It started with corn-shaped cornbread and slightly-too-sweet cocktails, so what do you expect? It ended earlier than planned due to some virus from Ohio.
St Vincent put on a hella show at the Anthem, GA was non-optimal but we went way up high in the stands and that was a good call. So much more produced and click-tracky than the other shows we have seen this summer. St Vincent is almost ready for arena rock.
Was it Spinal Tap??
Los Angeles
Sweetest Fruit
Surgeon
Sadly, we opted to head home before New York. But it was a good thing we did. That virus from Ohio was a doozy.
The thing is, we were too lazy to conjure up tickets on the day of release. Or maybe too busy. But anyway, there were none left for a while. Then a few popped up for too much money on the Ticketmaster resale site. And we were off to the races.
Boy are we glad we went. It was a great show. It all started with empanadas from Gringo Gordo at sunset and some properly-made dark and stormies.
We had never been on time for a wolf trap gates opening line before. Dang. Fortunately we had seats in the seventh row.
The orchestra started in, and into the sonic ocean walked Beck. Yeah, the National Symphony (who had performed maybe one run through) was very good indeed.
Lonesome Tears was the first song (track 4 on Sea Changes…from which Beck plucked many a great song to play with the National Symphony).
Honestly, Tropicalia was one of the weakest pieces on the program (and it wasn’t bad). The orchestra was having a hard time moving the four against the three of the bass player (and the conductor beating only a downbeat was not helping). Oh well.
In the end, Beck got the audience to clap the beat.
Tropicalia
.
We Live Again
Morning
.
Known for his romantic “dreariness” part of the time, there is also the most pit Beck.
The audience got to their feet for Where It’s At.
.
.
Oh yeah!
Then the orchestra filed out and Beck screwed around on stage for a bit. Some slide guitar was improvised.
Romey was rewarded with Devil’s Haircut.
.
By that time, we were all singing. (Sadly, we missed recording Loser.) And then it was final bows.
This was the kind of show you get to see once every long time. Just wow. We were in the fourth row in the Charlottesville Pavilion. Here’s how the show went, from the end to the beginning. You know, last things first.
Anyway, what’s better than Nickel Creek OR Andrew Bird? How about some joint songs as an encore? I mean just listen to these two songs. So much joy and so much talent packed tight to a condenser circle.
Andrew Bird and Chris Thile are both at the top of their game. As a fiddle and mandolin player I can only watch slack-jawed.
Tumbleweed.
An as yet unreleased travel song written jointly.
The Nickel Creek set was excellent with Chris Thile exhibiting his particular manic genius with great enthusiasm and much fun. Such the jester. And the best mandolin player alive on the planet. Or, hell, maybe all time.
A wee snippet.
Destination Partial
This Side
Instrumental at the top of the set.
I mean Andrew Bird went first?! Holy shit he is so good. Lets review from the end.
Pulaski
Caravan (from the new record of Jazz standards)
Orpheo
Sisyphus chords
I Fall in Love too Easily (also from the new Jazz record)
So anyway, that’s why we came.
Mike Viola opened the show. He was good.
While Mike was playing both Andrew and Chris came out to take a look. Nobody noticed. Well, almost nobody.
Absolutely excellent. When we got our box seats at the Kennedy Center we really had no idea what a treat we were in for. All of the musicians who played on Black Star were involved in the production (the drummer was swapped out). Emotions were high. Music was top notch.
Our plan was crazy. We flew back down from Boston just in the nick of time, and were scooped by Katie who also picked up Amaury flying in from Alaska. We all headed out to Fiola Mare for a delicious but slightly rushed dinner.
Then it was off to the Kennedy center…usually 6 minutes away, but we were not the only people coming to the show it turns out. One day we will figure out the crazy ass roads in and out of the Kennedy Center—honest.
After performing all of Black Star, the group performed Spiders from Mars, Rebel Rebel, Major Tom, and some other favorites. By the end, we were all up dancing in the aisles.
It’s bittersweet to hear Bowie’s music done so well but so obviously with a hole.
