2005 concert season in review
Posted: December 26, 2005 6:14 pm
Hey everybody,
I'm a big fan of live music and I generally attend quite a few live shows every year. I'd be interested to hear what shows everybody else attended in 2005 and what show(s) you thought were the best.
Living just a few miles from Great Woods, many of the shows I attend are of big acts which are able to fill up the Tweeter Center. I do enjoy attending club and theater shows also, but its just so convenient for me to head to Great Woods during the summer. In fact, being so close, my friends and I often attend shows that we're not even that interested in. Its kind of like going to the movies for us sometimes. If we get bored, we sometimes just head over there.
Anyways....here are the shows I attended in 2005...
The Eagles - Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Bob Dylan - Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA
Sting - Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH
Stevie Nicks/Don Henley - Great Woods
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA
Tom Petty/Black Crowes - Great Woods
Jimmy Buffett - Great Woods
Steve Winwood - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH
James Taylor - Great Woods
John Mellencamp/John Fogerty - Meadows Music, Hartford, CT
Buddy Guy/Eric Johnson - Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA
Dave Matthews Band - Great Woods
Big Summer Classic (String Cheese Incident) - Great Woods
Allman Brothers - Great Woods
Steve Miller Band w/Bob Weir - Great Woods
Umphrey's McGee - Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
Bruce Springsteen - Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Paul McCartney - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
U2 - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
Steve Winwood - Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA
Dave Matthews Band - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
And as for the best....I will rank a top 5...
1. Eagles
2. Steve Winwood
3. Paul McCartney
4. U2
5. Jimmy Buffett (June 22)
When judging live shows, I try to take into account the length of the show, set list, and overall energy of the artist and audience. The Eagles simply put on a stunning show. Anybody who has seen the Farewell 1 DVD can attest to how good it was. I was never even a big Eagles fan until I saw them for the first time live. If you get the chance to catch them live, go for it. Ticket prices are usually steep, but they put on a 3+ hour show with a great setlist.
Steve Winwood was really surprising to me. I had always loved him growing up as a young kid in the 80's and I saw him for the first time live this year. Considering how long this guy has been around between Spencer Davis, Traffic, Blind Faith, and his solo career, you'd think he'd be showing his age. Not so....he put on a nearly 3 hour show with an awesome selection of songs from all phases of his career. And his voice sounds just as good as ever. A GREAT backing band as well. I can't wait to see him again.
What can you say about McCartney? It was pretty amazing hearing all his songs live for the first time. It almost didn't seem real being able to experience this guy live and in person. And he didn't dissapoint. He played over 35 songs in a 3 hour performance. His backing band is really great as well. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand.
As for U2, I will freely admit I am not the biggest U2 fan in the world. I do enjoy some of their stuff, but I really wanted to see them live simply for all the hype they get about their live shows. They really did put on a great performance and the energy these guys display had the arena rocking. The energy level didn't drop all night and the special stage effects and lighting really make for a memorable night. I think they really do deserve a lot of the praise they get for their live shows.
And how can I leave Jimmy off the list? The Wednesday show he put on was really special. Anybody who was there can tell you there were something special going on that night. The setlist was especially good. Anybody who attended both Great Woods shows this year can tell you Wednesday was the one to see.
This isn't to say that other shows weren't good. Steve Miller hadn't done an extended tour in nearly 5 years so I was anxious to hear if his voice had suffered at all. Nope...this was a really good show and it was really cool to see he and Bob Weir do an amazing version of "Fly Like an Eagle" together. Bruce Springsteen's acoustic show was also very special. He did an impressive job of turning an arena into his own private living room. You could hear a pin drop that night. The crowd was into every word he sang. And as usual, James Taylor put on a fantastic show. There aren't many better ways to spend a warm summer evening than with James Taylor. It was also very cool seeing the pairings of Don Henley/Stevie Nicks as well as John Mellencamp & John Fogerty.
