It’s fitting that I drove the family minivan into Boston last night with a friend to see Mineral in concert. When I first listened to them in the mid-90s, I was driving a minivan, too.
What an outstanding show. Though they’re 20 years older than when they co-invented the emo rock scene, they still rocked out and drew listeners in to an experience of spiritual transcendence.
Here is the set list, with the few lyric snippets or reactions I tapped into my phone during the set:
1. Lovelettertypewriter
2. Palisade
(The above being tracks 1 and 2 from their second album, back-to-back)
3. Slower
“I’d really rather lay here and pretend…”
4. Unfinished
5. February
6. A Letter
7. Five, Eight, and Then
“The humble and righteous and meek
Are teaching me whose will to seek
But who really knows how to speak
About these things”
8. Gloria
One of the most awesome songs in the set.
9. For Ivadell
They had a little trouble playing this, but it was still great.
10. Sounds Like Sunday
11. If I Could
Wow.
12. &Serenading
Best song in the whole set.
“When I was a boy I saw things
That no one else could see
So why am I so blind at twenty-two
To the hope that is all around me
Filling up this room?”
ENCORE
13. Waking to Winter
“When I’m driving home at night….”
14. M.D.
15. Parking Lot
“And everything is grace.”
And here’s the man, Christopher Simpson:
Words on the Word 