Vegas was terrible

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boatdrinks84
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by boatdrinks84 »

There were some noticeable issues at Key West/Vegas but Alpine was only seven months ago and I thought they killed it there.
LandSharkEric
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by LandSharkEric »

I thought the second Vegas show (March 11) was outstanding, although definitely a few songs shorter than typical in previous years.

If JB can keep doing the big arena shows, great. If he slims down to 12-15 sets with a smaller band and plays some deeper cuts, great. If he decides (or something forces him to) retire, I'll wish him well and say thanks for the memories.

But for now and into the foreseeable future, if he's playing a concert anywhere near me (or if I can make a special trip, like Vegas) I will be there. And I'll be shopping at the M'ville stores, eating at the restaurants, and staying in the hotels too, for as long as I can.
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Las Vegas, 2023

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parrothappy
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by parrothappy »

I have been going to see Jimmy live for over forty years and can't say that I ever saw him do a bad show. Bad venues, yes, but never a bad show. On the other hand, some shows were better than others. Alpine Valley 2019 was one of his best shows ever as the sold-out audience (about 39,000 fans) seemed to feed his energy and stoke his performance. You could see how humbled he was as the crowd roared its approval at the end of the show. It was a magical night.

Jimmy evidently had some serious health issues late last year that I suspect he has not fully recovered from. The Alpine set last year was 28 songs while the maximum so far this year was 25 and the minimum was nineteen. Twenty-eight to nineteen is a reduction nearly one-third of the songs. Will the shows return to their previous length as the summer progresses, or will this be the new normal? If you check the prices for tickets at the May 6, San Diego show, only the nose-bleed seats are under $100. Main floor seats (not including resale, scalper tickets) run $130 to $180. I don't know how he can justify higher and higher ticket prices (we paid about $150 per pavilion seat at Alpine last year) with a rather substantial reduction in the length of the show. When does the price finally exceed the value? That depends on the individual. Unless I can tailgate for the afternoon at someplace like Alpine, I probably won't be attending his shows in the future.

The show has become rather stale with Mac's "Little Martha" and "Southern Cross" being way over subscribed. Michael Utley's son on keyboards last year did not improve the band and he seemed to be off with his timing, rarely on que and it was noticeable and almost annoying.

Shorter shows seem to be a trend with many of the "classic" acts from the 70's and 80's who are in their 70's and who are slowing down. I'll be 72 in a couple of months and admire all of their stamina and energy. We saw Z Z Top in Peoria two nights ago and their show was one sixty-minute set with a short break and a fifteen-minute encore, encompassing 15 songs. While the show was entertaining, I was rather surprised at the length of performance. The Eagles still command top dollar and their "Hotel California" tour delivered with the music and the length of the show last year. The same can be said for the Doobie Brothers 50th anniversary tour which is still on-going and worth the money. The difference may be that The Eagles and Doobie Brothers have multiple musicians who can sing lead as opposed to Billy Gibbons and Jimmy who are basically out there doing almost all of the vocals. That can't be easy.

My wife and I have gravitated towards bands like The String Cheese Incident, Billy Strings, Green Sky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters, the Sam Bush Band and other "jam" band over the last five years or so. The level of musicianship in these bands is incredible and most of them do a completely different set each night. All of these bands do at least a two-set show with an encore and shows clock-in at least 2 hours and 30 minutes in length not including the 15-20 intermissions between the sets. And don't think they are strictly "bluegrass" bands. They are not. Particularly SCI who does everything from bluegrass to reggae to rock to jazz to funk and anything in between. And they do original compositions and covers of artists such as Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, Peter Rowan, Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead and others. Further, tickets for most shows are in the $50 range but can be more in smaller venues. Our musical tastes had become stagnant, and we needed a change. I was amazed at what was out there that I had ignored for so long. I have attached a video of SCI with Billy Strings at Delfest in 2019.



Jimmy and his music have been the soundtrack of my life for over forty years, and I deeply appreciate all of the entertainment and good times that he has provided over the years. Jimmy at Alpine is a hard show to not attend and we will probably go this year if he plays there. But if he does Wrigley Field or Northerly Island in Chicago, my money will go to someone else.
"The 4th of July, alright. Happy Birthday America. How much beer do you think was drunk in America today......two six-packs...three?"

Jimmy on July 4th, 1980 in Minneapolis
JHNC
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by JHNC »

I'm interested, why would Wrigley Field be a pass? It seemed like it would be an interesting place to see him.

The best show I've seen was in April 2001 in Raleigh, been following since 1975. We had second row center seats and he had the bigger band, musically I thought it was great. Since then I've heard some live versions of the songs on Radio M'ville and my impression was on target. I also liked that they did Hot Hot Hot live.
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by Caribbean Soul »

JHNC wrote: April 12, 2023 8:19 pm I'm interested, why would Wrigley Field be a pass? It seemed like it would be an interesting place to see him.

The best show I've seen was in April 2001 in Raleigh, been following since 1975. We had second row center seats and he had the bigger band, musically I thought it was great. Since then I've heard some live versions of the songs on Radio M'ville and my impression was on target. I also liked that they did Hot Hot Hot live.
I also have VERY fond memories of the 2001 tour. We were front row center at Great Woods and Jimmy had several exchanges with us, paying most attention to our then 12 y/o daughter, who still has the beachball he handed directly to her at the end of the show! He still had the full horn section then and the sound was amazing! We've been to many shows since then and are enjoying the hi-def M-vile TV broadcasts now, but so far nothing can compete! I wish him all the best and hope his health allows him to continue to do what he loves - and a big part of that is performing however scaled down it may be!
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by Bucarader »

I’ve been feeling this way since pre-COVID. The hey days of Jimmy being “on” ended around 2015. I think of all the amazing shows I saw in the 1990s, 2000s, and early 2010s. I know he loves touring, but he misses the lyrics and timing a lot now.

s***, he’s old and that’s ok! And I get it.

FWIW, we also saw Jack Johnson last summer and he was good. Really good!
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Mplsfins
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by Mplsfins »

I felt the same way when he opened for the Eagles at Target Field. It was a short set do to being the opener but it just seemed
like he was there for the payday. No enthusiasm at all from the band or half the crowd. Big letdown for me. But the Eagles were good but
I was there to see Jimmy.
DiverDan
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by DiverDan »

Just for discussion, or if anyone is listening, I thought I would throw out an idea to see what anyone thinks. JB needs to pace himself a little during the shows, and when we lose one of our favorite performers he likes to pay tribute to them in the show. So why not feature some of the band members? We all like them and I’m sure they would love it. Here's what I'm thinking, what are your suggestions? Feature Robert, Utley and John Lovell on a version of “Birdland” (Wayne Shorter) Let Peter Mayer sing “Wooden Ships” (Crosby, and we can drop “Southern Cross”) Nadirah could sing “Simply the Best” (or any Tina Turner song) Tina could to a Burt Bacharach song (many to choose from) and maybe she could duet on “Trip Around the Sun” Of course, JB could to a Gordon Lightfoot song.
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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by C4Parrothead »

I'll say it...This is a tired A$$ thread!

Y'all can focus on whatever negative aspect of the s*** you want. But how many fans can say they got to see their guy, OUR GUY, year-in-year out for 45+ years. Not many.

To quote the man: "It takes no more time to focus on the good side of life than to see the bad."

If you don't like it. Great. Tip your cap, say Thank You. And move on!

Quit ruining the party for the rest of us.

"NOT YET!"

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Re: Vegas was terrible

Post by Mplsfins »

I've seen Kiss every year since 1977...Point?
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