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All Purpose Concert Thread

ScarletKnight41 Jul 09 2005 10:21 AM

This isn't the kind of concert we typically discuss, but we had a lot of fun at this one last night at the Mann Center in Philly - Friday, July 8 at 8 PM THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA Star Wars and Other Movie Favorites Music from Star Wars, Harry Potter, and other favorite movies DAVID AMADO, conductor Program includes: HERRMANN Psycho, a suite for strings DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice RAVEL Bolero WILLIAMS “The Raiders’ March,” from Raiders of the Lost Ark “Adventures on Earth,” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Suite from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Main Theme from Star Wars We had lawn seats, which was cause for concern after the day of rain, so we figured that we'd have to pay to upgrade to seats when we got there. But as it was the skies cleared, D-Dad brought along one of his tarps, and the Diamond Knight family enjoyed an evening of music under the stars. It was also nice to see that even with lawn tickets, that there were some seats available for those who just don't enjoy sitting on the grass. The concert started out with the Theme from The Magnificent Seven, and the entire program was a crowd pleaser. (BTW, we weren't exempted from the suckitude on the diamond. Between the Sidekick and D-Dad's portable radio, we kept up with the events in Pittsburgh. Ugh!)

sharpie Jul 21 2005 12:02 PM

Been to see 4 shows this summer. In order: Rickie Lee Jones at Celebrate Brooklyn. Never paid a whole lot of attention to her, only knew "Chuck E.'s in Love." Mrs. Sharpie had that first album but that's all she knew. She came away a huge fan. I thought she was fun and kind of quirky and liked it better when she moved from piano to guitar. Kind of a ragged show, seemed maybe underrehearsed. She covered Jumpin' Jack Flash and Sunshine Superman. Jonathan Richman at North Six. Scored seats which turned out to be a godsend as he came on over an hour late. He plays with just himself and a drummer. He announced early on that he would take a break in the middle because he insists that air conditioning be turned off (it was beastly hot outside) because they play quietly. By the time the break came it was unbearably hot but to the club's credit they cranked on the a/c and got it back to merely hot by the time he came back. I'd never seen him before and he did only 2 songs I recognized (Pablo Picasso and I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar) and roughly one-third of the songs were in Italian. In any event, he's quite winning and we had a great time. David Byrne at Central Park Summerstage. He was fine, he played with the Tosca Strings. I'd seen him the year before, similar show. Pink Martini, a faux hotel band from Portland opened. They were ok but they had some serious fans in the audience. Byrnce played for about an hour and change and then brought out a 10-piece gospel brass ensemble. We thought, ok they're going to play with him. Instead, the band left the stage. So, we think ok they'll play for a while and then DB will come back. But he never did! Those guys closed the show. They were fine, but not what anyone had come to see. Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris at Summerstage. The best of the lot. I'd seen Elvis back in April and even taking away the Emmylou Harris part of the show (about half) he did many different numbers. Larry Campbell, formerly of Bob Dylan's band also joined EC, Emmylou and the Imposters. With Emmylou Harris they did a lot of country songs, some of her songs, some of EC's country songs, Wild Horses, Love Hurts, Pancho and Lefty and When I Paint My Masterpiece. She sang backup on (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love, and Understanding. A great show.

Edgy DC Jul 21 2005 12:24 PM

I've seen Jonathan a dozen times. He's worth repeat viewing because he's so damned heart-on-his-sleeve that you could get anything. Did he do "Velvet Underground"? You'd know it if you heard it.

sharpie Jul 21 2005 12:26 PM

I know the song and no he didn't do it.

Johnny Dickshot Sep 10 2005 10:42 AM

OK. Queen, with Paul Rodgers playing the part of Freddie Mercury, is touring the world with stops scheduled this fall in 2 US cities: The Meadowlands arena and Hollywood Bowl. A check on ticketmaster shows that 2 tix to the Meadowlands show (Oct. 16) will cost about 200 buxx all told. That's way too much, isn't it? Or isn't it?

