Eric Clapton Crossroads (DAVID HANDSCHUH/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
Within the first ten minutes of the first night of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, I turned to my buddy and exclaimed, well, “that was better than an encore. Do we go home now?” Behind the attempted humor, I was serious in my sentiments.To open the show, Eric Clapton and guests greeted an enthusiastic full house at Madison Square Garden with a five-song acoustic set that drifted and jived through Clapton staples like “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight.” Clapton invited artists like Vince Gill and Andy Fairweather Low on stage, the latter of which sang tremendous lead vocals on his song “Spider Jivin” – the second song of the night. Clapton began the concert with “Driftin.” In the middle of his opening set, Clapton performed “Tears in Heaven,” which he has unearthed for his 50th Anniversary Tour. The song, written in response to the death of Clapton’s four-year-old son, is as potent as it is simple. Because of its subject, Clapton rarely plays it (last time before this tour was in 2003). Hearing him perform the song live was well worth the price of admission.
At the helm of the show was emcee and original Blues Brother, Dan Akroyd, who introduced artists and, prior to the concluding set by the Allman Brothers, performed a rousing version of “Got My Mojo Working” with Keb ‘Mo. In reviewing my notes from the show – and recalling my euphoric loquaciousness during/after the show, I realize now that despite my pre-show expectation to see a slew of revered guitar gods, I couldn’t quite grasp how overwhelming and ethereal the concert would be. Perhaps the “kid in a candy store” axiom might suffice in describing the crowd’s zeal, but I believe it may be a little weak. There was an infectious gregariousness to the crowd; this wonderful atmosphere of musical passion and friendship. It was as if the guitar community was coming together for a convention, a mind-blowing convention.
Let’s face it; the entire five-hour concert was a highlight. It was a virtual all-star game of guitarists. I intended on marking down some highlights of the night, but I ended up typing furiously on my cell phone (and then my friend’s cell phone after my battery depleted) just to keep up with the plethora of highlights. For your reading pleasure, I have narrowed down my thumb-tiring list of typed highlights to just three major performances during the show. Before I get to the top three of the night (not counting the Clapton solo set I mentioned above), let me commend Booker T and Steve Cropper for their set (the first after Clapton’s acoustic opener). Paired with Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Keb Mo, Booker T and the NEW MG’s played a five-song set (concluding with “Green Onions) that featured a strong version of “Born Under a Bad Sign.”
Now on to the top 3…
3.) “Everyday I Have the Blues” with Robert Cray, B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughn & Eric Clapton
Blues royalty. Yeah, something like that. B.B. King, who is in possession of a personal fountain of youth, was electric for the few songs he sat in on. I particularly like this performance because it highlights the spirit of the festival. As these legends (King, Cray, Vaughn, and Clapton) playfully swapped and stole solos from each other, the crowd could almost smell the aroma of blues – which to me is a mixture of hard scotch and worn guitar strings. This jam is about as authentic as you can get. It is the blues. Strip away the stage, crowd, and allure, and there would still be four individuals playing the blues.
2.) “Don’t Let me Down” with John Mayer and Keith Urban
After a small set of original pieces, John Mayer summoned Keith Urban onto stage to complete a guitar duo for an electric performance of The Beatles’ “Don’t Let me Down.” There are so many things to like about this performance. A.) It’s an awesome cover of a Beatles’ song. B.) John Mayer and Keith Urban can flat-out kill it on the guitar. C.) They also can sing pretty damn well. D.) If you listen closely, the band adds several interesting influences into the song (country hints mixed with traditional blues). E.) Go to the 3:00 minute mark, refer back to B, and enjoy.
1.) “Whipping Post” with The Allman Brothers Band
12 minutes of pure, unadulterated, brilliance. Watching the Allman Brothers Band is always a treat, but they brought it to a completely different level for this concluding performance at Crossroads. The solos were that much more inspired, and the band played with some extra fire and oomph that propelled the song to the apex of awesome. Listening to the jam-packed crowd, five hours into the concert, belt out the familiar lyrics like it was the opening song was also spectacular.
I’ve come to a conclusion. Bands who start off their concerts with a fly monster gradually lifting his arms towards the sky while green laser beams shoot out of them towards the crowd will probably perform a good show. M83’s weeknight concert at Central Park Summerstage proved this abstruse statistic correct. The French shoegaze/synthpop foursome led by vocalist, conductor, art director, pianist, etc. Anthony Gonzalez combined forces with a full on-stage orchestra to blast ambient riffs to an excited crowd.
