Thighs Wide Shut

Bob Dylan
Mavis Staples
Beacon Theatre
November 21

I never wanted to see Bob Dylan.  I respect Bob Dylan, but I’m not a giant fan, and everyone always said how awful he was in concert anywayz.  But when Tom Petty died, I was like, OK, let’s not mess around here – Bob aint gonna live forever (and probably has already lived longer than any of us have ever thought he would) – and I need to see him before he goes.  HAVE TO!

To my surprise, a Bob Dylan show is wholly and udderly musically enjoyable.  His band is incredible!  And Bob totally seems with it, switching between piano jangling, and straight-up crooning, with a microphone stand in hand.  And shockingly, he sounds like Bob Dylan!  The problem?  He’s not singing the Bob Dylan songs the way that the Bob Dylan songs sound, or at least on how they are suppose to sound.  Also, he didn’t play guitar, AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF BOB????  Look, he’s earned the right to do whatever he wants to do with his music, and while I’m not a deep Dylan catalog guy, the songs I knew that he played, I could barely recognize.  Oh, that was ‘Tangled Up In Blue’?  FOOLED ME!!!

Still, it had to be done. And while the concert was nice, it almost felt more like a chore, which I can now add a giant check mark next to…  

see Dylan before he dies ✓

Real best part of the show?  Opener Mavis Staples.  Long security line made me miss 2 of her 7 songs played, but the 5 she beautifully belted made me wish that she was the headliner, and Dylan the opener

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

Dylan Setlist – Things Have Changed / It Ain’t Me, Babe / Highway 61 Revisited / Why Try to Change Me Now (Cy Coleman cover) / Summer Days / Melancholy Mood (Frank Sinatra cover) / Honest With Me / Tryin’ to Get to Heaven / Once Upon a Time (Tony Bennett cover) / Pay in Blood / Tangled Up in Blue / Soon After Midnight / Early Roman Kings / Full Moon and Empty Arms (Frank Sinatra cover) / Desolation Row / Thunder on the Mountain / Autumn Leaves(Yves Montand cover) / Love Sick’

Encore – Blowin’ in the Wind / Ballad of a Thin Man

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbvjM88D-Mf/

Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam 
Beacon Theatre
September 20th, 2016

We saw Cat return to form(/American soil, on his first official North American tour since 1976!) in Boston back in the winter of 2014, and it was an unforgettable night filled with much wisdom, soul, and incredible music.  We had only one want after that night – to see him again, mainly cause he didn’t play ‘Matthew & Son‘ (my favorite Cat song that isn’t ‘Lady D’Arbanville‘, which he hasn’t played since… 1976!)

Well, the opportunity arose and we seized it, and Mr Cat/Yusuf/Amazing came thru with his end of the bargain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKmWw4mDR_H/

not only that – but he took a little dig at Tears For Fears while playing it, for their song ‘Mad World’ sounding quite like his ‘Matthew & Son’ – mouthing ‘I think it’s kind of funny, I think it’s kind of strange, yes I think it’s kind of funny, that this sounds the same!‘  YOU FCUKING GO CAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 2014 tour’s name was ‘Peace Train…Late Again’, as in, he’s still be riding that train, but that train and its conductor was a little past due at its American stations.  Well, this year’s tour is called ‘A Cat’s Attic: 50 Year Anniversary Acoustic Tour’, and with less explaining about his absence this time around, he played the true troubadour, taking us on his musical life story with his 60s catalog as its soundtrack.  The cuts he dropped were a bit deeper than when we saw him before, and luckily he didn’t bother with the tunes on his last album, which were in heavy rotation on that 2014 jaunt

In these uncertain times, it’s wonderful that we can take solace in a musical genius who promotes peace, love and understanding, and so happens to be a Muslim.  The (probably not very Muslim) crowd was with Cat/Yusuf from start to finish.  The world would be a better place if it was with Cat/Yusuf’s music and its message from here on out.  Never too late to board the peace train.  WOOT! WOOT!!

Here’s hoping the next tour is called ‘I Want To Be Your Man/Lady D’Arbanville’.  And if so, that tour – oh you tour - you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill

Set 1 - Lilywhite / Don’t Be Shy / America (Leonard Bernstein song) / Up on the Roof (Carole King cover) / Love Me Do (The Beatles cover) / Here Comes My Baby / I Love My Dog / Matthew & Son / Blackness of the Night / A Bad Night / Trouble / Katmandu / I Wish, I Wish / Miles From Nowhere / On the Road to Findout

Set 2 - Tea for the Tillerman / Sad Lisa / If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out / Into White / Father and Son / The Wind / How Can I Tell You / Sitting / The Boy With a Moon and Star on His Head / Angelsea / Oh Very Young / Novim’s Nightmare / People Get Ready (The Impressions cover) / Be What You Must / Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (Nina Simone cover) / Maybe There’s a World -> All You Need Is Love / Peace Train

Encore  - Wild World / Moonshadow / Morning Has Broken

Happy Together Tour 2016
Beacon Theater
June 16th, 2016

I was born and raised on oldies music.  Thanks mom and dad.  It’s one of the greatest gifts that you gave me besides life and your love.  And I LOVE and LIVE for oldies music – and it, and rock n’ roll will NEVER die  

