Recap: The Local “Lists” Show

By UMS

Last Thursday (September 23), UMS and Ann Arbor singer-songwriter Chris Bathgate hosted The Local “Lists” Show.  Local and regional musicians were charged with creating their own personal lists of essential songs everyone should know—a task inspired by Rosanne Cash’s “The List” recording and concert.  Each artist performed a few tunes off their list live for an audience of about 100 at Ann Arbor’s Yellow Barn.

The night’s performances included Chris Bathgate, Chris Buhalis, Nathan K, Misty Lyn, Matt Jones, Small Houses, Jim Roll, Timothy Monger, Jen Sygit, and Josh Davis of Steppin In It.

Before we get to the lists, I wanted to take a quick moment to let folks know about some other fun and related (and free!) programming we have in the works.  This season, you’ll probably notice that UMS is presenting a number of concerts arising out of a variety of American Roots Music traditions.  To get folks excited, we’ve developed a four-part series we’re calling American Roots/American Routes 101—all take place at 7pm in the Cobblestone Farm Barn located at 2781 Packard Road (haven’t you always wanted to see what it looks like on the inside?).

The first of these was on September 20—Jim “DJ Tex” Manheim, host of WCBN’s Down Home Show and Bill Monroe for Breakfast, led a really great session on Country Music in advance of Rosanne Cash’s concert.

Next up on November 30, we’ll be taking a look at the String Band tradition and its roots in the Piedmont Region to get ready for the Carolina Chocolate Drops concert on December 3.  Leading this is Bruce Conforth, a professor in the University of Michigan Program in American Culture (and the first curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum!).  Also making guest appearances are Josh Davis of Steppin In It (and the Local List Concert!) and Anne Crawford from Orpheum Bell.  Come prepared to have fun…and maybe make a little music of your own.

And now onto those lists:

Chris Bathgate:

Bottom of the World – Tom Waits
Transcendental Blues – Steve Earle
The Last Fair Deal Gone Down – Robert Johnson
I Have A New Friend – Ben and Bruno
Wild Mountain Thyme – William McPeake
Chelsea Hotel No.2 – Leonard Cohen
Somewhere Between MT and MI – Michael Beauchamp
Playing Dead – Breathe Owl Breathe
Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan

Chris Buhalis:
This Land is Your Land – Woody Guthrie
To Live is to Fly – Townes Van Zandt
My Girl – Smokey Robinson and Ronald White
Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen
Hands on the Wheel – William Callery
Chimes of Freedom – Bob Dylan
Just to Hold You – Ray Wylie Hubbard
Ballad of Spider John – Willis Alan Ramsey
Manistee River Waltz – Jay Stielstra
Save the Last Dance for Me – Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman

Nathan K
Tom Paxton – Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound
Grateful Dead – Box of Rain
Paul Simon – American Tune
Bob Dylan – Visions of Johanna
Peter Case- The Open Road Song
The Beatles – A Day in the Life
The Magnetic Fields – The Book of Love
A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
Jesus Christ – Woody Guthrie
1979 – Smashing Pumpkins

Misty Lyn:
Why Don’t You Stay Home – Nina Nastasia
Sunday Morning Coming Down – Kris Kristofferson
Everything Is Free – Gillian Welch
Cupcakes for the Army – Hezekiah Jones
Oh, My Sweet Carolina – Ryan Adams
Youngstown – Bruce Springsteen
Unevens and Evens Alike – Matt Jones
In An Aeroplane Over the Sea – Jeff Magnum (Neutral Milk Hotel)
Sodom, South Georgia – Sam Beam (Iron+ Wine)
King’s Highway – Joe Henry

Matt Jones:
Do What’s Easy – Chris Bathgate
The Snow Song – Misty Lyn and the Big Beautiful
The Meddler – TheHigh Strung
Heydays – Great Lakes Myth Society
Hey – Delta 88
What is and What for – Mirror Twin
The Great Rivers – These United States
Mosquitos – Descent of the Holy Ghost Church
Cannonball – Hezekiah Jones
Gasoline – Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent

Small Houses:
Pretty Fair Damsel – Sam Amidon
Oh Comely – Neutral Milk Hotel
Pink Moon – Nick Drake
I Dream a Highway – Gillian Welch
I Do it For Your Love – Paul Simon
Faithful Shooter – Richard Buckner
At Least That’s What You Said – Wilco
A Pack of Light Blue Birds – Ben and Bruno
Despite Our Style – Beilby’s Ball
Mountain Bed – Woody Gutherie, Billy Bragg, Wilco

Jim Roll:
Holland 1945 – Neutral Milk Hotel
Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
Baba O’Riley – The Who
Sweet Jane – Velvet Underground
Jole Blon – Dewey Balfa
Let it Be – The Beatles
Wall of Death – Richard and Linda Thompson
Rocks Off – The Rolling Stones
Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Beach Boys

Timothy Monger:
Don’t Fence Me In – Roy Rogers (Cole Porter / Robert Fletcher)
Will You Love Me Tomorrow – The Shirelles (Carole King / Gerry Goffin)
How High the Moon – Les Paul & Mary Ford (Morgan Lewis / Nancy Hamilton)
Living Without You – Randy Newman
Good Old Desk – Harry Nilsson
If I Should Fall From Grace With God – The Pogues (Shane MacGowan)
Don’t Worry Baby – The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson / Roger Christian)
Amelia – Joni Mitchell
The Parting Glass – (Traditional)
Ooh La La – The Faces (Ronnie Lane / Ron Wood)

Jen Sygit:
Passing Through – Mark Erelli
The Times They are a Changing – Bob Dylan
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – Robbie Robertson
Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen
Ellis County – Buddy Miller
A Day in the Life – John Lennon and Paul McCartney
A Song – Gillian Welch
The Poet Game – Greg Brown
Home to me – Tom Paxton
Pigs, Sheep and Wolves – Paul Simon
Faces (Ronnie Lane / Ron Wood)

Joshua Davis:
Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
Blood of Eden – Peter Gabriel
Rex’s blues – Townes Van Zandt
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Harold Arlen
America – Paul Simon
Dark was the night – Blind Willie Johnson
Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen
That feel – Tom Waits
My Back Pages – Bob Dylan
All You Need is Love – John Lennon