« February 2008 | Main | May 2008 »
March 28, 2008
The Subdudes at FTC
I headed over to the Fairfield Theatre Company Thursday night to check out some of the show by The Subdudes and was very glad I went.
In the past, I had listened to a few of the group’s records, but never really warmed to the five-piece from New Orleans. As expected, the music of The Subdudes came alive on the stage and the near-capacity crowd was all smiles.
I didn’t know any of the songs The Subdudes played, but it didn’t matter. I was enjoying the show almost as much as the group’s long-time fans in attendance, who shouted out requests and other in-jokes only a true fan would understand.
There’s just this great vibe when FTC is packed and it’s probably the best venue for music-lovers in Fairfield and New Haven counties. It only holds 200 people, so tickets are a tad more expensive, but it’s truly a great musical experience to see a show there.
Maybe there’s something about artists from the New Orleans area that just doesn’t translate well onto record, a spark missing that can only be found in concert. I felt the same general disinterest before seeing Marcia Ball and BeauSoleil at Fairfield University’s Quick Center a few weeks back and was rewarded with two sets of great music.
If you don’t know already, Marcia Ball is coming back to Fairfield — this time at FTC — for a concert on June 6 and I suggest you check her out.
Also, Louisiana bluesman Tab Benoit — whose music I love on record and in concert — is coming back to FTC on May 30. Don’t miss out.
Posted by Sean on 8:04 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2008
Los Lobos at Shubert
For years, I had wanted to see Los Lobos in concert, so I was pretty pumped up for the group’s appearance at last summer’s Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport.
I have to admit, I left Seaside Park just a little disappointed that night.
Don’t get me wrong, the band sounded great, but the members seemed to be a little laid back, almost feeding off the atmosphere of the festival. They didn’t appear to have a set list and would come together after each song to — and I’m guessing here — talk about what they were going to do next.
When they played, everything was fine, but it did have the appearance of a show that was just slapped together.
I had another shot to see Los Lobos when it performed Saturday night at the Shubert in New Haven and, I’m glad to say, I can’t think of anything negative to say about this concert.
The group was tight — as you would expect from a band that’s been together for more than three decades — and the song selection was superb. All the tunes worked well together, with singer-guitarists David Hidalgo and Cesar Rojas splitting the vocals.
Everything worked and the very receptive crowd was into it from the start. These were dedicated fans, calling out requests for songs that probably never received any airplay. In other words, nobody was shouting for “La Bamba.”
There were a few Los Lobos favorites that I wish they had played — “Will the Wolf Survive?,” “One Time One Night, ” “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes” and “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee),” to name a few — but that doesn’t detract one iota from the good feelings I had long after the two-hour show ended.
As for “La Bamba,” the band’s cover of the Ritchie Valens classic, it didn’t make the set list Saturday night and no one seemed to mind. A bit odd that a group could get away with omitting its biggest hit, but it happened.
Posted by Sean on 4:59 PM | Comments (0)
March 9, 2008
Command performance
Friday night, it was back to the Fairfield Theatre Company for a show from The Commander Cody Band, which I have missed on its previous stops at the venue. It turns out, I had been missing out on a lot.
What a fun time it is when the Commander takes the stage, though you would hardly know it from watching him amble up there. Not to be too unkind, but the veteran rocker looks every bit his 60-plus years . . . and then some.
Still, he and his bandmates put on a heck of a good-time concert. I wasn't too familiar with Commander Cody's music other than what I know from seeing a few concerts at FTC by Bill Kirchen, the guitar wizard from Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.
It was fun to listen to Commander Cody's versions of several of the same songs as Kirchen, naturally, focuses on his Telecaster and Commander Cody plays keyboards. I must confess that, as much as I enjoyed Friday night's event, Kirchen's live show is still the better of the two.
Friday night's opening act, Professor Louie and the Crowmatix, was almost as much fun. I had seen this group before, at a WPKN fundraiser in Newtown about six years ago, so I kind of knew what to expect.
Apparently, I forgot how solid this band is. With Professor Louie at the keys and, later on, accordion, the FTC crowd was treated to an uplifting performance, highlighted by a cover of The Band's "Ophelia."
Professor Louie and the Crowmatix hails from the Woodstock, N.Y., area and worked with The Band on its final three records, as well as solo discs from Garth Hudson and Rick Danko. If memory serves, Hudson accompanied the band at that WPKN fundraiser.
The set switched from fun and loose to respectful and poignant when Professor Louie dedicated a song to deceased bassist-singer Danko, the title track from the posthumous release "Times Like These." Very touching.
Posted by Sean on 11:48 PM | Comments (0)
Coco concert continued
As I mentioned in my previous posting, I left the Fairfield Theatre Company after three hours Friday night, before bluesman Coco Montoya finished his show. A friend of mine who was in attendance e-mailed Saturday to tell me what I missed. In his words, "not much."
He did say that the concert ended around midnight and that blues artist Debbie Davies, who now calls Derby home, joined Montoya for a few songs. That shouldn't have come as a surprise since the two guitarists have worked together in the past and are both graduates of the late Albert Collins' band.
It's just a shame that, according to my spy, only about 50 or so people made it to the end of the show to see those two collaborate.
Posted by Sean on 3:12 PM | Comments (0)
March 7, 2008
Coco concert at FTC
I went to see bluesman Coco Montoya at the Fairfield Theatre Company Thursday night and I must say I left a little confused. Did people drop $42 to see opening act Johnny A. or to see the headliner?
I left the office a little late, so Johnny A. was already on stage when I arrived at the 7:30 show at a little before 8. The Boston-based guitarist led his trio through an extended set of instrumentals, which were both clever and engaging.
He did some very imaginative covers of Jimi Hendrix’s “The Wind Cries Mary” and Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman,” as well as some interesting originals.
The crowd thoroughly enjoyed his time on stage, but it just went on way too long for an opening act. Montoya didn’t even hit the stage until nearly 10 and, on a weeknight, that’s way too late.
Montoya also had the misfortune of technical difficulties at the onset of his show, which was plagued by nasty feedback and monitors that weren’t working right. The crowd was growing increasingly restless as the bugs were worked out.
For those unfamiliar with Montoya, he’s an electric bluesman of the highest order, having served time with the late great Albert Collins on his way up. He’s also worked on a few projects with Derby resident Debbie Davies, another Collins alum.
Montoya is on tour to promote his latest album, “Dirty Deal,” and, once he got going, he was mesmerizing. The man can flat out play and he matches that with an incredibly soulful voice.
That was why it was kind of sad to see members of the audience leaving early. He deserved better. More to the point, he deserved to go on at a decent hour. Maybe there was something going on backstage that I’m not aware of, but the supposed star of the show should not be hitting the stage nearly 2½ hours after the concert’s start.
I must admit that, as much as I enjoyed Montoya’s performance, I couldn’t stick it out to the end, either. I was supposed to meet up with a friend to go over plans for an upcoming Boston trip, so at 11:15, when the concert should have been long finished, I left.
I just wonder what Montoya, after battling through the show’s early problems, thought when the house lights went up and he noticed that half of the crowd had departed. I hope he didn’t take it as too much of an insult, but what can you do? Some people just can’t stay out all night and get up early for work.
The late start wasn’t fair to Montoya or the people that shelled out the money to see him.
Posted by Sean on 6:26 PM | Comments (0)
