The recent and upcoming gigs thread

[DuncanS]

^ Thanks Dunc! Looks like a neat place to see a show. I'm a little surprised they were in such a small place as they've been getting some really good reviews and hype with the new album. I'll definitely go see them if I get a chance.


We drove up to Santa Fe on Wednesday night to see Hugh Laurie. Very entertaining show, I suppose that's to be expected...lots of humor in the between song chat and he's quite charming. Musically it's not my favorite kind of stuff but I still enjoyed it, but maybe I think 90 minutes would have been plenty for me instead of the almost 2 1/2 hours. Pretty good band he's got playing with him.

The UK is odd like that, good bands end up playing what is left of the tiny venues (a lot have closed or are closing), so most people will see them at festivals. That said I prefer seeing bands in small venues. The Smoke Fairies are one of those bands you stumble on and think great! Tuesdays gig was only £10, so maybe it grossed £1500-£2000, not a lot these days.

 

[user 1679]

Just got home from Denver where we saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds last night. I suppose he was pretty good but I've seen him play a lot of times and have grown weary of hearing certain songs every time out no matter how much I originally liked them (Mercy Seat, Stagger Lee to name a couple). He forgot the words to songs several times and to me it seemed that it was due to him just going through the motions and not really giving a damn about the performance. When they played the quieter or mid-level bits the sound was passable, almost good....when they went into the loud bits it was pointless noise. The crowd ate it up though so maybe it's just jaded finicky old me. And every time out I begin to dislike Warren Ellis more and more - I'd love to give him his violin and a bow, confiscate the rest of his stuff, let him just play what he's good and tasteful at. I'd take Mick Harvey back over Warren in a flash.

He's doing a few really stripped down "solo" shows - I'd much rather have seen one of those....loved it when I saw him do it back around 1999 in Hamburg. As it stands now it's highly unlikely I'd go to another Bad Seeds show, especially when it's a 7 hour drive to get there.

 

[wheeler98]

I'm off to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds next month in Toronto. I sure hope he gets his mojo back and the sound problems worked out by then. Afterall; I'm skipping Jack White on the same night to see Cave....

 

[wheeler98]

Oh...and if Kenny Wayne Sheppard is coming to your town just give it a pass. I'm a huge blues fan but KWS has become an incessant noodler and lacks that deft touch that is a blues requisite. I left early...I could not take another guitar face, tambourine solo or "help me" look from the bass player.

The last blues show I left early and disappointed was Joe Bonamassa....all hype...no soul.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

If you get the chance to see the Smoke Fairies you've got to get to the gig, I've all the albums but had never managed to get to see them. I'd waited and bought the new CD at the gig (and love it), they played a lot of it, and the new songs just fitted well with the old songs. Incredible haunting, ethereal music. Their backing band are excellent and I hadn't expected a band with them as the gig is very small, only a 150-ish people there, you might of got another 100 in in the bar area. The Thekla is a converted banana boat in Bristol docks and the 'hall' is the cargo hold! Good acoustics surprisingly. They have moved away from the very folkie towards the rockier side and it worked really well on Tuesday, they can really rock.

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What a cool setting, those smaller venues are vanishing in most places. I love the blu ray concerts in intimate settings, like Roy Orbison or the Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's disc. I'm sure some members have been HERE I think it was nice that although Ronnie Scott died in 1996 the venue still carries his name. I'd love to go there sometime.

 

[corneredcat]

Oh...and if Kenny Wayne Sheppard is coming to your town just give it a pass. I'm a huge blues fan but KWS has become an incessant noodler and lacks that deft touch that is a blues requisite. I left early...I could not take another guitar face, tambourine solo or "help me" look from the bass player.

The last blues show I left early and disappointed was Joe Bonamassa....all hype...no soul.

that's a shame...i saw KWS twice many years ago..very small venues and he was awesome..back when he was just an up and coming kid...

