Mark Knopfler at Red Rocks

I had the chance to see the Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris All The Road Running mini-tour at Radio City in NYC, and it was spectacular. As good as he is, she eclipsed him. She is that great, and that's just a statement of fact. They are each truly unique and original. But she, there is no other.

Another spectacular evening at one of the most magnificent venues anywhere. Knopfler played twice as long as his '06 appearance - which was so short it was an embarrassment to all. At least at that show he offered a smokin' warm-up band: William Topley. The mistake that opened last night was literally painful.

As usual, Knopfler was spot-on and at the top of his game. Perfect selection of tunes spanning his career. Hopefully, it won't be too long till he's back.

It was an extraordinary concert in a spectacular venue. And I was really looking forward to it. Too bad they had an amateur at the soundboard. The mixing destroyed the subtly of Knopfler's playing by over-emphasizing some frequencies, often losing musicians like Richard Bennett and Glen Worf in distortion, digital glare and frequency imbalance. This was especially disturbing on his, newer and more subtly-played songs. Red Rocks needs to invest in better help, or Mark should. That and the annoying warm-up singer with her patronizing attitude toward the audience - "You're sooo cute..." (Gimmeafrigginbreak!) - compromised what should have been a spectaculat concert.