AUSTIN, Texas - Scott McCaughey is feeling sinister.

Taking to an outdoor stage on a sunny afternoon at the South by Southwest Music Festival, the leader of the Minus 5 is dressed in black, from cowboy hat down. The frizzy-haired, 51-year-old rocker smiles from behind dark shades and a devilish Van Dyke. The words emblazoned on his guitar strap - Doctor of Evil - suggest he's up to no good.

McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) will bring the Minus 5, including R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on bass, to World Cafe Live in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

In Texas, he performed before a multigenerational crowd in the backyard of the Austin roadhouse Threadgill's, at the Roky Erickson Ice Cream Social, held to honor the leader of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, who, McCaughey proudly says, once autographed his Les Paul.

Another recording of this tour made it out in the open. This time the Cleveland show of last week got posted on etree this time. Thanks to taper Benjamin Galizio. Highlights are a version of 'Boeing Spacearium' and a cover of Neil Young's 'Don't Be Denied'.

23 March 2006 - Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
Setlist:
Dear My Inspiration
The Town That Lost Its Groove Supply
Twilight Distillery
Boeing Spacearium >
Courage Is The Smallest Bird
...

The Minus 5 are well underway in their tour through the US, and now that John Ramberg joined the band again they are back in full rocking mode. As you can judge by the setlists and live bootlegs on Dimeadozen.

Dogstar provide us with the set list for 400 Bar in Minneapolis

In A Lonely Coffin
Dear My Inspiration
You Don't Mean It
Out There On The Maroon
Hotel Senator
Forgoten Fridays
Where Will You Go?
The Days Of Wine and Booze
...

As modest as he is, Scott McCaughey would be the first to tell you that he's nothing special. Certainly, it can be argued that there's plenty of musicians around that can somehow re-create the melodies swirling about in their noggins well enough for other people to appreciate them, too. But how many musicians do you know of serve as sidemen in one of the world's most popular bands almost as an afterthought to fronting three critically acclaimed groups of their own? I know of just one.

For someone old enough to remember the Topsy Turvy days with a smile, it's sobering to think that McCaughey, utility infielder for Athens, GA/Seattle, WA barnstormers R.E.M. and an eternally Young Fresh Fellow, has been making brilliant records for almost 25 years now; even he would have trouble counting them all.

When McCaughey finally decides to sit a spell (in about 30 years), his new endeavor - the self-titled Yep Roc CD The Minus Five (aka The Gun Album) - will probably be near the top of the huge pile of discs at his feet. With R.E.M. on a year-long hiatus, McCaughey, Peter Buck, Bill Rieflin and John Ramberg have seized the opportunity to reassemble as the Five, with a fantastic, Beatles-meet-Buffalo Springfield-meet-the Byrds disc in tow that features a wet-dream team of guest contributors.

Just off the plane from a UK jaunt with Robyn Hitchcock, McCaughey recently rang me up to tell me all about it. The Minus Five has always seemed to me to be Seattle's version of the Golden Palominos. It kind of started that way, for sure. I guess we've had less trade-off on the lead vocals than the Palominos, because I've mostly sung 'em. Though I do try to get other people to sing a song now and then, I succeed about once per album. It started out with me recording with whomever - my friends, people I'd meet on the road - but it's more like a real band now, with other people added in here and there.

The Minus 5 didn't show at Opal Devine's by 4 pm and the Gram parson's Tribute was long over, so we left. If they showed up later well, then we just missed them.

We did manage to get into the Continental Club last night.

Set list, with probable errors as I've had about 5 hours sleep.

In a Lonely Coffin
Out there on the maroon
Hillbily Drumer Girl
Little Black egg
Cigarettes Coffee and Booz
My Life as a creep
Twilight Distillery
Hotel Senator
With a Gun
Dear Employer
I'm Not Bitter
Lyrical Stance
Days of wine and booze
I Still Miss Someone
Aw Shit Man
Lies Of The Living Dead
Strychnine

They had to quit at 2:15 a.m. when the bars close. John Ramberg was not there due to a death in the family. They had various other guitarists and vocalists help out during the show. Don't know all the names - Steve Wynn (Winn?) was one. Someone from Elf Power too.
-Lucy