alabama shakes at radio city music hall

 alabama shakes delight radio city with new music

photo: toby tenenbaum

gregory alan isakov at rcmh

gregory alan isakov and colorado symphony make sweet music at radio city music hall 

photo: katie daddaria

mac demarco at radio city music hall

Mac DeMarco Delights Sold-Out Radio City Music Hall 
with New Music on Sunday Night

photo: lexi yob

faye webster at radio city music hall

 Faye Webster Delivers at Sold-Out Radio City Music Hall 
on Wednesday Night

photo: michelle paradis

mitski at radio city music hall

mitski returns to nyc to headline radio city music hall

photo: silvia saponaro

 

john prine at radio city music hall

john prine at radio city, photo: dan salimbene

the xx @ radio city

the xx sparkle @ rcmh

opener polica

my american idol

best first concert at radio city: kelly clarkson.  the reason why shar hasn't had the pleasure of seeing a gig at the famed radio city is largely due the hefty price tags.  i did fork it over when matt nathanson was announced as her opener.  matt and i go back, way back to my younger years in sf.  he was a local troubadour and i, one of his street team members.  i even once unintentionally forced him to give me a hug at starbucks.  true story, ask jackie.  his set largely took from his latest this modern love with a sprinkling from some mad hope.  not much from his older albums and a little disappointed that kelly didn't come out to duet on "run", which originally was recorded with jennifer nettles of sugarland.  it could have been magic.

for the main attraction, kelly did not disappoint.  are you surprised?  this coming from a super fan, but my pal rachel was witnessing her first dose of kelly live and was thoroughly loving it.  she opened up with "dark side", then followed up with hits "behind these hazel eyes" and "since u been gone".  i was surprised she busted out quite a few covers:  florence and the machine's "heavy in your arms", "my man" (babs) and a timely cover of etta james' "i'd rather go blind".  the later was perfection and probably made etta proud. kelly did a medley of tunes for her five albums.  a great way to cover people's favs.  she pretty much got all of mine except she didn't play my favorite oldie "beautiful disaster".  ahhh, you can't have it all.  here's the set list in case you wanted the complete play by play.  i know i'm harping now but i would have liked matt to step in for jason aldean on "don't you wanna stay", instead we got a huge hologram of jason.  all i wanna say is radio city was bumpin' saturday night and kelly still and always will be my american idol. 

DWTN concert

best long await npr post: dark was the night at radio city music hall. i've been patiently waiting for npr to post this concert since i was able to fork over the duckets to see it live. stereogum provided a great play by play a day after that kept me at bay until npr posted the whole concert. weeeeee! totally loving it. you should too.

truly old timey nyc

must nyc high kicks: rockettes at radio city music hall. i've been dying to see them since i saw them in annie. you know the part when they come out of the movie reel for "let's go to the movies"? the bff was in town last year around this time and we were thinking of going to the christmas spectacular. sorry leigh-anne, i went without you. i got tix through work at a discount. it was a little weird to go this early for a christmas show. it was a little cheesy, but the rockettes more than made up for it. a new york tradition in a truly historic venue. radio city kinda reminds me of the paramount in oakland. old timey, depression era feel.

most fitting follow-up to radio city music hall: ziegfeld theatre for quantum of solace. okay, it's not the original ziegfeld, but close riiiight? the film in my opinion wasn't as great as casino royale. you get all the great action sequences, but the story was a bit lacking. i blame paul haggis. after the show, i had me a gin martini shakin' not stirred with a twist to really get in the 007 mood. thanks eric for indulging me.