CONCERT REVIEWS
Concert Reviews
Thinking about checking out that tour stop when it comes to your town? Check out our concerts, festivals, club show reviews.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Crosby, Stills & Nash @ Darien Lake Ampitheater Darien, NY August 28, 2010
Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 September 2010 16:09 Written by Thom Jennings Wednesday, 01 September 2010 01:51
It was just after 7:00 PM when Crosby, Stills and Nash strolled onstage at the Darien Lake Amphitheater in Darien, NY and played the opening bars of "Woodstock." Maybe it is because of the fact that people have become accustomed to late starts that the place looked less than half full, or maybe it is just that many of the younger Petty fans have not even heard of CSN.
Whatever the reason was, too many people missed a large part of CSN's great performance, and too many people were walking around oblivious to the fact that the group onstage not only performed at Woodstock, but have been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once for CSN and each being inducted for their pre-CSN bands, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and The Hollies.
Around the time CSN played "Southern Cross," they seemed to have drawn most of the people in. "Southern Cross" is a great song that really highlights the bands legendary harmonies. The real showstoppers were "Almost Cut My Hair," featuring incredibly powerful vocals from David Crosby and blistering guitar work from Stephen Stills and "Love the One Your With."
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are one of the few bands that could follow CSN. Legends in their own right, and inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Petty and company are touring in support of their latest album, "Mojo." While "Mojo" slightly departs from the band's trademark sound. The four song set from "Mojo" fit nicely in the middle of Petty's set, surrounded by signature hits like "Free Fallin'" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance."
In the case of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the set of new songs provided an opportunity to appreciate how great a band the Heartbreakers are, because on most of the Heartbreaker's hits the crowd drowned out the band or danced and screamed in the aisles. The party atmosphere was fun, but at times, it was just plain distracting if not annoying.
Petty and company offered up a couple of surprises, including "King's Highway" from "Into the Great Wide Open" and a rockin' version of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" featuring great guitar work from Mike Campbell. In addition to playing great music, the band had great stage lighting, surrounded by LED screens and multiple television monitors above the stage. It was certainly a big time rock show.
The only disappointment I had with both acts is that they each did not include one of my favorite songs. I would have loved to hear "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" from CSN and "You Wreck Me" from Tom Petty. Nevertheless, I realize that when you have a huge selection of great songs to chose from, it is hard to play them all.
Set Lists:
Crosby, Stills and Nash
Woodstock
Military Madness
Long Time Gone
Bluebird
Déjà vu
Long May You Run (Neil Young cover)
Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones cover)
Our House
Southern Cross
Chicago
Almost Cut My Hair
Wooden Ships
Encores:
Love the One You're With
For What It's Worth
Teach Your Children
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Listen to Her Heart
You Don't Know How It Feels
I Won't Back Down
Free Fallin'
Oh Well (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Mary Jane's Last Dance
Kings Highway
Breakdown
Jefferson Jericho Blues
Good Enough
Running Man's Bible
I Should Have Known It
Learning to Fly
Don't Come Around Here No More
Refugee
Encores:
Runnin' Down a Dream
American Girl
Photos by Gus Griesinger
We would like to thank Jim Merlis from Big Hassle for the TP photo pass and TimTobin from Livenation for hooking up Backstageaxxess.com with the tickets and photo pass on CSN's behalf to do a proper review of the entire show.
Jon Anderson @ Bears Den (Inside the Seneca Niagara Casino) Niagara Falls, NY August 27, 2010
Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 September 2010 11:13 Written by Thom Jennings Wednesday, 01 September 2010 01:21
Jon Anderson has played with some of the best musicians in the world, including Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford just to name a few. Anderson's claim to fame is his stint as lead singer of Yes. Seeing "former lead singer of Yes" on the concert poster still seems odd, with Anderson being one of the few constants in Yes, appearing on all of their studio albums except for "Drama."
Yes is known as one of the pioneers of progressive rock, a genre known for its complex songs that are heavy on instrumentation and often longer than the typical pop song. For his performance at the Bear's Den, Anderson was truly a solo act, only accompanied by acoustic instruments, including a mountain dulcimer and a ukulele.
