The recent and upcoming gigs thread

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Not to be a show off but me, the wife, son, and one of our daughters are going to see Steely Dan and Steve Winwood at Red Rocks, Colorado, June 13th. I love that venue. It is the only place I will see a show in Colorado these days. Every other venue in the state pales in comparison. It's almost like going to church.
 
View attachment 26373

What an event filled evening at Red Rocks. After a half hour weather delay (lightning and rain) Steve Winwood opened with "I'm A Man" then "Can't Find My Way Home". Then another 45 min. weather delay. This time it was severe lightning, heavy rain, and hail. By the time Winwood came back for an abbreviated (two more songs) set we were all soaked. Those who stayed were treated to a smoking version of "High Heeled Boys", probably the highlight of the concert, and finished with "Higher Love".

When Steely Dan took the stage we were already two and half hours into the show. Mr Fagen seemed a little annoyed about the delay, and just seemed a little off his game. I've seen Steely Dan several times at many different venues in Colorado (once at Red Rocks), last night they seemed a little off. From the backup singers to the solos the group just seemed like they were not on the same page. I will give Fagen and Becker credit for try to keep these shows fresh by changing the songs up significantly and adding solos here and there for some of the stellar musicians in the group. If you wanted to hear the hits as they are on the recordings this was not the show for you. Stand out songs for me were "Black Friday" and "Bodhisattva".

I still love Red Rocks as a concert venue. But just like any other outdoor venue you have to take the good with the bad, as far as the weather is concerned.
 
20160613_183953.jpg

The photo was taken between weather delays.
 
This past Saturday, we saw/heard Steely Dan/Steve Winwood at Northerly Island in Downtown Chicago. Unlike Gary's experience, rain was predicted, but didn't come until many hours after the show. I've seen SD six times previously. OK, once was NY Rock & Soul, and another was DF live on the Morpf the Cat tour. I was at the Poplar Creek (RIP) show in Hoffman Estates, IL. Reelin' in the Years with horns on the Alive in America album was taken from that show.

I had also seen SW live once with Clapton and thought it forgettable. Saturday, Winwood's set was far from that. He played the songs that Gary mentioned, plus Roll With It, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Pearly Queen, Gimme Some Lovin' and a KILLER version of Buddy Miles' Them Changes. The band was five pieces, including SW and two percussionists. They played for approximately an hour. SW is one of my favorites. I'm complete on his recordings w/Spencer Davis, Traffic, Clapton and his solo stuff. I wish he had played longer and done more Traffic tunes.

SD put on a great show, which I'd give an 8 1/2 or 9. They're in my top 10 acts. Yes, I'm complete in 2 ch and surround. Like Gary, I liked hearing Bodhisattva. Fagen's voice cracked a bit in the early going. Becker sang Pretzel Logic and babbled on for a couple minutes twice. Being that this venue has a curfew, we could have heard a couple more songs IF he hadn't chatted us up. Although Becker's guitar playing was SMOKIN' HOT, he can't sing for shit. They had 13 pieces including two of them. Even though they had a horn section, there were no horns on Reelin' in the Years this time. Joe had always wanted to see them, never did and was blown away. Catch them if you can.

This coming Saturday, we're seeing/hearing Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion and Little Big Town at Miller Park in Milwaukee.


She made me forget this troubled world we're livin' in....
 
Linda my son (38) and daughter (24) had never seen Steely Dan live either. They both thoroughly enjoyed the show, and were amazed at how good they were live. So yes Steely Dan is definitely worth seeing. But we all agreed Winwood stole the show, even though it was brief.
 
Funny, the last time I saw SD which was not that long ago, again Walter gets the mike and goes on with a story for longer than a song might have taken. I suppose it's his spotlight since he rarely gets to sing - which is not saying that is bad. :)

Steely Dan is a legacy act that can sound spectacular at one concert and not-so-great at another - ON THE SAME TOUR. I suppose it's only natural that it's a function of how Donald feels that night. The band and the music are always top notch of course.

Like QL, one of my favorites to see live.
 
TONIGHT: Al Stewart with my high school friend Cindy Lee Berryhill opening!
72a4b743a7dec4762c2dcd5b2d9c8aa1.jpg
soundcheck with Lenny Kaye


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
I met Cindy at a local record show several years ago, I was selling.
She wanted to buy her own records since they were oop and she could sell them at her shows.
I've got a couple more I've been saving for her(free for her), but never saw her again.

Hope it was a good gig for you.

vinylguy4
 
Tomorrow night I'm going to the London O2 to see a prog festival, called the Stone Free Festival. The top bands in the line up are Marillion, Steve Hackett and Rick Wakeman (playing King Arthur - not on ice, but with a band and orchestra!). It will be a good day :)
 
A couple bizarre things at the Steely Dan concert last week:

1- The second song they played was the title track from Aja. Some idiot in back of us was screaming for them to play that track 10 minutes later. ?!??

2- When we were leaving, some guy told his lady that the last few licks that SD did was the "James Bond Theme." It was. in fact, the theme from The Untouchables. Appropriate, since the concert was in Downtown Chicago.

Today, we're headed to Milwaukee for Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town & Old Dominion at Miller Park. Wonder if they'll have the roof closed.

