Utah Concert Review

It’s hard for me to believe, but this week marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Depeche Mode’s signature album Violator. This album sent Depeche Mode into the stratosphere as far as notoriety, and cementing their mark in the world of alternative music. I will never forget how happy my ears were the first time I heard this gem.

This website was created for the purpose of reviewing live music, so I’m not going to go into what makes this album so great. If you haven’t heard it, give it a listen and you’ll know. I think not only does it stand the test of time, but you can still hear its influence in much of the music we hear today.

Now obviously I am a lover of live music, and I think what makes a studio album legendary is when songs that weren’t hits, or even singles can be performed years after an album’s release. When those songs are embraced with as much excitement as the hits, then you know an album has reached iconic status. Such is the case with Violator. Of course, you’d expect the crowd to go crazy when they hear “Enjoy the Silence”, or “Personal Jesus”. You might even expect to hear other excellent singles such as “Policy of Truth”, or “World in My Eyes”. But what is amazing is that in their most recent tour, (Completed in March 2014, in which they didn’t come to Utah. What’s up with that Depeche?! Anyway…) Depeche Mode performed not only “Blue Dress”, but “Halo”, both non singles from Violator. These songs were met with the enthusiasm that you’d expect from hearing a #1 hit. In my experience seeing Depeche Mode, I’ve heard them perform “Waiting for the Night”, “Clean”, and “Sweetest Perfection” as well as all the songs previously mentioned.

Tour after tour, Depeche Mode performs at least four and up to six songs from Violator. I think that says a lot for the type of album is it. Do yourself a favor and allow yourself some time to re-listen to this album in its entirety. Something we don’t do much of anymore. And if you have never heard this complete album, it’s time to give yourself a quality education. Happy 25th Violator!

Here are a couple video clips of live versions of songs from Violator.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drn7wXarm-I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiE9xLeS7S8

I’d like to wish a Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you love dove’s out there. I’d like to share a few videos of some of my favorite love songs that I’ve had the privilege of hearing live within this past year. Enjoy!

Buddy Holly tragically passed away 56 years ago today. He has always been one of my all time favorites, and I would have loved more than anything to see him perform live. Buddy is a legend in the music industry, and will forever have his fans, but he seems to be forgotten when people discuss the greatest influencers of Rock N Roll. But without Buddy Holly, we may not have had The Beatles, and without the Beatles, well, it’s hard to imagine what music today would be like. I often wonder what it would have been like if he had never boarded that plane. What would we think of him now? What would his music have meant to us if he was around longer? How much would we be praising him for his engineering skills in the studio? We’ll never know, but considering all he did in his short 22 years, I think it’s safe to assume he would have left an even greater mark on the music world had he lived.
I thought rather than me ramble on and on about how much I love Buddy, I would post a few videos from some of the best in the music world, and how much they love him. Enjoy!

Graham Nash getting to hold and play Buddy’s leather bound acoustic.

Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers on meeting Buddy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtOhipzEZHU

Dave Stewart of the Eurythmic’s on how Buddy influenced him, and imagining what he would have done later in his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdQW1yq-oMw

Here are a few of Paul McCartney clips on how Buddy influenced him and his fellow Beatles, from style, to songwriting, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub_Ndas3Fgw

And finally, since this website is meant to focus on live music, here are two clips of Buddy himself performing live.

On Wednesday November 12, The Black Keys brought their “Turn Blue World Tour” to the Maverik Center. They had been through Utah a couple of years ago, and I missed them. So I was determined to find a way to get into this show. Can you believe I guessed the promo code for cheaper tickets? Otherwise I don’t think I would have made it. So, the rock gods looked out for me with this one. The best way I can describe this show is Slow Burn.

I’m not sure if it was because the show was in the middle of the week, or because it was the first really frosty day in Utah this year (27* at showtime), but the crowd took a lot longer to get going into the show than they normally do. When the band walked out and started playing, the majority of the arena stayed seated. I am someone who likes to stand during concerts, but I’m not one to make a point to stand when everyone is sitting. I’m not a fan of annoying people. Or forcing them to look at my behind for 90 minutes. Fortunately my seat was backed up to a suite, so there was no one behind me. I was able to stand the whole time. Now don’t get me wrong, I get it if we’re at a Josh Groban concert or something mellow, but this was The Black Keys! Their music, is not sit down music! So I got lucky that I didn’t have to worry about that. The stage was simple yet perfectly designed. The backdrop started out as a curtain that looked like it was from an old theater, to having that drop and behind it were multiple moving video screens and light rigs. It was subtle, yet flashy at the same time. Just like the band they were illuminating.

