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The BackstagePassDirect blog is going on hiatus so that staff may spend more time on some exciting new projects we have in the works.

That's not to say the blog isn't coming back. It's only taking a much needed rest.

Thanks to all of you who have so supported it over the years!

Member's Concert Review: Neil Young

BackstagePassDirect member Steve O e-mailed this to us:

My apologies for the lateness in sending this out.

Last week, I had the incredible good fortune of having backstage passes to L.A.'s Dolby Theater for the first of a four-night stand of the legend, Neil Young. Backstage before the show, I wanted to give him props for all that he had done but all I could say was “Welcome back to LA, Neil!”.  What a dummy I am!! Sitting across from me, he smiled and said “Yeah, it’s good to be back in L.A.”

The show started slowly. After roaming between instruments for a few songs, which include “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” and “Love In Mind,” Young began to open up to his audience. After barely speaking for the first 30 minutes of the performance, Young offered a few anecdotes. “This song is not by me. It’s by somebody I think is a lot better than me,” Young said to precede a cover of Phil Ochs’ “Changes,” a number he performed standing with his guitar off to one side of the stage. “When I was younger, I saw a lot of great songwriters. This songwriter I’m going to tell you about was one of the best songwriters I ever saw.”

After he’d finished the song, which appeared to go off without a hitch, Young looked amused. “OK!” he said. “So some songs are so good that I write songs that are a lot like them and sometimes I even forget which one I am playing and start playing another one in the middle.”

The performance was divided into two parts, split by a 30-minute intermission, and it was by the end of the first hour that Young truly seemed to have come around. Sitting amidst his many guitars, the singer began to recount the stories behind the instruments, much in the same way one might explain the significance of a household item to a grandchild who’s come to visit. After he’d run through “Harvest,” off his 1972 album of the same name, Young lifted the guitar he’d just used up toward the crowd. “This is a guitar I got from a friend of mine,” he recollected. “His name is Stills. He gave me this when I joined CSNY. He gave one to everyone, including himself.” The musician, clearly now ready to allow stories to spill from his memory, added, “There’s a lot of things about this that reminds me of stuff.” He pointed out a dent in the guitar left by a high heel. “I don’t know how that got there.”

Young pulled out another guitar. “I’m going to tell you about this one now,” he said. “This guitar was given to me by a guy by the name of Stephen Stills.” The audience, eating up every moment of this storytelling, laughed. The musician, encouraged, continued to explain that this guitar was home to a story that may or may not be true, that once a shot was fired at the folk singer playing the guitar, piercing through the instrument and leaving the musician unharmed. “I think that happened in Denver before weed was legalized,” he noted. “They’ve come a long way.”

The first half of performance concluded with “Old Man,” which resonated more openly than earlier numbers, perhaps because Young had himself opened up to the crowd. The second set opened with “Goin’ Back,” from 1978’s Comes a Time, leading into “A Man Needs a Maid,” which Young performed on his grand piano with the help of a keyboard.

“A long time ago songs brought people together in a different way,” Young said at one point before launching into a rowdy rendition of crowd-favorite “Ohio.”  He looked reflective, a moment of solemnity pervading his usually cheeky narration. “It did something different than what it’s doing now. Music is great no matter what you do. But music had a big moment.”

Young is clearly aware of the nostalgic power he wields, particularly at a performance like this one, in a room that requires a certain level of pay grade to attend ($400 a pop for tix). Although the audience was diverse in age, with some younger couples seated in the (relatively) cheaper seats, much of the crowd was clearly longtime fans, having experienced his career unfold in real time. His choice of covers, from Ochs to a version of Gordon Lightfoot’s 1970 tune “If You Could Read My Mind,” centered on a certain time period, one that to Young – and to many fans – represents a golden age in music.

Young is, of course, aware of the influence he has had on so many. As his set began to wind down, leading into the inevitable two-song encore, the musician said, “Now I’m gonna do a couple of my big hits.” He added, jokingly, “You might not recognize them because now I sing them in a different language.” The final numbers, “After the Gold Rush,” “Heart of Gold,” “Thrasher” and “Long May You Run,” each earned standing ovations and the first sing-alongs of the evening. “I like to be as predictable as possible, especially near the end,” Young acknowledged, wandering between his many instruments as he drew the two and a half hour performance to its conclusion.

Set list (I think):

From Hank to Hendrix
On the Way Home
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Love in Mind
Philadelphia
Mellow My Mind
Are You Ready for the Country
Someday
Changes
Harvest
Old Man
Goin' Back
A Man Needs a Maid
Ohio
Southern Man
Mr. Soul
If You Could Read My Mind
Harvest Moon
Flying on the Ground Is Wrong
After the Gold Rush
Heart of Gold
Thrasher
Long May You Run

 Wanna sit beside your fave backstage? You can, join BPD today.

Member's Concert Review: Arcade Fire

BPD member 2s On sent us this review:

In a move that sparked a combination of backlash, excitement and confusion, the band asked show attendees on this leg of their tour to arrive in formal attire or a costume. About a third to half of the audience obliged, and my buds and I were peppered with girls in sparkling silver pants, guys in suits, and all manner of costumes, from Christmas elves to dancers from "What Does the Fox Say?" It was a throwback to the band's small venue gigs last September, taped for the world to see in a concert documentary that ran after the season premiere of SNL, and a testament to the their ability to create an aesthetic (or is it a brand?) for their music.

The band took the stage wearing the same white disco suits and face paint that they donned in the "Reflektor" music video, flanked by large, fragmented mirrors and multicoloured lights. They were joined by several extra musicians, including two percussionists, two saxophonists and Owen Pallett on violin and keys.

After a short excerpt from "My Body is a Cage," they they kicked into a set that emphasized the new album, Reflektor, and their debut LP, Funeral. The only other Neon Bible song that raised its head was "No Cars Go," originally written for their self-titled EP. Their coverage of The Suburbs was limited to the big numbers: "Ready to Start," "The Suburbs" and "Rococo," with Win Butler singing Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" over the opening chords. "Sprawl II" served as a perfectly chosen, upbeat set closer.

The show empathized a combination of band's new material and their old, road-tested fan favourites. Songs like "Reflektor" and "We Exist" sparked dancing from the crowd, and anthems like "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" and "Wake Up" took on a whole new scope in a big arena. The added instruments also allowed the band to reinterpret songs such as "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)," which began with a steel drum solo.

At one point, Win Butler pointed to the back of the general admission crush and told the people there to start dancing. "There are so many pretty girls here," he said. "Ask a pretty girl to dance with you!" A dance party ensued and lasted for the rest of the set; fans in the stands swayed and watched.

Keeping with the exclusive nightclub theme, attendees with BPD passes were treated to a red carpet upon entering and had access to the Platinum Club area which was the band hung out pre and post-show. They even performed an acoustic mini-set just for us.

What more can I say. BPD delivered!!

More "History of the Eagles"

The “History Of The Eagles” tour will continue into the fall season with the band's announcement of dates into October.

Pass requests are swamping us for this one, so don't delay. Ask for yours now.

New Tours + Another Fest

Phish

Backstreet Boys + Avril Lavigne

California’s Napa Valley Exposition, BottleRock featuring the Cure, Outkast and more.

Linkin Park & Thirty Seconds To Mars

Linkin Park and Thirty Seconds To Mars will join forces this summer for “The Carnivores Tour,” a 25-city amphitheatre journey beginning in August with special guest AFI.

Details

Retro-Rock Tour + Another Fest

Two of the biggest names in music will be touring beginning in May. Rod Stewart joins with Santana for what could be the retro-rock tour of the Spring. on their respective websites for full details. 

Also announced this week was the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA July 3-6. Details here.

2 New Festival Announcements

Bonnaroo on YouTube 

The big news for this week is the announcement of Bonnaroo 2014. This years line-up includes  Elton John, Kanye West, Jack White, Lionel Richie. Passes will be for single day only. Full details

The other fest is  Cincinnati’s Bunbury Music Festival, this year held July 11-13. Check it out!

The Boss' First Tour Leg for 2014 + Pitchfork Announces

The first wave of U.S. tour dates for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are taking place in April and May.

Too, the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago is now firm.

More Tours Announced

Heart w/Jason Bonham

Foreigner, Styx and Don Felder

Nickelcreek

New Tours Week Ending February 1

Jack Johnson

Motley Crue  Final Farewell

Alice in Chains

New Tour Announcements for the Week Ending Jan 24

Tool

John Legend

Make your pass requests for these and other great shows at BackstagePassDirect.com.

Katy Perry Announces Prismatic Tour

Visit Katy's site for full details.

BackstagePassDirect will have passes for ALL North American shows, including Canada.

Coachella 2014 Lineup

The two-weekend extravaganza set for April 11-13 & 18-20 at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. has announced its full daily lineup.

Here goes:

Friday April 11 & 18: Outkast, The Knife, The Replacements, Broken Bells, Zedd, Girl Talk, Ellie Goulding, Chromeo, HAIM, Neko Case, AFI, Martin Garrix, Bonobo, Bryan Ferry, The Glitch Mob, The Afghan Whigs, The Cult, Bastille, Flume, Aloe Blacc, Jagwar Ma, A$AP Ferg, Grouplove, Woodkid, Carnage, Schlohmo, Gareth Emery, Michael Brun, MS MR, Kate Nash, Hot Since 82, Damian Lazarus, GOAT, Nina Kraviz, Anthony Green, Duke Dumont, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Solomun, ZZ Ward, Anti-Flag, Caravan Palace, Flatbush Zombies, Deorro, Waxahatchee, Title Fight, Davide Squillace, DJ Falcon, Dum Dum Girls, Austra, Tom Odell, Dixon, Wye Oak, Crosses, Mako, The Preatures, The Bots, Gabba Gabba Heys

Saturday April 12 & 19: Muse, Queens Of The Stone Age, Skrillex, Pharrell Williams, Lorde, Foster The People, Pet Shop Boys, MGMT, Empire Of The Sun, Fatboy Slim, Nas, Kid Cudi, The Head And The Heart, Sleigh Bells, Cage The Elephant, City And Colour, Churches, Dillon Francis, Capital Cities, The Naked And Famous, Temples, Mogwai, Warpaint, Solange, Washed Out, Future Islands, Ty Segall, Darkside, Banks, Tiga, Bombay Bicycle Club, Holy Ghost!, Netsky, RL Grime, Galantis, Foxygen, White Lies, Graveyard, The Internet, Laura Mvula, The Dismemberment Plan, Headhunterz, Blood Orange, GTA, TJR, Cajmere, Guy Gerber, Nicole Moudaber, MAKJ, Bear Hands, The Magician, Young & Sick, Unlocking The Truth, Saints Of Valory, Carbon Airways, UZ, Syd Arthur, Bicep, Drowners

Sunday April 13 & 20: Arcade Fire, Beck, Calvin Harris, Neutral Milk Hotel, Disclosure, Lana Del Rey, Motorhead, Alesso, Duck Sauce, Little Dragon, Beady Eye, Flosstradamus, The Toy Dolls, The 1975, Adventure Club, Big Gigantic, Chance The Rapper, Laurent Garnier, Krewella, Rudimental, STRFKR, Fishbone, Trombone Shorty, AlunaGeorge, Art Department, Flight Facilities, Frank Turner, John Newman, Maceo Plex, Superchunk, Bombino Daughter, Bad Manners, Surfer Blood, Lee Burridge, Poolside, Classixx, Showtek, James Vincent McMorrow, Bo Ningen, Aeroplane, Ratking, Jhene Aiko, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Factory Floor, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Anna Lunoe, The Martinez Brothers, Schuba, John Beaver

Pass are available for single days only. Request yours today!