Wilco's latest studio album Ode To Joy starts
as an ode to the mundane but develops into much more...
Posted
October 6, 2019,
and last updated October 6, 2019 by
Chuck Miller
 Chicago,
Illinois-based alternative rock sextet Wilco released
Ode To Joy, their eleventh studio recording on Friday,
October 4. It's a slow building but ultimately very satisfying 11
song journey.
The album begins with an ominous, plodding drum beat that
dismisses the notion that the title reflects the obvious
reference to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and the joyful
chorus contained within it.
With subdued band accompaniment and desolate, dispassionate
delivery, band leader Jeff Tweedy starts singing the first
track "Bright Leaves."
"I don't like
The way you're treating me
Warm winter rain
I found my keys
Under the snow"
This heavy kick off for a new Wilco album didn't surprise me
given that some of the songs on Tweedy's April 2019 solo
effort, Warmer, had a similar feel. Though that
album has an embracing warmth to it, this song feels cold
and alone.
"Before Us" continues along the same path but is more
developed and includes an interesting guitar hook.
Nonetheless,
there is still a quilted winter blanket like heaviness to
this and the first song.
This isn't the light and nimble Wilco that produced the
playful "California Stars," "Casino Queen," or
even "Impossible Germany." This
music is more brooding, methodical and introspective.
The third track "One and a Half Stars" sounds like a
tongue-in-cheek jab at music reviewers. Because this song
marks a transition in the album, I'd give it at least two
stars though. After this song, the album opens up and
becomes more accessible.
Beginning with "Quiet Amplifier," the instrumentation becomes
more involving and Tweedy's voice is more passionate. Nels
Cline's avant-garde guitar work is finely featured at the end of
the song, and I start to feel like we're in more familiar
Wilco territory.
"Everyone Hides" is as close to a Wilco-style pop song as
there is on the 42-minute long album. The song lifts the
somber mood and contains more interesting guitar work by
Cline. The lyrics and catchy beat inhabited my head during
the first listen as Tweedy sings:
"Deep inside
Everyone hides
Oh, oh, some of the time..."
This is one of the best songs on the album and one of
the few I can see being added into the band's long term live set
list.
"White Wooden Cross" brings to mind some of John Lennon's
solo work owing to Tweedy's vocal delivery and the
production. There's a little calypso influence thrown in,
too. The album builds and continues to include more of the
excellent musicianship I expect to hear on the best Wilco
albums. The somewhat mundane "Citizens" sets us up for the
meat of this collection.
During "We Are Lucky" Cline's guitar starts howling, Glenn
Kotche's drums and percussive touches come to life, and the rest of the
band grow fully engaged, working together to embellish
Tweedy's somber lyrics. Though Tweedy's vocal delivery is
still halting, the band is in the forefront. The
big picture comes into focus. This song builds to an early
false climax and then delivers the real thing by the end.
They aren't out to impress their fans; rather, they are
doubling down on what got them to be one of the most
interesting bands in recent history. This is what the fully
mature Wilco sounds like in 2019, and it's good.
The appealing "Love Is Everywhere (Beware)" along with the
next song "Hold Me Anyway" start with upbeat acoustic guitar
work and Tweedy's more engaged vocals. The latter builds
into a radio-friendly singalong tune complete with hand
claps and displays Wilco as a tenured musical outfit right
now. They are a fully established ensemble that can produce
a deep, more introspective work. They aren't afraid to get a
little sentimental sometimes, and "Hold Me Anyway"
finally delivers the joy that
is promised in the album title. This album should be a
staple in any serious Wilco fan's collection.
The last song, "An Empty Corner" brings us back to the more
deliberate and measured vocals and instrumentation that
starts Ode To Joy. It completes the song cycle and
leaves the listener with lots to think about. I found that
it revealed more depth on repeated hearings and helped me
respect the inspiration that spark it. The bass on this
track gives my subwoofer a nice workout. Though not Wilco's
most exciting
work, I like this album, and it will be played often.
 For
those who don't go to record stores anymore or never have, I
scanned the unopened package (front and back) to show what a
brand new compact disc looks like. I haven't been swept up
in the resurgence of vinyl, but I do still value having a
tactile item in hand when listening to new music for the
first time. Included in the packaging of Ode To Joy
is a glossy printed booklet that contains the song lyrics
and production credits. For what it's worth, the only local
place I found that had the CD available on the release date
was Independent Records & Video on Platte Avenue in Colorado
Springs. I'm happy that places like Independent Records are
still around for those of us who still value music and
videos you can hold in your hands. They also sell new and
used vinyl, CD's, DVD's and Blu-ray discs as well as
posters, incense, and other typical head shop items. If you
haven't been to a record store in a while, go check one out.
If anything, you'll be exposed to what new music is out
there and see where baby boomers used to go when we were
teenagers.
Visit
Wilco's official web page
Visit Independent
Records official web site
Tedeschi Trucks Band with Blackberry Smoke and Shovels &
Rope at Red Rocks Amp. on Friday, July 26...
