Let the music play - new Concert Reviews/Experiences

Ope3 said:

How was the Boss in PHX?

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Thanks for the prompt, been meaning to post. This is my 3rd time seeing him and he seemed to have more energy this time than the previous two, and he was great at the previous two! I get tired using my standing desk at work for two hours at age 48 and The Boss crushes it for 3 straight hours, no breaks at age 76.

I liked some of the deeper cuts he played that he normally doesn’t. There wasn’t an empty seat in the place and no one left early.

Go Live Music!!

BleedGopher said:

Thanks for the prompt, been meaning to post. This is my 3rd time seeing him and he seemed to have more energy this time than the previous two, and he was great at the previous two! I get tired using my standing desk at work for two hours at age 48 and The Boss crushes it for 3 straight hours, no breaks at age 76.

I liked some of the deeper cuts he played that he normally doesn’t. There wasn’t an empty seat in the place and no one left early.

Go Live Music!!

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After the Tour Opener, I was wondering if the energy and excitement could be sustained by Bruce (& The E Street).

Sounds like a resounding, yes.

I can still hear the echoes from Bono & Larry Mullen Jr in the air tonight.

At the age of 15 I was not aware of the term "bucket list" but make no mistake after seeing the U2 videos from Red Rocks it was a lifetime goal of mine to attend a show there. It took 40 years but finally the experience happened last night. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit with special guests Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Just a magical setting and even 4 decades of built up expectations.

Top Photo from Will Johnson/400U, Welch/Rawlings/Isbell during soundcheck.

It was a wonderful evening. I had brought long undies and heavy flannel as earlier in the week it was looking like temps would peak in the 50s and drop to the 30s. Caught a huge break as it was actually in the 70s during the day. Bottomed out around 50 during the encore.

It's been a while since I had seen Welch & Rawlings, but they were fantastic and ended their set with a rousing acoustic cover of Neil Young's Cortez the Killer. As the soundcheck hints, their evening wasn't done.



When Isbell came out he saluted the weather. Amen. Having played there so many times he and the band were not overwhelmed by the experience, yet clearly revere it, "The Best Outdoor Venue in the world" according to Isbell.

He got the evening off to a to a rousing start with Cumberland Gap.

A White Whale of sorts me was scored early when Isbell introduced a song as "This song I wrote was not a hit for us, but it was portrayed as one in the film it was featured in", that would be Maybe It's Time written for Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born. The 400U treatment really makes it pop.

Those were just a couple of the many differences from the Armory setlist a couple of months ago. Children of Children was a highlight along with This Ain't It mid-set.

Cover Me Up closed out the main set as a major crowd pleaser

The encore was kicked off with an impressive return of Welch & Rawlings for John Prine's Paradise.


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The evening ended Decoration Day. Isbell closed it out on a high note indeed.



For anyone that's never been there, I highly suggest making the journey.

Get there early and make a day of it. Parking is free. Lots of picnics/tailgating going. The village of Morrison is tiny, under 500 but there are several options to dine. I also did a little hiking.

Also if you can't get tickets within first few rows, my advice would be to sit towards to the right to see down into the surrounding area.

Red Rocks is worth all the hype, we made the pilgrimage last summer for Mumford & Sons, and will certainly be back. Love that you loved it.

Go Live Music!!

BleedGopher said:

Red Rocks is worth all the hype, we made the pilgrimage last summer for Mumford & Sons, and will certainly be back. Love that you loved it.

Go Live Music!!

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Yeah, I can't wait to go back. The forces of nature that created the setting to begin with and the foresight to create such a venue is awe inspiring.

Ope3 said:

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At the age of 15 I was not aware of the term "bucket list" but make no mistake after seeing the U2 videos from Red Rocks it was a lifetime goal of mine to attend a show there. It took 40 years but finally the experience happened last night. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit with special guests Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Just a magical setting and even 4 decades of built up

Top Photo from Will Johnson/400U, Welch/Rawlings/Isbell during soundcheck.

It was a wonderful evening. I had brought long undies and heavy flannel as earlier in the week it was looking like temps would peak in the 50s and drop to the 30s. Caught a huge break as it was actually in the 70s during the day. Bottomed out around 50 during the encore.

