The Hope Show 8- Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ 12/23/2015

             This years semi annual Hope Show was a little different in that they held two shows on the same night. An early show at 7:00, and a later show, which was added weeks later, at 9:30.
              We attended the early show, so I am not sure of the differences in the setlist for the second show. I do know that at the second show Jon Bon Jovi performed Because We Can and also Run Rudolph along with Gary U.S. Bonds, and John Cafferty performed Tough All Over. I am not sure if these were in addition to the earlier setlist or if these songs replaced others.It also looks like Debbie Harry may not have been on stage for Night Tome is the Right Time.
               The early show was a benefit for The Visiting Nurses Association and 180 Turning Lives Around, while the second show benefited Mary's Place By The Sea.
                The now semi annual show was once again put together by local legend Bobby Bandiera, who served as the band leader for the show, as he has with all other Hope Shows.
                The format differed slightly from the last few Hope Shows in that the performers did not perform a song or two and then come out for the encore. This year the majority of the artists performed a song and then would come back later to perform another.
                 This years shows featured both Jon Bon Jovi and Gary U.S. Bonds who have performed at all previous Hope Shows. Southside Johnny was also scheduled, but was absent due to illness. Tim McLoone also returned with a condensed version of his Holiday Express, featuring his group the Shirley's.
                  John Cafferty returned for a second year with Michael "Tunes" Antunes from The Beaver Brown Band joining him, while Debbie Harry of Blondie and Norman Nardini and Frankie Previte all joined in for the first time.
                  The backing vocalists included Reagan Richards, Layonne Holmes, Lisa Sherman, Lorenza Ponce and Jillian Rhys McCoy.
                  The artists performed both covers and originals. Strangely there was not an actual encore. There was what seemed to be an encore of the Ray Charles classic Night Time is the Right Time, but it was followed by Jon Bon Jovi's appearance.It was first year where there was not a proper finale.
                   For me the highlights were Bobby's emotional performance of He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, and Debbie Harry's performance of the Blondie classic One Way or Another.
                   Here is the setlist:

             Happy Holidays - Tim McLoone w/Maureen McCrink Lead Vocal
             Nobody Ought To Be Alone On Christmas - Tim McLoone w/Amy Broza Lead Vocal
             White Christmas - Tim McLoone w/Layonne Holmes Lead Vocal
             How Can I Be Sure(Young Rascals cover) - Bobby Bandiera
             Merry Christmas Everybody - Norman Nardini
             (I've Had)The Time Of My Life - Frankie Previte & Lisa Sherman
             Tender Years - John Cafferty
             What Becomes of the Brokenhearted(Jimmy Ruffin cover) - Gary U.S. Bonds
             We Three Kings(Rock version) - Debbie Harry
             He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother(The Hollies cover) - Bobby Bandiera
             New Orleans - Gary U.S. Bonds
             I Don't Wanna Go Home(Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes cover) - Bobby Bandiera
             On The Dark Side - John Cafferty
             That's Life(Frank Sinatra cover) - Bobby Bandiera
             One Way or Another(Blondie song) - Debbie Harry
             Quarter To Three - Gary U.S. Bonds
             Speedo(Coasters cover) - Bobby Bandiera w/Tim McLoone
             Night Time Is The Right Time(Ray Charles cover) - Bobby Bandiera, John Cafferty, Debbie Harry, Gary U.S. Bonds
              Lost Highway - Jon Bon Jovi
              Who Says You Can't Go Home - Jon Bon Jovi & Jillian Rhys McCoy
              Blue Christmas(Elvis Presley cover) - Jon Bon Jovi
             Bad Medicine - Jon Bon Jovi & Layonne Holmes

John Cafferty

Debbie Harry

Gary U.S. Bonds & Debbie Harry

Bobby Bandiera & Jon Bon Jovi

Bobby Bandiera, Jon Bon Jovi & Jillian Rhys McCoy

Jon Bon Jovi & Layonne Holmes

           

           
           
     

           

Christmas

 A few images from our trip into New York City the other day.
 We went to see the Charlie Brown Christmas 50th Anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, New York Theatre Ballet and John Bolton as the narrator. Also went by Rockefeller Center and Saint Patrick's Cathedral.

