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Last night, the tour got of to a smashing start in Newark! Bonnie Raitt was sensational…her band cooked and her voice is as strong lithe as every. And that slide guitar!! Her appreciation at being on the tour is really evident. She made a remark about how they’ve been playing theaters recently and the size of the Prudential Arena “is really something”. James did “Thing Called Love” at the end of her set.
After an intermission of more than half an hour, the new video system was put into action. With multiple, moving screens, it is really impressive. It starts with a video montage of performances and interviews from throughout JT’s career, many of which we’ve seen either in his web site or on YouTube. At the end of the montage, JT is introduced by several people, including President Obama and Lily Tomlin. Throughout the show, the videos tastefully and cleverly enhance the music. It’s pretty amazing how the live video shots are woven into the pre-recorded stuff. Except for a couple of small glitches, it ran incredibly seamlessly.
Oh, and the band was good, too. Arnold McCuller has some sort of brace on his leg (he nearly toppled over at one point), so he wasn’t as mobile as usual. JT sang strong and was as goofy as ever. The set list was the same as Tanglewood, without Line ’em Up and Handy Man and Bonnie Raitt did Rainy Day Man during her set, without JT.
The sound was good, except for a lingering hint of feedback, which flared up a couple of times. But the voices were out in front and every little detail was audible. Despite the 15-20,000 seat capacity, it had a real,intimate feel.
You folks attending future shows on this tour are in for quite an event!
“Shed a Little Light” and “You’ve Got a Friend” were added to the set list. Sorry about the omission. And the typos in my original post.
Set 1
1) Carolina in My Mind
2) Country Road
3) Sunny Skies
4) Never Die Young
5) First of May
6) Handy Man
7) Montana
8) Mexico
9) October Road
10) Hard Times
11) Don’t Let Me Be Lonely TonightSet 2
12) Jump Up Behind Me
13) Something in the Way She Moves
14) Sweet Baby James
15) Fire and Rain
16) Shed a Light
17) Shower The People
18) Your Smiling Face
19) How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)Encore:
20) Johnny B. Goode
21) You’ve Got a Friend
22) You Can Close Your EyesIntermission at Tanglewood, I only went down to help a friend get her pic with James, I didn’t approach him. It was pitiful the way people were pushing,shoving,to the point I had to point out to a guard that a little girl was crying. He and another guard were able to lift her and another child up to the stage. I don’t know if this was part of the reason intermission was eliminated or not,but rather than standing there watching a stampede, possibly being on the floor, preventing it would have been better.
Arnold had quad tendon knee surgery on July 16th, I believe. That was the reason for the brace that ree mentioned.
And Barb, I think James didn’t have an intermission during his sets is because there was one between him and Bonnie (to allow the different band setups, etc.)
edited to add: Barb, the same thing happened to 2 or 3 children during the July 3rd Tanglewood show intermission.
It was SO SAD.Cheryl was on crutches. I snapped at a man who was about to knock her over,but the whole crowd was pushing. One little boy shoved himself into me, and I firmly told him not to.Teach them when they’re young,or they grow up nasty. I wasn’t being greedy and trying to get an autograph, or time with James. He can vouch for that! I wanted to get a pic for Cheryl w/him. And I did,then I backed away.
I feel like if you’ve had your moment,let someone else have a chance. I have 4 autographs. I stopped then.
I have NEVER been pushed at any venue other than Tanglewood!!
I have never heard people in the front row complain about the crowd going up to the stage at the end except at Tanglewood!
I have never been elbowed by women next to me at the end of the show except at Tanglewood.
Really don’t know what it is!!
I didn’t even THINK about trying to get past where I stood, maybe 8 ft from James. You’d think once I flagged down security and got guards to lift up those 2 little girls,it would stop. It didn’t. Maybe it’s on a slope,and all of us in our old age tend to gravitate…ha. No, I had no trouble standing still. That’s weird that people complained from the front row,though. Had they not been to a JT show before?
Great night,but I think if James had been standing up to where he could see the childish behavior,he would have walked away and started his 2nd set.Pitiful.
I was pushed by a woman at the stage a few years back in Kansas City.And I pushed her right back where she was! I don’t take that crap.
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