Showing posts with label concerts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concerts. Show all posts

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Lower Lights Christmas Concert

The Lower Lights are a Utah-based supergroup of incredibly talented vocalists and musicians known primarily for their folk-gospel sound.  Every year they perform a series of Christmas concerts and I have always wanted to go to one.  In years past the concerts were held at the Salt Lake Masonic Temple, which is a really small venue, so by the time I got my act together enough to buy tickets they were usually sold out.  This year, due to their growing popularity, they moved to Kingsbury Hall and I was finally able to get a ticket to last night's concert.  It was such a wonderful evening and I loved every minute of it.  Some of my favorite songs included "I Saw Three Ships," "Away in a Manger," "Silver Bells," "In the Bleak Midwinter," "The Holly and the Ivy," "The First Noel," and a rocking version of "Once in Royal David's City."  Every time I attend a Christmas concert, I am always really nostalgic for the Christmas concerts I performed in when I was in college.  My choir really loved to sing "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" and "Still, Still, Still" and the Lower Lights performed both of them beautifully!  I also really loved the instrumental versions of "What Child Is This?" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem."  They gave me goosebumps!  There were two moments which actually brought tears to my eyes.  The first was an incredibly heart-felt rendition of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."  The times we are living in right now seem so dark with vitriol spewed everywhere I turn but this song gives me hope that some day we can have peace on earth and good will toward men.  The other moment was during the encore when they had the audience join them for "Silent Night" with just a guitar as accompaniment.  It was a lovely moment, to say the least!  Honestly, I don't really know what I believe any more but at this time of year, I find so much comfort in the music of Christmas.  I loved this concert so much that I hope to make it a yearly tradition.  Their final concert is tonight at Kingsbury Hall and I highly recommend that you get a ticket by going here (if there are any tickets to be had!).

Note:  Apparently the "Twelve Days of Christmas" sing-along on Tuesday was a mere warm-up for the "Go Tell it on the Mountain" sing-along last night!  I was in fine form!

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Taylor Swift at Energy Solutions Arena

I started this summer with a U2 concert in Denver and I ended it with a Taylor Swift concert last night at the Energy Solutions Arena.  Not too shabby!  I will tell you right now that this ticket was ridiculously expensive and I can't even justify the expense, like I could for Paul McCartney, because I am a relatively new fan.  My only excuse is that I love the Red album and I seriously regret not seeing that tour when it came through SLC so, in a fit of madness, I bought a ticket for the 1989 tour.  I am certainly glad that I did because the show was spectacular!  Worth every single penny!  It included pyrotechnics, backup dancers with intricate choreography, multiple wardrobe changes, a runway (which eventually elevated Taylor high above the crowd), and bracelets which lit up in sync with each song for everyone in the crowd.  The setlist included "Welcome to New York," "New Romantics," "Blank Space," a sultry version of "I Knew You Were Trouble," "I Wish You Would," "How You Get the Girl," "I Know Places," an acoustic version of "You Belong With Me," "Clean," "Love Story," "Style," "Bad Blood," a rock and roll version of "We Are Never Getting Back Together," "Enchanted/Wildest Dreams," and "Out of the Woods."  For the encore, she played "Shake It Off" which turned the ESA into a huge dance party!  My favorite moments of the evening were her light-up dress and the light-up umbrellas used by her dancers for "How You Get the Girl," her performance of "I Know Places," which is my favorite song on 1989, and her bad ass performance of "We Are Never Getting Back Together," complete with black leather catsuit and electric guitar.  I also really loved all of her inspirational messages throughout the show, especially when she said that you are not the opinion of someone who doesn't know you.  Preach it, girl!  Taylor Swift is an incredible performer and she definitely knows how to work a crowd.  She always seemed to know where the cameras were and would frequently flash a look that whipped the crowd into a frenzy!  I sang every single word and I think the woman my age sitting next to me (who was only there because her young daughter was in the crowd with her friends) thought I was crazy.  I don't care because I had such a great time and it is a night that I won't forget any time soon!  Like I said, worth every penny!

Note:  Many of my students, especially my officers, were really jealous that I was going to this concert.  When I was in high school, I couldn't imagine any of my teachers doing anything this cool!

