Sweeeeet

Very Excited About This One

Just grabbed some tickets for one of my favorite live bands for next month at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Railroad Earth and the Infamous Stringdusters!

It Was a Good Run

Concert Ticket Shams

So my buddy was bitching about not being able to get Lady Ga Ga tickets on the pre-sale. I know, I know that should be celebrated but for some reason my friend really wants to go. So what gives. Larry is the ticket king for goodness sake. Never gets shut out. What gives?

Larry's problem is increasingly becoming the defacto situation in the concert industry. Artists don't want to appear greedy so they work back channel deals with TicketBastard and Live Nation to hold back huge amounts of tickets for them to re-sell on Stub Hub and other services. No real surprise. They make like the ticket industry is the problem. The problem is greedy artists who want to charge more for tickets but can't due to public opinion. They make their money either way and the real fans lose. How else can Stub Hub list tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

Will this ever change? Probably not. Nobody has the heart to legislate and then prosecute. There are too many other issues of injustice to deal with in 2009. This one just hits home more for some of us.

Check out this link...

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=11469165

It highlights what happened with "good guy" Keith Urban's show in Nashville.

We need to do something. Is there a politician that cares. Hey Chuck Schumer how 'bout you do something?

Bruce Springsteen - Down to the River

There's not a whole lot to say and there is so much that needs to be said. The performance of The River is a fan's dream. The rockers roared but it was the more introspective numbers that killed for me. Fade Away, Stolen Car and Drive All Night were jaw dropping. Why they don't make it into the set more often is confounding. The Price You Pay was another that was just amazing.

The rest of the set really rocked. Atlantic City > Badlands > BTR > 7 Nights to Rock just took it to another level. Sweet Soul Music was a blast. The rest of encores were predictable but that is forgivable considering how great the set was. Two special, special nights of music. When is the next tour?

Wrecking Ball (with Curt Ramm)
The Ties That Bind
Sherry Darling
Jackson Cage
Two Hearts
Independence Day
Hungry Heart
Out in the Street
Crush on You
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
I Wanna Marry You
The River
Point Blank
Cadillac Ranch
I'm a Rocker (with Curt Ramm)
Fade Away
Stolen Car
Ramrod
The Price You Pay
Drive All Night
Wreck on the Highway
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Atlantic City
Badlands
Born to Run
Seven Nights to Rock
* * *
Sweet Soul Music (with Curt Ramm)
No Surrender
American Land (with Curt Ramm)
Dancing in the Dark
Can't Help Falling in Love
Higher and Higher

A note to Bruce...Sunny Day & Wrecking Ball need to never make it in to the set again. My only quibble and it is a small one.

I made it to 5 shows this tour + the Hall of Fame show. Thanks to Bruce and the Band for some great music. Enjoy the break, you all deserve it.

Thanks for the pictures Larry!

Fade Away


Stolen Car


Ramrod


Sweet Soul Music

Bruce Springsteen - A Wild Garden Night

Last night was a treat for the fans. The Wild, The Innocent, and the E. Street Shuffle was played straight through last night for the 1st time. Kitty's Back burned and Incident > Rosie , NYC was just amazing. What a great show. While some of the song choices look a little predictable, there was an energy last night that kicked the whole show up a few notches. And I love Human Touch, great song from perhaps his worst album. Elvis Costello guested on Higher and Higher. Can't wait for The River tonight.

Thundercrack
Seeds
Prove It All Night
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
The E Street Shuffle (with Curt Ramm & horns)
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Kitty's Back (with Curt Ramm & horns)
Wil Billy's Circus Story
Incident on 57th Street
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
New York City Serenade (with Richard Blackwell, the Sam Bardfeld Strings, Curt Ramm & horns)
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Raise Your Hand
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
Glory Days
Human Touch
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
* * *
Wrecking Ball (with Curt Ramm)
Bobby Jean
American Land (with Curt Ramm and Sam Bardfeld)
Dancing in the Dark
Higher and Higher (with Elvis Costello, Richard Blackwell, Curt Ramm & horns)


I could live without Sunny Day, Bobby Jean and Glory Days, but the crowd eats it up.

