Ed Sheeran: One Man and One Guitar; Rocking A Football Stadium

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     Ed Sheeran brought the singing crowd at METLIFE Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. to their feet with only a guitar and a loop pedal. Sheeran played packed shows on both Friday and Saturday night, September 21^st and 22^nd, in the support of his 2017 release, ‘Divide.’ Tour openers included Anne-Marie and the band Snow Patrol, which Ed thanked for taking him out as the band’s opening act in 2012. Upon taking the stage Friday night, Sheeran thanked his fans of all ages, from kindergarteners to grandmothers. Sheeran confessed this is his first large outdoor stadium tour and the largest venue he’s played in the New York City area, citing previous concerts at more intimate indoor venues like The Cutting Room and Radio City Music Hall.

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Sheeran opened with ‘Eraser’ where he layered his vocals to create a rich harmony. The artist briefly explained how he could make music with one acoustic/electric guitar. The technology allows Sheeran to record as he plays or sings a few bars, then repeat the recorded piece while he adds concurrent tracks on top. While looping a cacophony of rhythms and harmonies in the bridge of ‘So in Love,’ Sheeran went from a single voice to a chorus of Sheerans in about a minute flat. 

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Sheeran, a self-professed “awkward concertgoer” brings a level of theatrics to the stage. He seamlessly transformed his demeanor between tender love songs like “Thinking Out Loud” and edgy Eminem-style raps like ‘Don’t.’ The songwriter’s true performance is in playing his guitar. Sheeran changed guitars multiple times during the show, although most of the guitars were small acoustic/electric Martin models.  Sheeran cemented his status as a prolific guitar player while tacking his 2014 hit, ‘Bloodstream.’ The stage, bathed in fuzzy red light, pulsated with his driving guitar beat. As the lights intensified and video footage of Sheeran became more erratic, Sheeran looped at least 5 separate rhythms that mashed up into a musical storm. His voice echoed and reverberated on the words “…Tell me when it kicks in” over and over as his chilling tri-tone repeat of “Ohs” looped in and out.  

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     It was through his cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ that Sheeran introduced a third side to himself. With his guitar dangling from his neck, he sang the often covered jazz standard a capella, with the slightest hint of a guitar strike looped in to keep the beat. The artist showcased a side of himself that was completely different from his radio hits. His voice was soulful and free, similar to his control of the stage.

     Sheeran paid homage to his Irish background with two songs from the Divide album. Before launching into the bouncy ‘Galway Girl,’ Sheeran told the crowd. “Don’t be like me at a concert. Get up and dance. Encourage the person next to you to dance.” He took on the role of balladeer for ‘Nancy Mulligan,’ a song he wrote about his grandparents who met during World War II and fled their Irish hometowns to marry. Taking inspiration from his own life, Sheeran dedicated ‘Perfect’ to his fiancée, Cherry. He took the romantic ballad and sped it up to a mid-tempo ballad. The artist asked the crowd to bathe the stadium in cell phone light as Sheeran strummed and sang about dancing in the dark.

     Sheeran’s ability to talk/sing has led to some of his biggest hits, including 2014’s ‘Sing.’ The song was a crowd favorite, partly due to the easy to sing chorus. Sheeran announced ‘Sing’ and the crowd responded back with a syncopated soccer-like chant. For his encore, Sheeran performed two more songs where he sang/talked. He came out to sing ‘Shape of You’ in an NFL jersey split down the middle, half NY Giants and half NY Jets, to honor the teams that call Metlife Stadium home. His closing number was ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’ from his first album, (+). This song went on nearly 10 minutes while Sheeran rapped about everything from using a loop pedal to proving his worth to his admiration for singer Damien Rice. Catch Sheeran on the Divide tour in the U.S. through November 10^th or join him in Europe and Africa in the spring of 2019.  ‘Divide’ is available on Atlantic Records.

Another GIGSoup Concert Review: HAIM at Radio City

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Happy Cinco de Mayo! While some people were enjoying Mint Juleps and Margaritas, I was enjoying some live music from the exceptionally talented sisters of HAIM. Check out my GIGSoup Concert  review of HAIM at Radio City Music Hall! The trio of sisters play all of their own instruments and they take dance breaks. 







