SWEET - Rush R30 DVD

Picked up the new Rush R30 DVD, and I am very pleased with it. The picture is crystal clear and rich in color. The editing is much less frenetic than on the Rush In Rio DVD, which is great because the camera lingers a little longer on each member during each shot. The set list was a bit different than Rio, and included some of the surprises from the tour. "Between The Wheels" was a definite highlight, as was "Mystic Rhythms". I'm one of the few Rush fans that really loves the Power Windows CD, so it was a pleasure to hear them play a deep cut from that one. I was able to catch the R30 tour when they came to town, and it was nice to see it captured on film. My only real gripe is that they chose to include so many of the cover numbers that they rolled out during the tour, in support of the Feedback album. I know that as part of their 30th anniversary they wanted to explore their roots and share that experience with the fans, but I'd rather see them play their own material.

Another highlight for me was seeing them play "Xanadu". This has always been one of my favorite Rush tunes, and they just kill on this song. I'd love to see them do "A Farewell To Kings" sometime, but I'm not sure if Geddy can still sing that song night in and night out.

What I've seen of the second disc was a blast. I haven't watched the interviews yet, but the archive footage is fantastic. All in all, I love the discs and packaging. Another nice addition to the collection.

SWEET - Gov't Mule at the Orpheum

Wow. Many thanks to my bud Terry for asking me to come along for this show. He got us front row seats right in front of Warren Haynes. We were also able to get in and watch the sound check thanks to one of Terry's friends, Phil. Phil knows Carter Allen from WBCN and a gal named Karen from WZLX, who was kind enough to get us in for the sound check. The band ran through a couple of slower tunes, then ripped it up for a minute or so on a loud one so they could get levels. Then Warren wanted to get a good sound for doing some acoustic numbers, so he and the sound guy, along with his guitar tech, worked on getting rid of too much low end on the acoustic. They got this sorted out for the most part, then Warren thanked everyone for coming.

The show started with Warren doing two solo acoustic numbers, which was amazing. Sitting right in front, it was a spectacular site to see Warren lit up from behind by a row of blue gobo lights. For the next number they were switched to magenta, which was equally beautiful. Then the rest of the band came out and they launched into the first set, playing a nice mix of fast and slow tunes, always with a heavy groove. I'm still getting to know the Mule, so I don't know many of their songs by name yet. They ended up playing quite a few covers as well, including "Livin' Lovin' Maid", part of "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and "Maybe I'm Amazed", all of which were incredible. The highlight of the show for me was a slow tune which ended with an extended slide solo by Warren, a haunting piece in minor. They did some really rocking jams as well, and the vibe in the audience was similar to the audience at the Allman Brothers show, lots of smiles and dancing, people living life as it was meant to be lived.

BITTER - Too long since my last post

Damn, I can't believe it's been over a year since I last made an entry here. Lots has happened. My job has been intense and wonderful, putting in tons of hours. My son's having a blast playing hockey. My wife is getting more involved in politics as a progressive Democrat.

In music, I ended up stopping jazz guitar lessons after work got so hectic, but I had gotten into a routine of playing almost every morning before work. I was making great progress, but work got even more intense, and I started slacking again. Trying to redouble my efforts now and get back into a routine. I had changed my picking style completely after struggling with speed and accuracy for many years. When I first started playing, I gripped the pick with my thumb, index and middle finger. An early teacher told me I would have more success using a more traditional grip of thumb and index finger alone, so I went in that direction, always playing even up and down strokes. Unfortunately, I've always had trouble jumping strings that way. Finally, earlier this year, I was able to catch Steve Morse playing with Dixie Dregs and The Steve Morse Band. I remembered that Steve uses the three finger grip like I used to, and he has such amazing speed and control. I decided to dedicate some time to trying it out again, and it has done wonders for my picking style. I have a lot more strength, speed, and accuracy, and I'm able to do string jumps much easier, which is great for arpeggios. Thanks Steve!!

Speaking of guitar gods, I was able to see Allan Holdsworth this year as well. Talk about other-worldy. I had the opportunity to see Allan years ago and was blown away then, and he is even better now. His band was smokin', but the sound was unfortunately quite bad. Still, a treat to be able to see a master at close range in an intimate setting.

I also went to see The Allman Brothers Band for the first time, thanks to my bud Terry (who was also responsible for my seeing Steve and Allan). What an amazing show. The vibe was great, it was like being back in the 70's again. People dancing and laughing, a lot of pot floating around, and a packed house at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheater in Mansfield, MA. They put on a great show, and there was some monster playing by the entire band. I'm going to see Gov't Mule on Friday night, again thanks to Terry. Can't wait for that.

That's mostly it for me for now, I'll post again after the Mule concert, and hopefully be more regular at updating this.