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]

 

George Coleman, Harold Maybern, Joe Webber and Joe Farnsworth this weekend at Smoke and know will regret it, but Blondie and Morrisey at MSG next weekend.

 

George Coleman, Harold Maybern, Joe Webber and Joe Farnsworth this weekend at Smoke and know will regret it, but Blondie and Morrisey at MSG next weekend.

Smoke is such a great venue...must have been killer.

 

Smoke is such a great venue...must have been killer.

On the 20th but have seen the quartet before. Coleman is getting on in years and usually doesn't do a whole set. Instead he'll bring some top up and coming jazz artists - last time three women (sax/drums/piano) - to perform with the quartet. In fact, the woman pianist who played with the group whose name escapes me, had just won a prestigious jazz competition.

The venue is ok but it is tiny!!!

 

George Coleman, Harold Maybern, Joe Webber and Joe Farnsworth this weekend at Smoke and know will regret it, but Blondie and Morrisey at MSG next weekend.

Sounds great, Myles. I love Harold Mabern. He used to tour with Wes Montgomery back in the day.

Ken

 

On our current European trip, we attended 17 classical music concerts in 17 days! Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican, LSO St. Lukes and Cadogan Hall. Heard pianists Daniel Barenboim playing his new eponymous piano, Angela Hewitt playing a Fazioli, Richard Goode, Murray Perahia, Natasha Paremski playing Brahms Piano Concerto 1 with the RPO (we saw Natasha first when she was 9 years old playing the Beethoven Piano Concerto 1 a year after her family moved to the SF Bay Area from Russia back in the late '90's). Emmanuel Ax played the Beethoven Piano Concerto 3 with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the last day of their European tour, with their young music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducting (including Tchaikovsky Symphony 5). We heard the great Canadian violinist James Ehnes three times - two solo recitals (including one with the last violin sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms accompanied by Steven Osbourne) and playing the Korngold Violin Concerto with the LSO and Marin Alsop conducting, the program also including the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. Natalie Clein playing the Dvorak Violin Concerto with the RPO, and Ashkenazy conducting the Philharmonia in an all Sibelius program, concluding with the fabulous Sibelius Symphony 2.

After Geneva (where we are now, having spent several hours yesterday auditioning the new Merging Technologies NADAC) and Oslo, we're back in London for a couple of days to hear the Verdi Requiem, and Joshua Bell playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the LSO along with Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique.

Whew!

Larry

 

On our current European trip, we attended 17 classical music concerts in 17 days! Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican, LSO St. Lukes and Cadogan Hall. Heard pianists Daniel Barenboim playing his new eponymous piano, Angela Hewitt playing a Fazioli, Richard Goode, Murray Perahia, Natasha Paremski playing Brahms Piano Concerto 1 with the RPO (we saw Natasha first when she was 9 years old playing the Beethoven Piano Concerto 1 a year after her family moved to the SF Bay Area from Russia back in the late '90's). Emmanuel Ax played the Beethoven Piano Concerto 3 with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the last day of their European tour, with their young music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducting (including Tchaikovsky Symphony 5). We heard the great Canadian violinist James Ehnes three times - two solo recitals (including one with the last violin sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms accompanied by Steven Osbourne) and playing the Korngold Violin Concerto with the LSO and Marin Alsop conducting, the program also including the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. Natalie Clein playing the Dvorak Violin Concerto with the RPO, and Ashkenazy conducting the Philharmonia in an all Sibelius program, concluding with the fabulous Sibelius Symphony 2.

After Geneva (where we are now, having spent several hours yesterday auditioning the new Merging Technologies NADAC) and Oslo, we're back in London for a couple of days to hear the Verdi Requiem, and Joshua Bell playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the LSO along with Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique.

Whew!

Larry

Hi Larry, good to have met you at Cadogan Hall and at Barbican for Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances. The guy sitting next to me slept throughout that dynamic performance. Hilarious. I saw Bernard Haitink on Sunday at Barbican conducting Mahler 1 and it was one of the best I have been to. Also watching him do Beethoven's Ninth this Sunday. I will try to make the Sibelius Violin Concerto but they are sold out as of now.

