|
|
||
|
|
 I've often pondered who decided that people would buy recordings of music if you offered them for sale. The guy was damned brilliant, I must say. So was the guy who decided that people would pay to see a performance of music. I've been to a few concerts, some real shows, others impromptu gigs and one-off performances. I've compiled brief notes on the major shows I've been to, and as I attend more I will add to the list... Past ConcertsLynyrd Skynyrd with .38 Special I figured I had my chance to see .38 Special live (and to insist on the period in front of the band name, even though they only went by .38 Special for one album). It was a good chance, too. And then, I got the chance to see them again. My dad and I champed at the bit. My mom? She said she'd come along this time, too. The catch was, they were more or less the opening act for fellow Floridian southern-rock veterans Lynyrd Skynyrd. I can't say I've been to a concert for the opening act, but here was a good example of it. Unfortunately, between work and my dad's slightly slower walking pace, we were still a few feet from our seats when we heard the distinctive drum-solo opening of a .38 Special show, leading into the only song they could open with, "Rockin' Into The Night." The rest of the set followed a predictable pattern, but with so many recognizable hits, you're going to have to play them. "Twentieth Century Fox" and "Back Where You Belong" followed, with the recently-returned (from knee surgery) Donnie Van Zant dedicating "Rebel To Rebel" to his brother, former Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant. In promotion of the new album "Drivetrain," the band played the new single "Hurts Like Love," which sounds like classic .38 Special and is a solid sales pitch for a new album (released on my birthday, wouldn't you know?). A Don Barnes guitar solo led into a newer song named "Trooper With An Attitude," familiar to me because it was in the opening scene of the movie "Super Troopers" (the band made sure to outfit the stage with a pair of blue strobe lights). A medley in the middle of the set allowed the band to squeeze in some less-popular but still-popular songs, from "Stone Cold Believer" and "Teacher, Teacher" to "Second Chance" (which my dad swore was a Journey song). "Caught Up In You" was a strong final song, though in classic concert tradition, the band re-emerged for an encore that included "Hold On Loosely." It was a strong set all the way through, though the tuning and acoustics enhanced the bass pretty effectively. Maybe too effectively. That left the stage clear (well, after some switching around) for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Maybe it was because I was there for .38 Special. Maybe it's because I don't know the singles as well. Maybe it's because seven of the original nine members are no longer with the band, many killed in the plane crash that claimed Ronnie Van Zant. And maybe it was the hokey intro to the show, an animated bit in which "Dog," a TV "bounty hunter" with his own new show, searches for the members of the band on the way to the concert. The intro made sure to introduce the mostly-new faces of the band members before they opened with "That's How I Like It," a single from the new album "Vicious Cycle." The sound was rougher, less refined, more muddy. Even the classics seemed slow to come. "Simple Man" was an early favorite, though a medley of tunes resulted in one I could name ("Gimme Back My Bullets," and that was only after I heard the lines spoken by new lead singer Johnny Van Zant). Following "Tuesday's Gone," my mom decided she'd had enough, and suggested we bolt to avoid traffic. I was indifferent but I couldn't object. Of course, Dad's favorite, "Gimme Three Steps," came on as we made our way to the car. We missed the "Freebird" ballad segment, but I don't feel quite so bad about that. So I've finally attended a concert for the opening act, and lived to tell about it. It was a great opening act. Maybe if I were more of a...Skynhead?...I might have enjoyed the show. It's easier to overlook imperfections when you're a devoted fan. Daryl Hall & John Oates with Michael McDonald and Average White Band Years ago, I said that there were two bands that, if I had a chance, I had to see live: Chicago and .38 Special. Well, the latter came to town, and I got to see them in action...great show. So now, there was only Chicago. I didn't realize that Hall and Oates were still touring. Of course, most of my friends are quick to say "Hall and who?" Not many remember one of the bands I grew up listening to, dancing in my playpen to "Maneater" and other hits by the so-called white-soul duo. It's their loss. And so when I discovered they were coming to town, I asked the only person I knew who would want to go: my dad. He didn't feel up to it, but against my wishes my mom suggested otherwise, and so we got tickets for the show...of course, good seats were still available days before. Touring with Hall & Oates were Michael McDonald, former keyboardist and vocalist of the Doobie Brothers, and the Average White Band. AWB opened the show with a half-hour set including Hall & Oates' saxophonist on "Pick Up The Pieces." Michael McDonald followed with an hour-long set, playing some originals and some of his Doobie Brothers classics such as "Minute By Minute" along with new covers from his recent Motown tribute album. After the first two sets, Hall & Oates hit the stage with "Out Of Touch." With the exception of a Daryl Hall solo-album feature and maybe one other song, it felt great to hear songs I remembered all too well, played to perfection (though Daryl can't quite hit some of the high notes anymore...age takes its toll, and I realize some of these tunes are twenty-five years old). "She's Gone" was played as a recall of the old days, along with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Say It Isn't So." "Maneater" was a definite, prompting my dad to suggest I dance along at the edge of the rail in front of our seats (only I felt a bit old for child antics). And as if that weren't enough, all three bands joined on stage for the actual "Rock & Soul Revue," with members of AWB and McDonald's band supporting Hall & Oates through another Doobie Brothers song and a couple Hall & Oates pieces, as well as a cover of a Temptations number from McDonald's Motown CD. All told, three hours of great rock...yes, and soul. And it was a show I couldn't ever regret. There's something special about seeing a band you grew up listening to, never thinking you'd see them perform live. And you always worry that they won't play to form, that they'll be rusty. I wasn't disappointed, not one bit. Well, maybe they could have done "Method Of Modern Love." But that's hardly a complaint. You can't knock a good show like that. "Weird Al" Yankovic When "Weird Al" comes to town, you know that Carmine and Chris Sarno and Adam Martin will be champing at the bit to go. It's fine with me. This time, though, was kind of muted. With Carmine in Virginia, there was really no mention of it until the night before. Adam asked me if I'd go, and of course I said sure...how am I going to miss that? And so we went. Met after work at Carmine's parents' place, surprised that Chris was also not interested in going. We headed down to Hampton, grabbing a bite to eat before the show kicked off. As expected, it was almost a carbon copy of the previous summer's show, with some new twists. New songs in the mid-show medley, a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" (where Al asked guitarist Jim West what song they should play in lieu of "One More Minute," and then responded "That's dumb...it's not even one of our songs!") that faded into "One More Minute" anyway, and a second tour of the audience during "Wanna B Ur Lovr." So it was a familiar show, but a good show nonetheless. The only shortcoming was a flock of kids in front of us who were singing along as loud as they could for most of the songs, or standing on their chairs to see above taller people. But otherwise? It was all you can expect from the Weird One himself. Blue Man Group with Tracy Bonham and Venus Hum When my dad would watch the Boston TV stations for his morning news, I noticed commercials for something called the Blue Man Group. Only recently did I learn what the Blue Man Group really was, a musical and performance act featuring three bald-headed men with blue skin. Time went on and I learned that they invented a number of the instruments they play on stage, and there are Blue Man Group performances in major cities other than Boston, too. Then, this summer, I learned that they had released a second album of songs with a rock accompaniment, and that they would be touring with the new rock show. I suggested to some friends that the Boston date was fast approaching, but by the time people expressed interest it was too late. However, with a show half an hour north of our college, catching the Blue Man Group live still was a possibility. A week before the show, I discovered three of my friends were definitely interested in attending. I had met John Balint and his friend Adam over the weekend, and they both mentioned they were interested if I went. I talked to Brian Grigg that night, and he basically said we had to go. With people who were interested without a doubt, I bought the tickets and off we were. We took our seats to discover that not only was Tracy Bonham touring with the Blue Man Group as a guest vocalist (having appeared on the new "The Complex" album lending vocals to two songs), but she was also opening for the band with her own acoustic act featuring her vocals, guitar and violin work complemented by a guitarist and keyboardist. Having released her own EP recently, Tracy played a number of songs from the new release before wrapping up her set with a spoon-percussion solo by her keyboardist. I was impressed, and I'd say it was equal parts solid tuning (very good for an opening act) and skillful playing. I thought this would be the sole opening act until another equally-small act, Venus Hum, took the stage. Venus Hum, fronted by Annette Strean, struck me as some sort of art-school techno project, with the guitarist quickly trading his guitar for a keyboard while another guy managed a couple sound boards with various loops. Another member sat off-stage with a laptop, apparently managing a short projector show that played behind the band. It was a total departure from Tracy Bonham's act, and mercifully lasted about ten minutes shorter. As soon as Venus Hum left the stage, two red neon signs began displaying messages to the crowd, entertaining those who decided not to leave during the intermission (including us, as soon as we realized what was going on). After a half-hour, the show kicked into full gear. Out of the interest of encouraging people to check out the rock show for themselves, I won't say many specifics. But I will say that it was nothing short of amazing. The three Blue Men themselves, who play a variety of instruments from their own tube-based percussion devices to an inverted piano struck with a large mallet, were accompanied by a full band consisting of a drummer and two other percussionists, two guitarists, a keyboardist, and a bassist who also plays the Chapman stick. For those songs with vocals, male vocals were handled by one of the stage musicians and female vocals were provided by Tracy Bonham, who also brought her violin out for one song. Annette Strean of Venus Hum also sang for one song, further explaining Venus Hum's presence when their music seemed the opposite of what Blue Man Group's Rock Tour advertised. The music was, of course, coupled with visual effects, from the display screens behind and in between the band to lighting up the instruments (and artists) themselves. The show itself took the format of a guidebook for bands performing their first rock concert tour (this is the first time the Blue Man Group has been a touring act). A voiceover would indicate various "rock concert movements" for the Blue Men, who would then demonstrate and execute, from the early basics (the "basic head bob," the "one-armed fist pump," and "jumping up and down") to more complex routines ("bringing out the guest vocalist"). One such complex movement was "paying homage to influences so the audience thinks you're still down to earth," which involved brief covers of the recognizable loops from songs such as