While we would never want to try and pick one favorite concert, we certainly don't mind tossing the question out to you. Is there an absolutely amazing show that you would like to tell us about? It could have taken place last night or 40 years ago. Tell us about it. We will get things started by talking about one that we really enjoyed.
This was about 2 years ago, and the star was Joe Cocker. The event was held in San Diego at a place called HUMPHREY'S CONCERTS BY THE BAY. This is a small venue (1350 seats) situated right on San Diego Bay. We had seats on the end (left side) and the water was about ten feet away. Sailboats were moored in the harbor, there was a spit of land extending out from across the harbor, and just as the sun was going down the show started. Lights began coming on in the boats and in the houses from across the harbor. The legendary San Diego weather was perfect as usual, and Joe Cocker performed one show stopper after another. The sound system was exceptionally good, and as a bonus they bring drinks right to your seat. What more could you ask for? Although we didn't have the opportunity to take advantage of it, Humphrey's also has a restaurant and offers packages that include dinner with show tickets. If we remember correctly, there is even an upgrade in seats available with this package. They also have a hotel, so you could have everything you need for a week-end getaway or more located right here.
Best concert—humm, how in the #$%# do you pick a best concert. But the planet keeper has commanded we try so here it is.
First of all what are the ingredients that make up a great concert. I think the first ingredient is anticipation. And I was anticipating this concert—The Who. The day of the concert the local radio stations in Seattle were full of their music. Who’s Next was the latest album and we anticipated hearing much from this beloved work. But just being a big name doesn’t mean a great concert. I had been disappointed before.
Not this time.
You could feel the energy in the line. You could almost see it coming off all us like heat from the hot asphalt on a 100 degree day. This was the second ingredient—the people.
Inside the Seattle Coliseum (Now Key Arena) the energy bounced off the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. You could feel it build as the sound grew. Sounds of the faithful in the church of rock & roll awaiting the messiahs of music. And then they were there.
It was a magic swirl of sounds and colors, people and musicians that danced in the mind and played upon the ears like a kaleidoscope plays before the eyes. It’s real while being unreal. Pete Townshend flying through the air while playing the guitar better than most men could play with both feet firmly on the ground. Roger Daltry spinning the microphone over his head, his lion’s mane hair back-lighted in ever changing colors. The madman, Keith Moon hammering away on his drum set with two men behind him ready to push him back onto his stool whenever he fell off. And the ever stoic John Entwistle acting like an anchor while laying down the bass line.
When Townshend kicked into his part in Baba O’Riley and leapt high into the air, dropped back to the stage and danced toward Daltry the place exploded. It was one of those concerts you didn’t want to end. It was one of those concerts you took home with you. It was one of those concerts that you talk about years later and can still tap into the music and energy of that night. It had all the ingredients and cooked to perfection. It was the best concert I ever attended.
by DJ Radel
February 8th, 2006
Guest Author
BEST CONCERT
I have been trying to decide which concert, out of all the concerts that I have attended, stands out in my mind. I have to go with May 31, 1996--the day Timothy Leary died. I had tickets for a month and had no doubt that the MOODY BLUES, backed by the Houston Symphony Orchestra, would be outstanding. What no one could have anticipated that very day was the death of Mr. Leary. The MBs are always dramatic and edgy, and walking into the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion in The Woodlands, Texas, that evening the atmosphere could not be more intense. It was a perfect early summer evening and we all wondered if anything would be different due to the death. The tour was called TIME TRAVELLER and was everything you expect from the MOODY BLUES. The show opened with an orchestral overture and went straight into "Late Lament." The sound was studio quality perfection. The show came to an end with "Legend of a Mind." We left the pavillion with the feeling that we had been to a very special concert on a very special evening.
LLP, Montgomery, TX
Click to enlarge
10 years of great concerts.
