Bruce Springsteen Concert Tickets Still Available At Less-Than-Retail Prices

Dear Bruce,

I’m writing to you as a longtime fan. I’ve been to about 60 shows, going back over 35 years. I can’t begin to tell you how important your music has been to me. As a proud son of New Jersey, I’m grateful for the respect you’ve brought to our state for your art, and for the way you’ve lived your life.

For a number of those years, I’ve been bothered by the dramatic announcements by your advisers that the latest on-sale has sold out in “five seconds” or whatever, when the fact is that those shows are not sold out at all. There are thousands of tickets being held back. The effect of this, for the less savvy or inexperienced concertgoer, is to drive people into the arms of scalpers in the near term, because they’re afraid that if they don’t pay the exorbitant prices they’ll miss out. The fact is that if they would wait, they would find that thousands of tickets suddenly appear out of nowhere shortly before the show from official sources, not to mention the additional thousands that are offered on eBay, or various message boards, at face value, or less.

Your team has a long history of speaking out against ticket scalping, and yet their actions are so contrary to their words that it almost seems like they are somehow complicit in the secondary market. I still believe in you enough that I’m not quite ready to believe that, but I’m also not sure what else to think at this point.

Instead of announcing sellouts to add to your already glorious legacy, a friend suggested that perhaps the following would be a more accurate statement, and far more fair to your fans:

“We have sold all of the tickets presently available for our show. As soon as we determine our production and other requirements, there WILL be more tickets made available. We urge you not to patronize people who are attempting to sell tickets to our shows at outrageous prices. You WILL have another opportunity. Just stayed tuned, and we’ll let you know when.”

Now that’s a statement that anyone can get behind. The best thing about it is that it’s the truth, which past statements have played fast and loose with. I know that these statements don’t come from you, but as I’m sure you’d agree, you are the boss (Boss), and the buck stops with you. Your music has had such a deeply personal effect on your fans, including me, over the years, that I know you want to continue to enjoy the love we have shared. In fact, it would make me really happy if the statement above, or something like it, came with your signature, or in your voice. That way there is no doubt about who is doing the talking.

I don’t think that you are by any means the only artist who has taken a wrong step in the turbulence that surrounds the music business these days. It has to be a difficult road. The inexcusable greed of companies like Ticketmaster and Live Nation (and thank you to Jon Landau for his stand against their merger) is part and parcel of the overwhelming avarice that has engulfed this country, from banks, to credit card companies, to health care insurers. Sometimes it seems like an overwhelming battle reverse this trend, but it has to begin somewhere. It has to start with us.

I should point out that as a journalist, I often don’t have to pay for my tickets, so I have no personal axe to grind here. I hate to see innocent people being taken advantage of though, and unscrupulous people reaping the rewards. I believe that is what’s happening here. I also know that as a person who has done so much good for so many people, you can’t possibly approve of this behavior. You’ve always asked us to “show a little faith,” and we have. It’s time to restore that promise. It’s time to say enough.

Incidentally, although this is appearing on our site, my views are my own, and do not necessarily represent those of my colleagues at Popdose.

Ken Shane

Photo by Nicole M. Vanasse

We’ve got old songs
We’ve got new songs
We’ve got songs we can’t play
We’ve got a spaceship
But we won’t leave without you

With those words, Bono and his friends in U2 launched their rocket ship from its pad in Gillette Stadium to kick off the first show of a two-night stand there. Hours later, I’m not sure that any of us who were fortunate enough to have been in the audience last night have returned to earth yet.

I am what you would call a casual U2 fan. I’ve enjoyed a lot of the music they’ve made over the years. I appreciate the political stands they’ve taken, and the charitable causes that they embrace. All of those aspects of their career were on display last night. Still, this show on their current “360 Tour” was only the third that I’ve ever seen, and my first since the Joshua Tree tour more than 20 years ago.

There has been much talk about the size of the current production. The band has been criticized by their peers and in the press for spending an enormous amount of money on the staging in the midst of such difficult economic times. Guess what? Once the music begins, all of that is immediately forgotten. What U2 has created is a truly thoughtful multimedia experience. This is not just smoke and mirrors for their own sake. Everything has meaning and depth, and the technology is breathtaking. The sound was as good as I’ve ever heard in a stadium setting, and the band was in top form musically.

It takes a confident band to open their set with four songs from a new album which, frankly, has yet to set the world on fire, but confidence is never in short supply for U2, and if anything, they improved on the recorded versions of the songs. It wasn’t until Achtung Baby’s “Mysterious Ways” that a familiar song had the crowd singing along. But once we started, it was hard to shut us up.

In addition to the songs from No Line On the Horizon, the set list featured songs from the band’s more recent albums. Their was the stirring anthem “Walk On,” and a beautiful acoustic “Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” from All That You Can’t Leave Behind. From How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb we got the majestic “City of Blinding Lights,” and a torrid version of “Vertigo” that reminded everyone of U2’s punk roots. Oh, and Nikki insists that I be sure to mention the majestic title track from The Unforgettable Fire.

The casual U2 fan’s favorite album is, was, and yes, probably always will be The Joshua Tree. Die-hards will scoff, but that fact was overwhelming evident last night. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” brought the first real tears of the evening. I’m not sure what I was thinking of, the state of my life, the state of the world, or just the incredible power of great rock and roll to transform a moment. It would hardly be the last moving moment in an evening full of such moments.

Politics were in evidence, but the issues were hardly controversial. You would have been hard-pressed to find anyone in the crowd who would have been against the dedication of “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” (and yes Bono, it IS a rebel song) to the freedom fighters in Iran, or “Walk On” to Burma’s true leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The songs were accompanied tasteful and stirring video presentations. There was also a recorded poem from Maya Angelou, and a delightful video clip of Bishop Desmond Tutu which led to U2’s performance of the always-inspiring “One.”

