DETROIT
Dan was more relaxed than I have ever seen him before, he
continually expressed how great it was to be playing
before an audience again, since it had been 2 years
because of the sailing mishap. He did use some profanity,
though, which was disappointing. But it was an overall
enthusiastic show, nonetheless.
Mike M.
GRAND RAPIDS
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 1998 21:38:48
Although Grand Rapids was only the second stop on this
leg of the tour, Dan seemed to be very relaxed and
thoroughly enjoying himself. His sense of humor surfaced
immediately into the concert when he quickly realized his
guitar was not in tune. A roadie quickly came to his
rescue as Dan good naturedly left the stage while the
guitar was prepared. Once the guitar was ready, Dan
repeated his entrance, to thundrous applause and lots of
laughter. He continued to entertain the crowd with with
quick one-liners and witty responses to audience comments
all throughout the show.
During his performance, he told the audience how happy he
was to be able to perform again after his injury, and
would we mind if he sat and played for awhile? The crowd
quickly showed their approval and appreciation! Although
he has played these songs numerous times in his 25 year
career, he performed each and every one from the heart.
Particularly moving were The Last Nail and Auld Lang Syne
(as always). At the end of each the crowd was moved to
silence until enthusiastic applause erupted.
Dan played piano and various guitars during the night.
His ability to play very intricate arrangements on both
were truly impressive! As if the ability to write
beautiful and meaninful poetry, set to moving and
emotional melodies wasn't enough, his command of the
instruments he played often left the crowd awestruck.
As always, although he played for 2 1/2 hours and
performed most of his hits, it wasn't enough time to hit
all the favorites (but then there are far too many from
which to choose to include them in one show!). The crowd
certainly enjoyed the show, and definitely got more than
their money's worth, but still left wanting more...a sure
sign they'll buy tickets the next time Dan visits Grand
Rapids!
Karen
MILWAUKEE
His mood overall seemed pretty upbeat, and he seemed
fairly comfortable with the audience....the "write
your congressman" line did surface once, in
reference to the release of "Don't Lose Heart"
as a single....."If you don't hear this one as a
single, write your congressman." He segued into a
rendition of "My Favorite Things" in the midst
of the "Black Orpheus" piece, which really got
a chuckle.
His voice was just beautiful...true and clear, even on the high notes in some of the older selections he played. I was impressed by the absolute quiet in the theater on the three instrumental pieces he played.....it was AWESOME.
I was surprised by the number of men at the concert...some of them were rather into it. One guy across the aisle from us didn't stop rocking the entire concert, and even yelled out "YOU RULE, DAN!!" at the top of his lungs.
INDIANAPOLIS
88K Scan w/photo from Indianapolis
Star
More Photos
The Indianapolis Star
Copyright 1997
Tuesday, June 24, 1997
EXTRA
MARC ALLAN; POPULAR MUSIC
Frankly Fogelberg After 25 years, Dan Fogelberg reveals more of himself and the adult music he writes. MARC ALLAN
Dan Fogelberg
Location: Murat Theater, 510 N. New Jersey St. Admission: $27.50 and $35, box office and Ticketmaster locations, (317) 239-5151.
Looking back on his career, Dan Fogelberg observes: "When I was younger, it was a crusade. Now it's a job."
That's not all that has changed since Fogelberg debuted 25 years ago with the album Home Free. The singer- songwriter genre lost much of its cachet. Record companies rarely nurture talent the way Epic Records did with him. His discs no longer sell in millions like they did from 1974's Souvenirs through 1984's Windows and Walls.
Still, music remains "a damn good job," Fogelberg says by phone from his home in Colorado.
To prove it, he'll spend the second half of 1997 celebrating his 25th anniversary with a solo acoustic tour that stops at the Murat Theater tonight and a new four-disc box set. The 67-song box includes a lengthy biography and track-by-track details. Fogelberg, normally reluctant to reveal too much of himself, decided to open up after reading a Los Angeles Times interview with another famously private singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell.
"She talked about her songs and what they meant and I said, 'God, this is great,' " Fogelberg says. "Here I was, a fan of hers, going, 'Well, if I'm enjoying this from her, then obviously fans of mine would enjoy this.'
"I didn't have to open up too much," he adds with a laugh. "I don't feel like I had to jeopardize anything. I was just giving some insight into what those songs meant or how they were created."
