I’ve seen Calexico four times now. Which is a lot. Particularly since I don’t own any of their albums. The first time I saw them was super disappointing – and that’s when I had the most invested in it, I’d heard about a great show they did a few years earlier and I didn’t go. So this, finally, was my chance to see them. And it didn’t live up to the hype in my head I guess. I was a fan back then. Had been reviewing their earliest EPs and albums.

Anyway, since I gave up being a fan I’ve enjoyed them a lot more. In 2013 they were great. And in 2016 it was maybe even better. By 2019 it couldn’t possibly be even better again…and it wasn’t. But they remain an impressive unit; the sort of band you could always see live and get something from – they’ll always deliver.

I was shouted a comp to this gig by the evening’s opening act. The brilliant Delaney Davidson. I was in Auckland for a couple of weeks, the longest time I have ever spent there in one go. I met and interviewed some of my heroes, I collected up loads of great podcasts, I saw a bunch of gigs. It was a whirlwind of experiences and business and busyness – and it was just over a year ago, getting towards two years ago. All of a sudden that’s a completely different world.

Stubs is an occasional feature here at Off The Tracks – looking back through the ticket-stub box and remembering how the show went down.