Why does it seem to me that more people I know are born in December or are Sagittarius, the same as myself. Does everyone think they share their birth sign with more of their friends?
That's how Packy Malley's annual Capricorn Party came about. While a student at Ohio State he and some friends realized their birthdays were all close together. Never one to turn down the idea of a party, Packy created the Capricorn Party.
With his move back home to Cleveland the party headed north as well. It's been held at the House Of Blues for nine years now, and in recent years the entertainment has been headed up by Terry Lee Goffee - The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute. Such is the case tonight.
This year's Capricorn Party, being so early in the month, is a kind of extension of the holiday season. It's festive and the likelihood of running into friends is high.
Pink Martini, the Portland based retro pop orchestra is in the midst of their Christmas themed tour, playing Cleveland last night and tonight. If just seeing this unique and extremely entertaining group weren't enough they are playing along with the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall.
Severance Hall at Christmas, 1970
I was in New York City at Christmas time last year with nothing to do one night. Pink Martini was in town to do their Christmas show. I tried to score tickets on Craigslist but to no avail. It worked out well though, a friend of mine got us on the guest list for Devo that night. Besides, I'd much prefer to see the Pink Martini show in Cleveland with the orchestra, which I will be doing this evening.
In fact this Plain Dealer photo by Roger Mastroianni is taken from precisely where we'll be sitting.
I could try and describe the sort of music Pink Martini plays using words like 1920s and 30s style pop, chanteuse, cinematic and worldly. It's better just to let you watch a video.
And in keeping with the holiday spirit, Pink Martini leader, Thomas Lauderdale, will now show us how to set a festive holiday dinner table.
After watching the Rolling Stones brief, two song performance on 121212, The Concert For Sandy Relief, I'm torn more than ever as whether to order the pay per view event Saturday night. The band sounded great and set lists from their two UK shows last month were very impressive. Add to it, appearances by Springsteen, Lady Gaga and The Black Keys make it even more tempting.
The suspected reality is that The Rolling Stones won't be doing a full blown tour ever again. Richards and Watts just don't have the stamina for a grueling tour. Oh sure, the band has hinted at the possibility of a tour in 2013 but, come on, how many of us have and older relative who insists they can still drive when they shouldn't be behind the wheel anymore?
Here's my dilemma. I'm going to a friends Christmas party that night so I'd have to record it for later viewing. Will I be able to record it on U-verse? According to a thread on the AT&T U-verse community forum the answer is yes. Someone said that when they ordered it they were shown an option to record it.
That said, I understand there's been incidences where the performer has asked that recording be disabled. At $55 for the high def PPV I sure wouldn't want to come home to find a blank recording. I know AT&T well enough to realize that calling them for a correct answer is futile.
Maybe one of my readers has some insight? If so could you let us know? I could give it a shot and if it didn't record I certainly would have no qualms with grabbing the torrent.
Unlike the Rolling Stones live from New Jersey pay-per-view this Saturday night which will run $55 to watch it in HD, the Concert For Sandy Relief is available to many for free. Of course the idea is for the masses to donate during the broadcast and thus the free distribution.
Here in Cleveland, if you're a Time Warner or Cox subscriber you can catch it on Palladia. I sure wish AT&T U-verse had Palladia. Between that and dumping Hallmark I'm getting a bit ticked at them. Luckily U-verse will carry the concert on Encore. It's also being broadcast on HBO. For those of you without premium cable service you can stream in on the web at AOL's Spinner site.
The line up is impressive and scalpers are having a field day. We really need to go to a ticketless system. Acts include Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, The Who, Roger Waters, Kanye West, Eddie Vedder, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, etc. Oh yes, and those aforementioned Rolling Stones. The words "holy shit" come to mind.
Lats week the reclusive Jeff Mangum announced an extensive two month tour. It's somewhat stunning news to his fans.
His band, Neutral Milk Hotel, is cherished by many. It's legions have grown due to the combination of an all time classic album and Mangum's reluctance to perform. The album I'm referring to, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, has become a touchstone for a generation. It's a collection of songs that evokes strong emotions for those who hold it incredibly close to their heart.
So when Mangum announced a tour date in Cleveland I had to grab a ticket. The Friday, January 11 show promises to be an early highlight for the concert calendar of 2013. Originally booked at the Masonic Hall on Franklin in Ohio City it was quickly moved to the larger Masonic Hall on E.36th and Euclid due to rapid sales.
Last night I made a gentleman's bet with a friend. I predict a quick sellout of the show whereas he thinks it won't even be a sellout. We shall see who's right.
I was only gone from Cleveland for 19 hours, but in that short span of time I got to see Paul McCartney. Talk about a whirlwind.
Monday night local musician friend, Eroc, mentioned that he'd just seen McCartney's set list from a show he did Sunday night in St. Louis. The three hour show contained a jawdropping set. That's easy to do when you're Paul McCartney.