The band plowed through about four songs before saying anything to the audience. There really wasn’t much interaction between band and the crowd other than the occasional “Thank You” or “Help us out with this one!” type talk. But what the band lacked in physical energy, and crowd involvement, they made up with pure musical energy. It’s not always needed for a band to start a clap along, or a city reference to get the get things going. Sometimes they just need to play their amazing songs, and the crowd will catch up eventually. Well that’s what The Black Keys did. They just kept going. Because there is no way they didn’t notice the crowd was a little dull. They played their huge hit, “Gold on the Ceiling” about five songs into the set, and you could see some bubbling up from the crowd. A few of those sitting, rose to their feat, and those who didn’t were certainly bobbing their heads. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the crowd wasn’t dead. When the songs were over, the volume of their applause was definitely at a high volume. I just thought I’d see the whole place rockin out the second the band arrived. But that was not the case this time. But sometimes, a band has to earn their dues. And in my opinion, The Black Keys worked hard for their money in this show. But like I said, they just kept going. And the crowd started joining in the fun.

Patrick Carney’s drumming was on point as always, and the blues just dripped from Dan Auerbach’s guitar the whole night. These guys have in a gift in blues rock that would make Howlin’ Wolf proud. Seriously, those guitar riffs he plays just seemed to hypnotize and pierce the souls of everyone there. Because as the show went on, people started rising to their feet, dancing as if these beautiful tones had put a spell on them and they could no longer just sit there. About an hour or so into the show, I would say that about 80% of the audience was on their feet, and by the end, I’d say about 99% were standing and the place had finally been brought to a steamy boil. We had been put under the blues rock spell of The Black Keys.

I’d say the only thing that really bummed me out with show is when the band ended their main set, a disappointingly large volume of the arena started filing out as if the show was over. Did they not know they were coming back? Did they really have to get somewhere at 10:30 at night? Doubtful. I will say though, a group of teenage boys on their way out kept looking back, and right when the band returned to the stage, in their surprise and amazement they returned to their seats. They were so happy the band came back. At first I couldn’t believe they didn’t know the routine of concerts. But, as I reflected on my much younger days, I guess you do need to experience that first encore to know that is what happens in most concerts.

The show ended with a fantastic version of “Little Black Submarines”. It was a perfect closer. This band, they’re just so great. They really are a true American rock band. They have the grit of this country’s heartland, and yet the depth to be a worldwide phenomenon. There really is nothing like seeing a great rock band, and that is exactly what I saw here at the Maverik Center.

Setlist
Dead and Gone
Next Girl
Run Right Back
Same Old Thing
Gold on the Ceiling
Strange Times
Nova Baby
Leavin’ Trunk (Taj Mahal cover)
Too Afraid to Love You
Howlin’ for You
A Girl Like You (Edwyn Collins cover)
Money Maker
Gotta Get Away
She’s Long Gone
Fever
Tighten Up
Your Touch
Lonely Boy

Encore:
Weight of Love
Turn Blue
Little Black Submarines

To be perfectly honest, I only knew about 4 songs from The Airborne Toxic Event before attending their concert. Of course I’ve been a fan of their 2008 hit “Sometime Around Midnight”. And I’ve seen a few performances on TV here and there. So I knew them enough to know I wanted to go see them Monday night at The Depot.

The crowd was surprisingly mixed between young and not so young. As I understood it, The Airborne Toxic Event was part of that musical flashback to the 80’s modern rock sound similar to Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, or The Bravery. And while some of their songs did take my ears to that era, they had much more to offer than to be pinned down to one style of music. There were times that I felt like I was listening to a folk band, other times I felt like I was listening to a synth-pop band. It was that kind of variety that made this show extremely entertaining for me.

Sometimes I really enjoy going to shows so where I know very little of their catalogue, so that I can stand back and watch the show with no expectations. I think the thing I enjoyed the most was the passion being delivered from each member of the five piece band. Each one of them clearly skilled musicians to the point that throughout the show many of them switched from guitar to keyboard, or keyboard to violin, or even three band members playing drums at one time. They sounded great, and to have the energy they had for a Monday evening show, ignited the crowd to react to these songs as if they were seeing a show on a Saturday night.

