The Junkies are touring behind their newest disc, Rarities, B-Sides and Slow, Sad Waltzes. Rarities is a collection of songs that never quite made it on record. Rarities is an exciting mix of folk, rock and story songs, and as I mentioned in my review of Rarities last month on these screens, how these tunes didn't make the cut, I'll never know.

The Junkies' niche has largely been built around a deceptively sparse and ethereal sound featuring the Margo Timmins on lead vocals, her brother Michael on guitar and pen (he's the songwriter), and younger brother Peter behind the drums. Rounding out the core band are Alan Anton on bass and long-time guest Junkie Jeff Bird on mandolin, harmonica and percussion.

Tonight's line-up also featured two other gifted musicians: Karin Berquist on backup vocals and rhythm guitar and Linford Detweiler on keyboards. Last year, as co-leaders of Over the Rhine, they opened for the Junkies at the Moore Theatre.

While many of the Junkies' songs are about love and loss, they are usually upbeat. That may be a contradiction in terms, but "Sun Comes Up It's Tuesday Morning" is about the happier side of breaking up, if there is one.

Summer Nights at the Pier has developed a few unique traditions, including many fans that line the sidewalk, neighboring piers, or balconies of nearby waterfront condominiums. Margo peeked around stage left and dedicated "'Cause Cheap is How I Feel" to a 35 foot sailboat tacking for a better view behind the stage in Elliott Bay. In addition to that waterborne gatecrasher, Margo laughed at condo residents taking in the show from their porches across the street.

As "Cheap is How I Feel" unfolded, Jeff Bird's mandolin soared and Margo was obviously pleased at Linford Detweiler's piano solo.

Margo sat, teacup in hand, and surveyed the sold-out crowd and talked about their new Rarities disc.

""Five Room Love Story" is one of my favorite songs to sing," Margo said as she introduced this Rarities cut. Margo talked about the story behind the song, a true story about a husband and wife and their 50 year marriage. Upon the wife's death, the husband, named Joseph, covered all of the surfaces of their five-room apartment with things like plastic birds, macaroni noodles or other object. When the husband was asked why he did this, he replied "because I missed her."

As if to interrupt Margo's introduction, a Washington State Ferry blared its horn, announcing its arrival.

"That's Joseph," Margo laughed as she began the ballad. She mentioned that the full story behind the song was on the band's new website, www.cowboyjunkies.com. It is and it is well worth bookmarking.

Also from Rarities were the positively hopeful "Leaving Normal" and the raucous "I Saw Your Shoes," complete with Michael Timmins' psychedelic, fuzz-wah guitar solo. Karin Berquist filled in with harmony, and Jeff Bird punctuated each song on percussion, harmonica or mandolin.

Other highlights from tonight's show included Linford Detweiler's upbeat piano on "A Few Simple Words" and the entire band, guests and all, letting loose on the rollicking "I Saw Your Shoes." As "Misguided Angel" took off, I noticed Karin Berquist and Jeff Bird trading smiles as if to recognize that was one of the evening's special moments.

Guest musicians took a short break while the original foursome played the Junkies' Top 20 hit, "Common Disaster," from 1993's Lay It Down.

As the show progressed, more and more sailboats bobbed behind the stage in Elliott Bay, angling for a better look at one of Seattle's best concerts performed in one of Rolling Stone magazine's favorite venues. The show's producer, One Reel, features many photos of the Pier at http://www.summernights.org , and the Cowboy Junkies' own website, www.cowboy junkies.com, features a tour diary with photos from each stop on the tour, including the Seattle stop.

This year's version of "Sweet Jane" started with a souped-up psychedelic intro, but Allan Anton's bass and Peter Timmins' metronome ushered in the hushed cover originally laid down on The Trinity Sessions CD more than ten years ago. Anton's thundering bass seemed to shake the Creosote right out of the Pier as the sun set and I wish Lou Reed could hear how the Junkies have made "Sweet Jane" one of their own.

After "Miles From Our Home," the title cut to their most recent Geffen disc, Margo thanked the crew and introduced her bandmates and guest Junkies Jeff Bird, Karin Berquist and Linford Detweiler.

Introducing Jeff Bird, a multi-instrumentalist extrordinaire, she talked about his solo records. Since Jeff is "from that center of music, Guelph, Ontario," we ought to buy his latest Drog Records CD. The crowd laughed along with the Junkies and I thought I saw Bird blush. Guest musicians Karin Berquist and Linford Detweiler are the driving force behind Cincinnati's Over the Rhine, and Margo encouraged fans to buy Over the Rhine CDs at the merchandise tent.

The Cowboy Junkies' set concluded with Mike and Margo singing "Those Final Feet," an elegy to their grandfather, also from last year's Miles From Our Home. For encores, the billowly backdrop faded to blue as they lit into "Blue Moon (A Song for Elvis)," and a full-tilt rocking cover of Bob Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now," from their Rarities collection.

Guitarist Leo Kottke opened the show with an hour of six and twelve-string guitar miracles and showed off quite a sense of wry humor. As his fingers scampered up and down the fretboard to Cajun-inspired blues, wispy ambient music or a Pete Seeger-penned Bahamian work song, Leo kicked off a truly magical evening of music on Seattle's waterfront.

© 1999 - Eric Steiner