Okocim and I expected the crowd to be more Hipstery. I’m not entirely sure what we meant by that, but we both know collectively what we are talking about. Skinny, cigarette-puffing, open button-downs or short skin-revealing black t’s, slicked back hair, $300 ensemble, crossing their arms and nodding at the music while sipping a craft beer or, better yet, wine from the City Winery cart. Instead, the concert was attended by an eclectic group of mostly 20-somethings dancing and sweating in the inevitable cloud of weed and beer. M83 played to the crowd exceptionally well, putting together a set list that unctuated skillfully and culminated into percussion-heavy fast-paced electronic synth tracks that sparked sweaty dancing. It was certainly an intimate gathering as my sweat-soaked shirt and aching knee would suggest.
The light show (you can see a little taste above) was exceptionally well-done. It was coordinated perfectly with the music, and it was not excessive. It accentuated the tracks and provided listeners with brilliant visual stimuli.
During the concert, as drug-induced swaying mixed with hums and yells, I started thinking about the type of music that M83 creates. It is a type of electronic that is original to them. “Midnight City,” for example – their most popular song and the one that received the most cheers during the show – is pop, well synthpop. But their other material is dreamy, smooth, and almost drawn-out (giving them the shoegaze title – but one that is light on guitars). Some may call the music Indietronica, an obscure combo genre that is not used so often. I think I am going to settle on calling them M83. They are unique. A majority of their music comes from the 80’s new wave movement, but they have transformed it into something original. And it’s exciting to hear a unique band.
They are also refreshingly grateful. There perfusive thanks to the crowd was authentic. You could really tell they love playing music and performing it. I’d say my favorite song of the night was “Outro” into “Colours” in the encore. “Outro” features Gonzalez’s vocals above a gradually rising song that eventually blows up. This is followed by “Colours,” a track off of Saturdays=Youth that is equatable to an electro-dance piece. It was a great decision to close the night.
Every concert emits a certain aura, whether it is a laid-back coffe-shop jazz quartet or a head-banging arena show. For more than a decade, Coldplay has colored crowds with concerts that near reckless joy, leaving sold-out audiences with permanent grin marks. The current Mylo Xyloto tour is more of the same, and for a Coldplay concert virgin, I must say I wasn’t wrong in my effusive confidence that I wouldn’t be disappointed.
I was blown away by Coldplay’s ability to perform a concert with tremendous production value that does not take away from the music (but rather adds to the songs). In calculated moments, props were added to songs (beach balls, glowing blown-up shapes, confetti), and these elements added color to the rainbow rays of laser light that shot around the IZOD center in New Jersey on Friday. The true bulk of the entire production was colored remote-controlled bracelets that were electronically lit up at certain points of the show, creating a multi-colored graffiti of light that brightened the dark and flashed collectively as the sold out arena aided lead singer Chris Martin with every lyric.
Graffiti, the theme of Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto and their current tour, is generally considered disorganized and splotchy. But when you look through the lines of sprayed color and chalky pictures, it is not difficult to see a hint of togetherness in the art. This is what was perhaps most striking about the concert. There was an incredible element of family and togetherness, and the band played to this successfully.
It is Coldplay’s comfort on the stage that has most likely influenced their staying power. While they may not be flawless performers, they are damn near close. Martin’s voice is unchanged from recordings to stage, and I always respect a vocalist who is actually a damn good vocalist. The music was tremendous throughout the 21-song set. The acoustics of the IZOD center are a little better than decent. The sound can get a little absorbed by the stadium creating a slight echo that drowns out some of the bass. It was obviously best when, in the encore, the band, who had now moved to a mock side stage in the right stands (lucky people who had seats there), slowly added instruments.
Of the entire set, “The Scientist” stood out to me. It was not only because of my absolute enjoyment of that song, but also the loud sing-along that overcame Martin at times. But, who am I kidding, the entire show was pretty much a joint sing-along. “The Scientist” was followed by an acoustic performance of “Yellow.” Did you know “Yellow” is more than a decade old. Wow. I realized that during the show as I sang it with reckless abandon of my vocal chords. My chops took further shots during “Clocks” and “Fix You,” and, heck, I’ll admit it, “Viva La Vida” and the concert finale “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.”
