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Archive for the ‘McCarter Theatre’ Category

An evening with Dawes (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, April 13, 2025)

Posted in Dawes, McCarter Theatre, Parenthood, Princeton, NJ on April 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 13, 2025] An evening with Dawes

My wife and I first encountered Dawes in 2013 when they (inexplicably) appeared on Parenthood, a show we watched pretty regularly.  I thought they were a fictional band, but indeed they are not and had two albums out at the time.  I can’t recall at all what their plot line had to do with anything, but Dawes became something of a punchline for us.  The AV Club (who loves Dawes and the episode) jokes that the main character says the word Dawes so much it’s like he wants to be in the band.

And yet, over the years, we heard more and more songs of their that we liked.  It seemed like every new album brought at least one or two songs that we thought were really catchy.  I hadn’t really considered seeing them live until they announced that they were playing at McCarter.  I mean, a show that close to my house?  Sign me up!

So I got us tickets and wondered who the opener would be.  Well, it turned out there was no opener.  So we were given two full sets (20 songs… evidently the typical how on this tour got 17 songs, so I guess it wasn’t a huge difference (except that we got to go home earlier).

This show also happened a few months after the band announced that everyone except the two brothers: Taylor (vocals, guitar) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums) was out of the band.  I had actually wondered if they were going to play just the two of them.  But they didn’t–it was a full band, and they sounded great.

I think we were both a little surprised at what the band looked like, since I clearly never looked at them (since Parenthood).  This tour was for their new album Oh Brother, which I didn’t really know, although I did know and like the song Still Strangers Sometimes–a perfect catchy song from them.  But they started with The Game, a deep cut that I didn’t know but which I thought was quite good.

But I was really psyched when they played Living in the Future, and even though When the Tequila Runs Out is kinda goofy, it was really fun live.  Speaking of fun, this crowd was really really rowdy.  More so than the band, I’d say,  I had no idea that Dawes had such a devoted fan base (one guy was overheard saying he’d seen them a dozen or so times).

And the crowd went nuts for songs that I didn’t know.  I knew a few songs from Good Luck with Whatever, but I didn’t know Me Especially or Didn’t Fix Me.  Nor did I know Right on Time from the album All Your Favorite Bands (which I think we owned).

But that was just a few songs I didn’t know before they played Most People, a ubiquitous song that sounded great live.  They ended the with the mellow A Little Bit of Everything and then finished up the set with  Someone Else’s Café/Doomscroller Tries to Relax from Misadventures of a Doomscroller.  I felt like I knew the song, but it seems like an unlikely radio song–but that guitar riff was really cool.

After a little break, Tyler came out by himself and played a pretty, acoustic Moon in the Water. (more…)

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Richard Thompson: Ship to Shore Tour – Solo Show (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, February 22, 2025)

Posted in Fairport Convention, Linda Thompson, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Richard Thompson on February 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 22, 2025] Richard Thompson

This is my 12th time seeing Richard Thompson and my sixth time seeing him at McCarter Theater.  For a while it seemed like he was playing McCarter annually.  But we last saw him there in 2020 (he did play in 2023 but we didn’t go).  I was really hoping to see Richard with a full band, as most of the time that I’ve seen him it’s been him solo.  He was playing with a full band on this tour, but I missed those dates.  And, somewhat sadly (in context, but not actuality), this show was a solo.

I admit to not being as excited for this show as I tend to be for bands that I like a lot.  I feared that I had seen his solo show so much that I would be annoyed at how samey it was to other shows.

But, as soon as he started playing I was blown away at his mastery and at how great his voice sounds (at 75!).  We had great seats–row K, center stage–and I could clearly watch his hands as he did…everything.  I was amazed at the way he played the low sting perfectly in time with the beat as the rest of his fingers played intricate melodies and solos.  I was really quite in awe once again.

It’s interesting the way he seems to play certain era songs a bunch (I tend to see the same songs like three times in a row).  So he opened with If I Could Live My Life Again which came out in 2020.  But then he moved back to Walking on a Wire.  I’ve seen him play it 8 times and I never get tired of it.

Same with Beeswing.  I have a hard time believing there were four shows I’ve seen where he didn’t play it!  But hearing it so clean and perfect and watching his fingers play those gorgeous chords was like hearing it for the first time again.

I Feel So Good is one of my early favorites by him.  I haven’t seen him play it since 2013 and it was fantastic.  I guess someone in the front requested Matty Groves, and old Fairport Convention song and he played it–he is sometimes amenable to requests.  Later in the show someone shouted a song and he said.  Maybe later–much later.

Then he played a song that he said he wrote yesterday.  Most of Richard’s properly released songs are serious and intense.  But live he tends to play these goofy songs that are hilarious.  Maybe someday he’ll release an album of funny songs like You Love Me Like It’s 1969. (more…)

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An evening with Neko Case (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, January 29, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in A.M. Homes, McCarter Theatre, Neko Case, Princeton, NJ on January 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: January 29, 2025] An evening with Neko Case

I’ve been wanting to see Neko Case’s solo show for a while and when this show was announced–in Princeton!–I was psyched to grab a ticket.

Then I saw that it was for her book tour, and  that there would be no music, but rather an hour of conversation with Princeton University’s A.M. Homes, Author and Professor of the Practice in the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing.

I love A.M. Homes’ work and would 100% love to hear her talk to someone I was really interested in.

But to be honest, I wasn’t interested in her memoir.  I don’t really like musician memoirs all that much (most of the time) and while this one might be interesting, the description

a memoir that traces her evolution from an invisible girl “raised by two dogs and a space heater” in rural Washington state to her improbable emergence as an internationally-acclaimed talent.

just doesn’t appeal to me.

I follow her on Instagram and feel like I know a bunch about her and I don’t know that I need to know more about her.

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The Mountain Goats / Tift Merritt (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, October 20, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, The Mountain Goats, Tift Merritt on October 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 20, 2024] The Mountain Goats / Tift Merritt

Back in 2021 I wrote:

I’ve enjoyed a lot of The Mountain Goats’ music and I’d like to see them live, but their timing always seems to be terrible.

This year they played McCarter Theater in Princeton–an amazing venue and super close to my house.  I was just about to grab tickets when I realized that it was the same day as a birthday in my family.  So, yes, their timing is terrible.

I thought I knew Tift Merritt, but I guess I have just heard of her.  She is a singer-songwriter in the alt country vein.  I’m sure she would have been a pleasant opening act, although it would have been cooler if it was only The Mountain Goats.

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Rodrigo y Gabriela (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, April 28, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Rodrigo y Gabriela on April 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 28, 2024] Rodrigo y Gabriela

I’m not sure why it feels like some shows just recently happened and other feels so long ago.

I can’t believe that it has been seven years since we last saw Rodrigo y Gabriela.  That show was amazing and we were right up front so we could see everything they did.

I’d always felt that I’d want to see them whenever I could, but when they announced a show at McCarter Theater (practically in my backyard) I should have snatched up tickets instantly.  But I didn’t and then the only tickets available were pretty far back.  And that last show was SO GOOD, that it felt like this could only be a letdown.

Our friends who have seen them twice with us did wind up going (McCarter is even closer to them).  They told us that it was amazing to see them again and even more so to be home and ready for bed by 9:30.

Well, we got invited to a Passover dinner, so we couldn’t have gone anyway.  So there.

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KT Tunstall / Shawn Colvin (McCarter Theater, Princeton, NJ, April 20, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in KT Tunstall, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Shawn Colvin on April 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 20, 2024] KT Tunstall / Shawn Colvin

All through the pandemic, I enjoyed watching as the various KT Tunstall shows were cancelled and then rescheduled and then cancelled again.  I was sad that they were cancelled, but I loved how doggedly she persisted in getting those shows on the calendar.

I have yet to see her live, but when I saw her Tiny Desk around the same time, I was really impressed.

So this show, in the very close by McCarter Theater seemed like a great opportunity to check her out.

I also kind of like (or at least liked) Shawn Colvin.  I haven’t given her any thought this century, though, and I was pleased to see that she’s still performing.

But I didn’t want to see the two of  them together on stage.  It worked amazingly for Juana Molina and Madison Cunningham and it probably worked really well for this show too, but it’s not what I wanted to see.

Plus, I was going to go see a crazy noise show with Metz that night anyway.

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Richard Thompson (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, May 18, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Richard Thompson on May 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 18, 2023] Richard Thompson

I’ve seen Richard Thompson more than almost anyone else.

I had wanted to move him to my 2nd place list with one more show.

I love seeing him at McCarter, which is a great venue and has a lot of long time fans.  I’ve seen him there more than anywhere else.

But this show was on May 18, a night that I’d already had tickets for The New Pornographers and Acid Mothers Temple had announced a show for the same night.  And so did Kevin Devine.

So Richard would have to wait.  And since he lives in Montclair, I’m sure he’ll be playing again nearby soon.

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Rebecca Makkai–“The George Spelvin Players” [The 2020 Short Story Advent Calendar #22] (2015)

Posted in A Christmas Carol, Canadian Content, Christmas, Coronavirus, Death, Dementia, Funny (ha ha), Hingston & Olsen, Huh?, McCarter Theatre, Quarantine, Rebecca Makkai, Sex, Short Story, The Cure, The Distillers, The Ramones, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Theater, Thieves on December 25, 2020| 1 Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: THE DISTILLERS-Very Special Christmas Special, “Baby It’s Covid Outside” (December 18, 2020).

Despite going to many live shows, I haven’t watched a lot of streaming concerts. It’s not the same, and I don’t really like watching things on my computer anyway.

I’m not exactly sure what prompted me to buy a ticket for this one.  I saw The Distillers last year and enjoyed the show. But I feel like I didn’t get to fully appreciate it because the crowd was really rowdy and knew the band far more than I did.

So this seemed like a chance to see them “live” up close. The entire special was barely 40 minutes.  This is a bit of a bummer, but at the same time, it was really a perfect length for me.

In addition to the music, there were some skits.  As the show opens, Black Metal Santa unpacks some presents from his sack.  There’s a gun on a stack of presents, he pulls out a squeaking chicken dog toy and then a very adult toy.  He turns around, all Black Metal and says “Merry Fucking Christmas boys and girls, here’s The Distillers.”

On a well-decked-out Christmas-themed set The Distillers start to play.  There’s all kinds of Christmas things–blow up snowmen and giant stocking as well as digital flames.  And a full rig of lights. The band sounds great and the recording is well mixed.  The drums and bass sound huge.

They open with “Sick of It All.”  Brody Dalle is up front playing guitar and singing.  To her right is Tony Bevilacqua on guitar.  To her left is Ryan Sinn on bass.  All three are wearing Santa hats.  They all sing the opening verses and it sounds like a wall of vocals. Drummer Andy Granelli is not wearing a Santa hat, but he does have a knit cap on. The song sounds great–a blast of punk to celebrate the season.

They follow with the outrageously catchy punk of “Oh Serena.”  When I saw them, they opened with these two songs as well.  But this set list deviates somewhat. 

Up next is the quieter “L.A. Girl.”  It starts with everyone playing softly while Brody sings.  Then the whole band kicks in with massive drumming and some tasty bass fills. A martial drum beat opens “I’m a Revenant.”  Both guitarists play the lead riffs before Brody starts singing.  This song has some great sing-along moments as well as a brief part where it’s just Brody before the band marches in again.

“Sunsets” comes next.  They didn’t play this when I saw them.  Brody’s guitar is clean as the song opens.  She sings without a snarl.  The song does not turn into a balls out rocker.  It stays slow but gets very intense.  Bevilacqua makes interesting bendy sounds from his guitar in the middle jam section.  The song slows to a bass rumble before some Christmas music starts playing.

Black Metal Santa comes out and gives Brody a present.  It’s the album Faith by The Cure.  But there’s nothing inside–it’s just the cover. Black Metal Santa says, “Its my ‘Primary’ Christmas gift to you.  A cover.  Now play the damn song.”  It’s an amusing introduction to the song “Primary,” which I did not expect at all.  It sounds fantastic–close to the original, but heavier and obviously with Brody’s vocals sounding very different from Robert Smith’s.  She restrains her vocals until a loud snarling “oh remember” part.

Brody removes the Santa hat for “Dismantle Me” and the lights get brighter so you can see her more clearly.  This song has a great split with really fast guitars from Bevilacqua and slower guitars from Brody. 

The super fast chords continue into “Die on a Rope.”  This song also has some “Oh way oh” parts that are really catchy for such a dark song.  The middle jam is just bass and drums and Bevilacqua’s squeaky feedback while Brody sings.  There’s some thunderous drumming in the end as they jump into “City of Angels.”  This song is really catchy as she and the boys sing together.  There’s another cool middle section of just Brody’s guitar and noisy guitar sounds from Bevilacqua before the band roars off again.

