Great Big Sea
Aug. 22nd, 2009 08:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fauxkloreI had a great week at work (interesting new project is progressing, managed to clear a few things off my desk) and it culminated in a great concert at Wolf Trap last night.
Since I was tired and the weather was iffy, I decided to take the bus, vs. driving. (The reason the weather makes a difference is that if you take the bus, it drops you right by the entrance, while it can be a long hike from the parking lots.)
The opening act was Carbon Leaf, who I have to admit I'd not previously heard of. They're semi-local (Richmond) and have a large following in the area, so got a good reception. I liked them for the most part (they did get a bit too country at times for my tastes) and would be interested in seeing them again. I think the highlights of their set were "Another Man's Woman," "Life Less Ordinary," and the very moving "The War Was in Color."
But it was Great Big Sea I (and everyone else) was there to see. I had never seen them live before and all I can say is "Wow." Their energy was contagious and almost everybody was on their feet, clapping and singing along. It's hard to select highlights, but I think they tend to be better at the faster stuff, e.g. "Donkey Riding" and "The Night Pat Murphy Died." There's a lot to be said for "England," "Ordinary Day," "The Old Black Rum," and, well, really everything they played. I was disappointed that they didn't do "Rant & Roar," though that may be for the best as it's a very sticky song.
The downside of taking the bus was that the bus back leaves at 11, regardless of when the concert ends. So I had to slip out in the middle of their second encore. And I did not have time to shop for CDs. Still, this was one of the best concerts I've ever been to - right up there with hearing Old Blind Dogs in Edinburgh. They said it was their largest paid audience ever, so I'm sure they'll be back next season.
Since I was tired and the weather was iffy, I decided to take the bus, vs. driving. (The reason the weather makes a difference is that if you take the bus, it drops you right by the entrance, while it can be a long hike from the parking lots.)
The opening act was Carbon Leaf, who I have to admit I'd not previously heard of. They're semi-local (Richmond) and have a large following in the area, so got a good reception. I liked them for the most part (they did get a bit too country at times for my tastes) and would be interested in seeing them again. I think the highlights of their set were "Another Man's Woman," "Life Less Ordinary," and the very moving "The War Was in Color."
But it was Great Big Sea I (and everyone else) was there to see. I had never seen them live before and all I can say is "Wow." Their energy was contagious and almost everybody was on their feet, clapping and singing along. It's hard to select highlights, but I think they tend to be better at the faster stuff, e.g. "Donkey Riding" and "The Night Pat Murphy Died." There's a lot to be said for "England," "Ordinary Day," "The Old Black Rum," and, well, really everything they played. I was disappointed that they didn't do "Rant & Roar," though that may be for the best as it's a very sticky song.
The downside of taking the bus was that the bus back leaves at 11, regardless of when the concert ends. So I had to slip out in the middle of their second encore. And I did not have time to shop for CDs. Still, this was one of the best concerts I've ever been to - right up there with hearing Old Blind Dogs in Edinburgh. They said it was their largest paid audience ever, so I'm sure they'll be back next season.
