Max Weinberg and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - July 21, 2011 - Meijer Gardens

Michelle and I went to the Max Weinbeg and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert at Meijer Gardens Ampitheater - Thanks to John Gonzalez and the Grand Rapids Press for providing the tickets.    The concert was Thursday July 21, 2011.

Max and his 6 supporting musicians opened the show.   For those who may not recall, Max Weinberg has been the drummer for Bruce Springsteen, as well as doing a long stint as band leader on Conan O'Brien's late show (prior to the whole Jay Leno fiasco).    His band consisted of Bill Champlin (formerly of Chicago) on guitar/vocals/organ, Will Champlin (Bill's son) on keyboards/vocals, Carmen Grillo (from Tower of Power) on guitar/vocals, Bobby Watson on bass guitar/vocals, Steve Madaio on trumpet, and Jerry Vivino on Saxophone.    The band covered quite a variety of songs from different eras.   Some highlights included "Heat of the Night" (theme from the TV show), "634-5789", "Turn Your Love Around" (tune Bill wrote for George Benson), and "Can't Be Still" (a Booker T & the MGs song).     Max and his band played for about 45 minutes (or so), and seemed to just be a bunch of guys who loved playing some of their favorite music -  nothing pretentious or flashy.    After their set, Max could be seen along the side stage area meeting fans.

Next up was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.    BBVD are one of the bands who rose to fame during the "swing" resurgence of the late 1990s.    However, they have managed to dabble in other related styles, while still growing a fanbase.    According to band info, they have been around almost 18 years now, and have had 8 releases (7 studio, 1 live).   Lead singer and guitarist Scotty Morris said they have all original members.   We had last seen the band at The Intersection in downtown Grand Rapids, and was curious how the style would be holding up.     At Meijer Gardens, we saw a band that has grown into a family friendly image, which projects the coolness of swing music along with the fun of Dixieland.    With a 5 piece horn section, the band is able to create the big band sound that much of their music requires.   Scotty has managed to not only keep his vocals smooth and strong, but has also managed to cultivate a confident and appealing "band leader" persona.    I've seen few bands where all members appear to be having just a great time playing - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is one of those rare exceptions.    Their set covered material from throughout their career, however the older material was noticeably more familiar to the crowd.    Some of my favorites from the evening were "Jumpin Jive", "Zig Zaggity Woop Woop", and "Go Daddy-O".     The guys played for around 90 minutes, and it went by quickly.     Much of the crowd had a great time, including children.     Big Bad Voodoo Daddy definitely delivered a fun evening with some great music.   I'd recommend them to just about any fan of fun "make you smile" music.

Overall, I'd give the evening an 8 out of 10

Paul McCartney - Comerica Park - July 24, 2011

I finally got the pleasure of seeing Paul McCartney in person, and thought I'd share my thoughts on the evening.

The concert was held Sunday July 24, 2011 at Detroit's Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers).   After attending a 2009 U2 concert at Soldier Field in Chicago, I had pretty much sworn off these "stadium" concerts with crowds of 40,000 or more.     But, this was Sir Paul - someone who could be considered one of the best songwriters ever.   Not to mention the cultural impact his music has had around the world.   I would bet most people have at least one song Paul either wrote or cowrote - especially with that little band from Liverpool.

My companions included my wife, and our friends Gary and his son Spencer (two friends who frequently go to concerts with us).    Our seats were in the standard ballpark seats, in the lower bowl, along the 3rd base line.    There was seating in the outfield closer to the stage, but no seating in the "in field" area.

We arrived at the ballpark around 7pm local time, and found crowds all over the outter ballpark area.    It turned out to mostly be people just hanging outside before the show (a Beatle tribute band was performing outside one of the bars).  Getting into the park wasn't nearly as slow as I'd expected.    Once we got into the concourse, things became much more congested.    Between crowded merchandise areas and concessions, there were many points where movement came to a standstill.    First thing we did was connect up with my friend Adam Talley, who came over from Lansing.    We met him near the carousel, and exchanged comments about the massive crowd and our mutual excitement for the evening (Adam always has interesting insight into Beatle stuff).    We then went our separate ways (Adam had seats on the field).     Our 4 person group found the way to our seats around 7:30pm, waiting for the scheduled 8pm start.

