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John1956PA

(2,654 posts)
Wed Apr 10, 2013, 11:19 AM Apr 2013

We attended Michael Nesmith’s fantastic concert in Pittsburgh last evening.

Last edited Wed Apr 10, 2013, 01:16 PM - Edit history (3)

It was a great pleasure for my fiancée and me to take in the Pittsburgh edition of Michael Nesmith’s current 16-city concert tour. The venue was the Carnegie Music Hall of Homewood, Pennsylvania, which borders the City of Pittsburgh. The 115-year-old high-domed hall is advertised as seating over 1,000, but it has the feel of venue smaller than that. By my estimate, over five hundred concert-goers were present.

At 7:40 PM, Michael Nesmith took the stage backed by four musicians, including the grandson of Earl Scruggs who took turns at playing a variety of instruments, including the pedal steel guitar and the ukulele. Mr. Nesmith was the sole vocalist on the majority of the fifteen or so numbers performed at the concert, just as he has been the sole singer on nearly all of the numerous songs he has written and sung throughout his career of nearly 50 years. Before each song, he told a brief story which set the scene and described the characters whose experiences were dramatized by the lyrics. He played a twelve-string acoustic guitar throughout the concert. Early in the event, he performed "Papa Gene's Blues" which was the evening’s only number from his 1960s days with The Monkees. He then sang a slow version of "Different Drum" which also dates to the 1960s. He proceeded to "Joanne" (one of my all-time favorites) and "Silver Moon" from 1970. The following numbers featured varied musical strains including blue grass, country, calypso, new age, and rock. Very dynamic was the rendition of the funk rock "Cruisin’" ("Lucy, Ramona, and Sunset Sam&quot from his 1979 album Elephant Parts. The four backup musicians provided vocals on that rousing number. The mood then shifted towards the transcendental with the performances of three selections from his 1974 album The Prison which complements his short story about man who is imprisoned, but the penitentiary confining him may exist only in his mind. Rounding out the main portion of the event was a song from his 2006 album Rays which conjures thoughts of astrophysics, and "Laugh Kills Lonesome" which, as I understand it, is his traditional concert-ending number. The main portion of the concert ended at 9:10 PM. My fiancée and I did not stay for the encore, as we wanted to beat the traffic rush.

I highly recommend catching a show if the tour stops in your city. The versatility, enthusiasm, and gratitude displayed by Mr. Nesmith and his band will leave you with a pleasant and entertaining concert experience.

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