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Robert Plant Band of Joy Tour 2011


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Robert Plant's San Diego encore

Former Led Zeppelin singer will perform June 8 at Copley Symphony Hall with his Band of Joy, featuring Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin

By George Varga

San Diego Union

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Plant_Robert_2010_1_314133_t352.jpg?980751187beea6fc26a3a9e93795d379f58af1c4

Gregg Delman

Robert Plant is returning to San Diego for a June 8 concert at Copley Symphony Hall.

This will mark the former Led Zeppelin singer's first area show since his superb 2008 performance with Alison Krauss at Humphrey's.

That concert sold out in nearly an instant, so there's good reason to believe Plant's June 8 show will follow suit. It will be his first performance here with his Band of Joy, which features veteran Emmylou Harrris guitarist Buddy Miller and noted singer-songwriter Patty Griffin.

All three perform on Plant's acclaimed 2010 album of the same name. Their tour features songs from that album, along with twang-happy reworks of such Zeppelin classics as

and

Tickets for Plant's June 8 concert go on sale April 15 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster. Tickets are priced at $55 to $85 each, plus service charges. A pre-sale for Plant fan club members begins April 14. (As of this writing, the show is not yet listed on the Ticketmaster Web site, but that should change soon.)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/31/robert-plants-san-diego-encore/

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Setlist for Robert Plant & Band of Joy at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre

April 9, 2011

Black Dog

Down To The Sea

Angel Dance

Black Country Woman

House of Cards

Monkey

Somewhere Trouble Don't Go (Buddy Miller on lead vocals, Robert Plant on harmonica)

Silver Rider

Satisfied Mind (Darrell Scott on lead vocals)

Twelve Gates To The City (with In My Time of Dying)

unknown Patty Griffin song (possibly "Ocean of Tears"?)

Please Read The Letter

Houses of The Holy

Ramble On

-----Encore-----

Tangerine

Harm's Swift Way

A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall

Photos courtesy of Wyatt Brake:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2137102&id=44201399&l=732c356e2b

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Robert Plant and Band of Joy rock the Louisville Palace

Written by

Jeffrey Lee Puckett

The Courier-Journal

3:41 AM, Apr. 10, 2011

There are moments during a Robert Plant and Band of Joy show where you sink into the music and actually forget for a while that the Robert Plant is on stage. Band of Joy is so much its own thing, and so impressive, that even Plant's epochal history recedes.

But then they start to play "Ramble On," and there's no fighting "Ramble On."

Among the many highlights at Friday's sold-out Band of Joy show at the Louisville Palace, there can be no downplaying of the mass audience sing-along on the chorus of "Ramble On," one of several songs that Plant pulled from his Led Zeppelin playbook. It was a moment. But only one.

Plant and band let loose a subtle roar all night, finding room to build dynamics in even the most subdued songs. It was an intricate passion play that they made look easy, except when trying to remember the endless lyrics to Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."

"This Band of Joy is a remarkable beast," Plant said after a stark version of "Monkey," from the band's self-titled album. "The colors move around the stage night after night."

Bandleader Buddy Miller and multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott were responsible for more than their share of colors on a variety of stringed instruments, but drummer Marco Giovino also delivered a deep range of textures using everything from a length of chain to what looked like a baseball glove. Patty Griffin's pristine hamonies worked wonders with Plant's ageing, but still distinctive, voice.

The set was comprised entirely of songs from "Band of Joy" and a handful of Zeppelin songs reworked to fit the aesthetic, including a version of "Black Dog" to open the show that was half-speed and all sex. Not that it took a lot of work. Band of Joy is no stranger to the blues, the prime force behind Zeppelin, so they just slowed things down a bit, except for mostly faithful takes on "Black Country Woman" and "Tangerine."

It was like listening to Plant revisit his younger self, teaching him that slow and easy has its merits, and that subtlety creates its own kind of heat.

A duo version of North Mississippi Allstars opened, featuring brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson on guitar and drums, respectively. Their back-porch blues perfectly melded with the headliner, and their sound was amazingly full. Much bigger bands have accomplished far less.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110409/SCENE04/304090042/1030/SPORTS04/Robert-Plant-Band-Joy-rock-Louisville-Palace?odyssey=nav%7Chead

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Thanks for providing the videos Silver Rider. Some good ones. I see Robert and his band have dropped "And We Bid You Goodnight" in favor of Bob Dylan's, "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall". A good way to end the show as well, where the four of them can take turns on the lead vocals. Good version, but looked like Robert was reading the lyrics that were probably put there on the stage for him.

Hopefully, they'll continue to do this song as the versions will only get better and Robert will know all the lyrics in due time.

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The article that Steve posted was fairly acurate. But I have a few comments and observations to add about the Louisville concert.

The venue was beautiful inside. It was designed to look like an outdoor Greek theater. It had a triangular pediment frieze over the stage, with Doric columns and Greek god-like statues scattered about. The domed ceiling was painted blue, to look like the night sky, with lights that looked like stars twinkling overhead. It was a lovely setting for Robert's concert.

The North Mississipi All Stars were the opening band. It was only the two brothers, a guitarist and a drummer. They were awesome. It was amazing that such a large sound came from just the two musicians. They received several standing ovations.

About 3 hours prior to the concert, we went into the box office next to the theater to inquire about tickets to Jeff Beck's concert at the Palace on June 26th. A lady in front of us asked if there were any tickets left for Robert's concert that night. They offered her a ticket in row 2, center stage, one of the best seats of the house! The concert was reported to be a sell out. So if you ever really want to see a show, just go to the box office on the day of the show and maybe you will get lucky!

Steve's article failed to say that Robert and Patty sang "Please Read The Letter". I actually liked their version better than when Robert sang it with Alison.

They sang a rocking version of "Cindy", a la Elvis' version. Prior to the song, Robert said that the song came from the Kentucky area, or as rumored, from his home country of England.

There were lots of "Plantations". He said that he had just learned how to properly pronounce Louisville. The crowd was rowdy and boisterous. It was tough to hear everything that Robert said. After "Angel Dance", he said that he was going to sing a song (It was "Cindy"), and someone shouted out "Stairway to Heaven". Robert chuckled to himself and said with a big grin on his face "Sorry, not tonight". I thought that was really funny!

Robert and Patty referred frequently to their setlists and notes on the stage, as noted by SuperDave. Dylan's "Hard Rain" ended the concert, but it seemed like they hesitated before exiting the stage, as if to sing "And We Bid You Good Night". I was waiting for it, but the house lights came on.

My favorite Led Zeppelin song was "Houses of the Holy". There were lots of Led Zeppelin T-shirts worn by young and oldsters alike. The Zeppelin songs got the loudest reception. Everyone sang "Ramble On" and Robert smiled at the audience's singing. He is really enjoying himself and is having a great time. It is obvious that he is very happy with this project.

After the concert my brother and I waited at the back door of the theater, along with about 35 other people, with the hopes of getthing Robert's autograph. At about 12:45 AM or so, a van left the area, and someone saw Robert raise up out of the back seat. He had made his escape!

I will post a few pictures, although not the best quality.

Thanks to Steve and Silver Rider for the article and the videos!

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About 3 hours prior to the concert, we went into the box office next to the theater to inquire about tickets to Jeff Beck's concert at the Palace on June 26th. A lady in front of us asked if there were any tickets left for Robert's concert that night. They offered her a ticket in row 2, center stage, one of the best seats of the house! The concert was reported to be a sell out. So if you ever really want to see a show, just go to the box office on the day of the show and maybe you will get lucky!

When Natalie Merchant played Durham last year I waited until the day of the show, walked up to the box office and scored a seat in the front row, center. The show wasn't sold out but it was still remarkable that I was able to score such a good seat at the last minute.

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When Natalie Merchant played Durham last year I waited until the day of the show, walked up to the box office and scored a seat in the front row, center. The show wasn't sold out but it was still remarkable that I was able to score such a good seat at the last minute.

