In Memoriam - Olivia Newton-John

                                                                Rest in Peace
 

Roger Waters - Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA 8/6/2022

 Easily one of the most visually striking concerts I have ever seen, Roger Waters This Is Not a Drill tour came to Philadelphia this weekend.
From what I can gather, Roger Waters is very up front about his politics in the concert setting and always has been, and even gives a tongue in cheek warning at the beginning on the concert, so don't say you weren't warned.

  I am definitely more of a Pink Floyd fan than a fan of his solo work, but can honestly say I am not very familiar with his solo work outside of Radio KAOS. There are a few songs on that album I really like, but doubt they would have fit in well with the theme of this concert, outside of The Powers That Be which was played early in the first set..

  The highlights of the concert were the powerful opening of Comfortably Numb, the classic Have a Cigar, the opening of the second half when Roger entered to In The Flesh, and Two Suns in The Sunset before the last song.

  Here is the setlist: 

 Comfortably Numb(Pink Floyd song)

The Happiest Days of Our Lives(Pink Floyd song)

 Another Brick in The Wall Part 2(Pink Floyd song)

 Another Brick in The Wall Part 3(Pink Floyd song)

 The Powers That Be

 The Bravery of Being Out of Range

 The Bar

 Have a Cigar(Pink Floyd song)

 Wish You Were Here(Pink Floyd song)

 Shine On You Crazy Diamond(Parts VI-IX) (Pink Floyd song)

 Sheep(Pink Floyd song)

       Intermission

In The Flesh(Pink Floyd song)

Run Like Hell(Pink Floyd song)

Deja Vu

Is That The Life We Really Want

Money(Pink Floyd song)

Us & Them(Pink Floyd song)

Any Colour You Like(Pink Floyd song)

Brain Damage / Eclipse(Pink Floyd song)

Two Suns In The Sunset(Pink Floyd song)

The Bar(Reprise)/Outside The Wall(Pink Floyd song)

Confortably Numb

Sheep

Run Like Hell

Eclipse/Brain Damage

Outside The Wall - Band Introductions

 

 

In Memoriam - James Caan

Rest in Peace

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ 7/3/2022

 New Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo played the Count Basie Theatre last night.

  First off, their induction is about 25 years overdo. Like her or not, to deny her importance and influence in the world of rock music is questionable.. From the late 70's to the mid 80's she had so many hit songs, and a truly remarkable voice.To be honest, I was not a huge Pat Benatar fan growing up.Although,  I loved her voice, and thought Neil  was a great guitarist. There were a few songs I really liked, Love is a Battlefield, Shadows of the Night, Anxiety, Sex as a Weapon, but was never a big fan. 

  My wife and I did see her do a few songs at Pleasure Island in Walt Disney World in 2000, but the crowd got a little too pushy so we only saw about 4, maybe 5 songs. 

  Our daughter is a fan so when we saw that they were playing The Count Basie, we know it would be a perfect Birthday gift.

   What an amazing concert. The songs, old and new, have held up incredibly well and Ms.Benatar's voice sounds like it has not aged a day since the 80's.

     The setlist included many of her hits, and there are many, and several deep cuts which fit in perfectly. 

     I also love the fact that the two of them have been together for over 43 years and married for 40 of them. It shows on stage and I wish them 140 more.

     I wish them long overdue congratulations on their induction into the rock hall and look forward to them returning to New Jersey.

     Opening the concert was singer songwriter Chris Trapper, who won the crowd over very quickly with his great songs, beautiful guitar playing and voice and his great sense of humor. Hope we are fortunate enough to see him again going forward.

     Here are the setlists; 

      Chris Trapper

      Into the Bright Light

      The Accident

      This Time

      F@#% It

      Skin

      Keg on My Coffin

    Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

    No You Don't

    I Need a Lover

    All Fired Up

    We Live For Love

    Strawberry Wine

    We Belong ( Pat & Neil only)

    In the Heat of the Night

    Promises in the Dark

    River of Love

    Purgatory

    Invincible

    Shadows of the Night

    Hell is For Children

    You Better Run

    Love is a Battlefield

 

   Helter Skelter(Beatles cover)

   Everybody Lay Down

   Heartbreaker / Ring of Fire(Johnny Cash cover)

   

   

 

Paul McCartney - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford , NJ - 6/16/2022

 Happy Birthday Paul McCartney. 80 years old today. Amazing.

 My daughter and I went to see Mr. McCartney the other night at Met Life Stadium the other night and could not have asked for more. He could have done 10 shows with completely different songs, and each one would be satisfying. 

I've been fortunate to see him 3 times,  not that many to devout Beatles fans, but I never am going to complain. Each time I saw him, I felt so fortunate to have the opportunity. And over and over I would think as each song was played, "he wrote that". So many of his songs have achieved mythic status that you feel as if they have always been around.

His concerts include a great mix of solo songs, Wings songs and, of course, Beatles songs. And to see a Beatle do a Beatles song is something special.

For this pre Birthday show, which was also the final night of the U.S. tour, he brought out Bruce Springsteen to do a couple songs. Bruce performed his song Glory Days, fitting given the occasion, and shared vocals on I Wanna Be Your Man. He also came back for the the guitar trade off during The End. 

 A little later, Jon Bon Jovi came out with a handful of balloons for Paul and led the crowd in Happy Birthday.

