This Rise Against show was a bit of a disappointment. They were the opening band not the headliner, parts of the setlist felt forced/jumbled, and most importantly, I was not able to share the experience as I was able to last time. That said, it was a Rise Against show, so it was still a rush. Moments of black joy shot up time and time again. Starting with… --- “Re-Education”!!! I was stuck in the back and middle during the opening two songs, where low-energy members of the crowd weren’t remotely “Ready to Fall.” Once I moved close to the stage, though, Rise Against greatness came back in a heartbeat – one that was POUNDING AWAY. :) --- “Satellite” featured a cool slow section, and “The Violence” was a solid new song, so more “Help [Was] on the Way.” --- HA at the fact that communication broke down around me during “Welcome to the Breakdown.” First, my phone flew out of my hand. Next, I tried searching for it IN A MOSH PIT. Then, when I found it, this guy came at me, insisting it was his girlfriend’s phone?! By the end of the song, though, when I pulled up photos showing the man he’d lost his mind, he said sorry and hugged me! --- “How we survive (who we are), that's what makes us who we are.” Exactly what I told the Rock Club kids!! --- The inspiration continues: “If you remember nothing else, resist the urge to bury your head in the sand.” YES. Mentions the GOP baseball field shooting from today. Appreciate him mentioning the GOP baseball field shooting from today. Love the rare moments when a band breaks the script of the rest of the tour. --- Beautiful tone shift with “People Live Here.” Haunting vocals.
--- Lol at most people not knowing “Wolves” and the awkwardly obvious images on the video screen. Nice scream at the end though. --- Whoa at all the new riffs during “Prayer of the Refugee”!!!! Best version I’ve ever heard of their best song. --- Without an intro, “Make It Stop” feels less powerful than last time. It’s as if, now that there’s less homophobia, they’re going through the motions. Sigh. --- “Savior” is much too calm to end on. Sigh. At least there’s still the sweet pause section. And it’s Rise Against, so next time, with other people / stronger songs, they’ll be back on top! Grade: B+
Friday, June 9 was the worst day of the school year – by a mile. There were not many bad days this school year, and I ended up getting over it, but I was not in a good frame of mind entering the show. On rare occasions that emotions make me ill, time is the only way I can heal. I try to distract myself with sounds and visuals I normally like, but it doesn’t work. Good things still feel bad. Waiting is the only effective medicine. I need time to feel better. Until Wilco. Little by little over the course of the show, the songs raised my spirit. The performance changed my mood. Jeff Tweedy, miracle worker – who knew? ;) Here’s how it all happened: --- “On and On and On.” Nice. Promising non-mechanical start. --- “Cry All Day.” Fitting for today. Ooooooh at the last verse. --- I'm flipping out at “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.” It's not even a song of mine, but the discordant lashes are miles above whatever was on the last two albums. Plus, more importantly, the show is cathartic as hell. --- “Art of Almost”!!!! Lunacy. My body is jungle gym. Yes. --- Started out slow, but the non-Schmilco funk of “Pickled Ginger” grew on me. --- “We bring you tidings of great joy. And confusion.” HEE. --- So early for “Misunderstood,” but I'll take it. The catalogue is deep, and it's awesome. Kinda miss the violent “nothings” at the end, but the unpredictability points make it work.
--- Some useless new song. --- “Pot Kettle Black” sounds great by comparison. Yay. --- “It's such a beautiful night. Sorry to play all these depressing songs. Hope you're now depressed about something else.” HA, appreciate it. --- Still don’t like the crashes during “Via Chicago.” Nice when they come out of them though. --- Hehe, “that was all the finding-your-seats music.” --- “Box Full of Letters” oddly feels better than “Impossible Germany” and “Jesus Etc.” There are lower expectations, and it feels more original. --- “Theologians”!! --- “I'm Always in Love”! An official new rule tonight: small songs are better than big ones!! Aww, I look at the row in front of me, and this guy's like me – he’s flicking his head the whole time!!! --- “We have more. We have more.” Woo! --- Familiar works too!!! “Heavy Metal Drummer,” “I'm The Man Who Loves You,” “Hummingbird,” and “The Late Greats” all rock. --- Encore. “Ashes of American Flags” earns non-sellout points. It’s chill AND electric. So many sides, Jeff, so many sides. Don’t remember this riff ending. Nice!! --- Sickkkkkk shift into... --- “Spiders”!!!! Still the crown jewel. Endless reinvention. This time with crowd is given the “bababa” chorus. --- “California Stars” feels real smooth. Heh at the bouncing Motown girl in front of me. Another effortless shift. --- At the start of the show, I wrote a Facebook status. It was a shot in the dark I didn’t actually believe: “Time to lean on live music. I have faith. It will lift me up.” Incredibly, that’s what happened. Wilco saved the day. Grade: A+
