Saturday, December 10, 2011

Member Review: Feist



Member NYCECIL writes:

Feist's exquisite, hypnotic voice, aided by three-woman Vermont vocal group, Mountain Man, along with her engaging, effortless charm, playfulness and quick wit, brought all of the new songs alive and improved the older ones to the show I saw last night.
At 35, she is not nothing if inclusive as she continually encouraged the audience to sing along, and dance too, all night long.
“We’re going to bust shit up now okay?,” she said after opening the two-hour, two-encore show on the quiet side with Metals songs, Undiscovered First and How Come You Never Go There.
The song was another Metals tune, A Commotion, and it kicked the show into another gear.
By the next song, I Feel It All, it got pretty crowded up there with another 50 people joining Feist, Mountain Man - often dressed in suede ponchos with bells attached - and pianist-synth player, Brian Lebarton, multi-instrumentalist Charles Spearin and drummer Lucky Paul.
“Grab some wood,” instructed Feist to the now large crowd on stage and they dutifully sat down where they remained for the rest of the show (until they started dancing again.)
“It’s like a kindergarten class up here.”
There was also interesting visual accompaniment, beginning with black and white photos/paintings (not sure which) on the backdrop behind her, but quickly switching over to closeups of Feist and her band members gathered from closeups from cameras placed all around the stage.
Song highlights were plentiful, beginning with the vocally stunning Mushaboom, So Sorry - with Feist playing with the song’s tempo - Honey, Honey, Let It Die (during which she encouraged slow-dancing in the aisles and two of the women from Mountain Man also complied) and Intuition; the stirring new songs Anti-Pioneer, The Bad In Each Other, Caught a Light Wind, Get It Wrong, Get It Right; and the-dance happy My Moon, My Man, I Feel It All, When I Was A Young Girl, and Sea Lion Woman.
When Feist, who alternated between acoustic and electric guitars, dipped into her back catalogue, she made a point about saying she was going back in a time capsule.
I really enjoyed the time I spent with her backstage although she was a bit low key for me. Seeing the show from the back, on the other hand, was F'ing awesome!

Glad you enjoyed yourself, NYCECIL. Our members usually do.

If you're not one of us, why not join right now?

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

El Camino Support Tour for The Black Keys



The Black Keys will hit the road for their first leg of 2012 North American tour dates in March in support of their just released album El Camino, the first to be recorded in the band’s new hometown of Nashville.

With sepcial guests Artic Monkeys, here are the dates and venues:

3/2/12 - Cincinnati, OH - U.S. Bank Arena
3/3/12 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
3/4/12 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
3/6/12 - Portland, ME - Cumberland County Civic Center
3/7/12 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
3/9/12 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
3/10/12 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
3/12/12 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
3/16/12 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
3/18/12 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
3/19/12 - Chicago, IL - United Center
3/20/12 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
3/23/12 - Norfolk, VA - Constant Convocation Center
3/24/12 - Charlotte, NC - Bojangles Arena

More dates to follow; request your backstage passes today.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Setlist: The Cure



BPD member Norence Flightinggale writes to say how she was toasted by this 45 song set from The Cure:

10:15 Saturday Night
Accuracy
Grinding Halt
Another Day
Object
Subway Song
Foxy Lady
(The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
Meathook
So What
Fire In Cairo
It's Not You
Three Imaginary Boys
The Weedy Burton
A Reflection
Play For Today
Secrets
In Your House
Three
The Final Sound
A Forest
M
At Night
Seventeen Seconds
The Holy Hour
Primary
Other Voices
All Cats Are Grey
The Funeral Party
Doubt
The Drowning Man
Faith

Encore 1:

World War
I'm Cold
Plastic Passion
Boys Don't Cry
Killing An Arab
Jumping Someone Else's Train
Another Journey By Train

Encore 2:

Descent
Splintered In Her Head
Charlotte Sometimes
The Hanging Garden

Encore 3:

Let's Go To Bed
The Walk
The Lovecats

Friday, November 25, 2011

Member Review: Kanye West/Jay-Z



BPD member Devil's Itch took time out from T'Day to send this in:

I found it to be impossible to keep my eyes off the two of them as they first appeared on opposing satellite stages on the floor while their small band - one guy on turntables, and a guitarist and pianist as far as I could tell - remained in the dark on the main stage.

Kanye West was the flashier dresser in a black leather skirt with black leather leggings, while Jay-Z appeared in a baseball hat (his beloved Yankees), t-shirt and pants. (His pregnant wife Beyonce was supposed to be in the crowd.)

However, the real wow factor came when their satellite stages rose up by the second new song, Who Gon Stop Me, and visuals of snarling rottweilers and sharks on the prowl in the deep, blue sea, were projected onto the four sides of each cube while laser lights appeared overhead.

It was scary cool.

By the third song, Otis, another Watch The Throne cut featuring Otis Redding vocals, an enormous American flag had unfurled on stage giving the two rappers time to join each other on the main stage for the first time amid fire while their larger-than-life images appeared on two huge side-by-side video screens.

For the rest of the night it was either them performing alone or together, either their collaborations or solo hits, in an action-packed, marathon show that stretched over some 40 songs and two hours and 20 minutes.

It never really let up in pace or energy.

West delivered the first highlight of the night with the trio of Jesus Walks - which saw him down on his knees - All Falls Down, and Diamonds From Sierra Leone and pull out all the stops again later in the show with Power, and another threesome - Runaway, Heartless, and Stronger, the latter featuring him back on one of those satellite stages all lit up in red or blue lights.

And when the golden light show failed to kick in twice during All Of The Lights, West stopped the song each time, until it kicked in the third time.

The early kill-or-be-killed theme continued visually with images of leopards projected during Welcome to the Jungle, and lions and tigers and bears - oh shit! - during Monster with both rappers on stage for both tunes.

But it was when someone threw a bra on stage while they performed Monster that both men smiled but said nothing.

The imagery turned to more thoughtful subjects like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X during another new tune, Made In America, and jet fighters and eagles during West’s own Touch The Sky.

“We’re living our dream!” said Jay-Z, who got his own moments in the spotlight with Run This Town, Hard Knock Life, and Empire State Of Mind, which all had the crowd in major sing-along mode.

His solo turns on Onto The Next One and Dirt Off Your Shoulders, with him back on the other satellite stage bathed in green lights and featuring his silhouette, along with I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me), were also memorable.

Towards the end of the night, the two rappers shared the stage again for another great trio of tunes - West’s Golddigger, Jay-Z’s 99 Problems and their collaborative Ni**as in Paris.

When they finally exited, Jay-Z proclaimed to the crowd, all Ringo-like but without the Liverpool accent: “Peace and love.”

Before the show, I asked Kanye why he works so hard onstage. His reply was simple and straightforward: “I want people to get what they pay for.”

We sure did.

Thanks Devil's Itch.

Ya know, as we close out 2011, everyone here at BackstagePassDirect would like to extend our sincerest Holiday good wishes and to say "Thanks" for making 2011 sch a killer year.

If you've been sitting on the fence about subscribing, give yourself a present for 2012. A full one year membership is only $49; sign up today.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Setlist: John Fogerty



BPD member Silver Diver sent this to us from the recent John Fogerty show she attended:

Almost Saturday Night
Green River
Commotion
Tombstone Shadow
Wrote a Song for Everyone
Bad Moon Rising
Lodi
Cross-Tie Walker
Sinister Purpose
The Night Time Is The Right Time
(Nappy Brown cover)
Centerfield
Hey Tonight
Born on the Bayou
I Will Walk With You
Hot Rod Heart
Gunslinger
Keep On Chooglin'
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
Oh, Pretty Woman
(Roy Orbison cover)
Down on the Corner
Suzie Q
(Dale Hawkins cover)
Saxophone Instrumental
(short band jam with John … more)
Bad Case of Loving You
(Robert Palmer cover)
The Old Man Down the Road
Fortunate Son

Encore:

Good Golly Miss Molly
(Little Richard cover)
Proud Mary
Don't You Wish It Was True

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Member Review: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds



Long time BPD stalwart Bandolero graced us with this review:

The general consensus has always been that Noel Gallagher writes the better songs and Liam Gallagher is the better singer. That may be the case, but Noel’s live act had more energy, dynamism and style with a huge LED screen behind him that said Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in huge letters when it wasn’t showing videos, cool strobe and colored lights,

More importantly, he dared to play Oasis songs, right alongside his new solo tunes - with his debut solo disc out Tuesday - during the course of his 90-minute set, while Liam has refused to.

In fact, Noel kicked off the night with two Oasis songs, (It’s Good) To Be Free and Mucky Fingers before delving into High Flying Birds territory with Everybody’s On The Run, Dream On and the popular single, If I Had A Gun, which prompted a big sing-along.

But when he pulled out an acoustic guitar and played stripped down versions of such huge Oasis hits as Wonderwall and Supersonic, the real male bonding amongst audience members - arm-in-arm and singing at the tops of their lungs - began.

Of his four side musicians, I particularly enjoyed keyboardist Mike Rowe, also on piano and organ, and drummer Jeremy Stacey, who looked like he’d walked off the set of A Clockwork Orange with his black bowler hat, as they backed him on Wonderwall and Supersonic, on piano and tambourine, respectively.

