Concert Review: Don Henley with JD & The Straight Shot, Clearwater, FL

The headliner is who they all came to see, of course. In this case, it was Don Henley, fresh off his recent Kennedy Center Honors accolade as a founding member of The Eagles, touring in support of his most recent solo album Cass County. For over two hours on Tuesday night at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Henley crisscrossed the four decades and various signposts of his storied career, dusting off a few surprises along the way like a brass-enhanced “Shangri-La” (from 1989’s The End of the Innocence) and, late in the set, a timely cover of the 1985 Tears For Fears anthem “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” that roused the punters out of their plush theatre seats for the first time since he’d walked on stage. More often than not, though, Henley stuck to the fundamentals—the solo hits (“Dirty Laundry,” “New York Minute,” “The Boys of Summer”) and The Eagles classics (“One of These Nights,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Desperado”)—which he and his 15-piece band performed with veteran precision and vitality.

Openers JD & The Straight Shot served up something uniquely different and altogether dynamic, complementing the familiarity mostly inherent to Henley’s set with a batch of songs illuminating scenes of mortal sin and gospel salvation, conjuring malevolent spirits along with the feistiness of a gothic folk revival. Led by vocalist/guitarist Jim Dolan, guitarist Marc Copely, bassist Byron House, and violinist Erin Slaver (whilst featuring an assortment of other side men and women depending on what each song suggested), the group betrayed influences as earthy as The Band and Johnny Cash and as eclectic as Tom Waits and Lyle Lovett. Mr. Dolan’s gruff inflections added a storyteller’s authority to standout performances of “Perdition” and “Better Find a Church,” while Ms. Slaver’s lithesome touch on the strings showcased “Ballyhoo” in noirish focus. Previewing their as-yet-untitled forthcoming album, the group offered “I Know, You Know, I Know” as a snapshot of love and lust’s most clandestine impulses. By the end of their all-too-brief appearance, JD & The Straight Shot had worked their own brand of magic to charm an audience that was originally not their own.

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And We All Enjoyed the Weekend For A Change: Billy Joel is Magnificent in Sold Out Tampa Concert

Considering that the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Friday night was packed to capacity, having sold out even behind the end stage and in the furthest rows toward the rafters, Billy Joel could’ve played it safe by simply grinding out his greatest hits. He has enough of them to choose from, of course, but Joel instead delivered a two-hour set that was heavy on rare or rarely played material. 

Even still, Joel offered up plenty of perfunctory moments—from “New York State of Mind” to “My Life” to “Allentown” to “Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)”—but it was his inclusion of several deep cuts and lesser played hits that made this a concert to remember.

The 64-year-old legend set the tone early on, beginning with the back-to-back salvo of “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” and “Pressure,” the former an unexpected opener, the latter just plain unexpected. Lest there remained any doubt as to what kind of show this was shaping up to be, Joel’s next two songs, “Sleeping with the Television On” and “Vienna,” made it gloriously apparent. 

For a musician who hasn’t produced any new pop music in over two decades—his most recent such album was 1993’s River of Dreams—Joel sounded better than ever, his considerate and often soulful phrasings revealing new insights to his songcraft. Such was most notably the case when, as his crack eight-piece band stood in the shadows, Joel summoned a stunning solo version of “And So it Goes,” his rich vocal-and-piano interplay enriching the song’s melancholic mood.

After closing the main set with the night’s most anticipated yet nonetheless exhilarating sing-along in “Piano Man,” Joel returned for a raucous encore—“Big Shot,” “It's Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “You May Be Right,” “Only the Good Die Young”—properly capping off an all-around magnificent performance that not only defied expectations, but exceeded them as well.

All photos © Donald Gibson

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Whitehorse is Exhilarating in First Florida Performance

“Everything but the kitchen sink,” said Melissa McClelland midway through her and her husband Luke Doucet’s performance on Monday night at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall, denoting the cluster of guitars, keyboards, drums, percussion, pots, pans, and sampling gadgets with which they’d just made a glorious racket on “No Glamour in the Hammer,” one of the many standout tracks on The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss, their second and latest album as Whitehorse. 

In what was the duo’s first-ever live performance in the state of Florida, Whitehorse made the most out of being the opener for fellow Canadians, Barenaked Ladies, packing in 40 minutes of some of the most exhilarating, well-written rock ‘n’ roll this writer has encountered in far too long. Kicking off with “Devil’s Got a Gun,” McClelland and Doucet shifted instruments and even microphones (as they would continue to do throughout the set) at an almost perpetual clip, ultimately bringing the song to its climactic close with both artists banging the hell out of his and her own marching-tom drums in synchronized wallops. Just as thrilling, “Radiator Blues” followed, its throbbing, Bo Diddley beat seguing into a bit of Diddley’s own “Who Do You Love” for good measure. 

Both artists are remarkable talents in their own right, but McClelland proved especially superb throughout this all-too-brief performance, though not with as much shiver-inducing magnificence as on “Passenger 24,” one of the more ominous moments on her 2006 solo LP, Thumbelina’s One Night Stand. They concluded on a friskier note with “Jane,” giving the audience one last damn-good reason to look forward to their return. 

