for the Red Sox.
The Baseball Project’s newest album 3rd is their fourth overall, if you count a between-seasons collection. It draws on the greats like Hank Aaron (“They Don’t Know Henry”), the controversies (Alex Rodriguez in “13”), historical footnotes (the only pitcher to appear in a game without pitching in “Larry Yount” and the day Pascual Perez arrived late to a game in “Pascual on the Perimeter”) and personal reflections (McCaughey’s “Box Scores” and Wynn’s “The Baseball Card Song”). Baseball fans may find these topics interesting but do rock enthusiasts care? They should, because The Baseball Project’s tunes are finely crafted — funny, moving and memorable. “Larry Yount” is a brilliant tale of what could have been, with some fine folk-like lyrics: “and my story doesn’t rise/ like a ripple on the tide.” “Box Scores” is a catchy, harmonious pop song, while “¡Hola America!” has some wonderful guitar hooks.
Even more importantly for someone willing to travel great distances to see The Baseball Project: They are phenomenal live. There’s the banter between the band and the crowd, especially with Mills’ spirited insistence that Dale Murphy should be in the Hall of Fame, as heard in “To the Veterans Committee.” Mills has talked for two to three minutes at some shows, while responding to other people’s suggestions of Hall of Fame status with doubt (Pete Rose was a frequent point of discussion, either on stage from McCaughey or Wynn or from the audience; at the Live at Drew’s show, the band even followed up “Veterans Committee” with their Rose song “Pete Rose Way”) or ire. (One audience member in Philly shouted Bob Horner as a possible candidate, to which Mills quickly retorted “Fuck you.”)
Song evolution is apparent in how certain songs are performed. “Harvey Haddix,” by far one of their greatest tracks, about the near-perfect game by Haddix and all the perfect game pitchers since, always changes with new pitchers’ names. But there was some other spice, like a sing-along section that Wynn orchestrated in Philly, Pitmon adding harmonica during the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, show and introducing guitar and bass solos from Wynn and Mills respectively. There is the spontaneity that can come only out of great experience and comfort. At the Portsmouth show, a brief discussion of Bill Lee popped up; the band then played the Warren Zevon song “Bill Lee.” At the same show, the band suggested to Wynn that they should do “A Boy Named Cy” from their latest album, despite having not previously done it live. Wynn was reluctant but the band started into it and out the song came. And to conclude the Asbury Lanes show, at McCaughey’s urging the band (which that night included Buck) dove into the opening chords of “Superman,” which seemed to take Mills by surprise. The Clique song, best known by many via the Mills-sung cover on R.E.M.’s Life’s Rich Pageant, sounded brilliant.
Some more highlights and observations from each show:
July 17 — The Hamilton, Washington, D.C.
Beginning their second week of the tour in D.C. at a venue McCaughey later referred to as being of NPR caliber, The Baseball Project took part in the most diverse-sounding show of the six I attended. The Hamilton was seen as akin to NPR because it was a seated venue with a calmer atmosphere than the brewery the band played the next night. Of the six shows I saw, it was the only one that Josh Kantor played at and it featured two openers, Wynn’s ‘90s band Gutterball in a rare live appearance and The Minus 5 with McCaughey, Wynn, Pitmon, Kantor and Split Squad frontman Michael Giblin. The most memorable moment of the night was when McCaughey dedicated “Dark Hand of Contagion” to me and Timothy Bracy, the song’s co-writer, who was also in attendance. It was a dazzling version of the song, played sparely by McCaughey, Pitmon and Kantor (on accordion). Following up “Contagion” was a slowed-down, fantastic take on “Aw Shit Man.” Kantor started out the Baseball Project set playing an old-timey-sounding piece on keyboard and also added piano and accordion accompaniments to most songs. In addition, McCaughey gave the audience a rare treat in playing piano on “The Babe.”
July 18 — Dogfish Head Brewery, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Playing on a tiny stage at a free show, The Baseball Project rocked hard. After a fantastic opening set by The Minus 5 (with Giblin as bassist) that ended with a rip-roaring version of Wynn & The Miracle 3’s “Amphetamine,” The Baseball Project electrified the room, closing with Mills leading “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” (which Giblin joined in on), causing much elation in the room. One audience member joked with me that there was former baseball player in the room, which certainly could be possible on any night. And it was the first of many shows where Mills wore his Star Wars sneakers.
