40. BARRY MANILOW
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"Even Now Tour"
July 16, 1978
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
16,862 days after Blossom Music Center, we saw Barry Manilow again in Las Vegas at the Westgate Resort & Casino. He was in the midst of his popular years-long residency, voted the number one show in Vegas by USA Today.
1978 SETLIST:
Here We Go Again
New York City Rhythm
Daybreak
Even Now
Jump Shout Boogie Medley
Bandstand Boogie
Ready To Take A Chance Again
Weekend In New England
Looks Like We Made It
A Very Strange Medley (TV Jingles)
Beautiful Music
I Was A Fool To Let You Go
All The Time
Copacabana
Tryin' To Get The Feelin' Again
This One's For You
Could It Be Magic/Mandy
It's A Miracle
Can't Smile Without You
I Write The Songs
Beautiful Music (Reprise)
July 16, 1978
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
You're laughing already. Yes, I know, but hear me out!! We saw this dude twice, in 1978 and in 2024, and he was incredible both times.
For several reasons, I remember the first concert like it was yesterday. My Mom had bought tickets because she wanted to take the family to see a fun show ... (but I also suspect that she was a closet Barry Manilow fan). Unbeknownst to any of us, she had purchased front row center tickets, and we didn't know it until we got there. Better yet, after we sat down, a large contingent of police and security swarmed down toward the front, as the controversial Mayor of Cleveland, Dennis Kucinich, took his seat next to us. He had just been informed earlier that day that he would be subject to a recall election. I'm pretty sure he didn't enjoy the show as much as we did.
Indeed, the concert was great fun; like watching a Broadway show. Barry poured out hit after hit for two hours. My favorite part was when he ran through all the television jingles he had written ... Band Aids, State Farm, Stridex, and McDonalds. His three Blossom Music Center performances in July 1978 broke all sales records, with 63,000 attending.
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"Barry Manilow: The Hits Come Home"
September 14, 2024
Westgate Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
We were worried that our seats in the fourth row might be a little too close. Taking a page from one of Barry's old Stridex commercials ... he gave his face something to permanently smile about ... with Botox. Photos we had seen in People Magazine and elsewhere depicted Barry's overly-doctored face. Perhaps it would help him hit those high notes. Joking aside, it was hard not to be envious about a guy who, at eighty-one years old, was bouncing all over the stage (the energy of his recent NBC Christmas special was astounding).
In fact, earlier in 2024, Manilow laughed about signing a 'George Burns' multi-year contract with Westgate. You gotta give the guy his due. So, as the International Theater lights dimmed and the band fired up, we were ready to take a chance again on Barry.
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The Westgate Resort and Casino is a Las Vegas landmark. It was known as the International Hotel when Elvis Presley reigned there during his record-breaking 857 consecutive sell-out shows. It was a villain's lair (Whyte House) in the 1971 James Bond epic Diamonds Are Forever, where Sean Connery scaled the building to enter the penthouse.
It was known as the Las Vegas Hilton when, in 1981, an intoxicated bellboy set fire to a curtain in the eigth floor elevator lobby and nearly burned down the entire east wing of the hotel, killing eight guests and injuring 350 others, including singer Natalie Cole. Ten years later, dozens of drunk military flag officers, including the Secretary of the Navy, assaulted 83 women in the third floor hallways and hospitality suites during the legendary 'tailhook scandal.'
But by 2024, the tired old Hilton had become the Westgate Las Vegas resort and was home to the Barry Manilow residency.
Tam and I, along with good friends Craig and Monica, entered the Westgate and were greeted by a gregarious doorman named Rex, who introduced us to Barry's personal security guard, Robert. We chatted for several minutes before entering the casino. Robert told us to take all the pictures we wanted, as long as there was no flash. Barry had some kind of issue with flashing lights.
Across the casino floor, we spotted a large 'Manilow' sign. In front of the theater entrance was a gift shop, where we (admittedly) clowned around with the merch. As inveterate collectors of rock tour shirts, it went without saying that both Craig and I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a Barry '78 shirt.
Once inside, the 1,700 seat theater looked exactly as it probably did during the Elvis years. Cheap wood stage props and well-worn curtains. The stage itself was low, maybe three feet high, reminicent of the old stage at my junior high school. Our seats were very close and we were surrounded by devout Manilow fans, some of whom had seen his Vegas show hundreds of times. They were positively ebulent to be there.
At 7:18 pm, the curtain rose, revealing a large MANILOW sign, and from a center stage door came Barry Manilow. He projected a high degree of energy right from the start, even if his gait was slightly stiff. The crowd roared as he opened with his spritely hit, It's A Miracle.
