Madonna Performs At Super Bowl XLVI

The commercials were pretty lame on the way to halftime and the first half of the  game was less than inspirational. It was up to Madonna to blow the roof off of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis with her live performance. The vital statistics for the halftime show are 8 minutes to set the show up, 12 minutes to blow the world’s minds and 7 minutes to take the show down. Madonna was quoted as saying “That’s a lot of pressure.” So how did the 53-year old Queen Of Pop do in her Super Bowl halftime performance?

In recent years the NFL has stuck with the more seasoned performers for their Super Bowl halftime shows. Ever since the infamous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” which gave the world an eyeful of a healthy breast the NFL has played it pretty safe. Madonna was admittedly a bit riskier performer than Paul McCartney, Prince or even the Black-Eyed Peas as she has been known to stir up controversy in the past.  

Madonna took the field on a golden chair pulled by a couple dozen young gladiator types. She kicked off her show with an excellent rendition of her hit “Vogue”. The stage was an amazing display of lights and video screens.

The song segued perfectly into Madonna’s song “Music”. The dancers were amazing on this number with one of the guys doing some weird trick with his leg that was pretty eye-popping. Another acrobat bounced on a tight wire and it was really a nice effect. The dancers were really great on this number. The song also featured LMFAO integrating their huge hits “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy And I Know It” with Madonna’s music.

This was followed by “Give Me All Your Luvin’” which featured Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.. They did a really nice job singing together and the performance was flawless. Suspiciously flawless actually. But the dancing again was really cool. Madonna proved that even at age 53 a girl isn’t too old to pick up the pom-poms and shake them at the Super Bowl. If there was a controversial moment it happened at the end of this performance with M.I.A. flipping a middle finger at the camera. Nothing says “hot” like a bird-flipping pop starlet!

Then drum major Cee Lo Green led his marching band onto the field to perform “Express Yourself” and “Open Your Heart” with Madonna. The band was really rocking with their marching and drum corps accompaniment.

The song segued into “Like A Prayer” which once again featured Cee Lo Green. The song also featured a full choir backing Madonna up on this song. The stage show wasn’t quite as elaborate on this song but that’s okay because it was all about Madonna. Madonna finished this song by stepping onto a platform and disappearing into a cloud of fog. The show closed with the words “World Peace” displayed on the video stage.

I think the show was a huge success for Madonna. Things went flawlessly with only a small stumble by Madonna during her first song. She easily recovered and gave a perfect show. Was she singing live? It didn’t look like it to me. The performance looked lip-synched and the music was pre-recorded. Madonna looked fabulous though and she made several flawless wardrobe changes. The show was mixed very well and it was very visually entertaining.

There were no surprises, no shocking wardrobe malfunctions or even any really controversial moments during the show. It was rock solid entertainment and a good tribute to Madonna’s professionalism. I enjoyed the show although I can’t say it inspired me and it didn’t really blow the roof off of Lucas Oil Stadium. If you missed Madonna’s performance during the Super Bowl, watch it on YouTube. It will feel just as live as if you did see it during the game. Madonna was live at the Super Bowl even if her singing wasn’t.

Madonna Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show Poster Flyer Ad Promo Gimme All Your Luvin US $15.01 (5 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 9:04:42 PST   | Watch this Item

MADONNA INDIANAPOLIS SUPER BOWL HALFTIME ARTICLE & PICTURES US $1.99 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 16:08:05 PST   | Watch this Item

Penthouse September 1991 Madonna the Lost Nudes(Super Bowl Halftime),Sasha Vinni US $8.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-09-2012 3:50:11 PST   | Watch this Item

MIA Maya promo sticker lot Bad Girls Superbowl halftime Madonna US $1.50 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Feb-10-2012 9:01:48 PST   | Watch this Item

MADONNA FAN CLUB ISSUE SUPERBOWL HALFTIME LIKE A VIRGIN MINT PICTURE LP VINYL US $9.99 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Feb-10-2012 19:44:49 PST   | Watch this Item

MADONNA VANITY FAIR ISSUE 2008 ~ SUPER BOWL XLVI HALFTIME SHOW PERFORMER !!! US $5.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday Feb-11-2012 10:08:21 PST   | Watch this Item

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Madonna Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show Review

Dave Grohl Playing Lucite Dan Armstrong Ampeg Guitar

   I was seventeen years old when I bought my first two Foo Fighters albums. Their debut self titled album and their second, “The Colour and the Shape”. I listened to it locked in my bedroom so my parents wouldn’t hear as they thought I was headed the wrong direction by listening to what they considered to be loud and unorganized rock music. Yet it seems over the last thirteen years the Foo Fighters have been the most consistent for me, never letting me down with what they have to offer. That is why on October 11, 2011, I was not going to miss seeing them at the Maverick Center in West Valley City, Utah.  

   It was ten years ago when I first saw them live on the main stage during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. My greatest memory of that night, besides the freezing cold was Dave’s clear guitar; a Lucite Dan Armstrong Ampeg. I thought at the time I couldn’t love the Foo Fighters more than I already did, but I was wrong. The most recent show at the Maverick Center flooded my brain with memories of why I have never stopped listening to one of the last great, raw, natural rock bands in history. Dave Grohl as a front man is his true calling in life. He plays guitar with pure heart. He sings with full conviction. It amazes me that he can sing the way he does for two and a half hours. So many full and good classic Dave Grohl screams. He has a raw love for what he is doing that draws you so far in you almost forget that there are hundreds of screaming people around you. Let alone what the guitars themselves do for your senses.

   Dave had around 6 guitars changes as well as all of the other members of the band. The Foo Fighters are crowd pleasers playing their old and new melodies mixed well throughout the night keeping you on your toes. You keep hoping their next song is one you can cross off your list of favorites, which is exactly what they did for me. Dave also pleases all who attend by having a really long extension of the main stage so he can walk down through the crowd. It didn’t matter where your seat was, at some point you would always have a good close up of Dave. He doesn’t interact too much with the rest of the band except for when Taylor Hawkins sings “Cold Day In The Sun”. They show everyone how their long friendship stays in tact as Dave teases Taylor by singing harmony into Taylor’s mic instead of his own. Mid-way through Dave takes on Chris Shiflett for a guitar solo war in which the crowd equally cheers for both band members.