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Shania Twain at Energy Solutions Arena

Country is my least favorite genre of music so many people are surprised when they learn that I am a huge fan of  Shania Twain.  I really love the album Up! and, when I saw the Up! tour in 2003, I started listening to her other music because she put on such an amazing show!  When I heard that she would be bringing her Rock This Country tour to SLC after an absence of over a decade, I was thrilled!  Last night I joined a crowd of all ages for an evening of her biggest hits.  She came up from the floor on a platform and rose high above the arena wearing a sparkly mini-dress, a black leather jacket with fringe, thigh-high leather boots, and red-tinted sunglasses to sing, appropriately, "Rock This Country."  After that it was one spectacle after another with lasers, pyrotechnics, giant video screens, multiple costume changes, and several forays into the crowd (one of which was on a mechanical bull that circled the arena on a crane).  I loved it!  Twain does not have the voice she did in her heyday but no one, including me, seemed to care and we all sang every word to every song along with her.  She had plenty of swagger and sass to make up for it!  She played for over two hours, dividing the show into three sets.  The first included "Honey, I'm Home," "You Win My Love," "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," "I Ain't No Quitter," "Love Gets Me Every Time," "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," and "Any Man Of Mine."  She started the second set with "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" and "Come On Over."  Then she sang "Party for Two" with Gavin Degraw, who opened for her.  That was one of my favorite moments.  She continued with my favorite song, "Up!," and then toned things down with some acoustic versions of "Today Is Your Day," "No One Needs to Know," and "You're Still The One."  In my opinion, her voice was at its best during these songs and I was quite impressed to see her playing the guitar.  She began the third set with a powerful version of "From This Moment On" and finished with "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here."  For the encore, she sang a fun and rowdy version of "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"  I loved this concert!  Shania definitely rocked the ESA last night!

Note:  The teenage girls sitting in front of me took about 812 (a conservative estimate) selfies during the concert...

Friday, August 14, 2015

Time for Three With the Utah Symphony

Last night, after a long day at school in which I accomplished very little, I went to a concert featuring a string trio called Time for Three with the Utah Symphony under the baton of Maestro Jerry Steichen (always a treat).  I was tired and a little bit stressed but I knew that I would enjoy myself listening to the Utah Symphony under the starts at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheater.  What I didn't realize was that violinist Zach De Pue, violinist Nick Kendall, and double-bassist Ranaan Meyer would absolutely blow my mind.  Clad in black jeans, they looked more like rock stars rather than classically trained musicians (which they are) and they played everything from bluegrass to rock and roll and every genre in between.  I loved it!  The orchestra began the concert with a piece composed by Zach De Peu called "In the Dressing Room" which was just lovely and then Time for Three played a medley of "Eleanor Rigby" and "Blackbird" by the Beatles.  It was at this point that I knew I was in for an extraordinary evening.  They also played a lovely version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and a rousing rendition of Billy Joel's "Angry Young Man."  I especially enjoyed all of the mash-ups of contemporary songs and classical pieces such as "Cry Me a River " by Justin Timberlake with Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, "Firework" by Katy Perry with The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky, and "Gallows Pole" by Led Zeppelin with Beethoven's Eroica Symphony.  Genius!  And then, lest the audience doubt their classical background, they played "Winter" and "Summer" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons much to the delight of the crowd!  They ended the concert with "Little Lion Man" by Mumford & Sons (even singing along with some of the lyrics) and then played a highly amusing version of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band for the encore.  They substituted their own lyrics lamenting the fact that, despite their classical training, this is the only song people want to hear on the fiddle!  It could not have been a more amazing night!  If you have the chance to see Time for Three, I highly suggest you take advantage of it!

Note:  After the concert, a man sitting behind me told his wife that it was much better than he expected!  I love listening to the Utah Symphony but this concert was better than I expected, too!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Lady Antebellum at USANA

I'm not a big fan of country music.  I tend to like artists who have more of a cross-over pop sound like Taylor Swift and Shania Twain (more about them later this summer).  I added Lady Antebellum to that list when I saw their Own the Night tour several years ago.  Despite the fact that I am not really familiar with their music (in fact, there are only a handful of songs that I actually know), I decided to see them at the Usana Amphitheatre last night because I knew they would put on a good show and there really is nothing better than listening to music outside on a warm summer night!  As predicted, they did, in fact, put on a great show and I really enjoyed it!  I only recognized four songs but I sang my heart out on "Just a Kiss," "I Run to You," "Need You Now," and "We Owned the Night."  They played quite a few covers, including Bruce Hornsby's "Mandolin Rain" with Charles Kelley's brother Josh and Hunter Hayes (who was an opening act to the delight of the screaming girls around me) on mandolin, Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" with Sam Hunt (another opening act who was quite good), Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud," and Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine."  I would say that "Thinking Out Loud" was definitely a highlight for me but I feel like Lady Antebellum has a big enough back catalog that they could have played more of their own songs rather than covers.  There were actually some songs that I knew that they didn't play ("Wanted You More" and "When You Were Mine") and, if I know the song, it must be pretty popular.  I did like the songs from their new album 747, "Long Stretch of Love," "Bartender," "One Great Mystery," and "747,"  so I might have to give it a proper listen.  Even though I didn't sing every word to every song like the night before, it was a great summer concert under the stars!

