music – Fare..Eat..Ales

Rod Stewart- Caesar’s Palace- Las Vegas, Nevada- May 18, 2022

July 27, 2024July 27, 2024 spennyrdLeave a comment

Of the many evolutions in live music over the last decade or two , one of the more pronounced has been the explosion of big name residencies, particularly in Las Vegas. Sure, artists like Barry Manilow and Wayne Newton figured this out years ago but only recently it makes perfect sense.. you bring the audience to you instead of going to them. You can also park the tour buses and avoid the repeated set up and take down of the stage on a nightly basis, especially if you are getting up there in age.

My Vegas trip was planned around a few things: a visit to Hell’s Kitchen, having a drink at Vanderpump a Paris and hitting up Rod Stewart at his residency at Caesar’s palace.

Vanderpump a Paris wasn’t my first choice but it was part of a negotiation to balance the week’s activities. That said, I was in intrigued to see what the hype was about. All I knew was to expect fancy and overpriced cocktails and charcuterie served in a cage to match the gothic theme of the restaurant. The service was impeccable and the experience was quite enjoyable although the target audience certainly isn’t my demographic.

Charcuterie and Cocktails at Vanderpump a Paris

My Hell’s Kitchen reservation was quite late at night but it did not take away from the expected ambiance. Sure, there was no cursing, expulsion of chefs or flying pans, but the opportunity to feast on scallops, beef wellington and sticky toffee pudding, three of the show’s most iconic dishes was iconic. I did find the Wellington a little underdone and echoes of Gordon Ramsey yelling “It’s F*cking Raw” filled my head for the first few bites.

Hell’s Kitchen- Wellington, Scallops and Sticky Toffee Pudding

Rod is on a list of a number of aging artists I wanted to catch before they hang up the microphone forever. Plus, there is some nostalgia in watching a concert done the old way meaning things like frequent wardrobe changes and interactive stage antics. I was also curious how a 77 year old with a very distinct voice would maintain the integrity of his music with a limited vocal range. The answer was an employment of a strong group of backup singers who would hit covers during his breaks as well as a few acoustic sets. That said, we were still treated with upbeat hits such as “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Infatuation”, some great covers including paying his respects to Robert Palmer. His other tribute was to the Celtic football team for their premiership league win including his signature antic of kicking a few soccer balls into the audience. His most compelling outfit was a bright yellow and blue ensemble worn out of respect for the Ukraine situation. He was quite gracious throughout the show reminding the audience that he had every intention of making it worth the hard earned money they spent for a ticket. In the end, I said he succeeded.

Rod Stewart acknowledging Celtic’s win as well as the Ukraine situation

Setlist

Addicted to Love(Robert Palmer cover)
You Wear It Well
Ooh La La(Faces song)
Infatuation
It Takes Two (Kim Weston cover)
The First Cut Is the Deepest (Cat Stevens cover)
Forever Young
Maggie May
I’d Rather Go Blind(Etta James cover)
Young Turks
Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?
Rhythm of My Heart (Marc Jordan cover)
Call Me (Blondie cover)
People Get Ready (The Impressions cover)
The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)
You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)
Have I Told You Lately (Van Morrison cover)
Hot Stuff (Donna Summer cover)
Baby Jane
Sailing (The Sutherland Brothers Band cover)

Encore

21. Sweet Little Rock & Roller (Chuck Berry cover)

Kim Mitchell-Bingeman’s Park, Kitchener, Ontario- September 24, 2022

February 18, 2024 spennyrdLeave a comment

I went to the University of Guelph in the early 90’s which meant a yearly tradition became a trip to Kitchener for some kind of Octoberfest celebration. I remember stumbling through Lulu’s begging for constant refills of watery draft using my commemorative plastic mug somehow thinking I was honouring the longstanding German tradition. Years later I rarely attend the festivities but a buddy of mine managed to score a couple of free tickets Kim Mitchell at Bingeman’s..the current hub of Octoberfest festivities in the area.

