Archive for August, 2009.
The Woodstock Music Festival was only a few decades ago. In fact, it was 40 years ago now and people are remembering it fondly. After all this time, I’ll bet there are thousands more people who claim they were there than were actually there. This festival for peace and love and rock is iconic in its strength and people will remember it for the rest of their lives. People who hear the music from that fest know why it was such a big thing and it’s also one of the best atmospheres for any kind of music concert, especially outdoor concerts. It is the standard by which all other festivals are judged. And it’s hard for the other concerts to match up with such a big one. This was a good festival for people to look into.
There are many different folk music acts out there these days and Lee Murdock is one of the most famous in the country right now. Many people know about folk-rock artists, but Murdock does some of the best music in a more traditional style than anyone else. You can enjoy his music in small venues all over the upper midwest and the rust belt during the next several months. In a few months, he will be playing his Christmas Ship concerts (yes, I said Christmas!) in larger cities and venues all over the country. These are some of the most interesting family events that you could take a kid to. They are family friendly, with great songs about the Great Lakes. You can check out some of the music online, just to get a taste of it. He and his band are very nice to hear and are very good at connecting to the audience. You can be sure that these musicians will keep you interested in the music even after the concert is over. Check out the Lee Murdock schedule and the fun music that they bring to you.
Jim Post is one of the most respected rock/folk musicians in the US right now, though he’s not one of the most well known among the general populace. Billboard described him as a combination of Irish tenor, revival sermonist and hillbilly bluesman who can control the energy in the room without any trouble at all. He is one of the most interesting performers that you’ll ever see. His work is a little subtle but eminently enjoyable by anyone of any age. He sings songs from the 60s as well as a lot of songs of his own composing. He has gotten interested in education and the idea that people can learn while being entertained too. We will be watching for any new shows that he comes up with, although I’m looking forward to hearing him in person sometime real soon!
This year, you might have thought that Phish would never be playing together again. They are some of the best musicians around. You can imagine that these are some great musicians! They were some of the most highly anticipated players around. 2009 has been a great year for them because they announced their return to the music world and then started touring. They have appeared and collaborated with different musicians from all kinds of genres. Upcoming is a three day fest with them that combines well with Halloween. When you want to get Phish tickets, it seems to me that Vivid Seats is a good place to get them, since they’re sold out most other places.
You probably know about this already. In fact, almost everyone does. Les Paul passed away last week after a long, active, and productive life in music. He was 94, I believe, and had a very impressive career. He created one of the first electric guitars, or at least the prototype for one and made his name ubiquitous with the guitar playing world. It’s a kind of sad irony that his invention helped pave the way for him to become much less a major part of the music establishment. As soon as rockers found their way to an electric guitar, they became amazingly popular. But it’s almost impossible to describe how many of them were directly and indirectly affected by his music and playing style. Even the Beatles said that they were playing his music before they were playing their own!
If you are into jazz or classical music, you might want to check out the music of Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock. These two musicians are right at the top of their league and will make anyone who catches their show very happy. Then you will want to hear more of them. The reports about the concerts are great. In some ways these two playing together seems a lot like a couple of really smart kids playing great music together. Like they’re just jamming. These are fun players and both of them help the other to get his own best side out onstage. Don’t you enjoy hearing these fun fusions of different kinds of performers. So get yourself into the concert this summer.
Mike Seeger, a noted music historian and folk singer, passed away this week at the age of 75. He was more of a musical scholar than anything else, but he has recorded a lot of songs from that era. He pursued the songs and learned a lot more about their original meanings and so on. His set of songs with his sister Peggy for children was one of the most important things in my life in terms of my understanding of that type of music. He kept a lot of old songs going and also arranged them in a way that worked well. We will miss Mr Seeger. Pete Seeger, his older half brother, and much more famous, is 90 years old and lives in upstate New York. We wish the family well!
There was a rumor a couple years ago that Leonard Cohen would be the new judge on “America’s Got Talent.” It was an April Fool’s gag, but it definitely caught a few people off-guard. But it would have been amazing, because HE is the one with the talent. His music is well-known for the kinds of lyrics that he has. Often, they are described as sad or depressing, but many people really relate to that kind of feeling and they are happy to hear someone who relates to them. Cohen is one of the best singer songwriters around and he’s also got some of the best lyrics and poetics in his music in the world. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get Leonard Cohen tickets for Kansas City this weekend and get myself to the Midland for one of the best concerts of the year!
Now that Steely Dan has started their 2009 tour, it’s getting interesting to see how this band has changed over the last decades. You can enjoy their new shows a lot because they have changed their style a bit, according to Variety. They are much more interactive than they were back then, because they take all-request nights on some of their shows. They also play full albums at some of their concerts, which is always a fan-favorite kind of thing to do. They are also more fiery than they used to be, back when they exhibited a type of nihilism which is surprising for anyone. This band is a great one and many people like it. However, if you are a woman, you might not like Steely Dan, or so I’ve been told. I like them well enough, but most women don’t seem to enjoy them as much. Try it out and see, that’s my recommendation.
