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Just got back from enjoying John Legend at the Hollywood Bowl this evening. I was impressed with the way the venue was melded into the specific topography of its site. And the sound system was more than up to the task of filling the small valley with loudness. What a consummate performer! John delivered 23 songs perfectly, many that I knew and a few that were new to me. I particularly liked his polished delivery of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On, followed by a deeply heartfelt Ordinary People. Later, a very sentimental version of All of Me brought back poignant memories. The concert ended with a fabulous fireworks display that capped a delightful evening. |
Saw JD McPherson Saturday night. The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC is a dive....which was perfect. Small concert hall. Maybe 300 people and packed pretty tight. There was a taqueria and a large outdoor patio area where you could go if you wanted to. We hung out in the patio area before the show and had a beer. The show was great. We were about 5 rows back. Standing room only. The stage was only about 2 feet high so we were right there with the band. JD's Fender is about the coolest looking guitar I've ever seen: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/f0/1b/f9f01b1558ea00b77a445d8d59cdca15.jpg JD's bass player plays both electric and standup bass. It was loads of fun watching him play the standup in those fast paced songs. The band played well and interacted with the audience. We had a blast. Only criticism is that the show was a little short, not quite an hour and a half. There were two or three other songs that I (and the audience) kind of expected him to do but he didn't. Not a big deal but it would have made for a 'five star' show if they had. It does not seem like this band tours a whole lot. At least not as relentlessly as some. But they are older than some young bands. JD is 42 and has a family. Anyway, I was impressed and would see them again in a heartbeat. If he comes anywhere close to you, do yourself a favor and go. |
@slaw : It is weird. At one venue there was an additional $1 fee for $20 tickets to the Struts. In Charlotte that fee was more like $10 then in Charleston it was like $5. All for the same band in equally small venues. I can live with a fee or two but when the 'fee' starts to get close to the cost of the ticket I'm like you and ready to tell them to go...... @toddnkaya : In the three small venues I've been in lately it hasn't made a whole lot of difference where you stood. The joint we're going to see JD McPherson in is so small and has low ceilings so it seems like a place where the 'intimacy' of the show is more important than the sound. We'll see. If it isn't overly packed we can move around. |
@toddnkaya , "Many concert are so stupidly expensive !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I’ve been wanting to see Gov’t Mule. They will be 10 minutes from my house at a small outdoor theatre…...my kind of venue. Lawn seats $17.00. Good so far. Then Ticketmaster takes over. In the end that $17.00 ticket turns into $40.00 not counting parking. On top of that, they don't email tickets or have Will Call. One has to have a smartphone (which I don't) or pay very high shipping. I refuse to pay that. Glad I have a great sounding stereo. |
Looking forward to seeing JD McPherson at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC on Saturday. It looks like a biker joint from the outside. Concert hall is small....good in my opinion. Voted a top 25 venue by touring musicians (who?) but as a top ten must see venue in the southeast by Garden and Gun. We'll see. Just hope it is a good show and that we can get close to the stage. Will post experience after show. |
@toddnkaya : That's why I'm enjoying small venue acts so much now. I saw the Struts again last night. Drove down to Charleston, which is a super fun place anyway. Tickets were $25 and we were maybe 8 rows from the stage. Stayed in a nice hotel for less than $300. That less than what you pay for two tickets with big acts in big venues....and as you say, that's not the good seats. It was another great show but sort of strange this time. The last two shows they played for close to two hours. Last night they played for about an hour and 15 minutes and left out their signature closing song. They still put on a good show and everything seemed to be okay. Crowd super into the show. But, at one point the lead singer, Luke Spiller, said "I'm a wreck tonight" and my wife thought his voice was off a little so maybe he was starting to lose his voice. I know that this was the third of 4 shows in a row they were playing. I'd go see them again tomorrow if they came close by. Such a blast. |
