2005 Blinking Lights and Other Revelations EELS with strings
Band personnel
E - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Celeste, Pump Organ, Percussion
The Chet - Guitar, Pedal Steel, Saw, Percussion, Vocals
Big Al- Upright Bass, Piano, Mandolin, Vocals
Julie Carpenter - Violin, Percussion
Paloma Udovic - Violin, Percussion
Heather Lockie - Viola, Percussion
Ana Lenchantin- Cello, Percussion
Koool G Murder - Organ (The Tonight Show only)
U.S.A 2005 - leg 1
On March 23, 2005 the new EELS tour was announced on the official Eels website. The press release said:
Thursday: From the steps of the Universal Music World Headquarters in Santa Monica, California, EELS leader Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, announces 2005 tour: "The past few EELS tours had taken a physical and emotional toll on me. I decided it was time to stop. But then one night I was in the backyard smoking a cigar with Bobby, Jr. and I was thinking about how we've been pummeling the audiences with variations on a distorted, rocking theme for the past few tours and wouldn't it be nice to do something really different? I found myself getting creatively excited about the idea. I couldn't stop myself from calling the office and having my team of experts assist me in making this idea a reality. So here we come again. If you're looking for rock -- turn back. You've come to the wrong place. This is a whole other thing."
And indeed The EELS With Strings tour is 'a whole other thing'. Backed by a string quartet, Mr. E, The Chet and newcomer Big Al give a delicate performance, leaving audiences worldwide breathless. The tour promotes the double album Blinking Lights And Other Revelations, that was released worldwide on april 26th 2005. Many feel that this is the best ever EELS (or E for that matter) album and especially the press can't stop raving about it. The album is supposedly written and recorded over a period of seven years and - according to the official 2005 bio - features 'Koool G Murder, Chet, Puddin', Butch, and a cast of thousands'. Among those 'thousands' are Bobby Jr., Tom Waits, John Sebastian and Peter Buck. During the EELS With Strings tour a limited edition live-cd - recorded at the KCRW sessions 2003 - is being sold, called Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs).
