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Fan Letters & Reviews November 2008 GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: I live in Springfield,Mo. I'm driving to Bentonville,Ar to get my sister and take her to a Jackson Browne concert tonight in Tulsa. I'm hoping the fans are not as disrespectful as they have been in some venues, yelling out song requests between songs.Unlike some, I love the new cd ,and especially hope he does Drums of War and Just say Yeah tonight.I'm a strong Obama supporter,but my sister is a stong Mccain supporter, I,also hope he doesn't make her mad a ruin the show for her,since the show is a birthday present for her.I hope Jackson Browne reads your site and realizes how many people enjoy both his new and older music and the good causes he promotes. Submitted by: tstefoz@mchsi.com CONCERT REVIEW: October 29, 2008 at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX Last night's concert at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas was a truly magical evening. A crowd of over 4,000 filled the concert hall and enjoyed the two hours plus of Jackson and his band. The set list was the same as has been listed in the many previous reviews of this tour. By my count, thirteen of the twenty-one songs were previous material. In addition to the Time the Conqueror selections, he played five songs I had never heard in concert. I would like to have heard Where Were You instead of Far From The Arms Of Hunger but overall the balance was fine with me. Jackson was still recovering from a cold this was more apparent when he talked to the crowd. At first, he looked a little tired on stage but seemed to gain energy as the show got rolling. For me, Culver Moon and the Doctor/Imagination medley were the highlights of the first half. The second half of the show just got better and better. The support of the two terrific vocalists, Chavonne and Alethea, allowed Jackson to take songs to a whole new level and length. Great new arrangements produced amazing transformations of some of his previous material. Texas has been a Red State and in all probability will vote that way again. I am sure that many in the crowd do not support Jackson's political views. I did not see any walkouts or hear any boos. The man next to me commented that he, "Came to hear the music - I can make up my own mind about who to vote for." He seemed to be having a great time. I guess he is a member of the Freedom Party. Submitted by: jackmck@drpeppermuseum.com (Jack M.) CONCERT REVIEW: October 30, 2008 at Brady Theatre in Tulsa, OK Attended the show in Tulsa on October 30. It was incredible. One of the best I've seen, but then again Jackson never disappoints. He did not preach the Obama message, but I wish he would have as here in Oklahoma those of us who are lucid and see clearly of the need for change are surrouned by the bible belt freaks who have been in bed with the McCain camp since day 1. He did mention, however, after singing "Lives In The Balance" that he sued Johnny boy, to which the place errupted in cheer. Tulsa is one of the few liberal counties in the state and the message and change for hope is evident in this area. He was still suffering from a cold but played his heart out. The band was incredibly tight and the sound was excellent. The Brady Theater is an old art deco house which has installed an incredible sound system and Jackson's music just floated through and filled the night. The set list was as people have been posting in the past. However, he did not do "Rock Me On The Water." To those seeing the remaining dates (Denver and Phoenix), you are in for a one helluva of a show. Wish I could be there, but hopefully Jackson will hit the road for a summer US tour. Submitted by: nativewinds81@yahoo.com CONCERT REVIEW: October 30, 2008 at Brady Theatre in Tulsa, OK I saw Jackson in Tulsa last night--he was amazing as always. The sold-out crowd was very enthusiastic, even more so than at a recent Bob Dylan concert I attended at the same venue (of course many of the concert-goers were a bit younger.) The only real difference I see between the Tulsa show and other reviews here is in the set list. In the middle of set 2 he played Your Bright Baby Blues. It was quite a surprise for me because I was not expecting it. Fountain of Sorrow was so poignant it brought me to tears. The cowboys around me were even hollering for more (of course they were especially wanting to hear Redneck Friend.) All the way to my car I could hear everyone exclaiming "great show!" It was a great night for Tulsa. Submitted by: rubythedragonfly@yahoo.com CONCERT REVIEW: October 29, 2008 at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX Hey, Russ, as you know, I ve always enjoyed your site over the years. Great Jackson show in the Dallas area last night. Here s my on-line review (it can be found at or near the top of this list of blog items): http://musicblog.guidelive.com/ Best wishes, Submitted by: mgranberry@dallasnews.com (Michael G., The