2014 Year In Review- Part 3: Top Live Shows
Every year end I sit down and realized how great it is to live in a city that loves the arts. The music scene is so vibrant in Philly that many times it is hard to choose what to see on a given night. I’ve been here long enough to know you can never see em all. One can only hope to catch a band or an artist on a night that the energy is high, musical artistry and creativity are working at peak performance. Sharing in a moment like that, ‘hitting the note’ as they call it, is truly something special. Here are my favorite live shows of 2014..
Leon Russell @ Keswick 1/10/14
Hot Tuna @ Keswick 1/10/14
Mason Porter @ Ardmore Music Hall
Experience Hendrix @ Keswick 3/21/14
The Hard Pans @ Dan’s Silver Leaf -Denton TX 5/9/14
Jamie Cullum @ Keswick 5/29/14
Taj Mahal @ Keswick 6/19/14
Sturgill Simpson @ Philly Folk Fest 8/14/14
Jason Isbell @ Philly Folk Fest 8/15/14
El Caribefunk @ Philly Folk Fest 8/15/14
Poor Old Shine (Parsonfield) @ Philly Folk Fest 8/15/14
NAS @ Keswick 10/5/14
Charlie Daniels Band @ Keswick 10/23/14
Ages and Ages @ Milkboy Philly 10/25/14
Hot Rize w/ David Grisman and Del McCoury @ Keswick 11/13/14
Tedeschi Trucks Band @ Keswick 12/5/14
Tedeschi Trucks Band @ The Keswick – Dec 4-6 2014
This band is top notch. Whenever I think I’ve heard something, or I’ve heard them play a song before, they change it up. I’ve seen TTB several times now, and what’s most incredible is that they seem to be able to bring something new and amazing each time. Their improvisation skills are impeccable. They don’t even play the same song, the same way twice. During this epic 3-night run at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside PA I saw them play 3 different set lists with a different opener each night.
Right now they are playing a ton of new songs and from what I’ve heard, its a solid batch. Looking forward to a new album sometime next year.
It’s great knowing that a band like this is still finding different and ever-changing ways to stay exciting. They will be doing their thing for years to come and I will keep following wherever they may go.
Here’s the setlist from night #2 (amy ray from indigo girls opener) –
Misunderstood
All That I Need
In Every Heart (new one)
Get What You Deserve (Derek Trucks Band song)
Midnight In Harlem
Break In The Road (new one)
Acoustic:
Calling Out To You
Rollin and Tumblin
Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright (With Amy Ray) (Bob Dylan song)
Let Me Get By (new one)
Anyhow (new one)
The Sky Is Crying
Bound For Glory
The Storm
Encore:
Fire and Rain (James Taylor)
Space Captain (Joe Cocker)
2013 Year In Review: Top 10 Live Shows
One of my favorite things about doing this Shady Groove thing, living in the Philadelphia area, and being friends with the Keswick Theatre, is that I get to go see a ton of live music. Here’s my favorite concerts of the year:
10. Cyndi Lauper @ The Keswick Theatre – November 15
A Sellout crowd poured in for the 30th anniversary of “She’s So Unusual”. Cyndi talked at length about the origin and making of each of the songs off of the huge album from 1981. Radio songs of my youth. It was great to hear her speak about pop music and its roots. This album actually originated in the Philly area, with the Hooters playing the music and them jamming in a warehouse in Manayunk, PA. Cool stuff.
9. Zappa Plays Zappa @ The Keswick Theatre – October 16
Dweezil and friends killed it as they recreated dad Frank’s “Roxy and Elsewhere” album.
8. Michael McDonald @ The Keswick Theatre – December 7
Iconic songs and soulful sounds bellowed from the stage at this show. Love Michael McDonald. It was worth it to see every 40 something adult stand and sing all of the lyrics to “What A Fool Believes”.
7. Colin Meloy @ The Keswick Theatre – November 2
The Decemberists front man played an intimate solo show at the Keswick and rocked the house.
6. Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band @ Philly Folk Fest – August 18
Funny because the band consists of just 3 members. But the sound is big. Rev Peyton rips the slide guitar and Ben “bird dog” Bussell keeps the rhythm driving. It makes for some highly danceable music.
5. Richard Thompson @ Philly Folk Fest – August 17
His mind-blowing guitar and thoughtful lyrics are always on display when you see Richard Thompson. This show was no exception.
4. Avett Brothers and Trombone Shorty @ The Mann Center – September 14
Gotta love a double bill like this. Trombone Shorty never disappoints. And as much as I complain about the Avett Brothers new stuff, its really pretty good. Plus their live presence is unmistakable.