I came to Explosions through Friday Night Lights. Their sound made the movie/show better, enhancing each scene it was in. The words Matt Saracen said to his dad, the words Coach said to Matt as his surrogate dad, what Coach said at State -- it all meant more with the band's sound in the background. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw572hRD1diCZUNXZ1N6cDV6RlU/view The sad difference, live, is that there were no words -- no scenes or stories either. I thought I could get past that, could love an only-instrumental band, but I couldn't. I had reason to hope: (1) Songs that feature extended instrumentals are usually in my top two or three for my favorite bands. (2) Explosions sounded great. (3) They looked stunning. And yet......it was hard to connect. All this arresting little moments...lost a moment later. Pensive one second, propulsive the next...and gone. It's the same experience I've had with classical music. It's my failing, not theirs. It made me realize, though, that I need some known structure, some emotional tether, for a show to work. When I get that, I'm satisfied -- I find meaning. I might be lifted up to heaven; I might be dragged down to hell. Either way, I go somewhere. I see more than scattered explosions in the sky... Grade: C+
I made a conscious effort not to overhype myself for this concert. This approach paid off, as I was hooked from the first notes. I wish the band had a video monitor, and I wish it used the “way-o” crowd call way less, but virtually everything else was great. --- Smart decision to have everyone join in on “Boulevard.” --- “If you're looking at me through your camera, you're not looking at me. We need to rub up against each other.” --- Hahah at Billie Joe Armstrong forgetting the lyrics to “Welcome to Paradise.” Hahahah at the talented kid on stage not forgetting anything. Exuberant pubescent profanity! --- “2000 Light Years Away” from 1991. Um, time for the t-shirt cannon... --- Brilliant D.C. MD VA poll!! Gauging where the crowd is from is easy to do, and seems like something the audience and performers would find equally interesting. [For the record, the most people were from MD.] --- “When I Come Around.” The woman to the left of me is amazingly animated and on point. The woman to the right knew EVERY lyric. Worth the price of admission. I also spoke to a fascinating female fan on the metro ride home, so wooo, women. --- “I've had this guitar since I was ten years old. Thanks, mom.”!!! --- “Minority.” Nice mini acapella launch midway. No connection to today: ugh. --- They connect the drummer to MD and VA. YES. --- “Are We The Waiting” into “St Jimmi”!!!! My calves, the nine hour pause before “and don't wear it out”: awesome!!! --- Lol at random jazzy sax. --- “A big hand for Against Me. For some of you, that band may change your life. Just like Operation Ivy, the band behind ‘Knowledge,’ changed mine.” --- “If they build a wall, we're going to scale it.” As close as we're to get to meaning. Awww at the girl's three chords! Natalie gets to keep the guitar?!!! --- “Basket Case”: melodddddy!!!
--- “King For A Day”: Jason Freeze on sax, from Nimrod, totally different/new. Interesting. Lol at the romantic badana-na-nuh. --- Lol at Billie kick line during “I Want You To Know." Meh at “Shout,” but the comedy is killer!! Fading lights and sax work well. --- “I want love and tolerance and compassion and joy. Stick up for the little guy. That might be me. We all come from these ----d up backgrounds. We can all come together and be ----d up together.” Amen. --- “No Satisfaction” into an amazing “Hey Jude”: judyjudyjude!! --- “Still Breathing”!! By way of Kelly Clarkson… “Somewhere Now”: strong! “Forever Now”: fine. --- “American Idiot.” Ugh, toothless....no wait....the whole apolitical thing's been a slow play....“---- YOU DONALD TRUMP!!!” I'm shocked how emotional it feels. Agree or not, they’re taking a stand, a prerequisite for punk. “Jesus of Surburbia”!!!! Epic glory. As usual, I wince at “retarded” – outdated/unacceptable. Overall, though, “Jesus” is a true pop-punk “Jungleland.” --- Structurally clever, emotionally right codas: “Ordinary World” and “Good Riddance.” Grade: A
The best part of this show was seeing it with Kevyn Allgeier. His love of music equals/surpasses my own, and we tried to get together for a show for years. The fact that it was for a band we’ve discussed for years, and I’ve seen for years, made it especially satisfying. There was barely room to move during the show (let alone type much), but here’s an annotated setlist from the night: --- “Get Right,” from the new Integrity Blues, was okay. Not as good as the pre-concert food and drinks at The Saloon. --- “Bleed American”!! --- “I Will Steal You Back” from Damages. --- “Big Casino.” Love the way he says “New Jersey success story.” --- “You With Me”: so different! --- Heh, covering “Last Christmas” by Wham. --- “Hear You Me” / “If You Don't, Don't.” --- “Pass The Baby (Here)” has creepy charisma. Woooo at the dananana half way though. --- “Just Tonight.” “Polaris.” “Blister”!
