Billy Joel & Elton John
Scottrade Center
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Section 316, Row E, Seat 6
$99.50
My perspective on concert costs have changed over time. I last saw Billy Joel and Elton John together in 1994. I was still in college. Tickets were $46. I didn't need to look that up. I remember it, from fifteen years back, because I agonized over that price. My best friend Angela and I both wanted to see this show, but we were broke college students and we passed. They played three nights at Vet Stadium. After the first show, additional "good" seats were released. There was so much good buzz about the first show. I called Angela and told her I was having second thoughts about skipping this show. So was Angela. We bought tickets at the last minute, went, and had a great time.
This time, Roy and I bought cheap seats for the Face to Face tour, and they were $100 each. After we decided to go, I didn't bat an eyelash at the price.
I was going to pass on this show originally. I had seen them together before, of course, and we just saw Billy Joel a few years ago. Roy saw Elton John as his very first concert, on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour back in 1974. He's said that he's avoided seeing Elton John since then, because it could never live up to that first show. But after 35 years, Roy wanted to see him again. I was up for it and happy to go see them again.
The two singers have toured jointly a number of times since 1994. Any operational kinks have been worked out. They each have their full bands with them, with no lagtime needed to configure the stage between sets. The stage was empty; all of the equipment was underneath the stage, with elevated platforms to bring up the appropriate instruments at the appropriate time. Our view of the stage was unobstructed, but we were so high up, the lighting rigs blocked part of the screens.
The show started about 10 minutes late. A classical piece of music started to play on the loud speaker. We didn't recognize it, but figured this was a way to set the mood. I love how Yes concerts start with the finale from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite; it fills me with anticipation. (In fact, Roy and I walked down the aisle to that same piece.) I wondered if Yes was the first band to start their shows with a classical piece. The music ended and the house lights went down. The show was about to begin!
Billy Joel took the stage, and Elton John followed him. They greeted each other and the audience. Then, they each walked over to a grand piano and began playing. It was the same general setup as the last time I saw them - they did several songs together, each of them did their own set, and then they joined together for the encore.
The first song was Your Song, Elton John's first hit. It got off to a rough start. They traded vocals on it, with Billy taking the first verse. It was jarring; his voice was a lot lower than the original vocal line on the song, and it sounded rough. Elton has a lower register too now. They dealt with this throughout the show - Elton sang lower or let the audience sing along and Billy had a female backing musician do some of his higher parts. I didn't notice it being bad except for this first song, but it made me wonder what the rest of the show would sound like. I talked to Roy about this after the show, and he noticed it as well.
The next song was Billy Joel's Just the Way You Are. The two pianists were joined by a saxophone player. I thought it sounded really nice. The two full bands showed up for the next two songs - Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me and My Life. They had especially nice lighting during Don't Let the Sun; yellow and red glows in the audience.
Elton John played his full set next. Roy raved about the first time he saw Elton John, when the stage was all dark and he opened with the instrumental proggy piece Funeral for a Friend. I saw the setlist ahead of time, but Roy wanted to be surprised. Elton opened this set with that same opening. Roy was thrilled. Elton's guitar player Davey Johnstone is the same guy who played guitar on the album version, and he had a prominent role on stage. This song led into Love Lies Bleeding. Roy gave it a standing ovation.
I like both singers, but I've never gone deep into their catalogs. I'm familiar with all their songs that have gotten radio airplay, plus a few albums from each of them. I'm knocked out by how many well known songs they have. Even with each of them performing some "album tracks", I knew every song they played.
Roy's biggest complaint about the concert was the sound. It's his usual complaint about shows in big arenas. The bass drum dominated. When parts of the mix were inaudible for songs I knew well, I was mentally able to fill-in-the-blanks. I noticed that in a good way during Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which is my favorite Elton John track. He asked us to sing along, and I happily did, but I was hearing the song in my head as it should be. It actually sounded insignificant and quick in concert, when it should have lush harmonies and a dreamy atmosphere. On the less successful side was a couple tracks from Madman Across the Water, the title track and Burn Down the Mission. I don't know those songs well enough to really be able to play them through in my head and what I heard was lacking. The piano and guitar part of Madman sounded nice though.
Roy's favorite part of the night was Funeral for a Friend. My favorite part of Elton's set was Crocodile Rock. It was so happy. He can't handle some of the notes in there anymore, so he had the audience sing the "Laaaaa la la la la" part. Belting this out made me happy.
After I'm Still Standing, Roy told me that was the first song Elton performed that was from after 1974. Another "newer" song was in the encore. I don't have a good feeling for the chronology of most of Elton John's 1970s-era singles. I first heard them all from the radio decades after their release. But Roy was telling me he was surprised Elton played so many early tracks.
I could see the people on the floor standing up for about half of the songs. People up by the stage were standing and dancing for the entire show. Up in the second tier of seats, we all sat. I bopped around in my seat and sang along, but most of the people in my section sat still. The women next to Roy were talking throughout most of the show. The couple next to me were sending text messages.
I didn't like Rocket Man as much as I did last time. I specifically remember it. The band jammed at the end of it, and it went on for quite a while, and I loved every moment of it. I talked to another friend who went to the 1994 concert, and she hated the part, making fun of how indulgent and long it was. Did it sound similar to last night's version? I thought this one felt dragged out. I don't know if I changed or it did over the years. Roy liked it for about half its length, and then was ready for it to end.
Elton John surprised me a bit in his frontman behavior. I'm guilty of thinking of him more of a star than a musician, more standoffish. He reached out to the fans up front, quite literally, by walking along the front of the stage and shaking hands two different times. I also noticed him signing a couple autographs for people from onstage. He didn't speak to the crowd much, other than introducing a few songs. He did not introduce his band, which is too bad. Some of those people have been playing with him since Roy saw him the first time.
Elton's set was over. His stage set was lowered beneath the stage and wooosh Billy Joel's was raised. We maybe could have used a short break from the music, but there was a lot of music to fit in. Billy Joel's set started with Prelude and Angry Young Man. He's a more demonstrative performer than Elton John, more gestures and a few songs standing at center stage. It could be that Elton is too busy actually playing piano during the performance. Comparing the two, I'd say Billy Joel was in better voice that night (except for Your Song) and was a better frontman. He was certainly funnier. They tend to get lumped together as piano-based pop musicians. But Elton's music was artier and featured more lead guitar than I would expect. Billy Joel's had a lot of horns in the arrangements, which gave it almost a Springsteen-like feel in places. Both have great melodies and so many songs that I like.
Roy really could have used an intermission. He left during Movin' Out and missed part of the next song, Allentown. I didn't spend much time in the city of Allentown, but it's in my home state of Pennsylvania, so hearing it reminds me of home. I also remember the time Angela and I went to a Yes concert in Allentown. I redid the lyrics to "So we're seeing Yes in Allentown". The song reminds me of one of my favorite Yes concerts.
A few songs that stood out to me were:
- Zanzibar, which Billy Joel described as the one album track in the set and asked us not to all leave to go to the bathroom. The song reminded me of Steely Dan with the horns and the "Zanzibar tonight" vocal line.
- Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. I always like hearing that one.
- It's Still Rock & Roll to Me, which started with a different arrangement. I didn't recognize it until the vocals started. It sounded more modern. While it worked with the theme of the song, I'm not sure how much I liked it.
Billy told some of the same jokes that he did last time we saw him, commenting on the people in different parts of the arena. The people sitting behind the stage had a better view than you'd think, because the piano is situated sideways. They get a similar view to the people up front. And the people up front have several tons of lighting equipment up above them. Still humorous, and it made him appear down to earth by realizing we all had to deal with the annoyances of trying to get good concert tickets.
I get the feeling he could have played a set of completely different songs, and I still would have known them all from radio airplay and enjoyed it just as much. He has so many good songs. My favorite time seeing Billy Joel is when he was doing a tour of colleges and came to Penn. He talked to the audience, took questions, and played some songs by himself, just voice and piano. I think that's the only time I saw him play my favorite song of his, "Summer, Highland Falls".
My biggest complaint about the Face to Face show sounds like whining - too much music. This turned out to be a three and a half hour long concert. By the time Billy's main set was complete, it was three hours of music without a break. I'm sorry to say, it was overkill. I didn't need to leave to use the facilities, but a little mental break would have been nice. The first few songs of the encore, with Billy's and Elton's bands playing together, were wasted on me.
I got back into it when they played a couple of lively Beatles' covers, Birthday and Back in the USSR. The show ended with just Billy and Elton on stage playing piano, just like the show started. They played Candle in the Wind and Piano Man.