Every time that I go to New York City and want to see a show, I go to the box office in the morning and buy my ticket for that night's performance. I usually get very good seats, in the first few rows. I once asked how come such good seats were available at the last minute and I was told that they are seats reserved for friends and family of the cast, and that if they will not be used that day, then they are turned in to be sold. Our family once went to a Detroit Tigers baseball game with my brother in law and his family. We bought the tickets a few hours before the game and were given seats right behind home plate. They were tickets for the players' families that weren't going to be used for that game. We sat with other team family members.

Of course, you pay top dollar for these seats, but they are also the best.

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This review of the Milwaukee performance courtesy of Kevin Rades via FBO:

The Riverside Theater is a nice HOT place (where was the A/C?) - holds about 2,500 and was pretty much a sellout - I didn't make my way upstairs but the best seats available I could pull yesterday morning were way back in the upper balcony so if it wasn't a sellout it sure was close. My wife and I had seats that were lower level row 15 center. There was no pat down or

security at all. You could have brought in any amount of recording equipment without a problem so hopefully someone taped it.

Before the show I made my way up to the stage and noticed that plenty of lyrics were taped to floor (esp for a Hard Rain's Gonna Fall). Also made my way back to the soundboard and found the setlist sitting on top in plain sight. I marvel at people who are 100% certain they can remember the setlist after the show, but this is what was played to the best of my

memory:

1. Black Dog

2. Down to the Sea

3. Angel Dance

4. Black Country Woman

5. House of Cards

6. Monkey

7. Somewhere Trouble Don't Go (Buddy Miller vocal)

8. Silver Rider

9. A Satisfied Mind (Darrell Scott vocal)

10. Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down

11. Twelve Gates to the City/Wade in the Water/In My Time of Dying

12. Ocean of Tears (Patty Griffin vocal)

13. Please Read the Letter

14. Houses of the Holy

15. Ramble On

Encore:

16. Tangerine

17. Harm's Swift Way

18. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

Should be pointed out that Gallows Pole was listed to be played after Ramble On but it was not played.

North Mississippi Allstars opened promptly at 8:00 - Robert and BoJ strolled on at 9:15. For the fashion folks Robert was wearing a plain grey t-shirt, blue jeans, boots and one silver bracelet around his left wrist. The laid

back look would be an understatement.

And now for the performance.....

I actually like a lot of tracks from the Band of Joy album. In Milwaukee, Robert sounded great, there was wonderful harmonizing and the band seemed tight. Robert was chatty - the usual Geritol comments and lots of appreciation for us being there on a Monday night. Best comments were directed to the waitress who was bringing drinks to people in the front

rows. "There is a waitress, with a tray and napkins taking orders but no one ever asks ME what I want!" Waitress came back up front, asked Robert for his order, and brought him back a beer (he grinned, took it, but did not drink it). He repeatedly introduced BoJ tracks as being "beautiful." The entire band really seemed to enjoy themselves and the music they were

playing AT TIMES....

which leads me to the bitching...

The setlist order was awful. In my life I never thought an audience would sit through well over 50% of a Robert Plant concert - it happened last night. For someone who preaches the ever onward away from Zeppelin, opening with Black Dog is not the way to go. The reworking of the Zeppelin numbers work (in various degrees with Black Country Woman being a great treat and Ramble On being something that should have been put to bed after the '95 Page/Plant tour) but they certainly do not represent what the BoJ is trying to bring to the table. House of Cards or Angel Dance would have been better. He basically started off with 5 "faster" songs and brought the show to a screeching halt (and the audience to their seats) starting with Monkey and going through Houses of the Holy. Yep - they sat that long. Yes, there were the idiots who shouted during the quieter numbers for "Zeppelin this or Zeppelin that" but the setlist order is what does not do Robert any favors. The songs were all performed well, but unless you really really love all aspects of the album, the lack of energy and connect with the audience throughout the entire concert is very noticeable.

I also freely admit that it really bothers me that in the 1 hour and 30 minutes Robert was on stage he was only singing for just a little over an hour. The 3 songs that the other BoJ members did vocally were fine but when your name is on the marquee outside and your ticket prices reflect that fact, it would be nice to not sacrifice your set to give others the spotlight. You can certainly let them sing their songs, just drop the punch in punch out in 1 hour 30 minutes mentality and play a little longer.