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Special Occasion: Smokey Robinson Live in Florida

Smokey Robinson, 4/10/2013, Mahaffey Theater (photo: Donald Gibson)

Smokey Robinson may very well be the smoothest, most sensual singer/songwriter ever. The man oozes intimacy. Not sex explicitly, but rather the rush of attraction and togetherness, a bit of sweet talk whispered between sweethearts in the dark. Marvin wanted to get it on. Smokey wants you, baby, to come close.

At 73 Robinson still exudes a singular passion and, with his falsetto in fine form this past Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, he seduced a sold-out Mahaffey Theater audience for two solid hours. 

After opening with a trio of expected but nonetheless exhilarating oldies—“Going to a Go-Go,” “I Second That Emotion,” “You Really Got A Hold On Me”—Robinson led his nine-piece band into “Quiet Storm,” establishing the mood of the music to come.

Indeed it was a feast for love-song lovers, “grown-folks’” music it’s sometimes called, and Robinson obliged with highlights (“Being With You,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears”) from virtually every phase of his career. 

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The O'Jays Live Up to Legacy in Concert

St. Petersburg showed the O’Jays lots of love this past Thursday night. So much love, in fact, that just about every song they performed met with an instant mix of feminine swoons and joyful sing-a-longs to fill the majestic Mahaffey Theater.

And the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers earned that love all night. More to the point, they worked for it, spinning and gliding in synchronized steps, engaging the audience at every turn, and demonstrating a commitment to not just sing but entertain.

From the get-go, with a high-energy opening medley that included “Unity,” “Survivor,” and “Give the People What They Want,” original members Walter Williams and Eddie Levert, along with relative newcomer Eric Nolan Grant—all clad in matching white, sequined suits—personified showmanship and class.

Williams, for his part, was in fine form, enriching familiar hits and fan favorites with suave, considerate treatments—his lead vocals on an extended rendition of “Forever Mine” and, later, “Use Ta Be My Girl,” were bona fide highlights—yet it was Levert who delivered the show's most soul-gripping, heartfelt moments. He’s suffered tremendous grief in recent years, including the loss of two adult sons, musicians Gerald and Sean Levert, in 2006 and 2008, respectively. “He’s got the strength of Job,” Williams said of his bandmate and friend, “and he's bounced back, hard.”

Indeed, that resilience was evident and plentiful. With boyish charisma and seemingly boundless energy belying his age (he'll turn 70 in June), Levert enlivened both slowjams (“Lovin’ You," “Stairway to Heaven,” “Cry Together”) and social statements (“Backstabbers,” “For the Love of Money,” “Love Train”) with urgent, earnest conviction.

The opportunity to experience in-person such legends of American music is growing increasingly scarce these days. With this spirited and superlative performance, though, the O’Jays lived up to their legacy.

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Concert Review: Lucinda Williams Brings Her Joy to Jannus Live

Lucinda Williams at Jannus Live, 10/19/11 (photo by Donald Gibson)

Last week Lucinda Williams was honored by the Americana Music Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting. This past Wednesday night at St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live she proved why she deserved it, delivering a musical masterclass of heartbreak, remorse, and redemption for nearly two solid hours.

Her aching, windswept voice resonating rich and vibrant in the open-air venue’s crowded courtyard, Williams delivered each song with distinct consideration and purpose. Early highlights included the Car Wheels on a Gravel Road gem, “Drunken Angel,” and a honky-tonk-tinged rendition of "Well Well Well," from 2008's underrated Little Honey. “Steal Your Love” and “Essence” came off gutsier, grittier than their recorded counterparts, thanks in no small measure to Williams' ace band (and opening act) Buick 6.

“Side of the Road” and "Blue" – the former a plaintive lament; the latter a mournful masterpiece – were rendered with unmistakable poignancy and charm.

Williams premiered two as-yet-unreleased tracks, one original and one cover, both of them solid performances. Her own “Stowaway in Your Heart” featured a funky rhythm that in a way recalled "2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten," its lyrics bearing the refrain, "Thank you for giving me a place to hang around.” Then came an understated take on Bob Dylan's “Trying to Get to Heaven,” which Williams recently cut for a forthcoming Amnesty International project – like the 2007 set of John Lennon covers, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur – that will include various artists covering his songs.

“This one goes out to those marching in the street, the 99 percent,” Williams said before an extended, rambunctious version of “Joy,” her fist held high in solidarity with the Occupy protests around the country. Two well-selected covers, "It's Not My Cross to Bear" (Allman Brothers) and audience favorite "For What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield) continued in the same defiant vein to close the show, but it was with the encore-opening title track to her most recent album, Blessed, that Williams made her most lasting, heartrending impression. "We were blessed by the forlorn, forsaken, and abused," she sang in its final verse, offering a silver lining of hope in what can often feel like a hopeless world.

