It's the end of the century and I can't think of anything but you, all, all, I, need, I got you, I got you, babe... Wilco - I Got You (At the End of the Century)
The concert of the year was the Americanarama Tour at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. I got to see Wilco & Richard Thompson for the first time, as well as My Morning Jacket for the second time and Bob Dylan for the sixth time.
The high point was Wilco; they played songs from throughout their career from I Got You (At the End of the Century), Hummingbird to It Dawned On Me. Richard Thompson joined Jeff Tweedy and company for the Fairpoint Convention Song Sloth and Wilco's great California Stars. They joined My Morning Jacket on their set to play George Harrison's Isn't It a Pity.
My Morning Jacket's set was high octane with the crescendo of Wordless Chorus, Victory Dance and Gideon. Front man, Jim James was very animated and entertaining.
Bob Dylan closed the night with a typical Dylan show, highlighted by Charlie Sexton's great guitar work. Enigmatic as ever.
I am a breathing time machine, I'll take you all for a ride... (The Avett Brothers - Laundry Room)
I have been to several concerts lately:
The first was Alejandro Escovedo along with The Incurables at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, KY on 10/19/2010. Alejandro was in support of his recent great release Street Songs of Love (which was recorded in Lexington and some of the artwork shot at the Kentucky Theatre). This was a special show with Alejandro and the Sensitive Boys (or Sincere Boys as the tickets read and Alejandro joked) in great form. The band was awesome; bassist Bobby Daniel, drummer Hector Munoz, and especially guitarist David Pulkingham. Alejandro was warm and funny, sounded even better. The show featured songs from Street Songs including: The Bed is Getting Crowded, Anchor, Down in the Bowery, Fort Worth Blue and Street Songs; and older songs like: Rosalie, Castanets, Always a Friend and Chelsea Hotel '78 to mention a few. This was one of the best shows that I've seen this year.
Additionaly the show opened with a St. Louis band called The Incurables who were lead by charismatic frontman Jimmy Griffin. Their portion of the show was excellent and I look forward to future recordings by this band.
The next show was The Avett Brothers along with Grace Potter and The Nocturnals in Huntington, WV on October 24.
This was my first Avett Brothers show and what a treat. The show was a high energy spectacle of the Brothers unique music. The audience was more familiar with their music than I was having only heard I and Love and You, but that didn't dim my enjoyment.
The highlights for me were Kick Drum Heart, January Wedding and I and Love and You.
The most recent show was Bob Dylan on his Never Ending Tour at Northern Kentucky University on 11/3. Dylan's current band includes the fantastic guitarist Charlie Sexton, who is very entertaining. Dylan played a very good setlist that included some of my favorites: It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Lovesick, Man in a Long Black Coat, Cold Irons Bound and from Highway 61 Revisited: Desolation Row, Highway 61 Revisited, Ballad of a Thin Man, and of course Like a Rolling Stone. Dylan was more animated that I've seen him before and at age 69 he still seems as enigmatic as ever.
