Bryan Ferry 3/28/17 Palace Theater, Columbus, Ohio

     One of my best birthdays ever was seeing Bryan Ferry live in Upper Darby (Philadelphia area), Pennsylvania a few years back. I was in the front row, took in a great show, and got Bryan's set list. Epic. When I heard Bryan Ferry and band were coming to Columbus, I knew I was going to be there.
VENUE: The Palace Theater is a nice downtown Columbus venue holding 2800 concert goers. The acoustics are quite good and they host quite a few excellent shows. I was sitting in the 6th row.
MERCHANDISE: Bryan Ferry had his recent live CD release, a tour program (just $5), and four terrific t shirts (I got two). Good stuff!
THE BAND: Bryan Ferry was the talented, stylish lead singer for Roxy Music during the '70s and '80s. Following this, Mr. Ferry has continued to put out excellent music as a solo artist. His touring band includes many talented artists, including Chris Spedding on guitar and Fonzi Thornton on backing vocals.
THE OPENER: Judith Owen is a Welsh singer-songwriter. I was unfamiliar with her material, but I was impressed. And having the legendary Leland Sklar on bass was a real pleasure.
THE HEADLINER: I believe this touring band added a few members compared to the last time I saw them. And the group is put to excellent use -- from rhythm section to two guitarists to keyboards, backup singers, and saxophonist, the backing band is terrific. Mr. Ferry has a real charisma on stage. His voice was not at his best, including compared to the last show, but was still very enjoyable. The set list included Roxy Music classics, favorites from Mr. Ferry's solo career, and some Roxy Music deep cuts. An excellent set!

Bryan Ferry's set list from the concert.

     I hold myself to a high standard when it comes to following the artist's request regarding picture taking. I am not proud to say that I took some photos as there was a sign on the entrance doors that stated Bryan Ferry asked that phones not be used to take photos this evening (it did not say "No photos" or "No cameras" but I am splitting hairs). I was struck that nearly everyone around me had taken many photos and videos before I even pulled out my camera. Nonetheless, I still feel a little guilty. 

Bryan Ferry at the keyboards.

Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry playing harmonica.

Bryan Ferry with Neil Jason on bass.

Mr. Ferry, Neil Jason on bass, and Jorja Chalmers on saxophone.

Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry

Chris Spedding on guitar.

Bryan Ferry and band.

Ponzi Thornton and Bobbi Gordon on backing vocals.

One last photo of Bryan Ferry and the band.

     At the end of the show, I approached the middle of the stage as the crowd exited. I saw a set list or two get passed by stage crew to fans. I noted that Bryan Ferry's two set lists (one at the mic and one at the keyboards) were still there. I asked a stage crew member, then nicely asked Jorja Chalmers. When the stage crew member came back to the front of the stage, he took and handed to me the set list that had been at Bryan's main microphone. I feel very fortunate to be handed a set list. And truthfully, I nearly teared up as I walked up the aisle as I felt so incredibly lucky to see Mr. Ferry twice and to have received his set list at both shows! 

     Thanks to both bands for a terrific show and to the stage crew member for the set list. I am so happy I got to see this show!

A Flock of Seagulls at Hollywood Casino, Columbus, Ohio 3/24/17

     I had very much enjoyed the songs of A Flock of Seagulls for years, but I had never seen them previously in concert. So when I saw that the local Hollywood Casino was going to host the band for a free show, I knew I wanted to go.
VENUE: The Hollywood Casino hosts shows at a smallish stage in a bar in the middle of the casino. The area in front of the stage seems to allow for hundreds of folks to watch the band up close with more areas to view the stage in the periphery. Although the area is isolated from the rest of the action in the casino, but overall it is a nice area to catch the band on stage. The sound was good.
THE BAND: A Flock of Seagulls may have made their mark on popular music back in the '80s, but Mike Score continues to tour and perform their catchy synth pop with a group of talented musicians. Joe Rodriguez plays lead guitar, Kevin Rankin on drums, and Pando on bass. Mike Score contributes on keyboards and guitar as well as his distinctive voice on lead vocals.
THE SHOW: The band took the stage right on time and played a really solid set of hits and solid album cuts. Mike Score was in good voice and the supporting musicians really make the material sound great. The band hooked the audience with "Modern Love Is Automatic", played a solid set of lesser known songs, then finished with all the hits one wanted to hear. As a fan of Joy Division/New Order, I kept thinking early in the set that the material reminded me of JD/NO -- and that is a huge compliment!

