Fossil Fuels: Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks- March 26, 2011 Madison Square Garden, NY

Never really been a big fan of arena shows, but was pleasantly surprised by the Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks gig at the Garden this past Saturday night. I put aside my rock snob presumptions and went with it. Turns out they both put on a good show, delivering most of their hits. The seats were free, the sound Ok and the crowd just mildly annoying. And for a few hours I gazed deeply into the amber of 70's AOR to discover that Jurassic Rock is alive and well.




Stevie Nicks, 03.26.11 MSG, NY
Setlist:

1. Fall From Grace
2. Secret Love
3. If Anyone Falls
4. Dreams
   (Fleetwood Mac cover)
5. Sorcerer
6. Gold Dust Woman
   (Fleetwood Mac cover)
7. Stand Back
8. Rhiannon
   (Fleetwood Mac cover)
9. Landslide
   (Fleetwood Mac cover)
10. Edge of Seventeen
    
    Encore:
11. Love Is

Rod Stewart, 03.26.11, MSG, NY
Setlist:

1. Love Train
   (The O'Jays cover)
2. Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)
3. Havin' a Party
   (Sam Cooke cover)
4. Passion
   (with Stevie Nicks)
5. Young Turks
   (with Stevie Nicks)
6. The First Cut is the Deepest
   (Cat Stevens cover)
7. You Wear It Well
8. Downtown Train
   (Tom Waits cover)
9. Reason to Believe
   (Tim Hardin cover)
10. Forever Young
    (Bob Dylan cover)
11. You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)
12. Sweet Little Rock & Roller
    (Chuck Berry cover)
13. Rhythm of My Heart
14. Proud Mary
    (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
15. Have I Told You Lately
    (Van Morrison cover)
16. Hot Legs
17. Maggie May
    
    Encore:
18. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?

A Toe In The Water: Wilco August 13, 2008-McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn NY

Well, this wasn't my first Wilco show, but it was for my kids. In fact, it was the first concert they ever attended (if you don't count Sesame Street Live as a legitimate gig). Since my wife and I were already huge Wilco fans and missing the show wasn't an option, we considered taking the kids. It looked good on paper: all-ages show; middle of summer; early start, we figured we'd make it a family affair. Dive in, head first, deep end. Why not?

I had been traveling for a client meetings that day, so we planned to meet at McCarren Park, the somewhat delapidated, haphazardly-converted city pool that had been transformed into a sprawling outdoor concert venue located in the epicenter of the hipster universe, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. NYC Parks and Rec. had been hosting shows at the pool since 2005 and the Wilco show we attended that night was one for the last before the pool was once again closed. Set to receive a makeover, back into a proper swimming pool once again.

The band took the stage around 7pm and played a routine 2 1/2 hours including banter, encores, etc. Now typically, standing outdoors on an August night, swaying to the sound of your favorite band would be sublime. Except we had the kids in tow, and six year old twins: a) have a defined attention span, no matter what's going and b) have a set bedtime for a reason. These characteristics not withstanding, we managed to actually, really enjoy the show. All of us.


As the sun and stickiness gave way to moonlight and cool breezes, the band poured it on, flowing through their songbook with a grace and ease finely honed from an endless touring schedule and some of the best songwriting of the last few decades. The kids even got to hear their faves: 'Hummingbird' for the boy and 'Late Greats' for my daughter.

Now besides the attention span thing and the up-way-past-bedtime thing, The one thing we hadn't really considered was the crowd. Specifically, their indulgence in certain substances to 'enhance' the concert experience. I'm not sure why, because I don't consider them a stoner band myself, but Wilco is to pot what Hipster is to irony. They are all intrinsically linked.


We would catch a whiff and herd the kids away from the smell, only to be inundated by more smoke someplace else. Eventually we found refuge in a smoke-free zone towards the back of the venue, near the concessions. Here, we resigned ourselves to dancing and playing with the kids with Wilco as our soundtrack. Then oddly and suddenly, the kids started getting hungry. We had already waited on the huge snaking lines of the food stand a few times early in the evening and I thought everyone was full, but sure enough it was after 9pm and the kids were craving cheeseburgers and hot dogs. Uh, yeah.

I still remember the wave of guilt the washed over me having realized that my kids were experiencing the munchies from a contact high. I'm sure this episode has been bookmarked the the annal of Bad Parenting 101, but what can you do? We chalked it up to being perpetual first-time parents and enjoyed the rest of the show. I mean, we knew the kids were certainly enjoying it. They crashed out soon after and we carried them back to the minivan, fast asleep. No doubt Wilco tunes playing in their buzzed little heads.

The night – and the show was amazing. What's more, we had created a family memory and inadvertently given our kids some cred they would be able to carry with them throughout their lives: their first-ever concert–when Mom & Dad took them to a Wilco show at 6 years old and they got the munchies. Talk about making a big splash.

Wilco -McCarren Park Pool setlist, 8/13/08
Via Chicago
Blood of the lamb (w/ clarinet)
You are my face
Hummingbird
IATTBYH
A shot in the arm
Side with the seeds
Misunderstood
Far far away
Impossible Germany
Pieholden suite (w/ total pros)
California stars (w/ total pros)
Handshake drugs
Pot kettle black
Poor places >
Spiders (kidsmoke)

Encore 1

Jesus, etc.

Can't stand it (w/ total pros) 

Hate it here (w/ total pros) 

Walken (w/ total pros) 

I'm the man who loves you (w/ total pros)

Encore 2

Heavy metal drummer 

Late greats (w/ total pros) 

Kingpin (w/ total pros) 

Monday (w/ total pros) 

Outtasite (w/ total pros) 

I'm a wheel


The Show is here
Concert recording courtesy of
http://www.nyctaper.com

The Shirt is here

Carnival of Sorts: R.E.M. August 31, 1985- Radio City Music Hall, NYC

Ok, so here we go. My first R.E.M. show, late summer 1985. Following the release of 'Fables' in June of that year, they played this show during the first leg of the tour in support of that album. The opening act was 'The Three O'Clock', and utterly forgettable L.A. quintet that played a mix of insipid, jangly psychedelic pop.

I had been anticipating seeing R.E.M. since having first seen them on Letterman a few years earlier. They did not disappoint live. Cloaked mostly in shadow, the band was incredible. Stipe was his typical reticent self, draped over the microphone stand, mumbling through lyrics in his lazy, southern drawl. I was astounded and moved. A real serious show of a real serious band turned me into a real serious fan.

I remember at the time I had been expelled from high school and was pumping gas to make ends meet. Somehow I found the $33.00 for a couple of tickets. In attendance with me that night was 'Jon M.' He was another stoner/outsider who was just as aimless and as broke as I was, so I gave him my extra ticket. He did however help influence and shape my musical tastes, so I guess I owed him something.

Last I heard he was in jail.

Setlist
1. Feeling Gravity's Pull
2. Harborcoat
3. Green Grow The Rushes
4. Skip A Rope
5. Hyena
6. Maps And Legends
7. Fall On Me
8. Driver 8
9. So. Central Rain (I'M Sorry)
10. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
11. Pills
12. Can't Get There From Here
13. Seven Chinese Bros
14.Auctioneer (Another Engine)
15.Old Man Kensey
16.Little America
17.Pretty Persuasion
18.Life And How To Live It

Encore 1
1.Second Guessing
2. (Don't Go Back To) Rockville

3.Behind Closed Doors

4.See No Evil

Encore 2
1. Theme From Two Steps Onward

2. Sitting Still
3. Time After Time (Annelise)
4. Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars)
5. Moon River
6. Windout

Were you at this show? Let it show,
get a custom 'stub' shirt here