bdp- Pat played a little geetar ;-) but mostly mandolin, and a did a lot of backing vocals. Again, what was remarkable about him (and the two other backing musicians), was their ability to add to the experience of the song w/o sticking out. With mandolin a little can go a long way, but he was never over the top, even on the solos. And he had a unique (to me anyways) way of gently strumming with all of his fingers that produced a feathery kind of sound that I have never heard from a mandolin. Plus his physical style was so expressive; truly a man who loved what he was doing.
721 responses Add your response
My wife and I saw John Prine (& co.) Saturday night at the Warner Theater in Torrington, CT Saturday night. A great show from one of the greatest songwriters and performers out there. His voice has changed as a result of his cancer treatments, but the songs still have the ring of honesty and humor that they always have. Excellent band (
Dave Jacques • Jason Wilber • Pat McLaughlin), good acoustics, very few annoying cell phone videographers. John played non-stop for over 2 hours, ending w my all-time favorite, Paradise. Greg Trooper was a terrific opening act and also joined in for the encores. If you like the Americana/folk genre, don't miss him.
|
Saw Air Supply last night, very good show. Other concerts this year, Steve Miller, Pat Benatar, Alan Parsons, Paul Anka, Meat Loaf and Diana Ross. Both Parsons and Paul Anka were seller shows, by far the best, on the flip side Meat Loft was very disappointing, he seem to only go through the motions to get the show over with. |
Coldplay, last week at Levi's stadium, Santa Clara, CA. One of the best concerts I've been to in recent years. Great music, brilliant performance. Not a single person could sit down. It was that electrifying. Sound, light, and production were just superb. On the other hand, last Month I went to see Guns n' Roses in San Francisco, 20 minute into the concert, I left. $150 ticket down the drain. Sound was so bad it was hurting my ears. |
The Mystix last night at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. I think it holds about 200 listeners. Singer/guitars/leader Jo Lily, guitar Bobby Keyes, bass (electric & standup) Jesse Williams, drums Marty Richards, harmonica & organ Annie Raines, fiddle Matt Leavenworth. And from the audience Jug Band James on the washboard and spoons. It was a show I did not want to end. Even the I hate your music wife loved it! |
It's been a GREAT year of concerts for me. Since the beginning of the year I've seen Lucinda Williams, Springsteen, Shovels and Rope, Zac Brown Band, Shawn Colvin and Steve Earl, and Lucinda Williams again last Tuesday night. All were within the first 4 rows - center except Springsteen and Zac Brown. I loved all of these shows, but the standouts were Shovels and Rope and the most recent Lucinda WIlliams show with her excellent backing band - Buick 6. These two show were ROCKIN' in small, intimate theaters. The hits keep coming with Elvis Costello at the Ryman Theater on Oct. 17 and Nick Lowe in a tiny 400 seat theater on Oct. 19. Can't wait...... |
I saw Culture Club with the LA Symphony Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl last night. Boy George has long been a favorite singer of mine but he was merely good enough (rather than impressive) last night. It may be what he's always sounded like outside of the studio or time may have taken its toll on his voice (or maybe some of each), but the singing didn't carry the show the way I expected. OTOH, one fun, familiar, bouncy hit after another made for an enjoyable evening. George has surprising charisma and a great sense of humor regarding his public image (and a lot of their stuff, too). The LASO is always a great time as well, and they did a short "pops" (Pomp and Circumstance, et al) set before CC. In all, it was great good fun. |
Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck in SF, 8/16/16. Buddy Guy was so amazing as I have seen before (x4). The big surprise was when Carlos Santana showed up and played with Buddy Guy. It was so disappointing that Jeff Beck didn't participate??!!! Jeff beck played parts of his new album after the break and per my taste, it wasn't that great as I have seen him before... |