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Concert Review: A Night Full of Hits with Crowded House

Neil Finn (left) and Nick Seymour (right) of Crowded House, 7/28/10 at Ruth Eckerd Hall

The house was anything but crowded on Wednesday night with Ruth Eckerd Hall’s 2,100 seats only half-filled, unfortunately, but Neil Finn and company engaged the faithful with as much sincerity and showmanship as they would a offer a stadium filled to the rafters. For two solid hours, Crowded House—rounded out by bassist Nick Seymour, keyboardist Mark Hart, and drummer Matt Sherrod—culled their back catalog while introducing tracks from their latest album, Intriguer, to deliver a melodic-pop master class and an all-around impeccable performance.

Finn sang with marked consideration, never coming across like revisiting the band’s past hits was an obligatory means just to play the new material. This song may mean a great deal to someone here tonight, he seemed to suggest. And the hits—“World Where You Live,” “Fall At Your Feet,” and “Something So Strong,” among them—were in abundance, much to the delight of everyone, who added their voices at just about every opportunity.

“Thank you for singing with us,” Finn said, after “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” visibly touched. A request from a fan in the front rows for “Message To My Girl” yielded the premier highlight of the night, with Finn on keyboard giving the Split Enz classic a slow, sensuous treatment. 

The new album didn’t command as much of the performance as one may have at first anticipated (yielding a mere four songs), but what ultimately made the setlist fared quite well. “Either Side of the World” proved an early standout, with the melodic nuances of its studio version rendered even more pronounced and soulful on the stage. As well, with its wistful distinction, “Twice If You’re Lucky” felt instantly familiar, as if the band had been playing it for years.

The encore saw Crowded House, along with openers Lawrence Arabia, paying tribute to the recently deceased musician and producer, Ben Keith, with a cover of “Old Man,” one of several Neil Young classics to which he’d originally contributed. Poignant renditions of “Not the Girl You Think You Are” and “Better Be Home Soon” followed, culminating in a most-fitting farewell.

— photo: Donald Gibson

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Jonny Lang Stirring in Clearwater Concert

Granted he’s not a teenage phenomenon anymore—he’ll turn 30 later this year—but Jonny Lang is still too damn young to be so damn good. On the opening night of his Live By Request tour, on which he includes a selection of cuts voted for by fans through his official website, Lang delivered an inspired performance. And in moments too frequent to mention, he sounded more like a seasoned bluesman from the Delta than a contemporary musician from North Dakota.

Variations of the blues indeed dominated early and throughout, as Lang began with a brooding version of “Give Me Up Again” before delivering “A Quitter Never Wins” with blistering fury and bite. Each solo elicited a flurry of grimaced expressions as if he were literally jolted by each chord he struck on his guitar. In other highlights, Lang steamrolled through “Still Rainin’” and “Red Light,” the latter’s urgent pace collapsing into a steady, rhythmic chant of “everything’s gonna be all right” that many in the crowd echoed with joy.

Closing out the main set with two covers, Lang not only underscored the scope of his influences, but—in pulling them off as well as he did—so too the depths of his talent. He dusted off an acoustic, guttural version of the Muddy Waters chestnut, “Forty Days and Forty Nights,” before ushering in a torrid rendition of “Livin’ For The City,” capping off the funky Stevie Wonder classic with a coda that spotlighted vocalist Jason Eskridge, whose soulful runs brought the concert to its climax.

Some of the night’s extended jams ran far too long, though, particularly as they tended to feature everyone but Lang. The most unnecessary instance occurred on “I Am,” during which the star ceded the focus to each musician in the band, who offered up one ostentatious solo after another in what came across like a rivalrous exercise to entertain themselves rather than a collaborative effort to entertain the audience. More importantly, in the time it took to wind through all of this overindulgence, Lang could have played another one or two songs. On the whole, however, such criticism doesn't overshadow Lang’s contributions, which culminated time and again with stirring, genuinely soulful music.

—Photos by Donald Gibson

First published as Concert Review: Jonny Lang - Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL 5/21/10 on Blogcritics.

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On Battle Studies Tour, Mayer Triumphs in Tampa

John Mayer, 2/5/10 in Tampa; photo © Donald Gibson

It often seems that to admit to enjoying the music of John Mayer, one must develop certain defense mechanisms in order to deflect criticism from those who give more credence to the drama of John Mayer. Granted, the artist has admittedly done himself few favors in this department, as evidenced most recently with his less-than-flattering Rolling Stone interview. Yet, regardless of however self-absorbed he seems or whatever character flaws he may have, Mayer regards his craft and, perhaps more importantly, his audience, with consummate sincerity.

Friday night (2/5) at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, on just the second night of his U.S. tour in support of his latest LP, Battle Studies, Mayer engineered a purposeful and stirring two-hour performance that showcased the album nearly in full (playing nine of its eleven songs) along with a handful of older selections that served the primary material well.

On his most thematically cohesive effort to date, Mayer contextualizes Battle Studies by looking at intimate relationships as having an adversarial dynamic, rife with selfish motives and deep-seated suspicions. And he reflected as such in his performance, inciting “Heartbreak Warfare” at the outset amid an intense, simmering groove. On other album cuts, most notably “Edge of Desire” and “Assassin,” Mayer fared even better, his impassioned sentiments benefiting from the precision and richness of his stellar seven-piece band.

