Neil Young / Wilco / Everest - 12/07/08
Mon, Dec 8 2008 11:07
| Wilco, Show Reviews, Everest, Neil Young
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12/07/08
Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, MI
Review:
Well to start:
Parking was $15, and that sucked, the weather at show time was a balmy 13 degrees according to the thermometer on my car, and it was freaky cold with no one there!! I couldn't even give my expenisve extra away last night. No one wanted to go, and when I got there, no one was there!!! So no one to miracle it to either. Cold will do that!
No drinks allowed on the floor. I was allowed water with my diabetic braclet. It was a Filmore style concert and you had to sign a release waiver before they'd give you a braclet, name, rank, serial number, two sets of phone numbers, ID, etc. which stated if something happened down there the Palace was not liable. No bracelet no floor access. Good Lord Bill Davison, strap on a set, and let your city rock!
First off there were 2 opening bands Everest/Wilco
I walked in as Everest was playing, they just stated and I realized that without effort I was 4 rows of people back from the stage. No one at home. But by the time Wilco came on the place was a little more filled, but still so many empty seats and the floor was maybe 1/3 filled up.
No security but no one smoked, you'd get the occasional wiff of something skunky but by in large it was a sober show for all.
The first band Everest was acceptable but nothing to write home about.
Wilco
Wilco was a hoot, I remember now why they frustrate the hell out of me.
They are so tight, turn on a dime, get you in the groove, get your mojo working and boom, right turn Clyde! Still tight, tight, tight, and the guitarist Nels Cline is something else, not certain what, but his style speed and maniacal approach to the instrument, is something else.
A not to be missed player for sure. Lacks some tonal body to his playing but technically he's at the top of the pack of the best there are. Nice!!!
Into the first round of songs, leader Jeff Tweedy just set his guitar down and sprinted off the stage. No one seemed alarmed or to notice much??
Well a bit later, Tweedy confided that he wasn't feeling well, a touch of the stomach flu!!! And he was playing!!!! Still putting on a blazing performance for certain.
Folks go see Wilco!!!!! Tell em Jeff sent ya!
Neil Young
So after a very strange start here comes Neil! By now there were about 1/3 of the Palace filled and still miles of room between the floor crowd and the mix board. OUCH!!! I guess unemployment, super rediculous ticket prices and the parking cost kept people away in droves!!!
Neil came out at 9:30 and proceeded to project the wall of distorted guitar noise that is more or less a Young trademark.
This is clearly a "Harvest" the cash tour:
Evidence: Wife Pegi on backing vocals (she does a nice job)
His nephew (I was told) on backing vocals, and his guitar tech coming out to play banjo and other specialty instruments. Everybody working two jobs in a single job, just like you! Conserve the cash tour!
Neil made a crack to us in the front rows about: This is for you, you paid the big bucks!!! Uhm, OK Neil if you say so!!! Butt muncher!!!
His set as evidenced by the set list was a little un-even and strangely eclectic. Kind of all over the place.
Now then: Neil and his band Dead Rust, ooops, have been at this forever, and they can play this stuff flawlessly in their sleep! So even on an off night they're pretty damn good.
Still it was one of those; is it me, or is it them nights, so I checked the crowd, dead and lifeless until well into the final set.
No errors, just no inspiration. They played well but it was a mechanical performance.
Neil opened with Love And Only Love / Hey Hey, My My / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, they were done well but you could just feel the lack of energy and the crowd was not very enthusiastic. I think I was the only one moving at all. And I wasn't feeling it!!!! And to quote the Divine Ms. M, Yes I too can dance to a transistor radio!
Cinnamon Girl was a passable plus, Cortez failed to rock like it should have, the Needle and the Damage Done was where things finally started to pick up. Neil then he went into: Heart of Gold and afterwords asked the handful of rowdy drunks to our left who kept yelling "She rides a Harley Davidson"
"Did you like that, and do you want another one?" which they did, and he launched into "Old Man". Then a down turn with Get Back To The Country / Just Singing A Song / Sea Change / Fuel Line and When Worlds Collide.
Worlds Collide I thought he did well. You can tell he's not played this one to death and still enjoys doing it!
Cowgirl in the Sand, Still Rock in the Free World (I think he meant it on this tune) and finally ended with A Day in the Life.
So overall not a bad performance, nice set list, just a little flat and off the mark for Neil and his newly renamed by me "Dead Rust" band! A long long long time ago, when most of you were likely not born, an acoustic Neil sat on a stool in a very small venue, and told us, the crowd; that a long time ago some one told him the music business was business, and not art.
Neil said at the time he told them they were nutz, but now, he understands what they mean, it's a business and he's doing his job. And so it was last night, a very competent performer working his family business, just not as lively and inspired as i would have liked.
It still beat a night home watching football, and that is saying something.
You can still rock in the Free World, yet somewhere after the bracelet fiasco and the no beverages on the floor rule, I had to wonder! Can we?
Set List:
Love And Only Love
Hey Hey, My My
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Powderfinger
Spirit Road
Cortez The Killer
Cinnamon Girl
Oh, Lonesome Me
Mother Earth
The Needle And The Damage Done
Light A Candle
Unknown Legend *
Heart Of Gold
Old Man
Get Back To The Country
Just Singing A Song
Sea Change
Fuel Line
When Worlds Collide
Cowgirl In The Sand
Rockin' In The Free World
.
Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, MI
Review:
Well to start:
Parking was $15, and that sucked, the weather at show time was a balmy 13 degrees according to the thermometer on my car, and it was freaky cold with no one there!! I couldn't even give my expenisve extra away last night. No one wanted to go, and when I got there, no one was there!!! So no one to miracle it to either. Cold will do that!
No drinks allowed on the floor. I was allowed water with my diabetic braclet. It was a Filmore style concert and you had to sign a release waiver before they'd give you a braclet, name, rank, serial number, two sets of phone numbers, ID, etc. which stated if something happened down there the Palace was not liable. No bracelet no floor access. Good Lord Bill Davison, strap on a set, and let your city rock!
First off there were 2 opening bands Everest/Wilco
I walked in as Everest was playing, they just stated and I realized that without effort I was 4 rows of people back from the stage. No one at home. But by the time Wilco came on the place was a little more filled, but still so many empty seats and the floor was maybe 1/3 filled up.
No security but no one smoked, you'd get the occasional wiff of something skunky but by in large it was a sober show for all.
The first band Everest was acceptable but nothing to write home about.
Wilco
Wilco was a hoot, I remember now why they frustrate the hell out of me.
They are so tight, turn on a dime, get you in the groove, get your mojo working and boom, right turn Clyde! Still tight, tight, tight, and the guitarist Nels Cline is something else, not certain what, but his style speed and maniacal approach to the instrument, is something else.
A not to be missed player for sure. Lacks some tonal body to his playing but technically he's at the top of the pack of the best there are. Nice!!!
Into the first round of songs, leader Jeff Tweedy just set his guitar down and sprinted off the stage. No one seemed alarmed or to notice much??
Well a bit later, Tweedy confided that he wasn't feeling well, a touch of the stomach flu!!! And he was playing!!!! Still putting on a blazing performance for certain.
Folks go see Wilco!!!!! Tell em Jeff sent ya!
Neil Young
So after a very strange start here comes Neil! By now there were about 1/3 of the Palace filled and still miles of room between the floor crowd and the mix board. OUCH!!! I guess unemployment, super rediculous ticket prices and the parking cost kept people away in droves!!!
Neil came out at 9:30 and proceeded to project the wall of distorted guitar noise that is more or less a Young trademark.
This is clearly a "Harvest" the cash tour:
Evidence: Wife Pegi on backing vocals (she does a nice job)
His nephew (I was told) on backing vocals, and his guitar tech coming out to play banjo and other specialty instruments. Everybody working two jobs in a single job, just like you! Conserve the cash tour!
Neil made a crack to us in the front rows about: This is for you, you paid the big bucks!!! Uhm, OK Neil if you say so!!! Butt muncher!!!
His set as evidenced by the set list was a little un-even and strangely eclectic. Kind of all over the place.
Now then: Neil and his band Dead Rust, ooops, have been at this forever, and they can play this stuff flawlessly in their sleep! So even on an off night they're pretty damn good.
Still it was one of those; is it me, or is it them nights, so I checked the crowd, dead and lifeless until well into the final set.
No errors, just no inspiration. They played well but it was a mechanical performance.
Neil opened with Love And Only Love / Hey Hey, My My / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, they were done well but you could just feel the lack of energy and the crowd was not very enthusiastic. I think I was the only one moving at all. And I wasn't feeling it!!!! And to quote the Divine Ms. M, Yes I too can dance to a transistor radio!
Cinnamon Girl was a passable plus, Cortez failed to rock like it should have, the Needle and the Damage Done was where things finally started to pick up. Neil then he went into: Heart of Gold and afterwords asked the handful of rowdy drunks to our left who kept yelling "She rides a Harley Davidson"
"Did you like that, and do you want another one?" which they did, and he launched into "Old Man". Then a down turn with Get Back To The Country / Just Singing A Song / Sea Change / Fuel Line and When Worlds Collide.
Worlds Collide I thought he did well. You can tell he's not played this one to death and still enjoys doing it!
Cowgirl in the Sand, Still Rock in the Free World (I think he meant it on this tune) and finally ended with A Day in the Life.
So overall not a bad performance, nice set list, just a little flat and off the mark for Neil and his newly renamed by me "Dead Rust" band! A long long long time ago, when most of you were likely not born, an acoustic Neil sat on a stool in a very small venue, and told us, the crowd; that a long time ago some one told him the music business was business, and not art.
Neil said at the time he told them they were nutz, but now, he understands what they mean, it's a business and he's doing his job. And so it was last night, a very competent performer working his family business, just not as lively and inspired as i would have liked.
It still beat a night home watching football, and that is saying something.
You can still rock in the Free World, yet somewhere after the bracelet fiasco and the no beverages on the floor rule, I had to wonder! Can we?
Set List:
Love And Only Love
Hey Hey, My My
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Powderfinger
Spirit Road
Cortez The Killer
Cinnamon Girl
Oh, Lonesome Me
Mother Earth
The Needle And The Damage Done
Light A Candle
Unknown Legend *
Heart Of Gold
Old Man
Get Back To The Country
Just Singing A Song
Sea Change
Fuel Line
When Worlds Collide
Cowgirl In The Sand
Rockin' In The Free World
.
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