STEEL WHEELS

 

I had the pleasure of attending a Steel Wheels concert in the small-venue intimate setting of Swallow Hill Music.  Our daughter is friends with the primary fellows, having met two of them at undergraduate school at Eastern Mennonite University.   A third band member is the son of a fellow that I went to school with at Goshen College.  

Trent Wagler is the front man for the band, and is a very talented singer, musician and song writer, and his bio can be found here. He has a distinctive sound that I like. Jay Lapp is the guitar and mandolin player and a bit of info about Jay can be found here.  The third primary member is fiddle player Eric Brubaker who writes here.

Their live performance was impressive in several ways from musicianship to clarity of delivery to song content.  I was very impressed with the variation in styles - way too often bands play a couple of songs and then they all begin to sound alike.  Not so with the Steel Wheels - a very enjoyable evening indeed.

Enjoy a concert!!

 

 

THE EAGLES - BALL ARENA - DENVER

We had purchased tickets to the Eagles concert pre-COVID, but like many things, the concert was put on hold. Over a year later, it was rescheduled, and we debated "Should we go, or should we sell our tickets?" Since the Ball Arena has a very sensible entry policy [proof of vaccination or a negative test], we decided to attend.  We arrived about an hour before start time, thinking that there might be long lines for the COVID checks, but were pleasantly surprised that the whole entry process was very organized and ran smoothly.

Once inside, we had to chuckle at some of the attendees.  There were many folks sporting their Eagles Tour shirts from bygone days, including a pair of cane-toting-T-shirt-wearing elderly ladies making their way to their seats.  Our seats were straight out from the stage in the first section of tiered seating - better than being on the flat floor IMHO.

The concert started just a few minutes after the scheduled time, and it was pretty much as I expected from a big name, big band, big show - and it was great!  Pretty much straight-forward music that reproduced the original recordings.  My opinion is that one of the hallmarks of a good band is that they sound as good or even better live than on studio recordings.  And the Eagles have it.

The first set was Hotel California, and the second set was "every other song that we know" as Don Henley put it.  The September 16 playlist can be found here, and one of the great things about this playlist site is that you are able to click on the song to hear it.

As the opening number Hotel California got rolling, I could ID Henley on drums, Joe Walsh on guitar and Timothy Schmit on bass.  And I thought "Dang, that fellow on the left sounds really great and looks a lot like Vince Gill" - and it was!  The other main members included Steuart Smith, Deacon Frey [the late Glenn Frey's son], and Scott Crago.  Smith played a fair amount of lead, and he and Walsh were incredible on the Hotel California duo at the end.  Deacon Frey did several lead vocals, and Crago took over on drums when Henley did some lead vocals as shown above.  The picture also shows the Denver Orchestra playing along with the band.

For me, the highlight was Gill. I think that he is one of the most talented singer/songwriters of today. And as one reviewer put it "Vince Gill might not be the first guy you'd have thought of as a replacement for Glenn Frey in the Eagles, but wow, is he a good fit. The country icon soars as he takes over lead vocals on the Eagles' classic hit "New Kid in Town" on their new live album." He did several other leads, and he fits right in with the Eagles' incredible harmonies.

Generally speaking, big venue shows are not my preference, but this one was certainly worth it. My original video was blocked, so I'll try this one:

BLUEGRASS WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

This makes me smile all the way through - the Cleverly's.

All the old paintings on the tombs
They do the sand dance don't you know?
If they move too quick (oh whey oh)
They're falling down like a domino

All the bazaar men by the Nile
They got the money on a bet
Gold crocodiles (oh whey oh)
They snap their teeth on your cigarette

Foreign types with the hookah pipes say
(Whey oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh)
Walk like an Egyptian

 

The blonde waitresses take their trays
They spin around and they cross the floor
They've got the moves (oh whey oh)
You drop your drink, then they bring you more

All the school kids so sick of books
They like the punk and the metal band
When the buzzer rings (oh whey oh)
They're walking like an Egyptian

All the kids in the marketplace say
(Whey oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh)
Walk like an Egyptian

 

Slide your feet up the street, bend your back
Shift your arm then you pull it back
Life is hard you know (oh whey oh)
So strike a pose on a Cadillac

If you want to find all the cops
They're hanging out in the donut shop
They sing and dance (oh whey oh)
They spin the clubs, cruise down the block

All the Japanese with their yen
The party boys call the Kremlin
And the Chinese know (oh whey oh)
They walk the line like Egyptian

 

All the cops in the donut shop say
(Whey oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh)
Walk like an Egyptian
Walk like an Egyptian

SHALLOW - FROM A STAR IS BORN

 Saw the original way back when, and saw the remake on the tube - like this song.

Tell me somethin', girl
Are you happy in this modern world?
Or do you need more?
Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for?

 

I'm falling
In all the good times I find myself
Longin' for change
And in the bad times I fear myself

Tell me something, boy

 
Aren't you tired tryin' to fill that void?
Or do you need more?
Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore?