--- “For Me This is Heaven.” Shades of Friday Night Lights'Explosions in the Sky. --- Wooo at the “Goodbye Sky Harbor” edit!! So much better without a 10-minute bell ring… --- “You Are Free.” “Always Be.” “Through.” --- “My Best Theory”! “A Praise Chorus”!!!! --- “23.” Love the builds and Explosions-like drive. Surprise gem of the night!!! --- “Work”!! --- WHAT PLEASURE IN “PAIN”!!!! --- The encore of “The Middle” and “Sure and Certain” isn’t as good, but overall, for Kevyn’s sake, glad J.E.W. delivered. Grade: A
This Adele concert was one of the four worst concerts I have ever been to. Unlike the three other debacles, this had nothing to do with Adele. Givers, Bob Dylan, and Jack Johnson performed miserably; Adele did not. She was funny, personable, and sang a number of strong songs well. This had everything to do with the date: Tuesday, November 8, 2016. With each song, I got more texts from friends. With each song, I grew more confused and upset. Eventually, I left – more accurately, I fled – only the second time I have ever left a show early. Hearing people laugh and cheer when this was happening made the situation worse. Who throws a giant party during a funeral? Musically, it was a solid B+ and, if I had been there longer, on another day, it might have moved up to an A. This was November 8, 2016, however, and a concert cannot compete with a cataclysm. If someone years from now doesn’t understand what I mean by that, consider this. This is my Facebook status from later that night. I was not the only one who felt like this: Every time I try to come up with a coherent thought, everything moves. My mind reels; emotions spiral. Had not considered this actually happening. Eventually, there is always hope. For now, despair. Grade [my overall concert experience]: D- p.s.: The bullets below account for what the show was like before the dynamite was lit. What could have been…
--- Excellent windswept visual during "Water Under the Bridge." Not a top song, but I like the like mini safari crash section that leads to the chorus -- the bridge, if you will… --- Missed “Hello,” “One and Only,” and the underrated “Hometown Glory” thanks to not one, but TWO drunk rental-car GPSs. This led to the scariest drive ever – scarier nearly falling asleep on the way back from Bruce at UVA. *Somehow* made it. --- That car ride was the final stretch of a long, outrageous road to Adele. It started when, for the first time ever, asking for a single ticket on the day of a “sold-out” Verizon Center show did not work. The night before there were a number of single tickets available, but I was spoiled, decided I preferred night two, and was left with nothing. What I considered the only other viable show on the tour was in Nashville. So, five days later, I took a 21-hour Greyhound bus ride to Nashville! The night of the show, the Vivid Seats ticket person left me a voicemail and texted me, I went to the spot he said to go to, and HE NEVER APPEARED. Two straight hours of texts, emails, and calls later, Vivid Seats and I gave up. The company said they had never experienced something that happening before, someone communicating that night, and then effectively being kidnapped, never to be heard from again. They ended up giving me hundreds of dollars back, hence my ability to go to Houston, and I’m glad I got to tour Nashville, but still – what a trainwreck… --- “Skyfall”! HA, she keeps the Oscar next to her toilet. Brings back memories of Caleb Johnson! Don't know about the scary eye, but the light show and build was great.
--- “I have to warn you -- I talk a lot.” YES, talking makes the songs that follow better. --- “This is my 103rd of 107 shows. I have to drink the water in Houston.” Amazing crowd work!!! --- “A Million Years.” I’m already upset thinking of the Rock Club Jimmy Eat World debacle, and these election texts are not helping… --- “I'm Your Allison Krauss.” Awww, she found an Allison Krauss sign in the bathroom in Nashville. This makes me feel slightly better during “Don't You Remember.” --- Lol at her drunken shout out to Sia at her show in Austin. --- “Make You Feel My Love.” Flashlights. Nice restrained note at the end. It reminds me of what a writer Bob Dylan is what performers Straight No Chaser are. --- “Sweetest Devotion”: love the much-needed sun. The backdrop, her look, her sound!!! I didn't even like it on the album -- now I want it to keep going. --- I cannot keep going if people keep sending me texts like this. I hesitate to include scary election updates in the notes, but at this point, I can’t think of anything else. How is this happening? Noooooo. I have to leave. [Endnote: Thanks to James Porter and Hark that night, and the passage of time in the weeks after, I started to feel better. Next time, though, I'll be sure to bear in mind when I schedule concerts in November...]
This was a unique Bruce concert in that it wasn’t his concert. It was Stand Up For Heroes, a stand-up comedian fundraiser he was a part of. Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart, Louis C.K., and Jerry Seinfeld each did ~15 minute routines, and he closed the show with a five-song set. Every performer did themselves proud. War veterans and the Bob Woodruff Foundation could not have picked better people to represent them. Veterans themselves also appeared on stage and in clips and shared inspiring stories. The weak link was the host – or at least the hosting position – which turned a first-rate event into a 3am infomercial. Repeatedly prompting people for thousands and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars felt…strange. Should money for vets really be raised the way money is raised for Shake Weights -- with the inflection used to sell Bowflex? Maybe it’s an impossible position to be in, but it felt awkward. Fortunately, the comedians all had strong routines, and when Bruce came on, it was lights out, as usual. A few quick hits appear below: --- Who knew Jerry Seinfeld would be the funniest? --- Bruce starts with “Workin' on the Highway”! Such pitch, pacing, clarity, and vulnerability. --- “I'll Work For Your Love”!!! Even better. *Tear.