 

[EMB]

My wife just snagged a pair of tickets for one of her fave girl groups, Perfume. They're a Japanese trio who does a lot of lip-syncing to their many hits and sundry, but their stage show is mighty flashy and elaborate and after many years, they're finally hitting our shores (the ease with which she got the tickets to an NYC venue indicates how unknown they are here--to date. After November, that may change).

So on Saturday night, 11/15/14, I'll be with her to hear music I'm not a particular fan of, but don't particularly dislike either. But it's NYC, so I'm sure I'll find some record emporiums or other places to scope out sometime that weekend.

ED

 

[zabble]

I had the pleasure and distinct privilege of seeing the band Babe Ruth last night at Summerfest in Milwaukee. This was a rare one-off reunion featuring the band’s classic 1972 “First Base” album line-up (with the exception of drummer Ed Spevock, who joined in 1973). They played most of that album including a blistering version of Frank Zappa’s “King Kong” as featured on this most excellent set of BBC broadcasts from 1973-74 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDa8RoTAedw .

The band hadn’t played together live since 2010 and unfortunately aren’t planning to tour anytime soon. Of special interest to those who have Babe Ruth’s self-titled quad 8-track, they played the opening track: “Dancer” (though in stereo only).

http://onmilwaukee.com/seasonal/festivals/articles/baberuth.html

 

[timbre4]

A Tale of Two Becks - June 19th, 2014 @ Playhouse Square

As some of you know, I am quite enamored with Beck's latest album the acoustic Morning Phase. Most of the players from Sea Change return for this outing and I was looking forward to seeing this material featured during a live show. Based on what I thought was a recent review (Ticketmaster) I expected the acoustic material first and then it evolve into the big electronic hits as the evening progressed. That is not at all what happened and I will tell you what we (my 21 year old son and I) experienced instead.

We pulled into Cleveland, got parked and walked over to Playhouse Square. There we heard mention of an opening act previously unknown by us. We check out the t-shirts and related goodies and I find nothing reflecting the new record and nothing else I really liked. (had planned on t-shirt purchase) I nab a couple Labatt beers and we head upstairs to the cheap seats in the balcony. By now we've heard Sean Lennon's name several times and it appears that his band, The Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger would be opening the show. Sure enough, the lights went down and there they were. Initially too loud, gritty and unfocused, the sound was dialed in by the end of the show. They weren't awful, then they seemed pretty good and finally striking in a few spots. Their 40 minute set was about what is expected of a support band and then the lights come up and the headliner anticipation begins.

The lights go down, the roars go up and the show begins. He starts off with Devil's Haircut and the crowd is with him. Within a couple minutes I realize this is not the show I had planned out in my mind. It was naïve of me to think that two albums of personal acoustic music stood a chance against the much larger catalog of electronic rave-up hits. Beck is a show man and entertainer; we enjoyed what they were doing for the most part but found ourselves wanted to be seated when people insisted on standing. The energy level was high until he announced they were playing a track off the new record. The smattering of applause made we wonder if 100 people bought it or skipped it as they might have done for Sea Change. The net result was we got to hear 4 tracks from Morning Phase and 3 from Sea Change. Each time the enthusiasm level was quite subdued and then ramped up as he veered back into energetic material such as The New Pollution or Loser.

IMHO the set list was too schizoid to work going back and forth. Beck had to know it by the time the night was over. At one point he said "I have the entire Sea Change band up here so you're never going to hear it better". Frankly, this crowd didn't see that much value in this proposition. This was their concert not mine. What troubled me is that it seemed like Beck spent more time rehearsing them to play the loud hits and gave short shrift to the acoustic material he recorded with them. My goal of seeing the Morning Phase / Sea Change material featured live was simply not in the cards. Every time they veered into it was awkward, tentative and rushed. The material felt under-rehearsed. For example, Morning Light is a strong emotional tune building to a quite satisfying Abbey Road type crescendo. They duplicated the massive guitar tone (thank you Jason Faulkner) but made no attempt to recreate the last 2 minutes that built so beautifully; give them that guitar figure a couple times and simply stop. It was like a power failure; the applause was so small, everybody had to realize this wasn't working as intended. The evening was more about massive hit jams like "Where It's At" and not so much about the personal 'where it hurts' music.

