Concert Review Site

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays concerts all year long. At this time of the year, there are some great concerts that you can see. Themed concerts are there. Some of them are for children or with the themes of love and other kinds of things. Other concerts just include great music, from the old composers who write for great orchestras. It’s a lot of fun, I must say. Then in the summer, some of their concerts are up at the Ravinia Park. People bring picnics and chairs and sit out on the grass. Others have actual seats in the music shell. Either way, you are outdoors with the birds and you can hear some fun music, piped throughout the park. Look at their schedule for a sense of what kinds of options there are.

Yo Yo Ma was seen in the Inaugural Ceremony last week. He was in a quartet of Yitzakh Perlman and two other musicians. There was a bit of a kerfluffle, when it was found out that the viewers didn’t actually hear what they were playing at the time. Instead it had been recorded and then was piped in over the loudspeakers. The reason for this was because the cold weather didn’t really allow them to play well and properly during the ceremony. Now the question is “Who is Yo-Yo Ma?” He is one of the most famous classical musicians in the world. And he doesn’t just play Bach and Handel, but he also plays a lot of other different kinds of music, with ethnic and folk music and lots of other kinds of music. Take a listen if you get the chance.

Whatever happened to Elliott Murphy?  He’s been gone for a long time. It turns out that he went to Paris to live out of the country after his limited success in the US back in the 70s. The musician is very good, according to the review of his concert, but that he’s not the same as Dylan. Dylan is an interesting character, because his lyrics are tight and interesting to hear. But those of Murphy aren’t quite as good. The writer says that it is clear that he’s been working on his music for years and years; it is still enjoyable. But not as amazing as it might’ve been before, or not as good as other similar musicians. I’d still go see it though.

A show featuring a revue of Cole Porter’s music ran recently in the Allen Room, at the Lincoln Center. It features such good musicians and performers as David Hyde Pierce, Victoria Clark, and a few others. The reviewer says that both are superb at the music, and it fits their own style of singing just great. The show features Pierce singing Anything Goes and other songs, and Clark performing various other Porter pieces. The reviewer says that this show should continue travelling around and be seen in other places. I would certainly love to see it. Otherwise, these two singers should be put into the next production of Cole Porter.

It will be an eclectic assemblage of music welcoming in the new president Barack Obama this upcoming this Tuesday. From the rock and roll of The Boss Bruce Springsteen, to the country of Garth Brooks, and the pop music of Shakira and Beyonce, it’s going to be one of the most memorable inaugurations ever. Usher, Aretha Franklin, and a huge cast of others will also perform. Read more about it in this article.

I wanted to talk about a relatively unknown indie group that I just heard about. The Tokyo Police Club is a small band, with just four members. It is an interesting band, and they seem to be kind of nerdy. There are many bands that are good like this, and they have some fun songs, from what I’ve listened to. They play mainly at festivals, although there are some smaller venues where they play full concerts. Sometimes, like last fall, they split a bill with Weezer, a similar indie band that attracts similar fans all the time. They are, of course, not the headliners in those concerts. If you get the chance, check them out.

The Dead (as in the Grateful Dead) have finally put forth a solid tour schedule for the 2009 year. After playing at a benefit concert for president elect Barrack Obama last, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead will tour for the first time in five years. Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann will be joined by Warren Haynes (replacing Jerry on the guitar) and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. Millions of fans around the nation rejoiced in hearing this fantastic news. Right now, The Dead tickets may be the hottest thing in the USA.

Just how good are the New Kids on the Block this time around? Well, apparently they aren’t all that different than they were before. Their dancing certainly isn’t as crazy and acrobatic as it was back in the olden days of the late 80s but they make up for it fairly well. They have the same onstage personas that they had back then, and they do those pretty well too. Their songs are still about the same too. The only real difference seems to be that they showed off some of their individual solo songs and so the concert is a little less fun for that reason, apparently. But generally, it’s a good show according to the site I’m reading. Look at the full review here.

Sure it’s not really concert news, but The Notorious B.I.G. has yet another posthumous project coming out. Though he had nothing to do with the actual filming or writing the new film “Notorious,” a look at Biggie’s rise to fame, he was nonetheless the inspiration. So the question is, at this point is it still paying homage to B.I.G. or is it people still trying to milk as much out of this legend as possible?