Posted
July 27, 2019,
and last updated July 27, 2019 by
Chuck Miller
It was warm & overcast at 7 PM when the South Carolina-based
duo Shovels & Rope kicked off the night with "I'm Comin'
Out" from their latest album By Blood. The married
couple played a pleasant 45-minute long set and was received
well by the blues-loving crowd as they trickled into the
venue.
Blackberry Smoke followed at around 8 PM and received a
better response from the now much larger audience. The
talkative crowd liked the Tom Petty cover "You Got Lucky."
Lead singer and guitarist Charlie Starr has an impressive
rock and roll voice that is well-suited to the southern
rock/blues the band plays. I remembered "One Horse Town"
from the last time I had seen them, and I enjoyed hearing it
again.
Headliners Tedeschi Trucks Band walked onstage at 9:20 PM
and got things going quickly with the title song from their
2019 album, Signs. It was a great choice to open
the set as it is also the powerful first track on that
album. The near capacity audience loved it.
Next was a cover of Elton John's "Border Song," which
highlighted new TTB keyboard player Gabe Dixon's piano
skills. Dixon also sang a duet with Susan Tedeschi later in
the set on a cover of Willie Nelson's "Somebody Pick Up My
Pieces." The death of TTB founding member Kofi Burbridge
earlier this year left a huge hole that Dixon is filling
quite nicely.
One musical highlight of the night was "Still Your Mind"
from Signs, which showcased Derek Trucks'
incredibly emotive electric guitar playing and quieted the
chatty audience for a bit.
I've noticed lately that Red Rocks has moved where the
general admission section of the venue starts. In the past,
diligent (fast footed) fans were rewarded with the
possibility of sitting in some of the front section seats of
the venue if they arrived early enough. Now, the GA section
starts farther up in the venue, around Row 11. This had the
undesirable effect of moving those fans farther back and
into row 16 where tapers set-up. Again in the past, the
people who sat in the area behind the soundboard were less
talkative, which is desireable for making good recordings.
Last night, some of the people in the 17th and 18th rows
were talking loudly while the bands were playing and not
respecting those of us who came to the concert to hear the
music.
 One
of TTB's best songs "Midnight In Harlem" was marred by
inconsiderate fans talking loudly during the song. One
young woman, in fact, started laughing during the quiet
section in the song that features Derek Trucks' sweetest
guitar playing. That was disappointing.
Other than that, it was a great night of music. I recorded
all the bands and took some photos. My recording of TTB is
up on the Live Music Archive. The links to that recording
and the photos are located below. If there is any interest I
can post the other recordings.
Tedeschi Trucks Band ~ 2019-07-26 Red Rocks Amphitheatre,
Morrison, CO
Tedeschi
Trucks Band - 2019-07-26
Blackberry
Smoke - 2019-07-26
Shovels
& Rope - 2019-07-26
Visit Tedeschi
Trucks official web site
Visit Blackberry
Smoke official site
Visit
Shovel & Rope's official site
Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven broke in
the new venue Lulu's Downstairs in Manitou Springs with style...
Posted
July 18, 2019,
and last updated July 19, 2019 by
Chuck Miller
 Lulu's
Downstairs, located in Manitou Springs, opened recently and
served up a fantastic night of live music from Cracker and
Camper Van Beethoven on Wednesday, July 17. As one of the
first shows and the first national act show hosted at the cozy club, it was a great
start. We really need a venue like this in the Colorado
Springs area. I estimate the capacity is right around 400 in
the stage area, which makes it a nice size for groups like
Cracker and CVB. It sounded crisp and clean in there, and the
audience was actually focused on the music instead of
socializing.
Camper took the stage right at 8:30 PM and delivered an
oftentimes hard-hitting 60-minute set that started with "ZZ
Top Goes To Egypt" and "Pictures Of Matchstick Men" and
ended with "Opi Rides Again - Club Med Sucks" and "Northern
California Girls." During the performance, Cracker and Camper
Van Beethoven founder David Lowery led the band through a 13-song mix of new and old songs and told a great story before
launching into "Too High For the Love-In." He had the
attentive, near capacity crowd enthralled at times.
The band even played "Surprise Truck" from their eponymuos
1986 album. I'd never heard them play that song live, so it
was an unexpected "surprise."
The second set started with Lowery playing solo, singing "Plaza De
Toros, 1967" from his latest solo album In the Shadow Of
the Bull. Upon my first hearing, I enjoyed the very
personal feel and the storytelling nature of the song. The song and album are the first
installment of Lowery's musical autobiography according to
the album liner notes. Then the full 5-piece Cracker came
out and opened with a cover of the Jerry Garcia staple
"Loser."
 During
the show, I felt like the Cracker set was better than CVB's,
but after listening to the recording, I'll give the nod to
Camper, based on how tightly they played. When they do a
double bill like this, it's always a toss-up for me deciding
which band played better. This time it was really close. The
highlight of the Camper set for me was "S.P. 37957 Medley."
It's a brilliant instrumental mixture of the traditional
"Hava Nagila" with Led Zeppelin song snippets and a fake-out
ending.
