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]

 

I went to see Wagner's The Flying Dutchman last weekend that the Seattle Opera presented as he wished - without intermissions - and *someone* snored through most of it. WHY his/her seatmates did not deliver a few jabs with their elbow, I do not know. Terribly annoying as they delivered a great performance. Punctuated every few seconds by a **snore**

 

Last weekend I went with my son (who is 17) to see the Alan Parsons Live Project. I've been a huge Alan Parsons Project fan since I was in high school (80-84). I wasn't sure what to expect from the "Live Project" - but it was absolutely fantastic. Alan has assembled a great 8-piece band, and they did absolutely killer renditions of a ton of APP classics. I was thoroughly impressed. I had been on the fence about going, but I'm sure glad I did.

 

Damien Jurado at The Neptune last Thursday

 

Last Sunday's Philharmonic concert was fun (if taxing) to play and we got a nice ovation... Next season is sounding pretty impressive too.

www.pikepeakphil.org

 

Bill Charlap Trio at Birdland 6/1/16 featuring Kenny Washington on drums and Peter Washington on bass.

 

Bill Charlap Trio at Birdland 6/1/16 featuring Kenny Washington on drums and Peter Washington on bass.

View attachment 27200

I was there too! Great concert and how cool was it to have Tony Bennett "in the house"!

 

Iron maiden coming wednesday , ED FORCE ONE already arrived , hope to take some shots with the sony leica combo

20160606_162229[1] by andromeda61, on Flickr

 

Paul Simon @ Chateau St. Michelle
Lisa Fischer @ Jazz Alley

Crack Sabbath and The Bad Plus this week.

 

This is the time of year that my wife and I make a trip to NJ to visit my buddy Marty to listen to his fabulous sound system as well as to make sojourns into NYC to hear some concerts and see some shows.Last night Marty, myself and our wives drove into New York to meet up with Myles Astor and his wife Heidi for an amazing dinner at Han Dynasty in the upper west side followed by a short walk to the Beacon Theater where we caught the Jackson Browne concert.

I have to say that it was a better concert than I had anticipated. First off the guy is 68 years old and looks every bit as good as he did in his prime. As to his singing I can honestly say the guy hasn't lost a beat. He sings every bit as good as he did in the 70's. He sang many songs that were performed by other artists such as Take It Easy sung by Glen Frey and the Eagles. It was terrific.His band was wonderful. He had a 7 piece band including himself. He played piano and guitar. He had a guy on key board, a bass guitarist, a lead guitarist and another playing steel guitar and acoustic guitar, a drummer and a chorus singer. I was fascinated that there must have been at least 20-30 different guitars used by all the players. The acoustics were just OK as myself and everyone around us was finding it near onto impossible to make out his lyrics and his commentaries. This was driving everyone around us nuts. It seems that where we were sitting which was dead center row A in the balcony. I sat next to the Entertainment Editor of WABC-TV who also was complaining of the illegible dialog. Having said that and not withstanding these issues we had a great time just listening to all of the old music which took us down memory lane..
All-in-all a great night. Tomorrow we are seeing the Carole King Musical Beautiful. I had wanted to see Hamilton but tickets were impossible and priced in the ozone. Hamilton however starts at Pantages in August with the Broadway cast for a 4 month run and I was able to buy Center Orchestra seats in December for our anniversary.

Jackson Browne is in the midst of a very long national and international tour. If he stops in your area and you are a product of his generation (as was our entire audience) don't miss the show as you will truly have a walk down memory lane. Highly recommended

 

I went to Ronnie Scott's in London tonight and heard the Jason Marsalis Quartet.

 

I stream concerts and some recent ones:
Wynton Marsalis and Lincoln Center Orchestra via livestream: http://livestream.com/jazz/jlcoatbard

Allman Brothers at Filmore East via concertvault: http://www.concertvault.com/the-allman-brothers-band/video/dont-keep-me-wonderin_66096625.html

Ringo and his All Star Band at Rodemont Theater: http://www.concertvault.com/ringo-starr-and-his-all-starr-band/rosemont-theatre-august-22-2001.html

Earth Wind and Fire via Qello: https://qello.com/concert/In-Concert-6135

To me this is the reason I invested in an Auro 3D immersive home theater. It is just incredible to go back in time or anywhere in the world and watch/listen to all of these fantastic performances.

 

Wonderful Squeeze concert last night at Benaroya. Difford and Tillbrook were in fine form. They played (almost) all the old hits and new material from their recent "Cradle To Grave" CD. We paid $20 for a double CD of the evening's concert...brilliant idea.

 

We saw Muse at the Bell Centre earlier this year in Montreal.

Great show. As usual for Muse.

Horrible sound. As usual for Bell Centre...

 

Saw Elephant Revival at The Ark in Ann Arbor. Interesting group.

 

Just saw Chanticleer at the Nordstrom Recital Hall at the Benaroya Concert Hall here in Seattle. I have not heard them in many, many years. Completely new members but still a fabulous group. They have exacting standards. I think the Recital Hall has better acoustics than the main hall itself.

 

This Return to Forever concert is EPIC

https://qello.com/concert/Live-at-Montreux--2434#

 

Chicago Symphony with James Levine conducting.
Mozart, Schoenberg, and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique.
Review: http://chicagoclassicalreview.com/2...parks-in-conductors-return-to-orchestra-hall/

 

I went to see Anderson - Rabin - Wakeman Saturday night at the Chicago Theater. My already high expectations going in were actually exceeded. Jon's voice was almost impossibly strong and clear, Rick was truly wizardly, Trevor was spot on all night and played at a very high level, and the rhythm section was very, very solid. This is a GREAT band. Especially enthralling was Heart of the Sunrise, but all these Yes classics were played incredibly well,and were made quite fresh by this lineup. Highly recommended.

 

Cool, Yes is one of my favorite progressive music bands; they always strike the right emotional chords since I was a young teenager and still today.

? http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/ev...son-rabin-wakeman-at-the-chicago-theatre.html

Those are lasting memories that'll never die in the heart of the sunrise and the soul of people from du soleil.
I would have love to be there, with the one I love.

 

Westerlies 5th Anniversary show: