Someone just gave me tickets to the show tonight -- I'm not a huge country fan although who doesn't love Willie Nelsen, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, and a few others - but I know very little about either's music. Are they any good?
The Dixie Chicks' latest album is well worth buying, esp. if you like those other artists you've mentioned. I'm no fan of top-40 country, but I love the real thing (ie: more Hank Sr. than Jr.). Combine that with them being drop-dead @#$%ing gorgeous. Go. Have fun. I'm jealous.
saw the chicks recently for the first time, great show in a bulding with bad sound - i love 'em and i hate country music
I chanced upon a pair of tickets for tonight's show for an absurdly low price; by the time I flogged off the spare, it was more or less a free show. I'll go and see practically any show for free....not to mention that I'm making it my explicit mission this summer to go and see any show...not to mention that I thought Home was one of the better albums of any kind I heard last year, and wanted to see how it came across live. I'm so deck, I can do that. Lollapal'oestrogen it was - 70/30 female/male in MSG, at least. Totally different crowd from Coldplay in the same venue a week ago...but you'd expect that, wouldn't you. Michelle Branch wasn't anything spectacular, but not dreadful either, in fact better than I expected; a slowed-down, acoustic version of that song she does with Santana was the best thing, to me. Nothing really stands out though, and that's the problem for her; I recognized nearly all her songs from somewhere, but they all ran together in my mind. The Dixie Chicks played a good, tight 2 hour set. Yeah, I think you need to have a bumpy chest to fully 'get it' - starting the show off with 'Goodbye Earl' had the gals up and singing, make that screaming along...and the guys fidgeting nervously The thing is, they look like they're having a lot of fun up there, Natalie Maines has charisma to spare, and they can't possibly be taking themselves that seriously - apparently they thought they were playing CBGB in 1983, going by the way they were dressed, teased-up near-mohawks and all (I kid you not). The show moved quick, they know their way around a tune and played a lot of them, and it was pretty hard not to enjoy it. Obligatory controversy-watch: around halfway through Maines made some mention of 'the incident' and getting themselves in trouble because of politics (fervent applause)....noted that Rock The Vote was there, so 'you can go and register...and make your opinion known'....(all said rather pointedly...more applause)...then dedicated 'Truth No. 2' to Michael Moore(!) (yet more cheers). Why do I think she didn't try that when they played South Carolina? Good show.
So very drowsy. It was perfect that they covered that shit "Landslide." It's just as dull and ordinary as they are. Speaking of fudge, I laughed so hard I got a chunk when SOBearCAL described them as drop dead gorgeous. Which one? The short, fat one or the one with no nose? I know women from Texas, and they're a hell of a lot more attractive than those three.
Re: Re: Dixie Chicks and Michele Branch -- good? Yeah - I managed to drag a friend of mine who is also from Texas and his girlfriend along who both also knew next to nothing about the Chicks. We missed Michele Branch because we were eating some great Korean food in Korea Town, but she must not have played that long because I think we got there at about 8:50. First impression was just culture shock -- I felt like I was in a Dallas mall or something -- so many blonds, cowboy hats, people not wearing black, etc. Didn't notice that much silicone though, so I knew I wasn't in Dallas. Where do the majority of their fans come from? I was guessing New Jersey. BTW - what was up with that champagne and strawberry at a "country" music concert? Seemed a little weird. I was glad I could get some tequila though. The first half of the concert, I almost walked out. Natalie Maine's voice is the same all the time and I thought was a little grating -- she's like a machine or something. She has the metalic nasal twang down great, but I wish she mixed it up a little, and I wished they featured more harmonies and vocals of her sidekicks. Also, the songs they played in the first half I thought were pretty lifeless -- my friend made the comment that they seemed computer generated. It was loud mall music for mall people. The second half - maybe the last 5 or 6 songs - I thought was a big improvement. I couldn't tell if it was because the tequila finally kicked in or if the songs were actually better though. I thought the show seemed a little rushed - it was great that they played so many songs - but I wish they took a little more time between songs for chit chat. That's probably because I'm not a big fan of their music though -- fans were probably grateful that they played so much. It was a good long set. I didn't realize that Natalie Maines really is the heart and soul of the band, if you can say such a thing. The other two seem like ok musicians, but were they picked as eye candy by some record executives? I think they have been friends for a long time, so probably not, but before the show I thought the other two had bigger roles in the band. The crowd sure loved the violin though - it was like every time Hong Myung Bo touches the ball -- screaming girls etc. Most of the concert I found myself watching the video monitor, which made me wonder why I needed to go to a concert to watch tv. The stage itself was kind of cool - and I liked the cheesy effects they used for that song where (I think) snow or leaves or something was falling. I was really surprised about that Michael Moore thing. Anyway, I'm probably being hyper-critical, but I really was expecting to enjoy the music more than I did. Emmylou Harris isn't country?
Re: Re: Re: Dixie Chicks and Michele Branch -- good? The overpriced champagne is offered at all MSG events.
Re: Re: Re: Dixie Chicks and Michele Branch -- good? The "other two" were actually original members of the band and Natalie only came in after they became popular. By popular I mean in the country music scene not mainstream. They got rid of their singer cause she didnt have enough charisma. Yes I know I watch too much Behind the Music.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Dixie Chicks and Michele Branch -- good? Yeah right, dude. I saw you raising a ruckus in the Beautiful People Only inside-stage area. Surely the first mosher they've ever seen there.