Among the stories he reveals: the details behind one of five newly released tunes, Song for a Carpenter. Seems Fogelberg recorded the song in 1983 with the legendary Irish band the Chieftains following an all-nighter.
When the Chieftains showed up, Fogelberg had had little sleep and no food.
"These guys came in with a case of Guinness Stout," he says. "They said" - he affects an Irish accent here - " 'Oh, Danny, will you ever be joining us?' And I said, 'Uh, uh, sure. You bet.' I say something in the liner notes about the one and only time I had Guinness Stout for breakfast."
Other previously unreleased songs that appear in the box include Don't Lose Heart, which Fogelberg recorded with James Taylor's band, and Democracy, an anti-Reagan and -Bush song that he recorded for the 1993 River of Souls disc but scrapped when Bill Clinton was elected.
First song failed to hit
Fogelberg started writing songs as a young man in Peoria, Ill., and at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
He released his first record in 1972. Though it failed to hit, the record company's confidence never shook. "Young musicians talk to me about what it was like back then," he says, "and the biggest difference I can see is that the record companies needed us. They knew that the artists were what sustained
them. Now, it's like the record companies are gods and the kids get their shot. If they don't make it, they're gone."
Over 25 years, he rewarded that faith with hits such as Part of the Plan, Same Old Lang Syne, Run for the Roses, Leader of the Band and Language of Love.
Some of those will be included on the tour, his first full solo acoustic shows since 1988, though he will skip electric rockers like The Power of Gold. ("Without a rhythm section, it limits what you can do").
Some songs are forgotten
And fans thinking about yelling out requests should know this: He may not know their favorites. "People think if you wrote it, you must know it," he says. "That simply isn't true. Some of the songs I haven't sung since the day I recorded them, maybe 20 years ago. In many cases the fans might know these songs better than I do."
What they can expect, however, is an evening of adult music.
"I'm not writing for kids," he says. "I'm writing about what moves me. I'm a 45-year-old man. I can't expect that what I'm experiencing is going to appeal to a 15- or 16-year-old. Somebody else is writing their story. I'm writing my story."
Marc Allan is popular-music critic for The Star and
The News.
Another Indianapolis review:
I have been a Fogelberg fan for more than 20 years. In
that time I have seen him perform live five times, in
packed large arenas and open air theaters but this
concert tour is the best yet. The music is outstanding,
as usual, the smaller venue in Indianapolis was wonderful
and he was the most relaxed performer I have ever seen. I
have always enjoyed the music, but have never felt that
he enjoyed live performance that much, or maybe it's just
the traveling. Now I believe that he does enjoy
performing, his interaction with the audience was
amazing. If you don't have tickets find a way to get
some. My only regret for the evening is that I wasn't in
the front row. Thanks Dan, for your marvelous music, and
the exceptional show.
CLEVELAND The Plain
Dealer Cleveland, OH
Copyright (c) The Plain Dealer 1997
Thursday, June 26, 1997
SCENE & HEARD
MUSIC REVIEW Dan Fogelberg
SAPPY SONGS DROWN DREARY CONCERT
DOUGLAS FULMER
Fulmer is a free-lance writer from Strongsville.
For a brief time, it looked like the rain might hold off at last night'sDan Fogelberg concert at Nautica Stage. Although an ominous front had moved in sometime earlier, the rain didn't start until about five minutes afterFogelberg took the stage at 9 p.m. It never let up, driving a number of people to leave early, although a dedicated and soaked group stayed to the end of the 85-minute show.
They found themselves instantly transported to the 1970s, a time when pop-folk balladeers reigned supreme and soft-rock stations propagated freely. At the center of this time warp was Fogelberg, one of the most popularsinger/songwriter types of that era.
Though he doesn't sell nearly as well as he did back then, Fogelberg has hung on to his core fans who remain among the most dedicated in contemporary music. They were there to hear Fogelberg's hits such as "Leader of the Band"and "Run for the Roses," and they went away happy, if soaked. They also loved the other songs from his 25-year career, such as "Reach" and his current single, "Don't Lose Heart."
