An Evening with Tegan & Sara

Tuesday, January 29th, 2013 by Christa Constantine

A flat tire, three broken brake lines, and four hours of traffic – the Universe really didn’t want me, an avid Tegan & Sara fan, to attend their concert in Richmond this weekend. Somehow, I made it to the National at seven ‘o’ clock on the nose – right when the doors opened – in time to purchase a t-shirt, order a gin and tonic, and sit up in the seats with all of the other L.o.T.’s – Lesbians Over Twenty-One.

It was my second time seeing the band live in concert, and the audience demographic hasn’t changed much: lesbians with half-shaved heads, lesbians with labret piercings, a random dad and his ten-year-old son, lesbians wearing visors, and hipsters in plaid. I’m all-too-aware that, after only 122 words, the word “lesbian” appears five times. It’s true, the twins have a reputation for attracting a certain crowd, but it only serves to create an incredibly tight-knit community of mutual worshippers and makes the shows all the more enjoyable.

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Night Visions: Imagine Dragons’ Big Debut

Friday, December 7th, 2012 by Kathleen McKeveny

These Las Vegas rockers’ debut is high energy, with each track both as unique and catchy as the next. Its clean production and innovative percussion provide for an extraordinary desire to sing-a-long with these upbeat tracks. Each song has multiple explosive moments, which speaks to the recent shift towards dance-influenced music. But all the while, Imagine Dragons maintains their rocker image without getting lost in the allure of over-production or synthesizing. (more…)

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The Who Are Better You Bet!

Thursday, November 15th, 2012 by The Professor

Daltrey’s vision of a modern-media Quadrophenia is a surreal sensation on stage

-by Radio RockonTour host Timothy Tilghman

Just where have these two guys been hiding? Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are touring behind a fourth generation staging of Quadrophenia and the Whuo Duo have never sounded better! Their Tuesday night performance in Washington, D.C., rivaled the magnificence of their singular May 2004 date in NYC. Cancel all the catty criticism about The Who. This revised touring version of the British legend’s 1973 Opus is really the real deal.

Maybe fan anticipation in the aftermath of their last outing in the USA from the 2006/2007 Endless Wire Tour kept expectations artificially low. The Who’s November 13, 2012 appearance was an incendiary affair with the team of musicians firing on all musical cylinders. Celebratory praise does not efficiently describe the intense level of satisfaction the unit generated in concert.

Townshend’s first major musical piece was the Rock Opera Tommy, released in 1969. His next group proposal was the aborted Lifehouse project in 1971, which eventually morphed into the generic Who’s Next album. Townshend’s preoccupation with the quintessentially British battle between the Mods and the Rockers during the early 1960s provided him with a musical vision as the basis for his 1973 theme-album Quadrophenia.

The tale of a Brighton teen torn by four personalities was actually a composite reflection of the four musicians that once constituted the original members of The High Numbers. Townshend’s fictional anti-hero turns 40 next year. Quadrophenia was eventually made into a 1979 cinematic presentation staring Police bassist Sting as Ace Face.

Early Who singles were styled as recordings for the popular Mod market genre. Competing contenders as British Mod outfits were both The Kinks and The Small Faces. Ringo Starr may have delivered the best line in 1964 about the Mod lifestyle confrontations in the film A Hard Day’s Night when asked by a female reporter if he was a Mod or a Rocker. Starr replied, “I’m a Mocker”.

Both Roger Daltrey’s vocals and Pete Townshend’s vocals were exceedingly stronger than during the course of the last Who tour. Plus, Townshend’s forceful guitar assault eclipsed his playing style from the Endless Wire shows. The core band consists of Zachary Starkey on drums, Simon Townshend on guitar, and Pino Palladino on bass. The touring ensemble includes John Corey and Loren Gold on keyboards, Reggie Grisham and J. Greg Miller as the Brass Section, and Frank Simes on guitar.

As a value-added bonus, The Who continued the concert without hesitation by segueing directly into five major Who classics sure to make the most loyal Who fan salivate for more musical treasures. Two incredible highlights were the inclusion of John Entwistle’s bombastic Bass solo during “5:15″, and Keith Moon’s humorous vocals spliced into “Bell Boy”. Daltrey labored to interject these live archived sequences into the Quadrophenia + More Tour production, and Townshend personally recognized Roger for his efforts to create both poignant segments before their lone encore together.

The Who, Verizon Center, Washington, DC, November 13, 2012 setlist: I Am The Sea * The Real Me * Quadrophenia * Cut My Hair * The Punk Meets The Godfather * I’m One (At least) (Pete Townshend vocal) * The Dirty Jobs (Simon Tonwshend vocal) * Helpless Dancer (Roger’s Theme) * Is It In My Head * I’ve Had Enough * 5:15 (Entwistle bass solo) * Sea And Sand * Drowned (Pete Townshend vocal) * Bell Boy (Keith’s Theme – Moon’s vocals) * Dr. Jimmy (John’s Theme) * The Rock * Love, Reign O’er Me (Pete’s Theme) * Who Are You * Behind Blue Eyes * Pinball Wizard * Baba O’Riley * Won’t Get Fooled Again * Encore: Tea And Theater

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Breakfast on the Road: Roger Hodgson Live

Monday, November 12th, 2012 by The Professor

Legendary composer Roger Hodgson is entertaining enthusiastic audiences

- by Radio RockonTour host Timothy Tilghman

Roger Hodgson formerly from Supertramp is currently embarking on his first solo tour featuring an outstanding support band. The backing musicians include Kevin Adamson on keyboards, David Carpenter on bass, Bryan Head on drums, and Aaron MacDonald providing his talents as a multi-instrumentalist embellishing the Hodgson compositions on stage.