Just before start of show

Finale

Saks

Rockefeller Center

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

Merry Christmas

Quincy Mumford & The Reason Why-Stone Pony 12/18/2015

   Quincy Mumford's 4th annual Holiday concert was maybe the best one yet. I can't speak for the first year, but this years was the best of the 3 I have been to. 
    Sounding better than I have ever heard them,Quincy and his band performed two sets of Rock/Funk/Reggae/R & B/Pop and whatever else they could get their hands on. The first half was a set of originals that included a few new songs. The second set was the now annual super jam which featured many Asbury Park music fixtures from local legends JT  Bowen and Sonny Kenn, to newer artists like Emily Grove and Taylor Tote. Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan also joined in for the Ray Charles classic, Hit the Road Jack.
    As in the past, the beneficiary of the show was Mary's Place By The Sea in Avon.
    I have the incorrect names for several songs and will put question marks next to those titles.
    Here is the setlist:

                                 Set 1
         
                      Something Good?????
                      Shifted
                      Under the Covers
                      Baby Don't Go
                      Sounds Like Music
                      State of Mind
                      So Faraway?????
                      Helping Hand
                      Leave Alone?????

                                 Set 2

                     Tell Me Something Good(Rufus cover)
                     Movin' Out(Billy Joel cover) w/Nick Iannelli lead vocals
                     My Love????? - w/Jack Daley
                     Do It Up?????(Stevie Wonder cover) w/Michael Ghegan
                     Boogie on Reggae Woman(Stevie Wonder cover) w/Michael Ghegan
                     Smile(Lily Allen cover) w/Taylor Tote
                     Battle of Evermore(Led Zepplin cover) w/Emily Grove & James Dalton
                     Hit the Road Jack(Ray Charles cover) w/Emily Grove & David Bryan
                     Johnny B Goode(Chuck Berry cover) w/Sonny Kenn & Sandy Mack
                     Sex Machine(James Brown cover) w/JT Bowen
                     Superbad(James Brown cover) w/JT Bowen
                     Sweet Emotion(Aerosmith cover) w/Matt O'Ree & Eric Safka
                  Fly Like an Eagle(Steve Miller Band( cover) / Exodus(Bob Marley cover)
                     I Wish(Stevie Wonder cover) / Wild Wild West(Will Smith cover)
           
           

               

Taylor Tote

Emily Grove & David Bryan

JT Bowen

Matt O'Ree & Eric Safka

Sonny Kenn & Sandy Mack

James Dalton & Emily Grove

Marah - Stone Pony, Asbury Park, N.J. 12/11/2015

       I felt very fortunate to have seen two of my all time favorite bands in one week. I was lucky to get to see Squeeze at the beginning of the week, and the great Philadelphia band Marah at the end of the week.
       Marah is playing a number of shows celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their breakthrough album Kids in Philly. This group of shows also marks the return of Serge Bielanko to the Marah line up, along with Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on lap steel.
       The last time I saw Marah was in January 2006, also at the Stone Pony. That show, up to now, was the best Marah show I had seen. After years of revolving line ups and different sounds, they seemed to find their strongest line up and were making maybe their best music.
        Last night was easily the best Marah show I have seen. They were tighter than they have ever been, and
showed why they have been acclaimed as one the greatest rock bands around, maybe the best. 
         The current line up, and hopefully one that will remain, was made up of Dave & Serge Bielanko on guitars and lead vocals, Christine Smith on keyboards/accordion & Vocals, Adam Garbinski on guitar, Dave Petersen on drums, Mark Sosnoskie on bass and Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on lap steel.
         Although the show was said to include  all the songs from the Kids in Philly album, that did not turn out to be true, but it did not matter at all. The set drew heavily on that album, but also included several songs from Angels of Destruction, and If You Didn't Laugh.....You'd Cry, two of the best CD's I have.
          Here's hoping that this is the beginning of a long period of touring. They deserve to be heard by more people and to reach a far bigger audience.
           I also want to thank the the nice gentleman who helped with a couple song titles I was not sure of. Amazingly, he had the setlist memorized
           Here's the setlist:

                               Set 1

                        Freedom Park
                        Point Breeze
                        It's Only Money, Tyrone
                        Coughing Up Blood
                        The Catfisherman
                        Body
                        Santos De Madera w/Emilio Zef China on violin
                        Why Independent Record Stores Fail w/Emilio Zef China on Violin
                        Sooner or Later
                        Barstool Boys
                        Family Meeting
                        Dishwasher's Dream