But for anyone who might have been new to Fogelberg, the show wasn't nearly as fulfilling. Too many of the songs were shallower than a kid's wading pool, chock full of sappy, oversentimental lyrics that wouldn't seem out of place on a Hallmark card. The love songs, for which he is best known, were especially trite. He sings about love and relationships with no trace of humor, irony or tension.
Fogelberg played solo, accompanying himself on both acoustic guitar and piano without the backing band sound that was part of most of his most popular songs. But he has done these solo tours periodically during the years and though he is a serviceable rocker, Fogelberg made his name and reputation with his ballads that don't need all the instrumental accompaniment.
Several of the melodies were catchy, and Fogelberg
delivered his songs with pleasant, lilting vocals. He
didn't display much humor or warmth on stage,limiting his
comments to a few quips about the weather. It didn't help
him escape from his oh-so-serious image.
Another Cleveland review:
I just returned from Cleveland to see Dan in concert at
the Nautica Stage. I have seen him many times before but
this was a real night of magic. The night was stormy with
rain and lightning and everyone was covered with ponchos
and umbrellas. Yet from the moment he appeared on stage,
his music captured us all. This was the best I ve ever
heard Dan sound and he seemed so relaxed and really into
it. He often made jokes about the rain or the sound of
the barges going by. His selection of music was wonderful
with many of the tunes from older albums and a couple of
new ones. His voice sounded great! I hope everyone gets a
chance to see him somewhere this tour. I wish I could
attend another. Does anyone who attended know what the
song was called that had the line "the hand that you
hold will make you grow old"? Was that the song Fire
and Ice several of you have referred to?
I have been a fan of Dan s for 18 years. He has been through every stage of my ups and downs and always seems to have a song that reaches right for my soul. His music is always with me. We played both Longer and Leader of the Band at my father s funeral. Whether hiking at the Grand Canyon or Mount Rainier, I carry with me all of those inspirational songs of the "Wild Places" Dan enjoys so much. I ve often felt that maybe he walked those same paths before. Those Spanish guitar strings reverberate in each crevasse. When at the beach, I can just hear echoes of The Reach over and over.
I just purchased the Portrait CD set and haven t stopped listening to it. Everyone wants to know if there is a Dan Fogelberg marathon going on! I enjoyed the biography that was included as well as all of the comments on the songs. I ve always wished I knew what Dan was thinking when he wrote a song. Although we have many of these songs on other CDs, it is nice to have what Dan thought was the very best recording of each all together. My favorite song is Mountains to the Sea. It is a haunting song which speaks of restless souls and the need to retreat to a special place. It seems that no matter how happy things are or how "heaven-held", others cannot always understand us. This song really speaks to the need to escape alone to a quiet place to think although no answers may be found.
Thanks to my love for Dan s music, I have even taken up learning to play the piano in my 30 s! My teacher thought I was crazy to buy Dan s Complete Song book since the music is so complex. But she doesn t know how much his music can mean to his fans. Someday I ll play them!
Thanks to LuAnn and Pete for creating a place where we can all share our admiration for Dan.
And to Dan, I don t know if you ever see these, but ...Thank you Dan for all of your music. You touch hearts in ways you ll never know. As with fine wine, you are getting better as time goes on. I ll continue to enjoy your recordings and your performances for as long as you share your wonderful love and inspiration with us.
Cindy Yates Pittsburgh, PA
WARWICK
I saw Dan on June 27 in Warwick, RI and I agree that this
was his best concert. He was animated and seemed very
happy to be surrounded by his fans, especially in this
very small and intimate venue. While his songs about love
gone wrong were wistful and there seemed to be a message
about wanting love back throughout the concert, his
repartee with the audience was upbeat. He talked about
Maine and even the boating in Newport.
The box set is definitely wonderful for any Dan fan. I love the way both the booklet and the CD's are arranged. No complaints from this fan!
Another Warwick review:
On Friday I attended Dan's concert in RI. Without getting
into specifics, the playlist was the same as the previous
concerts. The only problem I had with this was the venue
itself was dark, suffocating and very uncomfortable for
the audience. Last night, I was at the MA concert. If you
remove the mosquitoes, the New England night was
beautiful, and the venue is one of the nicest to view a
show. I had front row seats, and Dan was only six feet
away. He was chatty and interacted well with the
audience, and the songs he performed were sung from the
heart..with much emotion. It was wonderful.
Janice
Another Warwick review:
I think the thing I was impressed by was the diversity of
the crowd.
Seriously, there were young people (14-18 yrs. old),
aging baby-boomers and
elderly folks all sitting side by each enjoying the music
of one of the
most talented balladeers of the 70's to the
present. I was also impressed
by the numbers who turned out, as this area of New
England isn't
traditionally Fogelberg fan territory. It was good
to see that the fans
who ARE here turned out in such large numbers.
I've been a fan of this great musician since 1974 when
I heard him open up
for the Eagles at the old Boston Music Hall...A bunch of
my friends from
college all met in Lexington for dinner, then went to the
show. We arrived
late and walked in as he was playing "Morning
Sky"...We were all immediate
fans after the show.
Fogelberg has always been a favorite of my circle of
friends, and we've
enjoyed almost all styles of his musical wanderings, from
the ballads to
the heavier rock stuff, the bluegrass, and the
psuedo-jazz collaborations
with Tim Weisberg. He has aged well, his voice
sounds much richer and
deeper than it did on his early recordings.
I like to consider him as an entertainer for the
"thinking person", and I
was not disappointed by the show...The biggest surprises
were "To the
Morning", "Nexus" and "Beggar's
Game". The venue was small,
theater-in-the-round and a perfect place to see
Fogelberg.
Regards,
Dan G.
COHASSET
On Friday I attended Dan's concert in RI. Without
getting into specifics, the playlist was the same as the
previous concerts. The only problem I had with this
was the venue itself was dark, suffocating and very
uncomfortable for the audience.
Last night, I was at the MA concert. If you remove the mosquitoes, the New England night was beautiful, and the venue is one of the nicest to view a show. I had front row seats, and Dan was only six feet away. He was chatty and interacted well with the audience, and the songs he performed were sung from the heart..with much emotion. It was wonderful.
Until he strayed from the playlist and skipped over SIX songs. Two were piano tunes, the new single, Don't Lose Heart and Fire and Ice. The other four were guitar pieces...I Need You, Santa Fe, Todos Santos and Black Orpheus. Needless to say, I was so very disappointed.
Jan
(Editor's Note: A Cohasset city ordinance prevents
artists from performing past 10:30pm)
Another Cohasset review:
Thought I would get a bit more in depth wit a wonderful
night. On June 28th, about 800 of us were treated to an
intimante evening with Dan. The venue is so cozy there is
little difference no matter where you sit. Dan played the
"short" setlist this night. Though it was a
beautiful evening, the mosquitos were a bit of a hassle,
and Dan made mention of this on a few occasions. Still it
was wonderful seeing Dan for the first time. I had been a
Fogelberg fan since my mother caught him in 1974 with
Fools Gold. After that show Home Free (one of my favorite
albums of all time) and Souvenirs burned holes into the
record player. I recall the music giving me feelings I
had never felt before (I was five at the time) ,I now
understand. The anticipation level was amazing. The last
two attempts to see Dan had been unsuccessful. On River
of Souls I broke a leg the day of the show!!!!!!! And we
all now about the 96 tour. I got to the venue early and
mingled, though I did not find anyone as excited as I
was, though maybe they just were showing it differently.
I waited at the dressing room doors for Dan to come out
for over an hour. Finally he emerged, and waved to us,
and gave us a "how ya doin" Better than you'll
ever know, I thought, praying he would play it. I raced
to my seats as the first chords of "nexus"
chimed out. A wonderful pristine version to start the
evening. Dan had me close to tears with a wonderful
reading of "crow" and even better "last
nail." These were both a pleasant surprise, not
figuring them into the hypothetical set list in my head I
had been working since April. Speaking of setlists, it
was between these songs that people began yelling
requests, Dan was good humored about it, and said
"this is what we call a setlist, you probably know
Dancing shoes and Stars better than I do." Dan
continued on with "nature of the game" and then
into a hits section of 80-82 material a.k.a. innocent
age, and top ten era all played perfect. Dan rocketed me
further into heaven with what he called his Paleozoic and
beginning of time songs "Beggars Game" and then
going to the piano, "to the morning" As soon as
those first notes filtered the air, childhood and a few
tears overtook me. I never wanted it to end, but when it
did I gave Dan a from the bottom of my heart standing O.
Many of the others followed. Dan was very involved with
the crowd than what I was led to believe from previous
reviews. He introduced many songs as well as stories and
even his love life. "don't lose heart" was well
received since few who don't own the box set had heard
it. The most well received though hands down was
"the reach" Still not in my top 10 Dan songs,
this seems to be the a number uno for many, and don't get
me wrong the song is extremely well written and
powerfully executed, a high point of the show. Towards
the end Dan hooked us with a double shot of Souvenirs. To
my joy "morning sky' YOU BET DAN CAN STILL ROCK!!!!!
I let him know this at the end with a top of my lungs
"two thumbs up on that one Dan!!!!!!" Sorry to
be cheesy. He closed the set out with his first hit
"part of the plan" a few even got up and danced
(this was a very laid back crowd.) Dan did give us an
encore of "same old lang syne" Many in the
crowd kicked into high gear all of a sudden, which I
figured they would. It was during this time I exited to
the dressing area, Dan took his bows and walked past me.
"hey Dan great show" , yeah real original.
"thanks" he said. I felt like a friggin
Beatlemaniac, and I didn't care. After the show a few of
us waited to see if Dan would come out and say hi. The
owner of this homepage was there. Do you remember me?????
I'm the guy who asked you to get my stubs signed. You
told me Dan and his guys had not been very cooperative.
You did get in and talk to Dan , have things now
changed????? If you do remember me don't worry about not
getting me an autograph. After about an hour security
said "please go home Dan is long gone." After
hearing this I heard a guy with a walkie talkie ask
" if the limo was ready!!!!!!!!" Enough of this
I thought and began playing I Spy. Didn't play for long
though upon my first tour of duty, I spotted the just
talked about limo parked out back. Upon walking up to it,
I was greeted not so nicely by five venue staff. Knowing
I would be immediately tossed, fast on my feet I said
Dan's manager had sent me back here because I had
something for Dan. They of course called Dan's security
guy to confirm, but could not get a hold of him. Finally
after much hullabaloo Dan's road manager(?) came out (the
tall guy with the specs and mustache) He asked me what
was going on. I begged for a minute of his time and he
agreed. Away from the security I told him that the story
I gave to security was bogus, and proceeded to tell him
in my most calm and proper English about how long I had
been listening to Dan, my mothers two favorite friends
"souvenirs and home free", and the enormity of
what Dan's music has meant to me. He listened to my
speech asked me my age, and then told me to wait a
second. As security gave me an evil eye, he reemerged,
and motioned for me to follow him.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure enough inside was Dan
gathering up a few things, and preparing to leave. Dan
smiled and signed my ticket, and said "so you have
been a fan since you were born, huh?" "just
about I said , I'm really not a psycho" I said and
we all got a laugh. "Dan your music has been with me
through countless life crises, decisions, and loves. I
just want to say how much I admire your personal writing
style, it's great to know even though we may think it
only happens to us, everyone goes through lives up and
downs. I'm proud to tell my mother I actually met you,
though she probably won't believe me and if she does she
will kill me" We had another laugh he said good bye,
and I thanked his road manager up and down . No it's my
pleasure he said.( Imagine that!!) Night complete, and in
a big way, thank you Dan. Thank you very much!!!!!!!
Matt
Another Cohasset review: My sister and I have been
faithful fans of Dan for over 20 years. We've seen him in
concert in the 70's and again in 1985 in Boston. We were
very excited when we got first and second row seats at
his concert in Cohasset (approximately 50 miles south of
our homes). The trip down started off badly when her
8-year old got sick numerous times on the expressway (no
breakdown lane-no way to stop) in the back seat of her
brand new Mercedes! To our relief, she recovered quickly
upon our arrival at the hotel. That night we dined at a
very nice restaurant overlooking the ocean. I had a
delicious meal (tuna- no bones), but on that day, I had
developed quite a few painful blisters inside my mouth
from my five-week radiation therapy, so most of it was
reluctantly left on my plate. Despite my discomfort, my
mood picked up when we got back to the hotel to get ready
for the concert. With a new dress for the occasion (I was
so happy to be back to a size 6, thanks to the radiation)
and extra make-up for night time, I thought I looked
great, and Dan would surely look out over the audience
and instantly know I was his soul mate (as I have known
for all these years)! That dream was squelched when my
11-year old son came out on the deck and told my sister
and I that we looked "scary." Kids sure keep
you humble. After washing our faces we left for the
concert.