Mayer summoned other highlights with a jazz-flavored version of “Waiting On The World To Change” (that segued into The Police’s “Walking On The Moon”) as well as with one of his earliest hits, “No Such Thing,” which inspired the biggest audience singalong of the night. Capping off the main set with an extended take on “Gravity,” Mayer was exhilarating on the guitar, making the inevitable encore — a couple of acoustic moments, with “Who Says” and “Friends, Lovers, or Nothing” — seem a bit anticlimactic in comparison. Even still, Mayer proved himself an inspiring musician overall, giving his audience one more reason to appreciate his talent.

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Leonard Cohen Takes Manhattan

Conceit or modesty aside, even the most accomplished and prolific songwriters could seldom attest to having created a genuine masterpiece. Leonard Cohen is of the rare few who can, of course, but last Thursday night at the Beacon Theatre it was abundantly clear that he could lay claim to far more than one.

Taking the stage for his first American concert in fifteen years, Cohen received a reverent welcome by the sold-out audience, its applause overlapping the opening bars of “Dance Me To The End of Love.” Dressed to the nines in a dark suit with bolo tie and fedora, the 74-year-old bard cut a distinguished figure, his sophic disposition tempered by a laconic, often self-mocking sense of humor.

What Cohen imparted most, though, was a selfless commitment to his songs. After a mirthful trip through “The Future”—during which he pirouetted as the ominous “white man dancin’”—and having plead his case on “Ain’t No Cure For Love,” he dropped to his knees at the start of “Bird On The Wire,” turning out a truly stunning rendition that soon saw him singing at full stride. Likewise, he enlivened an avalanche of imagery and delicate melodies on “Chelsea Hotel No. 2” and “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye,” his rich voice at times recalling the lissome timbre of his younger days.

The esteem to which Cohen paid his compositions extended to his superb nine-piece band. Each time a musician soloed—as when guitarist Javier Mas played a gorgeous, flamenco-styled prelude to “Who By Fire?”—or when a background vocalist assumed a leading role, as did long-time collaborator Sharon Robinson on a soulful version of “Boogie Street,” Cohen stood aside in deference, his hat held to his chest, his face betraying an appreciative smile.

The ultimate pleasure and privilege, however, lay in listening to Cohen. With the conviction of one who’d labored more in composing these works than most others could’ve otherwise endured, he stepped into each song—from the understated grandeur of “The Gypsy’s Wife” and “Famous Blue Raincoat” to the synthesized thrust of “First We Take Manhattan”—and rendered each one with rich perception. He recited “A Thousand Kisses Deep” as written in Book of Longing (as opposed to singing the version from Ten New Songs), drawing out evocative lines and phrases in cadenced tones. And at his most transcendent, Cohen surrendered “Suzanne” and “Hallelujah” to those fortunate enough to have attended—to those who knew they’d witnessed something very special. Now, everybody knows.

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Tom Waits Brings The Fire And The Fury To Jacksonville

Gothic and poignant, grotesque and sublime, Tom Waits envisages characters and stories through song like a seasoned author does in literature. Before an audience nearing 3,000 on Tuesday night at the Moran Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida—his first-ever appearance in the city—the iconic artist rendered his distinctive creations with a masterful, 27-song performance.

His 5-piece band discreetly arced around him, Waits took to a riser at center stage, stomping plumes of dust in the air as he began with “Lucinda,” which segued into “Ain’t Going Down To The Well.” Following a rambunctious “Way Down In The Hole” (propelled by his oldest son, Casey, on drums), he delved into “Falling Down,” his cavernous voice booming at full force.

He tinkers with the setlist from night to night, yet Waits isn’t one to take requests from the crowd, despite persistent (and vociferous) calls to do so. “We’ll play all your favorites,” he quipped like a vaudevillian master of ceremonies in a futile attempt to calm the maelstrom.

In fact, part of the kick of seeing Waits in concert is experiencing his humor and wit first-hand. He halted “Chocolate Jesus” after the first verse, saying, “If you’re going to clap, please elect an official.” Before continuing the song (which he sang through a red megaphone), he remarked in mock admonishment, “Keep the tempo.”

The inclusion of Omar Torrez on guitars and Vincent Henry on woodwinds instilled the music with jazz and Latin inflections, giving songs like “Hoist That Rag” (with Waits shaking a pair of maracas), “16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought Six,” and “Get Behind The Mule” a loose, buoyant feel. And on a particularly swinging version of “Black Market Baby,” if you let your focus drift a bit, you almost expected to hear, “Hello, Dolly. Dis is Louis, Dolly.”

Accompanied by Seth Ford Young on upright bass, Waits sat at his baby grand for a triad of ‘70s gems, beginning with the back-to-back tour debuts of “On The Nickel” and “I Can’t Wait To Get Off Work.” Much to the crowd’s amusement, he also took the opportunity to dig into his voluminous supply of indiscriminate facts. “There are more insects in one square mile of earth than there are people on the entire earth,” he said. “Imagine if they could vote.”

