Todays crop of critical commenting includes Alejandro Escovedo’s recent performance in Chicago; Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds in Sugar Land, Texas; Blue Rodeo in Victoria, British Columbia; Art Garfunkel in St. Louis; and Run The Jewels in Miami Beach.
John Davisson – Tim Reynolds and Dave Matthews
Bridge School Benefit, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, Calif.
Alejandro Escovedo @ City Winery in Chicago, Ill., Jan. 26 – “Their go-for-broke spirit and amps-cranked-to-10 buzz suggested the sound of a hungry, young band woodshedding in their parents’ basement. Never mind the members’ salt-and-pepper hair or weathered looks. Over the course of 80 minutes, the grizzled veterans were teenagers back in a garage playing raw rock ‘n’ roll with friends and having a helluva time doing it.” – Bob Gendron / Chicago Tribune
Dave Matthews And Tim Reynolds @ Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land in Sugar Land, Texas, Jan. 25 – “It was evident early on that Matthews may have been the name to sell the tickets but Reynolds would steal the show. And his friend made certain he got his proper due. The two were dialed into each other and perfectly in sync though the entire performance, often acknowledging each other with looks that signaled appreciation and great admiration.” – Jack Gorman / Houston Press
Blue Rodeo @ Save On Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia, Jan. 26 – “Everything was dialed-in, from the sound (mixed perfectly) to the imagery (classy and colourful, but understated). The atmosphere was uplifting — triumph over what has come before and hope for what lies ahead.” Mike Devlin / Times Colonist
Art Garfunkel @ Sheldon Hall in St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 22 – “His back may have a bit more curve, and the trademark fro he sported on the cover of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme may have gone the way of the eight-track, but make no mistake: Art Garfunkel can still sing like the rock ’n’ roll angel who charmed teenagers as one-half of Tom and Jerry; the act that later became the more well-known Simon & Garfunkel.” – Jim Ousley / PlayBack:stl.com
John Davisson – Run The Jewels
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.
Run The Jewels @ Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach, Fla., Jan. 25 – “Aside from their lyrical creativity, much of what makes this partnership work so well is their onstage chemistry. The interplay between El-P and Killer Mike is flawless. They weave in and out of each other’s verses and have even perfected a bit of choreography, bouncing and hopping in sync to the rhythm of each other’s words.” – Angel Melendez / Miami New Times