The recent and upcoming gigs thread

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Something very different for me. I bought 2 tickets for a December 29th Manheim Steamroller Christmas show. I secured row 4, center and aisle seats. Obviously I've never seen any of Chip's shows live, but since they are coming to a local theater, I couldn't resist.
 
BANNED FROM UTOPIA [Zappa band alumni] - Nashville City Winery: July 19th, 2024
What an evening! Paul Green (founder of School Of Rock) arranged for students to play an opening set for alumni from Frank Zappa's band performed their set.
It was an amazing display of skill demonstrated by these young people playing complex Zappa music! As one tune was finishing, other kids came on stage to take over on guitars, bass, drums, keys, horns and vocals. Most kids played more than one instrument. Some made cameos later during the Zappa alumni members set and/or came back on stage for a finale with Paul Green on guitar.

 
From the New Yorker, Nick Paumgarten reports on The Dead at The Sphere.

Hope the link works for everybody, don't sleep on clicking, liable to become subscriber only shortly.
🍏 ☮️

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/07/29/reckoning-with-the-dead-at-the-sphere

In the vernacular, talking at concerts is known as “chomping.”
To go by my own recent experience, there are more chompers than ever, and more people complaining about them.

Night one, set two: Behind me, two young women, thirtyish, were talking, not quietly, about a recent wedding. I noticed it most during the more delicate songs—“China Doll,” “Terrapin Station,” “Dear Prudence.” They kept it up during the Mickey Hart segment known as “Drums”-“Space,” which was arguably the most mesmerizing stretch of the night, owing to the brawn of the subwoofers, the haptic vibrations in the seats, the primal percussive fury, and the spinning fractal kaleidoscopes on the giant screen. It was during “Drums” that I learned a few things from my neighbors about sandals. Near the end of the show, during the quietest part of “Morning Dew,” the Bonnie Dobson post-nuclear-apocalypse folk song that was Garcia’s most formidable showstopper, the two talkers sketched out their summer plans. Who were these barbarians?

“I guess it doesn’t matter anyway,” Weir was singing, with his goofy phrasing and without the Garcia gravitas. Still, it did matter. The guy sitting next to me turned toward the talkers and gently asked them if they’d keep it down. I turned halfway around, too, and made a dad gesture, a tamping down of the air with my palm.

“We can’t hear you!” one of them shouted.
“We’re trying to enjoy the show!” the other said.
“What are you, the concert police?”
“This isn’t the opera, dude!”

For the rest of the set, as our vantage descended from space back down to Earth, the Bay Area, and 710 Ashbury, they hissed insults at the backs of our heads. I could feel their scorn scorching my bald spot, like the equatorial sun. Vibe: not good.
 
From the New Yorker, Nick Paumgarten reports on The Dead at The Sphere.

Hope the link works for everybody, don't sleep on clicking, liable to become subscriber only shortly.
🍏 ☮️

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/07/29/reckoning-with-the-dead-at-the-sphere

In the vernacular, talking at concerts is known as “chomping.”
To go by my own recent experience, there are more chompers than ever, and more people complaining about them.

Night one, set two: Behind me, two young women, thirtyish, were talking, not quietly, about a recent wedding. I noticed it most during the more delicate songs—“China Doll,” “Terrapin Station,” “Dear Prudence.” They kept it up during the Mickey Hart segment known as “Drums”-“Space,” which was arguably the most mesmerizing stretch of the night, owing to the brawn of the subwoofers, the haptic vibrations in the seats, the primal percussive fury, and the spinning fractal kaleidoscopes on the giant screen. It was during “Drums” that I learned a few things from my neighbors about sandals. Near the end of the show, during the quietest part of “Morning Dew,” the Bonnie Dobson post-nuclear-apocalypse folk song that was Garcia’s most formidable showstopper, the two talkers sketched out their summer plans. Who were these barbarians?

“I guess it doesn’t matter anyway,” Weir was singing, with his goofy phrasing and without the Garcia gravitas. Still, it did matter. The guy sitting next to me turned toward the talkers and gently asked them if they’d keep it down. I turned halfway around, too, and made a dad gesture, a tamping down of the air with my palm.

