Jeff Tweedy and Wilco finish up a four night stand under the Btoadway inspired woodsy stage at the Beacon Theatre tonight. It’s been a busy week of rock and roll in New York City for me with Eric Clapton with Gary Clark Jr. and Jimmie Vaughn playing Madidon Square Garden in between three of four nights of Wilco.
The band is in top form and clearly enjoying the love of appreciative fans.
Make Wilco Great Again
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GQ
Following a couple of postponements and Eric Burdon & the Animals unfortunate inability to perform on this rescheduled date, Johnny Rivers and the Lovin’ Spoonful take the Westbury stage tonight on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Secret Agent Man
Erin go bragh
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GQ
Art Garfunkel took the City Winery stage Wednesday night dressed in black, his hair cropped short, looking more rabbinical then rock star and accompanied by acoustic guitar, grand piano, and organ flourishes.
I went to this show with trepidation as much of his solo catalogue is well intentioned but lackluster and he has been known to be a bit cantankerous at times in his career. The 75 year old self proclaimed crooner did not disappoint the attentive audience as he squeezed out every ounce of vocal prowess during the roughly one and three quarter hour performance while interspersing prose from his soon to be released forty plus years in the making autobiography.
The Simon and Garfunkel hits like “Sounds of Silence” we’re obvious crowd pleaders but even the solo selections worked well this evening and the show had a great flow to it. Art seemed to be genuinely pleased to be singing for an appreciative spellbound audience and he hid his annoyance with the food being eaten at tables up front and the occasional rattle of tableware with kitchen crashes intermingled better than one might have expected considering his temperament and reputation.
Me. Garfunkel closed the show proper with the Simon and Garfunkel classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which was touching and somewhat sad that he can no longer hit those incredible high notes at the end of the song due to age and his vocal limitations at this point in his career but was still awe inspiring.
Gregg Allman just canceled his scheduled run of shows in July for the second time due to health reasons. Art Garfunkel proved on this night that he still had the desire to continue and perform despite the occasional health issues and a true love of singing that resonated throughout the room during his performance.
Garfunkel expressed gratitude to Paul Simon for writing the songs, provided a few anecdotes regarding the early years, and a personal highlight was the mention of the Forest Hills boy’s Main Street synagogue in Queens as this was close to where I grew up.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
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GQ
I have mixed feelings in regard to attending Art Garfunkel’s scheduled performance at City Winery tonight. On one hand he is the Garfunkel in the iconic duo Simon and Garfunkel.and he was completely mesmerizing during his take on “Ruby Tuesday” at a Rolling Stones tribute concert at Carnegie Hsll a few years ago.
On the other hand , in anticipation of the City Winery show I purchased his 2cd greatest hits collection “The Singer” and, quite honestly, a few songs in I was bored. There was a pleasant sameness to much of the solo material bordering on elevator music. While Mr. Garfunkel has a lovely voice, there is a reason his greatest successes came while working with Rhymin’ Simon.
Tonight Art makes the commute to downtown from his residence overlooking Central Park
The diva has decreed that there will be no food service during his performance.
Bridge Over Troubled Waters?
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GQ
I’m waiting to see Dawes at the Beacon Theater tonight. I believe I saw the lead Dawe at the Newport Folk Festival during a Bob Dylan tribute. My wife loves them but I must admit I am a novice in the ways of Dawes but there is a good vibe in the air and I am expecting good things
One More From the Road
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GQ
Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett plays Westbury tonight.
I believe that the last time I saw Mr. Hackett in concert he was in a little band called GTR with Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe.
Tickets for tonight’s show are still on sale.
When the Heart Rules the Mind
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GQ
The Red Hot Chili Peppers new album “The Getaway” is outstanding and they play the first of three sold out shows at Madidon Square Garden tonight.
The last time I saw the band was at the Nassau Coliseum during a snowstorm.
It was a good thing they brought their socks that night as it was a pretty cold.
