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21/12/2007

Van Morrison plays Providence, Rhode Island

Thanks to Mark Feldman:

Van returned to RI to the Providence Performing Arts Center where he last performed 35 years ago.

Despite my seasonal Grinchiness, I enjoyed the show but won't grade it better than a B (and that's grading on a curve!).

Van's voice and delivery remain wonderful and he is definitely "a workin' man in his prime". His gutteral grunts and animalistic chants remain the highlight of the shows for me as we scat into unexplored territories. Too bad he has to do all the heavy lifting and dump the jute on the burning ground by himself. I miss his having a backup band that can challenge him musically and take us all higher but I guess this is his current comfort zone and I'm OK with it as long as he keeps singing like he did last night.

When the band took the stage, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that Ned was not there (thanks, Santa!). However, Ned's sluggish residue tainted the first several tunes.

"Domino" was surprisingly lethargic; "Magic Time" was swell; HITYL warrants a new "Disneyland" designation instead of Vegas now that it's even more Musak-y; "It Once Was My Life" was OK but the band was still having tempo problems; the band finally found its groove with "In The Midnight"; "Cleaning Windows" was OK; "Stranded" a treat as always; the plodding, sloppy tempo returned on "Talk is Cheap".

“In the Afternoon/Ancient Highway/Raincheck" was super with a great vocal; "Chopping Wood" brought us back down to earth; "Moondance" is always a treat even though the CB singers Muzak'd the swing out of it; Van's pentacostal vocals on St. James always please; Van sang hard on "I Can't Stop Loving You"; "Bright Side" then here we go into BEG/Gloria, right?

WRONG!; encores with "Help Me' - good version not great but the Old Man has big balls to deny 'classic hits' radio fans who fork over $175/ticket the chance to hear BEG or Gloria. Don't go gentle into the good night, Mr. M... You ARE my Snoidian role model!

Highlights/Observations:
1. No Ned - a plus
2. Nothing performed from "Pay The Devil" - hmmm....
3. No "Precious Time" - another plus
4. No BEG or Gloria! Encore of Help Me
5. At end of show, ushers handed out adverts promoting the release of the new album "Keep It Simple" on 11 March08 (and availability of "Pay The Devil"?)
6. Time for Crawford Bell singers to go join Ned on the dole and bring in some horns with punch and chicks who can REALLY sing backup and not Nashvillesque mundane harmonies (where's Katie K. and Candy D.?)
7. Quiet and courteous full house audience - a US rarity these days
8. Van played harp, sax, guitar & keyboards
9. Pre- & post-show gathering was delightful - thanks to all for being so much fun. Fine mix of newbies, grizzled vets and know-it-alls . Thanks also to Simon & Wavelength for posting meetingplace info.

I'll be happy to host the next Providence meeting in 35 more years ...

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