1995-2005
October 19th, 2005
JETHRO TULL CONCERT
We have just returned from the Jethro Tull concert in Dallas, and are happy to report that their shows are just as exciting as we had heard. Since we are long time fans, it was great to finally catch Tull live. The event was held in the Majestic Theater near downtown Dallas. The Majestic is a beautifully restored old movie palace with concert hall acoustics. In fact, the acoustics were so good that we could hear the drunk in the back of the theater (he was yelling for “Aqualung”) as if he were right next to us. As it turned out, he was removed from the theater about five minutes before “Aqualung” was played. This was probably a relief to Ian Anderson, who kept tight control over a stage that obviously belonged to him. As the only person on stage with a microphone, there was no doubt as to who was the star of this show. He kept up a lively banter with the audience between songs and managed to make it seem spontaneous. There was a point in the show when we had noticed the bass player and keyboardist talking to each other. Although we were not able to hear them, we could hear Ian Anderson when he lowered his flute mid-song and walked back to tell them that he could hear them talking. He resumed the show immediately, and that infraction did not occur again. The show was also enhanced by an exotically beautiful young violin player named Lucia. She played along with Jethro Tull for part of the show, and they backed her versions of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Kashmir.” It was a real treat to hear so many of the old Tull songs, including the entire AQUALUNG album. The AQUALUNG LIVE cd pictured above was a free gift to everyone in attendance.
The Leon Russell/Dave Mason concert held in Tampa on Friday, December 30th was a reminder of just why it so great to catch these classic rock acts now. Performers that were once seen only in arenas and stadiums are now performing in much more intimate settings. In this case the setting was Tampa Theatre, a beautiful and historic building in downtown Tampa, Florida. The theatre was built in 1926 when cities were seemingly trying to outdo each other in building extravagant cinemas. This particular theatre was built in a style popularly known as “Florida Meditteranean.” The inside is designed to evoke an outdoor scene, with Meditteranean style building facades surrounding the stage. The ceiling is a false night sky with clouds and stars. Added to the national register of historic places in 1977, Tampa Theatre is a unique and somwhat exotic concert venue.
Dave Mason kicked off the evening and had the crowd on its feet early. Advancing age may have taken a toll on his hairline, but there has been no effect on his voice. If anything, his vocals seem to have gotten better over time. The set list inluded songs from his solo career (We Just Disagree, Only You Know and I Know) as well as favorites from his time with TRAFFIC. He did allow his bandmate to steal the show with a high voltage guitar solo on the TRAFFIC standard “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” You have to admire a star who can cede the spotlight on one of his signature songs. The other members of his band were obviously a talented group. Special props to the keyboard player, who seemed to be having more fun than anyone else on stage. There was some sparkling new materal displayed as well, including a moving tribute to deceased TRAFFIC bandmate Jim Capaldi.
This was definitely a tough act to follow. When Leon Russell emerged onstage to continue the show, we wondered if he would be up to the task. We had last seen Leon about thirty years previous to this evening, and at that time he was not about to take a back seat to any act. His portion of the show did start off slowly, and not having seen him for so long we were somewhat surprised at his frailty. Running through a selection of songs that included his own material and lots of work from other artists (he did a great cover of the Ray Charles Classic “Georgia”), the performance gradually picked up steam. While he may not be the showman he once was, and his voice is not as strong, it is still magic when his fingers touch the keys. There has never been a better rock and roll piano player. The show included all the types of music that had influenced his style: rock, country, gospel, and blues. After a self-imposed layoff that lasted for about two decades, it is great to see this legendary musician performing live again. And with Dave Mason on the same bill, this show should be on your must see list if it comes through your town.
Port Arthur, Texas was a city in need of a celebration. Extensive damage from hurricane Rita is still evident in this Gulf Coast City. Toppled trees, ruined buildings, and damaged roofs are being cleared or repaired. Life is returning to normal, and routines are being re-established. All this just in time for the 19th annual Janis Joplin Birthday Bash, which was held on January 28th.
This year's event was moved, by necessity, to the Carl Parker Multi-purpose Center on the campus of Lamar State College. The Port Arthur Civic Center, where the event has been held in the past, is one of the buildings that Rita destroyed. It is a testament to the show's producer, Don Ball, that the 19th Bash happened at all. In our opinion, it was also a smashing success.
