Alison and I went to see the Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson, at The Dame tonight.
All I can say is WOW!. She still has an amazing set of pipes for a 71 year old woman. She performed a set of about an hour and a half. And told many a tale between songs.
She is going to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April.
We didn't take our cameras, and are now regretting it.
There are a number of videos of her in performance on YouTube, from the beginning of her career, to today.
Here's one of her performing a song she performed this evening.
Last month I went to see Over The Rhine. I have been in love with a couple of their songs pretty recently, but knew nothing of them, or how a live show would be.
We drove out about an hour's time on a snake curve road to the boonies into a gorgeous setting. Rolling hills, fields - the destination a winery. Yep, OTR had a concert at a winery, how appropriate? Gorgeous day. Sunny, warm...lovely. Nice walk down to the music area. Set up our camping chairs in the general seating area behind the pricier seating in front of the stage. We had the better deal. Great view of the hills, vineyard, trees, large pond and water feature. Oh and stage, too. I purchased a bottle of one of the local pinot grigios, was given a bucket of ice and a cup, and went on my way back to our seats. Opening act was ok...nothing to write home about. Low key, and I got to enjoy the company I was with, and all the surroundings, and had fun people watching. Once it was time for the main act, I paid attention. This group commands it. So lovely is karin's voice...so tight the band. I didn't hear my favorite song, but they played a new favorite...one I won't ever hear without thinking of this show: I Don't Want To Waste Your Time. Mmm. Good stuff!
Romantic experience, to say the very least. It really was a great experience. Fun night out afterwards locally after the drive home, but none of that needs to be repeated here. anyway, I highly recommend the newest cd by Over the Rhine, The Trumpet Child, and to see them live if you get the chance.
forgot to write one about seeing Over The Rhine a couple weeks back, so i'll do that in a bit. but last night i went to covington, ky to see a friend's band open up for Matthew Sweet at a really small but nice venue/theater. i am famous for getting names incorrect, but i think it is on the website for matthew sweet if you care to take a look. they're good!
i knew my friend would be a great frontman (he usually plays guitar, but has a broken arm and couldn't) but i was really impressed. they were great! have a cello and violin on some songs, too. their sound reminded me a lot of a combo of Ours and Starsailor, both outfits i really like a lot. but they do have their own groove, too. good stuff. i think their cd is released and available for download/purchase, as well.
matthew sweet. i had seen him over 10 yrs ago with my friends dave and colleen from youngstown, ohio. matthew sweet is colleen's favorite. ****long side note, you can skip this, it's just personal background stuff. dave was always my concert buddy, since our art institute days. and when i was living in pittsburgh, it was easy to go to youngstown and get together with him to see shows up there (bootsy collins once at a great dive near boardman, oh, and a few times up to cleveland to see jonathan richman, and the afghan whigs, liz phair...etc. fun times.) and he'd often come to pittsburgh to join me to see stuff like westerberg, g-love, i forget who else. i've missed his company. we almost checked out the black keys in akron a few weeks back, where our other partner in crime from artschool days was at the show, too - in from bozeman, mt where he has a wilderness school that is getting lots of press in field and stream, and other places....(he's contributed his knowledge to many movies, and his vocals to a few Tool tracks in the past couple years, too.) very interesting stuff. check out his website, particularly the staff part and the video link here: http://www.pastskills.com/ or http://www.pastskills.com/staff.html sorry, i don't know how to post links, so that may not have come thru correctly.) he has a book deal, a pilot in the works, etc. crazy. anyway, he was at the black keys show. and if i had gone, i know i'd have run into him. first time in over 10 yrs, too. and i know he'd not have recognized me, but i'd know him anywhere, even without his gorgeous long black hair he had back in the day. oh well.**** so it was fun seeing him that time with them both in pittsburgh. he always smiles when he plays his perfect 2 minute pop songs, that actually rock out, too. i'm not much for pop music usually, but this is a different kind. and he is a joy to watch, really. his band was tight, too. and what a visual...the drummer looked like a villian or ghost/goblin from scooby doo, i swear! and the lead guitarist, a 6+ foot, lanky dude, slung his guitar so low, it was hard to imagine how he could play so well like that. but they were all great. and they really enjoyed performing. sweet had aged, but his smile and voice hasn't. played lots of new stuff from his newest release, talked to the audience in the perfect tone and not too much or too little, enough to engage us and get us moving. at the start of the show, after he did a few of the new stuff, he broke into We're The Same, which really put a special secret smile on my face for personal reasons i won't get into here, and got me to a place - knowing this wasn't going to be a disappointing show. about 3/4 the way through the show, i got to rock out/dance to a couple songs up in front of the stage when the spirit moved me (divine intervention, sick of myself...i think were the two.) and though i didn't hear Evangeline or Does She Talk, i wasn't disappointed by anything they did. it was a great time.
something funny did happen. i almost got into a skirmish with a prissy, tall chicka who refused to stand aside from my direct line sight to the stage. plenty of room around her, as the venue wasn't but 1/2 full all night...but she was too busy trying to get the attention of the dude in the porkpie hat who was with the opening act. anyway, if you know me, you know i avoid conflict like the plague, any kind of confrontation. but, she was blocking my view, and i had just sat down after dancing to a couple songs up front and i wanted to watch the show from my seat. so, i politely tapped her on the shoulder, asked her if she wouldn't mind please moving TWO INCHES to her left or right. she turned around, with a precious smile and haughty look in her eye and said "it's a concert. get up and move." well. that did it. and no, i wasn't drunk or anything. i tapped her again, and said to her "sweetheart, if you didn't notice, since you're too busy making eyes at the porkpie hat guy who isn't paying you much mind, i was just up there dancing my cute ass off...and i asked you nicely, once. next time i won't be so nice." she turned around in shock. my friend came back to join me at our table, and once she got a look at him (who had no idea of the "conversation" we had just had, and not that he's imposing in any way), and figured out we were friends of the opening act, i think she thought about it, and moved to her right. and i got to enjoy the last few songs from my vantage point, with a smile.
it was a fun night. go see matthew sweet if you can, anytime. you'll leave smiling. i did.
The Aggrolites in Berlin larger Went to see the L.A. Ska Reggae band at the Kesselhaus in the Kulturbrauerei here in Berlin. I was expecting to skanked and ranked and was not disappointed. The Bro's Rock! What I was not prepared for was the mass turnout of skinheads, which here in East Berlin are rare to see in the wild, as well as to be feared and respected. But as the night rocked on it was clear that we were all there to have a good time and it was had by all. I would have gotten some shots from closer up, but that's where the Skins were thickest, I and I opted to keep a respectful distance. ( After doing my homework after the show, I learned that Ska has always had a strong skinhead following. There are as many species of Skinheads as there are Flowers in the fields. Not all have thorns. These guys seemed to be of the milder sort)
I saw the Broadway production of The Lion King..... in French....... in Paris last week - does that count for anything? I didn't understand much of the dialogue but the stagecraft was freakin' amazing!
I saw the Swell Season (for the second time) last night at the Palace Theatre and it was an amazing show! Glen Hansard's voice is unbelievable, and Marketa's too. It's one of those shows you wish you could replay. They played a couple new songs, I can't wait for the release!
I saw The New Pornographers last night here in Columbia. It was a Jack Daniels Studio 7 Show (unfortunately) with a local band opening for them. No Neko, but they were fabulous. Really amazing live. Only bad thing was, like I said, no Neko. But I'd recommend going to see them. They closed their main set with the ELO song "Don't Bring Me Down," and really nailed it. Great fun.
I got to see Radiohead Sunday night near Indianapolis at Deer Creek. They were absolutely amazing, of course. I had seen them once before, and that was the best show I had ever seen. This one was right up there. The band is so tight, everything flows so seamlessly and the stage show is a real visual treat. They played a lot from the new Rainbows album, several from Kid A and OK Computer, and a few others mixed in. Their recent setlists had been even heavier on Rainbows, so I was pleasantly surprised to see some older stuff mixed in. Well worth the price of admission if you get a chance to see them.
Saw She&Him last night. Even better live than the CD. Including a new 'never before played' song (which was very good) and a good cover of 'You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio'. Who'd have thought you could emulate the mood and vibe of those Phil Specter songs with just 5 musicians? (Don't shoot me Hippie!)
Love these people! Great band. Your on your own with hippie. Strange vid though. You have to admit.
Location: The birthplace of Rock & Roll, baby. Gender:
Posted:
Aug 1, 2008 - 10:15am
Saw She&Him last night. Even better live than the CD. Including a new 'never before played' song (which was very good) and a good cover of 'You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio'. Who'd have thought you could emulate the mood and vibe of those Phil Specter songs with just 5 musicians? (Don't shoot me Hippie!)
anyway, I highly recommend the newest cd by Over the Rhine, The Trumpet Child, and to see them live if you get the chance.
and i got to enjoy the last few songs from my vantage point, with a smile. 
Love these people! Great band. Your on your own with hippie.
