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The Big Throwdown II Tour, Nissan Pavilion, Bristow VA, 7/9/05
Listening to Lee Ann Womack sing is like listening to a pure, angelic sound. Her voice is always on-target, whether recorded or live. It’s clear she was born to sing country music. Her fans know and love this about her, and it showed in tonight’s performance. Speaking of the loyal fans, who poorly received her CD released in '02 showcasing Lee Ann’s more pop looks and sounds, they now welcome her back with open arms after her latest release, There's More Where That Came From. Her stage set-up was simple: drums, rhythm, electric, bass, keys and fiddle. No flashy lights – just music, a beautiful voice, and great songs. In her Capri jeans and white baby doll top, it was easy to see that she really knows her audience.
Lee Ann opened her set with "Now You See Me Now You Don't," a fun little ditty about leaving a relationship. She then went into her more serious songs, such as "Two is a Crowd," in which she sings about a husband who supposedly 'works' too much, and a wife working up the strength to leave. It’s a very traditional country song, and of course, was an excellent display of Lee Ann’s vocal ability. She also did a great rendition of "I Got The Picture, She Got You." With its nice bluesy sound, it was one of my favorites. Who knew she had that much soul?!
Among the crowd favorites was "I’ll Think Of A Reason Later," a clever tongue-in-cheek song about a girl not liking the new chick in her ex-boyfriend’s life. Our girl calls her nemesis a thin little target, and sings about blacking out her teeth. She doesn’t know why she hates her, but she’ll think of a reason later. Something every woman, at one time or another, has probably shamefully experienced. Next came her current single on the charts, "I’ll Hate Myself In The Morning," in which the audience got to enjoy the surprise guest Jack Ingram who wasin the video and also sang on the song. Of course, her big closing was the all-time favorite song for her to beat, "I Hope You Dance." It was every bit the show-stopper that a final song should be. Now on to the headliner, the one who sold the show, Mr. Toby Keith.
I was surprised to see all the entertainment aspects of Toby’s show, which started with a video of aliens trying to fight with Toby, but in the end were just trying to steal him and get him to sing. Toby, of course, escaped – by driving his Ford (who sponsored the tour) off the space ship. There were loud and bright fire works on the stage, and a huge band: Toby on acoustic guitar, plus two electric guitars, slide, bass, drums, a trumpet, trombone, sax, and background singers. Horns for a country singer? Who knew?! The set had a Ford truck coming through the back wall, and guitars were sent down from the top of the set each time he needed to change them out.
As for the crowd, they went wild when he came on stage. He has extremely loyal and devoted fans. I saw several military uniforms in the audience, which was fitting, as Toby is known for his strong support for our troops.
He started the show with "Red White, and Blue," while red, white, and blue fire works went off. He then went on to sing "What Happens in Mexico," followed by his hit song "I’m Just Talking About Tonight." Toby had the crowd hanging onto -- and singing along with -- his every word.
Toby didn't do a ton of new songs; he sang what the crowd wanted to hear and what they paid to hear. His hits! Including "Talk About Me," "Ain’t Much Fun Since I Quite Drinking," and one of my favorites, "Should’ve Been A Cowboy." This one he changed up a bit from the recorded version. He made it interesting by performing it with a hint of reggae, which was very cool.
Toby’s fans would have camped out all night to hear him sing. They did not want him to leave the stage. By the end of the night there were plenty of beer drinking, boot wearing, screaming fans to encourage two encores!
-Janenne Remondino, guest reviewer
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Write Your Own Review: Agree with Ames's take on Coldplay live? Feel like she must be deaf, dumb and blind? This is your chance to spout off and share your opinion.
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The Beacon Theatre, New York, 5/17/05
John Mayer has a column in Esquire (and yes, I do have a point). In it, he muses on the merits of his fave musicians and pop culture ephemera. Who knew the kid could write?
Anyway, sitting here at the start of the night, impatiently awaiting the appearance of the next great hope to come from the Radiohead gene pool across the pond, one of Mayer's musings came to mind. To paraphrase Mayer, Coldplay are brilliant. (Yes, John, we know. And we're impressed that you have the good taste to mention it.) But, he points out, Chris Martin has a lot riding on this album. How, Mayer wonders, can the king of all things introspective, plaintive and lonely possibly have anything to say now that he's so happily -- and publicly -- situated in marital and patriarchal bliss? What could the crowned prince of intellectualized insecurity possibly have for us to relate to and identify with now? I find I'm of the same mind as Mayer. For Pete's sake, Chris Martin is married to an Oscar winning actress; an American icon as famous for her physical beauty as for her talent and terrible taste in baby names. Woe art thou, Chris Martin. Whoa indeed. (*insert sighing sound here*) And with such tremendous international success with their previous album, the follow up could be a make it or break it release.
