Peter Gabriel Sunday May 2, 2010 at Radio City Music Hall

This is a story about how Austin once again tried to broaden my musical horizons, only to encounter my resistance.  But the upshot is that in the end, I was broadened and I have grown to really enjoy Peter Gabriel’s music.  I, like everybody, knew the song Sledgehammer, and that’s it. 

I have always been more interested with how an artist sounds live rather than in the studio.  Anyone can sound good in the studio.  The real test of a performer is what they can do with one take in a live environment, with no over-dubs (and now, the dreaded pitch correction technology - Garfunkel, we have your number).   I’d rather listen to newer concert DVDs than older ones.  I don’t care that Elton John’s voice has dropped an octave, it’s all about the songs, and energy level.  These guys have more energy on stage now, than they did when they were younger and that’s all that matters.  I got Peter Gabriel’s best of CD, called Hit to sort of get ready for the show.  The other CD in this 2 CD collection is called Miss.  How cool is that?  PG can admit that not all of his stuff is “hit” worthy, but still good to listen to.  PG seems like a really cool bloke, and I bet it’d be interesting to talk to him.

I got tickets through an American Express pre-sale thanks to my Aunt and her green card.  They weren’t the best seats, but they were in the orchestra and the sound in RCMH is superior wherever you sit.  I was happy to have tickets and even happier I didn’t need to play “Russian Roulette” on the official ‘on sale’ day.  I can do a whole post on what is wrong with Ticketmaster/Live Nation, but I digress.

Took the train in and met Austin and his GF (at the time) Rosa.  We met at a pre determined time in Grand Central.  We hoofed some 15 blocks to go to a Chinese restaurant that specialized in vegetarian/vegan food.  See the pic of the fried rice below.  It was divine.  It was a hole in the wall, no air conditioning and the service was terrible, but I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste of the food.  They served fried gluten and it tasted and had the texture of chicken.  It’s amazing what these vegans can do these days.  

After dinner, we hoofed back to RCMH and sat on the water fountain across the street for a bit, letting our food digest.  At 7:15 precisely, we walked across the street and went to where they usually let us in only to find they were letting people in on the opposite side of the building.  They rarely ever use the front to let people in, maybe it gets too busy there.  I remember that my camera’s strap got stuck on one of the interlocking barriers as I walked by and snapped the strap off.  I will have to dig out a few pics and post.

We found our seats in the very lush gold and red art deco interior of RCMH.  It is a sight to see if you have not seen it.  In the bathrooms, they even have the antique hand dryers, they don’t really work well, but they’re so vintage that they’re cool anyway.  We got some drinks, water, etc and found our seats.  We were on the extreme house right, section one in the orchestra.  I prefer to sit in the orchestra, when I’m up in the mezzanine, I feel like I will fall out, weird, but what are you going to do?

PG came out and introduced Ane Brun who was going to sing a few songs.  She has an amazing voice and we found out she was going to join PG for the show too.  After two songs (not really an opening act), PG came out and explained that he was going to sing the new album from start to finish with no interruption.  Since the concert sounded just like the album, there is no need to review each song as I usually do.  But there was a part where he screwed up the words to Paul Simon’s Boy in the Bubble.  Good thing Paul wasn’t in the crowd.

His new album called Scratch My Back, is a reciprocal cover album.  He is covering some of his favorite artists’ songs, and in return those artists (or producer affiliated with them in the case of David Bowie) will cover a PG song.  Paul Simon covered Biko on a tuned down 12 string, and the song is beautiful and simple, almost better than the PG recording.  The funny thing is in one case, the artist didn’t like PG’s take on their song and decided no to do a cover. 

After he finished singing the album, there was an intermission.  I was really excited to hear PGs solo stuff with an orchestra.  Peter was playing back to back nights at Radio City, and I was kind of bummed because on the next night, the day after our show, Lou Reed came out during the intermission and sang his cover version of Solisbury Hill.  Thanks to YouTube, I saw it anyway. 

