8/26/17 Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band @ iWireless Center - Moline, IL

This morning I made the spur of the moment decision to buy a ticket to see Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band at The Mark of the Quad Cities.  That is the venue where I saw my very first concert which was Jethro Tull in 1996 with my parents.  On that occasion it was a half house setup.  This was a full arena setup with chairs on the floor. By showtime it appeared to be sold out or very close.  You can tell that concerts are a much needed shot of business to downtown Moline.  I thought about parking near Bad Boyz Pizza but the lot was full and it was getting close to showtime so I ended up parking near 16th St. and 6th Ave. in a public lot.  I felt like George Costanza driving around refusing to pay to park.  With time being of the essence I settled for a Slim 5 at Jimmy John's.  This was a new location for me located on the same block as Bent River Brewery. 


The opening act was forgettable.  Seger hit the stage about 9.  The older beer drinking crowd sat the whole show.  The Quad Cities is lucky to have such a wonderful arena.  I still remember when it was built in the mid 90s and the hey day of the Mallards shortly thereafter.  There are lots of great memories for me associated with that building.  Bob Seger is far from my favorite artist but his music has been with me a lot over the years.  His voice is like a familiar friend that has been with me on my journey.  It's a certain type of Midwestern soul that I can relate to.  He's just a special songwriter and singer.  For a guy his age he was dancing around like James Brown at times.  It was impressive.  The Silver Bullet Band is a nuanced and tight musical outfit.  At one point there was 15 people onstage.  The 5 piece Motown horns brought a full sound for the beginning half of the show.  Several songs he played piano.  For a couple he sat and played acoustic.  His drummer was a driving force in the band.  The young electric guitar player was highly skilled and knew his parts.  Fire Down Below was expected and appreciated with the Moline reference. Mainstreet is a favorite of mine.  Like a Rock was emotion filled even its been tained by the Chevrolet commercial usage.  He said he got the idea for We've Got Tonight from the movie The Sting.  The saxophone on Turn the Page was a major highlight.  Her Strut was probably about as rocking as the show got.  Ramblin Gamblin Man was a song that I appreciate more now.  Against the Wind and Hollywood Nights are amongst my favorite Bob Seger tracks.  I liked watching one of the security ladies put down her guard and dance during Night Moves.  Rock and Roll Never Forgets wrapped up a fun experience.   It was nice to be home 30 minutes after the show ended.  My drifter days are over now.  Deadlines and commitments.  What to leave in?  What to leave out?  I'm still running against the wind. 

7/23/17 Umphrey's McGee @ The Landing at the Riverfront - Peoria, IL

With me working full time these days I had to get rid of my August 1st Phish ticket at Madison Square Garden.  I gave it away to someone who we went on an adventure with back in 2010.  I turn 36 on Tuesday so it's got me thinking a lot about getting older.  For my birthday my parents bought me a ticket to see Umphrey's McGee the previous Sunday in Peoria, IL.  Had I still been going to Phish I'm not sure I would have gone to this.  That's how I'm framing the narrative for this.  The show in Peoria made me rethink of what Umphrey's McGee currently is.  Just when you think you've gotten something totally figured out they throw you a curve ball that changes the game completely. 


This was my 157th time seeing the band over a span since 12/5/01 Union Bar in Iowa City.  With the band moving to different regions of the country and having families its somewhat changed the dynamic.  I burnt myself out on the band around 09-10.  That's when I scaled back on my involvement and have been able to keep interested from afar.  It seems like they've gone back to focusing more on the progressive rock side of things and eased back on the dance songs.  I liked how this Peoria show had plenty of danceable moments but stuck to a heavier sound overall. I'm not the best at estimating crowds but this wasn't a huge crowd by any means.  500?  The weather was gorgeous in the mid 70s.  The stage was now positioned underneath the 74 bridge.  That would be the third location on the property that I've seen Umphrey's McGee perform.  I liked how you could easily walk over next to the Illinois River.  It was a pretty sunset.  Scheduling outdoor concerts in the Midwest is a dicey proposition but this wasn't Jay Goldberg's first rodeo.  I saw him before the show.  This was a great experience for me.  He and his son have put on a lot of amazing nights of entertainment for me over the years.


