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Velvet

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Posts posted by Velvet

  1. Phish, Riviera Maya - Webcast

    in Soundboard

    Posted

    I think he is referring to the quality of the jams not of the webcast.

     

    I personally dug the first night but the second half of night 2 and the final night were all pretty standard (if not underwhelming) Phish.

     

    And let's all be honest, that was the worst performance of The Ocean in the songs history.

    You clearly didn't hear my high school cover band.  That said, yeah, they could have worked a bit harder on it, and frankly they should have.

     

    Since Phish came back in 2009 a standard show = a damn good time.  I've seen them tons since 2009 and I haven't seen a bad show yet - across the board they are better than pretty much every band out there, every night.  And as a fan of live music if I can go see one of the best bands out there I'm gonna do it every chance I get, even if they're only great.  Sure sometimes they hit it out of the park and sometimes they don't, but every day can't be Xmas.  

     

    Actually, let's just say they DO hit it out of the park every day, and that's why they are better than pretty much every other band out there.  Every once in a while they hit it out of the universe, but that's no reason to downplay how awesome their average show is.

     

    Bottom line about Phescala is it was an unbelievably good time, and if the band's playing keeps others from buying tickets next year then...what am I saying...It will sell out instantly again next year because the band is fantastic and seeing them in Mexico is a dream come true, especially for the hardcores (I met several people in the 400+ show range and they had no complaints).

     

    In case it's not painfully obvious, all of this is just my opinion.  It's not like I took a survey or am taking dictation or anything.

  4. RIP Glenn Frey

    in Soundboard

    Posted

    Y'know how the most vehemently anti-gay people are mostly just deathly afraid of admitting they're...you know...kinda curious?

     

    Same thing with these people that are going out of their way to bash The Eagles.  You just know they tap their (twinkle)toes to Take It To The Limit when nobody is looking.

  9. Your 2015 concerts

    in Soundboard

    Posted

    Sure:

     

     

     

    100315

     

    For the first time this trip I was roused from my sleep by a knock on the door.  “Hello, Todd?”  It was Mwitti.  “Stella has to change her program, she will be here at 9am,” she called.  “Can you be ready?”

     

    I glanced at the clock with one bleary eye.  It was 8:37.  “Absolutely,” I croaked through the door.  “I’ll be ready.”

     

    I jumped up, did my pushups, ran to the shower (I didn’t shower yesterday and I just had to; plus I knew I could fit it in) and made it back to my room by 8:55.  Now it was just a matter of pulling some things out of my suitcase; no need to have my entire pack with me for a one-night excursion.

     

    Bag-in-hand and maybe even a little out of breath I made it to the front porch about one minute late.  Arthur and his brother Steve were sitting there.  “You can relax,” I was told nonchalantly, “Stella left five minutes ago.  She will be back in a few hours and you can go then.”

     

    That was frustrating.

     

    I made myself a coffee and started to wait, when Mwitti came out of the house and headed for her car.  Turns out she was going almost exactly where I was going so I happily jumped in.  She dropped me at her school and I walked about ten minutes to Lusaka Backpackers.

     

    I arrived shortly after 10am and checked into my room, the same room (actually, hut) I’ve stayed in so many nights before.  I ordered a coffee and a ham and cheese omelet - my favourite breakfast ‘round here.  “I’m sorry, we are out of cheese.”  Okay, my second favourite is the bacon roll.  “The bacon is finished for the day.”  It was another hour before I could order from the lunch menu so I ordered toast and jam to keep my mounting starvation at bay.  

     

    I parked myself at a table and took advantage of the free internet for the next three hours.  Along the way I ate a hamburger and fries and sucked on a couple of Fantas.  As my internet chores waned I checked the website for the jazzfest just for fun and was surprised to see that it listed today’s show as starting at 9am.  That couldn’t be right, but it turns out the same info was printed on my ticket.  Hmmm.

     

    It’s not too far of a walk so I went over there.  I found that the music wasn’t scheduled to start until 4pm but the doors opened at 9am.  “For drinking and whatever.”  I stopped at Pick N Pay and bought a couple of cokes for mix, a bag of sour cream and onion chips (the flavour is so much fuller here), and a large bottle of water.  Waiting in the long checkout line I almost opened the water then and there, so thirsty was I.

     

    I was nearly finished the two litres of H2O by the time I got back to the hostel, and then I started into a few Duty-Free rye and Cokes.  

     

    Before heading out I decided to pay for my room on the off chance that I spent or lost all my money tonight.  The process was slow and tedious, and their exchange rate went up.  In the end I paid K288, K24 more than I had booked at but whatever.  

     

    As I walked out of the gate I felt something on my arm.  That was strange.  Then I felt it again.  I looked up and didn’t see a blue sky.  Wow, it was raining.  Five trips to Zambia and I think this is the first time I’ve seen it rain.  The drops were fat and sparse, you could almost duck around them.  At first.  By the time I was halfway to the mall it was coming down solidly and I was starting to get soaked.  Not that I minded.  

     

    At the mall I went to the parking garage and walked up the ramp to the festival site just as the rain abated.  I had bought a regular ticket and was surprised to see that over half of the site was reserved for VIP - GA was significantly farther back but no worries.

     

    The setup was pretty clever.  Being on the second (top) level of the mall parking garage any opportunity to watch the music from outside was eliminated.  And as to keeping the VIP and the GA tickets separate, well the ramp that we all had to walk up took care of that, creating a wide and obvious barrier between the two seating levels.  There was a large professional stage at one end, all the lights and rigging was top-notch, and probably all of it brought in from South Africa and Zimbabwe.  The VIP section had three large sections of cushioned chairs that were all turned upside-down to try and mitigate the rain, while the GA section had risers with plastic chairs, bleachers and a large dancing area on each side.  There was almost nobody there at this hour, but it looked like the capacity was around 5,000.

     

    I overheard someone say “We planned for everything, but not the rain.”  This was the MC.  He told me that the show would be starting an hour late due to the rain but that they would make up the time by shortening the local acts.  “Oh no,” I said.  “They won’t be cutting Jagari’s set short will they?”

     

    “No,” he promised.  “We cannot mess around with Jagari.”

     

    Workers were busy drying off the plastic seats while those in the VIP section were left to sit on extra shirts or plastic bags as the cushions had soaked through.  Ironic, that.  I took a plastic seat and made conversation with my neighbour until the opening act started.  Just as Scarlet and the Elect Band came on James Chamanyazi found me.  He had a backstage pass and promised he would try to find me one.  In the meantime I was happy with my spot.  The Elect Band were a solid act of easy-listening jazz-ishness and while Scarlet was a good singer her between-song banter showed her inexperience, talking to the band through the mic, and showing her obvious surprise when the band ended a song earlier than she expected.  Their second song was a really nice arrangement of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song but other than that nothing stands out from her set.

     

    Next up was James Sakala.  I had expected him to be half of the Sakala Brothers but I was wrong (the Sakala Brothers are Moses and Levy).  James is a young singer and guitarist who led his band through a thoroughly professional and positively engaging set, ending with a Thriller tease that elicited enormous response from the audience.  It’s astounding just how popular Michael Jackson is.  

     

    Between acts a shockingly catchy jingle advertising Stanbic Bank repeated with lines like “open your account in just fifteen minutes,” and “get 100% financing on your new power generator with your current account.”  I’m telling you, it was catchy.  Luckily the changeovers were remarkably fast, like five minutes or less.

     

    Next up was the set I was most excited for, Jagari Chanda from The WITCH.  He’s only played a small handful of shows since the band ended more than thirty years ago, and I’ve become quite a fan.  Then the announcement came: “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a major treat for you.  Today only we have three legendary Zambian musicians on the stage together.  Please welcome Rikki Ililonga, Victor Kasoma, and Jagari Chanda!”  

     

    I was shocked and thrilled.  I had no idea that Rikki (from Mosi Au Tunya) and Victor were playing as well!  I left my seat, grabbed a fresh Mosi and stood as close as my GA wristband would allow.  Nikki Ililonga led the first two songs before turning the spotlight to Victor Kasoma.  Seated with his guitar for the entire set, by his third and final song Kasoma really started tearing it up.  And then Jagari joined them onstage.  Chanda was on fire from the get-go, his vocals were strong and his stage presence was even stronger.  Jagari took his stage name from Mick Jagger, and while the big man could probably eat the Stones frontman for dinner he matched the energy of his namesake with manic bursts of frenetic movement.  He ended the first number holding the mic stand high over his head and then it was over.  They cut him.  “Please, just give two minutes,” he said.  When the answer was clearly ‘No’ he spat into the mic, “It isn’t fair,” and stormed off the stage, and he was right.

     

    I was shocked and disappointed.  I booed loudly.  The set actually had the feeling of being historic.  I couldn’t believe that I was fortunate enough to catch these three legends together in their homeland and i was left with nothing in my ear but that damn between-sets jingle.  “Open your new account in just fifteen minutes…” 

     

    James found me during set break and we bemoaned the situation together.  He also apologized for not being able to secure me a pass, but that was no big deal.  Soon the first of the headliners, Zimbabwean Oliver Mtukudzi took the stage while I bought James and I chicken and chips for dinner.  Chamanyazi was recognized fairly steadily and I took a few pictures for his fans.  Mtukudzi’s set was really good but not so exciting.  Everything sat between 98 and 110bpm; the easy pace created a relaxed groove that was reminiscent of Ali Farke Toure but not nearly as engaging to me.  The audience certainly ate it up and I wouldn’t mind catching him at a festival again.

     

    Next up was a South African group called Mi Casa.  It was basically a dj with live trumpet and sax and a lead vocalist straight out of N’Sync.  He commented on how he lost weight recently and that he was concerned that he had lost his bum.  Actually, he mentioned his bum a couple of times.  It was horrible but it felt good to point my frustration at Jagari’s shortened set at these guys.  I was spitting criticism and I used the band as an excuse to jump from Mosi beers up to Jack Daniels.

     

    In short:  Mi Casa = Mi Kaka.