   But Dave wants the world to know it’s not just about Dave as he takes time to fully introduce the band and give them their props. Even the keyboardist who only plays on four songs. The band as a whole is so engaging that you forget about the technical glitches; like the vocals not being loud enough on some songs and one of the TV monitors turning on and off throughout the night. Dave points out that if you want to be a true rock and roller, all you need is a guitar. He proves this by starting their encore with just his acoustic. They finish the show with Dave bringing out his memorable Lucite Dan Armstrong Ampeg, (he saves the best for last.) As the last few chords of “Everlong” are played, you feel the conclusion of an amazing night of memorable music.

   Highlights of the night were “My Hero”, “Learn To Fly”, “Walk”, “Monkey Wrench”, “All My Life”, “Everlong” and the acoustic “Times Like These”. The entire set list, (at least to the best of my knowledge), is below. Truly one of the greatest highlights of the night was before The Foo Fighters even began playing. Cage The Elephant’s drummer had emergency surgery due to his appendix bursting and who better than Dave Grohl to fill in on their last 5 songs. No one plays drums quite like Dave. Salt Lake City really did get a special showing unlike any other. The band is touring to promote their lastest album “Wasting Light”. The album offers classic Foo guitars and drums with a solid, matured and well mixed sound. Dave also promised they would record another album and come back out on tour. If you missed this time around, be sure that you don’t miss the next because it was one true rockin’ night to remember!

Bridges Burning
Rope
The Pretender
My Hero
Learn to Fly
White Limo
Arlandia
Breakout
Cold Day in the Sun
Stacked Actors
Walk
Monkey Wrench
Let It Die
These Days
Skin and Bones
This Is a Call
In the Flesh?
All My Life

Encore:
Long Road to Ruin
Best of You
Times Like These
Dear Rosemary
Breakdown
Everlong

In Store Vintage VINTAGE DAN ARMSTRONG PLEXI GUITAR WC StandardVINTAGE DAN ARMSTRONG PLEXI GUITAR WC

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Foo Fighters Concert Review Salt Lake City – October 11, 2011

Death Cab For Cutie at Maverick Center, August 22, 2011

   One of my favorite live bands is Death Cab For Cutie who came to play in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Maverick Center on August 22, 2011. I’m a big fan of Death Cab’s albums and Ben Gibbard’s excellent songwriting. Their albums are always a nice mix of good rock songs mixed with some mellow, dreamlike music. The albums are always very well produced so it’s very interesting to see how their songs translate live. Can Death Cab For Cutie bring it for a live show?  

   I have to say that Death Cab For Cutie is one of the best bands I’ve heard play live. What you hear on the albums is what you get at the shows but better. That’s rare for bands that sound so good on their recordings. Death Cab For Cutie recreates all the sounds you hear on the albums with the added bonus of bringing a higher energy to the music when they play it live. They pick up the tempos on some of the songs and Gibbard delivers the lyrics with more urgency in the live setting. It gives the songs a punch that isn’t as present on their albums and that’s one of the things that makes their live shows so enjoyable.

   Another thing that I love about Death Cab For Cutie live is their sound. They use excellent equipment live including Dr. Z amplifiers, Fender amplifiers and a mix of Fender, Vox and Gibson guitars. They also use a variety of vintage electric pianos and keyboards live which give a full, rich sound to their show. The mix always seems to be well balanced and clean whenever I see a Death Cab For Cutie show. The acoustics at the Maverick Center aren’t the best and Death Cab’s sound was a little more brittle than I’ve heard from them in the past but that’s because of the room. If you want to hear good sounding equipment, listen to Death Cab For Cutie live.

   The band was in good form and brought a lot of energy to the stage in Salt Lake City. The crowd was smaller than I’ve seen at other Death Cab For Cutie shows in Salt Lake City. The crowd may have seemed smaller because the Maverick Center is the biggest arena they’ve played in Salt Lake City.  Still, it was only about half full and I’m estimating the crowd to be around 5000 people. Ben Gibbard told the crowd how much he loved playing in Salt Lake City. The crowd that was there gave the band a lot of love and got moving pretty well. I felt like the crowd was more involved with the music and the message of the lyrics than they were with dancing. Still, there were times when everyone in the arena was on their feet and dancing to the music.

   Highlights of the night were fan favorites such as “I Will Posess Your Heart” which kicked off the show. Other songs that brought the crowd to their feet were “Soul Meets Body” as well as “The New Year“. The New Year is one of my personal favorites and is the song which turned me onto Death Cab For Cutie. Their live version of it is amazingly similar to the album yet somehow deeper sounding. The band finished their main set with “We Looked Like Giants”.

   The band is touring in support of their new album Codes and Keys which presents the band in a more experimental frame than on some of the past albums. Still, Codes and Keys has some great rock music that translates well in the live setting. The band played “You Are A Tourist” and “Doors Unlocked and Open” among others from the Codes and Keys album.

   When the band played “We Looked Like Giants” guitarist Chris Walla played bass while bassist Nick Hammer played guitar and keyboards. It was really cool to watch the musicians switch things up and play various instruments. Ben Gibbard even played his own drumset along with drummer Jason McGeer. It was really cool hearing two drumsets rocking out to such a heavy beat.

   The band came back onstage and played a nice set of encores which included the songs “Pictures In An Exhibition”, “Stay Young Go Dancing” and the excellent song “Transatlanticism“. It was a rock solid finish to an excellent night of music. I really enjoyed Death Cab For Cutie this night and I look forward to seeing them play live again. If you have a chance to see Death Cab For Cutie play a live show, don’t miss it!

Death Cab For Cutie – Salt Lake City Set List August 22, 2011

• I Will Possess Your Heart
• Crooked Teeth
• Why You’d Want To Live Here
• Photobooth
• Doors Unlocked and Open
• Long Division
• Grapevine Fires
• Codes and keys
• Summer Skin
• Follow You Into The Dark
• 405
• You Are A Tourist
• The New Year
• Movie Script Ending
• Underneath The Sycamores
• Soul Meets Body
• Expo 86
• Cath
• We Looked Like Giants
• Sound Of Settling

• *encore*
• Title Track
• Pictures In An Exhibition
• Stay Young Go Dancing
• Transatlanticism

Death Cab For Cutie Live In Salt Lake City Playing “I Will Posess Your Heart”

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Death Cab For Cutie Concert Review: Salt Lake City August 22, 2011

Paul McCartney Live in Las Vegas June 10, 2011

   Paul McCartney and his current touring live band made a tour stop at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas , Nevada on June 10, 2011 as part of his Up And Coming tour. The crowd consisted of every age demographic from children to great-grandparents. McCartney’s appeal is universal as his music spans 4 decades with hits all along the way.  

   This stop’s timing made for a lot of interesting possibilities on this night as The Beatles Love show in Las Vegas is celebrating its 5^th anniversary of performances. McCartney recently released re-mastered versions of his McCartney and McCartney II albums. Right before the show started there was a buzz in the crowd near the stage and everyone near the front stood and started taking pictures and cheering. Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Olivia Harrison, George Martin and Giles Martin had arrived and taken their seats to enjoy this stop on Paul McCartney’s tour. It added a nice level of excitement to know that John Lennon’s Son and Widow were in the audience along with the other members of The Beatles family. They were all in town to attend the Anniversary of The Beatles – Love show. The only member of the living Beatles family that was missing was Ringo.

   The show was scheduled to start a 7:30 PM and Paul and his band took the stage promptly at 8:00. It was a fashionably late start to give the arena time to fill to capacity. Paul walked onstage wearing his Hofner bass guitar and a cool looking jacket. He started off the show with a rocking rendition of The Beatles song Magical Mystery Tour. The band then quickly launched into the Wings hit Junior’s Farm followed by All My Loving and Jet. It was a great high energy way to kick off the show.

   The stage was flanked by two large projection screens with a wide projection screen that stretched the width of the stage behind the stage as well. The screen behind the band flashed images, graphics and video clips that went along with the songs. The graphics to Jet were particularly nice with jet airplanes spelling out the word “Jet” in contrails as the song played.

   McCartney paused at this point to thank the audience for coming and to give a shout out to Las Vegas jokingly calling it “Lost Wages”. He said he was going to take a second to drink it all in and crossed his arms on his bass and let the cheers and adulation of the crowd flow over him. He then launched into Got To Get You Into My Life followed by Sing The Changes which is an excellent track from The Fireman project.

   The crowd’s energy was really picking up and Paul McCartney paused to take off his jacket and Hofner bass. He commented “Well, that’s the major wardrobe change for the evening barring a malfunction.” Paul, now dressed in a blue button up shirt with white collar, suspenders and black trousers strapped on a Gibson Les Paul and played the rocking Let Me Roll It. I thought that was an interesting choice as John Lennon hated that song and Yoko was in the audience but it still rocked hard and the band played it well. At the end of Let Me Roll It McCartney and the band launched into the Jimi Hendrix riff from Foxy Lady and Paul did some fiery lead guitar work. Paul’s guitar skills are excellent and he really fired off some nice leads on this song. Paul then said “That was a tribute to the great Jimi Hendrix” and he told the story of meeting Hendrix in England. Paul told how he had gone to see Jimi Hendrix play two days after the release of the Sgt. Pepper’s album and Hendrix covered the song Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at the show. McCartney told how Jimi had done some heavy whammy-bar tricks during the song and had knocked his Stratocaster wildly out of tune. Hendrix then called out to Eric Clapton who was in the audience as well and asked Eric to come up and tune his guitar. McCartney jokingly said that Clapton was trying to hide out in the audience! It was a great story for those of us that love the guitar.

Paul McCartney Onstage Las Vegas June 10, 2011

   McCartney then moved to the grand piano and played The Long And Winding Road followed by the Wings song Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five which was really excellent. He then sang Let ‘Em In followed by the excellent Maybe I’m Amazed from the album McCartney. Paul sang Maybe I’m Amazed especially well singing beautifully in tune with some excellent vocal improvisations. The only thing revealing Paul’s age (68) was his voice being a little screechy on some of the falsetto notes but even then the man pours melody when he sings anything. I noticed that the light show pretty much stopped during this song and at the end of it McCartney announced that the song wasn’t scheduled to be played and he sprung it on the road crew. He said it was funny to see the surprise on their faces when the band launched into Maybe I’m Amazed. It was definitely a high point in the show.

   Paul then strapped on an acoustic guitar and played I’m Looking Through You followed by a beautiful version of And I Love Her. He then talked about following the civil rights movement of the ‘60’s in the news while living in England and introduced the song Blackbird as a commentary on the civil rights movement. The lyrics of Blackbird are extremely relevant to the civil rights movement. Again, Paul’s guitar playing was perfection.

  Paul then talked about telling those that you care about that you love and care about them before it becomes too late. He said “you just never know when you’ll see them again” and he introduced the song If You Were Here Today which he said he wrote about his good friend John Lennon. He shouted “Let’s hear it for John!” and the crowd stood and cheered for the great John Lennon. McCartney said the song was written from the point of view of sitting and having a conversation with John. There were some tears in the audience at this point. If you’ve ever wondered if Yoko had heard this beautiful song written for John Lennon you can rest assured she has heard it now.

   Paul then strapped on a mandolin and played his recent hit Dance Tonight whilst drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. did some sweet dance moves behind Macca including a bit of the Macarena.  McCartney then played Mrs. Vandebilt with the crowd singing the “Hey-Ho’s” at the top of their lungs. Paul then did a very excellent rendition of Eleanor Rigby with Paul Wickens playing all the string parts on the keyboard while Laboriel and guitarist Rusty Anderson sang backing vocals. The lighting was really cool during Eleanor Rigby with Anderson and Laboriel standing in shadows during the verses and stepping into the light to sing the chorus.

   Paul was handed a Ukulele’ and proceeded to talk about the late great George Harrison. The crowd stood and roared their approval and voiced their love for the great George Harrison. Paul told how George was a great Ukulele’ player and had given Paul the Gibson Ukulele’ he was currently playing. He told how he visited George one evening and told him “I learned how to play one of your songs on the Ukulele’”. Paul then proceeded to play the Harrison classic song Something on the Ukulele’ with the band joining in for a lush and spectacular finish to the song. While the band played some excellent images of George and Paul together were put on the screen behind the stage bringing back memories of George’s vibrancy and youth.

   McCartney returned to his Hofner bass and the band played Band On The Run. Then McCartney asked the crowd to sing along with Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da commenting about how the crowd the other night stopped singing when the band stopped playing. The crowd sang along at the top of their lungs and as the camera panned the crowd and images were displayed onscreen you could see the joy in the audience. The crowd really was enjoying this night! One of the cutest moments was when the camera zoomed in on a Father holding his young child who was playing with a Paul McCartney doll. When the young man saw himself onscreen his face lit up with joy. The band immediately launched into Back In The USSR and nailed it.

   Macca then strapped on a sunburst Les Paul and played I’ve Got A Feeling with a sweet improvisational jam at the end with McCartney playing a wicked guitar solo. Paul then switched to an Epiphone Casino guitar which he said was the same guitar played on the Beatles album. Paul commented “You may have noticed that we like to switch guitars a lot. That’s because we like to show off! Just kidding.” The band played Paperback Writer to great applause.

Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Olivia Harrison Singing "Give Peace A Chance"

   Paul donned the Hofner bass and said it was a special night with special guests in the audience. He then introduced Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Olivia Harrison and the Martin’s in the audience and put them up on the big screen. The crowd roared their approval. Paul then played the beautiful Lennon/McCartney song A Day In The Life. Paul stopped singing it after the middle section and went into the Lennon song Give Peace A Chance with the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. It’s a message that’s still relevant today and Yoko looked quite pleased as she stood and sang along. I’m sure she was happy that McCartney was up there spreading the message on this night.

   Paul then went back to the grand piano and played Let It Be. Then Paul pulled out all the stops and played the hard rocking Live And Let Die with some extremely awesome pyrotechnics and explosions. Live And Let Die was definitely a high point for the stage production. It was a bit awkward being placed so close to Give Peace A Chance and Let It Be. Paul ended the main set playing an upright piano painted with a psychedelic design and performed the song Hey Jude.

   The crowd cheered for an encore and McCartney and the band delivered Day Tripper and Get Back with Paul playing the Hofner bass. The band left the stage again and the crowd roared for more.

   For the 2^nd encore McCartney came onstage with an acoustic guitar and played the Beatles classic Yesterday. He then strapped the Hofner bass back on and stepped it up big time by playing the song Helter Skelter with McCartney again nailing the vocal parts.

   To close the show Paul McCartney strapped on his Gibson Les Paul and informed the crowd it was time to go. He then launched into Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) followed by The End from the album Abby Road. The End featured some flaming guitar duels between McCartney and guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray. It was a fantastic one-two punch to close the show.

   McCartney and his band were in fine form this night in Las Vegas. It was really a fantastic show although I’m surprised Paul didn’t play the song Coming Up from McCartney II with it being re-released and the tour being named after that song. Still, I feel very luck to have seen this show and the great Paul McCartney performing live. You never know when these guys are going to be gone so if you get a chance to catch Paul McCartney performing live, don’t miss it!

Paul McCartney Las Vegas June 10, 2011 Setlist

1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. Junior’s Farm
3. All My Loving
4. Jet
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Sing The Changes
7. Let Me Roll It – Foxy Lady
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
10. Let ‘em In
11. Maybe I’m Amazed
12. I’m Looking Through You
13. And I Love Her
14. Blackbird
15. Here Today
16. Mrs. Vandebilt
17. Eleanor Rigby
18. Something
19. Band On The Run
20. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
21. Back In The U.S.S.R.
22. I’ve Got A Feeling
23. Paperback Writer
24. A Day In The Life – Give Peace A Chance
25. Let It Be
26. Live and Let Die
27. Hey Jude
28. Day Tripper
29. Get Back
30. Yesterday
31. Helter Skelter
32. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)
33. The End

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Paul McCartney Las Vegas Concert Review June 10, 2011

Bono Onstage In Salt Lake City, Utah - Photo by Lori Hansen Airmet

   It was my great pleasure to attend the U2 360° tour on May 24, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. U2 has the reputation of being one of the greatest live bands of all time and I was stoked to finally get my chance to see them do a live show. I had actually bought tickets for the Salt Lake City show that was scheduled for June 3, 2010 and would have been the kickoff for U2′s North American tour. As fate would have it Bono had emergency back surgery so the Salt Lake City show was put on hold for a year. I held onto my tickets and vowed to attend when U2 finally rolled into town.  

   I was actually pretty surprised at how quickly the year passed. U2 continued to tour after Bono recovered from his surgery and like every live band they improved with every show. That’s the beautiful thing about playing a lot of gigs, you get better as a musician and the members of U2 are no different. So in Salt Lake City we got to see a more refined and time tested show in 2011 than we would have seen in 2010. Even Bono said “We are so much better than last year.”

   So I showed up to Rice-Eccles stadium on May 24, 2011 with my June 3, 2010 ticket in hand and they let me in and out onto the field. I ended up about 15 yards back from the outer ring of the stage. What an incredible stage! The Claw has been written about in other places so I’ll just say that it is even more magnificent in person than it is in pictures. I was shocked by the magnitude of the stage. I’ve never seen a stadium seem so small as when I walked onto the field at Rice-Eccles stadium. The stage filled the entire widthof the field and 2/3 of the length of the field. The top of the tower was higher than the top of the seating in the stadium. If ever a band wanted to appear larger than life then this stage is a very good backdrop.

   A band called The Fray opened for U2 and they did an acceptable job. They seemed slightly underwhelmed by the whole thing and the crowd seemed underwhelmed by The Fray. After The Fray ended their set we had to wait while the crew readied the stage for U2. It was amazing to see the buzz of activity around the Claw while the crew took their places for the U2 show. Men were harnessed into seats with spotlights and lifted into the legs of the Claw. Crew were climbing ladders and crawling catwalks all around and in inside the Claw as well. According to a statistic flashed on the big circular screen during the stage transition there are 450 crew members manning this show. Needless to say, it’s big. The crowd started the “Wave” while waiting for the band to take the stage and also read some interesting factoids on the giant circular screen above the stage.

   When U2 took the stage they opened the show with “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and the crowd roared their approval. This show had been a long time coming and I saw relieved and happy faces all around me when the band finally appeared. The band’s playing was extremely tight and energetic. They followed with “I Will Follow” and “Get On Your Boots” with both songs sounding strong and bringing a really good energy into the stadium.

   It was Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday and U2 celebrated it all night long. Bono mentioned Bob’s birthday early on and at one point had the stadium sing “Happy Birthday” to Bob. Bono also sang a verse or two of “BlowinIn The Wind” and “The Times They Are A Changin’”. They also sang “Love Rescue Me” which was co-written with Dylan and featured on the Rattle And Hum album. I was very impressed with Bono’s rapport with the audience. I’ve been to so many concerts where everything the band says sounds like it was said a hundred times before in a hundred different cities. When Bono spoke his lines felt fresh and it felt like he was really speaking only to Salt Lake City. His heartfelt thanks to the audience for their patience really connected with the crowd.

   Another highlight of the show was the bands use of the enormous stage. It’s funny because the stage is extremely large and covers a lot of area but it’s amazingly uncluttered. The band was able to move around freely and they made use of the entire stage. During the song “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” the entire band took a walk around the large circular stage with Larry Mullin finding his freedom playing a hand drum. The outer ring of the stage was bridged by two actual bridges that moved throughout the night and provided the backdrop for some very memorable moments.

   When U2 performed their song “Beautiful Day” Bono brought 3 girls onstage to read a poem about Utah. It was a very personalized to the venue moment and I found it quite special to have the band take the time to single out Utah during their show.

   One of my favorite moments was the performance of “All I Want Is You“. I just love that song and Bono’s voice on this night was in excellent form. I was surprised at how very well Bono was singing and his voice was strong and powerful the entire night.

   About the circular video screen, it’s the most amazing screen I’ve ever seen at a concert. As with everything in this show it’s big, really big. But it’s not just the size, it’s the clarity of the thing. The images looked amazing and even though I was close enough to see the performers facial expressions onstage I found myself watching them on this enormous screen. I kept telling myself “Hey dummy, look at the guys onstage not the screen!” The video screen is a very interesting and integral part of the show. During songs like “Miss Sarajevo” the screen shows video clips that are integral to the story told in the songs.

   There was also a message from recently released political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, who was elected the President of Burma and then held under house arrest for 15 of the 21 years from 1989 until her release in 2010. She gave a very relevant statement to all U2 fans and here is her quote: “When you raise your voices we hear them in our country and around the world, they are louder than any rock band, then any army, than rocket fire or fighter jet.”

   Another mind blowing moment with the screen came during the performance of “Zooropa“. The screen broke apart into hundreds of segments that slowly moved apart and lowered to envelope the band in a tornado-like tunnel. The flashing LED panels provided for some dizzying lighting effects and the overall effect was simply spectacular. I also loved the hanging microphone that Bonowas swinging from during “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” and “With Or Without You”. He also donned a leather jacket with lasers attached to it which I’m sure would be all the rage if they ever went on sale to the general public.

   As I said before, the band played incredibly well. The Edge played a multitude of different guitars and amplifiers providing the trademark U2 guitar backdrop found in all their music. The guitars sounded simply excellent although there was a hum coming through the P.A. system from something and it sounded like guitar hum to me. Adam Clayton was rock solid as usual and looked like the true rockstar he is. Larry Mullin looks like he hasn’t aged at all since the early days and his drumming was tight and precise providing a pillar for the band to hang their excellent music on.

   I could go on forever about the show but I don’t want to write a book about it. The show was the biggest production I have ever seen and I’m very happy to have been a part of it by being in the audience.

   One thing I noticed about the show was the sheer sound volume. It was dangerously loud and I saw a lot of people there without proper hearing protection. I know it may seem worth it to lose some hearing for the greatest show ever but it’s not. So, if you’re planning on going to see the U2 360° show, make sure you take proper hearing protection!

Setlist
Main Set: Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World, All I Want Is You – Love Rescue Me, Happy Birthday, Stay, Beautiful Day – Here Comes The Sun, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy (remix) – Discotheque – Mofo, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On – You’ll Never Walk Alone

Encore(s): One, Blowin’ In The Wind – The Times They Are A-Changin – Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender

Although not on the printed setlist, U2 played a bit of Love Rescue Me in honor of Bob Dylan’s 70th Birthday. Dylan co-wrote and performed that song on Rattle And Hum.

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

U2 360° Tour Concert Review Salt Lake City, Utah

Jeff Beck Live

   Because I play guitar in a live band I’m always getting asked the question “Who’s your favorite guitarist?” I always answer the same. My favorite guitar player is Jeff Beck and although I’ve followed him for years I’ve never seen him play live. Jeff doesn’t tour the U.S. very often so when he does you better not miss it. I finally got my chance to see him do a live show at The Depot in Salt Lake City on April 13, 2011.  

   Four nights before the show at The Depot Jeff ended his ‘Rock-N-Roll Party’ tour. He then met up in Salt Lake with his band consisting of members Jason Rebello – Keyboards, Rhonda Smith – Bass and Narada Michael Walden – Drums. This is a very talented group of musician’s and they have been touring in support of Jeff’s latest album “Emotion And Commotion“.

   It was a very interesting mix of people in the audience. The age range was from 21 years old to folks that looked to easily be in their 60′s and 70′s. That’s a testament to Jeff’s long career and popularity over those years. There was also a pretty good mix of men and women in the audience. Usually audiences coming to see guitarists are comprised primarily of men.

   Jeff took the stage at The Depot following opening act Tyler Bryant who did a decent job of entertaining the crowd. Jeff and his band opened up with a one-two punch from Wired playing “Led Boots” and “Blue Wind”. Jeff then demonstrated his supreme musicianship with his latest Grammy winning song “Hammerhead” from ‘Emotion and Commotion’. The sound was fantastic and “Hammerhead” really got the crowd yelling and cheering.

   The rest of the night was filled with rolling waves of music both fast and slow, rocking and soothing. Jeff Beck’s guitar skills on a Fender Stratocaster are simply amazing to hear. To watch him play the guitar is a study in how an instrument can become a part of the performer. Watching Jeff play is like watching someone have a conversation with another person. He makes it look effortless and the guitar seems to simply speak exactly what Jeff is thinking at that moment. 

   One of my favorite moments of the night was Jeff’s rendition of John Lennon’s classic Beatles tune “A Day In The Life“. Jeff Beck’s arrangement of this tune on the guitar is simply stunning in both it’s simplicity and it’s beauty. Jeff brings the beauty of the song’s melody right to fore and there is no need for the lyrics since we all know them anyway.

   There were a few vocal numbers on the night. Rhonda Smith sang the rocking “Rollin’ And Tumblin’” and really nailed it with her soulful voice. Even drummer Walden took a turn singing the Jimi Hendrix song “Little Wing” which is a notoriously difficult song to sing. Walden did a decent job singing but it paled in comparison to Jeff Beck’s guitar playing on “Little Wing”. That’s okay because it was Jeff we wanted to hear anyway. I thought it was interesting that Jeff covered Jimi Hendrix who is one of the few guitarists which had the same command of a Fender Stratocaster that Jeff does.

   Jeff played a couple of songs that had vocals on the album playing them without the vocals live. One was ”Lilac Wine” from ‘Emotion And Commotion’ and the other was “People Get Ready” from the 80′s album Flash. Both songs went very well without vocals with the melodies played by Beck on guitar and Rebello on the keyboards.

   Another highlight of the night came when Jeff announced “I wasn’t going to do this but I changed my mind!” He then proceeded to strap on a Gibson Les Paul guitar and play the Les Paul number “How High The Moon” with piped in vocals. It sounded to me like the vocals were recorded by Imelda May. Jeff’s guitar playing was perfect and it was cool to see him sporting a Les Paul guitar.

   Jeff played two of the gentle numbers from ‘Emotion and Commotion’. He played his version of “Over The Rainbow” which is a difficult melody to cover on any instrument. Jeff Beck has mastered the vibrato technique that Judy Garland used to make this song come alive and Jeff really covers the song’s melody with emotion. Jeff closed the night with his amazing rendition of the classical song “Nessun Dorma” which he brought to life on a bed a strings laid down by Rebello on the keyboards and Smith playing an electric fretless bass with a bow. It was definitely a fantastic way to end the show.

   I have to say that I am not a fan of the room at the Depot. I hate having to stand on a hard floor for two hours. The stage was also too low to the ground and anyone past the first row could only see the performers heads and shoulders. When watching a master guitarist like Jeff Beck you really want to see his hands on the guitar. They had some video screens but the camera shot was just a wide shot of the stage with no zooming in or angle changes on the performers. The ventilation sucks at The Depot and the narrow stairwell that serves as the only exit from the music venue gets extremely claustrophobic when exiting. It would only take one person to panic and start shoving for a disaster to happen there. Only an artist like Jeff Beck could get me to go to a show at The Depot. The only good thing I can say about The Depot was that the sound and lights were good at this show. I don’t know if that’s because of Jeff’s crew or The Depot’s.

   Even though we had to suffer at The Depot, Jeff Beck’s performance was transcendent. If you ever get a chance to see Jeff Beck perform live don’t miss that chance! If you want to see a good live video of Jeff’s live performance then check out Jeff Beck Live At Ronnie Scott’s on Blu-Ray.

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Jeff Beck At The Depot Salt Lake City Concert Review

REO Speedwagon

   This past weekend I got to see one of my favorite live bands of all time, REO Speedwagon. They played at the Peppermill Concert Hall in Wendover, Nevada on April 9, 2011. It was a sold out show and for good reason. REO Speedwagonis still a very popular rock band with40 years worthof touring behind them and a whole string of hit albums with smash singles keeping their popularity fueled. It’s also the 30th anniversary of their record breaking Hi Infidelity album.   

   The current roster of band member are as follows:

• Kevin Cronin – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
• Bruce Hall - Bass Guitar, Vocals
• Neal Doughty – Keyboards
• Dave Amato – Lead Guitar, Vocals
• Bryan Hitt – Drums, Percussion

   Dave Amato has been with REO Speedwagon since 1989 and Bryan Hitt has been in the band since 1990. So REO Speedwagon has been together in this form for a lot of years even though this isn’t the exact same band that recorded Hi Infidelity. The most notable departures from the Hi Infidelity years are guitarist Gary Richrath and drummer Alan Gratzer.

   Let me tell you, this current lineup of REO Speedwagon sounds fantastic! Their sound at the Peppermill Concert Hall was rich and full. Dave Amato easily plays all of Gary Richrath’s classic guitar parts and steps up the level of guitar playing when injecting his own style and sound into the REO Speedwagon formula. Amato is a better guitarist than Gary Richrath although he hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success when it comes to writing and playing on REO Speedwagon hits that Gary had. Still, it was a pleasure to listen to Dave play the guitar at this concert. He’s got the chops and the sound that makes REO Speedwagon’s guitars come to life.

   Bryan Hitt is a solid drummer who also raises the level of drumming beyond Alan Gratzer. We luckily didn’t have to suffer through a drum solo and Bryan Hitt’s drumming propelled the group perfectly throughout the night. He is a much heavier drummer than Alan was and his style gives REO an updated feel to the drumming.

   Kevin, Bruce and Neal have been present for all the huge REO Speedwagon hits. They played and helped write the music for REO Speedwagon’s biggest albums. It was so nice to see these three guys still out onstage rocking out and playing extremely well. They look good too, I would never guess they are hovering around 60 years old. Whoever they’re using as a trainer it’s paying off, especially for Kevin. The guy is lean and looks in fabulous shape. The whole band looks really well actually.

   Bruce Hall’s bass playing is just rock solid and hearing him sing lead is always a nice addition to Kevin’s lead vocals. I love it when a band has multiple people who can sing lead. I don’t care how good a singer is, it gets old listening to the same person singing every song for a 2-hour show.

   Neal Doughty’s keyboard playing is truly excellent. He still has all his chops and then some. Neal is a lot like Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Neal and Benmont both have a feel for playing the perfect part at the perfect time. Neal Doughty is one of the few organ players that understand how to use the modulation effect properly. Neal is the only original band member in REO Speedwagon and I feel like it’s really his band after all.

   Kevin Cronin’s singing has lost a note or two in the high range but his skill as a singer has improved. His skill as a singer has given him the ability to tweak the melodies at the highest notes and still keep the songs vibrant. Bruce Hall and Dave Amato both sing a lot of vocals with REO Speedwagon and they do it very well. The three singers cover all the harmonies. If there is a slight weakness in REO Speedwagon it’s simply in the ability to sing perfectly in tune every time and their age is showing in their voices.

   There are 1000 seats at the Peppermill Concert Hall in Wendover, Nevada and that means that no matter where you sit, you get an excellent view of the band. The sound is always nice and controlled in this hall. REO Speedwagon sounded fantastic. The mix was perfect and you could hear every instrument and vocal part. REO Speedwagon’s musical skills after all these years of touring and recording are simply epic. These guys know how to play their instruments and they know how to play together. They are as rock solid and tight a band as you will ever hear. The great thing about musician’s is that their playing usually improves as the years go on. Now is a fantastic time to hear REO Speedwagon simply because their skill is so well defined.

   REO Speedwagon have 16 original albums to draw material from spanning 40 years. They have had so many hits that they can play an entire 2-hour show with the audience being able to sing along with every song. That’s what they did in Wendover. They played extensively from the Hi Infidelity album but they also pulled out hits from as far back as their second album. The played the song “Golden Country” from their 1971 album titled “T.W.O.”. They played all the mega-ballads including “I Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Keep On Loving You”. They played the rockers like “Don’t Let Him Go” and “Roll With The Changes”. They even played some bar-room jams such as “157 Riverside Avenue”.

   The band played like the veterans that they are. They played like the still cared about the music and cared about being onstage. The perfomerswere animated with a lot of onstage movement including Kevingcoming down into the crowd a few times. Kevin made some good speeches about how Rock-N-Roll can still bring a group of like-minded people together for a night of good music and fun. That was really the bottom line for this show. It was truly good music and fun time for everyone that was in attendance. The crowd was a nice mix of older folks and younger. I literally saw some grannies and some hot 20-something’s rocking out side-by-side. Not very many bands can claim an audience with that wide of an age range.

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

REO Speedwagon At Peppermill Concert Hall Review

Katie White Of The Ting Tings At Redbull Soundclash Las Vegas.

   I got a chance to see Cee Lo Green Vs. the Ting Tings at the Redbull Soundclash in Las Vegas on March 12, 2011. It was a matchup of two unique live bands facing off in an all out duel. It was an interesting concert concept and a really cool stage setup. I was pretty stoked to see these two artists go head to head in a live concert setting. The bands were set up on opposing stages with the crowd in the middle of the two stages.  

   The concept behind the Redbull Soundclash is having two bands face off in a series of rounds featuring different tasks that each band has to complete. In this show there were a total of 5 rounds. In round one each band played 3 of their own original songs. In round two each band played their own version of a cover song. In this round each band had to play a version of the Clash song “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”.

   In round 3 the challenge was called Takeover where one band would start their own original song and the other artist had to take over and complete the song. In round 4 the bands had to play a song in a musical style determined by the hosts. In round 5 the bands played a song featuring a special guest performer.

   The evening was a lot of fun and I really liked how the stages were set up facing each other with both bands trading off. It was a lot more interesting than having one band open for the other. I didn’t have time to get bored with a band before their set was over. It was also really cool hearing each band cover the other band’s music.

   Some highlights were Cee Lo playing his Gnarls Barkley hit “Crazy”. The Ting Tings performing their hit “That’s Not My Name” with Elvis Presley was pretty funny although I have to admit that Elvis was out-shined by Katie White of the Ting Tings. The biggest highlight of the night was when the Ting Tings joined Cee Lo over on his stage and all the musicians performed the Cee Lo Green hit “F*** You [explicit]” together while the crowd sang right along.

   I really dug Cee Lo’s all female backing band. Those girls could really play and I think Cee Lo could have done a much better job introducing them to the audience. They played their sexy behinds off all night long and all they got for recognition at the end of the show was a “Let’s hear it for the beautiful and talented ladies!” from Cee Lo as he was walking off the stage. They definitely deserved better than that. His guitarist could really play but I would have liked her to have a little better guitar tone. It sounded like she was using a POD or modeling amp instead of a good guitar amplifier.

   My other gripe was that Cee Lo’s voice was mixed a little too low in the mix. I think he needs a better microphone or just to have a better job done mixing his vocals. The Ting Tings sounded excellent across the board. Their guitar sounds were solid and present as well as their drums. The Ting Tings use a lot of sound loops and they are very skilled at triggering them. They really did a good job creating their music at this concert.

   Overall I really enjoyed this show and it was one incredible bargain at $10 per ticket. That’s a real steal to see two excellent live groups perform. The Las Vegas evening was perfect with no wind and a temperature of about 70 degrees. I have to say that Redbull did an excellent job presenting this concert with plenty of facilities and refreshments. The sound was good and while one of the bands were performing their performance was played on the large video screens of the opposing stage. There really wasn’t a bad spot in the audience for seeing two bands at once. I’d really like to see more concerts presented in this style.

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Cee Lo Green And Ting Tings At Redbull Soundclash

Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl Press Conference

   I know that everyone and their dog is reviewing the Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl performance but let’s face it, Live Musician Central is the place to get the definitive “musician’s” review. As you know, here at Live Musician Central we don’t just review how the perfomers looked or how well they danced. We review whether or not the performers actually were able to play their music effectively in a live performance.  

   That being said, the clothes were really cool looking. Fergie looked hot while will.i.am, Taboo and apl.de.ap looked unique each in their own right. Although I have to say that will.i.am’s plastic hair was sort of weird. Oh, and the dancing was lovely, simply lovely.

   But did they pull off this live performance? Anytime acts get on a big stage like the Super Bowl the standard procedure used to be lip-syncing the whole thing.  Well I have to say that the Black Eyed Peas performance was indeed Live for the most part. When I say “for the most part” I mean that part of the Black Eyed Peas sound is excessive use of Auto-Tune which they use in their live show. There has been a lot of debate about whether Auto-Tune is really live or not. I feel like Auto-Tune used as an obvious vocal effect in a live setting still qualifies it as a live performance.

   In that sense the Black Eyed Peas Superbowl halftime performance was indeed live which brings us to the question, did they avoid the usual pitfalls that make a live performance less than spectacular. Let’s start with being able to sing their parts in tune. Well, the boys were using Auto-Tune so that really negates the “singing in tune” question with them. They were perfectly in tune so we can only rate their vocal performance on the basis of “did they sing on the beat”. The boys did sing on the beat which is to be expected of a decent quality rapper and that they are.

   As for Fergie, she did not use Auto-Tune and I give her massive credit for that. Being under that kind of time constraint with the pressure of millions of people watching as well as performing new and abbreviated arrangements of their songs makes the fact that Fergie didn’t lip-sync or use Auto-Tune simply excellent by itself. So how did she pull it off Live? Well, I think she did surprisingly well. The sound crew screwed up her microphone and she had no sound for the first couple words of her solo in “I Gotta Feeling” but once they got her vocals turned up she did really well. Only slightly out of tune and and a bit breathless but she was able to settle down and give a good live performance.

   Then we have a guest appearance by Usher. Now, I’m an Usher fan but I don’t believe he sang his part live. I’ve never seen anyone able to whip their head around like that while dancing and still sing “just like the record” and that’s exactly what Usher did. So, Usher did not perform his singing live. But to his credit, he’s an excellent dancer!

   The guest slot with Slash playing Sweet Child Of Mine was interesting. I bet Slash is sick to death of playing that riff by now. He certainly looked bored to death playing it. When he got to his guitar solo it sounded like he played with a little more fire. It’s too bad the camera panned away from him when he really got to stretch out a little and solo. And yes, Slash pulled it off live.

   I really liked the stage lighting and all the dancing going on around the stage. The lighting effects were really interesting to look at and I think they added a lot to the performance.

   Finally, I know that the Black Eyed Peas have been getting hammered all over the Internet with people saying that their performance sucked. It looks to me like it’s simply become fashionable to say “Boy, the Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl performance sure did suck!” and naturally all the lemmings out there simply repeat and agree that the performance sucked. Well I don’t think it sucked. I think the Black Eyed Peas did just fine for putting on a 12 minute show. They crammed a lot of things in there and nothing stupid happened during the show (think wardrobe malfunction). They looked good, sounded decent and they played some of their best material. Could it have been better? Sure, but it could have been a heck of a lot worse and the performance wasn’t even close to crappy. The thing is, it was as close to fully live as I think a group like that ever gets and they did it on the biggest stage in the world. I have to give them a lot of credit for that.

If you missed the performance then here’s the video of the entire 12 minutes.

Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl XLV 2011 Halftime Show Video

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl XLV Halftime Review

Alex Lifeson's Time Machine Guitar Amplifiers

   Rush, one of the greatest live bands of all time, is on tour this summer. The tour is called the “Time Machine” tour and I got the chance to catch their show at USANA Amphitheatre in Salt Lake City on August 5, 2010. I really hate the traffic and parking situation at USANA Amphitheatre and I avoid going to any concerts there because of that. It takes a special band like Rush to get me to brave the traffic nightmare of USANA Amphitheatre.     

   As usual the night began with the aweful traffic jam to USANA. Having a single road servicing all those parking lots is just horrible for traffic flow. We finally got parked in a dirt lot and hiked down to the Amphitheatre. In all fairness, once inside USANA Amphitheatre it’s not so bad. The grass is in great shape and we found a perfect spot to watch the show. 

   The concert began with a hilarious video of Alex, Geddy and Neal dressed up and playing characters in a restaurant. The video featured a band called Rash who had three members playing accordion, tuba and drums. Nobody liked the sound Rash had so Alex, who was dressed in a fat suit, whipped out a machine that warped the bands sound. He kept dialing it in until the band sounded like Rush. He then said “Never press this button” which he then pressed and the machine warped the actual band Rush to the stage and the show was on! 

   The video segued perfectly into Rush playing Spirit Of Radio for their first song. The stage which was all decked out like a complex time machine was very visually stunning. There were no amplifiers visible as they were integrated into the elaborate time machine stage set. The stage was fascinating to look at while the band rocked on Rush classic after Rush classic. 

   The high tech lighting rig was also spectacular and featured high intensity LED arrays. The lights moved every direction giving the audience an excellent visual show as well. The stage show also featured pyrotechnics and fog. At the back of the stage was an absolutely beautiful HD LED screen that broadcast video of the band as well as animated videos that were synchronized to the music. I was very well pleased with how amazing the stage was. 

   The band played as good or better than I’ve ever heard them. They were tight and perfectly in sync with each other. You can tell that they’ve been playing together for many years. The only signs of aging are some wrinkles and a bit more thickness around the middle for Alex and Neal. Geddy looks trim, fit and very athletic. The only other sign that this wonderful band is getting older is with Geddy’s vocals. He struggled with some high notes in the course of the night. They were still able to play their classics but it does make me wonder how many more years Geddy will be able to pull of the entire Rush catalog live. At least he hasn’t slipped like poor Robert Plant. 

   Rush played two sets of music rather than having an opening band. That’s fine with me because the more Rush I can hear at a Rush concert the better. The band took a 25 minute break in the middle of the show and came back onstage to perform the entire Moving Pictures album from start to finish. It was excellent to hear them play the entire album in sequence and for me it was the highlight of the show. I’ve always loved the Moving Pictures album. 

   As for the inevitable drum solo, yes Neal Peart played his drum solo. I have to tell you that I rarely pay attention to drum solo’s anymore. They bore the life out of me. But Neal Peart isn’t just any drummer as I’m sure you all know. He plays his drums much more from a musical standpoint than a standard drummer does. I was honestly riveted to Neal’s drum solo and enjoyed every second of it. It was long but it was so filled with musicality that it was like listening to a well composed song. Good on ya Neal! 

   Rush also played two new, unreleased songs titled “BU2B (“Brought Up to Believe”) and “Caravan.” They are hard rocking Rush songs and feature loads of excellent guitar. The songs fit very well with all the classics that Rush were playing on this night. 

   It was a great show and I’m very glad I went to see Rush playing live once again. The show was so good it made the nightmare of getting out of USANA’s parking madness a little more bearable. 

Rush – August 5, 2010 Salt Lake City Set List 

First set 

The Spirit of Radio 

Time Stand Still 

Presto 

Stick it Out 

Workin’ Them Angels 

Leave That Thing Alone 

Faithless 

BU2B 

Freewill 

Marathon 

Subdivisions 

Second set 

Tom Sawyer 

Red Barchetta 

YYZ 

Limelight 

The Camera Eye 

Witch Hunt 

Vital Signs 

Caravan 

Neal Peart drum solo 

Alex Lifeson acoustic guitar solo 

Closer to the Heart 

2112 Overture 

Temples of Syrinx 

Far Cry 

Encore 

La Villa Strangiato 

Working Man 

Performance time: 3 hours, 10 minutes (with a 25-minute intermission)

Get the full experience at www.livemusiciancentral.com

Rush Time Machine Tour At USANA Amphitheatre Concert Review