Sure, I bet you like oldies too, but limited to hearing it recorded, from the comfort of your home/car/office/wherever you music your music.  But I also bet that you couldn’t give 4 sh!ts about what these great artists are up to now (unless it’s Dylan or McCartney or Plant or Mick and Keef or Simon or Garf or Roger Waters or some of those other dudes), and that’s fine… by you

Well, I care, and I want to see these old fogeys live, whether they’re washed up or not – cause these are the dudes who sang the songs, and while the songs will be around forever, the people won’t – and we owe it to them to give them our money, AND our love, and in turn, for them to sing us these songs.  Also, my big theory with concerts remains – see the band/artist before you OR they die.  Why not?  Don’t you wish you saw Prince? (not exactly an oldie, but take my point – point taken)

And so, I (and Spakula) took in the 2016 version of the ‘Happy Together’ tour.  In 2010, I saw a version of it that included The Turtles (who are the stewards of the annual tour), Micky Dolenz, The Beach Boys and Mark Lindsay

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Billy J. Kramer (of he and The Dakotas fame)

this was suppose to be Spencer Davis’ slot on the bill, but he was a late scratch, and was replaced by a guy I don’t even know by name, but I do know his songs.  they’re the typical British soft rock music going around when the Beatles got going, and of course Billy J had a story about the Beatles.  he sounded fine, and was a fine opener, which was fine.  And who wants to hear Spencer Davis songs w/o Stevie Winwood anywayzz?

Setlist - I Call Your Name / I’ll Keep Your Satisfied / From a Window / Little Children / Bad to Me / Glad All Over (The Dave Clark Five cover)

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The Cowsills

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGvK6lIG38B/

I really only stumbled upon the real-life Partridge Family 3 years back, when a Cowsills doc shock rocked my world, and ever since then, I’ve doused myself in their fun-loving dippy hippy music, and have been VERRRRRRRRRRRY eager to see them play live.  Sure, their mom and big brothers have passed on, but 3 Cowsills is still better than zero Cowsills, right?  (their other living brother actual tours now with the Beach Boys).  Anywho, the Cowsills are the babies on this tour – compared with the ages of the dudes in the other bands – and the Cowsills still rock it.  I kinda want to see a full show of theirs, and ogle at Susan Cowsill – forever a cutiepie mcgee

Setlist – The Rain, the Park and Other Things / We Can Fly / Indian Lake / Love American Style / Hair

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Gary Puckett (of he and The Union Gap fame)

For some reason, my family was at Hershey Park in the 80s and we randomly got to see Gary Puckett play live.  I cannot confirm this – but it may have been the first ever concert I went to AND remembered (if not them, then it was the Beach Boys, when they played in DC on the 4th of July, which seemed like every year).  And that one concert left a lasting impression on me – and ever since then, I have always loved Gary Puckett… even if the lyrics to his ‘Young Girl’ are a bit icky.  But Gary’s still got it.  And he’s still a snappy dresser, and he sorta looks like Data from Star Trek

Setlist – Lady Willpower / Over You / This Girl is a Woman Now / Woman, Woman / Young Girl

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Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere and The Raiders fame)

It feels like I’ve seen Mark Lindsay like 23893929 times before (even though it was probably only once), and I was kinda dreading seeing him again, but I dreaded for NOTHING, cause skinny Mark fcuking kicked it!!!!  Especially with ‘Kicks’!!

Setlist – Steppin’ Out / Just Like Me / Hungry / Good Thing / Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) / Kicks

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Chuck Negron (of Three Dog Night fame)

I am a Three Dog Night apologist.  I say this cause I’ve had to defend how awesome they are to people who think they are not awesome.  Well, if you don’t like Three Dog Night, and still don’t, then I don’t know why you have ears  

Anywho, the dudes who tour as Three Dog Night were 2 of the 3 dogs.  I saw them play a racetrack 3 years ago, and it was BLAM-MAZING.  One of those dogs – Cory Wells – sadly died last year, and so I was glad I was able to see and hear that dog before he passed, but I always wanted to hear all 3 dogs howl together.  Didn’t happen, but the next best thing was to hear the 3rd dog.  Spankfully I now have, and Chuck (cousin of Taylor) Negron didn’t disappoint – although he no longer has rad long hair AND an awesome-szósz MUST-ache to end all mustaches  

I’ll hold out hope of the two remaining dogs making peace and reuniting, but if I had to choose between seeing Three Dog Night with juss Danny Hutton or seeing Chuckie Negs go it alone – I will go with Negron!

Setlist – Shambala / Celebrate / Eli’s Coming / One / Joy to the World

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The Turtles

Dude, these are the guys who sing ‘Happy Together’. HAPPY TOGETHER!!!  WHAT A SONG!!!!  SO GOOD THAT IT’S THE NAME OF A TOUR THAT PERFECTLY SUMMARIZES WHAT THE TOUR IS!!!!  I’ve loved this song forever, and especially done did when it was used in that John Malkovich/Ann Magnuson 1987 joint Making Mr Right!!  MAKING MR RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Setlist – She’d Rather Be With Me / You Baby / It Ain’t Me, Babe (Bob Dylan cover) / Peaches en Regalia (Frank Zappa cover) / Elenore / Happy Together