If I haven’t spoken enough about the production, that’s because it’s hard to describe. Yes, the central element reminds you of a space ship, and the playing of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” as U2 come on, and “Elton John’s “Rocket Man” as they leave drives the point home. There are lights that seem to come from everywhere. Particularly striking are the beams that emanated from the very top of the structure and reached high into the Massachusetts night sky. As you might surmise from the tour name, the video projections, and the stage itself are circular in nature. It’s no accident that U2 have chosen this form, without beginning or end, as the motif for their tour. In fact, everything in the design of the evening, audio, video, and musical had meaning and purpose.

I know I’m forgetting stuff, but the set list is below for your perusal. I haven’t even spoken about what a great guitar player The Edge is, and how his playing has influenced countless bands. It was one of those shows that you never want to end because it’s perfect, and yet you want it to end because nothing can stay perfect forever, and you want to preserve the moment. More than 30 years into their career, U2 still have everything that I’m looking for in a rock and roll band, i.e. passion, commitment, and a demonstrated willingness to continue to take chances.

When it comes to the title “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band,” there’s not always a title-holder. The honorific is only given when there’s a deserving candidate. By the very nature of the title, it has to be held by a band that has found enormous success. Sure, there are great bands playing in clubs, but to be the world’s greatest, you have to be able to perform on the world’s greatest stages as if you belong there. The Rolling Stones famously held the title for many years. As they faded, no band seemed to have the power to take the crown. Until now. U2 are the world’s greatest rock and roll band. Long may they reign.

Last night’s set list, courtesy of U2Gigs.com.

Breathe
No Line On The Horizon
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet)
Elevation
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet)
Unknown Caller
New Year’s Day
Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
The Unforgettable Fire
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo / She Loves You (snippet)
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
MLK
Walk On
One / Amazing Grace (snippet)
Where The Streets Have No Name

encore(s):
Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender

Asbury Park’s storied Stone Pony isn’t the same since Live Nation took over. That cuts both ways. On the plus side, an enormous new stage has been constructed out back, and space has been created for a lot more people to attend the promoter’s Summerstage shows, thus allowing the club to bring major acts to the cradle of N.J. rock and roll. On the other hand, gone is the collegial atmosphere that once made the club an appealing place for members of the large local music scene to hang out, and perform. It was performances by local artists like Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and others that put this club on the map. That seems largely forgotten now. I guess business is business.

Putting all that aside, it was certainly a lovely evening at the Jersey Shore when the Black Crowes came to town. It was my second time seeing the band. I had been very impressed with their performance at the Newport Folk Festival in the summer of ‘08, and I was looking forward to seeing them again. The bonus was that in the interim, guitarist Luther Dickinson (of the North Mississippi Allstars) had joined the band. He promised to be a good addition to the band, and he delivered on that promise big time. Led by the two guitar attack of Dickinson and brother Rich Robinson, and the vocal intensity of brother Chris Robinson, the Black Crowes blew away a capacity crowd on the late-summer evening.

The Crowes have a new album out. In fact, I’ll be writing a review of it for Popdose soon. In the meantime, the band played live versions of a number of songs from the double album including the set-opening “Good Morning Captain,” and my favorite track from Before the Frost, “Houston Don’t Dream About Me.” It’s always a fine line between playing new material and fan favorites when a band is trying to promote a new album. Usually playing a lot of new material is a good way to insure that the crowd is going to get restless. By my count, the Black Crowes played eight new songs in their 18 song (including encores) set. For most bands, I’d say that’s way too many. The thing is the Crowes played them so well, very few people seemed to mind. Of course there were a number of casual fans in the Labor Day weekend crowd who wanted to hear the hits, and they got their wish when the Crowes did staggering versions of “Remedy” and “Hard To Handle” near the end of their set. Other set highlights included “Wiser Time,” “Roll Old Jeremiah,” and the encores of “Oh Josephine,” and Gram Parson’s “Hot Burrito #2.”

Back in the ’70s, I used to work at a lost and lamented venue in Passaic, N.J. called the Capitol Theater. The Capitol was the scene of many great shows. So many in fact, that huge bands like the Rolling Stones and the Who chose the theater when they wanted to do smaller shows. What the Capitol had, in addition to great music, was atmosphere. A lot of that atmosphere came from the acrid smoke that always seemed to be seeping through the house, but it was a lot more to it than that.

The Black Crowes are a throwback, and I mean that in a very good way. No mere imitators, they are a band that incorporates the sounds of a bygone era and makes them very much their own. They are honest musicians who know how to play, and when not to play. They are a part of the heritage of great American players who have recast the wide variety of music that this country has produced into their own singular sound. I’m thinking of bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Band (I know they were mostly Canadian, but there’s no denying that the music was full of American influences), and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The Black Crowes have clearly earned the right to be placed on that level.

Josh Ritter was the first performer on the Fort Stage on Sunday, and he was one of the prime reasons that I was at the festival. I’m a big fan of the Idaho songwriter, and his set did not disappoint. He appeared with his full band, and they sounded great on songs like “Right Moves,” and “Real Long Distance” from Josh’s most recent album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, and on the title track from his 2003 album Hello Starling. The real standout however, was one that Josh played solo, the beautiful and powerful anti-war song “Girl In the War.” He dedicated “Another New World” to Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. Not only is Josh a wonderful songwriter and performer, he comes across as a completely genuine guy, and the early audience at Fort Adams was very appreciative.

I moved over to the Harbor Stage for what was to be my favorite set of the weekend. The legendary (there’s that word again, but it can’t be avoided in this case) Texas songwriter Guy Clark was appearing, together with his performing partner Verlin Thompson. There are very few songwriters that I admire more that Guy Clark. Country songwriters often talk about “three chords and the truth,” but the actual songs aren’t always that honest. Guy Clark is a different story. His songs are simple and eloquent, and he wears his honesty as a badge of honor. His performance style is low-key, and self-deprecating, but once he starts singing, you immediately fall under his spell.

