Jackson Browne - Fan Letters & Reviews
September 2000
I am a long time Jackson Browne fan and I attended his concert last evening at the Mt. Winery in Saratoga, Ca. It was wonderful !!!! He even played part of a song that I had never heard before. This new song sounded great and I am looking forward to hearing the remainder of the new material.
I am looking to sell at face value a ticket for Jackson's September 9th show at the Center For The Arts In Escondido, CA. If need be I will overnight the ticket or, if possible, hand deliver it. I live in the Los Angeles area. Please call Ben at 818 846 1712.
The best JB show I've seen in awhile. It was not 100% acoustical as advertised, but possibly half the tunes were JB on the piano or playing one of several guitars without accompaniment. A surprise - Joan Baez was in the audience and sang Before the Deluge with him in her barefeet!!! The concert was wonderful and many of my favorites were played, and even a kinda sorta medley which included part of some new material. I particularly enjoyed Song for Adam, which I'd never heard live before tonight, Jamaica and Sky Blue and Black. Jackson looked his casual self, ageless as ever. The only disappointment was no encore (not one) - reportedly due to time limitations. After speaking with a fan named Jen, who attended the night before's show, and learning that they received three encores...well, oh well.
The night was fun and my dear friends Joanna and Kathy made the evening that much more enjoyable. Happy Birthday Kathy!!! We made it back over 17 thanks to our "special prayers" and your skillful driving!
Also of note: Crickets are something else at the Mountain Winery - they sang along all night long, never missing a beat!
I got to meet Joan Baez last night at Jackson's concert at The Mt Winery. She was sitting near me and walked around ( no shoes) chatting with people during the intermission. I had front row and she was going back and forth past my seats. I said hi to her, asked her if she was just attending or going to sing. She said she she wasn't planning to sing. Then she said, "pretty nice seats you have here". Later she got up and sang "Before The Deluge" with him.
Jackson did 3 hours, no opening band, and about a 15 min break. His voice was as strong and clear as I've ever heard it. I guess he was there the previous night too. He asked the audience how many people had been there the night before and quite a few people responded. At that point he basically abandoned the set list (tore it up) and took requests from the audience - Linda Paloma, Fountain of Sorrow, etc. He said every day should be different. It was an amazing concert.
These are the songs he did (what I can remember)
I'm AliveNot only was the 9/6 Mountain Winery show great...
but he had an unexpected guest: Joan Baez sang "Before the Deluge" with him. Wonderful.
I have two tickets for sale to the Third Annual Valley Music Festival in Solvang, CA. David Crosby and Jackson Browne will be performing, each doing their own separate sets. The theatre in Solvang is very small and intimate. The theatre is only 12 rows from front to back. Do you know if anyone is interested? Or can you post this on your website? Thank you.
Hi Russ and Jackson fans,
I just wanted to tell you about my two Jackson experiences this week. I went up to Laytonville, California last weekend for Wavy Gravy's Hog Farm Pignic...Wow, was that a flashback or what?! I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and both my brothers grew up in the 60's and still have some of that "hippie" attitude happening, but I gotta say, I didn't think that many people still wore Patchouli oil and tie dye!
This was a long day, for the show began at 10:00 am...but a great line-up of people. John Trudell, David Lindley and Wally Ingram, Odetta, Spearhead, Richard Thompson (way cool to finally see him!) and of course, Jackson. Plus a lot of other performers in-between.
By the time Jackson hit the stage, it was 9:00 in the evening...the weather in Northern California last week-end was sunny, but you could feel that autumn chill creeping in. I was excited because although I have seen Jackson many times (16? 17?) the last few times he was performing with someone else...so I didn't get the total Jackson treatment...plus, you just knew that David Lindley was going to do a few songs with him...He had Kevin McCormick and Mauricio Lewak (playing bass and drums respectively) with him...
I am sorry but I didn't write the set list down, I was too busy drooling and singing along...but looking back at previous posts, his set did begin with "I'm Alive" and then he started to sing "In the Shape of a Heart", but his guitar was giving him feedback and he said he'd go back to the song (but he never did). I should mention that Wavy Gravy came out wearing a grass skirt because he had a bet with Jackson and David that if he did the hula, they would sing "Tiki Torches at Twilight", which they did a little later in the set. Very amusing, although it was kind of scary when Wavy took off his shirt to do the hula...
When David Lindley came out to play with Jackson, I got a little weepy...emotion rushed over me...I was at once transported back to my very first Jackson concert (during the Running on Empty tour)...the sights, smells and SOUNDS made me feel as if I was 17 again with my life before me...Hearing David's slide and fiddle on "Before the Deluge" and "Fountain of Sorrow" brought those songs together so well.
The rest of the set list included most of the songs listed thus far in the postings...Probably the only deviation would have to be the "Tiki torches.." I also have to note that he did not do "Rosie" as he seems to have been doing lately nor "Cocaine" for both nights that I have seen him this tour.
What was also really cool was that the group of people around me (I managed to get close to the stage... festival seating...) were truly Jackson fans and we all sang along (albeit a little off key-not me, of course) and it was nice to be around other people who were fans. Except for the young lady who was obviously a little toasted and kept moaning loudly at inappropriate moments and yelling, "baby". She was kind of annoying.
Oh, a little side story...there was a parade during the afternoon, children dressed up in colorful costumes and there were people on stilts and people carrying flags and banners...Wavy Gravy, our host, was being carried around on a platform...Well, a little while later my brother was in line at the Porta-potties and Wavy is there talking to some of the staff. He was asking them if they knew who the woman was that was dressed like a butterfly up on stilts because apparently she had accidentally hit Jackson's girlfriend or someone in his party with one of her stilts and it sounded like she hurt her. My brother said Wavy told them that Jackson was upset and wanted the butterly to come and apologize...but that's all we heard.
I hope I am not boring anyone with this long post...I have a tendency to write too much...just stop reading when your head hits the monitor.
Last night I went to see Jackson at the Mt. Winery in Saratoga...this is a beautiful venue...it's up at an old winery in the mountains above Silicon Valley. It's outdoors but it is quite intimate. I probably didn't, but I like to think I may have had something to do with Jackson performing there. Last year my husband, who is a comedian, opened up for different acts up there...He was working up there just after we had seen Jackson along with Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Shawn Colvin, David Lindley and Wally Ingram at the Shoreline Amphitheater and we got to talking to the guy who books the Mt. Winery...saying what a great show we had seen and that Jackson would be perfect for this venue....and guess what happened? I'm not saying it was me, but...anyway, our hero was there and that's all that matters, right?
Again, I didn't write a set list down...but he surprised me by doing "Jamaica Say You Will" and "A Song For Adam". The crowd here was very quiet. A lot of the people that come to shows here have season tickets, so they are not all fans of all the performers...this is especially true for some of the people in the front row who seemed to be enjoying the show, but you could tell they were there because it was one of the shows in their season package. Some of them just kind of sat there. How do you do that, especially with an engaging song such as, "I'm the Cat"? As the evening progressed however, more and more requests were shouted out.
Anyway, a special guest was there, Joan Baez...She is so beautiful...she came in with the rest of the concert-goers and not wearing any shoes the whole evening. She went up and sang "Before the Deluge" with Jackson. She made up for David Lindley's fiddle not being there. I should also mention that Kevin McCormick and Mauricio Lewak were there as well. At one point Jackson started a song, but had not counted out so both Kevin and Mauricio did not start with him...Jackson explained he had been doing all these solo shows he was not used to having the extra back-up and said he needed to be a little more courteous and count out and so another song began.
Both my husband (who came to last night's show) and my brother (who was at the Pignic) said the shows were so mellow. It's true, for thinking back, Jackson did a lot off of his earlier works, especially "Late For the Sky" which are all a little more reflective...I thoroughly enjoyed both shows, maybe the Pignic a little more because of David Lindley's contribution that night. But for someone who might just be a casual fan, it was a little low key.
One more note, we noticed that the show last night was being recorded. There were two mikes that seemed to be recording Jackson and then one recording the audience...hmmm another live album with earlier work on it?
Okay now the carpal tunnel has seriously kicked in...I gotta stop and everyone, wake up! I'm done writing...for now.
My son is Jackson Alexandar Finn. He was just released from intensive care yesterfay. He was named after Browne in 1996 when I heard Sky Blue and Black at the right moment. I know it may not mean much to him but to my son it could mean everything, please let him know that this is for him,
Dear Jackson...Mikifinn
My son has just been released from intensive care with the name Jackson Browne. I want you to know that I think you are amazing.
In a world where money is God and celebrity is a form of curse, there is a voice that has consistently spoke of what is right, human and true. Jackson has inspired not only me, but an entire generation thru his songs and political activism.
I was a struggling art student, 19 years old when I first saw him in concert, 1976. I have seen him in concert whenever possible over the years. Last week, I had the honor of having met him in person at the Laytonville, CA Pignic. I do feel truly blessed. Though I am sure he thought me a nut, I hugged him. He is as warm and witty as his lyrics. A true human being.
Jackson is still trying to spread awareness of the threat of nuclear wastes in our water and environment - something he has been interested in since the near melt down of Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. I lived near there at the time.
For those who love Jackson's music and message, perhaps it is time for us to unite and send a strong message to the U.S. gov't and the World - it is time to stop contaminating our Mother Earth. We will only support clean technologies and those who fight to protect our air, water, trees, animals and oceans. All others need not apply for govt positions.
The upcoming election has a lot of possibilities. With Ralph and Gore splitting the liberal majority vote, there is a very real possibility that George W could be in the White House. Voting Green could be the only hope for the planet.
The hippies of the Love Generation are now the Establishment they so despised. We have a very powerful voice. Together - we CAN make a difference. One person at a time.
Walk in the Light,
9/9/2000 Jackson Browne, Escondido Center for the Arts
Jacksonıs concert was Something Fine! The Escondido Center for the Arts is a nice venue and our 15th row seats were very nice. However I wish I had opted for the front row seats. The ticket agent I went through told me that they were off to the side so I declined. There are no side seats in this center as the theatre is narrow, with nice opera balconies.
He didnıt do a completely acoustic show but it worked out nicely nonetheless. He had a drummer and base player (no one I had ever heard of) so he was able to do some songs like Doctor My Eyes with a much more upbeat tempo.
Jacksonıs voice was spectacular! The acoustics were near perfect, and he was very crisp. In many cases, I felt he sounded better than the CD. There was only one song where he couldnıt quite hit the vocals and that was The Pretender. But the song was excellent nonetheless, and the piano was great. I would have easily hit the repeat button after that one.
One of my personal favorites, Your Bright Baby Blues was exceptional. The choruses were pure acoustic and it was like he was speaking the words. You could hear a pin drop. It was very, very nice. Looking into You was an unexpected treat, one of my favorites, it has some of the best lyrics ever in a song: "Words and music can never touch the beauty Iıve seen, Looking into You and thatıs true."
Rosie was fun, of course, and all through the rest of the night some guy kept screaming for it again and Jackson and he had a running dialogue. Iıve never heard so many people screaming for songs. The most requested but not played I Thought I Was a Child and My Opening Farewell. Some woman a few seats down from me kept screaming for Jamaica Say you Will. I finally told her to give it up and she laughed. People were screaming: "Play them all", "Play Anything", "Stairway to Heaven", "Freebird"! After a while it got out of hand and everyone stopped. Jackson was pretty talkative, witty, glib, and bright.
For a Dancer was wonderful. He started to play Sky Blue and Black, another one of my personal favorites. He couldnıt hit the first note which is kind of high, and started again. It was gorgeous, and he did the beautiful harmony parts himself, just him and the keyboard. I love this song. There may be better singers, better guitar players, and better piano players, but you just canıt touch Jacksonıs lyrics. And when he puts it all together into his overall performance, itıs really something special.
After intermission, it was a very sweet and very acoustic For Everyman. Unfortunately, he didnıt do the lead in to it Sing My Songs to Me, which coincidentally I was screaming for right before he played For Everyman. Then it was Late for the Sky, one of the finest moments of the concert. This song was exquisite, and is my husbandıs personal favorite. Fountain of Sorrow was very good, as was Something Fine.
Cocaine was great! Normally I could do without this song but he updated it for current events and it was great. Everyone was laughing and having a fun time with him.
He did These Days, but did it on the keyboard instead of on guitar as it is recorded. It was still great and showed his versatility and ease on the keyboards. Another shining moment, Too Many Angels, was just beautiful, again from the wonderful Iım Alive CD. He did the soft choruses himself and it was just stunning.
Before the Deluge, a great song, was a treat to hear live. Finally, for Take it Easy, the whole place was on their feet, clapping, dancing and having a great time. I was not disappointed Jackson really knows how to deliver a great evening and left us longing for very few songs. He looks great, sounds great, and in my opinion, is one of the finest lyricists and poets of our time.
Hereıs the play list:
It all started sat 9/9 about 2pm. Decided to take a break from the bathroom remodeling project i was working on. I go surf the net and see whats happening. At the jb site i see the concert schedule and realize it was the day for the escondido pac concert. Well ive tried for over 3 mos. To get tickets for that and just gave up. So out of the blue, i called the center direct to check for any ticks. My heart i think literally stopped when the gal said she had just gotten some in. Not caring what the price was, i gave her my credit card no. And told my wife were going to see jb in 3 hrs!!!!
What a night that turned out to be! Jb was fabulous!!! We're new fans of his, maybe 2 yrs at the most. We were just mezmorized by his performance. Unbelievable!!! I just cant say enough about it. Thanks jb!!!
new 2 yr fans,
Had a wonderful time at the 9/5 show at the Mountain Winery. Jackson had a bass player and drummer with him, so it wasn't entirely solo, but it was acoustic. Set-list was as follows:
All in all a wonderful show. Seems he is doing a fair amount of "mixing up" his set-lists. After seeing what he performed on the 6th I sort of wish I had gone to that show as well. If you have a chance to see him (once, twice, thrice) on this tour, don't miss it.
a couple of Fridays ago, i had the pleasure of seeing jackson in concert at the performing arts center in lancaster, ca. i had never been to lancaster and will probably never return unless jackson performs there again. the performing arts center is a wonderful place to see a concert. i had the good fortune of scoring two pit tickets and sat in the second row, near the center of the stage. jackson was in the best of shape (his voice) and spirits. During the fantastic 3 hour show jackson told plenty of entertaining stories about his songs, which created a very intimate feel.
Up until now my favorite show was the solo acoustic concert jackson did in ojai, ca 3 years ago. this show was just as amazing, but in a different way. it was unplugged (not with full band, but just a drummer and bass player). and he played so many wonderful songs.
the set (not in this order):
something fineand i may have missed a couple of songs. it was a special treat to hear "sky blue and black" (i haven't heard that very often in concert) and "our lady of the well". anyway, i got my jb fix and now i feel like life can go on as usual.
last thursday, on a whim, with the lancaster show fresh in mind, i drove up to san luis obispo from santa barbara for a benefit concert jackson was doing with cpr (david crosby's band) for congress woman lois capps. i couldn't get any tickets over the phone and hoped it would not sell out before i got to san luis obispo. because i had to work, i could not make it to the show on time. i got there about ½ hour into the show (david crosby was still performing) and worried that my 2 hour drive up on a school night, may prove to be in vain. i was still able to get 2 tickets and i was only about 10 rows from the stage. i could not believe my good fortune! another wonderful show. this one (since there were two acts) was the reader's digest version of the show in lancaster. the set was shorter (jackson's part of the show lasted close to 2 hours) and a little different from the lancaster show, but amazing nonetheless (and for a good cause!). jackson did invite jeff pevar (from cpr) on stage to play guitar on a couple of his songs and the last song of the night was "rock me on the water", simply magnificent. i have seen jackson in concert so many times, in so many different places and also around town (we both live in santa barbara), that i sometimes worry he may think i'm a stalker if he recognizes me :-) oh well, i'll keep showing up at his concerts, because his music moves me. tonight and tomorrow night i will be attending 2 more jackson concerts in solvang, ca. i can't wait.
Hi Russ & Fans,
Just wanted to report on the Escondido, CA performance. It was wonderful! Jackson was very suprised at how lively the audience was. Even though it was at the Cultural Arts Center and most of the people are season ticket holders, most everyone seemed to know every song.
He played a lot of requests from the audience which is always great. He played Something Fine which I don't believe I've heard him do before and I've probably seen him about 20-25 times! Late for the Sky was wonderful, and Sky Blue & Black is one of my very favorites!!
I took my 11 year old daughter with me and she really enjoyed it too. I'm glad to be introducing another generation to Jackson's wonderful, heart warming songs. Of course, many of them make me cry, which is also a good release.
I'd really love to hear him do Sleeps Dark & Silent Gate sometime, but I don't want to should it out, maybe too painful for him.
Well, that's about it. It's always a wonderful experience to see Jackson and I'll continue seeing him when ever I get the chance!
Hi, My name is Ginny and I have been a fan of Jackson Browne's lyrics and music since I have been 13 years of age. I am now a 36 year old widow after 15 years of being married. After my husbands death in February of 2000 my sister in-law and I saw Jackson Browne at The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. When we got back to my home we purchased tickets for his next performance in Melbourne Fl. I do not know if he recognized my voice being a N.Y. native or my request for jamaica say you will, and indeed he did perform it ( I felt as if he was singing just for me!).
That evening it took us three hours to get back to my Holiday Fl. home and we proceeded to see when he was performing in Northern CA. Needless to say I purchased tickets for both his Saratoga shows at the Paul Mason Winery, My sister in-law backed out on me, but I still proceeded on my quest. Again I requested Jamaica at the first performance and he did pause after my outburst, and began to speak of his acoustic tour, this only egged me on. The evening of his second show in Saratoga, I again requested Jamaica in a loud N.Y. style outburst, and indeed he did perform it for me again. Needless to say he brought me to tears. His poetry in motion feeds my soul at this time of grief. I am lost and need to find my way. I am a photographer in heart but by my husbands request I moved to Florida and became a Chiropractic Physician Assistant instead.
I am now in the process of opening my heart and mind back into the ARTS! Jackson Brownes Lyrics and Music have given me the power and the strength to realize I AM ALIVE! I again can not begin to describe the Love and Sorrow that surrounds me, but again his music will always inspire me!
Most Sincerely
Now that I am back in Pennsylvania and have my biorhythms somewhat in sync, I can send along my thoughts on Jackson's concert at the Center for the Arts in Escondido, CA on September 9, 2000. First of all, I have to thank Cathy and Jim and their family, who welcomed me (and my friend Julie) into their home for the weekend. Who knew that an e-mail friendship, made possible through this very web page, would come full circle and bring people together who now feel like long lost relatives! Southern California, with it's 99% sunshine, is much different from my area of Pennsylvania, and now I am hooked! What a wonderful place! I'm already trying to plan my next vacation there! Anyway, back to the show:
Jackson walked on stage at 8:15, wearing khaki green pants and a black shirt. There was a drum set along with the keyboard and guitars, so we figured it would not be totally acoustic. Sure enough, Kevin McCormick and Mauricia Lewak joined him and added a little extra flair. Right away, I thought Jackson's voice sounded a little hoarse as he opened with "I'm Alive", maybe due to the whole stress of touring? Still, it was excellent to hear him live after an entire year since I'd seen him in Camden, New Jersey with Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin and Bruce Hornsby. The Center for the Arts is a beautiful theater, and I would guess there couldn't have been more than 1500 people there. We were lucky enough to be in the 6th row, thanks to Cathy being a member of the Arts Council. I tried to jot down songs as he played and hope I didn't miss any:
I'm Alive-guitarWith Kevin and Mauricia there, Jackson didn't seem quite as open to take requests from the audience. From other reviews I've read, he didn't seem quite as free-spirited as other shows. As he was talking quietly about the background of "Fountain of Sorrow", some idiot yelled "Rosie" and broke the mood entirely. When it happened again before the start of another song, Jackson made the comment that someone should tell him that he already did "Rosie" in the first part of the show. To me, it seemed the rude comments that were shouted in the most personal moments annoyed Jackson, to the point that he chose not to talk at all, just continue right into the next song. That was disappointing, since I had been looking forward to hearing him speak more, along with singing all my favorites. Why can't people just sit back and let the man play?
One endearing moment came at the beginning of "Sky Blue and Black", which everyone knows is a wonderful, soulful ballad, which Jackson was playing the intro to on the keyboard. He never made it past "In the calling..." of the first verse, because his voice cracked just as he was trying to hit the word "calling" (like I said, sounded like he was either fighting a cold or maybe just strain on his voice from all the concerts). He commented "I wanted to clear my throat after that last song, but I forgot", then paused to take a drink from a water bottle while Kevin played a steady bass beat that the audience started clapping in time with. (sort of like at a baseball game when you're waiting for a batter to bat) Showed that the two of them are totally comfortable with whatever happens in a show and can adapt accordingly.
Was it worth crossing the United States to see the concert, since he didn't play anywhere near the Philadelphia area? Absolutely!! I wouldn't have missed it for the world, and had the chance to make new friends in the process. Thanks again to Cathy and her family, and to Russ, for providing this web page!
Just got back from the show. It was great. I was able to sit in the front row (cabaret setting at 10-place, round tables - dinner had been served earlier) and grabbed a set list from under the bass player's mic stand at the end of the show. That was a good thing, since there were a few in the set that I didn't recognize....
Jackson Brown appearing at Compaq PartnerVision 2000 (a computer industry conference for reseller and software partners of Compaq Computer Corporation) Colorado Convention Center (Ballroom B?) September 13, 2000
Quick observations:
1. Jackson is looking great. I always thought he fit the line from "Cocaine"...."son, it says here you're 28, but that's impossible...". Of course I've aged a little bit, but he still looks mostly like he did in the 70's. He seemed to enjoy himself and was quick to give a smile all night long.
2. Damn, does he ever travel with a load of guitars. I counted five in a rack on stage and 11 in another rack offstage. All kinds, all vintages. And he swaps them out after just about every song. In a couple of cases, in the middle of a song...although I don't think those swaps were planned.
3. Surprise. I figured solo acoustic, but nope...he's up there with a six-piece band. From left to right, Mark on lead guitar, Jeff on keyboards, Jennifer on backup vocals, Mauricio on drums, Kevin on bass and Arnold on percussion.
4. Watch out Phish. These guys will jam for 10-12 minutes on a couple of songs. There seems to be a lot of improvisation going on and the whole band is having fun with it.
5. Our crowd is kind of crappy. Computer professionals who are technically still kind of at work. Hardly anyone got into the show until very late when he got to some of his top 40 stuff. Polite applause at best until the very end. There's probably a little less than 1000 folks in the place.
The show started about 30 minutes later than planned around 9:00
Set list and notes:
1. One I'm not familiar with. Set list says "I'm Alive". Jackson is on an acoustic guitar.
2. Again, I'm not recognizing it and I'm thinking my concert report is going to be a bust. Set list says "Everywhere I Go". Its got a pretty tight reggae sound to it. Jackson is playing electric guitar.
3. "Some Bridges". Great slide guitar by Mark during the bridge.
4. "Barricades of Heaven". He introduces it as a song about Orange County, CA that was written when he started to be out on the road a lot. Then corrects himself and says it really isn't really about Orange County so much. Jackson is on a different acoustic guitar.
5. "Fountain of Sorrow". He introduces the song by saying its about a girl he broke up with many years ago and then saw her again a few months later. She looked magnificient. But in the end, the song was "far more generous than she deserved." Jackson is playing a tiny bodied acoustic. Great piano work during the bridge and reprise. He introduced a few of the band after this song.
6. "Bright Baby Blues" (thank God for the setlist....my notes only say something about sweet tenderness). Jackson is playing a starburst acoustic with a cutout. More great slide guitar by Mark in the bridge.
7. "Shape of a Heart". Jackson is playing a real old looking acoustic. Afterwards he comments that he likes the room. "Usually these ball rooms have such a low ceiling. They seem to have gotten this one right." And he mentioned that he is not really all that talkative...no banter, he doesn't have any good jokes to tell between songs.
8. Jackson moves to the piano for "Doctor My Eyes". Crowd gets into the show a little, but not much.
9. He introduces another song about LA. "Culver Moon." "Well not really, its about Culver City", he says. He's playing a white Gibson. Afterwards he introduces Jennifer on vocals. She's very popular with the crowd. Nice to look at and even nicer to listen to. He mentions that this show is a little like a reunion with some of the band since he's been travelling with a small ensemble lately.
10. "World in Motion". He's playing a different old starburst acoustic, no cut out. He tells the band they can play the song without him and they launch into a lenghty reprise. He introduces Mauricio and Kevin McCormick. And asks for a glass of wine. Shortly two glasses turn up, one red and one white.
11. Next song was written for a soundtrack, but didn't make it. "The next Voice you Hear". He starts out with a hollow body Gibson but admits that he's never played the song on that guitar. He plays the first verse and after some crossed signals with his guitar runner, he asks for "the McAllister". Quick swap and he finishes the song. Another long, long reprise and each band member gets a chance to show off. He mentioned that with all the solo shows he's been doing, even he has gotten sick of hearing himself and says again its great to be out with a band. The red is empty so a half full bottle shows up, delivered by Jill who coordinated the entire event for Compaq. He comments about the quiet demeanor of our audience, and says he almost hates to play his older, better-known songs. But, off he goes into Pretender
12. Finally our crowd gets into the show for "Pretender". A couple of dancers show up between the front row of tables and the stage. He seems to be having some problem with the sound, makes a lot of motions to the guys operating the board. Eventually he swaps guitars again, so perhaps it was the instrument.
13. He's working us up good now with "Running on Empty" Most of the hall is on its feet. Clapping and singing. And eventually we all move in to close the 20 foot gap between the front row of tables and the stage. Folks are sitting on the stage and interacting with Jackson and all of the band. I'm not taking notes any longer.
14. Jackson goes to the piano and the band leaves the stage. "Load Out / Stay" (Not on the set list.) Crowd is still into it, especially when he transistions to Stay. A few folks from the head table are allowed on stage to sing, although the mic is way down on the monitors and I can barely hear them. I think this is a good thing. Jill makes her way back to the stage and sits on the bench with Jackson. Stage crew asks him if she needs to go and Jackson motions its all OK. She's got her arm around him while he plays. He takes the music down low and gets the crowd to ring in loud for "STAY" each time it comes around.
Jackson starts to exit the stage, but it doesn't take much on our part to get him back up for an Encore.
Encore: Take it Easy / Lady. Again, the audience (well the front half of it) is into it. Somewhere along the line, he says it looks a little like a class reunion, with one group up front and another still sitting in the back. The band gets another chance to jam and the front row asks for Jennifer to take a vocal turn. She obliges much to everyone's pleasure. She seems a little embarrassed by the attention.
Jackson is interacting a little more with the front rows and he plays two more requests from us. "Rosie" at the piano and "Redneck Friend" on acoustic.
It's probably around 11:15 or so. A good 2 + hour show in a small venue and I was up pretty darn close. It was a great show except that took a while to get the crowd loosened up. But it ended very strong. He told us to watch for news on a new album coming out later this year. Mostly recorded with the band on stage.
He shook a dozen or so hands and exited. Road crew unloaded a bunch of picks and a couple pairs of drum sticks into the audience. I grabbed a set list and watched a few minutes of the load out. Kind of nice not being rushed out of the venue by security/cops. We lingered for about 10 minutes before heading out.
Great night, great show. Thank-you Jackson Browne.
Originally posted on the LeeShore Mailing List. Reposted with permission.
(NOTE: Setlists courtesy of my sitting above the sound man in the "stage right tunnel" the second night, so I could copy them)
Jackson Browne opened both nights, and did the same set list: I'm Alive / Shape of a Heart / Bright Baby Blues / Barricades of Heaven / For A Dancer / Fountain of Sorrow / World in Motion / Jamaica Say You Will (with Crosby harmony vocals) / Lives in the Balance (with Crosby vocals) / The Next Voice You Hear (with Peev on guitar and James on keyboards) / Encore: Take It Easy/Lady of the Well medley
Jackson had a "spare" ensemble -- himself, plus Kevin McCormick on bass, and Mauricio Lewak on drums (Happy Birthday to Mauricio on the 11th, and congratulations on obtaining American citizenship!) Jackson did his usual phenomenal vocals, and continued to joke about "playing in Solvang" -- referring to it as pretty much the most outlying place he's played -- obviously joking, since he DROVE to the concert (and, nearly drove over your correspondent the second night).
Old "Razor Throat" (Croz) was stunning on "Jamaica" -- it's pretty phenomenal to hear the SAME beautiful vocal harmonies THIRTY years after the song was first recorded!
Peev [Jeff Pevar] had performed on "The Next Voice" when Jackson did the Letterman Show, and I had wondered just HOW he would "recapture" the sound of the strange balalaika-like instrument in the bridge -- well, ThePeev on Fender guitar can pretty much do anything, because he made the guitar sound like that ?tabouri? -- the first night, Jackson brought out "Jeff Pevar" and then seemed almost as an afterthought to ask James Raymond to play keyboards -- from my seat three rows up from Peev's side of the stage, I could see some quick discussions among the three of them.
THEN, Croz came out, and everything "got weird" -- lots of "scat" vocals on the third verse, lots of "where are we going with this?" solos, and a "when do we end this?" vibe -- GREAT song, though, and I'd love to hear it if anyone "happened" to have recorded it -- HINT, HINT!
