Recent Concerts You've Enjoyed

Thought this might be a fun thread and a way to find out about acts on tour.

My wife and I saw the Smoke Fairies at the Tractor Tavern last evening as the opening act for Rasputina. The Smoke Fairies are a 'folk blues' duo from Wales and have been described as "Bob Dylan's dream." I thought that their debut release "Through Low Light and Trees" was one of last year's best. It was just the two principles singing and playing guitar. Really terrific concert with excellent acoustics and thankfully not too loud.

If you are ever in Seattle, the Tractor Tavern is a great venue in the Ballard neighborhood. Very fun people watching...I think my wife and I were the only ones without tattoos! I got to chat with them after their set and had my LP signed. I love the lilting Welsh accents!

Here's a video of "Hotel Room" from their debut LP:

[video]

 

My son and I went to Jazz Alley and heard the Benny Green Trio with David Wong (b) and Kenny Washington (d). He played music from his entire catalog and the band was working on tunes for a live recording next week. Amazing trio and sadly, only witnessed by about ~100 guests. After the show, my son and I got to chat with Benny and he autographed a new CD for my son.

Here's the title track from his most recent release "Magic Beans"

As always, hearing acoustic live music puts the pursuit of high end audio in appropriate context...very humbling.

 

Camera Obscura, and She and Him in Central Park

I attended a Camera Obscura, and She and Him concert last weekend in Central Park. Videos not mine.

 

Phish from 7/6/13 Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=NAtQ8rR0qag

 

Celebrated my wife's 50th birthday a little early at the first rock concert at Safeco Field: Paul McCartney.

First was a reminder of the inept bunglers who lead the Mariner's. Before taking our seats on the field, we were herded with about 10,000 others into a small space adjacent to the largest entryway into the stadium to get pink bracelets that were required to get to our seats. A couple a moments felt like an impending Who concert. They were damn lucky no one was hurt. As if I needed another reminder of why the Mariners suck!

But once in our seats we witnessed an incredible show. Including encores, he performed ~3 1/2 hours, singing songs from his entire career. Even then, you could think of 20+ songs you would have loved to hear. Here is the set list:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/paul-mccartney/2013/safeco-field-seattle-wa-33c6acbd.html

The band was great and even though it was pretty scripted, people really don't want to hear any of these songs altered in any way. I was really surprised at his energy and even though his voice got a little ragged at the end, it is amazing well preserved...no dropping down an octave to avoid the high notes. Members of Nirvana joined him onstage for a few tunes. Here a link to the pics at the Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.com/html/picturethis/2021431339_paulmccartneyplayssafecofield.html?cmpi d=2628

Here's a little flavor:

 

Saw Zony Mash + horns at the Royal Room on Friday...lots of fun!

 

Saw Valerie June last night at the Tractor Tavern. Fabulous show. She has amazing stage presence. Videos and pictures do not do her justice -- she is drop dead gorgeous. Here is a pic from earlier in the day at a local radio station:

You can catch her on the Tonight Show on September 18th!

 

Well, she is quite pretty on that picture above. ...Must be you with her?

 

I had a wonderful evening Saturday September 14th with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra kicking off my Grand Masterworks Subscription for this season.

The program for this performance was:

WEBER: Overture to Oberon
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1
ELGAR: In the South
GRAINGER: The Warriors (Music for an Imaginary Ballet)


Content comments from website:

A spectacle of sights and sounds, this program is destined to impress. Olga Kern, whose Gold Medal win in the 2001 Van Cliburn Competition was chronicled in the PBS documentary Playing on the Edge, brings her uncommon artistry and spectacular technique to Chopin’s sublime First Concerto. Grainger’s The Warriors, subtitled “Music to an Imaginary Ballet,” is a frenzied, frolicsome and completely entertaining work that calls for three pianos, three conductors, a huge orchestra and a phalanx of percussion. The energetic conductor Giancarlo Guerrero completes the program with two picturesque works by Elgar and Weber, as part of the CSO’s Shakespeare for your Ear focus throughout the Masterworks Series.