Your dedication to live concerts is commendable - that is one awesome streak!

 

Other memorable gigs

BB King
Buddy Guy
Santana
Rush many many times
Monty Pythons Flying Circus at Hollywood Bowl
Elton John
Yes
Dio
Dream Theater
Moody Blues
Ritchie Blackmore
Queensrych
Iron Maiden
Asia
Griffith Park Collection (Corea,Clarke,White,Henderson, Nancy Wilson)
Pink Floyd
Judas Priest
Garry Moore R.I.P.
Deep Purple
Black Sabbath original line up
Return To Forever
Bruford Moraz
Genesis
Alan Holdsworth
Jeff Berlin
Emerson Lake an Palmer

Impressive list, Palmer's setup late 2014 ...

 

Rolling Stones in Atlanta last week. never seen them before. Totally living up to the hype and then some. What a show.

 

Last night I heard Mozart Requiem at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London by the English Chamber Choir and the Belmont Ensemble of London. While not my favorite type of music it was wonderful to hear live, unamplified music! Despite the large church being full of hard, reflective surfaces I heard not one thing which sounded the slightest bit bright or edgy, like we sometimes hear from audio systems.

 

Richard Thompson Electric Trio at the Keswick Theater last Thurs. His guitar playing is so effortless. These guys could play anything. New album produced by Jeff Tweedy.

 

Last night I heard Mozart Requiem at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London by the English Chamber Choir and the Belmont Ensemble of London. While not my favorite type of music it was wonderful to hear live, unamplified music! Despite the large church being full of hard, reflective surfaces I heard not one thing which sounded the slightest bit bright or edgy, like we sometimes hear from audio systems.

Ron, my wife and I have been fortunate to see many concerts at St. Martins. The acoustics there are superb. We normally sit in the first couple of pews but have sat all around too. The sound is always superb. When I sit and listen to similar performances at home, I try, as best I can, to use those concerts as a reference. I will be attending Benny Green at The Jazz Standard in NYC Thursday night.

 

...will regret it, but Blondie and Morrisey at MSG next weekend.

I hope you'll have fun...just bring protection

 

I hope you'll have fun...just bring protection

Some 1920s Memphis boogie woogie piano music from Harold Maybern. A tribute to Jay McShann. Turning 80 next year, hopefully Harold receives a long deserved NEA Jazz Masters award!

https://www.facebook.com/stella.couchells/videos/1145706998778495/

 

Benny Green Trio at The Jazz Standard in NYC on 6/25/15.

 

Dawes Does Dallas

 

I missed them but they played at my friend's record store in Manyunk (Philly) in April.

 

I missed them but they played at my friend's record store in Manyunk (Philly) in April.

I bet that was very intimate. I thought they was Guhhhd! Their new album is a total throwback to great classic rock. Not normally my thing, but they can pull it off.

 

I missed them but they played at my friend's record store in Manyunk (Philly) in April.

Can't get much for intimate than a record store in Manayunk.

 

I just returned from one of my "top of my music bucket list" shows. For me Neil Young at Red Rocks can't be beat. It wasn't Crazy Horse but his band -Promise of the Real - with Lucas and Micah Nelson was really close. They allowed him to visit every musical era he wanted to and they pulled out some rare favorites. The shows were equal parts great band, great Neil, great venue, great sound and great friends (and relatives). There were music friends from far and wide and I met Facebook friends from the UK and Italy.

The sound is crystal clear and from my seats there was no delay. Right was right and left was left. The bass vibrated the sleeves on my rain jacket without offending. I could see the fretwork and strumming of each musician. Even the rain during the second show couldn't dampen the magic. Nor could Daryl Hannah who walked around the exhibitors at the back of the venue.

If you love a band who is playing at this venue you will not regret the trip. Many thumbs up!!

 

^Very Cool^