Friday, July 11, 2008

joe cocker at radio city music hall, photos and setlist


last night my friends and i went to see joe cocker and the steve miller band at radio city music hall. joe cocker opened at 7:30, and played for about an hour and twenty minutes. after a short break, the steve miller band came on just after 9 and played until 11. i'll post the steve miller photos and setlist separately.


joe cocker has been going strong for 40 years - and could still keep the audience wanting more!


for me, the highlight of his show was an incredibly powerful "come together," which started off with a powerful bass riff and just seemed to keep building power as it progressed. what i didn't get was why he slipped into a ballad immediately following all that energy?


but it may have been the pause before the storm, because each successive song after that soft spot just built on the one before it until joe was ready with his signature, "with a little help from my friends." and he didn't disappoint those of us (everyone) in the audience, anticipating it.


but, the two encores he did after it, not only kept up the energy level, but added to it. he left us with "she came in through the bathroom window," followed by a rockin' "cry me a river!"



setlist:

feeling alright,
the letter,
when the night comes,
the lift is up where we belong,
you are so beautiful,
summer in the city,
come together',
hymn for my soul,
you can leave your hat on,
unchain my heart,
with a little help from my friends,

encores:

she came in through the bathroom window,
cry me a river

3 comments:

peter said...

Man, take me back to the 60s! I don't s'pose Leon was there, with the Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Speaking of old fogeys, I saw Leon Russell a year ago at the State Theater in Falls Church, and he was rockin' the place with the younger crowd sitting in the upper gallery overhead and the old bikers and hippies and boomers on the dance floor below swaying to the music. He remained immobile on the piano bench, playing and singing, while his band and young female singer rocked on. Then he said to us all at the end, Now suppose I just got up and left the stage, okay? Now pretend I was gone for two minutes, and I just came back and sat down again, okay? So here. And then he launched into Delta Lady & A hard Rain. Except for all the bald spots peaking out from under ponytailed hair, rounded paunches and crows feet around the facial edges, it was 1970 again for a few minutes. Heck, I even saw tie-dyed shirts.

Bert said...

Takes me back a ways too! Joe Cocker, who would have figured he is still around... Whatever happened to Long John Baldrey, he had a heck of a voice too, I am trying to think of some of his numbers, without resorting to Google. It wasn't him that sang 'Please release me...' was it? Ah drat, the memories have faded too much.

rundangerously said...

awesome memories guys! no leon there - but the young bassist he had really tore the place up w/her opening chords to "come together!"

joe definitly looking a bit older - but still has that great voice, and unique moves :D