Sweetpea Manor Musings

On June 11, I saw Tull at the Greek Theater. It was a beautiful but cool night. The sound could have been better as the drums weren't that loud but the vocals were. It took the band a few songs to hit the groove but it was a good concert. I had a seat squater behind me that could have been a model for Aqualung himself. During the intermission an usher shifted him out. He was a old druggy and had that boubon voice and had a hair trigger. As for accessible parking, the Greek has given the close parking to the VIP parking and the handicapp now must park on a side street and be bussed back to the Greek. That is just rude and sucks.

On June 13, I saw them again at the Grove Theater and it was an awesome concert. They added one song and were tight from the opening song. The audience was more respectful and enthused and as a result the band was charged up. There was one moment when Ian was scooting backwards across the stage playing the flute and I spotted Martin watching him with such fondness and joy. They had a great time and were laughing and bouncing about. An excellent concert!

And I have to say that they rearranged Hymm 43. The first half was played in an Irish jig style with flute, mandolin and accordian and a very different rhythm. Then the orginal arrangement comes back and blasts you away! I remember from a few years ago, they played Aqualung in an acoustical style with a lot of flute. It was so beautiful. I wish they would release an album of these remixed songs.

They still put on a wonderful concert!

The set list for the Greek:

1.Thick as a Brick
2.Songs From The Wood
3.Farm on the Freeway
4.Cheap Day Return
5.Mother Goose
6.Wond'ring Aloud
7.Up to Me
8.Bourée
9.Cross-Eyed Mary

intermission

10.Aqualung
11.My God
12.Hymn 43
13.Budapest
Encore:
14.Wind Up
15.Locomotive Breath/Teacher

Setlist for the Grove:

They started out with Living In The Past, and did not break for a intermission.

There's a new radio station I've been listening too, called The Sound. In the LA area it's 100.3. Recently they ran "The Sound's A to Z, over 2000 essential Rock tracks from The Sound library in alphabetical order." That took them awhile but it was fun to listen too. This weekend they are going to run "The Songs We Missed from A to Z." I checked their list to see which Tull they had:

Aqualung
Bouree
Bungle in the Jungle
Cross-eyed Mary
Fat Man
Hymn 43
Living in the Past
Locomotive Breath
Skating Away
Teacher
Thick as a Brick

There are so many I think are essential, but I went and submitted both My God and Songs from the Wood. I think Budapest is brilliant but I don't think it got any airplay.

I'm not sure I would have included Cross-eyed Mary though one of my strongest memories from a live concert was this song. Played live it left me gob smacked and it had never really impressed me on the album. During that thunderous build up at the start of the song, they had the drums elevated and this brilliant light slowly came up and flooded the venue just as the crescendo hit before the vocals start. It made all the hair on my body stand up. And then Ian came out, larger than life and twirling that flute and all, SO impressive. I swear, his music is the aural equivalent to pheromones to me. I want to say words like male or testosterone filled, but they have negative connotations to me. It's strength, power, confidence, authority but none of it threatening (because it seems like so often male traits are portrayed as including the domination of females.)

Erm...I seemed to have digressed....

Fat Man is great, but essential? That song still makes me laugh.

Teacher...interesting choice. Great song but it's been a really long time since I heard that one on the radio!

The others, absolutely yes.