Reviews and Looks Goods

It's concert season again, and I'm trying to see as many shows as I can afford to see. I'll give you a brief summary and evaluation of what I've made it through so far -

Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello
with Amos Lee
Littlejohn Coliseum - Clemson, SC

This was a big deal for me because I've missed two opportunities to see Dylan live - once in high school at the BiLo Center and once in college when he played the old Greenville (then) Braves Stadium. In hindsight, however, I'm really glad that I missed those two shows for a few reasons.

#1 - There is no way I would have appreciated the magnitude of the experience.

#2 - I was not familiar at the time with any of his new music. ("Desire" was the only album I owned.)

#3 - Earlier configurations did not include Elvis Costello and Amos Lee; however, it would have been a great honor to see Willie Nelson the last go 'round.

Having said that, the show could not have been any better - save seats that weren't on the top row of the stadium.

Amos Lee opened for Costello and Dylan and put on quite a worthy show. Honestly, I'm not really familiar with Lee's music, but the performance was good enough to make me seek out some of his records. Much like Costello and Dylan, the carried with him a heavy country music influence, but at the same time, he seemed very much in touch with his pop sensibility.

Costello took the stage next in a solo performance which I'm sure I enjoyed much more than I would have had a backup band been present. Lyrically, I have always been a an of Costello. Though much of his earlier music turns me off a bit - not to mention the laughable number of his songs that share names with various women. His style is poetic - often both bitter and beautiful, and I found myself indulging his story telling perhaps a bit more than I should. I should also note that, judging by his crowd interaction, Costello has an ego the size of his Texas style riffs.

Dylan finished up the night and did not disappoint. Not only was his band phenomenal, he was surprisingly energetic for his age. He started the first few songs with a guitar, but soon retired to the keyboards for the remainder of the show. Dylan had always struck me as more of a writer than a musician; however, he could certainly hold his own on both a guitar and piano. I had always assumed that the lead parts on his records was some other musician in the background filling in space between words. I found that this is not the case, and he added to the talent he carries with him very nicely.

Dylan played a nice mix of old and new - leaning a little heavier on his new work. This was great for me because I enjoy some of his new world almost as much as the stuff he is a legend for. These were my picks:

Someday Baby
Summer Days
John Brown
and of course - Like a Rolling Stone

Besides the awful seats - it was an incredible experience. I'm hoping I get to experience him again before...well, you know.

Rilo Kiley
with Grand Ole Party and Art in Manila
The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC

First of all: The Orange Peel is one of the best venues around. Clean bathrooms, great environment, great shows, and great beer. All good things.

The show started on a high note with Art in Manila. Though I'm not familiar with the bands music, they put on a great show. Full of spunk and energy, they waxed on about everything from broken relationships to post consumer waste (which is what their CD case is made from.) Solid performance all around.

The next band to take the stage was Grand Ole Party. They too were an enjoyable band, mostly because the lead singer (female in all three groups) was also the drummer. As she played, she wore a Garth Brooks style headset for her vocals. Though she never really did anything overly impressive on the drums, I know for a fact that it's hard to sing and play drums. The only negative note for these guys would be that they (for my taste) sound just a bit too much like The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

As Rilo Kiley came onstage, it was obvious who - to the fans - Rilo Kiley is. As Jenny Lewis appeared from behind the curtain the meager cheering that had welcomed the rest of the band became an uproar of applause. In fact, I've actually heard people mistakingly refer to Jenny Lewis as "Rilo Kiley." It does, after all, sound like a girl's name.

There isn't an awful lot to say other than the band played a great mix of old and new songs - leaving out the weaker songs from the new album. One high note for me was the cover or Rise Up With Fists!! from Lewis' solo album "Rabbit Fur Coat." My picks were:

Ripchord
Moneymaker
Portions for Foxes
15
It's a Hit
Does He Love You?
and Rise Up With Fists!!

I'll leave you with a short clip from the actual show. I didn't film it, but whoever did was gracious enough to post the clip on YouTube.



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