3 Great 2011 Concerts
- Buddy Guy, January XRT residency at Legends. Sure, there’s a little bit of showboating and milking the crowd and some of the songs go unfinished, but after over 50 years, Buddy is still one of the most amazing guitarists on the planet. He, of course, knows what notes not to play and the ones he picks fly off the fretboard with amazing speed and perfect taste even when he’s wandering around outside the club. And he can sing pretty good too.
- Bright Eyes at Lollapalooza. Musicians usually play at night, so it’s a rare treat to see them in the afternoon summer sun. Conor Oberst, the musical oracle of Omaha, came out of the glare like a P-51 on a Messerschmitt and delivered a fearsome blast of soulful modern rock before a big happy crowd in Grant Park. If this is the last time around for Bright Eyes, it was a fabulous sendoff.
- Wilco at the Civic Opera House. Despite some personnel changes over the years, Wilco is one of the most cohesive bands in the world. They can play any kind of music well, but all of their numbers, be they pop or progressive, can only be performed by Wilco, the band. And Jeff Tweedy is one hell of a singer. The encore with Nick Lowe and Mavis Staples was icing on the cake.
Major Tom
December 27, 2011 9:46 am
*** Airforce reference ***