I think what I enjoyed most about this show was not the performances or the rock stars, but enjoying the songs themselves in a live communal setting. It still astounds me how much of each of their catalogs I know and how wide a variety of songs they each have.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Paul Simon at the Fox
The 21st Annual Bob Costas Benefit
for Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center
with special guest Paul Simon
Fox Theatre
St. Louis, MO
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Section Balcony 4, Row E, Seat 106
$75
The sportscaster Bob Costas hosts a fundraiser every year for a local children's hospital. I knew about it before, but never felt the need to attend. They always get a well known comedian and musical guest. This year, the musical guest was Paul Simon, and Roy definitely wanted to attend. I'm a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel, but I've never listened to much of Simon's solo work. I wasn't sure how many songs I would know, but I was interested in going.
Is it weird that I've never even heard all of Graceland? Roy had a copy, but lent it out long ago and never got it back. Roy played me parts of a couple albums to get familiar with Simon's music: Still Crazy After All These Years and a live album.
This isn't just a concert, but a society event. We got an information sheet in the mail, complete with a dress code. It said business casual. I wore my new brown dress and Roy wore black slacks and a polo shirt with Roger Dean artwork on it. Some people were way more dressed up than that - wearing tuxedos and gowns. The people-watching (and outfit watching) was fun.
I didn't know what the audience would be like during the concert. Were they there for the music, to be part of the scene, or because they were supporters of the hospital? I do know that tickets went on sale long before Paul Simon was announced. we got tickets shortly after that, and a good deal of the orchestra seats were already gone. Our seats were pretty good though, lower balcony, just off the center aisle.
The night started with Bob Costas coming on stage to introduce the event. He made a big deal about how far people traveled for this show. Paul Simon isn't on tour, and apparantly, hasn't done too many live shows recently. He put his full band together for this one-off performance, and lots of fans came to St. Louis to see it. I'm glad they got to see such a nice venue and the Grand Center/Saint Louis University area.
Costas told some jokes and then introduced comedian Robert Klein. I'd never heard of him, but it looks like he's been around for a long time. He told lots of, too many really, growing older jokes. Some were funny, some weren't. He did a few songs and some shtick about not being able to stop his leg. Roy and I both thought Costas was funnier. The people in the row in front of us were laughing loudly at everything Klein said.
There was a long intermission. Then there was a long video thank you to everyone who contributed to the Cardinal Glennon's. All of this build-up was for a good cause, but we were really there for the music.
Simon opened with a song I didn't know. Next, he did the "These are the days of miracle and wonder" song. I recognized it, but Roy had to tell me this song was called Boy in the Bubble. It always reminds me of the ABWH song Quartet, which goes "We are living in days of wonder, Simon says". Of course, this is the song where Simon is saying it.
Things got interesting during the next song, Slip Sliding Away. Not for the performance, but for what was going on around us. Roy and I were the second and third seats in from the aisle. Some guy on the other side of the aisle was talking really loud. Another guy tried to shush him. Loudmouth and Shusher got into an argument. Shusher got up from his seat and brought back a cop. She asked Loudmouth if there was a problem. No, but when she left, Loudmouth started cursing out Shusher. We might be all dressed up, but we're still not civilized, are we? Shusher and quite a few other people in neighboring rows got up and left. He wasn't doing anything wrong, and I only hope they were all able to sit elsewhere and put this behind them for the rest of the show. Loudmouth was mostly quiet after that.
Other people around us were more fun to watch. There were a group of young women next to me, college-aged maybe. They looked too young to know this music, but at least a couple of them were singing along. I had to point out to Roy when at one point, all four of them were taking cell phone pictures of the concert.
The people in front of us looked like a mother and father, adult daughter, and her boyfriend or husband. The father put his arm around his daughter during the Father and Daughter song that was on the Wild Thornberry's movie soundtrack. The daughter was really getting into the show, but she was inappropriately rocking out in the mellowest moments. She'd just start head-banging and it didn't fit the music at all. Nothing rude, but it was distracting and blocking my view a bit. The seat next to Roy by the aisle was still empty, so he had me move over there.
