Listening to a bootleg of the "superjam" at Bonnarroo, an event that normally terrifies me on general principal.

The superjam this year was Gogol Bordello (the gypsy punk band) covering Tom Waits songs, gypsy-style, with Les Claypool of Primus. Kirk Hammett from Metallica sits in on a few tracks. Songs played include SEVERAL of my favorite Waits songs, including "Just the Right Bullets," "Cold Cold Ground," "I'll Be Gone," and "Russian Dance." Lots of violin and accordion.


This MAY be the coolest thing I've ever heard. It's all I hoped that the Scarlett Johanson album of Tom Waits songs might be (but certainly wasn't) and a whole lot more.


The only comparably cool thing is the bootleg of the opening night of this summer's Waits tour, in which he has, glory be, a saxophonist in the band, and does a medley of "Rain Dogs" and "Russian Dance." Wish I could make it to one of these shows!