It's been almost 10 weeks since I traveled to Madison, WI for Mike Gordon at the Majestic Theatre on January 25th. It was a Saturday night. The show had sold out several weeks in advance. I had just recovered from a horrible cold/flu which now has me wondering if that wasn't the Coronavirus. The lasting effect from this was an ear infection that left tinnitus in my left ear. I couldn't hear the nuance of this performance. Nonetheless, I still managed to have fun. Madison has always been my favorite college town. The funky coffee shops along State St. must remind Mike Gordon of Burlington, VT. I parked my car near the Overture Center. Then walked to Pizza Di Roma for a slice of subpar pizza. That place must have gone downhill. I walked around the capital building to the venue and arrived while they were playing the opening song I Am Random. My favorite parts of the first set were Victim and Stealing Jamaica. The whole first set was an I Am Random sandwich.
The second set started off with Angatta and then was followed by a new song called Borrowing Rain. I heard Trapezoidal Sunshine in Chicago a few years ago. It has a message of trying to count to ten resolve anger. Are You A Hypnotist?? was well done. The Grid was my favorite part of the performance. I've like that track from the Leo/Mike album. Next was Steps which is one of the best songs from his 'OGOGO' album. I watched most of this show from the very top of the balcony. It was a unique perspective. I could still feel the bass even though I couldn't hear everything. I made my way to the first floor during the last song of the set and the encore. Then I had to get on the road. Destiny Unbound.