It has been a while since I’ve seen a band that is still in the midst of their first decade of growth, and it was obvious. I could tell they still loved playing live, and they still appreciate their fans. As I’ve always said, Utah has the best concert goers that I’ve witnessed, and I think the bands could feel that. Lead singer Mikel Jollett even comment to the crowd about how excitable they were. But it was so cool to see him climb down from the stage, taking selfies with the front row, and high fiving every hand he could reach. At the end of the show keyboard/ violinist, Anna Bulbrook jumped into the waiting arms of the audience and crowd surfed around and back to the stage. There was great chemistry between audience and band. It felt genuine, and it was refreshing to see. Even when the show was over, and the lights came up, and the PA was playing exit music, many of the band members stayed out there, signing autographs, throwing guitar picks and setlists to the audience. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band stay out that long. It was pretty cool.

I must say, they won me over. Albums will be bought, Youtube videos will be watched, and songs will be learned. I really like this band. And anyone who says that “Rock is Dead” (I’m talking to you Gene Simmons), has clearly not seen The Airborne Toxic Event! Rock N Roll has a heartbeat and I think it’ll be just fine.

Welcome to Your Wedding Day
Papillon
Gasoline
Changing
Happiness Is Overrated
This Losing
Hell and Back
Dope Machines
What’s In a Name?
Numb
Wishing Well
Wrong
Sometime Around Midnight
All I Ever Wanted

Encore:
The Graveyard Near the House
Timeless
Boys Don’t Cry snippet (The Cure Cover)
All at Once

It’s hard to believe that for 31 years, Elton John had at least one song charting on Billboard’s top 100. Now try to pack all those hits into one night. That was Elton John’s dilemma on Friday night at the Maverik Center. But I think he did a great job of covering those 31 years in a two hour show.

I had known Elton was coming to town for some time, but until it was the week of, for some reason it didn’t occur to me that I should go to this concert. I almost missed out on a great night. Don’t get me wrong, I am most certainly an Elton John fan. I think even if you’re not a die hard fan, it’s impossible to not like at least one of his songs. Even if someone else is singing it in one of his movies, or stage musicals. It’s hard to not be impressed with his body of work. But despite the Grammy’s, the Tony’s, and even the Academy Awards, what it really comes down to is how amazing these songs really are. There is something for everybody.

Sir Elton walked on to a darkened stage at exactly 8:30 pm. Even though the stage was pitch black, you could see him from a mile away. All the cameras taking pictures exposed his knee length sequined coat. It’s funny, because looking back at some of the things he used to wear on stage, this coat was actually pretty conservative. He walked out to “Funeral for a Friend” and then once he reached stage joined right in with the rest of the band. Then of course continued with “Love Lies Bleeding”. The Utah crowd did not disappoint . People were up and dancing during this song, and could not have been more excited that this legend was in town.

He came out guns blazing with with his huge hits “Bennie and the Jets” and “Candle in the Wind”. This is what I’m trying to say people. These are huge songs of his, and he did them right at the top of the show? Was he going to run out of songs? Was the show going to start strong then lull when he started playing deep cuts? Nope. He had enough hits to play for an hour more than he did, and this was a full two hour show.

I remember looking at my phone to see what time it was thinking he had probably played for maybe 30 minutes. But he had already played for an hour and 15 minutes. Time flew by in this concert because each time you may have thought he was going to hit that “beer run” segment of songs, he didn’t. I think he played maybe 3 songs I hadn’t heard before, and those were great. And when he played those, the people that did make their beer runs, had to have been really bummed when the following song was one of his biggest hits. Songs like “Levon”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, or “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” followed songs that may not have been as familiar to this crowd.

He didn’t do a whole lot of talking to the crowd, but when he did, he usually had something fun or interesting to say. At one point he spoke of being more comfortable in his own skin than ever before, and because of that, he enjoys performing more than he ever has. Normally I would think maybe an artist will just say something like that just to get a cheer from the crowd. And while he was applauded for that comment, I think he was being genuine. He seemed in very good spirits, and I think he really enjoyed himself.

