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He would play at Largo where he would do comedy shows

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“”He would play at Largo where he would do comedy shows, so there was crossover when me and Mary Lynn did Girls Guitar Club and he came and was our guest on the show, just because he was in town and Flanagan got him to do it or whatever, and I think we had eighteen people in the crowd, it was not a sellout show in any way. My friend David still thanks me for it, like ‘I can’t believe I was there and I got to see that intimate show and he played his own songs!’ Afterwards we were standing in the back because our act that I did with my friend Mary Lynn, it was all just like ‘play the guitar even if you don’t know how to’, and then we’d go into a cover where we’re barely doing the open chords and stuff, and it got a little better as it went on.
I got to have a conversation with him after. He was complimenting what we did and I was like, ‘please don’t do this, I’ll have a nervous breakdown!’ and then he started talking to me about how much his voice bothered him.This is what artists do to themselves. Nothing is good enough, it’s always bad. That person, who was the least disappointing performer and musician I’d ever experienced every time I watched him perform, like when he was on the Oscars and he was so vulnerable, and it was perfection, and to hear him just being like, I’m sorry, I wish my voice was better’, and I was like, ‘No, no, no, please don’t do it’ – it inspired me later, because I love to pull myself apart and that’s why you don’t do anything, and it made me later just go ‘don’t shut the door on yourself cause you’ve decided it isn’t good, when people love it.'”

Karen Kilgariff

“Elliott dedicated “Ballad of Big Nothing” to my (then) 8-year old daughter

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 “Elliott dedicated “Ballad of Big Nothing” to my (then) 8-year old daughter, Annelise (it’s mentioned in the Magnet magazine article with ES on the cover in March 2001). We were also ES’s guests for the after-show party and it was a very special, memorable, and, now, bittersweet night for Annelise.”

Annelise’s dad (2003)

My first exposure to Smith came in May of 2002

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“My first exposure to Smith came in May of 2002. A friend of mine had scored tickets to a special Wilco show put on by Northwestern University. He told me that this guy named Elliott Smith was going to be the opening act and that a friend of his was really into his music. My friend mentioned in passing that Smith had done the soundtrack for Good Will Hunting, but I had not recalled the music, unfortunately. I was unsure but interested to hear what this guy was about. Another friend travelling in our group was mocking Smith’s lyrical content as we rode the red line down to the Riviera Theater. He said that Smith’s music was always about getting “fucked up” and “drinking a shitload.” I found this peculiar considering it was his girlfriend who was anticipating Smith’s performance eagerly. Continue reading →

Saw him on this same tour, Providence, RI at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in 2000

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“Saw him on this same tour, Providence, RI at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in 2000.

The crowd was being insanely awkward and every time he ended a song people would all start screaming out the name of the song they wanted to hear next. It was really weird and I could see he was a bit freaked out by it. The band (he had Sam on bass, another guitarist I think, and a drummer) had a setlist and were obviously following it so having a thousand people all screaming a different song every time they stopped was just stupid. Continue reading →

It suddenly dawned on us that the guy we had just asked for directions was the artist himself

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“En stund före konserten irrar vi runt på Oslos gator utan att riktigt veta vart vi ska styra kosan. När en ensam kille med halvlångt stripigt rockhår och keps korsar vår väg frågar vi helt sonika om han möjligen vet hur man hittar till So What. Han svarar försiktigt att han endast pratar engelska och bara har varit i stan ett par timmar. Vi fortsätter att gå några meter då det plötsligt går upp för oss att han vi just frågat om vägen till konsertlokalen är artisten vi snart ska se uppträda där. Vi, som bara någon dag tidigare hade bestämt oss för att åka upp, betalar sjuttio norska kronor i dörren. Det är inte särskilt mycket folk på plats när han äntrar scenen ensam med sin gitarr och inleder konserten med en makalös ‘Angeles’. Jag är inte säker på om jag andas någon gång under hela spelningen. Efteråt går jag därifrån med den handskrivna spellistan, en affisch som jag tagit ner från  entrédörren och ett konstaterande att jag hade fått en ny favoritartist.

Det var den första, och bästa, av de tre gånger jag såg Elliott Smith live. Bara fem år senare hör jag hur P3:s musiknyheter spelar introt till ‘Needle in the Hay’ och hinner tänka: ‘Äntligen, nu berättar de när nya skivan ska släppas.’ I stället meddelar radiorösten att artisten som troligen betytt allra mest i mitt liv – exempelvis heter min son Elliott, givetvis stavat med två l och två t – har avlidit, med största sannolikhet genom att begå självmord.”

Jens Karlsson Vukovich

A few years back I had the night off in the same town as an Elliott Smith show

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“A few years back I had the night off in the same town as an Elliott Smith show, so I headed out in the summertime rain to find my way over to the club. I will never forget that night. Elliott Smith’s music will always hold an unforgettable place in my heart and yet, this night of music was special for many other reasons. Right before he was set to hit the stage, the thunderstorm must have hit a power line somewhere nearby. The lights went out, the PA went down and the crowd was left in the black with only the sound of the rain above. The promoter come out onstage with a bull horn telling everyone to remain calm and wait for the power to return. Continue reading →

One of Smith’s final gigs

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“One of Smith’s final gigs was an impromptu benefit appearance at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis late last year. A last minute booking, the show was posted that day on the 400 Bar’s website and word spread like wildfire about the event. Narrowly managing to get admitted, I was prepared for the worst given the various accounts of Smith’s deterioration floating around. Smith took the stage with long oily hair, looking unbelievably haggard and with the word “serendipity” scrawled in huge black marker letters on his arm. What happened next was the one thing I hadn’t expected: a nearly flawless two hour performance encompassing songs both old and new that served as a powerful reminder why Smith was rightfully regarded as the best singer/songwriter of his generation. Never before (or since) had I seen a performer so expertly capture the attention of an audience. Smith churned through his tales of alienation, regret, anger and hurt with a conviction and sincerity that would melt the heart of the most jaded hipster.”

Rob van Alstyne

OK here’s the story

I had the privilege of seeing Elliott election night 2000

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“I had the privilege of seeing Elliott election night 2000. I remember him asking if “anyone knew who had won?” It was funny cuz half the people said “Bush!” half the people said “Gore!” and somewhere a handful in there yelled “who cares!” and Elliott kind of shrugged it off.”

Griff

I once had dinner with Heatmiser

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“I once had dinner with Heatmiser before their show here in Fort Collins. Neil was making obnoxious noises with the styrofoam container his dinner came in. Elliott grabbed all of his dinner, got up and moved to a different table. Later that evening, I was talking to JJ while she was working their merch table. She realized she had lost her earplugs. I told her I had an extra pair in my car. I returned with the extra pair of earplugs and Elliott was sitting with her. I handed her the earplugs and that’s when Elliott gave me the ‘I’m gonna beat your ass’ look. I filmed their show, which was great. Now everyone can see that footage (neatly edited with a live audio from a radio performance dubbed over the original audio) on Third Man Records YouTube page. I have other memories of other nights, but this was my first encounter with him. He will always have a place in my heart.”

Tedric Underhill