“We can’t hear you!” one of them shouted.
“We’re trying to enjoy the show!” the other said.
“What are you, the concert police?”
“This isn’t the opera, dude!”

For the rest of the set, as our vantage descended from space back down to Earth, the Bay Area, and 710 Ashbury, they hissed insults at the backs of our heads. I could feel their scorn scorching my bald spot, like the equatorial sun. Vibe: not good.
I’m a strong believer in concert earplugs for every concert, no matter the volume. Not only does it protect your ears, but it drastically cuts down on “chompers”.

I will say my section for the 4 Phish shows at the Sphere was low on talking during the shows. I had some convos with my seatmate here and there, but otherwise pretty quiet. I’ve also run into the guy who was in front of me all 4 nights at two other shows in Denver so that’s fun.
 
Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds

Coming to Britain / Ireland next year! If you're in the UK, this is a no-brainer!

I have the blu-ray of the concert, and it's fantastic.

I feel so old, I have no idea who these people are aside from Wayne & Liam Neeson. The SACD always gets a spin by me in October (as tip of the hat to the infamous Halloween radio broadcast) but I did not keep up with any further developments from Wayne. I guess Neeson took over the Richard Burton role at some point?
 
I feel so old, I have no idea who these people are aside from Wayne & Liam Neeson. The SACD always gets a spin by me in October (as tip of the hat to the infamous Halloween radio broadcast) but I did not keep up with any further developments from Wayne. I guess Neeson took over the Richard Burton role at some point?
True dat. Actually, Liam Neeson is only present in a hologram and video screens.

As I mentioned, I have a copy of the concert, and it’s terrific. No, it’s not Justin Hayward or all the other folks we grew up listening to. They’ve all aged as have the rest of us, but the band in the recorded show was excellent, and I would trust Jeff to pick good costars.

I’d go in a heartbeat - faster than I’d pick up a surround copy of ELO.
 
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Sons Of Cream on Thursday in Lyme Regis, who are Jack Bruce's son Malcom on Bass, Ginger Baker's son Kofi on drums, and Eric Clapton's nephew Robert Johnson (a case of nominative determinism?) on guitar/vocals who will unsurprisingly be playing Cream songs.



https://www.malcolmbrucemusic.com/live

https://bluesmatters.com/sons-of-cr...lind-faith-the-100-club-oxford-street-london/

Nice side story https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp68y94jjn6o

This was a great gig (The Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis is about 400 max. capacity and it was packed).
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Sons Of Cream can really play like their relatives! Like Cream they jammed/improvised on every song, which was really nice as its their take on the song. Why just listen to a song note perfect with the album. It was the first gig of their tour and they were enjoying themselves which really came across. Kofi Baker did a great drum solo, and I am not keen on drum solos! Rob Johnson did some really nice guitar work, Malcolm Bruce is a show of force all on his own, so much energy put into his Bass playing and a great guitarist as well. Kofi Baker did most of the talking and was amusing, plus some good anecdotes about his father, who he said was as crazy as people think! One thing was funny he said as kid he'd go to friends houses and wonder why they didn't have lots of Gold Discs on their walls! Vocals by Rob Johnson & Malcom Bruce, again really good. They played for around 2.5 hours with a half hour interval, all for a £23 seated ticket. See them if you can.
 
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Banned From Utopia - July 19th, 2024 - ALUMNI
This is the second of three clips: Zappa band alumni played after the students set and they came back to provide vocals and horns as needed.
NOTE: It's worth it just to watch Scott Thunes on bass!

 
Primus / Coheed was a great show although I lost my phone there and headed out on vacation without one the next morning which took a bit of the shine off the show.
 
The Wolftrap in Virginia is a really cool venue.
Preservation Hall were there normal outstanding selves.
Lovett' Big Band was tight but he was a train wreck and we left as soon as it was polite to do so. (hint you can count the number of songs on one hand)
 
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