FALLING: Haim at Radio City

(c) PipPepPop Alana and Danielle Haim

(c) PipPepPop Este Haim

LITTLE OF YOUR LOVE:
HAIM at Radio City

Concert Review: Hanson Comes Home for the Holidays

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   On November 29^th, Hanson’s ‘Finally It’s Christmas’ tour stopped at the PlayStation Theater in New York. This show was the second of two nights at the theater, which was lit with festive white Christmas lights. Audience members showed up their holiday best, in a sea of red and green with the jingle of bells. The brothers played original and standard songs, opening with their new song, ‘Finally, It’s Christmas.’ The song was a retro-inspired throwback; Isaac and Zac supplemented their guitar and drums with a vocal bass line while Taylor played piano and sang lead vocals. The song is off their new Christmas album of the same name, released in October. Hanson released their music video for the new song earlier on the same day as the concert. The band, now celebrating their 25-year anniversary, expressed gratitude to the fans and promised the show would include songs from their now 20-year old Christmas album, ‘Snowed In.’


     The pop group added their own take to a number of classics and pop Christmas standards as they welcomed the intimate crowd to their family Christmas party. The Tulsa, Oklahoma-based trio was backed by 3 additional musicians, filling out the rock and roll portion of the show with a saxophone, bass guitar and synthesizer. Each member of the band took turns singing leads and verses of the songs. Hanson’s versions of Stevie Wonder’s ‘What Christmas Means to Me’ and Chuck Berry’s ‘Run Rudolph Run’ paid homage to their original singers, full of rocking guitar riffs, do whop harmonies, and dance-worthy drum solos. The band’s own rockabilly song, ‘Til New Year’s Night’ kept the party going when Taylor took a piano solo that reminded many in the audience of Jerry Lee Lewis.  Eldest brother Isaac introduced The Beach Boys’ ‘Little Saint Nick,’ offering his thanks and gratitude to the Wilson brothers for inspiring their family band. Hanson’s version of the surf rock song was brassy and rhythm-filled, reminiscent of a James Bond movie theme.  

With Mark Hudson. (C) PipPepPop

     The center of the show encompassed holiday ballads and tender vocal arrangements.  Another original song ‘At Christmas’ has not been played live since the band’s ‘Snowed In’ television special 20 years ago. The brothers crowded around a microphone for a Capella arrangements of ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Joy on the Mountain,’ a combination of ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain’.  Each brother seamlessly switched off conducting duties and clapping a rhythm for the songs, each guiding the beginnings and endings of phrases in his own style. The multi-instrument playing siblings traded their main ones for several songs, with Taylor switching to drums and Zac to the piano. The group almost began playing another song instead of The Eagles’ ‘Please Come Home for Christmas.’  Isaac offered an apology for almost ruining the mood before re-tuning his guitar. He confessed they almost began Darlene Love’s booming ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ during their melancholic section due to the similar song titles.
 

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     As promised, their cover of Love’s song came later in the show as they took the mood to a euphoric level. The band went into a break as Taylor led the crowd in repeating “Christmas.” His brothers harmonized “…Baby please come home,” as Taylor challenged to bring the song out into the streets. Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, included on the new album, got the Hanson treatment and a loud echo of the chorus from the crowd.  A surprise moment of the show came when the band’s longtime collaborator Mark Hudson joined them onstage (with jingle bells) for a blues-inspired version of The Beatles’ ‘Wonderful Christmastime.’ By the end of the set, the rocking organ solo on ‘Here Comes the Claus’ almost brought down the house.  The band’s encore echoed the feeling of the party wrapping up for the night. They played two songs, Elvis Priestley’s ‘Blue Christmas’ and one of the most covered Christmas songs, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’



Hanson’s ‘Finally It’s Christmas’ is out via S-Curve Records.
See more concert videos on my Youtube Channel, TheLiveMusicGirl.

Another GIGSoup Concert Review: Gavin DeGraw at the Wellmont Theater

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I've been to many Gavin DeGraw concerts in a selection of intimate venues. These concerts are special and standing room gets you close to the stage. I love being close to the stage and up in the action, but there is one more thing I enjoy at a concert: sitting in the seat I paid for. Gavin DeGraw's RAW tour blended the intimate, stripped-down in front of the stage experience with the joy of sitting in my seat in the balcony. Check out my GIGSoup concert review to learn more about his stop at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, N.J.

Another Concert Gig Review: Sugar Ray

Mark McGrath lead singer of Sugar Ray, left.  (c)PipPepPop

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Check out my latest GIGSoup concert review for Sugar Ray, live from the rain-threatened streets of Downtown Stamford, CT. There was a great chunk of 90's nostalgia as the band explored new songs, hits from the 14:59 album, and other band favorites like The Ramones.

Photo caption: McGrath grabbed a shamrock guitar for 'Answer the Phone.'

