Patti Smith/Neil Young@Barclays Center

[pensodyssey]

Obviously lessons were not learned as we once again arrived late, after Patti Smith had started her set.  Got to our seats just as she was finishing "Because the night", then she did a medley of Horses and was generally kick ass in her Patti Smithness.  Was too far up to see the sweat beading on her mustache, unfortunately.

Neil Young was pretty good; it's apparent to me after 2 shows and three different acts that the artists aren't all that into the space.  It's cavernous, for sure, and the sound is horrible, something I didn't notice too much at Rush because we were a lot closer.  He did "Powderfinger" and "Needle and the damage done" and a few other oldies; including his "Ontario" song which caused me to grin like the proverbial butcher's dog because all I could think of was otis being cheesy and canadian and all that.  No encores from either act.

I mentioned we were high up; the seats go practically straight up in the 200 level.  During the intermission I went to get a couple of $10 beers and a hot dog for mrs. od.  When I got back, I was sitting down with the food tray in my lap; two guys were right behind me, in the same row, too close for me to stand up to let them by.  So I pushed as far back as I could in the seat, the first guy passed by ok (stinking of pot, I noticed) but the second guy caught his feet between the seats and went ass-over-kilter down, straight down, bouncing off the heads of all the people below until he caught himself about two rows from the drop off.  He and everyone else was ok, though he left thereafter. Kinda put a damper on the night, almost watching some dude fall to his death.

[otismalibu]

During the intermission I went to get a couple of $10 beers and a hot dog for mrs. od.

You didn't.

[pensodyssey]

During the intermission I went to get a couple of $10 beers and a hot dog for mrs. od.

You didn't.

What?  Her whole family needed passports.

Just kidding.  It was shorthand.

[Finnegans Wake]

That's a cool combo.

Still surprised you saw Rush. 

[pensodyssey]

Still surprised you saw Rush. 

Don't hate.

[jonzr]

Kinda put a damper on the night, almost watching some dude fall to his death.

No doubt man.  You shoulda shoved a bit harder.

mrs. od.  

Did I miss something here?  When was this?

BTW, sounds like a cool show.  I love Neil Young, only saw him once, back in the 80's during the International Harvesters phase.  Greatness.

[pensodyssey]

Did I miss something here?  When was this?

I am not married.  Perhaps I should have said, "mrs." od.

[jonzr]

Did I miss something here?  When was this?

I am not married.  Perhaps I should have said, "mrs." od.

Oh, OK.  Just making sure.  Thought I'd passed through a time warp or something.

[Finnegans Wake]

Still surprised you saw Rush. 

Don't hate.

I was 15 once, too! 

[Finnegans Wake]

BTW, not starting my own thread, but rarely get out to shows any more, various reasons, but Tedeschi Trucks Band came around last Friday so a buddy and I caught them.  Really enjoyed Revelator, and Derek's playing with the Allmans when I saw them in Hershey.  TTB also does the 2-drummer thing, keys, Derek and Susan both on guitar, bass, sax, trumpet, trombone, and 2 backup singers.  And a partridge in a pear tree, right?  Thing is, they really do a nice job of blending styles, not just bluesy stuff, but some James Brown style funks, some Miles nods, some jam band sprawls, some Aretha type soul, and it all seems to work without sweating over it too much.  They take a song and break it down, small group of musicians playing off each other, slowly building it back up, building dynamics, with great showmanship from the horn section especially.  Five different folks took turns singing, but Susan is clearly the belter.  And Derek Trucks, man, I don't know if there's anyone around right now who plays as well.  Completely immersed in the music, not the spotlight.  Guitar can be a whisper, or sound like 100 miles of hot road tar.

Reminds me why we need to see live music.  Because in the MP3 era, we need to remember that music is not small.  It wasn't necessarily a LOUD concert, but it was too much life to contain into a compressed file.  People in the front row filming with their iPhones, fools, you can't fit something that big into your little phones.  Didn't even smoke anything, but had a nice high when I left off the music.  Been a while.

Oh, and the fact that Susan is the second best guitar player in the band ain't much of a diss on her playing.  She can slash it out.  Every last one of 'em was superbly talented.  FFS, the trombone player sang a song, and could have been a lead for most groups.