The song ends and Brody looks off stage and says “Jesus.”  Granelli chides, “Brody, it’s Christmas.”  But she points off stage and Jesus comes out.  They ask what he’s doing there and he says it’s his birthday. They ask if he can make it snow.  Jesus says he makes miracles happen–he’s got a guy.   He calls a guy who comes down and the snow starts to fall.  Jesus and the guy get in a fight over who actually makes the miracles happen.  The guy says “ever since cofefe.”  But Granelli stops them, “we’re trying to do a Christmas show here, knock it off.”

Brody takes the mic and says “this year’s been a real ass kicker.  We’re looking forward to the new year.” 

Then they start Ramones’ “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight).”  It sounds great and is a perfect set ender for a holiday special.

The show ends and they play the Ramones song over the credits.  The band takes bows and makes snow angels.

It’s a fun special and totally worth the $15.

[READ: December 25, 2020] “The George Spelvin Players”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

You know the drill by now. The 2020 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories from some of the best writers in North America.

This year’s slipcase is a thing of beauty, too, with electric-yellow lining and spot-glossed lettering. It also comes wrapped in two rubber bands to keep those booklets snug in their beds.

As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check back here to read an exclusive interview with the author.

It’s December 25.  Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers, could’ve sworn she left that porridge bowl right over there [Click the link to the H&O extras for the story].

I started this story and thought it was so familiar that I was sure I had read it before.  But as it went along, it didn’t seem familiar anymore, so maybe there is a similar component of it that I had read in another story. (more…)

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Sara O’Leary–“The Ones We Carry With Us” [The 2020 Short Story Advent Calendar #22] (2020)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Coronavirus, Death, Dementia, Hingston & Olsen, Huh?, McCarter Theatre, Old Age, Quarantine, Sara O'Leary, Shawn Colvin, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, The Walrus on December 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: SHAWN COLVIN-Happy Holidays from Shawn Colvin and McCarter Theatre Center! (December 19, 2020).

On December 19th, I received an email from McCarter Theatre:

Shawn Colvin, a dear friend of McCarter, gave us a special present to share with all of you!

I have enjoyed Shawn Colvin’s music over the years, but somehow was never quite aware that she played McCarter (apparently many times).  At the end of this session, she says that she is arranging something special with the Artistic Director of McCarter for 2021.

I think I’ll certainly have to check that out.

For this special concert, Shawn plays two Christmas songs from her home.

It amuses me that she says she wants to give us a little holiday cheer and then she plays “In the Bleak Midwinter.”  Good grief.

her version is lovely and her voice sounds very good.

The second (of two) songs is “Little Road to Bethlehem.”  I don’t know this song but it’s similar in tone and it suits Colvin perfectly.

This isn’t exactly the holiday pick-me-up it might have been, but Colvin sounds great and it is nice to hear her.

[READ: December 22, 2020] “The Ones We Carry With Us”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

You know the drill by now. The 2020 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories from some of the best writers in North America.

This year’s slipcase is a thing of beauty, too, with electric-yellow lining and spot-glossed lettering. It also comes wrapped in two rubber bands to keep those booklets snug in their beds.

As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check back here to read an exclusive interview with the author.

It’s December 22.  Sara O’Leary, author of The Ghost in the House, puts a bowl of candy on her front step with a sign that says “Help yourself.” [Click the link to the H&O extras for the story].

This is the second story in this collection which I have read previously (that’s a good ratio 2 out of 22).  Here’s a link to the original post.  This is a slightly edited version of my original post:

This story starts with a fascinating sentence: ” A few years ago, I accidentally midwifed a death.”

This could literally mean many things, although figuratively it makes sense for what she actually means.

The narrator then goes on to tell us about three women whose lives have impacted her.

The woman who died was Agatha. (more…)

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Acrobuffos (McCarter Theatre, Princeton NJ, June 6, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Acrobuffos, Cancelled, Coronavirus, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Quarantine, Theater on June 6, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: June 6, 2020] Acrobuffos

indexS. took her Girl Scouts to see Acrobuffos and said it was great.  I had actually wanted to go to the show but was on a Scout hike that weekend.

So when they announced they were coming to McCarter, I bought us all tickets.

Of course, now McCarter has cancelled the rest of their season, so we can only hope that the troupe comes back next season.

What are Acrobuffos?

Visual, completely wordless, comedic physical theater. The Acrobuffos present sophisticated image-driven performances, playing games using poetic mime. They are not your typical clowns – they are artists and surrealists – who will not be easily categorized.

Who wouldn’t love that?

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