It was a beautiful night and the concert was an outdoor theater-in-the round. Dan looked great in a white shirt, jacket and jeans. He seemed very relaxed. He sounded wonderful and played the guitar and piano beautifully - just like his recordings minus his great harmonies. He talked about visiting the USS Constitution on that day, and said he wished he could see it sail in July. The audience all shouted for him to please come back. (I visited Marblehead on the day it sailed into harbor and it was a beautiful sight. I wonder if he was there!)
My sister and I both felt the same way about the concert - it wasn't our favorite. We loved watching him perform, but we were disappointed in the arrangement of the stage. It rotated slowly the whole time, and Dan had a very large speaker next to the piano, so between these two large objects, we could only see him half of the time. The fact that he sat during the concert didn't help. Hopefully, next time he comes to Massachusetts and wants a smaller venue, he will go the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly. I've seen many concerts there and every seat is a good one.
We also felt the concert was too short. I have since learned that he had to leave out many of his songs because of a town ordinance to close the show by 10:30PM. I would have loved to have heard some of the new songs he recorded for "Portrait," rather than older songs that I'm really tired of hearing, like "Run for the Roses," "Old Lang Syne," and "Leader of the Band." I know a lot of people enjoy these songs, but I feel he's done many songs that are much more meaningful and better written ("Cry in the Forest" and "Tucson, Arizonia," for example) than a song about meeting an old girlfriend in the grocery store. It's just my opinion and might not be shared by a lot of others. I have always found that his most popular and well publicized songs (like "Longer") have not been my favorites. Oh well, you can't please everyone I guess. I'm still thankful I got to see him in person and hope the next concert will be a better experience!
WALLINGFORD
The Hartford Courant
Copyright @ The Hartford Courant 1997
Monday, June 30, 1997
CONNECTICUT LIVING
FOGELBERG OFFERS SAD SONGS, UPBEAT SHOW
DONNA LARCEN; Courant Staff Writer
Dan Fogelberg treated his fans to a retrospective of his 25-year career Sunday at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford. And given that he has just released a four-disc look-back-at-his-career package called "Portrait," there was plenty of material for the two-hour set.
Looking as tall, dark and handsome as ever, Fogelberg performed solo, accompanying himself on piano and many guitars (albeit one at a time.) He launched the evening with "Nexus," which contains this key lyric "the heart is the instrument we learn to play."
The heart -- mostly his own broken one -- is the subject of most of Fogelberg's plaintive tunes. He is the original sensitive New Age guy, and boy is he fragile. Even when he's singing about love found, there is a sadness that creeps in. If you're in the least bit of a funk about life -- your's, somebody else's, your cat's -- this is not the man to hear unless you really want to seriously contemplate shuffling off this mortal coil.
But that's vintage Fogelberg, so you gets what you pay for. And this was an appreciative crowd. He doesn't appear particularly sad when he's making small talk. He's actually quite personable. Maybe there is a therapeutic quality to pouring out all that pain in the lyrics.
He sailed through many of his hits: "Hard To Say," with the classic relationship question, "Who's to navigate and who's to steer?" "Run for the Roses," about young horses getting ready "for the chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance," and "The Reach," about the joys and perils of sailing.
Fogelberg had his own sailing story to share about nearly losing the little finger of his left hand in a boating mishap, forcing him to take six months off. "So I'll just play here all night and you can stay or go," he said. "I'm just happy to be back."
He even threw in work by other artists. Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter" received a Fogelberg treatment with an apology for the chauvinistic nature of the lyrics, about the woman following behind and the like.
"Hey, I didn't write it," he warned. "If you have trouble you'll have to go dig up Tim Hardin." (Hardin died of a drug overdose in 1980.)
Fogelberg performed an especially lovely rendition of George Harrison's "I Need You" from the "Help" soundtrack. He had the guitar strung in what is called Nashville high stringing, which added a harp-like sound to the sad ballad. Fogelberg delivered, playing instrumentals, a couple of new tunes sprinkled in the retrospective album and his latest single, "Don't Lose Heart."