Every song that Clark played was a classic. Some might have been more familiar that others, such as “L.A. Freeway” which Jimmy Buffett covered and had a hit with, but equally profound were songs like “Boats To Build,” “Stuff That Works,” and “The Guitar.” Clark has a new album coming out in September. I haven’t heard it yet, but I want to recommend it because getting a Guy Clark album has never been a bad idea.

I rushed back to the Fort Stage for the much-acclaimed Neko Case, but was unable to get to a very good vantage point. I watched most of her set from behind the stage, which didn’t provide very good visuals, although the audio was fine. I wasn’t as knocked out as I was supposed to be by what I heard. I guess it’s one of those things that’s a matter of taste. The best songs were “Wish I Was the Moon,” “Tigers,” and the title song from the latest Neko Case album, Middle Cyclone.

Case’s band is well chosen and does a good job of putting her songs across in a way that highlights the the songwriting, and not the individuals playing. I had a real problem with backup vocalist Kelly Hogan who does way too much talking during the set. Since when does a backup singer do all the talking? Someone told me that it was set up that way so that Case could focus on her performance. All I can say is that if you’re going to put yourself up front, you have to learn to be comfortable in front of an audience.

It was legend time again when Arlo Guthrie hit the Fort Stage. There had been much talk about his dad all weekend, and a lot of Woody’s songs were covered. Now it was time to hear from an actual blood relation. Arlo opened with his own song “In My Darkest Hour,” which comes off as a tip of the hat to Bob Dylan. Next he paid tribute to New Orleans with “St. James Infirmary,” and honored Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee with “Cornbread Peas and Black Molasses,” before covering Leadbelly’s “Alabama Bound.” The crowd favorite though was Arlo’s version of his very popular “Motorcycle Song,” (you know, “I don’t want a pickle,” etc.). As you might expect, Arlo was personable, and very funny with his between song patter.

Then it was back to the Harbor Stage for what I thought was the most interesting set of the weekend. Former punk rocker Tim Eriksen, who plays a variety of stringed instruments, and specializes in historic folk music, played a very strong set of his own, which included songs like “O’ Death,” “Wayfaring Stranger,” and “Amazing Grace,” before being joined by the Shape Note Singers, a choir of 20-30 voices.

According to the NPR website, Shape Note Singing is a “four part a cappella style based on the solfege syllables (fa, so, la, etc.) with which the notes of the musical scale are sung.” I’m not sure if I completely understand it yet, but it’s fascinating to see these singers perform songs from the Sacred Harp with no music to guide them, and only the voice of the leader for them to follow. I’ve provided a video here so that you can see what I’m talking about. It was completely different from everything else I saw that weekend, and totally fascinating.

Joan Baez was appearing on the Fort Stage. I’m going to resist using that “L” word, because I’ve never been that big a fan. I’ve always felt that her voice, particularly in the upper range, could be strident, almost screechy. Listen to her early recordings at Newport with Bob Dylan to see what I mean.

The good news is that Joan’s voice has mellowed with age. Perhaps she can’t hit the notes that she used to, which has resulted in a key change for her songs, making them much warmer and accessible. She sang a number of Dylan songs, including “Farewell Angelina,” “Forever Young,” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” and the stirring song that she wrote about her relationship with Dylan, “Diamonds and Rust.” There was also a cover of Steve Earle’s “Christmas in Washington,” and her classic version of the union anthem “Joe Hill,” which she famously performed at Woodstock.

Judy Collins was next, a performer that inspired me in my younger days. Frankly, I hadn’t paid much attention to her work since the ’70s. I’ve always respected her for tackling difficult material, “art songs” as they were often called, and her performance of “The Weight of the World” was a beautiful example of that talent. She also played classics like her covers of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” and Ian Tyson’s “Someday Soon.” But when Judy brought Joan Baez back to the stage to perform with her, it was if two figures on the Mount Rushmore of folk music had come to life. Together they repeated “Diamonds and Rust,” but it was a lovely version, and seeing them perform together is something that I’ll never forget.

Pete Seeger and friends closed out the day, and the weekend, with another sing-a-long that included a number of the artists who had performed over the weekend. Frankly, I didn’t stay through it all. By then, the rain that had held off all day was holding off no more, and it had been a long, and glorious weekend. I’m ready for Folk Festival 51 already. Whatever it may be called, long live this great American festival.

Last Friday, I saw my 25th Tori Amos show  since 1996. Yes, I said 25th show. That may sound excessive, but believe me, that’s peanuts compared to the number of shows some of my friends and fellow Tori fans have seen.

I saw my first Tori show in August of 1996 in Dayton, Ohio during her extensive “Dew Drop Inn Tour” in support of the incredible Boys for Pele album. This was before I had any kind of regular Internet access, so the only way I knew about the show was hearing on the radio that tickets were on sale. I took a friend who wasn’t a big Tori fan and who spent a good chunk of the show out in the hall or in the bathroom, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the show immensely. I was awestruck by her performance and immediately decided that the next time she toured, I was going to see as many shows as possible

During the “Plugged ‘98 Tour,” which supported her fourth album, From the Choirgirl Hotel, I saw four amazing shows. The show I saw in Dayton proved to be another significant one for me, as I met Tori for the first time at the before-show meet and greet (these meet and greets have been a staple on “Tori Tour” for many, many years). After that, she could’ve gotten on stage and played the theme song from Green Acres twenty times in a row and I would’ve still been over the moon. I had so much fun that day, spending most of it camped out in front of the venue waiting for Tori to arrive, meeting and hanging out with some fantastic people. In fact, meet and greets became an integral part of my tour experience over the years. And even though I haven’t done one since 2003, I am glad that they gave me the opportunity to meet some of my dearest friends, who I still talk to regularly and see at shows I attend.

