The Stones turn 50!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that The Rolling Stones are celebrating their 50'th anniversary with some kickoff shows in London this week. Opening night featured a killer setlist with the highlight being a rousing take on "Midnight Rambler" featuring former band member/guitarist Mick Taylor simply killing it! I love the stripped down nature of this...just amazing talents still playing the best rock and roll ever recorded. Welcome back boys!!

“I Wanna Be Your Man”
“Get Off of My Cloud”
“It’s All Over Now”
“Paint It Black”
“Gimme Shelter” (with Mary J. Blige)
“Wild Horses”
“All Down the Line”
“I’m Going Down” (with Jeff Beck)
“Out of Control”
“One More Shot”
“Doom and Gloom”
“It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)”  (with Bill Wyman)
“Honky Tonk Woman”
“Before They Make Me Run”
“Happy”
“Midnight Rambler” (with Mick Taylor)
“Miss You”
“Start Me Up”
“Tumbling Dice”
“Brown Sugar”
“Sympathy for the Devil”
Encores:
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (with choir)
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”

Ian Hunter-"When I'm President"

Who would have thought that one of the best songs I've heard all year would come from former 1970's Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter?! Admittedly, I haven't heard much about Ian since the early 1980's brilliant "All of the Good Ones are Taken" but after listening to this smart, melodic beauty I can't wait to hear the rest of the album!

 


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Merry Christmas from CeeLo and the Muppets!

A Christmas song with CeeLo Green and the Muppets with a "manamana" sing-along?! I may just be getting into the spirit. Total awesomeness!!

Trey sings for the East Coast

Watching the devastation to the East Coast from Hurricane Sandy has left me feeling broken and helpless this week. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those poor people who now have to rebuild their entire lives. Last night on Jimmy Fallon, Phish guitarist/singer Trey Anastasio tried to heal through music by playing a beautiful version of the Five Stairsteps soul classic ""O-h-h Child"". This really got to me tonight. Thanks Trey!

Happy Birthday John Coltrane

Happy Birthday to my favorite jazz artist. No one could create so much emotion from their instrument like Coltrane. Below is 90 blissful minutes of proof!

Bob Dylan Quote of the Day

No...this isn't another example of the magnificent lyrical poetry Dylan has been writing since 1962. This is a quote from his recent Rolling Stone cover story. I freaking love this!!

From Spinner.com:

This is what Bob Dylan told Rolling Stone about people who criticize him for copping lyrics from Japanese authors and Civil War poets, and how it pertains to his decision to go electric in the '60s:

"These are the same people that tried to pin the name Judas on me. Judas, the most hated name in human history! If you think you've been called a bad name, try to work your way out from under that. Yeah, and for what? For playing an electric guitar? As if that is in some kind of way equitable to betraying our Lord and delivering him up to be crucified. All those evil motherfuckers can rot in hell."

"A Benediction": Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band, Wrigley Field-Chicago, IL

As the heavens opened and a massive rain began to fall Saturday night in Chicago, Bruce Springsteen looked to the sky and told the crowd "it's good.....like a benediction." I am not a religious man but as a veteran of 10+ Bruce concerts, I have often thought that his shows must be like what church does for many. Bruce and his fans just happen to worship at the alter of rock and roll!

At this point his career, no one should need me to tell them how communal and downright spiritual an experience a Bruce show can be. I certainly didn't need any more validation of that, but once again The Boss exceeded all of my already ridiculous expectations! For me, the fact that Bruce chose to play completely off-stage by the crowd in the pouring rain for the entire last hour of the show just proved how much he really cares about his fans. That gesture kept everyone from caring about their wet hair or soaking bodies and brought everyone that much closer together. It really was a magnificent thing to behold.

Oh, how was the music? Let's just say that in a show that featured amazing and moving guest appearances by hometown natives Eddie Vedder ("My Hometown", "Darkness on the Edge of Town")and Tom Morello ("Death to My Hometown, "This Depression", "Ghost of Tom Joad", "Badlands"), those appearances weren't necessarily the highlights for most. For me, that highlight was the crazy fun, rain-drenched "Born to Run> Rosalita> Dancing in the Dark> Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" sandwich!

Listening to Bruce perform 1980's "The Ties that Bind" live, it was as if time went back and the band had never made the 11 albums in-between. The beauty of his show is that the old fit perfectly next to majestic performances of the new material, mostly because Bruce is still signing about the themes that affect all of us; work, love, community, sense of purpose, ghosts, right and wrong, and hope for a better world. Seeing Bruce perform the new song "We Take Care of Our Own" (a little over a week after President Obama used it after his convention speech) was one of the most moving performances I have seen him do. Not because he is singing some left-wing, Democratic anthem but because it is a song about asking the questions we should ALL be asking, and Bruce sung it as if he needed the answers....NOW!

"Where're the eyes, the eyes with the will to see
Where's the hearts that run over with mercy
Where's the love that has not forsaken me
Where's the work that'll set my hands, my soul free
Where's the spirit to reign rain over me
Where's the promise, from sea to shining sea
Where's the promise, from sea to shining sea"

After 28 years of seeing Bruce Springsteen live, I can honestly say that my passion and enthusiasm for him is only stronger in 2012 then it was in 1984. How many career artists can you even think to say that about? Just like when he was first starting out as a struggling musician, I know he still needs us, the music community still needs him, and I know for certain that the older I get, the more I realize how much I need Bruce!

Setlist:
The Promised Land
The Ties That Bind
No Surrender
Hungry Heart
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
My City of Ruins
E Street Shuffle
Pay Me My Money Down
This Depression (with Tom Morello)
My Hometown (with Eddie Vedder)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (with Eddie Vedder)
Because the Night
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Who'll Stop the Rain (solo acoustic)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
Badlands (with Tom Morello)
Thunder Road
* * *
Rocky Ground
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land (with Morello and Vedder)