Well last night in Boston was interesting. For the first time in many years I was going to see Joe and really didn't know what to expect in the song department. Really, no clue. I saw the set list from Albany and other than the acoustic set I was woefully ignorant of most of the songs in the electric set. Yes, I know most were from the new album, some from the Red Rocks show, but I have not been one of the folks on here who gleefully dived into the latest album or watched a lot of the Red Rock vids. I like it, but it didn't bowl me over the few times I listened, so it has been one of those (there has been one other) that I decided to let it sit awhile and then revisit when the mood was right. I also had heard some of the songs live in November so I knew those ones. Fortunately, as is usually the case with Joe's stuff, the songs always sound much better in live mode than studio, and I really enjoyed the new stuff. I hope Joe will keep So What Would I Do in the set (it makes a great closer). In a lot of ways it is like Asking Around for You in its sentimental appeal, but as happens with other songs of Joe's that develop and change over time I think this one has a lot of possibilities. Having the horns was nice. I saw the original horn section at RAH in 2009, and again at Shepherd's Bush in 2013 and loved the texture and depth they added then and now. I ran into Lee Thornburg outside and had one of those "I know who you are I've seen you with Joe before" moments - very nice guy, and his trumpet playing is great.
The acoustic set was killer. These guys are going out with a bang and then some. Slow Train was the bomb! Someone posted my one and only video I took last night earlier ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPW_HeULGYg ). I kept looking over my shoulder for an approaching headlight (or security person). I was with several people last night who had never seen the acoustic set and they just loved it. Lenny Castro is a one man show in and of itself.
Reese Wynans deserves special mention. He is a legend in his own right, and he just MADE a lot of the songs last night. Subtle but always there, and sounded like he had been playing with this band for years and not just a few times. He was obviously having a ball just being there. I hope he will stay with the band for awhile, but I will understand if he does not.
Odds and ends: Carmine's boots were so cool, audience was a bit rowdy, but not seriously so for the size of the place (3,000+), great to see a lot of my Boston gig buddies again, and would someone please tell the Wang to stop checking tickets for the second time before you get to the third person to check your ticket - huge bottleneck in the outer lobby. Also - to Joe's lighting people: during Oh, Beautiful those orange, very high powered lights (the ones sitting on the stage) that kept blasting on the audience were painful, literally. Please change the angle or something. I literally thought my eyeballs were going to split open at one point. Probably does not affect everyone but it was really unpleasant.
Overall a great night, with one exception: no Mountain Time! I know Joe put Sloe Gin back into the set list because of one lady from Arizona who complained. Well, I am officially registering my complaint about Mountain Time. It is the one song I just need to hear live on a regular basis. I know (or at least hope) it will be back, but it was dearly missed last night.
Long show (ended at 10:45), so to answer all those who complained about prices I certainly feel as if I got my moneys worth. Ten masterful musicians in one show, and I caught one of Tal's sticks. Great night.
Sandy
"There's a lot of people that are in so much of a hurry to be, I guess, to be famous or that they don't want to take the time to learn to play and do all that.They'd rather just knock it down off a computer and maybe get on a game show and get famous..That's fine if that's what you want to do.
"We're more old school than that. We like creating the sounds." - Tom Petty
love that song!!/ and replaced it with "I Can't Be Satisfied"...hope we will hear both at RCMH Sat night!!!