Joe Rodriguez' set list.

     The hits all sounded great and were great to finally hear live. A very enjoyable set!

Joe Rodriguez

Kevin Rankin and Joe Rodriguez

Kevin Rankin

Mike Score, Joe Rodriguez, and Kevin Rankin

Mike Score

Mike Score

     I love live music and have a lot of fun taking pictures at the shows. I do not have any different access then other fans. My little pocket-sized Canon PowerShot G16 takes really good low-light pictures (I highly recommend it!) and I bring it to shows regularly. I do not have any special camera skills -- I have just taken a lot of photos and fiddled around with the settings to get better pictures.

     I post quite a few photos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Although it is fun and fulfilling to have people enjoy them, I love to see others photos. Although my photos rarely look as good as the men and women that shoot regularly at concerts, I sure try to capture the band in the moment. One footnote to this show: I was honored to have Joe Rodriguez contact me after seeing some of the above photos on social media. He asked me if he can use some of my photos of him. That makes me quite happy!

    So if you get a chance to see A Flock of Seagulls in concert, trust you are going to see a really good show!

The Lumineers 1/28/17 Columbus, Ohio

      The Lumineers brought their latest tour to the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio on the Ohio State University campus on Saturday 1/28/17. I attended with my wife Grace. We sat in section 104. Quirky fact: we noted that at least 6 Columbus Blue Jackets were in attendance and sitting very close to us. Cool!

Merch: The bands had a nice collection of t-shirts and CDs/LPs. Nice!

Arena: The Schott has held many of a fine concert over the years, and I have seen many of them! This was the biggest crowd on the tour, according to Wesley Schultz, lead singer of the Lumineers. If it was not a sell out, it was close.

Openers: I was unfamiliar with Margaret Glaspy. I enjoyed her set with her band.

     Andrew Bird is someone I am familiar with from CD102.5, the terrific local independent radio station. I looked forward to catching his set. The band and Andrew did not disappoint: lots of atmospheric indie rock with interesting presentation. Happy I caught his set!

Headliners: My wife and I often say we haven't seen the Lumineers in concert, but we did hear them. At the 2013 Lollapalooza in Chicago, we were down in front at the nearby stage awaiting the Mumford and Sons when the Lumineers played their set across the field. We could hear some of the set, but had looked forward to seeing the band since then. 

     The show covered all of the bands top songs. The band was in prime form and Wesley Schultz was in prime voice. He shared some interesting, touching stories about quite a few of the songs. His discussion of his father's death touched me and made me think of my own father's death a year ago.

     Mid-show the band came out to a small stage mid-arena that was close to our section. The "right in the audience" setting gave a small-venue feel to an arena show. Well done!

     After finishing up on the small stage and returning to the main stage, the band completed their main set. A huge highlight for me was the encore when the band was joined by Andrew Bird. He and Wesley of the Lumineers traded vocals on a terrific cover of the Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place". Awesome!

     Overall, a very good show. The Lumineers show was all I hoped for and more. Very happy I attended this show.

Margaret Glaspy and band opening up the concert.

The indie rock favorite Andrew Bird had a terrific set.

Andrew Bird and band with some unique lighting.

 Wesley and Jeremiah of the Lumineers.

The Lumineers bringing a smile to everyone's face!

The Lumineers of the small mid-arena stage.

Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers.

Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers.

The Lumineers

The Lumineers with confetti flying.

Andrew Bird joining the Lumineers during their encore for an awesome cover of the Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place".

Peter Hook and the Light at St. Andrew's Hall, Detroit, Michigan on 10/26/16

     Peter Hook and the Light are a UK band featuring Peter Hook, the seminal bassist for Joy Division and New Order. This was the second time that I have seen Peter Hook and the Light. This 2016 North American Tour features the band playing the 'Substance' albums by both Joy Division and New Order.

     The band features Peter Hook on bass guitar and vocals, Daniel Potts on guitar and vocals, Jack Bates (Peter's son) on bass, Andy Poole on keyboards, and Paul Kehoe on drums. The group is talented and versatile enough to do an excellent job on both Joy Division classics and New Order classics.