The strength of Cracker's set was the song selection. They
played several songs I hadn't heard them play before
including "Beautiful," a cover of The Flamin' Groovies
"Shake Some Action" and the Johnny Hickman song "Hold Of
Myself." Interestingly, Hickman sang more songs in this set
than I usually hear.
LuLu's Downstairs at 107 Manitou Avenue has a fun and comfortable
atmosphere
inside. Red upholstered wrap around corner seating gives it
a familiar retro vibe. There's lots of free parking around it,
too, which is an important bonus in Manitou where parking
can sometimes be difficult. The men's
bathroom was nicely finished with lots of tile and it was
clean! The staff I interacted with were excellent as well.
One of them gave me a recomendation for dinner. I ordered
the homemade tomato soup and artisan style grilled cheese
sandwich and I found them both to be excellent. Front of
house sound engineer Tim (Timbo) Illian gave
us a clean mix with a comfortable volume level throughout
the show. The venue owners did a great job with the sound
treatment too, as it doesn't have that annoying boxy sound some
venues with lower ceilings often have. Great job, Lulu's
Downstairs!
Now we have an exciting new mid-sized
live music venue in town. I hope to see many live shows
there in the future.
I recorded both sets and took some photos. I've uploaded the
recordings to the Live Music Archive where you can listen to
and download the complete shows or just listen to individual
songs. The links to the recordings and photos are below.
Cracker ~ 2019-07-17 Lulu's Downstairs, Manitou Springs, CO
Camper
Van Beethoven ~ 2019-07-17 Lulu's Downstairs, Manitou
Springs, CO
Cracker
- 2019-07-17
Camper Van
Beethoven - 2019-07-17
Visit Cracker's official web site
Visit Camper
Van Beethoven's official site
Visit
Lulu's Downstairs official site
The Davenport Band's annual show at Hillside Gardens
Event Center in Colorado Springs on June 19...
Posted
July 2, 2019,
and last updated June 2, 2019 by
Chuck Miller
  The
scenic Hillside Gardens Event Center in Colorado Springs, CO
hosts local bands on Wednesday nights in the summer. On June
19 The Davenport Band played their annual set. The band
started around 6 PM and played a three-long set of soft rock
cover songs.
The weather was nice and the music fans danced and
socialized as the band played songs by Neil Young, Van
Morrison, Tom Petty, the Grateful Dead, along with a good
mix of singer/songwriter country and acoustic rock
standards.
The link below has photos I took at the event.
The Davenport
Band - 2019-06-19
Visit
The Davenport Band's Facebook page
Visit the
Hillside Garden's Event Center official web site
Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and
Colin Hay deliver at Red Rocks on Sat., June 8...
Posted
June 10, 2019,
and last updated June 11, 2019 by
Chuck Miller
 It
was a beautiful, warm Saturday afternoon on June 8th at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, for the triple
billing of Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Toad the Wet
Sprocket, and Colin Hay. Hay, the former lead singer for the
1980's radio sensations Men At Work played solo and was amiable
as the audience slowly filled the venue. Starting right at
6:30 PM, Hay mixed in jokes and some stories as he regaled
us with 45 minutes of his music. The performance included
some of his solo songs and the Men At Work hits "Who Can It
Be Now?" and "Down Under," which had the sparse but
attentive audience singing along. It occurred to me how
subdued he was compared to the days when he filled venues
promoting the multi-million selling Men At Work album
Business As Usual. He did recieve a deserved warm round
of applause as he walked away from the microphone before
roadies readied the stage for Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Toad along with multi-instrumentalist,
touring companion Jonathan Kingham walked on stage right
around 7:30 PM, opening with "The Moment" from their 2013 album
New Constellation. The venue was still filling at that
time, but the band recieved a generous reaction from the
fans who were present and appreciative as
the band played. Several of the people I spoke with throughout
the evening were there primarily to see TTWS's set.
"Paul is making me nervous - Paul is making me
scared - Walk into this room and swaggers like he's God's
own messenger - Changed the name of my brother - Changed the
things he said - Says he speaks to him - But he never knew
the man - But I'd give my life for him" -- the opening lyric from
"Fly From Heaven" on 1994's Dulcinea was great to hear.
The song's lyrics depict a conflicted James's perspective on
how Apostle Paul was misrepresenting his brother Jesus'
and teachings to early Christians -- not subject
matter typically heard from a pop rock band. But, smart and
thought- provoking lyrics are one of the reasons I love
Santa Barbara, CA-based Toad the Wet Sprocket. The way the
group augments the lyrics with their concise, pleasantly
jangly pop style is another. So, the fourth song of the set
provided the first highlight for me from the quintet.
It drizzled briefly as the mercury dropped
into "put the jacket on" temperatures while the band
performed a fifteen-song set which included the hits "All I
Want," "Good Intentions," "Brother," and "Crazy Life." They closed their 70-minute long performance with "Walk On
the Ocean," which is often the last song performed
during their live shows. That song
highlights all the band's strengths, vocal harmony, clever
lyrics, and excellent musicianship. I thought this was a
very good Toad the Wet Sprocket show. The people who sat
next to me expressed the same sentiment.
I do want to mention the absence of
founding member, drummer Randy Guss. Guss was missing the
last time I saw the band in Arvada, CO, last year, too. His
absence wasn't addressed by the band at either show. Guss is
afflicted with the degenerative bone disease osteogenesis.
Complications have prevented him from joining the band on
the road lately. Nashville-based drummer Josh Daubin has
been filling Guss' seat recently. Daubin is a great drummer,
but I hope to see Guss behind the kit again sometime soon.
 It
was getting cold out as the Boulder-based quartet Big Head
Todd & the Monsters walked on stage around 9:15 PM. I was glad I
had worn
long pants and had brought a rain jacket.
BHTM are top notch performers. Lead singer
and guitarist Todd Park Mohr engages constantly with the
audience and keeps the show moving at a quick pace. They
played a single one-hour and forty-minute long set which
included a lot of their hits along
with a good selection of newer songs.
Interestingly, they started their portion of
the show with a cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's
Alright For Fighting" and ended the night with another
cover, Deep Purple's "Smoke On the Water." In between, they
performed "Broken Hearted Savior;" the huge crowd favorite
"Vincent of Jersey;" some of my personal favorites,
"Circle," "Strategem," and "Bittersweet;" along with many
others. Long time BHTM vocal collaborator Hazel Miller sang
beautifully on "Beautiful World" and "Rock Steady" during
the set and came back to the stage for the encore, too. She
stole the show several times with her powerhouse soul
wailing.
It was a spectacular night of music. The
event sold out days before the show, and it looked to me
like the majority of the fans stayed through most of BHTM's
set. I think it's safe to say, we all left into the cool
Colorado night with our heads full of great musical
memories.
I recorded all the bands, but the recordings
are marred in places by the strong wind that blew
periodically through the amphitheatre during the night. The
TTWS recording also contains a glitch, and I was only able
to record the first 20 minutes of Big Head Todd & the
Monsters' set. So, only my Toad the Wet Sprocket recording
has been uploaded to the Live Music Archive. You will hear
wind noise and that brief issue between "Something's Always
Wrong" and "Walk On the Ocean" on that recording. I decided
to minimize the effect of the glitch and leave it in there
to preserve the complete performance. I doubt I'll release
the other two recordings.
 I
also took more pictures than usual because the recording
situation wasn't optimal, and I chose to focus on
documenting the event visually. The link to the TTWS
recording and links to the photos are available below this
review.
Toad
the Wet Sprocket ~ 2019-06-08 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Big Head Todd & the Monsters
- 2019-06-08
Toad the Wet Sprocket
- 2019-06-08
Colin Hay
- 2019-06-08
Visit
Big Head Todd & the Monster's official web site
Visit Toad the Wet
Sprocket's
official web site
Visit Colin Hay's
offical web site
A bubbly perfomance from moe. and supporting acts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
in Morrison, CO on June 1...
Posted
June 2, 2019,
and last updated June 2, 2019 by
Chuck Miller
 The
beautiful spring night in Morrison, CO, started with a
powerful set starting at 6 PM by White Denim from Austin,
Texas. The quartet performed approximately 45 minutes of
jamming progressive music that was appreciated by the fans
who were slowing filling up the roughly 9,500-seat venue.
I'd never heard them perform before, and I liked them.
Though rain was forecast, thankfully not a drop fell during
the 6-hour long night of music. The weather coudn't have
been better. I only needed a long sleeve shirt as the
temperature dipped after 10 PM.
Next up was Mike Gordon and his band. Of course, Mike is
best known as the bassist for Phish. I have to say that his
was the least impressive set of the night for me. His band
has great players, and many in
the audience loved it. His music may be an acquired taste as
moe. was for me initially. I'll listen back to the recording
I made and see if I can acquire that taste. I will say that
I really appreciated Scott Murawski's guitar playing and
singing, though. His input, along with drummer John Kimmock,
was the most enjoyable part of that set for me.
The headliners took the stage at 8:55 PM. I'd estimate the
venue was more than three quarters full by the time moe.
started. They opened the first set with "Timmy Tucker,"
which caught me a bit off guard. They played it well, but
the sound wasn't quite dialed in, leaving me a bit
underwelmed. From "Timmy Tucker" they segued into "Tubing
the River Styx" and "The Pit," which kicked off the night
properly for me. A couple of new songs "Dangerous Game" and
"Jazz Cigarette" were next. The latter, featured
percussionist Jim Loughlin, who has become a real force in
the band. His xylophone and Mallet Cat playing have become
highlights during moe. shows.
One of my favorite moe. songs, "Water," came next. It was a
great rendition, which was humorously augmented by thousands
of bubbles that started blowing out of the soundboard area
as soon as the song started. The crowd reacted
enthusiastically as the bubbles floated and eventually came
to rest on the raptured audience. I was close enough that
some of the bubbles landed on me and my gear. It felt very
inclusive.
After "Water," bassist Rob Durhak informed us that Mike
Gordon was going to join the band for the next song. What
followed was one of my favorite moe. sit-ins ever. After
some tuning, the band, with Mike Gordon joining on electric
bass, launched into a cover of the Allman Brothers Band's
majestic instrumental "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed." This
song was always so powerful when performed by the Allman
Brothers Band. But moe. and Gordon were up to the challenge
and covered the song expertly. Each individual member of the
ensemble had an opportunity to solo over the course of the
20-minute reading of the song. It was easily the highlight
of the long night of intense jam band music. That song also
appropriately ended the first set. Wisely, the group knew
nothing could immediately follow that.
The band, riding high after the incredible set one closing
jam, started the second set around 10:45 PM with "The Road"
from their 2007 album The Conch. Next, a new Chuck
Garvey song "New Hope For the New Year" sounded great and
had some interesting jams. Guitarist Garvey also sang the
old fan favorite "Bullet" next. Another new song "Crushing"
was sung by Al Schnier which morphed into his politically
inspired "George," which was somewhat timely and
appreciated. The second set ended with a relatively quick
reading of Derhak's "Rebubula" reprising the bubbles
billowing from the soundboard area. Percussionist Loughlin
had an unexpected, lilting solo halfway through the song
that was pretty neat.
The band was called back for an encore and quickly started a
cover of The Vapor's "Turning Japanese." Unfortunately, the
band ran up against the Red Rocks hard stop at midnight, and
the power to the PA was cut before the band could finish the
song sung by multi-instrumentalist Loughlin. I'd never seen
this hard curfew enforced at Red Rocks. It was somewhat
disconcerting, as the band couldn't finish the song which
wasn't very long. It left me and the rest of the fans
disappointed.
I recorded all the bands, but don't currently have the time
to process and upload White Denim and Mike Gordon's sets.
Links to the moe. recording and photos I took are offered
below.
moe. ~ 2019-06-01 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
moe.
- 2019-06-01
Mike Gordon
- 2019-06-01
White Denim
- 2019-06-01
Visit moe.'s official web site
Visit Mike Gordon's
official web site
Visit White Denim's
offical web site
Ferrari Films presents Unshaken: The Road to Woo
at Stargazer's Theatre in CO Springs on Friday, May 17...
Posted
May 18, 2019,
and last updated May 18, 2019 by
Chuck Miller
 Last
night, Stargazer's Theatre in Colorado Springs hosted the
premiere of Ferrari Films Unshaken: The Road to Woo.
The 45-minute documentary named after one of Woo's songs,
focuses on Woo's music career. The five-piece Wendy
Woo Band played after the film was shown.
The audience of Wendy Woo
fans and family sometimes cheered during the showing as Woo
and the individual band members' images appeared on the big
screen and told the story of how they all met and formed the
Wendy Woo Band. The documentary-style movie was illuminating
for old and new fans of Woo and her band.
After a twenty-minute intermission and
brief introduction by venue owner John Hooten, the band came
out and Woo addressed the audience: "I feel like you know
all my secrets now." She then thanked the audience for
attending and launched into "In the Middle," a song written
by band member, multi-instrumentalist Mitch DeZwarte.
Woo continued that theme and chose to
perform several songs written by or co-written with every
member of the band during the almost 80-minute set. They
played "Hey Bartender" co-written with her husband Charles
Snyder, "Saving Grace," written by Robin Hoch who sings,
plays viola & acoustic guitar, "Today," written by bassist
Steve Cox, and "Knowledge" and "Out Of My Head Over You"
co-written with drummer Chris Maestas. Other highlights
included a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," which also
appears on Woo's latest solo album The Immigrant and
the final songs of the night, "Late Night Sunrise" and
"Surprise Me."
It was an engaging event, and Woo and the
band glowed with exuberance during the whole performance.
I made a recording and have uploaded just
two songs this time. I chose the Steve Cox-composed song
"Today" and the band's cover of Marvin Gaye's mega hit
"What's Going On." I think both songs highlight the talents
of all the band members. You can hear those songs and see
some photos I took at the event by following the links
below.
Wendy Woo Band ~ 2019-05-17 Stargazer's Theatre, Colorado
Springs, CO
Wendy Woo
- 2019-05-17
Visit Wendy Woo's official web site:
WendyWoo.com
Wendy Woo on Facebook:
The
Wendy Woo Band
Wendy Woo brought her The Immigrant album
release tour to The Gold Room in CO Springs on April 13...
Posted
April 14, 2019
and last updated April 16, 2019 by:
Chuck Miller
 Loveland,
Colorado based singer-songwriter Wendy Woo released her latest
solo album The Immigrant recently and held an album
release party at The Gold Room in downtown Colorado Springs
on April 13. The event featured Woo solo, singing
accompanied with acoustic guitar and occasionally electric
piano. There was no opening act. She played all of her new
songs, some of her older fan favorites, and a few covers. She
also provided some context for many of the songs and engaged
with the audience frequently between songs.
The two-set show started a little after 8 PM
with Woo playing the new album's title song "The Immigrant"
followed by the second album song 'Dust Off the Piano." Then
Woo moved to piano for "Vic's Coffee" the fourth album song
which she said was about going to high school prom in
Boulder. The new songs and the whole show was received well
by the intimate audience of loyal Woo fans.
