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]

 

Neil Young, solo acoustic, at Carnegie Hall tonight.

 

Neil Young, solo acoustic, at Carnegie Hall tonight.

Ridiculously awesome.

 

Neil Young, solo acoustic, at Carnegie Hall tonight.

That's on MY bucket list!

 

I had a wonderful evening this past Saturday February 8th with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra featuring world famous pianist Radu Lupu.

Guest Conductor: David Afkham
Featured Performer: Radu Lupu (Piano for Concerto No. 3)

The program for this performance was:

WAGNER: Siegfried Idyll
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4


Content comments from website:

Celebrate an early Valentine’s Day with the illustrious Radu Lupu, a leading interpreter of Beethoven whose playing has been described as “simply sublime: intelligent, authoritative and innately felt.” He returns to Music Hall to perform Beethoven’s elegant and expressive Third Piano Concerto. The rising young German conductor David Afkham leads the tender Siegfried Idyll, which Wagner wrote as a birthday gift to his wife, Cosima, after the birth of their son Siegfried, and Beethoven’s high-spirited Symphony No. 4.

Dre

 

Cyrus Chestnut trio at The Jazz Stanard!

 

Cyrus Chestnut trio at The Jazz Stanard!

He is wonderful...plays with infectious joy.

 

He is wonderful...plays with infectious joy.

Yes that is a excellent description.

 

I had a wonderful evening this past Saturday February 8th with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra featuring world famous pianist Radu Lupu.

Guest Conductor: David Afkham
Featured Performer: Radu Lupu (Piano for Concerto No. 3)

The program for this performance was:

WAGNER: Siegfried Idyll
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4


Content comments from website:


Dre

I've had the great pleasure of seeing Lupu a couple of times. He doesn't like to perform much. Also is quite eccentric - sits in an office chair rather than a normal piano bench. Maybe he has back problems.

Larry

 

I have been lucky to have seen some incredible concerts in the past two months. My wife and I saw 2 fantastic shows in Prague in December. I can't recall the acts though. One was a trio of piano, violin and cello at Dvorak Hall that lasted for almost 3 hours. We sat in the third row center stage. Total cost, $15.00. Very intense music performed brilliantly. Also saw a performance in a hall in a palace in Vienna where Mozart performed when he was 6. Didn't get to the jazz clubs in Prague as we didn't have the time, seeing classical each night we were there. Maybe next time. The music scene in Europe fantastic with much more popular support of all varieties of music in many different venues. St. Martin's In The Fields at Trafalgar square for example hosts fine concerts both classical and jazz as does The Pizza Express Jazz Club (jazz only of course). Most recently, I have seen Chris Botti at the Blue Note in NYC, along with John Pizzarelli and Jane Monheit and a great concert with Monty Alexander, Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton couple of weeks ago which was utterly sublime. Next up is Patrica Barber on the 23rd. If anyone else is going to the 8 p.m. show, let me know.

 

Yes that is a excellent description.

I agree completely. The same description applies to Monty Alexander as well.

 

Yes that is a excellent description.

I agree completely. The same description applies to Monty Alexander as well.

 

Been to several really fine concerts in the past week or so.

Osmo Vanska was the guest conductor for our local band (the SF Symphony) doing two Sibelius pieces (just won the grammy for his recording of the Sibelius Sym 1 and 4 with his old band, the Minnesota Orchestra - which is now back in operation after their long bitter lockout - hope they hire him back). Danill Trifonov soloed in the Rachmaninoff Paganini Rhapsody. He is a talent to be watched (won the Tchaikovsky and Rubinstein competitions in 2011). Saw Phillipe Jaroussky, the fabulous countertenor on Friday night, with the Venice Baroque Orchestra, singing Handel and Porpora - rival opera composers in London in the early 1700's - each with his own favorite castrato. Jaroussky sang arias made famous by both. Yesterday saw the still visually stunning Eroica Trio, playing Beethoven, Brahms and British composer Rebecca Clarke. They play very well and beautifully, particularly the pianist, Erika Nickrenz, the daughter of the famed record producer Joanna Nikrenz. Not the big singing tone of some of the great soloists. Will be seeing one of those, Yo-Yo Ma playing with Manny Ax, later this month.

Larry

 

I have been lucky to have seen some incredible concerts in the past two months. My wife and I saw 2 fantastic shows in Prague in December. I can't recall the acts though. One was a trio of piano, violin and cello at Dvorak Hall that lasted for almost 3 hours. We sat in the third row center stage. Total cost, $15.00. Very intense music performed brilliantly. Also saw a performance in a hall in a palace in Vienna where Mozart performed when he was 6. Didn't get to the jazz clubs in Prague as we didn't have the time, seeing classical each night we were there. Maybe next time. The music scene in Europe fantastic with much more popular support of all varieties of music in many different venues. St. Martin's In The Fields at Trafalgar square for example hosts fine concerts both classical and jazz as does The Pizza Express Jazz Club (jazz only of course). Most recently, I have seen Chris Botti at the Blue Note in NYC, along with John Pizzarelli and Jane Monheit and a great concert with Monty Alexander, Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton couple of weeks ago which was utterly sublime. Next up is Patrica Barber on the 23rd. If anyone else is going to the 8 p.m. show, let me know.

Too bad. We have tickets to see Patricia the night before at the Blue Note.

 

i agree completely. The same description applies to monty alexander as well.

+1! )

 

Too bad. We have tickets to see Patricia the night before at the Blue Note.

I couldn't leave my wife all alone on a Saturday night and drive up to NYC by myself. Ms. Barber isn't really her cup of tea anyway. I have never seen her live. It should be interesting. Enjoy the show. I may even stay for the 10:30 show.

 

I couldn't leave my wife all alone on a Saturday night and drive up to NYC by myself. Ms. Barber isn't really her cup of tea anyway. I have never seen her live. It should be interesting. Enjoy the show. I may even stay for the 10:30 show.

I saw you lived in PA and thought it was a bit of a schlep into the city!

 

It takes me less than 2 hours. Through the Holland Tunnel, a couple of turns and into the parking garage across the street. Usually an hour and a half to get home. 8 pm show and I am home by 11:30. To see such talent in such an intimate setting is well worth it.

 

It takes me less than 2 hours. Through the Holland Tunnel, a couple of turns and into the parking garage across the street. Usually an hour and a half to get home. 8 pm show and I am home by 11:30. To see such talent in such an intimate setting is well worth it.

That's not too bad!

 

A friend from Scarsdale told me that I can get to the Blue Note from suburban Philly faster than he can.

 

A friend from Scarsdale told me that I can get to the Blue Note from suburban Philly faster than he can.

How does he go? By way of Long Island?