 Mr. McCartney's voice is showing signs of age, but got stronger as the night went on. He sounded best during the semi acoustic portion when he did a lot of his older catalog, To hear him do songs like The Quarrymen song In Spite of All the Danger, and Love Me Do were the biggest highlights of a show full of highlights.

His longtime band, Wix Wickens on keyboards/guitar/harmonica, Rusty Anderson on guitar, Brian Ray on Guitar & Bass and Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums were augmented by a 3 piece horn section. An amazing band who I hope back Paul for years to come.

 For all the decades of timeless music and treating us fans to a concert like this one, I thank Paul McCartney.

 Happy Birthday and many many more.

 Here is the setlist:

 Can't Buy Me Love(Beatles song)

 Junior's Farm(Wings song)

 Letting Go(Wings song)

 Got To Get You Into My Life(Beatles song)

 Come On To Me

 Let Me Roll It(Wings song) w/Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix cover) Outro

 Getting Better(Beatles song)

 Let 'Em In(Wings song)

 My Valentine

 Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five(Wings song)

 Maybe I'm Amazed

 I've Just Seen a Face(Beatles song)

 In Spite of All the Danger(Quarrymen song)

 Love Me Do(Beatles Song)

 Dance Tonight

 Blackbird(Beatles song)

 Here Today

 New

 Lady Madonna(Beatles song)

 Fuh You

 Jet(Wings song)

 Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite(Beatles song)

 Something(Beatles song)

 Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da(Beatles song)

 You Never Give Me Your Money/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window(Beatles song)

 Get Back(Beatles Song)

 Band on the Run(Wings song)

 Glory Days(Bruce Springsteen song) w/Bruce Springsteen

 I Wanna Be Your Man(Beatles song) w/Bruce Springsteen

 Let It Be(Beatles song)

 Hey Jude(Beatles song)

 

 I've Got a Feeling(Beatles song) w/video image of John Lennon

 Happy Birthday - Jon Bon Jovi

 Birthday(Beatles song)

 Helter Skelter(Beatles song)

 Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End(Beatles song) w/Bruce Springsteen

 

Paul & Bruce

Bruce

Paul & Jon

 

Bruce & Brian Ray

 

Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ - 6/10/2022

 As fortunate as I felt to be able to see Ringo Starr this tour after a two and a half year wait, I felt even more fortunate having read that the remaining dates of his summer tour have been postponed. 

 First off, I wish Edgar Winter and Steve Lukather a quick recovery as they have been diagnosed with Covid. Hopefully their symptoms will be minimal and the rest of the band can manage to avoid catching it. Mr. Winter was not part of the Red Bank show having tested positive for covid during their run at the Beacon Theatre in New York.

 This time around, The All Starr Band consists of Colin Hay of Men at Work, Steve Lukather of Toto, Hamish Stuart of Average White Band, super drummer Gregg Bissonette and multi instrumentalist Warren Hamm.

 With Edgar Winter not appearing,the setlist was shortened by 3 songs, but was still pretty incredible. For me, getting to see a Beatle perform live is always something to be grateful for, and anything extra is icing on the cake.

 As usual per the All Starr Band shows, Ringo opened the show with a few songs, handed the spotlight over to his fellow band members, and played drums when not standing center stage. He did sing and play drums on both on Boys and I Wanna Be Your Man. However, is is pretty hard to take your eyes off him even when not up front. Endlessly charming with energy to spare, he really does not seem to have aged since the first time I saw him in the late 80's. And, HE'S A BEATLE.

 The band sounded great and each member performed some of the biggest songs from their careers. Mr. Hamm was spotlighted several times on saxophone, flute and shared lead vocals on a couple songs. Mr. Bissonette included a few familiar drum parts during his solo, like The Beatles Ticket to Ride and Led Zeppelin's Rock & Roll.

  A great concert, and so grateful to get the chance to be there.

 

 Here is the setlist:

 Matchbox (Beatles song / Carl Perkins cover) - Ringo

 It Don't Come Easy - Ringo

 What Goes On ( Beatles song)

 Rosanna (Toto song) - Steve Lukather & Warren Hamm

 Pick Up The Pieces  (Average White Band song) - Hamish Stuart

 Down Under ( Men at Work song) - Colin Hay

 Boys (Beatles song / Shirelles cover) - Ringo

 I'm The Greatest - Ringo

 Yellow Submarine (Beatles song) - Ringo

 Cut The Cake (Average White Band song) - Hamish Stuart, no Ringo, Gregg Bissonette drum solo

 Octopus's Garden (Beatles song) - Ringo

 Back Off Boogaloo - Ringo

 Overkill (Men at Work song) - Colin Hay

 Africa (Toto song) - Steve Lukather & Colin Hay

 Work to Do (Average White Band song) - Hamish Stuart

 I Wanna Be Your Man (Beatles song) - Ringo

 Who Can It Be Now (Men at Work song) - Colin Hay

 Hold The Line (Toto song) - Steve Lukather

 Photograph - Ringo

 Act Naturally (Beatles Song / Johnny Russell cover) - Ringo

 With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles song) / Give Peace a Chance (Plastic Ono Band cover) - Ringo

    

 

 

Warren Hamm, Steve Lukather, Ringo Starr, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette, Colin Hay