Sunday, February 8, 2009

START OFF LOUD, ENDING IT SOFTLY

With no new snow this past week and only a small amount predicted overnight, if even that, I decided a trip up to the mountains was not worth it. I figured the time would be better spent working on a project presently underway here at the house. So no party on the pass, but instead the party happened outside the house in the darkness of the night. It was 2 AM by the time I got to bed.

I spent the evening with with Van Halen at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on February 10, 2008, almost exactly a year ago. It is a classically performed show so typical of the 2007/2008 tour, although Dave left out his long winded story towards the end about Kenny and rolling pot seeds down a cover of a Pink Floyd album. Good performance, great sounding audience recording. The taper must have been up front, close to the stage to get this quality. Someone in the crowd off to the left of me was a true fan and kept on calling his name during Eddie's solo performance. I can't be sure but it appeared as though they had technical difficulties two thirds the way through his guitar solo, towards the end of the "Cathederal" segment. It got quiet for a while, the audience seemed to get louder and you can hear what appears to be Eddie faintly playing, or trying to, in the background. For the first time in my listening to shows from this tour, the crowd then begins to chant for Eddie. When the sound was restored, Eddie burst into the second half of his "Eruption" performance real loud, emphasize that he's back.

It was a relatively warm night with a near full moon overhead. The clouds that existed earlier were gone, suggesting that the snow predicted for the mountains was highly unlikely.


Life's fleeting moment
Time when all seems possible
Youths day in the sun

The well has run dry
Yearning replaced by comfort
Cash in on their youth

Eyes closed to focus
He's listening intently
Neither here nor there

Feeling disconnected
Alcohol has set him free
Sails with the music

Modern day poets
Words amplified by music
Joy's tears fill the eyes

The influence of sound
From Bach to the Bunneymen
Good music's timeless

Download it here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8UY2PPI2

The second half of the show was spent with The Killers. What I had to play was an excellent quality acoustic recording of eight of their popular songs. Brandon Flowers' voice comes shining through on this one. A well done and especially pleasing performance. I was wishing there was more of this beautiful stuff to listen to. There is actually more, the Live From Abbey Road acoustic session, but the link I have to that performance was no longer functioning. Something to hunt for when time becomes available.

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