Note:  Have I ever mentioned that getting out of the parking lot at Usana is a complete nightmare?  I literally sat in my car for over 30 minutes without moving.  For the next concert I may have to bring provisions...

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Imagine Dragons at Energy Solutions Arena

I love the band Imagine Dragons!  Their album Night Visions was practically the soundtrack to my life during a period of time when I was particularly happy and, even now, when I listen to those songs I am reminded of some great memories.  Despite the fact that the band literally got their start playing clubs in Provo and SLC, I have never seen them live before last night's concert at the ESA and I have really been looking forward to it.  All I can say is that Imagine Dragons certainly put on a great show and they sound pretty impressive live (even in the ESA where the sound is sometimes less than ideal).  Dan Reynolds is incredibly charismatic and gave many heartfelt speeches thanking the people of Utah for supporting the band in their early days.  They began with "Shots," which is my favorite song from their latest album, Smoke + Mirrors.  They continued with "Trouble" and then dedicated an incredible performance of "It's Time" to Tyler Robinson, a young man from SLC who had a rare form of cancer for whom the band created the Tyler Robinson Foundation.  Next they performed a fabulous cover of Alphaville's song "Forever Young" which led into "Smoke and Mirrors."   They got the ESA rocking (not for the last time) with "Poloroid,""I'm So Sorry," and "Summer."  I loved the acoustic intro to "Gold" (which is another favorite from the new album) and I really loved the medley of "Amsterdam/Tiptoe/Bleeding Out/Release."  Reynolds really showcased his vocal range during that section of the show.  Next, they played "Demons" and I had goosebumps when Reynolds had the crowd sing the lyric, "Unless you show me how."  It was definitely an amazing moment.  They finished the set with "Hopeless Opus," "On Top of the World," "Friction," "I Bet My Life," and a mind-blowing version of "Radioactive" complete with lasers.  For the encore they played "The Fall."  This was such a great concert and I will definitely see them any time they pass through SLC!

Note:  I always have my sophomores write a research paper and give an oral presentation on a famous person of their choice.  Since students hate writing research papers, I figure they will be more inclined to complete the assignment if they can write about someone they are already interested in.  Last spring one of my students chose Dan Reynolds.  After her oral presentation I asked her if she was going to this concert.  She told me no and then literally started crying when I told her I was!

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Rush at the Maverik Center

I think there are two kinds of people in the world:  those who are absolutely fanatical about the band Rush and know every word to every song and see them play live every chance they get and then there are those who just don't get it. I am definitely one of the former but we are a select group.  During some down time at a debate meet when I was in high school, a guy on my team who I didn't know very well mentioned that he had tickets to an upcoming Rush concert but didn't have anyone to go with.  I immediately begged asked him to take me.  He was surprised to learn that I liked Rush and we spent the rest of the debate meet talking about our favorite songs while everyone else on the team looked at us like we were crazy.  He took me to the concert and we were inseparable for the rest of the year.  (Tom Irvin if you are out there, that was one of the best concerts of my life!)  That was the first time I saw them live and I have since seen them every time they've come to Salt Lake City.  When I learned that the R40 Tour, celebrating forty years of performing with the same line-up of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, would most likely be their last major tour, I definitely had to be there.  I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale which was during one of my classes.  None of my students even knew who Rush was except for one of the coolest kids in the class who practically begged me to buy him a ticket (for the record, I didn't because that would be weird).  He and I spent a fair amount of class time talking about our favorite songs while the rest of the students shook their heads.  A select group, indeed.  Last night's show was amazing!  They began in reverse chronological order with some of their newest songs from Clockwork Angels and continued through their eponymous first album.  My favorite section was the middle when they played "Distant Early Warning," "Subdivisions," "Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," and "The Spirit of Radio."  I also really loved the phantasmagorical light and sound show during several sections of "Cygnus X-1" and "2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx," which are some of their more atmospheric and narrative compositions.  All I can say is that it was amazing with an incredible laser show in syncopation with the music and at times I felt like I was floating in space.  Some other fun moments included celebrity rappers on a giant screen during "Roll the Bones" and two double neck guitars on "Xanadu."  The end of the concert was really nostalgic with "Closer to the Heart" and their traditional encore, "Working Man."  I loved how the stage configuration changed from set to set to represent their history.  At first it was a spectacular arena show with all of the bells and whistles, including jets of fire.  Then stage hands dressed in jumpsuits began removing amplifiers and other set pieces as the show progressed.  The second set looked more like a theater and by the encore it was just the three of them with a drum kit.  I loved every minute of it!

