Live In Concert: A Memoir

While attending my latest live music experience this past week...Tears For Fears at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga,CA...I began to recollect on all of my past concert experiences. I had attended only one concert this past year, which is an aberration as I generally see/listen/both at least four or five concerts per year. To this point I was jonesing for any type of live music..and hey, if a 1970's or 80's iconic band/singer is in town playing at the greatest concert venue in the country (the aforementioned Moutain Winery, shameless link here )I'm in.

In my annual blog posts, I try not to get too 'deep' in my meanderings. I stick to what I know best...sports, music, alcoholic beverages...you know, the simple things in life. Or one or two could be considered vices, but hey, we all have our faults. Anyway, snapshot back to me at the Tears For Fears concert listening to excellent live renditions of their 80's classics, feeling the energy of the small, albeit enthusiastic crowd, singing along/butchering the songs...even if you aren't watching your favorite band or hearing your favorite song played, when live music is done 'right' there aren't many experiences that compare to it. And when you get those sensations or memories etched in your brain, it's really hard to put a price tag on it.

Which bring me to my 'point'. Everything (more or less) is comprised of energy. And vibrations (keep it clean, please). That rock over there? Sure, it appears solid, but what is it really? Energy vibrating at a high degree. What are we as humans? Energy vibrating at different degrees. So when we hear harmonics or melodies or frequencies within music, it really resonates to our base core. A few notes of a song can bring a rush of vivid memories more so than anything else. Whether it's the lyrics of song that touch or connect with us or it's the actual music itself connecting, when it's done at a high level in a live setting, it's a feeling that's hard to compare with anything else.

Now with that mumbo jumbo out of the way, the real reason I wanted to write this blog is for my own edification...listing all of the concerts I've ever attended. When I began to run them through my mind while at the concert last week, it really struck a chord with me reliving those memories..where the concerts were, the setlists, what was going on in my life during those periods of time.There are some concerts here that weren't my idea to attend (I'm sure you can figure out which ones on your own), but that doesn't mean I didn't have an appreciation for some the shows afterwards.

And now, to the best of my recollection....

1989- Yes                               Orange County Speedway, Middletown,NY
1991- Steve Miller Band      Orange County Speedway, Middletown,NY
1998- Tool/Snoop Dogg       Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
1998- Ben Folds Five           The Warfield, San Francisco,CA
1998- Ben Folds Five            Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
1999- Earth Wind & Fire      Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
1999- Duran Duran               Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
1999- Freedy Johnston          Noe Valley Church, San Francisco,CA
2001- Radiohead                   Madison Square Garden, New York,NY
2002- Pete Yorn                     Bowery Ballroom, New York,NY
2004- Rush                            Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
2004- Madonna                     HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2005- Depeche Mode            HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2005- Coldplay                      Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountian View,CA
2006- Rufus Wainwright       Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2006- Grant Lee Phillips       Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco,CA
2007- Muse                    Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco,CA
2007- Rush                             Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
2007- Buffalo Tom                Great American Music Hall, San Francisco,CA
2007- Pete Yorn/Crowded House     Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2007- Squeeze                       Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2007- Neil Young                  United Palace Theatre, Harlem,NY
2008- Billy Joel                     Oracle Arena, Oakland,CA
2007- Stevie Wonder              Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
2008- The Eagles                  American Airlines Arena, Dallas,TX
2008- George Michael          HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2008- Chris Cornell              Cynthia Woods Pavilion, The Woodlands,TX
2009- Wilco                          Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA
2009- Yes                              Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth,TX
2009- Duncan Sheik             Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco,CA
2010- Grant Lee Phillips/Glen Phillips      Freight & Salvage, Berkeley,CA
2010- Billy Joel/Elton John           Oracle Arena, Oakland,CA
2010- Foreigner/Styx/Kansas        Concord Pavilion, Concord,CA
2010- The Eagles                 HP Pavilion, San Jose,CA
2010- Muse/Silversun Pickups      Oracle Arena, Oakland,CA
2010- Brandon Flowers        Fox Theater, Oakland,CA
2010- Rush                           Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View,CA
2010- Roger Waters              HP Pavilion, Concord,CA
2011- Buffalo Tom               Slim's, San Francisco,CA
2011- Tears For Fears          Mountain Winery, Saratoga,CA

Due to my recent onset of senility, I'm sure I've missed a couple here or there that I will happily add once I'm either reminded by a friend/family member or I actually remember any others at a later 'A-HA'(nope, haven't seen them) moment.

