In Memoriam - James Earl Jones

                                                                     A Giant

                                                               Rest in Peace
 

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo - Count Basie Theatre 7/7/2024

     Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo came to the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank New Jersey this past Fourth of July weekend. A little late with this post. 

     Both, still sounding better than, ever delivered a hits filled set, along with a few deeper cuts and a couple covers. 

     I believe the tour started the previous night in Atlantic City with a slightly different, and shorter, set list. 

   

    Ohio band The Vindy's opened the show with a 30 minute set which included Don't Tall Me, Just Love Me and Want Your Heart.

     Here is the setlist.

  All Fired Up

  We Live For Love

  Invincible

  Promises in the Dark

  My Clone Sleeps Alone

  In the Heat of the Night

  Strawberry Wine

  We Belong

  Ties That Bind

  Shadows of the Night

  Hell is For Children

  You Better Run

  Love is a Battlefield

     Encore

 Everybody Lay Down

 War(Edwin Starr cover)/Disconnected

 Heartbreaker/Ring of Fire(Johnny Cash cover)

The Vindys

 

    

     

 

Justin Hayward & Christopher Cross - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ 7/3/2024

                                                    

   

Justin Hayward and Christopher Cross are co headlining a short tour which made its way to The Count Basie Theatre the other night. 

Justin Hayward is the lead singer and guitarist of the Moody Blues and has a 3 piece band with him, Guitarist Mike Dawes; who performs a short set leading right into Justin Hayward's set, Julie Ragins; who toured with the Moody Blues, on keyboard and vocals, and Karmen Gould who plays flute and also provided backing vocals. 

    The setlist was heavy on Moody Blues classics and deep cuts as well as Justin Hayward solo songs. 

    Although 77 years old, his voice still sounds great and his guitar playing was impressive. He performed a medley of lesser known Moody Blues songs, and a solo song, a few songs in.  

   Christopher Cross played a hits filled 70 minute set with his great backing band. His voice still sounds really good and was best on the stripped down song Light The World and on the final song Think of Laura, backed only by piano. 

    I was hoping that the two of the would share the stage for a song or two, but that did not materialize. I am not sure what they would have done together, but it would have been fun to see them share the stage together.

    Here are the setlists: 

          Justin Hayward

   Tuesday Afternoon(Moody Blues song)

   Driftwood

   Living for Love

   The Day We Meet Again(Moody Blues song)/One Lonely Room/Out & In(Moody Blues song)/In My World(Moody Blues song)/Meanwhile(Moody Blues song)

   Voices in the Sky(Moody Blues song)

   The Voice(Moody Blues song)

   Forever Autumn(from War of the Worlds)

   Never Comes the Day(Moody Blues song)

   Your Wildest Dreams(Moody Blues song)

   Question(Moody Blues song)

   Nights in White Satin(Moody Blues song)

   

             Encore

    Story in Your Eyes(Moody Blues song)

    I Know Your Out There Somewhere(Moody Blues song)

           Christopher Cross

    All Right

    Never Be the Same

    I Really Don't Know Anymore

    Sailing

    Dreamers

    Arthur's Theme(Best That You Can Do)

    Say You'll Be Mine

    Light the World

    The Light Is On

    No Time For Talking

    Ride Like the Wind

    Think of Laura

Justin Hayward

Karmen Gould and Justin Hayward

Christopher Cross

        

   

Ricky Montgomery - Terminal 5, New York 2/24/2024

The other night I was fortunate to take my daughter, and a friend of hers, to the first concert she wanted to go to. She has gone to several concerts, which we have taken her to, mostly well received, but this is the first one that she asked to taken to. 

  Her and her friend wanted to see Ricky Montgomery's Another Rick in the Wall show at Terminal 5 this past weekend. 

   I will be honest. I had never heard anything by him, so I was not familiar with any of his songs. 

   He put on a very fun show and I was impressed with a lot of the songs and thought he had a great sense of humor. I can's remember if I ever saw a concert where I did not know any of the songs or knew what to expect. 

   On top of that, the crowd was great. I usually find that the audience can make or break  a concert, and this crowd was great. 

   Noah Floersh opened the show with a short , well received set.

   Here are the setlists: 

  

               Noah Floersch

     Thompson's Station

     Long Gone

     Love You by Myself

     Big Jet Plane ( Angus & Julia Stone cover)

     On Your Mind

     Green Flash Sunset

     Ghost of Chicago

             Ricky Montgomery

      Line Without a Hook w/mxmtoon

      In Your Pocket

      Cabo

      One Way Mirror

      Talk To You

      Black Fins

      I Don't Love You Anymore

     Type A

      Last Night

      Truth or Dare

      Unknown Phantom

      Ethan's Song

      My Heart is Buried in Venice (Acoustic)

      Boy Toy

      It's O.K. to Cry

      Don't Say That

      Out Like a Light

          Encore

      Sometimes I Need to Be Alone

      This December

      Mr. Loverman

Noah Floersch

Ricky Montgomery

     

  

In Memoriam - Toby Keith

                                                              Rest in Peace

In Memoriam - Hinton Battle

                                                                 Rest in Peace

In Memoriam - Chita Rivera

                                                  An Icon. Rest in Peace