Say what you want. Say the band sold out from its Brit-piano-pop roots. I wouldn’t call what Coldplay did selling out. They evolved. And this was quite evident by the diverse crowd at the show. 30-40-year-olds mixed with 14-15-year-olds singing past and present songs like they were part of a church choir. Coldplay’s electro-pop Mylo Xyloto was just one more notch in Coldplay’s belt. The next album and tour will certainly be even more creative, and I am looking forward to attending.
The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour at Jones Beach in New York last night
It was 47 years ago when everything changed for the Beach Boys. Before that year, the original boys of summer were founded by a 16-year-old music obsessed Brian Wilson who urged his two brothers Dennis and Carl to practice background harmonies with him in an attempt to emulate some of the vocal groups that were on the charts in 1961. The band originally consisted of the brothers, their cousin Mike Love, and Al Jardine, a friend of Brian’s. In 1962, the band added 13-year-old David Marks for two years.
Before 1965, only one other individual played in the band and that was the rhinestone cowboy himself, Mr. Glen Campbell, who joined the band in 1964 and played with them for a year as a tour replacement for Brian Wilson. Last night, as the Beach Boys hit Jones Beach on the way to several more 50th anniversary shows, 76-year-old Glen Campbell said farewell at the Hollywood Bowl, performing what was billed as his last show. Campbell revealed that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2011. It is truly strange how these things work out.
In the first few years of their creation, The Beach Boys were heavily influenced by Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and Chuck Berry’s ubiquitous guitar riff, so much so that a couple of their songs were variations of Chuck Berry’s material (most notably “Surfing USA” compared with “Sweet Little Sixteen”). The music was quick and catchy. The harmonies perfect. The Beach Boys reached a level of immense success from their juvenile endeavors. Across the pond, a band named the Beatles were doing something similar. In 1964, the Beatles stepped on American soil, albeit on the other side of the United States in New York, but this symbolically and literally meant that the Beatles had crossed over onto the turf of the Beach Boys.
In 1965, 47 years ago, The Beatles released Rubber Soul, an album that inspired Brian Wilson to quite literally go straight to the piano and bang out “God Only Knows” which Paul McCartney has said is the greatest song ever written. Pet Sounds was released in 1966. The Beach Boys now had a new key member, Bruce Johnston, who joined the band in 1965. Pet Sounds is usually rated as the second greatest album of all time. Some view it as number one and the case can certainly be made for that ranking. What is ranked number one? The Beatles’ follow-up to Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which when it was released in 1967 combined with Pet Sounds to prove to musicians everywhere that anything is possible. These are arguably the two most influential albums ever. Brian Wilson then attempted to one-up Sgt. Peppers and, in many ways he was far too advanced for his time. If you listen to Smile, Brian Wilson’s masterpiece that took him more than 40 years and full mental breakdown to complete, the music is doused in complex harmonies, intricate and excentric melodies, and, as Mike Love put it in a recent interview, what he thought were “obtuse” lyrics. I think they are genius. The album, though, could never match with Sgt. Pepper’s because it wasn’t completed.
Why did Brian Wilson snap? He was an incredibly hard worker and eager drug taker. Generally those two do not mix well for long. He certainly may have driven himself to insanity. Many individuals, though, believe that this was just one factor. The Wilson father, Murry, was the band’s manager, and while he pushed the band to improve, he was verbally abusive and controlling. Brian Wilson has come out and said that his fear of his father hung around his head. Unquestionably, a lot of factors combined, and thankfully Brian Wilson is currently doing alright and seems to be having a good time on stage with his band mates.
One of the only tastes that people got from Smile was Brian Wilson’s pocket symphony called “Good Vibrations,” which only topped both the British and American charts when it was released as a single prior to Sgt. Pepper’s in 1966.
Wow. That is around 600 words and I haven’t even gotten to the concert review yet. To celebrate 50 years, the Beach Boys reunited and have been touring this year to sold-out crowds across the country. Brian Wilson is joined by Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and even David Marks. Behind them stands a full ensemble that help create the full-on wall-of-sound. Jeff Foskett most notably sings the famous Beach Boys falsetto and did so throughout the show last night.
Why did I mention the number 47? Well, the Beach Boys performed 47 songs last night at Jones Beach. Yes, many of them are surf dittys, but please do keep in mind we are not talking about 35-year-old musicians here. Love, Wilson, Johnston, and Jardine are either already 70-71 or 69. Whoever said age is just a number is absolutely correct in the case of the Beach Boys. The show they put on was energetic, vivacious, and fun, fun, fun. I’ll try not to make any more song name puns in this review.