I Can't Pretend A Stranger Is A Long Awaited Friend

Artist: Rush
Date: August 9th, 2010
Venue: Shoreline Amphitheatre Mountain View,CA

SETLIST

The Spirit Of Radio
Time Stand Still
Presto
Stick It Out
Workin' Them Angels
Leave That Thing Alone
Faithless
BU2B
Freewill
Marathon
Subdivisions
(-Intermission-)
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Witch Hunt
Vital Signs
Caravan
Drum Solo (Love For Sale)
Closer To The Heart
2112 (Overture/Temples Of Syrinx)
Far Cry
Encore: La Villa Strangiato
Working Man

I've had this concert review in the works since last month, but I've decided to condense this blog post into something that focuses mainly on the actual concert rather than the history of and my history with Rush. For that, I will have a separate post based on my recent viewing of Rush's brilliant new documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage.

"I can't pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend." One of Neil Peart's most famous lyrics from their classic song "Limelight". He wrote this in reference to the vast success Rush had achieved by the late 1970's and how, with his newly-found fame, he was having difficulty with so many people wanting to be his 'friend' along with the invasions in his personal space and time. Unlike most celebrities/musicians, Peart wasn't bashful about his distaste for so many 'strangers' coming from every direction looking to latch onto his success. You can say his lyric has grown into something that applies to Rush itself..either you are a longlife friend or a complete stranger. There really is no in-between.

Having said that, this concert was like the other two Rush concerts I've attended...ravenous, die-hard fans that came out in droves as this was Rush's only Nor Cal appearance for this tour (they usually play 2 or 3 venues here per tour). And surprise, surprise..the audience consisted of about 98% Caucasian males. Shocking, I know. What pumped-up the usually raucous legion of fans more than usually was Rush playing their most famous and celebrated album Moving Pictures in its entirety for the first time in almost thirty years.

One of the many things which makes Rush such a fantastic live act is that they are able to delve into almost four decades of material to incorporate into their sets. And each decade of their musical library has its own distinct sound, so you get an extremely varied smorgasboard of tunes. Even though you're going to get some of the same classic songs (Tom Sawyer, The Spirit of the Radio, Limelight) each tour, they have so many obscure or 'forgotten' tracks they can dust off and give a new polish. This setlist is no exception.

"The Spirit of the Radio" is the quintessential Rush opener. Hook after hook, great chorus, sing-along time, air drumming begins...one of the true great live songs by any musical artist. As mentioned, they will always have their so-called 'greatest hits'..."Freewill", "Subdivisions", "Limelight", "Tom Sawyer" were all played to perfection. A few long forgotten tracks such as "Presto", "Marathon", and "Time Stand Stil"l that had no been played on tour in quite some time were given new life. They debuted two new songs ("BU2B","Caravan") from their forthcoming album and, while no one was jumping out of their seats, they were both tolerable tunes. No other band could get away with playing four instrumentals during a concert, but Rush has and always will. "La Villa Strangiato", "YYZ", "Leave That Thing Along", and Peart's drum solo were all highlights as each song showcased the incredible musicianship of Peart, Lee, and Lifeson. The only negative I can speak of was their insistence to play "Working Man", especially as the final encore. I've never been a fan of it..a paint by the numbers 70's rock song they recorded before Neil Peart joined the band. Bleh.

Many things can be said about Geddy Lee's helium-induced vocals. Regardless of his prior vocal abilities (or lack-of), age has truly helped tame his octave and pitch. What were once border line shrieks have been tempered to a much milder, more mature tone. This was the absolute best I've heard him vocally...without question, which is a major achievement considering he is 57 years old. Definitely a pleasant surprise.
All three played top-notch...never a question there. We're talking about three of the greatest rock musicians ever. Even as they get older, there really isn't much of a drop-off in their musical abilities.

As I mentioned, this was the third Rush concert I've attended. The first was in 1994 during their 30th anniversary tour. That one I don't think will be beat. But this most recent show was better than the Snakes And Arrows tour in '97. I preferred this setlist a bit more along with Lee's improved vocals.

Highlights: 2112, Red Barchetta, Freewill, The Spirit of the Radio, Time Stand Still

Concert Rating: 8.5 out of 10

NFL Team Predictions

My predictions for each teams record, division and conference winners, wildcard teams, and Super Bowl champion.