During subsequent tours, I’ve seen anywhere from three to ten shows, exceptions being the two tours of which I only saw one show — the 2001 “Strange Little Tour” (I was in the middle of moving and starting a new job at the time) and the 2007 “American Doll Posse Tour.” Besides seeing almost every Ohio show, I’ve also seen shows in a variety of other cities, with Los Angeles being the farthest city I’ve traveled to for a show. For awhile, “Tori Tour” was something I anticipated with glee every couple of years — the excitement of possibly hearing songs that I hadn’t heard live yet; the hope that she would finally play the song I had requested at practically every show I attended; the joy of seeing old friends and meeting new people; the fun of taking a road trip or two. Some people like to go to the beach on their vacations, but I liked going from city to city seeing Tori Amos shows.

As I’ve gotten older and my priorities have changed — and my fascination with Tori and her music has waned — so have my tour habits. I only saw one show during her last tour and this is the only show I’ll see during the current “Sinful Attraction Tour.” And you know, even though my chances of getting a set full of my least favorite songs increases greatly the fewer shows I see, I’m okay with only seeing her once per tour now. And I know my bank account is okay with that, too.

When the schedule for this tour was first announced, I decided that the Indianapolis show would be my only show. But I completely forgot when tickets went on sale and by the time I realized they were, there weren’t any good seats left. So I decided not to go at all, making this the first tour since ‘96 that I wouldn’t see a show. Then the tour started and I started seeing the set lists, reading reviews and seeing YouTube videos and decided to try again to look for a ticket. A friend and I managed to find excellent fifth row center seats through ticktetsforcharity.com for only a few dollars more than tickets were being sold through LiveNation, so I changed my mind and decided to go (my secondary motivation was the threat of my friend, Mel, driving to Cincinnati from Dayton to beat me up if I didn’t go).

My friends Josh, Shawn and I arrived at the venue about an hour before the show and we hung out in the lobby chatting with old friends until it was time for Tori to take the stage. Her long time bass player, Jon Evans, and drummer, Matt Chamberlain, took the stage first and started playing the standard set-opening song, “Give,” which is also the first track from her new album. A minute later, Tori came strutting out in what we decided looked like a Project Runway losing design (as Tim Gunn would say, it was a “whole lotta look”).  After grooving at the edge of the stage for a minute, she hopped up to her piano and keyboards and launched into the song. I really enjoyed it and thought it translated really well live — a perfect set opener.

The next song, “Beauty of Speed” from American Doll Posse, is one I find to be fairly forgettable and my immediate reaction when she started playing it was, “I have a feeling I’m going to be disappointed tonight.” Why would I say that after only the second song? Well, for me, it tends to turn out that if she starts the set with a song I don’t like, then that usually means more of my least-favorites are still to come. Next came “Cornflake Girl,” one of her most beloved hits from 1994’s Under the Pink. But before she started playing it, she told a story about how she and her husband, Mark, had their first date 15 years ago in Indianapolis, then she introduced the band.

The fourth song in the set was “Starling,” which is from the new album. This is one of those songs that I loved when I first heard it on the album, but after repeated listens, decided I wasn’t a fan. I did, however, like the live arrangement and thought her voice sounded really strong.  “Crucify” was next, which included the added line of “fuck fuck fuck fuck” when she messed up one of the verses.

After that came what I refer to as the “trifecta of blech” — three of my least favorite songs, right in a row: “Ireland,” “Welcome to England” and “Jamaica Inn.” Now, I probably should give her a pass for doing three British-themed songs in honor of the anniversary of her first date with her British husband; but I just do not like these songs. At least “Ireland” is enough of a live rarity to make it kind of fun, though the lyrics make me want to gag. I thought “Welcome to England” was better live than on the album. And “Jamaica Inn” — well, I just hate this song and had I not been trapped in the middle of my row, I would’ve taken a potty break.

After those three songs, I had pretty much decided I was going to get completely gipped out of an amazing set list. But then she started “Hotel,” which, while not my favorite song off of From the Choirgirl Hotel, was welcome after the last three songs. Under the Pink’s “Bells for Her” was next — a song I was kind of hoping to avoid, since I’ve seen it at more than half the shows I’ve been to. However, it was really beautiful that night and I’ll take a really well-done song I’m sick of over a song I genuinely do not like any day.

Next came the “Lizard Lounge” portion of the set, in which Tori played a few songs solo. First was “Peeping Tommi,” played completely on keyboard, not piano. This song, which was originally recorded in 1993, but not released until 2006 as part of the A Piano retrospective boxed set, is rarely played live and I almost didn’t recognize it at first, so it was a nice surprise. The next song was “Cooling,” a b-side from Choirgirl which she loves to play in concert. I was quite happy to hear this because all the other times I’d heard it live, she had always left out one of my favorite verses; this time she played the entire song.

Up until this point, this show had been a completely different experience for me than any other show I’d been to. For the first time, I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the music or the experience — I was mostly enjoying the show, but I hadn’t had a real connection to what I was seeing or hearing. That is until she started the next song. Typically, she has only performed two songs solo during “Lizard Lounge.” But tonight, she declared that because of the anniversary she was celebrating, she was going to do three songs. Then she started playing “Gold Dust,” which is not only one of my favorite songs from 2002’s Scarlet’s Walk, but also a special song for my friend, Mel, who had spoken to Tori earlier in the day at the meet and greet and had asked her to play it. As soon as the first notes started, I looked two rows ahead to see Mel’s reaction, and then whispered to my friends sitting on either side of me that “Mel is losing her shit right now.” The performance was emotional and beautiful and reminded me why I fell in love with Tori’s music and why I’d gone to so many shows over the years.

The next three songs were quite strong — Boys for Pele’s “Horses,” which I really do love hearing played with the band; “Tear in Your Hand” from Little Earthquakes; and the new song, “Fast Horse,” which I don’t like on the album but really loved live. She closed out the main set with the Little Earthquakes fan favorite, “Precious Things,” and one of my favorite songs from the new album, the Zeppelin-esque “Strong Black Vine.”

