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Rich Blatt

What's So Funny....

...about Elvis Costello and Alan Toussaint?


Well...actually...that they don't make great music together. Which may not be all that shocking of a revelation, given that EC is famous for angry brit-punk flavored tunes from the 70s, and Alan Toussaint is known for New Orleans flavored jazz music.

Elvis Costello opened up the set with his trademark "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace Love and Understanding" and was then joined by Alan and a horn section.


While I appreciate what Elvis was trying to do with his collaboration (Alan Toussaint is a New Orleans musician displaced by hurricane Katrina, whom EC felt was and is underappreciated), I didn't find the resulting music to be compelling.


I actually ended up leaving the mainstage area about halfway through their set (in truth, partly due to "festival fatigue")...only to hear Elvis blast off into his own material as I was leaving the field. The good news is that it was loud enough (and I was camped close enough) that I could enjoy it just fine from my tent!

(Apologies for the overexposures in this set. Even Photoshop can't help you when you eff up taking the photo on the front end...)

On deck, what everyone has been clamoring for!

Radiohead!!

Legends

More from Buddy Guy's set. Lookit that smile...! Gotta admit, the man has charisma...


Corporations talk about team. Blue in the face from all the talk of team. Well, I got news. Check out this teamwork. No comparison, mano....


Buddy Guy's set was all about the "o" face. Check it out:


Even the keyboard player was hornin' in on the action...


You don't even wanna know what he was sayin' here....


Needless to say, this set got me in the mood. (Alright. What are YOU thinking...?!)


So, then it was time to go to the main stage and see Elvis Costello, whom I fully expected to continue my euphoria...


Elvis and Alan are on deck!

Sweet Home Chicago, 70 times over

On Saturday morning, I went to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. While she was a charismatic performer with a great Janice Joplin-esque voice, the songs didn't grab me the way I had hoped. And sometimes it seemed like she was working a little hard on the stage presence thing. I guess my lukewarm response to their performance was...well...either due to the fact that the coffee hadn't taken effect yet...or reflected in the fact that I only took about 5 photos of their set. And they were all blurry. Argh.

This is the best of the pack:


After this, shuffled over one of the main stages for Buddy Guy's show. Waited for what seemed like hours in the 90+ degree sun...but the wait (and the cooking) were well worth it. Needless to say, the contrasts (between the first two acts) could not be more stark.

Here is the legend himself, stepping onto the stage for the first time:


This man has earned every last ounce of his status as a legend. An absolutely arresting performer, charismatic...lecherous...and a guitar player to make the most accomplished weep in despair.

So...there's a word in that previous sentence which probably needs a little explanation. You see, most of the lyrical material that comprises The Blues is...well...blue. That is to say, the subject matter is often of an erotic nature. Buddy Guy takes an almost obscene glee in his interpretations of that subject matter.


Owns a famous blues bar in Chicago, appropriately titled Buddy Guy's Legends. Turned 70 years of age just about a month after his performance at Bonnaroo. Happy birthday, Buddy, and many happy returns!


What a joy the man was to watch. If you ever get a chance to see him perform live, do it. Travel, buy plane tickets, whatever you have to do, make it happen. He's not going to live forever, and you will have missed out in a huge way if you don't.