* --- Heh at the quick, funny, dirty stories involving an ATM and skiing that Bruce tells between songs. HA at him offering to sweeten the pot auction-wise by including all the hamburgers and hot dogs the person can eat. A guitar, a Cadillac, and an afternoon one-on-one with Bruce in Freehold would probably be the main draw, but it’s hard to argue with unlimited hot dogs. --- “Long Walk Home.” I need him to stay until 5am. --- “Dancing in the Dark”!! Rhythm shift, unprompted audience participation, magic. Grade: A
Seeing Hark this happy for this long made for a great night. I really liked it as well. More specifics in the live blog below: --- We tore through every Weird Al song it was possible to tear through during the two hour drive from Charlottesville. It’s rare we’re able to share nostalgia, so this was really satisfying. --- I've never seen someone enter the stage halfway through the first song -- cool. --- Hark says, “I love Weird Al’s shirt.” He says this during “Tacky.” --- Out of nowhere: “HELLO, WOLFTRAP.” HA. --- “Lame Claim to Fame” name drops real well. The flipping arms are funny and add to it. --- “Now That's What I Call Polka.” --- Hahaha at the montage: Bill Maher says it’s the apocalypse that Weird Al has a number one album, and Jason Segel petitions Paul McCartney to let Al finally record “Chicken Pot Pie.” Intriguing: Veep endorses him. --- Stephen Colbert! The Celine Dion interview was a bit rough at first, but the cannibal ending sold me. --- First aww of the night at “Homer and Marge,” his version of “Jack and Diane.” --- “Fat.” I hate fat jokes in any form, but I guess the costume and lyrics at least commit to the bit... --- “Foil”! Underrated, my favorite so far. --- Never mind, top one is “Tastes Like Nirvana”!!! Love the extended cow verses, the gargling, and the flinging of the water cup! “I've been baptized,” says Hark on behalf of the waterlogged front rows. --- The Real Food segment is painfully over the top. --- I wish these songs weren't single verses, but at least I got 'em all. “eBay,” “Ode to a Superhero,” and “All About the Pentiums”!!! I spit out every “Pentiums” verse like a pro; Evan Davis would be proud.
--- Heh at “Canadian Idiot.” --- Beck / Prince “Wanna B Ur Lovr”!!! Awesome crowd work. Extra points for the committed stage dive/scream at the end. Awww at the Seth Myers asking his dad to pull over the car as a kid to hear “Eat It.” Mini aww at the Craig Ferguson / Chris Hardwick segments. --- Hahaha at the folk reversal of “Eat It”! --- Whoaaaaa at the glory note of "Like A Surgeon”! Apparently he's got a legit voice. --- Outstanding Jeopardy category intro to “White And Nerdy”!! Hahaha at 1200, Segways, and (evil Pyramid disaster) Donny Osmond popping in at random times. --- Hahaha at “you know what I'm saying,” triple negatives, and ruining the gender of rap during the Eminem interview. --- “Word Crimes” / “Amish Paradise”!! --- Hahaha at all the storm troopers for “We All Have Cell Phone.” Then, the wonder: “A Saga Begins”!!!! The power of SINCERITY. Outstanding. --- On the one hand, “Yoda” is far inferior. On the other hand, it's nice that Empire gets credit as a superior story. What on Earth is going on, lol??? It's some sort of avant-garde dubstep performance art. Major props for boldness!!! --- The three people behind us: "My hands are numb." Grade: A
Any day now could bring the birth of my son. The due date is next Monday. That day happens to be the birthday of the performer responsible for this life event, the third most intense moment of my life.
Since college, I’ve been to a lot of concerts — and written a lot of concert reviews. Now that I’m finally caught up on all band recaps (not a minute too soon!), I can honestly say that this 2016 Bruce Springsteen Nats Park show was in a league of its own — a genuine life event.
What made it so potent – what made Concert 200 different than the other 237, including 13 of Bruce Springsteen’s? (1) It rewrote the rulebook — multiple times. (2) Bruce performed the show for me — in his basement.
I should clarify: the concert was at Nats Park, not a Jersey cellar. For the first time at a Bruce show, however, I was in the pit. Paul Verbesey, Jen Verbesey, and Mike McDonald were as well. The intimacy there was unreal. It felt like the audience was me, E Street, and a few friends who happened to have 30,000 people behind us. In that environment, everything went out the window. First off, I was the casual Springsteen fan in the pit. People knew more songs than me, knew lyrics cold, and had been to many more shows. They were rock legends; I was Nickelback. What this meant is everything got multiplied. I reacted to the band and 100 people in the pit. The pit reacted to the band and each other. The band reacted to the pit and each other. Ripples all over. In theory, this dynamic is true at any concert, but the devotion made it different. It was the crowd at the first Rise Against show…to an exponent. It was James Porter’s description of me at the Madison Square Garden show…feeding off 100 me’s. Take all that, and add a WILD setlist. This was my third show of the River Tour, so I assumed it was going another march through the mega album before some obvious hits at the end. Instead, they barely went near The River. They were too busy launching deep cut after deep cut at everyone in front of me. It started with six different songs from six different albums, half