Another Concert Gig Review: Sheryl Crow at the Beacon Theater

Enjoy my GIGSoup review of Sheryl Crow's tour stop at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Here are some of my concert pictures! Visit TheLiveMusicGirl for concert videos.

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My Gig Reviews in New Places: Dierks Bentley Concert

Pardi, Bentley, and a plane. (c)PipPepPop

Bentley (c)PipPepPop

If you're a live music fan like me, I have a great website for you to check out. GIGSoup is a music website devoted to live event reports, album reviews, artist interviews and music news. I recently wrote my first piece here about seeing Dierks Bentley's 'What the Hell' tour. Opening acts featured on the tour included Jon Pardi and Cole Swindell.  Enjoy!

During the song '5150' (c)PipPepPop

Bentley sitting on the 'Riser.' (c) PipPepPop

The One: The Backstreet Boys Residency in Las Vegas

At TRL, 2000 for the Backstreet Boys
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  Some people go to a concert once a year. Some go to a concert a couple of times a year. Other people get in the car and drive somewhere  to see their favorite band. I hopped a plane to Las Vegas to see The Backstreet Boys, and I'm so glad I did it! I came, I saw, and I rocked my body right at the Axis at Planet Hollywood on St. Patrick's Day. Today is BSB's 24th anniversary, according to the timeline on their website and social media channels. On this day, Brian officially had joined the band and cemented their place in history.

 

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     I began my BSB journey back in 1998. I was a 4th grader and I was obsessed with the song Quit Playing Games with My Heart. I still may be obsessed because that song rocked at the concert. While the audience was in no danger of getting carded, the crowd around me swayed and screamed like a bunch of teenagers. My friend gave me a shrug when the girl next to us yelled "The Call! That's my JAM! That's my song!" **

     The BSB has been a part of the cultural zeitgeist for well over 20 years now. They ruled the pop charts and MTV's video-heavy Total Request Live countdown show. In a related note, live shows like this are getting new life later this year. I want it that way is consistently on the top song lists. Rolling Stone's list of top boy band songs of all time (including acts like the Jackson 5 and the Monkees) ranked the 1999 classic, I Want it That Way, as its 5th entry. While they're never taken home the coveted Grammy award (7 time nominees), they have won countless fan awards such as MTV Video Music Awards, Billboard Awards, Kids Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards. They're also left us pondering what exactly it means to "want it that way" or why the "loneliness is tragical." As of early April, BSB proved they still have it. They were back, taking the stage at the ACM Awards  with friends Florida Georgia Line. The septet performed their new single, God, Your Mama and Me and everyone enjoyed it. Then they music changed and all 7 guys launched into Everybody (Backstreet's Back) complete with dance moves. I have never seen Tim McGraw so into a performance before. He and his wife Faith were like a young Taylor Swift, dancing and singing in the front row.

A Vegas Take on Suits. (c) PipPepPop

     The concert was filled with memories. Nearly all of the songs from the self-titled Backstreet Boys album were played, even forgotten favorites like Darlin' (with Kevin's sexy talking intro) and uplifting ballad, Anywhere for You. We were dancing in our seats during the Euro-pop hit, Get Down, which lends itself to AJ's bad-ass rap portion. There was a heavy amount of dancing in the show, and it was more impressive than all the other BSB concerts I've seen combined (6 or 7), with the possible exception of NKOTBSB. The "chair dance" from As Long as You Love Me was perfection.  There were fedoras present during the mid-tempo ballad, All I Have to Give. The songs from Millennium and Black and Blue were represented, bringing the boys and their 10 dancers together for driving dance tunes like Larger Than Life, The Call and the not heard enough Get Another Boyfriend. , and subduing the crowd with sweet songs like Drowning and Incomplete. The only song from the non-Kevin years performed was the heartbreaking and haunting song, Undone. I have been listening to this non-stop. The show concluded with Everybody (Backstreet's Back), which you can find following the below link to you Youtube channel. We made some new memories that night and I will not soon forget this show.

At the show, 2017
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** The reason I found this comment to be disturbing is that The Call is a song about cheating, and she screamed this directly in her boyfriend's face.

Read more reviews of the show on Ticketmaster. Mine is in there somewhere.
Read the Billboard.com review of the show.
See more of my concert footage on Youtube.

Grammy Performances- Grading the 'Wow' Factor?

     People will always differ in their opinion of what makes a great award show performance. Is it something that brings them to tears, or does it encompass a surprise guest star? Is it a tearjerker, or a breakaway pop hit with tons of dancers? Sometimes there is a drum line marching down the aisle, and sometimes there are multiple Eminems storming the stage. At last night's 69th Annual Grammy Awards, all is fair in love and award show performances. I've ranked all of the performances by grade.