Without any fanfare, PG walked back on stage and the orchestra lead by Ben Foster started San Jacinto.  The orchestra really mellowed out the harsh rhythm and synthesizer used in the studio version.  PG was really reaching for the high notes, and hit most of them.  Next up was Digging in the Dirt.  The intro was, to my ears played on a few oboes.  It sounded really cool played staccato with an orchestra.  Melanie (his back up singer and daughter) and Ane Brun really shined with the “this time you’ve gone to far” bit.  Melanie has such an incredible voice that was showcased on the next song, Downside up.  Halfway through there was a bass and percussion breakdown with a 54-piece orchestra.  Only PG!  PG dedicated Mercy Street to Anne Sexton, who wrote the poem it’s based on.  I was not familiar with this song even though it’s on So, his break through 1980’s commercial success.  For the intro to Signal to Noise, PG told a story about how cell phones will change the world.  An even less familiar song came next, Washing of the Water, but enjoyable none the less.      

We were treated to a grand treat when PG announced that this is the first time this next song was going to be sung with an orchestra.  Red Rain sounded breathtaking with an orchestra.  PG sort of fudged the opening lyric.  The stage was washed with red light for this song.  Since PG is getting older and never seems to remember the correct order of the verses on the next song, had a Presidential style teleprompter set up on stage right in case he forgot the words, which only happened once during the evening (The Boy in the Bubble).

PG closed the show with Solsbury Hill.  He said “and this one may be a little familiar.”  The orchestra started on the downbeat with the infamous opening melody line.  He did his usual stage shtick like prancing around the stage and usual hand gestures on stage during this song.  He may have be pushing 60, may be a bit heavier and may not have any hair on his head, but there he was, Peter Gabriel singing one of his most iconic songs, for me.  The song had borrowed a sample of Ode To Joy, it fit and was a welcome addition.  After this song he took the customary encore break.  But before he did, he introduced the St. Lukes Orchestra and the ‘man behind the stick,’ Ben Foster. 

PG came back on stage to sing In Your Eyes.  I was never sold on the recorded version of this song; I think the orchestra livened it up a bit.  The show ended with Don’t Give Up.  It’s such an inspirational song and Ane Brun really sang her little heart out for this one.  PG sent us home to the instrumental, The Nest That Sailed the Sky.  After, Peter thanked his crew, the local crew, the players and most of all he thanks us, his audience. 

Heroes

The Boy in the Bubble

Mirrorball

Flume

Listening Wind

The Power of the Heart

My Body is a Cage

The Book of Love

I Think it’s Going to Rain Today

Apres Moi

Philadelphia

Street Spirit

San Jacinto

Digging in the Dirt

Downside Up

Mercy Street

Signal to Noise

Washing of the Water

The Rhythm of the Heat

Red Rain

Solsbury Hill

In Your Eyes

Don’t Give Up

The Nest That Sailed the Sky

Mark Knopfler Saturday, May 1, 2010 MGM Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort

Mark Knopfler is one of the greatest living guitar players ever!  He really puts Eric Clapton and all those other “name” guitarists to shame (yes, you read it right!).  I was a big Dire Straits fan and had only recently gotten into MK’s solo career.  When tickets went on sale, I missed the MK.com pre-sale.  Since I was not a huge fan, but wanted to go, I selected the second price level, which was about 65 bucks USD and got a nice front row seat in the balcony in house right.

I love the MGM Grand Theatre.  The sound is usually pristine and spot on.  The staff is very nice and accommodating, not aggressive like at Mohegan Sun.  The unique thing about MK is that he lets people record his shows and take photos etc.  In fact, until 2008 he used to allow people to videotape, but disallowed it as it became an obstruction and annoyance to him, the band and the audience.  So there might be a copy of this show floating around somewhere, who knows.  I like to cheat and look at the set lists before hand; I’m not good at waiting to see what will be played at the concert.  I didn’t recognize a lot of songs, but had already bought the ticket.   

The concert was on a Saturday night.  The opener was Pieta Brown, accompanied by Bo Ramsey.  I don’t remember much about her act, but I didn’t mind it.  I think it fit nicely with MK’s musical style.  A few minutes to nine, the house lights dimmed and the band walked out to the customary song Feelin’ Good by Junior Parker.  As the band took their places, the song faded and they launch into the first song Border Reiver, still in the dark.  Mark, as he would later explain, pinched a nerve in his body and was forced to sit for most of the four month World Tour.  According to Guy (MK’s keyboard player who keeps a very copious travel and tour diary on his website, said tonight was the first night MK tried using his keyboard thrown to sit on during the show, and MK seemed to like it). 