3. Mayer Hawthorne @ Union Transfer – September 7
Mayer brought his brand of new-age motown/hip hop/soul to the Union Transfer and rocked the house down. Great show.
2. Spirit Family Reunion @ Philly Folk Fest – August 16
This band blew me away at the Folk Fest this year. My favorite new (to me) band of the year.
1. Jimmy Cliff @ The Keswick Theatre – September 29
An absolutely amazing performance. A sublime experience. I waited all year and my whole life to see this show. Jimmy lost not a beat over the years. I originally thought this show would be mainly promoting his 2012 grammy-winning album, Rebirth. And he did play a couple of tunes off of that album. But he played the hits and he played them well. And it wasn’t just his hits but hits from reggae as a musical genre. This show was a chronology of the songs and ideas that made reggae popular, played narrated by one of its founding fathers.
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Honorable Mention:
– Billy Bragg @ The Keswick Theatre – April 20
Perennial folk hero played us some awesome tunes at the Keswick.
– Joe Pug @ Johnny Brenda’s – May 1
Always a treat to hear one of my favorite new (ish) folk writers. Plus I love Johnny Brenda’s.
– Hogmaw and Dom Flemons @ Philly Folk Fest – August 17
I had the pleasure of helping run the Culture Tent at this years Folk Fest and this was one of the highlights. Dom (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) produced Hogmaw’s new album. So the band and Dom were on the Culture Tent stage playing and explaining the though process behind the album.
Philly Folk Fest lineup
Hey there boys and girls. The 52nd annual Philadelphia Folk Fest is only a couple weeks away and I couldn’t be happier. Fest is one of my favorite times of year! Tickets are still on sale but they are going fast. It will sell out so get ’em today!
https://www.pfs.org/folk-festival/tickets
Here is this years lineup:
Richard Thompson Electric Trio – Todd Rundgren – The Mavericks– Carolina Chocolate Drops– David Bromberg – Asleep At the Wheel – Jake Shimabukuro – David Uosikkinen’s In the Pocket: The Essential Songs of Philadelphia – Black Prairie – Luella & The Sun – Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars – Spirit Family Reunion – Sleepy Man Banjo Boy s – The Stray Birds – Star & Micey – Otis Taylor – Caravan of Thieves – Amy Helm – Jeffrey Gaines – Gabe Butterfield – Ellis Paul – Del Barber – The Como Mamas – Ben Arnold – Burning Bridget Cleary – Andy Statman Project – Ben Vaughn – RUNA – David Francey – Frank Fairfield – Joe Crookston & the BlueBird Jubilee – The Toy Hearts – The Amigos Band – Mark Silver & the Stonethrowers – Mike ‘Slo-Mo’ Brenner – XPN Philly Local with Helen Leicht featuring Ali Wadsworth, Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang, Modern Inventors, Ginger Coyle – Steam Powered Areo Band (w/Phil D’Agostino, Brad Hinton and more) – The Lawsuits – Toy Soldiers – Great Groove Band – Dennis Hangey – The Hula Honeys – Give and Take Jugglers – and your legendary host Gene Shay!
Recent additions to the lineup include:
David Amram – John Francis – Steve Guyger – John Flynn, Sarah Flynn, and Sean Flynn – New Sweden – Ursula Rucker & Tim Motzer – Saul Broudy – Mike Miller – Reverend TJ McGlinchey – Mike & Ruthie – HogMaw – Psych-A-Billy – Jersey Corn Pickers – Hennessey Bonfire – Bob Beach – Manatawny Creek Ramblers – Marc Silver & the Stonethrowers – Spuyten Duyvil – Ansel Barnum – Seth Holzman – Lily Mae – Dani Mari – The Karmic Repair Company – Michael Braunfeld – Allan Carr – Annie Bauerlein & Chip Mergott – The Whiskeyhickon Boys – Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer – Charlie Miller, Scott Rovner & Friends – Eric Abraham – Jason Hahn – Matt Sowell – Jerry Hionis – Jim Albertson – John Fuhr – Lord Jacob and the Ukuladies – Lost Indian – Mark Schultz – Mist Covered Mountains – Shawn Proctor – Sid Root – Beakey w/ Special Guests – Up the Chain – Sweetbriar Rose- Tracy Degerberg
Can’t wait to let the Festivities begin! See ya there…..
Tedeschi Trucks Band: Keswick Theatre 11/27-11/28
