Sunday, April 22, 2012

Van Halen Rocking the House in Greensboro!


All photos on my blog are © 2012 Andrew Talbert unless otherwise noted. If you want to see the best ones let's get together....
Remember you can click the photo to enlarge it on your screen.

http://www.van-halen.com/

Well. How do I sum this up. If you go back to my last show write-up you can see my excitement about going to a Rock and Roll show anytime. This link will take you back to the last time I saw Van Halen in 2007 in the same house.
http://downsouthradiohour.blogspot.com/search?q=van+halen

I have seen these guys many times including the years with Sammy Hagar. I really like all the music and anyone who knows me knows I think Sammy Hagar ROCKS. But back to last night. I had pretty high expectations for this show. The first thing I heard after they guys just sort of walked on was "Unchained." I think my smile almost broke my face. I thought it was pretty clear about the message on this one:

Change, nothin' stays the same
Unchained, and ya hit the ground running
Change, ain't nothin' stays the same
Unchained, yeah ya hit the ground runnin'

Let's see my thoughts from last night in a nutshell were the acoustics and sound overall were not so great. The band should be a bit tighter but overall the performance was good. Dave's voice was not perfect but his performance and celebrity made up for it. Wolfgang was good on bass but I miss the guy I won't talk about who rocks the bass in Chickenfoot. http://madanthonycafe.com/burrnmag/ I guess if the band configuration we have today is what it takes to make this show then so be it. Alex was hitting the drums very well last night. And Eddie? Well he is one of the best ever and anytime I can get in front of a stage with a guitar great it makes my day! In summary, I enjoyed myself and there were moments that really made me smile. I am really glad there are still bands like this one that are surviving and still making new music.

I heard some lady come out last night and complain about not being able to hear. Well I can recommend some great earplugs! http://www.etymotic.com/ I can hear just fine this morning thank you very much and yes it WAS REAL LOUD! All those Peavy 5150s on one stage are you f'in kidding me? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peavey_5150

Here is a great video link before you read on. "Hot for Teacher" Go watch this then read the next segment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIIQFUhT1V4&feature=fvwp

Before I go I should mention a favorite moment or two last night. "Beautiful Girls." I love that song. I really like the beat and the way only Eddie can make that guitar sound. Of course the only showman who can lay the vocal down is David Lee Roth. It was very cool! "Hot for Teacher." Yeah I liked it. "Eruption?" Well that was the moment for me. I just stood there and took in the moment. That is such magic on a guitar. I guess that moment was what I really left with.

She was a-seaside sittin'
Just a-smokin' and a-drinkin' on ringside
On top of the world, oh yeah
She had her drink in her hand
She had her toes in the sand and whoa! Ha, ha
What a beautiful girl, ah yeah
What a sweet talkin' honey with a little bit o' money
She turn your head around
Creature from the sea with the looks to me
Like she like to fool around

What a snappy little mammy gonna keep a pappy happy
And accompany me, to the ends of the earth, ah yeah
Ah, that's why I said

Here I am, ain't no man of the world, no
All I need is a beautiful girl
Ah yeah, beautiful girls


Hey until next time, I'll see you, down the road...

Eddie Van Halen!


I'm going to call this photo "Eruption."

Eddie Van Halen. He completely blew my mind with his playing last night. I have seen him many times through the years so I have a basis for comparison. I thought the band was not quite as tight last night as they should have been but Eddie is so damn good I just overlooked the one or two rough spots. All in all it was a great concert and a hell of an experience to feel all those great songs in a live performance.

Go check out the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vch3JSHcPrQ&feature=related

Dave and EVH!


As for the rumors this band doesn't get along these days, well if they don't off the stage they sure do on the stage. As for the show, well it ROCKED!

Diamond Dave!


http://www.davidleeroth.com/

Last night in Greensboro, North Carolina. David Lee Roth!

Robert "Kool" Bell !


Saturday’s Van Halen show started with an hour-long set by Kool and the Gang. I was already scratching my head on why this band was picked but soon I found out. These guys have a string of hits you will remember, “Jungle Boogie,” “Too Hot,”and of course “Celebration.”

“You didn’t know Kool and the Gang was a f'n religion to us, did you?” Roth asked from the stage later in the show...

Here is my favorite Kool and the Gang song "Get Down on It."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0EYpjMkgmU

Kool & the Gang Horns!


http://www.koolandthegang.com/

The horns were rocking!

Steve Watson and Chuck Leavell.

All photos on this blog are ©2012 Andrew Talbert unless otherwise noted.

Steve Watson and Chuck Leavell. http://watsonsriddle.com/fr_home.cfm

What a great night! This was one of those shows I took the road trip for and it was worth every damn mile! Yeah baby! Life is good. I felt very fortunate to even be at this show much less getting to pick my seat level with the stage in the middle of the auditorium. I'll be talking about this show for many years. It was an unforgettable experience. 'Nuff said.

Until next time, I'll see you, down the road.



Here are some really great "Watson's Riddle" video links. Go enjoy them. I love this music!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSUlU9MfWbk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LmiG16lFt8&feature=related

Randall Bramblett and Chuck Leavell!


http://www.randallbramblett.com/

http://www.chuckleavell.com/blog2/

Randall Bramblett and Chuck Leavell on stage together. What a night! I just keep saying that about this show. The entire evening was off the meter from the dinner and beverages on the lawn in an upscale setting to the music on this stage. The players on this night really blew the roof off the place!

First you have to know the backgrounds of these guys to understand the basis for the setlist.

Randall has played with everyone from Gregg Allman to Bonnie Raitt. One of the tracks on the new Bonnie Raitt cd just released last week was Randall's song. These guys were part of a band called Sea Level. Their bandmates were members of the Allman Brothers and other bands.
Chuck has been the keyboard player on the last several Rolling Stones tours and has played with everyone from George Harrison to Eric Clapton. One of Eric's biggest selling cds was the "Unplugged" recording and Chuck is all over that thing. Chuck is still set to tour with John Mayer soon. Chuck and Randall both have new cd releases of their own as they never seem to stop cranking out great music.

I didn't even mention Paul Riddle who was the original drummer for Marshall Tucker showing up. Nor did I mention Steve Watson who as an LA studio musician has played guitar on things like the "Hill Street Blues" and "Magnum PI" themes. Very cool.

Back to the setlist. I want to give you a flavor of the night. Here are just a few of the songs: "Honky Tonk Women", "Statesboro Blues", "Sweet Virginia", "Jessica" "Rip This Joint" and several Sea Level songs. I still love that Sea Level song "Living in a Dream." Yes I would like to go see this show again. Right NOW!

I suggest you go buy all of their music right now! I think I have everything they have ever done. I still love looking at my old Sea Level albums and remembering those moments when they were new. But the new cps these guys are releasing are just getting better and better. They really are masters of what they do in the music business!


I'll add a couple of links for you to go enjoy some video if you like:


Here is one of Chuck's brand new songs from his cd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cd-Qql3DDw


"Jessica" Live from Greenville:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIsw2ardKA0


This one was a couple of days ago.It seems like yesterday as most of my life does.
"Alberta, Alberta" as performed on MTV with Eric Clapton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh7sqDlxBaE&feature=related

Edwin McCain!

http://www.edwin.com/
Edwin McCain. The more I see this guy perform the better I like him. He opened the evening with a set that I could have listened to all night. I don't want to recite his biography to you as you can go read that online. I will tell you he is a talented singer songwriter and quite a good storyteller. He hangs with some of the top names in the music business and you should make a date to see him perform when he comes to your town! Here is a link to a video from his performance in Greenville: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1hjTAKk1hs

Sea Level!

Sea Level is in the house! I'm at the Little Theatre in Greenville, South Carolina.
http://www.greenvillelittletheatre.org/

This will be a great evening! There are some awesome musicians in the house! More on that in a moment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Level_(band)