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Monthly Archives: August 2011
Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs in Concert
I was lucky to get in to see Ray and the Pariah Dogs as it was sold-out and nobody looked to be selling any tickets. It seemed to be the most coveted concert of the summer in Calgary because the place was packed and people had no seats to spare. Fortunately, at the last minute, a couple had an extra ticket for sale, which turned out to be my golden ticket. It was dead-center orchestra about 12 rows back; hallelujah, it was amazing! I had missed the opening act, but it wasn’t Brandi Carlile, who had started some of the shows on the tour. It was someone else. But it didn’t really matter, the crowd was rowdy and geared for Ray. He and the Dogs didn’t disappoint; they blew the lid off the intimate concert hall with a soulful, heartfelt performance of many of his classics. He said a few thank-yous during the show but otherwise kept pretty quiet, in typical Ray-style. He let the songs speak for themselves, which they did wondrously and clear. Below is the setlist from last night’s show. My favorites were: For the Summer, Jolene, and Shelter, though it’s hard to really pick from such a great set. Keep playing the tunes!
Burn
For the Summer
Beg Steal or Borrow
Hold You in My Arms
Repo Man
Achin’ All the Time
Blue Canadian Rockies (cover)
Shelter
Devil’s in the Jukebox
Are We Really Through
New York City’s Killing Me
God Willin’ & the Creek Dont Rise
(Unknown song)
Trouble
Old Before Your Time
Jolene
Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s a Shame)
Like Rock & Roll and Radio Continue reading
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Chris Isaak in Concert
I haven’t seen much of Chris Isaak in recent years, but I once saw him in concert three times in a week in 1992. Back then, he opened for Bonnie Raitt at Red Rocks, and a handful of us in the crowd got to come onstage to dance. I was smitten. I recall he wore bright, fancy suits and his shows were amazing. Fast forward to 2011, and Chris and his band are still playing great music and shows! It’s a good time to see him too since he’s playing at some smaller venues. Here’s his song setlist (below) from Aug. 19, 2011 at the Century Casino in Calgary, where I saw him from the 4th row. You’ll notice along with his hits he played some covers of classics from Sun Recording artists, and those covers will make up his next album out in October. If you get a chance, don’t miss him!
Beautiful Homes
Dancin’
Somebody’s Crying
Don’t Leave Me on My Own
I Want Your Love
San Francisco Days
Wicked Game
Speak of the Devil
Western Stars
You Don’t Cry Like I Do
Go Walking Down There
American Boy
Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing
Ring of Fire (cover of Johnny Cash)
Dixie Fried (cover of Carl Perkins)
How’s the World Treating You (cover of Elvis)
It’s Now or Never (cover of Elvis)
Miss Pearl (cover of Jimmy Wages)
Great Balls of Fire (cover of Jerry Lee Lewis)
Blue Hotel
Big Wide Wonderful World
Can’t Help Falling in Love (cover of Elvis)
Oh, Pretty Woman (cover of Roy Orbison)
Forever Blue Continue reading
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes
What was I thinking? I guess I thought this movie might be summer fun and sort of capture some of the mystery or intrigue that the original “Planet of the Apes” films from 1968-73 had. This latest one is meant to be a prequel about how intelligent apes took over a planet (in this case Earth). But unfortunately I think fans of the original films and others will find it quite disappointing. My brother warned me not to go. Good grief he was right. It’s a far cry from the films with Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall. This movie feels so separate than those; it doesn’t seem in the same galaxy.
In the original you recall astronauts crash their spaceship on a strange planet in the distant future and find apes in charge. In this film set before that, geneticists looking for a cure for alzheimer’s inject apes with a drug that heightens their intelligence, enabling them to escape their cages and eventually run amok on Earth.
But the latest storyline gets pretty drippy and predictable: about a genetic company out for a buck, the cruelties of animal experimentation in medicine and a scientist with an ill father who breaks the rules. You might be reminded of the recent movie “Splice” perhaps and a few others. Also the computer-generated apes and effects lend it a cartoon-like feel, manipulating the star ape to be endearing and able to do anything. At some points it reminded me of the cuteness of “E.T.”
I’m a bit surprised that “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” got such favorable reviews in the papers. I guess for summer blockbuster fodder it’s pretty on par or above. But the original films were so much more than that; they were interesting and gripping and had something to say. Maybe it was because I was a kid then, but “Planet of the Apes” took me away to another place, it seemed real and scary. This one doesn’t “rise” to the occasion. Continue reading
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