Adele- Hello: B; Fast Love: A
     This song has been played so many times, it no longer resonates with me.  I apologize to people that still are on the Adele train, but it was a slow opener. Yes, I recognize that she won multiple awards for her album, but it's full of heavy songs, and Hello is the heaviest. It's just not a crowd opener.
     With all else being said, I strongly love Adele's personality. She is my kind of performer and she says what she thinks. Things more interesting during Adele's late in the show tribute to George Michael. In the middle of the song, she cursed, cut off the music, and asked the conductor of the orchestra to start the song again. It was reported she felt the song had gone off-key. She began the whole thing again, which takes a lot of guts.

(c)PipPepPop- Keith Urban Live

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood- The Fighter: A
     I'm a big fan of duets. After Urban's amazing duet with Miranda Lambert a couple of years ago (We Were Us), I thought nothing could top it. I was wrong. The legendary pairing of Urban and Underwood will be one for the country books. The song has a disco-influenced pulsing beat and an uplifting and effortless message about being there for your 'Bae. The paid effortlessly passed lines of devotion back and forth as Urban wailed away on his guitar. The simple set was full of lights and geometric designs.


Beyonce- Love Drought and Sandcastles: A+
     I'm not 100% sure I understood Beyonce's performance, but it was an immersing experience. It was the Lemonade album of award shows. There was confetti, epic dinner tables, rocking chairs, tons of dancers, and the set of her recent pregnancy photo shoot. Queen B literally dressed like a Queen complete with a gold halo, speaking about mothers and children, life and rebirth, and glory. She ended with a simple voice-over: "Let it be Glorious." Just watch the video here because I can't do it justice.

The Weeknd (Featuring Daft Punk)- Starboy/ I Feel It Coming: C
     I was not impressed with the performance. All I can contribute to the conversation is that I kept hoping Daft Punk would finally pull off their helmets so I could prove they are genius robot producers and not real humans.

(c) PipPepPop - Ed Sheeran Live

Ed Sheeran- Shape of You: A+
     Sheeran is a no-fills type of performer. I saw him in early 2013 for his first album, +. He came onstage at Radio City with a guitar and  a loop pedal. He made all of his own background music with his voice and guitar. He orchestrated each piece as needed, looping it in on his sound system, and it was breathtaking. His new song is a bit more clubby than his earlier stuff, but every bit as raw and real in this guitar and voice-only version. This performance showed Sheeran's true musicianship.

Kelsea Ballerini and Lukas Graham- Peter Pan/7 Years: B+
     I am the first person who will admit, I thought Lukas Graham was a person and not a band until quite recently. I'm not a big fan of their song 7 Years, because it's very repetitive, and for my taste its too whiny, or maybe just too European.  I'm a county music fan, and I like Ballerini's Peter Pan, although it's not her most ear-wormy hit. Both songs are slow and wistful, but when they were mixed together, both became much stronger and had a poppier driving force.

Bruno Mars- That's What I Like: B / Let's Go Crazy: A+
     At first, I was underwhelmed and unimpressed by this Bruno Mars performance. Some of his recent hits have included full brass lines and choreographed dance moves. But I know that not every song can be Uptown Funk. This slow, sensual song led Mars and two of his background singers sweet-talk the ladies in a Motown-style "sway and sing."  They took to a stage in the audience toward the end of the song to break it down. I thought he  would pull Jennifer Lopez up on stage at the end, because she was standing front and center swaying along. I'm seeing some chemistry here and that's why  this performance will be memorable.
     I read that Bruno Mars used to impersonate Elvis as a child, singing with his dad's band. I imagine seeing that would be similar to seeing him knock the closing Prince tribute out of the Staples Center. Mars came on stage for Let's Go Crazy, which has become one of the most posthumously-played Prince songs played since the artist's death. Here, we found what was missing from his earlier performance, the "Mars Effect", as I'm calling it. This time, he was singing and dancing in a purple suit, ruffly shirt and swinging a white guitar. It brought back the spirit of the great purple artist.