Just before 8pm, a thunderstorm moved close to the ballpark.   Although the show was listed as "rain or shine", there was concern about close lightning strikes and the various high metal rigging (with spotlight people on some of the rigging).    We checked weather radar on our phones, and saw it was a small storm moving over the area.   It appeared the technical crew were also watching, and the show was delayed.    There was light rain and a few bolts of lightning in the distance, but the storm only came close to the park (never directly overhead).    After almost a 30 minute delay, Paul McCartney finally came out to joyous welcome from the anxious crowd.

Sir Paul and his 4 supporting musicians launched into The Beatles "Hello/Goodbye", with Paul on a version of his legendary Hofner bass.    The band consisted of Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards, Rusty Anderson on guitar, Abe Laboriel Jr on drums, and Brian Ray on guitar/bass.  The mix was a little "uneven" from our seats, but it improved over the evening.     Paul and the band all appeared to be in great spirits, and having a good time. 

For almost 3 hours, we were treated to songs from throughout Paul's entire career, with plenty of focus on his Beatle catalog.    Beatles favorites for me were "All My Loving", "Drive My Car", "Hey Jude", "Lady Madonna", and "Eleanor Rigby".     From his Wings/solo catalog, my favorites were "Let 'Em In", "Band On The Run", and "Live and Let Die".    Newer songs like "Dance Tonight" sat fine alongside the older material.   Paul spent probably 40% of the night on bass, but also performed on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, and ukulele.  His voice sounded fine, although he did avoid some of the higher scream parts in "Helter Skelter" and "Hey Jude").     A solo section during the evening with just Paul and an acoustic guitar was very nice, when he played "Blackbird" and "Here Today".

As expected for a stadium show, the stage and lighting were massive, as well as the live video screens.    An LED type background provided very clear and appropriate visuals for the set.    For me, the ambient and atmospheric backgrounds worked better than the historical photo/video clips.    Most of the live camera work was good during the show, but I seem to recall it was "Helter Skelter" which had some constant camera changes which made it annoying (I know it was planned, but still annoying).    The pyro (fire and fireworks) were impressive during "Live and Let Die" (something that isn't easy to accomplish in a stadium show) - even Paul was "coughing" afterward, acknowledging the large amount of smoke left over.

Paul and the band all appeared to be having a great time all night.   He made a couple references to his age/history, and also referenced the influence Motown had on his musical upbringing.   He mentioned taking a tour of the Motown museum, and performed the 1962 Marvin Gaye song "Hitchhike" for us.    Not sure this would have been my Motown song of choice, but it obviously was important to Paul.    To me, it was just nice to have the special moment just for Detroit.

At the start of the evening, I wasn't sure how things would go with the 69 year old.    By the end I was surprised how fast the almost 3 hours went by, and rarely had a moment where I was looking at my watch.    Sure, there were a couple tunes I didn't know, but those didn't slow down the evening.     By the time he reached the final encore of "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End", I was beyond impressed with Paul and his band.    It truly is a special moment to be able to sing along on the "Na-Na" part of "Hey Jude", actually singing with the guy who wrote the song!!   That isn't something you get to do regularly, and is a memory of a lifetime.

I'd rate the show a 9 out of 10 - taking off a star for the headaches of a stadium show, and the somewhat inconsistent sound mix (at least, from our seats).

I'm still not a be fan of these "mega-concerts" at stadiums, but sometimes it is the only option available for seeing legendary performers that still have huge popularity.