Dre

 

You can watch The Kills live in concert in Paris here:

[video=vimeo;74744992]http://vimeo.com/74744992[/video]

 

Going to Crack Sabbath tonight

 

Going to Crack Sabbath tonight

View attachment 11798

Have a great Friday evening! :b

* I know less than nothing about that band.

 

Had seats in the 3rd row at the Triple Door for Aaron Neville who played keyboards and was accompanied by a piano player. 2+ hours of heaven; singing a wide variety of doo-wop, pop standards, and his own songbook. Much like Manny Ramirez was put on the earth to hit a baseball and Bill Clinton was a born politician; the good Lord put Aaron Neville on earth to sing. An unforgettable experience....

 

Mahler's 2nd with von Dohnanyi conducting w/o a score; I rarely see soloists sitting with the chorus, but it worked. The spiccato playing of the contrabasses in the first movement was phenomenal and truly captivating. Overall tempo correct, unlike Ozawa's fast-paced. Overall performance, world-class.

 

I had a wonderful evening Saturday September 28th with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and featured violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter.

Guest Conductor: Ignat Solzhenitsyn
Featured Performer: Anne-Sophie Mutter

The program for this performance was:

PURCELL/ED. BRITTEN: Chacony
ELGAR: Enigma Variations
DVO?ÁK: Romance for Violin and Orchestra
DVO?ÁK: Violin Concerto


Content comments from website:

Anne-Sophie Mutter is simply one of the consummate violin virtuosos of our time. She graces the stages of only the world's greatest orchestras, and now makes her Cincinnati debut to perform two works by Dvo?ák: the wistful Romance and the electrifying, dance-infused Violin Concerto. In this sure-to-sell-out gala concert, hear the artist heralded as "the undisputed queen" of the violin.

Dre

 

Another great performance by the CSO on Saturday November 2nd with guest Pepe Romero.

Guest Conductor: Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Featured Performer: Pepe Romero (guitar)

The program for this performance was:

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3, Rhenish
RODRIGO: Concierto de Aranjuez
FALLA: Suites from The Three Cornered Hat

Content comments from website:

The brilliant Pepe Romero, of the celebrated “Royal Family of the Guitar,” plays music Rodrigo described as capturing "the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds and the gushing of fountains" in the gardens of Aranjuez. The Spanish theme continues with Falla’s playful Three-Cornered Hat ballet music, which recounts the comical tale of a magistrate’s attempts to seduce a miller’s wife. Spanish conductor (and former CSO Creative Director) Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos opens with music inspired by an excursion to the Rhineland.

Dre

 

Some of the Mercury recordings of the Romeros are incredible. Going to hear Mahler's 6th this weekend.

 

... violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter.

...

... with guest guitarist Pepe Romero.

...

Dre

Lucky you! ...I'm a big fan of these two splendid artists/musicians.

 

Lucky you! ...I'm a big fan of these two splendid artists/musicians.

Thanks. I'm enjoying this years Grand Masterworks subscription series

In about a week I'll get to see the CSO packed on stage with the May Festival Chorus performing MOZART: Davide penitente

 

Another outstanding performance by the CSO this weekend with first performance support by our May Festival Chorus. Tchaikovsky's 4th was outstanding!

Conductor: Louis Langrée
Soprano: Jane Archibald
Mezzo-soprano: Michèle Losier
Tenor: Joseph Kaiser
Director of May Festival Chorus: Roberto Porco

Program for performance:
MOZART: Davide penitente
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4

Program comments from website:

In a community-wide initiative described by sold-out audiences as “fascinating,” “moving” and “soaring,” Music Director Louis Langrée and your CSO are proud to reprise One City, One Symphony. We’ll again bring our community together in a remarkable shared experience to explore the themes of fate and redemption in Tchaikovsky’s lushly romantic Symphony No. 4 and in a beautiful but nearly forgotten work by Mozart, Davide penitente, based on the Psalms of David.

One City, One Symphony Trailer :

Dre

 

Heard the Woody Herman Centennial Tribute Big Band at Boxley's tonight. Hearing live music always reminds me what a quixotic hobby we enjoy.