There were a few more songs that I recognized. I knew Mrs. Robinson from the Graduate soundtrack from the start. They started it off just playing that riff and then went into a snippet of Not Fade Away from Buddy Holly. Roy thought the absolute highlight of the night was hearing Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, with Paul Simon pulling off the whistle part live flawlessly. It's hard to whistle on command like that, hitting all those notes and timing for such a long part.
One of my highlights of the night was Diamonds in the Soles of Her Shoes. I gave it a standing ovation. I felt like a lot of the previous songs had been mellow and soft rock. Nice and well performed, but this song was a good change of pace. The last song of the set was Late in the Evening - another of those songs that I recognized, but didn't know the title.
The encore was strong. Still Crazy After All These Years, The Boxer, and You Can Call Me Al. The young women in my aisle, who looked like they were enjoying the show all night, got up from their seats and walked past us. They weren't leaving now, were they? No! They just moved to the section next to ours. People were up and dancing over there, and there was that whole bunch of empty seats. They moved over there to dance. I can so relate to that. As they went back to their seats, I told one of them, "That was so cool!", meaning watching them enjoy the music. The girl thought I was talking about the show itself and agreed with me.
For the second encore, Paul Simon came out by himself and performed a solo The Sound of Silence. I remember learning this song in elementary song. It was my principal Mr. Romanelli's favorite song, and our music teacher Mrs. Jacobs wanted to surprise him one year. I didn't know who performed it or that it was a "rock" song. It was the mid-80s, so the song had to be about 20 years old at that time. I always liked it, but it was years later that I rediscovered it. That was the other big highlight for me.
I liked the show, but Roy was blown away by it. He is so glad we went, and still amazed that Simon put his whole band together for this one show. It was a special event.
for Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center
with special guest Paul Simon
Fox Theatre
St. Louis, MO
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Section Balcony 4, Row E, Seat 106
$75
The sportscaster Bob Costas hosts a fundraiser every year for a local children's hospital. I knew about it before, but never felt the need to attend. They always get a well known comedian and musical guest. This year, the musical guest was Paul Simon, and Roy definitely wanted to attend. I'm a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel, but I've never listened to much of Simon's solo work. I wasn't sure how many songs I would know, but I was interested in going.
Is it weird that I've never even heard all of Graceland? Roy had a copy, but lent it out long ago and never got it back. Roy played me parts of a couple albums to get familiar with Simon's music: Still Crazy After All These Years and a live album.
This isn't just a concert, but a society event. We got an information sheet in the mail, complete with a dress code. It said business casual. I wore my new brown dress and Roy wore black slacks and a polo shirt with Roger Dean artwork on it. Some people were way more dressed up than that - wearing tuxedos and gowns. The people-watching (and outfit watching) was fun.
I didn't know what the audience would be like during the concert. Were they there for the music, to be part of the scene, or because they were supporters of the hospital? I do know that tickets went on sale long before Paul Simon was announced. we got tickets shortly after that, and a good deal of the orchestra seats were already gone. Our seats were pretty good though, lower balcony, just off the center aisle.
The night started with Bob Costas coming on stage to introduce the event. He made a big deal about how far people traveled for this show. Paul Simon isn't on tour, and apparantly, hasn't done too many live shows recently. He put his full band together for this one-off performance, and lots of fans came to St. Louis to see it. I'm glad they got to see such a nice venue and the Grand Center/Saint Louis University area.
Costas told some jokes and then introduced comedian Robert Klein. I'd never heard of him, but it looks like he's been around for a long time. He told lots of, too many really, growing older jokes. Some were funny, some weren't. He did a few songs and some shtick about not being able to stop his leg. Roy and I both thought Costas was funnier. The people in the row in front of us were laughing loudly at everything Klein said.
There was a long intermission. Then there was a long video thank you to everyone who contributed to the Cardinal Glennon's. All of this build-up was for a good cause, but we were really there for the music.
Simon opened with a song I didn't know. Next, he did the "These are the days of miracle and wonder" song. I recognized it, but Roy had to tell me this song was called Boy in the Bubble. It always reminds me of the ABWH song Quartet, which goes "We are living in days of wonder, Simon says". Of course, this is the song where Simon is saying it.