All in all I am certainly glad I went. I give Plant a ton of credit for touring doing any type of music especially when others choose to sit at home in front of the fire. He still sounds good, looks good and seems to like what he is doing. However, a setlist tune up would make a world of difference.

Kevin Rades

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Review

Plant, band put new spin on favs

mjs-plant12_-cue_-sieu_-2-p.jpg

Photo Credit: Benny Seiu

Robert Plant and his Band of Joy performed at the Riverside Theater Monday.

Ex-Led Zep frontman brings joy to Riverside

By Jon M. Gilbertson, Special to the Journal Sentinel April 12, 2011

The opening minutes of Robert Plant's concert at the Riverside Theater Monday night would have been inauspicious if not for the breadth of what followed.

The former Led Zeppelin lead singer came out in clothing that lowered expectations: shabby blue jeans and a gray T-shirt that failed to conceal a body grown doughy with age.

He and his Band of Joy then presented Zep's "Black Dog" in a way that confoundingly removed the bombastic heart of the original.

But then Plant spent the rest of the night demonstrating the aptness of his band's name.

It was the band he worked with on last year's "Band of Joy" album, the sessions for which evidently resulted in a blissful connection among the musicians.

They also just as evidently intensified Plant's ability to interpret the songs of others, an ability given a serious workout on "Raising Sand," his 2007 Grammy-winning album with Alison Krauss.

Monday night, he captured the whispering menace of Low's "Monkey," kept faith with the traditional "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down" and bit into the vengefulness of Richard Thompson's "House of Cards" - without losing his own identity.

He was helped considerably by Buddy Miller, whom he described as "the captain of the ship."

Not unlike Plant, Miller had to balance the essence of a song against his own creativity. (On "House of Cards," for example, he echoed but did not ape Thompson's guitar playing.)

He didn't need that balance, however, when Plant stepped back so that Miller could rip through his own great country-blues number, "Somewhere Trouble Don't Go."

Plant did the same for multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott and singer-songwriter Patty Griffin; he was content to supply backing vocals and prickly blues harmonica.

Most of the audience recognized the Band of Joy's talents, but of course most of the audience was happiest when Plant dug into the Zep catalog.

Even there, Plant reinterpreted: The folk-rock "Tangerine" added Scott's pedal-steel twang, while "Ramble On" became something like a Middle Eastern madrigal.

The finale was Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," which was both grizzled (because Plant's voice had gotten hoarse by then) and gorgeous (because the Band of Joy harmonized around him).

It was an auspicious, and joyful, end.

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/119681929.html

Reader's Comments:

kimthe_one - Apr 12, 2011 8:11 AM:

I can't believe that you would cut on his weight and clothes in this review. What were you thinking? This had nothing to do with his performance. How old were you when he was at the height of his career? His choice of clothes show he is a true musician...this ain't American Idol...this is true genius.

homecookin - Apr 12, 2011 8:43 AM:

Seriously, what is he supposed to wear, a suit? I think he looks great anyway, he has charisma. The show was wonderful and the opening band was very talented, too.

dont spend what you dont have - Apr 12, 2011 8:43 AM:

A Monday night show, and a long wait after the opening band (they were a great duo), it didn't matter. Robert Plant and the Band of Joy were flat out spectacular last night. There was so much innovation, expertise, and refinement being showcased that it quickly became obvious that we were lucky to get this kind of performance at such a small venue. Worth every penny.

mkely - Apr 12, 2011 8:58 AM:

Plant...glad he's hasn't been pigeontoed himself to one genre. I like an artist who takes risks and this evening was all about another avenue. Yes, we all hoped for a little of Zepplin to sneak through and yes we got it but the twang and harmony of the evening was exactly what those that follow this talent came for. He has the comfort of surrounding himself with equally and yes, better talented musicians and that to me shows he's all about the music not the ego. Thanks!

emmajane - Apr 12, 2011 9:22 AM:

Yet another brilliant review by Gilbertson (/sarcasm). Seriously - he's got the solo career to prove it (not just the Zeppelin songs) and one of the first points you can say is about his attire and his "doughy" body? You've just discredited everything about your review.

