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Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyMusic: Rickie Lee Jones
Swashbuckles Through "Pirates" atCity Winery
RICKIE LEE JONES ** 1/2 out of ****
CITY WINERY
RICKIE LEE JONES -- LIVE IN STOCKHOLM ($24.98;Megaforce)
Fans at City Winery enjoyed hearing Jones perform her
classic debut and the acclaimed followup Pirates , which
came out 30 years ago this month. But why are so many
acts from new bands to enduring talents like Rickie LeeJones deciding to perform albums in their entirety
during a concert? Lots of reasons and all of them makesense.
One, it's a rebellion against the shuffle mode on music
MP3 players.
Two, it makes a concert special, not just a random selection of a few new tracks, some greatest hits and a
a handful of obscurities and covers like so many shows in the past.
Three, it reestablishes the album as an art form. It's great that digital music allows artists to release EPs
and singles whenever the mood strikes. But the idea that the album is dead is just silly. Creating a groupof songs meant to be heard in a certain order at one sitting has been around for decades. (I nominateFrank Sinatra as one of the first to pioneer and certainly perfect the idea.) Just because singles arehappily back in fashion doesn't mean the album is over, any more than the fact that a new market
FOLLOW US
September 15, 2011
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According To...PHOTOS: Kirstie
Alley Makes Her
Runway Debut
Christina Ricci At
Alexander Wang:
Hit Or Miss?Keira Knightley:
Sexually Dangerous
EDITION: U.S.
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Posted: 7/6/11 01:38 PM ET
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opening up for short stories would mean novels were permanently passe.
It was a treat for fans with Jones -- getting over the flu and laughingly telling us she was on speed or
wouldn't have been able to make it -- first performing Pirates and then her eponymous debut, by and
large.
The show began creakily with 15 minutes of footage from her new DVD Rickie Lee Jones -- Live In
Stockholm. It was random footage when at least they might have played some complete songs they
anticipated would NOT be performed in the concert we were about to see. Plus, it would have been nice ifthis was screened before the 8 p.m. start time. Maybe only Rickie Lee Jones could open up for Rickie Lee
Jones but this promo should not have delayed the start of the concert, which is how it felt. That said, the
concert is blessedly low on quick-cutting, Jones is in fine form and it has a healthy dose of more than 2
and a half hours of content overseen by director Ian McCrudden.
After that, the show proper began at 8:30 but it was not smooth sailing. Two songs in, Jones wondered
what the next number was on Pirates she was due to perform. "Skeletons!" numerous people shouted out
hopefully. "'Skeletons' it is," she answered gamely, going on to deliver a sad little story about breaking upwith a guy who left her in a house filled with fan mail where she wrote this tune.
Jones fiddled with the sound, dealt with an annoying audience member who insisted on trying to talk
directly to Jones but cutting him to the quick with a choice curse word (though unfortunately the
schmuck will probably dine out on the tale for years), directed the band, grooved to her excellent horn
section, told a rambling disjointed tale about being arrested on July 4th in 1970 and generally cut adistinctive, strong-willed figure as an artist not quite feeling it that night but still delivering the goods.
Are you done eating, she asked early on, since City Winery serves meals, encouraging fans to arrive early
and eat up long before the show begins. "Finish up!" she said half amusingly, half commandingly. "I don't
like to sing for people who are eating." Who would? Telling a story about getting arrested at the borderfor not wearing a bra (so she says) led right into a righteous version of her signature first hit "Chuck E.'sIn Love" and a string of tunes from that stellar debut.
it may be easier to celebrate those early successes since her most recent album Balm In Gilead was a
distinct return to form I considered one of the best albums of 2009. No need to rest on her laurels for
Jones. Despite a lingering bug, her voice was its usual distinctive affair, with Jones playing with her
distance from the microphone to dramatic effect, especially when bringing the band to silence andhypnotizing the crowd with her sung-spoken lyrics at the finale. Anyone without her classic debut ormid-period masterpiece Flying Cowboys (I'd love to attend the show when she performs that on July 6
or 7th at City Winery ) is missing out on some great work by a genuine original.
And while this concert was not one for the ages, no one would ever accuse the crankily alive Jones ofsleepwalking through a set. She was present and accounted for, even if her fans didn't always give her thequiet attention she deserved.
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Telling VolunteersNOTE: Why don't venues -- especially ones that cater to a sit-down crowd like City Winery -- ban ALL
photography and recording during a show? They made an announcement at the beginning, but no
waiters or waitresses interfered as patrons repeatedly lifted their cell phones into the air and took picture
after picture. Even if the flash is off (and it wasn't always), no artist wants to sing to a cell phone and the
cameras are incredibly distracting to everyone sitting behind those clueless shutterbugs. Further, if I were
an artist, I'd encourage everyone to whip out their phones and cameras and FlipVideos and say, "Okay,take all the images you want during this first song. Go crazy! Then put them all away for the rest of theshow. Alright?" Let people get their snap and then shame them into not messing with everyone'spleasure for the rest of the night. Just a thought.
*****
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and
reviews .
NOTE: Michael Giltz was provided with free tickets to this show with the understanding that he would bewriting a review.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORE
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer
GET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ
Follow
Music , Rickie Lee Jones , Entertainment News
1
33
3
2React
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyMusic: Rickie Lee Jones
Swashbuckles Through "Pirates" atCity Winery
RICKIE LEE JONES ** 1/2 out of ****
CITY WINERY
RICKIE LEE JONES -- LIVE IN STOCKHOLM ($24.98;Megaforce)
Fans at City Winery enjoyed hearing Jones perform her
classic debut and the acclaimed followup Pirates , which
came out 30 years ago this month. But why are so many
acts from new bands to enduring talents like Rickie LeeJones deciding to perform albums in their entirety
during a concert? Lots of reasons and all of them makesense.
One, it's a rebellion against the shuffle mode on music
MP3 players.
Two, it makes a concert special, not just a random selection of a few new tracks, some greatest hits and a
a handful of obscurities and covers like so many shows in the past.
Three, it reestablishes the album as an art form. It's great that digital music allows artists to release EPs
and singles whenever the mood strikes. But the idea that the album is dead is just silly. Creating a groupof songs meant to be heard in a certain order at one sitting has been around for decades. (I nominateFrank Sinatra as one of the first to pioneer and certainly perfect the idea.) Just because singles arehappily back in fashion doesn't mean the album is over, any more than the fact that a new market
FOLLOW US
September 15, 2011
9 Signs Your
Husband Is GAY,
According To...PHOTOS: Kirstie
Alley Makes Her
Runway Debut
Christina Ricci At
Alexander Wang:
Hit Or Miss?Keira Knightley:
Sexually Dangerous
EDITION: U.S.
Like 43
Posted: 7/6/11 01:38 PM ET
SHARE THIS STORY
Submit this story
Get Entertainment Alerts
Sign UpPHOTO GALLERIES
CONNECT
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORE
Like 40KTelevision Mad Men Jersey Shore Scarlett Johansson Smarter Ideas More Log in
opening up for short stories would mean novels were permanently passe.
It was a treat for fans with Jones -- getting over the flu and laughingly telling us she was on speed or
wouldn't have been able to make it -- first performing Pirates and then her eponymous debut, by and
large.
The show began creakily with 15 minutes of footage from her new DVD Rickie Lee Jones -- Live In
Stockholm. It was random footage when at least they might have played some complete songs they
anticipated would NOT be performed in the concert we were about to see. Plus, it would have been nice ifthis was screened before the 8 p.m. start time. Maybe only Rickie Lee Jones could open up for Rickie Lee
Jones but this promo should not have delayed the start of the concert, which is how it felt. That said, the
concert is blessedly low on quick-cutting, Jones is in fine form and it has a healthy dose of more than 2
and a half hours of content overseen by director Ian McCrudden.
After that, the show proper began at 8:30 but it was not smooth sailing. Two songs in, Jones wondered
what the next number was on Pirates she was due to perform. "Skeletons!" numerous people shouted out
hopefully. "'Skeletons' it is," she answered gamely, going on to deliver a sad little story about breaking upwith a guy who left her in a house filled with fan mail where she wrote this tune.
Jones fiddled with the sound, dealt with an annoying audience member who insisted on trying to talk
directly to Jones but cutting him to the quick with a choice curse word (though unfortunately the
schmuck will probably dine out on the tale for years), directed the band, grooved to her excellent horn
section, told a rambling disjointed tale about being arrested on July 4th in 1970 and generally cut adistinctive, strong-willed figure as an artist not quite feeling it that night but still delivering the goods.
Are you done eating, she asked early on, since City Winery serves meals, encouraging fans to arrive early
and eat up long before the show begins. "Finish up!" she said half amusingly, half commandingly. "I don't
like to sing for people who are eating." Who would? Telling a story about getting arrested at the borderfor not wearing a bra (so she says) led right into a righteous version of her signature first hit "Chuck E.'sIn Love" and a string of tunes from that stellar debut.
it may be easier to celebrate those early successes since her most recent album Balm In Gilead was a
distinct return to form I considered one of the best albums of 2009. No need to rest on her laurels for
Jones. Despite a lingering bug, her voice was its usual distinctive affair, with Jones playing with her
distance from the microphone to dramatic effect, especially when bringing the band to silence andhypnotizing the crowd with her sung-spoken lyrics at the finale. Anyone without her classic debut ormid-period masterpiece Flying Cowboys (I'd love to attend the show when she performs that on July 6
or 7th at City Winery ) is missing out on some great work by a genuine original.
And while this concert was not one for the ages, no one would ever accuse the crankily alive Jones ofsleepwalking through a set. She was present and accounted for, even if her fans didn't always give her thequiet attention she deserved.
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
'Web Cam 101 For Seniors'
Turns Oregon Oldsters Into
YouTube Celebrities
Scarlett Johansson Nude
Photos Prompt Investigation
SHOCK VIDEO: Debate
Audience Says Uninsured
Patient Should Be Left To Die
Celestrellas: Angola named
Miss Universe 2011 - show
recap (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)
AOL TV: Jon Cryer, Ashton
Kutcher & Angus T. Jones
Talk 'Two and a Half Men'
Season 9 (VIDEO)
Ten Signs Your Marriage is
Headed for Divorce
Mark Blankenship True Blood
Sucker Punch: Season 4, Ep.
12
Engadget: Windows 8 for
tablets hands-on preview
(video)
AOL Jobs: Spelling Errors
Send Red Flags To Employers
DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5
Kumi Naidoo
Don’t Make a Wave: Greenpeace at
40
Candy Spelling
iPads and Social Media in the
Classroom?
Like 118K
Like 96
Like 64K
Like 2K
Like 466
Like 3K
Like 111
Like 3K
Like 1K
Missoni For Target
Merchandise FloodseBay
Scarlett Johansson
Contacts FBI AboutHacked Nude Images
Scarlett Johansson
Justin Bieber
Confirms Boyz II
Men Collaboration...
Pop Up Video VH1
Promo: Britney
Spears'...
Anna Faris Talks
Women Actresses,
Co-Stars And...
Madonna, In
Toronto, Denies
Telling VolunteersNOTE: Why don't venues -- especially ones that cater to a sit-down crowd like City Winery -- ban ALL
photography and recording during a show? They made an announcement at the beginning, but no
waiters or waitresses interfered as patrons repeatedly lifted their cell phones into the air and took picture
after picture. Even if the flash is off (and it wasn't always), no artist wants to sing to a cell phone and the
cameras are incredibly distracting to everyone sitting behind those clueless shutterbugs. Further, if I were
an artist, I'd encourage everyone to whip out their phones and cameras and FlipVideos and say, "Okay,take all the images you want during this first song. Go crazy! Then put them all away for the rest of theshow. Alright?" Let people get their snap and then shame them into not messing with everyone'spleasure for the rest of the night. Just a thought.
*****
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and
reviews .
NOTE: Michael Giltz was provided with free tickets to this show with the understanding that he would bewriting a review.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
Buy a link here Sponsored Links
Hyatt Summerfield Suites®
All Suites Hotel with a Full Kitchen. Free Breakfast & Wi-Fi. Book Now
Hyatt.com/SummerfieldSuites
What is Scientology
Think For Yourself and Find Out for Yourself.
Scientology.org
College - 100% Online
Be more employable! Earn a certificate up to a doctoral degree at Baker Online®.
www.bakercollegeonline.com
eBay® - Official Site
Visit eBay for great deals on a huge selection of items. Shop eBay!
www.ebay.com
More in Entertainment...
TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 12
Halle Berry's Flawless
Bikini Bod
Olsen Sister Flashes HerBra
Scarlett's naked pics, TylerPerry is highest paid
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2
HOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3
HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2
More Entertainment News at THR.com
More Celebrity News at People.comBecomes A TwitterTrending Topic
Mark Ballas and PiaToscano Split
READ MORE
America's Got Talent Picksa Winner
READ MORE
Michaele Salahi Was NotKidnapped as Husband
Claimed
READ MORE
Cher Lashes Out On
'Terrified' Chaz Bono
Haters
Madonna Denied Dissing
Hard Working Volunteers
PHOTOS: Johnny Depp
Gets Creepy
Like 2K
Baby Bump Of The Year!
Like 1K
Not...
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
TV
Video
Weird Animals
Astronomy
Food
Fashion
Scott Brown
Kanye West
Barack Obama Buy a link here Sponsored Links
Hyatt Summerfield Suites®
All Suites Hotel with a Full Kitchen. Free Breakfast &
Wi-Fi. Book Now
Hyatt.com/SummerfieldSuites
What is Scientology
Think For Yourself and Find Out for Yourself.
Scientology.org
College - 100% Online
Be more employable! Earn a certificate up to a doctoral
degree at Baker Online®.
www.bakercollegeonline.com
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE
Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ
User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Contact Us
Copyright © 2011 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
Part of HuffPost News
sarah_ross
RetweetDear Twitter Friends pls check this
out: Have We Overlooked the Most
Effective Way to Prevent Terrorism
& War? http://t.co/YyoQ1EIR
soundcloud
Retweet'Listening for the Sounds ofinnovation.", a great guest post by
our own @Bougie over on
@HuffPostTech http://t.co/aIT65Ox
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORE