Thighs Wide Shut

Petula Clark
Sony Hall
November 6

With the sweet sweet sweet sounds of Petula Clark, I would NEVER sleep in the subway, and you shouldn’t sleep on her and her continuing brilliance either!

Just a week til she turns 86(!!!!), the grand lady showed all the geriatrics and me at Sony Hall that she STILL has the golden pipes, swinging and swaying us thru her groovy and classy back catalog, including tackling a handful of choice covers by the likes of John and Paul, Steve Winwood, Andrew Lloyd Webber x 2 and Peggy Lee

Clark’s fantastic performance had an air of sophistication to it, like spending a refined evening with a chanteuse in a dimly lit basement club, exactly outlined in her 1965 hit…

Wherever Petula is – that is the place I want to know, and be at!  THANK YOU PETULA!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGXRqzQJFzQ

Setlist* – You and I > Meant To Be / Don’t Sleep in the Subway / Fever (Peggy Lee cover) / Who Am I > Colour My World / Look to the Rainbow / How Are Things In Glocca Morra? / While You See A Chance (Steve Winwood cover) / My Love / With One Look (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover) / Blackbird (The Beatles cover) / Imagine (John Lennon cover) / I Know a Place > Sign of the Times / From Now On / 60’s Medley (Round Every Corner>Call Me>Don’t Give Up>The Other Man’s Grass Is Always Greener) / This is My Song (Charlie Chaplin cover) / Don’t Cry for Me Argentina (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover) / Living For Today / I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love / Downtown / Rainbow

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp3V5M3hmYa/

*to the best of my memory

Steely Dan
Beacon Theatre
October 30

Best In Peace Walter Becker. Forgive me that I never saw the Dan live while you were still in it, but Doctor Funkenstein - Donald Fagen & co totally kicked out all the jams, on ‘Greatest Hits’ nite, and it was just a pure joy  

Setlist – Hallelujah Time / Bodhisattva / Hey Nineteen / Black Friday / Aja / Green Earrings / Bad Sneakers / Kid Charlemagne / Maxine / Gaucho / Keep That Same Old Feeling (The Crusaders cover) / Peg / Rikki Don’t Lose That Number / Josie / My Old School / Reelin’ In the Years

Encore – Pretzel Logic / A Man Ain’t Supposed to Cry (Joe Williams cover)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BplRbFCHe8s

Elton John
Madison Square Garden
October 18

Elton’s saying that this is his final tour (one that has dates that stretch into 2020)!!!!  BUT YOU CAN’T STOP NOW ELTON!!! (although you’re allowed to do whatever the fcuk you want!)

What a perfect show.  Just as amazing as when I first saw him in 2013, but with even more feeling – and pizzazz – and an incredible piano shaped stage!   You made Thursday night alright for fighting ROCKING!!!  

But no ‘Pinball Wizard‘?  Or ‘Lady D’Arbanville‘????  I know, I know – this is all hits – not all hits by other dudes that you may actually do better than their originals!!

But you’re still standing, even though you do a lot of sitting.  Long may you stand AND sit!!!

Thank you Elton

Setlist – Bennie and the Jets / All the Girls Love Alice / I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues / Border Song / Tiny Dancer / Philadelphia Freedom / Indian Sunset / Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time) / Take Me to the Pilot / Someone Saved My Life Tonight / Levon / Candle in the Wind / Funeral for a Friend-Love Lies Bleeding / Burn Down the Mission / Believe / Daniel / Sad Songs (Say So Much) / Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me / The Bitch Is Back / I’m Still Standing / Crocodile Rock / Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting

Encore – Your Song / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpGaPJxAk33/

Maroon 5
Madison Square Garden
October 15

I wore maroon pants to a Maroon 5 concert.  And what happened?  A jolly good show!!!!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo-piNdg_Xf/?taken-by=hughdancey

But no (girl like) Cardi B?  Guess we’ll have to wait for the Super Bowl, where perhaps Mick Jagger can make his own moves next to Adam Levine

Setlist – What Lovers Do / Payphone / This Love / Misery / Sunday Morning / Animals / One More Night / Cold / Maps / Harder to Breathe / Don’t Wanna Know / Love Somebody / Wait / Makes Me Wonder / Rock With You (Michael Jackson cover) / Moves Like Jagger

Encore – Forever Young (Alphaville cover) / Girls Like You / She Will Be Loved / Sugar

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo-lYosANBk/

Gorillaz
Barclays Center
October 13

If I had a pocket full of endless money, I would just keep throwing it at Damon Albarn and force him to keep coming up with new music, in whatever form he chooses, and then tour it, and I’d be there every fcuking time.  I basically have.  OK, so I was late to the Blur express, but ever since I brought Damon into my ears, my modern life has been as far from rubbish as possible!

I’ve seen him solo once (with two brothers Graham)

Got to see him as The Good, The Bad & The Queen (what a dumb name for such an awesome side project)

I’ve seen Blur 4 times (the Hyde Park show being the mostest!)

And now I’ve see 6 Gorillaz shows (like a child, you can’t pick a favorite, so I won’t – they are all a BLESSING TO SEE AND HEAR!!)

This means I’ve seen Damon Albarn in some form play a concert 12 times, which means I’ve seen him perform in concert more than any other human on earth (besides my mom singing Bob Marley songs).  This means I love Damon Albarn above all others.  And I would say that is accurate.  No matter how much I LIVE for the Beatles and their living members, I’m all for Damon or bust.

Damon is THE best.  He always brings it.  I’m glad he’s found a way to be successful in America.  Guess most Yanks aren’t into cockney word play.  Their loss.  But really my loss.  If Blur were big over here, they would play here all the time, instead of barely selling out MSG.  Whatevs.  Come here with them, without them, with De La Soul, with Gay La Bowl, whoever.  If you played with a pack of wild dogs, it would be amazing, and I would be there, for you and for me!

Damon, I am in awe of you.  Some people love and worship Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.  That’s great!  Let those people bow that way, and I’ll bow towards something much more wow, and now now – you Damon Albarn.  Bless your fcuking heart mate!

Setlist – M1 A1 / Tranz / Last Living Souls / Rhinestone Eyes / Saturnz Barz / Tomorrow Comes Today / Every Planet We Reach Is Dead / 19-2000 / Humility / Superfast Jellyfish (with De La Soul) / On Melancholy Hill / El Mañana / Fire Flies / Strobelite (with Peven Everett) / Interlude: Elevator Going Up / Andromeda / Hollywood (with Jamie Principle) / Dirty Harry (with Bootie Brown) / Feel Good Inc (with De La Soul) / Souk Eye / Plastic Beach

Encore – Lake Zurich / Latin Simone / Kids With Guns / Stylo (with Mos Def and Peven Everett) / Clint Eastwood / Don’t Get Lost in Heaven / Demon Days

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo5lOfMg9mn/