Hearing the songs played live before
listening to the CD was instructive. I usually think hearing
an artist play live is better than listening to their studio
albums. I can tell a lot about an artist by observing how
they play to a live audience, especially with new material, which
fans have not heard yet. Woo handled this impeccably at this
show I think partly because the new material is so good.
For me, the songs sounded great live without
the various guests artists and additional instrumentation
used on the studio release. Playing live, Woo draws you in
while exposing herself in a way that keeps you involved and
attentive. That was the case at The Gold Room on Saturday
night.
She even came out between sets to sign CDs and chat with her
fans.
After the show, I listened to the album. The
album is gorgeous, well played and expertly produced. I love
the new material and the decision to use understated
instrumentation, and the production choice of utilizing
select guest musicians on some songs was spot on. I can see
many of these songs making their way into rotation with the
full band in the future. Standout album tracks are "Dust Off
the Piano," "Plane To China," "The Weather," and "This Little
Town," which was co-written with her husband Charles Snyder.
She included Stevie Nicks' iconic "Landslide"
on the album. We've all heard covers of this song throughout the years. Woo really made it her own here. It felt
perfect in the context of an autobiographical album like
this. There really isn't a dull moment on The Immigrant.
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes strong
singer-songwriter music with thoughtful lyrics and great
instrumental back-up. This one will be in heavy rotation on
my music player for a while.
I made a recording and took some photos which
can be accessed by following the links below.
Wendy Woo (solo) ~ 2019-04-13 The Gold Room, Colorado
Springs, CO
Wendy Woo
- 2019-04-13
Visit Wendy Woo's official web site:
WendyWoo.com
Wendy Woo on Facebook:
The
Wendy Woo Band
Tedeschi Trucks Band's latest release Signs is a
beautifully deep recording and their best album to
date...
Posted
March
22, 2019 and last
updated March 22, 2019 by:
Chuck Miller
Tedeschi Trucks Band's fourth album Signs is easily
the best album they have produced together and the best new
album I've heard so far this year. Signs sounds warm,
inviting, intimate, and organic perhaps owing to the decision
to record it live at the married couple's Jacksonville, FL,
home studio. You can feel the collaborative band presence on every gorgeous track.
The band endured heartbreaking loss while making this
record. Derek Trucks' uncle, Butch Trucks, a
founding member of the Allman Brothers Band committed
suicide and Tedeschi/Trucks' mentor, musician Col.
Bruce Hampton (Ret.), whom the album is dedicated to also
passed away while they were busy recording Signs. Those losses
are felt often throughout the music presented here. Then
tragically, the band's gifted
keyboardist and flute player Kofi Burbridge died
on February 15, the very day the album was released to the
public. Nevertheless, I don't hear Signs as a
requiem. There is joy to be heard in these blues.
Derek
Truck's singular electric guitar riffs get the recording started
with "Signs, High Times." Soon after, the band joins and
band leader Susan Tedeschi belts out, "Here I am - I did it
to myself - But I still don't know what I'm here for,"
vocalist Mike Mattison adds, "Floating on my back - Hoping I
end up dry" with Tedeschi continuing, "I got it right - Oh,
to put you in my sights - But I don't have the fight to rage
on - Something tells me," and back-up singer Mike Rivers
testifies, "That maybe you're the one worth saving." The
spiritually joyous opener gets things cooking quickly. I
knew I was going to love this album less than one minute
into my first hearing.
The somewhat funky (in a
good, 1970's sort of way) "I'm Gonna Be There" continues the
musical goodness with Tedeschi and back-up singers
delivering heartfelt vocals while Trucks wails on electric
guitar in sympathy with them. The musical effect is
reminiscent of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's playing on
the Layla (and other assorted Love Songs) album. "When Will
I Begin" returns us to the band's soulful blues with lyrics that allude to
the album's cover art and set the tone for the rest of the
46-minute long blues/soul tome.
"Walk Through This Life"
references 1940's era jazz, which is easy on my rock and
roll ears, immediately followed by
"Strengthen What Remains," which is more contemplative and
features a bit of orchestration and a spattering of Kofi
Burbridge's ethereal flute playing. I enjoy the song's simplicity,
which comes from minimal instrumentation and Tedeschi's
understated vocals.
Burbridge's solo piano
twinkling begins and finishes "Still Your Mind," which conjures
"Layla" again for me. It's my favorite track on
the album. It contains everything I want in a Tedeschi Trucks Band
song: Truck's wailing guitar, Tedeschi's soothing vocals, and
the expert backing of their 12-piece band.
"Hard Case" is the most
pop-oriented song on the 11-track album. I imagine this will
be an excellent concert tune for the group. The whole band
is actively participating, and I can see audience members
getting out of their seats to dance to this one.
The eighth song, "Shame,"
starts out frenzied, reminiscent of the Allman Brothers Band
hit "Whipping Post" and moves between mellow and energetic a
few times before ending on a tranquil choral note. "Shame" will demonstrate to a live audience how dynamically
Tedeschi Trucks Band can play.