I am certainly happy we saw this show but far from satisfied with the actual results versus previous expectations. If in the future, he decides to do it as a separate acoustic set then go electric I think everybody involved would be much happier. It's just too jarring in the way that it was presented to us on this night. If anybody attends a future show and the experience is different, please let me know.

 

[dr. simple]

I was just going to tell everyone how awesome Ringo Starr's All Star Band was last night in Dayton, Ohio, but Christopher Lees laid it all out for everyone back in post #127:

I saw the same lineup in Australia...they played at festival Hall melbourne...same place as the beatles in 64..it was a fantastic concert...

Black Magic woman was AWESOME.......Steve Lukather can play anything and it looks like he's not even trying...Gregg Rolie's voice is great , it sounds just like 1970..so you just felt like it was straight from the abraxas lp, perfectly played on stage with the original singer/organ player....the big highlight is Richard Page...his voice is incredible and he does the Toto and Mr Mister singing really well...and his bass playing on "with a little help from my friends" is exactly the same as McCartney's on sgt pepper. ...Ringo is a classic ,walking around stage all night cracking jokes, it really doesn't matter what he chooses to do, because his sidemen are amazing..so he sort of walks around carefree,as the M.C. saying things like "and for this next song, if you don't know the words, then you should go home because you're at the wrong venue".....or"this next song is from my latest cd and I'd personally like to thank all 15 people who bought it"... he does play the occaisional drums , but with Gregg Bissonette there he doesn't have to and sometimes he plays bongos...and once he did play the main keyboards (including the intro) on "don't pass me by"...actually he does things from every beatles lp....and finally Todd is very funny just from the way he dresses like it's still 1972...the only thing you could improve on is the song order, following a perfect rendition of Black Magic Woman with honey don't was perhaps not the best idea.

So that leaves me with... "Yeah! Me too!" It was a thrill. More dates have been added:
http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2014/07/touring-ringo-starr-and-his-all-starr.html

 

[elmer]

A coupla upcoming gigs;

1. August - The Boston Pops performing the live score to a viewing of "The Wizard Of Oz" at the Tanglewood Music Shed in Lenox, Mass. Back in the day this would be the perfect occassion for some "shrooms" but now I'll have to settle for a few martinis - still very psyched!
2. October - George Benson at BB King's Niteclub in NYC - long time fan - never seen him live - very much looking forward.

 

[timbre4]

Support your local anesthetic I always say. Sounds like a lovely time. Driven past Tanglewood over the years, never made it to a concert.

Of note, The Musical Box is making what I believe is their Nashville debut on July 23rd as they recreate the stellar 1972 Foxtrot tour by Genesis. I've seen them in Atlanta 3 times and even did the Montreal weekend in 2001. That time they did Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot and Selling England By the Pound along with a slide show with Q&A about doing Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

This show will be fun because a mutual friend musician who doesn't travel much will finally get to witness what Scott and I have been babbling about all these years!


From QQ deep space

 

[Quad Linda]

A few years ago, I went to see/hear Leon Russell at BB King's. In the middle of a song, a guy sat down at the piano bench with Leon. At first, I assumed he was a roadie. When Leon gave him a bizarre look, I realized that he wasn't. He was immediately escourted out of the club, hopefully never to return.

I saw George Benson in a twin bill with Herb Alpert for free in Grant Park, Chicago. Both were spectacular! George did a Nat King Cole imitation and then imitated NATALIE COLE! It was great, and the crowd went nuts.

Tomorrow, Joe and I are headed to Naperville, IL Ribfest. It's a dozen award winning ribs from around the country, by invitation only. As much as I love heat, I'll skip Johnson's Thermonuclear ribs this year. Too much heat, even for me. Supertramp's Roger Hodgson is the headliner. Will report back with a review.

...
2. October - George Benson at BB King's Niteclub in NYC - long time fan - never seen him live - very much looking forward.