Halfway through the first song, I was upgraded to a front row seat.  Don’t ask me how it happened; I don’t even really know myself.  When I say front row, I mean dead fucking center, like Mark was looking at me all night.  What an amazing way to see a concert.  Those high rollers and people usually in the front never seem to appreciate the honor bestowed upon them.  Halfway through the guitar solo for What It Is, I was seated in my newly acquired front row seat.  I felt like a high roller, the kind of person who those seats are usually reserved for.  The vibe up front was totally different than the old seat high in the balcony.  I felt as though I was right in the thick of the show and felt like I was part of the band.  I always like being close enough not to have to watch the giant screens.  I don’t like being forced to watch something that the video director has decided to put up for a few moments.  I like to look around, see what all the band members are doing, watch the crew scurry around, etc.  I felt bad for Mr. Saggers (MK’s guitar tech) because usually MK will walk to ‘guitar alley’ and switch out guitars after each song, but since he couldn’t walk because of the pinched nerve, the guitars had to be brought to him.  Mr. Saggers had to bring a guitar stand to put the guitar he is taking away on the stand while he secured and pluged in the new guitar and then had to run back stage to turn on the new guitar (thanks to Guy’s diary for explaining the procedure).

Most of the band members have been playing with MK for a while now.  In fact, two members go back to the Dire Straits days.  Most others have been playing with him since his first solo record in 1996.  Since the usual violin player and flute player (John McCusker) couldn’t join them in the US, they got the fabulously talented Tim O’Brien to take over for the US leg of the tour.  Tim sang the James Taylor part in Sailing to Philadelphia.  I saw a YouTube clip of an early show on the tour and Tim forgot the words and I felt bad for him.  He was spot on for Foxwoods though.  After an amazing guitar solo on his signature Hot Rod Red Fender® strat, the band launched into Coyote,  which has recently become one of my favorite MK solo songs.  It’s (I think) about the struggle between the coyote and roadrunner, and how the coyote will never outsmart the roadrunner no matter how hard he tries.  After Coyote, MK did his usual banter and hellos and explained why he was sitting and why he was not “doing his usually high jumps.”  That got a laugh from the crowd.  He also explained that the medication he is on for his ailment is causing him to secrete a strange liquid from his body.  This explained why he had a towel on his lap and was wiping his hands off after each song and sometimes during a guitar break in a song.  He also had a little bottle of powder he would occasionally put on his hands.  He mentioned that this is where the requests start coming in and I heard some bonehead behind me yell “I want my MTV.”  MK introduced Prairie Wedding and said that Del McCoury recently covered this song and said Del sang it an octave higher and agreed that that was the right approach.  Next up was Hill Farmer Blues which (I think) is about a farmer preparing to get even with an unfaithful wife.  I keep saying “I think” because it’s so hard to tell what his songs are about sometimes, you may not get the meaning all the time, but you know they are so f-ing good that it doesn’t matter. 

For the die hard Dire Straits fans, he did a few songs, Romeo & Juliet and Sultans were the first of the selection, back to back.  Romeo started with the well known guitar line on the National (the steel resonator guitar).  His guitar is from the 1930’s.  MK finished the song and the solo on his signature strat.  For Sultans of Swing, it was really cool because he had a wireless video camera attached to the headstock pointed down at the neck.  During the rocking guitar solo, on the big screens, they switched to the video from the guitar cam and you could see down the neck as he played a kick ass solo.  For a man that was in pain and sitting down, it really didn’t affect his guitar playing in the least. 

One reason I respect MK is that he’s the most “anti-celebrity’s” there is.  He doesn’t like the attention and is a very private person.  When he’s not in the spotlight, he lives a quite and simple life.  Also, while Dire Straits gave him his fame and fortune, he doesn’t feel like he has to play a Dire Straits show.  He does 5 Straits songs out of the 16 he does during the night.  Not to keep going back to Macca, but I think sometimes Paul believes people won’t come to see him if he doesn’t do all Beatles songs.  MK seems to play what he wants, and when he gets tired of a song, he will put it away for a bit (Money For Nothing). 