On the way to the show I stopped at Culver's in Geneseo and had a Double Bacon Deluxe.  The Eat opener was appropriate.  That has always been the Umphrey's homage to King Crimson in my eyes.  The band took the stage to the track titled War by Vince DiCola on the Rocky 4 soundtrack.  They played most of that album during the setbreak.  Push the Pig with Peoria's finest in attendance kept the energy going.  That was the theme of the evening.  The show was like a geyser of energy.  Pony's new wooden colored bass has the best tone of his career.  The song wound down and Joel had a piano solo before they kicked into a hip hop sounding jam.  I wasn't familiar with the next two.  The first was an instrumental tune Cut Off and next was Onward and Upward during which you could tell something special was happening.  The inclusion of The Pequod was a nice breather moment.  It showed a maturation of the Umphrey's McGee setlist writing.  Conduit was a strong finish to a cohesive set.  I talked to NickMo for a while during setbreak. He's a good guy within this music community. 


This evening made me appreciate the Umphrey's prog classic All Things Ninja.  Attachments is a great newer addition to the catalog.  2 x 2 was a nice call and harkens back to some of the earliest days of the band.  Utopian included a Rupert Holmes cover in the middle and the second part had a jam that sounded a lot like the Around the Horn theme song.  Kula reminds me of the Davenport '08 show.  Wappy Sprayberry had a synthy jam led by Joel.  Cochise by Audioslave was a major highlight and was totally unexpected.  This was a great way to pay tribute to the recently departed Chris Cornell.  End of the Road again provided an effective juxtaposition.  Out of Order finished off a great show.  I grabbed the event poster and was out by my vehicle by the final notes.  I was home by 12:30. 

7/14-16 Phish @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago, IL

This has been a bit of a cruel summer because I've had to sit on the sidelines for the Baker's Dozen yet I've had the resources to make it happen.  Such is life sometimes.  However, I am grateful I was able to attend the opening run of Phish's summer tour in Chicago.  I worked a fifty four hour workweek but was able to leave Davenport, IA by 3:30.  I knew with Friday traffic it was going to be pushing it.  After parking in the Soldier Field garage I emerged from the staircase to hear the opening notes of What's the Use?  Fitting indeed with today's political climate.  The band had been practicing at the former Bradley Center all week in Milwaukee and it showed.  Breath and Burning came next as I made the walk around Burnham Harbor.  This was my 141st time seeing Phish.  As I entered the venue they started up Wolfman's Brother and it was on from there.  They did an acapella tune that paid tribute to the summer time.  It was great to see them use Everything's Right from the TAB tour as a jam vehicle.  Nellie Kane and Limb by Limb kept things going.  Theme was a little shaky at times.  Blaze On wasn't explored per se but brought the energy to a peak before the setbreak.


I moved up a bit closer for set two.  The Phish engine room of Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman was firing on all cyclinders during that No Men in No Man's Land.  Fuego and MFMF are a little too structured for my ideal second sets but it worked.  The surprising highlight was My Pet Cat > Golden Age > My Pet Cat.  Leaves is a new Anastasio/Marshall ballad.  The ending of Harry Hood was better than usual especially for a tour opener.  Shine a Light seemed like it might end the set but they tacked on a fiery Julius.  I wasn't familiar with the first song of the encore.  It had a reggae vibe.  Golgi Apparatus send the masses off into the Chicago night to The Impressions "People Get Ready".  This tour was going to be special.  I drove my vehicle to Wicker Park and took the blue line back to the Pittsfield Hotel where I stayed with my friends Ryan and Heather from Auburn, AL.  I liked our accommodations on Washington just off Michigan Ave.  I thought about going to see Karl D at the Concord when I was out in Wicker Park but I was exhausted from a 9 hour work day, the drive to Chicago, and a concert. 


It was nice to enjoy a wonderful day in the city.  The weather was in the 70s which is unusual for the middle of July.  I ran into the same bunch of guys I was with for the first night of Wrigley Field 2016 as I walked down Michigan Ave towards the venue.  I saw them again at Umphrey's McGee the weekend after in Peoria.  The Hilton always reminds me of the end of The Fugitive.  I saw Travis Darby in the parking lot who I played high school soccer with.  It was nice to see him.  He's a good guy.  This show started rather pedestrian but really picked up right around Yamar.  They actually lowered the lighting rig during Martian Monster and then raised them again.  It was a use of technology that I had never seen before.  Party Time seemed extended more than usual. Wingsuit had some patient work by Trey towards the end.  After a well played Bouncin' Around the Room they wrapped up the set with my first time seeing More.  I like the lyrics to that one. 


