Elliott Smith - No Confidence Man

Elliott Smith playing No Confidence Man
Jan 31, 2003
Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, CA

If I labeled anything wrong, please let me know. And you can tell that half way through the show I realized that there was a balcony.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Elliott
• Smith
• No
• Confidence
• Man

[wirsindhelden0]

i am for the opinion that every single elliott smith video in youtube existence should be lacking the "dislike" button.

[goodmusicguy97]

I could play a deep song about me to strangers easily. It would be really tough to play it to friends and family, who would probably truly understand what the song meant to elliott.

[einsholdElliottSmith]

i love you Elliott....forever my angel

[skelzo1]

@georged2011 he's referring to his bracelet

[georged2011]

did he say im gonna be gone in about six months was he pre-empting his death?

[gayfarmerboy]

@lzlDamageDonelzl

Actually those kind of debates may seem pointless and are defiantely annoying. But it's only when you fully understand the "other side" of the argument and how it differs and opposses your ideas that you can truely understand the argument. If people could just have these kind of debates/arguments without getting annoyed we'd live in a much more open minded world. But unfortuantly no.

[hippieman128]

I'm trying to find a live version where he plays his harmonica. anybody know where? the studio version has him using one and I've been playing mine along with this song for a long time now, it just deserves it. the song is among his most heartfelt; He deserves all our love his for talent knew no bounds. This is for Elliott "our hearts will never recover from your loss" that is the greatest form of love my brother.

[Andrew228399]

thanks so much for puttin this up. you're awesome.

[ruecks]

@lzlDamageDonelzl

I like this philosophy.. however, I'd say some people try all 3.. and all 3 are hand in hand if you want to look at it that way.. suicide, and after life can be looked at as absurd.. if you do either/or you have kind of accepted the absurd.. not that I necessarily perceive any of it as absurd.. but eh.. i just personally think their was more to it than philosophical ideas.. there was evidently pain behind his stained glass eyes

[lzlDamageDonelzl]

I’m not trying to say that this is what happened in his case. But, you can tell a lot about a person by knowing their philosophies. And, since Elliott admired Søren (during some Heatmiser performances, Neil would introduce Elliott to the crowd as Søren Kierkegaard, and of course, we know that Either/Or was named after a work by Søren) this is how I try and explain his early suicide attempt.

[lzlDamageDonelzl]

@ruecks

No one is perfectly happy. He was just a normal guy for most of his life. Of course, we all know that times got tough for him for a while, but by the time of this specific performance, he was definitely getting better. As for his suicide attempt, the only way I can rationalize it is through Søren Kierkegaard and the Absurdist philosophy: A person deals with the absurdity of life by doing one of three things: 1. Believing in life after death. 2. Accepting the absurd. 3. Suicide.

[ruecks]

@lzlDamageDonelzl

I agree with you largely.. especially that he shouldn't be people's personal Kurt Cobain.. However, a truly tortured sad person wouldn't truly want people to know that's the way they are.. He did try to kill himself on several occasions, so to say he was perfectly happy and normal is a little naive.

[lzlDamageDonelzl]

Never mind. It's really not worth it to fight about something no one can prove 100%.

All I know is, I adore Elliott and his music. You guys can see him as a "sad sack" all you want, but I will always see a tremendous amount of hope in him. <3

[EIIiottSmith]

its a VERY common to hear that a victim was doing so well and how everything was turning around right before the act. maybe because the person finally built up the courage and is at a state of peace.

also it is no surprise that someone with guilt would sober up/quit eating red meat before the act. perhaps to prove something to himself or a higher power. its all about taking the easy way out, i suppose.

um, kurt cobain... seriously?

[EIIiottSmith]

he struggled with issues that were too deep/personal to get into with interviewers. one reason much was unreleased and lyrics were changed from their original form before going mainstream. and he hated to be seen this way because he had guilt for how his music was used, even if honest.

[lzlDamageDonelzl]

Because he never really thought of him self that way.

Nonetheless, that comment about his bracelet wasn't about him foreshadowing his death. Everything indicates that he was starting to get past that point in his life (working on "From A Basement...", reconnecting himself to the world, and his friends).

Sorry for the rant. I'm just kind of discouraged by the way other fans try to make him out to be their personal Kurt Cobain.

[lzlDamageDonelzl]

Despite what many people believe about Elliott, he wasn't a "tortured soul". He wrote sad songs (and happy songs, although they were few and far between) that touched many people. There are articles/interviews where the interviewers would constantly bring up the dark nature of his songs, and how it related to him as a person. His response ALWAYS reflected that he really wasn't as "tortured" as he let on. In fact, he hated being thought of as a this depressed, hopeless person ...

[MolkoxLewd]

I guess it just kept coming back to haunt him.

[gloamstur]

that is an interesting comment... u never know what he could have meant... its easy to joke about suicide when u dont care.

[bluebanshee3]

another great soul lost to addiction, depression, (possible) suicide. rip, Elliott. the music is such a gift.

[RockyRaccoon25]

Where were our mothers when we needed protection?

[whitestripebuzz]

straight after that he says "i dont know why i told you that....like thats interesting to anyone" i hope we are taking it way out of context.