One Hot Minute
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GQ
During freshman year at Holy Cross High School in Bayside, Queens I discovered Jrthro Tull and they quickly became my favorite band. While my Aunt Pat gave me my first album as a gift, “Meet the Beatles” when it was first released, and my father bought me the Moody Blues “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour” after that, the first rock album that I purchased on my own was Jethro Tull’s “Warchlld”. I was pretty miserable at the all boy school and the wild haired rock and roll flautist with his eclectic band became an instant diversion from teenage angst.
I had been anticipating seeing Jethro Tull in concert for seemingly forever but on the day of the first Madison Square Garden show the word was out that Ian Anderson was ill and would be playing a shortened set.
As I recall, this was supposed to be a “greatest hits” tour supporting one of Jethto Tull’s compilation albums.
James Taylor’s younger brother Luvingston was added on as an opening act which turned out to be a big mistake.
Livingston Taylor took the stage alone with his acoustic guitar and the Madison Square Garden Tull fans were none to pleased.
As Mr. Taylor began to strum his guitar and play, an angry crowd began to pelt him with anything they could find. I told this story to an acquaintance years later and it turned out that he had been a pretzel vendor at the Garden; Mike told me that this was the best night he ever worked at MSG as people were buying pretzels just to throw at Livingston Taylor.
Livingston Taylor tried to continue playing while dodging and ducking the increasing bombardment but it was too much to ask and he quickly gave up and fled the stage.
We watched from midway up to the left of the stage and when Taylor ran off of the stage we were excited that this might mean Jethro Tull would come on earlier and play a longer set.
Unfortunately all the commotion was for naught as Livingston Taylor’s quick exit just meant a longer intermission and Tull apparently played as planned.
Nothing is Easy
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GQ
Ian Hunter and the Rant Band played the second of two rather impromptu shows this past Tuesday at City Winery New York City as a prelude to a tour that will begin on Mr. Hunter’s 78th birthday.
Ian Hunter’s voice is raspier, and he reaches into his pocket for throat lozenges more frequently these days, but the songs still pass the test of time and the band rocks with old school swagger and bravado.
With no opening act, the show began with a spoken word and video montage tribute to former Mott the Hoople bassist Peter Overend Watts who passed away from throat cancer this January.
Ian and the band ran through an extended set with old classics like “Cleveland Rocks” and newer material from “Fingers Crossed” in preparation for the upcoming June dates.
Andy York, Tommy Mandel, Andy Burton, and Tony Shanahan joined the band for the David Bowie penned all-time Mott the Hoople classic “All the Young Dudes” and the traditional show ender “Goodnight Irene”.
My son asked me why it is I like Ian Hunter so much and my wife will ask why I see the band at every opportunity and my answer is that time is fleeting and the band still rocks.
The Original Mixed Up Kid
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GQ
An all-star group of musicians assembled by Don Was recreated The Band’s iconic Last Waltz concert this past Friday at what used to be the Westbury Music Fair.
The great Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, and numerous side projects, along with Michael McDonald, formerly of the Doobie Brothers, Jamey Johnson, best known by me for his Farm Aid appearances, two Neville Brothers and the phenomenal keyboardist John Medeski played for three hours. plus celebrating the music of The Band and their special guests that evening forty years ago which was documented by Martin Scorsece.
The rotating circular NYCB at Westbury Theater stage was jam packed with equipment and musicians that included drums and a horn section playing Allen Toussaint’s original arrangements for The Band.
Highlights this evening included Jamey Johnson bringing down the house with “Georgia on my Mind”, Warren Haynes soulful take on Van Morrison’s “Caravan” and Michael McDonsld’s unique vocals on several Band numbers and Neil Young’s “Helpless”.
Bob Margolin, who played with Muddy Waters at the original Last Waltz concert, stormed the Westbury stage with blues bravado and played “Mannish Boy” with the 40 band and remained for a few numbers raising the already high energy level of the sold out crowd to greater heights.
Original Band keyboardist Garth Hudson, who had played with this band the night before at the beautiful Palace Theater in Albany, skipped the Westbury date and was to catch up with the group the next night in Maryland which was the last show of the tour.
It was a great night of music and one of the best shows I have ever seen at the Westbury venue.
Read the Robbie Robertson autobiography.
Up on Cripple Creek
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GQ