Dr. Rock's Music Adventures

Thursday, April 2, 2015

CD102.5 Side A featuring Bleachers on March 28, 2015 at the LC Pavilion

The beloved CD102.5 (previously CD101), the independent alternative radio station in Columbus, Ohio, is celebrating it's 25th anniversary. In Spring, they often put on shows featuring both established alternative and up-n-coming alternative artists. I was fortunate to attend the "Side A" indoor show on March 28, 2015 at the LC Pavilion. Note that George Ezra was originally in the line up but was replaced by Ms Mr as George and band were performing that evening on Saturday Night Live!

VENUE: As said before, I have seen many shows at the LC. This was a sold-out indoor show on a chilly Spring day.

OPENERS: We arrived in time to see Meg Myers set. Fierce and enjoyable! Big Data was next and had a very nice set. Ms Mr was on next and had an upbeat, move your feet set with a good sound. All three were enjoyable additions to the show.

HEADLINER: Bleachers have come on strong since their debut last year. Jack Antonoff, who had previously fronted Steel Train and being part of fun., founded the new group. Their hits "I Wanna Get Better" and "Rollercoaster" have been played on the radio and featured on TV ads. They play catchy, alternative rock with an anthemic sound. Being a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, it was hard not to notice the 1985-era sleeves-cut-off Springsteen-like shirt Mr. Antonoff wore.

I am occasionally disappointed with radio-friendly bands in concert as the material may sound flat compared to the studio versions. This was in no way the case with Bleachers -- their material transitioned well to a live venue.

With just one album under their belts, the band played (I think) all of the album material. They played a lively, up-bear cover of "Go Your Own Way" that leaned more towards Lindsey Buckingham's performances of the song than Fleetwood Macs. Quite an unexpected pleasure!

Highlights included terrific versions of "Shadow", "Wild Heart", and "Like A River Runs". Both "Rollercoaster" and "I Wanna Get Better" had the crowd shouting along and rocking out. A really terrific show. Here's to looking forward to more material from these guys.

My rating is three stars for the openers and four stars for Bleachers. Thanks bands! And thank you CD102.5!

Meg Myers

Meg Myers' band

Big Data

MS MR

Jack Antonoff of Bleachers

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Jack White at the Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio on Saturday 1-31-15.

I have been a fan of the White Stripes and Jack White throughout the twists and turns in his musical career. I was never fortunate enough to see the White Stripes in concert, but this show was the fourth time I have seen Jack White. The other three: an amazing show at the Scottish Rite facility in the Masonic Temple in Detroit a few years ago, an outdoor show at the LC here in Columbus a couple years back, then a festival headlining show at Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. I have really enjoyed each of these shows. Jack White puts on a tightly controlled, well played show.

VENUE: The concert was at the Value City Arena, Schottenstein Center. There were tickets still available right up until show time. And the upper deck was curtained off. The floor was general admission standing and was quite packed. I was seated in the lower bowl to the right of the stage.

OPENER: Chicano Batman is an East Los Angeles chicano-psychadelic rock band. These guys are accomplished musicians. Once in a while they seemed to get into quite a good groove. As I have seen Alabama Shakes and Shovels and Rope open up for Jack White, these guys were a disappointment.

HEADLINER: Jack White joined a drummer, bassist, keyboardist, violinist, and a multi-intrumentalist. The stage was bathed in blue light -- this has been on going stage theme this tour. Jack seemed to be at about 80% full voice. Jack's guitar work and the whole band are at the peak of their powers. Other than the typical off-color "squeak" of a miss on the guitar, every note was spot on.

The set list was very good. Although there were times where the crowd lost interest and seemed to be waiting until they could hear something they recognized, there were some typical deep tracks and some hits.

Knowing that he was in "enemy territory", Jack White spoke to the crowd about playing at the Ohio State University being his "peace offering" from a Detroit native.

Highlights amongst the songs: "Icky Thump" as the opener, "Hotel Yorba" with some special instructions from Mr. White, "Sixteen Saltines", a sloppy "Fell In Love With A Girl", a different take on "We Are Going To Be Friends", and the closer of "Seven Nation Army", when Jack and band performed it well and Jack said "So you know this one?" to the happy crowd.

A good show. Probably the weakest of the four shows I have seen, but Jack White and band put on quite a show. I give the show a 3 out of 5 stars.

Chicano Batman.

Jack White and his band.

Jack White

Jack White and his band.

Jack White

John Mellencamp and Carlene Carter Cash at Mershon Auditorium, Columbus, Ohio on January 30, 2015.

This is the third time I have seen John Mellencamp. Each show has been very good. The first time was the Scarecrow tour at a stop in Cincinnati. The second was the No Better Than This tour stop in Columbus. This show was in support of Plain Spoken.

