What do most people think of when they hear "When the Stars Go Blue?" Tim McGraw? Bono? Cary Pierce? Tyler Hilton? The Corrs? Phil Lesh? ER? One Tree Hill? Who actually wrote this frequently covered song? Ahh, Ryan Adams, the ultimate songwriter.
Speaking of covers and Ryan Adams, he does one of the greatest covers I've ever heard- Oasis' "Wonderwall." He changes the tempo and emotion of the song-- in my opinion he makes the song much better (and I am an Oasis fan). If you're into songs Ryan Adams has covered, you should also check out his version of "Is This It?" by the Strokes.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
never too late for resolutions
My resolution? See more live shows. It becomes quite difficult to blog when I'm not seeing any new music (the last post was far too long ago).
I always complain about having to drive to Austin or Dallas for shows, but I was fortunate enough to start my music year in good old Waco, TX. Jon McLaughlin and Matt Wertz played the annual Omega Kids concert, which all proceeds go to Kenya. Last year Dave Barnes and Andy Davis played. Not only was I able to stay in Waco, but the tickets were only $15.
Jon McLaughlin played first, opening with "Industry" as I had imagined he would. Immediately I loved the vigor with which he played. He was concentrated on the force and passion of his songs- not on note and pitch perfection. Between every song, he had several witty remarks. He said something like, "I'm going to play some new songs that I've been working on. You won't know them. And if you do... that's creepy, because I've never played them for anyone." The new songs had more of a jazz flare to them. McLaughlin played solo with a grand piano (he said he hadn't played on a piano that nice in a long time). This allowed the songs to sound similar to the ones off "Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded." On a side note, McLaughlin was just nominated for an Oscar for his performance of "So Close" in the Disney movie Enchanted.
Unlike Jon McLaughlin, who I have been following for a couple years, I had only heard two Matt Wertz songs (he played both). Wertz entered the stage wearing a shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. I had flashbacks to the first (and only) time I saw Gavin DeGraw-- "Oh, here comes the rocker who thinks he is the man." He began playing alone, and I must admit that he plays a mean rhythm guitar. The band entered half-way through the first song and the sound significantly improved. Wertz and his band had a lot of energy and actually managed to get the stuffy Baylor crowd dancing. I didn't know it was possible. My favorite song of the night was "Wesley, Why?" a heart-felt song about the death of his grandfather.
Great show. Both are worth seeing.
I always complain about having to drive to Austin or Dallas for shows, but I was fortunate enough to start my music year in good old Waco, TX. Jon McLaughlin and Matt Wertz played the annual Omega Kids concert, which all proceeds go to Kenya. Last year Dave Barnes and Andy Davis played. Not only was I able to stay in Waco, but the tickets were only $15.
Jon McLaughlin played first, opening with "Industry" as I had imagined he would. Immediately I loved the vigor with which he played. He was concentrated on the force and passion of his songs- not on note and pitch perfection. Between every song, he had several witty remarks. He said something like, "I'm going to play some new songs that I've been working on. You won't know them. And if you do... that's creepy, because I've never played them for anyone." The new songs had more of a jazz flare to them. McLaughlin played solo with a grand piano (he said he hadn't played on a piano that nice in a long time). This allowed the songs to sound similar to the ones off "Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded." On a side note, McLaughlin was just nominated for an Oscar for his performance of "So Close" in the Disney movie Enchanted.
Unlike Jon McLaughlin, who I have been following for a couple years, I had only heard two Matt Wertz songs (he played both). Wertz entered the stage wearing a shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. I had flashbacks to the first (and only) time I saw Gavin DeGraw-- "Oh, here comes the rocker who thinks he is the man." He began playing alone, and I must admit that he plays a mean rhythm guitar. The band entered half-way through the first song and the sound significantly improved. Wertz and his band had a lot of energy and actually managed to get the stuffy Baylor crowd dancing. I didn't know it was possible. My favorite song of the night was "Wesley, Why?" a heart-felt song about the death of his grandfather.
Great show. Both are worth seeing.
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