Puddles Pity Party, late June. You've got to see this 7-ft. tenor clown perform once in your life. Very different--great covers, good entertainment. Worth every penny and every minute spent at the show. |
HEART on 7/27. The whole band is in fine form. Especially Ann, who looks fantastic. I thought they were great. Only a tad over 90 minutes, but no filler. Well worth the price of admission. Dayglow- I hear you about Steely Dan. I was glad I saw them around 5 years ago, and at Tanglewood of all places. I have to say I really enjoyed that show, but again, five years ago. |
Steely Dan/Elvis Costello-DTE-7/27. Elvis Costello and the Imposters were in top and cohesive form. At nearly 61 Elvis can still hit some high notes and deliver that "power pop" energy, great 1 hour show! Steely Dan IMO is on it's last leg(peg-lol). Becker and Fagen depend way too much on the talent of the band which gives it a Ringo Starr-All-Starr Band feel. The drummer and lead guitar player were incredible with the back up singers delivering a lot of the vocals. I don't regret seeing Steely Dan(for the 1st time) but it will certainly be the last time. |
Last night...Van Halen...Eddie played well...The rest...Lets just say... I could not wait to leave. |
Here's are two suggestions for acoustic guitar and bluegrass fans. Run, don't walk, if you get a chance to hear Jim Hurst, best known for his stint with the Claire Lynch Band, but a wonderful guitarist with a velvety, smooth baritone voice. His solo shows are truly memorable. Check his many You Tube clips, but see him live if you are a picker.
Second, if you haven't heard Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, well, just do it. Beautiful singing, great tunes, lots of variety and complexity, and monstrously good guitar, mandolin and banjo. I heard them in Denver recently and just wanted to gas up the car and follow them to the West slope for the next gig. Can't wait to hear them next week at Rockygrass! |
I went to Fleetwood Mac in late Feb, great show. I went to Lucinda Williams in early June at a small 1150 seat venue, that was amazing. Great sound, great performance, great venue. Loved everything about it. I am still playing something by her almost every day since. |
A joint concert with Gregory Porter and Van Morrison in the open air at Blenheim Palace, a beautiful Baroque castle near Oxford in the UK. Both were excellent, I preferred Gregory Porter, what a great supporting group. Van was his usual curmodgeonly self. Not one word to the audience in the whole set |
Trampled by Turtles at The Catalyst in santa cruz. Unfortunately someone decided people would enjoy the music more if it was turned up to heavy metal distortion levels. Absolutely ruined what I think would have been a really good show. I could stand about 4 songs worth and then left.
On the positive side, the opening act, a band called "The Record Company" out of L.A. was really entertaining. Despite being a rock band, they played at a much more reasonable level so you could actually hear detail in the music as opposed to the cacophonous drone of TBT. |
Television, reunited at the Stone Pony this winter. Wow. |
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Freedy Johnston, last nite at the Dakota jazz club in downtown Mpls. Most underrated American singer songwriter imo (along with Mark Eitzel). |
Ruth Moody and her excellent band at Mojos in Fremantle, Western Australia - a stunning performance witnessed by only about 200.......... |
Fleetwood Mac in March & Diana Krall in April.
Enjoyed the Fleetwood Mac concert more that i thought i would - saw them some 20 yrs ago in Florida & enjoyed it back then as well.
DK - hmmmmm.......she could have done her concert better. I felt it was OK-OK. I had higher hopes for her concert given her fame in singing Jazz but it didn't live up the hype I had created for her..... |
Sat 4/25...Sun 4/26 Snarky Puppy as part of ArtsOfCool festival in Durham at The Armory. Outstanding jazz-funk-fusion big band from Brooklyn NY. They're now moving to Stockholm for good
Prior went to see Alan Hampton/Gretchen Parlato and was dissapointed. Something happened to Alan not catching loop, jumping off the key and missing voice pieces often going out of sync with Gretchen! Good I had daily pass to switch quick. |
Sat.4/24 Brahms "Schicksall" by the Macalester Orch. and Choirs at the Meirs Hall of Macalester College in St.Paul.
