Anytime someone speaks or writes about their favorite band/musician, I'm always perplexed a bit in coming up with an answer because I have a lot of favorites. Other than "country" music, I pretty much enjoy all music, and my favorites would probably depend on the day of the week or musical interests at the time. If a gun were held to my head and I had to give an emphatic answer it would be Sting/The Police AND The Dave Matthews Band. I've narrowed it down to them because they are both artists that have been around a long time, have an enormous collection of albums/songs, and while both have changed up their music over time they remain consistent to their "sound". And maybe most importantly, they both give an amazing live performance. I've seen DMB five times in concert, and two of those were three day shows. I have seen The Police in concert twice (when the reunited in 2007) and Sting four times. I don't go to concerts regularly like I used to, but make a point to if either of these are playing.
Sting came out with a new album, "57th & 9th" this past year and has been touring for the album since February 1. This past Thursday night (yes a school night, and I'm paying for it this weekend) he was in Hollywood, and I got to go! As usual, it was a great show. I've only ever seem him (and The Police) at large outdoor venues like The Hollywood Bowl or Dodger Stadium. This was at the Hollywood Palladium which is a much smaller, indoor venue. Other than some sections that have seats reserved for groups around the floor, it's general admission for standing around the stage. He was so close we could have touched him. It was amazing!
On a side note, I don't usually film or photograph at shows because I just want to enjoy it while I'm there. However, I did try to get a few moments on camera to share but my iPhone and I are having a battle these days over storage, so I didn't get much. I found this on youtube and the person behind the camera seems to be in the seating area right behind where we were standing so what it shows is what I saw. It's most of the show (minus 3-4 songs). I love that it shows how close we were!
For this show, he is touring with his son, Joe Sumner, and a band from Texas called The Last Bandoleros, both of whom opened the show. Then they were his back up singers for the rest of the night. I saw Sting this last summer with Peter Gabriel at The Hollywood Bowl, which was an incredible show with a lot of spectacle. This one was parred down and so intimate - it was different than the big venues but wonderful in its own right.
He played a little bit of everything - new ones from the recent album, older ones since his solo career, and then several from The Police. Here's the set list for the show. It was a good one. Thankfully he included my favorite song of all during the 1st encore - at 55:07. (sigh)
How fun!! I'm not usually one for live music, but this sounds like an excellent concert. Great playlist! I love Sting AND the Police (my favorite of theirs is Don't Stand So Close to Me - it's a memory association thing from college). So is Every Breath You Take your fave? (or the other one?)
The clip is too long for me to try and watch, but just seeing the still before it plays gives me a good idea of how close you were. I'm sure it was all worth a late school night. ;)
As an aside... I can remember back when I was still into design and took Architectural Digest, they did a feature on Sting and his wife and the castle (?) they lived in. It was beautiful!
Yes, Every Breath You Take is a favorite. He does it a bit different than the Police version. It was a great show and definitely worth being tired the next day. :) He and his wife are an interesting couple. They both seem to be very intelligent, creative people.
He puts on a great, no frills show and sounds just as good live as he does on the albums...which I think says something about his talent. I'm glad you got to see a show.
Although I did go to a John Prine concert this year, it was probably the first concert I went to in a decade and a half. Like most similar things, I can't stand going to events like these and being forced to watch the screens of a hundred people recording it on their phones and generally not enjoying the show. I just buy the album and play it at home or the DVD of a concert if I really must see them "live."
I am reminded of a break at work a couple decades ago when a friend of mine and I challenged ourselves to write a list of our 25 top songs. That was the hardest list I ever had to write and almost immediately after we swapped lists, there were songs that no longer belonged on it and others I would rather of had on it for the reasons you mentioned above. Musical tastes change with the seasons, the time of day and my mood. However right now, Sunday morning, is always a John Prine kind of time for me.
I hear ya on watching shows through everyone else's phone screens. I have attended shows that, between their head and their arms and phone screen the person in front of me blocked my entire view and I had to watch the show through their screen. That irks me tons. Most of the time arms get tired and the devices go down after a song or two, only to pop back up during a favorite. People in general seem to be so inconsiderate in large groups like that, concerts don't usually sound all that fun anymore. I'll still attend my favorites like this one, but I don't have any desire to just go see music like I used to. I'm getting too old and crabby for that. :) Other than the stuff you have shared on your blog about him, I am not familiar with John Prine.
Even though Prine has multitudes of songs, if I were to pick out a Sunday type of song from his collection, I would pick out this one to introduce someone to him. It is very melancholy compared to much of his stuff though.
Prine is considered a folk singer though back in the days when I used to go to record/tape/CD stores, I would often find his music mixed in with country if there was no folk section.
I am the same.. I can't pick a favorite musician, movie, book.. I really want to go to a concert. I have never been to one. I want to try someone fun like Bruno Mars or Lady Gaga... maybe Pink or Adele..
Oh my goodness! You will have to get to one sometime soon! I've only ever been to one of these mega-star shows before and that was Madonna, maybe 8 years ago. I usually go to concerts that are more about the music than the spectacle. Madonna was fun, I knew all the songs, but there was definitely a different vibe and it was well rehearsed. I think Lady Gaga or Adele would be something. I'm sure they put on a great show.
Love this. I LOVE live music but I'm very selective about who I go see and it depends largely on the venue. Generally don't like the big arena concerts anymore as people act so ridiculous, but again, depends very much on who it is. Sounds like this one was great. I have two sons who adore Dave Matthews and each has seen him probably a dozen times.
Yes, I agree, the venue and the band can make a huge difference in the crowd and what you will deal with. A few years ago we saw DMB at Irvine Meadows which is a large outdoor grass-seating venue and the sound was horrendous. And The Police at Dodger Stadium weren't much better. With both shows we ended up seeing them again at the Hollywood Bowl a few weeks later and both were amazing. I'd never seen a show at this venue and it was a good show, good sound, calm respectful people (probably because the crowd was older :)
My PC has been a bit fritz these last few days and my phone has gone traveling in Germany so I wasn't able to comment til now.
Delighted you're getting out and about. Am I the only one when hearing about Sting thinks of his Yoga antics, and then only do I connect to him as a musician. :-)
You're phone is in Germany? Does that mean you were in Germany or did it go without you? No, you aren't the only one who thinks of his yoga... and of his lucky wife or maybe she just gets annoyed with him. (bwa haa haa haa) ;) It was a good show though.
I gave myself a new phone for Christmas but found out quite quickly that the battery was draining too fast. But I had to use a amall SIM in it so I couldn't return it to my old phone or lose that month of fees. So I sent it off to be fixed/new one. But I can track it's movements and it's better traveled this year than I am. :-) Yeah I can see that Tantric crap getting thin very quickly indeed if it was the only way a couple went about things. Sometimes the plough needs a field and the field need the plough, and done quickly and hard. :-)
Wow, saturated water causing sinkholes in LA ?. Just watching the BBC news, 7:15AM here, and a report on LA with a fire chief. They pulled a chick out of a hole with flowing water below her.
Yes it's been coming down. Luckily, it wasn't me they pulled from the hole ;). It was a presidents' holiday so we were off and I didn't leave the house. Had some interesting visitors thought, that I'll share tomorrow. Did you see this? Crazy! http://abc7.com/news/fire-truck-falls-over-side-of-15-freeway;-no-injuries/1760972/
How fun!! I'm not usually one for live music, but this sounds like an excellent concert. Great playlist! I love Sting AND the Police (my favorite of theirs is Don't Stand So Close to Me - it's a memory association thing from college). So is Every Breath You Take your fave? (or the other one?)
ReplyDeleteThe clip is too long for me to try and watch, but just seeing the still before it plays gives me a good idea of how close you were. I'm sure it was all worth a late school night. ;)
As an aside... I can remember back when I was still into design and took Architectural Digest, they did a feature on Sting and his wife and the castle (?) they lived in. It was beautiful!
DeleteYes, Every Breath You Take is a favorite. He does it a bit different than the Police version. It was a great show and definitely worth being tired the next day. :)
DeleteHe and his wife are an interesting couple. They both seem to be very intelligent, creative people.
I saw Sting a couple years ago--it was a bucket list meoment for me!
ReplyDeleteHe puts on a great, no frills show and sounds just as good live as he does on the albums...which I think says something about his talent. I'm glad you got to see a show.
DeleteAlthough I did go to a John Prine concert this year, it was probably the first concert I went to in a decade and a half. Like most similar things, I can't stand going to events like these and being forced to watch the screens of a hundred people recording it on their phones and generally not enjoying the show. I just buy the album and play it at home or the DVD of a concert if I really must see them "live."