Edgy DC Sep 10 2005 12:02 PM

Unless they're giving $150 of that $200 to alleviate suffereng from AIDS or something, it is. Or maybe you're a big "Radioactive" fan. John Deacon, who gave Queen the Bootsy funk, won't be involved either.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 10 2005 04:07 PM

I've never seen Bruce Springsteen in concert. I grew up on Long Island - I'm more of a Billy Joel kind of girl (Kase - stop smirking!). But I've heard that he puts on good shows, and in the back of my mind I always thought I should try to see him live once. So the other day I get an e-mail that he's playing a show in Trenton - the final show of his fall acoustic tour. Trenton's close - drivable in fact (and my driving range is notoriously limited). But the tickets were going on sale at 9:00 today, and I had to be in temple for the beginning of my son's Bar Mitzvah preparation. So I figured that, once again, I'd have to wait for my chance to see Springsteen. But I came home to an e-mail that the arena has "added a second show" (don't you love that? They sell out the date that figures to be less popular and then magically "add" another show!). Not only did I get tickets, but from the look of the seating chart I'm actually going to be fairly close to the stage. It should be a fun time!

sharpie Sep 11 2005 10:42 PM

A friend of mine saw the acoustic show on the West Coast (he's seen Bruce maybe 25 times) and thought it was one of the best shows he'd seen. Enjoy.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 11 2005 10:50 PM

Good to hear. Thanks :)

Johnny Dickshot Sep 12 2005 12:08 AM

I read where they play Freedie singing via videoscreen as they accompany him live on "Rhapsody."

sharpie Sep 12 2005 08:42 AM

I'm going to have to come down against the Queen ticket purchase. Same with the Doors with the replacement Jim Morrison. Or the Big Brother & the Holding Company that continued after Janis was gone. Certain band members shouldn't be replaced.

Edgy DC Sep 12 2005 08:48 AM

Ian Asterbury in the Doors beats Paul Rogers in Queen. But Queen beats the Doors as an outfit. I turned down $80 Springsteen tickets this year.

seawolf17 Sep 12 2005 09:04 AM

There are usually at least two irreplaceable band members in every band; one of those is usually the singer. I understand you want to make a quick buck, but it's really tainting the memory. Foo Fighters/Weezer/Hot Hot Heat would be a GREAT show to see this fall, but the closest they're coming to LI is at the Meadowlands. BOO Dave Grohl. Give me a Long Island show!

Edgy DC Sep 12 2005 09:13 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 12 2005 09:32 AM

It took me a while to read Dickshot's message correctly. Why would Bruce Springsteen pump in Freedy Johnston via video? I don't really begrudge Brian May trying to find a way to play the music without Freddie. I'm just not about buying it, particularly at those prices.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 12 2005 09:24 AM

Edgy DC wrote: I turned down $80 Springsteen tickets this year. I wasn't going to buy them when the tickets that came up were in Siberia. But I played around and tried again and got two tickets really close to the stage. That's when they became worth the price.

Edgy DC Sep 12 2005 09:34 AM

I had a same-day-as-the-show offer from a friend. She couldn't understand why it was so hard to move Springsteen tickets. 'Cuz I'm cheap, girl.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 12 2005 10:00 AM

Last month I turned down tickets to see John Mellencamp. The tickets were primo, but they were $175 apiece. Compared to that, $80 seems like a bargain.

sharpie Sep 12 2005 10:03 AM

]But Queen beats the Doors as an outfit. Think I'm going to have to go against you there. Close, though. Queen gets a Vegas revue, Doors get an Oliver Stone movie. Queen more important in England but I think the Doors more important over here. Had similar number of hits although Queen lasted a bit longer. Doors win because their first album is so good from beginning to end and Queen, for all their hits, were a singles band.

KC Sep 12 2005 10:06 AM

Got tickets to see Cream at the Garden late October. We were only willing to spring for the cheap seats upper level side stage and they were still $80 with shipping and charges.

Willets Point Sep 12 2005 10:14 AM

I'm going to agree with sharpie. The Doors debut album is one of the best of all time and they followed up with a batch of strong songs that make an excellent greatest hits package. Queen to me is three novelty songs played at baseball games ("Another one bites the dust," "We will rock you/We are the champions," and "Bohemian Rhapsody") and one really good duet with David Bowie. They both have that self-important thing going with Jim Morrison's moody misunderstood American poet pretense and Queen's every song is a bombastic, dramatic, over-the-top mini-opera.

