Alex Chilton
February 13, 1997
The Knitting Factory
New York, NY

Source: unknown
Lineage: unknown
Taper: unknown
Transferer: unknown

01. Volare
02. Last Bouquet
03. Baby I'm Your Man
04. The FBI's Top Ten
05. Let's Get Lost
06. DIVORCE
07. Like A Rain in My Heart
08. If I Had a Hammer
09. Lovesick Blues
10. Girl from Impanema
11. My Baby Just Cares for Me
12. Motel Blues
13. Someone to Watch Over Me
14. Footprints in the Snow
15. Only the Lonely
16. Blues Tune
17. Tastes So Bittersweet
18. Wouldn't It Be Nice
19. Surfer Girl
20. Solar System
21. What's Your Sign?
22. I Walk the Line
23. Goodnight My Love
24. Hot Thing*

*Hot Thing from Big Star Live at Tramp's, (New York) recorded November 16, 1996 
Not included

A wise man once referred to Alex Chilton as the Last True American Hero. 
After experiencing his February 13, 1997 performance, the second of two, 
at New York City's Knitting Factory, I am more than inclined to agree.

After an unexpected loss of power, the club's management announced that 
the second set was canceled and in spite of the grumbles of the audience, 
refunds were given out. I, and a handful of others, chose to remain in our 
seats and unexpectedly Alex came out onto the floor. By the grace of the 
muses one of the audience members had an acoustic guitar, and handed it to 
Alex on a whim. Alex began strumming,and what began as a brief four song 
run-through led to over an hour of amazing, and at times, almost ethereal music.

On a nearly pitch-black club floor, Alex played with three small table candles 
set before him. Opening with an atypical sing-a-long version of Volare, he 
progressed through an impromptu set of tunes ranging from romantic gems such 
as Let's Get Lost and My Baby Just Cares for Me to the heartbreakers Only 
the Lonely and Last Bouquet. To balance out the set, Alex performed a nearly 
surreal version of Loudon Wainwright III's Motel Blues, and in a transcendental 
moment that took many of us back to Alex's 1977 Elektra demos sessions, 
he played brilliant covers of the Beach Boys' Wouldn't It Be Nice and Surfer Girl.

Having seen Alex play live several times before, both solo and with Big Star, 
this was the first time that I had the chance to encounter the legend behind the man. 
All of the stories I'd heard, the whispers and innuendo that spoke of his musical 
excellence were all at once revealed to me in a darkened club with less than a 
hundred others to attest to this truth. Of any performance that I've ever attended 
by any musician, this is the one that I will remember for the rest of my time on earth.

Let this recording show that, yes Virginia, or more specifically J.B., 
there is a Last True American Hero, and Alex Chilton is indeed it!

- Jeff Vargon, August 29, 1998 (Revised December 2000)***
*** Taken from the liner notes of the disc "Alex Chilton - Acoustic By Candlelight"