Author Topic: The Concert Thread  (Read 399038 times)

Tinka Cat

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #645 on: September 26, 2008, 11:10:18 AM »
I saw Juliana Hatfield at Cafe Du Nord last night.   I wasn't a fan until well after she made the scene in the early 90s, but I've always thought she had some good songs, plus she's a decent chick guitarist -- and what's not to like about that?  she had a full band, but played a couple things ("My Sister" for one) w just her solo guitar.  excellent.

good show, she played lots of new songs.   She just wrote a book, too, and will be at the Book passage in the Ferry Building in SF tonight at 6 PM. 

there were some idiots in the crowd, though: the guy who wanted to engage her in a real conversation by yelling stupid things.  Julia said "I'm doing abook signing tomorrow... somewhere....I forget."    ... and the guy would say "Is that on your website?!  maybe it's your people should make that clearer!"  or he would yell out the most obscure song just to prove to J-hat that he's a REAL fan... OMG, painful.

and another thing while I'm whining:  I HATE HATE HATE those people who have to give that cowboy yell out during the quiet or subtle moments of songs.   If you so badly need attention that you have to do the WHOOHOO! during some nice quiet interlude, please seek help. I came to hear the artist, not you... douchebag.   

thanks, I feel better.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2008, 11:12:27 AM by Tinka_Cat »
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princessofcairo

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #646 on: September 26, 2008, 02:39:48 PM »
and another thing while I'm whining:  I HATE HATE HATE those people who have to give that cowboy yell out during the quiet or subtle moments of songs.   If you so badly need attention that you have to do the WHOOHOO! during some nice quiet interlude, please seek help. I came to hear the artist, not you... douchebag.   

thanks, I feel better.

:) i know how you feel!

urth

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #647 on: September 26, 2008, 11:36:44 PM »
and another thing while I'm whining:  I HATE HATE HATE those people who have to give that cowboy yell out during the quiet or subtle moments of songs.   If you so badly need attention that you have to do the WHOOHOO! during some nice quiet interlude, please seek help. I came to hear the artist, not you... douchebag.   

thanks, I feel better.

:) i know how you feel!

Amen. These are the same folks who *still* think it's clever to yell out "free bird." That line has been old since Bush the Senior was in office.

Richard Buckner has the best response to that I've seen. He immediately flips off the heckler and says "no charge."
Let's get right to it.

Alicat

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #648 on: September 28, 2008, 01:08:04 PM »
Scored Bridge tix for Saturday. Taking my kids to their first concert.
Sharks bleed teal.

RGMike

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #649 on: September 28, 2008, 05:20:43 PM »
Scored Bridge tix for Saturday. Taking my kids to their first concert.

Oh, these kids today... shouldn't you have to see the Sippy Cups first? and then work your way up to something crappy like Journey before you get to see Neil Young? ;)
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Alicat

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #650 on: September 28, 2008, 11:47:54 PM »
Scored Bridge tix for Saturday. Taking my kids to their first concert.

Oh, these kids today... shouldn't you have to see the Sippy Cups first? and then work your way up to something crappy like Journey before you get to see Neil Young? ;)
Not MY kids. I burn their CDs and load the iPods. Led Zep, AC/DC, Doors and most classic rock artists are what they know. They're already getting up to speed on Neil tunes and I know they'll dig DCFC. They're bummed not getting to see AC/DC. Aside from not being able to afford taking them to that, I figure it's too hardcore for their young age. They haven't been exposed to "smoking" before and I'm sure there will be exposure at the Bridge and I'll have to possibly do some explaining.
Sharks bleed teal.

Tinka Cat

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #651 on: October 07, 2008, 01:27:39 PM »
did anyone make it out the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park this past weekend?

I was there all three days, enjoyed it immensely, as always.

