Such a fun show at the Tractor last night! John Wesley Harding’s Flying Circus Cabinet of Wonders brought a collection of local and I guess international talent, each one a consummate performer in their own right. John Roderick read a rollicking and well-crafted story of a strange night in a strange land. Sherman Alexie read some slam-worthy poems about — what else? — rock & roll. His enthusiasm sounded a little like Nick Hornby’s, but his delivery was a little bluer. Thee Sergeant Major III delivered a few period pieces that wouldn’t have been out of place on a college campus in the mid-eighties. I don’t mean to damn with faint praise; it was hard to not like the songs, but they did feel a bit worked over. And this coming from a big Golden Silvers fan. Local semi-legend Jon Auer did a short set of originals, highlighted by his supple voice and a medley that elucidated the psychic connection between “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “California Dreamin’,” and “All Along the Watchtower.” Seriously.

But it was the co-hosts, Harding and Eugene Mirman, that I’d come to see. The raconteur Mirman always sounds like he’s having a great time telling his stories. They tend to spin off from someplace plausible —frex, losing your luggage — into something completely bonkers. And Harding’s songs range in tone from immediately topical to the earnest and sympathetic character studies you’d expect from a guy with a second career as a novelist. That also sounds dull, I know, but it wasn’t. He’s clever with the rhymes and strong with the melody. And although the Tull references are cheeky, he also embodies what’s good in English folk-rock without slavishly revering the Auld Days.

A couple more photos here. Also, to the guy in the bathroom: I was flipping through the photos in playback mode. I was not taking an action shot of my junk.