Venue:
Egg Center for the Performing Arts, Albany NY
Date: 17/09/2018
Two days earlier I had thoroughly enjoyed a tribute to Gene Clark featuring his son Kai’s band and a host of guest musicians and singers. A special concert, featuring a superb guitarist who was able to somewhat mimic Roger McGuinn’s style on the 3 Byrds songs where that was necessary (Mr Tambourine Man, Feel a Whole Lot Better, Turn! turn! turn!) . I wondered how the Sweetheart of the Rodeo show would live up to that. The rather unwieldly title of this tour reflects, I think, the need to keep David Crosby happy and the aim was to mainly concentrate on the post Crosby era in The Byrds.
Opening with My Back Pages the first set consisted of mainly countryish songs that preceded Sweetheart. As the opening chords rang out, I turned to my concert going companion and said that it sounded just like the Byrds. McGuinn’s voice, never the most expressive of instruments, has weakened but it was recognisably him. Standout highlights of the first set for me were also Time Between and Mr Spaceman,
Following a couple of strong Marty Stuart songs, we got the whole of the Sweetheart of the Rodeo album (not in order), his band were sensational, special kudos to Kenny Vaughan on steel guitar and “Handsome” Harry Stinson on drums and backing vocals. Surprisingly for me Hillman took the bulk of the lead vocals in this set. We also were treated to quite a few anecdotes about this time in The Byrds and the making of the album. Hillman and McGuinn starting and ending each others sentences and helping each other out as the memories are not quite as they were.
Encore was 3 (THREE) tributes to Tom Petty, possibly two too many, but beautifully played, and the show ended (again) with Turn! Turn! Turn!, a rare opportunity for a frail looking McGuinn to show us that his guitar chops were still very much in place.
So a beautiful evening in a superb venue, well worth the 5 hr drive.
The audience:
At 56 I was one of the youngest
It made me think..
Great band, The Byrds
Paul Wad says
Now you’ve just made me jealous! Hopefully they will bring the show over here.
dai says
Forgot to mention they also played “So You Want to Be a Rock n Roll Star”, which was superlative even though I missed the start because of miscalculating the length of the break between 2nd set and encore.
Full setlist:
Set 1:
My Back Pages
A Satisfied Mind
Mr. Spaceman [preceded by snippets of “I’ve Just Seen a Face” & “Act Naturally”]
Time Between
Old John Robertson
Wasn’t Born to Follow
Sing Me Back Home
Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man
Mr. Tambourine Man [preceded by”Dylan’s version of Mr Tambourine Man]
Set 2:
Country Boy Rock & Roll
Time Don’t Wait
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
Pretty Boy Floyd
Hickory Wind
Life in Prison
One Hundred Years From Now
Nothing Was Delivered
The Christian Life
Blue Canadian Rockies
You’re Still on My Mind
You Don’t Miss Your Water
I Am a Pilgrim
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere [Reprise, audience singalong]
Encore:
So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star
American Girl
Wildflowers
Runnin’ Down a Dream
Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)
Moose the Mooche says
Time Between? Great!
dai says
They did that phazy, psychedelic interlude to perfection here.
retropath2 says
Jeeeeeeeeeeeezus, that sounds my idea of heavenly……… Chances of a UK jaunt perhaps unlikely, I fear, but fingers crossed.
Mike_H says
For anyone (who can access the BBC iPlayer) who hasn’t seen this, a doco. about Gene Clark.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03tdd6k/the-byrd-who-flew-alone-the-triumphs-and-tragedy-of-gene-clark?suggid=b03tdd6k
dai says
It’s very good. Gene Clark’s career outside The Byrds is one of the great unsung (and tragic) stories of (country) rock music. Was telling that the tribute show which lasted for about 75 mins contained only stellar songs, but included nothing from his greatest album, the masterpiece that is No Other.
deramdaze says
Sounds wonderful. It’s only really been this year that I finally really enjoyed “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”
“Time Between,” indeed all of Hillman’s stuff on “Younger than Yesterday,” is as good as it gets.
dai says
Yes, “Have You Seen Her Face” (not played) is up there with their greatest tracks.