He also traded barbs with good-natured hecklers. “I want to have your baby!” one man shouted from the back of the hall. “Nowadays that’s possible!” Waits retorted in a snap. “Talk to my manager…But my sperm, it’s expensive. I’m like a fuckin’ racehorse.” Returning to playing “actual songs,” he then capped off the segment with a strikingly earnest rendition of “Invitation To The Blues.”

For a man notorious for his gruff voice and peculiar, scrapyard-sound arrangements, Waits delivered an assortment of ballads that ultimately proved among the finest performances of the night. On songs like “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” “Cold Cold Ground” (featuring keyboardist Patrick Warren on accordion), and “House Where Nobody Lives” (with his youngest son, Sullivan, on “assistant clarinet”), Waits exhibited cinematic breadth and magnificence. In doing so, he captivated the audience not just with the brilliant idiosyncrasies of his music, but also with the craft with which he invests it.

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Kick Off Your High Heel Sneakers, It's Party Time: Steely Dan Comes To Town

“This is a special night,” Walter Becker announced after introducing the 10-piece band. “It’s Donald Fagen’s birthday.” As cheers and well wishes abounded, Fagen hunched over his keyboard in embarrassment, reticently raising his arm in gratitude. Moments later, Becker recanted, saying that, actually, his partner’s birthday is “sometime in January. Who knew?”

Shaking his head in mock-astonishment, Fagen retorted dryly, “He sure knows how to work a crowd.”

Truth be told, the sold-out audience inside Clearwater, Florida’s Ruth Eckerd Hall on June 9 didn’t mind being duped into unwarranted applause given that Steely Dan ultimately earned genuine approbation by playing a vibrant two-hour set.

Incidentally, the album most represented on the setlist was The Royal Scam, yielding four songs including the title track, which began the show.

On this, the second stop on their “Think Fast, Steely Dan” summer tour, Becker and Fagen drew on a diverse range of material, forgoing a number of their more familiar works – including “Deacon Blues,” “My Old School,” “Bodhisattva,” “Don’t Take Me Alive,” and “Aja” – in favor of lesser-played fare. While this may not have satisfied some, most responded well to hearing album cuts like “I Got The News,” “Everything You Did,” and “Glamour Profession” played with gusto and fresh perspective. Also dusted off was “New Frontiers,” from Fagen’s first solo work, The Nightfly.

Consistent with Steely Dan tours of late, Fagen ceded his lead vocal duties for a couple tracks, as on a storming run-through of “Parker’s Band” – courtesy of backup vocalists Cindy Mizelle and Tawatha Agee – and a competent (albeit comparatively less exciting) take on “What A Shame About Me,” sung by keyboardist/vocalist Jeff Young.

Much like they exhibited in playing rarities, the Dan delivered the night’s most recognizable songs with invigorative panache. They jazzed up “Show Biz Kids” with vehement percussion while, on “Babylon Sisters,” they leveled a hard line of bass and brass. Becker served up some particularly heated guitar solos on “Hey Nineteen” and “Josie” while Fagen – ever the image of hip in dark shades and black leather coat – worked his mojo on “Black Friday” and “Kid Charlemagne,” swaying and twitching in time. “FM” then escalated into a rollicking jam to close the set, the band vamping just long enough for Becker and Fagen to saunter off stage.

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Anita Baker Brings Sweet Love In Concert

“Bring on the love songs!” an ebullient Anita Baker proclaimed as the first notes of “Sweet Love” cascaded into soulful bliss. Marking her first-ever appearance at Clearwater, Florida’s Ruth Eckerd Hall on December 14, the incomparable songstress put on a commanding performance for a welcoming, sold-out audience.

As far as Baker's concerned, performing involves as much physical expression as it does vocal. A diminutive dynamo in stiletto heels, Baker sashayed and twirled across the stage to the rhythm of her 10-piece band, all the while singing with inspiration and might. And her voice, with its thick and sensual tone, sounded nothing short of exquisite.

Connoisseurs of Baker’s inimitable blend of jazz and soul recognize her 1986 breakthrough effort, Rapture, as a seminal achievement, one that undeniably facilitated her future success. Perhaps for that reason, Baker invariably referenced it throughout the night, ultimately performing the album in its entirety. Pop hits like “No One In The World” and “Same Ole Love (365 Days A Year)” sounded vibrant and fresh, the former drawing on a delectable groove, the latter packing an insatiable punch. Album cuts reserved for late-night quiet storms, such as “Mystery” and “You Bring Me Joy,” embodied sophisticated seduction.

Sadly, given the concentration on Rapture, only a few songs from Baker’s other albums found their way into the set. A breathtaking rendition of “Giving You The Best That I’ve Got,” which showcased Baker’s finesse with phrasing and inflection, was arguably the evening’s consummate highlight. And the encore featured the early hit, “Angel,” as well as a feisty take on “Fairy Tales.” Yet, a host of gems, songs like “Just Because,” “Body And Soul,” “Good Love,” “I Apologize,” and “Soul Inspiration,” never made the cut. Curiously, her most recent album, My Everything, didn’t yield any performances at all.