AFC EAST
New York Jets 12-4
New England Patriots 11-5
Miami Dolphins 7-9
Buffalo Bills 4-12

AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens 10-6
Cincinnati Bengals 9-7
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-9
Cleveland Browns 3-13

AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis Colts 12-4
Houston Texans 10-6
Tennessee Titans 8-8
Jacksonville Jaguars 5-11

AFC WEST
San Diego Chargers 10-6
Oakland Raiders 8-8
Kansas City Chiefs 7-9
Denver Broncos 5-11

AFC WILDCARDS: New England Patriots, Houston Texans


NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys 10-6
New York Giants 8-8
Philadelphia Eagles 7-9
Washington Redskins 6-10

NFC North
Green Bay Packers 11-5
Minnesota Vikings 7-9
Chicago Bears 5-11
Detroit Lions 4-12

NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons 12-4
New Orleans Saints 12-4
Carolina Panthers 6-10
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-13

NFC WEST
San Francisco 49ers 12-4
Arizona Cardinals 6-10
Seattle Seahawks 5-11
St. Louis Rams 2-14

NFC WILDCARDS: New Orleans Saints, New York Giants

AFC CHAMPIONS: New York Jets
NFC CHAMPIONS: Green Bay Packers

SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS: Green Bay Packers

NFL Individual Award Predictions

It's that time of year again. No, not the time for my semi-annual blog post (it's only been 8 months). It's time for some PIGSKIN ACTION BABY. Fantasy football fans, real-life football fans who actually root for their teams, degenerate gamblers, etc., rejoice...tomorrow night marks the return of everyone's favorite business/entertainment entitiy, the National Football League.

With its return I feel I should list my predictions for the upcoming season. Not that these predictions will win me any type of monetary prize or trophy or even a simple "thadda boy", for shits and giggles I put them out there for mocking purposes.

To start things off, my individual award predictions.

MVP: Peyton Manning
Yes, he is the starting QB for my fantasy football teams. Bias aside, this is Peyton's award to lose. He has the deepest and most talented receiving corps of his career. I strongly believe this will be his best statistical season ever, though the Colts won/loss record won't be 15-1 again.

Offensive Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers
There is often that strange line between how a player can win the MVP award and not Offensive or Defensive Player of the Year. I think we will see that happen again this season as Aaron Rodgers produces one of the greatest statistical seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. Put him down for 5000 yards passing and 40 TD's.Green Bay's inferior record to Indianapolis and the worlds infatuation with Peyton Manning will prohibit Rodgers from capturing the MVP award.

Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis
Willis is the definition of a tackling machine. While the 49ers have mired in relative obscurity during his first few seasons, their ascent to the top of the NFC West this season will give Willis the media and national exposure he deserves.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ryan Mathews
I think this is an absolute no-brainer. Mathews has a great blend of speed/power, will be the featured back in a multi-dimensional office, and any running back in Norv Turner's office is guaranteed 1000 yards plus.

Defensive Player of the Year: Rolando McLain
While I think Ndamukong Suh will be the best defensive rookie of the year, it is often hard to gauge the impact defensive tackles have since they do not register many sacks or tackles. McLain is just what the doctor ordered for the Raiders...a big, physical linebacker to replace the smallish-smurf style linebackers Oakland has utilized the past few seasons. He's going to have at least 125 tackles and I think that type of number will be what warrants his DPY award.

Coach of the Year: Mike Singletary
I do not think Singletary is even a Top 10 coach. But, when you factor in their schedule and maturation of key players on both sides of the ball, San Francisco is poised to have a 12-4 or 11-5 type record this season. With that type of jump in record and his 'name' as Hall of Fame player, I think he will be a very trendy pick at the end of the season.

Grand Opening

Welcome to my blog. If you're reading this you either somehow mistakenly stumbled upon this page or I have bribed you in some manner to follow it. Either way, thanks for stopping-by.

This blog will primarily consist of my critiques regarding the worlds of sports, music, movies, and food. I know, not the most original of topics, but those are the areas that truly have a passion for. While far from an 'expert' on any of those topics (the Brendan of 15+ years ago was a sports encyclopedia), I hope to present an intelligent, humorous, informative, and entertaining viewpoint. I welcome your feedback, whether it be positive or negative. Though this blog is for me, if I don't receive emails or posts saying I'm the best (thanks, I know) or I suck (f*ck you) or you have no idea what you're talking about (more than likely), etc., I would consider this a bit of a failure as I hope my writing has enough thought, passion, humor, or insightfullness to illicit some type of responses in others.

I'm a big 'list' person. I love making Top 10 (or 5 or pick a number) lists of favorite things or "greatest *insert topic*". So, be prepared for plenty of "Top 10 Pizza Joints", "Top 5 Quarterbacks", type lists as this blog progresses.

And I must preface by saying I love to criticize. Even though I have a long laundry list of faults and imperfections, it's never stopped me from being critical of things I have an interest in. One might say I'm a snob in regards to the music I listen to or food I eat..that wouldn't be far off. But, for me, that just means that the music and movies I love, the athletes I admire, the pizza I long for, all have a special place for me because they are few and far between.

Thanks again for taking an interest (at least for now) in my musings. To start things off I'm going to have my Top 10 Favorite Albums list. My review of #10 should be posted later tonight.