From: milliken@scofield.Corp.Sun.COM (Gary Milliken)
Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote
Subject: Pat Metheny Group tour review
Date: 8 Oct 92 16:01:39 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: scofield.corp.sun.com


I attended the Pat Metheny concert in San Jose last night, the first of a
half-week-long series of concerts in the Bay Area.  Fabulous show as always,
and an astonishing group of musicians.  As has been noted here on the net
from earlier postings, Pat tells the audience that the "Secret Story" material
was not really conceived to be played live, and when they decided to do it
anyway, they had a real challenge on their hands.  But with an extra guitarist
and two keyboardists, as well as those two mind-boggling guys in the back row
(Mark Ledford and David Blamires) playing everything under the sun (*and*
singing, including the Cambodian stuff on "Above the Treetops"!), they did
a fantastic job of recreating the rich sound of the album.  Ledford even had
one beautiful flugelhorn solo!

I had the unexpected pleasure of arriving early and talking with the sound man,
who had the song list posted on his board, so I wrote them down before the
show even started.  The playlist is almost exactly what Bruce Tesar in Colorado
sent out last week, but this time I can be sure of the exact order, as listed
below.  An interesting tidbit:  the band does not always refer to the songs
by the same name that appears on the released album.  In some cases, both the
"real" name and the "private" name were side-by-side on the sound guy's list,
and in some cases only the "private" name; for example, the encore song was
called simply "McCoy", so we had to wait until the end of the show to find out
what that one was (my SO and I were guessing:  some song by or about McCoy
Tyner?  "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys?  The theme from "The Real McCoys":
"There's Grandpappy Amos, the head of the clan..."  NOT!)

Anyway, here's the show:
    (all songs from the album "Secret Story" unless otherwise indicated)

    Above the Treetops
    Facing West
    Rain River
    How Insensitive [ the standard by Antonio Carlos Jobim - not on a PM album ]
    Finding and Believing
    Always and Forever
    Cathedral in a Suitcase
    See the World
    Are You Going With Me?  [ from "Offramp" ]
    [untitled new ballad - not on an album yet]
    Third Wind  [ from "Still Life Talking" ]
    Antonia
    The Truth Will Always Be
    Tell Her You Saw Me
    Minuano (Six Eight)  [ from "Still Life Talking" ]
  encore:
    Song for Bilbao  [ from "Travels" ]


To repeat from Mr. Tesar's post, here is the touring group:

                Pat Metheny : Guitars, synths
          Torsten de Winkel : Guitars, percussion
              Gil Goldstein : Keyboards, accordian
                  Jim Beard : Keyboards
                Steve Rodby : Basses
               Paul Wertico : Drums
             Armando Marcal : Percussion
             David Blamires : Vocals, percussion, horns, guitars
               Mark Ledford : Vocals, percussion, horns, guitars


The percussion maelstrom on "Third Wind" brought a thunderous response from
the crowd (I counted about 6 standing ovations in the concert), and Pat said,
"This tour is just getting started, and we haven't really experienced this
kind of thing yet!" as Rodby grinned and pumped his fist in the air, and
Ledford was getting the audience to make Arsenio-style arm-circles and dog
barks.  Being a member of a Metheny audience is one of the greatest experiences
you can hope to enjoy -- the high point of my year, as every Metheny tour is.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the tour!
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