• From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Topic: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

OK, I've recharged the batteries after double dippin' all day and night yesterday. After getting my first Joe fix since last Sept. I didn't think the day could get much better. Outside of a Joe gig this was one of the best I've seen in years, right up there with the Steve Miller blues review back in March. I had an offer to take a friends tix for this show when he decided to go to the mtns. instead, but when I won the front row seats I couldn't resist. Bluezman ended up going with me after a close call with Shred makin' it. The minute Mark hit the stage the crowd was electrified. This was the first time I'd seen him live and I was pumped too. There weren't a whole lot of Dire Straits tunes, as I recall he played Walk of Life, Romeo & Juliet, So Far Away From Me, and Speedway at Nazareth ( a real crowd pleaser). The rest of the show consisted of his recent and past solo efforts which border on rootsy/bluegrassy material. Mark rotated between his LP and Strat and Resonator. His sideman Richard Bennett played a wide variety of electric and acoustic stringed instruments almost stealing the thunder from Mark at times, but receiving big grins from Knopfler each time. Long time band mate Guy Fletcher was steady on the keyboards as was the rest of the band. About four songs in Mark spotted a guy not too far behind us with a video device and pointed him out to security who promptly 86ed the guy. An English gent named Peter who's Mark's road management was standing next to my seat and during a song break I asked him what went down. He said some bloody wanker had a video device disguised as binoculars and Knopfler spotted a light in the lense and asked for the guy to be removed. Tapers beware if you attend one of Mark's shows, it won't be tolerated, obviously. The crowd begged for a second encore hoping for Money For Nothing, which would have brought the house down at that point, but they obliged with an instrumental number and bowed on their way out. Definitely worth seeing this tour and I'd check him out again for sure.

                                                                                                     Think Green,

                                                                                                     J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • SRV
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  • From: Pittsburgh
  • Registered: 2007-09-13
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Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

Nice Dawg.....you saw a legend, for sure.....

Do you happen to know how the tour is named?  Like, Mark Knopfler, Mark Knopfler Band, etc?

Reason I ask, I tried putting him into Google's band watch, but came up empty.....

Of course, there's always the distinct possibility I spelled his name wrong.....

They're at home still runnin' for bells
Better San Juan
Than that blue collar hell
  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

Every billing I saw just came under Mark Knopfler.

                                                                                 Think Green,

                                                                                 J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • SRV
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  • From: Pittsburgh
  • Registered: 2007-09-13
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Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

I just tried it again.....nuttin'.

That's pretty strange, unless he has some problem with Google.....

They're at home still runnin' for bells
Better San Juan
Than that blue collar hell

5 Reply by ohiodawg13 (edited by ohiodawg13 2008-06-29 23:15:27)

  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

SRV,

     Found his website through Google no problem. 7/16  Fraze Pavillion  Kettering, Ohio

                                                                        7/26  Mann Center  Philadelphia, Pa.

                                                                        7/15  Ryman Auditorium  Nashville, Tn.

No Pittsburgh date however. The Ryman gig will no doubt bring some guest artists since he has strong ties to many C&W artists. this would be a killer show to catch.

             http://www.markknopfler.com/tour/

                                                                                                   Good Luck,

                                                                                                   J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • From: Central PA, USA
  • Registered: 2007-11-18
  • Posts: 1,037

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

Thanks for that review, J Dawg... I SOOO want to make that 7/26 Philly show... think I'm gonna try to finagle it somehow, especially after reading that!

--Vik cool

  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2006-12-19
  • Posts: 136

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

The tour is the Kill To Get Crimson tour, named after his latest album. Speedway at Nazareth is really an awesome live song isnt it?! The last few minutes of it is allways thundering les paul heaven. On this tour it was even more dramatic because of the lighting rig that came down during that part, with part of his iconic National pictured on it.

We have just one world, but we live in different ones.

8 Reply by ohiodawg13 (edited by ohiodawg13 2008-06-30 03:21:54)

  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

Yeah that lighting rig was cool. I didn't notice it till the second or third song. we were sittin' in the front row looking upward. the people in back on the lawn at this venue might never have seen it since they're about 100+ ft. above the stage. When it swings down it's just above the drummers head. If anybody has seen the DVD I have from Real Live Roadrunning with Emmylou Harris this tour is very similar minus Emmylou and the songs she and Mark do on the DVD. I was never into Speedway that much till I saw the DVD version. Now it's one of my favorites. I also never paid attention to the lyrics and now understand it's about a race car driver.

