CONCERT REPORTS: Austin, October 31 & November 1

Concert reports, reviews, links, set lists - and meetup information + meetup reports
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Joe Way
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CONCERT REPORTS: Austin, October 31 & November 1

Post by Joe Way »

Wonderful concert and evening. I'm going to take a stab at the set list, though I apologize in advance if I have the order wrong or missed something.

First set:

Dance me to the end of love
The Future
Bird on the wire
Everybody Knows
Who by fire
Darkness
Sisters of mercy

Amen
Come healing
A thousand kisses deep (recited)
In my secret life
Waiting for the miracle
Anthem

Set 2:

Tower of song
Suzanne
Night comes on
Heart with no companion
The gypsy's wife
The partisan
Democracy
Coming back to you
Alexandra leaving
I'm your man
Hallelujah
Take this waltz

1st Encore

So long Marianne
First we take Manhatten

2nd Encore

Famous blue raincoat
Going home

3rd Encore

Closing time
Save the last dance for me
Edited to place Democracy in the right set. I'm still not sure I've got the order right. Edited 2nd time to correct placement of Democracy in set after The Partisan (thanks Arlene!). 3rd edit to reflect correct placement of A Thousand Kisses Deep.

The concert began at 8:15 and ended at 11:50. Before "Last Dance" Leonard announced that there were 4 minutes left. Great concert with many highlights-I loved the new parts! I'll write more later but wanted to get this posted for all the curious.

Joe
Last edited by Joe Way on Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:41 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Hartmut
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AW: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by Hartmut »

Thanks, Joe.
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Mabeanie1
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by Mabeanie1 »

Joe - thank you for your diligence. You were right about the curious!

I look forward to hearing your full report later.

Wendy
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by crystal »

Thank you so much for this report.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by zwirnie »

Nice report on the Rolling Stone page ...
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... r-20121101

Setlist-wise, it lists 'Democracy' in the second set, and the 'Thousand Kisses' recitation a few songs later in the set. Otherwise you're spot on. Joe :) Thanks for the fast report.
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bridger15
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by bridger15 »

The opening concert in Austin was glorious!
It had freshness and energy. Those were the two words that came to mind while I sat there.

The venue was great - a beautiful theatre with great sound.
My seat and the venue restrictive camera policy were not so great.
More on that later.

These are from my note jottings around 2am.

1. The concert started 15 minutes late. But I don't know why.
2. I love the new lighting design. Youtube videos don't do it justice. The lighting is innovate and fresh.
3. There were a lot of "I/we love you" shout-outs during the concert. LC responded to the first one, but I couldn't hear what he said.
4. The audience was terrific, fully involved, very appreciative, lots of shout-outs but still very respectful, several standing ovations.
5. For 3 or 4 songs, the backing singers went off stage and brought back three black square low stools to sit on. After each of the songs was over, they took the stools off stage.

Night Comes On
Biggest thrill of the concert for me.
It is my favourite song and I had tears when LC sang it so beautifully.

Alexandra Leaving
Biggest thrill of the concert 1A - Sharon Robinson singing this just a few feet from me.
The audience gave Sharon one of the loudest, most sustained applause of the concert.

Come Healing
The Webb Sisters's tour de force up so close gave me shivers. Very moving.
The audience loved them.

Anthem intros
Mitch Watkins and Roscoe Beck, both current residents of Austin, received loud sustained cheering when introduced.
For Roscoe's intro, LC usually notes Roscoe's birth town, Poughkeepsie, but not tonight.

1000 Kisses deep
This was such a nice surprise. I always love hearing LC recite his poems.
Big smile on my face for this one.

Who By Fire
Maestro Javier Mas plumbed the depths of his vast diverse talent and delivered a fresh sounding amazing intro. It was spellbinding.

Tower of Song

After LC's one handed solo and the audience applause, he responded, "You have good taste."
At the ending do dum dums. he asked the ladies not to stop...said something like, I need the quiet...to get back to dealing with a contentious audience... you always sing quietly and I thank you for that. (maybe someone else noted his exact words)

I'm your man
Near the begining of the song he usually sings "I'll wear a mask for you"
Last night he sang "...Hallowe'en mask..."
Later in the song, as usual, he sang "I'll wear an old man's mask for you"
Lots of cheers and extended applause at the end of this song

Hallelujah
LC included one of his "original" verses. It was a great delight to hear him sing this.

You say I took the Name in vain
I don't even know the Name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah...

Partisan

I found it very moving when they sang the Partisan standing all together at the front of the stage. The powerful effect it had on me with that staging just doesn't come across on a video. When they segued to Democracy, I thought how fitting the placement of these two songs.