The concert was understandably absolutely sold out and the crowd was an excellent mixture of original Beach Boys fans and the new generation of Beach Boys fans (myself). Jones Beach Theater (as one can imagine) is on the water, which is a perfect setting for a Beach Boys concert. I’ve never seen a concert so relaxed. Several beach balls were blown up and dispersed throughout the crowd and while the ushers usually put an end to the balls pretty quickly, I was convinced that they were actually blowing the balls up themselves. Now, of course, with the cross wind, most of the balls ended up in the water, but the ushers were retrieving the balls in the aisles and throwing them back into the crowd.
The Beach Boys opened with a string of short pieces like “Catch a Wave” and “Surfin Safari.” From the beginning of the concert, the band was on target with their harmonies and moving around the stage like kids. Brian Wilson remained at the piano for most of the show. Think of the most recent Beach Boys line-ups prior to this show and the semi-novelty acts that they have put on and combine that with like 50x the enthusiasm. They seemed like they just couldn’t wait to show the crowd what they had next and the crowd ate it all up.
One of the best things about the Beach Boys is you do not have to be a big fanatic to have a good time at the show. Yes, this is the same with most bands, but with the Beach Boys it is a little different. Even if you do not know all of the songs, you know a few. You’ve heard “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” and “Surfer Girl” before. The music puts a smile on your face.
The first set ended with a five-song hit-parade beginning with track 20 of the night, “Be True to Your School” and followed by “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “409,” “Shut Down,” and “I Get Around.” I found a video of this set starting from “Little Deuce Coupe” on Youtube. This was around where I was sitting (up and to the left). Take a listen.
See the big beach ball? I hit that around this song. I’m sure you all care so much. Just listen to this. How great do they sound? The best part is the mass sing-along during “I Get Around” which pretty much drowns out the performance. This is how it was for a lot of the night. I must continue to give credit to Jeff Foskett who carried a difficult falsetto through the entire performance. He also looks like a combination between Jon Lovitz and Ted from Scrubs (Sam Lloyd).
After a well-deserved intermission, the Boys came out with an intimate version of “Add Some Music to Your Day” where they all huddled around Brian Wilson’s piano (like old times) and supported him throughout the song.
One of my favorite songs of the night was “Heroes and Villains,” which was supposed to appear on Smile. This song, which sounds like no other, was co-written by Van Dyke Parks. Here is Brian Wilson performing this song recently solo.
Couple of things to keep in mind. The song is incredibly intricate. Brian Wilson may be the unparalleled master of vocal layering. The music is also eerie. It swoons and changes so many times that in a Broadway-esque fashion you do not know what to expect. Wilson played with a string section, several pianos, and horns to create this song. The song was also created in 1967. It is even beyond the progressive rock that it had a part in inspiring. It’s not just a song. It is a work of art, and it was awesome hearing it live.
Towards the end of the show, the band put together two songs back-to-back to honor Dennis and Carl Wilson who have both passed away – Dennis drowned in 1983 at Marina Del Rey (he had been drinking all day and had major issues with alcohol abuse) and Carl died in 1998 from cancer. The way they did this was pretty awesome. For Dennis they put up a video of him singing “Forever” and harmonized with him like he was there, and they did the same with Carl singing my favorite Beach Boys song (and Paul McCartney’s) “God Only Knows.”
After “God Only Knows” the Beach Boys went into one of their lesser known songs, “Good Vibrations,” (haha) and, well, it was incredible. What else can I say. We hit some “Help me Rhonda” and “Surfin USA” and then the encore rolled around and we had this:
You may hear some louder-than-usual cheers during the song. That are the ladies in the audience screaming at John Stamos who is playing with the Beach Boys during their tour (he was in the “Kokomo” video if you remember). He is on stage playing bongos. The audio was strangely low for the song. It turned up for the song #46 “Barbara Ann,” which I actually think was the best performed song of the night – at #46. They ended with “Fun, Fun, Fun” and isn’t that fitting. It describes the concert better than any of my words can!