(c) PipPepPop - Katy Perry Live

Katy Perry- Chained to the Rhythm: B
     From a house in the sky to a mirrored broken fence, Katy Perry's sets fell away faster than a house traveling to the land of Oz. At one point, I thought the spinning stage was forming a disco ball, so I'll go with that.  The new song is pretty simple where the lyrics are concerned: "Turn it up, it's my favorite song. Dance dance dance to the distortion."* Perry also looked unusually plain: a white suit, blonde hair, and rose-colored glasses, which were flung off during a song lyric. Truthfully, I thought this was not as impressive as some of the performances on her Prism Tour (there was an animatronic camel). Nonetheless, it was a solid and understated effort (except the out of place reggae feature) and not how Perry typically does things. Then came the dramatic end: the words of the constitution projected on Perry and the set. This was Perry's moment. As Nick Jonas said, "I try to break the chains, but the chains are gonna break me."

*I swear this lyric sounds like:
 "dance to the discotron."

Maren Morris and Alicia Keys - Once: A-
     Duets involving Alicia Keys is always a crowd pleaser. I will never forget the first time it happened. I was at a John Mayer concert in 2007 and Keys strode onstage and began harmonizing on "Gravity."  I still get chills thinking about it. Keys has also sung the Rolling Stones classic with Adam Levine of Maroon 5, and it's a tearjerker. This is the first time I remember Keys singing with another equally talented female artist, and the result was epic. This was Morris's first appearance at the Grammys and she took home a trophy! She began alone on the sweet, blusey tune, and Keys walked on, taking a verse and bringing the house down with their harmony.

Lady Gaga and Metallica - Moth Into Flame: D
     This was a true rock star moment. Gaga, dressed like she came out of a strip club in 1994 (denim and flannel) carried much of the song since Metallica front-man James Hetfield's mic was not working. The performance was the weakest of the night. It was loud, firey, and encompassed everything I hate about grunge and metal- loud chaos and noise. Hetfield went across the stage to share the mic with Gaga, going all "Axel Rose," knocking over his mic and  tossing his guitar offstage at the end. I'll give Gaga a slight pass on this, considering her epic performance the week earlier at the big game, but there is no excuse for Metallica.

Sturgill Simpson and The Dap Kings brass line - All Around You: A
     Simpson has the voice and presence of a seasoned country star, even though not many people know who he is. You have to learn more about him! His electrifying voice and guitar playing remind me of a younger Vince Gill. It was a perfect all-around performance.

(c)PipPepPop- Demi Lovato and Little Big Town live. 

Demi Lovato, Little Big Town, Tori Kelly, Andra Day -The Bee Gees Tribute: A

     Let me get this off my chest, this was not The Barry Gibb Talk Show, a SNL/Tonight Show skit that I absolutely adore. Secondly, I think it is a complete shame that they waited 40 years to honor the brothers Gibb at the Grammys, as only one brother is still alive. Where was the 20th or 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever tribute? Enough about tragedy, I'll focus on the flawless tributes and the excitement on Gibb's face. In true Grammy glory, each artist brought their A-game like the Bee Gees did in their epic "One Night Only" concert (in 1998).
     Demi Lovato has been called many things and has been subjected to a lot of criticism since her Disney Channel days. Despite that, I saw her live his summer with the Boston Pops, and I was impressed. She was also nominated this year for best pop vocal album. Lovato led the tribute with You Should Be Dancing and it was a solid entry! As one of last year's new Grammy performers, Tori Kelly shined in the disco classic Tragedy.  No Bee Gees tribute would be complete without a sweet 70's love ballad. That honor went to the delightful vocal styling of country mega band Little Big Town. I also got to see this 2-time best country duo/group performance winners with the Boston Pops this summer and their harmonies were the sweetest lullaby of Bean Town. Andra Day, famous for singing with Stevie Wonder in a holiday commercial, wowed with Night Fever. The whole group came together for what has been called a "killer" rendition of  Staying Alive, and I loved every minute of it. 

A Tribe Called Quest w/ Busta Rhymes and Anderson .Paak
     "Movin' Forward/We the People : B
     I was getting a little sleepy by the time this came about (in the later 10:30-11:00 P.M. block), so I was losing focus on the whole show. The show started slowly and innocently enough with the tribe dedicating the song to their deceased member, Phife Dawg. Suddenly  "A Tribe" woke me up with with a politically-charged rant against President Trump, referring to him as to as "Agent Orange." They led up people representing many groups that have been persecuted and spoken against by the president, filling the stage with women in Hijabs and Latinos etc.. By the end of the show, Tribesman Q-Tip chanted "Resist" over and over again and WE GOT THE MESSAGE.

Pentatonix- ABC: B
     This gang has been everywhere lately- parades, award shows and  everything in between. Their short a capella tribute to the Jackson 5 was oddly placed, but well performed. I had a lot of flashbacks to high school a capella choir during this time and was still trying to process how Pentatonix won an award for best country duo or group performance.

