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]

concert3.jpg
 
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Marty, I normally would have been at Thursday's concert, but I needed to exchange my tickets to Tuesday. I hope Mr. Haitink will be in good health after the fall.

I'm glad you experienced the Lower Balcony. The front seats in the Boxes are great, but otherwise I'd prefer the Lower Balcony. Nearly as close and intimate and no obstructions to the view.

Orchestra Hall is often criticized for being too "dry" and is rarely ranked among the top halls. However, as you experienced, the sound of the CSO at home can be terrific.

Ron
Totally agree Ron. Lower balcony is thee place to be in Chicago Hall if for no other reason that your seat is YOUR seat. As you know, you have to change seats in the First Tier Boxes at intermission (a policy I don't think exists anywhere else in the world as far as I know). And as you have said, the sound is glorious yet intimate anywhere in the lower balcony due to an absence of any obstructions. All they have to do now is replace Chris Martin with someone of his caliber!
 
You should try to watch all of them over the years instead of picking and choosing this way. Why Mahler 2, or any other number, when you haven't heard them live or do not know them properly? If one of those is playing at a nearby concert hall (in your case Disney), and fits into your schedule, listen to it twice at home, then go listen to it live, then decide if you want to hear it again or not.

The big epiphany will come when you also get into the smaller pieces and start appreciating the performers. So you might not attend a concert only because a particular piece is playing, but because some particular artist is performing. Right now you are trying to short list what you would like to attend based on what you might have heard recorded, that too not properly. Also since you are discovering classical you should not assume your taste. Assuming taste with food or classical before exposure is a big mistake. You will be surprised what good cantatas, renaissance, choir performed in smaller venues and churches can do

Same thing with recordings. When I go to the General's, I hear so many recitals or small pieces that are just brilliantly recorded and performed


Thank you, Kedar, for the advice. I do appreciate it.

I heard an elaborate Mozart Requiem choral piece at St. Martin In the Fields (I think) in 2016. I have heard a number of smaller pieces in various venues. I just did not care for them.

I will try to stay open-minded. But you have to stay open-mind to the possibility that I simply may have different musical tastes and interests than you do. :)
 
Thank you, Kedar, for the advice. I do appreciate it.

I heard an elaborate Mozart Requiem choral piece at St. Martin In the Fields (I think) in 2016. I have heard a number of smaller pieces in various venues. I just did not care for them.

I will try to stay open-minded. But you have to stay open-mind to the possibility that I simply may have different musical tastes and interests than you do. :)

We can establish if we have different tastes after you watch a sufficient number of different types of such concerts. It is very possible for that choral piece to be boring even for someone who likes choral pieces. My whole point is since you have started exploring a genre, there is no way for your taste to be defined so early. You are b trying to pigeon hole it. You need to keep exploring and let it develop
 
It turns out that it was good that I exchanged my Thursday tickets to the CSO Haitink Bruckner 6 concert to Tuesday. Mr. Haitink appeared to have suffered no ill effects from Thursday's fall.

The program book said that he will be taking a sabbatical after the 2018/19 season. And at 89, this may have been his last performance with the CSO. The musicians have great respect for him, and the brass gave him a tusch during the post concert applause, with the rest of the orchestra applauding him vigorously.

On Tuesdays there is a post-concert conversation in the ballroom. John Hagstrom (trumpet) and Michael Mulcahy (trombone) spoke about their instruments, Haitink, other conductors, and Bruckner. John demonstrated the "German" trumpet used for the Bruckner and the normal "American" trumpet. He said that Bud Herseth had introduced the German trumpet to the CSO in 1965 for selected repertoire.

John also said that the tusch is given very rarely - perhaps once every 5 to 10 years.
 
How did you like America.

We saw them several months ago at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano as they played to a packed and sold out house. They sang all the oldies and goodies. Only challenge was they really couldn't sing that well anymore and much of the harmony was gone. Having said that everyone there had a blast listening

I recorded them. They say they play a 100 shows per year. Entertaining but they sounded a little off during important harmonies, ect as you said. Not a bad show. I expected a little better. I rate the show 6 out of 10.
 
It turns out that it was good that I exchanged my Thursday tickets to the CSO Haitink Bruckner 6 concert to Tuesday. Mr. Haitink appeared to have suffered no ill effects from Thursday's fall.

The program book said that he will be taking a sabbatical after the 2018/19 season. And at 89, this may have been his last performance with the CSO. The musicians have great respect for him, and the brass gave him a tusch during the post concert applause, with the rest of the orchestra applauding him vigorously.

On Tuesdays there is a post-concert conversation in the ballroom. John Hagstrom (trumpet) and Michael Mulcahy (trombone) spoke about their instruments, Haitink, other conductors, and Bruckner. John demonstrated the "German" trumpet used for the Bruckner and the normal "American" trumpet. He said that Bud Herseth had introduced the German trumpet to the CSO in 1965 for selected repertoire.

John also said that the tusch is given very rarely - perhaps once every 5 to 10 years.

Wonderful update. My friend who has played trumpet with the Philadelphia orchestra thinks Bud Herseth was the greatest American orchestral trumpet player ever. Chris Martin (the current "king") talks about that German trumpet on Sara Willis' video blog Horn Hangouts. https://www.reddit.com/r/trumpet/comments/8c2iup Very enjoyable and educational.
 