One really minor complaint: Ditch the kaleidoscope graphics. They look cheesy and are distracting.
Texas-based singer/guitarist Sarah Hickman opened for
Fogelberg and made a good impression with fine guitar
work, a strong voice and an eager-to-please stage
presence.
Another Wallingford review:
Hi Pete- Don't know if you're looking to post reviews
from Dan's shows, but I thought I would tell you about
the concert in Wallingford and let you be the judge.
Anyway, here goes: The song set was almost the same as
the one Mike posted. The song from "No
Resemblance" is Todos Santos. Dan did not play
Longer at our show, because he kept playing (at different
times) High Heeled Sneakers. It got to be a joke through
the night because he would start to play the intro to
another song and then start play HHS. He had everyone
laughing and trying to remember who originally recorded
this song. Someone who is going to an upcoming show may
want to look up that little piece of trivia, because it
may happen to you! And Dan doesn't know (or at least said
he didn't).
Dan mentioned his accident a few times. We were one of
the venues that he had to cancel last year, so he also
apologized every time he mentioned his mishap. It's
amazing how much it has affected him psychologically. He
talked about "not missing water til the well runs
dry", and how he realized how much he took for
granted. Then he made a joke about if he was not able to
play, he would be a captain of a boat in the Caribbean.
Although he was serious about what happened, he made lots
of jokes, and even made fun of himself when his jokes
weren't funny! And FYI, the pinkie doesn't look that bad,
although he was shaking that hand between songs towards
the end of the show. By the way, if you don't like the
song set, PLEASE don't go to the show. I had a couple
sitting next to me who obviously were not "old"
Dan fans, and didn't know a lot of early material.
Therefore, they ended up TALKING through the songs they
didn't know. And the guy behind me fell asleep and
started to snore until his wife poked him! Also, on the
way out, some people were complaining that he didn't play
"hits". I think it was one of the best shows I
have ever seen. If you want to hear some magnificent
guitar playing, hear some magical piano, and listen to a
voice that has matured splendidly with the years, you
will LOVE this show. To all of you that are going, have a
wonderful time!
Jackie
Another Wallingford Review
I guess not much will top the previous night in
Cohasset, but this show provided me with more good
memories. Trying to come up with something to do on a
lazy summer Sunday, my girlfriend who is not known for
her spur of the moment decisions blurts
out......"let's go see Dan!!!!!! After the initial
surprise, I grabbed the keys and said "let'
go!!!!!!" Whoops, almost forgot, Home free, Captured
Angel, box set, now we're ready. It was almost four, and
Wallingford was an easy two and a half hours away. As we
drove the excitement built as CROW played on the cd
player. We got to Wallingford at 7, but took another 30
minutes to find Oakdale, when wen did it reminded me of a
cross betwwen a 70's jai-alai place, and a barn. We had
no tickets, but were quickly met by a friendly scalper
who sold us 20th row seats for face value, not bad. We
missed the opening act, but heard she played wonderful.
After a quick intermission, the lights went down and I
was ready to be taken away AGAIN!!!!!! Dan came out to
thunderous cheers, one thing about Oakdale is it is about
triple the size of Cohasset, the balcony lost out on the
intimacy. Tonight we were treated to the long set list.
Dan immediately went into "Nexus" last night
was an end all version, tonights was better, go figure.
Since I already talked about a lot of the songs last
night (which were again magnificent, especially LAST
NAIL) I'll run down a couple he left out. The first treat
was a real surprise, Tim Hardins IF I WERE A CARPENTER.
This was a song I hadn't heard in a looooooong time. Dan
again did the p.c. commentary for our Connecticut
friends. Dan also did the late Mr. Hardins song justice
with a delicate reading. Another surprise followed a
Beatles cover, must be something off Sarge. Nope I NEED
YOU!!!!!!!! One of my favorite songs, from my favorite
Beatle, from my favorite Beatles album. Again, go
figure!!!!!! Dan restructured the song and made it his
own, slowing it down to "Dan style." There was
some interesting commentary by Dan as well. The cheers
for old songs were there Dan smiled and simply said
"no, no,no" He also apologized for last year as
he had to cancel because of the accident. With that he
offered to play all night, if you wanted to stay that was
your choice. Dan also filled up his tea cup!? About 6
times, compared to once last night, and didn,t even take
a bathroom break!!!!! Dan began the opening chords to a
couple of songs but kept slipping in to the closet
classic "High Heeled Sneakers." He even asked
the crowd to help him out as he couldn't remember who
sang it. I knew but of course my mind went blank and the
moment passed (Robert Higginbothom by the way), oh well.