July 19 — Live at Drew’s, Ringwood, New Jersey
In 2011, I saw The Baseball Project play a memorable house show here with Buck rather than Mills. This time around the show displayed the band’s versatility, as they performed 26 songs during two sets and an encore. Heavy on Yankees songs, including the only performance I heard of their Reggie Jackson song “The Straw That Stirs the Drink” on the tour, it also had a lot of curveballs. The second set began with McCaughey and Wynn playing one of McCaughey’s favorite songs, Johnny Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone.” And as the sun set on the Cupsaw Lake behind the house and summer darkness crept in, a rare moment of Mills playing bass on a Minus 5 song occurred with “Blue Rickenbacker.” A rowdy “Rockville” and “Amphetamine” sent the crowd home happy.
July 28 — World Café Live, Philadelphia
Playing the World Café for the first time since my fateful meeting with my future wife, this was quite an exciting Baseball Project show. Getting to see the soundcheck, which included the only time I heard their rocking version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” was a treat. The Split Squad was an incredible warm-up act — see them at any expense. (Though the band is based in Harrisburg, Giblin noted it was their first time playing Philly.) Featuring Giblin, Plimsouls guitarist Eddie Munoz, Blondie drummer Clem Burke and The Fleshtones’ Keith Streng (McCaughey joined them on stage, while other main member Kantor was absent due to the Red Sox), they rocked World Café to the core. Streng jumped as much as humanly possible and leapt on to multiple World Café tables. Could The Baseball Project top that? Well, the show ended with the crowd chanting “BBP, BBP” — a first, McCaughey noted. Mills jumped off of the stage a few times and then he and McCaughey went airborne during more than one occasion. It’s not hard to say that this was my favorite show of the six for personal and performance reasons.
July 29 — The Press Room, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
A six-hour one-way drive to Portsmouth brought me to the doorsteps of The Press Room, a two-story bar, restaurant and music venue. The 50 or so audience members got many treats (Warren Zevon’s “Bill Lee” and the lone live performance of “A Boy Named Cy”). Great moments included the band daring an audience member to imitate former pitcher Luis Tiant’s delivery (someone was up to the challenge) and pushing Wynn to sing lead on “Cy,” where he worried about needing a capo, to which Mills said in a New England accent “Fuck the capo, take the cannoli.” (Let me make sure everyone understands that “fuck” is uttered not just by Mills but everyone in the band on a regular basis when they do the brilliant “Ted Fucking Williams.”)
August 3 — Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, New Jersey
On my final outing with The Baseball Project during this tour, Buck was their fifth man in the field (marking the fourth iteration of The Baseball Project I saw on the tour). With a 12-string guitar in hand, he added depth and intricacy to such songs as the rocking opener “1976.” On “¡Hola America!” he also added some great distortion and feedback. “The Yankee Flipper” was especially memorable as McCaughey and Mills imitated pitcher Jack McDowell’s gesture to the Yankee crowd for everyone in the bowling alley. The Minus 5’s sparingly performed “Find a Finger” was striking, with Buck and Mills switching instruments, and to hear both Buck and Mills on Zevon’s “Bill Lee” was a nice reminder of their work with the late rocker in Hindu Love Gods. The Dream Syndicate’s “The Days of Wine and Roses” was also a riveting highlight. And, of course, to witness Buck and Mills play together on “Rockville” and “Superman” is a joy that keeps R.E.M. alive, if only for fleeting moments.
SETLISTS
- Click on the band names for more photos from each show.
July 17 — The Hamilton, Washington, D.C.