The Electric God to me is Jimi Hendrix, my all time favorite, but he passed shortly after I was born and never got to see him.

With that being said, I love all genres and have seen many greats, but my all time favorite was Willie Nelson at an outdoor show during the summer, 5th row center stage - the man is good and amazing on the acoustic, rightfully so with 60 plus years experience.

Enjoy Your Sound!
 
Recently at The Coach House also to a packed house of old gomers we saw Three Dog Night. When it comes to harmony or lack there of they made America sound great.

But then again it was fun to be there.
Smokey Robinson is going to be up here soon and I cant bring myself to pay money cause there is no way he can pull it off anymore.

Rush should have hired a singer 20 year ago as their playing ability has progressed, the voice has time limits far shorter than playing ability.

Love the Coach House seen many great shows there, two being Al Stewart and Stanley Clarke with Gerry Brown on drums. At the Al Stewart the show opened up and you could hear him singing and playing but could not see him. then the spot came on and he was up in the little balcony stage right. The place has decent sound.
 
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On the rail at Saturday’s Steven Wilson concert at the Starland Ballroom. My son is the dude in the foreground :)

B228C3A9-88D6-41AA-8B26-C0CD8247A685.jpeg

Both of us have custom Westone earplugs we had an audiologist make, and what a revelation those have been. So easy to get in and out, they work fabulously, are super comfortable for long concerts, and hardly noticeable to others ;)
 
Anyone want to see Nils Frahm at Disney Hall with me in a few weeks? Modern classical/electronica

I'm a big Nils Frahm fan. I saw Olafur Arnalds last Friday at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. Amazing concert and "light show". I did not know he had such a rabid following around here. Very thoughtful fellow he is.
 
Just came from Carnegie. Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the Vienna Phil.

First up- "Decoration Day" by Charles Ives. Ives is considered the first American classical composer. I just never liked anything of his I've ever heard and this piece was no exception. That's unfortunate. Apparently Stravinsky thought it was a masterpiece. I thought it was a piece of something else.

Next, Igor Levit played Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto. What's not to like? Written when Beethoven was around 30, it was as revolutionary in the musical canon of piano concertos as his Eroica was for symphonies. The Eroica is considered the first symphony of the Romantic Era as a distinction from the Classic period. The 3rd piano concert is viewed similarly among piano concertos. Performed beautifully,

Finally Brahms Second Symphony. A genuine masterpiece and although I'm not a huge MTT fan ( I never get the sense he is conducting the orchestra; sometimes it seems it's the other way around) he knocked it out of the park on this one. A powerful and exquisite performance of this gorgeous symphony.
 
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Just came from Carnegie. Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the Vienna Phil.

First up- "Decoration Day" by Charles Ives. Ives is considered the first American classical composer. I just never liked anything of his I've ever heard and this piece was no exception. That's unfortunate. Apparently Stravinsky thought it was a masterpiece. I thought it was a piece of something else.

Next, Igor Levit played Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto. What's not to like? Written when Beethoven was around 30, it was as revolutionary in the musical canon of piano concertos as his Eroica was for symphonies. The Eroica is considered the first symphony of the Romantic Era as a distinction from the Classic period. The 3rd piano concert is viewed similarly among piano concertos. Performed beautifully,

Finally Brahms Second Symphony. A genuine masterpiece and although I'm not a huge MTT fan ( I never get the sense he is conducting the orchestra; sometimes it seems it's the other way around) he knocked it out of the park on this one. A powerful and exquisite performance of this gorgeous symphony.

I am watching Igor Levit next week. Not the same piece though, he is accompanying a tenor on a Mozart Schubert song cycle. I love Beethoven's 3rd, though the first movement does remind me of the first movement of Mozart's 20th in terms of suspense. The main Beethoven piano concerto cycle this year here will be performed by Andras Schiff.
 
Just came from Carnegie. Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the Vienna Phil.

First up- "Decoration Day" by Charles Ives. Ives is considered the first American classical composer. I just never liked anything of his I've ever heard and this piece was no exception. That's unfortunate. Apparently Stravinsky thought it was a masterpiece. I thought it was a piece of something else.

Next, Igor Levit played Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto. What's not to like? Written when Beethoven was around 30, it was as revolutionary in the musical canon of piano concertos as his Eroica was for symphonies. The Eroica is considered the first symphony of the Romantic Era as a distinction from the Classic period. The 3rd piano concert is viewed similarly among piano concertos. Performed beautifully,

Finally Brahms Second Symphony. A genuine masterpiece and although I'm not a huge MTT fan ( I never get the sense he is conducting the orchestra; sometimes it seems it's the other way around) he knocked it out of the park on this one. A powerful and exquisite performance of this gorgeous symphony.

Thanks, Marty. We have MTT for one more year. In 2020, when he retires, he will have been with the SF Symphony for 25 years. Ives is definitely an acquired taste, but MTT is a big Ives proponent. MTT did a recording of the Ives Holiday Symphony including Decoration Day back in the mid '80's with the Chicago Symphony. He also did a lecture and performance with the SF Symphony a decade or so ago (ala Bernstein's old TV lectures) which I have on bluray, a part of a series he did on different compositions. The earliest recording I have of MTT is with the Boston Symphony around 1972 on DGG where he conducts the Ives Three Places in New England (which got a Grammy Nomination). I have the old commercial 7.5ips 4 track tape of that recording.

Larry
 

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