James Hunter and his band- big, full band with horns, blue-eyed soul. These guys are very good players and put on a tight, bang-on performance. The drummer is terrific, the bass is a good old fashioned acoustic bass- made me realize how much is missing, harmonically, from an electric bass. Solid keyboard player and did I mention the horn players? Jazzy, slick professionals with soul. James has a good voice- he pushes hard, and you walk out a couple hours later fully satisfied that you've been fully entertained by great performers, delivering the goods. We've heard them at least 6 times now, and particularly enjoy them in the little local club not far from our NY place. |
Swampwater---it was with his Big Band that I last saw Lyle, and what a band it was! What makes a band that good is just what makes Russ Kunkel such a good drummer---what each musician plays serves the song above all, the parts being "musical", serving a musical purpose. A lot of musician’s play so to as impress other musician’s with their technical prowess, the results often being rather amusical, the part serving no purpose to the song itself, or being musically related to what any other musician is playing. I have found that the better a songwriter is, the more he values "musicality" in players , not necessarily technical prowess. The two are very different things. As the old spiritual expression goes, you can’t serve two masters ;-). Not that a very technically endowed musician can’t be very musical, or visa versa, but that is a rarity imo. I have found the two to have an inverse relationship. Others may, I have no doubt, disagree. |
Bdp24- I didn't get into Lyle's story telling and dry/offbeat sense of humor because it can be a bit off-putting to some folks. It tickles my funny bone, but I'm pretty far off the norm on that axis. I've seen him several times now over about 20 or more years; in a small venue with small "acoustic" type back-up, in a large venue with a rocking band, but this is the first time with "His Large Band". All shows were excellent, but this took it to "perfection". My wife and I would look at each other several times during each song with an OMG face. I know Kunkel's resume and always enjoyed his drumming but this was the first time I saw him drum live. It takes an extraordinary percussionist to really catch my attention but I was absolutely dumbstruck. Each time he drew a song to a conclusion, each stroke was obviously, perfectly pre-ordained by the prior one and lead inexorably to the next. And the same could be said for pretty much each vocal and instrumental part all night. Something as simple as a short sax lick in the middle of a bridge was exactly as long (or short) and loud (or soft) and as mournful (or joyful) as it needed to be. No more and no less. |
Swampwater---Isn’t Lyle live just SO fine?! Great dry humor, too. When I saw him Kunkel was playing drums, great as ever (for you who aren’t familiar with Russ’ name, he was with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor in the 70’s, and it is he playing the great part on James’ "Fire and Rain", with brushes). |
Bdp24- Saw Joan Osborne about 5 years ago at the Mahawwie theatre in the Berkshires. She was great. I'm going to try to catch her again at The Egg, which is coming up soon. So far this summer, Jackson Browne at Tanglewood, and The Doobies at Spac. Ok, ok, I admit it.... Journey played with the Doobies. But I went to see the Doobies. They were in fine form, as was Mr. JB. (-: |
Last night my wife and I saw Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. What a show, one of the best ever! Lyle, Christine, amazing 4 piece horn section, 9 person gospel choir, Russ Kunkel on drums (best ever) Luke Bulla on violin (best I've ever heard besides the incomparable Mark O'Connor), pedal steel, Matt Rollings on piano, Ray Hendron on electric guitar, John Hagen on cello. The tightest ensemble I have ever heard. Not a lick out of place, amazing solos not a note too long. But most of all, the love for the music and the joy of sharing it with each other and a great crowd at the College Street Music Hall in New Haven. Truly awesome. In addition to many of his well known songs, they did several lesser known, a couple of tributes to Guy Clark, and a few traditional gospel pieces in 2 1/2 hours of non-stop excellence. Every song was a wonder of song writing, singing and musicianship. Miss them at your peril!! |