     

    During set break Jagari came and found us, giving me a big hug.  He told me they had arranged to play four songs each; they would each start off with two and then one more each and if time allowed they would each do their fourth.  “Victor got selfish and played three,” he told me, but it was clear he blamed the festival organizers and not Victor.  “Shit happens,” he said, a surprising summary as I had never heard him swear before.

     

    We agreed to get together on Monday to play music and then he returned to sit with his wife backstage.  In short order the final act of the night mounted the stage, American guitarist Earl Klugh.  He led his band with a steady stream of tasteful lines on his nylon string guitar, while the rest of the talented band easily keeping up.  The keyboard player was exceptional, and his legacy as a founding member of Parliament/Funkadelic explained the inclusion of We Got The Funk midset.  The evening was a parade of fantastic drummers but Klugh’s was the best; his solo was incredible and garnered the biggest applause of the set.  

     

    While the venue never completely filled (though James told me that it was at capacity the night before), there was probably about 2,500-3,000 people there, and it seemed like almost everyone was still there when the last note dropped at 12:30.  James offered to drive me all the way back to Lilayi but I told him I was staying very close and could walk.  He insisted on driving me anyway so I took him up on it.   Back at the hostel I found things pretty quiet.  I poured myself a nightcap and hit the hay.

     

    Overall it was a very professional festival and it was the most fun I’ve had since arriving more than a week ago.  I sure wish Jagari had been allowed to play his whole set - his was by far the most exciting to me - but I get it.  He was the last act before the headliners so there was a definite cutoff time, one that the bands before him did not have.  And the decision to put him last in the song circle only made it worse.  I sure was glad to see the one song though.  The guy’s still got it.

  11. Your 2015 concerts

    in Soundboard

    Posted

    For good or ill I don't tend to collect info on local shows I attend, but I know I saw lots of Bumpin' Binary this year.  

     

    Here's the ticketed events:

     

    Phish @ Miami, January 1, 2, 3

    Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ New Orleans, January 24

    Trombone Shorty @ New Orleans, January 25

    Hot 8 Brass Band @ New Orleans, January 25

    Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen @ New Orleans, January 26

    New Orleans Rhythm Devils @ New Orleans, January 28

    Oliver Mtukudzi @ Ottawa, February 8

    Neil Diamond @ Ottawa, March 7

    Phil Lesh (75th birthday) @ Port Chester, NY, March 15, 16

    Gilbert Gottfried @ Ottawa, March 22

    Sonoluminescence Trio @ Gigspace, Ottawa, April 17

    Daniel Lanois & Basia Bulat @ NAC, Ottawa, April 30

    Ryan Adams @ Miami Beach, May 7

    Prince @ Sony Ctr., Toronto, May 19

    Kids In The Hall @ Ottawa, May 24

    U2 @ Montreal, June 12

    Ottawa Jazz Festival June 18-30 (Kaleidoscope Orch., Lisa Fischer, Bruce Cockburn, The Roots, WAR, Tower Of Power, Chris Botti, Timber Timbre, Blind Boys of Alabama w/ Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Huey Lewis & the News, Steve Miller, Joel Placket Emergency, Ikebe Shakedown, Suncrescent BBQ Stompers, Snarky Puppy, Jamie Cullum, Jaga Jazzist)

    Fare Thee Well @ Chicago, July 3, 4, 5

    David Grisman @ Chicago, July 5

    Ottawa Bluesfest, July 8-19 (Jungle By Night, Hawksley Workman, Kanye West, Richard Thompson, Willie Nile, Hat Fitz & Cara, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mother Mother, The Tragically Hip, Air Supply, Deep Purple, Weird Al Yankovic, The Tea Party)

    The Rolling Stones @ Quebec City, July 15

    Phish @ Atlanta, July 31, August 1

    Phish @ Tuscaloosa, August 2

    Phish @ Nashville, August 4

    Delhi 2 Dublin @ Ottawa, August 9

    Phish @ Magnaball, August 21-24

    AC/DC @ Ottawa, Septemeber 3

    CityFolk @ Lansdowne, September 16-20 (The Tubes, UB40, Walk Off the Earth, Steep Canyon Rangers, Avett Bros., Van Morrison, Of Monsters and Men, Barr Bros., Everyone Orch., Built To Spill)

    Misty Jazz Festival @ Lusaka, Zambia, October 3 (Scarlet, James Sakala, Jagari Chanda w/ Rikki Ilunga, Oliver Mtukudzi, Mi Casa, Earl Klugh)

    Tom Waits Tribute @ NAC, November 7

    Dave Rawlings Machine @ Higher Ground, November 12

    Roger Hodgson @ Ottawa, December 8

  17. RIP Ween

    in Soundboard

    Posted

    I just listened to as much of their version of Transdermal Celebration as I could.  I think covering Ween is a lot harder than it looks.  That Gener is a really, really good singer, the likes of which is hard to come by.

  22. Paris

    in Soundboard

    Posted

    Ignorance, stupidity, arrogance, selfishness, and all in the name of some invisible god.  It almost makes me wish there was an afterlife so these misguided lunatics would discover how wrong they were and get appropriately punished.

     

    I hate how acts of vengeance make me want to get vengeance.

     

    How is it that 1,700 French citizens join ISIS annually? 

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