Nick Lowe - "The Old Magic" - In Concert

Last night Sue and I treated ourselves to a mutual birthday gift. We saw Nick Lowe at the McGlothon Theater, which is located in Spirit Square in “uptown” Charlotte. Nick Lowe; for those unfamiliar with him as an artist; is one of the key people who kept rock and roll alive and kicking during the 1970’s disco craze. And when the end of that decade rolled around; with Punk Rock all the rage; Nick Lowe, along with Dave Edmunds, formed “Rockpile”, once again keeping the genre viable and raucous. And, people like me are glad they did. But sometime during the late 1990’s, Mr. Lowe re-invented his approach to some of his older tunes, and at the same time, developed a new way to express his more current thoughts.

For a while I had heard that Mr. Lowe was alive and well, living in Amsterdam for obvious reasons. (You can puzzle that one out for yourselves.) But last year he released a brand new album; on vinyl no less; titled “The Old Magic.” It is aptly named, as Mr. Lowe proved last night here in Charlotte. With a mixture of old songs, along with the new, he beguiled the audience for several hours, performing old favorites solo, and telling stories between numbers.

His performance of some of the new material; including “Sensitive Man” and “Somebody Cares for Me”; which are my two favorites from the new album; was absolutely wonderful, and would have been enough to satisfy me. But, at the audience’s insistence, Mr. Lowe came back for 3 encores. I was thrilled to see him play solo, using only 1 guitar throughout his extraordinary performance, and no capo to boot. His voice is as strong and expressive as ever, and his easy attitude with the audience was a delight to all.

I haven’t been able to find a video that does justice to last night’s solo, acoustic performance, but here he is performing with Wilco, a band which consists of Patrick Sansone, Mikael Jorgensen, Jeff Tweedy , Nels Cline, Glenn Kotche, John Stirratt. While this video may sound lush and full, there is nothing better than seeing your favorite artist striped down to the bare minimum, highlighting just what you love about their work. Seeing Mr. Lowe perform last night reinforced my suspicion that the “old magic” is not only back; but for some of us, it never left in the first place. It was a wonderful concert, in one of our favorite venues. What a great way to celebrate our birthdays together; listening to music which we both love. (And that’s not always easy to find!)

 

Well, it only took a day for someone to post this video from the concert at McGlothon on October 9th in Charlotte. So, here is Nick Lowe as I saw him from the 6th row.

Michelle Malone - "Flagpole"

This is Michelle Malone live @ Blue Ridge Concerts on March 11th. Sue and I just picked up tickets last night to see her here in Charlotte next Friday. An accomplished musician, guitarist and singer, Ms. Malone has been hard at it for over 20 years now. She plays every conceivable venue, from house parties to baseball stadiums. Her guitar abilities are unequalled, and her voice doesn't shatter glass- it's so pure that it passes through it. With a repertoire of songs ranging from folk rock to gut wrenching blues and rock, she is the master of slide guitar, and can make you cry with a simple ballad.

The song above, "Flagpole", is a great example of Ms. Malone's versatility. I have seen her do this with a band, both acoustic and electric. Now here she is doing the same song solo, with a wonderful acoustic break reminiscent of a bass solo!

The last time I saw her live I asked her for a used pick, hoping to tap into her creative DNA. She gave me the pick, and I went home confident that I now had the key to her super powers. It didn't work, and all I got was a sore arm. But my ears are doing great, and I'm ramping up for next Friday night here in Charlotte at the Evening Muse in NoDa. If you have never seen her perform, you need to get on You Tube and check her out. Then you can go to her website and buy some of her albums.

Here is the link;

http://www.michellemalone.com/

The Jill Dineen Band

There are lots of bands out there. Lots of music to listen to. Last Friday night Sue and I went to see George Terry and the Zealots at the Evening Muse in Charlotte. We arrived for the last half of the previous bands set. Were we lucky!

Jill Dineen is one of those rare and gifted blues singers who can pluck the strings of your heart with her strong and well phrased renditions of anything she sings.

Back her up with some very fine musicians and you get quite a show! From the really clean yet growling guitar licks provided by Jim Snyder, to the lyrical keyboarding of Mike Peters, combined with the pulsing bass and steady drumming of Harold Woodside and Jim Honeycutt, this band really moves!

Just look at the photo above- Ms. Dineen with her head reared back and really feeling the music, while Jim Snyder stands to the left- adding those sweet and sometimes gritty punctuations. This is the blues at its' best.

The songlist is extremely varied, drawing on artists such as Otis Redding, Etta James, Coco Montoya, Lucinda Willams and Delbert McClinton to name just a few. Ms. Dineen has a voice that surpasses the legendary Bonnie Raitt in strength and range,giving life to anything she sings. An easy repartee with the audience caps off a truly inspiring performance.

If you are a fan of the blues then you need to keep an eye out for The Jill Dineen Band. When they come to your town you don't want to miss them! For more about this band go to www.jilldineen.com You will be glad you did!

Michelle Malone at The Evening Muse

It takes alot to get me out on a weeknight. I'm like that old dog that wants to sit by the fire or watch TV. But when Michelle Malone http://michellemalone.com comes to town Sue and I head out to see her. And she never fails to deliver a scorching brand of rock and roll, slide guitar and a couple of slow soulful things for old guys like me.

With the solid backing of Jason Rogers on bass and Katy Herron on drums, the beat is driving and intensifies Ms. Malones already savage sound. The music they deliver, ranging from the sultry "Mississippi" to a ballad such as "Cypress Inn" draws on so many roots. Southern rock, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughn all come to mind- and then through in some very original vocals and guitar styling- and you have an accurate picture of their sound.
Seeing them in a venue like The Evening Muse http://www.theeveningmuse.com/ located in the NoDa District of Charlotte(North Davidson Street)also gives you the chance to see and hear really good, independent music up close and personal. The Muse holds maybe 100 people, giving you a feeling of being part of something special. And you are.

Sue and I have been following Michelle Malone for about 3 years since the night we drove 100 miles to see Will Kimbrough http://www.myspace.com/willkimbroughmusic at "Gottrocks" in South Carolina. We have seen her every time since. And the music keeps getting better and better. Thanks Michelle for a wonderful evening!