And of the newer tunes, it was such super-charged rockers as (I Wanna Live in a Dream in My) Record Machine, AKA... What a Life!, and Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks that stood out.

Then it was back to a trio of Oasis gems - Little By Little, The Importance of Being Idle and Don’t Look Back In Anger - that made up the spirited encore.

Ultimately, of course, the best thing would be if Noel and Liam came back together for an Oasis reunion as it’s their fractious sibling chemistry that truly makes them special.

Until a reunion, then Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds is the closest things Oasis fans have to the real thing.

SET LIST

(It’s Good) To Be Free

Mucky Fingers

Everybody’s On The Run

Dream On

If I Had A Gun

The Good Rebel

The Death Of You and Me

Freaky Teeth

Wonderwall

Supersonic

(I Wanna Live in a Dream in My) Record Machine

AKA... What a Life!

Talk Tonight

Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks

AKA... Broken Arrow

Half The World Away

(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach

Encore:

Little By Little

The Importance of Being Idle

Don’t Look Back In Anger

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Concert Bombshell: Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw Reunite



BackstagePassDirect has just learned that it will be announced tomorrow that Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw will reunite for the 'Brothers of the Sun' Tour.

'Brothers of the Sun' will be the first time in 10 years that Chesney and McGraw have hit the road together. The reunion will kick off June 2 in Tampa, FL and will also feature special guests Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen.

All this comes on the heels of Chesney's massively successful 'Goin' Coastal' Tour, which blew away more than 1.3 million fans, making it the year's biggest country tour.

Dates and venues:

Sat. June 2 - Tampa, FL - Raymond James Stadium
Sun. June 3 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia Dome
Sat. June 9 - Dallas, TX - Cowboys Stadium
Sun. June 10 - Kansas City, MO - Arrowhead Stadium
Sat. June 16 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field
Sat. June 23 - Nashville, TN - LP Field
Sun. June 24 - Charlotte, NC - Bank of America Stadium
Sat. June 30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Heinz Field
Sun. July 1 - Cincinnati, OH - Paul Brown Stadium
Sat. July 7 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field
Sun. July 8 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Field
Sat. July 14 - Anaheim, CA - Angels Stadium
Sat. July 21 - Denver, CO - Sports Authority Field at Mile High
TBA - Indianapolis, IN - Lucas Oil Stadium 

TBA - Cleveland, OH - Cleveland Browns Stadium
Sat. August 11 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium
Sun. August 12 - Washington, DC - FedExField
Sat. August 18 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field
Sat. August 25 - Foxboro, MA - Gillette Stadium

You gotta know that this will be a "high demand" event so make your requests early.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Member Review: The Script



BPD member Tupelo Honey writes:

It surprised me just how scary good The Script was in its impressive performance last night.

Playing in front of a crowd that was stuck in a driving storm outside of the venue prior to the show, The Script - and openers Hot Chelle Rae - gave fans an 85-minute reprieve from Mother Nature with a performance that was one part visual and sensory overload and one part incredible restraint.

The Dublin-based indie rock band, led by frontman Danny O'Donoghue and guitarist/vocalist Mark Sheehan, didn't make the show about themselves, but about the screaming room of 30somethings - most of which were women.

O'Donoghue gave those admiring women an immediate gift, hopping into the front row of fans during the set's third song, letting the overjoyed women complete the lyrics of 'We Cry.' While the pit security looked a bit concerned, O'Donoghue was completely in his element, purely enjoying the fact that dozens of hands were reaching out to just touch him and that his fans knew the words to a song that has never hit the radio.

What stood out about the set was how the band mixed its popular songs with ones that were simply built for a live show.

They used their hits like 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved' - a sing-a-long hit that left O'Donoghue sitting at the base of the drummer's platform shaking his head in amazement and Sheehan claiming that the crowd's singing left his "hair standing" on his very bald head - and 'Breakeven' - the band's most popular iTunes download - to keep the crowd roaring and engaged. During these songs, you saw a muted light show behind the band, concentrating much more on the lyrics and delivery of the song. This showed a tremendous restraint that most bands cannot, or will not, show during a live gig.

That doesn't mean the band didn't have its sensory-overload moments. At times, the lighting was blinding and slightly distracting, but it fit with songs like 'Science & Faith' and 'Dead Man Walking' - the latter complete with chalk outlines on the huge screen behind the band, with each outline playing an instrument. It was quite amusing.

Two of the most impressive moments occurred without any vocals or pomp and circumstance. Before the first song, Sheehan came on the stage by himself, playing his electric guitar in front of a back-lit, white spotlight. He crawled on his knees at the outset and eventually rose to his feet, staring right into the white light while waiting for his bandmates to join him on stage. It signaled something unusual in that it didn't seem like O'Donoghue or Sheehan ever fought for attention on stage, as they seemed comfortable as a complement to each other.

Sheehan might have been outdone by drummer Glen Power, who took the stage in the first song of the encore, rapping a marching-band-like drum strapped to him on his shoulders. Power had been mostly subdued throughout the night, so seeing him take centerstage during 'This = Love' was surprising and unexpected.

And so was the whole night's performance, as the band proved that there might be a perfect Script for a great live show after all.

BPD, you're the greatest.


Thanks, Hon. We appreciate your report.

The list of 2012 tours keeps growing. If you want to see'em from backstage and meet your faves, you'd better join us today.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Radiohead 2012 Tour First Leg



Radiohead hasn't toured the US for more than 3 years, but that's about to change.

The band has mapped out the first portion of 2012's tour schedule and we've got it here first.

Here are the dates and venues. We anticipated more dates to be added later.

Feb
Mon 27 American Airlines Arena Miami, FL
Wed 29 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa, FL

Mar
Thu 1 Philips Arena Atlanta, GA
Sat 3 Toyota Center Houston, TX
Mon 5 American Airlines Center Dallas, TX
Wed 7 Frank Irwin Center Austin, TX
Fri 9 Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO
Sun 11 Sprint Center Kansas City, MO
Tue 13 1st Bank Center Broomfield, CO
Thu 15 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ

Friday, November 4, 2011

Setlist: Pearl Jam



This Pearl Jam setlist comes courtesy of Janeanne21:

Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
Hail Hail
Save You
Animal
Got Some
Given To Fly
Pilate
Unthought Known
Garden
Even Flow
World Wide Suicide
Setting Forth
(Eddie Vedder song)
Corduroy
Unemployable
Present Tense
Wishlist
Glorified G
Lukin
Porch

Encore:

Bee Girl
Just Breathe
Off He Goes
Mankind
State Of Love And Trust
Olé
Alive

Encore 2

Chloe Dancer
(Mother Love Bone cover)
Crown of Thorns
(Mother Love Bone cover)
Smile
Search and Destroy
(Iggy & The Stooges cover)
Rockin' in the Free World
(Neil Young cover)
Yellow Ledbetter
(with "Little Wing")

Monday, October 31, 2011

Member Review: Mumford and Sons



BPD member Dragonsbreath checks in:

I couldn't believe how laid back and relaxed these guys were. They (and me) just sat around backstage before the show, had a few brews and talked music. Then about 15 minutes before they were to go ut, they just got up, said "See ya later" and went about doing whatever prep needed doing.

As far as the show was concerned, having wrung every last conceivable drop of touring behind their 2009 debut Sigh No More, M&S sprinkled a few new songs from a planned 2012 studio album into their almost two-hour show that opened with huge cheers before a note of the show-starting Feel The Tide Turning was played before the pleasing Roll Away Your Stone.

The huge sing-along/lovefest continued with a lovely little Celtic lullaby Winter Winds as Ben Lovett and “Country” Winston Marshall played accordion and banjo, respectively. And Mumford soaked up the loud harmonies during the end of White Blank Page, taking out his ear monitors to hear the love.

Given the response to each of the numbers, it might have been difficult for the Mumford and Sons to stay grounded yet they did on the slow-building toe-tapper Below My Feet. Here all four could be seen stomping the stage with lead singer Marcus Mumford (who vocally resembles Dave Matthews) using a kick drum to keep things flowing.

Next, the warm, folksy Nothing Is Written soared with some on the floor arm in arm dancing in circles. And with patio lights dangling from the rafters to illuminate those on the floor for the rousing, uplifting Arcade Fire-ish Little Lion Man, the group was more than capable of pulling off a mammoth kitchen party.

After a short but sweet Dance Dance Dance, the group delved into Awake My Soul as the Canadian maple leaf on Marshall's dobro got much applause and the closing moment stirred the crowd yet again. Even a slight miscue mid-song which had the band chuckling couldn't break the momentum.

Perhaps the only number which didn't quite come off as expected was Broken Crown, a somewhat darker, moodier tune the audience never settled into. What they did cozy up to instantly was a jazz-tinged, swinging Dust Bowl Dance which concluded the 90-minute set.

Thanks BPD, this was a great night.

Glad you enjoyed it. If you've been sitting on the fence about becoming a member, now's a great time with 2012 right around the corner. A one year subscription is only $49. Sign up today.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Setlist: Anthrax

Our thanks to BPD member ThrasherTrasher for the following:

Earth on Hell
Fight 'Em Till You Can't
Caught in a Mosh
Madhouse
Antisocial
(Trust cover)
I'm Alive
The Devil You Know
Indians
In the End
Only

Encore:

Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
Metal Thrashing Mad
Refuse/Resist(Intro)
(Sepultura cover)
I Am The Law

Friday, October 21, 2011

Here Come the 2012 Tours: First Up, Brad Paisley



After recently wrapping his highly successful 2011 tour Brad Paisley has announced his tour for next year – “The Camobunga! 2012 World Tour”. The tour kicks-off Jan. 12 in Grand Rapids, MI with special guests The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery.

Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and Grand Ole Opry member Brad Paisley is a consummate singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer, which has earned him three GRAMMYs, 14 Country Music Association Awards and 14 Academy of Country Music Awards. He has placed 20 singles at the top of the charts, the latest a duet with Carrie Underwood, “Remind Me.” Paisley’s current album,This Is Country Music, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and is Paisley’s sixth consecutive studio album to debut as the nation’s country best-seller.

Here are the complete dates and venues:

Thu 01/12/12 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena

Fri 01/13/12 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center

Sat 01/14/12 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Thu 01/19/12 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Fri 01/20/12 Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena

Sat 01/21/12 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Thu 01/26/12 Nampa, ID Idaho Center

Fri 01/27/12 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center

Sat 01/28/12 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center

Thu 02/09/12 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena

Fri 02/10/12 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Arena

Sat 02/11/12 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome

Thu 02/16/12 Lubbock, TX United Spirit Arena

Fri 02/17/12 Las Cruces, NM Pan American Center

Thu 02/23/12 Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center Mem. Coliseum

Fri 02/24/12 Moline, IL I Wireless Center

Sat 02/25/12 Springfield, MO JQH Arena

Thu 03/01/12 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena

Fri 03/02/12 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena

Passes for Brad's shows are always in high demand, so if you wanna get backstage, make your requests today.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Setlist: Neil Young



BPD member Swampdogg sends in this recent setlist report:

Don't Cry No Tears
I've Been Waiting For You
Love And Only Love
Piece of Crap
Goin' Home
When I Hold You in My Arms
Quit (Don't Say You Love Me)
From Hank To Hendrix
Don't Let It Bring You Down
Pocahontas
After The Gold Rush
Standing In The Light Of Love
Gateway of Love
Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
Sedan Delivery
Like a Hurricane

Encore:

Rockin' in the Free World
Powderfinger

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Member Review: Kings of Leon



BPD subscriber xxxbaker writes:

The big question on everyone’s minds was how would lead singer-guitarist Caleb Followill look and sound?

The answer is that the rest appears to have at least done Caleb’s voice some good even if he looked a little shaggy with facial hair and appeared, along with the rest of the group, pretty tentative for most of the night.

The southern-fried garage rockers kicked off their hour-and-40-minute performance with Radioactive from their 2010 album Come Around Sundown but it was as if a lot of the joy had left the group.

They seemed to keep their energy contained within themselves instead of sharing it with each other or the audience.

The first flub of the night came about six songs in when they started, then stopped, then restarted the normally anthemic Fans for reasons that weren’t clear.

The crowd was forgiving, however, gamely singing along on the next new song, Back Down South, as the two video screens on either side of the stripped down stage showed waving fields of wheat and back roads, before joining in on the old favourite Milk which was followed by another slow-tempoed number Arizona.

Slowly, the band started to find their footing with Slow Night, So Long, Molly’s Chambers and Closer as the large three-paneled video screens behind them finally came to life but they never really set the place on fire until the top of the first hour with On Call and Knocked Up, which both prompted crowd clap and singalongs.

Then it was time for the mother of them all - Sex On Fire - which closed the set before a five minute break leading into the lively encore of The Bucket, the anthemic Use Somebody and Black Thumbnail which ended the evening punctuated by fireworks and firebursts.

I would say that the show was C+. Maybe they need more time off, I don't know. They were cordial backstage to me but it felt that fans were more of a bother than anything else to them right now.

Monday, October 10, 2011

A Tour Unlike Any Other, Ever



Kid Rock has announced a tour unlike anything ever done before. He's assembled a team of Detroit titans to show support for other cities in need, and to show that Detroit, while experiencing it's own difficulties still has the power to unite to help others around the country. Kid Rock, in association with this powerhouse group of local Detroit business people, will donate money to local charities, causes and individuals via the Kid Rock Foundation, all along every stop of his underplay club tour. Radio station partners in each tour market will help determine those individuals and organizations in need.

Kid Rock came up with the idea for this tour to coincide with the launch of his new single "Care," from his critically acclaimed platinum-selling 2010 album "Born Free." Says Kid Rock, "The song says 'the least that I can do is Care' - and I want to put my money where my mouth is. Everyone knows that Detroit is hurting. But I want to show that even though we don't have a lot on our own plate, it doesn't mean the people of my hometown don't have compassion to share with others all over the country. At the end of the day we're all Detroit, we're one country, one family".

Kid Rock will be backed by the Twisted Brown Trucker Band, his constant companions for many years on the road.

11/10 Center Stage - Atlanta, GA
11/12 The Amphitheater at the Wharf - Orange Beach, AL (rescheduled show) *
11/13 Citrus Bowl - Orlando, FL (Orlando Calling Festival) *
11/16 Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
11/19 Beacon Theatre - New York, NY
11/20 Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY
11/22 Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, IN
11/23 Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN
11/26 House of Blues - Chicago - Chicago, IL
11/29 Midland Theatre - Kansas City, MO
12/01 Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO
12/03 The Great Saltair - Magna, UT
12/04 Knitting Factory - Boise, ID
12/06 Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
12/09 Fantasy Springs Special Events Center - Indio, CA *

* - not part of club tour

Small venues always equals limited passes. Make your requests early.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Member Review: Tedeschi Trucks Band



BPD member Gonzo Sal writes:

The husband and wife team called the Tedeschi Trucks Band has created an 11 piece band including a 3-piece horn section, dual drummers and a revolving organ. Guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks' effortless slide cries complemented Susan Tedeschi's fiery vocals creating a wonderful fusion of sounds pulling from all genres of music. They kept a constant flow of uplifting songs about love and joy that kept the crowd dancing throughout the performance.

The group started the show with a song off of the new album called "Bound for Glory" an uplifting organ driven jam tune owned by Tedeschi's soulful howl. This was a song with a purpose and every band member seemed to know it. Truck's slide was wicked yet controlled which is a signature of his eclectic guitar work. Every note on every solo he played found an absolute home as none of the solos were overplayed.

Tedeschi's vocal power also flourished in the song "Until You Remember" A song of humanity and burning love turned cold. The vocals created a passionate strength that had you easily relating to the emotions. Those feelings were later channeled through Truck's beautiful yet melancholy slide solo.

One of the highlights of the night was the performance of "Midnight in Harlem" a moody introspective ballad written by vocalist Mike Mattison. The seductive slide work on this song resembled the warm sound of an electrified sitar which gave it an eastern Indian feel yet it had urban R&B vocals. This was a gem of a tune that showcased the bands ability of seamless musical communication on an acute level.

Another standout moment of the night was when the band dusted off a Sly and the Family Stone song "I Want To Take You Higher" while Tedeschi traded guitar licks with her husband. The double drummers even shared extended solos between sets. It was very clear to me that The Tedeschi Trucks Band was comprised of All-Star musicians.

The truth about the Tedeschi Trucks performance was that it had a jam band feel yet the lyrical content within the songs was equally important. The majority of the music was written by members within the band which only made the music more enjoyable. I got the feeling that each song was a story being told that those musicians actually experienced.

Backstage, Derek and Susan chatted with me in a very relaxed atmosphere for about ten minutes before going onstage. I stayed in the back and watched the show from there. It was a first for me and was an awesome experience.

Thanks, BPD!


You're most welcome, Gonzo Sal; glad you had a great time.

That's the way we do it, providing awesome backstage experiences for our subscribers. Want in? Sign up now.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Adele scraps US Tour



Adele has been forced to cancel her upcoming 10 city sold-out tour of the U.S. due to a hemorrhage into her vocal chord. Vocal chord issues forced the British singer to postpone dates earlier this year as well. Adele has just wrapped up touring around the UK and was preparing to kick off her US tour on October 7 in Atlantic City, NJ when her illness reappeared. She has been advised by doctors that she’ll need an extended rest period in order to begin to recuperate properly.

She writes:

Guys, im heartbroken and worried to tell you that yet again im experiencing problems with my voice. its ridiculous i know! i cant believe it myself. i follow all the advice im given and stick to regimes, rules and practices to the best of my ability but it seems to simply not be enough. i want you to know the full story about my voice troubles so bare with me in this long blog. i first started having trouble with my voice back in january, it was weakened by a bout of flu from december and never got its complete strength back before i started my UK and European promotional tour, so it just got weaker and weaker until it eventually “broke” as i say. i didnt realise at the time, cause id never had anything wrong with my voice, ever. but id also never sung as much as i was at the time it went. i was diagnosed with laryngitis and ordered to rest intensely for 10 days, and i recovered and went on to do a show in london and a month long promo tour in the U.S and also the brit awards without any hiccups. the whole time i stuck to a strict regime of numerous diets, steaming, vocal rest and vocal warm ups. which is very necessary but insanely grim. After a bit of time off I embarked on my european and UK tours at the end of march and finished at the end of april and everything seemed fine.

in may i went on tour in the U.S, i was in minneapolis which was about half way through the tour. i made a skype call in the morning on the day of the show and during it my voice suddenly switched off like a light! it was literally as if someone pulled a curtain over my throat. i knew something was wrong and panicked but convinced myself id be fine. i got to soundcheck and knew immediately i couldnt perform and with doctors advice cancelled the show. i was mortified and distraught but stubbornly insisted we go to denver for the following day, i did the show even though in the back of mind i knew it wasnt the right thing to do. and during it i felt, what i can only describe as something ripping in my throat. but adrenalin kicked in and i was too embarrassed to not finish the show. I was sent to LA to rest and get another opinion. this time i was diagnosed with a hemorrhage. which is like a black eye on the vocal chord, it was incredibly tender and dangerous if i was to continue to sing through it. i was ordered to rest, so i flew home and did for a month. then slowly i started fulfilling my commitments. i did a show in london at the itunes festival and then went on to complete the first leg of the rescheduled US shows and perform at the VMAS which were all a blinding success.

however when i got home and prepared to start my UK tour in september i developed a respiratory and chest infection which had nothing to do with any of my voice problems from before but still forced me to cancel 6 shows and a performance at the mercury awards. i was stuffed full of antibiotics, had some time to rest and in the end managed to do 9 shows of the 15. After them and once back home my voice yet again went. mid conversation and it just switched off! i have a hemorrhage again and it is paramount that i rest and therefore wont be able to come and do these already rescheduled U.S shows which are due to start this friday in atlantic city.

the fact is i have never been able to fully recover from any of the problems that ive had and then continue to rest even once im recovered, because of my touring commitments. ive been offered the chance to not tour at all to save anything like this from happening again, but i simply hate letting you down. although now im having to let you down once again through no fault of my own really. if i continue to pick up everything before i have properly conquered these problems and nipped them in the bud. i will be totally and utterly fucked. singing is literally my life, its my hobbie, my love, my freedom and now my job. I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or i risk damaging my voice forever. i have great confidence in believing you know how much this upsets me, how seriously i take it and how truly devastated and annoyed i am by this. wanting to do something so bad and not being able to is the most frustrating thing as im sure you know! my voice is weak and i need to build it back up. I’m gonna be starting up vocal rehab as soon as, and start building my over all stamina in my voice, body and mind. i will be back and im gonna smash the ball out the park once im touring again. i apologise from the bottom of my heart, sincerely i do. i know its not only disappointing because of the show, but its plane tickets, hotel bookings, birthdays, anniversaries and time wasted. but please have faith in me that this is the only thing i can do to make sure i can always sing and always make music for you to the best of my ability. truly yours and yours only forever, adele xx


Refunds to all members for backstage passes purchased will be processed this week.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Member Review: Chris Brown



BPD member TPine writes:

Chris Brown's already lived a lifetime of achievements and less flattering headlines, but through it all, he's endured to the point of being one of the brightest stars of the R&B, pop and hip-hop scenes.

On this stop of The F.A.M.E. Tour, the all around entertainer proved his popularity is not only surviving but realigning with a massive spectacle that certainly took cues from the "King of Pop." Though he has a long way to go before eclipsing that late great influence, Brown has no trouble keeping the contemporary company of Usher, Ne-Yo or Robin Thicke.

Besides the double-decker stage, a live backing band, fleet of dancers and loads of blinding lights, the singer/part time rapper switched up styles with regularity, from the beat blaster "Say It With Me," to the robust R&B of "Wall To Wall," the smooth soul jam "She Ain't You" and the down and dirty grinder "Deuces." Regardless of the format, his slick choreography took center spotlight, which accompanied by a slew of outfit changes that ranged between military garb to formalwear, hinted he's trying to adapt a classier attitude.

Yet even with some extra sophistication, Brown still knew how to throw a party, with call and response cuts like and "Yeah 3x" and "Beautiful People". Though the reaction to his full-throttled set was nothing short of frenzied, the newly redeemed star seemed fairly humble throughout the 90 minute performance, which suggests that all's been forgiven and perhaps even forgotten thanks to an unhindered ability to throw a captivating concert.

It didn't hurt that the opening act cast featured several favorites, with direct support coming from rapper T-Pain and his circus-like cast of over the top hip-hop characters. Former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland also demonstrated a new found R&B edge, though a brief, overly beat-driven set failed to highlight her past vocal dynamite. Tyga was even shorter with just a few quick cuts, but offered a promising glimpse of rap and hip-hop's future, also serving as a welcome warm-up to the like-minded marathon.

Had one helluva good time.


Got plans for Fall/Winter must-see shows? See'em from backstage; you'll never forget it.

Join BackstagePassDirect today.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Member Review: Coldplay



As promised, here's the followup to the setlist from BPD member Ralfie21 last week:

Backstage, I asked Coldplay frontman Chris Martin if they still get jitters after all these years before a show. He said, "Ya know, we’re English, we’re very insecure. Also, I have to admit that it’s a strange time in a man’s life when he realizes he’s old enough to be Justin Bieber’s dad."

Coldplay, rounded out by guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion is touring in preparation to release its fifth studio album, the tongue-twisting-titled Mylo Xyloto on Oct. 24.

The show was also big on videos, laser lights, circular backdrops, and butterfly shaped confetti and most poignant moment occurred when Martin elected to open the band’s signature ballad Fix You, with a snippet of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab.

I found the crowd strangely subdued for a lot of the concert as about a half-dozen songs off Mylo Xloto were performed, the most promising new anthems being Paradise and Charlie Brown, in terms of inducing crowd singalongs, and the touching show ending ballad, Us Against The World, featuring Martin and Champion on lovely harmonies.

It was, as you might expect, older songs like Yellow, In My Place (with that special confetti), God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Viva la Vida, The Scientist, and Clocks (their best song ever), that really revved up the audience.

That and Martin’s dance moves, including twirling his jacket wildly over his head like a rodeo champion fixing to lasso a calf during Fix You.

It was great to be with the guys backstage. As for the show itself, I'd give it a B grade.

If you're still not a member, the $49 annual subscription allows unlimited requests for up to 5 passes for virtually all US shows.

Get yours today.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Setlist: Coldplay



With the promise of a full show review to follow, BPD member Ralfie21 sent this Coldplay setlist:

Mylo Xyloto
Hurts Like Heaven
Yellow
In My Place
Major minus
Paradise
God Put A Smile Upon Your Place
Viva la vida
Charlie Brown
The Scientist
Clocks
Fix You
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

ENCORE:

Us Against The World

Monday, September 19, 2011

My Morning Jacket: New U.S. Dates



My Morning Jacket is closing out the year with an additional run of U.S. dates in December.

The rock band spent the summer touring the U.S. in support of the group’s sixth album, Circuital. The album was released in May as the follow-up to 2008’s Evil Urges.

The new dates are:

Thu 12/01/11 Universal City, CA Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk

Tue 12/06/11 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater

Wed 12/07/11 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie

Thu 12/08/11 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater

Sat 12/10/11 Boca Raton, FL Sunset Cove Amphitheater

Sun 12/11/11 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Cafe / Hard Rock Live

Mon 12/12/11 Greensboro, NC War Memorial Auditorium

Wed 12/14/11 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Backstage with the boys would be a great way to close out 2011. Request your passes today.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Sting: Back to Bass



This fall, Sting will embark on the Back to Bass Tour throughout North America as he celebrates the 25th anniversary of his solo career by taking it back to bass… all the hits, stripped down, as they haven't been played in years. In support of his forthcoming box set collection Sting: 25 Years, the tour features Sting backed by a 5-piece band in intimate theatre settings.

Back to Bass finds Sting performing songs spanning his dynamic and enduring solo career, from his 1985 debut The Dream Of The Blue Turtles to his latest release, Live in Berlin, plus a selection of The Police's greatest hits. Highlights include the Grammy winners "Brand New Day" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" plus fan-favorites "Englishman In New York," "Desert Rose" and "Roxanne." Sting will be joined by a band including his longtime guitarist Dominic Miller, Rufus Miller (guitarist), Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer), Peter Tickell (electric fiddle), and Jo Lawry (vocalist).

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sting's solo career, the definitive box set Sting: 25 Years, will be released on September 27, 2011 and features three CDs and a previously unreleased live DVD, Rough, Raw & Unreleased: Live at Irving Plaza. The discs are housed in a hardcover book featuring rare photos, complete lyrics and newly written commentary by Sting.

In addition, Sting: The Best Of 25 Years, comprised of 12 remastered tracks including several remixes and newly unearthed live recordings, will be released on October 18, 2011.

Venues and dates:

October 21 Boston, MA The Wang Theatre at the Citi Performing Arts Center
October 26 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theater
October 29 Washington, DC Constitution Hall
November 5 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
November 6 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
November 12 Miami, FL The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
November 16 Dallas, TV Verizon Theatre
November 17 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
November 20 Denver, CO Wells Fargo Theatre
November 22 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
November 28-9 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
December 2 San Francisco, CA Nob Hill Masonic Center
December 5 Seattle, WA The Paramount Theatre

This is a biggie and we expect Sting loyalists to quickly be making requests. Don't wait; make yours today.

Not yet a member? Sign up now.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Setlist: Incubus



BPD member BlindBobbyBling forwarded this Incubus setlist to us:

Megalomaniac
Wish You Were Here
Adolescents
Anna Molly
Promises, Promises
If Not Now, When?
Privilege
Consequence
A Certain Shade of Green
In the Company of Wolves
Defiance
Talk Shows on Mute
(Acoustic)
The Warmth
A Kiss to Send Us Off
Dig
(With "Riders on the Storm" … more)
Drive
Switchblade
Nice to Know You

Encore:

Pardon Me
Are You In?
Tomorrow's Food

Friday, September 9, 2011

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Part 2



The 2nd leg of Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s tour begins Nov. 2 and wraps Dec. 3.

The road trip kicks off in Seger’s own backyard when he launches his tour in Ypsilanti, Mich., Nov. 2. Here's the entire schedule:

Wed 11/02/11 Ypsilanti, MI Eastern Michigan University

Fri 11/04/11 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena

Wed 11/09/11 Evansville, IN Ford Center

Fri 11/11/11 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center

Sun 11/13/11 Orlando, FL Citrus Bowl

Tue 11/15/11 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena

Thu 11/17/11 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center

Sat 11/19/11 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center

Fri 11/25/11 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena

Sat 11/26/11 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena

Tue 11/29/11 Worcester, MA DCU Center

Thu 12/01/11 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Sat 12/03/11 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center

Few dates, few passes. Don't wait; request yours today.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Setlist: Red Hot Chili Peppers

BPD member Cumftably Num sent this Red Hot Chili Peppers setlist:

Monarchy of Roses
Can't Stop
Ethiopia
Charlie
Meet Me at the Corner
I Like Dirt
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
Throw Away Your Television
Factory of Faith
Right On Time
Did I Let You Know
Californication
Look Around
Soul to Squeeze
By the Way

Encore:

Chad Drum Solo
Jam
Sir Psycho Sexy
They're Red Hot (Robert Johnson cover)
Give It Away

Monday, August 29, 2011

Staff Review: Stevie Nicks


Who says that working for BPD doesn't have its perks?

We recently sent our own Maree Peters to see Stevie Nicks perform. Here's what she had to say:

There's something downright magical about Stevie Nicks' unmistakable voice and charismatic stage presence that puts audience members on the edge of their seats with a single note or signature spin of her glitter-laced shawl. In the case of the In Your Dreams tour, the longtime Fleetwood Mac co-leader weaved a hypnotic musical spell over 110 action-packed minutes that revealed her songwriting is still as sharp as ever, with old hits standing up as though they were written yesterday.

Opening with "Stand Back" set the ideal tone for the evening, pumping out massive guitar grooves and chunky bass lines all wound around Nicks' gloriously gravely pipes. She then jumped straight into the present to unveil the equally magnetic "Secret Love" from her first studio CD in ten years, adapting a folk-tipped modern rock motif that could've easily been in the current company of Sheryl Crow, Vanessa Carlton or even Taylor Swift.

A little later, the sultry singer turned in the ultra-infectious mid-tempo cut "For What It's Worth," which once again highlighted her poetic song craftsmanship and a timeless tradition reminiscent of "Landslide" or "Silver Springs." When it came to past Fleetwood Mac crests, Nicks put her own spin on the soft pop staple "Dreams," the psychedelic "Gold Dust Woman" and a rearranged, momentum building take on the tender ballad "Rhiannon."

Yet it was the new cut "Soldier's Angel" that served as an emotional apex, chronicling the myriad of emotions the troops have faced in both the line of duty and the aftermath of injury, all wound around a bluesy guitar growl. That stripped down tone carried over to the classic "Leather and Lace," which may have missed out on duet partner Don Henley, but still had Nicks' more than competent vocal coach conveying its romantic story of opposites attracting.

Even more enduring was "Edge of Seventeen," extended perhaps a little longer than needed, but nonetheless explosive with its guitar-doused dance direction that's since been sampled from Beyonce's old girl group Destiny's Child. Surprisingly, Nicks encored with the contemplative encore "Love Is," but it was still a satisfying reminder of the singer's unwavering delivery and meticulous craftsmanship that hasn't just made her an inspiration for other women in rock, but a very pillar of the entire genre regardless of gender.

Because of some scheduling conflicts (mine), we couldn't hang together backstage. So Stevie was gracious enough to invite me back to her hotel where I self consciously limited myself to 30 minutes with her.

And what a marvelous 30 it was. Thanks boss!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Member Review: Maroon 5/Train



Member 26g34 sent in a review of this pairing:

Maroon 5 was first to take the stage, getting the crowd dancing in their seats with "Moves like Jagger" and "Harder to Breathe." Lead singer Adam Levine rarely stopped moving as he slinked around the stage seducing the audience with every turn. With a lead singer like Levine, it can be hard to remember that this is a band, not a solo act. The other members of Maroon 5 made sure the audience never forgot that, with tearing solos and strong backing vocals. Other song highlights included the slower "I Won't Go Home Without You" and recent radio success "Never Gonna Leave This Bed." As the crowd demanded an encore, Maroon 5 returned to the stage to finish out with 'Hands All Over' and a crowd sing along of "She Will Be Loved."

Train started their portion of the evening with a mix of old favorites and new hits. The crowd heard "Meet Virginia" early in the set, as well as "If It's Love." Lead singer Pat Monahan encouraged the crowd to join him, saying "If you don't know the words, please, make some shit up." Train made sure to include the crowd throughout the show, even bringing a group of ladies, nicknamed Trainettes, up onstage to sing and dance during "She's on Fire." Taking a moment out for a costume change (the first of many for Monahan), the lead singer returned to belt out "Calling All Angels."

Train's cellist played a major role in the show, even given a solo moment to sing the chorus from Blondie's "Heart of Glass." As she floated down to the front of the stage in her long white dress to dance, Train began in on U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." At one point Monahan joined the woman in a ballroom style dance. The moment bordered on beautifully artistic and completely bizarre.

Train shocked the crowd by bringing out country superstar Martina McBride to join them for an incredible rendition of McBride's "Broken Wing." The extreme power in their voices left the crowd speechless.

The night closed out with "Hey Soul Sister" and an encore including "Drops of Jupiter" and the appropriate "This Ain't Goodbye."


Thanks 26g34. What did you think of seeing the whole show from backstage?

Great Fall shows and tours still await us. Why not join BackstagePassDirect and request your passes early?

Monday, August 22, 2011

Setlist: Kenny Chesney



BPD member Ratso25 sent us this list from the Kenny Chesney show he attended backstage:

Live A Little
Reality
Summertime
Beer In Mexico
The Woman With You
Big Star
I Go Back
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
Anything But Mine
There Goes My Life
You and Tequila
(Acoustic)
Living In Fast Forward
Young
Somewhere With You
Don't Happen Twice
Never Wanted Nothing More
Out Last Night
When The Sun Goes Down
(David Allan Coe cover) (with Uncle Kracker)
How Forever Feels
The Boys Of Fall

Encore:

She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy
(with Billy Currington)
Dixieland Delight
(Alabama cover) (with Zac Brown Band)
If You're Gonna Play in Texas
(Alabama cover) (with Zac Brown Band)
Knee Deep
(with Zac Brown Band)
Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven
(with Zac Brown Band)
The Joker
(Steve Miller Band cover) (with Zac Brown Band)
Three Little Birds
(Bob Marley cover) (with Zac Brown Band)
Caress Me Down
(with Zac Brown Band)
Runnin' Down a Dream
(Tom Petty cover) (with Zac Brown Band)

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Member Review: Blink-182



BPD subscriber Beefy Boy just this in:

Blink-182 , reuniting following drummer Travis Barker's near death in a 2008 plane crash – played a smartly-paced 90-minute set with a few from the forthcoming studio album Neighborhoods, their first since 2003.

”It's been eight years, don't f'ing rush us or we'll break up again,” singer/bassist Mark Hoppus jokingly threatened halfway through the set before he and singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge feigned splitting up.

With Barker on a riser and the group shown on video screens in black and white, Blink-182 quickly delved into hits like The Rock Show and What's My Age Again? while Up All Night, the first single off Neighborhoods, fared far better than anticipated.

”You guys have been rocking so hard my hair collapsed,” Hoppus said of his new “no hawk” hairstyle.

Occasionally ambling around the stage but content to mostly stick to their own sides, Hoppus and DeLonge sounded strong on the beefy Stay Together For The Kids and the sullen I Miss You, the latter seeing DeLonge on his knees to finish.

When not talking about urine, belching before excusing himself or asking fans to boo Hoppus, DeLonge did little to embarrass himself musically on the old-school punk punch of Dumpweed and Hearts All Gone, a new tune “which sounds like an old one.”

Of the new ones performed probably the best was After Midnight, quite groove-focused and guitar driven. It came across great but with at best a smattering of fans knowing it the track didn't gain much traction.

Other highlights were All The Small Things, Man Overboard and First Date. As First Date ended DeLonge briefly got serious, saying he was amazed 16,000 people were singing the song.

The only component that hasn't changed a bit is Barker's ridiculous prowess behind the drum kit. A drum solo during the encore saw Barker on a specially designed kit which rose high above the crowd and deep into the audience, even going on a very steep angle at one point.

Barker brought his son and daughter with him. It was neat to hang with the three of them backstage.

On the whole, the show was a sweet blast from the recent past, and what could be a promising new chapter.


Hey Beef, you weren't the babysitter, were ya? Seriously, thanks for the review.