It's been a while since I had seen Welch & Rawlings, but they were fantastic and ended their set with a rousing acoustic cover of Neil Young's Cortez the Killer. As the soundcheck hints, their evening wasn't done.

View attachment 43983

When Isbell came out he saluted the weather. Amen. Having played there so many times he and the band were not overwhelmed by the experience, yet clearly revere it, "The Best Outdoor Venue in the world" according to Isbell.

He got the evening off to a to a rousing start with Cumberland Gap.

A White Whale of sorts me was scored early when Isbell introduced a song as "This song I wrote was not a hit for us, but it was portrayed as one in the film it was featured in", that would be Maybe It's Time written for Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born. The 400U treatment really makes it pop.

Those were just a couple of the many differences from the Armory setlist a couple of months ago. Children of Children was a highlight along with This Ain't It mid-set.

Cover Me Up closed out the main set as a major crowd pleaser

The encore was kicked off with an impressive return of Welch & Rawlings for John Prine's Paradise.

View attachment 43988
.
The evening ended Decoration Day. Isbell closed it out on a high note indeed.

View attachment 43987

For anyone that's never been there, I highly suggest making the journey.

Get there early and make a day of it. Parking is free. Lots of picnics/tailgating going. The village of Morrison is tiny, under 500 but there are several options to dine. I.also did a little hiking.

Also if you can't get tickets within first few rows, my advice would be to sit towards to the right to see down into the surrounding area.

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It's still on mine. I missed my chance when I had Grateful Dead tickets back in 1990. Did my first back country hiking trip before. Took way longer to get out of the mountains than we thought. I still am bitter about it.

Ope3 said:

Yeah, I can't wait to go back. The forces of nature that created the setting to begin with and the foresight to create such a venue is awe inspiring.

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I was at back to back Tool shows at Red Rocks in 2010. When it comes to the venue and artist, I'll never have a better concert experience in my lifetime.

tikited said:

It's still on mine. I missed my chance when I had Grateful Dead tickets back in 1990. Did my first back country hiking trip before. Took way longer to get out of the mountains than we thought. I still am bitter about it.

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This Saturday Gillian Welch told a story about her first time at Red Rocks was in the early 90s for a Grateful Dead show.

She had all of her money ($50) tucked in her sock, which she needed to get back home to California. With all the dancing she did in the aisle during the show, it fell out.

She and her then boyfriend looked at every step in the amphitheater trying to find it, ultimately to no avail. They were literally the last ones out the door that evening in the middle of the night.

Ope3 said:

I can still hear the echoes from Bono & Larry Mullen Jr in the air tonight.

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Tonight's Red Rocks show (Bright Eyes) was postponed due to a Winter Storm, 9-12 inches of snow in the forecast.

I caught a break in terms of weather.

Strib preview of Mystic Lake Amphitheater.

Grabbed a space in the left side (opposite of where merch tables are set up) elevated area next to the pit at First Avenue last night for the Local H/Toadies concert. Probably my best experience at the venue. Wasn't cramped in or uncomfortable in the least. Both bands sounded great. Good setlists too....even though neither played my favorite song of theirs (which I expected to be the case).

stocker08 said:

Grabbed a space in the left side (opposite of where merch tables are set up) elevated area next to the pit at First Avenue last night for the Local H/Toadies concert. Probably my best experience at the venue. Wasn't cramped in or uncomfortable in the least.

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You found the ideal real estate. Only drawback is distance and traffic to the bathroom.

Ope3 said:

You found the ideal real estate. Only drawback is distance and traffic to the bathroom.

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I kept liquid intake prior to the concert low....so I managed to get through without needing a trip to the bathroom. Really didn't want to lose my spot.

stocker08 said:

I kept liquid intake prior to the concert low....so I managed to get through without needing a trip to the bathroom. Really didn't want to lose my spot.

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If you are with someone generally people are respectful of the space and a tag team relay is possible in between sets.

Going solo I have successfully bribed strangers a few times by offering to bring back a beverage for them in exchange for guarding the turf.

Strib review of the Mystic Lake Amphitheater itself:

Attended my first concert outside the U.S. and it was a banger! Was in London last week and Garth Brooks played England for the first time in 30 years!! It was part of their Hyde Park Concert Series, and Zac Brown Band opened (along with some smaller musicians before them). It was an incredible concert. It was my 2nd time seeing Garth (first was 10-12 years ago at Target Center) and my 5th time seeing ZBB.

Both were incredible, Garth was as good as he was a decade plus ago. There were 65,000 people there, incredible evening and the Brits love a sing-a-long…and one hasn’t lived until they sing with 65,000 others The Dance, Friends in Low Places, Callin Baton Rogue, The River, etc.

Go Live Music!!

Ope3 said:

Strib review of the Mystic Lake Amphitheater itself:

https://www.startribune.com/mystic-lake-amphitheater-shakopee-review-sightlines-acoustics-prices-traffic-parking-live-nation/601851735

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As much as I would like to rip into Live Nation/Ticket Master, I have to give credit where it's due, Mystic Lake Amphitheatre at Canterbury Downs is pretty damn good.

Met up with a friend in Burnsville at a rally point (5:35 PM) and the car was was parked before 6 PM in a Free lot, less than a football field away from the gate.

$2 hot dogs available along with $5 cans of Rolling Rock.

Great sightlines except where the large scaffolding about 2 sections in from both sides that would hinder views from the 2nd & 3rd Decks/Lawn if you're not seated towards the middle.

Sounded awesome, maybe just a notch below Pritzker Pav in Chicago.

Huge bathrooms, didn't have to wait.

Got out of there in less than 20 minutes.

Might obviously be different for a packed house, but I would guess there were 8,000 or so for Bob from Hibbing.

Only complaint was other than the Rolling Rocks, any beer or spirit was going to be near or at the $20 mark. Not uncommon for any such venue though.



More on the show itself at a later time.

I enjoyed it though.

Ope3 said:

I don't dispute that experience is a very real possibility, to the point of highly probable.

However, when I saw him in 2013 (only headlining show I have seen) there were a handful of songs that were quite recognizable even if modified.

A couple might have even been close to the original album version, including Simple Twist of Fate, A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall, She Belongs to Me, All Along the Watchtower, Tangled Up in Blue & Blowin' in the Wind.

Bob Dylan Setlist at Midway Stadium, St. Paul

Get the Bob Dylan Setlist of the concert at Midway Stadium, St. Paul, MN, USA on July 10, 2013 from the AmericanaramA Festival of Music Tour and other Bob Dylan Setlists for free on setlist.fm!

www.setlist.fm

Unfortunately, most of those classics haven't appeared this decade, except for All Along the Watchtower. That was the #1 highlight for me at the recent Farm Aid event along with Hwy 61 Revisited. Again both were recognized in the current form.

A buddy of mine went to the Rochester show a couple of weeks ago. He liked it so much he followed up with going to Lacrosse just a couple of days later.

Those were both Sold Out and tough tickets in venues about 1/4th the capacity of the Shakopee how. So far at Mystic Amphitheatre, ticket sales look really soft.

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Monday night at Mystic Lake Amphitheater, venue was fantastic as referenced with a fine triple bill of John Doe Folk Trio, Lucinda Williams & Bob Dylan.

I enjoyed it start to finish, starting with John Doe with an interesting mix of covers, new songs from this lineup and from the X catalog. Show highlights for me were Burning House of Love, 4th of July (just a few hours late) and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

That was followed by Lucinda Williams who I just marvel at recovering from a stroke to putting out a pair of recent albums in the last few years representative of work as good as she was decades ago. She does not move as quick, speaks a bit more deliberately and is vocals only, but voice is strong.

She kicked off the set with Car Wheels on a Gravel Road followed shortly by the 2 best songs off her new album IMO, Low Life and The World's Gone Wrong (title track). The night ended with the iconic Neil Young cover, Rockin' in the Free World. Short and sweet Luc. Her backing band is quite capable.

Dylan was devoid of any of his big hits and he appeared as brooding as ever, but enjoyed it. It Ain't Me Babe I would guess was the only song that Timmy Chalamet touched in A Complete Unknown.

He made the large venue feel like a dark jazzy club like the Dakota. Voice was solid, perhaps even clearer than when I saw him in 2015.

Fun night.


Bob Dylan setlist at Shakopee courtesy of boblinks.com



Strib Review: