Posted on March 14, 2015 at 4:26 am
If every concert of my SubCulture residency is going to be like this one, then I’m going to have a fantastic year. Three incredible singers, an extraordinary violinist, the monstrous and affable Caucasian Rhythm Kings (featuring a new drummer, Zac Coe, from the original band of 13!), fifteen songs, including two brand-new world premieres, and a sold-out house. That’s the way to do it!
Photo by James Hartnett
Nothing In Common (Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes)
Melinda (untitled new project)
There With You
– Caissie Levy
Another Life (The Bridges of Madison County)
– Caissie Levy
Wondering (The Bridges of Madison County)
Advice to the Playaz (text by William Shakespeare)
– Norbert Leo Butz
If I Didn’t Believe In You (The Last Five Years)
– Norbert Leo Butz
One More Thing Than I Can Handle
– Rebecca Faulkenberry
One Summer (different untitled new project)
– Rebecca Faulkenberry
Break Me Blues
Letting You Go (Songs of Jason Robert Brown)
– Caissie Levy
Killing The Blues (music and lyrics by Rowland Salley)
– Norbert Leo Butz, guitar and vocals
It All Fades Away (The Bridges of Madison County)
Caravan of Angels
Moving Too Fast (The Last Five Years)
– Norbert Leo Butz & JRB
And then we actually did an encore of “Melinda” because it’s so much fun.
JRB, piano and vocals
Todd Reynolds, violin
Gary Sieger, electric and acoustic guitars
Justin Goldner, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin
Randy Landau, electric and acoustic bass
Zac Coe, drums
Getting to hear Norbert sing the Advice to the Players speech from Hamlet was one of the highlights of my year, and then his “If I Didn’t Believe In You” simply destroyed us all. Becca did a brand new song that she only learned two days ago and brought it to life so beautifully you’d think she’d been singing it for years. And if you haven’t heard Caissie Levy sing “Another Life,” you maybe haven’t ever heard that song at all. Everyone who’s seen Honeymoon In Vegas knows Todd Reynolds from his barn-burning solo during the Entr’acte, but to have him collaborate with me on an entire concert and bring his incredible artistry to the table was a real privilege for me, and exactly the kind of musical partnership I hope to make a regular feature of this residency. Thanks so much to everyone at SubCulture and to our incredible audience – we all had a sensational time.
April 20 is the next concert, featuring me and Tom Kitt on the dueling pianos! See you there!
4 comments
What a great concert! I loved hearing your old songs, but the highlight for me was your new song “Melinda,” which is one of the most exciting songs I’ve ever heard. After you played it, I thought to myself: “I wish he would play it again. It’s too bad that he never plays the same song twice in one set.”
I had an equally strong but very different emotional reaction the first time I heard you play “Someone to Fall Back On,” which is probably the first time I ever cried during a concert. Listening to “Melinda” last night, I couldn’t stop smiling and bouncing in my seat.
Appropriately for a song about New York in the 1970s, you seem to be channeling Paul Simon. Adding to this feeling of deja vu is that, at a Paul Simon concert I attended many years ago, he played one song twice, the “Melinda”-like “Late in the Evening.”
this was one of the most exciting concerts i have ever attended. it was a privilege to be present. i can’t wait for the next one.
Great show! Such an electric night.
All of the performers were fantastic — and while I thought Caissie Levy did a wonderful job with “Another Life”, nothing holds a candle to Whitney Bashor and I’m surprised to see you imply otherwise, especially since she originated the role within the past year.
Norbert Leo Butz singing “If I Didn’t Believe In You” was truly thrilling. And love the new songs “Melinda” and “There With You”
Looking forward to the next concert.
[FROM JRB: Susan, don’t let my casual hyperbole suggest anything other than outsize enthusiasm. I love Whitney and her incredible interpretation, I just meant that Caissie brought something very fresh to the song even after Whitney’s definitive performance!]
I am still thinking about the incredible concert. Highlight for me was your duet with Norbert.
I have seen all of your shows except 13, which sure didn’t stick around very long. I am a real fan and will attend all your concerts at SubCulture.
I met you after the last concert and didn’t have the nerve to ask this question so here goes: What was the point of having the 2 people in The Last 5 Years telling their stories from a different time frame? Wouldn’t it have been the same powerful story by just telling the story from 2 different points of view? I know you are thinking how stupid I am and how could I not get it.
Well, loved the show and hope you can clarify for me and for many other of your fans who have been wanting to ask the same question.
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