The second night, Jackson introduced a beautiful and gifted violinist, Jamaica Raphael, who did the "David Lindley violin solo" on "For A Dancer." She admirably replaced "El Rayo-X" on that song.
Also, second night, Jackson introduced both Jeff Pevar and James Raymond before "The Next Voice You Hear", and Crosby "snuck out" on stage for the last verse vocal harmonies, followed by Stevie D., who did some conga drum percussion.
The second night's encore (I missed the first night encore, but didn't feel TOO bad, because I ran into Jan Crosby, who also was outside the theater) was great -- now Jeff Pevar can tour with the Eagles, because he "burned" on "Take It Easy."
Croz and CPR have succeeded in "bringing us to their living room" (thanks to Francine Heser for the quote) at the Solvang Theater. On the "CPR Live at Cuesta College" CD, Croz asked the audience to "come along with us in the bus" and for years, he's joked about having audiences "come back with us to MY house" -- Well, this year they succeeded wonderfully in letting ALL of us see them LIVE in concert "at home" in a relaxed atmosphere, right in Croz' back yard near Santa Barbara.
The theater only seats 705 people, and has *very* steep aisles, so there was NO bad seat for acoustics in the house, though, in truth, the first row seats were SO close to the stage that those lucky sods had to look between Peev's "wall of guitars" to see Stevie D. behind the drum set, and James was hard to see behind his piano -- small complaints, for such marvelous harmonies!
I was glad to see BOTH nights, because they played a mix of "old" (for this "baby band" -- 3 years old) and "new" songs. The new stuff is going to curl your hair -- there are INTENSE interwoven vocal harmonies on "Map to Buried Treasure" (formerly "Allegiance"), "Angel Dream" and "Breathless."
Croz had "premiered" "Kings Get Broken" on the Washington D.C. Mall in April at the Earth Day 2000 activities, but it sounds even better with Peev's guitar and harmonies by CPR.
James' "Coyote King" has some really thoughtful words, even if Croz did kid him about "writing about some weird stuff" (like father, like son?) :)
Jeff Pevar continues to impress me as the closest competition for "multi-instrument chameleon" to David Lindley. His styles range from "quasi-Flamenco" guitar on "Little Blind Fish", to jazzy solos alternating with James Raymond's keyboards -- bringing a whole new jazz feel to "Deja Vu", to flat-out slashing leads on "Long Time Gone" and "Eight Miles High."
Croz' vocals shone on "Long Time Gone" (as always!) and "Almost Cut My Hair" -- plus, "Thousand Roads" gets better every time I hear it live.
My only complaint? I didn't get to hear "Gravy Train" -- maybe next time, or I can try to get to Connecticut to hear it live.
All in all, an incredible night, the band really "connected" with the audience, and I got to kid James about "showing that he has feet" instead of "hiding behind the Steinway" (Explanation: He plays guitar and harmonica on "Jerusalem Syndrome").
All ya'll need to do your darndest to get back to Solvang next year -- great music, wonderful Shore camaraderie, and the chance to say "Thank you" at the after-show reception to a lot of folks: CPR, Drew Ford, Stevie D., the ever-wonderful Jan Crosby, Tom Campbell and the Guacamole Fund volunteers. Django is also a really cute guy -- from him, I can see just how much charm his Dad must have had when he was a boy. And, the "Santa Barbara Mafia" of Anastasia, John "Gonzo" Gonzales, Kate Bennett, Doug Ingoldsby (did I forget anyone?) really made us welcome -- Next year, Jana's going to try to make it to the Hamlet!
And now, the CPR set lists:
hello everyone,
jackson did a killer set at the warner theatre in d.c. for the nader/laduke benefit. it was billed as a solo show, but jackson actually had his full band this evening. here's the set list:
Here's a link to the Washington Post's review of the Jackson Browne concert at Warner Theater in D.C. last week, a benefit for the Nader/LaDuke campaign. Rather amusing and mostly accurate:
A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57003-2000Sep21.html">www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57003-2000Sep21.html
I have two tickets to the verde valley music festival in Sedona, Arizona. Due a conflict with work I cannot attend. I am willing to sell both tickets for $40.00. You can e mail me at abisnett@hotmail.com.
Thank you