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of a break at work a couple decades ago when a friend of mine and I challenged ourselves to write a list of our 25 top songs. That was the hardest list I ever had to write and almost immediately after we swapped lists, there were songs that no longer belonged on it and others I would rather of had on it for the reasons you mentioned above. Musical tastes change with the seasons, the time of day and my mood. However right now, Sunday morning, is always a John Prine kind of time for me.
I hear ya on watching shows through everyone else's phone screens. I have attended shows that, between their head and their arms and phone screen the person in front of me blocked my entire view and I had to watch the show through their screen. That irks me tons. Most of the time arms get tired and the devices go down after a song or two, only to pop back up during a favorite. People in general seem to be so inconsiderate in large groups like that, concerts don't usually sound all that fun anymore. I'll still attend my favorites like this one, but I don't have any desire to just go see music like I used to. I'm getting too old and crabby for that. :)
DeleteOther than the stuff you have shared on your blog about him, I am not familiar with John Prine.
Even though Prine has multitudes of songs, if I were to pick out a Sunday type of song from his collection, I would pick out this one to introduce someone to him. It is very melancholy compared to much of his stuff though.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ85Hep0kD0
Nice, easy listening. Would his music be considered folk or country?
DeletePrine is considered a folk singer though back in the days when I used to go to record/tape/CD stores, I would often find his music mixed in with country if there was no folk section.
DeleteI am the same.. I can't pick a favorite musician, movie, book..
ReplyDeleteI really want to go to a concert. I have never been to one. I want to try someone fun like Bruno Mars or Lady Gaga... maybe Pink or Adele..
Oh my goodness! You will have to get to one sometime soon! I've only ever been to one of these mega-star shows before and that was Madonna, maybe 8 years ago. I usually go to concerts that are more about the music than the spectacle. Madonna was fun, I knew all the songs, but there was definitely a different vibe and it was well rehearsed. I think Lady Gaga or Adele would be something. I'm sure they put on a great show.
DeleteLove this. I LOVE live music but I'm very selective about who I go see and it depends largely on the venue. Generally don't like the big arena concerts anymore as people act so ridiculous, but again, depends very much on who it is. Sounds like this one was great. I have two sons who adore Dave Matthews and each has seen him probably a dozen times.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, the venue and the band can make a huge difference in the crowd and what you will deal with. A few years ago we saw DMB at Irvine Meadows which is a large outdoor grass-seating venue and the sound was horrendous. And The Police at Dodger Stadium weren't much better. With both shows we ended up seeing them again at the Hollywood Bowl a few weeks later and both were amazing. I'd never seen a show at this venue and it was a good show, good sound, calm respectful people (probably because the crowd was older :)
DeleteMy PC has been a bit fritz these last few days and my phone has gone traveling in Germany so I wasn't able to comment til now.
ReplyDeleteDelighted you're getting out and about.
Am I the only one when hearing about Sting thinks of his Yoga antics, and then only do I connect to him as a musician. :-)
You're phone is in Germany? Does that mean you were in Germany or did it go without you?
DeleteNo, you aren't the only one who thinks of his yoga... and of his lucky wife or maybe she just gets annoyed with him. (bwa haa haa haa) ;)
It was a good show though.
I gave myself a new phone for Christmas but found out quite quickly that the battery was draining too fast. But I had to use a amall SIM in it so I couldn't return it to my old phone or lose that month of fees. So I sent it off to be fixed/new one. But I can track it's movements and it's better traveled this year than I am. :-)
DeleteYeah I can see that Tantric crap getting thin very quickly indeed if it was the only way a couple went about things. Sometimes the plough needs a field and the field need the plough, and done quickly and hard. :-)
Agreed 100%
DeleteWow, saturated water causing sinkholes in LA ?. Just watching the BBC news, 7:15AM here, and a report on LA with a fire chief. They pulled a chick out of a hole with flowing water below her.
ReplyDeleteYes it's been coming down. Luckily, it wasn't me they pulled from the hole ;). It was a presidents' holiday so we were off and I didn't leave the house. Had some interesting visitors thought, that I'll share tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteDid you see this? Crazy!
http://abc7.com/news/fire-truck-falls-over-side-of-15-freeway;-no-injuries/1760972/