Little did I know that Coldplay had a lot riding on this show, too. A private concert held by AOL Music Live at New York's Beacon Theatre, it will be America's introduction to their new material when it streams to millions online at AOLMusic.com. The audience is largely label types, with just a few lucky Coldplay lovers who had the good fortune to win tickets to the show. I think the question on the label people's lips may have been the same as Mayer's. After 3 years away, will their investment stillbe relevant to the ticket- and cd-buying public?
So, when they first appeared on stage earlier this evening, the sense of expectation in the air must have been palpable to Chris & Co. But to us Average Joes on the main floor, we just couldn't believe how darned lucky we are to have scored seats! In my case, I've missed all previous trips stateside, so this has been my big chance to make up for being late to the Coldplay party. And here they are on the stage of the Beacon, thanking the crowd "for coming to see us after three years of being gone!"
Coldplay are serving up their trademark sound, creating sonic landscapes with each song. It has been the kind of show where I find myself closing my eyes, lost in the music. And man, do I love it when that happens.
Chris Martin is a dynamic frontman. He's definitely the focal point, the star of the show without having an "I'm the star of the show" attitude. No strutting or peacockery from Martin. He earns the crowd's rapt attention, through pure talent, sincerity and understated charisma. When he raises his hands to the sky, howling, there are no Bono-esque messianic tendencies or "I'm on TV" posturing. It's just what he does when he's in the moment. When he bends low over the piano, it's almost as if he feels he can get closer to the music that way. And though Chris is undeniably a frontman, you can tell by the way he interacts with his bandmates that he considers himself one member of a band. It's not just The Chris Martin show, which makes me respect him all the more.
As a whole, the band is a cohesive unit with all their chops honed. Though this show is among the first they've played this go-round, they're in sync and tight. Rusty they are not.
They start us off with a moody tune, presumably off the new album, setting the tone for the evening -- one which they would find themselves battling at times. Enthralled, we listened attentively, eager to hear something new but familiar. Perhaps the band was looking for a more feverish response. If so, they should have opened with a howling crowd-pleaser.
Meanwhile, starting as it did, the crowd listened enrapt, hungrily drinking up the first notes we've ever heard from X&Y. But maybe Chris couldn't feel that vibe from the stage. Perhaps he confused enrapt attention with losing our attention. He seemed concerned we might be... dare I say it... bored?! Nothing could have been farther from the truth! Alas, from his between-song patter, it seemed he got off on the wrong foot, under a mistaken impression:
"We have the feeling like we're doing terribly badly. With all these cameras, we feel like we're on 'The Apprentice.' But we're not on 'The Apprentice!' We're f%$#ing Coldplay! So we're going to forget the cameras and give the best show of our lives!"
Believe me, we screamed, we applauded, we swayed, we swooned. Perhaps the label types in the balconies weren't quite as boisterous. Maybe they brought the collective effect down for the band. If that's the case, it's a darned shame. I wish Chris could have gotten the audience-eye-view of Gwyneth dancing around proudly, and my fellow fans waxing rhapsodic about how much "Coldplay RULES!"
As a live band, Coldplay isn't about showboating or spotlighting any one person's virtuosity with long solos or rants. They're about creating a sound, an atmosphere, an ambience, a mood, an environment. They could play with an elaborate light show or in the pitch black around a candle, and they would still sound as if they're playing just for themselves, working out their demons. Or playing just for you, giving you something to identify with and relate to.
Make no mistake. For any fans of Parachutes or A Rush of Blood to the Head, there has been plenty to sing along and swing along to. With their expert manipulation of dynamics, swelling into crashing crescendos or lulling with playful pianissimo, we have been transported to Coldplay's planet. And it's a nice place to visit. It might be grand to buy a house and try living there awhile.
As if to address John Mayer's question head-on and any doubting Thomas in the audience, Martin sings, "What if you should decide that you don't want me there by your side." Yes folks, Chris still has that touching insecurity we crave that makes him accessible. He's still mortal and we can still identify with him, despite his fame and good fortune. Think about it -- would you feel 100% secure with golden goddess Gwyneth as a wife? I imagine anyone would probably be preoccupied, dreading the day that she wakes up wondering why she's with them, too.
There have been so many quintessential Coldplay moments tonight. But there's one that really sticks out. As the crowd crows along, singing, "I was lost, oh yeah," Martin beats his heart as if to remind us to sing from the heart, or that we're touching his heart. And when he asks us, "Is anyone going to come see us again? We'll be so much better, I promise," there wasn't a voice in the room that didn't roar.
The bottom line? Coldplay is amazing live. I guess an off night for them is equivalent to the best gig most bands will ever play.
-- Ames Friedman
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"This one was better than both San Diego shows, but Anaheim was the best." Or so says U2 fan Josh C. of the 5/18 show at the Meadowlands in NJ.
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Write Your Own Review: Agree with Ames's take on Maroon 5 live? Feel like she must be deaf, dumb and blind? This is your chance to spout off and share your opinion.