Dallas Morning News) CONCERT REVIEW: October 29, 2008 at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX Hi Russ Just got back from Dallas/Fort Worth where I traveled from Austin to hear Jackson in concert on Oct. 29. This was my sixth time to hear Jackson live--I first heard him on the Pretender tour about 30 years ago--ouch. This latest concert was the best EVER. Maybe it was the great seats I purchased through the Guacamole fund--fourth row--center stage. Maybe it was the venue--almost sold out--6,500. Or the enthusiasm of the crowd. Or the power of the music. The songs, new and old, sounded fresh and energetic and the audience so receptive, almost tender. The experience took me back to those earlier concerts--only this night was sweeter because we were all old enough to appreciate the moment and how quickly it was passing. I was filled with nostalgia, not for the past but for that very moment--all 2.5 hours of it. There was an incredible instant when I looked around during the Pretender and saw most of the audience on its feet and one lovely young blonde woman dancing alone, very sensual but also incredibly poignant, her body and limbs moving slowly as if weighted with worries of the world. During the encore of I Am a Patriot, several of us danced toward the front waving our hands in the air, holding our fingers in a stiff V sign...for Victory and for peace. The backup singers took it up and soon most of us were waving for peace. Then the band went into a little funk piece from the 70s. "It's your thang. Do what you wanna do. I can't tell you who to Barack it to." On another song the lead guitarist went into a classical riff that actually made me laugh out loud. What a night! My point is if I'd been holding out for a list of songs, waiting to hear Jackson play those songs, I would not have had that almost numinous experience. The set lists were surprising and featured songs I've not heard live in years such as On The Boulevard or not at all as with My Opening Farewell. I think Jackson was sensitive to people coming to hear their old favorites because at one point after playing a tune off the new CD he said, "I'm not sure how many of these new songs you want to hear." Several folks sitting around me yelled, "All of them." He didn't play all new songs of course, but he did play a mix of material, juxtaposing new with old. He didn't take requests, but he was on tour to promote a new album. Besides, I know of no other artist who does concert after concert taking audience requests for years. Those "requests concerts" were gifts--not something to be expected always. I understand folks' disappointment at not hearing their favorites. The woman sitting next to me had been a fan for years but had never been able to see Jackson in concert. So, when he didn't sing For Everyman, she almost cried. But Jackson isn't a nostalgia act. He's an artist. And he chooses these songs to create a specific experience. It's a performance. Imagine what we would have missed if when Late for the Sky came out, we had yelled only for the tunes from Everyman and Jackson had given us what we asked for. I recently went to see Yo Yo Ma and despite the urge to yell Free Bird in the so-quiet-you-could-hear-a-pin-drop hall, I was impressed with the respect the classical audience accords the performer. I think Jackson deserves a bit of that respect. He's given us years of amazing music, songs that illuminate our private longings in ways that sometimes changed how we saw ourselves, each other and the world. And the man is a kick ass rock and roller to boot. So let's all just say yeah...and see the world...and these concerts...in terms of possibility. Peace out. Submitted by: dmjohnson@bazzirk.com (Donna from Austin) GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: Hi there Russ ! I'm a singer/songwriter, and have finally "discovered" Jackson Brown's wonderful music. I suppose it was inevitable, really, considering how much of a presence he's been. I stumbled onto his "Acoustic Sessions, Vol. 1" by chance at a library, and was utterly gobsmacked at the song "Too Many Angels". Not only are the lyrics fantastic on this song, but the guitarwork is wonderfully complex. I've tried to figure out how to play it, and I've searched the net for a guitar tab i (I found the performances on Youtube, but it's hard to see the fingering), and can't find a correct version. Most of the guitar tabs for it end up actually being for "Fountain Of Sorrow". Does anyone know if a tab for "Too Many Angels" exists, or can I get the printed version anywhere? I HAVE at least, figured out the song's tuning- an open F min. Or, if you like, an open Emin. capoe'd up one fret. Many thanks, Submitted by: dylan_roberts2@yahoo.com (Dylan R.) GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: Hi Russ, I thought it would never happen, but finally the broadcast of David Dye's interview with Jackson will air on Friday, November 7th. I imagine since this is nationally syndicated, that people can pick this up live in whatever region they are in, but the best information I can give you to pass on is to go to the World Cafe web site - www.xpn.org/xpn-programs/world-cafe to get the information. Hope this is helpful and I look forward to hearing this at 2:00pm EST next Friday. Thanks Submitted by: pattk38@aol.com (Patty K.) CONCERT REVIEW: November 1, 2008 at Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre in Denver, CO My husband and I went to see Jackson Browne in Denver at the Buell on November 1st. I'd only seen him in concert once, in L.A. years ago. My husband, on the other hand, had seen him eight times previously, and had correspondingly high expectations. There were some great moments in the show. He was funny and personable between sets, and the energy started off high. "Barricades of Heaven" and "Fountain of Sorrow" were up front, and "Fountain" especially sent the audience into a state of rapture. The sound was excellent, and even though Jackson said he was recovering from a cold, his voice was strong. And then he kicked off the new album, with a comment about how much patience the audience would have for the new songs. And the answer? Not a lot. It seemed to drag a little toward the break, somewhere on the other side of "Live Nude Caberet", and people increasingly started calling out for songs. Jackson had a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments about why he couldn't sing certain songs, but after the fourth or fifth time it started to seem a bit defensive. Still, I don't think the audience had mentally defected - yet. That finally happened after the break. I think everyone (us included) expected him to come back and start going through the catalog, but it didn't happen. Instead, the newer songs stretched right on out for another hour. Sometime in there, the people behind us left, and the woman next to us actually fell asleep (!!!) for three or four songs. The only exception in the entire middle stretch was "Doctor My Eyes". By the time he got around to "Lives in the Balance", "The Pretender", and "Sky Blue and Black", the audience was so drained of energy that it took some effort to wake up and get back into the music. It ended on a high note, and "Running on Empty" and "I am a Patriot" were fantastic. We were really disappointed that "Load Out/Stay" wasn't the encore, but that wouldn't have ruined an otherwise great performance. I know there are fans like my husband, whose expectations are so high that nothing short of what he's always done would have been acceptable. I would have been okay with preponderance of newer material, if the set list had been better arranged. There's no reason to try the patience of your audience, and you can mix together the old and the new in a way that keeps everyone engaged. As it is, the experience felt like a couple of great Jackson Browne mini-concerts, separated by a long stretch of boredom. A lot of artists play set lists, and newer material, and there's nothing wrong with Jackson Browne trying something different at this point. The only problem is that he's an amatuer at keeping the audience engaged in this format, and it was apparent. Submitted by: hkruman@gmail.com (Hedy K.) CONCERT REVIEW: October 27, 2008 at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA For the third time in my life, I saw a Jackson Browne concert on my birthday -- this time, on October 27, 2008, with my son in Atlanta. Unlike so many of his contemporaries whose music is remakes of their old standards, Jackson's music continues to evolve while his messages remain constant. Joni Mitchell was once my musical supporter in down times, but for many years I have turned to Jackson's music for an expression of what I was feeling but too often unable to say. The Atlanta show, performed in a converted tabernacle, included most hits any fan would want to hear and a good dose of the new record. The new songs were intriguing in concert, though I admit the CD took a few plays to capture me; I know hearing them live helped. Does anyone know how I might obtain a play list from the Atlanta show? I used to write down all the songs in order, but just sat back and listened this time. Now I'd like to get the list. Wonder if Jackson's people would provide this. If anyone has the list or can suggest how I can get it, I would be grateful. Submitted by: russisok@yahoo.com (Russ A., Greenville, SC) GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: Hello, and thank you Russ for this forum. First of all, I think the new CD is very good. Jackson has not yet scheduled a Florida show but I'm sure he will eventually. The set list looks fabulous but what's with including "Culver Moon"? Correct me if I'm wrong but he has been including that song in all his concerts with the band since it's release. It's kind of like the new "World In Motion". He played that song forever before dropping it from his set. Don't get me wrong, these are fine songs but I don't think either are worthy of ten year runs for his live shows. Please don't boo me. I've seen Jackson 14 times and every show has been super but I can name 30 other songs I'd rather hear than "Culver Moon". For now I will be waiting for Jackson concert # 15. Peace & Love, Thanks Submitted by: tomforgione@aol.com (Tom F., Delray Beach, FL) GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: Hello Russ, Just wanted to say a few words about Jackson's performance here in Phoenix last night, as I think it was one of his finest. It's been awhile since I saw him last perform ( about 2 years ago at the "Sings Like Hell" performance in Santa Barbara with David Linley to be exact ) and although I was really looking forward to the show last night, as it's always thrilling to watch him perform live, I had no idea it would be this good, it was "over the top". To begin, my seat couldn't have been better had I been sitting on the stage itself, 2nd row center, I'd like to thank my concert angels for that right now! Secondly, Jackson was truly "ON", his voice sounded great, his back-up singers were phenomenal and his band was on fire! His rapport with the audience was superb, especially given the size of the venue, he was engaging and personable and he actually asked the audience for their requests!! He did quite a bit of his older music and went all the way back with "Something Fine" ( which I've never seen him do...awsome ) and "Rock Me On the Water", the audience loved it and went wild, they gave him several, well deserved, standing ovations. He also performed several of his new songs off his "Time the Conqueror" CD which were just tremendous and were received very well, it wouldn't surprise me if sales go through the roof on this one.They also did "Lives In the Balance" with his back-up cherubs chiming in and hitting notes that gave me chicken skin! They're really such talented young ladies and a great addition to Jackson's already amazing group of musicians . The show lasted about 3 hours, and I'm sure we could have all listened for another 3 hours but like all good things...it had to come to an end...their finale', "Running on Empty", rocked the house and of course had everyone up on their feet and dancing in the aisles. And after it was all over and the stage was empty, they all walked back out and blew the doors of their hinges with an incredible medley of "I Am a Patriot" and "It's Your Thing" which they cleverly changed from "... I can't tell you who to sock it to..." for "...I can't tell you who to Barack it to..." and somewhere in the middle of this, Kevin starting rapping!!! It was amazingly funny and very political at the same time!!! Just a stellar evening.... Submitted by: aseadove@yahoo.com CONCERT REVIEW: November 3, 2008 at Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, AZ My Brother, The Concertmeister, came in from Philadelphia to attend the Jackson Browne Time The Conqueror show at the Dodge Theater with me. I took my brother to his first concert when he was 14 years old and he hasn't stopped for one minute since. He is now 48 years old and still goes to every music event and knows every artist that you can possibly mention. His first comment was that the sound at the Dodge was the best he has ever heard, every syllable from all vocalists was as clear as you could possibly imagine. The band was seamless and tight and Jackson Browne was in full voice. Early on Jackson took an applause poll on how many wanted to hear old stuff or new songs. Needless to say that the applausometer favored the old and but he was very good humored about it. I didn't write down the set list but a couple of the songs that seemed to deviate from the other concerts were acoustic versions of Late for the Sky and For A Dancer. Jackson admitted that he never reads his reviews but that he had recently. He said someone had complained about the inclusion of Culver Moon. He laughed and said it was one of his favorite songs and then he and the band played it and really put it down. It was great. Sorry to disagree with other letters here but I don't know why everyone complains about the new stuff. It all translates very well to a live performance, especially Drums of War, Off Of Wonderland, Giving That Heaven Away and Just Say Yeah, which he prefaced by very sweetly saying that every time that he tries to explain what the song is about he just digs himself a bigger pit but in the end that it is about staying in love.(Sigh) On the eve of the election he was in John Mc Cain's home state and the only political statement that he made was to say " I only have one thing to say about this song, it belongs to me" before he launched into Running on Empty. Jackson and the rest of the performers did their tasteful,classy musical comments on their own political beliefs during the encore I am a Patriot and then headed for the bus. Can't say enough about how powerful the band and the voices of Chavonne and Alethea are. I never thought that anything could beat the experience of the Running on Empty tour at the Dell West in the 70's but it did. Ok Russ, for the trivia page can we find out who is reflected in his glasses on the new CD's cover picture? Submitted by: prosselle@aol.com GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: Dear Jackson! I am big fan of you and have seen a lot of concerts with you in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. I was very happy to see you going to Europe for a tour in spring 2009. I live in country Sweden in the 2nd largest town Gothenburg. The last time you where doing in concert in Gothenburg were 1986. I was wondering if you could make a concert in Gothenburg, there is a nice old Opera house in the city centre of Gothenburg which is suitable, see attached home site for information. http://www.storan.nu/default.aspx? Best Regards Submitted by: magnus.rosen2@comhem.se (Magnus R.) GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: I'm happy to see that Mr. Browne is visiting my hometown Stockholm in spring 2009. Of course I'm going attend it if I get tickets for it. The first time I saw Jackson Browne was outside San Francisco 1980. I was touring "hitch hiking" through the states for almost half a year. I fell like many others in love with San Francisco and one of the hallelujah moments was this concert. I'll remember it with joy specially that moment went the band went out and Jackson was alone at the piano and after playing some of his songs did a cover of "stay just a little bit longer" and the rest of the band went in again and join him. I had the luxury of also see the band America and also to my delight even though it maybe isn't my top ten music saw Grateful Dead in club on the other side of the San Francisco bay. Anyway the last time JB was in Stockholm, it was an acoustic session at Circus it was as usual a great concert. This time I will take my kids with me and hopefully they will discover what an amazing artist you are with a courage to speak out. Sincerely Submitted by: sixten@telia.com (Jan von S., Stockholm, Sweden) GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: Tickets Available jb & friends benefit concert, santa monica civic, 11/29/08 have a pair for sale, face value, $150; center section (C) row 9, aisle seats (2&4...don't worry, they are together)...i'm in atlanta heading to l.a. for thanksgiving, and bought these before i found out a friend already acquired a pair...you can call mitch, 404)409-3067 or em me...see you there :) Submitted by: mitch-brown@webtv.net Webmaster's Reply: GENERAL FAN COMMENTS: Tickets Available Russ, Can you advertise these tickets for me? I have two tickets for sale to the Hurricane Relief Benefit "Jackson Browne and Friends" on Nov. 29 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium- Section E Row 9. Selling at face value $150. Please contact me at carco2@aol.com as soon as possible. Submitted by: carco2@aim.com CONCERT REVIEW: November 3, 2008 at Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, AZ Jackson in Phoenix November 3, 2008 Well, it's over for me & what a fabulous year of Jackson Browne. Of course, now I may need an intervention. (I saw Jacksonville, Charleston, Birmingham, Atlanta and Phoenix - and had tickets to Nashville but got snowed out and missed the show) The set list in Phoenix was much the same as the Birmingham and Atlanta shows and here it is: Boulevard Barricades of Heaven Everywhere I Go Late for the Sky Fountain of Sorrow Time the Conqueror Off of Wonderland Rock me on the Water Live Nude Cabaret Culver Moon Giving That Heaven Away Doctor My Eyes/About My Imagination Break For a Dancer Something Fine For Taking the Trouble Lives in the Balance Going Down to Cuba Just Say Yeah Drums of War Arms of Hunger The Pretender Running on Empty Encore I am a Patriot/Flag Rap/It's your Thang I was tickled about the comment about Running on Empty that a previous emailer mentioned "one thing to say... it's mine". There were lots of calling out, especially from the people up front that seemed to be political but for the most part, Jackson was not biting as far as a reply, but was certainly laughing at the audience. Somebody up front gave him a tie-dye banner and he held it up and said "this is so cool... the old "war is not healthy for children and other living things". He liked the gift. The comment about not reading reviews was fun to hear, since he obviously read a comment on your website about Culver Moon. The story in the song is interesting, but I think is probably better received by the CA crowds since "the rest of America" doesn t really know about life in CA, especially the show business life. Mark adds this really funky little snippet of something (I think it's part of the "off to see the wizard" song) that I completely missed in Atlanta, heard in Birmingham and then listened for it in Phoenix. Just shows how clever these guys are with their arrangements and the care they put into crafting the songs for us. Overall the band was relaxed and having fun and Jackson mentioned that this was the last night on the tour and then told the Phoenix crowd he'd be back in summer 2009. I always hate the end of a tour, wondering when the next one is going to be planned. I obviously cannot get enough of this music. One last thing (sorry this is so long)... I've been very impressed with Jeff Young's keyboard and backup singing and googled him and bought "Songs from the Red Wurlitzer" off his website. This album is INCREDIBLE. He wrote all the songs and there is not a bad song in the collection. If anybody knows any other albums he has recorded and can point me in the direction of getting a copy, let me know. And if you are a fan of Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, George Harrison -- I swear the guitar parts on a couple of songs sound just like George -- or just plain good music, pick up a copy of this fabulous collection of songs. Russ... hope you've lined up a Japanese interpreter for the reviews of the upcoming reviews of this week's shows & tee hee. Thanks for your continued organization of this community. Submitted by: nitatlanta@bellsouth.net (Nita) Webmaster's Reply: CONCERT REVIEW: October 29, 2008 at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX Dear Russ, First of all, thank you for this site, it's the best out there. I am 50, and a long-time fan of Jackson Browne's music, words and Politics. I have followed his career since his first album and even got the Ed Beagley Jr Disc 2 "Living with Ed" DVD so I could see Jackson Browne's "Green" house - he and his girlfriend are off the map with solar panels and turbine windmills, it's pretty awesome. Anyway, I made a trip up to Grand Prairie, Tx on October 29th - 0ver 300 miles for me but I haven't seen Jackson Browne live for quite awhile and I was not going to let another opportunity go by. I had 2nd row seats, just right of center stage, and the way the Nokia is set up, there was no one in front of me. Let's just say the seats were worth the price I paid :-) The concert was absolutely, hands down, fabulous - Jackson, as mentioned in other posts, was fighting off a cold, but he put on a near 3-hour performance and at the end many of us were dead smack right up against the stage dancing and singing along - for Texas, a red state, I was pretty delighted and impressed as well as surprised. (I am originally from NY State). In any case, it was worth the time, (long trip) and the money (tickets, hotel, travel, etc.) to see such a magnificent performance from such a timeless, ageless poet and singer and activist. I wanted to make a quick comment on the person who reviewed the Denver concert. I am so sorry they were quite disappointed or felt the audience was - I find that hard to believe - but one thing that person did not mention is that not only did Jackson Browne go off his "catalog" for Denver that night when he sang SKY BLUE AND BLACK, Jackson also mentioned to the audience that it was only about the 2nd time they had played that song in over a year -- that happens to by my all time favorite song of his, next to "Late for the Sky" - and I just wanted that reviewer to know how fortunate they were that Jackson went off the map to please them and grace them with SKY BLUE AND BLACK there's a video of it someone uploaded on Youtube it's great to see him perform that now, at 60 years of age and still going strong. Submitted by: Sue CONCERT REVIEW: November 1, 2008 at Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre in Denver, CO Hi, Russ - just wanted to share what a great concert Jackson Browne put on this past Saturday in Denver! Very enjoyable - from Jackson and the band playing some great old favorites to his new songs from the recently released album. It was good to see him again since he hadn't been here since 2005. I purchased the new CD a few weeks before the concert and once again - not disappointed. Jackson, his band and the angelic back-up singers were in strong form Saturday night - even though he kept telling us he was getting over a cold - we couldn't really tell when he was singing - just when he was talking with us. The audience was a little restless during some of the new songs and, of course, he didn't go along with requests being shouted out. But then birthday wishes went out to him as well - and the whole place burst into singing Jackson a Happy Birthday! How cool was that? He sang one of my old favorites - For Taking the Trouble and some new ones now - Off of Wonderland and Just Say Yeah (ok - why won't she say yeah???? - what's up with that???) I've seen Jackson on many occasions and actually had a chance to chat with him for a bit when he was here in 2004 playing at the Chatfield Arboretum. What a gracious entertainer he is and I hope we get many more years of listening pleasure from this very gifted man. Thanks for keeping this website going - much appreciated. Submitted by: tbyrdbe@msn.com (Terry) Go To Jackson Browne Fan Letters and Reviews from December 2008 RETURN to Jackson Browne Fan Letters Page RETURN to Jackson Browne Home Page |