Edgy DC Sep 12 2005 11:09 AM

Take away their freaky leaders, though, Queen still has three great musicians/good singers, while the Doors have some misunderstood college guys, all of whom played a little, all of whom wrote a little, but who merely stumbled into the right collection to capitalize on their weirdness. Queen - Mercury > The Call Doors - Morrison < The Call Therefore Queen - Mercury > Doors - Morrison

sharpie Sep 12 2005 11:28 AM

Again, disagree. Robbie Krieger, ok, he was a mediocre guitar player. Brian May wins. John Densmore was a really great and underrated drummer. Listen to his unorthodox and jazz-tinged drumming on LA Woman or The End. He ruled. Queen's drummer - ordinary. Ray Manzarek had that distinctive organ sound which, like it or no, didn't sound like anyone else. Hard to pit him against the Queen bassist but Manzarek was more of a leading figure than the Queen bassist was. The Doors put out two post-Morrison albums (as a trio). The first one ("Other Voices") wasn't too bad. The next one was godawful. Neither band should play without Morrison or Mercury.

Edgy DC Sep 12 2005 11:37 AM

I don't under-rate Densmore, I just think Roger Taylor is better than your typical big bad bombastic drummer and he sings operatic harmonies at the same time. Plus, he helped in the Madonna outing. That's good.

Johnny Dickshot Sep 12 2005 02:18 PM

This is a weird matchup but Queen takes the Doors down, hard, especially if the whole songs vs. albums question is examined in its proper perspective. It took me 15 years to realize this, but songs really are more important than albums, despite that load of bull FM radio sold me on for so long. That's not to say a strong album isn't a good thing to have, but I will no longer let that be a point in my argument if all else is equal. P.S.: The proper comparison was/is Manzarek vs. May in that both helped give their band their signature sound. However, Manzarek is one of the only organ players in rock n' roll, allowing him to stand out among a much smaller crowd while every r'n'r band on Earth has a guitar player, maybe 2, and NOBODY makes the same noise May can.

sharpie Sep 12 2005 02:44 PM

On album vs. song I've got to disagree with you. A great album should work as a whole better than the sum of its parts. The familiarity of a track-by-track progression of a great album is part of what makes the individual songs great. The CD era has watered this down since you have two fewer feature tracks: end of side one and beginning of side two but nonetheless great albums are what separates great bands from singles groups. Apart from albums vs. singles and judging on, say, 10 best Doors songs vs. 10 best Queen songs, I'd take the Doors. Plus, in terms of cultural resonance, I don't see people taking pilgrimages to Freddy Mercury's grave.

KC Sep 12 2005 03:00 PM

>>>Plus, in terms of cultural resonance, I don't see people taking pilgrimages to Freddy Mercury's grave.<<< Sharpie = definitely not gay.

metirish Sep 12 2005 03:05 PM

I'm a bigger Queen fan that a Doors fan, mostly because I was exposed more to Queen growing up....these guys look great..

ScarletKnight41 Sep 23 2005 11:46 AM

I just bought tickets to see Bonnie Raitt at the State Theater in November. Marc Broussard is opening for her. It should be a great show :)

Willets Point Oct 11 2005 02:41 PM

Saturday night saw a solo performance by Liam O'Maonlai, lead singer of the Irish rock band Hothouse Flowers. O'Maonlai (which is apparently pronounced O Mwanly) performed a mixed set of soulful, jazzy tunes similar to Hothouse Flowers standards as well as traditional Irish and aboriginal Australian music. He seems to be at home playing piano, guitar, pennywhistle or digerido. He also played the most mournful rendition of "Lakes of Ponchartrain" I've ever heard. I only have one Hothouse Flowers album and don't know much about the band or O'Maonlai but I have to I was impressed. He's one soulful, hairy Irish dude. (Now Edgy will reply about his friendship with O'Maonlai and how they wrote a song together). :)

Edgy DC Oct 11 2005 03:03 PM

Duan is much more likely to be friends with O'Maonlai. Hothouse Flowers is an enigma (checking in at Number Six on the Edgy Celtic Rock 'n' Soul from the Eighties chart, if I correctly recall). What I guess was their debut album made them briefly the biggest band in Europe, headlining soccer stadia, and their next album was shipped gold in huge quantities bracing evuhbody for a huge stateside breakthrough. The lead single from that followup was a slow cover of "I Can See Clearly." America gave a collective "next," the record hit the remainder bins hard six months later, and their status shrunk in Europe as well. Coulda been huge with a different single at the right time, I guess. Their sax player was named Peter O'Toole.