 

[blue.monk]

Of note, The Musical Box is making what I believe is their Nashville debut on July 23rd as they recreate the stellar 1972 Foxtrot tour by Genesis. I've seen them in Atlanta 3 times and even did the Montreal weekend in 2001. That time they did Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot and Selling England By the Pound along with a slide show with Q&A about doing Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

This show will be fun because a mutual friend musician who doesn't travel much will finally get to witness what Scott and I have been babbling about all these years!

The Musical Box shows are amazing. They are not a tribute act but a time machine!

 

[Jeddia]

Rocco DeLuca is going to be in Atlanta on the 29th of August at a tiny venue. If you haven't heard of him or seen him live...you are failing at life. This guy opened for Lifehouse on their tour a few years back and just made them look bad. You can also see his whole origin story on the documentary I Trust You To Kill Me which features Kiefer Sutherland (who discovered him while filming the hit show '24') diving into a Christmas tree while drunk...

 

[user 1679]

We've got Ringo's All-Stars here on the 9th. Mrs Doppelbock bought tickets as she always had a soft spot Ringo as a kid, and as I've never seen a Beatle live and it's at a decent place here we decided to go...Todd's the big draw for me.

After that our calendar is clear as far as live show goes.

 

[Fourplay]

Hey All,

Just back from the UK, where I was privileged to attend the opening night of the 10 show run of Monty Python Live - One Down, Five To Go.

The show ran about two hours 15 minutes, with an intermission in the middle. During the intermission there was a "Merch Meter" on the screens, presumably showing how much merchandise the assembled were consuming.

The show was excellent for a fan, and it seemed there were very few who were unfamiliar with the material. It was a mix of live presentations of classic Python material, screen presentations of some classic Python material including Gilliam animations, Graham Chapman routines, and general filler for times when the stage was being prepared for the next live segment. There were three screens over the stage, one large screen in the middle and two smaller screens on either side. These presented either the recorded material or high definition live shots of the stage action. This assured that everyone could see the stage action very well, and for a large arena the sound was clear and excellent. The photo I have included here is a shot off the big HD screen, and as you can see it makes it look like I had front row seats.

The material itself was mostly familiar, with some routines being expanded into larger musical productions. The Galaxy Song in particular was a treat for many reasons, but I will not publish the spoiler for that bit.

The actors were mostly well rehearsed - the only obvious memory lapse this night was Cleese forgetting a line in the Cheese Shop bit and leaning over to Palin to ask for the next line. Generally, the interactions were playful and at times the actors were cracking each other up, which for me was fun to watch.

Overall I would give the presentation a 9 of 10. It was a little unsatisfying to see so many recorded clips which were well familiar to me and could have been watched at home on DVD, but it was great to be in a Python crowd and to see the old buggers doing their thing together and clearly having fun doing so.

On the administrative side, there was clearly a racket going for ticket sales as the show was said to have sold out in 40 seconds, and yet there were immediately plenty of seats in every price range available through a sister site to Ticketmaster called "Get Me In" at greatly inflated prices. It begs a class action lawsuit, but I will not be the person to initiate such a suit.

Glad to have been there. One item off the bucket list!

 

[DuncanS]

...any of the lupin 'flavoured' sketches that a certain Dennis Moore (Jr?) might have taken part in?

 

[Fourplay]

...any of the lupin 'flavoured' sketches that a certain Dennis Moore (Jr?) might have taken part in?

Dennis Moore does not appear in the program!

 

[dr. simple]

We've got Ringo's All-Stars here on the 9th. Mrs Doppelbock bought tickets as she always had a soft spot Ringo as a kid, and as I've never seen a Beatle live and it's at a decent place here we decided to go...Todd's the big draw for me.

Todd will not disappoint you, but if you like Mr. Mister the slightest bit, Richard Page will really impress you, and if Steve Lukather doesn't blow you away you might not be a guitar fan. And Gregg Rolie will take you back to 1969. Enjoy!