Joanna Newsom at The Phoenix

Conditions at The Phoenix weren't ideal for recording video this evening -- as Joanna Newsom mentions in this clip, we were crowded-in pretty tight -- but they were perfect for just about everything else. I did manage to record a few minutes of Have One on Me's "In California," as well as some amusing pre-song banter. As you briefly see in this clip, drummer Neal Morgan proved himself a lively presence onstage, earning several hearty laughs throughout the night. I briefly chatted with Morgan at the the merch table about opener Kevin Barker and Morgan's own solo album, To the Breathing World. Later in the show, while Newsom was tuning her harp (a visually striking instrument if ever there was one), Morgan fielded questions from the audience. He was particularly pleased when Media Party's Ken Stuebing enquired about To the Breathing World. You can sample this unusual marriage of drums and vocals on Morgan's myspace page, ideally through headphones, the way he intended. -- JD