BackstagePassDirect can hook you up with all your faves. Why not subscribe today?

Monday, August 15, 2011

Lady Antebellum Own The Night 2011 Tour


Lady Antebellum will launch the first leg of their Own The Night 2011 Tour on November 11 in Knoxville, TN. Both the tour name and the trio’s upcoming album, Own The Night, were inspired by the album’s second single, “We Owned the Night.”
The album will be in stores on September 13.

Here are the dates:

11/11 Knoxville, Tenn. Knoxville Coliseum*
11/12 Macon, Ga. Macon Centreplex*
11/13 Pikeville, Ky. East Kentucky Expo Center*
11/16 El Paso, Texas El Paso County Coliseum*
11/17 Phoenix, Ariz. Grand Canyon University*
11/18 Las Vegas, Nev. The Joint @ The Hard Rock*
11/25 Huntsville, Ala. Von Braun Civic Center**
11/26 Florence, S.C. Florence Civic Center**
11/27 Savannah, Ga. Savannah Civic Center**
12/1 Colorado Springs, Colo. Colorado Springs World Arena**
12/2 Lubbock, Texas City Bank Coliseum**
12/3 Wichita Falls, Texas Kay Yeager Coliseum**
12/4 Belton, Texas Bell County Expo Center**
12/8 La Crosse, Wis. La Crosse Center Arena**
12/9 Sioux City, Iowa Tyson Center**
12/10 Springfield, Mo. JQH Arena**
12/11 Murray, Ky. CFSB Center**
12/15 Amherst, Mass. The Mullins Center**
12/16 Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Mohegan Sun Arena**
12/17 Roanoke, Va. Roanoke Civic Center**
12/18 Morgantown, W.Va. WVU Coliseum**

*Tour Dates with Randy Montana **Tour Dates with Eden’s Edge

Thursday, August 11, 2011

F.A.M.E. Tour of Chris Brown



In what is probably one of the last major tours to include amphiheatres this year, Chris Brown begins an outing next month stretching to the end of October.
Touring in support of his fourth studio album, F.A.M.E, you can see Chris + show-openers T-Pain, Kelly Rowland and Tyga at these US venues:
Wed 09/14/11 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Fri 09/16/11 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sat 09/17/11 Washington, DC Verizon Center
Sun 09/18/11 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
Wed 09/21/11 Cleveland, OH Cleveland St. University
Fri 09/23/11 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Sat 09/24/11 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amph. St. Louis
Sun 09/25/11 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
Wed 09/28/11 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Fri 09/30/11 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Sat 10/01/11 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
Sun 10/02/11 Mayfield, KY Lakewood Amphitheatre
Fri 10/07/11 Tampa, FL 1-800 Ask-Gary Amphitheatre
Sat 10/08/11 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sun 10/09/11 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach
Wed 10/12/11 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
Fri 10/14/11 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion
Sat 10/15/11 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
Sun 10/16/11 The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Tue 10/18/11 Phoenix, AZ Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion
Thu 10/20/11 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Sat 10/22/11 Concord, CA Sleep Train Pavilion At Concord
Sun 10/23/11 Wheatland, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Wed 10/26/11 Memphis, TN FedExForum
Fri 10/28/11 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Sat 10/29/11 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
Sun 10/30/11 Hartford, CT XL Center

We'll have backstage passes for all these dates; request yours today.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Lollapaloza Set Video: Foo Fighters



We hope you enjoy the almost 2 1/2 hours of video stream.

A BPD member who wishes to remain anonymus was gracious enough to send a copy our way.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Member Review: Vans Warped Tour


BPD subscriber StevieRockinon writes:

The Central Florida Fairgrounds smelled of hotdogs and pot. Shirtless guys and bras-only girls milled among the tents erected on the patchy field. With a 106 degree heat index, it was f'ing hot, but music junkies still came out to participate in the annual Vans Warped Tour. The party had the potential to be so awesome tha I stayed out front and never went backstage. Sorry BPD.

The event featured more than 50 bands, from pop punk to post-hardcore. Some of the major bands playing on the main stage included Simple Plan, The Devil Wears Prada, and Less Than Jake. However, some of the most entertaining performances came not from the main stage but from the lesser-known, but much appreciated bands such as Family Force 5. Wearing backpacks with inflatable balloon-like bobbleheads above their heads, the Family Force 5 entourage took the stage. "Orlando," Soul Glow Activatur (a.k.a. Solomon Olds)Mojo Morgan in his deep Southern drawl shouted into his microphone. "It's hot out here y'all." The band broke into some of their classic hits, including "Supersonic" and "Love Addict," and showcased their hip-hop funk talent while performing "Wobble."

The band's career has taken them 10 years from their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, but their roots still showed throughout their performance. "Let's get gangsta y'all" one band member shouted from the corner of the stage. "We are your favorite white trash kids playing some ghetto music," another responds.

Like the Phil Collins of the Vans Warped Tour, Crouton (a.k.a Jacob Olds) performed the lead vocals for several songs, sometimes from the bench behind his drumset and sometimes at center stage. Soul Glow Activatur wowed the crowd when he donned a pair of green Hulk gloves, jumped into a giant, plastic bubble and pushed himself off the stage and into the audience where he proceeded to perform on top of the crowd. With so many strong voices in the band, one would think that the combination of their voices would result in a cacophonic rather than a harmonic sound. But the end result was surprisingly melodious and mesmerizingÑthe perfect blend. When listening to their live performance, it's obvious why the band has maintained their status for so long: because no other band could replace them.

What happens at Warped Tour stays a Warped Tour isn't necessarily a mantra one could swear by. When Less Than Jake took main stage at 7:00, they decided to spice up the crowd's dwindling energy by offering free mohawks for anyone who wanted one. So while the band performed "All My Best Friends are Metalheads," one lucky victim was brought upon the stage and received a "Three Minute Mohawk" from the "official Less than Jake template." Then, the band searched the crowd for a volunteer who was willing to make out with the newly-made-over stud. A not-so-shy girl was found, and the two ensued in an awkward kissing session before posing for pictures on stage while the band continued to play their set list, which included the theme songs for "Animaniacs" and "Spongebob Square Pants."

The best costumes of the fest were worn by Japanese punk band "Peelander-Z," who played several crowd favorites, including "So Many Mike" while wearing their color-coordinated comic book-like costumes.

As I said, it was hot as hell but when it comes to Vans Warped Tour, the brave come, but only the dedicated stay all day.

Thanks for taking the time to write StevieRockinon. If you had a good time, that's good enough for us.

Our members are always having a good time, usually from the back (StevieRockinon excepted). Why not join today and see for yourself?

Monday, August 1, 2011

Death Cab For Cutie Extends Tour



Death Cab For Cutie has extended their current tour thru the end of October.

New US dates just added:

Fri 09/30/11 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion At Riverbend
Sat 10/01/11 Champaign, IL Assembly Hall
Sun 10/02/11 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Wed 10/05/11 Memphis, TN Mud Island Amphitheatre
Thu 10/06/11 Birmingham, AL Alabama Theatre
Fri 10/07/11 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre
Sat 10/08/11 Sunrise, FL Markham Park
Mon 10/10/11 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
Tue 10/11/11 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
Sat 10/15/11 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl
Sun 10/16/11 San Francisco, CA Treasure Island
Tue 10/18/11 Boise, ID Taco Bell Arena
Thu 10/20/11 Portland, OR Memorial Coliseum
Sat 10/22/11 Seattle, WA KeyArena At Seattle Center

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Setlist: Paul McCartney



Longtime member Strete Legal provides us with this massive 36 song setlist from Sir Paul:

Magical Mystery Tour
Jet
All My Loving
Junior's Farm
Drive My Car
Sing the Changes
The Night Before
Let Me Roll It
Foxy Lady
Paperback Writer
The Long and Winding Road
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Let 'Em In
Maybe I'm Amazed
I'm Looking Through You
I Will
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs Vandebilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Band on the Run
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Back in the U.S.S.R.
I've Got a Feeling
A Day in the Life / Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude

Encore 1:

Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There
Get Back

Encore 2:

Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End

Monday, July 25, 2011

Kanye West + Jay-Z Announce Tour



BPD members sure don't waste any time. Within minutes of the announcement of the Kanye West/ Jay-Z album and tour, the pass requests started coming in.

If you've been living under a rock, here's the story:

Performing under the name “The Throne,” Kanye West and Jay-Z will release the "Watch the Throne" album next month and begin the supporting tour in September. Venue and dates below:

Thu 09/22/11 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills
Tue 09/27/11 East Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center
Wed 09/28/11 East Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center
Thu 09/29/11 Washington, DC Verizon Center
Tue 10/04/11 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Thu 10/06/11 Chicago, IL United Center
Fri 10/07/11 Chicago, IL United Center
Sat 10/08/11 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Mon 10/10/11 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Thu 10/13/11 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
Sun 10/16/11 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose
Mon 10/17/11 Sacramento, CA Power Balance Pavilion
Wed 10/19/11 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Thu 10/20/11 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Fri 10/21/11 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
Tue 10/25/11 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Wed 10/26/11 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sat 10/29/11 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Sun 10/30/11 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Tue 11/01/11 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Thu 11/03/11 Boston, MA TD Garden

What are you waiting for? Request passes now!!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

"Orlando Calling" Announced



The newest major music festival announces an impressive lineup as the first-ever “Orlando Calling” celebrating American Music.

Set for Nov. 12-13, at Florida’s Citrus Bowl Park, and with a lineup dripping with talent, playing across four stages, the event’s daily schedules seem to list just about everyone on the road this fall.

Nov. 12 features The Killers on top of a lineup that includes Pixies, The Avett Brothers, The Roots, The Raconteurs, Gogol Bordello, O.A.R., Iron & Wine, Pete Yorn, Gavin DeGraw, Jenny And Johnny, Drive-By Truckers, Civil Twilight, Lucero, Dr. Dog, Justin Townes Earle, Felice Brothers, Ben Sollee and Renee & The Translators.

A heaping helping of Detroit Rock tops the Nov. 13 lineup with Bob Seger and Kid Rock sharing headlining duties. Other acts appearing on Orlando Calling’s second day include Doobie Brothers, Dwight Yoakam, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes Band, Chris Isaak, Brandi Carlile, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Michelle Branch, The Flatlanders, Los Lonely Boys, Blues Traveler, Justin Townes Earle, The David Mayfield Parade and The Supervillains.

Yes, we will have passes. No, they won't last long.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Mat Kearney's Big Fall Tour



Singer/songwriter Mat Kearney has just announced dates for a big fall U.S. headline tour in support of his fourth studio album Young Love which is set for release Aug. 2.

The fall tour kicks off Sept. 14 in Jacksonville, Florida. Here's all of it:

9/14 Jacksonville, FL Murray Hill
9/16 Charleston, SC Music Farm
9/17 Athens, GA GA Theater
9/18 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
9/20 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater
9/23 Louisville, KY Headliners
9/24 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
9/25 Cleveland, OH HOB-Cleveland
9/27 Interlochen, MI Corson Aud
9/29 Champaign, IL Canopy Club
9/30 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall
10/1 Des Moines, IA People's
10/2 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium
10/4 Bloomington, IN Bluebird
10/5 St Louis, MO The Pageant
10/7 Oxford, MS Lyric Oxford
10/8 Pine Mountain, GA Callaway Gardens
10/20 Nashville, TN Cannery
10/23 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/24 Baltimore, MD Ram's Head
10/25 Lancaster, PA Chameleon
10/27 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
10/28 New York, NY Webster Hall
10/29 Philadelphia, PA TLA
10/30 Albany, NY Northern Lights
11/1 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
11/2 New Haven, CT Toads Place
11/4 Boston, MA HOB-Boston
11/5 Portland, ME The State
11/6 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
11/11 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
11/12 Pittsburgh, PA Rex Theater
11/13 Detroit, MI St. Andrews
11/15 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
11/17 Chicago, IL HOB
11/18 Chicago, IL HOB
11/19 Madison, WI The Majestic
11/20 Minneapolis, MN First Ave

Our members tell us how much they really enjoy being backstage at small, intimate venues. This tour could be for you.

Don't wait; request your passes right away.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Setlist: My Morning Jacket



Thanks go out to Inmypjs for this setlist for a recent My Morning Jacket show:

Victory Dance
Circuital
I'm Amazed
Anytime
The Way That He Sings
Outta My System
Golden
Slow Slow Tune
Gideon
Holdin' On to Black Metal
Mahgeetah
Dondante
Smokin From Shootin
Run Thru
(End Only)
Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2
Wordless Chorus
The Day Is Coming
Off The Record
Dancefloors
One Big Holiday

Monday, July 11, 2011

Setlist: Death Cab for Cutie



Thanks to BPD member Boinx for this recent setlist from Death Cab for Cutie:

Doors Unlocked and Open
The New Year
We Laugh Indoors
Crooked Teeth
Long Division
You Are a Tourist
Soul Meets Body
Cath...
I Will Possess Your Heart
Marching Bands of Manhattan

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Member Review: Kate Perry



BPD subscriber 007x2 checks in:

There’s something very 1960s about Kate Perry.

She’s a bona fide manufactured pop phenomenon, sort of a cartoon, commercial entity of pure pop entertainment. One listen to her conveyor-belt pop, one glance at her candy-coloured glamour and that not too subtle sexuality and you know that she’s been created, like the Bride of Frankenstein, to fill a void in pop-culture’s fickle marketplace.

And Perry does a pretty good job of giving pop music a little fantasy of being young forever.

Like Lady Gaga, Perry is known more for her outrageous costumes and theatrics than her music and when she arrives on this cupcake mountain singing Teenage Dream, she’s wearing a proper ’60s mini dress, only with swirling discs on her ta-tas. Fun. Austin Powers funny, and even though Perry sounds sharp, the band sounds wet, but at least I am amused.

Perry’s music wears thin quickly but our little star’s determination to show the fans a good time goes into overdrive. Hummingbird Heartbeat, Wake Up In Vegas are generally forgettable tunes that need visual distractions.
  
Unfortunately, a dozen dancers and singers in fluorescent wigs and Nurse Betty skirts, or hauling a 17-year-old male fan up on stage shirtless, doesn’t quite cut it without a framing storyline.

Things improve on U R So Gay — with Perry eating a brownie, and her gender-bending anthem I Kissed a Girl. Oh, who hasn’t?

And so it went for much of the night.

Surprisingly mediocre music and a flat sound off the board offset by an elaborate but utterly overdone video-theatre-circus show that showed its true colours during Circle The Drain when Perry walked the brightly-coloured set wearing a Catwoman outfit, just like Lee Meriweather did on the Batman TV series.

I thought I’d like this a whole lot more, but it’s only halfway through, and I'm look at the exits.

By the time she finally got around to the best set pieces - a mocking cover of Rebecca Black's Friday, her hit Hot N Cold, Last Friday Night and a decent cover of Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the damage was done. The plan had been to meet with her backstage after the show. It no longer mattered.

She's so much better on video, I think next time Kate Perry does a live show, I'll wait for the video rental.


Ouch!! Thanks for tellin' it like it was for you, 007x2. We'll try to brighten your day by adding an extra year's BPD membership at no charge.

Here's wishing you better luck next time.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Wilco Fall Tour

Although passes for Jeff Tweedy's solo shows are all gone, we're pleased to write that Wilco has announced a small Fall Tour in support of their new album due Sep 27 titled The Whole Love.

Nick Lowe will be the opening act, so it oughta be a great show. Here are the dates:

20 Sep 2011 / Boston, MA / The Wang Theatre

22 Sep 2011 / New York, NY / Rumsey Playfield in Central Park

25 Sep 2011 / Columbia, MD / Merriweather Post Pavilion

27 Sep 2011 / Raleigh, NC / Raleigh Pavilion

28 Sep 2011 / Atlanta, GA / Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

29 Sep 2011 / Atlanta, GA / Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

01 Oct 2011 / Nashville, TN / The Ryman

02 Oct 2011 / Nashville, TN / The Ryman

04 Oct 2011 / St. Louis, MO / St. Louis Peabody Opera House

05 Oct 2011 / Madison, WI / Madison Overture Hall

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Farewell Clarence




This is a slightly revised version of the eulogy Bruce Springsteen delivered for Clarence Clemons at his memorial:

I've been sitting here listening to everyone talk about Clarence and staring at that photo of the two of us right there. It's a picture of Scooter and The Big Man, people who we were sometimes. As you can see in this particular photo, Clarence is admiring his muscles and I'm pretending to be nonchalant while leaning upon him. I leaned on Clarence a lot; I made a career out of it in some ways.

Those of us who shared Clarence's life, shared with him his love and his confusion. Though "C" mellowed with age, he was always a wild and unpredictable ride. Today I see his sons Nicky, Chuck, Christopher and Jarod sitting here and I see in them the reflection of a lot of C's qualities. I see his light, his darkness, his sweetness, his roughness, his gentleness, his anger, his brilliance, his handsomeness, and his goodness. But, as you boys know your pop was a not a day at the beach. "C" lived a life where he did what he wanted to do and he let the chips, human and otherwise, fall where they may. Like a lot of us your pop was capable of great magic and also of making quite an amazing mess. This was just the nature of your daddy and my beautiful friend. Clarence's unconditional love, which was very real, came with a lot of conditions. Your pop was a major project and always a work in progress. "C" never approached anything linearly, life never proceeded in a straight line. He never went A... B.... C.... D. It was always A... J.... C.... Z... Q... I....! That was the way Clarence lived and made his way through the world. I know that can lead to a lot of confusion and hurt, but your father also carried a lot of love with him, and I know he loved each of you very very dearly.

It took a village to take care of Clarence Clemons. Tina, I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for taking care of my friend, for loving him. Victoria, you've been a loving, kind and caring wife to Clarence and you made a huge difference in his life at a time when the going was not always easy. To all of "C's" vast support network, names too numerous to mention, you know who you are and we thank you. Your rewards await you at the pearly gates. My pal was a tough act but he brought things into your life that were unique and when he turned on that love light, it illuminated your world. I was lucky enough to stand in that light for almost 40 years, near Clarence's heart, in the Temple of Soul.

So a little bit of history: from the early days when Clarence and I traveled together, we'd pull up to the evening's lodgings and within minutes "C" would transform his room into a world of his own. Out came the colored scarves to be draped over the lamps, the scented candles, the incense, the patchouli oil, the herbs, the music, the day would be banished, entertainment would come and go, and Clarence the Shaman would reign and work his magic, night after night. Clarence's ability to enjoy Clarence was incredible. By 69, he'd had a good run, because he'd already lived about 10 lives, 690 years in the life of an average man. Every night, in every place, the magic came flying out of C's suitcase. As soon as success allowed, his dressing room would take on the same trappings as his hotel room until a visit there was like a trip to a sovereign nation that had just struck huge oil reserves. "C" always knew how to live. Long before Prince was out of his diapers, an air of raunchy mysticism ruled in the Big Man's world. I'd wander in from my dressing room, which contained several fine couches and some athletic lockers, and wonder what I was doing wrong! Somewhere along the way all of this was christened the Temple of Soul; and "C" presided smilingly over its secrets, and its pleasures. Being allowed admittance to the Temple's wonders was a lovely thing.

As a young child my son Sam became enchanted with the Big Man... no surprise. To a child Clarence was a towering fairy tale figure, out of some very exotic storybook. He was a dreadlocked giant, with great hands and a deep mellifluous voice sugared with kindness and regard. And... to Sammy, who was just a little white boy, he was deeply and mysteriously black. In Sammy's eyes, "C" must have appeared as all of the African continent, shot through with American cool, rolled into one welcoming and loving figure. So... Sammy decided to pass on my work shirts and became fascinated by Clarence's suits and his royal robes. He declined a seat in dad's van and opted for "C's" stretch limousine, sitting by his side on the slow cruise to the show. He decided dinner in front of the hometown locker just wouldn't do, and he'd saunter up the hall and disappear into the Temple of Soul.

Of course, also enchanted was Sam's dad, from the first time I saw my pal striding out of the shadows of a half empty bar in Asbury Park, a path opening up before him; here comes my brother, here comes my sax man, my inspiration, my partner, my lifelong friend. Standing next to Clarence was like standing next to the baddest ass on the planet. You were proud, you were strong, you were excited and laughing with what might happen, with what together, you might be able to do. You felt like no matter what the day or the night brought, nothing was going to touch you. Clarence could be fragile but he also emanated power and safety, and in some funny way we became each other's protectors; I think perhaps I protected "C" from a world where it still wasn't so easy to be big and black. Racism was ever present and over the years together, we saw it. Clarence's celebrity and size did not make him immune. I think perhaps "C" protected me from a world where it wasn't always so easy to be an insecure, weird and skinny white boy either. But, standing together we were badass, on any given night, on our turf, some of the baddest asses on the planet. We were united, we were strong, we were righteous, we were unmovable, we were funny, we were corny as hell and as serious as death itself. And we were coming to your town to shake you and to wake you up. Together, we told an older, richer story about the possibilities of friendship that transcended those I'd written in my songs and in my music. Clarence carried it in his heart. It was a story where the Scooter and the Big Man not only busted the city in half, but we kicked ass and remade the city, shaping it into the kind of place where our friendship would not be such an anomaly. And that... that's what I'm gonna miss. The chance to renew that vow and double down on that story on a nightly basis, because that is something, that is the thing that we did together... the two of us. Clarence was big, and he made me feel, and think, and love, and dream big. How big was the Big Man? Too fucking big to die. And that's just the facts. You can put it on his grave stone, you can tattoo it over your heart. Accept it... it's the New World.

Clarence doesn't leave the E Street Band when he dies. He leaves when we die.

So, I'll miss my friend, his sax, the force of nature his sound was, his glory, his foolishness, his accomplishments, his face, his hands, his humor, his skin, his noise, his confusion, his power, his peace. But his love and his story, the story that he gave me, that he whispered in my ear, that he allowed me to tell... and that he gave to you... is gonna carry on. I'm no mystic, but the undertow, the mystery and power of Clarence and my friendship leads me to believe we must have stood together in other, older times, along other rivers, in other cities, in other fields, doing our modest version of god's work... work that's still unfinished. So I won't say goodbye to my brother, I'll simply say, see you in the next life, further on up the road, where we will once again pick up that work, and get it done.

Big Man, thank you for your kindness, your strength, your dedication, your work, your story. Thanks for the miracle... and for letting a little white boy slip through the side door of the Temple of Soul.

SO LADIES AND GENTLEMAN... ALWAYS LAST, BUT NEVER LEAST. LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE MASTER OF DISASTER, the BIG KAHUNA, the MAN WITH A PHD IN SAXUAL HEALING, the DUKE OF PADUCAH, the KING OF THE WORLD, LOOK OUT OBAMA! THE NEXT BLACK PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES EVEN THOUGH HE'S DEAD... YOU WISH YOU COULD BE LIKE HIM BUT YOU CAN'T! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE BIGGEST MAN YOU'VE EVER SEEN!... GIVE ME A C-L-A-R-E-N-C-E. WHAT'S THAT SPELL? CLARENCE! WHAT'S THAT SPELL? CLARENCE! WHAT'S THAT SPELL? CLARENCE! ... amen.

I'm gonna leave you today with a quote from the Big Man himself, which he shared on the plane ride home from Buffalo, the last show of the last tour. As we celebrated in the front cabin congratulating one another and telling tales of the many epic shows, rocking nights and good times we'd shared, "C" sat quietly, taking it all in, then he raised his glass, smiled and said to all gathered, "This could be the start of something big."

Love you, "C".

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Setlist: Fleet Foxes

Thanks to BPD member Berry Babe for sending in this setlist for Fleet Foxes:

The Cascades
Grown Ocean
Drops In The River
Battery Kinzie
Sim Sala Bim
Mykonos
Your Protector
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Lorelai
The Shrine/An Argument
Blue Spotted Tail
Blue Ridge Mountains
Helplessness Blues

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Member Review: Peter Gabriel



Subscriber Buenavista sent us this detailed review:

If you weren't a hardcore Gabriel fan, this show may not have been for you.

The adventurous and challenging 61-year-old Brit is currently touring with The New Blood Orchestra in support of his 2010 covers album, Scratch My Back.

What made the show so unique was that there were no guitars and no drums. PG did bring some major strings, horns, and woodwind players, conducted by Ben Foster, along with two female backup singers - his daughter Melanie and Norwegian opening act Ana Brun - to perform alternately somber and dramatic orchestral arrangements of some of his best known songs and covers while stunning visuals were provided on multiple LED screens at the front and back of the stage.

Backstage, Gabriel, dressed in a black vest and pants, explained to me his idea behind Scratch My Back. He sees it as a songwriter’s exchange that will eventually see those artists whose songs he covered, cover his songs.

Then he adds, "Hopefully. Herding songwriters is a bit like herding cats”.

In the meantime, a new album called New Blood, featuring orchestral arrangements of Gabriel songs, many that he performed at the show, is due this year.

Opening with a very serious, sad, slow and almost completely unrecognizable version of David Bowie’s Heroes, it took a few songs for Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra to hit their stride with Paul Simon’s The Boy In The Bubble and Arcade Fire’s My Body Is a Cage as he grew stronger vocally, hitting some mighty high notes, and the arrangements became more powerful.

He even screwed up the opening of the second song, Wallflower, and joked about it before beginning again.

But nothing could prepare the audience for the tearjerking presentation of Father, Son that followed as Gabriel explained how he had spent a week with his 99-year-old father and a yoga instructor and had burst into tears at one point but his father had caught him and held him.

“What do they say about country music? Three chords and the truth? That was my country moment,” said Gabriel.

As he sang the heartfelt song, black and white film of him and his father together was shown on the LED screens, and there was barely a dry eye in the house.

Gabriel is such an emotionally open and soulful singer that his vulnerability can be truly overwhelming at times.

Still, famously known as a theatrical performer, he was much more static alongside the New Blood Orchestra - with Foster a much bigger presence - until he broke out his South African protest song, Biko, at the end of the first set and got everyone standing on their feet with one arm raised and singing along.

After a short intermission, Gabriel returned for a much stronger second set with such highlights as Digging in The Dirt, Signal To Noise, Downside Up, and Rhythm of the Heat, but they were trumped by awe-inspiring versions of Mercy Street, Red Rain, In Your Eyes, and Don’t Give Up (with Brun taking over Kate Bush’s part) - all from his album So which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year - and the really creepy but effective Intruder.

Gabriel even broke out the tambourine in the second set and finally skipped around the stage during Solsbury Hill right before the encore and not a moment too soon.

SET LIST:

Heroes (David Bowie cover)

Wallflower

Après Moi (Regina Spektor cover)

The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon cover)

My Body Is a Cage (Arcade Fire cover)

Father, Son

Darkness

Washing of the Water

Biko

INTERMISSION

San Jacinto

Digging in the Dirt

Signal to Noise

Downside Up

Mercy Street

The Rhythm of the Heat

Blood of Eden

Intruder

Red Rain

Solsbury Hill

ENCORE:

In Your Eyes

Don’t Give Up

The Nest That Sailed the Sky

Let me tell you how great it was to spend some time with someone who has been such an inspiration to me and my songwriting. Without BackstagePassDirect, I doubt that this ever could have happened.

Thanks guys.

Thank you, Buenavista. We appreciate your keeping your brothers and sisters here informed.

If you want to spend some tme and space with your "inspiration", we can help make it happen. Go to BackstagePassDirect and sign up today.