February 27, 2025
gem
art, music, travel
jazz, karl Jannuska, live music, original music, Paris, record, sunset-sunside, suset-sunside, the pull
Well it’s not Caveau de la Huchette, but Sunset-Sunside is a great place to see a jazz show, especially if you want to sit close enough to the stage to read the music off the guitar player’s stand! We were lucky to catch the album release show for The Pull by Karl Jannuska (of Manitoba Canadian-fame now living in Paris). The show was very good.
Just how close to the stage?
A complete version of Unsung (track 11 on The Pull).
Karl is an absolutely outstanding drummer.
This guitarist is also astoundingly good. Revel in his finger work and tasty, subtle melody stitches (partial).
A jam (partial) from Picture Perfect, track 6 from The Pull.
The piano player (who also worked on the recording in an important capacity) held down the bass. This was by far the trickiest part of the gig and mostly worked. Seeing Karl preside over the rhythm section with a real bass player would be a dream.
I know the challenge of having recorded tracks that you perfected in the studio in your head that are nigh on impossible to redo live due to the two instruments problem. Sometimes I switch back and forth inside of one song when performing. At least piano players get two hands.
So What’s Next?, track 2 on The Pull, featured an outstanding release jam reminiscent of Miles’ Bitches Brew tracks. Watching this happen live really makes me want to grab my fiddle and hop in.
The sound guy spent a bit too much time recording and not enough watching what was going on. But I’m sure those were his marching orders.
Track 13 from The Pull, Unfiltered Life (complete) features some excellent guitar work from the other guitarist (whose back we watched). In this track he channels Andy Summers. I like this live version better than the recorded track, mostly because there were points when things got iffy and the band persisted).
For the third set, we moved out front.
For a last minute, “lets just pop the TGV to Paris early” plan, attending this show was absolutely lucky as hell. Thanks Karl for a very memorable evening. May we cross paths again.
Get a copy of The Pull from Bandcamp here. You won’t regret it.
October 14, 2024
gem
art, music, nature, photography
jazz, jen lee, live music, nick schrenk, NOS, red barn
With apologies to Tom Waits, jazz is probably better than murder. For example, this song…
The red barn resplendent in its crisp Fall setting.
NOS quartet is excellent. The evening was likewise excellent. Thanks to Jen for hosting.
Claudio’s figs.
September 26, 2024
gem
concert, music
8, anthem, art, concert, dc, hoppipolla, iceland, live music, music, original music, photography, sigur ros, stralafur, untitled 1, untitled 5, video, washington dc
Ethereal. Scandanavian. As deep as the ocean. You can get all of those things without seeing Sigur Ros live, but when you do. Just wow.
We started our evening this time at The Grill on the wharf. Of the three restaurants we’ve been too lately, it is the best. That’s not saying that much though. Hanks Oyster bar needs work. La Vida is workaday. And The Grill? One notch over workaday. This is what happens when good restaurants are “suburbanized” for new development. Alas.
But really who cares when there is a band in from Iceland? With an orchestra.
The anthem was dressed for a concert with seating everywhere.
The show was out of this world. Well more like it was of this world in a different cultural context. We need more feels like this in the modern American experience.
It started with 8.
And it didn’t pick up from there as much as settle in. Even the tech bro in the row behind us shut up and ate his words.
Straláfur
Untitled 1 from ()
There were some crowdpleasers (songs that we love too), but the songs from () were excellent.
untitled 5
And the song you’ve all been waiting for…
hoppipolla
An evening to remember.
September 14, 2024
gem
art, concert, music
backstreets, born to run, bruce springsteen, dancing in the dark, darkness at the edge of town, dc, hungry heart, i'll see you in my dreams, live music, lonesome day, long walk home, nationals park, photography, Rock and Roll, springsteen, stadium show, tenth avenue freeze-out, the rising, video, washington dc
Lots of pictures and videos from our recent visit to Nationals stadium to hear some rock and roll. Springsteen does not disappoint (especially if you happen to be a long time fan). This show was originally scheduled for 2023 but was postponed a year. Our original plan was scrapped, and we went to the show with Julia and Porter (down from Boston).
Bruce started playing just as I made it to the front of the cocktail line. Yeah, there were “cocktails” of sort.
Our seats were excellent.
Lonesome Day
Darkness at the Edge of Town
Springsteen has so many hits.
Hungry Heart
Long Walk Home
Backstreets
Clippy…
Born to Run (partial)
The Rising
The crowd was pleased.
Dancing in the Dark (partial)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (partial)
And the 37th encore…
I’ll See You in my Dreams
And then we walked part way back with 40,000 of our best buddies.
July 28, 2024
gem
concert, dance, photography
beck, cocktail, concert, dark and stormy, gringo gordo, live music, lonesome tears, morning, national symphony, romey, sea changes, tropicalia, we live again, where it's at, wolf trap
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).
.
.
And then it was time for some salsa. I guess Beck was in Rio for the Chalmers wedding too, though he must have attended in disguise.
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.
A magical evening.
July 26, 2024
gem
art, concert, photography
andrew bird, bluegrass, charlottesville, chris thile, concert, fiddle, live music, mandolin, mike viola, nickel creek, pavilion, romey, violin
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.
Romey the VIP
Pavilion
July 1, 2024
gem
concert, food, travel
amaury, black star, bowie, concert, fiola mare, gem, katie, kennedy center, live music, national symphony, romey
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.
June 21, 2024
gem
art, concert, music
concert, live music, picnic, video, wilco, wolf trap
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.
March 19, 2024
gem
concert, music
9:30 club, concert, dc, ghetto matrix, heart's a lonely hunter, lebanese blond, live music, thievery corporation, washington dc
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.
The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter
Lights
Reggea
Ghetto Matrix
Random
February 23, 2024
gem
concert, music
baby let me follow you down, bob dylan, cat power, concert, dc, like a rolling stone, lincoln threater, live music, tell me momma, washington dc
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.
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