After a few pints and live music (including traditional German) on the smaller stages inside the beer tent, we headed outside for main event. It was a crisp but comfortable evening and there was plenty of space to have good view of the stage. Kim, who had just turned 70, hit the stage opening with Rockland Wonderland and proceeded to knock out a number of his solo hits as well as a Max Webster song or two. I don’t recall his exact playlist but it included Go for a Soda, Patio Lanterns, Rock and Roll Duty, the audience interactive I Am a Wild Party and the ballad All we Are which he performed alongside longtime collaborator Peter Fredette. At one point during the show he jokingly invited the crowd to hit the washroom while he performed a newer and much less recognized song…in this case the “Best I Never Had”. It was a humorous way to deal with the conundrum that faces all long standing artists; the balance between playing new music and what most of the fans want and expect to hear. The encore song, Lager and Ale, was an almost obvious fitting end to a concert celebrating the historic beer festival.

Kim Mitchell at Oktoberfest at Bingeman’s Park

In the end, Kim sounded great. Sure, the long, flowing mane and OPP hat is long gone but he still engaged the crowd with a greatest hits performance which brought me back to the days when I never went for a soda and was never the first to kiss under those patio lanterns.

Iron &Wine/Andrew Bird-July 31, 2022 Levitt Pavillion Steelstacks- Bethlehem, PA

December 28, 2023 spennyrdLeave a comment

Musically, Bethlehem is probably best known for Musikfest, a multiday festival with a wide variety of music ranging from local bands to larger venues with keynote acts. It’s a good time but is super busy and usually hot as hell given the fact it’s held during the dog days of summer which are near unbearable in Pennsylvania. I have a couple of the commemorative mugs on a shelf in my basement. Outside of the festival itself, it is a draw for many artists who can utilize a number of the available venues. This was the case with the Outside Problems tour with Iron & Wine and Andrew Bird as co-headliners. A dramatic shift from the Rage concert I saw the weak before, these artists offer a folk rock experience with plenty of acoustic guitar, clever lyrics and even some whistling.

The Levitt Pavillion is an outdoor venue located in the Steelstack area of Bethlehem. Steel, of course, is quintessential in defining the identity of the town (just listen the the song Allentown by Billy Joel). The stage is surrounded by symbols of the industry including old warehouses and silos which are laced with colourful lights, creating a unique and down-home setting which appeals to any musical genre.

I wanted to go to this concert for a couple of reasons. First, Iron & Wine was one of the concerts I missed out on when covid broke. I had tickets for Echo Beach in Toronto in 2020 but the show was never rescheduled. Second, I have family that live just outside Allentown so I could combine a visit with the show. Full disclosure..I wasn’t nearly as familiar with Andrew Bird but with a few listens on Spotify and a Grammy nod I didn’t need much convincing.

One thing I’ve come to appreciate as much as the artists is the fan base. As I’ve aged and diversified my musical spectrum, I enjoy taking in the array of fans that show up for shows. Some are very predictable while others are a bit more surprising. In this case, there were a lot of what one might expect..a rather wide age range and dress typical for a midsummer rainy night speckled with bohemian flair.

Iron & Wine, aka Sam Beam, using his grizzly yet gentle persona, started the show with an eight song featuring a mix of tunes from his two decade music career ending the set with “Call it Dreaming” which is one my favorites from his 2017 Beast Epic album. He’s actually quite humorous and frequently infused clever and thoughtful insights throughout his set.

Andrew Bird was next and also delivered an eight song set which focused primarily on his 2022 release Inside Problems but he also performed others including arguably his most popular tune Sisyphus, a catchy song featuring his trademark whistling. He was less charismatic than Beam but was still entertaining considering his use of the violin, ukulele, pedals and the aforementioned whistling as part of his set.

The two then combined efforts for half a dozen songs, alternating between each others’ creations. The highlight was “Flightless Bird, American Mouth”, an Iron and Wine ballad best known as part of the Twilight movie soundtrack. The show ended with a few more from Bird including a single song during the encore.

All in all, the Levitt Pavilion was a great place, despite the light rain, to see a folky concert during the summer. There is decent beer (both in selection and price) and ample room to wander while still having good audio and visual access to the show. As is often the case, the fan watching was an enjoyable as the concert itself. As for the concert itself, I particularly liked the back and forth collaboration which provided unique versions of half a dozen of the artist’s more recognizable songs.

