Brenda and I went to the Kennedy Center last night to see Marshall and the ’80’s band, Squeeze. That’s right, the same venue where we’ve seen such great shows as Hamilton, Book of Mormon, the National Symphony Orchestra, we can now add our buddy Marshall Crenshaw!

When we first arrived, the band “Black Rabbit” performed on the Millennium Stage, which is just outside the Concert Hall where Marshall and Squeeze performed. I thought Black Rabbit was great, performing some of their own material as well as some Beatles – “Helter-Skelter” and “Ticket to Ride.”

I was late in buying the tickets as is my way, so all I manged to get were horrible seats up in the nosebleed section, but Marshall upgraded our seats to the Orchestra section. Thanks Marshall!

He played 8 songs

• There She Goes again
• Fantastic Planet of Love
• Live and learn
• Driving and Dreaming
• What the Hell I Got (Michel Pagliaro cover 1975)
• Whenever You’re on My Mind
• Move Now
• Cynical Girl
• Someday Someway

Check out the link to that Michel Pagliaro song from 1975, I haven’t heard it for 40 years – it’s terrific!

Washington loves Marshall, probably because the old and wonderful radio station WHFS used to play him constantly, as all radio stations should. Consequently, the crowd was cheering and hollering for every song.

In addition to the seat upgrade, Marshall also put us on the backstage list, so after his set, Brenda and I went back there to annoy him. Success! We talked for a while, & then he took us to the wings so see Squeeze for a while. Fun!

Squeeze was great and the crowd loved them. It was a show well worth watching, and we’ll be sure to catch Marshall next time he’s in town, which I think is City Winery in November. But what do I know?

Here are some pics. Click the first one then click on the right to run through them. The video at the bottom is Marshall ending the show with “Someday Someway.” Enjoy!

When we were in high school, Marshall Crenshaw was the go-to encyclopedia of music.  Just imagine what he must be like now that he, like me, is several hundred years old.  Here he is at Amoeba Music in Hollywood on the “What’s in My Bag” series discussing interesting LPs he found in the store.   When Marshall talks music, you have to listen.  And you can hear him play and discuss music every Saturday night on “The Bottomless Pit,”  at 10 EST, on WFUV (wfuv.org).

NPR had a great article about 5 bands that you should know by the end of 2011. JD McPherson is one of those bands. A rocker who’s taking it back to the start of the genre and with Christmas right around the corner this album should find it’s way into my stocking….yes, I still have a stocking. So What? Without further adieu…

  I see where REM broke up.  To tell you the truth, I had no idea they were still together.  I have a soft spot in my heart for them.  They were the first so-called “alternative” band that got my attention back in the early ’80s.  Based on songs such as “Driver 8,” and “Radio Free Europe,” I found college radio stations playing great stuff like the Pixies, The Replacements, The Smiths, and many others.  Then I moved to the Washington D.C. area and found the wonderful  WHFS playing all the great stuff (what ever happed to Weasel?).  So, hats off to REM.  Here’s a song:

Brenda and I saw Marshall Crenshaw last night at what appeared to be a sold-out show at the Birchmere in Alexandria. It was part of the “30th anniversary” tour, that is, the 30th anniversary of the release of “Something’s Gonna Happen” on Shake Records – not the album;  that 30th anniversary will be in 2 years.

The show started out with St. Louis band, the Bottle Rockets playing a semi-acoustic set due to their guitar player being home with his wife who is having a baby.  Then, they plugged in and joined Marshall for an electric set.  I thought the show was terrific.   They started out with “There She Goes Again,” followed by “Cynical Girl,” and bang, bang, bang, one great song after another.   They played a couple songs off of Jaggedland, which I love and think is one of earth’s most under-appreciated records.  They played 3 covers. Richard Thompson’s “Valerie,” “Crying, Waiting, Hoping,” and during the encore, “Rave On” – you just can’t go wrong with Buddy Holly, now can you?  After the show, Brenda and I stopped by the stage door & talked to a very sweaty but friendly Marshall for a few minutes.  It was great to talk to him again, and it was a great evening – thanks for the birthday present Brenda!

Here’s Marshall and the Bottle Rockets playing “Valerie.”