Elton John also talked about the success he’s had with his writing partner Bernie Taupin. In case you don’t know, Elton John has never written the lyrics to any of his songs. He said that he and Bernie have never even worked in the same room. Bernie would write in another room, then come to Elton with lyrics he had written, and then Elton would go to the piano and put these words to music. It’s a formula that has clearly worked (understatement of the year). Sir Elton mentioned that when they were first starting out, they lived with his mother, and one day Bernie came to him with what he called the most beautiful lyrics he had ever read. Especially for an 18 year old. He went to the piano, and created what was to become his first hit, “Your Song”. He said he owes all the success he’s had to that song. I’ve included video footage of this song as a reminder of just how beautiful this song is. In my opinion, these lyrics are some of the best written in popular music history. It was really cool how he set up the song, and it made for a special moment in the show. Needless to say, the crowd was so excited to hear this classic. The ovation he got after was tremendous and well deserved.

Elton closed his main set with four upbeat songs. This was the moment when the majority of the arena was up and dancing, and just letting loose. With Elton’s songs it’s sometimes hard to know when to sit and when to stand. I usually like to stand at all concerts, but I get the demographic of this show wasn’t going to do that, so I tried to pick my spots. But here, it was obviously stand up time. He left the stage and of course he returned to a crowd that was as loud as they had been all night. Maybe even louder. Encores are a funny thing aren’t they? We know they’re coming back. We know they have some huge songs they still must do. It’s such a weird tradition. I do remember though when I was young, hoping and praying my favorite groups would return. But now that I’m older, I guess I’m more aware that this is just what bands do. I would have liked to have seen the time where encores originated and people weren’t sure the artist would come back. What if they didn’t? That’d be the worst! Anyway, I’m getting off track.

Sir Elton came back and kept the crowd on their feet with “Crocodile Rock”. That was fun. The crowd sang the La La La’s in the song, and the energy was at its highest point. After that song Sir Elton brought the show to a perfect close by singing one of my favorites, “Daniel”. He did this song alone. Just him, and his piano. It was beautiful. And made me wish he had done a few more songs like that.

I left this show totally impressed with the performing chops of Sir Elton John and his band. Many of whom had been with him for 40+ years. Of course there were some other songs from his catalogue that I would have loved to hear, but like I said before, how do narrow down over 45 years of songs into a two hour show? He’s been at it a long time, but not once did I feel like he was just going through the motions, or giving us a half hearted show. I think he really enjoyed the energy and excitement of this particular audience. I know I say this a lot, but I don’t think artists passing through, expect to get what they get from Utah crowds. We appreciate them stopping into our small city, and we show them our gratitude with really getting into the show. If you haven’t ever seen Elton John, I recommend you do. Even if you’re not a huge fan. If you care about the history of rock n roll, or popular music, this is a show not to be missed. Elton John has left his mark, and influence on music, and he’s still doing it. Cheers to him, and I look forward to what he’ll do next.

Setlist

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Bennie and the Jets
Candle in the Wind
Grey Seal
Levon
Tiny Dancer
Holiday Inn
Philadelphia Freedom
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
Hey Ahab
Oceans Away
Your Song
Burn Down the Mission
All the Girls Love Alice
Home Again
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
The Bitch Is Back
I’m Still Standing
Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting

Encore:
Crocodile Rock
Daniel

I was introduced to David Gray about 12 or so years ago. I used to be involved heavily into concert bootleg trading. I know, I know, I’m an outlaw. Well, there was a particular instance where the person I happened to be trading with was more interested in my collection of live shows than I was in what his. But being a generous trader, I told my fellow trader to pick out what they wanted and I’d find something in their collection to make things even. Gotta keep things even in the bootleg biz! Anyway, after looking through his collection, I chose a David Gray, Live in San Francisco bootleg. I figured, I, like many out there enjoyed his biggest American hit “Babylon”, so why not check out one of his live shows. Well, I don’t remember what else I got out of that trade, but that live bootleg of David Gray is still on my playlist to this day. I am now a huge David Gray fan, and experiencing his live shows in person has been an experience I have always looked forward to throughout the years following that trade. So it was exciting to get to see him again last night at the Red Butte Gardens Amphitheater.