Richie Havens - Boulton Center 11/6/09

I saw Richie Havens at the Boulton Center in Bayshore, NY last night. He was his usual gracious self. Getting a bit older but the voice is still wonderful. He may ramble a bit and tell the same stories every time (but with some variations) but it is still a great night. He did a little Q&A before the encore and told his Woodstock story. Great fun.

This Weekend Is Gonna Rock

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND TO PERFORM FULL ALBUM SEQUENCES AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NEW YORK CITY11/3/09

Special programs announced for this weekend's Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band shows at Madison Square Garden

On Saturday, November 7, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle in its entirety for the first time.

On Sunday, November 8, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform The River in its entirety for the first time.

The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle was originally released in 1973 and The River was originally released in 1980. They now join Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, and Born in the USA as albums that Bruce and the Band have performed in their entirety during their Fall tour.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert Night 2

Night 2 started out much the same as Night 1. Tom Hanks then Jerry Lee Lewis (this time doing Great Balls of Fire).

Aretha Frankin was, well Aretha Franklin. It was ok for me but nothing special. Annie Lennox and Lenny Kravitz were her guests and ended up being the least interesting pairings. In fact they didn't mesh well at all.

Baby I Love You
Don't Play That Song
Make Them Hear You
Chain of Fools (with Annie Lennox)
New York, New York
Think (with Lenny Kravitz)
Respect

Jeff Beck is a genius. There are not enough adjectives to describe his playing. His set was a clinic on how to play guitar and I loved it. I do think Clapton would have gone over better with the crowd as the material is more familiar. Buddy Guy was really good, but Billy Gibbons song choice was...odd to say the least. Rough Boy is just about the worst ZZ Top song ever. Puzzling. Everything ended with Jeff's version of A Day In The Life. Stunning.

Drown In My Own Tears
People Get Ready (with Sting)
Freeway Jam
Cause We've Ended Up as Lovers
Let Me Love You (Buddy Guy)
Big Block
Rice Pudding
Rough Boy (Billy Gibbons)
Foxey Lady (Billy Gibbons)
A Day In The Life

James Hetfield: "We're Metallica and this is what we do". For Whom the Bell Tolls.

That pretty much says it all. Metallica were great last night. Touring all year has them playing like a well oiled machine. Lou Reed looked confused. Ozzy was Ozzy and Ray Davies was great. All in all an excellent set.

For Whom the Bell Tolls
One
Turn The Page
Sweet Jane (Lou Reed)
White Light White Heat (Lou Reed)
Iron Man (Ozzy)
Paranoid (Ozzy)
You Reall Got Me (Ray Davies)
All Day and All of the Night (Ray Daivies)
Stone Cold Crazy
Enter Sandman

U2 hits the stage at around 11:45. No tape backing, just them which was cool. If there is such a thing as look key U2 this was it. Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith join them for Because the Night. The Black Eyed Peas come out for one (not familiar with their stuff....they came out during Mysterious Ways) and stay. Gimmie Shelter starts and Fergie is dancing and singing the chick intro and out comes...Mick Jagger. The Garden goes ape shit. Mick sticks around for another with U2 and after Beautiful Day it's all over. Just an hour long, but is was a great hour.

Vertigo

Magnificent

Because The Night (Bruce & Patti Smith)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (With Springsteen)

Mysterious Ways > Where Is The Love > One (with Black Eyed Peas)
Gimmie Shelter (With Mick Jagger & Fergie)

Stuck Inside a Moment

Beautiful Day

The show was about 2 hours shorter than Thursday and in many ways Night 1 was a better show, at least for me. However the highlights last night were BIG. All in all it was two amazing nights of music. I'm glad I live in NY.

Gov't Mule with Joe Bonamassa

Two of my favorites tearing up the Albert King classic. The second clip is from the same show jamming out on a Mule instumental "ScoMule".

