A memory from 1999: The radio was on WVRV, "The River," one night at work. Fiona Apple's latest single, "Fast As You Can," was playing. I remarked to a co-worker, "This new single of hers isn't getting much play here." "I can see why," my co-worker responded. "It's not that great of a song."
I thought it was an interesting choice of a release for Apple, whose previous singles, "Shadowboxer," "Sleep To Dream," and "Criminal," had been more accessible and received more airplay. Some listeners might have been turned off by "Fast As You Can"'s manic lurches in tempo and the protagonist's warning that a potential suitor might be wise to flee. Still, the song was always strangely intriguing to me.
I thought back to that night as I listened to "A Prairie Home Companion" last Saturday. Apple was one of many musical guests in a packed show, and she performed an impressive, spitfire rendition of "Fast As You Can." At the 4:29 mark, she shouted, "GO!!!!" A great albeit brief band freakout, which "...Prairie Home..." host Chris Thile led on mandolin, ensued, bringing the song to a dramatic close. It was a pleasure to hear one Apple's underappreciated tunes get its due.
Another musical highlight: Dan Auerbach's "Shine On Me," which has become one of my favorite songs of 2017. If you have a pulse, singing along with the tune's poppy chorus is almost involuntary. It doesn't hurt that the tune's feel brings Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open The Door" to mind.
To top everything off, "...Prairie Home..." also featured renowned violinist Hilary Hahn performing moving works by J.S. Bach.
This Saturday's show should be stellar, as Thile's old band, Nickel Creek, will reunite. Just running through the possibilities of everything they might perform makes it a can't-miss show, in my estimation. I've raved before about the collective abilities of Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins, and Thile; any band that can produce such gems as "Reasons Why," "Out Of The Woods," "The Lighthouse's Tale," "Beauty And The Mess," "Smoothie Song," "This Side," and "Young," deserves considerable respect--and record sales.
Yes, I miss the singular voice that is Garrison Keillor and his "News From Lake Wobegon" monologues. However, the musical guests, the continuity with the previous "...Prairie Home..." incarnation, and Thile's showmanship demonstrate that this new version of "...Prairie Home...," now in its second season, is in excellent hands.
