Tom Waits, the reclusive master storyteller and music man extraordinaire, thrilled a sold-out house at the beautifully renovated Palace Theater in Louisville, Kentucky, giving the city the prestigious honor of being ONE of only EIGHT stops on the 2006 Orphans Tour named for the three-disc Orphans box set of rarities and B-sides due out in November.

It was well publicized prior to the show that the Louisville stop was scheduled because someone owed him money in Kentucky…so of course, the debt dialogue carried through to the show as Waits shouted to the back of the house, “So there you are…” carrying the banter into a long and entertaining set. Other than a sip of coffee, a wipe of his brow, or stopping long enough to tell a story, Waits pounded out songs like a jackhammer with as much material he could jam into his two-hour performance.

Tom Waits Live Photos

Given the fact that Tom Waits rarely tours, his music sounded as fresh as the day it was written and his performance was as soulful as it gets. His voice began at the soles of his feet and erupted like a volcano, spilling out a pulsating musical vibe throughout his entire body. Waits’ vocal chords are indeed instruments as he has a myriad of vocal effects which are applied to a wide range of musical genres.

From a tender ballad like “Tom Traubert’s Blues” to romping “Get behind the Mule” and “Goin’ Out West,” Waits proved that his voice is in top-notch shape as he sounds as good live as he does recorded even after 30 years of crooning, screeching, barking, and growling. Show highlights were many… “Shore Leave”, “Tango Til They’re Gone”, “House Where Nobody Lives”, “Eyeball Kid”, and an amazing new version of “Murder in the Red Barn,” all of which brought the audience to their feet. The ‘grab your chest-‘cause it hurts’ tune of the evening was “The Day After Tomorrow,” which involves a soldier writing home about being disillusioned with war and thankful to be leaving. Waits has been quoted saying that the song is something of an ‘elliptical protest song about the Iraqi invasion.’ At the end of the majority of the songs in the set, the lights dimmed as Waits struck a pose with his back to the audience; arms spread wide like a bird with fingers graced like wings.

Waits’ speaking voice gave an added dimension to his performance, as he told a few stories giving the audience a taste of his humor. He began with somewhat of a fish tale about The Brown Hotel (Louisville historic landmark) during the big flood and that he’d heard that the bellman caught a ten pound catfish in the lobby….and the fish is still alive. Taking in the local scenery, he also commented on a Wig & Hat Store and wondered, ‘what’s the difference?’ The house favorite however was a ‘short’ story about his dog Chester and his dog treats being made of 100% all natural bull penis, which measured 36” inches long. “To think about a bull’s life and how they wind up? I just never want to die! The slang word is a pizzle but I say something that’s 36” long ain’t no pizzle, it’s a rifle!” [Editor's Note] Sounds like just another cock and bull story to me.

Tom Waits Live Photos

Considered a great storyteller, and one of the best songwriter’s of all time, along with Kathleen Brennan, his longtime co-writer, co-producer, and wife, Waits has had only modest commercial success as a musical artist. He has no major hit records, although Bruce Springsteen’s “Jersey Girl” and Rod Stewart’s “Downtown Train” were penned by Waits.

At 57 years old, Waits has become almost as well known for his numerous screen appearances as he has for his string of critically acclaimed albums which span from Tin Pan Alley, Movie Soundtracks, to industrial music experimentation. With two Grammy’s and one Oscar nomination, Waits still isn’t quite a household name. But talk to any true music lover, and they’ll tell you, nobody does it better.

So, it’s somehow fitting for Waits to choose to perform in Louisville considering the city is named after a king and it’s an old river town…two facts which inherently contain colorful characters and settings for a Wait’s crafted tune. But Louisville, Kentucky is also the ‘home of the cheeseburger’, which originated in 1934, as well as the city which holds the dubious honor of making 90% of the disco balls in the United States. THESE quirky facts are the ones that could raise his brow; as Waits’ quests for unusual oddities and the strange and subtle details that a rare few recognize. Tom Waits weaves lyrical threads into a magical musical carpet for us to ride through time and space fueled by his depth of musical genius and his genuine love of blues, jazz, and Vaudeville.