The encore consisted of Choirgirl’s danciest track, “Raspberry Swirl,” which, while fun to hear, was definitely not as strong as it could’ve been. The arrangement seemed a little watered down and she didn’t seem to be as into it as other times I’ve seen her perform it. She followed that up with what I think is one of the most embarrassing songs she’s ever recorded, “Big Wheel.” Oh, how I wish that wasn’t the last song I heard during my only show of the tour.

While I would’ve liked for the set list to have included more songs that I love, the show was not bad by any means. After a month of touring, she and the band have gotten tighter and her voice was strong and clear and she really seemed to be enjoying herself. It was good to see her play again and even better to see some of my old friends. Do I wish I’d chosen to see more shows? Not really (though I did have some pangs of jealousy after seeing the set list from the next night’s show in Detroit). Will I ever stop going to shows altogether? I doubt it because even if she puts out a mediocre album, Tori is still one of the most dynamic, entertaining live performers I’ve ever seen and and I don’t see that changing.

They called it Folk Festival 50 this year, but the event was a celebration of the of the birth of the Newport Folk Festival. It’s a long, twisted story, but a few months ago there was a real possibility that the great event would not live to see its 50th birthday. Then the man who started the whole thing in the first place, George Wein (who also established the Newport Jazz Festival in 1954), stepped in to make sure that his baby had life. Wein had sold the rights a few years back, and the subsequent owners had failed to meet some of their obligations. As a result, Wein returned, but he still hasn’t won the right to use the name that he honored for so many years. Hopefully that will change soon, and next year it will become the Newport Folk Festival again.

You may have heard of Newport, R.I., or even paid a visit. It is one of America’s playgrounds, famous for its great mansions, and as the home for sailing’s America’s Cup for many years. The city sits on a peninsula, surrounded by Narragansett Bay, and Rhode Island Sound. There are beautiful water views in every direction, and the city takes full advantage of its location. On the northern end of the peninsula sits Fort Adams. The Fort was established on July 4, 1799, and has been home to the festival since it was revived after a 15 year absence in 1985.

I’ve been to a lot of festivals, and I can’t think of a more beautiful venue. There are three stages. The main, or “Fort” Stage uses the fort’s northern wall as a backdrop, and performers have a great view of the bay as they play. Thousands of people gather on the wide lawn with their blankets and beach chairs. The “Harbor” stage is smaller, and enclosed within a tent filled with seats. The “Water” stage is the smallest, and also covered by a tent. Naturally the more well known performers tend to appear on the big stage, but you’re likely to see great performances in all three venues. Artists who appear on the Water or Harbor Stage one year may move up to the Fort Stage next year. The Avett Brothers are a good example. They played the Harbor Stage last year. This year, with a new Rick Rubin-produced album due in September, they starred on the Fort Stage.

The weekend, which was full of tough choices in terms of who to see, began for me at the Harbor Stage, where Ramblin’ Jack Elliott was celebrating his birthday. The knowledgeable fans that filled the tent and overflowed out the sides began a spontaneous rendition of “Happy Birthday” before the now 78 year-old even got to his stool. At 78, Elliott was not the oldest performer who would appear that day. Ramblin’ Jack delighted the crowd with his renditions of songs by Tim Hardin, Woody Guthrie, and the Carter Family. Guthrie’s presence is always keenly felt at this festival.

Next it was off to the Fort Stage for Billy Bragg. Though I’m a long time admirer of his music and his politics, I’ve never had the chance to see him perform live. I’ve heard stories about his propensity to drone on endlessly between songs, and while he certainly did do his share of talking, what he said was, for the most part, witty, and welcome. The highlights of his set were the beautiful “I Keep Faith,” from last year’s Mr. Love & Justice, “The Space Race Is Over,” which first appeared on Bragg’s 1996 album William Bloke, and a stunning version of Woody Guthrie’s (there’s that man again) ” I Ain’t Got No Home In This World.” My favorite Bragg moment however was when he said that he was sorry that all the people out in the harbor were unable to afford a ticket, but he was glad that they were able to pull their yachts close enough to the stage to watch the show for free. Vintage Bragg.

Last summer, North Carolina’s Avett Brothers created a sensation at the festival. Their set was a romping, stomping party, full of the frenetic sawing at instruments, and lots of leaping about. Since then, they’ve been signed to a major label, and as I said earlier, they have that Rick Rubin-produced album coming out next month. You notice little things when a band signs with a major. Suddenly the wardrobe is a bit more premeditated, and there’s a little less leaping about, and more focus on the music. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just a thing. I’m glad they made it to the Fort Stage this year, because the Avett Brothers are a band that should be seen by as many people as possible. The two brothers, Seth and Scott, play guitar, banjo, and handle the vocals. Occasionally one of them will get behind the drum kit, or sit at the keyboards. Their friend Bob Crawford plays upright bass, and joining them on cello each time I’ve seen them (four times in all now) is Joe Kwon.

Their set this time included such gems as “Murder In the City,” from the Second Gleam EP, the raucous “Kick Drum Heart,” from their new album, and three songs from their 2007 album Emotionalism, “Paranoia In B Flat Major,” “I Would Be Sad,” and “Go To Sleep.” The Avett Brothers are on their way to bigger things. Keep an eye on them.

The Low Anthem are a band from nearby Providence, R.I., so it stands to reason that they would attract a pretty sizable crowd. They were placed on the Water Stage, and not only was the tent filled to capacity, there were fans 20 deep on both sides and at the rear of the tent. Despite the fact that it was very difficult to see them from my vantage point, their set was one of the best that I saw all weekend.

The Low Anthem set included the ethereal “To Ohio,” from their recent Oh My God Charlie Darwin album, and “Yellowed By the Sun,” from their 2007 album What the Crow Brings. This is another great young band that bears watching. I’m sure the massive audience response to their set, both in numbers and enthusiasm, will find them moving up to larger stages in the coming years, both at Newport and elsewhere.