Note:  I really missed Tony when they played "One Little Victory" because it was one of his favorite songs.  Tony and I went to a lot of Rush concerts together; in fact, that was how he got me to go out with him!  He had asked me several times but I didn't want to go out with him because we worked together.  When he mentioned going to a Rush concert, I couldn't resist (it also made Tony seem a lot more appealing knowing he belonged to the select few).  He would have loved this concert!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

U2 in Denver

After graduation Friday night, I packed up my car and left at the crack of dawn on Saturday for the drive to Denver to see U2's Innocence and Experience Tour.  I have driven to Denver with my friend Tony and with my Dad countless times but this was the first time going solo.  Several years ago when Tony and I were driving to a Broncos game, I missed the junction to I-25 and we were in Pine Bluffs, Nebraska before Tony realized what I had done!  He was so mad at me because it was over an hour out of our way but I maintain that it was really his fault because he was the navigator!  Now everybody teases me about it whenever I go to Denver.  Happily, I did not miss it this time (it is really well marked!) and I even got to my hotel in Denver with enough time to take a nap before the concert!  It was an amazing show, one that I will never forget!  I love U2.  I have been a huge fan since the album War came out when I was in eighth grade.  I suppose that the Beatles will always be my sentimental favorite but they broke up before I was born and I never got a chance to see them live.  U2 is a contemporary band with a lead singer who sings about peace and social justice and they definitely fueled both my earnestness and my idealism when I was young.  I practically worshiped Bono when I was in high school and college and, apparently, not much has changed since then because I was incredibly close to him for much of the concert (he even made eye contact with me several times) and I was beside myself, almost like a thirteen year old girl!  The stage was configured with a rectangle at one end of the Pepsi Center and a circle at the other end with a long runway connecting them.  Above the runway were huge screens with a catwalk between them.  My seat was on the second row near the circular stage and I would say that Bono (and occasionally the whole band) spent about half of the concert there.  During the first half, the majority of the songs came from their latest album, Songs of Innocence, which I absolutely love, interspersed with really early songs, such as "The Electric Co." and "I Will Follow," and "Sunday Bloody Sunday."  The concert began with "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" which is about when Bono first realized that he wanted to be in a rock and roll band.  During "Iris," a beautiful song about Bono's mother, his old home videos were shown on the giant screens.  During "Cedarwood Road," an image of the actual street was projected on the screens while Bono walked across the catwalk in between them.  It looked like he was walking up and down the street where he grew up and it was so cool.  I especially loved the effect of the blowing cherry blossoms.  During "Song for Someone," my favorite song from the album, Bono stood on the circular stage with a single spotlight.  He gave an incredibly passionate performance and it was one of my favorite moments of the concert.  The whole band performed "Raised by Wolves" suspended on the catwalk and then Bono sang "Every Breaking Wave" on the circular stage with just the Edge accompanying him on a piano that came up from the floor.  Bono can still belt out those high notes and it was another favorite moment for me.  After the intermission, they played the old favorites (Songs of Experience?) including "Until the End of the World," "Invisible," "Even Better than the Real Thing," "Mysterious Ways," "Desire," "Angel of Harlem," a powerful version of "Bullet the Blue Sky," "Pride (In the Name of Love)," and "Beautiful Day."  They finished the set with Bono singing "With or Without You" on the circular stage with a spotlight.  Sigh!  For the encore, they sang "City of Blinding Lights," "Where the Streets Have No Name," and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."  I have now seen U2 perform five times (I'm hoping that the tour eventually makes it to SLC so I can see them again) and every show has been an unbelievable experience!  This concert was definitely worth the eight hour drive!

