Show Reviews

Derek Trucks/Susan Tedeschi, Kenny Wayne Shepherd: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA 4/30-5/1/10

If you have never seen Derek Trucks live, then you have no clue what is about to hit you. All innocent of face and with such a laid back stage persona that he would be invisible if it wasn’t for the spotlight beaming down upon him, Derek was sweating out a batch of new souled-out blues that kept you out of your seat and on your feet swaying for the entire set.

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Corinne Bailey Rae: Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA 5/1/10

Just waiting to absorb Corinne Bailey Rae’s presence in the moments leading up to her sold out show in Philly felt magnificently eternal.  Once Corinne, dressed in a hip black jumpsuit wearing ballerina slippers, accompanied her awesome five-piece band on stage, the audience erupted in excitement.  It was great to see her smiling ear to ear as she slung her electric guitar around her neck, pushing back her hair and diving into the opening chords to her ever moving song “Are You Here.”  Beginning without the accompaniment of her band, you could feel the emotion in the opening lyrics to the song, “He’s a real live wire/ He’s the best of his kind/ Wait till you see those eyes.” 

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Widespread Panic: Walnut Creek Ampitheater, Raleigh, NC 4/24/10

Widespread Panic have ruled the roost at Raleigh’s Walnut Creek Amphitheater for almost two decades, and the addition of Jimmy Herring’s guitar work has given the veteran band a much-needed shot of adrenaline for the last couple of years. But judging from the attendance at the band’s traditional late April shows in Raleigh, interest in WSP is on the wane. Whether the culprit is sluggish concert ticket sales as a whole or dwindling interest in the band, the reality of the situation was sobering. WSP isn’t quite the power it used to be.

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Graham Parker: Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 4/24/10

Perhaps only a fan who truly appreciates Graham Parker as much for his non-conformist attitude as his aptitude with a pop tune might find the unconventional approach of his April 24th Vermont show satisfying. In a sojourn through his independent discography of the 80's and 90's, the transplanted Brit spent most of his 90 minutes on stage picking and choosing tunes like "Bean Counter," from Acid Bubblegum, and offering a handful of culls from his newly released Imaginary Television (the source of the sole stage production in the form of a small TV on a barstool center stage).

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Dr. Dog: The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI 4/15/10

With their latest album Shame, Shame, Dr. Dog take a step into themselves as we receive the voice of modern working class psychedelia. With every album, it’s not so much the cliché that they are moving forward as they are exploring different aspects of the music they create: lo-fi records, hi-fi records, indie, pop, psychedelic.

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Simon & Garfunkel: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 4/24/10

Jazz Fest in New Orleans draws thousands upon thousands of music worshipers every year. The food, the music and the atmosphere are an aphrodisiac of mythological proportions. And on this first Saturday of the two weekend event, the crowd standing in ankle deep mud and loving every minute of it, were treated to a rare performance by the legendary Simon & Garfunkel.

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Yeasayer : Rhythm Room, Phoenix, AZ 4/15/10

Yeasayer’s set was short – just over an hour and combined songs from 2007’s debut release –All Hour Cymbals  to most of Odd Blood.  Both albums are diverse in sound and appeal, but newer compositions “Madder Red” and “O.N.E.” were quite nasty, most notably the later which got the small room shaking.  Yeasayer has been sweating it out harder than former tour mates MGMT, and aren’t hailed as genius as Animal Collective but as evidenced by their no bullshit live shows and determination to reinvent pop and experimentalism,  Yeasayer's going to be around awhile.

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Paul McCartney: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ 3/28/10

The former Beatle, costly divorce and all, doesn’t need the touring money  but at 67, he still thrives on performing, breaking  a shimmy dance in between songs and whipping out Austin Powers charm though out the night.  Undeniably Arizona holds some value for McCartney, with Tucson being name dropped in “Get Back” and the city being the home of a family  ranch owned by first wife Linda, the very same place where she passed away in 1998.   Although no reference was made to Linda, there were separate references made to John, George and Ringo, giving his audience a little invite into some stories of rock and roll lore.

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