Just back from 10 days in Prague. One evening we stumbled across Agharta, a little jazz club, literally underground just off the old city square. Very cosy venue, max occupancy about 50, basically a cellar with chairs and small tables. We saw a good set by the Michal Gera Band (the pic above is mine; there's a youtube video below of them playing the same venue in 2019). All four played well and the intimacy of the setting made for a great evening.
Went to see the Allman Betts Band (including Devon Allman son of Gregg, Duane Betts son of Dickey and Berry Duane Oakley Jnr. son of Berry, founder member of The Allman Brothers who died aged 24 one year later than Duane Allman) at Northcote Theatre in Melbourne. Excellent mix of their own music with that of the original Allman Brothers band.
First time I have ever seen 10 guitarists up on stage playing together!
I saw Bonnie Prince Billy the other night at (University of Kentucky's) Singletary Center, and Kelly Moran doing a solo piano thing a few nights before that at the same location. And a couple months ago, also at Singletary Center, I got to see Colin Stetson do his own solo thing. Really enjoyed the Stetson show.
About a month ago, I saw Gary Fukushima, Matt Otto, Ryan McGillicuddy, and (Louisville-based drummer) Mike Hyman play a straight-ahead set at a newly renovated space at the Pam Miller downtown arts center. I love concerts held in art galleries.
No pics. I'm bad at taking concert photos.
Mary Halvorson is bringing her Amaryllis ensemble this fall.
I saw Bonnie Prince Billy the other night at (University of Kentucky's) Singletary Center, and Kelly Moran doing a solo piano thing a few nights before that at the same location. And a couple months ago, also at Singletary Center, I got to see Colin Stetson do his own solo thing. Really enjoyed the Stetson show.
About a month ago, I saw Gary Fukushima, Matt Otto, Ryan McGillicuddy, and (Louisville-based drummer) Mike Hyman play a straight-ahead set at a newly renovated space at the Pam Miller downtown arts center. I love concerts held in art galleries.
No pics. I'm bad at taking concert photos.
Mary Halvorson is bringing her Amaryllis ensemble this fall.
Colin Stetson is certainly an experience in a small venue. The Amaryllis should be a real treat. +1 for gigs in art galleries.
Last two shows: Julian Lage Trio (with Jorge Roeder and Joey Baron) in Grand Rapids, MI. Spectacular show musically, just wonderful to listen to. The only challenge I found was that it was oddly tiring to follow because all three of the trio were doing such interesting things I wanted to focus specifically on each of them and it was a lot to take in. But spectacular music.
Then Kraftwerk in Chicago. Also spectacular in a different way. Old material and not the original lineup and old visuals...but first time I've seen them live and it more than lived up to expectations. Took my daughter, who is of quite a different listening generation and she was impressed too. Expensive, but worth it.
Then Kraftwerk in Chicago. Also spectacular in a different way. Old material and not the original lineup and old visuals...but first time I've seen them live and it more than lived up to expectations. Took my daughter, who is of quite a different listening generation and she was impressed too. Expensive, but worth it.
Kraftwerk is a part of my DNA after sooooo many years (since '71) and soooo many concerts (since '75) - Chicago being two of those concerts ('75 & '81). Kept seeing them when I could up to the pandemic. The series of multiple nights at the Disney Concert Hall were the best when it came to acoustics - Actually, I'd recommend any concert that took full advantage of the Disney Concert Hall acoustics! I still have a bunch of the 3-D glasses!
If the timestamps on the MP3s are to believed, I downloaded "Real Life" from eMusic on September 16, 2006. So it was nice to see Joan as Police Woman live after almost 20 years.
The setup was sparse, just her on the piano (or electrical guitar for a few songs) and it didn't always work. But when it did, it was "The Magic" (which she also played).
Then Kraftwerk in Chicago. Also spectacular in a different way. Old material and not the original lineup and old visuals...but first time I've seen them live and it more than lived up to expectations. Took my daughter, who is of quite a different listening generation and she was impressed too. Expensive, but worth it.
Kraftwerk is a part of my DNA after sooooo many years (since '71) and soooo many concerts (since '75) - Chicago being two of those concerts ('75 & '81). Kept seeing them when I could up to the pandemic. The series of multiple nights at the Disney Concert Hall were the best when it came to acoustics - Actually, I'd recommend any concert that took full advantage of the Disney Concert Hall acoustics! I still have a bunch of the 3-D glasses!
How much has the show varied since Minimum Maximum? It being the first time (and it's a while since I watched the DVDs) it was hard to know if anything was new (not that it needs to be necessarily).
One thing that was interesting is that The Model, which in the UK was their big hit, was the song that worked least well for me in the context of the show - not sure if it was just the acoustics of where I was sitting or what happens to it at high volume but it became a bit shrill and lost some of its limber feel. All of the Computer World stuff was outstanding.
The Tangerine Dream show in Melbourne last night was excellent. A wide range of their top repertoire which was every bit a match for the recorded versions.
The light show certainly took me back in time!
By my judgement, @djh and @rostasi you can be reassured that Tangerine Dream are back on track and close to their best.
I like the pared down look instead of the fake L.A. beautiful people of a decade ago. Good to hear that it was closer to the Berlin sound. Yes, the recent releases had me hoping for this. Thanks for the update!
I like the pared down look instead of the fake L.A. beautiful people of a decade ago. Good to hear that it was closer to the Berlin sound. Yes, the recent releases had me hoping for this. Thanks for the update!
Agreed on all counts, thanks for the photos @peterfrederics, glad you enjoyed yourself. I guess Oct 1980 will remain the one and only time I got to see them.
So I haven’t been around in a long time… but from August 1 to August 9, I saw 28 different musical acts, I think the most things I’ve ever seen in such a short period of time like that, and I kinda want to try to write the experience up in pieces, before I forget everything, and I can’t think of a better place to try than here, so here goes…
The things I saw were:
Friday August 1, Psychic Garden: 1. Grilth, 2. Throne, 3. Burial Oath (only I missed the opener, Manic Wound, which has the guy who is the drummer for Quit, and is in loads of other local things besides, which made me sad) Saturday, August 2, SPAC, 4. Waylon Payne, 5. Lucinda Williams, 6. Wilco, 7. Bob Dylan, 8. Willie Nelson, Sunday, August 3, Carbon Fest at Bug Jar, (Chad Oliveiri DJ) 9. Asthmatique, (Rochester) 10. Marc Faris (Ithaca), 11. Ron Common’s Peaceful Party (Cleveland), 12. Mountain Movers (New Haven, Connecticut), 13. Bitter Wish, (Philadelphia) Tuesday August 5, Cobbs Hill Park: 14. The Dipper Stove, (Rochester) ( got there a little late, but it still counts), 15. Only Vernal Pools (Rochester) (L introduced herself and got info to book them for a show maybe) Thursday, August Thursday, August 7, Strangebird 16. Autumn in Halifax, (Rochester) 17. Attic Abasement, (Rochester), 18. Liam Grant (Boston) Friday, August 8, Radio Social (Heather Anderson and Ethan Swann, DJs (and they were both in Candy Blame) 19. Werts/Farren (Rochester), 20. Candy Blame, (Rochester), 21. Emily Robb (Philadelphia), 22. Slyne & The Family Stoned (New London, Connecticut), 23. Liam Grant and the Suncook Symphony (Boston w/ Rochester guests) Saturday, August 8; Radio Social, (John Schoen, DJ,) (he’s the guy from Needledrop Records, and he was in Candy Blame and guested with Suncook Symphony!) 24. Veeder+Tunis , (Rochester), 25. Century Plants (Albany) (with Joe Tunis drums, bassist from Heavenly Bodies and Emily Robb all guesting), 26. Willie Lane (Athol, MA) (feat bassist Rob Thomas from Sunburned Hand of the Man and Stella Kola), 27. Shirese (New Haven, Connecticut), 28. Heavenly Bodies, (Philadelphia). …
Hey greg, thanks! You're in London if I remember right? Anyway I actually have a couple of London shows I wanna mention at some point too... (but total apologies if I'm mixing that up; I thought I remembered somebody being from in or near London...)
But before I talk about the Psychic Garden, which is a local community space here in Rochester, I want to go back to this hardcore show I took my then 17 year old, L, to at a different community space last December:
But actually before that I want to go back to taking L to see Boris in Philadelphia last October, which was I think the first place they ever moshed (with real old school looking punks with Mohawks and all!! (being 51, I stay out of the moshing, not so much because I'm afraid of getting hurt as 1) I don't wanna hear what my wife would (rightly) say if I came home with a black eye and 2) I don't want some kid half my age or less to feel bad because they accidentally punched me)):
Ok but then want to go back further, in order, but first I have to sidetrack waay back, because I came across this last night, and speaking of moshing...:
So I wasn't always afraid of the pit. This was 1993 and I was (newly) 20. This show's a tiny bit famous or infamous in Rochester because the floor collapsed ( https://exploringupstate.com/this-day-in-history/1993-10-21/ ), and I was there in the center of it. The way I remember, it was the opening act, Shootyz Groove, and everybody was just pogoing up and down like mad. I stage dived, (maybe for my first time ever?) and when I got set down, I started wondering why i suddenly felt so short. Then I started seeing light from the basement coming up through cracks between floorboards...
So there was this giant like concave bowl right in the middle of the floor. They stopped the music, and backed us all back, and so those of us close enough were just standing looking at each other across this bowl... And they started the show back up...
I swear I remember being the first... so I was looking into this bowl, and I thought "that looks fun" and so I ran down into the pit, and up the other side, and soon loads of us were doing that, and crashing into each other in the center besides, and so they stopped the show...
Hey greg, thanks! You're in London if I remember right? Anyway I actually have a couple of London shows I wanna mention at some point too...
We are about 50 miles or so north of London, Lowlife is from London itself. I suppose in US terms we are quite close to London. It is about 50 minutes by train for us
Comments
Just back from 10 days in Prague. One evening we stumbled across Agharta, a little jazz club, literally underground just off the old city square. Very cosy venue, max occupancy about 50, basically a cellar with chairs and small tables. We saw a good set by the Michal Gera Band (the pic above is mine; there's a youtube video below of them playing the same venue in 2019). All four played well and the intimacy of the setting made for a great evening.
First time I have ever seen 10 guitarists up on stage playing together!
After a slow start they really hit their straps for what was a great night.
Julian Lage Trio (with Jorge Roeder and Joey Baron) in Grand Rapids, MI. Spectacular show musically, just wonderful to listen to. The only challenge I found was that it was oddly tiring to follow because all three of the trio were doing such interesting things I wanted to focus specifically on each of them and it was a lot to take in. But spectacular music.
Then Kraftwerk in Chicago. Also spectacular in a different way. Old material and not the original lineup and old visuals...but first time I've seen them live and it more than lived up to expectations. Took my daughter, who is of quite a different listening generation and she was impressed too. Expensive, but worth it.
The setup was sparse, just her on the piano (or electrical guitar for a few songs) and it didn't always work. But when it did, it was "The Magic" (which she also played).
The light show certainly took me back in time!
By my judgement, @djh and @rostasi you can be reassured that Tangerine Dream are back on track and close to their best.
The things I saw were:
Friday August 1, Psychic Garden: 1. Grilth, 2. Throne, 3. Burial Oath (only I missed the opener, Manic Wound, which has the guy who is the drummer for Quit, and is in loads of other local things besides, which made me sad)
Saturday, August 2, SPAC, 4. Waylon Payne, 5. Lucinda Williams, 6. Wilco, 7. Bob Dylan, 8. Willie Nelson,
Sunday, August 3, Carbon Fest at Bug Jar, (Chad Oliveiri DJ) 9. Asthmatique, (Rochester) 10. Marc Faris (Ithaca), 11. Ron Common’s Peaceful Party (Cleveland), 12. Mountain Movers (New Haven, Connecticut), 13. Bitter Wish, (Philadelphia)
Tuesday August 5, Cobbs Hill Park: 14. The Dipper Stove, (Rochester) ( got there a little late, but it still counts), 15. Only Vernal Pools (Rochester) (L introduced herself and got info to book them for a show maybe)
Thursday, August
Thursday, August 7, Strangebird 16. Autumn in Halifax, (Rochester) 17. Attic Abasement, (Rochester), 18. Liam Grant (Boston)
Friday, August 8, Radio Social (Heather Anderson and Ethan Swann, DJs (and they were both in Candy Blame) 19. Werts/Farren (Rochester), 20. Candy Blame, (Rochester), 21. Emily Robb (Philadelphia), 22. Slyne & The Family Stoned (New London, Connecticut), 23. Liam Grant and the Suncook Symphony (Boston w/ Rochester guests)
Saturday, August 8; Radio Social, (John Schoen, DJ,) (he’s the guy from Needledrop Records, and he was in Candy Blame and guested with Suncook Symphony!) 24. Veeder+Tunis , (Rochester), 25. Century Plants (Albany) (with Joe Tunis drums, bassist from Heavenly Bodies and Emily Robb all guesting), 26. Willie Lane (Athol, MA) (feat bassist Rob Thomas from Sunburned Hand of the Man and Stella Kola), 27. Shirese (New Haven, Connecticut), 28. Heavenly Bodies, (Philadelphia).
…
(but total apologies if I'm mixing that up; I thought I remembered somebody being from in or near London...)
So I wasn't always afraid of the pit. This was 1993 and I was (newly) 20. This show's a tiny bit famous or infamous in Rochester because the floor collapsed ( https://exploringupstate.com/this-day-in-history/1993-10-21/ ), and I was there in the center of it. The way I remember, it was the opening act, Shootyz Groove, and everybody was just pogoing up and down like mad. I stage dived, (maybe for my first time ever?) and when I got set down, I started wondering why i suddenly felt so short. Then I started seeing light from the basement coming up through cracks between floorboards...
So there was this giant like concave bowl right in the middle of the floor. They stopped the music, and backed us all back, and so those of us close enough were just standing looking at each other across this bowl... And they started the show back up...
I swear I remember being the first... so I was looking into this bowl, and I thought "that looks fun" and so I ran down into the pit, and up the other side, and soon loads of us were doing that, and crashing into each other in the center besides, and so they stopped the show...