Weekend music...

I saw several bands at the usual local venues this weekend... unfortunately, none of them held my attention long enough to write a review. One longtime favorite in town even managed to practically empty the place he played. So, tonight I may write a CD review instead.

The Madeline's at Brown Cup Coffee 11-27-2010

"It's like listening to NPR," was one of the comments after the show tonight at Brown Cup Coffee. And they were kinda right. It was like listening in on a group of pro's just sitting around with homemade instruments having fun. Center stage is Jessica Watson who, along with sterling vocals, is a very accomplished guitar player (and banjo, standup bass, and the occasional kazoo). Jessica is also a member of the local New Vernacular band who are quietly making a name for themselves. Brenda Luggie is a music teacher and plays everything from triangle to trumbone to sandpaper... seriously, sandpaper. And new to the group is vocalist Jenny Oleander. For the first half of the show, the group covered mostly singer-singwriter tunes from the likes of Abigail Washburn, Gillian Welch, Fleming and John, and even the Beatles and Gaga... yes, Gaga! But the Madeline's made all these songs their own. The second half of the show was dedicated to the season. The trio did some lovely holiday tunes and had a genuinely good time. Highlight of the evening: Bad Romance.



Sometimes with music, we keep wanting louder, more powerful, more more more! But after a very hectic Thanksgiving weekend, this was a really nice, relaxing show to attend and a pleasant change from the loud, overcrowded Downtown bar scene that doesn't allow for the chance to really appreciate quality music like these ladies make in a laid-back setting. Be sure to check out their site and catch them at Remedy and Kurt's next week. Like the song says, they aim to satisfy.

Elton John & Leon Russell - Chattanooga 11/19/2010

Before I begin, I want to say that, this is just my honest opinion and while I understand that Leon Russell is a legendary piano player and one of Elton's idols, I just need to be honest. His career has, somewhat by choice, been to be largely in the background as a session player, arranger, etc. So I'm sure this explains a lot.

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Wow what a show! Elton John was in fine form and performed an energy-filled set...3 sets actually. I've seen Elton John 20-something times and have seen some great shows and I've seen a show or two that Elton just 'showed up' and gave his performance. This was, energy-wise, one of the top 5. He was really enjoying himself. Now, Leon Russell... That's another story. I think The Union CD is a fine piece of craftsmanship. And I think the songs translated very well to stage. But Leon Russell was introduced by Elton John at the beginning and came onto the stage, sat down, played 7 songs karaoke-style, reading every word from his laptop, and didn't utter a word of thanks for the praise the Chattanooga fans were giving him. I know Leon's health has not been the greatest, but seriously, a thank you to the audience or Elton John for the opportunity would have been nice. The only thing that moved on this man was his lips underneath the sliver mane, and his hands.



After Leon's set with his band, Elton Quickly came onto stage with a rip-roaring Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and kept the energy level very high for over 45 minutes. He was then joined... ever so slowly, by Leon again and they ran through the highlights of The Union after Elton offered an apology for the audience HAVING to listen to new songs. ELTON! You say you are proud of these songs... act like it! Don't apologize for them. They are great and translate very well live. Highlights for me were Monkey Suit, Hey Ahab, Dream Come True... hey, they were all highlights. Unlike many times when new songs are delivered, I saw few people leaving their seats for refreshments and bathroom breaks.

After Leon closed this set with In The Hands of Angels, it was left up to Elton to blow the roof off UTC Arena... and that he did before closing the evening with Candle in the Wind and Your Song.

I'm sure Elton John is aware that Leon can no longer deliver the kind of energetic performance that will keep 11,000 people from drifting to the restroom. I think that's the very reason he gave an extra special delivery of his own songs. It was an amazing 3.5 hour show but could easily have been trimmed to a quality 2.5 hour show without Leon. I know Elton wants to take care of Leon. He's suffered both physically and financially. But I think he should just put a wad of cash in his jacket and do the shows himself.

Some side notes... the Band is sounding better than ever and the backup singers... in particular the gorgeous Tanya Balam and the uber talented Tata Vega are a great addition. I do wish he had not lost the horn section that was at many of the early Union shows. This is the first time I've seen Kim Bullard, the new keyboard player that took over for Guy Babylon after he passed away. Kim has pared down the keys and is a much more subtle player than Guy who, I always felt was a little over-powering...but very talented. I just think they had him too high in the mix. Kim also throws in a lot of organ which is nice. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me for some reason made me tear up and Take me to the Pilot with some Chattanooga Choo Choo thrown in was awesome.

Overall, I would give this 4 Stars and it would have been 5 if Leon had bowed out. And I had a great time with my niece @taylor dobbs (her first Elton Show) and my cousin Brian and friend Brad. I think we all pretty much agreed on the overall show.