First, we must apologize to the opening act, Navasota-Rio, for not arriving in time to catch their show. Happily, we were there for the beginning of the second act: a blues-rock band that goes by the name Beat Daddys. They get the nod as our current winner of BEST BAND WE HAD NEVER HEARD OF! We can only plead ignorance for being unaware of a band that has been together for as long as the Beat Daddys, has put out a number of excellent albums, and is just flat-out talented. The band seems to have gone through a number of personnel changes through the years, with lead vocalist/guitarist/harpist Larry Grisham being the constant presence. Mr. Grisham is a superbly talented vocalist. His voice is powerful, and he is comfortable throughout the range of their music; encompassing blues, rock, and a touch of Motown. He is also the chief songwriter, and could play harmonica for any band he chose. One of their signature songs is "I'll Always Love You," which Mr. Grisham jokes has gotten them more offers to play weddings than they could handle. It is slow, soulful, and smoldering; a perfect showcase for his voice. Our personal favorite is "Your Evil Memory." This is a great blues song. If you have not heard it, do yourself a favor: visit their website and by the cd. The current lineup also includes Britt Meacham, a gifted guitarist who is at his best when he has both feet in the blues.
The next act was a singer named Amby Martin who grew up in nearby Nederland, Texas. Ms. Martin is a singer who occasionally performs as Janis Joplin. She first played the festival about three years ago, and returned this year because of the numerous requests. Although she was born a month after Joplin died, Ms. Martin turned in a performance that showed an immense amount of respect for Janis's legacy. The respect was obvious in the dead-on rendition of classic Joplin songs. The voice, the movements, and even the chatter that was recognizable from Joplin's live perfomances was a tribute that allowed the audience to briefly suspend belief. We are not often fans of tribute bands, preferring that anyone with enough talent to make music should find their own voice. Amby Martin has found her own voice, but her turn as Janis Joplin is done with talent, conviction, and respect. We hope that she continues with it. For this paricular performance, the Beat Daddys remained onstage as her backing band. We learned later from Mr. Grisham that they had never met Ms. Martin and had one hour to rehearse with her. Their performance was more than credible and a testament to their musicianship.
The headliner for this evening's event was also a local favorite. Bluesman Johnny Winter grew up right next door in Beaumont, Texas, and is newly a member of the GUlf Coast Music Hall of Fame. A recent grammy-nominated album has him back in the spotlight, and this crowd was anxious to see him. Some were likely shocked to see him amble out on stage looking frail due to recent hip surgery. He did the entire show from a chair set up at the front of the stage, and as usual played flawless and innovative blues guitar. Mr. winter's voice is still strong, but he did share lead vocals with his bandmates. He ran through a number of old favorites ("Black Cat Bone," Johnny B. Goode"), did some things from his recent I'm A Bluesman album, and burned through a rollicking rendition of the Ray Charles penned "Blackjack." It was an excellent performance, and capped off an especially satisfying evening of blues.
Van Morrison returned to the Dallas area on March 6th for the first time in almost thirty years. Showing that he still has star power here, Morrison sold out the 6,350 seat Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie in one day. Starting his show promptly at 7:30, the star played to a theatre that was nearly half empty due to access and parking problems at Nokia. By 8:00 the theatre was full and the crowd was hanging on every note from the "Bangmaster."
It was not the show that everyone expected. Morrison is traveling with a 13 piece band and playing a jazzy, almost big-band version of his recent music. Even when he reached way back for a couple of classics ("Brown Eyed Girl," "Moondance") he updated them to fit this new style. Rarely picking up his guitar, he did demonstrate his prowess with the saxophone and harmonica. Mostly though, he sang; and this is what seemed to make the show work for his fans. It would have been easy for the audience to turn on him when he said those words that classic rock fans most hate to hear; namely: "We'd like to do something from our new album." Considering that the new album, which was due out the following day, is a mixture of country music and Celtic soul, there was potential for disappointment. But this crowd was not at all unhappy, and it had a lot to do with the vocal power this artist still possesses.
In the end, it would have been nice to see the free-spirited Celtic hippy of years past sing "Tupelo Honey" and "And It Stoned Me," but it was still a pleasure to finally catch this live act. And the songs in this new style, like the old ones, were masterfully crafted.