RICO, YOUNGBLOOD!...
 
]
2- When we were leaving, some guy told his lady that the last few licks that SD did was the "James Bond Theme." It was. in fact, the theme from The Untouchables, since the concert was in Downtown Chicago.

Actually they have played "The Untouchables" theme to close out every show of theirs that I have been to. I think it gives Fagen and Becker a chance to get the heck out of there before all the fans can catch up to them! (lol) ;)
 
I've got a massive headache today! I'm so tired of going to see younger artists and listening to nothing but ultra-cranked up bass and on-purpose distortion! The assholes running these boards think it gives it a rockin' sound. It just sounds like mud! I guess I need to get used to it, having a Husband that's 17 years younger than me. I like lots of more modern acts, too. I just HATE the stupid engineering.

A year or so ago, we watched/almost heard Kasabian at the Metro in Chicago, just up the street from Wrigley Field. For those who aren't familiar with them, they're a stadium act in Europe, but barely known in the US. It sounded just as bad as the mud last night. Yet, if you listen to CD's by these acts, they sound clean and fine. You can actually hear the lyrics relatively clearly on the CD's.

Last weekend, Steely Dan/Steve Winwood sounded fine.

The music last night was good, but the sound was utter shit! Miranda Lambert gave the best performance of the four acts. She did a rockin' version of Rick derringer's Rock and roll, Hoochie Coo.

Hoochie mam, light my fuse!

...Today, we're headed to Milwaukee for Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town & Old Dominion at Miller Park. Wonder if they'll have the roof closed.

RICO, YOUNGBLOOD!...
 
I've got a massive headache today! I'm so tired of going to see younger artists and listening to nothing but ultra-cranked up bass and on-purpose distortion! The assholes running these boards think it gives it a rockin' sound. It just sounds like mud! I guess I need to get used to it, having a Husband that's 17 years younger than me. I like lots of more modern acts, too. I just HATE the stupid engineering.

A year or so ago, we watched/almost heard Kasabian at the Metro in Chicago, just up the street from Wrigley Field. For those who aren't familiar with them, they're a stadium act in Europe, but barely known in the US. It sounded just as bad as the mud last night. So did Peter Hook, also at Metro on a different day. Yet, if you listen to CD's by these acts, they sound clean and fine. You can actually hear the lyrics relatively clearly on the CD's.

Last weekend, Steely Dan/Steve Winwood at Northerly Island in Downtown Chicago sounded fine.

The music last night was good, but the sound was utter shit! Miranda Lambert gave the best performance of the four acts. She did a rockin' version of Rick Derringer's Rock and Roll, Hoochie Coo.

The roof at Miller Park was open. It was sunny and in the 80's. Lots of women showing lots of skin, including yours truly. We had a VIP package. Of course, the free food included Bratwurst, the local "crop" of Milwaukee. As a UW alum (go Bucky!), I'm a brat fan. We were in the first row of seats, but there were standing fans for many rows in front of us. Bernie Brewer was NOT in attendance.

Hoochie mama, light my fuse!

...Today, we're headed to Milwaukee for Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town & Old Dominion at Miller Park. Wonder if they'll have the roof closed...
 
One thing I will say for the Moody Blues concert I saw: they did not go nuts with the volume. I suppose that's understandable for an act whose core members are older than I am (heh). The volume was loud but not pain-inducing, as I've heard at other shows. We were fairly far from the stage, which is typical of my m.o. when snagging tickets: generally, somewhere in the middle, but from half to 2/3 back from the stage, precisely because my hearing can only take so much. But I think they modulated the volume because they also know from experience that the crowd skews older and that the audience expects good, clean sound from them--which is what we got. John Lodge's bass was deep but not rumbling, and the dynamic range, overall, was fairly even without anything overwhelming you.

ED :)
 
That really is a shame, and strange for such a pair of perfectionists! I take it the musicianship was first rate.

I have noticed that now everybody uses speaker arrays made up of smaller speaker assemblies than were found in your old fashioned horn loaded speaker stacks, the sound quality has gone down at a lot of gigs, they don't seem to be able to be driven as hard with out distorting.

Steely Dan last night at the Hollywood Bowl. The sound was unbelievably...horrific :yikes What a shame...
 
That really is a shame, and strange for such a pair of perfectionists! I take it the musicianship was first rate.

I have noticed that now everybody uses speaker arrays made up of smaller speaker assemblies than were found in your old fashioned horn loaded speaker stacks, the sound quality has gone down at a lot of gigs, they don't seem to be able to be driven as hard with out distorting.

Not sure if it was an electronic issue or human issue. The sound levels for the various instruments and vocals were fluctuating the entire show. And not by just a little. It seemed as though the guy on the mixing board was all thumbs. :confused: It really was an abomination especially given the venue and act...
 
The Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor venue isn't it? It could be acoustic fading caused by changes in wind/breeze direction and temperature fluctuations, it would be worst the further away from the stage you were.

Not sure if it was an electronic issue or human issue. The sound levels for the various instruments and vocals were fluctuating the entire show. And not by just a little. It seemed as though the guy on the mixing board was all thumbs. :confused: It really was an abomination especially given the venue and act...
 
Back
Top