Beezer says
My God. How completely wonderful. That would have been a show.
Here’s a short and sweet little film showing how Marty Stuart came to own Clarence White’s Telecaster.
Jorrox says
He owns everything. I think most of the exhibits in the Country Hall of Fame are owned by him.
fatima Xberg says
Marty Stuart has an apartment-sized “cupboard” in his house where he keeps his collection of original Nudie suits. *swoon*
And he’s probably the only human on earth that was awoken in the middle of the night while on tour by a bare-chested, chocolate-covered Jerry Lee Lewis with the words “I need your fiddle, boy. Right now!!”
Mousey says
How wonderful!
Baron Harkonnen says
A fine review @dai. The Beatles, Love, The Waterboys, The Beach Boys & The Byrds are probably my 5 favourite bands ever. If I had to choose one it would probably be The Byrds, that ‘jingle jangle’ sound never fails to lift me. Every member was a star, yes including Michael Clarke, just look at the bands he played for after The Byrds.
I would love to see this show, Marty Stuart ain’t short of talent either.
dai says
Thank you @Baron-Harkonnen , we share very similar tastes! Probably between them and The Beach Boys as to my favourite American band. It is very close and Gene Clark solo would also feature in my top 10 artists.
Baron Harkonnen says
I agree with you about Gene Clark, still an underrated songwriter, he deserved more recognition in his lifetime. Comes down to lifestyle also but Gene never had much luck or good timing. I really love the music from him, especially that which has been released in recent years.
Then there is David Crosby, his output of recent years has been high in quantity and quality. Chris Hillman’s music some good, some not so good. The Tom Petty produced album is the best thing he’s done IMO. Roger McGuinn, he releases expensive CDs every now and then but I’ve loved every one of them. I never got to see the Byrds live but have seen Roger. The first time was at the International in Manchester in the ’80’s. Me and my girlfriend were sat at a table in the front row when Roger came on I had tears in my eyes. He spoke to us asked how we were and played a great show. After one of his roadies came over and asked if we’d like to meet him. My girlfriend wasn’t bothered, I was but declined, I have this thing since meeting a stoned Arthur Lee in the ’60’s, never meet your heroes.
retropath2 says
McGuinn did a terrific solo tour about, jeez, 15, maybe 20 years back, revisiting his career in songs, solo with acoustic guitars, including, of course, a 12 string. It was superb, especially when he talked about Dylan, playing the Dylan version of Tambourine Man, followed by explaining how the restyled arrangement of the Byrds came about, playing that next.
Support, entirely wonderfully, was by Sid Griffin, Long Ryder and Coalporter, biographer of both Gram Parsons and Gene Clark.
dai says
I saw McGuinn once previously, he was opening for Bob Dylan with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1987. He played a lovely solo set. Later I bumped into him on the rec.music. beatles newsgroup (anybody else on that?). I sent him a complimentary email and he gave me a gracious response. Did seem rather frail last week, I wonder if he has had some health issues.
Mike_H says
Heard a good Arthur Lee anecdote from “Whispering” Bob Harris once.
Bob had got it all set up to do a live telephone interview with Arthur on his radio show. He checked several times beforehand that day and Arthur assured him he was totally into it and looking forward to being interviewed. The time was set and just a couple of minutes prior to the arranged time, while a record was playing, Bob called Arthur, ready to start the interview once the track finished.
“Sorry, Man. Can’t do it. I’ve got a hot date. Bye.” and Arthur hung up on him.
Carl says
That sounds like a great night. I would loved to have been there.
retropath2 says
I’ve been loving reading @Carl as each thread trumps the one he was loving to have been at.
Carl says
I think that’s a compliment – but maybe it’s ironic, Alanis @retropath2.