Caropop

Part 2 of this splendid conversation with XTC guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Dave Gregory picks up with the band’s ill-fated 1982 trip to the U.S. and the end of its touring days. How did he deal with the financial ramifications? Was it necessary for XTC to stop touring to reach its subsequent creative heights? Was the studio Gregory’s happy place, or did he long to be back on stage? How did he balance virtuosity vs. trying to play the perfect part for each song? Which XTC songs did he most regret not being able to play live? Could he still play a frenetic song like “Scissor Man”? Are more “Live Boots” recordings coming? Gregory also revisits his exit from the band and relates the current state of XTC and grudge-holding. Did he see Colin Moulding’s and Terry Chambers’ TC&I project or Chambers’ EXTC tribute band? And does he think the XTeeHee parodies on YouTube are by none other than Andy Partridge?

We’re so happy to welcome back to Caropop one of our favorite musicians, XTC guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Dave Gregory. The occasion is the Record Store Day release—and upcoming CD—of XTC’s fast, furious performance on Live Boots: Emerald City, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, 17th April 1981. In Pt. 1 of this two-parter, Gregory discusses why the band played everything at such breakneck speed and whether he admires or regrets that approach now; what he thinks of the “bootleg” sound quality; how XTC approached concerts differently in the U.S. and U.K.; whether XTC might have lasted longer as a live band if frontman Andy Partridge didn’t throw himself so intensely into each performance; how (or whether) Gregory’s ears survived the tour; which guitars he took on the road; and how the band’s live attack differed on 1982’s abortive English Settlement tour. We also go down a Rickenbacker rabbit hole.

Joe Segal, who would have turned 100 on April 24, recorded 8- to-10,000 shows at his own Jazz Showcase and other Chicago clubs. In 2011, “Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman began visiting Segal and exploring his vast archive. Joe Segal died in 2020, but Feldman continued to work with Segal’s son, current Jazz Showcase owner Wayne Segal, and on Record Store Day, live-at-the-Jazz-Showcase albums were released from Joe Henderson, Ahmad Jamal, Yusef Lateef and Mal Waldron, plus an earlier Segal-recorded performance from Terry Callier. Feldman here describes the archive, the tapes’ condition (reel-to-reel? cassettes?), the recordings’ quality and why a digital step was used to prepare them for release. He also discusses why these performances were chosen for release first and what else is in store. And he tells how he wound up with 11 Record Store Day releases this year, including acclaimed ones by Freddie King and Buster Williams. (Photo by Zak Shelby-Szyszko)

Brendan Hunt, a.k.a. Coach Beard on Ted Lasso, is back in his hometown of Chicago to open a one-man show at Steppenwolf Theatre: The Movement You Need. The title comes from “Hey Jude,” and Hunt’s subject is how his mother and he bonded over the Beatles amid more troublesome aspects of their relationship. Here we bat around the Beatles and their appeal to parents and kids, all while so little current music sounds like them. Hunt also discusses the motivation and process of creating a one-man show, with Broadway in his sights. This emotionally loaded gig, with its eight performances a week, certainly requires much more talking than the laconic Coach Beard. Hunt reflects on his longtime collaboration with friend Jason Sudeikis; they’re Ted Lasso co-creators/co-writers who previously worked together in the Amsterdam-based improv troupe Boom Chicago. Given that Sudeikis and Hunt initially characterized Ted Lasso as a three-part journey, how did they recalibrate to create the upcoming Season 4? (Photo by Robyn Von Swank)

It's time to get the record store perspective on Record Store Day (April 18) from Tim Peterson, owner of Squeezebox Books & Music in Evanston, Ill. That’s where I line up each RSD morning, so I visited Peterson to hear him explain how it all works. How does he determine which and how many records to order? Does he usually get what he wants? Is it worse to over- or under-order? Do the first-in-line customers tend to be flippers or just big fans? When Taylor Swift has an RSD offering, does that boost other sales? Which of this year’s releases will be most in demand? What are the sleepers? What percentage of the store’s annual sales come from Record Store Day? We also dissect the types of RSD offerings, such as live albums (and the inevitable Grateful Dead box); picture discs and zoetropes; collections of demos, alternative versions and rarities; deluxe album editions; represses of albums you’ve never heard of; and various-artists compilations.