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Wayne Hancock - April 1, 2013

Wayne Hancock. April 1, 2013.

Fed Live. Harrisburg, PA.

A Monday night road trip to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania sounds like an obvious recipe for a good time, right? And I haven't even mentioned the best part, the King of Juke Joint Swing himself, Wayne 'The Train' Hancock. We couldn't have bumped into Wayne at a better time. Coming off the February release of his new album, Ride, Hancock has been spending most of this year like he did the previous nineteen, on the road.

I could go on and on about how awesome the show was. Wayne is playing with a reinvigorated spirit and his vocals sound better than ever. You can tell he's having fun up there when he comes out of a verse with a huge smile on his face turning to call out the next solo. These days most of those solos are going to guitarist, Zach Sweeney, who kindly obliges. The songs come to life on stage; 87 Southbound, Deal Gone Down, Any Old Time, Cold Lonesome Wind, Hank Williams' I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow, Johnson City. As if naming a few comes anywhere close to hearing them all.

It's the epitome of live music. The energy between the artist and the audience, everyone giving and giving. The more Wayne rocks, the more excited they get. The more excited they get, the more Wayne rocks, and on a good night that just keeps building and building. Then you have to come down, go to the next city, and do it all again. Life on the road definitely takes it's toll; Wayne and his wife are separated, he has been battling clinical depression for years, and he has been battling alcoholism for even longer. So while his hardships might make for great songs, there has to be a better way.

Enter Ride. Not without it's own set of blues, the album, and riding itself, serve as a release for Hancock, a safe place. We asked Wayne what role riding has played in his sobriety, "You can't be drunk when you're riding a motorcycle, and you can't be too high. And I've met quite a few good people because I do ride, that have got my back so to speak, and have been very instrumental in helping me not to drink." 

He must be doing something right, Ride broke into the AMA top ten a few weeks ago. Hancock's renewed energy oozes out of the album and slaps you in the face at live shows. In a recent interview with BlueSkyCampfires Wayne talks about Ride's current success in the charts, his passion for riding motorcycles, sobriety, life, music, and more.

Wayne Hancock Interview - Campfire Sessions

#SpringTimeIsSwingTime. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Zach Sweeney on lead guitar. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Wayne 'The Train'. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

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Sigur Ros - March 24, 2013

Sigur Rós. March 24, 2013.

Patriot Center. Fairfax, VA.

Sigur Rós came to play. A horn section, strings section, guitars, keyboards, bass, drums and Jónsi, all added up to an 11-piece band. The show started behind a large white sheet hanging in front of the stage. The opener even played behind it.

The rapid-fire lights on and around the stage revealed band member and instrument silhouettes against the curtain. There were tiny shadows from the violin players in the back contrasted with the larger than life shadow of Jónsi standing at the mic. Much to the crowd's delight, the curtain fell on cue during a climactic build-up near the end of the second song, Ný Batterí. The band followed up their dramatic 'entrance' with one of my personal favorites, Vaka.

The show hit stride around Sæglópur and E-bow. I enjoyed the softer lighting used for Hoppípolla/Með Blóðnasir. The strobe lights really wore me down. The set closed with Brennisteinn, the title track from their most recent EP released just days before the show. The encore was the 15-minute anthem, Popplagið. Photos of the setlist released after the show revealed that the band initially planned for 3 more tracks than they ended up playing. Disappointing news in hindsight but a great show nonetheless.

Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla / Með Blóðnasir 

Warning: Strobe lights may cause...  Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

And behind curtain #2...  Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

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Rustem Hayroudinoff - March 19, 2013

Rustem Hayroudinoff. March 19, 2013.

Blackfriars Playhouse. Staunton, VA.

He's performed to critical acclaim all over the world, but for one night the Russian born and internationally loved, Rustem Hayroudinoff, just happened to be in Staunton, Virginia. It's not everyday you get to cross paths with a world renowned pianist like Hayroudinoff. In fact, I've never had a day like that, until now, and I can't even begin to describe it. I'll just say 'awesome'.

The full performance was being audio and video recorded for future release by Hayroudinoff. There were last second adjustments to camera positions, mic placements, piano tuning, you name it, but Rustem never lost focus. BlueSkyCampfires had exclusive backstage access before the show and during sound check. The piano was alive all afternoon. They only pulled him away long enough to change clothes and let the audience be seated. And when the lights went on, Rustem was ready.

I'd been looking forward to this for weeks, and the anticipation grew to outright excitement after sound check. The playbill listed five compositions, including the second set's 37-minute long Rachmaninoff Sonata No. 1, op. 28. Basking in the applause, Hayroudinoff returned to the stage for two additional encores. It was a beautiful night of music.

Hands on. (sound check) Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

At the helm. (sound check) Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Applause. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

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Rufus Wainwright - February 12, 2013

Rufus Wainwright. February 12, 2013.

930 Club. Washington, DC.

So here we are again, face to face with Rufus Wainwright.

Rufus Wainwright - Poses

Rufus Wainwright, front and center. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

www.blueskycampfires.com

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Jeff Mangum - February, 2013

Jeff Mangum. 

February 4, 2013. Jefferson Theater. Charlottesville, VA.

February 6, 2013. Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center. York, PA.

This is like the best déjà vu ever, Jeff Mangum performing solo acoustic arrangements of the entire Neutral Milk Hotel catalog. Cut to a nice, well kept theater in a respectively small town with a single chair on stage next to four acoustic guitars. Enter Jeff Mangum.

The setlist comprised of all the NMH greatest hits. All parts of The King Of Carrot Flowers, Oh Comely, Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone, Song Against Sex, Two-Headed Boy... He swapped out Engine and Naomi at the Charlottesville show for Ferris Wheel On Fire and I Love The Living You in York. This was my first time seeing Ferris Wheel On Fire live, and after looking at setlists from other cities, it was possibly the first time he performed it so far on this tour. Oh Sister, after hearing it live, is quickly becoming a BlueSkyCampfires favorite.

Mangum broke a guitar string on the second song in, Two-Headed Boy Pt.2, in Charlottesville, but he kept singing. He placed the guitar down on the floor next to him then calmly reached over for another guitar, and without breaking rhythm or skipping a beat came right back in strumming the song. Everyone cheered. It was pretty awesome.

Every show is a unique experience. The general admission ticket to The Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville found me standing almost dead center about 12 feet from the stage. At the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center we enjoyed front row box seats and watched the show from above. 

Both crowds did well singing along. Jeff loves it, and encourages it. Going into The King Of Carrot Flowers medley in York Jeff said, "So I get the feeling you guys, I mean I would like for you to sing. I can already feel a lot of warmth already, so I feel like it's going to be very possible for us to connect that way. So let's do that." One would normally have to go to church on Sunday to hear that many people singing 'I love you Jesus Christ' together, but it's a normal occurrence, a high point even, during every performance of The King Of Carrot Flowers, Pts. 2 & 3.

"I'd really love it if you guys would sing really fucking loud for me," he said again near the end of the set. Not implying they hadn't been necessarily, but certainly asking them to take it up a notch. Someone from the audience asked, "Jeff can we stand up?", to which he replied, "Yeah I don't care" and then trailed off adding "if anyone wants to come closer...". Slowly everyone filled in through the orchestra aisles and around the stage. The next song was Ghost. The crowd sings the instrumental solo while Jeff plays guitar, it's always one of the best moments of the show. Connection made.

Everyone is still on their feet from the standing ovation when Jeff returns for the one-song encore, an all out sing-along for In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. People swayed back and forth arm-in-arm, held up lighters, and belted out every lyric like their next breathe of oxygen depended it. Cut to me a few minutes later walking on the street with a huge smile on my face wondering if that really just happened. It did.

According to his website, walkingwallofwords.com, "...there are rumors going round that this is to be Jeff's final tour. It is not, although to be clear his solo acoustic show will not be returning to any city he has already visited anytime in the foreseeable future."

So if you live somewhere Jeff hasn't played, don't give up hope, he may be coming soon. If you live somewhere Jeff has played, don't give up hope, he may just come back with a whole band.

Strand-Capitol marquee in York, PA. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

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Ben Harper - October 2012

Ben Harper.

October 3, 2012. Merriam Theater. Philadelphia, PA.

October 10, 2012. Carnegie Hall. New York City, NY.

You either appreciate a moment or you don't. Ben Harper. Solo acoustic. That's a moment.

In Philadelphia, a rowdy crowd heckled and hollered and Harper just kept playing and playing, getting more into it with every song. It was after midnight when they pulled the plug and Ben still wanted to keep going. A week later we sat on a balcony above the stage as he played his first-ever show at the historic Carnegie Hall.

No rock was left unturned, he played everything. Pleasure and Pain, Springsteen's Atlantic City, Please Bleed, Power of the Gospel, Welcome to the Cruel World..., I might as well write out the set lists.

Yet another beautiful moment in Rock & Roll history, brought to you by BlueSkyCampfires.

A first time for everything. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Surrounded by choices at Merriam Theater. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Ben Harper at Carnegie Hall. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Pearl Jam's Indifference on xylophone. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Harper at Carnegie Hall. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

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First Aid Kit - October 2, 2012

First Aid Kit. October 2, 2012.

6th & I Historic Synagogue. Washington, DC.

Klara Söderberg of First Aid Kit. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Johanna Söderberg of First Aid Kit. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

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Beth Orton - September 27, 2012

Beth Orton. September 27, 2012.

6th & I Historic Synagogue. Washington, DC.

The stage was centered with a couple acoustic guitars on one side, and a banjo, fiddle, and another acoustic guitar on the other.  The night was set for an acoustic evening with Beth Orton.

She played most of her recent album, Sugaring Season, including Candles, Magpie, and Call Me The Breeze. Opening act, Sam Amidon, stood in with Orton on a few songs, picking some banjo and singing harmony. Their duet on Concrete Sky was one of the best songs of the night. Beth mixed in some old favorites too, like Pass In Time and She Cries Your Name, and closed the night with Central Reservation.

Beth Orton - Candles

Beth Orton and Sam Amidon. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.