It was a day filled with favorites for me, and I was really looking forward to seeing Gillian Welch and David Rawlings again. They never disappoint, and this performance was no exception. Gillian has a knack for silencing a huge crowd, despite the fact that it’s just her and David up there, and they’re playing acoustic instruments. Her songs are so plaintive, and so intensely rendered that they demand your full attention. Set highlights included “My First Lover,” Red Clay Halo,” and “Miss Ohio.”

It’s worth noting one other special thing about Newport here. This is, by and large, and folk festival. The music is often quite subdued. I’m sure you’ve had the experience, as I have all too often, of having people talk while music is being performed, ruining your enjoyment of the moment. That doesn’t happen at Newport. There is such a high level of respect for the musicians that audience, no matter how large, listens carefully. I found this as welcome as the sea breeze that blows into Newport on a hot summer day.

Mavis Staples was another artist that I’d been looking forward to seeing. The veteran soul and gospel singer has not lost a single step, or one bit of her fervor. Backed by a great band, she knocked the crowd in the Harbor Stage tent out with intense renditions of “Wade In the Water,” “Eyes On the Prize,” and “Too Close To Heaven,” before closing with her classic version of “The Weight.”

Last year’s Fleet Foxes album won accolades all over the world from critics and the public alike. I wasn’t as enthusiastic. To me it all seemed a little too wispy. I couldn’t get a handle on the songs. I just didn’t get what all the commotion was about. Friends had told me that they were also great live, so I was looking forward to their Newport set, ready to be convinced.

I think they played very well. I was particularly impressed by their vocal harmonies, which are beautifully arranged and sung. I’m still not sure if I get it, but I’m going to keep listening to Fleet Foxes and hope that one day I can jump on the bandwagon.

My favorite set of the day was the one by Austin-based songwriter Sam Beam, better known as Iron & Wine. Though I was certainly aware of him, I was totally unfamiliar with his music. Not anymore. Beam played a beautiful set. Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, he had the overflow crowd at the Harbor Stage tent hanging on his every word, as he performed one beautiful song after another. I noticed that a lot of the other musicians on the bill were there to catch his set, something I’ll discuss more later. It’s easy to understand why. Sam Beam is a consummate songwriter. It’s hard to pick just a few songs from a set of standouts, but there was a new song called “Godless Brother In Love,” and there was “Resurrection Fern,” “Sodom, South Georgia,” “Upward Over the Mountain,” and so many more great ones.

I’m not sure what to make of the Decemberists. I appreciate their ambition, and their inventiveness, but it all leaves me a bit cold. Perhaps someday their most recent album, The Hazards of Love, will be heard as a historic concept album, but right now, I find it a bit overbearing, and a lot boring. When I saw them play the whole album at SXSW earlier this year, they did not hold my attention. It was all too serious, and yes, pretentious. Their Newport set was better because they played music from other stages of their career, and even put on a little skit about the day Dylan “went electric” at Newport. It wasn’t really funny, or well received, but at least they were trying to have fun. I think Colin Meloy and his band have something in them. I thought they were on the verge of realizing it with their 2007 album The Crane Wife. Let’s see what they come up with next before consigning them to oblivion.

What better way to close out the day than an appearance by this festival’s patriarch, the 90-year-old Pete Seeger? He is certainly beyond criticism, or any insight that I might be able to provide. He’s one of those artists who you need only to be in his vicinity to understand his power and charisma. He took the stage with his grandson Tao, and admitted early on that his voice wasn’t what it once was. If that was true, there was not one person there who cared. And then the guy opens his set with “Turn, Turn, Turn.” What’s left to say? It was time to head home and rest up for Day Two.

NPR did an amazing job of covering the festival. You can stream or download complete sets at their site, see photos, read bios, and more. Just go to: Folk Festival 50 on NPR

Look for my coverage of Day Two, coming soon.

WXPN is the listener sponsored Triple A radio station associated with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and one of the finest stations of its kind in the United States. The station is known for treating its listeners as family, and toward that end WXPN has been throwing a summer weekend festival since 1994. In the beginning, it was called the Singer Songwriter Weekend, and it was held at Penns Landing, a beautiful outdoor venue right on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. A few years back, pending construction closed Penns Landing. The event’s name was changed to the XPoNential Music Festival, and moved across the river to Wiggins Park in Camden, NJ, an equally beautiful riverfront venue.

There are two stages at the festival, the main or River Stage, and the smaller Marina Stage. Beginning on Friday night, popular artists from the station’s playlist alternate sets through Sunday evening. I was only able to attend the Saturday festivities, and since most of the artists that I really wanted to see were playing on the River Stage, that’s where I focused my attention for the day. People gathered in front of the stage in varying numbers, while on the half-bowl hillside facing the stage, hundreds were set up with their beach chairs.

Between Jersey shore traffic on the Garden State Parkway, and Six Flags Great Adventure traffic on the N.J. Turnpike, the trip which would normally take me not more than 90 minutes clocked in at nearly twice that. I was happy to arrive just in time to see the first band of the day that I really had some interest in. Brooklyn’s young Yeasayer played a compelling set that blended electronica, psych, and tribal rhythms. They opened the set with two promising songs from their upcoming new album. Guitarist Anand Wilder is handling a few more lead vocal chores now, and I enjoyed his more pop-oriented songs.

Next came the best set of the day from Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3. Wynn is an indie legend, going back to his days in the Dream Syndicate, and he’s put together a great band featuring drummer Linda Pitmon, bassist Dave DiCastro, and the brilliantly inventive lead guitarist Jason Victor. Together the played a wonderfully intense set that transported me back to the lower Manhattan clubs where this music was born.

The Bacon Brothers were up next. It seemed like a good time to seek out the facilities and find some dinner. One interesting observation though. Just before the set, Kevin Bacon walked passed me surrounded by an entourage of about ten people. Bringing up the rear, about 20 feet behind Kevin and by himself was brother Michael. It can’t be easy being a guy who’s connected to a movie star by one degree. I didn’t hear them play, but the cheesesteak was reasonably good.

Despite my disappointment in his most recent album, Back and Fourth, I am a fan of Pete Yorn. I think he has a great band, and some really melodic and powerful songs. So I was really looking forward to his set, and it did not disappoint. The highlight for me was the seasonally-appropriate “Last Summer,” which is the best song on the new album, and even better live. “For Nancy (’Cos It Already Is) was another strong effort, and one that I caught with my video camera.

As darkness descended on Camden, it was time for They Might Be Giants. I’d heard a lot about them over the years, and I know people who are die-hard fans. I am totally unfamiliar with their music, but I thought I’d give it a try. I’ll just say that I appreciate what they’re doing, and they definitely drew the biggest crowd of the day to the front of the stage, but it’s just not for me. They are, in a nutshell, cute and quirky. I hate cute and quirky. If you like them, fine. It’s just not my thing.

To close out the evening, was the band that I’d waited for all day. If you’ve read some of my past articles, you know that I’m a big fan of the Hold Steady. I think that they are one of America’s greatest bands, and they feature a great live show led by one of the most unusual and charismatic front men in the game, Craig Finn. As usual, they had the crowd of devotees in front of the stage pogoing and and singing along from the start. The WXPN audience tends to be a little older than the average rock and roll crowd, and there were definitely people who were not prepared for what was going on on that stage.

It wasn’t the best Hold Steady set I’ve seen. They’re off the road and not in mid-season form, but even at that it was better than nearly any band you’re going to see these days. The opening barage of “Positive Jam,” “Stuck Between Stations,” and “Sequestered In Memphis” blew away any doubts that the Hold Steady are the real deal. Finn was all over the place, leaping about and gesturing frenetically as is his wont. I managed to catch the wonderful “Cattle and the Creeping Things” with my camera.

Twelve songs in, the wind began to come up, and it began to rain lightly, which made it a particularly effective scene for guitarist Tad Kubler’s blazing solo on “Lord I’m Discouraged.” As it turned out, that was the last song of the night. The rain got harder, the band left the stage for “safety reasons,” and I wandered around Camden trying to figure out where I’d parked my car. As it turned out, I’d parked it right next to the adjacent Susquehanna Bank Center, and I arrived there just in time to observe the Toby Keith fans that were emerging from his show there. Chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.” filled the air. It’s a strange world.

The problem, most likely, is one of scale. The idea of the tour is to replicate the famed songwriters’ circles at the Bluebird Café in Nashville, or the “In Their Own Words” series that Vin Scelsa used to host at the dearly departed Bottom Line in New York. Those gigs, however, traditionally are/were performed for audiences of just a few hundred, all of whom paid a modest price for their tickets and most of whom were well-versed in the concept of “a bunch of songwriters sittin’ around singin’,” as the Bottom Line concerts were subtitled. But last night L.A.’s legendary Greek Theatre packed in something more like 4,000 souls, the majority of whom had paid north of $50 for the privilege, and in the concession lines too many patrons were heard pronouncing their excitement at the chance to hear one star in particular. One guy in the smoothie line, asked by the clueless, Hawaiian-shirted mixologist who the night’s performers were, replied, “It’s a Shawn Colvin show.”

No, it wasn’t. The real fun of a songwriters’ circle is its aura of surprise – the possibility that somebody will play a new song you haven’t heard before, or drag a musty old tune out of her back catalog … or that you’ll come away from the show a huge fan of the one person whose music you were least familiar with when you came in. All those charms are abundant on this tour, even if they’re low-key ones, and the experience is a rich and satisfying one – unless you come to hear “Sunny Came Home” or “From Boulder to Birmingham,” in which case you’re out of luck.

The women led off the show with a sweetly harmonized version of Phil Spector’s “To Know Him Is To Love Him,” which was on the Harris/Parton/Ronstadt Trio album nearly 30 years ago – and which the Three Girls had begun dedicating to Buddy after a heart attack and triple-bypass surgery forced him off the tour back in February. Harris followed with a rendition of “Red Dirt Girl,” commencing five rounds of turn-taking during which the singers accompanied each other vocally and with guitars, tambourines and shakers. (A roadie at stage left even marked each round of songs with a numbered sign, like at a boxing match.)

In this match, Miller was the clear underdog – by far the least-known quantity onstage, though he’s a ubiquitous presence in Americana circles. “Sorry,” he intoned when his first turn came. “I know I’m not what you expected … but my songs are short, and Buddy Hackett wasn’t available … or Buddy Emmons … or Buddy Guy.” With that, though, he launched into the knife-like guitar runs and rollicking vocals of “Gasoline and Matches,” from his new album with wife Julie, and the audience was his. Indeed, Miller’s songs were consistently revelatory – a word I mean in two ways, since he sang a trio of gospel numbers from his Universal House of Prayer album, which I’m guessing a couple hundred concertgoers probably fished off Amazon and iTunes this morning. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he said later, and it was easy to take him at his word – not only because of the company he’s keeping, but because of the exposure his presence in that company is bringing to his own music.

Miller is currently producing a gospel-tinged album for Griffin that will be released over the winter – a “lapsed-Catholic gospel album,” as she identified it repeatedly – and on this tour the two of them are clearly in cahoots, enabling Griffin to emerge as the evening’s strongest (female) voice. Her soprano pierced the night sky on her own gospel numbers – the first a cover of Blind Willy Johnson’s “If I Had My Way, I’d Burn This Building Down,” the second a self-penned number called “Coming Home to Me.” She also performed the entirety of what she called her “love songs” series – which she introduced by saying, “I’m 45, and I’ve written exactly two love songs in my life.” The first was “Heavenly Day,” from her Children Running Through album, which she said is becoming a popular wedding song “even though I wrote it for my dog”; the second was the hysterical “Our Love is a Dud.”

