Honorable Mention


HONORABLE MENTION.   GORDON LIGHTFOOT
March 21, 2023 (Postponed)
June 20, 2023 (Cancelled)
Van Wezel Performing Arts Center
Sarasota, Florida

Gordon Lightfoot was a legend. Even though he was in his mid-eighties and had lost the smooth baritone voice that made his songs so beautiful and identifiable, we picked up tickets for his upcoming concert at Van Wezel. We knew it might be our last chance. Lightfoot had become increasingly frail and had postponed several concerts during recent tours. We crossed our fingers and hoped that he'd make it to our gig. Our March date was pushed back to June due to 'health issues.'


Then we heard a report a few weeks later that he had cancelled his Ruth Eckerd Hall concert. The next day, we heard that it was not cancelled, but was being rescheduled. Obviously, things were in flux. What we didn't know was that Lightfoot was dying in a hospital in Toronto. Our worst fears were confirmed when the news reached us that he had died on the evening of May 1, 2023. Sadly, we missed this one by a matter of weeks.





HONORABLE MENTION.  BLUEBIRD ON THE MOUNTAIN 
Every Summer
Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory
Nashville, Tennessee

Quite possibly the most beautiful venue for a concert imaginable. Located on top of the Overton Hills surrounding Nashville, near Radnor Lake State Park, is the Vanderbilt University Dyer Observatory. Every year, a weekend acoustic concert series takes place outdoors, sponsored by the Bluebird Cafe. Attendees bring folding chairs and picnic blankets at sunset and watch an eclectic selection of up and coming artists along with legends such as Judy Collins and Kim Carnes.

We attended a couple of shows; one featured songwriting legend Don Schlitz and the other highlighted several cast members of the television show Nashville.

Truly one of the coolest music experiences I've ever had. Just make sure to take your Deep Woods Off. 

Under the stars at the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory




HONORABLE MENTION.  JAKE SHIMABUKURO
Peace, Love, Ukulele Tour"
January 19, 2011
Rinker Playhouse
Kravis Center
Palm Beach, Florida




Yes, a ukulele player makes the list. Jake Shimabukuro made a name for himself by posting a self-made video of his performance of While My Guitar Gently Weeps on Youtube. The video went viral and Jake soon hooked up with Jimmy Buffet (touring with him briefly) before creating his own path as a solo artist.

My wife, Tam, had seen the YouTube video, became an enthusiastic fan, and bought two tickets for a rare show in Palm Beach, at the Kravis Center. When we arrived, we learned that there were seven separate performance venues within the building, with Gladys Knight playing on the large stage.  After wandering around for several minutes, we discovered that Jake would be playing an intimate two-hundred seat playhouse. I remember thinking to myself, "Ok ... this could be interesting."


Jake walked out in a white T-shirt and blue jeans, with his ukulele, sat down and played for just over an hour.  This seemed just about right, for a show that consisted of nothing more than instrumental music. When he played, however, it was awesome! He was able to produce the most fascinating sounds and emotions from that ukulele. His musical selections ranged from traditional Hawaiian and Japanese melodies to Bohemian Rhapsody. Additionally, Jake spent several minutes between songs talking about his love for the art, his family roots, and how he learned to create such unique music. It was an unforgettably charming and engaging evening.   

SETLIST:
143
Blue Roses Falling
Me & Shirley T
Let's Dance
Dragon
In My Life
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Sakura Sakura
Piano Forte
Trapped
Five Dollars Unleaded
Orange World
Bohemian Rhapsody
Crazy G





HONORABLE MENTION.  THE DISNEY BANDS
MULCH SWEAT N' SHEARS, THE BRITISH INVASION, THE BRITISH REVOLUTION, OFF KILTER 
You're already having fun at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, and a flatbed 'landscape company' trailer comes around a corner rocking to Van Halen. You've just encountered Mulch Sweat and Shears. Holy smokes, were they good! (Would you expect anything less from Disney?). Aerosmith, Kiss, Badfinger, Robert Palmer, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, The Eurythmics, Journey, The Cars, Loverboy ... all combined with a comedy show! You've gotta see it to believe it!


Over at Epcot, there is a small gazebo tucked away in a garden in the England section of World Showcase. Several times a day, a band stepped out to play British rock and roll. For years, it was the British Invasion (a fake Beatles band, complete with collarless suits, etc). Disney decided to change things up with a new band called British Revolution. They played all kinds of British rock ... Elton John, David Bowie, Queen, Duran Duran, The Kinks, Billy Idol, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Cream, and Led Zeppelin.


Fifty yards away, in Canada, and band named Off Kilter played Canadian-inspired rock and roll with bagpipes! U2, AC/DC, Bryan Adams, Slade, Gordon Lightfoot, and Steppenwolf were all on the setlist. 


All of these bands are now gone, sadly. But they deserve to be on this list, because they all rocked ... and they did it with a smile.





HONORABLE MENTION. THE GUESS WHO (ALMOST).  
"Guess Who Alumni"
February 23, 2024
The Center Of Anna Maria Island,
Anna Maria Island, Florida



This was the the nortorious no-original-member-of-the-band band. Advertising a six-piece band featuring Carl Dixon, Bill Wallace, and Donny McDougall, everybody on stage claimed to be a legitimate member of The Guess Who. The concert venue was located five minutes from my house, so what the heck, right?


I wandered up to the stage and looked at the band's gear and found a garbled and fragmented setlist, took a few photos, and returned to my seat to do some Googling about these guys.


Carl Dixon had a decent resume as a touring guitarist in several heavy metal bands (including Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Triumph, and April Wine) but he didn't join The Guess Who until 1997 (the band officially broke up in 1975). He recorded and toured with them until 2008, when he was almost killed in a car accident in Australia. He was hospitalized for several months and suffers ongoing residual head trauma. We'll give him a pass.

Bill Wallace and Donnie McDougall joined the band in 1972. By then, original members Randy Bachman and Jim Kale had left. Bill and Donnie's basic contribution to the band's catalog were Star Baby and Clap For The Wolfman. McDougall was dismissed in 1974 although Wallace made it to the band's breakup the following year. Wallace joined several early reunions of The Guess Who in the late 70s and 80s.

Carl Dixon and Bill Wallace
(Guess Who Alumni)

Since then, several variations of past and new members formed groups using the band's name, which led to litigation that lasted for decades, with Burton Cummings ultimately taking control of everything. Thus, the band we were watching was Guess Who Alumni ... a 'ghost' band ... essentially a cover band.


With all that said, they sounded pretty decent. The handwritten setlist was basically a reminder to Bill Wallace which songs he was supposed to introduce. In the end, the gig was memorable, but only for how bizarre the whole thing was.





HONORABLE MENTION. NATALIE COLE
"Unforgettable Tour"
October 29, 1991
Miller Auditorium
Kalamazoo, Michigan



Unforgettable. The perfect word for this performance. Natalie Cole hit the perfect notes with her Unforgettable ... with Love album full of big band classics, such as L-O-V-E, Mona Lisa, Smile, as well as her duet with her father Nat King Cole on the title song. It won Grammys for both Album and Record of the Year. She was at her pinnacle, and her ultra-smooth renderings of her hits made it one of the most unforgettable gigs on our list.



SETLIST:
Overture
The Very Thought Of You
This Can't Be Love
Paper Moon
Nature Boy
Mona Lisa
Lush Life
Non Dimenticar
Almost Like Being In Love
Route 66
Straighten Up And Fly Right
This Will Make You Laugh
Frim Fram Sauce
For All We Know
The Song Is Ended
Smile
That Sunday Every Summer
L-O-V-E
Orange Colored Sky
Thou Swell
Autumn Leaves Medley
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Dance Ballerina Dance
Unforgettable
Avalon





HONORABLE MENTION. MUSIC WITH A MISSION
RESTLESS HEART, AMY GRANT, PETER NOONE, TRACY LAWRENCE, RANDY HOUSER, BIG DADDY WEAVE, CHARLIE MCCOY, BUDDY GREENE, MELINDA DOOLITTLE, DAVID PHELPS, KARYN WILLIAMS
"Benefitting The Nashville Rescue Mission"
November 17, 2013
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Nashville, Tennessee



It was a privilege to attend the Music With A Mission charity concert at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. It was held annually for many years in Nashville, and benefitted the Nashville Rescue Mission. The event included performances by Restless Heart, Amy Grant, Peter Noone, Tracy Lawrence, Randy Houser, Big Daddy Weave, Charlie McCoy, Buddy Greene, Melinda Doolittle, David Phelps, and Karyn Williams ... all supported by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The masters of ceremonies were TV broadcaster Demetria Kalodimos and famed country disc jockey Bill Cody.


There was also a silent auction of items donated by local musicians, such as Charlie Daniel's violin, signed guitars by Alan Jackson and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jason Aldean concert tickets, and many more. We donated substantially to the charity and received a signed concert poster.


This is so typical of the Nashville music industry to give to the local community. We were grateful to be part of it.





HONORABLE MENTION. KALAMAZOO RIBFEST
August 2000-2008
Arcadia Creek Festival Place
Kalamazoo, Michigan






The Kalamazoo Ribfest was launched as a community fundraiser in 1988. I attended several of the concerts between 2000-2008.
 

The most memorable ribfest concerts I attended were Eddie Money, Survivor, and Loverboy. Standing arms-length from the bandshell stage, I could see Loverboy's Mike Reno hanging in the wings, with two shirts on in ninety degree weather. He was leaning on a crate as we overheard him tell someone that he had twisted his ankle playing golf that morning. Once on stage, the band's bassist had somehow acquired a huge plate of ribs and set it on top of a Marshall stack. All through the gig, even while playing, he hammered those ribs. The crowd, nearing 8,000 people on that night, cheered hilariously at the sight of these paunchy dudes gimpin' and rockin' ... and ribbin'.






HONORABLE MENTION. CHRIS BOTTI 
"Impressions Tour" 
October 18, 2013
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Nashville, Tennessee



I can't say it any better than this concert review by David Singer ...

Chris Botti at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 2013

Botti’s group brought a lot of personality to their playing, making sophisticated arrangements and improvisational jams very accessible to the full house. He gave his players a lot of room to stretch, particularly piano player Taylor Eigsti, the band’s newest member who lit up the band, and the audience, every time he was given a solo.

He talked a bit about Miles Davis’ 1959 band, before playing “Flamenco Sketches” for about 15 minutes, each band member taking several rounds of solo. “This song changes every night,” Botti said, noting how Davis designed a simple five-chord structure for musicians to explore with minimal obstruction. The band was probably best during this tune, quite aware it was their moment to venture technically and emotionally. Botti, who references Davis a lot, ironically blows a full, fat, aggressive horn, rather than Davis’ muted, more subtle style. 

Botti told us that the band was celebrating its 10th year of performing — 300 days a year.

The show never fell into any kind of rhythm. It moved from trio to quartet to solo performances. Sy Smith later joined the band to sing a few songs. There was a brief round of straight-up swing — ahh, jazz — but it was fast and short. It’s worth noting that after college Botti played in Buddy Rich’s Big Band, but you can’t hear that influence in his music. It’s interesting that Botti has had the success that he does, given the subtle qualities of his music. While it doesn’t swing or contain the band-wide spontaneous interaction that jazz promotes, it does have subtle qualities that require a good ear to appreciate and enjoy. It’s far more genuine than the smooth jazz genre he’s often mistakenly boxed into. 

In the end, his success, success by anyone’s measure, while not bountiful as pop stars like Paul Simon and Sting, both whom he has played with, is off the charts for a guy on a trumpet striving for serious, new sounds.





HONORABLE MENTION. 1964 THE TRIBUTE (and other Fake Beatles groups)
September 10, 2023
Key West Theater
Key West, Florida

February 21, 2003
State Theatre
Kalamazoo, Michigan

March 5, 2019
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota, Florida


On September 10-11, 1964, the Beatles made an unscheduled stop in Key West, Florida, when Hurricane Dora threatened their concert at the Gator Bowl and Brian Epstein smartly arranged for them to stay overnight at the AAA-rated Key Wester Motel near the airport.

On the evening of the 10th, the Beatles played an impromptu concert beside the pool, which became a near-mythical jam-session when local musicians Clarence "Frogman" Henry, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, and Coffee Butler joined them. 

The event ended at 4:00 am on the 11th when the police pulled the plug due to city noise ordinances. Severely hungover, the Beatles flew on to Jacksonville and performed at the Gator Bowl later that day ... and their brief visit to Key West became the stuff of legend.



Fifty-nine years later, on September 10, 2023, the Beatles returned to Key West to celebrate the anniversary of their stay. They hadn't aged a bit since 1964!!

 

I've seen several variations of fake Beatles over the years (Rain, Sixty-Four, Beatlemania, British Invasion, and even a Norweigian Cruise Ship version of the Beatles). We saw the same "1964" in Kalamazoo at the State Theatre in 2003. One of the members in 2003 was still a member in 2023 ... he had been Beatle John Lennon longer than John Lennon was!!  

I have to admit that it is slightly embarrassing to tell outsiders that I attend these gigs, because there's always a little twinge of 'weird' about them. Of course, there's also that uniquely uncomfortable moment when four pudgy old dudes with black wigs stroll out pretending to be the fab four. 



But once you get past the cringe factor and the music starts, it suddenly doesn't matter. The music is universal, and when it’s performed well, it's excellent!! These guys were very good. Focusing on early Beatles material, they played non-stop hits with all the energy and mannerisms of the originals. If you're lucky, they're able to create those brief moments when the mind lets go and imagines it is the real thing ...

... that's why everyone comes in the first place.

Setlist from 1964 The Tribute
performance at Key West Theater





HONORABLE MENTION. COLON MAGIC GET TOGETHER
August 18-21, 1971
Colon High School Gymnasium
Colon, Michigan

It was the first major live performance of any kind that I ever attended. My great-grandparents drove me down from Battle Creek to the tiny village of Colon, Michigan, about thirty miles away.

Colon was known as the "Magic Capital of the World" after magician Harry Blackstone moved there with his family. His friend, Percy Abbott, an Australian who specialized in building illusions also moved there. Together, they formed the Blackstone Magic Company, selling magic tricks and large scale illusions from a small building in the center of Colon. Beginning in 1934, Blackstone held an annual get together of magicians to demonstrate his products and promote his avocation. The tradition continues to this day, drawing as many as 1,200 magicians to southern Michigan to share their latest innovations.

1971 was a particularly important year because Harry Blackstone, Jr. returned to give a major performance. He was renowned not only for his magic, but also for his Jiffy Pop commercials shown regularly on national television. I was eleven years old, and being able to witness a master magician up close was a wonder to behold. He asked me, as well as every other kid in the audience, to come up and watch his "vanishing bird cage" illusion, where he held a small box-like cage in his hands and made it disappear. He did, and it was amazing. It sparked an interest in magic that continues to this day.

Harry Blackstone, Jr. at the Colon Magic Get Together

I have taken my family to Colon many times to purchase magic tricks at Abbott's Magic Shop, and every time I return to that hamlet, I remember that incredible Saturday afternoon meeting magician Harry Blackstone, Jr.





HONORABLE MENTION. U2
"U2 UV At The Sphere"
September 15, 2024
The Sphere
Las Vegas, Nevada

This was the concert that wasn't ... but it was damned close!! 





The Sphere in Las Vegas opened in the summer of 2023. It is a huge geodesic dome, covered with millions of LED lights on its exterior, capable of projecting shockingly high-definition images on its surface. It draws instant attention from everywhere in the city (even outer space) and has already become an icon on the Las Vegas strip.


Inside, it is a massive (18,000 seat) performance venue, featuring more than 60,000 square feet of super-high-definition 16K x 16K screens that wrap around the audience. In addition, there are more than 160,000 laser-directed speakers mounted in the walls as well as sensurround seating. It was designed primarily for concerts and the first band chosen for an extended residency was U2. For two years, the band worked with producer Brian Eno to develop a multi-media spectacular showcasing the Sphere's capabilities. Opening on September 29, 2023, U2 performed forty concerts into March 2024. It was a colossal success.



By popular demand, the concerts were filmed in 16K and edited by The Edge. On September 5, 2024, the Sphere began daily showings of "U2 UV At The Sphere," a re-creation of a full performance. We were among the first to view the concert film.



Nothing can fully prepare the viewer for what takes place over the next ninety minutes. The best way to describe it is sensory overload. The wrap-around screens enveloped us completely, with Eno's original concert graphics evolving from super-realistic to surreal. The sound and sensations were exactly the same as the original productions. The band was also filmed and projected exactly where they were during the live shows. In 16K (four times more HD than 4K), from our vantage point, the band looked absolutely real. Almost three dimensional. The overall effect was stunning.


If we had seen this live, it might have made the top ten on our list. But even as a concert film, it definitely makes our list of Honorable Mentions.

It's incredible. Go see it!!