Summer Concerts

It seems that summertime and music go hand in hand. Witness the plethora of outdoor venues for bands to strut their stuff. A few drinks, some rock 'n roll... what could be better? As wonderful as summer concerts are, the last one I attended was 11 years ago. For some reason, concerts just weren't on my radar. Until this year. I've been to 3 concerts this summer. Three! I go 11 years without seeing a concert and - bam! - I hit three of them this year. What gives? I don't have a clue... all I can say is I've had a blast.

First up: The Eagles at Summerfest on July 7th. We had grass seats, which is the perfect way to ease into the concert scene after a long absence. My favorite Eagles song: Take It to the Limit

Next: Sir Paul McCartney at Miller stadium on July 16th. We had great seats, but it was hot as blazes, with high humidity. Only thing to do was to lean into the sweat running down my back and enjoy the show. My favorite McCartney song: Band on the Run.

Last, but by no means least: Aerosmith at the Marcus Amphitheater on August 30th. What a FABULOUS concert. Full disclosure: I LOVE Aerosmith. I've loved Aerosmith ever since their 1975 Toys In The Attic album. I know each and every one of these songs intimately. I was just barely a teenager and vividly remember lying, many a night, on the floor of our living room, my head close to my parents' console stereo, listening to this album. These songs saw me through scads of teenage angst. And then some. And, after Steven Tyler's stint on American Idol, I feel like I know him, somehow. Watching him week after week afforded me an opportunity to see that he's a regular schmo with a flair for the quirky and over-the-top and a wry sense of humor. Seeing him in concert (in fantastically close seats no less) felt personal to me, and when they played Sweet Emotion (my all-time favorite song), I swear they were playing it just for me.

As great as the iPhone is, it sucks when it comes to taking pictures at concerts. It took me three concerts to figure out that the best results come if you wait until the lights shine DIRECTLY at you and then snap the picture. Contrary to the mechanics of everything I've learned as a photographer, it somehow works. Here are some of my memories:

James Durbin - American Idol

I know a lot of folks roll their eyes at the machine that has become American Idol, but I watch it, initially, for the funny/awkward/just-plain-bad auditions and then, later, as the season progresses, to see new and awesome talent. I get such joy out of listening to these kids hit notes I can only dream of, and there’s nothing better than listening to something and getting goose bumps. I’m not really discriminatory: if you can sing, and sing well, I’m a fan. But I also really dig artistry – making a song your own, reworking it, being genuine. The way David Cook did it. And Adam Lambert. I’ve taken a fair amount of grief over my love of Adam Lambert, season 8 runner up. Some people think he’s too showy, too “out there.” But that’s part of who he is, part of what makes him great. And there’s NO denying that guy can sing! Holy cow, when I re-watch some of his performances from season 8 (yes, I purchased them from iTunes), they leave me feeling gloriously alive – exactly how/what good music and great vocals are supposed to do.

And now this with James Durbin. This guy is so awesomely talented, so comfortable and genuine on stage, it blows my mind that he’s been voted off. So many kinds of wrong. The only thing I can think of is that everyone thought he was safe and so didn’t vote. I mean, really. Scotty is a nice guy, but he’s no American Idol. James Durbin can sing circles around him! The silver lining in this is that James Durbin is now free to do his own thing and won’t be bound to sing those ridiculously sappy-lyric pop songs they make the winner sing.

The American Idol season is done for me.

Rock on James Durbin.