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert Night 1

The first of two Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concerts lived up to most of my expectations last night. The evening started off promptly at 7:30 with a video montage & Tom Hanks blathering on about the power of Rock & Roll...typical boomer bullshit (and I am 47). This was followed by Jerry Lee Lewis doing "Whole Lotta Shakin" solo at the piano.

Crosby, Stills & Nash were not great in my opinion. Stephen Stills is a little rough vocally now and they just weren't great. Of the guests I will say that Bonnie Raiit sounded as good as always as did Jackson Browne who played one of my favorites (The Pretender).

Woodstock
Marakesh Express
Almost Cut My Hair
Love Has No Pride (Bonnie Raitt)
Midnight Rider (with Bonnie Raitt)
The Pretender (Jackson Browne)
Mexico (James Taylor)
Love The One You're With (with James Taylor)
Rock & Roll Woman
Teach Your Children (with all 3 guests)

I have been waiting to see Simon & Garfunkel for most of my life and I want to say right off that I didn't need anything else for this poriton of the show. That said I really do enjoy Paul Simon's solo work so that was a treat. Dion and Little Anthony and the Imperials were fine. When Art finally joined him on stage it was highlight time. If hearing them, even after all of these years, singing the Boxer and Bridge Over Troubled Waters doesn't give you a little goosebumps there must be something seriously wrong with you. Tremendous.

Paul Simon:
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
Me & Julio Down By the School Yard
You Can Call Me Al
The Wanderer (Dion)
Late in the Evening
Two People in the World (Little Anthony & the Imperials)

Enter Art Garfunkel:
Sounds of Silence
Mrs. Robinson > Not Fade Away > Mrs. Robinson
The Boxer
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Cecilia

I felt awful for Stevie Wonder...tons of sound issues for his set. Having never seen him before all I can say is WOW. What a fantastic talent, you knew that on record but live...just amazing. Lots of guests and a killer set.

Uptight(Everything's Alright)
I Was Made To Love You
For Once In My Life
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
Boogie On Reggae Woman
Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson)
Mercy Mercy Me (John Legend)
The Way You Make Me Feel (with John Legend)
The Thrill is Gone (B.B. King)
Living for the City
Higher Ground > Roxanne > Higher Ground (with Sting)
Superstition (with Jeff Beck)

The highlight of the evening was Bruce's set. The E. Street Band probably could have been the house band all night. They were TIGHT. Sam Moore was just fantastic as was Darlene Love. John Fogerty was really good (although a little predictable). Tom Joad was incendiary with Tom Morello and the evening ended with a surprise guest...Billy Joel. What a great, loooooong night (6 hours). Can't wait for tonight.

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
Hold On, I'm Comin' (Sam Moore)
Soul Man (Sam Moore)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (Tom Morello)
Fortunate Son (John Fogerty)
Proud Mary (John Fogerty)
Oh, Pretty Woman (with John Fogerty)
Jungleland
A Fine Fine Boy (Darlene Love)
De Doo Ron Ron (Darlenes Love)
London Calling (With Tom Morello)
Badlands (with Tom Morello)
You May Be Right (Billy Joel)
Only The Good Die Young (with Billy Joel)
New York State of Mind (with Billy Joel)
Born To Run (with Billy Joel)
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me)Higher & Higher (all Bruce guests + Peter Wolf & Jackson Browne)

The show was really long. I had to jump at the end of Born to Run to make sure I didn't miss the train (after 1:30 the next was at 3:10) but all in all a great night of music. First half was a little heavy on the Adult Contemporary side but the second half was rockin'. Tonight should even more. I am really looking forward to what U2 will be doing and with whom.

Gov't Mule - By A Thread

I'm a fan so I'll spare you all the adjectives that I want to describe this band with. Love 'em. Been on the band wagon since 1997 and haven't looked back. The thing is each studio album takes me some time to grow to love. It's kind of weird. What at first seems a let down almost always turns out to be a keeper. I guess it's because I have heard so many songs live for so long that the recorded versions seem just a bit off. It usually goes away after a few listenings.

I have been playing By a Thread for a couple of weeks now and at first I thought it was good, but not great. I will say it is improving quickly to the point where I am really enjoying it now. In fact it might be my favorite album track for track since Life Before Insanity.

It grooves, it slams, it pummels, it jams, in a phase it is an "ass-kicking". Makes me really look forward to the Beacon run. Check it out.

Eric Clapton To Miss Hall of Fame Concerts

From Where's Eric...

Eric Clapton - Hall of Fame Concert Appearance Cancelled

Published: 22 October 2009

Unfortunately Eric Clapton has cancelled his performance for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert next week to undergo a minor medical procedure for gall stones. He will spend time recuperating at home in the UK and is very sorry to disappoint the fans and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He remains committed to his 2010 concert schedule. Spokespeople for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said today that they wish Eric Clapton all the best and they will announce a replacement for Eric’s part of the show shortly.

Needless to say I am bummed. The thought of Clapton/Beck/Guy jamming was almost too good. Let's see who they replace him with. May I suggest...

Paul McCartney
Neil Young
Mick & Keef
Pete & Roger

My Classics - Darkness on the Edge of Town

I was thinking about why I like what I like. I guess it's because I am reading the new Nick Hornby "Juliet, Naked" which is kind of all about music and our obsessions and how it affects our lives and relationships. It's a really good read by the way. So I have been thinking about how certain records have played a part in my "musical" life as well as life in general. Bruce Springsteen is certainly first and foremost in my musical thoughts for most of the past 30 years so I decided to start with him.

I was a little too young for Born To Run, in fact I was probably too young for Darkness on the Edge of Town, but as a 16 year old I found it by chance. My friends didn't care. Local radio wasn't buying into the hype at the moment. Not much stirring for a high school kid in 1978 on the Bruce front. Then I got my hands on a copy and things changed. Forever. Before this I was all about Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith (still like 'em too) but hearing this album changed the way I heard music.

I was the classic case of the "teenager". Mad at my father for whatever reason. Not getting along with my step mother. Mad at my mother for divorcing my dad (like he had nothing to do with it). I got over all of this soon enough, but at that particular time in my life I dropped the needle on Badlands and things changed. Here were feelings and thoughts expressed that I had and would continue to have. It's not always a rosy world out there and we need to get through. That and some killer rock & roll. I know these songs are over-played over the years, but they are for a reason. This album is just amazing.

Adam Raised a Cain voiced my feelings about my relationship with my father at the time. It screamed it out of the speakers and while I came to understand him over the years, much like Bruce does on Independence Day (an amazing track off of the River), this one spoke right to me at 16.

Something in the Night and Candy's Room have some screaming guitar and I love 'em both but the highlight comes at the end of side 1...Racing in the Street. What most folks hear as a song about a guy a girl and a car is all about the same redemption that we all seek. The question is will we ever find it. A simply stunning song.

Side 2 is loaded with concert staples: The Promised Land, Prove It All Night and Darkness on the Edge of Town. The first two all full of promise and hope. The latter searching for that chance that we all hope is out there. The battle rages on in each of our lives the question is will life's little victories be enough to get us through.

Even the out-takes, some of which will make The River, and some which don't see the light of day until the Tracks collection are so far above what was out then, or now, that the music continues to amaze me. I love a lot of what he did and I like most of the rest quite a bit, but for me this was the pinnacle of his career. And I keep going back again and again. Searching for that redemption...

Perhaps There is Some Confusion

I may be a bit confused, but if Fox is not a real news network because of their bias (which it has) then what is MSNBC? That weekly line-up sure looks a little on the left side of things last I checked. Memo to the White House...just becuase they are on your side doesn't make it any better.

Dana Fuchs Band

I am a sucker for rock chicks. I somehow missed Dana Fuchs and just recently found here live album. This is some pretty good stuff. She's got that sound in her voice. I think I like it...

Ashley Cleveland

One of the great voices out there. I just wish more folks could here her. If you get a chance grab here CD "God Don't Never Change". I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Thanks to the folks over at Music Fog and Koch Records for the great performances.

Joe Bonamassa and Eric Clapton

Way too tasty...