The Time (B) followed by Bruno Mars (see above, A+), - Prince Tribute
"Jungle Love/The Bird"      "Let's Go Crazy"      
     I didn't know the first two songs from the tribute too well. I love and respect The Time and their intense years of collaborating and performing with Prince, but I felt totally lost during their set. I was yelling at the TV: "Don't Appleonia me like that!" Then the performance abruptly ended and I felt empty. When I thought it was over, I was delighted  by the appearance of  Bruno Mars. See full report above.

Chance the Rapper -How Great/ All We Got: B+
     I only know Chance the Rapper from his Kit Kat commerical, but I was happy to see his humbling Grammy speech. He won a little (3 awards) Grammy bling and seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Over a sweeping choir, he rapped with little effort and full heart. I read after the fact that Chance's album was released only though streaming and he was offered a lot of money this week to sign a real record deal, which he turned down. Bonus points to Chance for using a choir!


James Corden and Friends Carpool Karaoke- Sweet Caroline: B+

(c) PipPepPop - Tim McGraw Live

     This was very cheesy, but I still found it adorable. Corden adapted his late night skit for prime time with a car cutout and some very musical friend. Guests roped into the scene included the originator Neil Diamond, J-Lo, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Ryan Tedder, John Legend, Chrissy Tegan, Keith Urban and a guy with a coat perched on the edge of his shoulders that reminded me of a young Puff Daddy (or whatever he will answer to today). By the end, the entire audience was supplementing the BUM BUM BUMs in the background and Blu Ivy Carter was dancing in front of the camera.This is truly one of those moments that only happens in Hollywood.

Mr. Misunderstood Live: All Hail Chief Church

The "Chief" backed by a choir. (c) PipPepPop

     Most artists do not play a double set on their tour. Eric Church is not like most artists and Holdin' My Own is not like most tours. Church is a tough guy and a gracious performer. He invites the audience in for a party, even taking a camera under the stage to pour shots of Jack Daniels for the crew when singing an ode to the famous whiskey. My only complaint about the show up front is that time is "just a suggestion" as my mom once remarked about a late-starting event. Church was once thrown off the Rascal Flatts tour for playing a too-long opening set. They gave the spot to Taylor Swift and the rest is history. The show was scheduled to start at 8 P.M. at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the world's most inconvenient arena.  At about 8:30 P.M., Church came to the stage. He still beat some of my friends to the show. (They appeared a few songs in, apparently held up on a long beer line.) The show ended after 11:30 P.M., and for those who know the NYC subway late night schedule, it took me a long time to get to the train station and catch the last train home of the night.

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As a performer, Eric Church is not much of a talker. He hides behind a pair of defining aviator sunglasses,his expression always looking tough. When he does talk, he makes it count. He spoke of travelling and life on the road like he was talking to a friend. I felt like we were in an intimate venue a she casually walked the stage, singing into a microphone with a guitar dangling down his back. He played hits from his 2015 album Mr. Misunderstood with it's blusey radio hits Kill a Word and Record Year, and the title track, a rocking  tune about making dreams and finding his place in the world.

 When you think about me, do you think about seventeen?

Do you think about my old jeep, and about the stars in the sky?

It's funny how a memory sounds like a melody;

Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night... 

Springsteen. 

     My favorite part of the concert was when Church began his 2012 stadium anthem, Springsteen.  This song is a tribute to the great king of Jersey rock and songs about dreamers. Church goes into the traditional Bruce Springsteen-like "Oh" chanting during the song. In this live version, he also went into a verse of Born to Run, forever enmeshing the two songs in my brain. It's a nostalgia tune for an old flame, and it has the heart of the Boss. As the stadium swelled, I cheered, I sang, and near-wept at the perfection of the performance. 

Mariah Carey's NYE Performance was "Amazing" and Other Live Fails

     I'll be honest, I was occupied and missed Mariah Carey's now legendary train wreck of a performance on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve. I watched so many videos and news clips yesterday, I feel like I saw it live. Mariah has long been known for "Diva-ing" out during live events. First there was her 2001 appearance on TRL, stripping out of an oversize T-shirt. She lamented how this was her "therapy session." I also reminisced about a 2002 episode of MTV Cribs, where Mariah was just bizarre. Some of her antics are highlighted in this MTV article. I also remember vividly her wearing heels while working out a on a machine in her home gym. To put it lightly, she had a few breakdown a while back. She took some time off recover, married Nick Cannon, and had kids. Then she took over as a judge on American Idol. She continued to be a Diva there, often fighting on camera with fellow judge Nicki Minaj.