Here is another picture from our seats:

According to Paul's website, here is the setlist from Sunday nights Detroit show:

Hello Goodbye

Juniors Farm
All My Loving
Jet
Drive My Car
Sing The Changes
Hitchhike
The Night Before
Let Me Roll It
Paperback Writer
The Long and Winding Road
1985
Let 'Em In
Maybe I'm Amazed
I've Just Seen A Face
I Will
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs. Vanderbilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Band on the Run
Ob-la-di Ob-la-da
Back In The USSR
I Got A Feeling
A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live And Let Die
Hey Jude

Encore:

Lady Madonna

Day Tripper
Get Back

2nd Encore set:

Yesterday

Helter Skelter

Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End

Cornerstone 2011 - My Report from Thursday/Friday

On Thursday June 30, my wife and I attended the Cornerstone Festival 2011. This particular day featured a "Jesus Rally" with multiple bands from late 70s/early 80s Christian music. The Cornerstone Festival is a week long music festival held in Marietta, IL (near Bushnell), however we were not able to make the whole week.

When we first arrived on site, we made our way to the merchandise tents. In one particular area, there was a "meet and greet" setup, with many of the bands participating. Below are some of the photos I got:

Me with Randy Stonehill (CCM legend)

Me with Phil Keaggy (guitar wizard)

Me with Bob Hartman (founder of Petra)

Me with Bob Hardy (vocalist for Servant)

While waiting to meet Phil Keaggy, my wife got dizzy from the heat and had to go find some shade.   I caught up with her after meeting Phil, and helped her get some ice and cold water (it was hard keeping any water cold in 100+ degree heat index weather).     After she spent a few minutes at the first aid trailer, she was back to her normal self.

We worked our way over to mainstage around 3pm, only to find Classic Petra was still working on their sound check.    This pushed the schedule back almost an hour.    I later found out that the stage managers ended up asking each band to cut at least one song from their set, to help recoup the lost time.

Servant kicked things off around 4pm.    The lineup of the band features all but 2 original members (they had a new lead guitar and drummer).    While many of us expected a set featuring material from their early releases, we were treated to material mostly from their later career.   Opening with "Power" from the "Swimming In A Human Ocean" release, and continuing with much from "Light Maneuvers" ("War Dance" and "Poolside Logic" for example).    They had a rough start with sound issues, but after about 3 songs things started to settle down and they got into a groove.   Considering they had not performed in almost 20 years, it went better than expected.

Next up was Barry McGuire.   Unfortunately my pictures of Barry are mostly shadows, due to the sun setting behind the stage.    Barry is an old "hippie" era guy, who had hung out with just about everybody (Mamas and the Papas, Frank Zappa, etc).   Barry just came out with an acoustic guitar.   He kept our attention with his stories of the past and his catchy songs.    A fun set and a great testimony.

Next we had Daniel Amos.  Again, my pictures are shadows.   Daniel Amos started up with a few cuts from their "Doppelganger" release, and settled into some older material.    This band has been playing music since the mid 70s, and continue to maintain a solid alternative/folk sound.    Lead vocalist Terry Taylor sounded a little weak, but the rumor mill was saying he was quite tired.

Next up was Randy Stonehill.   Randy is always a treat on stage.   Energetic and funny.    Randy came out with just his acoustic guitar (typical for him), and played tunes from all across his career.   Actually he played more newer stuff, but still included some late 70s/early 80s material.   Randy sounded fantastic, and showed you don't need a full band to be completely entertaining.  

Next was E Band.    I had not heard of this band before the festival, but the story goes that this was Greg Volz band before he joined Petra.   E Band had originally written the song "Coloring Song", which eventually became Petra's first hit in around 1979.    These guys had not played together in almost 40 years.   I had low expectations.   Oddly enough, the band sounded great on just about every song EXCEPT "Coloring Song".    Their bass player had a hard time with that song, and it showed.    But, the rest of their set was better than expected, and the material was almost progressive - certainly late 60s/early 70s hippie jam stuff.    Not too bad.

Next was Resurrection Band.   Like Petra, Servant, and DeGarmo & Key, Resurrection Band were constantly touring in the late 70s/early 80s.   In fact, Resurrection Band members are part of the organization that founded Cornerstone Festival in 1984.   The band features the lineup from their later career, but still has a majority of the group that founded the band in the mid 70s.    Playing a mix of material from throughout their career, vocalist Wendi Kaiser and husband/guitarist/vocalist Glenn Kaiser still sound great.    They did cut their set short, out of a desire to leave more time for Phil Keaggy and Classic Petra.    Considering Resurrection Band has been doing a few reunion shows over the past couple years, most of us had already heard much of the material recently.     There was also a story that the band had done an extended rehearsal in one of the other tents on Wednesday night, and many on the grounds had seen that.