Wondering where he was playing next I looked at his site. He was only doing a short, five show North American leg of this, seemingly endless, tour. The next stop was Wednesday night in Houston. Houston is doable, I thought.
You see, I'm blessed to be married to a flight attendant. Well, I'm blessed to be married to her regardless of her career. I checked out flights to and from Houston. Sure enough there were plenty of seats on an afternoon flight down and the early morning flight back home the next day.
Now I headed to Ticketmaster to see the availability of a seat. Surprisingly there were still tickets. Granted, he was playing Minute Maid Ballpark, home of the Astos, a venue the Cleveland Indians will be seeing more often as the Houston team moves to the American League. Still, the legendary Paul McCartney should be sold out, especially with the show he's putting on.
After some discussion Tuesday night over a couple of beers with a friend I decided I had to do it. The cards were all in my favor.
Bush International Airport has no real public transportation into downtown Houston. That's inexcusable. It would take you four buses and an hour and and a half to make the trip. So I reserved a seat on a Supershuttle van for $23 and tip. The driver dropped me off right at the park.
I headed to will call and procured my ticket.
Pulling out my iPhone I began to search Yelp for a place to have some pre-show beverages. I got into a conversation with a guy named Bob from Austin who was taking his son to the show. They were staying at The Inn At The Ballpark and his son was gaming up in the room. He invited me to knock back a few in the lobby bar. It was Texan hospitality at it's best.
From there I headed down Texas Ave. toward the other end of the ballpark looking for The Balcony Bar which had a good score on Yelp. Instead I found myself in front of a run down bar with garage doors in the front and a concrete floor inside. My kind of place.
The key to traveling solo is to be outgoing. It can be a lonely experience otherwise. I joined into a conversation with four guys who were discussing music. The Texan hospitality continued as they bought me beers too.
We went upstairs in what turned out to be The Balcony Bar I'd been searching for. It was almost like a secret as the other bars were quite crowded while this place was not. We saddled up to the balcony which overlooked Texas Ave. and Minute Maid Park across the street.
My new friends asked where I was sitting. It turned out to be the same section as their Astos season tickets, just to the left of home plate. They gave me some great insider info. I could enter the ballpark through Big Bamboo, an attached restaurant. They also said the mens room there was never crowded and that's where I should go if I needed to during the concert. It worked out perfectly.
Even more perfect was my seat, located in the last row where I could stand and dance without bothering anyone behind me. That was cructial as most of the fans around me hardly moved from their seats. How can you sit in your seat to something like "All My Loving"?
The show was pure joy. Paul McCartney defies age, especially when you're sitting a baseball field away from him. At 70 he acts more like he did in Hard Days Night. Delightfully affable, Paul told wonderful stories about John Lennon, George Harrison and even Jimi Hendrix. He spryly moved about the stage and sang in a voice that has hardly aged. How he's able to still hit those high harmonies is beyond me.
The setlist didn't differ much from the St. Louis show that I posted Wednesday. Here it is.
SET LIST
Magical Mystery Tour
Junior's Farm
All My Loving
Jet
Got to Get You into My Life
Sing the Changes
The Night Before
Let Me Roll It
Paperback Writer
The Long and Winding Road
1985
My Valentine
Maybe I'm Amazed
I'm Looking Through You
And I Love Her
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs. Vandebilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Band on the Run
Ob la di ob la da
Back In The USSR
I've Got a Feeling
A Day in the Life / Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude
ENCORE
Lady Madonna
Day Tripper
Get Back
ENCORE 2
Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
After the show I planned on finally finding a place to eat before taking a cab ride back to the airport. I've mentioned the graciousness of the Houston people. Their city is another thing. You'd think the fourth largest city in the US would have someplace downtown to eat at midnight. I asked the doorman at The Four Seasons where I might find such a place. He said it'd be about a 15 minute ride away.
With a growling stomach I began to look for a cab which was about as hard to find as a restaurant. Everywhere around the ballpark were people trying desperately to hail the few cabs that would drive by. It took me about an hour to finally commandeer one, leaving others still out there, hands waiving futilely.
A $50 plus tip cab ride got me back to the airport which, not surprisingly looked like a ghost town at 1:30 in the morning. And, of course, nothing was open. Hungrily, I fell in and out of an uncomfortable sleep until I finally was able to eat at 5am. I touched down in Cleveland at 10am.
Was it worth the annoyances of poor transportation in Houston and having to spend much of the night at the airport. Hell yes. I've seen McCartney once before but may never get to again. I had to seize the opportunity.
And now I'm imagining the my fortune this week. I just saw what is as close to The Beatles as one can see. And tomorrow night I'm seeing another one of the most influential bands in my life, The Monkees, on tour with my idol, Michael Nesmith, for the first time in decades.