That being said, the songs Anita Baker did perform sounded spectacular. Her range, power, and versatility as a vocalist are astonishing and such was evident on this night. Thus, while the song selection could have favored more diversity, the oversight of some material only makes her fans eager to welcome her return.

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Weird and Wonderful: Cat Power in Concert

Cat Power and The Dirty Delta Blues Band: October 21, 2007: State Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL

The sound didn’t fit the vision. While her voice reverberated through the room to mostly slow and bluesy music, Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, timidly pranced around the stage as if craving a sugar fix. Odd as it was to watch, however, on Sunday night at the State Theatre, her singing fortunately didn’t suffer from her incongruous demeanor. 

Backed by The Dirty Delta Blues Band, Marshall’s low and smoky voice was initially overpowered by the volume of the music. Because of this the first few songs, which included a tempered version of “The Greatest,” sounded almost indecipherable.

Contributing to the sonic obscurity, the spotlights scarcely illuminated the stage and, in particular, the singer, who seemed more comfortable in the shadows. Whether intentional or caused by an electrical glitch, the darkness effectively concentrated the audience’s focus on the show’s genuine center of attention: Chan Marshall’s voice. 

Thankfully, the audio engineer adjusted the mix and a swift run through of “Naked If I Want To” fared much better. The subtle southern funk of “Could We” also came off rather well, its groove reminiscent of records produced in the sixties and seventies by Stax. 

Much to the bewilderment of the standing-room-only audience, Marshall, looking nervous and distracted, called for an abrupt “eight-minute” intermission. Returning with enough refreshments for the front quarter of the crowd, she then spent a good 10 minutes pouring water into cups and passing them out one by one. While a thoughtful gesture, it seemed strange nonetheless, given that the concert was in a modest air-conditioned room rather than at some outdoor venue. 

Apologizing for the sudden break and promising not to stop again until the very end (which would feature no encore) Marshall appeared more focused and sounded, more often than not, incredible. What she lacked in vocal might she more than compensated for with resonance and raw emotion. 

Case in point, her understated rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “I Can’t See Myself Leaving You” yielded one of the night’s finest performances. Also, “Where Is My Love” ached with palpable tenderness and solemnity.

“Lived in Bars,” which had garnered incessant requests from the fervent crowd all night, suitably brought the concert to a close.

At times, the woman with the superhuman-sounding pseudonym of Cat Power appeared all too human, exhibiting indiscriminate quirks and signs of reticence, perhaps even stage fright.

Yet, whenever Chan Marshall settled into a song, her captivating voice saturated the room and satisfied everyone within it, rendering all of the evening’s peculiarities utterly irrelevant.

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Concert Review: Mandy Moore Underwhelms at Jannus Landing

Earlier this year, Mandy Moore signaled her ascent into the realm of singer/songwriters, releasing Wild Hope, an ambitious album on which she co-wrote every track. Unfortunately, on Tuesday night at Jannus Landing, Moore’s live showcase of that album, along with a few other songs, proved underwhelming.

On tour for the first time in earnest, Mandy Moore appeared out of her depth in translating her recorded music to a live concert setting. For most of the show, she stayed put behind her microphone stand and offered only sparing comments to the crowd, ultimately failing to engage the audience. At times she seemed more intent on getting through the show rather than putting on a show.

Beginning with “Slummin’ In Paradise” and “All Good Things,” two of Wild Hope’s strongest tracks, the concert initially seemed promising and, even further along in the show, Moore offered inspired performances. Her voice in fine form, she sounded best on songs like “Can’t You Just Adore Her?” and the ethereal gem, “Gardenia,” which brought the singer to tears.

The glaring flaw in the performance, regrettably, rested in her remote demeanor. While her mere presence elicited cries of “I love you, Mandy” from young, teenage girls, as well as from older, college-aged boys (underscoring two completely different sentiments, mind you), her ability to interact with the audience seemed awkward, if not amateurish. She often spoke to her band members and occasionally introduced a song, but she rarely thanked the audience for its applause or enthusiasm. Mostly, though, she looked genuinely uncomfortable in her role as a concert performer.

She concluded the set with a slow rearrangement of Rihanna’s hit single, “Umbrella,” as well as a revamped version of one of her own past hits, “Candy”. The latter song, she inexplicably conceded, held no sentimental value for her whatsoever, despite the crowd’s palpable desire to hear it. That moment, more than any other of the night, symbolized the disconnect between Mandy Moore and the hundreds of fans who attended her show. While some allowance should be given for her live inexperience, the audience did its best to embrace Moore, but she unfortunately neglected to do the same with her audience.

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Waiting On the Weather To Change: John Mayer, Live in Tampa

John Mayer: August 7, 2007 (photo by Donald Gibson)

A rack of guitars stood idle, covered by a clear plastic tarp. Roadies stood at the edge of the stage, on the lookout for lightning in the distance, all while a wicked downpour hovered over the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida. The rain made the audience under the canopy nervous as it soaked thousands sitting out on the lawn. At any moment, it appeared that the concert would be called off.

After an extended delay, and with the rain still falling, John Mayer determinatively took to the stage, his signature Fender Stratocaster already strapped on his shoulder. With his band at the ready, he unleashed a crying blues instrumental, seemingly willing the storm to stop.

