This weekend we’re heading to the metropolis of Rochester to see Guster live in concert; I can’t hardly wait! This is the Guster record that got me hooked. I saw them open for The Hip in 2000 and have been a fan ever since. Guster’s current tour marks the 10 year anniversary of the release of LAGF, and sees the band performing Lost And Gone Forever in its entirety.

It was a stellar show from start to finish – much different than his previous shows in Toronto at the El Mo. This was a packed house – hot and sweaty from the get go!

Matt and the band were on fire, and I think the large crowd provided a little extra something that really pushed things over the top!

If Matt Nathanson is in your town you owe it to yourself to go. This guy is the real deal.

So, do I download it? I’ve paid for the music, am I now entitled to it?

The concert took place at the Hard Rock Café, and much to our surprise, the restaurant was closed during the afternoon to prepare for the show. This meant that our plan of eating dinner at the Café before the show was bust. Into “Little Italy” we went and settled on McDonald’s. (Was it just the location we went to, or do they not have McChicken’s in the US?)

After dinner we returned to the Hard Rock to take in the musical extravaganza that was The Hutch and Matty Nay.

Matt Nathanson – setlist
t01 – To The Beat Of Our Noisy Hearts
t02 – Car Crash
t03 – Still
t04 – Princess > Jessie’s Girl
t05 – Lost Myself In Search Of You
t06 – Starfish & Coffee > Stayin’Alive > Miss Lucy Had A Steamboat > Starfish *& Coffee
t07 – Laid
t08 – Falling Apart
t09 – Church Clothes
t10 – Wedding Dress
t11 – Come On Get Higher
t12 – Livin’ On A Prayer > Heaven Is A Place On Earth (with Eric Hutchinson)

Aside from the FACT that we had the dumbest human being standing next to us, the event was a lot of fun. And I got to try out my new recording gear!!

Here’s my recording of Eric Hutchinson. Nathanson is coming…

But I digress, the software Genius is awesome. Choose a song from your library and click the button. A 25 song playlist is automagically generated consisting of songs that go well together. And if you click on any song in the playlist the Genius sidebar displays related songs with a button to Buy the song immediately from the iTunes store.

So is the genius feature that the software works so well and creates great playlists, or is it that Apple have made it so incredibly easy for you to spend money on new music?

Acoustic Set
From Hank To Hendrix
Ambulance Blues
Sad Movies
A Man Needs A Maid
Try
No One Seems To Know
Harvest
After The Gold Rush
Mellow My Mind
Love Art Blues
Heart Of Gold
Cowgirl In The Sand

Electric Set
The Loner
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Dirty Old Man
Spirit Road
Bad Fog Of Loneliness
Winterlong
Oh, Lonesome Me
The Believer
No Hidden Path

Encore
Cinnamon Girl
Cortez The Killer

The only negatives of the entire evening were the incessant nattering from the losers sitting to my right, and the constant yells from the crowd requesting songs, welcoming Neil home, thanking him, etc, etc… The jerks beside me were fortysomethings who thought it cool to get stoned and go see Neil Young. In their altered state they had no concept that they were loud; even when multiple other people around them told them to “Shut up!” The yells from the crowd were obnoxious, and completely unnecessary.

Putting those two beefs aside, this was one of the best concert events I’ve ever attended. Neil Young is a true rock star, and his songs are so good that you forget where you are, and that there is a stress filled life waiting for you outside the doors of the theatre.