Harris got with the program by singing a couple spirituals of her own; indeed, at one point Miller, she and Griffin sang three of them in a row … which the thoroughly secular Colvin followed, irony perhaps or perhaps not intended, with her “folk-hip-hop” version of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Colvin was rather subdued throughout, despite the fact that her new Live album had been released the day before. She led off with “Trouble,” from A Few Small Repairs, but then sang only one more original tune the rest of the night (“Summer Dress”) in addition to Robbie Robertson’s “Twilight” and the Beatles’ “I’ll Be Back,” on which she led a particularly exquisite three-part harmony.

The evening concluded with three group sings, capped by a gorgeous performance of what Harris called their “benediction” – Griffin’s “Mary.” It was a fitting conclusion, since Griffin had dominated the proceedings both thematically and with her generous wit. All in all, the evening could have used a bit of Scelsa’s (or perhaps Jules Shear’s) gift for eliciting interesting stories from his “In Their Own Words” participants, but the music – though it might not have included the best-known songs from any of the four artists – and the communal vibe were all an audience could (or at least should) ask for on an early-summer evening outdoors at the Greek.

I admit it. I’m jaded. After seeing more than 50 Bruce Springsteen shows over the years, with and without the E Street Band, it’s gotten to the point where I just don’t look forward to the shows as much as I used to. The thing is, while I might not look forward to the shows with the same youthful eagerness, I always seem to leave the shows feeling re-energized, my ever more flagging faith in rock and roll renewed. That’s certainly what happened when I saw Springsteen and the band on the first night of their recent two night stand at the Izod Arena.

While I’m sure the E Street Band plays great shows all over the world, and I’ve seen a few in other cities myself, there is nothing quite like seeing them at home in NJ. It’s like a bunch of dear old friends getting together for a few hours to party like we used to back in the day. We might not be that young anymore, but we show a little faith, and our faith is rewarded.

More than one of our old friends was missing at this show. Organist Danny Federici is gone, a victim of melanoma, but his presence is very real at every show. On this night, drummer Max Weinberg was also absent due to his Conan O’Brian commitments, ceding the drum throne to his son Jay for the evening. The 18-year-old Weinberg was a dominant force throughout the show, giving the older guys and ladies a bit of a kick in the ass now and then, and upping the energy quotient substantially. Springsteen’s sheer joy and pride in the young drummer was evident throughout the show. The Big Man, Clarence Clemons, was moving slow, and sitting at some points, but his sound is still as big as his giant heart.

The show was a dark ride for the most part, with Springsteen promising a party, but often delivering something more substantial. When the second song of the night is the angry “Adam Raised A Cain,” you know you’re in for some strong medicine. The three-song “recession block” that includes “Seeds,” “Johnny 99,” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” provided a powerful reminder of what was going on outside of the shaking walls of the arena.

What Springsteen is selling, though, much like a certain popular President, is a little something called hope, and even in the darkest moments, that flame still burns as brightly as the sea of glowing cell phones that demanded encores from the band. Personally, I was thrilled to have old favorites like “She’s the One,” and especially the still soul-stirring “Jungleland” in the set, as well as the majestic “Kingdom of Days,” my favorite song from Springsteen’s most recent album, Working on a Dream, in the evening’s set list. Other highlights included a wonderful live arrangement of “The Wrestler” from the new album, and a sign request for “Growin’ Up.”

Yes, I’m jaded, but more than 30 years after my first Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show, I still manage to be blown away by the rock and roll dream that this band represents, and proud that we can still get together “somewhere in the swamps of Jersey” and rekindle our friendship.

Setlist:

Badlands
Adam Raised a Cain
Outlaw Pete
Radio Nowhere
She’s the One
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
Growin’ Up (sign request)
I’m Goin’ Down (sign request)
Prove It All Night (sign request)
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The Wrestler
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run

Encores:

Hard Times
Thunder Road
Jungleland
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
Rosalita

The show’s focus was Byrne’s work with Eno, covering the Talking Heads’ three pivotal, mid-career albums, and their two collab LPs, 1981’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, and last year’s Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, with the latter release unsurprisingly taking the most focus. (Which explains the absence of hits like “Psycho Killer,” “And She Was,” and “Road To Nowhere.”) Still, Byrne brought out some of the bigger Talking Heads players, all of which got the crowd going – “I Zimbra,” “Crosseyed & Painless,” “Once In A Lifetime,” “Burning Down The House” (See video below!), “Life During Wartime,” and the group’s funky Al Green cover, “Take Me to the River.” The hopeful attitude of the newer material was especially fitting, as Byrne serenaded, “I’m counting all the possibilities,” in “My Big Nurse.”

David Byrne & Brian Eno, “My Big Nurse” (download)

Byrne was more than capably backed, not only by an arsenal of musicians and back-up singers bringing a soulful, afrobeat flavor when needed, but also by a saucy dance troop. The spectacle made the show all the more joyous, at least for those within eye range of the stage. Overall, the audience was upbeat and well-behaved, dancing and singing at full force.

The sound was a little muddled at times (even close to the sound booth), and the vocals definitely could have been louder. Leaving the area was a slow process, though not much worse than it was in the days of the McCarren Park Pool shows. Hopefully over the course of the summer, those kinds of kinks will be worked out. And, hey, it’s hard to complain much about something that’s free.

For more pictures, click here.

SET LIST:
Strange Overtones
I Zimbra
One Fine Day
Help Me Somebody
Houses In Motion
My Big Nurse
My Big Hands (Fall Through the Cracks)
Heaven
Moonlight In Glory
Life Is Long
Crosseyed And Painless
Born Under Punches
Once In A Lifetime
Life During Wartime
I Feel My Stuff
Encore: Take Me To The River
Great Curve
Encore 2: Air
Burning Down The House (See video below!)
Encore 3: Everything That Happens

David Byrne: “Burning Down The House,” Live @ Prospect Park Bandshell, June 8th, 2009