In Concert: B.B. King

This man is a legend. That is NOT hype... it's just the truth, plain and simple.


This past Saturday night, I had the good fortune to be given tickets to see B.B. King in concert at the Fox Theater in Detroit (which, by the way, is the most beautifully ornate theater I have ever seen). I talked my son into canceling his previous plans for the evening, and off we went.

I thought I would enjoy myself. That's an understatement -- it was FANTASTIC.

There was no opening act. The band (formally, "the B.B. King Blues Band") came out first, and played for a few minutes. Then, the master himself came out on stage. As he took his place in a wooden chair at center stage, his band members attended to him as if he were royalty (and is that analogy really so far-fetched?), making sure that he had towels and microphone stand within easy reach.

And then, he made her howl and sing.

Of course, I'm referring to "Lucille", which is what B.B. King calls his guitar. And let me tell ya, for an 82-year-old, he can still rock that thing like nobody's business. His knees might be bad (hence the chair), but his hands are still in fine form. There are twenty-somethings who would gladly give up vital body parts for a fraction of that man's talent.

While the music was intense on a gut level, there were also his stories. Almost like the old uncle everyone has (or wished they did), who could tell you stories about the world and his travels through it for hours on end, and you never got bored. Even though some of them weren't based on pleasant subjects (like the one about the "white and colored" drinking fountains in the old, segregated South), he was able to find something humorous and entertaining about them to share.

The audience (myself included) revered him; that much is obvious. What might not be as obvious is that the reverse was also true. B.B. King is fully aware of the fact that he was given a gift, and he takes great joy -- even at 82 -- in sharing that gift. You can see it in his face, you can hear it in his voice, and you can definitely feel it when Lucille wails the blues. Why else would he keep touring at his age? It's not the money, he's got plenty. It's that he truly loves what he does, and he's still one of the best at it.

I'd like to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to my friend Lisa, who couldn't go to the concert and gave me the tickets. I consider B.B. King to be one of our national treasures, and I'm glad I got to see him.

The thrill is gone? I think not.

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The official B.B. King web site

The Perfect Storm

I am renewed.

As a birthday present, my son took me to The Ark in Ann Arbor last Thursday night, to see Gaelic Storm in concert (Irish folk group). If you're not familiar with them, you can check here and/or here. Although, chances are, you've already heard their music and don't even realize it. They were the "steerage band" in the movie Titanic.

Gaelic Storm is not one of these new-age-y so-called "Celtic" bands. Their songs are about what the traditions of Irish folk music have always been about: women, drinking, and travelling (not necessarily in that order). They are rousing, sometimes rowdy, and always a damn good time.

This was my first visit to The Ark. It's a small venue in downtown Ann Arbor, a non-profit establishment dedicated to the advancement of acoustic music. It is a wonderfully intimate environment in which to see a performance, perfect for such a personable group as Gaelic Storm. You can learn more about The Ark on their web site.

I was lucky enough to get my picture taken with Patrick Murphy, the lead singer of most of the group's songs. Sorry it came out a little blurry (NOT the result of drinking... No, you're not overdue for a trip to the eye doctor... and do not adjust your monitor).


This was the third time I've seen them in concert (second time in a small venue), and I would see them again next time they're in town. They never fail to put on a dynamite show, and they always leave me with my Irish pride dusted off, polished and shiny as new. But even if you're not Irish, I highly recommend seeing them. Just like St. Patrick's Day, they don't mind if you pretend you're Irish for a day!

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

Actually, it was. Very nice, in fact.

I took my son to see the Beach Boys in concert Sunday night. What a great show!



This was the second time I'd seen the Boys in concert. The first was back in 1987, when my son was just a baby (ironically, I saw that first one with my son's mother). Even though there are only two original members left in the band, they still have those fantastic Beach Boys harmonies. They did just about every Beach Boys song you could possibly imagine, except "Little Saint Nick" (understandable, since it's July, but it would have been fun to do as a goof). My son surprised me -- I think he knew the words to more of their songs than I did (I guess I raised him right).

Mike Love's son, Christian, is in the band. So is John Cowsill (from The Cowsills). And on this particular evening, John Stamos also appeared with the band (I guess it was an off-day on the ER set), playing various instruments, including guitar and drums, and he also sang lead on a couple of songs. (The ladies really loved that!!)

I won the tickets from a local radio station. It included dinner (it was basically like wedding food: chicken parmesan, mostaccioli, green beans, etc.). Parking was free. The only things I had to pay for was the gas to get there, and our beverages... Which made the whole evening even sweeter. (My favorite price: FREE)

Talk about your good vibrations!

In Concert: Gregg Allman

My son and I went to see Gregg Allman in concert the other night. Yes, the guy from the Allman Brothers. Yes, the guy that was married to Cher for about two minutes. Yes, he's still alive (he's 59 years old). I had won tickets from a local radio station, so my only expenses were the gas to get there (not unsubstantial, as it's 47 miles one-way), a few bucks for parking, and Mickey D's for my son and I.

I wasn't really sure what to expect. Apart from the Allman Brothers, my only knowledge of Gregg Allman's music was his solo hit from the mid-80's, "I'm No Angel". Needless to say, he opened with that song. The show also featured several Allman Brothers classics, including "Whipping Post", "Sweet Melissa", and "Midnight Rider". (Note to Gregg: "One Way Out" would've fit nicely into your show. Hint, hint.) More than anything, I think I was impressed with how powerful and uncompromising Allman and his band were. They really kicked ass. Pretty damn good for an old guy!!

An added bonus was the opening act, Honeytribe, led by Gregg Allman's son Devon (not the one he had with Cher, that's Elijah). That band was just as powerful as his dad's, but not quite as Southern-rock-oriented (although you could sense a bit of it). For me, being a huge Bob Marley fan, the highlight of Honeytribe's set was their cover of "No Woman, No Cry". I'm not generally a fan of covers, but that song was very powerful, very soulful... gave me goosebumps.

However, the best part of the whole evening for me came during the senior Allman's set. For you to appreciate this, you have to know that my son is a HUGE Blues Brothers fan. Anyway, on one song, it started out with a familiar riff on the bass guitar. I couldn't quite place it... then, as it dawned on me, I looked at my son, and his eyes were as big as saucers. It was the intro from the very first Blues Brothers recording (actually, the song is called "Can't Turn You Loose"); if you heard it, you would know exactly what I'm talking about. He was SOOOOOO geeked. That alone was worth everything I spent that night... and then some.