MK referred to Sultans as a bit of “four piece frivolity” (since the band strips down to a foursome for Sultans).  Then MK strapped on his black and white Danelectro guitar, which was a cheap 1950’s era electric guitar to play Donegan’s Gone.  These guitars although “cheap” are well suited for playing electric slide guitar on.  The re-issues are anything but cheap now, and I’m sure he plays an original one from the fifties.  MK plays fantastic slide guitar on this song, which was written about MK’s folk hero Lonnie Donegan who died in 2002 (hence, Donegan’s Gone).  After this song, he dons one of his signature Martin acoustic guitars (if I remember correctly, it was the one from the early 2000s) to play the title track off the new album, Get Lucky.  I believe this song was dropped for the European dates.  Staying in the acoustic mode, they played Marbletown.  I am still not a big fan of this song and hope it goes into ‘retirement’ for the next tour.  Speedway at Nazereth, a song about Nascar, builds to such an incredible crescendo at the end.  Next up is the behemoth Telegraph Road coming in at a whopping 15 minutes most nights.  He plays the tail end guitar solo on his custom Pensa from 1992-ish.  Rudy Pensa in addition to owning a cool guitar store is also a master luthier/guitar builder. 

Since MK can’t really walk too much, instead of doing the traditional bows and leaving of the stage before the encores, a stagehand brought out a tray with cups (with some sort of alcoholic drink, I’m guessing, thanks again to Guy’s diary) and handed them out to the band members while the audience clapped.  After a few minutes, the crowd quieted down and the MK started the signature opening line to Brothers In Arms.  Per Guy’s website, they had to bring the Ernie Ball volume pedal that MK uses up in height to match the height of the chair he sat on, so they used an instrument case to raise the pedal to a satisfactory level for MK.  After he switched guitars, he started So Far Away, another Straits classic.  He did not however insert the name of the town into the first line of the song “Here I am again in _____ town” probably because Mashantucket would not fit with the lyrics.  Or maybe because this was the first time he played here.  Last time he played Connecticut was in 2001 for the “Sailing to Philadelphia” tour.  He played what ever they are calling the Oakdale now.  The last song he played was Piper to the End, which (I think) he wrote about an Uncle of his that did not return from WWII.  It’s a very touching song and a great way to end a great two hours of entertainment. 

It’s amazing that sixteen songs can fill up two full hours.  The show was over a few minutes after 11pm.  I really regretted not bringing my camera, because I know Foxwoods is very strict about taking pictures even when the artists allow them, but they seemed to be very relaxed for this show.  According to Guy, MK really wants people to enjoy themselves and gets upset when the local venue inhibits the crowd form standing and rushing the stage at the end.  I snapped a few on the old iPhone, and a few came out good. 

After the show I was mulling around checking out the merch table.  MK has lithographs made up.  Basically it’s a picture of him with all the guitars that he used on the new album and he hand signs each of them in a silver sharpie.  Didn’t have any cash, so I ran out to the ATM grabbed 100 bucks and a $5.50 ATM fee and was on my merry way with a hand signed MK lithograph.  What a splendid concert that was only improved with my seat upgrade.  This show made me want a signature series Hot Rod Red Mark Knopfler Fender® Stratocaster.  It was worth the 4 month wait, and it made such a nice Christmas give to myself last year! 

I had a great epiphany during this show.  I realized that you don’t always have to know all the songs and be seeing a “name” person to enjoy yourself.  Not everyone knows who Mark Knopfler is, but if you say “the lead singer from Dire Straits,” they know exactly who you’re talking about.     

 

Set list:

Border Reiver

What It Is

Sailing to Philadelphia

Coyote

Prairie Wedding

Hill Farmer Blues

Romeo & Juliet

Sultans of Swing

Donegan’s Gone

Get Lucky

Marbletown

Speedway at Nazareth

Telegraph Road

Brothers In Arms

So Far Away

Piper to the End

Caught right before MK slapped Glenn the bass player on the ass.  Let it be known from Guy's diary about this gig that because of a short in Glenn's in ear monitors that they all wear, Glenn played most of the Foxwoods show without being able to hear anyone else, no monitors!!  What a sport!