The Baseball Project soundcheck: Extra Inning of Love / 1976 / The Day Dock Went Hunting Heads / The Babe
The Minus 5 soundcheck: Dark Hand of Contagion / In the Ground
Gutterball set: When You Make Up Your Mind / Lester Young / Motorcycle Boy / Trial Separation Blues
The Minus 5 set: Dark Hand of Contagion / Aw Shit Man / Adios Half Soldier / In the Ground / Original Luke / My Generation / Blue Rickenbacker / The Days of Wine and Booze
The Baseball Project Set: 1976 / Box Scores / 13 / From Nails to Thumbtacks / Extra Inning of Love / Pascual on the Perimeter / Twilight of My Career / The Babe / Monument Park / ¡Hola America! / The Day Dock Went Hunting Heads / Harvey Haddix / To the Veterans Committee / Ted Fucking Williams / Past Time
Encore: Larry Yount / They Are the Oakland A’s / Fair Weather Fans / Jackie’s Lament
July 18 — Dogfish Head Brewery, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
The Minus 5 set: My Generation/Adios Half Soldier/ In the Ground/ Twilight Distillery / Lies of the Living Dead/ Remain in Lifeboat / Original Luke / Blue Rickenbacker / Days of Wine and Booze / Amphetamine (Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 cover)
The Baseball Project set: They Are the Oakland A’s / Ted Fucking Williams / 1976 / Box Scores / Gratitude (For Curt Flood) / From Nails to Thumbtacks / ¡Hola America! / Panda and The Freak / Harvey Haddix / Pascual on the Perimeter / To the Veterans Committee / The Yankee Flipper / 13 / Ichiro Goes to the Moon / Past Time
Encore: Long Before My Time / They Played Baseball / (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville
July 19 — Live at Drew’s, Ringwood, New Jersey
The Baseball Project soundcheck: 1976
Set 1: 1976 / ¡Hola America! / The Day Dock Went Hunting Heads / Satchel Paige Said / Tony (Boston’s Chosen Son) / Larry Yount / 13 / They Don’t Know Henry / Pascual on the Perimeter / Harvey Haddix / Ted Fucking Williams
Set 2: I Still Miss Someone (Johnny Cash cover) / The Babe / The Yankee Flipper / From Nails to Thumbtacks / Monument Park / The Straw That Stirs the Drink / Extra Inning of Love / They Are the Oakland A’s / To the Veterans Committee / Pete Rose Way / Past Time
Encore: Buckner’s Bolero / Blue Rickenbacker (The Minus 5 cover)/ (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville (R.E.M. cover) / Amphetamine (Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 cover)
July 28 — World Café Live, Philadelphia
The Baseball Project soundcheck: They Played Baseball / 1976 / Take Me Out to the Ball Game
The Split Squad set: I’ve Got a Feeling / Touch & Go / Superman Says/ Sorry She’s Mine / Tinker Taylor / I Can’t Remember / Feel the Same About You / Put It Down / I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (The Ramones cover) / A Million Miles Away / What’s Next to the Moon (AC/DC cover) / Now Hear This
The Baseball Project set: 1976 / They Don’t Know Henry / ¡Hola America! / 13 / Box Scores / From Nails to Thumbtacks / Larry Yount / The Babe / Monument Park / Pascual on the Perimeter / They Are the Oakland A’s / Long Before My Time / Pete Rose Way / To The Veterans Committee / Ted Fucking Williams / Past Time
Encore: Ichiro Goes to the Moon / Harvey Haddix / (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville (R.E.M. cover)/ The Day Dock Ellis Went Hunting Heads / Panda and the Freak
July 29 — The Press Room, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
The Baseball Project set: They Are the Oakland A’s / Monument Park / Broken Man / 13 / Tony (Boston’s Chosen Son) / Fair Weather Fans / Gratitude (For Curt Flood) / The Baseball Card Song / Box Scores / Larry Yount / They Don’t Know Henry / ¡Hola America! / Ted Fucking Williams / Buckner’s Bolero / Bill Lee (Warren Zevon cover) / 1976 / To The Veterans Committee
Encore: Harvey Haddix / A Boy Named Cy
August 3 — Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, New Jersey
The Baseball Project soundcheck: Extra Inning of Love / 1976 / Broken Man / Long Before My Time
Set 1: 1976 / Hola America! / They Are the Oakland A’s / Monument Park / They Don’t Know Henry / Tony (Boston’s Chosen Son) / 13 / Pascual On The Perimeter / Box Scores / The Day Dock Went Hunting Heads / To the Veterans Committee / Past Time
Set 2: The Baseball Card Song / Fair Weather Fans / Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays / The Days of Wine And Roses (The Dream Syndicate cover) / Ted Fucking Williams / Find a Finger (The Minus 5 cover) / Bill Lee (Warren Zevon cover)/ The Yankee Flipper / Larry Yount / Harvey Haddix / Jackie’s Lament
Encore: (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville (R.E.M. cover) / Superman (The Clique cover)