Things got interesting during the next song, Slip Sliding Away. Not for the performance, but for what was going on around us. Roy and I were the second and third seats in from the aisle. Some guy on the other side of the aisle was talking really loud. Another guy tried to shush him. Loudmouth and Shusher got into an argument. Shusher got up from his seat and brought back a cop. She asked Loudmouth if there was a problem. No, but when she left, Loudmouth started cursing out Shusher. We might be all dressed up, but we're still not civilized, are we? Shusher and quite a few other people in neighboring rows got up and left. He wasn't doing anything wrong, and I only hope they were all able to sit elsewhere and put this behind them for the rest of the show. Loudmouth was mostly quiet after that.
Other people around us were more fun to watch. There were a group of young women next to me, college-aged maybe. They looked too young to know this music, but at least a couple of them were singing along. I had to point out to Roy when at one point, all four of them were taking cell phone pictures of the concert.
The people in front of us looked like a mother and father, adult daughter, and her boyfriend or husband. The father put his arm around his daughter during the Father and Daughter song that was on the Wild Thornberry's movie soundtrack. The daughter was really getting into the show, but she was inappropriately rocking out in the mellowest moments. She'd just start head-banging and it didn't fit the music at all. Nothing rude, but it was distracting and blocking my view a bit. The seat next to Roy by the aisle was still empty, so he had me move over there.
There were a few more songs that I recognized. I knew Mrs. Robinson from the Graduate soundtrack from the start. They started it off just playing that riff and then went into a snippet of Not Fade Away from Buddy Holly. Roy thought the absolute highlight of the night was hearing Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, with Paul Simon pulling off the whistle part live flawlessly. It's hard to whistle on command like that, hitting all those notes and timing for such a long part.
One of my highlights of the night was Diamonds in the Soles of Her Shoes. I gave it a standing ovation. I felt like a lot of the previous songs had been mellow and soft rock. Nice and well performed, but this song was a good change of pace. The last song of the set was Late in the Evening - another of those songs that I recognized, but didn't know the title.
The encore was strong. Still Crazy After All These Years, The Boxer, and You Can Call Me Al. The young women in my aisle, who looked like they were enjoying the show all night, got up from their seats and walked past us. They weren't leaving now, were they? No! They just moved to the section next to ours. People were up and dancing over there, and there was that whole bunch of empty seats. They moved over there to dance. I can so relate to that. As they went back to their seats, I told one of them, "That was so cool!", meaning watching them enjoy the music. The girl thought I was talking about the show itself and agreed with me.
For the second encore, Paul Simon came out by himself and performed a solo The Sound of Silence. I remember learning this song in elementary song. It was my principal Mr. Romanelli's favorite song, and our music teacher Mrs. Jacobs wanted to surprise him one year. I didn't know who performed it or that it was a "rock" song. It was the mid-80s, so the song had to be about 20 years old at that time. I always liked it, but it was years later that I rediscovered it. That was the other big highlight for me.
I liked the show, but Roy was blown away by it. He is so glad we went, and still amazed that Simon put his whole band together for this one show. It was a special event.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
My Mother and Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
California Guitar Trio
Opening Act: Los Gauchos Alemanes
Empie Theater
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA
Saturday, September 2, 1995
Section Center, Row A, Seat 113
unknown ticket price
My mom does not like rock music. She does not like rock concerts. Back in the days when I could only go to concerts with adult supervision, my dad went or my friends' parents took us. Mom would never go. My mom also doesn't like driving to unfamiliar places. It is so very strange, even fourteen years later, to admit that my mom has seen Robert Fripp in concert. And she drove me to Allentown for that very purpose.
I was 20 years old and had just become a King Crimson fan in the last year or so. I get this feeling when I just discover a new world of music, I have to do everything, lest I never get another chance. Well, Robert Fripp was doing a soundscape tour, and the closest he was coming to home was an hour and a half away in Allentown. And I had to go. In later years, I'd skip some of his soundscape shows that were local to me. But this was my first opportunity to see one as a fan, and what if I never got another chance? I had to go.
One little problem. I didn't drive.
I called my best friend and concert buddy Angela. She didn't share my love of progressive rock. But, she gone with me to the Yes concert in Allentown the year before, because I needed a way to get there. Not this time. I was a good friend, but not worth having to see Robert Fripp and his soundscapes.
I moved back home for the summer. My relationship with my mother was strained. We had a huge fight about my traveling to New York by myself for a King Crimson concert. That was still fresh in our minds one day when we went out to lunch.
I told my mom about the Fripp show, and how Angela didn't want to go. I said the fateful words, "I guess I'll check the Greyhound schedules."
My mom said the even more fateful words, "I could take you."
She was so scared of me traveling somewhere by myself again that she was willing to put up with a concert. She was serious. She didn't even volunteer my dad to take me. Did I want to put up with her enough to have her along with me at the concert? Yeah, I wanted to go and this was convenient. I gave her the same deal I gave Angela - I paid for the tickets, dinner, any ancillary expenses in return for the transportation. I tried to prepare her, by explaining that we'd be seeing a guy playing guitar by himself with lots of sound effects, rather than a full band.
The concert was held in a college auditorium. Tickets were available through the college, instead of Ticketmaster. I called right when tickets went on sale, and got two seats in the front row, center section. They were the second and third seats off the aisle. We get to the venue with no problem. There is no stage; the musicians played on the same floor as our front row seats ten feet away from us.
The first act was Los Gauchos Alemanes. I never heard of them since, but they were students of Fripp's. They played a short set. Then, Fripp came on and started a soundscape. It's hard to describe what a soundscape is: Fripp plays some notes into his machine, and the machine plays them back as background while Fripp plays something new. Soon, it's many layers of sound, sometimes with a melody, sometimes more abstract. Fripp can either play more notes or play with the sounds that he's already created.
"When's he going to start?" my mom whispered to me.
"He has started"
"This is it?!" loud enough for people sitting nearby to hear (and probably Fripp as well). That was followed by, "If I had paid for this, I'd want my money back."
I'm not imagining how loud she was; there's a review of this show on the old King Crimson e-mail list Elephant Talk that mentions my mom's outburst. That reviewer described it:
An impatient woman sitting a row behind us complained audibly during the first soundscape, "I wouldn't have come if I had known it was going to be like this. I thought you said this guy was a guitarist!"
I thought the show was paced very well. It would be tough to listen to hours on end of soundscapes. During this show, Fripp would play a soundscape, then the California Guitar Trio would come out and play a few songs. This repeated a few times. My mom liked CGT better. I did too. I didn't love the soundscapes, but it was fascinating to watch Fripp play them. I could really observe what was going on.
My favorite part of the show was towards the end. Fripp, Los Gauchos, and CGT all walked up the steps of the auditorium. Standing on the steps, all holding acoustic, unamplified guitars, they started playing. It was King Crimson's Vrooom. The juxtaposition of the powerful studio track and the eight acoustic guitars quietly playing the same melody was jarring. I laughed, as did some other people in the audience. My mom wanted to know what was so funny. I tried to explain that we recognized the song, but it didn't usually sound like this!
The band then walked over to the aisle near our seats. They stood on the steps, starting at the front row, and played Thrak. For their last piece, the stood at the front of the audience again, and played a piece I didn't recognize. We had to stand up to see them playing in the far aisle. One guy was still standing, and Fripp gestured to him to sit down.
One thing odd about this show was the no words were said to the audience for the entire show. I heard Fripp counting the band in and saying a song title to the band, but that's only because I was sitting close enough to hear it. Not just Fripp. CGT and Los Gauchos didn't say anything either. The evening ended on a friendly note. The Los Gauchos guys got our attention and gestured to the audience to follow them. We walked out to the lobby, where they played another piece for us. And that was the end. Good way to clear people out of the theater.
I think I blocked the drive home out of my memory. I know my mom didn't hate the entire concert, but she sure did hate the soundscapes. Really, this wasn't a bad show to go to with a parent. It was in a civilized venue and it wasn't loud. I have to say, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of people meeting my mother and then telling them she's seen Fripp in concert.
California Guitar Trio
Opening Act: Los Gauchos Alemanes
Empie Theater
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA
Saturday, September 2, 1995
Section Center, Row A, Seat 113
unknown ticket price
My mom does not like rock music. She does not like rock concerts. Back in the days when I could only go to concerts with adult supervision, my dad went or my friends' parents took us. Mom would never go. My mom also doesn't like driving to unfamiliar places. It is so very strange, even fourteen years later, to admit that my mom has seen Robert Fripp in concert. And she drove me to Allentown for that very purpose.
I was 20 years old and had just become a King Crimson fan in the last year or so. I get this feeling when I just discover a new world of music, I have to do everything, lest I never get another chance. Well, Robert Fripp was doing a soundscape tour, and the closest he was coming to home was an hour and a half away in Allentown. And I had to go. In later years, I'd skip some of his soundscape shows that were local to me. But this was my first opportunity to see one as a fan, and what if I never got another chance? I had to go.
One little problem. I didn't drive.
I called my best friend and concert buddy Angela. She didn't share my love of progressive rock. But, she gone with me to the Yes concert in Allentown the year before, because I needed a way to get there. Not this time. I was a good friend, but not worth having to see Robert Fripp and his soundscapes.
I moved back home for the summer. My relationship with my mother was strained. We had a huge fight about my traveling to New York by myself for a King Crimson concert. That was still fresh in our minds one day when we went out to lunch.
I told my mom about the Fripp show, and how Angela didn't want to go. I said the fateful words, "I guess I'll check the Greyhound schedules."
My mom said the even more fateful words, "I could take you."
She was so scared of me traveling somewhere by myself again that she was willing to put up with a concert. She was serious. She didn't even volunteer my dad to take me. Did I want to put up with her enough to have her along with me at the concert? Yeah, I wanted to go and this was convenient. I gave her the same deal I gave Angela - I paid for the tickets, dinner, any ancillary expenses in return for the transportation. I tried to prepare her, by explaining that we'd be seeing a guy playing guitar by himself with lots of sound effects, rather than a full band.
The concert was held in a college auditorium. Tickets were available through the college, instead of Ticketmaster. I called right when tickets went on sale, and got two seats in the front row, center section. They were the second and third seats off the aisle. We get to the venue with no problem. There is no stage; the musicians played on the same floor as our front row seats ten feet away from us.
The first act was Los Gauchos Alemanes. I never heard of them since, but they were students of Fripp's. They played a short set. Then, Fripp came on and started a soundscape. It's hard to describe what a soundscape is: Fripp plays some notes into his machine, and the machine plays them back as background while Fripp plays something new. Soon, it's many layers of sound, sometimes with a melody, sometimes more abstract. Fripp can either play more notes or play with the sounds that he's already created.
"When's he going to start?" my mom whispered to me.
"He has started"
"This is it?!" loud enough for people sitting nearby to hear (and probably Fripp as well). That was followed by, "If I had paid for this, I'd want my money back."
I'm not imagining how loud she was; there's a review of this show on the old King Crimson e-mail list Elephant Talk that mentions my mom's outburst. That reviewer described it:
An impatient woman sitting a row behind us complained audibly during the first soundscape, "I wouldn't have come if I had known it was going to be like this. I thought you said this guy was a guitarist!"
I thought the show was paced very well. It would be tough to listen to hours on end of soundscapes. During this show, Fripp would play a soundscape, then the California Guitar Trio would come out and play a few songs. This repeated a few times. My mom liked CGT better. I did too. I didn't love the soundscapes, but it was fascinating to watch Fripp play them. I could really observe what was going on.
My favorite part of the show was towards the end. Fripp, Los Gauchos, and CGT all walked up the steps of the auditorium. Standing on the steps, all holding acoustic, unamplified guitars, they started playing. It was King Crimson's Vrooom. The juxtaposition of the powerful studio track and the eight acoustic guitars quietly playing the same melody was jarring. I laughed, as did some other people in the audience. My mom wanted to know what was so funny. I tried to explain that we recognized the song, but it didn't usually sound like this!
The band then walked over to the aisle near our seats. They stood on the steps, starting at the front row, and played Thrak. For their last piece, the stood at the front of the audience again, and played a piece I didn't recognize. We had to stand up to see them playing in the far aisle. One guy was still standing, and Fripp gestured to him to sit down.
One thing odd about this show was the no words were said to the audience for the entire show. I heard Fripp counting the band in and saying a song title to the band, but that's only because I was sitting close enough to hear it. Not just Fripp. CGT and Los Gauchos didn't say anything either. The evening ended on a friendly note. The Los Gauchos guys got our attention and gestured to the audience to follow them. We walked out to the lobby, where they played another piece for us. And that was the end. Good way to clear people out of the theater.
I think I blocked the drive home out of my memory. I know my mom didn't hate the entire concert, but she sure did hate the soundscapes. Really, this wasn't a bad show to go to with a parent. It was in a civilized venue and it wasn't loud. I have to say, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of people meeting my mother and then telling them she's seen Fripp in concert.
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