We were at the Riverside last night. It was a great show. His band was wonderful. I wouldn't have missed this chance to see him come through town - he's a great showman. He had an excellent, diverse set. I think it's great that he's willing to break out of the Zeppelin mold and present himself in a new and diverse manner. I also love that he's willing to change up a few of the Zeppelin songs and make them "new."

My only complaint : Did anyone else notice it was unusually hot in there? We were hoping the Riverside would have at least turned the A/C on, with as many people packed in there.

Bayview Baller - Apr 12, 2011 9:28 AM:

Doughy? Compared to what a Kenyon marathon runner?

Anyways, great show, was a little disappointed at first that the bass player wasn't there for the North Mississippi Allstars, but they still rocked their set.

Plant and the Band of Joy were awesome

Was in the 3rd row from the back on the 1st level and they definitely had the A/C going

Citizen Bob - Apr 12, 2011 9:40 AM:

I thought he died in that plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper?

justin87 - Apr 12, 2011 10:25 AM:

The band wasn't too bad but Plant looked and sounded terrible.

Time to retire!

rocgroup - Apr 12, 2011 10:25 AM:

Doughy? Plant looks to be in pretty spectacular shape to me - the man is 63 years old and continues to have a stage presence and voice that amaze. Unlike many performers his age who are "stuck" doing reunion tours and are mere shadows of their former rock star selves, Plant nailed every note and has just as powerful vocals now as he did 4 decades ago. In fact, his vocals are even more diverse and expressive now because he's so passionately explored so many genres of music. He sounded incredible and showed his singing genius. I personally loved the reinterpretations of the Zeppelin tunes.

glimmertwin65 - Apr 12, 2011 10:42 AM:

Since when did body weight and clothing factor into whether an artist's performance was good or not? And lowered expectations? The audience roared when he came onstage. Any low expectation was generated by someone who expected to see a '73 Zeppelin concert re-creation!

Anyone following his post-Zep career knows that his music has constantly evolved, is laced with Eastern mystic rhythms, and still has deep appreciation of American delta blues. While he's appreciative of the fame that the Zep-years gave him, he also acknowledges that those days are in his rear-view mirror, and that he didn't want to be a caricature of the tight jeans/open shirt Robert Plant.

It was refreshing to see a band of 'joy', with the musicianship of its members. Plant taking a few secondary roles doing accent harmonica or back-up singing work from the

wings allowed the audience to appreciate the music and his band.

And instead of trotting out Zeppelin war horse tracks, played note-for-note, he either completely rearranged it or selected a lesser-known song to appease the Zep fans. Unlike the stale radio stations that play only a band's back catalog, Robert Plant was here to perform current songs from his last two well-received albums. If there are no 'new' songs, there will be no 'old' classics, right?

It's frustrating as a regular concert fan to be in a sold-out venue, have the band do a phenomenal show, only to read a so-so review the following day by someone who seemed to also be hoping for an old Zeppelin concert.

Thank you, Robert Plant, for a wonderful show! Come back soon!

zooker - Apr 12, 2011 11:54 AM:

I am pissed off as I didnt know he was playing here in Milwaukee and I did not want to see him in FIB territory. I recall seeing him at AV back in the early 90's - Crowd wouldn't leave after final encore - RP actually came out while the stagehands were starting their breakdown grabbed a mic, and said "I thank you all for coming, We'd love to play more, but were spent, Thank you all again, Good night". It was unbelievable, in my opinion the ultimate showman, nothing but total class, performing legendary music, the best vocalist, other than maybe McCartney, and completely non-arrogant, unlike some of today's so called musicians. And it is true, he hasn't fizzled out doing hard rock blues music, but has aged like a fine wine delving into and putting a new twist on bluegrass, folk and country.

