Neil Young Tribute @Carnegie Hall, Feb. 10th

To me, tribute shows are kind of a mixed bag.  We go because we adore and want to celebrate the illustrious career of a prolific artist, yet we bring certain expectations, perhaps unfairly so, and I end up walking away feeling somewhat elated, a tad disappointed (unlike last year's superb and much cheaper Dylan Fest).  Thursday night’s Neil Young tribute at Carnegie Hall felt par for the course to me.  While producer Michael Dorf clearly has the vision and pull to do this on a yearly basis (starting with the Joni Mitchell tribute that I attended five years ago in the same venue) and I applaud that effort, especially since these shows benefit a number of worthwhile charities, I cannot turn off my critical eye and ignore the evening’s shortcomings.

(More words, a pic, a video and the setlist after the jump.)

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The Roulette Sisters @Retrofret, Jan. 15th

Ahh, friendship has its privileges.  Bestest Boy and I were invited by our friends, The Roulette Sisters, to attend the release party for their newest CD, Introducing..., even though they hardly need any introducin'.  On a chilly January night we gathered in the amazing Retrofret Vintage Guitars where this quartet of lovely ladies warmed us with their fresh sounding take on familiar saucy tunes, with a few originals stuck in as well.

(More words and pics after the jump.) 

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Pavement @Central Park Summerstage, Sept. 21st

(My apologies for throwing these up nearly five months later.  It's a bummer when life gets in the way of blogging.)

I was never a rabid fan of Pavement, so when these reunion shows were announced like a year in advance, I poo-pooed them, especially since they were to take place in Central Park at Summerstage, which in my experience usually gives rise to bad sound and sightlines as well as extreme weather.  But then before the week of Pavement came, I succumbed to the buzz, pulled out my CDs and gave their tunes a whirl again, and became determined to see them (but not at scalper prices).  Lucky for me and Julie, I managed to grab a pair off of Craigslist way below face value at $20 a pop, and with my wacky work schedule, got in line early and after a few hours of doing crossword puzzles, found myself front on the rail, center, excited for what would be a good night of music.

(More words, pics and videos after the jump.)

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