Devo's "Whip It" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train." Our balcony seats were greeted by one traveling Blue Man for another movement, "getting to know the people in the cheap seats." Tracy Bonham first appeared on stage for "Up To The Roof," with a male vocalist handling Gavin Rossdale's role in "The Current" (which featured a more interesting visual effect that is still difficult to explain) and a smaller role performed on the album by Dave Matthews (representing another movement, "getting the audience to sing along"). The show came to a close with the necessary Rock Concert Movement #75, "the fake ending," after which the band reappeared for a two-song encore. A final element of surprise came when the (mute) Blue Men brought an audience member on stage to read the band members' names and a final farewell from the band. Unfortunately, the Saratoga show was the last Capital Region show on the tour, with one concert remaining on the second leg and none slated for the third leg (though they will be as close as Syracuse, and back in New Hampshire as well). The whole show was amazing beyond words, and I'm just really really happy we decided to see it after all. Steely Dan My dad's childhood best friend and his wife were going to go out with my parents. They were planning to see Steely Dan, a band they'd followed as teenagers and still enjoyed today. Where does this leave your reviewer? At home, until the Sunday before the concert when my mom decided she was unable to go. My dad asked if I'd go instead, and I figured it was worth a shot. Now, I know about as much about Steely Dan as I did about Béla Fleck when I went to my first Flecktones show. I figured that at the least, I'd gain an appreciation for something a bit different. I actually knew more of Steely Dan, just because I recognized a few of the songs when my dad listened to them. We arrived at the arena, took our seats, and the band started off about fifteen minutes late with an instrumental number. As the instrumental piece wrapped up, I realized there were two more members walking on stage to great fanfare. As I understood it, these were frontmen Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who play guitars and piano respectively (with Fagen handling the vocals). Becker and Fagen are the core of Steely Dan, writing all the music themselves (during member introductions, Becker and Fagen refer to each other as "partners"). In contrast, the live show contained the most musicians I'd ever seen in a single band. In addition to Becker and Fagen, the band boasted an additional guitarist, a bassist, a drummer who must have been younger than some of the songs, an additional keyboardist, a four-piece horn section (trumpet, saxophones, and trombone) and three female backup vocalists. That's thirteen members on stage. And while more usually equals chaos, that was far from the case, as Becker and Fagen had surrounded themselves with quite-capable musicians for their jazz-based rock show. As the show went on, I recognized bits and pieces of songs, but not any one single that I could name as well. The show started with "Aja," and included a number of other recognizable hits ("Hey Nineteen," "Peg"). The band took a set break after an hour, returning for another forty-minute set before wrapping up with an encore that was spotlighted by "FM." All in all, I was impressed. It wasn't my favorite show ever, but you had to admire the fact that a band with that many members on stage could sound anything but chaotic. Instead, it was masterful, if you can describe a rock show as such. Was it a show I'd seek out again? Probably not. But I enjoyed it while I was there. "Weird Al" Yankovic "Weird Al" Yankovic's Poodle Hat Tour comes on the heels of the release of his newest album, "Poodle Hat," this May, four years after the release of "Running With Scissors." With an extensive catalog that guarantees some new songs in addition to the well-favored classics, no "Weird Al" show is going to be an exact repeat of the past tour's shows, so Carmine and his mom preordered tickets to the show for the three of us, plus Carmine's brother Chris and Adam Martin. We arrived well in time for the opening act, a comedian who, despite cracking some jokes about the neighboring state of Maine and the relative unfriendlyness of New Englanders, failed to gain a lot of laughter. Fortunately, shortly after 8:30 passed "Weird Al" took the stage. Despite our concerns that many of the new "Poodle Hat" songs would not be as stellar as the past hits, "Weird Al" kicked the set off with energy and an accordion with "Angry White Boy Polka" (a polka medley of alternative-rock hits from Papa Roach's "Last Resort" to the White Stripes' "Fell In Love With A Girl"), immediately launching into "Party At The Leper Colony" and "A Complicated Song" (a parody of Avril Lavigne's first single). Fans of older "Weird Al" hits were treated to "Melanie," one of Al's depressing romantic numbers, and "Dog Eat Dog," a song off the "Polka Party" album. Diehards were nearly thrown into orgasm at the mention of "Albuquerque" (an eleven-minute song from the "Running With Scissors" album that has only been performed once live for obvious reasons), but "One More Minute" (another "romantic" song) pleased the crowd equally when Al (followed by a stage hand) toured the crowd briefly. The rest of the set was punctuated by two video screens that played clips from Al's "AlTV" specials to minimize downtime for costume changes. "Trash Day," a parody of Nelly's "Hot In Herre," was accompanied by Al, guitarist Jim West and bassist Steve Jay in Vokal gear (Nelly's clothing label) complete with a bandage under Al's eye. "Smells Like Nirvana" saw Al don a blond wig and flannel shirt while two cheerleaders danced in the background. "It's All About The Pentiums" featured Al rapping on stage accompanied by bandmates in shirts and ties. "Amish Paradise" saw a band dressed entirely in black complete with hats and a fake beard for Al. A middle-of-the-show medley featured the concert-only "Free Delivery" (a Céline Dion "My Heart Will Go On" parody), plus bits of "eBay" (from the new album), "Ode To A Superhero," "Eat It," "My Bologna," "Jerry Springer," and even "Beverly Hillbillies" (a Dire Straits "Money For Nothing" parody from the movie "UHF"). After wrapping the set up with "Fat," the band returned for the predictable encore of "The Saga Begins" (a Don McLean "American Pie" parody of the "Star Wars: Episode I" plotline) and "Yoda." Altogether, I felt the band played a better set than they had at the Delhi show, though at times the mixing seemed less than before and the volume seemed to be cranked to eleven at the very end, leaving us with slightly ringing ears. But they played my favorite songs, so that's all that matters in the end. Everyone else sounded as happy, too. A post-show disappointment came in the form of Carmine and friend Jason Drapeau (who had met us at the show) trying to chase down bassist Steve Jay, with Jason hoping to pass on a demo CD of his band asking for opinions. While waiting for the band to show up, a large crowd formed and security personnel formed a line to get Al's autograph alone. With Steve playing hard-to-get between tour buses and equipment trucks, Carmine and Jason returned to the line to find two security guards at the end. Trying to get into the line, they were told, "This is the end of the line, sorry. If we let you in we have to let everyone else in." "Everyone else" had already left with their autographs, but the guards were steadfast. When Al finished, Jason managed to get his CD to Al, but sans autograph. Again, we'd been thwarted by power-tripping security guards, but they have their job to do. 9th Annual WBCN River Rave 2003 At $74 a ticket (with the "convenience" charge), I wasn't sure I wanted to go to the River Rave this year, even though I hadn't been before and this year's list of bands was enticing. My sister informed me we were going, as she had no one else to go with, and so we went. With two stages, eighteen bands between them, and the Rave Tent featuring three disc jockeys, it would be hard to check out every act, so we chose to stay at the main stage for the biggest acts. The only cancellation was Blur, who was unable to make the show. Seether: Seether opened the show with a set that sounded like they were underwater, the product of a bit too much bass. Still, they managed to make it perfectly clear that they sound a lot like Nirvana did. Their set was mostly made up of songs I didn't notice, including one with guest vocals from Evanescence lead vocalist Amy Lee (I didn't realize Seether and Evanescence share the same label). Their final original song, the single "Fine Again," was dedicated to the late Dave Williams of Drowning Pool. They followed it up with a cover of (surprise!) Nirvana's "You Know You're Right" (released eight years or so after the death of Kurt Cobain). You would have thought Kurt was there. The Donnas: If Seether had too much bass, they could have lent some to The Donnas, who immediately proved that they had way too much treble. My ears were ringing after the set. Like Seether, they chose to wrap up with the current single "Take It Off" from their latest album. I don't see how they can play more than a half-hour without their drummer getting exhausted. They play all-out, no question...or at least they try to. The Fucking Used: The label insists that the band is The Used, but the lead singer insisted otherwise. I had no idea what to expect from The Used, but they amounted to a lot of heavy guitar playing, a lot of jumping around on and off the stage, and a lot of using the F-word. Apparently their single is "Buried Myself Alive," which I think was their last track. I was just waiting for them to get off the stage anyway for... Evanescence: This was one of the bands that I had paid to see. As far as I know it's their only area appearance over the summer, though I hope it'll change. The first thing my sister and I noticed when they opened with "Going Under" was that Amy's voice was nonexistent. Yet another poor tuning job had left many of Amy's lower notes and softer notes barely audible over the rest of the instruments. They opened with "Going Under," which starts on a low note anyway. The problem was not corrected, but in the other songs Amy was singing more high than low notes and so was more audible anyway. Rather than play their older songs, they did stuff exclusively off the new album, wisely excluding "My Immortal" and "Hello" (too sensitive for a rock-show audience). A second guitarist was on stage and sang backup vocals on "Bring Me To Life" (normally sang by Paul McCoy of 12 Stones, but I don't think he plays guitar). Had the sound crew accentuated Amy's vocals, they likely would have been on. Another nice touch was the sampled piano notes and Amy's backup vocals, though it did give the show more of an album feel (they don't have a keyboard player in the live show). AFI: AFI, another band in the acronym-band era (that's A Fire Inside, by the way), has exactly one hit I knew of. "Girl's Not Grey." They played that hit. The rest of the stuff didn't sound anything like that single and contained a lot of screaming. We stepped out to get some food before Jane's Addiction came on. Jane's Addiction: The unannounced "special guest" of this year's River Rave (something to do with their headlining the Lollapalooza tour this summer), Jane's Addiction took a little longer to do a soundcheck once they rotated their half of the stage into place, and it showed through. Lead singer Perry Farrell (dressed in an off-white jacket and pants with a vest underneath, similar to how the Mighty Mighty BossTones perform in suit and tie) was one of the more interesting frontmen on the day, as the band played some new songs and old singles, including the single "Been Caught Stealing" (and another single or two I didn't know the name of). The extended soundcheck probably gets a bit of credit for the cleaner sound of their show versus the previous bands, but musicians like Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro didn't hurt any. Saliva: Saliva was the other act I was waiting excitedly for, and their show took off with a rallying cry by lead singer Josey Scott and the old single "Click Click Boom." A couple other songs from "Every Six Seconds" were played before kicking into the newer songs "Weight Of The World" and "Always." "Pride" was dedicated to those involved in the war in Iraq, along with a recommendation that "if [the Dixie Chicks] don't like America they should move out of the fucking country" (which was met with loud cheers). "Your Disease" wrapped up the set. Of all the bands at the show thus far, Saliva had rocked the hardest by far, but again with a truly clean sound. I expected Josey to pick up a guitar, but he was too busy keeping the crowd excited and singing along. Jack Johnson: The mellowest act at the show was Jack Johnson, a Hawaii native who according to WBCN DJ Nik Carter "retired from professional surfing at 27, and got together with Ben Harper to smoke weed and write songs." Johnson's first single, "Flake," had shades of Dave Matthews Band in it, and much of the material he played at the Rave (getting his familiar single out of the way early) was the same. It was an incredible slowdown from the Saliva rock-rap-and-now-mostly-rock show. Beck: You have to expect great things from a guy whose albums sound different. "Loser" (his first big single) sounds different from "Where It's At," "Sexx Laws," "Mixed Bizness" and the rest. And Beck didn't disappoint. He opened with "Loser," mixed in some other stuff, played "Mixed Bizness," and did some voice effects with a synthesizer. When we all thought it was over following "Where It's At," Beck returned in a white uniform and played "Devil's Haircut" to finish up the set. Good Charlotte: My sister had wanted to come just to see Good Charlotte, because she'd missed another of their shows. With about an hour to play, they probably went through their entire album "The Young And The Hopeless," opening with the single "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous" and closing with new single "The Anthem." I recognized some of the songs in between but I don't really follow the band, nor do I care a lot for punk rock. To their credit, though, the band was tight, playing well, playing loud, playing clearly, and on key. It was the kind of show you'd hope for your favorite band to put on. My sister was smiling and singing through the whole thing, having a great time. I was glad to see she enjoyed it. And that was that. We didn't venture to the Rave Tent or the Pit Stage (where The Ataris were playing among others...the good shows all coincided). We left before the Dropkick Murphys could end the show with their set. Overall, was it a disaster of the sound crews like I made it out to be? Nah...it was still a kickass show. Béla Fleck And The Flecktones I said I'd see the Flecktones again. So I did. There's not much else I can say except that Future Man has a new toy, the RoyEl, a piano-styled instrument played as a percussion instrument. He demoed the RoyEl during a 10-minute drum solo that opened the second set, something he had not done at the show we had seen in the past. I'm not sure what it was, but the band seemed to be on fire for this show. The playing was better, some of the songs were new, and the show just rocked. The tickets were not quite as good as the near-the-stage standing room at Hampton Beach, but the balcony was still a good place to watch from. What also impressed me was how small the crowd was at the end of the show (after the encore, of course) when the band appeared to do autographs after the concert. Carmine tracked down each member to sign his copy of their "Live At The Quick" DVD, while Liam asked Béla to sign his copy of the solo "Perpetual Motion" CD. As Liam said, the band remains accessible...that's part of what makes them a worthy act in addition to their obvious musical genius. Government Mule with guests Chris Wood and Mike Gordon Government Mule is a rock band that spun off from the Allman Brothers Band, but has some elements of the jam-band crowd in that you get a number of people with recording equipment, a few people looking for an extra ticket for free, people who follow the show from tour date to tour date, and a crowd that just seems to know each other. Liam (who offered me a spare ticket) had heard good things about the band, but he was there for guest bassist Mike Gordon of Phish. At 7:30, the doors opened and we filed in. After giving the crowd time to file in and settle down (I was told that Phish starts their shows a half-hour late so concertgoers can chat with friends they see), Government Mule took the stage. I was impressed with the first few songs, which reminded me some of the .38 Special concert I saw the year before (at that show was Dickey Betts, formerly of the Allman Brothers Band, ironically). Most of the crowd was dancing in some form to the music, or at the least keeping beat. A few slower songs were not quite to my liking, but the band seemed tight through the first set, wrapping up after about an hour. The band took the stage again around 10:00 and played a few more songs before welcoming a second guest bassist, Chris Wood of the jazz act Medeski, Martin & Wood. Wood was impressive, outplaying the band's regular bassist easily. He played about half an hour before being replaced by Mike Gordon of Phish, the second guest bassist. Gordon was good as expected, playing for another half hour before yielding to the band's regular bassist for an encore. Liam wanted to stick around the theatre for a bit in case Mike Gordon came out for autographs. We noticed that no one was ushered out; people were allowed to linger as fans packed their recording gear (I counted at least five, maybe six people recording the show), but none of the band members appeared. We went back to Liam's car and grabbed the photo of Mike that Liam had brought, and waited by the back of the theatre in case he came out that way. Sure enough, after a bit, Mike emerged with his guitar carrying a few things. One woman asked for an autograph, and Mike acted as if he were shocked: "Me? Sure." Liam got his picture signed...giving us discussion fodder for the ride home, and a reason to laugh at Carmine for missing a good show with a happy ending. TOOL with Tomahawk When my father and I discovered TOOL, everyone's favorite mysterious metal band, would be in Manchester, we agreed that while we would not drive far to see them, a show in our area couldn't be missed. We scored tickets to