Many years ago I saw Springsteen do a solo acoustic concert in Berkeley. I was shocked to learn that he could really, really play the guitar. I had seen him many times before in his typical giant three hour concerts and was a huge fan but never thought of him as a great musician like my other favorite guitarists like Leo Kottke, Eric Johnson, and later Kaki King. Bruce showed creativity and mastery of his instrument like no other that night and it remains my favorite Bruce concert ever. "Adam Raised a Cain" rearranged by him and played on twelve string was a complete jaw-dropper.
I can't believe it Big Surprises in Music
Right, I need to put a few things in perspective first.
1) I love to listen to many things from Bach to Strawinsky, Coltrane to Sun Ra, Beatles to Zappa, Brel to Waits, ... you'll get the gist.
2) Since a number of years, there is an open air gig called the Hurricane Festival, this year featuring the likes of Faith No More (you read that correct: reunion), Nine Inch Nails, The Pixies, The Mars Volta, ... guys who know how to do a live performance properly.
So I was watching Hurricane 09 on the TV when on stage walks ... Kate Perry and starts a cooking performance. Man, this had nothing to do with the polished video clips we know her from. More important, this singer has a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y nothing to do with the likes of dreadful plastic voiceless JLo. Kate sure knows how to rock. In the middle of "I Kissed A Girl" she is hovered into the crowd (ten thousand hands stretch out as they had never been stretched out before, go figure) and, yes, finds herself a girl to kiss in the crowd.
That was one huge misconception on a singer I had to revise. Any other jaw-dropping surprise in music you like to relate?
1) I love to listen to many things from Bach to Strawinsky, Coltrane to Sun Ra, Beatles to Zappa, Brel to Waits, ... you'll get the gist.
2) Since a number of years, there is an open air gig called the Hurricane Festival, this year featuring the likes of Faith No More (you read that correct: reunion), Nine Inch Nails, The Pixies, The Mars Volta, ... guys who know how to do a live performance properly.
So I was watching Hurricane 09 on the TV when on stage walks ... Kate Perry and starts a cooking performance. Man, this had nothing to do with the polished video clips we know her from. More important, this singer has a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y nothing to do with the likes of dreadful plastic voiceless JLo. Kate sure knows how to rock. In the middle of "I Kissed A Girl" she is hovered into the crowd (ten thousand hands stretch out as they had never been stretched out before, go figure) and, yes, finds herself a girl to kiss in the crowd.
That was one huge misconception on a singer I had to revise. Any other jaw-dropping surprise in music you like to relate?