Next up was Phil Keaggy, but he chose to bring his Glass Harp bandmates.   So, this actually became a Glass Harp set.    Although Phil is certainly a master on guitar and has a long solo catalog, Glass Harp was his first successful band and was popular back in the late 60s/early 70s.    The band has done their fair share of reunion shows over the years, but it sounded like many at the fest had not seen an actual Glass Harp set.   The band is just a trio (bass/vocals, guitar/vocals, drums), and played an hour set of jam based gospel rock.    Some blues, some improv, and some great melodies.   I liked it, but my wife wasn't that into it.

The final act for the night was Classic Petra.    This is the lineup of the band that was around in the 1983-1985 timeframe (or so).    Bob Hartman, Greg Volz, Mark Kelly, Louie Weaver, and John Lawry.   Having reunited over the last couple years, that band has already been recreating their 1984 stage setup around the world (most recently in Australia).    They have a new DVD featuring a concert from last year, as well as a documentary.   For Cornerstone, they used the festival's own main stage and backline gear.   Although not as tight as I had hoped, they did seem to be having fun and enjoying some of the updated arrangements.   However, there was a problem getting the song "Clean" started.    Greg Volz told the audience it was what he called "a trainwreck".   It appeared that Bob Hartman was off by a couple frets, putting him in a different key for the song.   Keyboardist John Lawry had to stop the song, and Mark Kelly, John, and Bob Hartman had a quick huddle to work it out.   Once they were ready to resume, Greg said they had to now start the song over just to show us they could play it correctly - all went well.    Overall, I liked their set, but it did lack the "polish" they probably have with their own gear.

Overall, the "Jesus Rally" day was a fun return to the days of early Christian rock bands.    The music was a bit dated and didn't have the same punch of a P.O.D. or Anberlin, but I also remembered many of these classic songs from my high school days.     I do think I learned more scripture and bible stories from Petra, Servant, and Randy Stonehill, as opposed to what I hear from more recent bands.   

We did come back on Friday for some music, and caught sets from Brian "Head" Welch (previously from the band Korn), and P.O.D.      While both these bands had much heavier music, their desire to reach out to the lost and hurting seemed just as passionate as the "Jesus Rally" bands from Thursday.    Even though the musical styles were different, the message of Christ was the same.     That was very cool.    Here's a couple pictures of Brian "Head" Welch and P.O.D.    Enjoy

Oh, and as an added bonus, my wife got to meet the fairly known character actor Doug Jones.   Doug was doing a meet & greet and Q&A session at the movie tent.   Doug may be best known as 'Abe Sapien'  from the "Hellboy" movies, as well as the "Silver Surfer" from the "Fantastic Four" movie.    He has been in a ton of stuff over his 25 years in film.    He also was sharing some of his Christian perspective on working in Hollywood, which Michelle enjoyed quite a bit.   Here is a picture with her and Doug:

Final note:  On the way out Friday night, we caught a couple songs from harpist Timbre.   This was some very nice ambient/new age type solo harp music, that sounded great.   She has a couple CDs and does some singing, as well as added instrumentation.   If you are looking for something soft and almost classical in style, check her out.

U2 - 360 Tour 2009 - Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

Concert was held at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL on September 13, 2009

As many of my friends will tell you, I have often sworn off of going to concerts at football stadiums. Not only are the venues beyond huge for a musical performance, but the huge crowds also tend to lend themselves to various frustrations. So, when I first heard about U2 kicking off their North American 2009 "360" tour at Chicago's Soldier Field, I said "no thanks".

