A few more thoughts on concerts…

I wonder if perhaps the reason I don’t care much for live music is because it so rarely is worth the time. So rarely does it hit the mark and move me. But when it does… POW!

These few times include:

The first King’s X concert. This band is known for always being “on” and they nailed every song, every part.

The second King’s X concert. Again, the band was magical. They played a song (“Static”) off an album that I didn’t really care for. In fact, the entire album was humdrum. But that night they made this song charged with energy and passion. If they recorded that entire album live instead of how they did it who knows how good it would have been?

They Might Be Giants – Masters of showmanship! They were having fun and it caught with the audience.

Adrian Belew- I went not expecting much other than I had all his solo albums and had a chance to see him for free. He was playing with “two kids”, a brother and sister drum and bass duo. Two kids. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting much. But like King’s X, this trio infused life into a number of songs that I liked but didn’t quite love. These “kids” were early 20’s and simply astounding!

End of Summer

As summer nears to an end (to which my wife would say that it never really got hot enough for it to have begun) I'm nearing the end of my Miscellaneous Classical Music listening. I discovered some new favorites (Stravinsky's "Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra" comes to mind) and trudged through a few that were, well, mere drudgery. Right now, though, it's Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" so I'm happy. By September I'll be onto the next form and I'm sure all two of my readers are at the edge of their seats. I know I am, and not because there's some unknown stain at the back of my seat.

But on to other things.

This past Saturday I went with a guy from church and our collective daughters (no, we're not sister-husbands) to an outdoor Christian music festival. This led to a discussion on the drive up as to the concerts we had each been to. I was surprised at my own number, not that it was huge but because I don't really care for live music (too uncontrolled and often disappoints compared to a carefully crafted studio album). So upon our safe return I started writing them down. Here is my result. Feel free to make your own list and post it. Feel free to copy my list. Feel free to disregard everything I say.

I included artist name, album the tour supported (if I remembered), year I saw them and the venue. And finally, I put them in chronological order 'cause I'm just that way.

Van Halen - 5150 tour - 1986 - At Ft. Wayne Memorial Colesium

Alice Cooper - Constrictor - 1987 - At Ft. Wayne Memorial Colesium

Alice Cooper - Raise Your First and Yell - 1988 - At Ft. Wayne Memorial Colesium

Rich Mullins - 1988 - First Assembly

Steven Curtis Chapman - 1988/1989/1990 - First Assembly

Deliverance - 1989? - At Sunset Music Hall

Vengeance Rising - 1989? - At Sunset Music Hall

Amy Grant - Lead Me On - 1988/89 - At Ft. Wayne Memorial Colesium

Phil Keaggy - 1990? - At First Assembly - solo

Adam Again - Homeboys - 1990 - At Sunset Music Hall -- one other band also?

Michael Card - 1990 - Anderson Unversity

The Choir - Wide-Eyed Wonder - 1990 - At Mainstream

King's X - Faith Hope Love - 1991 - Elkhart

Eric Gales Band - 1991 - w/ King's X

John Fisher - 1991 - Fort Wayne Bible College

Rich Mullins - 1991/1992 - First Assembly

Lost Dogs - Scenic Route - 1992 - Cornerstone Music Festival

77's - 1992- Cornerstone Music Festival

Adam Again - Dig - 1992 - At Cornerstone

At The Foot of the Cross - 1992- Cornerstone Music Festival

Phil Keaggy - 1992 - Cornerstone Music Festival

Kemper Crabb - 1992 - Cornerstone Music Festival

Margaret Becker - 1992 - Cornerstone Music Festival

Dig Hay Zoose - 1992 - Cornerstone Music Festival

The Choir - Circle Slide - 1992 - Cornerstone Festival

The Choir - Circle Slide - 1992 - At Heartland Church

Adam Again - Dig - 1992 - At Heartland Church

Raspberry Jam - 1992 - At Heartland Church

Phil Keaggy - Crimson and Blue - 1993 - At Taylor University - full band

Phil & John - 1993 - At Taylor University

Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face - July 4, 1993 - Pier's

They Might Be Giants - Back to Skull - 1994? - Vogue in Indy

Rich Mullins - Brother's Keeper - 1995 - At Ft. Wayne Memorial Colesium

Daniel Amos - 2000 - Cornerstone Music Festival

77's - 2000 - Cornerstone Music Festival

Terry Taylor - Avocado Faultline - 2000 - in Indy

Phil Madeira - 3 Horse Shoes - 2000 - in Indy

They Might Be Giants - early 2000s - Wooden Nickel In-Store show

King's X - Manic Moonlight? - 2002 - Piere's

Dio - 2002 - Piere's - w/ King's X

PFR - Disappear - 2002 - At Anchor Room

Alice Cooper - 2002 - At Verizon Music Center

Terry Taylor - 2009 - my living room

Adrian Belew - e - 2009 - At Sweetwater

Mike Roe - We All Gonna Face the Rising Sun- 2010 - Pint & Slice

Alice Cooper - 2013 - At Embassy

Switchfoot - 2013 - At Pulse Festival

Audio Adrenaline - 2013 - At Pulse Festival