Willets Point Oct 11 2005 03:07 PM

I got the impression from one of O'Maonlai's between song stories that commercial success is less important than artistic integrity to Hothouse Flowers and thus not "making it big" really didn't matter to them.

Edgy DC Oct 11 2005 03:16 PM

And so would all bandleaders (though most would be lying). No doubt commercial success isn't O'Maonlai's aim, but the world be poorer for the resultant lack of general access to Hothouse Flowers.

metirish Oct 11 2005 03:21 PM

They had plenty of success though they like many other groups didn't crack the American market, some groups beat themselves up over that, others like the Flowers and The Frames have accepted that they probably won't ever break into this market. IIRC the Flowers were the intermission entertainment during the EuroVision Song Contest in 1988, they had some great years afetr that and I saw them a few years at Feile in Tipperary.

Edgy DC Oct 11 2005 03:53 PM

REM plays chicken dance.

Willets Point Oct 11 2005 04:09 PM

Damn. That's even better than when the Rolling Stones played a small bar in New Haven.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 17 2005 07:20 AM

Last night D-Dad and I saw Jason Mraz play Avery Fisher Hall. Mraz is one of the few adult alternative audiences who can really fill up a hall of that caliber with his voice, which he did a few times (although most of the concert was a full band show). He's also a rarity in this day and age - an artist who sounds better live than in the studio - many of the songs I didn't like on Mr. A-Z sound much, much better in person. It was also amusing showing up at Lincoln Center, with the ushers in tuxedos, and seeing the jeans-clad crowd <g> Good times!

metirish Oct 18 2005 03:11 PM

Queen rocked the Medowlands last night... ]IT was a confusing night for hard-core Queen fans, who didn't know whether to seethe or celebrate at the Meadowlands arena. Their anger that the beloved, late Freddie Mercury had been replaced by former Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers was soothed by the fact that Rodgers, one of the great rock voices, was pretty good, and his being there meant the band was playing their first live American gig in 23 years. In the end, nostalgia won out — and fans cheered Sunday's concert, the first of a two-show U.S. engagement that concludes Saturday at the Hollywood Bowl. Rodgers isn't Mercury, unfortunately, but thankfully he doesn't try to channel his ghost, either. Complete appreciation of his show required a love of the songs that transcended the original performances. Where Mercury was a total natural, singing Queen songs as easily as he breathed, there's a stiffness in Rodgers' delivery, even though technically he's a very accomplished frontman. It's the difference between riffing and reading music. Considering how devoted fans still are to Mercury, 14 years after his death from AIDS-related complications, this show was a huge risk for Rodgers. Between bow and curtain he took a few knocks, but eventually won the house. Early in the show, during a five-song greatest-hits barrage that concluded with "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," Rodgers looked like he couldn't be coiled tighter. The stress was so oppressive he didn't strut the stage as much as march. His singing had a clipped hard edge rather than a flow, and he seemed to wince when the audience cheered out "ready Freddie" responding to the lyric "are you ready, for a crazy little thing called love?" Rodgers soldiered on, and soon found solid footing when he delivered a pair of his own songs — "Bad Company" and "Feel Like Makin' Love." He gained confidence after hearing the cheers were as strong for those classic-rock pillars as for the Queen tunes. By the time Rodgers dueted with a video of Mercury performing "Bohemian Rhapsody," the quintessential Queen song, he had found major acceptance by the Jersey-side audience. Original Queen kingpins Brian May, on guitar, and Roger Taylor, on drums, each had terrific vocal solos. Taylor's ballad "Say It's Not True" about AIDS-affected Africa was lovely, and May was quite good on " '39" and Mercury's signature ballad "Love of My Life." As for the instrumental solos, Taylor's tribute to jazz drummer Gene Krupa called "Let There Be Gene" was surprisingly easier on the ear than May's extended guitar solo that segued into "Last Horizon." May's noodling made yawns contagious. As the concert progressed it was easier to listen to the music with a Freddie-free mind. That was especially apparent when the band laid into "Radio Ga Ga" where the entire house was on its feet, singing the chorus along with Rodgers and Taylor as well as providing the one/two/one clapping rhythm. After a shaky start, the combination of Paul Rodgers and Queen lived up to the old Queen promise and boast songs — "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions."

sharpie Oct 18 2005 03:21 PM

NYTimes were less enthusiastic: EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 16 - They came armed with $10 commemorative coins. They came armed with $40 souvenir drumsticks. They came armed with $250 tour jackets. (Maybe it's time for a new law: During rock concerts, each A.T.M. machine shall be connected to a Breathalyzer.) And they came armed, too, with a new lead singer. Have you always wanted to hear the "Feel Like Making Love" guy try to sing the greatest hits of Queen? Actually, don't bother answering. It's happening, regardless. On Sunday night the Continental Airlines Arena was packed for the first American performance of the hybrid group billed as Queen + Paul Rodgers. Fourteen years after the death of its gloriously weird lead singer, Freddie Mercury, the group - which is to say, the brand - has returned in two different versions. If you want Queen, the rock opera, you can go to Le Théâtre des Arts, in that quaint French village known as Paris Las Vegas, home to the Queen-themed musical, "We Will Rock You." And if you want Queen, the band, you can go to the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, for the second American performance by Queen + Paul Rodgers. This concert emphasized the bluesy bluster that was always part - but only part - of Queen's appeal. "Killer Queen" was notably missing, and for "Bohemian Rhapsody," Mr. Rodgers wisely let Mercury's recorded voice sing the most operatic bits. The band chugged and sometimes plodded through one rock sing-along after another (though there's something sublime about hearing thousands of people sing "Radio Ga Ga"), led by a singer who loves to underscore the biggest lines by rephrasing them. Not content to promise, "We will rock you," Mr. Rodgers also warned listeners, "You can't stop the rock." While fans waited for "We Are the Champions" (it came last), they also got to hear a few hits from Mr. Rodgers's old bands Free ("All Right Now") and Bad Company. He even sang Bad Company's "Bad Company," though he declined to follow it with Queen's "Good Company." With his leather pants and white tank top and short hair, he bore a passing resemblance to Danny Bonaduce, only a little bit less muscular and a lot less sociopathic. (Although until Mr. Rodgers gets his own reality show, how can we know for sure?) Mercury was many things but rarely if ever dull; in this way, at least, Mr. Rodgers sometimes outdid his predecessor. And some of the best singing came from the musicians. Roger Taylor, the drummer, took the microphone for a fragile version of "These Are the Days of Our Lives." And before he sang "Love of My Life," the guitarist Brian May said, "The man who should be singing this song is not here." Presumably he wasn't talking about Mr. Rodgers. Needless to say, this was a profoundly silly and sometimes foolhardy night, though the band members seemed moved by the crowd's enthusiasm. "I think this is a momentous occasion," Mr. May said. Really? A momentous occasion? Did he mean that? Or was he just reiterating his band's deep and abiding and sometimes charming belief that there is no other kind?

metirish Oct 18 2005 03:58 PM

What they played.... "Reaching Out" "Tie Your Mother Down" "Fat Bottemed Girls" "Another Bites the Dust" "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "Bad Company" "Say It's Not True" "39" "Love Of My Life" "Hammer to Fall" "Fell Like Makin Love" "Let There Be Gene" (drum solo) "I'm in Love With My Car"(gutair solo)/"Last Horizon" "These Are the Days of Our Lives" "Radio Ga Ga" "Can't Get Enough" "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" "I want It All" "Bohemian Rhapsody" ENCORE "The Show Must Go On" "All Right nOW" "We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions"

Willets Point Oct 18 2005 04:00 PM

I've got a Tracy Grammer concert I'm overdue for reviewing. Of course, gf212121212121 would be the only one interested in reading it.

seawolf17 Oct 18 2005 04:05 PM

Post it, Willets! We all loved him in Frasier. Was Eddie the dog there? Peanut is a big fan. (In case anyone thinks I'm serious... I'm not. I know who Kelsey Grammer is.)

Edgy DC Oct 18 2005 04:15 PM

I guess we now know who sings "39." I'm as bored out by extended guitar solos as anybody, but I never thought I read about one of May's being so described as boring. I have to say, there's almost nothing from Paul Rogers' back catalog that doesn't make me yawn.

Johnny Dickshot Oct 18 2005 04:23 PM

It's time like this you wish 200 buxx saved was truly 200 buxx earned.

OlerudOwned Oct 22 2005 06:19 PM

The Melvins are playing Webster Hall tomorrow, but I cant go. Damn. Hair like Buzz Osborne's needs to be experienced live.

Giant Squidlike Creature Dec 08 2005 02:31 PM

Bump.

Johnny Dickshot Dec 20 2005 10:52 AM

We saw the jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut with his trio + special guests do a holiday music show the other night. I'm definitely not up enough to know who the guy was, turned out he's a big jolly rotund guy who explained he became interested in jazz as a result of hearing Vince Guaraldi tunes in the Charlie Brown Chrsitmas special as a kid. So he played a real spirited "Linus & Lucy" plus interpretations of a dozen other holiday songs, real nice show. Dynamite piano player. [url]http://www.cyruschestnut.com/[/url]

Willets Point Dec 20 2005 03:25 PM

This could also go in the Member Promotion forum, but I'll post it here. This weekend I participated in the Advent-Christmastide Concert at my church. This is the first time I've ever sung in a choral group and it was a great experience. I learned a lot, met some great people, and had a lot of fun. I'll definitely do it again. It also gave me a greater appreciation for the performers of concerts I attend. We sang some classical pieces such as Vivaldi's "Magnificat" and Charpentier's "Kyrie," classic Christmas carols like "O Come Emmanuel" and "O Come All Ye Faithful" and some international folk songs such as "Natafurahi Sika Ya Leo" from Kenya and "En El Portal En Belen" from Puerto Rico. We sold out both shows and it was professionally recorded so I'll get to hear my performing debut once the CD is available.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 06 2006 10:06 PM

I saw the Melvins a bunch of years ago and they rocked me real good until the end of their set. It was basically a crescendo of noise, culminating in a 15 or so minute bath of feedback that made me feel like my eardrums had actually burst and I was bleeding profusely both internally and externally, and certainly to the death. People jumped and danced around as the drummer continued to beat the skins as the feedback continued to squeal, but you can't dance to feedback, man, and I didn't. Last time I saw (or heard) the Melvins. Jeff Tweedy's doing a solo tour and I got tickets to his show in LA in February. Wilco's drummer Glenn Kotche has a side-project and he's the opener. I snagged me some seats the minute they went on sale. A week or so later, they announced a second show the next night with Wilco's guitar player Nels Cline and his side project as the opener, and I panicked and got tickets for that show, too. The solo stuff from the "I'm Trying To Break Your Heart" DVD was bewitching, so I can't wait for these shows. Mark Kozelek from Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon is playing this month, too. Concert season is heating up... This next story was inspired by Willets posting of that jazz re-do CD that features the RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. I saw the Wu-Tang in concert, around the time I saw the Melvins, I guess, and it was memorable, fo' sho'. I shall call this tale "The Lord of the Blings". The Phunk Junkees or the Kottonmouth Kings or one of those was the opener and though the chronic in mass quantities generally offers the user a nice sedation, peeps were all riled up as the opener continued to play... and play... and play... because the Wu-Tang and the legion of dudes who comprise their posse, were late getting into town from whatever their last destination was. So the stoned-out-of-their-gourd fans started to reign boos down on the poor opener until they finally begrudgingly left the stage, leaving it vacant for a long, very, very, long time until the Wu-Tang wagon rolled into town. Wu members started to straggle onto the stage eventually... The RZA. Check. Chef Raekwon. Check. Is that Inspectah Deck? Yeah, it is. Check. Ghostface Killah! Check. U-God? U-know it, check. ODB (RIP)? ODB? No ODB?? Wha? Where's Meth? No Meth, either? And the GZA?! Who and what?! Hell, Mastah Killah didn't make it either, and I don't even know who the hell he is. Despite all the absences, it looked like there were still 400 people on stage. Big-ass, weed-smoking, 40-oz.-drinking entourage. So the RZA (razor sharp!) can immediately sense that the fans in attendance are not at all pleased by what they're seeing, so he apologizes for the missing members and says with sincerity in his voice that they'll pull of a great show, just the same. And with that they tear into some of the classics from "Enter the 36 Chambers" with the guys that made it filling in for the guys who didn't on their verses. And they were doing okay. The RZA was on point! So was the Chef. Ghostface sat in a corner propped up by one of his dudes, and looked comatose, but got through his rhymes when it was his turn. These guys are pulling it off! Then the RZA, really performing with a lot of enthusiasm and energy at this point, mistakenly lost a couple of these giant ass gold rings he would wear. These rings had large spikes on them and they looked like this: So the RZA, realizing he's lost his gold rings, immediately stops the show and announces that he's lost his sacred rings and he needs them back immediately and he pauses. The RZA, razor sharp as I mentioned, is applying peer pressure on the sold-out crowd. He knows that the holder of his sacred rings has told at least one person and that one person is geeked up to see them and is making a scene and shortly a circle of chaos will form like a fight on a school playground, and in a minute the sacred rings will be back on his fingers. He makes the announcement again, but this time adds, with a bit of impatience in his voice, that if he doesn't get his rings back, the show ends. No ring. No sing. (That was me, the RZA wouldn't say something gay like that). So some guy at that point does as the RZA thought he would, and holds the sacred rings up, acting every bit like the hero who found them instead of the guy who picked them up out of a sticky soda puddle and was going to walk out with them in the pocket of his JNCO's. The RZA pulls the ring-bearer on stage and stands him to his immediate left. The RZA then motions to one of the baked guys in his entourage, who joins the two of them center stage. The RZA makes another motion to the henchman who then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a giant wad of dolla', dolla', bills, y'all. The RZA then breaks off about five hunny (he's carrying Ben Franklin's only, right? Gotta be...) into Frodo's waiting hand, sends him back into the crowd, and proceeds to announce that the show is over anyway. The Wu-Tang walks off the stage. The fans boo (except for the guy with all the fresh lettuce), and the show ends. As bizarre and dysfunctional as that show was, from what I've heard and read, it was pretty much par-for-the-course when it came to the Wu-Tang Clan. Still love that 36 Chambers album. Cash rules everything around me Cream get the money Dolla, dolla, bill, y'all...

Edgy DC Jan 06 2006 11:23 PM

Wow. Wierder than my Jam Master Jay story, for sure.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 07 2006 01:44 PM

I don't remember that one.

sharpie Jan 17 2006 12:28 PM

Went to the NY Guitar Festival "Nebraska Project" Saturday night. They did the "Nebraska" album in order. Title song done by Michelle Shocked; the guy who wrote a bunch of Norah Jones songs did "Atlantic City"; the National did "Mansion on the Hill"; Chocolate Genius did "Johnny 99" (worst rendition of the evening); Martha Wainwright did "Highway Patrolman"; Dan Zaines and Vernon Reid did "State Trooper"; Kevin Kinney and Lenny Kaye did "Reason to Believe"; Mark Eitzel did "My Father's House" and there were a few more. Also, two songs recorded for that album but which ended up on the next album were done; "Born in the USA" sung by Jen Chapin to just a standup bass was probably my favorite number of the night (never liked Bruce's version, this was better); and "I'm On Fire" by some guy who I hadn't heard of but it was real good. Then Bruce came out for the encore, Woody Guthrie's "Oklahoma Hills" with basically everyone backing him up and trading verses with others. A great evening. And free.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 17 2006 12:33 PM

You shoulda pumped this beforehand; I mighta showed up too. Sounds kool.

sharpie Jan 17 2006 12:34 PM

It was in Friday's Times but I didn't think I would go. Then a friend of my son's called Saturday afternoon saying he and his dad were going and would get there real early to get seats. So I went.