Note:  This is not the first time I've gone to Denver just to see a concert.  I flew there to see Bruce Springsteen at the Pepsi Center and Tony and I drove to Red Rocks Amphitheatre twice to see Journey and Sting!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Ed Sheeran at Energy Solutions Arena

A couple of years ago I saw Snow Patrol's Fallen Empires Tour at a club in SLC and the opening act was Ed Sheeran.  I didn't know anything about him but I was transfixed by his performance.  It was just him, a guitar, and a loop pedal and it was amazing what he was able to produce by adding layer upon layer of sound as he sang.  I became an instant fan of his and immediately bought a ticket to his show at the ESA as soon as they went on sale (in the middle of one of my classes).  Aside from the larger venue, longer set list, and sliding video panels behind him, Tuesday's concert was a lot like the previous one.  Sheeran, alone on stage, managed to turn the cavernous ESA into an intimate club.  He began with "I'm a Mess" and continued to play many selections from his brilliant album x (read as Multiply), including  "One," "Don't," "Nina," "Photograph," "Tenerife Sea," and "Runaway."  He also included "The A Team," "Drunk," and "Lego House" from the album + (read as Plus) as well as "I See Fire" from the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  Sheeran began every song quietly with a beat created by tapping his guitar.  Then he would layer in guitar riffs followed by backing vocals until the song exploded in a crescendo of sound accompanied by a frenzy of video images behind him. It was amazing!  Sheeran was very charismatic with the large crowd, commanding us to put our hands in the air and bounce when the beat dropped during "Bloodstream" and to be totally silent during "Afire Love," a beautiful ballad about his grandfather.  My favorite moment was when the entire audience sang along with "Thinking Out Loud."  It gave me goosebumps!  He ended his set with an ethereal  rendition of "Give Me Love" then came back for an encore with the lyric-spitting "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" (which, to my delight, turned into a version of "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea).  The evening ended, appropriately, with "Sing" and sing we did even after Sheeran left the stage!  It was one of the best concerts I've seen!

Note:  The opening act was Ben Kweller and, at one point, Sheeran called him to the stage and the two of them performed a fantastic rendition of "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King.  It reminded me of when Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol called Sheeran to the stage for an incredible performance of "New York."

Saturday, April 25, 2015

The Midtown Men

 Last night my family and I saw the Midtown Men in concert with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall.  It was an absolutely amazing concert!  The Midtown Men are Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer and all four of them were in the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys.  When I saw the Broadway touring company production of Jersey Boys in SLC two years ago, I knew my Dad, who is a huge fan of the Four Seasons, would love the show so I immediately bought tickets for him and my Mom during intermission!  When I read about the upcoming Midtown Men concert, I knew, once again, that my Dad would love it so I decided to get tickets.  I am so glad I did because we all loved it!  My Dad was so excited he could hardly contain himself waiting for the concert to begin!  The Utah Symphony started the show with a medley of songs composed by Henry Mancini and then the Midtown Men came out and performed a variety of music from the 1960s including "Get Ready" by the Temptations, "Can't Buy Me Love" by the Beatles, "Happy Together" by the Turtles, "Dawn (Go Away)" by the Four Seasons, "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters, "Time of the Season" by the Zombies, "Cry for Me" from Jersey Boys, and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye.  They closed out the first half of the show with a medley of "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Sherry" by the Four Seasons which really got the crowd going!  After the intermission, the Utah Symphony performed a beautiful arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel that I really loved.  The Midtown Men continued with "River Deep Mountain High" by Ike & Tina Turner, "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas & the Papas, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by the Four Seasons, and a fabulous medley of Motown hits (my favorite was "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5).  They ended the show with "Oh, What a Night (December,1963)" by the Four Seasons.  What a night, indeed!  They were incredible performers with elaborate choreography with each number and they kept up a charming banter with the audience all night.  I love the music of the 1960s, especially the Four Seasons, because my Dad played it so much during my childhood.  It was so fun to experience this concert with him because he is the reason I knew all of the words despite being one of the youngest in the audience!  If you are a fan of the music of the 60s you will definitely want to get a ticket to the show tonight (go here).

Monday, March 23, 2015

Summer Concerts

There are so many great concerts coming to SLC this summer.  It seems like a new concert is announced every week and I keep buying tickets!  It looks like 2015 might be the Summer of Concerts and I am so excited!  It all started with Taylor Swift.  By the way, I read somewhere that life is too short to pretend that you don't like Taylor Swift so I will admit right now that I am a huge fan!  I debated and debated about getting a ticket but I decided to go for it (I had to use an alternate ticketing source because the SLC show sold out in minutes) because I really regret not seeing the Red tour.  Then I bought tickets to Rush!  I actually bought these tickets as soon as they went on sale which was in the middle of one of my classes.  I am the consummate professional!  I also have tickets to Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Sam Smith, and Shania Twain!  Then last week U2 announced that they were adding a show in Denver to their schedule!  Squeal!  I have loved U2 since I was in eighth grade and I have seen them in concert every time they've come to SLC (SLC is currently not on their schedule).  I was toying with the idea of getting a ticket to one of the Chicago shows but it will be so much easier for me to get to Denver!  I was able to get a ticket and I am beyond excited!  The show is on the first day of summer vacation and I can't wait!

