A decidedly odd place to attend a concert, a mall in downtown Manhattan was the location for a three day David Bowie Berlin Trilogy free event and it was surprisingly really good. A nice crowd gathered for night one to hear Bowie’s Lodger album and the band did the music justice. I had forgotten how good the Lodger album was for me. Lodger was the follow up to the Heroes collection however,  as I recall, it did not break out nearly as big. The Lodger album’s biggest “hit” had the catchy “I am the DJ, I am what I play” and the album was adventurous but it did not reach the mass appeal Bowie would later enjoy with the wildly popular “Let’s Dance” phenomenon. The performance at the mall was a curiously interesting first evening of the Bowie/Eno Berlin collaborations in reverse order of their release. It is highly unlikely that I shall ever see the Lodger album played live again which made it an even more fascinating exercise to take in and enjoy.

Look Back in Anger

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GQ

At MSG

They suck

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GQ

Okay, maybe I overreacted during the decidedly not sold out Eagles concert at Madison Square Garden last night. The Eagles continue on without the late Glenn Frey and plug in his son Deacon Frey and country artist Vince Gill to attempt and replace their founding member. The band sounds pretty good during most of the two and a half hour show. Deacon Frey seems to be in the revamped lineup seemingly more to assuage any conscience Don Henley may have left during this latest money grab than Deacon’s lackluster musical prowess. Vince Gill has musical talent that complements some of what losing Glenn Frey brought to the table but he does not possess Glenn Frey’s history or pedigree. The mellower soft rock Eagles tunes were professionally and accurately played beneath huge screens and the crowd seemed pleased but it was the Joe Walsh solo tunes that rocked the house and the Hotel California selections are iconic.

Expensive tickets for shows like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John are nostalgic for many so the aging rockers tour on and fill their coffers. The true artists like Robert Plant and Neil Young scale down the venues and play their newer creations for true fans along for the musical journey. Classic rock stations are fine but have stifled creative artists who seek to grow and whose new albums are rarely heard except by those of us truly driven to find and hear it. 

Neil Young solo in Philadelphia at the Tower Theatre following two nights in Port Chester with Promise of the Real was amazing and yet another incredible chapter for the past and present king of rock and roll. Who will be the future of rock and Roll remains to be seen but they are somewhere on the road at a venue near you.

As far as the Eagles are concerned, Hell Freezes Over again and again until a higher priced “Farewell Tour” takes shape somewhere down the line.

Life in the Fast Lane

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GQ

I’ve never been the biggest Dire Strairs fan, and I will admit I attended last night’s Dire Strsits Legacy concert with some trepidation, but I found myself having a new found respect for the band and it’s musical “legacy”. Since much of the Legacy lineup are Dire Straits players, with former Buggle and Yes member Trevor Horn on the bass, the band primarily stuck with excellent renditions of the familiar Dire Straits classics while throwing in a new song that fit right in to the playlist. There was no Mark Knofler, and the vocals were sometimes buried in the mix, but I thouroghly enjoyed the  show that was  performed embarrassingly in the half round to a sparse house.

Trevor Horn sang lead on the Yes Classic “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, which he produced for the band, as the Legacy first encore.

Money for Nothing

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GQ

Neil Young’s remarkable return to the stage this year continued this week with the Promise of the Real at Farm Aid in Hartford and the Outlaw Music Festival in Saratoga Springs built to a crescendo with two incredible shows at the Capital Theatre in Port Chester. Two completely unique performances held over two days in front of Neil Young fanatics did not disappoint. Extraordinary does not begin to describe the band delving into Mr. Young’s catalogue with major nods  to the Tonight’s the Night album, the Harvest, Comes a Time And Harvest Moon “trilogy” and the Ragged Glory collection. The Capital Theatre is considered the east coast home base to all things Grateful Dead and Phil Lesh so it came as little surprise the jam band noodling between Love to Burn And Love And Only Love on night two, while a framed photo of Jerry Garcia watched from the side of the tiny Capital stage, seemed to be a grateful homage to the tie dye spirits in the landmark building.

Neil Young seems happy and focused as he continues these short bursts of performances and his rabid fans are happily along for the ride.

The next stop for Young his a two night solo stop on Philadelphia Sunday and Monday sans POTR.

Speakin’ Out

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GQ

It’s been quite a Neil Young  stretch with Farm Aid in Hartford on Saturday, the Outlaw Festival in Saratoga Dprings on Sunday and now two nights with Pronise of the Real at the Capital Theatre in Port Chester, New York. I’m sitting on the orchestra general admission floor about second row from the stage waiting for the band to start at about 8:30. Last night my wife and I nearly walked into Neil as he exited the rear of the theatre to get on his iconic bus hours before the show’s start. A seemingly happy Mr. Young signed done items for a couple of fans and refused photos with the hated cell phone cameras at the ready. A brawl broke out during Fuckin’ Up and Cinnamon Girl And Rockin’ in the Free World led into the encore Roll Anothrr Number. A great night of rock and roll. 

Like an Inca

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GQ

After a month working at the U.S. Tennis Open and a pleasant evening with Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band at Radio City on Thursday, David Byrne returns to Queens to perform at Forest Hills Stadium. The Talking Heads performed at Colden Auditorium at Queens College as the original four piece band to what was a not sold out house when I was in college. I also saw the Talking Heads at Radio City Music Hall where the band added layers and musicians throughout the concert. The last time I saw Mr. Byrne in concert was the Stop Making Sense tour at this same Forest Hills Stadium about 37 years ago. The weather is perfect and the stars are aligned for a great night under the stars.

Remain in Light

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GQ

Beautiful night at Jones Beach where R.E.O. Speedwagon just hit the stage.

Nats 25 (or 6) to Mets 4

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GQ

The first day of the three day Newport Folk Festival brought out Margo Price with guest appearances by John Prine and Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson, Charlie Musselwhote and Ben Harper, St. Vincent, Jason Isbell And rumors of Neil Young closing the Saturday night show tomorrow.

J.D. McPherson Band and a guest appearance by Shakey Graves were an early highlight so far .

No rain and hot as it should be; a very good opening day of the three day festival. 

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GQ

The Pixies are tearing it up on stage on a beautiful summer night at Jones Beach. I have never seen the band before tonight and it is clear why they are considered legendary indie rockers. The Pixies sound great, heavy and the band is right as hell. 

Last night I caught the second night of the Foo Fighters at Madison Square Garden. Dave Grohl and band are the current standard bearers of rock and roll. While U2 rely on stage effects and gimmicks these days, the Foo Fighters just relentlessly rock harder then anyone else in the world on tour at the moment and with a boisterous, adoring crowd dancing, singing, and screaming at the top of their lungs, FF had the Garden shaking and they damn near blew the lid off of the joint. The show was pretty similar to the one at Jones Beach on Saturday but they did throw in a little “You May Be Right” in honor of Billy Joel’s 100th Madison Square Garden headlining performance happening tonight. The Foo Fighters restore faith in the power of arena rock and roll and are the best act on the road south of 70.

Weezer up next.

Tomorrow Beck is ambitiously performing in the big arena at Madison Square Garden and next week it’s a family trip to the Newport Folk Festival (no rain, no rain, no rain).

I got two turntables and a microphone.

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GQ

The Foo Fighters take the stage tonight at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theatre on a steamy summer Saturday night where Dave Grohl will not have to work too hard to get a sweat working. The Foo  Fighters continue their tour this week with a couple of sold out solid dates at the recently vacated by Radiohead after four nights this week Madison Square Garden.

I went to see Radiohead at Madison Square Garden this past Tuesday where the crowd was totally into the show but the atmospheric music and crowded but low-key stage show left me flat. Then I took  a road trip to Boston to catch th last two shows of Neil Young’s six date 3018 solo tour at the beautiful Wang Theatre. 

I just saw Neil Young and the Promise of the Real a few weeks ago at the Arroyo Seco Festival in Pasadena. Mr. Young has been playing sporadic short stints with first Crazy Horse in California, warm up shows with the Promise of the Real for a couple of festival dates, and now a six show solo tour. With his guitars and banjo in a circle center stage and surrounded by three pianos, organ and Woody, Neil Young played what he felt like playing to mesmerized audiences. With the release of “Roxy”, the live Tonight’s the Night album, he broke out “Mellow My Mind” on the banjo and “Speakin’’ Out” and an extraforniary version of the title track on the original “Tonight’s the Night” piano that had been repainted tye-dye by his daughter while on a past tour. “Are You Ready for the Country” had a lyrically political twist and Neil played a variety of hits and more obscure tracks (as long as no one yelled out a request). Neil and the Real will play Farm Aid and Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Festival in Saratoga Springs in September. What will happen between now and then and beyond is anyone’s guess but be sure to check his tremendous Archives website regularly for any presale information.

Hey Hey My My

Rock and Roll Roll Will Never Die

At least while Neil Young and Dave Grohl are still around

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GQ