Not everyone is a former Beatle.....
Had a chance to see the
Lee Boys again recently at the Pour House.
Really like their "Sacred Steel" sound.
Robert Randolph and The Family Band was the first time I heard the foot-stomping sounds that can be made on a pedal steel guitar.
Growing up, I had seen country bands on tv turn a guitar on its side, place it in the lap and hear something slightly similar.
But, a full-blown pedal steel is a world of its own!
The link above will give you a sample of what I was enjoying that night at the PoHo.
When I saw them before at Wild Wing in Mt. Pleasant, it was a Lee Family Night.
Several relatives came up on stage and set up additional pedal steels Yowzah!
This night was another family gathering!
Online says they are based in Miami but I would have guessed Charleston - or at least the Lowcountry.
"..we still keep our Miami roots. A lot of us play around here at different churches and concerts. That’s how The Lee Boys give back to Miami after getting so much from the city."
Yes, I too wondered what the words on the front of Chris Johnson's shirt said...so, I Googled it.
It translates as "Crazy Dudes."
Sometimes the name of the opening band is just remembered as "the opener."
People don't feel too bad if they arrive late to the main show.
Maybe stop to have a bite to eat and a drink, knowing what time the headliner will start.
In this case, "the opener" for the Lee Boys included the pedal steel player Chris Johnson who sat in.
Arriving early was an added treat.
Another musical bonus was a surprise Father's Day present from my older daughter in Oakland. California.
I had seen ads for the Amazon "DOT" but didn't realize how quickly it would become a standard feature around the house..especially in the morning in the kitchen.
Setting up the tv to play Bob Dylan on Pandora meant a few steps involving my computer, changing the tv to HDMI1 and using my cell phone.
Now I just say "Alexa, some Bob Dylan music please," and the device starts playing Dylan.
My recent visit to Northern Minnesota is when I learned Bobby D. had been born in Hibbing.
Obviously, he learned how to cover up that Iron Range twang.
Sometimes in music, you don't alway get what you expected.
Went to The Mill in North Charleston to hear The Wilkinson's Quartet., from Austin, Texas
And, yes, I did expect to see four people crowded onto the stage area.
There was plenty of room for half of the quartet and it was the talented part of the group.
At least I liked what I heard from the bassist and guitar and can only guess what the other two added to the mix. Maybe this was a case of a double booking?
The opener before the Tedeschi Trucks Band at the PAC (Performing Arts Center) in North Charleston was introduced and the crowd seemed to know the two.
And the duo played - mandolin and guitar - well.
But I didn't jot down their names and they announced they currently play, not very often, in Oblivion.
Sounded like some kind of musical Witness Protection program.
I had seen Susan and Derek before and enjoyed the evening with them and their band.
I am finding I did not blog about several bands and am trying to do some catch up here.
Yes, I stayed a long, long time writing about all the craft breweries that had opened here and even some hints at a few more on the verge of opening their tap rooms for a taste.
But a lot of music has been enjoyed so I wanted to touch on some.
So pleased with the talent choosing to come to Charleston!
Our venues are varied, we are seeing repeats by name stars and the Coming Musical Attractions are very "attractive."
It's fun to be retired and supporting live music here!
(Click on photos and links for more details.)
Thanks for stopping by.
I've been blogging here for more than 10 years.
Let me know what you think.....
Labels: Amazon DOT, Bobby D., Duo headlining in Oblivion, Lee Boys Sacred Steel, Pandora, pedal steel guitar, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Opener, Wilkinson's Quartet from Austin
Uh oh, caught in the act!
It's one thing to "sneak in" a camera at a music concert.
Most people today carry cell phones so no longer bother with a ""real" camera.
Sometimes you're not sure because the sign says "no flash please."
The ticket might state "no cameras or recording devices."
The
Paul McCartney concert last Thursday in the Atlanta suburb of Duluth made it very clear, the singer - who just turned 75 years old - had no problem with fans taking photos.
When you went through security at the Infinite Energy Center
door, you were asked to place your keys, camera, and phone in the basket. All were returned a moment later.
The smiling crowd complied and we all were pleased with this nice, comforting welcome!
I had been to this Arena before for a Jack Black Tenacious D concert and remembered the steep stairs to the floor level.
So, I bought a tall beer before I ventured down to my 10th-row seat, careful not to slosh and spill my brew.
When the usher escorted me to the proper row, I asked if my memory was correct of beer & bathrooms on this floor level.
She smiled and pointed toward the back, letting me know I didn't have to climb those stairs again!
It was a festive crowd of old and young, some with nostalgia and others new to the McCartney scene since the Beatles.
Many knew him from Wings and there were some probably not aware he was in another band before that!
I had seen McCartney in 2011 in Charlotte and wanted to see if the years since had slowed him down?
Before that, while working as a staff photographer for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, I covered the Beatles 1965 concert as well as the morning zany press conference.
This night I quickly felt "slowing down" was NOT the case and sat back - with my camera - to document how a legend continues to grow and build upon itself.
Himself.
It was quite a well-scripted musical performance. As usual, he started out wearing a coat and open collar but that lasted for only a few songs.
Then he doffed the pale blue coat and started rolling up his sleeves.
He planned a long and energetic night and delivered ALL of that to our delight.
Accompanied by a hard-working drummer, a talented keyboard artist, and two guitarists, the evening was going swell.
The key light stayed on the star of the show and my camera tended to show all the others slightly darker.
Hey, the crowd came to see Sir Paul.
Earlier I added a link to a review of the show so pertinent details appear there.
Click and look, there even is the set list of the 39 songs covered in the three-hour show.
Here is my favorite shot of the night!
A very-spirited, finger-snapping Paul obviously getting good feedback from the audience.
There were more than 3 dozen songs and I want to stress he was on stage, performing on every one of them.
That would be a strain on a much younger man!
His enthusiasm is very evident and I am glad I captured that moment and am able to share it.
Speaking of sharing, I saw a family a few rows in front of me, all costumed as the Sgt. Pepper Band members from 50 years ago!
The videographer roaming the audience doing insert footage noticed them too and they were invited up on the stage to chat with Paul toward the end of the show.
Needless to say, they were ecstatic!
I believe they said they had come down from Kentucky for the show.
Paul asked the 11-year old if she had made her costume and she answered
"no."
He quipped
"You should have lied!"
When they came back to their seats, I gave the dad my card and suggested he email me and I would send some photos of them with McCartney.
The Mom did and I sent several the next day.
A short lady standing in front of me had an interesting REAL FAN tattoo and I asked about it.
She said he had signed her and she had a tattoo artist make it permanent. Well, that's what she told me.
I did notice her white sneakers had THE on the heel of left one and BEATLES on the heel of the right one. And four familiar faces on the front.
I enjoyed the show and am pleased to have pictures I wanted to share.
I have had a blog for 10-years and it's a great place to share my various adventures with others.
Be sure to click on the link and the photos for more details.
Here are some other shots added to the end of this posting. Thanks for stopping by.
* Here's a link to the YouTube capture of
LIVE AND LET DIE, the explosive WINGS song.
This was twice as long - and loud - as what I saw in 2011.
Labels: Beatles super fan, caught in the act of taking photos at a concert, Duluth Arena in a suburb of Atlanta, One on One tour by Paul McCartney, Sgt. Pepper Band family
Looking down on 4th of July fireworks!
A quiet week up in Northern Minnesota, on Lake Vermilion.
Relaxed with my younger daughter Heather and grandson Aiden.
I was so laid back I didn't even try fishing.
Sun came up early (I missed it) but the sunset was right around 10 pm so caught a lot of these scenes.
Another favorite spot was standing on a deck facing the lake, down from the geodesic domes on the family private island.
My son-in-law is a former Marine so this flag is proudly on display often.
The mainland is not very far from the island and the nearest town - Cook, Minnesota - with Pop. 574 - is about 12 miles away. The whole County has 5,286 residents.
The island has varied modes of water travel: a power boat with a 40-hp Mercury outboard engine, a fiberglass paddle boat, and a bicycle-style float to get across to the other side.,
Handy, nearby Cook is where the gas station and general store is conveniently located. The Comet Theatre was founded there in 1939 and notes
"There must be 5 patrons or you pay the difference."
About 25 miles away is the larger town of Virginia, MN - Pop 8,716 - with it's Wal-Mart, Great Clips, various small businesses, and several very nice family-run restaurants.
Now, I'm back on the island for the first time in about 30 years and have not been there ever in the winter. I did live down in the Twin Cities for one year so I have experienced cold weather. "Cold" is when trucks drive on out the ice to deliver materials for summer construction projects. The ice usually "goes out" in April-May.
There are several rustic cabins on the island as well as three hardy and spacious wooden Domes.
My grandson filled most of the space with his various toys in the main dome's Great Room.
The almost 6-year-old was very good at clearing up all of his toys before bedtime. He used an abundance of large, empty, clear plastic containers.
The week on the island offered sunny days, a rainy afternoon, gorgeous sunsets, temps in the 50s and 60s and a slowed pace.
As Charleston comes into its hottest month of the year, it was a welcome change.
Oh and
HHH, Hot, Hazy, and Humid down south.
I was surrounded by birch trees and Douglas firs, the sounds of a loon on the lake and the chatter of an occasional passing outboard.
Well, it had to end.
We packed up all we needed for travel and headed to Hibbing, Minnesota, to the regional airport, to fly back to Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Twin Cities.
The lobby was covered with images of famous Hibbing-ites such as
Bob Dylan, recent winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and a man I've seen in concert a few times.
Also from there is baseball hero R
oger Maris.
And
Vincent Bugliosi, Prosecutor of Charles Manson, a trial I covered for CBS for about four months.
The "Fame on the (Iron) Range" display also included
Judy Garland, listing her as born in Grand Rapids, about 41 miles from Hibbing.
Hey, close enough. Still part of the Range.
I took a photo of my grandson, posed with a
"photo bombing" moose, grinning behind him.
Our plane arrived, we quickly went through TSA in the regional airport and the grandson was given a sticker with a badge image stating he was a Junior TSA officer.
I asked for one also.
It might come in handy at other airport security situations. Haha.
Oh, yeah, about
"looking down on fireworks."
That happened after I landed in Atlanta and, eventually boarded the flight to Charleston.
We taxied out and as we slowly moved forward (a bit after 10 pm), we could see fireworks exploding and lighting up the sky off to the southeast.
By the time we were in the air, all the city and county "official" firework shows had ended but, as we climbed, there were dozens of small, individual flashes in backyards.
I could see the rockets climb and explode, scattering shiny and sparkling bits and pieces until we got higher and could see only the scattered flashes.
And, then we were in the clouds. Happy Fourth, America.
(THIS MIGHT BE WHAT YOU EXPECTED TO SEE...... )
http://time.com/2957348/fireworks-drone/?xid=time-amp-fbshare
Labels: aerial view of fireworks, Bob Dylan birthplace, Comet Theatre, Cook, Hibbing, Iron Range, Lake Vermilion., Mercer-Douglas Island, TSA Junior, Virginia
Another musical bonus was a surprise Father's Day present from my older daughter in Oakland. California.
The opener before the Tedeschi Trucks Band at the PAC (Performing Arts Center) in North Charleston was introduced and the crowd seemed to know the two.