In 1966, a group of musicians tried something a little different. Inspired by the British Invasion and the incipient inclusion of string instruments in rock n’ roll songs, The Left Banke, under the auspices of writer/keyboardist Michael Brown’s father Harry Lookofsky (a session violinist who ran a studio and became interested in the band’s sound) sold a piece composed by Brown called “Walk Away Renee” to Smash Records. It didn’t take long before the song became a hit, disseminating this creative new style to several of their contemporaries who observed this string-laden rock and tried it out for themselves. The song features a noticeable string section, harpsichord, and a flute solo (inspired by the Mamas and Papas “California Dreamin”). The music was inspirational, ethereal, melodic, but most importantly different and refreshing. It is pre-progressive rock and pre-psychedelic. And what’s so freaky is that the band members were teens. Now, 46 years after the song’s release, the Left Banke are back, and last weekend I was fortunate enough to see them reunite and play B.B. King’s Bar and Grill in New York City.
I want to focus this post not on the history of this underappreciated band, but on the concert which featured a revitalized and excited Tom Finn, George Cameron, and, in place of Steve Caro, killer vocalist and guitar Mike Fornatale. Current members also include Paul Alves – Guitar, Charly Cazalet – Bass, Mickey Finn – Keyboards, Rick Reil – Drums / Vocals.
The Left Banke was joined by opening act Alan Merrill who too was a trend-setter. The Bronx-born son of jazz musicians became the first westerner to achieve pop star status in Japan. He actually tried out for the Left Banke in 1968 and while the audition was successful the band dissolved. He moved to Japan and tried to start a career there which faced some initial stumbling blocks but eventually became extremely successful and he was boosted into teen idol status. This was all before he co-wrote and released the first version of internationally recognized mega-hit “I Love Rock n’ Roll” which you all know to be by Joan Jett. His set was short but his three-person band (including himself) performed up-beat rock beats with Merrill soloing on his electric. And, as expected, at the sound of “I Love Rock n’ Roll” everyone perked up and started singing along because it is actually impossible not to sing that chorus.
Alan Merrill
The Left Banke walked onto stage soon after. Well, actually all of them but one; Tom Finn was somewhere on the main floor. The band shared a great laugh with the crowd before Finn climbed on stage, plugged in, and assured the crowd that it got better. Finn looked at Cameron and the band, counted down, and they were off, performing track two on side one of their seminal album Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina. “She May Call You Up Tonight,” a Brown and Caro composition, sparked immediate harmonies that showed no rust.
The Left Banke concentrated on meticulously perfected harmonies and I’m sure they would have been disappointed if the melody was off, but, they were even more on than I thought they would have been. Fornatale’s excellent voice certainly helped, but I give Finn and Cameron credit for successfully jumping right into mid-60s form. If you closed your eyes (and ignored the difference in lead vocalist) you were transported back to youthful smiles and moptops.
I’ve discussed “Pretty Ballerina” before on this blog. This has been a song that my father (who also attended the concert with my girlfriend and me) and I have talked about at length. There is something so eerie and depressing, but surreptitiously beautiful about this Brown composition. It is dream-like (understandably when you look at the lyric) and repetitive. It is that piano repetition that gets you.
And wouldn’t you know it, the man himself, Michael Brown, joined The Left Banke to play his trademark keyboard riff. When he walked on stage he received a warm standing ovation from the crowd who more than appreciated his appearance and, he jumped right into the riff like never missed a beat. He never did miss a beat. I will say it now. I have said it many times. “Pretty Ballerina” was one of the most creative and influential songs written in the 1960s and it is a shame more do not know of it.
Michael Brown doing what he does best.
The Left Banke played 23 songs during the show and sampled from their first two albums and other catalog material. Songs like “Barterers and their Wives,” “Shadows Breaking Over My Head,” and the Finn-creation “Nice To See You” received some of the most applause. For one man sitting a few tables down for me, “Bryant Hotel,” sung by George Cameron, was the absolute highlight of his night. It’s a great song, but he was practically begging for it.
The show also featured a talented two-person string section of violinist Lynn Bechtold and cellist Ben Larsen who provided the refreshing strings to most of the pieces.
Like all good things, the concert did come to a close, but I learned a few things. First off, The Left Banke is creating new material and make sure to keep in tune with their Facebook for more information. You can also check out their website and a great fan page.
Mainly, though, I learned that the Left Banke should be higher regarded in 60’s music history books. Despite the band’s limited releases, their influence on several baroque pop bands that came into popularity in the early 70s cannot be overstated. They grandfathered that movement and were a gigantic influence on progressive rock.
The Music Court 