The Wailers in the Big D

Last Wednesday, a group of us decided to make the annual pilgrimage to see the Wailers in downtown Detroit. I have seen the Wailers a total of 3 or 4 times along with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. The first time I saw the remnents of Bob Marley was at Tastefest in Detroit years back; a free concert in the middle of the city and the people jumping with love for the reggae style.

After getting off work, live music veteran PS picked myself, CC (a huge Marley fan) and the lovely JH (a.k.a. MiniMartha) up and drove us down to Union Street for dinner. Union Street is located directly across from Majestic theatre where the Wailers would put on their show. We drank some tasty Oberons and ate some excellent food (MiniMartha suggested the spinach salad with steak). We can thank MiniMartha for the excellent restaurant choice.

We headed across to the Majestic to take in the opening band called deSol, a latin-sounding, Santana-like band from Jersey. It was good music to set the pace for the Wailers and they even broke out Santana's Oye Como Va. They plugged their CD a lot. It was just funny to hear a bunch of Latin dudes announce they were from Jersey. Maybe I'm outta the loop on that one.

By the time the Wailers started, I had a few more beers and I decided to go back and chill with some of our other acquaintances there from the band Bump (www.bumpgroove.com) including CC2, EN (a.k.a. Ndz), and the Greek. They happen to be hanging out with a legend in his time Skeeto Valdez, the new drummer for Trey Anastasio's (Phish) new band 70VP, or Zooma, or whatever. Anyhow, I shook his hand, told him I looked forward to seeing him jam down in Columbus next month. Cool dude for sure.

The music was good, but there wasn't as much energy at this show as in 2004. And there just were not enough black people - way too many of us white people. So the show lacked a little energy, but we still had a lot of fun. They played lots of the hits we all know by Marley and the Wailers. Overall, a good time.

Jah lives mon!

The “Spread” Comes to the BIG D

This thread goes out to BB from Hotlanta.

I went to Widespread Panic on April 1^st, 2005 at the State Theatre in Detroit. I have seen Widespread at Bonnaroo as well as at the State Theatre before. I do not consider myself to be a true fan of Widespread Panic – in fact, there are times where I would rather sit in a lawn chair and listen to the music, as we did at Bonnaroo. I hoped that a return to a smaller setting would change my opinion of the Spread. Either way, Spread is definitely not Phish nor was this show as impressive musically as moe. I really liked being at the State Theatre, and having floor seats, and chilling with some great people including my good friend KP and the heady bunch JH, eJ, bJ, and even silly (a kid who I once witnessed accuse every person in the room of being a narc). TW, a kid that I had gone to SPAC with last summer was also there.

I left GP to go down to the BIG D around 6pm. We parked at the CoPa and double-timed it down to the Town Pump. I was greeted by my good friend Bell’s Oberon who I had not seen fresh in many a month. A Jager bomb was downed, acquaintances were made, and we trekked down to the State. The outside security at the State was run by some rude folks, standing in stark contrast to the security on the inside, but whatever. The State theatre is a great party venue, perfect for the true Widespread fans that live it up.

04/01/05 State Theater, Detroit, MI

1: Travelin' Light, All Time Low > Little Lilly > Rock, Wondering > Junior, Mercy > Thin Air (Smells Like Mississippi) > Henry Parsons Died

2: Give > Hatfield > Pusherman > Let Her Cry > Greta > Drums > Papa Legba, Imitation Leather Shoes, Ain't Life Grand

E: May Your Glass Be Filled > Tall Boy

[Only 'Let Her Cry'; Everyone remained on-stage during 'Drums'; 'The Other One' jam after 'Mercy']

Honestly, I had a good time at the show. I was just not very impressed by the music. I didn’t hear or feel enough bass, I didn’t hear enough spacey or funky exploration (my tastes), and I thought the lights behind them didn’t fit Panic. I know they used to have a different setup, but somehow the equalizer lights didn’t go with their southern style. Regardless, I danced hard and had a great time. I ran into some high-school friends as well including SD, his bro, TS, and JW.

After the show, we took our time making the short journey across the street to see Smokestack at 5^th Avenue (a bar attached to Comerica Park). Our group was a raucous bunch – some of them took it upon themselves to take a short nap on a limo right in front of the State. When we finally got across the street, we spent almost 2 hours listening to Smokestack which often sounded a lot better than Widespread. My good buddy KP seemed to be having a good time.

We went back to the Athenium, one of the best hotels in Detroit to chill with some of KP’s friends who had a room there. We decided to hit up Greektown Casino where I didn’t leave a winner, unfortunately. Finally, we headed back to the eastside late and called it a night.

So the concert was fun, but it was a Widespread Concert. It’s not really something I would dish out another $35 for again, but I had a great time partying in the BIG D. Thanks for reading.

Duran Duran @ The Palace March 24th, 2005

The last time I had been to a concert at the Palace was 1999 when I saw Phish there. I have seen Grand Funk Railroad, Page & Plant, the Dead, Dave Matthews and every Phish show (4) at the Palace. Duran Duran, the show I attended 2 weeks ago, was probably the last show that I thought would break my hiatus from the Palace of Auburn Hills. For this, I thank a kind ladyfriend from work who was kind enough to guide me into the world of Duran Duran.

Let’s get a few things straight first. I am not much of a fan of 80s music and Duran Duran was about as 1980s as you can get. I admire some 80s bands like the talking heads, and later 80s bands like Guns N’ Roses, but other than that, my attention to 80s music is a bunch of one hit wonders or bands that actually were born in the 70s. I am trying really hard to expand my musical horizons, but I’m sorry JCT – those Indie bands are just not gonna cut it. So as my music tastes lie in a funk since Phish ended, I really want to go see new music and revisit those bands that I had not really given a chance (moe. & Widespread Panic) and those bands who I would have discounted as not something that would fit my musical tastes.

In any case, I went to this show with a ladyfriend (CK) from work and her older brother who seemed like that cool concert going kind of dude. We got to the show pretty early and spent an hour or so sipping those wonderful domestic $7 beers and did some people watching. This is your crowd at a Duran Duran show: hot refined chicks, 35 to 40 something ladies with butch cuts or mullets, a few 80s rock stars, some dudes, but the ratio overall was probably 4 or 5 ladies for every one gent. Oh yeah, and DB – your atypical high-school football dude, yeah, he was there too.

There was an opening band, but they sucked. CK tells me they sounded somewhat like the Cure.

The only the song I could connect the title to Duran Duran was Come Undone, but I had not heard the song since the days of MTV. They played it and it was sick – the keyboards and the base were toit and emotional. I wasn’t so high on the soul filled singer they had doing the ladies part, but otherwise it was great. And listening to the album version more closely, you can really hear the great keys and bass.

And I recognized several other songs including Ordinary World and Rio Rio, which they encored with. It all sounded pretty amazing. CK was giving the live feed with her cell to her sister in Texas. Apparently, this was the best Duran Duran show she had ever seen – and this is coming from someone who saw them at St. Andrews Hall in the big D, a much, much smaller venue. The Palace was not filled like it had been for most other shows I had been to, but it was a surprisingly dance-happy crowd at the show. The light show was really cool; it consisted of 5 screens behind the band with Japanimation and other moving pictures along with the other moving lights rising and lowering above the band.

For a self-proclaimed music snob, I was really impressed by Duran Duran. I really appreciate the how cool CK and her brother were that night for introducing me to something not necessarily new, but definitely rocking. Afterward, we made the ride back to the eastside having really been impressed by the music, and I had a very good time on my first quasi-date in awhile.

(Note: I tried to find a setlist for this show but was unsuccessful. I will keep checking.)