Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians: 3/23/1991

Edie Brickell was one of those artists that I liked right off the bat. She had that cool hippie chic vibe, and her guitarist was obviously influenced by Jerry Garcia. So I jumped at the opportunity to see her and her band at the Button South, which was one of the better music clubs in South Florida at the time.

There is not much to say about this show, other than it was really, really good. Edie’s vocals were so sweet, and the band was tight and energetic. They also tossed in some cool cover tunes by Bob Dylan and David Bowie. I guess if you are going to pick artists to cover, those are solid choices.

Which I had more to share, but it was just a good, fun concert, and I was glad that I got to see them in their prime.

Here’s the setlist.

Setlist:

• Woyaho
• Mama Help Me
• Little Miss S.
• Nothing
• Carmelito
• Strings of Love
• Picture Perfect Morning
• Do It Again
• He Said
• Jackrabbit
• Stwisted
• Oak Cliff Bra
• Air of December
• What I Am
• A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
• Forgiven
• This Eye
• Circle
• Moonage Daydream

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Buddy Guy: 9/26/2017

Buddy Guy is one of those guitarists that I always wanted to see but for one reason or another, never did — until now. When I heard he was coming to town, I knew I had to go see him. He is advancing in his years and I figured I might not have many more opportunities to see the legend live.

My wife did not want to go with me to this show (she had seen Buddy before), and none of my friends seemed interested, so I bought a single and went by myself. This ended up being fine. The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium was only about 2/3 full, so I went and got a better seat up on the balcony very close to the stage.

The show opened with a performance by a band called Blackfoot Gypsies. The band was comprised of three young white dudes and an older black man on the harmonica. They were pretty good. Obviously, the white guys were raised on a steady diet of Stones and Black Crowes, which reflected in their playing and stage attire. Not the best opening act I’ve seen, but definitely not the worst either.

Finally, Buddy came out and opened with “Damn Right I Got the Blues.” I was immediately impressed by his playing and by how energetic he was on stage. For a man in his 80’s, he played and moved like someone half his age. He played guitar with drum sticks, walked out into the crowd while playing, and channeled Hendrix by playing with his teeth and behind his back. All the while, exhibiting superb musicianship.

I was unable to locate a setlist from this show, so I will just say he did a great mix of his own stuff (including his work with Junior Wells) and some great blues covers. He played songs from Clapton, Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, and Muddy Waters, but gave each rendition his own unique style and sound.

If you have the opportunity to see Buddy Guy live, I highly recommend doing so. He is an incredible musician and an outstanding performer.

The Decemberists: 9/25/2009

People often tell me that bands today are just not as good as the bands of yore, but The Decemberists demonstrate that this is just not the case. They are ever innovative, unique, and inspiring.

This concert was a true family outing. My wife and I brought both our daughters, which was so much fun. The girls were very excited, and the feeling was infectious. I had that sense of rock and roll energy that I felt when I was younger. I guess it’s true that live music keeps you feeling young.

The band was excellent.  For the first set, they performed The Hazards of Love in its entirety. Then they took a break, came back, and played a really solid second set, which included a super-energetic cover version of Heart’s “Crazy on You.” I left the show with an even greater appreciation for the band. They demonstrated that they are not only superb studio musicians, but they are also outstanding live performers.

Here is the set list…

Set 1 (The Hazards of Love)

• Prelude
• The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won’t Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
• A Bower Scene
• Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
• The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
• The Queen’s Approach
• Isn’t It a Lovely Night?
• The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
• An Interlude
• The Rake’s Song
• The Abduction of Margaret
• The Queen’s Rebuke / The Crossing
• Annan Water
• Margaret in Captivity
• The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
• The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)
• The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)

Set 2

• Angel, Won’t You Call Me?
• Leslie Anne Levine
• The Crane Wife 3
• Down by the Water
• Shankill Butchers
• The Chimbley Sweep
• Dracula’s Daughter
• Valencia!
• Crazy on You

Encore:

• Raincoat Song
• Sons & Daughters