The Band

Tom Waits-Vocals, guitar, piano
Ben Thompson-Vibes, keyboards
Larry Taylor-Bass
Duke Robillard-Guitar
Casey Waits-Drums, percussion

The Orphans Tour:

Aug 1, 2006 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Aug 2, 2006 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Aug 4, 2006 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre
Aug 5, 2006 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
Aug 7, 2006 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
Aug 9, 2006 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre
Aug 11, 2006 Detroit, MI Opera House
Aug 13, 2006 Akron, OH Akron Civic

Discography

Closing Time-1973
Heart of Saturday Night-1974
Nighthawks at the Diner-1975
Small Change-1976
Foreign Affairs-1977
Blue Valentine-1978
Heartattack and Vine-1980
One From the Heart 1982 (movie soundtrack)
Swordfishtrombones-1983
Rain Dogs-1985
Franks Wild Years-1987
Big Time-1988
Night on Earth-1992
Bone Machine-1992
The Black Rider-1993
Mule Variations-1999
Alice-2002
Blood Money-2002
Real Gone-2004

Collections

Anthology of Tom Waits 1984 The Asylum Years -1983
The Early Years, Volume One -1991
The Early Years, Volume Two -1993
Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years -1998
Used Songs, 1973-1980 -2001
The Dime Store Novels Vol.1 : Live at Ebbets Field 1974 -2001

Contributions

1988 Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films:
Waits performs Heigh Ho (The Dwarfs Marching Song).

1990 Red, Hot and Blue: Waits performs Cole Porter's It's All Right With Me.
Music video directed by Jim Jarmusch.

1991 Sailing the Seas of Cheese, by Primus: Waits does character vocals on
Tommy The Cat.

1991 Devout Catalyst, by Ken Nordine: Waits appears on Thousand Bing Bangs and
The Movie.

1992 Beautiful Mess, by Thelonious Monster: Waits appears as a guest singer on
Adios Lounge.

1993 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet, by Gavin Bryars: Waits appears as guest
singer.

1996 Dead Man Walking: Waits performs original composition Fall of Troy for
the film's soundtrack.

1997 All for Nothing/Nothing for All, by The Replacements: Waits appears as
guest singer on Date to Church.

1999 Antipop, by Primus: Waits produces the song Coattails of a Deadman and
does vocals on it.

1999 More Oar: A Tribute To Skip Spence by various artists: Waits covers
Spence's Books of Moses.

1999 Extremely Cool by Chuck E. Weiss: Waits appears as a guest vocalist and
guitarist. Waits also co-produced the album and executive produced the album
with Kathleen Brennan.

2000 Helium, by Tin Hat Trio: Waits appears as guest singer on Helium Reprise.

2000 Free the West Memphis 3 by various artists: Waits performs the Chuck E.
Weiss song Rains on Me.

2001 It's A Wonderful Life, by Sparklehorse: Waits does vocals on Dog Door.

2002 For the Kids by various artists: Waits performs the lullaby Bend Down the
Branches.

2002 Don't Give Up On Me, by Solomon Burke features Waits' original song,
Diamond in Your Mind.

2003 We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to the Ramones by various artists: Waits
covers Return of Jackie and Judy.