Macalester is an elite college and just spent 3 million on the adjustable acoustics of this hall, as good a 400 seat hall as I have ever heard. |
To our great pleasure, my wife and myself had the privilege to see and hear Jeff Beck last evening.To see him live was just plain amazing. One of the best concerts I have ever seen,and there have been plenty. His band was awesome. Thanks Mr. Beck... |
Sufjan Stevens at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee...a venue that I find often fails to offer quality acoustics, but last night proved to be an exception. Outstanding show and excellent sound mix. |
Mike Scott/Waterboys last evening. |
Steely Dan, 4/19, with a 12 piece band in San Diego. |
Florida Orchestra in Tampa a couple weeks ago, playing R Strauss Divertimento for Winds, Barber Knoxville Summer 1915, and Mahler 4. Not the CSO or Concertgebouw, it was very, very good! |
Judy Collins, now 75 y/o, in Ft Lauderdale last Sunday. Stunning. |
Miro Quartet, tonight (4/3/15)--Schubert #15. Would have stayed for the sextet (Schoenberg, Transfigured Night) but the AC was blasting too cold for me to stick around. Very nice first half, though. |
Scott_w - Wow! Crazy stuff there from DakhaBrakha. Would love to see them. Hope they come to Atlanta. Thanks for posting! |
Not my last show (Lucinda Williams), but jumping in to also mention DakhaBrakha who I saw last year. Top 10 concert of mine, they're mind meltingly good. Don't miss them. |
March 11: US Navy Sea Chanters concert while they were touring the South-East. Unique experience & these men & women of our Navy can really sing. They did several songs including a really nice acapella version of "Bring Me A Little Water, Sylvie". very enjoyable & best of all it was free (i suppose our tax dollars at work). All the members of the Sea Chanters were extremely courteous to all in the audience after the show when they mingled among us. Well done, US Navy!! :) |
I kicked off my 2015 concert season with Mike and the Mechanics last evening. The band came out smoking and only got better as the evening wore on. I'm very glad they came to town. If you have a chance to see them, they will not disappoint.Great show!!! |
Last night (3/7/15), Oz Noy Trio at Saxon Pub, Austin. Roscoe Beck on bass and Chris Layton, drums. Oz is my favorite "young" electric guitarist on the scene. |
Caught Paul Rodgers on Valentine's Day and his vice is as strong as ever. The concert was basically Bad Company material with two songs from Free one from The Firm and a cover of Albert Kings Born under a Bad Sign. The band was awesome it sounded like you had just cranked up the stereo. They did all the songs that ruled the fm daily during their run. If you have a Jones to hear some Bad Co. Or if you never saw them like me then go,you will not be disapointed. |
Thursday Marc Cohn, Friday Eilen Jewell. Happy man here. |
Just returned home from seeing The Jolie Holland Band ( Anti Records recording artists) four nights in a row in San Francisco.Different set every night,guests on most nights.Fantastic shows featuring her unique blend of blues,country,Townes Van Zandt covers,pop,dylan covers,her own songs and anything else that might pop up.Beautiful music delivered with what I feel is probably the greatest voice out there.It certainly is for me.This was music that stretched from Lou Reed style NYC rock to Backporch Texas downhome blues.Every note perfectly integrated into a cohesive sound.If you can't get out to see her,get some of her music and you won't be able to stop yourself from going next time she comes around.She's the real deal. |
Vienna Teng last night in Berkeley CA. I think it was my fifth time. I guess you would call me an ultra fan. Before that, Peter Rowan. |
Went to go see James Taylor and his all-star band on Saturday November 29th..They were just fantastic. One of the best shows for me so far this year. These guys played their guts out.... Musicianship of the highest order....And for a bonus,the sound quality was sublime. My wife and myself didnt want the show to end.Bravo.
Sweet baby James indeed... |
Rodrigo and Gabriella in Birmingham(UK not Alabama). That certainly blew the cobwebs away. Just astonishing, dynamic guitarists |
Fleetwood Mac last night at the LA Forum. Second show I've seen on the current tour and substantially identical to opening night in Minneapolis. Which is to say, absolutely wonderful. |
Carl Palmer, 21 November 2014, Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH. We've seen several excellent acts in the past 12 months: Joe Bonamassa (2 November 2013, State Theater, Cleveland), Stanley Clarke, Tony Levin, Adrian Belew and Carl Palmer (those last 4 at Beachland Ballroom). Carl Palmer was the only one who received standing ovations for every song. Wow. We are still blown away. |
Tonight Stevie Wonder Songs from the Key of Life tour in Atlanta. 10th row center!! Very excited. |
Chris Smithers in Philly Wednesday, and tonight and tomorrow, Dylan in Philly. A good week I say. |
Joe Bonamassa last night at the Stranahan Theater in Toledo. He had a very interesting 50 minute acoustic set followed by a 90 minute electric set. I actually preferred the acoustic set, though the entire show was very, very good. |
I enjoyed the Doo Wop Project in the Matthews Auditorium of the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey tonight.