However, my wife was being sent to McCormick Place for a trade show where her employer was having a booth displayed. She was going to be working at the booth from Friday thru Monday. She was looking for something to do for the weekend, and came up with the idea of trying to see U2 on Sunday night. It turns out that Soldier Field is within walking distance of McCormick Place, so I said maybe I'd come along. She asked if I could find some tickets. We found a guy on CraigsList who was in Grand Rapids, and had two spare tickets for Sunday night. He had bought four, and could only use two. He was letting me have the other two at face value. So, we took the chance, got the tickets, and had a surprisingly good time.

We walked over to the stadium, from the Hyatt hotel. I waited until we got into the actual venue before pursuing some souvenirs. In 2005, we remembered getting U2 tour shirts that ended up being "form fitting". So, I had my wife help me come up with a choice that hopefully is a bit more "loose' fitting. They had a nice "Soldier Field" specific shirt, but those were mostly sold out by the time I got to a vendor (I checked about 4 different tables). So, I settled on a shirt and a program. I chose to use a credit card, and their "wireless" systems were running very slow. Turns out that some of the stage technical gear was causing problems with other systems around the stadium. I'm sure it had something to do with BlackBerry sponsoring the show - LOL.

The "360" tour features a custom "spaceship" stage, with a 360 degree minimally obstructed view of the band. There is also a 360 degree video screen that would descend and ascend as needed. Check around the internet for details, but the story we see says this contraption takes 2 days to put up. To say massive is an understatement. Yup, it's a bit much for 4 guys playing music on stage.

Opening band "Snow Patrol" kicked things off right around 7:15pm (local time). They played about 40 minutes of very U2 influenced pop (think a more bouncy Coldplay). They were OK.

Around 8:30 local time, the lights went down, and David Bowie's "Space Oddity" started playing. After the first verse, a separate ambient track came in, and the band emerged from a back stage entrance. They individually walked up some stage stairs, with drummer Larry Mullen being the first on stage. Edge, Bono, and Adam followed, and the band kicked into songs from their new CD.  I found a site with the complete setlist, and have posted the list at the end of this review.

The band played a little over 2 hours. There were plenty of songs off the new CD, and they seemed to be picking other "obscure" tunes to include.. We still got staples like "With or Without You", "Where the Street Have No Name", "Vertigo", "Beautiful Day", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", etc. But we also got treated to "Until The End Of The World", and a nice acoustic version of "Amazing Grace". What we didn't get was "Pride (In The Name of Love)".

Edge seemed a bit more animated that I remember him being in 2005. Bono seemed to get the most enjoyment out of being close to the audience around the stage perimeter. Adam is adequate, and does what he is supposed to (the luckiest average bass player on the planet). Larry actually impressed with his consistent drumming all night long. All four worked well as a single unit.

The stage is amazing, and they must have an entire I/T department to keep the thing running. It's a technical marvel, not unlike some of the best ideas Genesis has had in the past. And each band member did make at least one complete trip around the entire outer circle.

In general, I'd say the show wasn't quite as "energetic" as the 2005 show we saw in Detroit. This year's setlist didn't seem to pack the same punch, but the band was more interactive.

The attendance numbers have indicated there were around 65,000 people there. For that huge of a crowd, U2 still managed to make it feel like a much smaller venue. Bono truly tried to connect with the audience.

I'd say it was worth the trip, but I'm not sure I'll be endorsing the football stadium concert idea yet. It's still something very few bands can pull off. U2 is a rare group in the regard.

Keep in mind that U2 is coming up on 30 years since their first CD, and it still is the same four guys. Not bad, if you ask me. They seem to continue to evolve and yet maintain their own style. I don't mind calling myself a fan.

One point of note: This is the second time my wife and I have gone to Chicago to see a band that was not making a stop in Detroit. Chicago is becoming the town to see the "special" shows. Sorry Detroit.

Thanks to Scott for setting us up with the tickets. 

Setlist:

Breathe
No Line On The Horizon
Get On Your Boots / Blue Suede Shoes (snippet)
Magnificent
Far Far Away (snippet)
Beautiful Day / King Of Pain (snippet)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Elevation
Your Blue Room
Unknown Caller
Until The End Of The World
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
The Unforgettable Fire
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / I Want To Take You Higher (snippet)  / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (snippet)
Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
MLK
Walk On

Encores:
One / Amazing Grace (snippet)
Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet)
Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender

Transatlantic - Whirl'd Tour 2010

Concert was held at Park West theater in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday April 20, 2010

For those not familiar with the band, Transatlantic is a progressive rock "supergroup" made up of Mike Portnoy on drums and vocals (from Dream Theater), Neal Morse on keyboards and vocals (former Spock's Beard member and solo projects), Pete Trewavas on bass and vocals (from Marillion), and Roine Stolt on guitar and vocals (from The Flower Kings).    All four members have a reputation for writing complex long songs, and frequently write concept or story pieces.  

Around 2001, I was buying just about anything Mike Portnoy performed on.    When he helped put together this group, I bought both their initial releases, a live double CD, and a live DVD.    Shortly afterward, Neal Morse left the group to pursue his solo career, and the band went on indefinite hiatus.    Fast forward to 2009, and Neal contacted the others about possibly putting a third release together.    The "stars aligned" and by end of 2009 "The Whirlwind" CD was available to the public.     This was a nearly 80 minute musical story, broken up into 12 parts.    Rumors about a 2010 tour were bouncing around, but it would seem unlikely considering each member had their own band commitments.

Around February 2010 the news broke that Transatlantic would have a brief USA tour in the spring, and a more extended European tour in the summer.    A stop at Chicago's Park West theater was announced, and I promptly got tickets for me and fellow Transatlantic fan Adam Talley.  

On April 20, we arrived at Park West theater to find a line of fans waiting to get in.     We had "floor" access, but no reserved seats.    I was pleased to find there were seats provided and we found a couple about middle floor.     Park West looks to seat about 800, and the stage isn't huge.   It looked like the band would have enough room, but none extra.    When looking at the stage, the setup was typical Transatlantic - Neal at keys on left, Roine next, Pete, then Mike on right.    Support musician Daniel Gildenlow was towards the back, and provided extra guitar, keyboard, percussion and vocal work.    At 7pm local time, the lights went down and the introduction of "The Whirlwind" came over the sound system.   For the next 80 minutes we got the entire piece, almost studio perfect but with just enough "live" feel to let you know it wasn't just a mime group.    There were the occasional rhythmic flub or slightly missed note, but they weren't often and quickly recovered.     Interaction between Neal and Mike was lively (facial expressions and such), but they were all concentrating.    After completing this massive musical piece, they took a 20 minute intermission.    After intermission, the band came back with various selections from their previous two studio releases.    For the next 1 hour and 40 minutes, we got treated to 3 long pieces (each close to 30 minutes) and 3 shorter songs (more typical pop length).    One of the three short songs was a cover of The Beatles "Birthday", as it was Mike Portnoy's birthday on this specific night.    After some dinking around with various Beatles references, it was back to business.     During this second set, the band showed much more vocal talent than I expected.    All 5 musicians were capable of carrying a vocal part, and they all got their chance helping out on lead or harmonies.     There are many highlights when talking about 3 hours of music.    One part I enjoyed was the guitar introduction to "We All Need Some Light", in which Roine could be heard referencing the melody to "Scarborough Fair" - very pretty.

Although the evening wasn't without the occasional musical hiccup, Transatlantic showed that they were unbelievably talented.    Mike is a master on drums, Neal is able to handle multiple keyboard parts while singing lead, Roine is very tasteful on guitar without getting overly flashy while handling some lead vocals, and Pete is all over the bass while handling backing vocals.    Daniel was not drawing attention to himself, but was holding down multiple parts all night long.    These guys may have not the history of a Yes, Genesis, or Jethro Tull, but they just may be a more powerful unit to deal with.    Oh, and no individual solo moments (which was a tad surprising, considering the talent on stage).

After their encores and a short waiting period, all band members came out to sign autographs and meet fans.    This caught both me and Adam by surprise, as we didn't expect the entire band.    Park West staff attempted to move the process along quickly, but band members still took their time with the fans.    Very cool.

If you are a fan of progressive rock music (like Genesis or Yes), I'd highly recommend any of the Transatlantic releases.    It's also been announced that an upcoming London date of the "Whirl'd Tour" is going to be recorded and video shot for both audio and DVD release.     Everyone will be able to experience this amazing evening of exceptional musicianship.

I'd also like to thank Adam Talley for tolerating my driving, and keeping me company.    It's always fun to have someone along who appreciates and knows the music of the band.

Rating:  9 out of 10

Setlist:

Set 1:

Pt 1 - Overture - Whirlwind
Pt 2- The Wind Blew Them All Away
Pt 3 - On The Prowl
Pt 4 - A Man Can Feel
Pt 5 - Out Of The Night
Pt 6 - Rose Colored Glasses
Pt 7 - Evermore
Pt 8 - Set Us Free
Pt 9 - Lay Down Your Life
Pt 10 - Pieces Of Heaven
Pt 11 - Is It Really Happening? 
Pt 12 - Dancing With Eternal Glory / Whirlwind (reprise)

Set 2:

1 - All Of The Above
2 - Happy Birthday (Beatles cover for Mike Portnoy birthday)
3 - We All Need Some Light
4 - Duel With The Devil
5 - Bridge Across Forever
6 - Stranger In Your Soul

Audience recording of this concert available as MP3 downloads at http://www.timhamm.com/transatlantic.htm 

Elton John - "Rocket Man" Tour 2010

Concert was held on Saturday April 24, 2010  at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan

For 2010, Elton John has stated that he would be playing dates in some "secondary markets", which included a stop in Grand Rapids.     According to local reports, Elton had not been in Grand Rapids since around 10 years ago (this would be the third time Elton had performed in Grand Rapids).

Not being a "huge" fan, I had only recently discovered the variety of music Sir Elton had written over his career.    I had basically put him into the category of generic soft rock piano guy, but he would prove me very wrong.

The concert was an "evening with..." show, which meant no opening act (which is a good thing).    Elton and his 5 supporting band members came out promptly at 8pm and entertained us with almost 3 hours of hits.    Opening with "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" was a highlight right off the bat, as I've read he had not been playing that piece over recent years.    But, that was a tip to things yet to come.    He continued with all the hits that most of us know him for:  "Bennie and The Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Levon", "Daniel", "Crocodile Rock", and on it goes.    Sir Elton John has never had a "great" voice, but he did deliver exactly as expected.   He wasn't going for the high range notes, rather favoring the lower register harmonies.    However, his band mates were able to cover the higher parts for him, faithfully recreating all needed parts.    The only real "hit" that we can think he missed was "Island Girl", but he may have left that behind years ago.

For me, highlights were his fantastic piano playing, and the "extended versions" of many of his known hits.   Most songs went well past 5 minutes, with many approaching 10 minutes.    Much of this time was taken up with piano solo jam sections, or extended guitar solo sections from longtime Elton guitarist Davey Johnstone.    But, playing piano is what Elton does best, and he definitely made that clear.     Elton offered one new song in the set, which he said was from an upcoming release featuring a collaboration between himself and Leon Russell.    Elton explained how Leon was a hero of his for piano and songwriting, and how Elton had patterned much of his style after Leon (which made sense when I thought about it - although I had not connected that beforehand).

There were many fantastic musical moments, not to mention the amusing LED backdrop visuals.   Animated versions of dancing girls and crocodiles created a fun atmosphere, while the screen also worked well for creating "sunsets" and other ambient lighting effects. The stage had plenty of open space, and the sound mix was acceptable for an arena show (at least, from our side seats).   

Overall, I'd say Elton gave everyone exactly what they wanted - the hits performed by the legend himself.    Say what you want about Elton's personal life, but there are few musicians that are at his level of both performer and entertainer. 

