Point State Park, Pittsburgh, PA ..... The final headline show for the 2014 Three Rivers Arts Festival. I had been a fan of the then 20 year-old British performer shortly after I caught a few songs from his 2012 UK debut album, even before it was released here in the States. At WYEP, we ended up playing "Lightning Bolt" some in November 2012. His record label released an EP to radio with a few of his songs, but not "Lightning Bolt." They were concentrating on promoting "Two Fingers" for his first single in the U.S., which is a great song but not the right one for here--"So I hold two fingers up to yesterday" doesn't hold the same weight in American English as it does in UK English. Sigh. They finally switched to promoting "Lightning Bolt" in late March 2013. Either way, it was great seeing him live, performing on guitar with a bassist and drummer backing him up. The aforementioned song s sounded great, as did "Messed Up Kids,...
Allegheny Landing Park, Pittsburgh, PA.... The WYEP Summer Music Festival In Brief: The only old song Shocked played was "Anchorage"--everything else was new. But unlike many performers who are heavy on their latest material, she was so dynamic that no one seemed to mind. Erin McKeown sat in on guitar for about 4 songs. There were some technical troubles during Penn's set, but he still played well. "Long Way Down" was interrupted halfway through ("I'd like to soldier on," Penn explained when he stopped the number, "But it's hard to sing if I can't hear the guitar"), but I'm so glad he played it. He closed with "Walter Reed," one of my favorites of the new record.
Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA.... Seth and Scott Avett had visited WYEP that afternoon for an interview and I did the stage announcements at the concert, so it was fun being backstage being treated like a VIP. The Avetts introduced me to their father Jim (who joined the band on "Salvation Song"), and I chatted with my old NJ friend Nicole Atkins (who was a friend of the Avetts during her brief time in NC). It was a great show, of course. The Avett Brothers Nicole Atkins me with Seth & Scott Avett me introducing the Avetts on stage Avett Brothers setlist: Go to Sleep Tin Man I Killed Sally's Lover Shame The Fall Will You Return? Laundry Room Paranoia in B-Flat Major Never Been Alive The Prettiest Thing Distraction #74 January Wedding Hard Worker Kick Drum Heart Colorshow The Once and Future Carpenter Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise I and Love and You And It Spread encore break Magazines Salvation Song Talk on Indolence
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