Here are some of my favorite summer concerts from years past.
U2 at Rice-Eccles Stadium - May 2011
The Eagles at Rio Tinto Stadium - May 2009
Paul McCartney at Rio Tinto Stadium - July 2010
Crosby, Stills & Nash at Red Butte Garden - August 2012

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

The Eagles at Energy Solutions Arena

Some of my very favorite childhood memories involve my Dad's light blue Dodge Ramcharger and the music of the Eagles.  We went on many road trips and my Dad's favorite traveling music was the Eagles' Greatest Hits (1971-1975).  As we drove down the road my sisters and I would sing at the top of our lungs: "I'm standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine sight to see.  It's a girl, my Lord, in a flat-bed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me."  Last night my family got to relive those memories at the ESA during the Eagles concert and it was pretty amazing (it turns out that we can still sing "Take It Easy" at the top of our lungs).  This tour celebrated the history of the band and they played their hits in chronological order.  When they took the stage, they sat on their amplifiers and reminisced about starting the band.  They played "What Ever Happened to Saturday Night" and "Train Leaves Here This Morning" which are some of the first songs they wrote.  Then they played "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and a bluesy version of "Witchy Woman" (which I really liked) from their first album.  They told the crowd that the inspiration for their second album was a book about gunfighters that belonged to Jackson Browne and then, to my delight, they played "Doolin-Dalton."  It is one of my favorite songs by the band and I've never heard it live before!  They also played "Tequila Sunrise" and then "Doolin-Dalton/ Desperado (Reprise)" which gave me goosebumps!  Then they moved onto the album On The Border and played "Already Gone" and "Best of My Love."  Next came One of These Nights and they played the title song, "Lyin' Eyes," and "Take it to the Limit" before the intermission.  When the band came back, they only played one song from Hotel California (saving it for the encore?), which was "Pretty Maids in a Row," and moved on to The Long Run.  Timothy B. Schmit gave a lovely rendition of "I Can't Tell You Why," and then they sang "New Kid In Town," "Those Shoes," and an acoustic version of "Heartache Tonight."  Then they let Joe Walsh off his chain and they performed "In The City," which is one of my Dad's favorites.  Joe Walsh continued by jamming to his solo hits "Life's Been Good To Me So Far" and "Funk #49."  I don't know how many brain cells Joe Walsh has left but he can certainly play that guitar!  He had the ESA rocking!  They continued with "The Long Run" and finished their set with "Life in the Fast Lane."  For the first encore they played "Hotel California" (as predicted) with everyone in the arena singing along!  They came back for a final encore and played "Take It Easy," "Rocky Mountain Way," and "Desperado."  They played for close to three hours and I didn't want it to end!  I am glad that my family was able to make another wonderful memory involving the music of the Eagles!

Note:  When the Eagles came to Salt Lake in 1995 for the Hell Freezes Over tour, I didn't go because I thought $75.00 was too much to pay for a concert!  I find that highly amusing now, especially in light of what I recently paid to see Paul McCartney!

