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Tom Waits in Mobile, AL What would possess several hundred New Orleanians to drive to Mobile Al in the summer at a time when gas is guzzled at $4.00/gallon? Well this time it wasn't an evacuation, but a sold out Tom Waits show July 2 at the Saenger Theater. This was the closest he was to play N. O. on his current "Glitter and Doom" tour, and there were plenty of familiar, local faces in the house that made the pilgrimage. Anyone who is familiar with Tom Waits knows he is a very theatrical performer, and the Saenger as a choice of venue was perfect for him. The acoustics and lighting were phenomenal. During "The Eyeball Kid", he wore a combination bowler hat/mirror ball and slowly rotated as he lit up the entire room. His fans are people who know every song in his repertiore, even those in his earlier work. When he played "You're Innocent When You Dream", The entire audience sang along. It was so moving it gave me chills. One thing I never really considered about Wait's work was how many songs contain religious themes. Songs like "Down In The Hole", "Chocolate Jesus", or "Jesus Gonna Be Here" are really some of his more popular and compelling tunes. The latter he completely reinvented live into a sort of mash up with elements of Aretha's "Spirit In The Dark". As much as I loved the music I think it was his witty banter in between songs that entertained me the most. Anyone familiar with the seemingly off the cuff patter from the "live" album, "Nighthawks At The Diner" knows what I mean. He could do a Cd of just cracking jokes and interacting with the audience. If Tom Waits is heading to your town, see him. The opportunity is far too rare to pass up. ~Brian McColgan Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Comments (0) Write comment Name Comment smaller | bigger Write the displayed characters Add Comment