She was fantastic Spencer, as were her accompanists. A really good guitarist on Gibson acoustic and Gretsch electric (into a small Fender combo amp---looked like a Deluxe), and pianist on an acoustic grand and electronic with Leslie rotating-speaker. I thought I would miss drums and bass, but their absence made Joan’s voice and the players parts and excellent harmony vocals all the more audible. And, for a change, excellent sound-reinforcement! All three sang into Shure SM58’s, so there was the to-be-expected presence elevation, but very mild. Our seats were third row center, so when Joan backed off the mic I could hear her voice acoustically, and the amplified sound was pretty true to it. And not too loud---a very welcome change from normal live sound. The very good acoustics of the room (Portland's Aladdin Theater) was welcome too. If Joan comes to your town, I highly recommended spending the $32.50 per ticket (cheap these days!) I did. |
The Rolling Stones - Macau, March 2014. Not the same as 20 years ago, but still a fantastic show! The sound wasn't perfect, but hey!, nobody goes to a rock concert expecting an audiophile experience. After that my wife got pregnant and my kid was born and no more time for live music - in fact, almost no time for music at all :( |
Saw Shovels and Rope last Sunday night at the Madison Theater in Covington KY (Cincinnati). Holy Cow! What a great show. This married Duo is incredible live. They played a great set of alt-country, folk country and rock/rockabilly that was superb. Seriously, it was one of the best small venue shows I've ever seen. Was luck enough to also see Lucinda Williams and Steve Earl over the last 6 months at the same venue. |
Most unusual event, the best group of its size in America(NY Times), the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra , played ALL 6 of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos in a 2 1/2 hour concert. The superb acoustics of the Ordway Concert Hall in downtown St. Paul lets you hear every player throughout and all the works were played very well indeed . In particular #6 where two young Korean viola players made it greatest performance of that piece I have ever heard in person or on record ! Truly a concert of the very highest order . |
Went to see Nora Jones and her superb band with my lovely wife last evening at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh. Her performance was beyond incredible,just straight-up perfect in every way. If there was ever a bucket list concert to see,this one goes to the front of the pack. Thanks Nora,simply amazing in every way... |
Hey Acman3 – It was a strange experience...I hadn't seen him live in about 6-7 years, and his condition has worsened significantly since then. It was hard to not be a bit distracted; at times he looked catatonic standing on the stage with his arms at his side and head down while other people solo'd. But then he played a song called "Journey to the Stars" – a duet with his pianist – that was one of the most sublime experiences I've ever had listening to music. It was as close as I can remember to hearing a person's spirit playing rather than his body...Unreal. |
Saw the NY Phil at Lincoln Center two weeks ago. The band was quite good, but the sound at Geffen Hall is shameful, IMO. No resonance, no bottom. Very, very flat. Supposedly, they're redoing it - again. Carnegie is far better. Of course, where you sit makes a difference, but I allegedly had very good seats, so I wonder if it's better anywhere else in the audience. But I did have a nice time otherwise. |
Been very lucky this year - Maurizio Pollini at Carnegie Hall on Friday, Tom Harrell at the Vanguard early last week, Lizz Wright at the Highline Ballroom earlier in the month. Dave Weckl, Victor Wooten, Cecile McLoren Savant and U2 in the Summer; Lou Donaldson, Lisa Fischer, Gregory Porter in the Spring. Very lucky to live in NYC. |
The excellent Brit Bach conductor Paul McCresch conducting the St Paul Chamber Orchestra in the "Saint Matthews Passion " with the London based Gabrieli Singers. The superb acoustics of the Ordway Center in downtown St . Paul contributed to as fine a performance as one could wish for ! The SPCO is truly world class , McCresch is notoriously outspoken and said as much . |
Zombies, Friday in Merriville, IN. They played familiar hits with the "touring band" including Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Jim Rodford (former Kinks and Argent), Tom Toomey and Steve Rodford. For the second half of the show, the original band, including Chris White (Argent) and Hugh Grundy (Drums), plus the touring members and a couple of others, played their Rolling Stones all-time top 100 album, 'Odessey and Oracle' in its entirety closing out with Time of the Season and a second, really great rendition of She's Not There. Argent was outstanding, both as a showman and on the keyboards, Rodford can still rock it, and Blunstone's voice has held up pretty good. Very enjoyable show. |