Friday, August 8, 2014

Paul McCartney at Energy Solutions Arena

I love Paul McCartney!  No I really, really love Paul McCartney!  When I was ten or eleven I bought a 45 record of McCartney's song "Coming Up" and I played it constantly.  I played it so much that my Dad finally took me to his closet where he kept all of his records and he handed me one.  It was Rubber Soul and thus began an obsession with the Beatles that continues to this day (I eventually stole borrowed all of his Beatles records).  I love all of the Beatles but Paul has always been my favorite.  I saw Paul in concert for the first time at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during his Driving World Tour in 2002.  I can't even describe my emotions listening to all of the songs I grew up with played live!  It was literally a dream come true!  I was pretty much openly weeping during "Hey Jude."  I had the opportunity to see him again at Rio Tinto Stadium in 2010.  I was sitting next to a couple who were my parents' age on one side and a 13 year old girl on the other and we all knew the words to every single song.  Last night I had the opportunity to see Paul McCartney in concert again, this time at the ESA for his Out There World Tour.  The ticket was really expensive but I put it on my emergency credit card.  I considered it an emergency because I would literally die if I couldn't see him.  It was such an amazing show!  He played for almost three hours and included songs from the Beatles, Wings, and his latest album New.  He began with "Eight Days A Week," "All My Loving," "Listen to What the Man Said," "Let Me Roll It," and "Paperback Writer."  Then he moved to his piano and sang "My Valentine," which was written for his wife Nancy, "The Long and Winding Road," and "Maybe I'm Amazed," which was written for Linda.  He moved back to center stage and sang "I've Just Seen a Face," "We Can Work it Out," "Another Day," and "And I Love Her."  He moved to a rising platform at the front of the stage for a beautiful rendition of "Blackbird" and then sang "Here Today" as a tribute to John Lennon.  He sang a few from the new album including "New," "Queenie Eye," and "Everybody Out There."  Then he played a few more Beatles songs: "Lady Madonna," "All Together Now," "Lovely Rita," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite."  He gave a lovely tribute to George Harrison by playing "Something" on a ukulele with some great photos of George on the screen.  I really loved that!  He continued with "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "Band on the Run," "Back in the U.S.S.R.," "Let it Be," and "Live and Let Die," which had some amazing pyrotechnics!  He finished his set with "Hey Jude," including some audience participation with the iconic chorus!  For the first encore he played "Day Tripper," "Hi, Hi, Hi," and "Get Back."  For his second encore he gave a beautiful rendition of "Yesterday," a rousing rendition of "Helter Skelter," and a touching rendition of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry that Weight," and "The End."  This set list includes quite a few songs I hadn't heard him play before. It was literally amazing and I didn't want it to end!  As much as I love watching Paul McCartney, I also really love his band.  He has had the same group of musicians for every concert I've been to and I particularly enjoy watching Rusty Anderson on lead guitar.  When he plays the solo on "Maybe I'm Amazed" I just about die!  What I love most about a Paul McCartney concert is that all of the songs sound fresh!  He is most definitely not just going through the motions and you get the sense that he loves these songs now as much as he did when he first played them!  I certainly love every song just as much as I did when I was a teenager!

Note:  The first time I saw Paul McCartney in Las Vegas, the crowd had to walk through the casinos to leave the arena.  We all spontaneously started singing "Na Na Na Na Na Na Na" as we walked and the people in the casinos applauded. I will never forget that moment!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Natalie Cole at Red Butte Garden

I have very eclectic taste in music.  A friend of mine once told me that I like everything from Beethoven to the Beatles to the Beastie Boys!  I guess that's true!  I became a fan of Natalie Cole after I saw her perform a Christmas concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  I was so impressed that I bought her album Unforgettable: With Love, which is a collection of many of the songs her father, Nat King Cole, sang (including her iconic duet with her father on "Unforgettable"), and it quickly became one of my favorites.  I think I have established the fact that I absolutely love going to outdoor performances in the summer, so imagine my happiness when I found out Natalie Cole would be performing at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre this summer!  I bought a ticket as soon as they were available to the general public and have been eagerly anticipating the concert ever since.  It was wonderful!  I think I was the youngest person there, but I absolutely loved it.  The opening act was Joy & Eric, a duo from Park City.  They played covers of various songs with just an acoustic guitar and I especially loved Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" and Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer."  Natalie Cole began with a very sultry rendition of "Fever" which got the crowd in the mood.  She, along with her amazing musicians and backup singers, turned the large outdoor venue into a smokey jazz club for a few hours.  Luckily for me she played many songs from my favorite album including "Route 66," "The Very Thought of You," "Smile," "L-O-V-E," and, of course, "Unforgettable."  Cole also included many covers including Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money," Michael Jackson's "Human Nature," Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing," and Etta James' "At Last!"  She ended her set with "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" which got the entire crowd up and dancing!  For the encore, she sang an acoustic version of Des'ree's "You Gotta Be" which was amazing.  Such a lovely evening sitting under the stars listening to wonderful music!

Note:  Even though I was the youngest person there, I knew all of the words to every song!