     Back to the present, Mariah's poor performance on the NYE countdown was the result of a complete lack of professionalism.  First of all, she was not dressed appropriately for a woman of her age. She is over 45 and does not need to wear a dude see-through bodysuit (same goes for you, Ms. Britney). It was obvious that there was a track for some of the songs. I understand that, fair enough. Mariah could have chosen to lip sync along to every song (since the venue was cold, dark and outdoors). But instead she picked and chose what she wanted to sing. When she couldn't keep up with the music, she just closed her mouth and tried to make conversation with the crowd. "(Emotions) went to #1...." It was also obvious that she was such a diva that she  didn't show up for rehearsal or sound check. The stage choreography was also pretty bad, as evidenced by the lazy dove-feather fans fans spinning around and the dancers wincing while trying to lasciviously hold her leg while she leaned back. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise, 2016 went out on a low point, which a lot  of people sympathized with via social media.

     Have no fear, Miss Mimi is not the first diva to flop on a live stage. She is not the first person to start making weird comments on New Year's Eve. That honor goes straight to co-host Jenny McCarthy, who seems drunk from the moment the broadcast goes on. This will certainly not be the last time.Here are 2 of my favorite worst live performances on live TV.

Meghan Trainor falls on The Tonight Show
     This summer, Ms. Trainor wiped out after finishing a choreography-challenging performance of her song, NO.  I was pretty worried during the song that she was attempting to dance in 5-inch heels. I almost thought my worry was for nothing.  She rolled her ankle when moving back to the microphone stand and dropped to the floor, spreading out like a snow angel. This overall wasn't too bad. MS. Trainor did make it through the song.

Ashlee Simpson lip syncs on SNL
     I was reminiscing with my friends a few weeks about about Ashlee's tragic debut on Saturday Night Live in 2004. It seems like just yesterday, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz-Ross had a famous sister, an MTV biopic show, Ryan Cabrera on her arm, and a lot of acid reflux. (I can relate to the girl, stomach acid can really mess you up.)So, a wise decision was made for Ms. Simpson to lip sync to her debut single Pieces of Me on the live show. What she didn't count on was the track malfunctioning the second it started. A back beat and her vocals began, and Ashlee immediately knew the show had to go on. What did she do? She began dancing a jig like a pirate. When the band finally caught up with the music, she waltzed offstage. That being said, my friends and I jumped into a circle and clapped our hands as Ashlee's LOVE rocked out at a wedding. Time can heal all wounds.

Are You Busy One Year From Now?

   
     I am the first of all my friends to get excited about a concert announcement. If I really want to go to an event, the furious link sharing, venue debates, and messages that begin. The hype lasts about 2-3 days between the tour announcement and the pre-sale date with comments like "Does your sister want to go so we can get the 4-pack seats?" or "Are we all agreeing that we will stick with this unless the seats are over $70.00?" * If we strike out during the pre-sale it is not guaranteed there will be any trinkets left for general on sale, although I do fondly remember the Maroon 5 ticket miracle in the Fall of 2014.
   

McGraw at the 2014 "Sundown Heaventown"
tour (c)PipPepPop

    With all of this background knowledge, one might ask why I even bother seeing live music. Some people are addicted to drugs or gambling or drinking, but I am addicted to live music!  I am delighted to hear Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's announcement they are re-booting their 2006 Soul2Soul tour for 2017. On top of that, the country power couple is celebrating 20 years of  a as co-parents and marriage champions. What could be better than that news?  Tickets begin going on sale this Friday for concert dates. Yes, this Friday the 20th!

     When I looked to see where my local shows would be, I discovered the last stop on the tour is at Brooklyn's Barclays Center (sigh). (For various reasons, I have had bad associations with attending events at the center, but that is a story for another time). The date of that tour-ending show? It's October 27th of next year! Let me remind you, we haven't even passed this October 27th yet.  I'm a bit shocked the tour would announce dates over a year into the future. While I can't see this show going in sale yet, I have reached the point in my life where I like making plans, but I don't like paying for tickets and arranging my entire October a year from now around this date.  I enjoyed seeing Tim (or Timmy McGee as my friends lovingly call him) in 2014, and I committed to that show 2 months out, which is more than reasonable. I'm certainly not going to "Live Like You Were Dying" and commit to pricey concert tickets a year in advance.