The next thing we noticed was that his lips weren't moving. He was singing, for sure, and he sounded great, but his face was so tight that it could barely move.
Still, there was something amazing and appealing about the guy. He was completely open and sincere as he spoke to us, and his enthusiasm was contaigious!! He was all over that stage, shuffling his dance moves from left to right, and really putting himself out there. The. Dude. Was. Eighty. One. Years. Old!!
Even more impressive were his vocal chops. He powered through those big finishes on Looks Like We Made it, This One's For You, Weekend In New England, I Write The Songs and Even Now with astonishing authority.
He spoke at length about his grandfather, and the influence he had on Barry becoming a musician. He played a seventy-five year-old recording that his grandfather made of him singing in a Brooklyn recording booth. The concert was repleat with other genuine and personal moments, such as his ubiquitous medley of TV commericals, and a duet with himself during his performance of Mandy.
By the time he hit the stage for his encore of Copacabana, everyone was on their feet. Elevated stairs were lowered from the rafters over the audience and he literally ran up two flights while singing. We were blown away.
The man was a consummate performer and his hits were every bit as strong as they were four decades earlier. We left that theater shaking our heads in amazement. Our consensus was that the show was 'fabulous.' I knew then and there that this gig had to be ranked high on the list.
1978 SETLIST:
Here We Go Again
New York City Rhythm
Daybreak
Even Now
Jump Shout Boogie Medley
Bandstand Boogie
Ready To Take A Chance Again
Weekend In New England
Looks Like We Made It
A Very Strange Medley (TV Jingles)
Beautiful Music
I Was A Fool To Let You Go
All The Time
Copacabana
Tryin' To Get The Feelin' Again
This One's For You
Could It Be Magic/Mandy
It's A Miracle
Can't Smile Without You
I Write The Songs
Beautiful Music (Reprise)
2024 SETLIST:
It's A Miracle
I'm Your Man
Somewhere In The Night
Daybreak
Looks Like We Made It
Can't Smile Without You
This One's For You
New York City Rhythm
Even Now
Let's Hang On
Weekend In New England
TV Commercial Jingles
Could It Be Magic
I Made It Throught The Rain
Mandy / Could It Be Magic (Reprise)
I Write The Songs
Copacabana
It's A Miracle (Reprise)
39. RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL STARR BAND:
STEVE LUKATHER, RICHARD PAGE, TODD RUNGREN, GREGG BISSONETTE, GREGG ROLLE
June 19, 2016
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
He was a Beatle ... so we had to go, right? At least that is what I thought. Without much enthusiasm, we arrived at the Ryman, and saw the longest line ever outside the door, stretching all the way down to Broadway. For these people, the Beatles were still very much alive, and they showed it with shirts, hats, buttons, and other accouterment. The concert was a complete sell-out, forcing Ringo to schedule a second show. Rarely have I witnessed more enthusiasm before a gig.
At precisely 7:30, the lights dimmed, and Ringo and his band entered the stage to thunderous applause. They launched into Matchbox, the Carl Perkins classic, followed by It Don't Come Easy. The band was very tight and sound superbly mixed. Then Ringo cheerfully welcomed everyone, smiling and waving his iconic peace sign. I was stunned by his total lack of pretension and the reciprocation of the audience. He mentioned how he was such a fan of Kitty Wells growing up and how meaningful the venue was, that so many legends had performed on the Ryman stage. He joked that he wrote many songs as a Beatle ... but none of them were recorded. He did say that he wrote one with Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles B-side What Goes On, and he played it to huge cheers.
He then introduced Todd Rungren, who carried the next number, I Saw The Light, followed by Gregg Rolle (keyboardist for Santana) who played Evil Ways, accompanied by a virtuoso Steve Lukather solo. Then Lukather played one of his big Toto hits, Rosanna. Richard Page (Mr. Mister), in great voice, performed Kyrie. The band was surprisingly cohesive and the renditions of each song were simply outstanding.
The evening continued, with the artists wandering the stage and joking with each other as they played their greatest hits. It was such a fraternal and good-natured show that everybody was completely engaged by it. Ringo often spoke with the audience, and with a smile, commented that the show was nothing like a Led Zeppelin concert ... just before acknowledging Robert Plant standing in the crowd.
Ringo, who had just celebrated his 72nd birthday at the Nashville Hard Rock Cafe, finished the show with Photograph, Act Naturally, With A Little Help From My Friends, and Give Peace A Chance. He was so full of energy that he was literally doing jumping jacks during the final number as the audience chanted along with him.
That was one really fun show!!
Here is Ringo's 72nd birthday bash at the Nashville Hard Rock Cafe ...
SETLIST:
Matchbox
It Don't Come Easy
What Goes On
I Saw The Light
Evil Ways
Rosanna
Kyrie
Bang The Drum All Day
Boys
Don't Pass Me By
Yellow Submarine
Black Magic Woman
Band Introductions
You're Sixteen
You Are Mine
Africa
Oye Como Va
I Wanna Be Your Man
Love Is The Answer
Broken Wings
Hold The Line
Photograph
Act Naturally
With A Little Help From My Friends
Give Peace A Chance
STEVE LUKATHER, RICHARD PAGE, TODD RUNGREN, GREGG BISSONETTE, GREGG ROLLE
June 19, 2016Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
He was a Beatle ... so we had to go, right? At least that is what I thought. Without much enthusiasm, we arrived at the Ryman, and saw the longest line ever outside the door, stretching all the way down to Broadway. For these people, the Beatles were still very much alive, and they showed it with shirts, hats, buttons, and other accouterment. The concert was a complete sell-out, forcing Ringo to schedule a second show. Rarely have I witnessed more enthusiasm before a gig.
At precisely 7:30, the lights dimmed, and Ringo and his band entered the stage to thunderous applause. They launched into Matchbox, the Carl Perkins classic, followed by It Don't Come Easy. The band was very tight and sound superbly mixed. Then Ringo cheerfully welcomed everyone, smiling and waving his iconic peace sign. I was stunned by his total lack of pretension and the reciprocation of the audience. He mentioned how he was such a fan of Kitty Wells growing up and how meaningful the venue was, that so many legends had performed on the Ryman stage. He joked that he wrote many songs as a Beatle ... but none of them were recorded. He did say that he wrote one with Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles B-side What Goes On, and he played it to huge cheers.
He then introduced Todd Rungren, who carried the next number, I Saw The Light, followed by Gregg Rolle (keyboardist for Santana) who played Evil Ways, accompanied by a virtuoso Steve Lukather solo. Then Lukather played one of his big Toto hits, Rosanna. Richard Page (Mr. Mister), in great voice, performed Kyrie. The band was surprisingly cohesive and the renditions of each song were simply outstanding.
The evening continued, with the artists wandering the stage and joking with each other as they played their greatest hits. It was such a fraternal and good-natured show that everybody was completely engaged by it. Ringo often spoke with the audience, and with a smile, commented that the show was nothing like a Led Zeppelin concert ... just before acknowledging Robert Plant standing in the crowd.
Ringo at the Ryman
Ringo, who had just celebrated his 72nd birthday at the Nashville Hard Rock Cafe, finished the show with Photograph, Act Naturally, With A Little Help From My Friends, and Give Peace A Chance. He was so full of energy that he was literally doing jumping jacks during the final number as the audience chanted along with him.
That was one really fun show!!
Here is Ringo's 72nd birthday bash at the Nashville Hard Rock Cafe ...
SETLIST:
Matchbox
It Don't Come Easy
What Goes On
I Saw The Light
Evil Ways
Rosanna
Kyrie
Bang The Drum All Day
Boys
Don't Pass Me By
Yellow Submarine
Black Magic Woman
Band Introductions
You're Sixteen
You Are Mine
Africa
Oye Como Va
I Wanna Be Your Man
Love Is The Answer
Broken Wings
Hold The Line
Photograph
Act Naturally
With A Little Help From My Friends
Give Peace A Chance
38. HALL & OATES
"H2O Tour"
February 15, 1983
The Ohio Center
Columbus, Ohio
April 15, 2009
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
June 2, 2013
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
Tam had been a fan of Hall and Oates since 1976, and first saw them perform at Wittenberg University on November 12, 1976 at the university fieldhouse. Back then, they were basically a two-hit wonder (Sara Smile and Rich Girl). Over the next handful of years, with the advent of MTV, Hall and Oates emerged as pop superstars, with iconic music videos like Private Eyes and I Can't Go For That.
In 1982, the duo released the hugely-successful album "H2O" and supported it with a tour that stopped at The Ohio Center on February 15, 1983.
Backed by a top-notch band, led by G.E. Smith, the concert was a massive hit-fest. This was Hall and Oates at their zenith, riding high with Maneater, the number one song on the Billboard music charts. They played incredibly loud. In addition, the screaming girls and poor acoustics of the auditorium all detracted from the experience. But the concert certainly lived up to the hype.
1983 OHIO CENTER SETLIST:
Family Man
Did It In A Minute
How Does It Feel To Be Back
Diddy Doo Wop
Italian Girls
Kiss On My List
Rich Girl
She's Gone
Art Of Heartbreak
One On One
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Sweet Soul Music
Funky Broadway
Sara Smile
Wait For Me
Maneater
Private Eyes
Open All Night
You Make My Dreams
Keep Me Movin'
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
Did It In A Minute
How Does It Feel To Be Back
Diddy Doo Wop
Italian Girls
Kiss On My List
Rich Girl
She's Gone
Art Of Heartbreak
One On One
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Sweet Soul Music
Funky Broadway
Sara Smile
Wait For Me
Maneater
Private Eyes
Open All Night
You Make My Dreams
Keep Me Movin'
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
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Twenty-six years after experiencing Hall & Oates in their chaotic prime, we returned to see them in 2009 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. This time, the sound was excellent, and the band was superb. It was almost as if the decades had smoothed-off the raw edges and they were making some of their best music.
We planned to see them again in 2013 at the Ryman Auditorium, and bought third-row seats. But a last-minute schedule conflict forced us to miss the show. Our daughters went to the concert instead ... and they were stunned that they recognized virtually every song.
Hall & Oates at the Ryman Auditorium
(June 2, 2013)
2013 RYMAN AUDITORIUM SETLIST:
Out Of Touch
Family Man
Say It Isn't So
It's Uncanny
How Does It Feel To Be Back
Las Vegas Turnaround
She's Gone
Sara Smile
Maneater
I Can't Go For That
Rich Girl
You Make My Dreams
Kiss On My List
Private Eyes
37. FLEETWOOD MAC
"Tusk Tour"November 7, 1979
Cincinnati, Ohio
There was not a bigger band in the land when Fleetwood Mac launched their massive world tour in support of the long-anticipated Tusk double album. The Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum was completely sold out, and getting into the arena seemed problematic, as only half of the entry doors were opened, creating bottlenecks at each entry point. (Little did we know that this would portend the events that would happen here twenty-seven days later, when eleven people would be trampled to death trying to get into a Who concert at this venue).
Once the concert started, the first thing we noticed was that Lindsey Buckingham had cut his hair short and had gone from California-hippy-Jesus to an emaciated Herman Munster in a dark grey Armani suit. He had also dumped his Gibson Les Paul in favor of a custom guitar that stylistically emulated a violin. The group had lost some of the energy and enthusiasm we remembered from Rumours and assumed a darker, heavier posture.
It was clear that they were moving in a new direction. But as they plowed through their setlist, the music was the same great stuff. That is ... until they played works from their new album, Tusk. They were weird, avant-garde pieces, that often featured Lindsey screaming gibberish at the top of his lungs. Unfortunately, they also jammed on these numbers at great length.
36. PAUL McCARTNEY
June 4, 1993
Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac, Michigan
How did a Paul McCartney concert get ranked at number thirty-seven? Well, barely three years earlier, I saw him from the rafters at the 16,000 seat Rosemont Horizon in Chicago and I was grateful to get in. This show was at the 80,000 seat Pontiac Silverdome, and our seats were almost in another county. It was a horrible place for a concert. Perhaps that's why they had trouble selling out the show.
McCartney's performance was still great and his setlist was incredible. But the sheer distance and lack of intimacy took the edge off. I pledged to myself that if I were to see him again, I would spring for the best possible seats.
SETLIST:
Drive My Car
Coming Up
Looking For Changes
Another Day
All My Loving
Let Me Roll It
Peace In The Neighborhood
Off The Ground
Can't Buy Me Love
Robbie's Bit (Solo)
Good Rockin' Tonight
We Can Work It Out
And I Love Her
Every Night
Hope Of Deliverance
Michelle
Biker Like An Icon
Here, There, Everywhere
Yesterday
My Love
Lady Madonna
Live And Let Die
Let It Be
Magical Mystery Tour
C'mon People
The Long And Winding Road
Paperback Writer
Fixing A Hole
Penny Lane
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
Band On The Run
I Saw Her Standing There
Hey Jude
35. STEVE MILLER BAND
October 28, 2015
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
Steve Miller is one of those rock artists whose music I liked, but not fanatically. Nevertheless, I knew virtually every word of every hit he ever produced, thanks to the endless radio airplay he received in the 1970s. Forty years later, as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee, he was returning to the Ryman after a three year absence. We immediately scooped up tickets to the gig.
The stage was spartan, mostly unadorned, except for two large pegasus stage pieces set on either side. Miller walked out, fit and loose. Wearing a black T-shirt, black blazer, and nerd glasses, he looked more like a high school chemistry teacher than a rock star.
The four members of his band, also dressed in black, quickly assumed positions and set to work, hammering out Jungle Love, Take The Money And Run, and Abracadabra in rapid succession. They were technically sharp and replicated those hits with precision. The musicianship was blemished inappreciably by a volume setting that slightly overpowered the venue.
Watching Steve Miller, I was reminded of another musician who seemed very similar in style, approach, and love of jazz and blues ... Boz Scaggs. Miller, like Scaggs, obviously enjoys playing guitar and did virtually all of the soloing and improvisation during the set. He was still quite adept at it, too.
During a solo acoustic interlude, Miller spent several minutes talking about his background and musical history. In 1956, when he was twelve years old and attending a private boys school in Dallas, he and three other kids formed a group named The Marksmen that began playing a new form of music ... rock and roll. One of those young men was Boz Scaggs. In fact, Miller taught Scaggs how to play guitar (no wonder they sounded so similar). For the next two years, Miller's mom would drive the group to college frat parties, where they would play for $75 a night. He eventually got smart and taught his sixteen year old brother (who had just gotten his drivers license) to play bass ... musical genius in action.
Steve Miller at Ryman Auditorium
Then it was back to the hits ... Fly Like An Eagle, Rockin' Me, Swingtown, Jet Airliner. What struck me the most about that evening was how easy-going and serene Steve Miller appeared. He was very comfortable in his own shoes ... one of those rare cases where fame and fortune did not seem to take a toll. Seventy-one years old and still having a ball.
Steve Miller Band setlist
from the Ryman mixing desk ...
34. KISS
September 21, 2022
Postponed: January 28, 2022 (Las Vegas Covid)
Postponed: November 5, 2021 (Covid)
Postponed: October 8, 2021 (Weather)
iThink Financial Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, Florida
KISS had become the holy grail of concerts. We tried to book the West Palm Beach concert several times but it was repeatedly postponed. We purchased tickets for their Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood. It too, was cancelled after Paul Stanley's guitar tech (Francis Steuber) died of Covid during the tour, in a hotel room in Detroit.
Finally, KISS was able to reschedule several postponed concerts and one of them was West Palm Beach. We grabbed tickets and waited five months. On the day of the show, weather was again threatening and seemed to worsen as we approached showtime. A massive lightning bolt abruptly struck next to the building and a voice came on the public address system for all people in the lawn seats to immediately come down under the cover of the pavilion and wait the storm out. The concert seemed in serious doubt. Radar models showed intensifying storms throughout the night.
The storm blasted in, with intense squalls and constant lightning. The crowd, packed together in the seats and aisles began to sing Bohemian Rhapsody along with the PA system. It was hilarious! Twenty-thousand people all singing during a huge thunderstorm. The roadies all stood on stage with their cellphone cameras and recorded it.
Then, after an hour, the storm moved through and the skies miraculously cleared, leaving a two-hour gap until the next wave. The PA announcer told everyone to return to their (absolutely soaked) lawn seats and the show began. The opening act, performance painter David Garibaldi, put on an abbreviated thirty-minute version of his show. The crew moved quickly, and by 9:15 (only fifteen minutes late), the house lights dimmed and a huge subwoofer rumbled loudly for several minutes.
"Alright West Palm Beach!! You wanted the best, you've got the best ... the hottest band in the world ... KISS!!"
A huge black curtain dropped and the three guitarists were lowered from the ceiling on hanging platforms while concussion bombs, incendiary flames, sparklers, hundreds of spotlights, and lasers shot into the air.
I caught myself laughing at the spectacle of it all, and my immediate thoughts went to the movie Spinal Tap. The sheer bombasity of the whole thing was as ridiculous as it was stupefying. Huge smiles creased the faces of everyone around me, along with shouts and pumped fists. This was going to be good!
For the next two hours, the band put on an amazing vintage performance. I'm not a huge KISS fan and I only know a handful of their songs, but I was astounded and wildly entertained by the entire show. It was a blast from the past; a rock and roll time capsule from the audacious 1970s. I loved all of it ... the costumes, the breathing fire, the spitting blood, the smashing of guitars, the drummer on the scissor jack lift. These guys were absolutely shameless and the audience ate it up.
The audience loved it so much that everybody stood and cheered throughout the entire show. I hadn't experienced that since the World Series of Rock back in 1979. I also noted that the crowd was multi-generational, with parents bringing their kids to witness the spectacle.
At one point, Paul Stanley hoisted himself onto a zip-line that whisked him into the center of the pavilion and to a small stage right in front of us, where he sang and pointed and shouted to his rabid fans. Stanley's speaking voice was much higher-pitched and squeakier than I anticipated, not sure if it was a New York thing or what ...
The setlist was shortened by two songs (Say Yeah and Deuce) due to the late start and potential for more severe weather in the area. However, it didn't matter to the wrung-out audience, still damp from rain and sweating in the eighty-five degree heat.
KISS Entire Concert - West Palm Beach
With the opening chords of their finale Rock And Roll All Nite, they let us have it with both barrels ... flames, bombs, smoke, lasers, spotlights, confetti, streamers, mirror ball, pinwheel sparklers, lifts, risers, beach balls, the whole shebang. When it was all over and the house lights came up, nobody could see anything.
Any list of great concerts would not be complete without KISS. Their shows over the years have set the standard for unforgettable, and this performance was no exception.
SETLIST:
Detroit Rock City
Shout It Out Loud
War Machine
Heaven's On Fire
I Love It Loud
Cold Gin
Guitar Solo
Lick It Up
Calling Dr. Love
Psycho Circus
Drum Solo
100,000 Years
Bass Solo
God Of Thunder
Love Gun
I Was Made For Lovin' You
Black Diamond
Beth
Do You Love Me
Rock And Roll All Nite
33. BOZ SCAGGS
"Runnin' Blue Tour"
2004
State Theatre
Kalamazoo, Michigan
2004
State Theatre
Kalamazoo, Michigan
"A Fool To Care Tour"
April 25, 2016
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
"Out Of The Blues Tour"
April 18, 2019
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota, Florida
April 18, 2019
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota, Florida
Boz Scaggs ranks very high because his manner and musicianship are both totally first class. No smoke or lasers, just rich, deep music, that lasts in your heart. I saw him three times between 2004 and 2019, and he was consistently great.
He had been on my radar since the release of his classic Silk Degrees album in 1976. I enjoyed Scaggs' sophisticated pop and was wondering if he could pull it off live. However, he tended to stay on the west coast and was scarce in this part of the world ... until a cold winter day in 2004, when he came to Kalamazoo's State Theatre.
What I discovered at that first gig with Boz was an aural revelation. He had assembled a fantastic group of outstanding musicians, and his sound in concert was every bit as smooth as his recordings. The entire evening took on a relaxed "jazz" flavor. Every song played with finesse and precision ... and at the perfect volume to boot. It was probably the finest stage mix of music I had ever heard (up to that time).
Sitting virtually alone in the (closed) upper balcony of the Kalamazoo State Theatre, the gig seemed particularly intimate. Boz played 'em all ... all of his hits, plus he threw in a couple of jazz jams for extra measure. I remember walking away from that one highly impressed.
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By 2016, it had been twelve years since I last saw Boz in Kalamazoo. This time, Boz played the Ryman Auditorium. He had recently recorded his latest album, A Fool To Care, at Blackbird Studios in the Music City. He noted that his son, a music journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, was living in Nashville and he was spending quite a bit of time there.
After a light opening act, featuring the amiable and unaccompanied Jeff LeBlanc on guitar, Boz and his seven-person entourage meandered onto the stage. Scaggs looked loose and lean as he strapped on a gorgeous tobacco Sakashta 335-style guitar and launched into Runnin' Blue. His voice was in fine form and the band tight, although there was a slight preponderance of a Hammond B3 in the mix throughout the fifteen song set.
Beginning with the third song, Jojo, Scaggs played nearly all of his greatest hits, making room for a showpiece performance of his backup singer Mone't in a cover of Aretha's Until You Come Back To Me that made the Ryman's stained-glass windows rattle with appreciation.
Scagg's backing band, Mike Miller (guitar), Gene Lake (drums), Mike Logan (keyboard), and Mike Logan, Jr. (percussion), playing under the direction of musical director and bassist Richard Patterson, laid down a rich, jazz-inspired foundation for Scaggs' iconic throaty vocals. Although the concert was not long, it was solid, without the usual B-side lulls that have plagued other concerts.
Scaggs' new track, There's A Storm Comin' was delicate and hauntingly alluring. To close out the show, Scaggs selected Drowning In The Sea Of Love, a number he first performed in 1991 with Donald Fagen for the New York Rock and Soul Revue.
Like his former compatriot, Steve Miller, time has been a friend to Boz Scaggs. In his seventies, he still had the chops to play with the best of them.
Back of house setlist for
Boz Scaggs at Ryman Auditorium
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Three years after his triumphant Ryman concert, we revisited Boz during his "Out of the Blues Tour" in Sarasota, Florida. He had truly been living the blues as he had lost his winery (Scaggs Vineyards), his home, and all of his possessions in the 2017 wildfires in the Napa Valley. The most important of which was his entire archive of hand-written lyrics collected over fifty years of creating music.
In 2018, he produced the album Out of the Blues, with the help of some of the best musicians in the business; Jim Keltner, Willie Weeks, Jim Cox, Doyle Bramhall II, Ray Parker, Jr., and Charlie Sexton. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2018. This tour was in support of that album.
The stage, sans curtain, was filled with backing instrumentation. At 8:05 the seven member band stepped on stage and tuned briefly. Then Boz greeted the audience, mentioning that he had been watching them enter the auditorium from his bus. He graciously said that he was impressed. Indeed the house was packed and rowdy for Sarasota. There aren't many musicians of Scaggs' caliber who play the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
The band opened with Jojo and It's Over and was as tight as ever. Scaggs was in good voice; nuanced and elegant, albeit somewhat fragile. He introduced two cover songs, both from the new album, Rock and Stick and The Feeling Is Gone. They provided some of the edgier moments of the gig.
Boz stopped to thank the audience again, and mentioned how much he loved the Van Wezel venue, as well as the city of Sarasota. He said that every tour he spends a few extra days here because he loves it so much. Scaggs then said that he was stepping away from the standard setlist to play a bonus song for us because he thought we might like it. He played a mellow, bossa nova-inspired song entitled Last Tango on 16th Street, much to our appreciation.
After a blistering rendition of Radiator 110 from the new album, Boz then spent most of the second half of his show performing his hits: Harbor Lights, Georgia, Look What You've Done To Me, Lowdown, Lido Shuffle, and What Can I Say. His encores of Somebody Loan Me A Dime and You Never Can Tell (both covers) allowed the band to improvise with several extended solos. The grizzled and gray audience was on its feet cheering until the final bows.
Boz never mentioned the fire. It wasn't like him to do that. And he seemed genuinely glad to be with us. The feeling was mutual. Perhaps appropriately, a Boz Scaggs concert is like revisting a bottle of fine wine after many years. Interesting. Subtle. Distinctive. Smoother with age. Eminently enjoyable.
Thanks Boz.
2019 SETLIST:
Jojo
It's Over
Rock And Stick
The Feeling Is Gone
Last Tango On 16th Street
Radiator 110
Harbor Lights
Georgia
Look What You've Done To Me
Lowdown
Lido Shuffle
What Can I say
Somebody Loan Me A Dime
You Can Never Tell
32. GEORGE STRAIT / CHRIS STAPLETON / LITTLE BIG TOWN
August 5, 2023
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
It was a scorching hot, 97 degree late afternoon in August, in Tampa, Florida, when the country music event of the summer arrived at Raymond James Stadium. George Strait, Chris Stapleton, and Little Big Town were concluding their six-date cross-country tour. In Milwaukee, three weeks earlier, the tour had just set a new mark for attendance at American Family Field (46,641), breaking Paul McCartney’s record set in 2013. In May, at the Buckeye Country SuperFest at Ohio Stadium, they eclipsed the attendance record with 63,891. It was definitely a hot ticket, in more ways than one.
We had seen both Little Big Town and George Strait previously and looked forward to Chris Stapleton with great anticipation.
Little Big Town opened early, at 5:45 pm. With our upper deck still basking in the sun like Archimedes mirror, we hesitantly left the shade of the concession area and took our seat high in section 338. The stadium was barely half-full, with many people tailgating in the parking lot. Still, the foursome performed with great enthusiasm, like a high school pep band before the big game. They knew what their role was, and they did it dutifully. Not many acts have a first-rate opener like Little Big Town.
Avoiding Bud Light At George Strait Concert
Then there was a brief soundcheck; unmistakable baritone blasts from an electric guitar, followed by deep thuds from the drum kit. The crowd was building and cheering, knowing that the current ACM Entertainer of the Year was next. The skies were turning gray with high clouds as the sun was finally retreating behind the stadium.
Chris Stapleton brought on the night with a ninety-minute set of smoldering southern blues, reminiscent of early SRV. Often playing in “drop-D tuning” and with 13 gauge guitar strings, Stapleton achieved an intense heavy tone that blended with his raspy voice to create a smoky mood throughout his performance. His band, including world-class pedal steel player Paul Franklin (from the Time Jumpers), followed his powerful lead. Stapleton’s wife, Morgane, stood by his side as partner and vocalist.
Stapleton honed his singular style over many years in Nashville. He dropped out of Vanderbilt University School of Engineering in 2002 and began writing songs for Kenny Chesney, Josh Turner, Luke Bryan, and George Strait. He played in two other bands over a dozen years, before releasing his breakthrough solo album Traveller in 2015. He has amassed eight Grammys, fourteen CMA awards, and ten ACM awards, including songwriter of the decade. His seventeen-song performance was straight-forward, with no flashy effects, but was rich in tone, deeply emotive, and spanned the gamut between traditional country and southern rock … precisely what his fans hoped for.
I was fascinated by the crowd demographic. There was a significant number of people in attendance who came to see Stapleton, and who knew virtually nothing about George Strait. Our friends were among them.
Here is a guy known as the “King of Country Music,” yet he seems to fly under the radar, unlike so many popular names in the country music business. How do you define George Strait? The dude has 60 number one country singles, more than any other artist. He has 33 platinum albums, more than anybody except Elvis and the Beatles. He has sold nearly 80 million albums. He has won both CMA and ACM Country Entertainer of the Year a record three times. The unindoctrinated hear all this with a shroud of incredulity and disbelief. Tam and I agreed that the best way to sufficiently explain it was to simply say … “he is the real deal.”
At 9:15 pm, George Strait casually strolled out to his usual introduction, wearing his usual starched jeans, flashed his usual affable smile, tipped his hat in his usual manner ... and the crowd went wild. His eleven-member Ace-In-The-Hole Band (nowadays looking like an old Dutch masters painting - barely a sole under seventy), played a Texas swing intro as smooth and as crisp as George's white-checked shirt, and they would lay down a virtuosic soundtrack for the rest of the evening. Strait’s setlist was chosen from a long repertoire of hits, a few old deep tracks, and covers of country classics ranging from Haggard to Cash.
Being serenaded by George Strait on a beautiful summer evening was like enjoying a glass of fine wine.
Having seen Strait twice, I can say that I’ve never seen a performer with more personal magnetism and stage presence. He exuded a charisma and personal grace that literally charmed his audience, even when it filled an entire stadium. The audience response in return was palpable. The only way to experience it was to be there, and I’m glad I was.
LITTLE BIG TOWN SETLIST:
Boondocks
Pontoon
Hell Yeah
Little White Church
Day Drinking
Next To You
Better Man
One More Song
Evangeline
Rich Man
Tornado
Stay All Night
Girl Crush
Wine, Beer, Whiskey
Friends Of Mine
CHRIS STAPLETON SETLIST:
Nobody To Blame
Parachute
Second One To Know
Starting Over
Millionaire
Hard Livin'
Worry B Gone
Arkansas
You Should Probably Leave
White Horse
Outlaw State Of Mind
Cold
Free Bird / The Devil Named Music
Traveller
Fire Away
Broken Halos
Tennessee Whiskey
GEORGE STRAIT SETLIST:
Stars On The Water
I Got A Car
The Fireman
How 'Bout Them Cowgirls
Run
Here For A Good Time
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
Check Yes Or No
That's My Kind Of Woman
It Just Comes Natural
Waymore's Blues
The Weight Of The Badge
Ocean Front Property
Nobody In His Right Mind Would Have Left Her
She'll Leave You With A Smile
Misery And Gin
Pancho & Lefty
You Don't Know What You're Missing
I Saw God Today
Every Little Honky Tonk Bar
The Chair
Give It Away
Amarillo By Morning
Troubadour
Unwound
Codigo
All My Ex's Live In Texas
Folsom Prison Blues
Take Me To Texas
The Cowboy Rides Away
31. STING
July 24, 1996
Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston, Michigan
December 3, 1999
Chicago Theatre
Chicago, Illinois
"Broken Music Tour"
April 24, 2005Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Having been close to Sting on several occasions, I must say that he is probably the most pretentious person I've ever encountered. That's why it is difficult for me to rank Sting concerts. Every time the musicianship is off the charts. In fact, his concerts are the tightest and most sonically precise of any I have attended. His band, featuring lead guitarist Dominic Miller, is technically brilliant. Sting's music is very sophisticated and he is meticulous in the way he performs it. That's why he makes this list.
But the problem I have with Sting is that he acts like he doesn't want to be there. At the 1996 Pine Knob concert, he played for a quick 93 minutes, with no encore. The performance was so smooth and lacking in improvisation that it was almost robotic. The 2005 concert was eerily similar. Our front row seats were so close at Van Andel Arena that my Mom could reach out and touch his foot. But the entire time he played, he stared straight ahead and didn't acknowledge a single person there. He wasn't with us.
The opening act at Van Andel, Phantom Planet, picked my daughter Laura from the crowd and had her play tambourine on stage with the band in front of ten thousand people.
That was truly unforgettable!!
The setlist from Sting's monitor ...
