I'm not usually a concert attender (unless it features a symphony and/or the MoTab). I have made a few exceptions in my life. Here is my lifetime list of semi-popular music concerts:
- New Kids on the Block (12 years old, with ear plugs in my ears supplied by the marriott center).
- Lillith Fair (c 1999). It rained (beer and h2o) the whole time, we stayed for Patty, Dar, and Paula then gave up.
- Billy Joel 2007 - (hey, free tickets!) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It kicked off Monday night with David Gray. Bad omen of the night: I was sweating the moment we sat down. Did they really have to have the heat on with thousands of people and flashing lights? Did I also have to wear a long-sleeved shirt with a wool turtleneck over it? (ah, my concert naivety)
The opening act came out and immediately started playing. She danced about like I would if I were on stage in front of thousands of people. That just made me like her. She even played the banjo! Ok - mostly, she just held it through half a song, but she did pluck out a few notes at the end. The thing I loved most about her songs are the variety of crazy instruments she used. There was some sort of crazy hand pump organ, a thing you blow into that has piano keys attached (my family totally had one of these growing up!), an instrument that sounded and looked like they were playing a saw and a lute...I think.
Learning of new artists always excites me so I visited her website yesterday and found this jewel of a "hello there" page:
"Welcome to my web house.
I suppose this means I'm a grown up now and shouldn't eat chocolate biscuit cake for breakfast.
Starting tomorrow.
Feel free to look around and stay awhile. Like my real house, I'll continue to add things until one day I can't find the cat and have to move,
Lisa
ps. thank you to my mother for knitting the wallpaper"
Reading that made me want to try her chocolate chunk cookie recipe also posted on her site. Too bad I don't know what "preheat your oven to 150 for fan ovens or 170 for fanless" means. (Cooking overseas is so confusing!)
The simplicity of her songs were a great contrast to David Gray's electric guitars and drums. I have to admit, I liked the songs best that were just him on the piano or acoustic guitar and his base player.
ps... you can download a free Lisa Hannigan song here at Amazon. Do it!
7 comments:
you're much cooler than I. I don't think I have ever been to a concert that did not involve a symphony...
I'm so excited you're becoming a concert junkie for the week and so jealous! I downloaded the song last night :).
Even for concert goers, two in one week is quite an accomplishment. They Might Be Giants is coming on Friday. I haven't gotten my tickets yet though.
It's amazing that Rob and I, for the first time since we got married, are on the cutting edge of music! We like Lisa Hannigan, but mostly Lillie likes her! Everytime we get in the car that's the cd she asks for. When we told her you went to her concert, she thought that was the greatest!
Sounds like Lillie is being raised on the right kind of music :)
I can't think of a comment, but I am reading your blog:) Though, I am glad to take your place on the couch.
This made me think of my own concert going track record. It isn't extensive at all but I must say that I loved, loved, loved seeing Celine in Vegas. Awesome!
It is always fun to read your blog. When are you coming to visit?
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