Hodgson’s popular Breakfast In America Tour arrived in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, on Friday, November 9, 2012. The band sounded flawless in performance as if it was practically studio perfect. The modern wonders of technology breathe inspired life into the classic Supertramp catalogue penned by Roger Hodgson. One is left to image what The Beatles might have achieved soundwise if this state of the art equipment had been available to them on tour almost five decades ago.

Hodgson himself segued between keyboards, a 12 string acoustic guitar and onto Grand Piano in sharing his musical gift with the Franklin County crowd. Without question, the exceptional level of musicianship presented by Hodgson and company simply topped off the scale. The sparse stage motif left the music to do all the convincing that if you missed Breakfast, then you missed the most important musical fuel out on the touring circuit.

Blending his Supertramp singles with choice solo material selections, the Grove Theatre patrons erupted in appreciative applause throughout the evening. It’s wonderfully rare that a seasoned artist delivers an entire repertoire at such high caliber. The positive impact of love as a powerful theme in music is truly compelling. The Shippensburg venue is a fantastic facility to enjoy intimate concerts, and Hodgson was well suited to appear here.

Hodgson prefaced many of his songs by revealing personal insight into composing his material. He sang four stellar tracks from the 1979 classic album Breakfast In America. A real treat was hearing “The Awakening” accompanied on his 12 string acoustic guitar, an unrecorded tune that Hodgson said is an invaluable lesson about forgiveness. The beautiful melody and touching sentiment exemplify his hallmark traits as a quality composer among his celebrated peers.

Although the ecstatic audience stood up for several standing ovations during the evening performance, it was at the end of the night that Hodgson encouraged his fans to enjoy themselves by standing and clapping along with his second encore. As the lights went up so did the house in unison as Hodgson launched into “Give A Little Bit” ensuring everybody was motivated by its infectious chorus.

Grove Theater, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, November 9, 2012 setlist: Take The Long Way Home * School * In Jeopardy * Lovers In the Wind * Hide In Your Shell * Easy Does It * Sister Moonshine * Breakfast In America * Lady * Rosie Had Everything Planned * The Logical Song * intermission * Child Of Vision * Lord Is It Mine * Death And A Zoo * If Everyone Is Listening * The Awakening * Don't Leave Me Now * Dreamer * Fool’s Overture * Encore: The Two Of Us * Give A Little Bit

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The Scottish Firecracker: Sheena Easton Live

Monday, October 22nd, 2012 by The Professor

Sheena Easton graces an intimate stage in Hanover

-by Radio RockonTour host Timothy Tilghman

`80′s singing sensation Sheena Easton came to Hanover, Maryland, on October 18, 2012. All dolled up in a tight black pantsuit, she no longer flaunts her sexy attributes, now projecting a subtle matronly image on stage these days. However, her accent is just as saucy and alluring still fueling Easton’s ageless feminine magnetism.

Not exactly a disco-pop-rocker these days, Easton has switched stage gears appearing as a casual cabaret act. Joe Sparker is the tour’s musical director handling keyboards and backing vocals. Her support musicians are Dave Hart on guitar, Eric Tewalt on Saxophone, flute and backing vocals, Phillip Ingram on vocals, and hometown champion Earl Campbell on drums.

Easton jovially interacted with the house crowd talking openly about herself, her popular singing career, and her displeasure about aging with her 54th birthday looming soon on the horizon. She eagerly thanked everyone for coming out on a school night to party with her in concert. After she paused in performance to sip her tea, she quipped it was from Long Island.

Easton’s repertoire contained several cover songs. She even commented herself confirming that it had been quite a while since she had a hit single cresting on the top of the charts. Both Easton and Phillip Ingram shared duet vocals on a couple of love ballads together. Her engaging personae was sprightly and sparked spontaneous laughter throughout the Thursday night with her loyal fans.

Easton polled the patrons on whether she should sing her slutty songs on stage. They roared in approval for her to do so. Unfortunately, her lackluster dance-beat medley of “U Got The Look”, “Sugar Walls” and “The Glamorous Life” was rather disappointing in delivery. It was her signature Top 40 hits that were the highlights of her appearance. The vivacious “Strut”, “Morning Train”, and 007 classic “For Your Eyes Only” were truly the tiptop tunes of the entire evening.

Rams Head Center Stage is essentially a brand new venue that opened recently in Anne Arundel County. However, there were some impaired visual blind spots depending on far from center view one was seated inside. The show went on too quickly really, but a splendid time was had by all, and her audience clearly enjoyed themselves seeing their beloved icon.

Sheena Easton, Rams Head Center Stage,  Hanover, Maryland October 18, 2012 setlist: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher * Almost Over You * The Lover In Me * How Deep Is The Ocean * How Sweet It Is * U Got The Look > Sugar Walls > The Glamorous Life * We’ve Got Tonight * Strut * In The Winter * Say A Little Prayer > House Is Not A Home > One Less Bell To Answer * Telefone (Long Distance Affair) * 9 To 5 (Morning Train) * Anyway * For Your Eyes Only

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