I saw Bryan Adams in the early 80's when he was getting started. He rocked pretty hard back then. Good opener for Foreigner and Lover Boy. Last night I went to see The Struts again. In Charlotte this time. And once again it was a great show. Crowd is fully engaged for the full 2 hours. Great songs. Great execution. Great showmanship. If you like good old fashioned 70-80's rock (think Queen) then you should seek this band out and see them live. Their recordings are good but the live show is among the best I've seen. But you need to know the lyrics....there is a lot of crowd participation. Unfortunately my right ear plug must not have been in all the way and I've got loud(er) ringing and an echo sensation. Uncomfortable. Going to see them in Charleston tomorrow night. Will make sure ear plugs are well situated. In a few weeks I'm going to see JD McPherson in Asheville at a very small venue. It will be a big change from the Struts! Looking forward to that. If you have not heard of him look up his latest two albums. Talented musician with a very talented band. Sort of retro 50's style rock/ rock-a-billy. More down to earth and less swing than the Stray Cats. Haven't gone to rock shows in years but have discovered the small venue/newer artist scene and I'm loving it. |
Bryan Adams last night was worthy but for a number of reasons was not that great a night for myself. Firstly I probably have not listened to any of his music since Reckless. This was a tour for his new album which is not even released in the USA as he has no record deal here. I got the impression the crown was along the same lines as my thinking as when he played faves from the early days ( Summer of 69, These Times etc) it was happening. Newer stuff not so much. Not a bad night but best way to describe it would be it just did not move me and I never really got truly into the spirit. Probably more me than anything else but for $20? |
Thalea String Quartet, in-store at Terra Nova Violin Shop in Austin (TX), April 6. Sitting dead center, ten feet away from the performers has me re-evaluating my thinking for volume and spatial parameters when trying to re-create live chamber music.Before that, Wood Brothers, Dec. 1 at Paramount Theater in Austin. Upright bass sound sucked but otherwise a very enjoyable show. |
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Saw a Neil Young acoustic concert a few years ago at the Fox Theater in Detroit.Just fantastic!Even though some rude noisy idiots tried hard to ruin it.Nowadays we are content with local concerts in parks.We're pretty tired of cell phones,loud conversations,and people constantly going back and forth buying drinks.Or maybe we're just curmudgeons:) |
Third to last show--Jesse Cook February 1 Dallas Majestic Theater: Really good show, but you gotta like the world music genre Second to last show--Eric Johnson February 2 Dallas House of Blues: I love this guy. His live playing is near perfection--except that he is going about 20BPM faster than his recordings. LOUD! The humblest best guitar player I've seen live. Last show--Woodrow Wilson High School Band February 17 Dallas Granada Theater--local high school band played a whole set with the Polyphonic Spree founder and lead singer Tim DeLaughter doing Spree songs. My kid played electric bass the whole show. Best concert ever---but that's not objective. It really was a good show though. DeLaughter was fun and the kids clearly were having a great time backing him up. |
Not the last concert I've seen, but I mentioned The Struts above. Had so much fun in October that I'm going to see them again in May in Charlotte which is close by, in a small venue (1200 people) and then drive down to Charleston, SC to see them again two days later in a 600 person venue. Can't wait. My son and his new bride (as of about 4 hours ago) are going with us to the Charlotte show. Two generations going to see a show by a band of guys in their 20's that were inspired by Queen albums owned by their parents. Rock and roll has taken some crazy turns these last 10 years or so. |
Adrian Belew, Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH last night. Second show of this tour, new album just released. Too much material to cover here, but did a couple of the new tunes, a bunch of stuff from King Crimson's Discipline and Three of a Perfect Pair, a couple off Lone Rhino and more recent solo stuff, a Talking Heads medley and two very touching tributes to Bowie and Zappa. Always a pleasure to see someone with such huge talent who loves music and has fun with it in a small venue! And keep your ears on Julie Slick - she is really coming into her own and handled all the Tony Levin riffs with true aplomb. |