Bruce Springsteen lives shows are legendary. Fans always boast about shows that go on for three to four hours. Well, it looks like Paul McCartney is trying to one up the boss.
The latest McCartney shows are clocking in right around the three hour mark. Plus the former Beatle is seven years older than Springsteen.
The song catalogs of the two are subjective as all music is, but take a look at McCartney's setlist from St. Louis Sunday night.
"Magical Mystery Tour”
“Junior’s Farm”
“All My Loving”
“Jet”
“Drive My Car”
“Sing the Changes”
“The Night Before”
“Let Me Roll It”
“Paperback Writer”
“The Long and Winding Road”
“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five”
“Maybe I’m Amazed”
“I’ve Just Seen a Face”
“And I Love Her”
“My Valentine”
“Blackbird”
“Here Today”
“Dance Tonight”
“Mrs. Vanderbilt”
“Eleanor Rigby”
“Something”
“Band on the Run”
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
“Back in the U.S.S.R.”
“I Got a Feeling”
“A Day in the Life”/”Give Peace a Chance”
“Let It Be”
“Live and Let Die”
“Hey Jude”
Encore
“Lady Madonna”
“Birthday”
“Day Tripper”
“Get Back”
Encore 2
“Yesterday”
“Helter Skelter”
“Golden Slumbers”/”Carry That Weight”/”The End”
He's only on a five stop US leg of this tour. Makes me want to fly down to Houston to see him tonight.
Monday I shared a theory from a couple of Led Zeppelin fans as to why the band refuses to reunite for a substantial reunion tour, Some thoughts on Led Zeppelin's current buzz. At the outset I said that I had not researched nor fact checked the points of the story but just wanyted to throw it out there for debate.
Well, I got quite a lengthy response from a reader who's truly a fan of the band. With all the time and effort he put into this rebuttal I thought it should be shared.
Hey John-
I read your recent post on "Celebration Day" and your thoughts on the members of Led Zeppelin. I have to disagree with a few of the points you made. Since Zep is one of my favorite bands dating back to my childhood and I've read numerous books about them, I think I'm qualified to chime in.
First of all, I'm not quite sure if I read your time line correctly. The 1975 car crash in Greece was not where Plant's son Karac was killed. It's where Plant severely injured his leg taking Zep off the road for almost two years. During this time, he became addicted to pain killers and accelerated a downward behavioral spiral that was already well underway. It was during the 1977 North American tour that Plant received notice that Karac had died of a respiratory infection back home. You are correct that Bonham (his long time chum from pre-zep days) was the only band member to attend the funeral. But your opinion that the reason Zeppelin has not gotten back together is because Plant has held a 30-some year grudge against the other members for their lack of support just doesn't seem right to me.
From the reading I've done, Led Zeppelin was a contradiction-an incredible successful band from the outside and an increasingly disfunctional group of individuals that fed off of each other from the inside. I know you well enough to know you have a lot of respect and admiration for Robert Plant (although your dislike of Jimmy Page was a new discovery). But I think you give him way too much credit for being the reasonable one in the group. That role was filled by JPJ. Page, Bonham and Plant were three damaged individuals. When they were together, they brought out the worst in each other and it grew with each recording/touring cycle. In Richard Cole's "Stairway To Heaven", he sites numerous instances where each of them would return to almost "normal" behavior in the down time when they were away from each other. In my opinion, JPJ was the first to become aware of this negative effect pulling away from the other members in the early 70's. He was usually never to be found by the other members after concerts and kept his studio involvement to a necessary minimum. Plant, however, was just as guilty of embracing this destructive environment as Page and Bonham. Cole's book, and others, detail Plant's terrible behavior during this time period.
I do however give him credit for being the next person in the band to "wake up" to this fact with Bonham's death. In my opinion, he views the Zeppelin years as you and I do taking acid. We had some great times in the past. But I don't want to open that Pandora's box...to feel that type of energy ever again. I think Plant feels the same way. The burden of being Led Zeppelin and the danger of falling back into the archtypes is something he's afraid of and he refuses to allow even the slightest chance of happening. It's like the constant watchfulness a reformed alcoholic or drug addict must experience. They can't even allow themselves to be in the company of the same people when they were under the influence for fear of a relapse.
But to say that Plant is still grinding an axe after 30 years is wrong. If you had seen Celebration Day, there are a couple of scenes where Plant and Page are sharing a moment recognizing the energy of what they once experienced on a daily basis. They smile at each other in a heartwarming way. But it has a look of "that was amazing...but just for tonight"...especially for Plant.
The Page/Plant reunion of the 90's also goes against your theory. I think Plant was longing for some of the Zep energy but mitigated it by having a large group of other musicians tagging along. He spent a few years touring and recorded two albums with Page. I don't think that points to a "see what you could have had" attitude as much as a guy who'd love to go back there...but realizes it's not in his best interests to do so without some sort of safety net. Kind of like bringing a friend along when meeting up with an old flame to help keep the situation in check. The old energy draws you to the meeting. But self-preservation tells you to have a lifeline just in case.
I choose not to put Plant on a pedestal above Page or JPJ just because he has continued making music since leaving Zeppelin. JPJ has done that just as well in his producing and session gigs (just what he was before hooking up with Page in the 60's). I believe that Page was never able to recover which I think lends more credence to my argument. I think he's just waking up to the fact that the most important relationship in his life is also the most destructive. Celebration Day gradually becomes Jimmy's movie through his powerful playing and one can't help but feel he's wasted his talents searching for another muse like Robert (can you say "Coverdale"). How cruel life can be!
One final point, you feel that Page's perfectionist attitude is keeping Led Zeppelin from being discovered by another generation of fans. Perhaps that's true from a purely marketing standpoint. But there was a time when marketing wasn't the most important thing in music. One of the things that made Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd the biggest bands in the world for a time is something that's missing in today's pop culture-mystique. Both of the bands had a carefully cultivated image that included a lot of mystery. The old joke that "Styx worked for a year on the cover of their new album...but the music should only take a few weeks to make" has become the standard of the music industry today. Bands are created with marketability in mind. They come and go almost daily. But Page still tries to create an aura about his band by not taking the path that everyone else does. They obviously don't need the money because this view is not going to take them back to the top of the charts. But maybe that's not his objective anymore. Maybe it's to avoid becoming a destination-attraction at Las Vegas.
You cite Neil Young as a counter to this thinking and I agree. But Neil has a 30-some year career that parallels this history of the golden age of rock. His story is rock's story. But Led Zeppelin is more of a "time and a place" and I think Page is trying to preserve some of that mystique. It worked on me...and a theater full of people that saw the movie last week. From the countdown teaser in Rolling Stone a few months ago, an event was being created and I wanted to be there. Led Zeppelin was working their old (black) magic on me again. I don't think Green Day could have motivated me in the same way. It was vintage Zeppelin and I'm so glad there are still a few performers with that sense of the theatrical. It's the time before the stripper takes off her last piece of clothing that's the most seductive-not the naked woman herself.
Celebration Day was a great concert. They tore through the catalog without the self-indulgent lengthy performances of "The Song Remains The Same". Jimmy Page now bares a striking resemblance to Alastair Sim in the 1950's version of "A Christmas Carol". All of them looked like they were having a great time playing together...for that one night. Taking it any further would be foolish and they probably all knew it. No grinding resentment. Just the understanding that it was a time and a place that can't be revisited for more than a few hours without the dirty underside starting to creep back out.
That's my two cents...probably more like a nickle's worth.
I was looking forward to seeing Morrissey in Pittsburgh tonight. He was to play Heinz Hall, home of the Pittsburgh Symphony. As a Clevelander, the last time I was in that beautiful building was in college to see Dizzy Gillespie. Add to that the fact that Morrissey announced his retirement in 2013 when he turns 55. He says he's not aging well. It sounds like Morrissey doesn't it. Who knows if he'll tour the states next year. After all he's an international star, bigger in other parts of the world than here in the US. So this might have been the last time I'd get to see him live.
I've seen him twice here in Cleveland. Once with The Smiths and on his last solo tour nearly five years ago. So I'm bummed that he postponed the Pittsburgh show along with Columbus, Flint and Chicago. It seems his mother is ailing, Morrissey Postpones Handful of U.S. Tour Dates .
It's an understandable reason and prayers go with him, his mother and family. He stated that make up dates will be announced in the next week or so. My fingers are crossed. In the meantime I'll console myself with a full concert I found on YouTube filmed in Chile this past spring. Morrissey has an ardent following in Latin America. I still haven't completely figured out why but it makes for an energetic show.
If I wasn't DJing a wedding reception this evening I know where I'd be, at The Winchester Music Hall on Madison in Lakewood. The Wally Bryson Group, Cleveland's version of a supergroup performs tonight.
Fronted by Wally Bryson, former Raspberries guitarist, co-songwriter and background vocalist, this band has some chops. Rounding out the cast is Billy Sullivan and Rich Spina on guitar and keyboards respectively, Bill March on bass and Ed Brown on drums.
Sullivan and Spina have performed together as a duo going back to the 80s. These days they are members of Herman's Hermits and have played in various other bands including Gary Lewis and The Playboys, and Cleveland's Love Affair, Beau Coup, and Club Wow. Both Sullivan and Spina have toured nationally with acts ranging from Dickey Betts to Ian Hunter. Bill March was also a member of Beau Coup and both he ad Ed brown have played in numerous other Cleveland bands.
There are to be surprise guests as well. I heard that from two sources last night while taking in two different local acts.