Some highlights:

Friday night was devoted to Robert Plant and Allison Krauss' appearance, their second swing though the Bay Area.  (The first leg o' the tour was back in late June, and I had scored second row tix [!] from KFOG's 9 o'clock pop quiz for their Greek Theater show, so I knew what to expect and didn't feel the need to get up close this time.  The highlight had to be "The Battle Of Evermore" - great LZ song and so well done with that band.  T. Bone Burnett really has a handle on their show's sound and feel, and comes up w some great arrangements, including a banjo-fueled twangy bluegrass-ed "Black Dog.")

Saturday, I bounced around from stage to stage, but managed to hear some (or most) of the sets by these folks:

Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Carlene Carter
Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
Bad Livers
Richard Thompson
The Desert Rose Band
Jerry Jeff Walker
Odetta
Asleep at the Wheel
Robert Earl Keen

the highlight on Saturday had to be Richard Thompson, whom I saw for about a half hour.  I've never been a fan (I've known he was "good," but never really listened), but now I wish I had known earlier just how excellent he is.  He has such a great picking style, keeping the rhythm w his thumb and playing runs up and down the neck.  it's hard to believe we were hearing just one guitar.  His song "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" brought me close to tears.  If a song nearly makes you cry (for good reasons), it's a definite  highlight.  Something happened out there in the sun when listening to this simple song I'll never forget. Richard Thompson was in complete control and all the folks there were on the same page with him.

On Sunday, got to the Star Stage early (10 AM) and put out my tarp.  I felt like a land hog since there only three of us for a while. But as the day went along,  more friends started showing up and by peak hour we had 11 people there.  yikes.. Bill Kirchen opened things off with his dieselbilly Bakersfield style telecaster-powered set.  In case you don't know him, he's the guitar god who does the lead guitar in Commander Cody's "Hot Rod Lincoln" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Rl1zNIpzg).

Then "Riders In The Sky" took the stage -- what fun these guys were! four part harmony cowboy songs, plenty of corny humor and big hats. What's not to like?

Caught some Hazel Dickens and then I saw a little of  Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys ("clinch Mountain?" hmmm, just what goes on up there?).  The two minutes he took to sing the a capella "O Death" did bring me to tears.  I looked around and I wasn't the only one crying -- what a moment: the entire meadow seemed to go still -- no one spoke during that song.   That could not be topped.

Elvis Costello tried, though, esp when he sang "Love Hurts" w Emmylou Harris, and then brought out the 40 man Burlington Welsh Male Chorus to join in his set. very fun...

Then things got nuts w Gogol Bordello (my friend called the crowd for GB an "interesting mix of hippies and the tragically hip(sters). I don't think I've seen so many dreads next to so many ironic mustaches and porkpie hats before!")  Frenetic performers, energy to spare.  Bluegrass?  hardly..  and who cares if I only understood maybe two sentences in their set?? 

But my buddies had their kids w them, and they were hitting the wall, so we had to get out of that crowd.  I then saw some Pegi Young (Neil's wife, she was ... ok).  Caught some Loudon Wainwright II and most of Iris Dement.   Wrapped it up w a little Emmylou Harris, as is proper.   

HSB is one of the highlights of the year for me.  Every year this thing seems to get better and better, it's got world class acts, it's so well run, in beautiful GG Park at a great time of the year.   .. and it's all paid for by Warren Hellman.  All hail him!
« Last Edit: October 07, 2008, 02:08:15 PM by Tinka_Cat »
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princessofcairo

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #652 on: October 07, 2008, 01:43:20 PM »
Odetta
Asleep at the Wheel


THE Odetta?!?!?!?!?!?

urth

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #653 on: October 07, 2008, 01:49:28 PM »
Nicely done, TC! This festival is part of what I miss most about living in SF, and the lineup this year was particularly stellar. And it sounds like most of your choices were what I'd have picked as well. How was Odetta? I've always wanted to see her. Thanks for the great rundown of your weekend.

(And I heartily second your thanks to Warren Hellman. He might be a capitalist, but he's got at least some of his priorities straight. I shudder when I think about how much this annual clambake must cost him--easily into seven figures. But it's probably just a drop in the bucket to him.)
Let's get right to it.

