Chicago is a band of road warriors. They play Connecticut tonight before taking on Buffalo then a well deserved break after touring all summer with the great Earth, Wind and Fire.

Look Away

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GQ

The Power of Love

Back to the Future too?

Sorry Cubbies

Let’s Go Mets!

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GQ

Bob Dylan is not the only musician on a never ending tour. Joe Walsh takes the circular stage at Westbury tonight in what was supposed to be the “half round” but, due to popular demand, seats behind the stage were just released. Walsh has sold out the entire Westbury venue in the past, and just recently sold out two nights at the Paramount in Huntington, so I thought it odd that they only put half the building on sale to begin with. Perhaps Joe no longer likes to revolve in front of his audience but, in any event, now that the Eagles latest last tour is off the road, Joe Walsh returns as a solo artist to perform some of his many hits and play his always great guitar .Every Joe Walsh appearance is an event worth seeking out.

Not In the City

All Night Long

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GQ

The first album I ever owned was
Meet the Beatles which my Aunt Pat gave to me when it was first released.I did not know it then but that gift ignited a passion for rock and roll music that I have to this day.

My aunt Patricia Davi, who survived the first WTC attack when she worked for the Port Authority, died suddenly on this past 9-11 in Arizona after a short illness at 75.

Today our family will get together in Edison, NJ for a memorial luncheon.

Please play a tune in her memory.

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GQ

Elvis Costello’s Brutal Youth album is an eclectic fifteen song sonic exploration that displays Costello’s diverse influences and unique style. While not his best work, Elvis is never boring and he always manages to place a few gems among the dizzying barrage of tunes on this album. Brutal Youth is probably best listened to on a long drive as there is much to digest in one sitting. 

Nick Lowe and not quite the Attractions.

All the Rage

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GQ

Technical difficulties are finally corrected and the blog is on!

The legendary Joan Armatrading plays a solo acoustic set at City Winery tonight.

The road goes on forever.

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GQ

In the same week that had me enjoying a stellar Neil fest at the Bowery Ballroom, my daughter and I attended Phil Lesh and Friends at the Central Park Summerstage. We had such a good time last year when “friend” Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers Band fame joined Grateful Dead founding member and bassist Phil Lesh on stage, that we were looking forward to Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, and the Grateful Dead influenced Chris Robinson Brotherhood, playing with the band on a beautiful late summer evening.
Due to worse than usual mid town traffic,we arrived at the park just minutes before the band hit the stage for a sold out general admission show. As the front of the stage was jam packed, my daughter and I decided to watch from the much less crowded side of the stage where mostly middle aged fans danced throughout a set of familiar Grateful Dead tunes led by Chris Robinson, whose vocal style and laid back pot smoking vibe fit in well during the night’s festivities.
About a third of the way into the band’s set we were invited to a catered party taking place on a deck in front of us on the side of the stage where friends of the band enjoyed gin cocktails and some food while grooving to the band’s take on Dead classics like “Sugaree”.
Phil Lesh, who played with the Dead for their fiftieth anniversary shows in Chicago this summer, will not participate in the Dead & Company fall tour. Phil was in good spirits throughout and played great right up until the 10:00 PM curfew brought the show to an end.
The smiling crowd walked off into the Manhattan night satisfied that they had seen a legend continuing an unstoppable rock and roll communal rite.
U.S. Blues
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GQ

BrooklynVegan.com

Check it out- great music and more website.

Neil Young added a West Coast swing with Promise of the Real while Dead & Company have added Fall and Winter dates after the two MSG dates sold out  solid in minutes.

Laid Back Festival with Gregg Allman, Doobie Brothers, Bruce Hornsby and others hits Jones Beach Theater on Saturday (I’ll be responding direstly from the late afternoon Mers-Red Six game at Cutifield starring a 1986 bobble head doll). 

J. Geils Band and Ian Hunter play The Paramount in Huntington Sunday night which is a must see double bill as the summer rocks on toward a furious finish and the start of the football season.

Truckin’

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GQ

todd Rundgren has been a favorite of mine forever but he is eclectic and his concerts have always been a mixed bag. Mr. Rundgren has had many hits throughout the years but is loathe to play them usually. The great artist creates new music and wants the music he has most recently worked so hard on to be heard. The trick for artists with longevity is to find a balance between playing the songs their fans have grown to love and identify with throughout their lives against the true musician’s strong desire to grow and evolve artistically. 

Neil Young has the cache to play what he wants however he wants and his core audience knows to expect the unexpected when they buy the ticket. I just saw Chicago with Earth Wind and Fire this weekend at Jones Beach, which is a fun double bill, and you know that Chicago is pretty much going to give you the same set list year after year. While I am sure that at least some of the Chicago band members would like to explore new musical territory in concert, most of their fans come back year after year with certain expectations and love the band for its reliability.

I knew this evening at The Paramount in Huntington was going to be different then the last time I saw Rundgren with a band at Westbury as a DJ booth was situated high center stage with giant video screens dominating the scene.

Todd Rundgren and two Afro wigged young ladies stepped on stage without a band in sight. After a technical mishap had Todd and the girls leave the stage mid first song delaying the concert momentarily, for the next hour and a half plus Todd Rundgren played a synth heavy new project pretty much in its entirety. Rundgren was working hard, obviously heavily invested in the project, and the 3/4 full hall appreciated his efforts and were enthusiastic, particularily during the clap along segments which were numerous. The concert was very “1980s” in feel,  sort of like Howard Jones on steroids. The passage of time and global concerns were a central theme to the musical topics for the evening and the show was also heavily choreographed in conjunction with many video effects throughout the show. 

It could have been disastrous, and many audiences expecting the “greatest hits” will hate it, but on this night it seemed to work and the Paramount crowd seemed receptive for the most part.

Except for a Utopia tune thrown in the mix toward the middle, it was a night dominated by new music and ended with a trio of synthesized hits including “I Saw the Light” and “Hello It’s Me” channeling Neil Young’s Trans-era “Mr. Soul”.

I admire the risk taking and the show worked for me on its own merits, but it left me wondering how an artist like Todd Rundgren fits into today’s music scene. Who will purchase his new music, if anyone, and in what format? It is a complicated environment but Todd Rundgren is fighting the good fight even if ultimately he may be pissing in the wind.

Global

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GQ

After seeing the legendary Carlos Santana perform an amazing show at Forest Hills Stadium last night, I’m off to Jones Beach Theater tonight to attend the once again reunited Van Halen show and the used to be legendary Eddie VH with David Lee Roth holding down vocals and assorted hijinks. Alex Van Halen, who in my estimation is the most overrated drummer in the history of rock and roll, is still in the circus and Chaz Bono  has been reportedly seen slapping the bass in place of Michael Anthony.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd is opening for a night that has the potential to be a train wreck but is sure to be highly entertaining.

Beautiful Girls at the Beach

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GQ