of which I didn’t even know! It didn’t matter that I didn’t know them; the legends surrounding me did. I took in their energy; I gave what I could back; we both grew. I’ll be honest: at times, it became too much. I’ve never felt that at a concert before. It was not “too much” in the sense of undue repetition -- it never made me numb. It was literally hard to handle. New, happy explosions came from all angles every other minute…for three hours and forty-five minutes! It was trench warfare and nuclear bombs at the same time! At one point, to my shock, I became my cat. One day when I was a kid, my cat Harry became overwhelmed with affection that he stopped purring and bit me in the nose. Halfway through the show, it took me a few seconds to notice that I was nibbling on my forearm! A 67-year-old man was able to simultaneously surf a crowd, chug a beer, and sing in tune.......while I’m reduced to nibbling on my forearm. Lunacy. This review is starting to become as long as a Springsteen show, so I’ll start to wrap up. For any hardcore Bruce fans, song-specific live notes appear after the clips. No need for casual fans to read these though – they’re only for pit people. ;) I’ll end as I started my Bruce journey -- with “Badlands.” The “Badlands” lyrics were first an anthem for me when I studied abroad in England. I was thinking about coming out, yet state after state was passing ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. The lyrics continued to be relevant in 2017, when, to my shock, Badlands National Park retweeted my use of the song. (They were trying to promote science and resist Trump.) https://twitter.com/mcverb/status/824051847992344576 This night, though, the lyrics took on a new meaning – they were less about resistance than acceptance. As the song built, the pit jumped higher and moved closer. When it finished, one person came to me for a high five. Then another came. Then a third for a high clasp. Before the next song, I made sure to type the following thought in my phone, so I’d never forget it: “No further need to consult the Bible. I now know what heaven looks and feels like. Two high fives and one high clasp.” Grade: A+
P.S. Here are the live notes – only for people likely to enter the lottery to get a wristband. ;) --- I literally sprinted around Nats Park, desperate to make it on the lottery line in time. I end up arriving at 4:01, seconds after they stopped distributing wristbands. Oh, well, at least I’m first in the reject line. Woo – I win the NIT! ;) Being serious, though, I may not be in the absolute front, but I’m glad Paul, Jen, Mike, and I still made it to the pit. --- It’s hours before the show starts. Fortunately, I meet a number of cool people: the mother of my former student (Carly Samuels), an Irishman who flew in from Dublin (Colin and Caelin!), and a girl who gasps when I explain about this music blog (woo, appreciation!). --- “New York City Serenade” to start. They show a picture of the sheet music and title. I’ve never seen that before. The crowd flips out at “she won't take the train” -- whoa, these people are hardcore. Keep singggging. Much deeper opener than “Meet Me in the City.” --- “Ain't No Cure for these Summertime Blues,” “Sherry Darling,” “No Surrender,” “Growin' Up,” John Hammond's “Ain't no Saint in the City”!!!! Disarray. --- I've never had an opening like that: stopped taking notes for five songs. My outgoing text to James, Katie, and Hark: “Jdkdkebendod rnekbriforkfitoritkrjtjrjrnrjrjrkrlrbrnkrkrnrktkrlrbrjjrkrkorjr. Completely different Bruce River show at Nats Park right now. Everything turned on its head. Ecstasy.”
--- I abandon all the effort to get my posters noticed. For the first time ever, I made posters for the show. It had been drama deciding what to right, how to bring it, and how to hold it during a half-day party. I thought it would be worth all the drama, though. If I ever got on stage, it would be something I could show my kids forever. They’d never get to fully experience Bruce, but a video of me “Dancing in the Dark” would give them a great window into a live show. Seven songs in, though, I stop caring. There are legit fifty signs more creative than mine. Some encrusted with jewels, and some have original artwork, so they deserve to be picked. No stress – spread the love. --- Two separate ROFLs at everyone’s reactions during “Spirit in the Night.” His beer chugs, falsetto, wheeee!!!! --- “Does this Bus Stop at 82nd Street?” / “Lost in the Flood” / “Kitty’s Back” / “Incident on 57th Street”: such a deep catalog. I need to devour all the old albums, like I did with The Beatles this summer. --- Rosssssssssssssssssaaaaaaallllita!!!! Soooooo clossssssse, we're in their BASEMENT, unreal. --- Cover of Jimmy Cliff’s “Trapped.” --- The amazing spinning, motioning virtuoso flips out at “These Are Better Days.” So happy for him, everyone. --- “Promised Land” into “41 Shots”: that's America, folks. Clever juxtaposition!!! --- “Hungry Heart” incorporates a flower girl and Jake Clemons sings during "Out in the Street"! Nils also sings during “Darlington County”!!
--- “Downbound Train.” Hehe at the back-to-back-butt performance of “Working on the Highway.” --- “I'm On Fire”!!! Unexpected -- my favorite vocal of the night. --- “Because The Night” sounds so powerfulllllll. Lyrrrrrrics. I need to stop giving exclamation points!!!! --- “Badlands”!!!!! No further need to consult the Bible. I now know what heaven looks and feels like: two high fives and one high clasp. --- New charity: Hero Dogs. Of course DC Central Kitchen. --- “Secret Garden” comes with a beautiful breeze. Divine intervention. --- “Born to Run," “Seven Nights to Rock” (played in the round), and “Jungleland”: all incredible, especially "Jungleland." What. A. Night.
