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]

 

The wife and I enjoyed a concert by our favorite artist when she came to town a week or two ago. The one and only Sarah McLachlan. Even with a cold, she sang as if she didn't have one. I could only detect two notes out of the entire concert where you could tell she actually had a cold. Great performance and a concert we both thoroughly enjoyed.

Tom

 

The smaller the venue, the better!

Could not agree more. Best show I ever saw was Prince in a 1000 capacity small club.

 

Now, I bet that was fun!

 

Could not agree more. Best show I ever saw was Prince in a 1000 capacity small club.

I think the best small venue concert I have been too was to see Kansas playing. Probably a capacity of 350-400.

Tom

 

The title of this thread is about recent concerts we enjoyed...how about ones we didn't enjoy? Saturday we attended the Wayne Krantz concert at the Jazz Kitchen here in Indy. It's a small venue seating not more than 100 folks at tables. I own all of WK's cds and enjoy his improvisational guitar style. But we did not enjoy this live performance. They had the kick drum and bass turned up to jet engine db levels and Krantz wasn't far behind with his Marshall stack. It was awful to put it mildly and even though I've heard his new cd they were promoting on this tour I only recognized one song. I could have sworn the guitar was playing either a totally different song than the bass and drums or at the very least different time signatures. It reminded me of the old adage "if you can't play good play loud" and boy were they playing loud!

 

That is one concert I would have loved to have seen! How was his voice?- hopefully not ravaged with time like some others touring now.

Saw Al Stewart (of Year of the Cat fame) in a very small (150 capacity) venue (Eddie's Attic) this sunday. Fantastic show.

 

That is one concert I would have loved to have seen! How was his voice?- hopefully not ravaged with time like some others touring now.

Pretty well preserved.

On that note, I saw Gary Brooker of Procul Harum last year - probably in his 70s. Voice was undistinguishable from what he sounded like 40 years ago - amazing.

The biggest trainwreck of a ravaged voice I saw recently was Al Jarreau - complete embarrasement.

 

Lisa Fischer at The Wilbur Theater

 

Could not agree more. Best show I ever saw was Prince in a 1000 capacity small club.

Could not agree more. Blues dive 2-3 hundred at most. Ronnie Earl, Jimmy Vaughn (Broadcasters as backup), Jerry Portnoy sitting in. Absolutely intimate venue for that kind of talent.

 

Steely Dan, Humphreys/San Diego, 4/19/15.
Twelve piece ensemble

 

The WHO 50 year hits tour in Gwinett Arena yesterday. Best rock concerts I have seen in years, These guys get better with age. Impecable Daltry vocals, fine guitar playing by Pete and Zak Starkey on drums puts his father to shame. The catalogue is of course second to none. what a show. Music is still playing in my head as I type this up.

 

During the past 12 months I've been to some interesting events...
Little more than a year ago I went to the Iron Maiden tour. Dream Theater were the supporting band (!). What stage animals! A real rock experience!

Dream Theater is amazing, especially live. I prefer Portnoy on drums but Mangini is an animal too.
One of those bands that can play anybody's music but if you put there sheet music in front of others they just glaze over in a blank stare.

 

During the past 12 months I've been to some interesting events...
Little more than a year ago I went to the Iron Maiden tour. Dream Theater were the supporting band (!). What stage animals! A real rock experience!

Dream Theater is amazing, especially live. I prefer Portnoy on drums but Mangini is an animal too.
One of those bands that can play anybody's music but if you put there sheet music in front of others they just glaze over in a blank stare.

HUGE Iron Maiden fan here...been ages since I have seen them.

I think they were reborn with the Brave New World album. Sublime.

 

I saw Al Di Meola last night. Simply mind blowing. Indescribable.

 

I saw Al Di Meola last night. Simply mind blowing. Indescribable.

Saw him a few weeks ago. Not a huge fan of the electrical playing - huge fan of "acoustic Al"

 

Saw him a few weeks ago. Not a huge fan of the electrical playing - huge fan of "acoustic Al"

he did both last night..the electric playing was SOOOOOO tasteful and passionate. That Les Paul was just part of his body.

 

Saw him a few weeks ago. Not a huge fan of the electrical playing - huge fan of "acoustic Al"

I'm in the same boat. Excellent technically but I find his playing on recordings at the other end of Marc's scale, passionless. Cest la vie!

 

Sorry guys but a welcome his return to electric, kind of over so many years of acoustic only.
Great performer in what ever mode.
Have seen so many of his shows over the years. Last electric show, besides RTF, was the Electric Rendezvous Tour at Wolf and Rismillers Country Club in Reseda, anybody remember that fine place.

I take that back I saw him do electric at The Strand in Redondo Beach a few years back.

 

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

 

he did both last night..the electric playing was SOOOOOO tasteful and passionate. That Les Paul was just part of his body.

Al D is IMHO one of the top three or four players in the world today. His speed and technical ability is truly amazing. Glad that you thought it was a great concert.