I'm falling

 
In all the good times I find myself
Longing for a change
And in the bad times I fear myself

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in

 
I'll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us
We're far from the shallow now

In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow

 
We're far from the shallow now

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Whoah

 

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I'll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us
We're far from the shallow now

In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
We're far from the shallow now

THE DISTANCE - LAURENCE FOX

I had never heard of the fellow, but this video was brought to my attention by Cuz Essenman - interesting lyrics.

They have put something in the water. They seek a cure for the conversation. They stole a march on your indecision. And the first to fall was laughter just to quell the unoffended they seek to murder your opinion.
And the light has been turned down on the age of reason
replaced by blinding fires that burn wild across the region
But the wrong to rule the good must just stand idly by
So I need you more than ever
I need your hand in this resistance
If we´re going to go the distance
And if I ever doubted I think about my future and if I want to live there.
And the world outside is wondrous wide for a reason if I can´t decide you must blow your own mind for that reason
For the wrong to rule the good must just stand idly by and that´s no lie.
Can´t be hard to know what you´re feeling what with all the lies that you´re reading if it´s hard to say you may mean it. Don´t be lost! Thinking about tomorrow when today is what you are living. Make today a new beginning.
And the light has been turned down on the age of reason. Replaced by blinding fires that burn wild across the region. For the wrong to rule the good must just stand idly by.
So I need you more than ever. I need your hand in this resistance if we´re going to go the distance. And if I ever doubted I think about my future and if I want to life there.
And the world outside is wonderous wide for a reason. If you can´t deside you must blow your own mind for that reason. For the wrong to rule the good must just stand idly by and that´s no lie.
So I need you more than ever I need your hand in this resistance if we´re going to go the distance and if I ever doubted I think about my future and if I want to life ... there

THE WATER IS WIDE

Across the years, I have heard this song numerous times, but never tracked down the title and words.  But now I have, and here it is for your [and my] enjoyment.

The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I
 

I lean'd my back against an oak
Thinking it was a mighty tree

 But first it bent and then it broke
So did my love prove false to me
 

I put my hand in some soft bush
Thinking the sweetest flow'are to find
I prick'd my finger to the bone
And left the sweetest flow'are behind

 
O love is handsome and love is kind
Gay as a jewel when it is new
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like the morning dew 

 
The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I

I WANT TO DANCE

As I mentioned in the previous post, there is one other song that I have written.  The basics came to me in a dream, and a friend challenged me to write it out.  Those of you who know us may see some parallels here to our life!  So here are the lyrics with some visuals.

I WANT TO DANCE

 

I want to dance with you at the break of dawn,

like sunlight and dew dancing on the lawn.

Our life together has just begun,

I want to dance.

I want to dance with you in the noon day sun,

from the mountains to the ocean, we’ll make life's run.

Through highs and lows, we’ll live as one,

and we will dance.

 

I want to dance with you when the sun goes down,

we’ll watch the green flash all alone,

then walk the beach until we’re home,

and we will dance.

I want to dance with you in the evening time,

enjoying friends and family, and a glass of wine,

a toast to life and the fruit of our vine,

and we can dance.

And now, we have another chance,

for romance and a dance.

I want to dance with you with the stars above,

the Milky Way shining on our love,

our lives near over, but others live on

‘cause we have danced….yes we’ve danced….yes we’ve danced.

  

© 4/29/2020 

 

I WANT TO DANCE

       D            D                               Em/add7.10

V-1 I want to dance with you at the break of dawn,

       D                         A7sus4

like sunlight and dew dancing on the lawn,

    D                          Em/add 7.10

Our life together has just begun

               D                        A7sus4

I want to dance.

                      D                               Em/add 7.10

V-2 I want to dance with you in the noon day sun,

               D                                           A7sus4

from the mountains to the ocean, we’ll make life's run,

              D                             Em/add 7.10

through highs and lows, we’ll live as one,

                    D                        A7sus4

And we will dance.

                      G                                    A

B-1 I want to dance with you when the sun goes down,

        G                               A

we’ll watch the green flash all alone,

G                         -> Em

walk the beach until we’re home,

                        A                  Em - A

and then we’ll dance.

                      D                                 Em/add 7.10

V-3 I want to dance with you in the evening time,

              D                              A7sus4

enjoying friends and family, and a glass of wine,

  D                              Em/add 7.10

a toast to life and the fruit of our vine,

                  D                        A7sus4

and we can dance.

                C6   Bm9            D

B-2  And now, we have another chance,

   C6        Bm9   A           Em - A

For romance, and a dance

                       D                                    Em/add 7.10

V-4  I want to dance with you with the stars above,

      D                            A7sus4

the Milky Way shining on our love,

       D                            Em/add 7.10

our lives near over, but others live on

                        D          A7sus4          D           Em/add 7.10          D

‘cause we have danced……yes we’ve danced                 yes we’ve danced.