I loved the choice of Corona from Trey's Traveler album to open set two.  What came next was unquestionably the highlight of the whole three day run.  It was Simple.  With skyscrapers literally behind the band they unleashed a 27 minute adventure.  After wrapping up a normal version they locked into what seemed like a composed heavy metal jam that eventually became what to the trained ear appeared to be a prolonged segue into Timber (Jerry).  The transition never happened as they stuck with the percussive jam and milked this for all this was worth with great success.  It was an amazing jam that foreshadowed the improvisation we've heard at Madison Square Garden since.  Winterqueen was a nice choice as the cooldown ballad and then they actually extended the ending which led into Light.  This was a short version with a somewhat awkward segue into Scents and Subtle Sounds but that was like a pitcher losing a perfect game in the 7th inning.  That's how good the second set had been.  The city shot off fireworks from Navy Pier and you could see them from the venue during Cities and the beginning of Slave to the Traffic Light.  See the city.  I called the Loving Cup encore.  After a second set like that it was the only way to go.  The sounds of Faces "Oh La La" was the postshow music.  This show made me remember what it felt like when I was younger.  After the show I walked back to the hotel along the lakefront and enjoyed the view of the greatest skyline in the world.


The Sunday show was in the shadow of Saturday's masterpiece.  I knew that wouldn't top that for a while.  We watched Tropic Thunder on Netflix and I went downstairs for some Dunkin Donuts.  The weather became almost too cold during the show.  I bought the long sleeve summer tour shirt just to stay warm.  Before the show I went out to Wicker Park and got my car and moved it to the Soldier Field for a quick getaway.  Possum was a fitting start with me getting on the road right after.  I had to be at work the next morning at 5:55 so again that was appropriate.  I liked the Stash from this set.  Run Like an Antelope was a strong way to finish the first set.  For the second set I found Scott and Adam from Champaign.  The guys from the day before.  Carini was the highlight of the show it modulated from a dark nasty jam into a blissful uplifting exploration.  20+ minutes of top shelf Phish that made the show worthwhile for me.  The segue into 20 Years Later had me thinking how I've been seeing the band for 18 years.  Piper was a solid choice at that junction.  At this point they debuted a new song Thread which has potential moving forward.  After Bathtub Gin I had to get on the road for home.  It sucks I had to miss the end of the show but I took what I could get.  I made it to work the next day.

7/1/17 Dead & Company @ Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL

Last weekend I decided that I had heard enough of the recordings of this tour to know that I wanted to be in the fold of what was happening.  John Mayer was playing great and was using a warm early 70s Jerry tone.  Weir seems rejuvenated by this project.  I was able to talk Craig into going so I was with the same person I went to GD50 4th of July two years ago.  We got tickets for $95 including fees.  It's still hard to stomach paying that much for one concert. 


The weather was ideal on Saturday with temperatures in the 80s and clear skies.  I worked on Friday so I decided to only go the second night.  I was happy with the decision with the way the setlists played out.  Traffic could have been much worse given the circumstances.  We found a parking spot in Wicker Park and had Big Al's for dinner before taking the Blue Line down to the Red Line.  At the transfer there was several black guys with a guitar and drums.  They played excellent versions of Althea and Scarlet Begonias.  They must have seen that evening's setlist.  Talk about playing to your audience. It was cool to see the renovations on Clark St.  That was all under construction last year for Phish.  There was an empty lot on Waveland that became a de facto Shakedown Street.  There was vending all along Waveland and Sheffield Ave.  We walked around the entire ballpark and then headed inside.  The metal detectors are an annoyance.  I bought the event hat and the shirt.  Our actual seats were behind home plate on the first level.  We spent the first set down the right field line.  It gave us a better view of the ballpark while the sun was still out.  The crowd was almost comical in the fact that it was three generations. 