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Honda Civic Tour, Radio City Music Hall, New York, 4/8/05
Who would have guessed it would be all bright lights, big cities for Maroon 5 if you had seen them seemingly marooned 5 years ago. But dang, how the landscape has changed. Here we are at the third and final of a string of sold-out dates at Radio City Music Hall shortly after their big night at the Grammys. Yes, that’s right. Allow me to underscore that: Radio City Music Hall. (Yes, that Radio City Music Hall.) Three sold-out nights. Grammy win.
Where were they five years ago? Marooned on a desert island of modern rock mediocrity without a prayer of rescue. In my daydream, it went something like this: “Skipper, Maryann, let’s put some Ginger in the sound and turn ourselves into the new reigning Professors of funkalicious dance rock for a post-Timberlake neo-soul era.”
With the band’s brand of funkified alt-pop pumping out hooky grooves by the minute, it’s no wonder John Mayer’s audiences were won over, one by one, over the course of two consecutive tours. Who cares if the audience had never heard of Maroon 5 before? The minute “This Love” comes spilling out of the speaker cabs, no crowd with a pair of eardrums between them could help but get off their @$$es and boogie. I dare you to try and sit that one out.
Any musician worth their Marshall stacks can tell you that the greatest test an unknown band can face is an enormous crowd of virgin ears. Think about it. Three years of opening for other bands’ megatours later, and Maroon 5 find themselves nailing platinum records to their walls, selling out dates across the country, and winning the Grammy. If that’s not the best endorsement for a band’s ability to rock a live show, I don’t know what is. They shot from obscurity, not only due to their hook-writing ability, but on the strength of their live performances. It’s hard to think of a better argument for why you should buy a concert ticket. ‘Nuff said on that account.
So yeah, it was easy enough to convince me that this was one of the tickets well worth spending my hard-earned money on this season. (Doesn’t hurt that it wasn’t an expensive ticket to begin with, either.) But still, I was dying of curiosity. Maroon 5 released Songs About Jane in 2002. How would they sound after 3 years straight touring behind the same material? Would they be bored? Would they be jaded?Would AdamLevine strip to his skivvies just to give himself something to remember the night by? (I thought it best to remain optimistic and look on the bright side, of course.)
Well, here I am. And I can testify, brothers and sisters, that Maroon 5 have the mark of true musicians. Hallelujah, Amen. Rather than resorting to limp renditions or big explosion gimmickry, they went to the heart of each tune and mixed it up. These boys can play their instruments – sung, strung, struck or tickled. In my humble opinion, the mark of a true musician is the ability to get swept up in the movement of a tune and improvise. And I don’t mean an out-of-left-field vocal outburst or some misguided attempt at a screaming guitar solo. I mean the ability to get back to the essence of a song and jam. That’s the kind of improv that grabs hold of a crowd and sweeps them up in the moment with the band.
Jump on your next opportunity to see Maroon 5 live. These tunes will make you shake your rump-ah, with an undercurrent of heat that made Kelly Preston agree to make out with a skinny musician in a rock video. Yeah, it’s the kind of energy that has the guys here in the audience tonight making eyes at all the fine females in the room. Maroon 5 has made everyone in the joint tonight feel sexy – it’s palpable and the joint is jumping.
-Tangled:
Fantastically funky.
-Harder to Breathe:
I'm blown away by the sound quality of both the venue and the band. They're working a very bassy, rich guitar sound.
-The Sun:
"Hot asphalt?" He ain't kiddin'! They took it down a notch and sexed it up.
-Wasted Years(?):
They broke out this new tune perhaps to remind the audience that they have no plans to become one hit wonders facing that dreaded sophomore slump. For you M5 purists out there, no need to worry that they'll be perpetrating any 'what were they thinking' blunders, abandoning the sound you love. If this new tune is any indication, the neo-soul is safe.
-Secret:
One of my personal faves on the album and one of the crowd's faves of the night. They mixed it up at the end with some highly original segues into unexpected cover tunes: "Sign your name across my heart, I want you to be my lady..." into "Those days are over, Roxanne..." into "We don't need no education..." -- all over a break-it-down-now mellow jam. Crowd hysteria ensued. Meanwhile, Adam is really the only showman in the band with anounce of showboat in him. Which is, let's face it, useful in a frontman.
-This Love:
One of the biggest highlights of the night. Adam busted out with the first line in a capella, at which point the audience took over (without any prompting from him, I might add) and sang the entire first verse and chorus without a single note being played. I love spontaneous crowd moments like these. One of the things that can make live music such a transporting experience.
-Hello:
"This is a song from one of our favorite bands..." And what is it? An Oasis cover! Just their luck, Oasis are on tour through September.
-She Will Be Loved:
Even with the volume turned up to 11, the crowd could still be heard singing along with every word. Buy Maroon 5 tix and maybe you too will get lucky and hear Adam explain the mom angle in the song's video. "It doesn't really make sense -- it just looked good. And I really wanted to make out with Kelly Preston." Who can argue with that?
-Ames Friedman