                               Set 2

                        East
                        Limb
                        Angels of Destruction
                        My Hearts is the Bums in the Street
                        20,000 Streets Under the Sky / Demon of White Sadness
                        Walt Whitman Bridge
                        Songbirdz
                        The Hustle
                        The Closer
                        Wilderness

                        Holly Jolly Christmas
                        Reservation Girl

                   

                       

Squeeze - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, N.J. 12/7/2015

 Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of Squeeze brought their acoustic Squeeze concert, The At Odds Couple, to the Count Basie Theatre on December 7.
  They performed many of their hits, several deep tracks and a few solo songs.
   The show started with Glenn & Chris lying in their beds, waking up and having breakfast,with the song It's a Beautiful Day playing over the sound system. They then launched into the Squeeze classic Take Me I'm Yours.
  Midway through both sets, the audience was given the chance to ask Glenn and Chris questions with the help of "The Man in the Golden Cape". Happily the questions asked were pretty good. One person asked what their writing collaboration was like. They were told that initially they wrote separately but for their new album they worked together.
  Another person asked what Argy Bargy( the title of their third album, a classic) meant. Glenn explained it is a friendly sort of pushing and shoving.
  Both had the chance to perform solo and dig into their solo work. Both are great individually, but together they have created some of the greatest songs of the past 30+ years.

  Here is the setlist:

         Take Me I'm Yours
         Cool For Cats
         Black Coffee in Bed
         Nirvana
         Electric Trains-Chris lead vocal
         Some Fantastic Place
         Beautiful Game
      Man in the Golden Cape-Question & Answer
         Slap & Tickle
         Fat as a Fiddle(Chris Difford song)-Chris solo
         Wrecked(Chris Difford song)-Chris solo
         Cowboys Are My Weakness(Chris Difford Song)
         Up the Junction

         Intermisson

         Still(Glenn Tilbrook song)- Glenn solo
         Chat Line Larry(Glenn Tilbrook song)- Glenn solo
         The Elephant Ride-Glenn solo
         Annie Get Your Gun
         The Truth
         Happy Days
         From the Cradle to the Grave
         Man in the Golden Cape-Question & Answers
         Harper Valley P.T.A.(Jeannie C. Riley cover)
         Pulling Mussells(From the Shell)
         Is That Love?
         Tempted
         Another Nail In My Heart
         If I Didn't Love You
         Goodbye Girl

     

       
       
       


         

                                                       Happy 20th Birthday

Dead & Company - Wells Fargo Center, Philadephia, PA 11/5/2015

  Grateful Dead offshoot band Dead & Company performed at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia last night.
    Having not seen the Grateful Dead, or any of the associated bands, since 1995, I was looking very forward to seeing this show. And after the amazing things I heard about the reunion shows in July, I was hoping not to miss this current tour.
    The line up for Dead & Company consists or Bob Weir, Mickey Hart & Bill Kreutzmann from The Grateful Dead. They were joined by John Mayer on guitar and vocals, Oteil Burbridge on bass and Jeff Chimenti on keyboards. Bob Weir handled all his original vocals, and some of Jerry Garcia's, with John Mayer singing the bulk of Jerry's parts.
     The show did not let down. The first half was very good, but the second set was excellent. The show hit its peak with the China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider pairing. John Mayer's guitar work was remarkable throughout the night. Each solo was was faithful to the spirit of the band, but he also managed to put his own sound to them.
     And although Oteil Burbridge did not have any bass solos, his sound was very noticeable, but not overpowering. For a new band, at least half of the members anyway, they played beautifully together.
     Looking forward to seeing them again , hopefully soon. Here is the setlist:

                               
                                         Set 1

               Here Comes Sunshine - John Mayer lead vocal
               Loose Lucy - Bob Weir lead vocal
               Candyman - John Mayer lead vocal
               Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo - Bob Weir lead vocal
               Bird Song - John Mayer lead vocal
               Cumberland Blues - John Mayer/Bob Weir lead vocals
               Casey Jones - John Mayer/Bob Weir lead vocals

                                    Set 2

                Iko Iko - Bob Weir lead vocals
                Feel Like a Stranger - Bob Weir lead vocals
                China Cat Sunflower - John Mayer lead vocals
                I Know You Rider - Bob Weir lead vocals
                Drums/Space
                Playing in the Band - Bob Weir lead vocals
                Standing on the Moon - Bob Weir lead vocals
                Sugar Magnolia - Bob Weir lead vocals

                                 Encore

                 U.S. Blues - John Mayer lead vocals