VENUE: The Mershon Auditorium at the Ohio State University is a terrific performance space with excellent site lines and really good acoustics.

OPENER: The daughter of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Carlene Carter Cash has been performing for over 50 years. She is in terrific voice now and she sang her own songs, a Carter family song, a Johnny Cash song, and others. Carlene added some interesting stories in between the songs. Her current husband, Joe Green, joined her for two songs. I was happy with the performance and the opportunity to see her in concert.

HEADLINER: John Mellencamp has done a variety of styles over the years. His current band can play them all: the rockers, the acoustic songs, the alt-country, and everything in between. John was in good voice for this show. The band sounded terrific.

Early in the show, there were some real highlights: "Minutes to Memories", "Small Town", and "Human Wheels". Then came an acoustic "Jack and Diane" that really sounded special and unique. Mid show brought Carlene Carter Cash out to sing with John Mellencamp on two songs on the play that Stephen King and John Mellencamp collaborated on. From there on, the show closed with a run of seven top-notch song performances: "Rain on the Scarecrow", "Paper in Fire", "If I Die Sudden", "Crumblin' Down", "Authority Song/Land of 1000 Dances" (wow! -- I kept wishing for a snippet of "Hang On Sloopy" though), "Pink Houses", and then a grooving "Cherry Bomb" that had the crowd up and dancing.

John Mellencamp has matured over the years. His voice, his writing, and his musicianship have all benefited. This show was an excellent example of someone who can play great versions of old and new material later in his touring lifetime.

My rating of the show is 4 out of 5 stars.

Carlene Carter Cash.

Joe Green and Carlene Carter Cash.

John Mellencamp.

Carlene and John.

John Mellencamp.

Bob Seger and the J. Geils Band at Nationwide Arena on 1-29-14.

I have seen both of these bands in the past, but was looking forward to seeing both bands. I saw J. Geils at Hara Arena in Dayton on the Love Stinks Tour. An odd thing happened at that show: I left my seat to go to the restroom. I was walking down the concourse and was following right behind a man dressed with black with a big fro of hair. He certainly looked distinctive! I thought he looked like a rock 'n' roll musician. Once the J. Geils Band arrived on stage later, I realized that that gentleman was Magic Dick, the harmonica player for the band!
VENUE: Nationwide Arena was the location and was nearly a sell out. Good crowd!
OPENER: The J. Geils Band had long time singer Peter Wolf, harmonica player Magic Dick, and keyboardist Seth Justman along for this tour. The other musicians were very good. The band ran through many of their hits with high energy and a terrific sound. Top songs included "Looking For a Love", "Give It To Me", "House Party", "Love Stinks", "Must of Got Lost", and "Centerfold". A really good opener.
HEADLINER: Bob Seger is in his late 60s but has the energy and fire to put on a really good rock show. His voice has aged some but he still sounds quite good. And his band and back up singers really fill out the sound. Alto Reed, Bob's saxophone player for years, is still along for the ride. And the drummer was Don Brewer! He was the drummer for Grand Funk Railroad. He also wrote and sang their first big hit "We're An American Band".
Bob hit all the highlights amongst his hits. And the new songs sounded right at home with the other songs. I was happy to hear "Like A Rock", which Mr, Seger stated he very rarely plays live. I always look forward to hearing "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" and this version was terrific. "Hollywood Nights" is always a high-energy concert favorite and this version did not disappoint. This has not been billed as a pre-retirement tour, but if it turns into that, Bob Seger and his band are going out on a high note!
I rate this show 4 out of 5 stars.

Magic Dick of the J. Geils Band.

The J. Geils Band.

Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band.

Bob Seger and band.

Bob Seger.

Bob's guitarist from Columbus, Ohio (!) and Mr. Seger.