2004 The Ride by Los Lobos: Waits does vocals on the track Kitate.

2004 The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered by various artists:
Waits covers Johnston's King Kong.

2005 Blinking Lights and other Revelations by Eels: Waits screams on the track
Going Fetal.

Tribute albums

1995 Temptation, Holly Cole
1995 Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits, various artists
1996 Rød pust: Sven Henriksen synger Tom Waits, Sven Henriksen
2000 Nach mir die Sintflut – Ambros singt Waits, Wolfgang Ambros
2000 New Coat of Paint, various artists
2001 Wicked Grin, John Hammond
2001 Saving All My Love – A Tribute to Tom Waits, Claudia Bettinaglio
2003 Greetings from HELL – The Tom Waits Songbook, Hell Blues Choir
2003 Piosenki Toma Waitsa (Tom Waits' Songs), Kazik Staszewski
2005 Being Tom Waits, Billy's Band
2005 The Silver Hearts Play Rain Dogs, The Silver Hearts

Filmography

1978 Movie debut as 'Mumbles' in Paradise Alley.

1980 Worked with Francis Ford Coppola on the soundtrack to One From The Heart.

1982 Soundtrack of One From The Heart. Nominated for an Academy Award for best
original score.

Played petrified man in carnival in The Stone Boy.

1983 Played Buck Merrill in The Outsiders.

Played Bennie the pool hall owner in Rumble Fish.

1984 Played Irving Stark in The Cotton Club.

Soundtrack to Streetwise a documentary about street kids on Pike St. in
Seattle.

1986 Starred as Zack in Down by Law, which also features the songs "Jockey
Full Of Bourbon" and "Tango Till They're Sore" from Rain Dogs.

1987 Played Rudy The Kraut in Ironweed.

Played Al Silk in Candy Mountain.

1989 Played the 'Punch & Judy Man' in Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale.

Starred as Kenny the Hitman in Cold Feet.

Voice of the radio DJ "Lee Baby Slim" in Mystery Train. Composer on Sea of
Love.

1990 Played a plainclothes policeman in The Two Jakes.

1991 Played Wolf in At Play in the Fields of the Lord.

Played a disabled Veteran beggar in The Fisher King.

Wrote the score of Night on Earth (With Kathleen Brennan).

Played Monte in Queens Logic.

1992 Composer (With Kathleen Brennan) on American Heart.

Played R.M. Renfield in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Played Earl Piggott in Short Cuts.

Appeared as himself in the IFC TV series Fishing with John.

1995 "Earth Died Screaming" appears in the movie Twelve Monkeys.

"Jockey Full of Bourbon" appears in the movie Things to Do in Denver When
You're Dead.

1996 Composer on soundtrack of Dead Man Walking.

Composer on soundtrack of The End of Violence.

'Cold Cold Ground' and 'Temptation' appeared on the soundtrack to Léolo.
1999 Mystery Men – played an inventor who specialized in non-lethal weapons.

"Goin' Out West" appears in the movie Fight Club.

2001 Composer on soundtrack of Big Bad Love.

2002 Night at the Golden Eagle opens to the sound of "Swordfishtrombone."
2003 Appeared in conversation with Iggy Pop in Coffee and Cigarettes:
Somewhere In California (filmed in 1993).

2004 Composer (with Kathleen Brennan) on soundtrack of Shrek 2. Also appears,
in a shared role with Nick Cave, as an animated piano-playing Captain Hook
singing "A Little Drop Of Poison."

Contributed song "On the Nickel" to film Mon Ange.

"Heartattack and Vine" appears in the film Hellboy.

2005 Played the Wanderer in Domino

Contributed song "Soldier's Things" to soundtrack of film Jarhead.

Played himself in the 2005 Italian movie La Tigre e la Neve(English: The
Tiger and the Snow) and contributed song "You can never hold back spring" to
the film's soundtrack.

Contributed song "Underground" to film Robots.

Contributed to OST of the film The Secret Life of Words

2006 Played Raphael Kneller in Wristcutters

2007 Jacques in The Good Heart

2007 Texas Lullaby

Past Tours

1973 Closing Time
1974–1975 The Heart Of Saturday Night
1975–1976 Small Change
1977 Foreign Affairs
1978–1979 Blue Valentine
1980–1982 Heartattack and Vine
1985 Rain Dogs
1987 Big Time
1999 Get Behind The Mule
2004 Real Gone
2006 The Orphans

By

Gwyn Tyme