The best part of seeing Billy Joel in Boston was being there with Erik ‘K’ Kastman. It did not come close to measuring up to the previous summer’s Foo Fighters show with K, but there were still a bunch of fun moments: --- If he's going to start with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” he should have gotten me to sing it! Total lost opportunity. ;) --- Yay, personalized elements: attempts the Boston-themed "Down by the River," references Bucky Dent (without ducking), and dedicates "My Life" to a Boston friend. --- Yay, I called "Pressure" three seconds in even though this was just the third time I heard the song! --- “‘Big Man on Mulberry St’ is not a big hit, so if you need to go to the bathroom, now would be a good time.” HA! K says, “I'm really loving the brass.” Apparently K and both played the trumpet in school -- who knew? --- References “some politician” in the intro to “The Entertainer.” Can’t imagine who. --- “I haven't had a hit in 23 years, yet you guys are coming and selling out for me at 67. Crazy.” --- Hahaha, he has a flyswatter on stage, ready to put bugs in their place. --- Gives the audience a choice between some song and “Vienna.” Never seen a performer give an audience a choice like that before! --- Awww, brings out a local Boston kid in a tux vest to play piano! Sounds like a old West tavern song. High point of the night!!! 13-year-old Bradley Bartlett has a future. --- “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” manages to be about NYC yet not elicit Boston boos. --- “New York State of Mind”! So smooth. I yelp approval at the Greyhound part. The Brooklyn sax, the high note at “Hudson River Line,” and the bass voice at “state of” are awesome. --- “The Downeaster Alexa” is for the downtrodden fisherman. I like the pacing / mood. K was given this song in a mix by a Terrapin. [It took on greater meaning months later when I heard Mike Hess sang it with his fishermen friends at the end of his wedding. Such a powerful moment.]
--- The best part of "Movin' Out": heart attack-ack-ack-ack. --- “And So it Goes.” His intro: “This is a hard song to do in a stadium, but I'm going to do it anyway.” Good for him!! It's frustrating when quiet songs are abandoned in big venues. --- “Allentown.” Technically, it's a Springsteen-esque message song. Personally, it brings me to Dorney Park! (Wildwater Kingdom too.) --- “Always a Woman to Me.” Smooth. HA at K referencing "Wisconsin bangs" when the hair of a woman is shown on the monitor. --- Hahaha at Billy rocking the flyswatter drumstick during “Heat Wave”!! --- The guy who sang “Sweet Caroline” is back for an opera solo in all Italian! Bravo. (I had somehow never known that they sing that at every Red Sox game at Fenway. And to think I liked the song...) --- In “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” the sax reigns supreme. Every time, the sax makes me think of Clarence Clemons -- tear. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw572hRD1diCaVNaRVowNENKZEk/view?usp=sharing --- HA at Billy Joel's half-second pause/sigh before launching into “Piano Man.” HAHA at the return of the swatter halfway through. --- Whoa, Billy Joel plays guitar. The “We Didn't Start the Fire” tongue twister loses a bit live, but it's still cool. --- Heh at his dance moves during "Uptown Girl" and him spinning the mic stand before “It's Still Rock and Roll to Me.” --- “Only the Good Die Young”! Whoa, the sweat is *pouring* off him. Nice falsetto on ‘good’ near the end. --- “You May Be Right”!! Thanks to a steady build and the opera singer's sick vocals, this song is the underdog champ of the night. Grade: B+
For me, the Summer of 2016 was the Summer of The Beatles. For the first time, I listened to their albums, read their histories, and saw this live show. Going back and editing the notes this summer was satisfying – it let the Magical Mystery Tour continue through 2017. The show had been excuse to dive into everything about the band, and the performance was almost an afterthought. I assumed McCartney would be a tight-lipped Brit who would put on a competent show, as Oasis and The Who had done. Turns out he was an absolute *pro.* See why in the live recap: --- How does this continue to work? --> Floor ticket for the price of an upper upper-deck limited view ticket!!! Last-minute Verizon Center glory! --- “A Hard Day's Night" / "Can't Buy Me Love”! --- “My Valentine,” a song he wrote for his wife, Nancy, who's here tonight. Not sure why Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp are doing sign language in the video. Hopefully an activism thing. --- “This next one's for the Wings fan.” Hahaha, the guy in front of me is awesome! “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.” --- For Linda: “Maybe I'm Amazed.” --- Heh at his mini curtain calls after every song. Awww and he's getting into conversations with the arena about signs!! In response to a Paul For President 2016 sign: “I don't think there's time left.” HEE. --- “In Spite of all the Danger.” Whoa, a song from John Lennon's Quarrymen?! Before everything! He prompts the crowd with “whoa-oh-oh,” so they get into it. Lifetime pro. --- Cool harmonica during “Love Me Do.” The pause is always the best part. Dedicated to George Martin. Cool anecdote from the recording session. --- Guy in the audience has been to 108 shows, so he knows the intro story -- heh. Pro. --- Whoa, I didn't know “Blackbird” was written for Birmingham / Montgomery. The raised stage / message is unexpected / satisfying! “You were only waiting for this moment to be free." High point of the night so far. --- “Here Today”!!! Haunting ooohs and falsetto. Such a moving conversation between him and the late Lennon. “If you have something to say, say it sooner than later.” Paul Simon, TAKE NOTE. (The awesome guy next to me: “you said it!”)