It was an extraordinary performance by a most talented ensemble -- 5 male vocalists backed up piano, sax, drums, bass guitar, and electric guitar. They did numbers from Jersey Boys, Motown the Musical, and others from the same genre. What a treat, a real visit down memory lane.
I especially enjoyed the Smokey Robinson and Frankie Valli sets. The singers were unbelievably good, their renditions were waay beyond what I could have imagined.
Really super. |
Greg Brown last night for wife's birthday. Small venue a full acoustic set, alone on a bare stage sitting on a old chair . The performance was fantastic, highly engaging. We were in awe of his talented songwriting, delivery and guitar work. |
Just attended Chris Botti's performance in the Matthews Auditorium of McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, tonight.
As always, Chris put on a great show. He had five sidemen - piano, guitar, bass, drums, and electronic keyboard, and three guest artists - violinist, female vocalist, and male vocalist. All were extraordinary performers.
The material range from straight jazz (like Flamenco Sketches) to pop jazz (like Look of Love and Let's Stay Together) to neo-classical jazz (like Italia and Emmanuel). It was quite a tour de force, although I personally preferred the pop jazz numbers he featured more in earlier appearances.
I'm glad he has kept Look of Love in his routine since it is still my favorite, with its inspired original arrangement and its knockout opening. Auhmmm,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muisPg2ti8Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGTDwiGxkzU
The performance was electronically augmented through the room's substantial audio equippage, even while Botti and female vocalist Sy Smith walked up the aisles engaging the audience in some of the numbers. By the way, he welcomed the audience to take pics and make recordings as we wished -- no copyright lawyers here.
Notably, while Botti's tour travels the world, there are some devotees that are so taken that they follow his travels to attend his performances in many geographically diverse venues.
I wish I could be one of them. Ahem. |
Beats Antique and Shpongle at the Shrine in Los Angeles Saturday.
Black Keys at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles on Wednsday before that. |
I figured that I haven't seen last concert yet. It always will be...
My next one I'm going to see DakhaBrakha. Tube'em and love'em. They're just super great. |
Can't see Dylan enough over the last 20 years. Always a great band. Always different arrangements to songs. Sometimes his voice is nothing but a growl, but, even then, it's ok under the circumstances. |
Halloween went to Steve Forbert. Soon is Dylan a few nights in Philly (recently saw him in Seattle too). A highlight of my concert "career", or whatever. Literally been to his shows dozens of times, and these are at or near the top. My 25 yo son went with me in Seattle, his 6th time. Does anyone here care, or am I talking to myself again? |
Bob Dylan at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago last Saturday night (11/8/14). Of the about ten times I have seen him this was the most enjoyable. His voice was the best in a while. He sang about half of his songs center stage front behind a microphone. The others off to the side playing an acoustic piano. In concerts past he mostly played an electronic keyboard that was mixed in very low. This concert the piano was prominent in the mix. He played a number of songs from Tempest. No introductory band, just two sets of Dylan with a twenty minute intermission between them. It was a very enjoyable evening. |
Rufus Wainwright at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, North Carolina this past Saturday. He was most entertaining as usual. His relaxed style reminds me so much of his mother and aunt, my beloved "Kate and Anna McGarrigle". Just him and his piano and guitar. |
While on holiday in Cleveland Ohio I caught The Tubes at The Tangiers in Akron. They were fantastic and this band is still tight and their more of a show than a music concert. Roger Steen and Prarie Prince are masters at their instrument's and Fee with all his costume changes still has it. Great show, and enjoyed chewing the fat at the meet and greet afterwards. |
Adrian Belew Power Trio, Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH, 31 October 2014 |
Saw Fleetwood Mac sellout in Toronto....It echoed their new mantra: "the Mac is back!"
Christine McVie had a standing ovation when reintroduced at the start of the gig and she had several similar applauses throughout the concert.
Lindsay Buckingham was on fire.
Fleetwood Mac is in an elite league of touring supergroups with the Eagles and the Stones.
The have a repeat gig back in TO on Feb 3.
Highly recommended |