Wilco puts on a great show, and the Thursday night show at Wolf Trap was no exception. Almost. The venue has great sound but does sap energy. By the end of the show the band had everyone up on their feet dancing (finally).
Here are some pictures and videos from the show. We’ll start with my very favorite Wilco song, Impossible Germany…extended jam version.
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Extended Wilco Jam…
I’m Always In Love
Jesus, Etc.
Heavy Metal Drummer
—
A Shot in the Arm
About the only thing that needs work here is the Wolf Trap ticketing system…which just sucks. It forced us to sit separately from our super fun Wilco friends. Alas.
But at least we had a great picnic before the show.
Though we arrived at 9:45, the line for the 10pm show snaked around the block. The show started well after 10:30. It was great. We were right up front, dancing and singing for most of the show.
Lebanese Blond
Thievery brought along all the singers. Sadly, David Byrne didn’t make an appearance.
Heading into DC for a show is always fun. This time, Romey and I headed to Lincoln Theater to see someone named Cat play a bunch of songs written and performed almost 60 years earlier by someone named Bob.
The songs, by now, have become quite famous. Rhine and I play a bunch of them together and have done for years.
Here is a snippet of Like a Rolling Stone (the last song)
But before that, we made a highly-recommended stop at Busboys and Poets for some food and drink. Delicious and socially conscious at the same time.
The cocktail was named after Langston Hughes. The pie was absolutely completely unnecessary.
The band was quite fantastic, that is really what I think. Finally, electric! Tell me, momma.
And that was after a kind of longish acoustic set. Harmonica thresholds may have been exceeded.
Baby let me follow you down.
The interlude.
All in all, a great show. Sure would be great if DC learned how to dance though.
Where’s Aubrey’s ninth record is also available on many streaming services including spotify, apple music, and youtube music. Click the cover to launch spotify. Each song also linked to spotify.
Thanks to you, the Where’s Aubrey show Saturday 11/11 was a smashing success. We played to an enthusiastic full house, missing a sell out of the venue by only four tickets. JOBIE’s opening set was excellent. An all around evening of great music performed for a good cause.
Speaking of which, together we raised $3305 on Saturday evening with $1983 going to the Shenandoah Riverkeeper to protect our local river.
We also released our ninth record, Hole, which is now available on most streaming services including spotify. If you would like to join the 18 people who bought a physical copy of the CD for old time’s sake, just get in touch.
Where’s Aubrey before the show: Rhine Singleton, Charles Arthur, Gary McGraw, and Nick Schrenk.
Here are some pictures and videos of the show in approximate chronological order arranged by set lists. What a night!
The band on stage: Nick on Drums, McGraw on fiddle, Rhine on Guitar, and Charles on everything else.
BORH 11/11: Set One
Your Lies Are Gone
Ghosts on the Farm
The Miles Roll By
Snippet only
Dirty Blond Haired Girl
Brown Like Your Cinnamon
*** (stage lighting changed as we performed the entire new record)
All songs linked below to spotify tracks from the record.
*** (record over, we ended the concert with full band)
Irish Goodbye (JOBIE cover)
Full video
Full video (different angle)
Devlish Situation
Into a Cloud
Snippet only
Has it Ever Been this Good
JOBIE opening set
Special thanks to Jen Lee for photographs and show publicity. April Claggett also provided photos and videos. Romey Michael provided video of Irish Goodbye. Some images above are Copyrighted.
Nick Schrenk, the consumate Winchester-based jazz drummer, and Gary McGraw, lifetime fiddle player (or is that violin?), will be performing together on stage again during the Where’s Aubrey benefit concert for the Barns of Rose Hill. They will be joined by Richmond-based multi-instrumentalist and professional-musician, Charles Arthur, and Where’s Aubrey frontman, New-Hampshire-based Rhine Singleton.
Tickets are on sale now. We recommend getting your tickets in advance, soon. Use this link –> https://bit.ly/WA-BORH23 (or call the box office directly at (540) 955-2003).
