Note: for photos from the show and the full set list, click on the “continue reading” below…
Another note: I had this posted at SacMusicBlog too.
Veteran rockers Concrete Blonde were at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades last night and brought down the house with an energetic and spirited show that had the audience cheering and yelling for more.
Singer-songwriter Jim Bianco opened up the show with an entertaining set of originals. One audience member called him “a young Tom Waits”, but that’s not exactly true. He does have an offbeat style in both performance and lyrics but is at least a little closer to the mainstream. And was that a nylon string classical guitar that he was playing the crazy heck out of?
Time for the headliners: Concrete Blonde have been together since the late 80s and have broken up and retired more than a couple times. But they are back again and haven’t lost a beat. The show had only a couple numbers that were not immediately recognizable (Rosalie, The Damage I’ve Done). Very early on they played a blazing cover of Beds Are Burning (the Midnight Oil protest song) which was a definite highlight. But most of the show was classic song after classic song. Joey, True, Mexican Moon (acoustic), Someday, Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man, Tomorrow Wendy, God is a Bullet, Caroline, 100 Games of Solitare, Everybody Knows (acoustic), and more. And of course, for the encore, Bloodletting (The Vampire Song).
Lead singer Johnette Napolitano (buy her solo album too) mentioned she was a little under the weather but it didn’t stop her from delivering a great show. Her expressive and powerful voice is still there after all this time and the band has their stuff down. The crowd was wanting more but after a close-to two hour set that was that. I hope you went to the show! If not (or if so) there are some pictures, click on the “read more”. The first two are Jim Bianco (Johnette joined him for his last number) and the rest are Concrete Blonde. Sure they are cell phone photos, but a lot better than nothing, right?
Rosalie
Beds Are Burning (Midnight Oil cover)
Joey
I Don’t Need a Hero
Days and Days
Lullabye
Scene of a Perfect Crime
God Is a Bullet
Damage I Have Done (formerly with The Heads)
Caroline
When I Was a Fool
100 Games of Solitaire
Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man
Someday
Take Me Home
Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen cover)
True
Mexican Moon
Tomorrow, Wendy
Encore:
Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)
Were you there? What did YOU think?
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