BTW That early 90's Plant show was the best I've ever seen.

wayoutthere - Apr 12, 2011 11:56 AM:

Justin87,

Were you even at the show? His vocals sounded fine to me, although I wish they would have had more presence at times. He sounded drowned out, but some of that may have been my location. I was near the back on the ground floor, by the sound board.

I thought it was a great show. Plant was surrounded by some great talent, and he let it show. Not an easy thing for some artists to do when they are of Plant's stature. I enjoy how Plant is ever evolving, and is not stuck in 1970 something. I have all of his post-Zeppelin material, and still play the discs from time to time.

Keep up the good work Mr. Plant, I would love to see you play again someday.

expatwis - Apr 12, 2011 11:57 AM:

Im in the mood for a melody.... Hes 62 yrs old and still shows joy in what he is doing. I saw him here in floridaze last June. spectacular. The guy has stage presence. He could come out in a wheel chair and I would pay to see him. Long may he run.

mtngrl - Apr 12, 2011 1:38 PM:

I'm so glad I got to see this! Naturally, Plant isn't going to have the power or range of the golden god of his youth, but I feel as though his voice has mellowed into something fine. The musicians he's surrounded with in this setting are all fantastic in their own right. I'm so happy that he let them shine on a few tunes of their own. "Satisfied Mind" gave me goosebumps. "Doughy"? Dude, he's 63. He's in better shape and has more hair than a lot of 63 year olds I know. I didn't think the wait between the No. Miss. Allstars and the Band of Joy was that long - it was just enough time to use the restrooms, grab a drink and chat with people around us. But those issues are all superfluous to the music. It was a great night!

rocgroup - Apr 12, 2011 2:19 PM:

No offense, fellow concert go-ers, but the only "doughy" folks I saw were in the audience (too much darn beer, cheese, brats and fish fries in our fair state). LOL

paul22 - Apr 12, 2011 2:59 PM:

Maybe the greatest rock vocalist, and easily one of the humblest, brings a top-flight set of musicians with him to town, gives us a stunningly diverse and entertaining concert, and the review leads with a bizarre and untrue fashion and physique critique.

Nobody at the Riverside came to see Plant shirtless and wearing skin-tight jeans a la the "Houses of the Holy" era. Gilbertson, just look at the photo that runs with your review. Not any flab, and more defined forearms than most guys half of Plant's 63 years. What are you talking about?

Ignore the obligatory ripping from the critic, Plant has aged well, physically, musically and vocally. The shrill wailing of the Zep days is probably gone, but the snarl he laid into "Ramble On" had shivers running up and down the spines of Zeppelin fans. That song will be etched forever in my top concert moments.

The collection of talent in Band of Joy is endless, and hopefully they will continue to explore with Plant and create more than one album. Nearly everyone in the band is an accomplished headliner, but the mesh here feels very genuine and natural. No evident ego clashes, and phenomenal harmonizing.

Plant's humility and all-time great status was solidified in 2007 when he turned down a bazillion dollars to do a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, simply citing no need to rehash 40-year-old anthems for packed coliseums. He has evolved, for the better. For that, and for everything else Plant has given rock fans over 40 years, he deserves respect, and the carte blanche to wear whatever he wants.

Steve O53158 - Apr 12, 2011 3:32 PM:

Took my 16 year old son to the show, and he's a bigger Zeppelin fan than I am. He had heard most of the cuts from the most recent Band of Joy album, but I had only heard two. I just didn't know what to expect. I guess the most appropriate word (ironically enough) is "satisfying". It was so obvious that Plant was enjoying himself...and relished the opportunity to showcase the various (incredibly) talented musicians in the band. Just a heckuva fun way to spend an evening.

The lead singer of the greatest rock band of all time. Wow, what a treat!

str yvn - Apr 12, 2011 4:10 PM:

This review is pathetic. Get over yourself Jon Gilbertson.

I have never seen quite so many words say absolutely NOTHING at all. And then to throw in "doughy" to describe a 62 year old rock legend in a review of a concert. You've proven yourself worthless as a music critic, Dude.

And I wasn't even at the show.

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/119681929.html?page=1

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