Mayer was on top of his game with the blues rock numbers such as Cold Rain and Snow.   Jack Straw saw him trading off the vocals with Weir like the song calls for.  Tennessee Jed isn't one of my favorite numbers especially with Bobby singing it.  That was the tour debut of Ship of Fools.  I liked Oteil getting into the vocal mix.  I could have done without the acoustic interlude. The energy was lacking at that point.  Dark Star was the second verse with them having started it the night before.  This led into Friend of the Devil which became a huge sing-along.  The final two numbers of the first set Althea and Casey Jones were in Mayer's blues wheelhouse. 


We moved back to our real seats for the second set.  Bobby kicked things off with Sugar Magnolia.  Next was Dancing in the Street which was the highlight of the whole show for me.  Mayer used a late 70's disco Dead Mu-Tron effect with great success.  This Martha Reeves and the Vandellas cover was over 13+ minutes of funky dancing in Chicago.  I was also impressed with Mayer's playing in Playin' in the Band.  He was nailing the Garcia parts.  This led into an emotional version of Comes A Time sung by Oteil.  Scarlet > Fire was what I came for.  After a spiritual Drums that shook the old ballpark to its core we saw a Space that saw them toy with Stella Blue territory before settling into The Other One.  The latter day Garcia/Hunter number Days Between slowed things down more than I would have liked in that slot.  However, the Chuck Berry cover Not Fade Away closed out the final set of the tour with an appropriate ethos.  The encore was a good call with them playing in a renovated 100+ year venue.  Brokedown Palace was followed by the Sunshine Daydream end portion of Sugar Magnolia.  This was accompanied by fireworks.  I was really impressed by the crowd energy at the end of the show.  Instead of dealing with the red line madness we Uber'd it back to Wicker Park.  The drive was uneventful.  With us grooving out of the city listening to 102.7 we were able to get home around 2:30 am. 

5/28/17 Summercamp @ Three Sisters Park - Chillicothe, IL

It's been a week since I attended my 14th Summercamp in a row.  The first two years were the only ones I did not attend in some form.  We live about an hour and fifteen minutes north of the festival site.  To put it in perspective we can drive there without getting on an interstate.  I was told attendance was above 22,000 by Saturday.  Once again my friend Craig came along for the forth year in a row.  Kyle joined us as well this year.  We hit the tobacco shop and Subway on the way.  I've never parked that far away.  Going forward I will likely continue to attend but will not be arriving at noon like we did.  It's just too much hanging around in a field with a bunch of kids.  Admittedly there were times this year were I felt old and over the whole thing.  We got there so early in order to see Umphrey's McGee.  The day started with Illinois act Family Groove Company.  At the merch stand I picked up the Trey Anastasio 2017 tour shirt. 


This was my 157th time seeing Umphrey's McGee. My prime years of seeing this band were 04-07.  The Sunday afternoon set is always relatively safe.  It's tough to make it happen at 2 pm in the blazing heat.  I felt they showed well for themselves though.  This was a cohesive set that showcased songs that would appeal to veteran and new fans.  August in particular had several impressive peaks.  Walletsworth brings me back to the Anchor Drops era.  The Joel Cummins-led ending is one of my favorite parts of any of their songs.  That was my first time hearing Attachments.  There was a lot of energy for a day set and exceeded my expectations. 


I walked over to the Moonshine Stage and was impressed by Railroad Earth.  It started to really heat up.  I'll see them again in August when they play with moe. in Peoria.  This was announced in the festival pamphlet.  I left my folding chair over at the Sunshine Stage most of the day in front of the soundboard.  The highlight of the Yonder Mountain String Band set were the covers of Linda Ronstadt and America.  Allie Kral is doing a great job with that outfit.  She is an artist that I strongly associate with this festival from her years with Cornmeal.  This bluegrass part of the day took it out of me with the hot sun above.  I ended up getting sun burnt.  For dinner I had a pulled pork sandwich that wasn't bad for festival fare. 


Trey played better on this occasion than he did in Michigan three weeks prior.  Gotta Jibboo got the fans dancing.  Sand was the highlight of the show with Trey digging in providing plenty of signature licks.  Soul Rebel and Drifting are two tunes that I didn't catch at the Royal Oak show.  Money, Love and Change was another notable highlight of the first set.  Trey locked into a little phrase and kept returning to it.  I thought about catching local act The Dawn on the camping stage but Trey returned early and started Night Speaks to a Woman.  This was the same placement that I saw three weeks earlier.  Ocelot isn't a tune that necessarily needed to make the transition from Phish.  Valentine was given a little extra treatment.  Plasma was played at a very slow pace and eventually transitioned into Liquid Time.  This included a cover of recently departed Gregg Allman's Midnight Rider.  The next five songs solidified this show as my favorite part of the day.  Dark and Down reminds me of the lightning during the storm Trey played in at this venue a few years prior.  Simple Twist Up Dave was a strong version.  Goodbye Head was well played.  Mr. Completely and First Tube capped off the set.  The encore consisted of Clint Eastwood and Push on Til the Day.  By this point I was walking to the back of the field heading towards moe. when Trey finished his set with the appropriate acappella number The Parting Glass. 


As I walked up to the Moonshine Stage I recognized the opening notes of Tailspin.  This is a good call with the current state of our nation.  I was glad to hear them extend the end and eventually segue into Ricky Marten.  Opium had a sit in by Allie Kral.  This segued into Billy Goat which continued into 32 Things.  The band projected some video footage on the stage and admittedly it was corny.  Akimbo rounded out the set.  I walked over and got a cup of coffee and listened to some of Story of the World, M.E.M.P.H.I.S. from The Disco Biscuits.  I decided buying a funnel cake was a bigger priority. 


I liked how the final set of moe. was a Chromatic Nightmare sandwich.  Lazarus is always welcome.  ATL sounds too much like St. Stephen.  McBain went on a bit long and I was very tired by this point.  I've always thought McBain/George and Skrunk sounded musically related.  The band denies this but I still stand by the original assertion.  Honestly I felt like moe.'s show a year prior on Sunday at Summercamp was a lot better.  This wasn't a bad effort.  I'm glad we went.  The three of us finished out the Plane Crash encore and made the arduous walk from one end of the property to the other where they parked us.  I drove us home with relative ease.  Memorial Day was once again spent recovering.  There was a moment at the festival where I got sad thinking about some of the faces no longer with us.  I guess it's part of getting older.  I'm glad we have a major festival so close and I'll try to continue to support the event.

5/6/17 Trey Anastasio @ Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI

Let's preface this by saying that I bought this ticket back in 2016 and was working a different job.  Moving forward I won't be driving this far for one show like this.  It was a foolish decision to buy the ticket.  With that said I had nothing better to do.  I had the time and the inclination.  I got the yard mowed on Friday and was ready to go by 11:30 am on Saturday.  It was clear blue skies for most of the day with temps in the fifties.  The drive went smoothly.  I stopped for Wendy's in Paw Paw, MI.  On the way there I saw a billboard for Tim Allen doing standup comedy at a casino.  They still love him up there.  I heard "The Payback" by James Brown on the radio as I was rolling into the Detroit area and that got me amped for the show.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Royal Oak was a fairly gentrified suburb of Detroit.  It was easy to find a parking garage near the venue.  The venue was pretty cool besides the TSA style metal detectors.  They did have a little patio for the smokers which filled up quickly during setbreak.  I found a place to dance toward the back of the floor.   The poster with the oak tree and the city behind it captured the suburban setting.  The wood grain reminded me of what we do at work. 


The Sand opener got things going.  I remember Acting the Devil from 01-03 era TAB which was a whole different musical beast than what we currently see.  This version of TAB still grooves but its largely a pop vehicle.  Anastasio's playing was restrained and patient almost to the point of there being a bit too much tension and not enough release.  The band was tight and everyone had their moments.  Cayman Review got me thinking how the self titled Trey album still largely anchors his solo canon.  Magilla seems a bit tired.  I'm not sure Ocelot and Alaska need to be played in the same show with Phish or TAB.  Curlew's Call has always been a favorite from Trey's repertoire.  I could have done without the Hozier cover.  Unless Trey is doing Bowie on Halloween I don't need him putting his guitar down to be a singer.  Dark and Down was one of my favorite parts of the show.  I'll never forget the lightning at Summercamp during that song a few years ago.  Money, Love and Change is a song I can relate to lyrically.  I was glad to hear the new Trey song Everything's Right.  Some of the vocals almost put me in the mind of George Michael.  Last Tube wrapped up a generous 80+ minute first set. 


Night Speaks to a Woman got the show going again and the energy was back to where we left it at the end of the first stanza.  Shine wasn't the direction I'd have gone in that slot.  49 Bye-Byes made the show for me. I was hoping to hear that cover of CSN&Y that they have been doing recently.  I met some friendly people at this show.  Some guys from Cleveland brought up the Cubs and I felt bad for them.  We were lucky not to have blown Game 7.  The next night on 60 Minutes the segment went over exactly what I talked to them about.  Simple Twist Up Dave has long been a song of Trey's solo career that I've liked.  After that I was satisfied with what I'd seen.  The show had been a positive experience so when they started up Bounce I took that as a cue. 


The drive home was a challenge but I got after it.  It was unnerving to see a lot of freshly hit deer in the road.  Michigan has a lot of woods along the interstate.  Not ideal for night driving.  I took a little break at the South Holland Oasis once I crossed back into Illinois.  After some Dunkin' Donuts in Morris I was able to push on and made it home as the sun was coming up.  I pulled into the driveway at 5:55 am on Sunday.  In three weeks I'll be seeing Trey Anastasio again in Chillicothe, IL.

4/8/17 Spafford @ Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL

For 17 years I was a tourhead that worked.  This year I finally transitioned into being a working man that sees shows.  Since my senior year in high school my biggest priority was seeing as much live music as humanly possible.  No one can really argue that I achieved that goal to the utmost.  What now though?  I am now working a full time job in Davenport.  Replacing my vehicle and eventually moving out are now the focal points for me.  This year I completed my mission of listening to every Phish show that circulates.  If it sounds like I'm closing a chapter its because to an extent I am.  The problem is that you can just turn off an insatiable appetite for that energy that only live music creates.  The answer was Spafford at The Bottom Lounge in Chicago on Saturday April 8th. 


A lot of fans of this music are searching for something new right now.  My favorite bands of the last 20 years have recently publically capped their live activity.  Phish stated 40 shows is their limit each year.  Widespread Panic has set their limit between 20-25 performances annually.  That's semi-retirement.  I'm 35 years old and still ready to rock and roll.  On our way to Nashville last October I discovered a band from Arizona named Spafford.  In November I caught a few songs from them as they opened for Lotus at the Vic in Chicago.  This time they were the headliner.  I drove to Chicago with relative ease stopping at Jimmy John's in Utica.  While I was eating a guy walked in with a shirt featuring Walt and Jesse simply stating The Danger.  Appropriate with Better Call Saul about to return that Monday.  The kid who made my sandwich reminded me of myself when I used to do that stuff.  I have come to appreciate these solo trips to Chicago for music.  It's like a reset button for the mind.  Listening to the radio stations on my way to/fro is half the fun for me at this stage of the game.  This mission had me exiting the Dan Ryan at Lake St. and driving beneath the L tracks to our venue The Bottom Lounge.  I was able to find street parking nearby and immediately met some friendly fans.  I'd seen Mungion last September in Chicago when they opened for moe. at the Concord so I was in no hurry to catch their opening set. 


The Bottom Lounge was a refreshing change of pace regarding Chicago venues.  They respected their patrons and didn't treat us like criminals upon arrival.  I bought the poster at the merch stand with the tortoise chasing the carrot.  Taking the poster out to my vehicle before Spafford started was a veteran move.  I was able to find a spot fairly close to stage.  The band was using mellow PA music to set the mood i.e. "Three Times A Lady" by The Commodores.  I didn't recognize the cover they opened with.  Weasal > Palisades > Weasal was a great start.  I was hoping to hear Slip & Squander.  It's a Bunch works well.  All In was the highlight of the first set.  That was some solid dance music exploration. 


I wasn't as wild about the second set but definitely enjoyed the Electric Taco Stand > Alternate Ending > Electric Taco Stand and the In the Eyes of Thieves.  Also of note was the solo version of Beautiful Day sung by Red Johnson.  Spafford's first set didn't start until 10:45.  So at this juncture it was getting pretty late.  I left before the encore and drove home.  This show had its moments.  Spafford is on the rise and has a lot of potential.