Monday, June 16, 2014

OneRepublic at USANA

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is sit under the stars and watch an outdoor performance.  Saturday night was an absolutely beautiful summer evening and one of my favorite bands came to the Usana Amphitheatre for an incredible concert.  Needless to say, I was pretty happy!  OneRepublic started their set with "Light It Up" behind a giant screen, which whipped the 17,000 screaming fans into a frenzy before it finally dropped.  Whenever I go to a concert, there is always one song that I really want the band to play.  It is usually pretty obscure, so sometimes I'm disappointed.  But it just so happens that my favorite OneRepublic song, "Stop and Stare," is quite popular so they played it relatively early in the evening.  I loved it because it was an incredibly stirring performance with the entire crowd singing along!  I really love Ryan Tedder's voice and, even though it was a large arena with over 17,000 in attendance, he sang with such raw emotion that it felt very intimate.  Many songs began acoustically with one featured instrument and a spotlight (piano for "Apologize," Spanish guitar for "Counting Stars," and cello for "Secrets") and then built to a crescendo with other instruments and the usual light show.  They played a few songs from Native, their latest album, such as their catchy new single "Love Runs Out," "Preacher," and "Something I Need," but they kept the crowd happy with the hits "All the Right Moves" and "Good Life."  When they played "Come Home," they showed images from SLC projected on the screens and that definitely got the crowd cheering.  They ended their set with "I Lived," an incredible song that I want played at my funeral!  Listen to it!  For the encore, there was an amazing rendition of "Wonderful World" (did I mention that I love Ryan Tedder's voice?) and then "If I Lose Myself."  It was a really fun night of great music!

Note:  I also enjoyed the opening bands, even though I wasn't as familiar with them.  The first band was American Authors.  I didn't see their whole set because of an epic parking nightmare (did I mention that there were 17,000 people at this concert?) but I did get to hear their biggest hit, "Best Day of My Life," which was fun.  The Script put on a great show with charismatic front man, Danny O'Donoghue, running through the crowd multiple times.  I really liked their performance of "Breakeven."

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

I Can't Wait for Summer Vacation!

Sometimes the closing of the school year is hard.  This year is proving to be more difficult than usual so I am concentrating on all of the fun things that I hope to do this summer.

Deer Valley Music Festival
When it gets really hot in the valley, it is nice to head up to the mountains at the Deer Valley Resort and hear the Utah Symphony play under the stars!  You can bring a blanket and a picnic and sit on the hill or there are seats available near the stage.  This is one of my favorite things to do in the summer and we have heard the orchestra play the 1812 Overture (complete with real cannons) several times.  The pictures above are from last year's Bravo Broadway concert, which was fantastic.  I just got my tickets in the mail for the Music of U2 and I am beyond excited!  Go here for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets.

Utah Shakespeare Festival
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is held every summer on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City (a four hour drive south of Salt Lake City).  It is another one of my favorite things to do.  Sometimes Marilyn and I spend several days and see every play and sometimes we go down for one day and see a couple.  Once I drove down to see Hamlet and then drove straight home.  It was worth it.  The pictures above are from the 2010 production of Macbeth, which was awesome.  This year I am really excited to see Into the Woods (they produce non-Shakespeare plays, too) and Twelfth Night. I'm not going to lie, I'm also excited for the raspberry tarts!   Go here for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets.

Tuacahn Amphitheatre
Tuacahn is a natural amphitheatre made out of red rock in St. George (about six hours south of Salt Lake City).  They perform several musicals in repertory every summer and you can also purchase tickets to a pre-show dinner.  The above pictures are from the 2012 production of Hairspray.  My very favorite production here was Les Miserables because they used the terrain beyond the stage for the epic battle on the barricade.  It was amazing.  This year my student body officers are going to leadership camp at Dixie State University and we get to see The Little Mermaid.  Go here for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets.

Sundance Summer Theatre
Sundance Summer Theatre, in conjunction with the Utah Valley University Theatre Department, has produced a musical at the Sundance Resort for the past several years.  Seeing a musical in the mountains is always a great way to beat the summer heat.  We have seen The Sound of Music (Marilyn sang along with the actors), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Annie Get Your Gun.  Marilyn and I may or may not have squealed when we found out they are doing Fiddler on the Roof this year.  Go here for tickets.
The Utah Symphony also makes an appearance at the Sundance Resort.  Near the Fourth of July they perform a program featuring patriotic music (think John Philips Sousa).  I took my cousin Merry to this concert last year and we both enjoyed it.  I'm thinking of going again.  Go here for more information.

Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series
Red Butte Garden is an amazing venue for outdoor concerts.  This picture is from the Crosby, Stills, & Nash concert in 2012, which was fabulous (even though I was probably the youngest person there).  This year I am going to see Natalie Cole and I am really excited about it.  Go here to check out this year's lineup and to purchase tickets (many shows are already sold out because members have priority to purchase tickets before the general public).

With all of these amazing events to look forward to, maybe I can make it through these next few weeks until summer vacation.  Maybe.
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