Considering that John Fogerty was born in Berkeley, California, it is hard to understand why his appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo felt so much like a homecoming to the thousands of fans in attendance. Of course, that famous Fogerty sound, which the world first heard in the Creedence Clearwater Revival albums, owes more to the swamps and backwoods of East Texas and Louisiana than to California. And the real homecoming here has to do with the reunion of John Fogerty and those great Creedence songs. Fogerty signed away the rights to his music thirty years ago to free himself from his record company. For all these years, he has been unable to perform them in concert. That issue has, at last, been resolved. Free to sing his songs again, Fogerty made the most of it. For him, it must have been like being reunited with his children. Those of us in the audience were just happy to bear witness.
The first hour of the show was dedicated to CCR songs. Fogerty opened with "Travelin' Band," and followed with "Green River" as he ran through a total of sixteen Creedence songs. "Midnight Special" was a house favorite with its mention of Houston. "Heard It through The Grapevine," "Who'll Stop The Rain," and "Goin' Up Around The Bend" also had the crowd on its feet. We quickly lost track of how many guitars Fogerty actually used, since he changed guitars for every song. He did manage to do this without interrupting the flow of the concert. Once named the 40th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone, he has certainly not slowed down. After playing a couple of songs from his solo career, the show was closed as we knew it would be. "Proud Mary" was the perfect finish to an evening that John Fogerty seemed to enjoy as much as his fans.
John Fogerty played at the Houston Rodeo on March 7th, 2006. What an awesome performance. Like a fine wine, he gets better with age.
The concert starts and you probably haven't heard his music for years and it all comes back. The lyrics to the songs come back to you and you start singing and moving to the music. Suddenly, you are not in your forties. You are taken back to yesterday. For that good hour and a half you feel like a teenager again. You're remembering where you were with each song that he sings. It's amazing that John Fogerty still sounds great and is as energized as he was in the 70's. It's as if he was locked in a time capsule. He changes out different guitars, which made the concert more entertaining. You saw the "Young Crowd" enjoying the music their parents grew up listening to. Then you had the "Baby Boomers" gone back in time with each song played. John Fogerty played and the crowd was mesmerized with every song. You felt a rush as you waited in anticipation and excitement of guessing which song he was going to sing next. Without hesitation, he sang one song after another. It was a fulfilling night. Then he sings his last song of the night, "Proud Mary." The music stops, the crowd cheers, and you realize it is all over. All good things must come to an end. You leave his concert craving more music. You wouldn't have missed this for the world. What a way to end the night. The Rock & Roll of yesterday allows you to be lost in the moment.
In my opinion, John Fogerty will go down in history as a musician who helped create original rock & roll. His music will never die. If you ever have the opportunity to see him in concert, go and appreciate "real" rock & roll.
Johnathan Demme's new documentary Neil Young: Heart of Gold offers an intimate peek into Neil Young's recent, very personal album. Prairie Wind was already a very accessible record. Mr. Young's recent brush with death from a brain aneurysm and the resulting complications from surgery, coupled with the recent passing of his Father, all but insured that this album would deal with mortality. Of course, Neil being Neil, Prairie Wind deals with more than just mortality. Life, death, and the passage of time are all part of this album.
The movie begins with interviews of Young and the other musicians who participated in the two concerts at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Once the music begins, Demme wisely lets the songs tell the stories. Each song ends with a fade out and fade back in to a new song. Young introduces the songs with personal tidbits of information that draw the listener in even deeper. The result is a sense of actually sharing this period of his life. It seems somehow courageous to bare this in front of the audience and the camera. Mr. Young has never kept his life a secret, though. His music has always been a window into who he is and what is happening to him.
The final part of the film has Neil playing some of his earlier acoustic works: "Old Man," "Heart of Gold," " The Needle and the Damage Done," and "Comes a Time" among others. For whatever reason, his voice sounds better on these songs than it has for years.
There is also a huge cast of musicians to help him along. Emmylou Harris, his wife Pegi, Spooner Oldham, and many others. A string section provides an extra dimension to some of the works.
For any Neil Young fan, this is a must see. For others, there could be no better introduction.