VENUE: St. Andrew's Hall is a medium sized venue in the Greektown area of Detroit, Michigan. It holds about 1000 for concerts. I have been here before (Macklemore and Ryan Lewis a few years back). 

MERCHANDISE: The band was selling some nice t-shirts (many signed by Peter Hook on the front, as he has before on other tours), a Peter Hook signed tour poster (only $15!), and a Daniel Potts CD. Very nice.

     I was very happy that I had purchased the Live Nation "Jump the Line" ticket and was the third person in the venue. I was able to grab a signed t-shirt and poster before heading up to the rail. I got a favored spot right where I anticipated Peter Hook being when he played. I enjoyed talking with other fans, including a father and son from Detroit and a young gentlemen from Cleveland who saved my spot on the rail while I ran to the restroom (in the basement, if your a gent).

     As you can see from the set list that the band played an amazing group of songs. And did they sound amazing. Although every song sounded terrific, major highlights were "Temptation" (Hooky seemed to notice me singing along and high-fived me after the song!), "Blue Monday", "Bizarre Love Triangle", "True Faith", "Warsaw", "Transmission", and "Love Will Tear Us Apart". 

     I love watching as Hooky and his son Jack trade of bass leads. Both are so great to hear and a lot of fun to watch. And Daniel Potts' lead vocals (especially effective on some New Order songs) and guitar playing are always a joy.

     When the show ended, I was VERY happy that one of the crew handed me Peter's set list. Thank you so much! 

     What a show! I loved so much about it -- it was a five star show all the way. I would love to see them play again, whether on this tour or another.

 Peter Hook

 Peter Hook

 Check out those great decals/stickets on Peter's bass

 Peter Hook in a classic pose.

 Peter Hook

 Peter Hook prowling the stage.

 Peter was in great voice.

 Peter Hook

 Bathed in red.

 Peter Hook

 Peter Hook

 Peter was a joy to hear on the bass.

 Peter Hook takes lead on many songs but shares lead with David Potts on others.

 Peter Hook and the Light

 Peter Hook

 Peter Hook and Paul Kehoe (drums)

The set list that the roadie handed me.

The Avett Brothers at the Toledo Zoo Amphitheater, Toledo, Ohio 7/9/16

     I love the Avett Brothers. This was the fifth time seeing them live over the years. I was attending the show with my son Sam Teller, another big fan of the band. We were looking forward to hearing the new material from the album True Sadness released in 2016.
VENUE: This was my first time at the Toledo Zoo Amphitheater. Quite the nice set-up with the stage in a clamshell backdrop and the seating fanning out from there. There were fold-up chairs down front and stands with backs further on back. We were lucky enough to be in the center of the third row, right in front of the stage.
MERCH: The band had a large selection of shirts, posters, and other items available for sale.

     

The band came on stage at approximately 8:20 am with the full band launching into "D Bag Rag" with Scott Avett (above) and Seth Avett with kazoos. At the end of the opener, the brothers threw their kazoos into the audience with Scott's landing right in my hand! I have caught set lists, guitar picks, and drum sticks, but never a kazoo!

     Seth Avett (above) and the band then followed with one terrific song after another in a thirty song set. Early highlights were "Satan Pulls the Strings", "Down With the Shine", and "Ain't No Man". Although much of the new material has a different sound or feel to it, it sounds great with the older material. 

                                      

                            Bob Crawford on bass and violin provided his usual solid backing.

Joe Kwon adds so much to the sound of the Avett Brothers 

with his cello playing and background vocals.

The interplay of Scott and Seth is such a huge part of the sound and live performance of the band.

Second half highlights included "Head Full of Doubt", "I and Love and You", and "No Hard Feelings". Overall, an amazing selection of songs. And to top off the night, when the band was throwing their setlist into the audience, Scott Avett threw his right to me! Awesome!

Here are some additional pictures.

Joe Kwon on cello.

Another good one of Scott and Seth.

Seth Avett

The Avett Brothers

I loved this show. It was definitely a five out of five starts! And thanks Scott Avett for the kazoo and the set list! Can't wait to see you guys again!