a private suite, keeping us above the rest of the sometimes-freakish crowd. What kind of crowd is this? I was asked by a friend to report on the show, because he had yet to meet someone who had gone to see TOOL who had not been under the influence of some drug. The freak show commenced with Tomahawk, the latest band fronted by Mike Patton of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. I expected a lot because people claimed Mr. Bungle was hugely revolutionary. What we got was a half-hour of unintelligible screaming, topped off by two large men in their underwear standing at either end of the stage, stomping their feet or moving their arms to the beat. There was a statue of a deer standing near a microphone on the stage, but it seemed to just be decorative, as it was not massacred or detonated. My father and I asked each other "What the hell was that?" afterwards. And then TOOL took the stage. They opened with "Sober," a rather recognizable song, though the one thing we could not recognize was lead singer Maynard James Keenan. We finally saw him, singing to the back wall of the stage, all dressed in black. Apparently, he doesn't care for playing to the audience. After a few more recognizable songs with names like "Stinkfist" and "Schism," Maynard disappeared from his stage to reappear in black underwear and nothing else. After their major radio hits, though, the rest of the show became rather dull. All the songs were punctuated by two video screens showing some bizarre claymation and computer-animated images similar to the band's videos. But the band seemed to suffer from what killed Creed...it was just another show. The band wrapped up quickly, too, with Maynard saying he hoped everyone found the show inspirational or at least left them fairly horny. With that, and a few waves, the show was over, and as the arena lights came on, it was obvious that there was no amazing encore to come, none of Maynard's work with side-project band A Perfect Circle, just the two-hour freak show that had preceded. Not to say it was a bad show. But something felt a bit empty afterwards. Béla Fleck And The Flecktones I had not planned to see Béla Fleck this summer, though I had missed a few opportunities in New York. When we discovered the Flecktones would be in Hampton Beach, though, we jumped at the chance to go. Carmine, Adam and I, along with Carmine and Adam's friend Andrew from their office, headed down that night, with the intention of seeing a good show cheap, as well as getting some miles on Adam's car before a weekend drag run. As is customary, we arrived about halfway through the first set. With the Flecktones, though, it doesn't really matter where you come in. For all intents and purposes, they're a jam band with a bluegrass flair, so the individual songs are there but not really critical to enjoying the show. What was important was that we made it in time to catch bassist Victor Wooten's work. Vic, possibly the best bass guitar player around, stunned the crowd with some impressive solo bass work besides carrying the rest of the show. And that's how it is with the Flecktones overall. I could not name a single song I heard that night, but you go to hear the musicians, whether it's Vic's bass work, Béla's banjo playing (which, while still impressive, is not quite a show in itself), or the interesting drumming of Vic's brother RoyEl "Future Man" Wooten, who plays not only the standard drums but also the "Drumitar," a stringed instrument that replicates a full drum set (at times, Future Man was playing the Drumitar one-handed, allowing him to play another set of toms with the other hand). The band broke for the first set after about an hour and twenty minutes (we had missed a half hour of that) and returned for another hour-long set that wrapped up with ten minutes of Béla's solo banjo work. A twenty-minute encore provided more of the same amazing playing that kept us entertained. I still cannot name a single by the Flecktones, but I'd gladly watch that show again. Huey Lewis and The News with Joe d'Urso Whether or not you can name all the singles through the years, you can most likely name a Huey Lewis song. If I were on the spot, I could say "The Power Of Love" and "Back In Time." But you know that with a 20-year career behind Huey Lewis And The News, there are more singles than that. We missed Huey last year at Meadowbrook, so when he came by this year, Adam Martin, Carmine Sarno and I made sure to get tickets. Adam Buchholz and some of his friends also had tickets, so we planned to meet them there. We headed up to the lake that night after our respective jobs, and enjoyed a quick dinner before heading out to Meadowbrook Farm. We arrived during the opening act, Joe d'Urso, a rather unremarkable one-guy-with-a-guitar act that gave us some time to find our seats and scout for the elusive Buxx (running into old mutual friend Jen Hosker in the interim, though she had no idea where Buxx was). Giving up on the search, we made sure to take our seats in time for the real show. And what a show. You don't realize how many hits one band can have until, well, you hear them yourself. But what made it more incredible is that at a smaller venue like Meadowbrook Farm, even with a pretty vocal crowd singing along and clapping to most of the songs, you could hear the music more clearly than maybe the Verizon Arena (though I think it might have just been me because you know the designers of the Arena spared no expense). Add that to the fact that Huey's guys love to play. Where Creed just seemed like they were going through the motions, Huey's show was upbeat, and proof that the band isn't merely touring because they need the money, they're touring because they love to play. They ran through all the hits, from "The Power Of Love" to "If This Is It," "Heart Of Rock And Roll," and some new songs from the album "Plan B." A mid-set change of pace offered some a capella arrangements, and a four-song double encore of sorts kept the fans cheering long after the show had wrapped up. Guess all it means is that we'll be sure to catch Huey next year. Creed with 12 Stones and Jerry Cantrell When you have a chance to see the hottest rock act of the time only ten minutes from your house, why pass it up? My dad and I scored tickets to see Creed's Weathered Tour, with my sister Stacy picking up free tickets from her friend's father's company. Opening were 12 Stones, a relatively unknown band, and Jerry Cantrell, a member of Alice In Chains before lead singer Layne Staley's April 2002 death. It was my first chance to see the new Verizon Wireless Arena, the much-lauded civic center responsible for a rebirth of sorts of Elm Street. My father, who had attended a World Wrestling Entertainment show in July, said there was not a bad seat in the house, and I was inclined to believe him. Our seats were straight back from the stage, affording a pretty good view of 12 Stones as they took the stage to open the show. 12 Stones was actually surprisingly good, one of the best opening acts I'd ever seen. Without having heard them before, I was fairly impressed with singles such as "Broken" and "Fade Away" (songs that sounded original, but made me wonder how many more song titles are left for bands to choose from). Their sound is similar to Creed's, with a few songs reminiscent of what I've heard from TRUSTcompany. 12 Stones played essentially their entire debut CD before leaving the stage for Jerry Cantrell. Having heard Jerry's work with Alice In Chains, perhaps I expected too much, but Jerry's band was rather unremarkable. Standing on stage in a pose that made the members look from a distance like the 1980's Metallica, they played some of Jerry's original songs (including his new single "Anger Rising") and some of the classic Alice In Chains songs the fans no doubt expected. However, the sound was somewhat muffled and unclear. I hoped it would pale in comparison to Creed. And after a break from the opening acts, Creed took the stage with a good pyrotechnic show to back their music. They made the wise choice to play some of the harder songs early, as well as many of the older songs from the "My Own Prison" album, including that album's title cut, "Torn" and "One" (more songs with titles that seem to be fairly popular). But as Creed wore into their quieter songs, something was obviously missing. The band wrapped up with an encore of "Don't Stop Dancing" (a quiet song) and "My Sacrifice" (the first song off "Weathered"). And they played incredibly well, as tight as the album, though Scott Stapp's voice seemed a bit off-key much of the night. But what was really missing was some sort of energy. As good as they played, for the band it seemed to just be another show on the tour and nothing more. The music was there, but the energy between the band and the screaming fans was nowhere near as intense as, say, AC/DC. Still, for the sheer quality of the music (and pyrotechnics if you're a fire bug), Creed was hard to beat. Spin Doctors with The Zen Tricksters I thought I was too young to go to reunion tours. But when Carmine heard that the Spin Doctors' original members had reunited for a brief tour, we had to go. Not only was this my first reunion tour, it was also my first time in the sort of club that Northern Lights is. Northern Lights is in a strip-mall plaza, but when you go in the front door, it's like you would imagine any other club; a bar in the middle, cigarette smoke, people drinking...not quite my kind of place but if the entertainment's good, it's worth a few hours of lung torture. And it was evident it would be a few hours when we noticed the sound check for the opening act extending past the 8:00 start time. And past 8:30. Finally, around 8:45, the Tricksters, apparently a reputed jam-band legend in the Spin Doctors' native New York City, took the stage for a 45-minute set. After they wrapped up, their equipment was moved off stage to make room for the Spin Doctors, though not before an abbreviated sound check to tune the Spin Doctors' instruments one last time. And with that, the Spin Doctors took the stage at 10pm, waking the crowd up with "Jimmy Olsen's Blues." That was the start of a two-hour set in which the band played through their best-known hits from the days when they were a band together (after the "Turn It Upside Down" album, the bassist and guitarist were replaced for future recordings). A three-song encore wrapped up with radio hit "Two Princes," perhaps the best-known song of the band. The band hung around after the show to chat with fans, and Carmine got a chance to speak with bassist Mark White. I stood to the side but Carmine walked away with a hell of a smile. Charlie Daniels Band/.38 Special/Dickey Betts Band/Trent Summar & The New Row Mob My dad has always been attracted to music he could play guitar to. As a result, we heard a lot of Chicago and .38 Special around the house. When we heard that .38 Special would be touring with the Charlie Daniels Band, with a concert to be held in Manchester, we naturally had to buy tickets. Originally, my mother, father and I planned to go, but when my sister lamented that we were "ditching her" for the evening, my mother passed her ticket on to my uncle. I must say that this was possibly the best concert I have ever attended. We arrived in the middle of the first two acts, the support bands of Trent Summar & The New Row Mob and the Dickey Betts Band (Betts is a former member of the Allman Brothers Band). We took our seats shortly before 8:00, when .38 Special came on stage. Opening with "Rockin' Into The Night," the band played a powerful set, hitting most of the songs I remembered and downloaded in the past. A medley of lesser-recognized hits came about half an hour into the show, along with a tribute to vocalist/guitarist Donnie VanZant's late brother Ronnie (an original member of fellow southern-rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd) in the form of the .38 Special song "Rebel To Rebel." A three-song encore was kicked off with "Hold On Loosely" followed by a couple other tunes before the band had to yield just past 9:00 so setup could begin for the "CDB." At 9:30, Charlie Daniels, fiddle in hand, led the rest of the band onto the stage, opening with a few instrumental jams where Daniels switched between the fiddle and electric guitar. Dickey Betts made a few appearances to jam with the CDB, offering his guitar work to songs that, at