Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra Concert Extravaganza Post-Game
Originally posted on my blog:
What a show tonight! I tried counting how many times I've seen Ottmar live now since 2003 (it's some obscene number, pretty sure it's 7), and each time these guys seem to get better. The addition of Steve to the band--the first time I've seen them with a second guitarist--did a lot, it seemed to free Ottmar from the usual constraints of having to provide his own accompaniment, and Stevo's a damn good guitarist in himself. I wasn't sure what to expect, only knowing his solo stuff, and the verdict? The man is a beast at rumba flamenca. I think he told me he studied with a flamenco teacher in California and focused on rumbas with him, and it shows. The guy has a bag full of strumming styles and tricks (I need to get him to show me the 6/8 rumba strumming he used on The Winding Road/La Primavera!).
He ain't too shabby on the electric guitar, either, which came out a lot more from both guitarists than it did in past tours. I especially liked his electric guitar bit on Silence, the first song they played...you know, they've played that for I think three years now (and by the way, Ottmar, we have yet to see it on an album!), I must have heard five different renditions of it at this point, and they get something cool and new with each one. Sometimes it's Ottmar solo, with the band Jon does that great bass solo at the end and then in 2005 the string quartet did their thing after him, and this time in place of that, Steve did a really cool electric guitar solo. I wonder what that song will sound like when recorded--I think with all the ideas they have for it, it will be about 15 minutes long!
So, for the curious, here's the setlist (copied directly from the list the guys used):
Silence
La Luna
Carrousel (w new intro)
UnderWorld/Cocteau
Winding Road
Santa Fe
Snakecharmer
-------------------
Butterflies [the list says this, at least - he actually played Night Travelling Raindrops, from the same album, and my favorite piece on that particular disc]
Northbound [from bassist Jon Gagan's album Transit2]
Thira [from rhythm guitarist Stephen Duros's awesome album Thira]
New New Tangos/Rumba
Alegría Árabe
New Tangos/2 the Night
Sao Paulo
-------------------
Havana Club
Barcelona Nights
Setlist is here:
I kept track of the list during the performance on the back of a receipt (also in the picture), and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was pretty much all right. I was especially proud to find that what I called a new tangos/rumba is actually a new tangos/rumba on the list, considering that I've never actually heard of a tangos/rumba before!
Oh, and Steve said I rock - good eye, Mr. Duros!
A few pleasant surprises on that list. Winding Road was one of them--I forgot he mentioned that they were playing it this tour, and I really enjoy that piece. Alegría Árabe, 2 the Night, and Havana Club were all unexpected "oldies" that I enjoyed hearing, especially Havana Club. A couple of old tour favorites were missing (I was personally hoping to hear Duende del Amor with the usual bulería intro, and Heart Still/Beating), but all in all a very good set.
I didn't take many pictures tonight, mainly because my battery got low after about 3 shots (I may or may not have forgotten to charge it). I would have probably spent most of it on video anyway, but this did keep me--just in case--from taking the obscene, unnecessary amount of pictures that I did in 2004, or 2005 (in 2006 I was a bit more video-heavy). 2007 is at that link. Anyway, if you want to see what these guys look like, check out the 2004 and 2005 albums. Bassist Jon was there both tours and percussionist Davo was there in 2005. I kept it simple and snapped shots of Ottmar in action:
Stevo in action:
D+B in action:
And I managed to get a picture with every band member! Guitarists apparently are the least mature.
What a show tonight! I tried counting how many times I've seen Ottmar live now since 2003 (it's some obscene number, pretty sure it's 7), and each time these guys seem to get better. The addition of Steve to the band--the first time I've seen them with a second guitarist--did a lot, it seemed to free Ottmar from the usual constraints of having to provide his own accompaniment, and Stevo's a damn good guitarist in himself. I wasn't sure what to expect, only knowing his solo stuff, and the verdict? The man is a beast at rumba flamenca. I think he told me he studied with a flamenco teacher in California and focused on rumbas with him, and it shows. The guy has a bag full of strumming styles and tricks (I need to get him to show me the 6/8 rumba strumming he used on The Winding Road/La Primavera!).
He ain't too shabby on the electric guitar, either, which came out a lot more from both guitarists than it did in past tours. I especially liked his electric guitar bit on Silence, the first song they played...you know, they've played that for I think three years now (and by the way, Ottmar, we have yet to see it on an album!), I must have heard five different renditions of it at this point, and they get something cool and new with each one. Sometimes it's Ottmar solo, with the band Jon does that great bass solo at the end and then in 2005 the string quartet did their thing after him, and this time in place of that, Steve did a really cool electric guitar solo. I wonder what that song will sound like when recorded--I think with all the ideas they have for it, it will be about 15 minutes long!
So, for the curious, here's the setlist (copied directly from the list the guys used):
Silence
La Luna
Carrousel (w new intro)
UnderWorld/Cocteau
Winding Road
Santa Fe
Snakecharmer
-------------------
Butterflies [the list says this, at least - he actually played Night Travelling Raindrops, from the same album, and my favorite piece on that particular disc]
Northbound [from bassist Jon Gagan's album Transit2]
Thira [from rhythm guitarist Stephen Duros's awesome album Thira]
New New Tangos/Rumba
Alegría Árabe
New Tangos/2 the Night
Sao Paulo
-------------------
Havana Club
Barcelona Nights
Setlist is here:
I kept track of the list during the performance on the back of a receipt (also in the picture), and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was pretty much all right. I was especially proud to find that what I called a new tangos/rumba is actually a new tangos/rumba on the list, considering that I've never actually heard of a tangos/rumba before!
Oh, and Steve said I rock - good eye, Mr. Duros!
A few pleasant surprises on that list. Winding Road was one of them--I forgot he mentioned that they were playing it this tour, and I really enjoy that piece. Alegría Árabe, 2 the Night, and Havana Club were all unexpected "oldies" that I enjoyed hearing, especially Havana Club. A couple of old tour favorites were missing (I was personally hoping to hear Duende del Amor with the usual bulería intro, and Heart Still/Beating), but all in all a very good set.
I didn't take many pictures tonight, mainly because my battery got low after about 3 shots (I may or may not have forgotten to charge it). I would have probably spent most of it on video anyway, but this did keep me--just in case--from taking the obscene, unnecessary amount of pictures that I did in 2004, or 2005 (in 2006 I was a bit more video-heavy). 2007 is at that link. Anyway, if you want to see what these guys look like, check out the 2004 and 2005 albums. Bassist Jon was there both tours and percussionist Davo was there in 2005. I kept it simple and snapped shots of Ottmar in action:
Stevo in action:
D+B in action:
And I managed to get a picture with every band member! Guitarists apparently are the least mature.
posted by Adam Solomon at 1:12 AM
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