Rating:  9 out of 10

Setlist:
Funeral For A Friend - Love Lies Bleeding
Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting
Levon
Madman Across The Water
Tiny Dancer
Philadelphia Freedom
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Daniel
Rocket Man
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Take Me To The Pilot
Something About The Way You Look Tonight
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Candle In The Wind
You Are Never Too Old To Love Somebody
Honky Cat
Burn Down The Mission
Benny And The Jets
The Bitch Is Back
I'm Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
Your Song
Circle Of Life

The Police - Reunion Tour 2007

Concert was held on July 17, 2007 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan

After waiting since early March 2007, the “mighty” Police finally rolled into the Detroit area. Having sold out in a manner of minutes, the crowd was primarily fans that loved them dearly. This was becoming the “show to see” of 2007, and many were watching to see if the trio would be able to keep their personal differences in “check”.

Around 8:45pm, Sting, Stewart, and Andy opened the evening with the signature tune “Message In A Bottle”. The setlist (see below) continued with much of what has been past reported, with no noticeable difference. The band was on stage for almost 2 full hours.

Sting was in fine voice, although not as high as in the past. I am not able to confirm if songs have been lowered in key, however we suspect they have been. His bass playing was in fine form, and he has appeared to take some tricks from his solo career with various jazz musicians (some nice improv moments). Stewart appeared to be very serious and focused on his playing, while enjoying the occasional improv moments. Stewart had his main drum kit, while behind him was a selection of various cymbals, chimes, bells, a marimba-type contraption, large drums, and gong. Andy was the more “understated” of the three, while sporting a “South Park” themed guitar strap. His playing was outstanding, covering the entire spectrum from ambient echoes to blazing lead solos. Stewart and Andy provided occasional background vocals.

The band didn’t have any major visual changes during the show. Sting was stage right, Andy stage left, and Stewart in the middle. Sting stuck with his Fender bass for the entire night, and had a “not huge” amp setup behind him. Sting did have a set of synth pedals, which he only used occasionally to add some “rumble” to a chord. He did have a side stand for his coffee cup (I would assume tea, but didn’t really know). Andy stuck with Fender guitars, primarily a Strat and a Tele. He had a small set of MesaBoogie amps behind him. I couldn’t see his pedal board, but he didn’t seem to be hitting pedals often (everyone once in a while). Stewart had a Tama kit with various sized toms and cymbals, as well as the additional percussion gear behind him (mentioned above).

Musically, the set was nicely paced. They had some flexibility with some improvisation moments, however the band generally stuck with familiar arrangements of the hits. There were a few moments during the evening where it sounded like there were some missed cues or something. This helped reinforce that they were playing live, while showing that they aren’t perfect. Thanks to the live cameras, there were a couple moments when it was obvious the band was using supporting background vocal tracks. You could hear vocals additional to Sting, and could see that Andy and Stewart were not singing. Whether these were taped vocals or simply someone backstage was not known. You could also hear supporting percussion loops on “King of Pain”, “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, and “Walking In Your Footsteps”, although you could still hear Stewart doing his additional percussion parts.

The stage was very open with little obstruction, and was an “end stage” (not “in the round”). Stairs and a platform covered the side and back of the stage. Sting and Andy were both able to wander around and recognize everyone, as seats were filled completely around the arena. Three video screens were facing stage front, and a single screen was on each side and the back. This gave everyone a chance to see some of the close-up camera shots. There appeared to be a problem with the video system during the opening song, however this was fixed by the time they got to the second song.

Overall, I’d score the concert an 8.5 out of 10. They were very good, especially for not having been out on tour for 23 years. All three seemed to be enjoying the crowd response.

Opening band was called “Fiction Plane”, and is headed up by Sting’s oldest son, Joe. The band appeared to be not yet ready for such a big arena tour, although they are getting a good exposure opportunity here. I’d describe the music as a current 20-somethings version of The Police meets U2. Joe Sumner’s voice sounds quite a bit like his dads, and Joe also happens to play bass. The biggest problem was that the band looked kind of “stiff” on such a big stage, and didn’t engage the audience much. They may be much more appealing in a smaller venue. I heard a few comments from people who enjoyed their set.

The Police Set list:

Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking On The Moon
Voices Inside My Head
When The World Is Running Down
Don't Stand So Close To Me
Driven To Tears
Truth Hits Everybody
Bed's Too Big Without You
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking In Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne
King Of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
Next To You

Rating:  8 out of 10