Setlist

A Concerted Effort To Regain My Musical Extraversion After Two Years of Spotification- An Introduction

August 23, 2023 spennyrdLeave a comment

It’s been a while since I’ve authored anything. Like most, the covid pandemic threw a wrench in my creative process and like most, stifled road trips worth writing about. Even when some normalcy of travel returned, a combination of writer’s block, stubbornness and laziness became my mantra. I figured it’s time to shake off the cobwebs and document a few experiences.

I’ve become a bit concert crazy in the last year. Something about catching a live band is a surreal if not a religious experience…many concert halls have become churches so my mission became to catch as many bands in as many venues as possible. Although I can’t brag about hitting up the Apollo or Whisky A Go Go, I’ve been privileged to see some pretty cool artists in some pretty cool venues. In many cases, these concerts were also surrounded with a bit of extra fun which I will attempt to relive in subsequent posts.

Burger Bar: McMillan and Wife Villains, Fleur de Lys Sauce and Drops of Jupiter in my head

August 30, 2014August 31, 2014 spennyrdLeave a comment

San Francisco is known for a number of things including:

1. TV- It has been the setting for a number of TV shows, past and present. Notable shows have included Full House, Hotel, Party of Five, and Dharma and Greg.

2. Music- Some of the more notable bands in American History hail from the San Francisco area. Classic rock bands like the Grateful Dead, the Steve Miller Band, Santana and Jefferson Airplane, modern day rockers Third Eye Blind Train and even one hit wonders 4 Non Blondes began in the Bay area.

3. Food- Everything from bakeries to renowned food trucks to some of the most famous restaurants in the country reside in San Francisco.

That said, I realized that after 5 days in San Francisco that I hadn’t had a burger yet. Like any other city with any sort of food scene, there were numerous choices. After a quick scope of burger research in the Bay area, it only made sense to go to the Burger Bar. Not only was it across the street from my hotel, it was the creation of Hubert Keller, one of the most respected chefs in the US. According to his website, Chef Keller was the first great chef to give burgers the haute cuisine treatment, from freshly ground, hand-shaped burgers to a menu of innovative toppings in a hip, casual setting. Sounded good to me.

The hip, casual setting started with a 6 floor ride up the Macy’s elevator. We got to hang out with a portly businessman who was obviously heading to the place I was and a couple of old ladies who got off at the 4th floor to hunt down some red tag sales. The elevator opened to reveal a bright,open restaurant with bar and table seating. We quickly ordered a beer from a reasonable selection of draught and examined the menu. The burgers ranged from $10-$60, the latter being a Remixed Rossini Burger which was kobe beef stuffed with short rib topped with lobster tail and shaved black truffles and truffle sauce on an onion bun (doesn’t quite flow as well as the Big Mac song but I’m sure Train could sing a song about it in the style of “50 Sides to put on a Burger”..funny thing is there are exactly 50 sides available at the Burger Bar). I went middle of the road and order the peppercorn burger for $17.25. In particular I was interested in the famous Fleur de Lys peppercorn cream sauce. I also liked the option of skinny vs fat fries…..I like the fatties when it comes to fries and these didn’t disappoint. The burger hit the mark. The well seasoned patty wasn’t overwhelmed with pointless toppings. Even the famous sauce was served on the side so as to not disrupt the precious patty.

My Take

I have plenty experience with San Francisco television and music set in San Francisco. I grew up in the mid-eighties wanting a new drug while I didn’t stop believing and felt sorry for my sister for having to endure Sara by Jefferson Starship. I scratched my head wondering how Jessie from full house scored Rebecca Romijn, saw the Olsen twins before they were tramps, witnessed the fact that Thomas Gibson actually had the ability to crack a smile and tried to figure out why people thought Jenna Elfman was funny.

I can now go to bed knowing I have experienced my share of San Francisco’s trinity of Americana; television, music and food. Not only did I have a burger, I had it with the same sauce served at the iconic and now historic Fleur de Lys. Hubert Keller seemed the perfect guy to provide it (not only is he a renowned chef but he looks like a villain from McMillan and Wife).It was an expensive but delicious taste of the Bay area. I must say I also enjoyed the steak fries which are as difficult to find as a “Sister Christian” 45. I’m glad I left though because a few more Keller burgers and I’d probably end up with a unplanned visit to Trapper John MD and “Drops of Jupiter” in my head for the next six months.