I've been listening to some of Bonnie Raitt's albums
recently, and "All The World" reminds me of some of her
songs. It's natural to draw similarities between Tedeschi
and Raitt. Both are accomplished musicians, and both
women sing the blues. Occasionally on the earlier
TTB albums, I found Tedeschi's voice a tad bit too edgy, which is
something I never hear when listening to Raitt's voice on
her recordings. But, generally, I prefer Tedeschi's guitar
playing over Raitt's because it sounds sweeter to me. Nonetheless, on this
album Tedeschi's voice sounds great.
"They Don't
Shine" sounds like unneeded filler to me on this album. It's
not bad, so it doesn't bring the album down. But, it just doesn't
match the highest level of the other songs or present
anything interesting musically for me.
The greatest albums, and Signs is certainly a great album,
end on a high note and that's true here, with the the last
song, "The Ending." It's
presented with only Tedeschi softly singing and playing
acoustic guitar with gentle, occasional guitar accompaniment
by her husband Derek. Distilling the grand power of a 12-piece band down to its two principles is enthralling. This
aptly titled finale accomplishes that. I revel in the nuance
of Tedeschi's plaintively wailing the lyrics which end the album:
"His guitar is laughing and filling the room - Everybody's
smiling while he's singing his blues - It's hard to
understand but I think he understood - Yes, he knew - Yes, he
knew, oh, he knew - The ending."
The Beat goes pre-Valentine's with Stompin' George Eldon
and his band at the Gold Room in CO Springs...
Posted
February 16, 2019 and
last updated February 16, 2019 by:
Chuck Miller
  KCOS
Digital Media brought Stompin' George Eldon and his
four-piece band to The Gold Room in Colorado Springs on
February 13 for The Beat Goes On global internet
radio show. Hosts Mark White and Lisa Carns interviewed
Eldon and the band and entertained the intimate but lively
group of music fans between songs.
The show started at 7
PM with the band playing their originals "The Stars Have
Amnesia," "Barefoot (Ol' Time Happy)," and "Rainbow Song."
The sound in the venue was great. The band played well,
though I felt like the radio show format sometimes slowed
their momentum. But, of course the hosts made it fun, and it
was great to hear Eldon interviewed in depth about his songs
and tell some interesting stories. I left feeling like I
knew Eldon and his music much better than I had before.
Early highlights included hearing the new instrumental "The
Cabana Song" and the confessional host chat after the song
"Naked in the Graveyard." Of course, Chrys Bocast
did her best to feed the hungry crowd during "Saltine
Cracker."
There was also a Valentine's Day themed haunted house
giveaway by My Bloody Valentine. That got host Lisa Carns
out into the audience asking couples how long they'd been
together. One lucky couple won free admission to the
HellScream Haunted House on North Hancock Ave. After that,
the band launched into the audience participation song, one
of my favorites, "Johnny Depp." "Stoned Brown Girl" was also
performed impeccably later in the set.
I've wanted to record Eldon since I first saw the band play
at Mother Muff's in Old Colorado City last year. Hearing
them play all originals for the whole night was a rare
treat. The event ended at 9 PM with a strange
and inspired pairing of the chorus of Buck Owen's classic "PFFT You Were Gone" with the original "Talk
Some More Shit" which left the crowd wanting more. That
certainly ended the set on a high note.
The two hour long professionally produced video show was broadcast live and is
archived
on
YouTube and on the
KCOS Digital Media web site if you'd like to check it
out. I enjoyed watching it and think it will be worth your
effort to see if you're interested in the band.
Links to my audio recording and some photos I took during
the event are below.
Stompin' George Eldon ~ 2019-02-13 The Gold Room, Colorado
Springs, CO
Stompin' George Eldon
- 2019-02-13
Colorado Springs tribute to Bob Dylan at Stargazer's
Theatre & Event Center on Friday, January 18...
Posted
January 19, 2019 and
last updated February 2, 2019 by:
Chuck Miller
 Stargazer's
Theatre & Events Center hosted the Colorado Springs tribute
to Bob Dylan on Friday, January 18. The music started a
little after
7 PM with Lindsay & Jeremy Facknitz who kicked the night off
with a transcendent rendition of "Boots Of Spanish Leather."
This was my first time seeing this talented duo, and they
were easily my favorite act of the night. Lindsay's voice is
clear, bright, and chill-inducing at times. Jeremy's guitar
accompaniment was spot on and set the standard for the rest
of the performers. On this song Lindsey reminded me of
Natalie Maines, the lead singer for the Dixie Chicks.
Other first set highlights were Mike Judge's rendition of "I
Shall Be Released" and Craig Walter's powerful takes on
"Queen Jane Approximately" and "It's All Over Now, Baby
Blue."
I was there primarily to see Chuck Snow's performance. I
planned on splitting after
his portion of the show, but I enjoyed the other
bands so
much, I stayed for the rest of the night. Unfortunately,
each group only played four songs. As a consequence, they
were all turning over the stage at about the time they
started getting warmed up. Fittingly, I thoroughly enjoyed
Snow and his four-piece band's rendition of "You Ain't Goin'
Nowhere," which ended the first set with the crowd wanting
more.