                                                                                                         Think Green,

                                                                                                         J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • SRV
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  • From: Pittsburgh
  • Registered: 2007-09-13
  • Posts: 509

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

ohiodawg13 wrote:

SRV,

     Found his website through Google no problem. 7/16  Fraze Pavillion  Kettering, Ohio

                                                                        7/26  Mann Center  Philadelphia, Pa.

                                                                        7/15  Ryman Auditorium  Nashville, Tn.

No Pittsburgh date however. The Ryman gig will no doubt bring some guest artists since he has strong ties to many C&W artists. this would be a killer show to catch.

             http://www.markknopfler.com/tour/

                                                                                                   Good Luck,

                                                                                                   J Dawg

Thanks Dawg...

But finding his website wasn't the problem I had.  I should have been more clear, sorry.  Google has a free service that tracks your favorite bands, and then emails you when they play near you.  It's called Gruvr.  (I think I said Google's band watch...)  But when I plugged his name in, it came up empty.....seems a little odd to me.....

http://gruvr.com/signup/

You mentioned how Mark likes to have guest artists show up, and that got me thinkin'.  Might be smart to cross reference his tour with Sonny Landreth's.  If they're close at any point, there may be a good chance of Sonny showin' up.  For two reasons:  Sonny's promoting a new album, and the two of them seem to be very close friends.....

A friend of mine took his wife to see Jimmy Buffett in NYC a few weeks ago, got there after the show had started, and could hear Sonny's guitar as soon as he walked through the door.  Sonny was playing Philly the next night, and popped in Buffett's show.....

PS...Ramonster, thanks for the tour name, but that didn't do it either...

They're at home still runnin' for bells
Better San Juan
Than that blue collar hell
  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

I know Sonny played on Jimmy's License To Chill CD. I don't know if he toured with the Coral Reefer Band on the supporting tour though. I've followed Knopfler's cross overs into C&W Music over the years with him playing on various artists recordings as well as C&W artists covering Dire Straits tunes. My favorite of them all is him sitting in on the Judd's version of Water Of Love. I also have Marks country project with the Nottinghillbillies from the UK.

                                                                                                     Think Green,

                                                                                                     J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2006-12-19
  • Posts: 136

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

ohiodawg13 wrote:

Yeah that lighting rig was cool. I didn't notice it till the second or third song. we were sittin' in the front row looking upward. the people in back on the lawn at this venue might never have seen it since they're about 100+ ft. above the stage. When it swings down it's just above the drummers head. If anybody has seen the DVD I have from Real Live Roadrunning with Emmylou Harris this tour is very similar minus Emmylou and the songs she and Mark do on the DVD. I was never into Speedway that much till I saw the DVD version. Now it's one of my favorites. I also never paid attention to the lyrics and now understand it's about a race car driver.

                                                                                                         Think Green,

                                                                                                         J Dawg

Yup, I had that too, I'd always skip Speedway At Nazareth on the cd thinking it was a boring country song. But when I saw a live clip of it and witnessed it live a while after that it really became a favourite. The lyrics describe a racing drivers season, I think in the indycar/C.A.R.T. championship. It's a good example of his story telling/observational songwriting style.
I didnt notice the print on the lighting rig till it came down.

We have just one world, but we live in different ones.
  • From: Deep in the forest
  • Registered: 2007-02-11
  • Posts: 5,296

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

I posted this some place else, but, Mark is on Sonny Landreth's new CD along with a whole group of other well knowns, like Eric Johnson, really an excellent disc!!!   Cathy

13 Reply by SRV

  • SRV
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Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

cathysiler wrote:

I posted this some place else, but, Mark is on Sonny Landreth's new CD along with a whole group of other well knowns, like Eric Johnson, really an excellent disc!!!   Cathy

Just don't play Uberesso while yer drivin' Cath.....

They're at home still runnin' for bells
Better San Juan
Than that blue collar hell
  • From: Southern New Jersey, USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-23
  • Posts: 2,966

Re: Mark Knopfler Greek Theater/Berkeley 6/28

My husband just starting getting a newsletter from Martin Guitar.  There is a page with letters to Mr. Martin.  In June's issue, there is a note from Mark Knopler.  It says...they have arrived in Carmel, Uruguay and Mark had received the beautiful 000-18 Norman Blake Signature Model.  Mark mentioned it being a clever choice and he immediately loved it and it became a friend after the first couple of bars.  On a personal note, I thought it was really sweet he wrote a note or sent an e-mail.  Also, in the issue, there is a photo of one of Clapton's signature edition Martin's 000-42M that he had a special touch added to; he had Steve Winwood's signature inlaid by the fret at the bottom of the neck by the hole.  Eric gave it to Steve at the 3rd Madison Square Garden show backstage in February.

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