To the relief of the crowd, predominantly female, the inclement weather soon simmered. Mayer commenced, fittingly, with “Belief,” and the show carried on as scheduled.

In a loose and playful mood, Mayer interacted with audience often. “That’s like an eye chart,” he joked about a lengthy message on one of several posterboard signs held aloft in the audience. “Whatever happened to ‘Do me?’”

The high spirits carried over to the music, which sounded soulful and funky as compared to the more concentrated blues he often injects into his performances. “Good Love Is On The Way,” an early highlight with its propulsive groove, fired the fans up and onto their feet. “Waiting On The World To Change” followed in similar fashion, with Mayer howling out the words to his most socially conscious song to date.

The most sobering moment in the set, and arguably its finest, came courtesy of “Gravity,” which Mayer introduced as a “soulful ballad.” He delivered the poignant song in flawless form, throwing down a wrenching guitar solo before segueing into a bit of the Otis Redding classic, “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember.” The main set concluded with a funkified version of the Ray Charles gem, “I Don’t Need No Doctor” followed by one of Mayer’s most introspective compositions, “In Repair.”

Sardonically prefacing it as “the greatest song ever written,” Mayer began the encore with an acoustic version of “Your Body Is A Wonderland,” much to the delight of the female constituency.

The final song of the night, “I’m Gonna Find Another You,” saw Mayer’s band laughably dressed in matching outfits of red shorts, white tank tops, and knee-high socks. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Mayer mocked as he sang the otherwise somber song.

All kidding aside, Mayer thanked the thousands who had braved the rain to watch his performance. For those in attendance, not only was John Mayer’s musicianship more than evident, but so too was his genuine appreciation for his audience.

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The Resurgence of The Police: Live In Tampa, Florida

The Police, 7/11/07 (photo © Donald Gibson)

It didn’t feel nostalgic. It felt electric and immediate, the sound and the synergy combustible at any second. On July 11, 2007, a capacity-crowd within the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida witnessed the resurgence and the enduring vitality of the Police.

Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland took the stage to a roaring reception, kicking off with “Message In A Bottle” before running roughshod through “Synchronicity II” and eliciting an audience sing-along to “Walking On The Moon.”

The energy and enthusiasm of the crowd seemed to encourage levity among the notoriously temperamental band. Sting engaged the audience often, trotting around the stage to countless camera flashes, casually chatting between songs, and exchanging knowing looks with his band mates. Summers and Copeland, likewise, genuinely appeared in high spirits.

The band was at its best when it took a few chances to breathe fresh life into some of their most familiar radio singles, like “De Do Do Do De Da Da Da” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” the latter featuring Copeland deftly switching back and forth between a riser of auxiliary percussion and his Tama drum kit.

Some risks weren’t worth taking, though. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” sounded erratic throughout, thus bewildering those attempting to sing along. Also, “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” dragged with muddled bass, a far cry from the dexterous original on 1980’s Zenyatta Mondatta.

Fortunately, such instances were rare, and thereafter the band fared much better on “Walking In Your Footsteps” and “Can’t Stand Losing You,” which segued into the title track of Reggatta de Blanc. An extended version of “Roxanne,” rock’s most recognizable ode to a prostitute, closed out the main set under a flood of red light.

No less than three encores followed, featuring “King Of Pain,” “So Lonely,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Next To You.”

While all of the performed songs ranged in age from twenty-four to thirty years old, the concert did not feel like a reminiscent event. Quite the contrary, it seemed like the Police reconvened as a relevant force, and in Tampa, perhaps as in other towns on their current tour, they punctuated their collective career with one emphatic exclamation mark.

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From Blues Power to a Higher Power: Jonny Lang in Concert

No longer a wunderkind of the blues guitar, Jonny Lang now incorporates elements of funk, soul, and gospel into his music. Still only 26, yet with over a decade of experience and five albums under his belt, Lang displayed the spectrum of his talent to a modest rain-soaked crowd at Jannus Landing on Friday night.

A persistent downpour made the audience impatient at times to hear familiar material, but Lang stood his ground, especially early on, playing tracks from his latest release, Turn Around, essentially a Christian-music album. Even so, songs like “Bump In The Road” and “Don’t Stop (For Anything),” both pulsating and funky at their core, went over well. Apparently, the message of God just comes across better with a bass line.

For those eager to hear more recognizable songs, Lang eventually delivered. “Give Me Up Again,” a soulful track from his 2003 album, Long Time Coming, worked just fine alongside the Prince-penned “I Am” and the title track of 1998’s Wander This World. The climax culminated with a thunderous version of the Stevie Wonder classic, “Livin’ For The City,” with Lang howling each verse while putting his guitar through a workout. For an encore, Lang returned to where he started, with his first hit, “Lie To Me”.

Seemingly content with not staking his career solely on his guitar virtuosity, Jonny Lang gave his fans a glimpse of his musical journey, from blues to soul, from funk to the praising of the Lord.

