Post your recent concert reviews here

[Oldrottenhead]

i managed to watch the first 12 seconds of big elf,

[Blooby]

i managed to watch the first 12 seconds of big elf,

I commend you.  Did you at least see Yoda?

Blooby

[Oldrottenhead]

dont think so

[dwardzala]

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing Tommy Emmanuel.  This guy is unbelieveable.  An acoustic player, he uses his guitar as much as a percussive instrument (and not just rapping knuckles on the body) as a stringed instrument.  If you ever get to see him play live, it is well worth the price of admission.  I will warn you, though, there is a chance that you will fee so completely inadequate after watching him you will want to sell you guitars.

[ianjm]

My best gig is a toss up between two....

Bowie a couple of years ago (waited 25 years to see him and wow it was worth the wait) or Alice cooper with Thunder supporting. What a night that was

[Blooby]

Just got back from a road trip to the Rocky Mountains, Gran Tetons, and Yellowstone (Pictures of scenery and wildlife here. The extreme close-ups of the bears and wolves were in a drive-thru park).

Any-hoo, on the way back, I spied with my little eye that Jack Pearson was having a "pickin' party" in Nashville. For those of you not in the know, I suggest you check out this previous thread about Jack, for he is one of the best musicians I've ever heard.

The short version is that the venue looks like it's in a warehouse district, half a stone's throw from several crack neighborhoods. I walk into a smallish bar, which seats about 100. In walks Jack, and his keyboardist turns out to be Reese Wynans, Stevie Ray Vaughan's former keys man. I rub my hands together a la Mr. Burns from The Simpsons and utter, "Excellent."

There were problems with the keys to start, so they played as a jazz trio, covering Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery.  Then they did some blues shuffles and an acoustic set with a National steel guitar. The level of musicianship was ridiculously high (but always tasteful).

There was a set break, and Joe Robinson, Australian guitar virtuoso, popped out for a couple solo tunes. After his pyrotechnic beginning, he eventually does a chord/melody version of "Misty" in the video which is just crazy good. The moving bass line in the tune just makes my jaw drop every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwIlsTS__do

I'm not sure I can describe what happened next accurately. Since it was a pickin' party," he started inviting up some of his compadres.  The first person was Greg Koch, a guitarist on Steve Vai's label, and it just got more better from there. By the end of the night, I saw a dozen different musicians, all of whom were world-class players. Now I know why Nashville is called Music City. To give you an idea, here's just a couple of the guys who got up to blow.

Guthrie Trapp noodling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECqeeT-1RBc

Greg Koch eventually doing a chicken pickin' version of "Starway to Heaven."  Too funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQQIT4SJHpY

The musicians included CJ Vaughn (has his own band called Highway 58), Pat Bergeson (Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Bill Frisell, Martin Taylor, Suzy Bogguss, Bill Evans, Peter Frampton, Michael McDonald, Shelby Lynne, Wynonna Judd), Shane Roberts (Nashville teacher and shredder), Greg Koch (genre-bending guitarist on Vai's label), Guthrie Trapp (Jerry Douglas, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, George Jones, Roseanne Cash, Vassar Clements, John Cowan, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Earl Skruggs, and Albert Lee), Todd Parks (Jerry Douglas Band), Dave Pomeroy (Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, Toby Keith, Neil Diamond, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Jones, Billy Joe Shaver, Shelby Lynne, Brenda Lee, Alan Jackson, Earl Scruggs, Duane Eddy, Steve Wariner, Asleep At The Wheel, Don Williams and Alison Krauss.), Timm Biery (Mahagony Rush, Danny Gatton, Warren Haynes, Tommy Shaw, Arlen Roth), and Reese Wynans (Second Coming w/Dickey Betts, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lee Roy Parnell, Joe Ely, Brooks & Dunn, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, and Hank Williams Jr., Buddy Guy, John Mayall, Kenny Wayne Shepard, and Los Lonely Boys).

When I got back to the RV ant 1:30 in the morning, I woke up my girlfriend to tell her about it. I think her exacts words were, "Leave me...alone."

Harumph...philistine.

Blooby

[Blooby]

Spent seven total hours in the car yesterday to see Gov't Mule in Cocoa, FL.  My girlfriend was expecting much as it was Jerry Garcia's birthday, and of the two of us, she is the true Deadhead (I tend to smirk a lot and make smarmy jokes about playing in tune.  But then many on the site say I sound like Jerry (Doh!).