Red Butte has one of Utah’s best backdrops as far as concert venues go. It’s the perfect place to see a concert on a summer night. It always cools down there, and there is a pleasant breeze throughout the venue. This venue is unique though, in a couple ways. One, in that you bring in your own chairs, and blankets to sit on, and you’re allowed to bring in food, and drinks. It’s a really fun social setting. Second, many concert attendees of Red Butte Gardens are season ticket holders. So they’re not always a fan of the artist performing. But they go for the beautiful setting, spend time with their fellow yuppies, and have some fancy cheese and fine wine. The difficult part of this, is once the concert starts, people don’t really seem to understand that social time is over, and that most people came to hear what’s coming out of the person on stage’s mouth, not theirs. People eventually settle down and pay attention to the show, but it’s just not a typical concert event. If anyone has ever been to a David Gray show, they will have seen that the audience is eerily silent, and has a razor sharp focus on David and his songs. So this was a different setting for me to see him in. Dont’ get me wrong, It was an incredible show, and I was happy to be there despite the differences of other DG shows I’ve been to.

David received a standing ovation as we walked out on stage. It was easy to tell who was truly there to see him. Mr. Gray opened the show performing six straight songs from his new album “Mutineers”. This is an unusual course to take for most setlists, but it’s not that unusual for David Gray. He has done this type of thing many times, and I would say normally it’s pretty interesting to listen to his new material grouped together. Unfortunately this may not have been the best approach for this type of setting. With season ticket holders having to sit through a series of songs they didn’t know, just, in their minds, this allowed them to keep the conversation going. But I must say, it was so cool to hear some of these songs live. I think David Gray is thought of as a pretty mellow show to see, because his songs involve a lot of acoustic guitar and piano, but when you see the shows live, you’ll see that the songs are actually pretty high energy. My favorite song on his new album is “Back in the World”. It’s always exciting to hear a crowd accept a new song, and the crowd was very accepting of this song. Many rose to their feet to dance. Another interesting thing about DG shows is the crowd always seems confused as to when to get up, and when to sit. The songs have their own life in a concert setting that I think initially people feel like they’ll be sitting throughout the show, and then they realize it really is a borderline rock show/ jam session. There are those who are determined to stay seated, and those who can’t stay in their seats. It’s something I haven’t ever seen with another artist’s live show.

David breezed through his new set and then really got the crowd going with one of his classics “My Oh My”. From there he perfectly blended songs from his past catalogue with some additional new songs. I think this is the largest band I’ve ever seen DG tour with. It was hard to tell from my vantage point, but I believe he had a 7 piece band backing him. The band consisted of a back up singer (Who harmonized beautifully with DG on “Kathleen”), multiple guitarists, a drummer, and a cellist. But they all seemed to move from one instrument to another depending on what song was being played. Having this type of band allowed DG to add new and fresh orchestrations to his back catalogue. He’s always done a good job of doing this in the past. But this time the songs seemed to have even more layers. If there is one thing I love, it’s when artists add something special to the live versions of their songs. It shows me that they are also interested in keeping things exciting for them. Rather than just playing the song to get through it, they are able to enjoy it as well. And I can always tell the difference. David Gray is a master of keeping his songs, even some he might only play for the fans, feeling new and interesting. Having this size band also gave him the freedom to move about the stage in a way he hasn’t before. There was even a song where he was basically dancing throughout. I enjoyed seeing this new side of him, and while he’s a brilliant piano and guitar player, I’m sure it’s fun for him to interact with the crowd without always having to play an instrument.

The show really picked up with DG performed a crowd favorite “The One I Love”. From there the crowd was completely with him. He ended his main set playing my all time favorite “Please Forgive Me”. The crowd was on it’s feet singing along and the energy was at an all time high. He left the stage and returned for the encore by himself, and played “Babylon” with just him and his acoustic guitar. It was a sing a long never to be forgotten. At the end, as he tends to do, he gave the crowd the opportunity to sing the song themselves. I recorded that part for your viewing pleasure so that those unable to attend can get a sense of just how awesome the moment was. I hope the video can capture it.

He closed the show with “Sail Away”, much to the delight of the crowd. He walked off the stage and the crowd kept going, I thought for a moment he was going to come out for a second encore. But sadly the show was over.

Later that night David posted on his twitter account his set list from the night. But “Nemesis” and “Alibi” both on the set list, went unperformed. I wonder why. Maybe there were time restrictions and he had to cut a couple songs out of the show. I really like both of those songs so I was a little disappointed to have missed hearing them. But it’s impossible to be disappointed at a David Gray show. He puts so much emotion and energy into his music that he draws you into the evening and when it’s over you realize you just witnessed something special. I can’t wait to see him again.

From David Gray’s twitter