Hi everybody.
It took almost 19 years for Tom Waits to play a concert in Michigan and he put on a merely good, not fantastic concert at the Detroit Opera House. Set list was less than inspired, weighted too heavily toward newer material which was often abrasive or dull. Waits’ current guitarist, Duke Robillard, is no match for Marc Ribot, who’d worked extensively with Waits in recent years.
You had to laugh at Dylan’s recent comments about the poor sound quality on recordings of the last 20 years. But he was masterful at Fifth Third Ballpark near Grand Rapids. His current band, who were new when I last saw Dylan play in April 05, have gelled, working together almost telepathically now. Highlights – a powerhouse version of “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),” “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Maggie’s Farm.” He’ll be back here at the Palace later this year.
The death of Arthur Lee of Love hit me hard. At least he gained some recognition before he died. I feel fortunate to have seen him perform at the Magic Stick a few years back. Love’s third album, “Forever Changes,” is a flat-out masterpiece that appears on any serious critic’s list of top rock albums of all time. Lee was a troubled genius, ahead of his time. He deserves to be remembered for his huge impact on rock music in the 1960s.
This cool website, www.milifemitimes.org, was kind enough to interview me recently. My wife has been contributing to this site for several months, and they asked her to ask me some questions. The site has a wealth of interesting cultural info, music pieces by Gary Graff, restaurant reviews by John Horn and other fun insider tips from all over Michigan. Check it out!
Dates in my planner:
Sept. 10: Zero 7 at V Fest in Toronto
Sept. 11-15: Toronto Film Festival (I’ll be calling in reports during my weekday radio program)
Oct. 4: SPECIAL EVENT TBA (details coming this Mon., Aug. 28)
and
Yo La Tengo at Michigan Theatre
Oct. 16: Madeleine Peyroux at Michigan Theatre
Go get ’em, Tigers! I believe!
More soon.
Best,
Martin