--- “We can tell what you like. When we do an old Beatles song, the whole place lights up. It's every star in the galaxy. And when we do (a new) one you don't like, it's like a black hole. But we don't care.” Hahahah, most honest I've heard a singer be at a concert!! --- “Lady Madonna”: Cool (/obvious?) images of strong women on screen. --- “Four Five Seconds”! HA, he is certainly a man of the people. He's got words on the screen for a song about making it to the end of the work week. (Wisely) does not mention the fact that Rihanna and Kanye West are also featured in the song... (Other guy next to me saw McCartney at Bonnaroo! What is this, a Greyhound bus?) --- “Eleanor Rigby"!! Sketchy vocals / sound, but it's still "E.R." --- “I don't know how many of you know, but George Harrison was a really good ukulele player.” Yay, I did know that! I like that he's also paying tribute to him after the prior bashing. The ukulele in the beginning made “Something” weird in the beginning but it ends up a BRILLIANT contrast when the guitar kicks in!!! Awwww at all the George pictures on screen. --- “Oh La Di, Ob La Da”: an unexpected party!! Like the "life goes on" part. --- “Band on the Run.” Strong by the middle of the song -- the best Wings track tonight. --- “Back in the USSR”: sponsored by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys? A real rocker! --- First band to play in Red Square. “Those Ruskies love to rock.” The Russian Defense Minister told him [in a thick, amusing accent], “The first record I ever bought was ‘Love Me Do.’” Another minister quote: “We learned how to speak English by listening to The Beatles. Hello, goodbye.” --- “Let It Be”!!! Wish you could be there, Gerry T. http://someofourdistinguishedguestss.blogspot.com/2015/01/parents.html --- Hahahah, did not expect literal fire during “Live and Let Die”! What is this, Trans-Siberian Orchestra / Guns 'n Roses? So much for understated Brits. --- Hahahah at him stumbling around like a deaf person after the 5,000 explosions. Final guffaw at the transition to “Hey Jude”: “welllllll, here we go.” --- “Hey Jude”!!! It goes on like an hour, the crowd continues to flip out even after it ends. 74, he's still got it. --- Whoa -- I thought that was the end. Still a second encore!! --- He brings out U.S., U.K., Russia, and RAINBOW flags!!! --- “Yesterday” / “Hihihi”!!! Sickkk contrast. I'm officially flipping out. I've lost all objectivity at this point. --- Someone from the crowd has seen 64 shows since 64. His response to someone who has seen 100 shows: “Are you looking for a rebate?” Signings people's tattoos / Chill Class Vibe in an ARENA!!!! --- “Carry That Weight” / “The End.” Bravo. Grade: A+
The concert, in a nutshell: Tony Bennett, three days from his 90th birthday, crushed it. The human spirit, man -- it's something else. For Bennett fans, here’s more info on what it was like to be there: --- If my 100-year-old nana were still alive, I would have invited her. In comparison to much of the audience, she'd seem like a spring chicken! I kid. There are spry 50-somethings sprinkled in… --- Aww, Sinatra audio intro! “They All Laughed.” Intriguing lyric: “Like Columbus Day without Christopher Columbus.” --- “My Solitude”!! Whoa, Duke Ellington grew up here -- in Vienna. Duke's mom told him he was great, and he never forgot it. I'm genuinely going to take that with me. The fact that he follows that strong story with outstanding pacing makes it the clear high of the night. --- “Sing You Sinners”! Oooh, one of the few songs I specifically remember from The Essential Tony Bennett. He's got everyone clapping -- nice. --- “Steppin' Out with My Baby”: HA, the lyric “never felt quite so sunny” as it starts to pour!! Thank God I'm inside and not on the lawn. --- Nice casual tribute to the guitarist: “Don't he play beautiful?” --- He's played at Wolftrap every year since 1950 -- 66 years!
--- “My Love Is Here to Stay.” Unlike the lawn people, who have to be fleeing in this thunder, lightning, and RAIN. It just occurs to me that he sang “My Love is Here to Stay” right after he told us he's played here for 66 years. Whoa, Wikipedia tells me he's now 90?! And his voice has not seemed to age a day! There's hope for Bruce yet! --- Aww, “Because of You,” the first song on The Essential Tony Bennett. Ooh, I think he's doing a speed-round medley like Weezer and Stevie Wonder did. Smart. --- The steady, peaceful rain in the background adds a cool aura. --- The very first song he ever wrote: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Billie Joe Armstrong does not approach the stage for a duet. Considering the forceful run at the end, he doesn't need to. --- “The Good Life"! Nope, no Rivers Cuomo either. He does, however, mention he sang it with Lady Gaga on their recent, improbable tour. He adds, hilariously, that he wants everyone to buy it because she needs the money. --- “How do you keep a song from fading too fast?” Whoa -- powerful lyric. The rest of the lyrics are powerful too, as is the twisty master class finale!!! Everyone involuntarily gets out of their seat and applauds at the end. 90. “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” is the title. --- Heh, a few dance shuffles. “May we play more?” Suavest Tim Kaine ever. --- Sinatra! “One for My Baby, and One More for the Road.” --- Aww, “For Once in My Life”!! Honestly, Melinda Doolittle's was more memorable, but having the connection beforehand and the audience standing a second time makes it powerful. --- Double bass = stealth murder. So. Smooth.
--- Lol at the crowd during “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” I think they know this one. Shrieks. --- Yay, he chuckles at the first “let it rain and thunder” line of “Who Cares?” The quiet instrument solos sound lowkey cool. Or in today's slang, is “lowkey cool” redundant? --- “Smile”!! So tender. I love how often he nods to the band. Such a gentleman. Heh, another Tony chuckle at “bring on the chain.” Unexpected, welcome, jazzy rhythm shift at the end. --- Most understated, sick "Fly Me to the Moon" you ever did hear. Includes another “sing forever” lyric. --- Surprise birthday dog / birthday cake! --- “As I Approach the Prime of My Life”: Everyone feels the relevance. Woo, Tony. Grade: A
Wilco, The White Stripes, Dispatch, Muse, The Shins, Guster, Jimmy Eat World, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Ok Go, Foo Fighters, The New Rockers, Bruce Springsteen, Lifehouse, Nada Surf, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, REM, Alkaline Trio, Alkaline Trio, Bruce Sprinsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, The Offspring, Jack Johnson, Foo Fighters, Counting Crows, Ben Folds, Weezer, Cake, Alkaline Trio, Rise Against, Coldplay, The Who, Smashing Pumpkins, AC/DC, Oasis, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Jimmy Eat World, Ben Kweller, Tokyo Police Club, Girl Talk, Modest Mouse, Flogging Molly, David Cook, Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Leon, Sister Hazel, The Decemberists, Alkaline Trio, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Tv on the Radio, Wilco, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Blink 182, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against, Green Day, Jet, The Bravery, Blink 182, Weezer, Ben Folds, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, The Get Up Kids, Bob Dylan, The Pixies, Weezer, Rock and Cole, Rise Against, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Alkaline Trio, Spoon, Ben Folds, Nada Surf, Vampire Weekend, The Protomen, Phoenix, Weezer, Arcade Fire, Spoon, The Presidents of the United States of America, Live, Naughty by Nature, Everclear, Third Eye Blind, Billy Idol, Rock and Cole, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Gogol Bordello, Girl Talk, Jimmy Eat World, Bon Jovi, DJ Pauly D, Carbon Leaf, Dropkick Murphys, Girl Talk, The Strokes, Lupe Fiasco, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Jack's Mannequin, Guster, Wilco, Smashing Pumpkins, Givers, Ra Ra Riot, Wu Lyf, Foo Fighters, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rock and Cole, O.A.R., The Black Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Nada Surf, Guster, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Wilco, Motley Crue, Kiss, Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, Bruce Springsteen, Alabama Shakes, Nas, ZZ Top, Jack White, Nas, Skrillex, Dispatch, Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men, Rock and Cole, Fun., Mumford and Sons, Elliott Yamin, Crystal Bowersox, Rockapella ft. Carmen Sandiego, Alkaline Trio, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Grizzly Bear, The XX, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Guster, Ben Folds Five, BN Ladies, American Idol Season 12 Tour, Jimmy Eat World, Imagine Dragons, The Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand, Alkaline Trio, Alkaline Trio, Elton John, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kanye West, Rock and Cole, Rebelution, Young The Giant, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Alabama Shakes, Ben Folds, Queen ft. Adam Lambert, New Politics, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Phillip Phillips, OAR, Arcade Fire, Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Black Keys, Carrie Underwood, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Eminem, Taking Back Sunday, Ben Folds, Dave Matthews Band, Mumford and Sons, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Rise Against, OAR, Christina Perri, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Givers, Straight No Chaser, Melinda Doolittle, Muse, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Guns 'n Roses, Paul Simon, Panic! At the Disco, Weezer, Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Weird Al Yankovich, Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Jimmy Eat World, Green Day, Explosions in the Sky, Wilco, Rise Against, Dispatch, Jimmy Eat World, Incubus, Sister Hazel, Regina Spektor, Ben Folds, Roger Waters, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Colony House, Mutemath, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Haley Reinhart, Dispatch, Franz Ferdinand,U2, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience, The Pixies, Weezer, Gary Clark Jr., Muse, Snow Patrol. Ben Platt, The Rolling Stones, Ra Ra Riot, Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind, and The Mountain Goats, Sonic Castaways, Jeremy Eliot, Norah Jones, Mavis Staples, Katy Perry, Wilco, Nada Surf, Jazz Trotters, Foo Fighters, Guster, Rise Against, Sleater-Kinney, Wilco, The Eagles, Noah Kahan, Laughing Colors, Up All Night, Guster, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Dave Tieff, Rage Against The Machine, Franz Ferdinand, Dispatch, O.A.R., The Killers, Broken Social Scene, 'Bruce Springsteen' at Paul Verbesey's 'Surprise' Party, Arcade Fire, Noah Kahan, The Struts, Spoon, Jimmy Eat World, Straight No Chaser, Van Morrison [Newmyer Flyer], Bruce Springsteen [Newmyer Flyer], Colony House, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Lauryn Hill. [Recaps soon to come for Dispatch, Jason Isbell, OAR, Goo Goo Dolls, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, and Taylor Swift.]
Upcoming Shows
Hozier (Friday, May 17, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD). Alanis Morissette (Saturday, June 29, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD). Joan Jett (Saturday, June 29, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD). Foo Fighters (Tuesday, July 23, Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA). Fitz and The Tantrums (Saturday, July 27, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD). OAR (Saturday, July 27, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD).