There are so many versions of classic Yes songs by nearly every incarnation of the band; one may wonder if Jon Anderson could breathe new life into these classic songs. While he may not have the instrumental chops of his former band mates, Anderson does have an almost angelic way about him that can make even the simplest arrangements sound beautiful.
That is largely due to his remarkable voice, which was in perfect form at the Bear's Den. It was also the perfect venue for the show, which was truly an intimate evening of music with a bona fide rock legend. So intimate that at one point, Jon's wife, who was sitting in the front row, called him over to her to whisper in his ear that he needed more reverb.
Jon also proved to be both witty and philosophical, sharing stories about his recent illness and his family. Before a catchy solo number entitled, "Tony and Me," Anderson noted that that he looked up to his older brother and then chuckled and said, "because he is taller." Anderson even told a funny joke about a Grey Goose walking into a bar.
The stripped down versions of Yes classics were nice, but Anderson really shined on the deep cuts from Jon and Vangelis and his solo material. The piano medley alone was worth the price of admission.
For the encore, Jon played "Roundabout" and "Soon," two Yes classics that received thunderous applause and a long-standing ovation. Thankfully, even though this was an acoustic show there were few people screaming aloud when Jon was talking between songs.
Overall it was a fantastic and relaxing evening of great music. If Jon is playing a solo show near you I would highly recommend that you don't miss it.
Set List:
Yours Is No Disgrace
Long Distance Runaround
Sweet Dreams
Time And A Word
Under Heaven's Door (Never Ever)
I'll Find My Way Home
Starship Trooper
Unbroken Spirit
Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Piano Medley: Set Sail/Close To The Edge/Who Could Imagine/Marry Me Again/Revealing Science Of God,
The Light Of Love
And You And I
Music is God,
Count Your Blessings
Tony And Me
Your Move,
The Ritual
State Of Independence
Encores:
Roundabout
Soon
Photos by J. Ritz
We would like to thank Tony Astran from the Seneca Niagara Casino for allowing Backstageaxxess to review the show.
Mighty Mighty Bosstones @ Towne Ballroom Buffalo, NY August 26, 2010
Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 00:46 Written by Thom Jennings Tuesday, 31 August 2010 00:14
Lead singer Dicky Barrett told the crowd at The Town Ballroom that Buffalo, NY was like a "second home" for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Now that the band only goes out on short tours, every show is an event for their fiercely loyal fan base, but this night in Buffalo was a special night as the band played its debut album, "Devil's Night Out" in its entirety and in its original running order.
Just like everything they do, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones played the album with little fanfare, simply launching into it six songs into their set. When it was finished, the crowd roared its approval and Barrett exclaimed proudly "Devil's Night Out in its entirety, only in Buffalo!" In around an hour and a half, the band managed to play powerful renditions of fan favorites in addition to the "Devil's Night Out" album. Every song was loud and brash, and played to perfection.
Driving the show was front man Dicky Barrett who, at any given moment, could shove a microphone in the face of a fan and they seemed to know every word. Barrett put everything into his performance, keeping up a frantic pace all evening, covered in sweat and wearing a full suit throughout the show, until the encore. During "Hell of a Hat" he donned hats thrown onstage by fans, then dutifully returned them to their rightful owners if they were close by. Of course the crowd absolutely loved every minute of it.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones proved again why they remain one of the best live acts in the music business. Barrett and the rest of the band put on a great show, displaying solid musicianship and thrilling the crowd in their "second home" of Buffalo, NY.
Set List:
Dr. D
Graffiti Worth Reading
The Rascal King
You Gotta Go!
Royal Oil
Devil's Night Out
Howwhywuz, Howwhyam
Drunks and Children
Hope I Never Lose My Wallet
Haji
The Bartender's Song
Patricia
The Cave
Do Something Crazy
A Little Bit Ugly
Don't Worry Desmond Dekker
So Sad to Say
Someday I Suppose
Hell of a Hat
Where'd You Go?
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Holy Smoke
The Impression That I Get
Tin Soldier (Stiff Little Fingers cover)
Lights Out
Encore:
A Pretty Sad Excuse
Photos by J. Ritz
We would like to thank Dana Gordon from Independent Music for allowing Backstageaxxess to review the show. Please stay tuned for a interview with Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton that was done before the show.
The Trews @ Artpark Lewiston, NY August 25, 2010
Written by J. Ritz Monday, 30 August 2010 01:09
When most people think of Canada, they think of hockey, beer, & curling. What they fail to realize is that Canada has churned out a lot of musical talent over the years. Most recently bands like The Tragically Hip, Our Lady Peace, and Nickleback have made an impact on the industry. The Trews however, are one of those "best bands you never heard of." Consisting of lead singer Colin MacDonald, his brother John-Angus MacDonald on guitar, Jack Syperek on Bass, Sean Dalton on Drums, & Jeff Heisholt on keyboard, they took the stage shortly after 8:00. The rain soaked crowd at Artpark greeted them a thunderous applause and they got right to work with their 2004 hit "Fleeting Trust" off the album 'House of Ill Fame.' Flooding the stage with smoke machines, they continued their set with the crowd singing along to every song. Colin kept them involved by getting them to clap along with the rhythm, and encouraging them to sing by holding the mic out over them while they belted out two verses of "Poor Ole Broken Hearted Me" which ended with a Jeff Heisholt keyboard solo that he pounded out so hard he broke a leg on his keyboard stand.
Colin told the crowd that although he was from Nova Scotia, he loved upstate New York, and always felt welcome in the Buffalo are because his father was from Ithaca, NY. He also told the story of Capt Nichola Goddard, whom he referred to as a young girl who went off to Afghanistan and never came home. This inspired their latest single "Highway Of Heroes"
The band took a break and slowed things down with an acoustic performance "Sing Your Heart Out" from their second live album released in 2009. Showcasing their musical talent, as well as the great voice that Colin has. They left the stage to Sean Dalton, who got things back up to speed with a blistering drum solo. He got the crowd back into it, showering them with a forest of drumsticks. As he continued on, the boys came back out one by one, with Colin joining him on the drums, pounding away up to the intro of "Tired Of Waiting." They finished up their set with the 2007 hit "Hold Me (In Your Arms)" that had the crowd re-energized and primed for their encore which they concluded with "Stray."
After the show, they stuck around to meet their fans, sign autographs, and pose for pictures. They seem genuinely gracious and appreciative of the success they have attained.
After seeing The Trews live, I would have to say they sound even better than on the radio, throw in their showmanship and appreciation, and you have an act you have to put on your "must do list." I am definitely not missing their next performance, I can't wait...
We would like to thank Maria Costello from Artpark for helping Backstageaxxess in reviewing the shows from the 2010 season.
Sara Evans @ Artpark Lewiston, NY August 24, 2010
Last Updated on Monday, 30 August 2010 02:16 Written by Gus Griesinger Monday, 30 August 2010 01:07
Sara Evans, who was on short hiatus to raise a family and get married, is back on the road on tour. She will be releasing her sixth studio effort (untitled) in early 2011. Her eight (8) piece band also includes her sister, Ashley Evans Simpson, on backup vocals and brother, Matt Evans, on bass guitar.
The young country star wowed the crowd with her clean voice and stage presence. She interacted with waves and responding to crowd shout outs of "you're beautiful” with "you will get the 10 dollars after the show." She wore a fan's baseball cap during the song “Suds.”
She also sang two new songs that will be on her upcoming release. They were titled “A Little Bit Stronger” and “Easy to Do.” The first was written by Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. The latter was co-written by her brother Matt. She joked saying “that it was weird that she wrote a love song with her brother.” Then added, “maybe it was because we wrote it in Alabama.” This drew a heavy chuckle from the crowd. She also tackled an Elvis classic “Suspicious Minds.” She gave the song a different flavor that showed her diversity. Violinist/guitarist/backup vocalist Jonathan Lawson was a treat to watch the entire night. He is a very talented player in all respects and a great backbone piece to her band.
Set List:
As If
Perfect
Born to Fly
I Keep Lookin'
Saints and Angels
Coalmine
Stronger
Suds in the Bucket
Easy to Do
Real Fine Place
Workin for the Weekend (Loverboy cover)
Encore:
Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley cover)
I Could Not Ask for More
I Want You to Want Me (Cheap Trick cover)
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