Tinka Cat

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #654 on: October 07, 2008, 02:01:45 PM »
Odetta
Asleep at the Wheel


THE Odetta?!?!?!?!?!?

Yes!   The one and only.  here's a pic a reader at SFGate submitted:



more reader pics here

and FWIW, here's Joel Selvin's review - some Chron staff pics there, too.
 
It was really great to see her -- I felt like I had to see her: how can you pass up seeing a legend like that..?  She's 76 years old.... she sat in her wheelchair to sing, sounded great, accompanied by solo piano.

« Last Edit: October 07, 2008, 09:38:52 PM by Tinka_Cat »
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urth

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #655 on: October 07, 2008, 09:53:53 PM »
Odetta
Asleep at the Wheel


THE Odetta?!?!?!?!?!?

Yes!   The one and only.  here's a pic a reader at SFGate submitted:



more reader pics here

and FWIW, here's Joel Selvin's review - some Chron staff pics there, too.
 
It was really great to see her -- I felt like I had to see her: how can you pass up seeing a legend like that..?  She's 76 years old.... she sat in her wheelchair to sing, sounded great, accompanied by solo piano.


Dude, I am envious. Glad you got to see her. Last time she was supposed to be in the bay area she had to cancel for health reasons, iirc.
Let's get right to it.

Gazoo

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #656 on: October 08, 2008, 12:28:54 AM »
Not my cup of tea musically, but Tinka, that was a great review - thanks!

PS: What should I know about Odetta?  A few years ago a publicist sent me an album of hers called Gonna Let It Shine; I still have it and I've never once played it.
“The choir of children sing their song.  They've practiced all year long.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.”

princessofcairo

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #657 on: October 08, 2008, 12:35:30 AM »
Odetta


THE Odetta?!?!?!?!?!?

Yes!   The one and only. 

The real question is: did you see MC Hammer? :)
Sounds like a fine, fine show! Imagine seeing Robert Plant for free!

RGMike

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #658 on: October 08, 2008, 07:44:38 AM »
Not my cup of tea musically, but Tinka, that was a great review - thanks!

PS: What should I know about Odetta?  A few years ago a publicist sent me an album of hers called Gonna Let It Shine; I still have it and I've never once played it.

oh you kids today -- no sense of history!  ;)
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Tinka Cat

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Re: The Concert Thread
« Reply #659 on: October 08, 2008, 11:18:29 AM »
Not my cup of tea musically, but Tinka, that was a great review - thanks!

PS: What should I know about Odetta?  A few years ago a publicist sent me an album of hers called Gonna Let It Shine; I still have it and I've never once played it.

oh you kids today -- no sense of history!  ;)

heh, I'm like you Gaz: I don't know that much about her, really, but did know that she'd been part of the 60s folk revival, that and her music and energy had been part of the civil rights movement and that she influenced many performer and writers, like Dylan, Joan Baez, etc.  So I figured it would be a "good" thing to see her: it would add to my musical edu-muh-cation, and just being in her presence and paying some of my attention to her would be a good thing for my soul.  (wow, I sound really new age-y. I'm usually pretty skeptical about stuff like that, but it's sort of what, I did to be honest.) 

plus I would get to say "Odetta, Yeah, I saw her!"

emotionally or culturally speaking, bluegrass never used to be my cup of tea, either.  I was weaned on  70s AM radio pop, crap rock like Journey, Rush, Foreigner, prog rock, etc.  I still love that stuff, but over the years I'm finding that I'm growing tired of listening to the same music.  Plus I play guitar, and those bluegrass dudes (and chicks!) can pick the hell out of their geetars, banjos and mandolins.  The faster the better!  I think everyone -- even you Gaz! ;)  -- would appreciate seeing Earl Scruggs and his band blaze through Foggy Mountain Breakdown or the theme to Beverly Hillbillies (which he also wrote).


« Last Edit: October 08, 2008, 11:23:39 AM by Tinka_Cat »
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