* I wish I was joking about the prices. The cheapest concert tickets I purchased this year were $20.00 lawn seats for Daruis Rucker (during a ticket discount sale) and it rained on our uncovered lawn seats. See my recent piece on the difficulty to even procure concert tickets and the accompanying skyrocketing prices.

Don't Get Your Tickets Here

Jason Aldean from the last row
at MetLife Stadium (c) PipPepPop

     Back in March, I lamented on the blog about how hard it is to get good concert tickets these days. Don't worry, getting tickets has not gotten any easier. You still probably don't have your pick of seats during pre-sales, let along the actual ticket on-sale. But, due to the recent Curt Schlesinger et al. v. Ticketmaster settlement, they may be a little cheaper to loyal concertgoers. Essentially, Ticketmaster was sued for their outrageous and "excessive" fees (finally). I cannot justify paying $75.00 for tickets in the very last row of MetLife stadium, but I paid it last summer to see Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney.  Tickets on the floor were at least $300.00 and standing room only. Where is the benefit in that? But I digress...

     Ticket "processing" fees (which average from $15-$20 dollars on top of the seat price) were the brunt of the spoils in this case. There is also a second reward/class for the ridiculously  high fees for USPS delivery. As a whole, Ticketmaster has charged as high as $8.00 to ship regularly ordered tickets (not overnight or a week before the show kind of deals) via US mail, a service which used to be available for free. This led to the ride of free PDF print-at-home tickets, which are their own fun pain in the butt. I have also been to a concert where my friend left the tickets at home and we had to download an app for our phones to get into the concert, and keep the tickets up on our phones every time we left the area to get drinks or go to the bathroom. As much as the technology was supposed to make out lives better they're not making concerts easier, yet. Maybe in the future, we can get retinal scan tickets!

     Tickets purchased from October 1999 through February 2013 make you eligible to be part of the lawsuit's class and should guarantee you something back. On bright side in this whole deal,  Ticketmaster has done all of the work for us. I logged into my account the other day to check out my cut of the $45+ million dollar settlement. I have 11 pairs of general admission ticket vouchers (good through June 2020) and 11 sets of $2.25 credits to use toward ticket purchases. Before you plan to take 20 of your closest friends to the lawn seats, keep in mind there are restrictions, as suggested by Yahoo! News earlier this week. General admission vouchers are only allowed to be used for events at Live Nation venues. The tickets are redeemable for floor general admission or lawn GA tickets to these events, and up to two vouchers at a time (totaling 4 tickets). USPS shipping codes ($5.00 each, I had none of these because I wasn't  going to pay to ship tickets) can be used two at a time for USPS shipping, and these deals cannot be used with other tickets.

Live Nation site screenshot, 6/23 (c) PipPepPop

     The ticket site for Live Nation began posting events early Wednesday and as of Thursday night, all available vouchers through November are sold out (at venues across the country). I am curious to see how the next few months go, when the novelty wears off and people forget about the ticket vouchers they have sitting in their account. Maybe I can get some tickets then! In the meantime, I'm going to see how we can convince them to put pre-sale e-mailed codes directly into out accounts too. I have scrambling at the last minute to find phrases like SUNSHINE or DEEJAY and plugging them in to try to get tickets. I also hate clicking on the images of Trucks or waterfalls to prove I'm not a robot. Hmm.. maybe ticketing robots is the way to solve all of this frustration....
 For more information, visit the settlement website: http://www.ticketfeelitigation.com/

Oh My Mraz!

#JasonandJane

     Rarely would I call attending a concert a trans-formative experience,  but I definitely just had one. I just saw Jason Mraz last night, and I really saw him! The show was in a small intimate venue with his all-female opening act/backup band Raining Jane. I've seen Mraz before, at open air venues in the summer, at Madison Square Garden, and next week I'll also see him at Radio City Music Hall. Nothing will top this show!

Stories with Mraz

    My friend and I attended the show at Lehman College in the Bronx as part of Mraz's 5 Boroughs tour. He is playing all 5 boroughs in the next two weeks and the significance of this is that large scale artists play many different venues on Manhattan and even some in Brooklyn, but they rarely appear in the Bronx, Queens (aside from Citi Field) or Staten Island. Our seats were 13th row, center, about 15-20 feet from the man himself, and the acoustics were unreal! Jason's voice was so pure, and he was able to connect with the audience in such a natural way. He told stories, including a great one about how he came to write "The Dynamo of Volition." It was part of an online songwriting group  challenge Mraz regularly participates in, and his phrase for the week was "Blind Man's Bike," and the rest was history.

See my video below of Jason singing duet "Lucky" with four lovely females!