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Myth and Brilliance: Roger Waters Takes On The War, The Wall, and The Dark Side of the Moon

During his storied tenure with Pink Floyd, Roger Waters authored some of rock’s most subversive and socially defiant songs. On Saturday night at the Ford Amphitheatre, Waters drew primarily from that catalog to craft a sonic and visually stunning performance that took emphatic issue with American foreign policy and, in particular, the President of the United States.

Waters started early with his contempt for authority, as evidenced in the first line of the second song of the concert, “Mother,” from Pink Floyd’s magnum opus, The Wall, which asks, “Mother do you think they’ll drop the bomb?” His disdain only grew more defined. During “The Fletcher Memorial Home,” from 1983’s The Final Cut, when Waters sang of “wasters of life and limb,” the targeted inference was not lost on the audience. The most damning and direct admonition, though, came courtesy of “Leaving Beirut,” a song Waters wrote in 2004, which, in part, deplores the policies and practices of George W. Bush while warning free-thinking Americans, “Don’t let the might, the Christian right, fuck it all up/For you and the rest of the world.” To follow, a mesmerizing performance of “Sheep,” from 1977’s Animals, cemented Waters’ condemnation of the current political climate, as a massive inflatable pig (an iconic fixture of Pink Floyd lore), plastered with slogans including “habeas corpus matters” and “impeach Bush now,” floated over the crowd. “No, this is no bad dream,” Waters wailed, at times his face reddening in anguish and palpable anger.

Amid such concerted and serious undertones, the legend of Pink Floyd nonetheless loomed large and consistent throughout the performance. Under a massive spotlight rig illuminated to full psychedelic effect, “Set The Controls To the Heart of the Sun,” off 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets, seemed and sounded, quite literally, out of this world. With wistful images of the Floyd’s lost leader, Syd Barrett, appearing on the giant screen, the majestic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” felt especially poignant considering his passing last year. And the title track of Wish You Were Here further emphasized Barrett’s lasting impact and legacy, not only to his devoted fans, but also to an old friend singing his praise.

Of all the legends and fables of Pink Floyd, none resonate so profound as their enduring masterpiece, 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon. Perhaps because of the striking political bent to much of the show, however, Waters’ full-length performance of the album seemed almost obligatory if not, for the most part, unnecessary. Highlights included the radio smash, “Money,” along with the closing sequence of “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse,” but the complete recreation of such a landmark album, done so without the principal band members who helped create it in the first place, ultimately missed the mark. Unless all four surviving members of Pink Floyd come together to attempt this feat, maybe the 43 minutes of sonic bliss on Dark Side of the Moon would be better enjoyed with a decent pair of headphones.

In a climactic closing sequence that featured songs exclusively from The Wall, Waters again mixed music with current political context to brilliant effect. “The Happiest Days Of Our Lives” led into the anti-establishment anthem “Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)”. “Vera” culminated with a rousing version of “Bring The Boys Back Home,” perfected with exploding flash pots and flames amid a visual backdrop of a war zone. The point was suitably made. The implications shone through. “Comfortably Numb” then put that rage to rest while a riveted audience stood in awe.

 

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Rather Laugh With the Sinners Than Cry With the Saints: Billy Joel Live in Orlando

February 10, 2007: Amway Arena, Orlando

“It’s not about less hair,” Billy Joel commented on his increasing baldness. “It’s about more head.”

At the Amway Arena in Orlando, the Piano Man put on a solid two-and-a-half-hour show packed with classics, favorites, and his ageless New York attitude.

Starting with “Prelude/Angry Young Man,” Joel matched the briskness of the 1975 Turnstiles version note for note. With the sellout (behind the stage and all) crowd still reaching its seats, “My Life” ensured that no one would soon sit down.

In between songs, Joel thanked the fans “in the shitty seats” behind the stage and the ones sitting in the nosebleeds “in Tampa.” He said he needed the money to pay for his car insurance.

After giving the crowd a choice between “Vienna” and “Summer, Highland Falls,” he sang the latter (“Vienna,” a classic from The Stranger, rarely wins, unfortunately).

Before playing “All About Soul,” from 1993’s River of Dreams, Joel confessed that he hadn't played the song in years and if something went wrong, then it would prove the show wasn't taped. “It’ll be a real rock and roll fuck-up.” It wasn't.

The pinnacle of the concert came with a plaintive rendition of “She's Always A Woman.” Whatever it was that got that song in the setlist (Valentine’s Day looming, the fact that he’s married again), it sure felt good to hear it performed.

After strapping on an electric guitar, Joel asked the audience to listen to his drum roadie sing a “religious song.” “Give him a chance,” he said in mock sincerity as the (robust) roadie ignited the arena with a blistering version of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” The sound of 18,000 people singing along to that one surely reached the heavens (or somewhere south).

The main set ended with “Big Shot,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” and “You May Be Right,” inspiring Joel to jump around the stage with an upright microphone, leaning toward the fans in the front rows.

“Only The Good Die Young” began the encore, followed by the epic “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.” Like always, “Piano Man” ended the evening, but not before Billy Joel offered his usual post-show advice to the audience: “Don’t take any shit from anybody!”

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