times, featured five guitarists on stage with a bassist, keyboardist and drummer. Daniels, too, had his dedications; one, a song dedicated to auto racing's beginners and dreamers (when he evoked the name of the late Dale Earnhardt, the crowd erupted in cheers), another a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" dedicated to Ronnie VanZant. Another stirring number was "conducted" when Daniels jammed with the entire band, singling out each musician by leading their play with a fiddle melody he expected them to repeat, whether on guitars, drums or the keyboard. With time approaching before the 11:00pm curfew, the band finished with a fast rendition of the hit "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." Third-row seats gave us an incredible view of both leading bands, and each of the incredibly-skilled musicians on stage. I think this concert made me realize what's so much better about a show like this as opposed to the *NSYNC concert my sister attended in May; these bands look like they enjoy playing what they play. "Weird Al" Yankovic I can count the times I've missed a "Weird Al" show on one hand (7/1999 transportation, 10/1999 parental disapproval, 7/2000 work), and I could almost add this show to the list, as the previous night's show in Verona, NY had been sold out. Tickets for the Delhi show were available, and with friend Adam Martin (with whom I had attended the matchbox twenty and Jamiroquai shows), Carmine Sarno, and campus acquaintances Jayson Paul of Pennsylvania and Derek Kesler of Puerto Rico, we set off for Delhi, two hours down the road. Carmine had made arrangements with bassist Stephen Jay that gave us backstage access to the show, but when we arrived we were told that no backstage access was granted to anyone. Carmine found Steve Jay on the sidelines during the mundane "Mr. Bullhorn" opening act, and explained the dilemma. Steve said he would take care of that matter. With that, the show began, opening with "Gump" (a parody of the Tom Hanks film and Presidents of the United States of America song "Lump") and entering a two-hour block of costume changes and riveting parodies, from "Free Delivery" (a parody of "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion which has not appeared on an album) to "Smells Like Nirvana" ("Smells Like Teen Spirit"), "Dare To Be Stupid" (a style parody mocking the 1980's bands such as Devo), "Eat It" ("Beat It"), a lengthy polka medley (based off "Polka Power!"), "It's All About The Pentiums" ("It's All About The Benjamins") and a finale including "The Saga Begins" (the "American Pie" parody about "Star Wars: Episode I") and "Yoda." We were excited to meet the band, but upon meeting with Steve Jay, he told us that the band had been told by campus officials to leave immediately after the show. Carmine was rewarded for his work on a tribute page to Steve, though, as the bassist led Carmine to the tour bus and presented him with a copy of his new CD, "Self-Avoiding Random Walk." The show was great...the venue left something to be desired. matchbox twenty Since "Yourself Or Someone Like You," a lot was wondered about what happened to Matchbox-20. Lead singer Rob Thomas performed with legend Carlos Santana for Santana's "Supernatural" album in 1999. The band released a new album under a modified moniker for 2000, eschewing capital letters and spelling out "twenty" for the new album, "mad season by matchbox twenty." With concertgoers Adam Martin and Carmine Sarno, I attended this show primarily because of the low ticket price for RPI students. The opening act, The Jayhawks, were little to write home about, but when matchbox twenty assumed control of the stage, they did so for a good two hours, opening with new hit "bent," offering a cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "American Girl," Rob playing piano and guitar for a few songs, and ending with a three-song encore which included "the song that kept us from losing our label," "Push" (off the old album). AC/DC Legend is a great part of AC/DC's mystique. There's the name, lifted from a sewing machine but assumed to be a reference to bisexuality. There's guitarist Angus Young's schoolboy uniform, part of an image that suggested he was merely getting out of school in time to jam with the band. There's Brian Johnson, who replaced Bon Scott after the latter's death by choking on his own vomit after a binge in the early 1980's. With a new album, "Stiff Upper Lip," the band embarked on a tour with opening act Slash's Snakepit (formed by former Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Slash). Though the opening act was terrible, AC/DC put on a two-hour marathon of hits from the past with new songs sprinkled throughout. Memories include the video loop played through "Hard As A Rock," Angus' usual strip show (where he stripped to flash his American-flag boxers and performed topless the remainder of the evening), Brian swinging from a bell for "Hell's Bells," and the finale of "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)," where cannons blasted off indoors. My ears were ringing the next day. It was the first concert I had attended with my father. Thanks, Dad. Jamiroquai Jason Kay (aka Jay Kay) is often mistaken as the sole member of this funk band from England, and it's easy to see why, with his on-stage and on-screen antics from music videos for "Virtual Insanity" (off the album "Travelling Without Moving") and "Canned Heat," the first single off the new album "Synkronized." This was my first concert, attended with Carmine Sarno, Adam Martin and C.J. Chretien. Though we sat pretty far back from the stage, we were able to hear every note and see almost every one of Jay Kay's jumps, bounds, flips and nearly anything else you can imagine. At the end of the show, they passed out brownies to the front row, but since the band is a supporter of marijuana legalization, we assume they were laced with pot. Overall, a great first concert. This Web site does not reflect the opinions of any professional organization represented herein. All trademarks are the rights of their respective owners. Please forward all comments, complaints and questions to the Webmaster. Web site maintained by Jeffrey J. Brown. |
|