It rained like a mofo, washing the stench of patchouli and dreadlock detritus through the sewer grates. Jackie Green opened. Good guitarist but a great, soulful singer.  I was impressed.

Gov't Mule started with some items off their new album and then went totally hippie, playing 7-8 tunes the Dead used to do. Then they ended with "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and "Wish You Were Here" with a certain poignancy.


Gov't Mule
08.01.2010 Riverfront Park, Cocoa, FL

Broke Down On The Brazos
Steppin' Lightly
Any Open Window
Larger Than Life >
If 6 Was 9 >
Larger Than Life
Fallen Down >
The Other One Jam >
St. Stephen Jam
Frozen Fear
Railroad Boy
Patchwork Quilt
Sugaree with Jackie Greene
Loser > with Jackie Greene
Terrapin Station > with Jackie Greene
Loser > with Jackie Greene
Dark Star > with Jackie Greene
Drum Circle > with Everyone & Jackie Greene
Drums >
Dark Star > with Jackie Greene, with Paint It Black Tease
Death Don't Have No Mercy > with Jackie Greene
That's What Love Will Make You Do with Jackie Greene & Paul Ill
Wish You Were Here

[Blooby]

Other than seeing some bluegrass acts at festivals, I went to some country recently, and this is a new thing for me.  First off, I saw Darrell Scott in a 200 seater outside Atlanta, GA.  He is a multi-instrumentalist with a great voice as well whom I first became aware of through Robert Plant's Band of Joy (also pretty country flavored in spots).  Scott has also won several songwriting awards and has had his tunes covered by a wide swath of country artists.  Anyway, he sometimes plays small band concerts, but this was just solo guitar, occasional clawhammer style on a fretless banjo, and a couple tunes on a bouzouki (or as he called it, his octave mandolin).  In a word...incredible.  Only one throwaway song in the bunch, mostly because it was a novelty tune about paying to fish in stocked ponds.  His playing was jaw-dropping, and he really knows how to sell lyrics.  He would sometimes get against the microphone and almost talk melodically for extra effect. Funny guy as well.  Cannot recommend him enough if you ever get the chance to see him.

Last night was Alison Krauss and Union Station.  Although I was somewhat familiar with her through a live album, I went to see their lap steel player, the unparalleled Jerry Douglas.  His playing was both tasteful and at times blinding.  He played solo versions of Paul Simon's "American Tune" as well as Chick Corea's "Spain."  Crazy good. Beyond the musicianship of everybody (A.K. Is an accomplished fiddle player), I came away really blown away by their vocal harmonies.  A.K. Started an acapella version of the old spiritual "Down to the River to Pray," and when the background vocals came in, it absolutely gave me chills.  Their encores were all done around a single microphone like the good old days.  For solos, somebody would step up and then step back.  Killer sound throughout the entire show, including the encores.  I missed George Clooney's facial expressions during "Man of Constant Sorrow," though.

Peace.

Blooby

[Pine]

Lucky you! Darrell Scott sounds like a guy to look up...and as for AK and U.S.....they are at the top of their game. Jerry is the ultimate virtuoso on his dobro but in the band context, never flashy. I think AK has the purest voice i have ever heard and Dan Tominski offsets it perfectly. IMHO, they are what a great band is all about...focusing on The Song. Their live album is the best recorded live album i have ever heard by anybody. it's like the sound man was working out of a pro studio. The band is SO well rehearsed and tight it's amazing. All Pro unit. Sounds like time and money well spent Bloob..

[Facemask93]

We saw the iconic Hollies at the GLive in Guilford Surrey UK last Thursday , having seen the original lineup that included Graham Nash & Allan Clarke way back , I was a little dubious about paying £27 a ticket , but , once they started singing those amazing harmonies that thier songs were well known for I would have payed extra , Tony Hicks was as good as any guitarist I have ever seen in my entire life , and believe me I've seen most of them .
What an amazing night , came out on an massive high , this is a band that had more hits than the Beatles , and have toured every year for the 50 years , this was their anniversary year
Next gig  Jethro Tull doing the live version of Thick as a Brick & their new album

Rob