Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Surprises in Concert

I love concert surprises, when a band covers something unexpected or a special guest appears. I saw the Barenaked Ladies sing a bit of the theme from Titanic. I witnessed Eric Clapton invite Stevie Ray Vaughn onto the stage. I was entertained by the first and giddy at the second.

Concerts hold other surprises too, sometimes even more memorable. I love to be blown away by the musicianship of the supporting players. Francine Reed comes to mind, singing on tour with Lyle Lovett. Oooo wee!

I'm most likely to be awed by a percussionist. Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints tour opened with what felt like a percussion orchestra: unbelievable. Bernie Dresel playing with Brian Setzer? Jaw-dropping. Then there's this guy. When lit properly, he looks like a tambourine witch doctor. Behold, the mesmerizing Ray Cooper (with Elton John):


3 comments:

  1. BNL always has a few surprises...I saw them bust out with some Morrissey one time. But you've got the trump card...Clapton and SRV...wow!

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  2. mjensen, it was great. Our seats were behind the stage, and my husband spotted SRV's black hat waiting in the wings before Clapton called him out front. If I remember correctly, SRV was playing in Ann Arbor the next night. Thanks for reading.

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  3. I've had good luck with behind stage seats too...I saw Billy Joel, Bridge tour I think and he did Scenes From An Italian Restaurant about 10 feet away.

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