Bob Seger.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

2014 Concert Roundup -- Lowlights

I attend many concerts -- some weeks, as many as 3 or 4 shows. That means that some of the shows are epic and amazing. That also means some are pretty bad or disappointing.
Lowlights:
Todd Rundgren at the LC in November: I have enjoyed Mr. Rundgren's music since the '70s. In addition, over the Summer, my wife and I enjoyed his contributions to the Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band show we saw in Kettering. In fact, at that show, he sang three of his hits and they sounded great. In addition, he tossed out a guitar pick at the end of the show that I caught. So I was feeling very positive headed into the LC for the show. I left shaking my head wondering what Todd was thinking. There were fewer hits played than at the show in Kettering (yes, that is true!). Instead of the hits, the show was filled with odd covers and obscure songs. No thanks, Mr. Rundgren, no thanks.
Twenty One Pilots introduced covers and "Nigel": I have seen the local band Twenty One Pilots five times. The first was with about 300 people at Musica in Akron, where after the excellent show my son Sam and I met the band and they signed autographs for us. So I started on a high note. Since then I have seen them in 3 other states: in Maryland at Sweetgreen 2013, in Illinois at Lollapalooza 2013, and in Kentucky at Forecastle 2014. Each of these shows were excellent, each covering similar material. With time, the band has grown in stage presence. I really enjoy these guys! However, the LC show on 9-4-14 was very disappointing. They broke up the shows momentum with oddly chosen cover songs. And worst of all, they used a voice over in between songs they referred to as 'Nigel'. This was a poorly chosen gimmick that got very old after a minute -- but was used much longer. Fellas: stick to your songs and drop the gimmicks!
Quit shouting out songs you want to hear when clearly the set list is set: In April, the Indigo Girls played with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at the Ohio Theater. There clearly had been substantial preparation time for the orchestra to learn the songs. And Emily and Amy were not going to play as a duo at night without the backing of the orchestra. That did not stop the crowd from frequently shouting out requests. **Sigh**
Tune-Yards opened for Arcade Fire: I enjoy a wide selection of music from many genres. I am shocked that many people find Tune-Yards enjoyable. I found that hard to sit through.
Arcade Fire opens up the encore with songs by Devo and Ohioans sit on their hands: Arcade Fire on their recent tour would give tribute to local art-rock bands by playing songs by the band during their encore. As Arcade Fire played songs by Devo to open up their encore, the crowd sat in near silence. No love for the Ohio guys? Or just a young Arcade Fire fan and have no idea the debt they owe to Devo and so many other bands? Hmm.
The Kinfolks Soul Food Festival in Dayton: I was very excited to see this all day festival. So many funk bands I wanted to see! Morris Day and the Time were good, even with just three original members. Midnight Star were enjoyable, although the Calloway brothers were missed. SOS Band and Lakeside put on good shows. Then Confunkshun did not play at all (and it was never explained). The time between sets dragged out. By the time Bootsy Collins, a Cincinnati native, hit the stage, the crowd was not happy. Half way through his set, many in the crowd had left. And although Bootsy looked and sounded fine, his set seemed to drag with too long of jams. So the show was good but had a chance to be great.
Lorde at the LC in September: I was not sure what to expect when Lorde came to town. I respect her story and like some of her songs. I was not impressed with too much interpretive dancing and not enough stage presence otherwise. Keep trying because you are capable of more.
So much talk about Jack White vs. the Black Keys: I very much enjoy both the Black Keys and the White Stripes/Jack White. I saw them both this year and love each show I have seen (each 4 times now). A lot of talk about White vs. Black drove me crazy. Give it up. They are both very talented. They like each other's stuff. They both have music that was born of similar artists. Every artist carries the debt of previous bands. That is how it works.

2014 Concert Roundup -- Highlights

I attended a ton of shows in 2014. Looking back, I had some really great (and some not-so-great) concert experiences.
Highlights:
That time a stranger and I hugged and cried at a concert: I have seen Bruce Springsteen in concert 18 times. I had never heard him play the legendary "Sad Eyes" coda. In April at Nationwide Arena, Bruce and the band played it. The middle aged gentleman standing next to me that I had met a short time before and I cried and hugged in excitement.
My selfie with a soulful cancer survivor: At the end of her performance at the Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Sharon Jones was walking out the backstage exit and I was exiting the VIP area. I was able to talk with her briefly and I have a great selfie to commemorate the moment.
That time the lead singer stole my hat and punched me: I was front and center for the New Bomb Turks show at Ace of Cups in October. Eric Davidson, the lead singer, snatched my Blue Jackets hat, wore it for a few moments, threw it back, and then gently punched my arm later (a thanks for playing along love tap?). Quite the rowdy, fun show!
Being front and center for rare shows by icons of the alternative '70s and '80s: I am so grateful I was able to see both Paul Weller (Cleveland's HoB show) and Bryan Ferry (Tower Theater in Philadelphia area) this past year. I had not seen either in the past. Both shows were epic. I was front and center for each show. I was able to get three (!!!) Paul Weller guitar picks at the HoB show along with a set list. And I got Bryan Ferry's personal set list at that show. I left both shows VERY happy!
That time my wife and I saw an R 'n' B legend: My wife and I flew out of town twice this year to see shows. The first was Queen with Adam Lambert in Las Vegas in July. The second was an amazing show in Atlanta by Stevie Wonder. My wife and I were so happy to cross him off our "How have we never seen them in concert?!" list.
That time I got to strum a budding star's guitar: St. Vincent released one of the top albums of the year and came to town in October. My friend Ken Zakel and I were in the front of the crowd near stage left. When Annie Clark (St. Vincent) played her guitar in front of crowd while ridding on a security guards shoulders, she encouraged the crowd to strum her guitar. Both my friend and I got to strum the guitar. And we were lucky enough to get guitar picks at the end of the show -- thanks Steve!
That time I saw Billie Joe Armstrong play with his heroes: At the Forecastle Festival, the Replacements hit the stage as part of their most recent tour. Although I knew Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day had played some shows with the 'Mats on this tour, I was pleasantly surprised when he took the stage with the band. He sang back up vocals and played guitar. A great moment happened when he helped Paul Westerberg with his microphone stand then smooched Paul on the cheek.
Those times when I learned how social media really are great ways to reach out to musicians: It was not very clear after a Mayor Hawthorne show in the Cincinnati area whether Mr. Hawthorne would come out to sign autographs. As I waited there, I sent a tweet to him and he responded right away. Nice! Then in September, the band Joywave and I connected through Twitter and they commented about this blog and the post about their show.
The concert t shirt that started many a conversation: I was blown away with the power of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at their show in Detroit in July. I purchased a concert t shirt at the show. I wore the shirt to a show by Strand of Oaks and to the above mentioned Paul Weller show. Tim Showalter, the leader of Strand of Oaks, and I had a great conversation after the show. Much of the conversation centered around my description of how great the Nick Cave show was after Tim asked my about the concert shirt. In addition, the bassist for Chamber Strings (opener for Paul Weller) asked my about the shirt and we had a great conversation about how intense Nick Cave and the band were live.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Stevie Wonder at Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia on November 22, 2014

In recent months, my wife and I made a list of folks we would go out of our way to see in concert while they still toured. When I heard Stevie Wonder was touring this Fall, I knew my wife and I were going to be able to see someone we had listed very high on our "must see" list. We were lucky enough to be able to make it work to turn it into a fun short trip to Atlanta, Georgia. We visited the Buckhead Diner for lunch, the Lenox shopping area in Buckhead, and stayed at the Ritz Carlton downtown -- very nice!!

VENUE: Philips Arena is the home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. It is a nice arena with modern conveniences and it is close to the downtown hotels. We bought our tickets on StubHub and sat in the first section on stage left, in row K. I was told earlier in the day that "small cameras" were allowed. I took quite a few photos with my Canon Powershot G16. On a humorous note, a guy asked my how many pixels it had. When he said my pictures with the camera were better despite him having as many pixels in his phone, I had to explain that it is the fast lens and the rest of the hardware that allow the Canon G16 to take such good pictures.

HEADLINER: This tour is devoted to playing the whole of the "Songs In The Key of Life" album in its entirety, plus a few other hits. That album holds a special place in many fan's hearts, including mine. I listened to the records (it was spread over 2 records and an EP) many, many times. And I have returned to listen to many of the songs since then. Mr. Wonder is playing a limited number of dates, with the Atlanta show in the middle of the tour. The band included so many heavyweights of R&B, jazz, and beyond: Greg Phillinganes (keyboards), India Arie (vocals), Earl Klugh (guitar), and Nathan Watts (bass). The horn section, the backup singers, the rhythm section (with two drummers and two percussionists), the guitarists, and the keyboard players all contributed to a perfectly crafted musical performance this night in Atlanta. A string section and another small choir joined the stage during some songs to good effect.

Mr. Wonder came to the stage, arm in arm with India Arie and two of Wonder's sons. He spoke to the audience for the first of many times, always making the crowd feel welcome, loved, and appreciated. He then sat at the keyboards and launched into the album plus the 4 EP songs. The band sounded wonderful, perfectly matching the cherished sound of the originals. I was so happy to hear the Mr. Wonder's voice is still in marvelous shape. Highlights in the first part of the set were "Sir Duke", "I Wish", "Knocks Me Off My Feet, "Isn't She Lovely" (featuring Stevie's daughter, referenced on the song and a featured back up singer), "Ordinary Pain", and "Pastime Paradise". Both "Sire Duke" and "I Wish" had the crowd up and dancing while singing along -- these were one of those peak concert experiences that keep me coming to live shows. Wow!

Late in the show, Mr. Wonder played a segment from "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson -- it was transcendent! Then he played "Cherie Amour", "Do I Do", "For Once In My Life", and finished with a glorious "Superstition". During the encores, Janelle Monae joined the group on stage and sang. During "Superstition", Spike Lee appeared on stage and danced with the group of singers.

It was an amazing performance in many ways -- the songs from the featured album were terrific, the vocal and musical performances were great, the crowd was very appreciative, and the closing songs were highlights.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.