Neil Larsen
Being in a seat way off to stage right (even further back from Charley) with with LC and stage left mostly blocked by sound monitors, I tended to focus a lot on the backing singers and Neil Larsen. My notes say Neil was hot. He was a joy to watch all evening. And his musical output was fabulous.

---Arlene

Re: the venue
1. Back in May, when the ticket system showed a front row seat, third seat in from the end, I accepted it. It was a horrible seat. It is my fault.
I shall never accept that kind of seat again. For Austin 2 tonight, I have a more central seat a little further back after the Pit break. I hope to see a lot more of LC and the rest of the stage tonight.

2. I was stopped from taking videos and actually threatened they would confiscate my camera, and I would be "taken out".
Respecting the fierce Texans and wishing to avoid another Texas chainsaw massacre, I believed they would indeed physically remove a grandmother with a cane. So I put my camera away.

At intermission I spoke to the venue senior security liaison with the tour who cited "tour company instructions" and "by request of the artist".
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musicmania
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by musicmania »

Thanks for an excellent report Arlene! Loved reading your comments on the individual songs. Shame about the cameras and about your seat.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by cohenadmirer »

Thanks arlene for that review reminding us that there is no substitute for the live concert experience
The strict enforcement of a 'camera policy' stands in contrast to at least some of the european concerts where it wasn't too difficult to use cameras!
Leonard's work resonates
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quetzalcoatl80
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by quetzalcoatl80 »

Thank you very much Arlene for this detailed report.
I wish you to be better placed for your second concert in Austin to take real advantage completely of these magic moments.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Austin, Oct.31st

Post by surfergirl »

Question for you Arlene (and thanks for the report!) on using the camera -- you said "video" -- so was the objection to using video vs taking still pictures?

I would like to know before I bring my rather large camera to the L.A. show (I had no problem bringing it in back in 2009).

Thanks!
I was cautioned to surrender, this I could not do . . . .
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AlanM
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Austin, October 31 and November 1

Post by AlanM »

Great report, Arlene.
Do either you or Joe recall where in the first set the recitation of A Thousand Kisses Deep came?
The Rolling Stone report has it listed after In My Secret Life.
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holydove
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Austin, October 31 and November 1

Post by holydove »

Great report, Arlene - thank you! Glad to hear Leonard recited 1000 Kisses Deep - I was missing that.

(Did anyone wear costumes to the concert? Just curious, remembering the watermelon guy from the Halloween concert in Austin in '88 or '93. . .)
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Hartmut
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AW: Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Austin, October 31 and November 1

Post by Hartmut »

holydove wrote:(Did anyone wear costumes to the concert? Just curious, remembering the watermelon guy from the Halloween concert in Austin in '88 or '93. . .)

I just knew you would be asking that ... :-)
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Austin, October 31 and November 1

Post by rike »

I enjoyed your detailed report very much, Arlene. You made me think I was there. Sometimes, just imagining something is even better than seeing it on videos. I can't wait for the LA experience.
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joyezekiel
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Austin, October 31 and November 1

Post by joyezekiel »

Great review, Arlene! I totally agree about the venue - it was beautiful. And the audience was fantastic - as you rightly say, very appreciative and respectful. Regarding Leonard's response to the shout-outs, I was quite nearby at the time - he turned and smiled, but I don't think he actually said anything. I was almost tempted to have a go myself, just to have that smile radiated in my direction!

So wonderful to hear Thousand Kisses Deep again.... and The Partisan just gets better and better. I remember how much I loved the band standing grouped together for this in Ghent and I'm glad they're still doing it - very powerful. Nothing to add on your other comments, Arlene, you're spot on.

Yes, it was a shame about the Texas mafia. I tried to surreptitiously take a few photos, but I got caught very early on and so decided to put my camera away too. To be honest, I didn't really mind on a personal level as I just love to watch and absorb rather than take photos, but I do like to have a few for my own memories. I'll be interested to hear what happens tonight.

The band was on great form - Roscoe and Mitch obviously happy to be on their home turf. To be honest, I thought Leonard seemed somewhat serious at the beginning. In fact, I did wonder if he was in pain as he kept putting his hand to the small of his back - did anyone else notice this? He was definitely chirpier in the second half. Maybe it was just me being super-vigilant in my observations and concern for the well-being of a 78 year old gentleman? (I also noticed silly things like watches and rings appearing and disappearing throughout the evening, but I don't suppose they had any significance.)

Altogether a great kick-off to the US tour and I can't wait for my next concerts.

Oh, and Rachel.... yes, there were quite a few people in fancy dress! Austin is always a fantastic place for people-watching, but it excelled itself last night!

Joy
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