Gigs in 2010 That Made My Head Rock, My Heart Roll and My Moneymaker Shake
The world does not need another Top 10, 5 or 100 list from another freak with a keyboard. While I do consider myself one of those keyboard freaks, I am not going to give you a list, per se. Actually, technically, what I have here for you is a list. Unfortunately I can’t present this to you in any other form that doesn’t resemble a vertical list of info, vids and anecdotes.
That being said, here is my non-list list of fave rave gigs I attended in 2010 (think of this more as a collection than a list).
For five years I placed myself in concert going purgatory down in Sydney, Australia. Don’t get me wrong, I saw a handful of bow-down gigs in Sydney: My Morning Jacket, The Black Keys, The Hold Steady, Derek Trucks & EC, Taj Mahal, Bo Diddley, Neil Young, John Fogerty, Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams (3x), Kings of Leon (2x), Pearl Jam, U2, The Stones, Bob Dylan, The White Stripes, Ray Lamontagne (2x), The Black Crowes…
…wait a minute, that’s not concert going purgatory, that is shit-hot concert going joy! I take back the purgatory comment. Still, that list came over the entire five year period of living there. Back when I lived in Boston, that list would compromise a summer’s worth of concerts for me.
Sydney…Australia…loves it’s music. The only real problem is that Sydney is a long way from anywhere (aside from New Zealand) and that prohibits a lot of acts from going there. In September of 2009 I moved to London. I saw a few great bands right away, namely Andrew Bird and Ray Lamontagne (this was my first gig at the Royal Albert Hall as well).
I went on a concert going tear in 2010. I saw current bands, older acts still making great live sounds and a few seriously…seriously…bow-down gigs for the (my) ages.
I wanted to share those bow-down gigs with you here. Live music is the life-blood. The internet cannot replace this environment and experience. Streaming a gig across the web…fuck that. Yeah, it is OK if you can’t travel half way around the world/country to be there in person, but really…fuck that. No ISDN line or 3G connection is ever going to replace standing shoulder to shoulder, three rows back from the stage, a shit-hot band wailing away, beer in hand, smile on face and making eye contact with a Rock & Roll legend. Hot-concert-going-fucking-a-right-Damn!
There are five gigs that made my big toe shoot up in my boot in 2010 (I love that Little Richard saying). Four of them are by bands known round the world. They are folks that are steeped in lore in Rock & Roll / music history. The fifth is a small blues outfit from The Netherlands. While they may not be known ’round the world, they play big…BIG…big enough to knock the globe of it’s axis.
I pulled vids from the YouTube (what my old man calls it), each of which comes from the specific gigs I attended. I also provided links to the post I made about the gigs at that specific time. If you have some time off and a cold six pack of your fave rave ales on hand, have a read of, or listen to the previous posts (some of them were episodes of my homegrown, Poorman’s Podcast series). Be sure to look at some of the related videos the YouTube offers up, particularly from the Ronnie Wood and Robert Plant gigs.
Do I have any tix for 2011 yet, you ask? Well…
…I am certainly going to be starting 2011 of on the right concert going foot: on the 29th Jan I will be attending my first Levon Helm Midnight Ramble (Yes! YES!). This is a music/live music watershed moment for me. I can tell you how much excitement, anticipation, appreciation and outright joy I have for being fortunate enough to have ticket in hand for this gig. There will be much pre, during and post commentary on The 6149 around this. Stay tuned…
Enjoy the sounds…
Top to Bottom, my Fave Rave Gigs of 2010:
Ronnie Wood
If you are new to The 6149, then you don’t know that this was a fucking monumental gig for me. Firstly, it is Ron Wood. Secondly, it was a one-off gig to promote his fantastic 2010 solo album, “I Feel Like Playin‘”. Thirdly, I met some great new friends at this show. Lastly, oh yeah, I snuck into the after-gig party, met and talked with Ronnie Wood for 20 minutes or so and then hung out with the rest of the band, celebs and hangers-on until 3:00 am.
Like I said….monumental. Be sure to read the previous post on the gig to get the entire story. The music was insanely good. Ronnie was in excellent form. He also had the London cast of Stomp on hand to perform very cool percussion duties.
I loved what Ronnie did in 2010 with his album, his radio program and especially this gig…what a night!
“Stay With Me” – The Ambassador Theatre, London 09/19/10
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” - The Ambassador Theatre, London 09/19/10
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Leon Russell
When I saw that Leon was going to be playing in London, I shit my pants. I couldn’t buy my ticket fast enough. LEON RUSSEL in London and I was going to be there. Hot damn. The Jazz Cafe is a legendary club that holds 500 people max. I got there extra early and ended up standing 3 feet from Leon. He played all of his hits, a few hits from Bob Dylan and The Stones ( a killer “Wild Horses”) and he played like man on the verge of a comeback.
Comeback…I guess so. When I saw him I was unaware these were tune up gigs for his subsequent album and tour with Elton John. This was a one-off, uber-gig for me. I didn’t get to see him in his prime, but this gig was all primetime shit.
Previous Post: “Poorman’s Podcast: Small Joints & Big Highs: Leon Russell at the Jazz Cafe in London“
“Delta Lady” (show opener) - Jazz Cafe, London 08/03/10
“Song for You” - Jazz Cafe, London 08/03/10
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Robert Plant
Oh yeah…I knew of the new Band of Joy album. I was looking forward to it. I burnt out on Led Zep a long, long time ago; I listened every day in high school. I have always followed Plant’s solo career, though. I love that he never forgot the music that turned him on when he started on his way to rock and roll legend status. I was really hot for his backing band for the Band of Joy album, which is comprised of musician’s musicians, led by the VERY talent Buddy Miller.
This was the first gig of their tour. In fact, it was their first gig in front of a paying concert going audience ever! I had never seen Plant in any incarnation prior. I was psyched for this…and wasn’t disappointed. The playing was tip-top, bow-down phenomenal. They played a lot from the new album and then a few Led Zep covers which were done up in different styles and flavors. Be sure to check out the related videos for this gig. They did a cool, rockabilly version of Rock and Roll and other Zep chestnuts.
Oh, that concert going experience where I mentioned locking glances with a Rock and Roll legend…that was me at this Plant gig.
Previous Post: Poorman’s Podcast: The Calm Before the Chords (waiting for the Robert Plant gig to start)
“All the King’s Horses” – HMV Forum, London 09/02/10
“Houses of the Holy” - HMV Forum, London 09/02/10
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Bettye Lavette
Twice. In one night. Back-to-back gigs. It had to be done.
Bettye played two sets this night and I went to both. My wife left after the first one. She knows I have a thing for Bettye. She left feeling safe, but knew that if I had my chance with this soul sister…I’d take it. Now, a few months after the gig, my wife said she would have been more afraid had she read Bettye’s November New Yorker magazine article quote back then:
“I really don’t have a lot of talents. I can cook, and I can fuck, and I can sing. And I’m proud of all of them
Damn straight Bettye, damn straight.
This woman was a force that night. She didn’t let up in either show. Her 2010 album, “Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook” was on full display. She doesn’t just sing…she emotes. I love the way she sings. I can’t imagine how good she is at her other talents.
“A Woman Like Me“ - Southbank Centre, London 06/17/10
“All of My Love” (yes, a Led Zeppllin cover) - Southbank Centre, London 06/17/10
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The Juke Joints - Le caveau des Oubliettes, Paris 04/18/10
Sometimes the unexpected exceeds all expectations. I walked into the basement of a very cool Paris pub hoping to hear a half-way decent band. What I got was passion, pride and a powerful, pulsing, propulsion from a quartet of Dutch blues lovers. Read my previous post on this band…it says it all.
This video/audio is from me. I only had my iPhone on hand, but wanted to capture some of this. The sound quality sucks. Turn your volume down to appreciate the passion in this performance.
Previous Post: “Hidden Gems: The Scene and the Sound intersect in Paris for a full-on, bow-down live blues romp”
“Juke Joints Jam” – 04/18/10 – Paris
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Other stand-out 2010 gigs for me:
- Black Keys (twice)
- Drive-By Truckers
- The Hold Steady
- Jeff Tweedy
- Wilco
- Solomon Burke (just a couple months before he died)
- Ray Lamontagne
- Jackson Browne & David Lindley (first time seeing either of them. They gigged at the Royal Albert Hall)
- Stevie Wonder
- Alejandro Escovedo
- Willie Nelson
- Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
- Peter Parcek (x4)
—> What were some of your fave rave gigs in 2010?