Chris and Deb Mitguard got the second set started right with
"I Am A Lonesome Hobo" from John Wesley Harding.
Jason Miller's renditions of "Shelter From the Storm," "The
Man In Me," and "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go"
were appreciated by me and the eager Bob Dylan fans. Miller
only played three songs, but they were some of my favorites
of the second set.
One of Dylan's most popular tunes "Blowin' In the Wind" was
performed impeccably by K. J. Braithwaite, who also offered
up the crowd favorite "Mr. Tambourine Man." Braithwaite's
focus and command of the material was impressive. He was
aptly rewarded with some of the most enthusiastic audience
response of the night.
 Stargazer's
Theatre owners John and Cindy Hooton finished the individual
live band performances with stirring readings of "All I
Really Want To Do," "Shooting Star" and two others. I'd
never seen them perform together. I thought they were very
good. John Hooton's finger-picking guitar licks held up well
against some of the more seasoned musician's work.
A video taped rendition of "Chimes Of Freedom" by Anglum,
Mock & Greene who couldn't make it to the live show played
on the screen above the stage as the night's performers
gathered together for the all-star last song of the night. A
very disjointed but still fun version of "Like A Rolling
Stone" capped the tribute at around 10:45 and sent the
joyous Dylan fans out into the cold Colorado night.
I recorded the whole event, but I currently only have
permission from Chuck Snow and John and Cindy Hooton to
share their performances. That
recording and some photos I took of each group can be
accessed by following the links below.
John & Cindy Hooton ~ 2019-01-18 Stargazer's Theatre, Colorado
Springs, CO
Chuck Snow ~ 2019-01-18 Stargazer's Theatre, Colorado
Springs, CO
John & Cindy Hooton
- 2019-01-18
K. J. Braithwaite
- 2019-01-18
Jason Miller
- 2019-01-18
The Mitguards
- 2019-01-18
Chuck
Snow - 2019-01-18
Craig
Walter - 2019-01-18
Mike Judge
- 2019-01-18
Lindsay & Jeremy Facknitz - 2019-01-18
Reflecting on why I like to make live music recordings and looking forward to
doing more of that in 2019...
Posted and updated by:
Chuck Miller January
1, 2019
 I
usually like to bring in the New Year while listening to
live music. I can't actually remember the last New Year's
Eve that I wasn't at a show or watching a pay-per-view event
at home on the couch. I just didn't feel the need to
get another live show in before 2018 ended. As luck would
have it though, just before I went to bed last night I saw a
Late Show with Steven Colbert re-run that featured Jeff
Tweedy from Wilco singing "Let's Go Rain" from his new solo
album WARM. That was a pleasant surprise and
fitting end to 2018.
Looking back, I had a satisfying year, musically. I heard
and recorded some new bands and attended concerts performed
by old favorites. The older I get, the more I appreciate live
music. The quality of live sound now plays a large role in
that for me. PA systems, even in small clubs, sound much
better than they did when I was young. I heard plenty of
poorly mixed performances when I first started going to
concerts. That was a turn-off. Now, I expect to be able to hear the words the
singers are singing and also hear all the instruments clearly.
These days, even small bands doing their own sound from the stage
can achieve that. Stompin' George Eldon's band does that every
time I see them. That's part of what makes a band worth
recording -- good sound! When I started to hear really good sound at
concerts, especially from the Grateful Dead in the 1980's,
that's when I got interested in making recordings. That's
what led me here.
When I buy a concert ticket or pay a cover charge to see a
band play these days, I expect to hear high quality sound.
That was the case with my
last concert in 2018, which was the December 29 Cracker and
Camper Van Beethoven double bill at the Soiled Dove
Underground in Denver. I've seen both bands many times. I
love their music. Both bands played very well, of course.
But they also sounded great! It was easy to make a quality
recording. You can read my review and listen to the recordings I made
by following the link
here if you're interested.
I'm looking forward to 2019. So far, I have tickets and plan
to see moe., Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and
Toad the Wet Sprocket at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. I'd love to
see Wilco this year. I haven't made a personally
satisfactory recording of them yet. Hopefully they'll play
somewhere in Colorado, and I'll get the opportunity. Closer to
home, there is a Bob Dylan tribute this month featuring
among others, some friends of mine at Stargazer's Theatre
and Event Center. Woodshed Red, a band I recently discovered
and really like, is
playing at that same venue in February. I'll record that
performance. I want to record Stompin' George Eldon's band soon,
too. They are
so unique. I want to expose them to more people.
I also want
to record some more diverse music in 2019. I see a lot of
jam bands, mainly because they tend to be more open to being
recorded. Contact me by email
here if you know
of a great local band I haven't covered yet. After all,
that's part of my mission: to highlight and expose people to
good live local music.
Well, those are some of my wishes for the coming year. I'm
excited after learning about some of the events that have
been announced already. If 2019 is anything like 2018 was,
I'll be happy and busy making recordings and sharing them
here with you. Cheers.
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