Friday September 22, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 38 |
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Saturday, Oct 11, 2008
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Where It's At |
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| Back-to-back nights at Key Arena are alright for Elton John; John Mayer and Sheryl Crow jam at White River Amphitheatre | ||
| by Albert Rodriguez
and Lorelei Quenzer
- SGN A&E Writers
Elton John Friday- Saturday, September 22-23 - 8pm both nights Key Arena - $45-$125 / Ticketmaster After an absence of seven years, Sir Elton John is making up with Seattle. The Gay pop icon will spend the next two nights at the Key playing classic and soon-to-be classic music. I'm ready to sing along; how 'bout you, tiny dancer? John just started touring last week and has played a handful of dates in support of his newest album. And this is definitely a tour that pushes his album. So far there's been no word that he's performing anything from Aida or Billy Elliot - the Musical. Thankfully his New York City and California shows have started off with half a dozen oldies, like "Bennie & the Jets," "Rocket Man" and "Philadelphia Freedom." Then Sir Elton throws in six or seven songs from The Captain & the Kid before closing with more of the classics. Rumor is, he's fond of ending with "The Bitch is Back!" Hopefully he'll end his second show - the one I'm going to - with "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)." How cool would that be? Okay, stop. It's only cool when Elton John sings lead. Thankfully for the middle portion of his set, The Captain & the Kid is a good album, with strong, autobiographical lyrics and solid work from his band. John is touting the opus as a sequel to 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, saying that the earlier album was about struggling with failure, while this one is about the struggles that come with success. Captain just came out on Tuesday, so rabid fans will already know the lyrics of their new faves by Friday or Saturday. I like the CD's first single, "The Bridge," but I think my favorite right now is the sad "Blues Never Fade Away." It has the potential to join the pantheon of other Elton John classics. John has his longtime band with him: Davey Johnstone (guitar), Guy Babylon (keyboards), Bob Birch (bass), John Mahon (percussion), and Nigel Olsson (drums). There's no opening act. As if. Both shows are almost sold out, as of this writing, so you know that lower Queen Anne is gonna be crazy. I recommend parking elsewhere and taking a bus to the Key - routes 13, 15 and 18 stop at 1st and Republican, right next to the venue. There are lots of places to eat in the neighborhood, and there's something right for your budget. Be nice to an animal and go vegetarian: I'm a fan of Bamboo Garden (364 Roy St), where the meat substitute is so good you'll have to ask, "Is it really vegetarian?" Oh, and it's kosher, too. - L. Quenzer Pre-concert CD recommendation: The Captain & The Kid, featuring "Blues Never Fade Away," "The Bridge" and "Old 67." John Mayer and Sheryl Crow w/ Brett Dennen Saturday, September 23 - 6:30pm White River Amphitheatre - $36-$66 / Ticketmaster John Mayer was basically a punk when he released Room for Squares, his 2001 pop debut that included "No Such Thing", "Why Georgia" and the Grammy-winning hit "Your Body is a Wonderland". His puppy dog eyes, dorky-cute looks and sugary ballads made him an instant favorite amongst Gay boys and straight women, two camps often wooed by the same artists. That was then. Mayer grew up, in more ways than one. Personally, he outgrew his preppy image and settled for a shaggier 'do' and baggy cargo pants, and added some meat to his lean frame. Artistically, the Atlanta-based pro went for a rockier sound on 2003's Heavier Things and last year joined studio musicians Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino on a jazzy venture called Try! A week ago, Mayer released his third solo effort Continuum, a collection of brilliant blues-drizzled pop songs that has earned him top notch reviews and easily becomes his best work to date. Sheryl Crow expanded on her already impressive recording career in 2005 with the release of Wildflower, an intimate album that enjoyed critical clout but fell short of the commercial success of her previous efforts. That isn't to say Crow was handed any set backs. She remains one of rock music's strongest forces. In a ten-year span, the Missouri-bred singer-songwriter has sold millions and millions of records worldwide, won multiple Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Best New Artist honors in 1995, sold out concerts everywhere she's played, and has become an inspiration for female musicians in pop, rock and country genres. At White River Amphitheatre, things get started at 6:30pm with opener Brett Dennen. This is a new artist you'll be hearing a lot about in the months ahead. In fact, Dennen will talk to the Seattle Gay News shortly after his performance on Saturday night. His music is a blend of reggae, pop and folk. His stage presence, as evidenced earlier this month at Bumbershoot, is confident, playful and charming. From Mayer, expect to hear songs from his three albums, including "Bigger Than My Body", "Waiting on the World to Change" and the awesome "Belief". From Crow, she'll play most of her hits including "All I Wanna Do", "My Favorite Mistake" and "If It Makes You Happy". Free shuttles are available at the Super Mall's Red Robin or paid shuttles are at various Azteca restaurants. Get directions at www.rivergiver.com. - A. Rodriguez Pre-concert CD recommendations: Continuum by John Mayer, The Very Best of Sheryl Crow by Sheryl Crow, and So Much More by Brett Dennen. |
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International Readers |
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 It's new! and live from Bumbershoot! |
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copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2006