Anybody else have any favorite shows from 2005?
I'm a big fan of live music and I generally attend quite a few live shows every year. I'd be interested to hear what shows everybody else attended in 2005 and what show(s) you thought were the best.
Living just a few miles from Great Woods, many of the shows I attend are of big acts which are able to fill up the Tweeter Center. I do enjoy attending club and theater shows also, but its just so convenient for me to head to Great Woods during the summer. In fact, being so close, my friends and I often attend shows that we're not even that interested in. Its kind of like going to the movies for us sometimes. If we get bored, we sometimes just head over there.
Anyways....here are the shows I attended in 2005...
The Eagles - Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Bob Dylan - Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA
Sting - Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH
Stevie Nicks/Don Henley - Great Woods
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA
Tom Petty/Black Crowes - Great Woods
Jimmy Buffett - Great Woods
Steve Winwood - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH
James Taylor - Great Woods
John Mellencamp/John Fogerty - Meadows Music, Hartford, CT
Buddy Guy/Eric Johnson - Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA
Dave Matthews Band - Great Woods
Big Summer Classic (String Cheese Incident) - Great Woods
Allman Brothers - Great Woods
Steve Miller Band w/Bob Weir - Great Woods
Umphrey's McGee - Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
Bruce Springsteen - Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Paul McCartney - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
U2 - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
Steve Winwood - Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA
Dave Matthews Band - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
And as for the best....I will rank a top 5...
1. Eagles
2. Steve Winwood
3. Paul McCartney
4. U2
5. Jimmy Buffett (June 22)
When judging live shows, I try to take into account the length of the show, set list, and overall energy of the artist and audience. The Eagles simply put on a stunning show. Anybody who has seen the Farewell 1 DVD can attest to how good it was. I was never even a big Eagles fan until I saw them for the first time live. If you get the chance to catch them live, go for it. Ticket prices are usually steep, but they put on a 3+ hour show with a great setlist.
Steve Winwood was really surprising to me. I had always loved him growing up as a young kid in the 80's and I saw him for the first time live this year. Considering how long this guy has been around between Spencer Davis, Traffic, Blind Faith, and his solo career, you'd think he'd be showing his age. Not so....he put on a nearly 3 hour show with an awesome selection of songs from all phases of his career. And his voice sounds just as good as ever. A GREAT backing band as well. I can't wait to see him again.
What can you say about McCartney? It was pretty amazing hearing all his songs live for the first time. It almost didn't seem real being able to experience this guy live and in person. And he didn't dissapoint. He played over 35 songs in a 3 hour performance. His backing band is really great as well. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand.
As for U2, I will freely admit I am not the biggest U2 fan in the world. I do enjoy some of their stuff, but I really wanted to see them live simply for all the hype they get about their live shows. They really did put on a great performance and the energy these guys display had the arena rocking. The energy level didn't drop all night and the special stage effects and lighting really make for a memorable night. I think they really do deserve a lot of the praise they get for their live shows.
And how can I leave Jimmy off the list? The Wednesday show he put on was really special. Anybody who was there can tell you there were something special going on that night. The setlist was especially good. Anybody who attended both Great Woods shows this year can tell you Wednesday was the one to see.
This isn't to say that other shows weren't good. Steve Miller hadn't done an extended tour in nearly 5 years so I was anxious to hear if his voice had suffered at all. Nope...this was a really good show and it was really cool to see he and Bob Weir do an amazing version of "Fly Like an Eagle" together. Bruce Springsteen's acoustic show was also very special. He did an impressive job of turning an arena into his own private living room. You could hear a pin drop that night. The crowd was into every word he sang. And as usual, James Taylor put on a fantastic show. There aren't many better ways to spend a warm summer evening than with James Taylor. It was also very cool seeing the pairings of Don Henley/Stevie Nicks as well as John Mellencamp & John Fogerty.
Anybody else have any favorite shows from 2005?
Both in Tampa...both excellent!
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