Ours Go to 11: Volume 38, Coolest Concerts Attended

In my previous post--inspired by the coronavirus pandemic precluding my seeing the Chicago Cubs play the St. Louis Cardinals in London, as I was scheduled to--I compiled a list of the most Notable Games I have attended.

Initially I was intending to cover Regular Season and Postseason/Exhibition games in separate lists within the same post.

But recollecting, researching and writing about just the Regular Season games of note wound up taking up a full afternoon.

So I promised to cover Playoff Games in a subsequent post.

Ostensibly, that would be this one.

But today, June 17, is a date that stands out in my mind for some memorable concerts I've attended.

So it seems apropos to do this:

The Most Memorable Rock Concerts I've Been To 
These shouldn't be construed as "the best" concerts, and while I'll include plenty of Bruce Springsteen, I won't let him fill the Top 11, even though he easily could. (This includes leaving out Springsteen on Broadway.)

1. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - June 17, 2000 - Madison Square Garden, New York
The Boss is my favorite; I don't think there's ever been a better live rock performer. To date, I've seen him 50 times, including 10 shows on his 1999-00 reunion tour with the E Street Band. This one was amid a tour ending 10-show soldout run at the world's most famous arena. Via the on-sale, I was able to snag a ticket in the 10th row center (over-the-phone from Chicago). And the show was as great as I could've hoped.

2. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - June 15, 2013 - Wembley Stadium, London
I've seen Bruce many other cool places, some noted below and also the now-demolished Giants Stadium in New Jersey, where I attended 7 shows across 3 tours. But seeing him at Wembley, in London, on an European jaunt, was extra special.

3. Nirvana - October 25, 1993 - Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
During the concert, Kurt Cobain opined that the sound sucked. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" went unplayed. And in a post-show interview with Rolling Stone's David Fricke, Kurt said, "I’m really glad you could make it for the shittiest show on the tour." Still, though my memory isn't great, I can acutely remember being absolutely blown away.

4. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - June 17, 1981 - Rosemont Horizon, near Chicago
My first concert attended of my own volition. The Loop radio station presented it as a "Free Show" and I was able to get a pair of tickets by waiting at Flip Side at Lincoln Village mall. Being only 12, I had to be accompanied to the show by my dad. We didn't always get along, but this was a cherished memory.

5. David Bowie - May 25, 1990 - Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
In March 1990, at the age of 21, I moved from the Chicago area to Los Angeles, settling in the poorer section of Encino in the San Fernando Valley. After having missed out on seeing him in Chicago in 1983 and 1987, I made a point of seeing the "Thin White Duke" at Dodger Stadium. It was my first show in LA, and one I went to by myself. Can't say I recall all that much, but have never forgotten Bowie opening with "Space Oddity."

6. U2 - April 29, 1987 - Rosemont Horizon
Technically, this wasn't my first time seeing U2 live; note #11 below, the previous year. But during my freshman year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, U2 had become--with the release of The Joshua Tree--"Rock's Hottest Ticket" as proclaimed on a TIME magazine cover. With just one show at the Horizon, getting tix seemed daunting, but via the Jam (Productions) Ticket Club, I got two choice seats on the floor.

7. The Rolling Stones - September 16, 2002 - Aragon Ballroom
As with most of the artists on this list and many others, I've seen the Stones a bunch of times. But just by simple luck I was able to buy, for $50 each, tickets when they opted to do an intimate show at the Aragon among bigger Chicago venues as well. The setlist was actually a tad esoteric, so it isn't the "best" Stones show I've seen. But it was quite cool, and Bono even showed up onstage to duet on "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)."

8. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - September 7 & 8 - Wrigley Field, Chicago
My favorite artist at my favorite place in the world, twice. 6-1/2 hours of sheer joy. I even touched the Boss on Night 2, which isn't as creepy as it sounds.

9. Pearl Jam - July 9, 1995 - Marcus Amphitheater, Summerfest, Milwaukee
At the height of their popularity, Pearl Jam scrapped most of its tour due to refusing to play venues with tickets sold through Ticketmaster (with hefty surcharges). But they played Chicago's Soldier Field (should've gone but didn't) and two gigs as part of Summerfest. I went to the latter.

10. Paul McCartney - June 8, 2019 - Lambeau Field, Green Bay
I've seen the great Beatle many cool places--Wrigley Field, Le Bercy arena in Paris, Miller Park Milwaukee, Busch Stadium St. Louis, in Tulsa, OK and more--but even for a devoted Chicago Bears fan, there was something special about being on the tundra of the Green Bay Packers home stadium. And still playing nearly 3 hours, Sir Paul was awesome. 

11. Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope tour featuring U2, The Police, Peter Gabriel, Bryan Adams, Lou Reed and Robin Williams - June 13, 1986 - Rosemont Horizon
A remarkable lineup, and my first time seeing any of the performers. U2 was incredible; The Police, who had reunited for the tour and were terrific, still shouldn't have followed them as the closing act.

Some others

- Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) with student musicians - March 21, 2009 - Private residence. A close friend's family hosted a special benefit performance. 
- Foo Fighters - March 29, 1996 - Riviera Theatre, Chicago. My first Foo.
- Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - July 17, 1984 - Rosemont Horizon. First-time seeing Bruce live; life-changing.
- The Smashing Pumpkins - April 10, 1999 - St. Andrews Hall, Detroit. "The Arising" tour briefly reunited the original Pumpkins for the last time. There was no Chicago show, so I went to Detroit for a small club gig. Would see a bunch of shows the next year on the then-final tour, including in Paris.
- R.E.M. - October 21, 1986 - Chick Evans Field House, NIU, DeKalb, IL. Early in my freshman year; I got up to the first row. It made me a fan for life.
- Radiohead - August 15, 2003 - Parc Jean Drapeau, Montreal. A Canadian air travel blackout on the day of the show forced me to fly to Burlington, Vermont, take a bus, find my hotel and take the subway to reach the show at a huge park on an island. I think I missed two songs.

- Vote for Change Tour - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, R.E.M., Bright Eyes - October 3, 2004 - Cobo Hall, Detroit. After seeing Pearl Jam at a VFC show the night before in Toledo, where Neil Young showed up, I caught two more of my all-time favorites in Detroit. No Neil, but John Fogerty and the Dixie Chicks made appearances.
- Aretha Franklin - September 3, 2017 - Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL. The legendary Queen of Soul was really terrific in her last Chicago appearance, my only time seeing her.
- Robert Plant - October 2, 2014 - Riviera Theatre, Chicago. I love Led Zeppelin and have seen Plant many times, including twice with Jimmy Page. But there was something just goose-bumpnig and mind-blowing about this particular gig.
- Material Issue - May 7, 1991 - Palomino Club, North Hollywood, CA. Living in L.A., I caught wind of this Chicago trio getting buzz from their debut album and went to see them at a long-famed country music venue. In 1994 I was back in the Chicago burbs and went to a Material Issue CD signing, where I mentioned having seen them at the Palomino, which seemed to impress them. Sadly, singer/songwriter Jim Ellison took his life just a couple years later.

And also...

- Stereophonics - December 11, 2003 - Cubby Bear. Hung out with the band afterward.
- AC/DC - Various - Always awesome
- Arcade Fire - Various - Likewise
- Buddy Guy - Several times - Buddy Guy's Legends
- Zwan - April 12, 13, 2002 - Double Door. Sheer joy in hearing new material ahead of the album.
- Midnight Oil - October 23, 2001 - The Rave. First time seeing a legendary band I long loved, in a small venue.
- The Who - July 21, 1989 - Alpine Valley, WI. My first-time seeing The Who was almost scrapped when a friend bailed, but my mom accompanied me. She would do so again for the Rolling Stones a few months later. 
- Coldplay - March 12, 2003 - Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee. A relatively intimate setting for how big they had already become, and the band was fantastic. Would then go see them at the Hollywood Bowl a couple months later and not be nearly as impressed.
- Stevie Wonder - June 28, 2008 - Petrillo Bandshell / Taste of Chicago. Just a "Wonder"ful communal vibe, especially when the entire lawn did the "electric slide."
- Soundgarden - January 29, 2013 - Riviera Theatre. As with the other times I saw them, they were bone-crushingly phenomenal.

There are dozens of other shows that I could easily have included here, so no slight meant to any artists, shows, venues or individuals with whom I may have attended.

The Best of 2019: My Favorite Songs of the Year

After Best of the Decade posts covering 14 categories, I'm moving onto The Best of 2019. (Although I hope to do one more Decade post.)

I will start with the most unique Best of the Year category, as it is not ranked and is interactive.

The Spotify playlist below allows you to not only see 25 of the songs I most enjoyed this year, but actually hear them. You'll need a basic Spotify account, but it's free.

As noted, these are not presented in preference order, simply as what I found to be an enjoyable listening experience.

Though I did try to stretch a bit beyond my penchant for hard rock, I certainly don't pretend my tastes represent everything that was good or inspired this year.

But from what I heard, this is what I liked.

You can play the songs through the interface below, but can also find/bookmark the playlist online through the URL:

SethSongs2019.best

And should you happen to care, past yearly playlists of favorite songs can be found by clicking each year: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014

Enjoy.

My Favorite Songs of 2019 

The Best of the Decade 2010-19: My Favorite Travel Destinations

I love to travel and was fortunate to get to many great places over the past decade.

Certainly, it's hard to compare trips, sights, experiences, etc., and gratefully, even more minor excursions to places like Kansas City, Grand Rapids, Detroit and Dayton were highly enjoyable.

I will cover my favorite restaurants in another post, though many of those will be local to Chicago and its suburbs.

The museums ranked below exclude any in the Chicago area, and I probably won't do a separate post for those, so should note my fondness for The Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science & Industry, Field Museum, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, American Writers Museum, DuSable Museum of African-American History, Chicago Cultural Center and others.

Favorite Trips

1. Peru - 2018 
2. Europe (London, Paris, Krakow, Vienna, Budapest) - 2013 
3. Japan - 2019 
4. India - 2017 
5. Rio de Janeiro & Buenos Aires - 2014 
6. New York City - 2017 (also 2011, 2015)
7. Mexico City - 2015 
8. London & Paris - 2011
9. Washington DC, Baltimore & Philadelphia - 2016
10. Iowa Road Trip - 2013
11. Playa del Carmen & Chichen Itza - 2019 
12. Boston - 2018

Favorite Global Cities Visited

1. London
2. Krakow
3. Paris
4. Mexico City
5. Vienna
6. Tokyo
7. Budapest
8. Buenos Aires 
9. Rio de Janeiro 
10. Kyoto 
11. Mumbai 
12. Lima


Favorite U.S. Cities Visited

1. New York
2. Boston
3. Washington
4. Philadelphia
5. Grand Rapids
6. Mason City/Clear Lake, IA
7. Kansas City
8. Detroit
9. Cleveland
10. Key West
11. Las Vegas
12. Buffalo


Favorite Sights Seen

1. Machu Picchu (Peru)
2. Taj Mahal 
3. Eiffel Tower
4. El Castillo, Chichen Itza (Mexico)
5. Kinkaku-ji (Kyoto, Japan)
6. Big Ben
7. Amber Fort (Jaipur, India) 
8. Chand Baori Step Well (Abhaneri, India) 
9. Niagara Falls
10. Ollantaytambo Sanctuary (Peru)
11. Schönbrunn Palace (Vienna)
12. Flatiron Mountains (Boulder, CO)
13. Bethesda Fountain (Central Park, New York)
14. Liberty Bell/Independence Hall
15. Great Buddha of Kamakura 

Special note: It's hard to call Auschwitz-Birkenau a "favorite" site, but it was certainly among the most impactful places I visited this decade.


Favorite Events Attended Away From Home

1. 2016 World Series Games 1 & 2 - Cleveland, OH 
2. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - London, Washington, DC, others
3. Springsteen on Broadway - New York, 2017
4. Paul McCartney - Paris, Green Bay, St. Louis
5. Lollapalooza Buenos Aires - 2014
6. Moulin Rouge musical - Boston, 2018
7. U2 - Denver, 2011
8. The Book of Mormon - New York, 2011
9. Yakult Swallows baseball game - Tokyo, 2019
10. Red Sox vs. Yankees - Boston, 2018
11. Ebertfest - Champaign, IL, several years
12. The Rolling Stones - Detroit, 2015
13. The Who - Buffalo, 2019
14. Radiohead - Kansas City, 2017
15. Chelsea FC soccer game - London, 2011

Favorite Museums Visited Beyond Chicago

1. Louvre - Paris
2. Secretariat of Public Education Building (Rivera Murals) - Mexico City
3. National Gallery - London
4. National Gallery - Washington, DC
5. Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York
6. National Anthropology Museum - Mexico City
7. Belvedere Museum - Vienna
8. Gandhi Smitri - Delhi
9. Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame - Cleveland
10. Kunsthistorisches Museum - Vienna
11. Carillon Historical Park - Dayton
12. Frida Kahlo Museum - Mexico City
13. Courtauld Gallery - London
14. Detroit Institute of Arts
15. Tate Modern - London
16. Meijer Gardens - Grand Rapids

Plus several other art museums: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City), Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston), Baltimore Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum (Baltimore), St. Louis Art Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, Musée National d'Art Moderne (Paris), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia), Milwaukee Art Museum, Larco Museum (Lima)

Watch Your Step: In Mining His Prodigious Past, Elvis Costello Strays From the Beaten Path -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Elvis Costello and the Imposters

Chicago Theatre

November 22, 2019

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A variety of engaging still images, typically shown as a matching or complementary trio, formed the backdrop for Elvis Costello's concert with the Imposters Friday night at the ornate Chicago Theatre.

Some were rather abstract graphics, others found Costello cheekily playing up his look on the cover of 1978’s This Year’s Model and, during “Watching the Detectives,” there were dozens of classic film noir posters, many in languages besides English.

All of these made for fun visuals to accompany the music; some were presumably new while others had also been part of the last Chicago show I saw Costello do, outside on Northerly Island in 2017, also with the Imposters.

My favorite of these images was shown repeatedly, but only before Elvis and the three musicians who comprise the Imposters took the stage. It's style was unlike any of the other graphics.

It was simply an ad promoting the first Chicago show by Elvis Costello and the Attractions--from which drummer Pete Thomas and pianist Steve Nieve remain in the Imposters--on December 2, 1977, in tandem with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

As shown on the ad, the price to get into a show featuring two of the greatest acts in rock history--though both still nascent at the time--was $3.00.

I was only 9 years old then and unaware of the show or either artist.

But just 3-1/2 years later, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers would be the first rock concert attended of my own volition--though accompanied by my dad--at a "free" show at the Rosemont Horizon, for which The Loop radio station gave away all the tickets.

The late TP remained one of my favorites, and I'd see him with the Heartbreakers several more times over the years.

It took a few more years for me to really know and appreciate Elvis Costello, but I was a fan by the mid-'80s and while living in Los Angeles in the early-'90s, I not only saw him live for the first time, I bought all of his then-available CDs in one fell swoop (beyond The Best of Elvis Costello & the Attractions compilation I already had).

Friday night was the 10th time I saw Costello onstage, mostly with the Imposters--who feature Danny Faragher on bass--including once opening for the Rolling Stones at Soldier Field on a freezing October night in 2006, as well as what was mostly a discussion & book signing (as part of the CHicago Humanities Festival), though he also played a few songs.

I wouldn't say I needed to see Elvis again at this just juncture, and didn't jump at tickets when they went on sale.

But enough seats remained available that--with the kind help of a friend willing to go to the Chicago Theatre box office on his lunch break even though he didn't attend--I was able to get a balcony seat for $38.50, without any Ticketmaster fees.

Costello is calling this the Just Trust Tour, explained as:

“The tour is entitled, ‘Just Trust’ in answer to the musical questions: ‘Will they play my favorite song?,’ or, ‘Are they going to frighten the horses with a lot of excellent songs that are rarely performed?,’ not to mention, ‘Can I expect the hits of yesteryear and those of tomorrow?’ To which we say: Just Trust Elvis Costello and The Imposters.” 

So--particularly in having seen via Setlist.fm that their performances this fall were fairly lengthy and included several songs I love--I trusted.

And was, almost entirely, richly rewarded.

Sure, I rued not hearing one of my EC favorites, "Brilliant Mistake," which was done the night before
in Ann Arbor.

"(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" and "Radio, Radio" are a couple others I wish hadn't been eschewed on this night.

But Elvis Costello, now 65--he was born Declan MacManus--has released 30 studio albums, most of which have several stellar songs.

So there's no way he's gonna play everything everyone hopes to hear. (This was the Chicago setlist.)

And he noted early on that the tour's two female backing vocalists--who also serve as a visual foil for the four male musicians--were both out of commission with the flu, so the band was going to play some things they often don't. (The women being gone seemingly put the kibbosh on material from 2018's fine Look Now album, as only "He's Given Me Things" was played from it.)

Starting with opening song "Strict Time," I heard several familiar tunes that I quite enjoyed, including a cherished rarity like "Big Tears," a great take on "Accidents Will Happen" powered by sublime piano from Nieve, likewise a truly wistful "Almost Blue"--though of course, some assholes couldn't help chatter during this most delicate of songs--and a blissfully extended "I Want You."

There were several other recognizable gems from throughout Costello's vast oeuvre--"Watch Your Step," "Mystery Dance," "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," "Veronica," "This Year's Girl," "High Fidelity" and the aforementioned, "Watching the Detectives."

Encores of "Pump It Up," "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" and "Alison" were as blissful as one could want.

And including a few pairing just Costello and Nieve, songs I didn't readily know--such as "Stations of the Cross," "I Still Have That Other Girl," "A Face in the Crowd" and "Blood and Hot Sauce"--routinely sounded terrific.

So it was certainly a great show, clocking in at nearly 135 minutes.

But whereas I had awarded Costello gigs in 2017, 2014 and 2013 a full @@@@@ on my Seth Saith rating scale, this one felt somewhat disjointed and uneven at times--perhaps due to changes resulting from the missing vocalists--despite all the sensational music and some fun storytelling from Costello.

Hence, the 1/2@ deduction.

Certainly this is critical trifling, and with the singer seemingly in good stead and great voice after he had to cancel some summer 2018 shows due to cancer--from which he's seemingly fully recovered--I'm happy to report that some 42 years after first playing in Chicago* on a bill with the dearly departed Tom Petty, one can trust in the ever-enduring greatness of Elvis Costello.

His aim is still true.

---
*Per Setlist.fm, Elvis Costello's first Chicago area concert seemingly came at B'Ginnings in suburban Schaumburg, two days before the show at the Riv that I referenced above, which was the first in Chicago proper. It was followed by another gig at the Riv the next night, apparently without Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. The 12/2/77 show was not Petty's first in Chicago.

Striking Accord: Tony-Winning 'Oslo' Given a Fine TimeLine Production in Chicago -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Oslo
a recent play by J.T. Rogers
directed by Nick Bowling
TimeLine Theatre Company
at Broadway Playhouse
Presented by Broadway in Chicago
Thru October 20
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In Amadeus, the 1984 film about Mozart adapted by Peter Shaffer from his own play—Shaffer also wrote Equus, which I recently saw for the first time—his patron, Emperor Joseph II, gives a small but condescending critique of one of the maestro’s compositions, saying:

"My dear, young man, don't take it too hard. Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. There are simply too many notes, that's all. Cut a few and it will be perfect."

To which Mozart sharply retorts:

“Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?” 

I feel it only fair to share this point of reference in suggesting that J.T. Rogers' Tony-winning 2016 play, Oslo—which is quite astute, enlightening and largely masterful—might have felt even greater to me were about 30 minutes cut from its 2 hour & 45 minute runtime.

Photo credit on all: Brett Beiner

Obviously, Rogers—whose The Overwhelming I also enjoyed several years ago—didn’t think there was any unneeded excess to his script, and in addition to the 2017 Tony for Best Play, it won a slew of other awards.

So who am I to say, and regardless I still highly recommend Oslo, which despite all its honors didn't get funding for a national tour so is being presented in Chicago--under the auspices of Broadway in Chicago--by TimeLine Theatre, long one of the city's best local troupes.

I am delighted for the exposure TimeLine is getting in staging this high-profile work within the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (rather than in its regular home in part of a church complex on Wellington Avenue).

Though I didn't have time to read a lot of it, it's great that TimeLine is able to maintain its tradition of accompanying shows with informative background information on lobby displays, as well as publishing additional material in its Backstory pamphlet, which supplements the regular show program.

Oslo's focus on international diplomacy--specifically negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leading to peace accords announced in September 1993--reminded me of a play called Blind Date, about the first meeting between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

But Oslo is considerably better than that work in almost all ways, including by focusing on negotiators a step--or several--below Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, PLO Chairman Yassar Arafat and U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The Palestinians are primarily represented by Arafat subordinates Ahmed Qurie (Anish Jethmalani) and Hassan Asfour (Amro Salama), while a rumpled economics professor named Yair Hirschfeld (Ron E. Rains) is initially selected by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yossi Belin (Stef Tovar) to negotiate on behalf of Israel, with Uri Savir (Jed Feder) also getting involved. An attorney named Joel Singer (Tom Hickey) later takes a key seat at the table.

All these roles are well played, and under the fine direction of Nick Bowling, Rogers' deeply-researched script incorporates a surprising amount of humor and humanity into the clandestine negotiations that largely take place in Oslo, the capital of Norway.

But the heart of the play--which features a 13-person cast, and that's with some actors playing multiple roles--comes in enlightening the world to the behind the scenes involvement and importance of Norwegian couple Terje Rød-Larsen (an excellent Scott Parkinson) and Mona Juul (Bri Sudia,  terrific again as in TimeLine's A Shayna Maidel and several musicals).

Terje is a professor who runs a think tank/aid organization with the help of Mona--who is also a noted diplomat--and they essentially push for the Israel-PLO summit to happen, initially quite secretly.

There's a lot going on, and its to Rogers' great credit--as well as Bowling and the excellent cast here--that despite the subject matter, it's eminently watchable and far more powerful than ponderous.

Yes, as I opined to open, the play feels long, particularly the first act, where it seemed there could be fewer scenes with the various negotiators involved.

Certainly, heading downtown after a workday in the far north suburbs wasn't ideal for me staying pinpoint sharp throughout, but Oslo did hold my attention, while considerably entertaining and enlightening me.

It is an excellent play that demands being seen.

Perhaps even more if there was just a bit less.

The Boss Hits 70: Celebrating Bruce Springsteen on His Birthday

Bruce Springsteen, my favorite musician of all-time by a wide margin--although I absolutely love the Beatles and have greater reverence for their importance--turns 70 today.

I myself am 50, and will turn 51 in just about 3 weeks, on October 15. 

Although there are several dates I can pinpoint in reference to the Boss--I bought Born in the U.S.A. (on cassette) on its day of release, June 4, 1984, first saw Bruce live with the E Street Band on July 17, 1984, last saw him with the band on September 1, 2016, saw Springsteen on Broadway on December 9, 2017 and met him (quite briefly) on November 28, 2016 at a promotional event for his Born to Run autobiography--I can't tell you exactly when I became a Springsteen fan.

My guess is sometime in the fall of 1980, after "Hungry Heart" became a hit single.

Without yet owning any of his four prior albums, I know I bought The River on LP--which came out October 17, 1980--but not immediately.

So presumably I became a Bruce Springsteen fan at age 12, and have loved him and his music ever since.

I can't recall if I knew the song "Born to Run" at that point, or had seen yet clips of Springsteen in concert (likely a few).

Unlike in the recent Blinded by the Light movie, there was no obvious demarcation moment--nor is there in Saffraz Manzoor's book on which it is based--but at some point when I was in 7th grade (1980-81), perhaps already in possession of The River there was this:

A class assignment instructed we visit someone doing a job we could imagine wanting to do. I visited disc jockey Terri Hemmert at WXRT Radio (where she's remained a staple until just this year).

I don't recall the exact context, but I remember Terri bantering with others (off air) about Springsteen, expressing admiration for this line from the song "Badlands":

"Poor man want to be rich / Rich man want to be king / And a king ain't satisfied till he rules everything"

That conversation, and those words, have always stuck with me.

I was too young to see Bruce when he played the Uptown Theatre or Rosemont Horizon on the original River Tour, but still recall a local Chicago sportscaster--Chuck Swirsky, who remains one--raving about how incredible Springsteen was live.

Click to enlarge

As I detailed here, in July 1984, while working a summer job as a messenger for a Chicago Loop law firm at the age of 15, I convinced my parents that spending $35--via a ticket broker--to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Rosemont Horizon was an important thing for me to do.

They even gave me a ride to the show.

And as you can see via the nearby graphic, I've now had the sheer pleasure of seeing The Boss onstage 50 times, most since 1999.

I'm hoping to increase that by at least five if he tours with the ESB next year, as rumored.

All told, I've seen over 800 rock concerts by various artists, including numerous shows by several of the all-time greats: The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Who, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant + Jimmy Page, AC/DC, Elton John, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, U2, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Rush, Green Day, Arcade Fire and dozens of others.

I relish all of them.

But--and I say this with great respect for many others I love--as a live performer, there is Bruce Springsteen with the E Street Band, and then there is everyone else.

Clearly, I could prattle on about how my love of seeing Springsteen live has taken me to many places: New York/New Jersey, Cleveland, Columbus, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit, Louisville, London, Washington DC, many repeatedly, leading to wonderful interactions with fellow fans and rewarding concurrent explorations.

I could delve deep and tell you how much the man and his music have meant to me, at the happiest and darkest of times.

When I share how I made it through a somewhat bully-ridden, unpopular, romance-less high school existence with reasonable aplomb, invariably I say that in lieu of going to parties, I would stay home, read a book and listen to Springsteen...and it would be more than enough to get me by.

It's been ages since I've seen the same movie twice in a movie theater in the same year, but I did so with Blinded by the Light. I loved it because of Javed's (the main character) love of Springsteen and all the music that was therefore featured, but wasn't overwhelmed by it simply as a movie (it was a tad too obvious).

Still, when I first saw the trailer it brought tears to my eyes, because the connection Javed has with Springsteen songs and lyrics that would change his life, well, I've had that.

But I could write another 5,000 words and they all would be driving home the same point: My existence has been forever immeasurably enriched by being a Bruce Springsteen fan.

His music, his integrity, his incredible concerts, his politicism, his sense of decency and honor, his candor about his struggles with depression, his smile and spirit after 3-1/2 hours onstage, his continued exploration of new musical directions and perhaps most of all, my belief that no one does what they do better than he does what he does, with an ever-abiding exuberance and passion and gusto and joy.

He's not just the Boss, he's the Best.

So Happy Birthday #70, Bruce Springsteen.

I'm thankful you were born and will be alongside for as long as you continue to run.

Or I do.

---
It was really hard whittling down to my 20 favorite Springsteen songs, which could change daily. But with apologies to "Atlantic City," here's a Spotify playlist ordered from #1 to 20: 

When Love Comes To/From Town: 'Come From Away' Wonderfully Sings the Praises the Giving One's Best at the Worst of Times -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Come From Away
Cadillac Palace, Chicago
Thru August 18
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The awful events of Sept. 11, 2001 probably seem like the last thing anyone should ever write a Broadway musical about.

But befitting a show in part about changing perceptions via kindness and compassion, Come From Away slyly deals with that devastating day in an artful, humanistic, spirit-uplifting way.

Written and composed by Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the musical isn't directly about the terrorist attacks, the heroic first responders, the resiliency of New Yorkers and Americans, etc., though that's certainly woven in adroitly.

Rather, it chronicles what happened when--amid the stoppage of air traffic--38 planes full of people from just about everywhere landed in Gander, Newfoundland.

Circa 2001, Gander was home to about 9,000 people and what was once the world's busiest airport. 

Before jets became capable of reaching transatlantic destinations without refueling, Gander International Airport (YQX) was the foremost aviation pit stop location, but had become rather sleepy by 2001.

With many global flights in the air well before hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, passenger jets needed to land somewhere after U.S. airspace was closed.

I imagine there were other locales where something similar happened to a lesser extent, but Gander nearly doubled in size literally overnight, as the planes brought about 7,000 people.

Initially there was understandable confusion about all the aircraft arriving, and for quite some time passengers weren’t allowed to disembark.

As would be expected, those unexpectedly winding up in Gander—without knowing the news of the day—were confused, tired, fearful, hungry, wary, etc.

Many, coming from Africa, Asia and elsewhere, didn’t speak English, let alone clearly understand the Newfoundland dialect. And there was some ugly anger targeted at those who prayed in Arabic tongues.

Yet rather miraculously—within Come From Away, but seemingly quite so in real-life—the residents of Gander and nearby environs not only welcomed everyone, they truly cared for them.

Given how polarized we seem to be in the Trump era, there will conceivably be folks who find Come From Away far too liberal, progressive, open-hearted, empathetic, tolerant, loving, etc.

So be it, but I think it represents the way life should be. With kindness and mutual respect and newfound friendships—transcending race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, language, etc., etc.— coming in the shadow one of the worst events in world history.

But what makes Come From Away fantastic is that it’s far from just a Pollyannish, feel good show.

Sankoff and Hein have written a cool collection of songs that help tell the story while speaking to the great sorrows as well as camaraderie in the midst of anxiety.

“Welcome to the Rock,” “Wherever We Are,” “On the Edge,” “Heave Away,” “Screech In,” “Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere” and the poignant “Something’s Missing” are all terrific group numbers that mostly rock, but offer some nice variety.

Before I get further into details, let me note that I am specifically reviewing the Chicago stop of Come From Away’s first national tour, following the show’s Broadway opening in March 2017.

Prior to reaching Broadway--where it continues to run rather successfully--the show had played a few cities, including Washington, DC, where I saw the first preview in September 2016.

Through a promotion by TodayTix, I was able to get a free ticket, and the experience was abetted by the venue: the Ford's Theatre, where President Lincoln was shot and killed in 1865 but which remains an operating theater (as well as a tourist attraction).

A mini-review is just a minor part of this travelogue of a multi-city East Coast city I took, but--as now--I awarded @@@@@ on my 5@ scale and called Come From Away "really phenomenal."

Certainly there was some great talent in that cast, which largely went to Broadway--including Jenn Colella, who would be Tony-nominated, and Joel Hatch, who I recalled fondly from The Adding Machine at Next Theatre in Evanston, IL--but this is truly a musical where everyone in the cast is integral, especially as all rotate through multiple roles.

So although from my balcony seat at Chicago's Cadillac Palace I had some trouble seeing around a sizable patron in front of me, disregarding the unique appeal of the Ford's Theatre I would say the touring version of Come From Away is in no way lesser.

Becky Gulsvig, who I've liked in Legally Blonde and Beautiful, does a fine job in Colella's role, principally playing an airline pilot named Beverley. She belts out "Me and the Sky" really well.

Everyone is notably good, including Kevin Carolan, Nick Duckart and Emily Walton.

Having often enjoyed James Earl Jones II--who is not the son of but somehow related to his famed namesake--on Chicago area stages, it was delightful on multiple levels to note his inclusion in this touring cast.

And while everyone runs through multiple roles, as both passengers and Gander locals--it's not nearly as confusing as that may sound, thanks clearly to director Christopher Ashley--the friendship among Julie Johnson's Beulah and Danielle K. Thomas' Hannah, whose son is a Manhattan fireman, is definitely a highlight.

So you have an oddly heartwarming true story, well-told and staged, accompanied by some superb songs and excellent performances, all clocking in well under an intermission-less 2 hours.

By all means, Come From Away to see this striking musical. 

It's that special.

Particularly if you agree that much can be solved simply by people being nice to one another.

(Though in addition to touring and playing Broadway, it can also be found in Toronto, London (UK) and elsewhere.)

Frampton Remains Alive...and Seemingly Well: On Farewell Tour, I Love His Way -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Peter Frampton & band
w/ opening act
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening
Huntington Bank Pavilion, Chicago
July 28, 2019
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In January 1976, when he was 25 and I was 7, Peter Frampton released Frampton Comes Alive, a double live album recorded the previous year, mostly at shows in San Francisco and on Long Island.

Although he'd previously earned some acclaim as guitarist for the band Humble Pie, and put out four studio albums under his own name, at that point the Englishman was not a star.

Only 1975's Frampton had broken Billboard's top 100--it went to #32--and he had yet to have any hit singles.

But while Frampton Comes Alive wasn't an instant sensation, it rather soon exploded--hitting #1 in April 1976, selling 8 million copies and becoming the best-selling live album of all-time (though it now ranks 4th).

Although my dad--more a classical, opera and Broadway fan but open to some rock--did bring late '70s mega-albums such as The Eagles' Hotel California, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack into the family's growing record collection, he never bought Frampton Comes Alive, nor did I until decades later.

So while I was aware of Frampton, hit songs such as "Show Me the Way" and "Baby, I Love Your Way," the popularity of Frampton Comes Alive and his role in the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie--which I saw upon its 1978 release--he never figured that strongly into my rock fandom.

I vaguely remember the title track of his 1981 album, Breaking All the Rules, but even at the time, it felt like a minor comeback by a has-been. Frampton was all of 30, and aside from some 21st century curiosity that saw me buy but not particularly love Frampton Comes Alive, Peter remained a blip on my rock 'n roll radar.

I'd never seen him live in concert, even deciding a 2017 show in my hometown of Skokie was priced too high for my interest.

But I'd heard some good things about that acoustic gig, loved an interview he did with Howard Stern and was moved by his announcement earlier this year that he will "retire from regular vigorous touring at the end of this year due to being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM)," a progressive muscle disorder characterized by muscle inflammation, weakness and atrophy.

Thus, I took note of the announcement of his show at the Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island--a venue he also played in 2016 and '18--and when Live Nation offered a special $20 ticket deal, I snagged three seats.

Hence, I was eager to see Peter Frampton.

But not that eager.

Even in doing some Spotifamilarizing with setlisted songs from earlier on the tour, there wasn't much I loved besides some Frampton Comes Alive highlights and "Breaking All the Rules."

And to be perfectly honest, the best music I heard Sunday night came before Frampton and his band took the stage.

For the night's--and mostly the tour's--opening act was Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening.

Bonham, himself a powerhouse drummer, is the son of Led Zeppelin's late, legendary John Bonham, and has played in the stead of his dad in some sporadic Zep one-off reunions.

And as he said from the stage, for 9 years now, he has toured to essentially pay tribute to his dad and the music he once made with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones.

At no point across Bonham's 50+ minute set did I imagine I was watch the actual Zeppelin, nor did it quite compare with seeing Plant, as I have numerous times. But with James Dylan doing a stellar job with Plant's vocals and Tony Catania ripping through the Page guitar parts, it was thrilling to hear "The Immigrant Song," "The Ocean," "Whole Lotta Love," "Rock and Roll," "Stairway to Heaven" and more.

Understandably, Bonham's crew didn't get headliner-style lighting, nor full crushing volume, but while Peter Frampton became pretty huge during the '70s, Led Zeppelin pretty much owned the decade.

So it was rather gutsy, and cool, that Frampton would readily wreak the comparisons upon himself, with an opening act that got most of the crowd onto their feet.

Yet while the music itself is one thing--and Zeppelin's greatest hits will win the battle for me against almost anyone--Frampton proved himself up to the challenge.

With a warm smile on his face, the once long-maned rock idol seemed comfortable as a still-estimable musician of 69, with little hair and a gray beard (and a t-shirt reading "EQUALITY").

Opening--as does Frampton Comes Alive--with "Baby (Something's Happenin')", Frampton often rather affably regaled the crowd with stories, including one about saving a bird that had somehow doinked itself on the singer's balcony in Nashville.

This actually led into a relatively new song about the incident called "I Saved a Bird Today."

Musically, the most overtly delectable moments harkened to the hallowed live album--"Show Me the Way," "Baby, I Love Your Way," the main set-closing long romp of "Do You Feel Like I Do," incorporating Frampton's famed talk box effect--but appreciating what Peter will be up against medically, just hearing him play any guitar leads was tremendously delightful.

Though he's been doing largely the same setlist--and therefore three blues covers--at most Finale Tour stops, it was particularly cool to hear him play these ("Georgia (On My Mind)," "Me and My Guitar," "Same Old Blues") in Chicago.

And being a huge Soundgarden fan, I got choked up hearing Frampton's largely instrumental take on "Black Hole Sun" and his spoken introduction to it, in which he dedicated the song to Chris Cornell, whom Peter had come to know after recording the tune for his 2006 Fingerprints album, his only to win a Grammy.

Even when a song, such as "(I'll Give You) Money," felt a tad indulgent--though Frampton's guitar interaction with Adam Lester was sweet--the truth is that on a picture-perfect night on Chicago's lakefront, skyline in view, two friends alongside, with a terrific opening act, all for $20, the whole performance was just joyful.

Most of all because of how cool Frampton seemed.

It would conceivably be easy for him to be somewhat bitter in having spent the last 40-some years in the shadow of a fabled album from his mid-20s, and now being stricken with an illness likely to rob him of his ability to play music.

But he was entirely amiable, engaging and gracious, thanking the rather full crowd, paying tribute to ex-bandmates who have passed on and speaking candidly about his diagnosis. (He didn't mention one notable childhood friend, David Bowie--who also was an art pupil of Frampton's dad--but did name drop another, Bill Wyman.)

As he's done in other cities, I would've relished him closing out the night with a cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," seemingly a perfectly poignant end to the evening...and eventually his touring career.

But after a couple Humble Pie tunes as encores--including Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor," in
which I sensed an added air of defiance--Peter Frampton simply said "I can't say goodbye" and left the stage, seemingly not wishing to run afoul of the 11pm curfew. (Though Bonham and Frampton combined for a generous 3 hours of music, there's no reason the show couldn't have been slated to start half-hour earlier than the ticketed 7:30pm).

But I guess I really didn't need to hear his guitar weep, especially as Peter Frampton seemed not an iota sorry for himself.

Sure, it took me awhile, but I'm happy I saw Frampton come alive.

And, ooh baby, I loved his way.

Wondra on the Tundra: Paul McCartney Makes for a Perfect Knight at Lambeau Field — Green Bay Concert Review

Concert Review

Paul McCartney
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
June 8, 2019
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On June 18, Paul McCartney will turn 77.

He has finally let his hair go gray, after years of presumably using dye to keep his famed mop-top brown.

In terms of chronological measures, Sir Paul is getting old.

But seeing “Macca”—as he is also affectionately known—live in concert never does.

Or at least it hasn’t yet, with Saturday’s show in Green Bay marking the 13th time I’ve seen the ex-Beatle, the 12th since 2002 and the 9th in the past 10 years, on yet another Abbey Road trip after having—in recent years—ventured to Tulsa, Milwaukee, St. Louis and the southwest Chicago suburban wasteland of Tinley Park. (I also saw Paul in Paris in 2011, as well as multiple times in Chicago proper.)

Gratefully, my friend Brad did the driving this time, having gotten himself a prime seat on the field where the Green Bay Packers play.

Along with my most erstwhile concert pal, Paolo, I settled for a seat not nearly as choice, but also upon the famed—but on this perfect June night, not frozen—tundra.

Even for a diehard Chicago Bears fan, there was something extra special about being on Lambeau Field, and though many taller heads in the 80 or so yards between me and Sir Paul occasionally kept me from seeing his, the entire experience was awesome.

As he has at virtually every show since resuming fairly regular touring in 2002, McCartney and his band mates—all constant since then; hence with him longer than he was with the Beatles or Wings—played for just about three hours.

This show was about 5 minutes short of that mark, with perhaps the only concession to his age being the omission of “Yesterday,” making the set list 38 songs, rather than the formerly standard 39.

The basic outline of Macca’s shows has remained fairly congruent over the years—he doesn’t mix things up gig-to-gig like Bruce Springsteen or Pearl Jam, other live favorites of mine—and one can pretty much bet the house on hearing “Blackbird,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Band on the Run,” “Let It Be,” “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Live and Let Die” (with mass pyrotechnics), “Hey Jude” and some others, but all are among the best rock songs ever written.

Yet even with his current Freshen Up Tour hitting smaller U.S. markets this year—Ft. Wayne, Madison, Moline, Lexington, KY, Greenville, SC, etc.—he’s rotated in Beatles chestnuts such as “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “All My Loving,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “From Me to You,” none of which I heard in Tinley Park in 2017.

Proving that—as arguably rock’s greatest songwriter ever—he can still pen a catchy melody, Paul nicely included “Who Cares,” “Come On to Me” and “Fuh You” from 2018’s Egypt Station album, while the Quarrymen’s “In Spite of All the Danger” meant that a 60-year stretch of original, recorded music was represented on the night.

But while I won’t pretend to be above going to certain concerts predominantly out of reverence—Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Dylan (to some extent; sometimes he’s still superb), the now passed Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and others—continuing to repeatedly see Paul McCartney live, at considerable cost and/or distance, isn’t primarily about worship nor even nostalgia.

Few things in life provide me as much acute joy as a Paul McCartney concert.

Sure, his voice isn't what it was at 24, but it still sounds darn good, especially with a 50,000 strong chorus singing along with every word.

On the night, Macca plays bass, acoustic & electric guitars and a couple different pianos, and fairly amazingly—at any age—there isn't a second onstage that he's isn't playing and/or singing.

Guitarist Rusty Anderson delectably covers many of the George Harrison solos, accompanied by Brian Ray (guitar), Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboards) and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums), who remains a powerhouse and a hoot.

Yes, I've heard Sir Paul's stage stories many a time, whether reminiscing about Jimi Hendrix & Eric Clapton, recalling his Red Square encounters with Russian politicians or paying tribute to his late Beatles bandmates, John Lennon and George Harrison.

But only in the best of ways can Sir Paul McCartney be blamed for me and my pals venturing to see him in Green Bay—and in many a place, many a time.

While I always hope he might sprinkle in "Penny Lane" or "Getting Better" or any of dozens of other gems—even from Wings and his solo albums—more than he does, the truth is over the years I've heard him do 120 different songs...

...and, really, anything he wishes to play is fine with me. (See Paul McCartney's Green Bay setlist here.)

It's delightful that he has horn players again along on this tour—not always the case—and including from within the Lambeau stands, they made "Got to Get You Into My Life," "Lady Madonna" and more sound particularly swell.

From the opening "A Hard Day's Night" to the traditional but apt closer, "The End"—with mirthful magnificence on essentially every note in between—Sir Paul McCartney made for a truly blissful and special knight in Green Bay.

I always hope I might see him yet again, and he seems due for another show within the Chicago city limits, but if this turns out to be the last time I get to see the man who—along with John, George and Ringo—most changed the world I enjoy living in, well, speaking his words of wisdom, love me do.

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Just a snippet of the "Hey Jude" singalong: