Friday, April 10, 2009
SONGWRITER TRIBUTE TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN at Cactus Cafe 4-6-09
The night after the Springsteen concert in Austin, Southpaw Jones put on his 2nd annual(ish) free show. It is a benefit for the Capital Area Food Bank. He invites local singer/songwriters to play Bruce's music.
I got to hear many musicians I hadn't heard before, including Southpaw. Coming the day after the concert, this was a lot of fun (other than being very tired!).
I enjoyed everybody but there were 3 which stood out for me.
First was Southpaw's version of Two Hearts. He slowed it done and really sang it like the love song it is.
Second, Matt the Electrician did a cool Born in the USA, accompanied by Scrappy Jud Newcomb. Matt used a cajon drum and played it, style wise, somewhat similar to the version Bruce does on the Tracks record.
Third, and a stunner, was Jess Klein singing Highway 29. I could kick myself for not videoing this. She had Scrappy accompany her on guitar while she sat on a stool and sang this song better than Bruce does it. I'm not kidding you. She really made this one her own. Everybody in the place was totally mesmerized. If I ever see her again (and I definitely plan to) and Scrappy is with her, I'll surely request it.
I got to hear many musicians I hadn't heard before, including Southpaw. Coming the day after the concert, this was a lot of fun (other than being very tired!).
I enjoyed everybody but there were 3 which stood out for me.
First was Southpaw's version of Two Hearts. He slowed it done and really sang it like the love song it is.
Second, Matt the Electrician did a cool Born in the USA, accompanied by Scrappy Jud Newcomb. Matt used a cajon drum and played it, style wise, somewhat similar to the version Bruce does on the Tracks record.
Third, and a stunner, was Jess Klein singing Highway 29. I could kick myself for not videoing this. She had Scrappy accompany her on guitar while she sat on a stool and sang this song better than Bruce does it. I'm not kidding you. She really made this one her own. Everybody in the place was totally mesmerized. If I ever see her again (and I definitely plan to) and Scrappy is with her, I'll surely request it.
Monday, April 6, 2009
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN And The E STREET BAND at Frank Erwin Center 4-5-09
Holy cow, where to start? Still buzzed from that great dose of BruceJuice last night!
I'll start with the facts. They hit the stage at 8:20pm. Played non-stop until 10:25pm. Encore went from 10:25pm until 11:15pm. That is 2 hours and 55 minutes total, 28 songs! Mercy!
It was loud. How loud? I was a little scared once the music stopped and I could feel my ears. They hurt and I couldn't hear very well. Everything sounded muddy. That loud.
Our seats - killer! Along the sideline, probably 40 feet from the stage, great sight line, 9 rows off the floor and on an end aisle. Everyone around us - fantastic! Totally into the show and having a great time.
We got several premieres (granted, it's early in the tour, 3rd show) but they were terrific: Prove It All Night, Youngstown, Sherry Darling, She's The One, Jungleland, I'm A Rocker and Glory Days.
This tour, which is in support of Working On A Dream, Bruce has a definite theme he's getting across. Due to the troubled times, every night he's been playing Badlands, Seeds, Johnny 99 and Hard Times. Throw in the other stuff like Youngstown or Ghost of Tom Joad and you get the idea. But he always brings the hope with him too: Promised Land, Land of Hope and Dreams and American Land.
And of course, the fun stuff! The all out rockers! Out In The Street, She's The One, I'm A Rocker, 10th Avenue Freeze-out and Born To Run.
The show was fast paced. No time between songs, just boom, boom, boom. Bruce put on his usual over the top, hardest working rocker in the world show. It was a blast from beginning to end. I have a bruise on my inside palm from clapping so hard. That's a first for me.
There were a couple of awesome guitar solos from Nils on Because The Night and Youngstown.
They've added a couple of background singers for this tour and they add much, especially on Hard Times. They are stand out, front and center on that song.
Badlands into Outlaw Pete is epic! Seeds sounds better than ever.
The guttural screams on Jungleland still bring chills.
My only complaint is I wish there was more from the new record being played. 5 songs wasn't enough.
I did get some pretty darn good videos if I do say so myself:
Working On The Highway (in it's entirety)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POivKW4mc9c&feature=channel_page
Sherry Darling (most of it-security shut me down with about a minute left in the song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0lCBVUQguk&feature=channel_page
Born To Run (two videos - first one is the beginning of the song, I had too much light so I shut it down and changed the settings - second video is the rest of the song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vxtUd6IEGM&feature=channel_page
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdVs_h3pI6M&feature=channel_page
Glory Days (complete song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ekcvh7QUt8
2 days to rest up and then on to Houston!
I'll start with the facts. They hit the stage at 8:20pm. Played non-stop until 10:25pm. Encore went from 10:25pm until 11:15pm. That is 2 hours and 55 minutes total, 28 songs! Mercy!
It was loud. How loud? I was a little scared once the music stopped and I could feel my ears. They hurt and I couldn't hear very well. Everything sounded muddy. That loud.
Our seats - killer! Along the sideline, probably 40 feet from the stage, great sight line, 9 rows off the floor and on an end aisle. Everyone around us - fantastic! Totally into the show and having a great time.
We got several premieres (granted, it's early in the tour, 3rd show) but they were terrific: Prove It All Night, Youngstown, Sherry Darling, She's The One, Jungleland, I'm A Rocker and Glory Days.
This tour, which is in support of Working On A Dream, Bruce has a definite theme he's getting across. Due to the troubled times, every night he's been playing Badlands, Seeds, Johnny 99 and Hard Times. Throw in the other stuff like Youngstown or Ghost of Tom Joad and you get the idea. But he always brings the hope with him too: Promised Land, Land of Hope and Dreams and American Land.
And of course, the fun stuff! The all out rockers! Out In The Street, She's The One, I'm A Rocker, 10th Avenue Freeze-out and Born To Run.
The show was fast paced. No time between songs, just boom, boom, boom. Bruce put on his usual over the top, hardest working rocker in the world show. It was a blast from beginning to end. I have a bruise on my inside palm from clapping so hard. That's a first for me.
There were a couple of awesome guitar solos from Nils on Because The Night and Youngstown.
They've added a couple of background singers for this tour and they add much, especially on Hard Times. They are stand out, front and center on that song.
Badlands into Outlaw Pete is epic! Seeds sounds better than ever.
The guttural screams on Jungleland still bring chills.
My only complaint is I wish there was more from the new record being played. 5 songs wasn't enough.
I did get some pretty darn good videos if I do say so myself:
Working On The Highway (in it's entirety)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POivKW4mc9c&feature=channel_page
Sherry Darling (most of it-security shut me down with about a minute left in the song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0lCBVUQguk&feature=channel_page
Born To Run (two videos - first one is the beginning of the song, I had too much light so I shut it down and changed the settings - second video is the rest of the song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vxtUd6IEGM&feature=channel_page
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdVs_h3pI6M&feature=channel_page
Glory Days (complete song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ekcvh7QUt8
2 days to rest up and then on to Houston!
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