One thing that put this show on par with last nights was
the no vocals acoustic songs that were lacking from last
nights show. "Santa Fe" as yet unreleased, and
"Todos Santos" gave me a chance to really see
just how great a guitar player Dan really is. The thumb
obviously healed well. Well Dan didn't play all night, I
didn't get to meet him again, and the idiot who was
running the lights on the vidscreen really should move to
Wisconsin, Dan played an inspired show that did nothing
but to remind me how lucky I am to have his music in my
life. I just saw Pete's fall tour date. Dan isn't coming
any where near Boston( I hope this changes asap) so for
you lucky folks in the south do yourself a favor see this
show, chances are you'll be damn glad you did.
Matt
Saw Dan at the Beacon last night in NYC. It was a phenomenal show, but the audience left much to be desired. Talk about rude behavior - it was like being at a baseball game with the constant flow of traffic in and out of the theater. No one could remain in their seats and the constant squeaking of the door and noise and light coming from the lobby was extremely distracting. I guess that's what happens when a venue serves alcohol and food throughout the show. It was especially rude to Dan, as well as to those of us who went there simply to enjoy the man and his music. I just don't understand why people pay money to see a show and spend most of their time going in and out of the lobby. They might as well have just put on his CD, bought a six pack and stayed home. But I guess that wouldn't give them a chance to irritate the rest of us.
So a word to ticket holders of his upcoming shows - if this is your plan, do everyone a favor and stay home.
All distractions aside, the man has talent oozing out of every pore, and we were highly satisfied with his wonderful concert. His rapport with the audience was great. Here's to 25 more years (and then some) of Dan and his music!
Another New York review:
Dan put on a great show last night at the Beacon Theater
in NYC. In addition to the songs on your list, Hard to
Say was one of the many songs he performed over the two
and a half hours he played. The song from No Resemblance
Whatsoever was Todos Santos. Also, I believe he said that
the song Fire and Ice was inspired by the book Soul Mate,
which he had recently read. Merchandise at the show
included: tee shirts, long sleeve tee shirts, hats, key
chains, magnets, and the new 4 CD box set - Portrait.
Everyone had a wonderful time including Dan who is very
happy to be performing again. This tour is a must see for
all fans.
Chris
SYRACUSE
Syracuse Herald-Journal
Copyright 1997
Tuesday, July 1, 1997
Lifestyle
FOGELBERG MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY
Mark Bialczak Staff Writer
Dan Fogelberg's new boxed set contains four discs. The sides are labeled "Hits," "Ballads," "Rock 'n' Roll" and "Tales & Travels."
You might call Fogelberg's career commemorated.
"I don't choose to use the word 'memorialized.' That sounds too much like an epitaph," he says good-naturedly during a recent phone conversation.
And boxed set aside, Fogelberg's not ready to hang up his guitar yet, not while celebrating the 25th anniversary of his career.
"It's just coincidental that the anniversary works out with the boxed set. It wasn't planned at all," Fogelberg says.
Epic put out the boxed set, he explains, partly at his persistence to get his music back to the state of clarity he hears when he plays it in his head. When his music was put on vinyl, he says, a lot of quality was lost because his records always ran long in length of music, pressing the standards of the album medium.
For the boxed set, everything was digitally remastered. Fogelberg's thrilled with the results. "We got the music sounding so good. It's really the best it ever sounded," Fogelberg says. "We got the level up, we got the clarity back. It sounds like it did in the studio the first time it was recorded."
To fans of his 1970's hits "Part of the Plan" and "The Power of Gold," and 1980's hits "Same Old Lang Syne," "Hard to Say," "Leader of the Band" and "The Language of Love," that's a good thing.
"People like these records, for one reason or another," Fogelberg says. "The music that I'm taking to the show, too, is for the fans.
"There are a certain amount of hits that you have to play. People pay money to hear these songs. But I also can play different stuff, stuff that I have fun with. I just do some things for the fun of it, things that would be cool in the show."
As in?
"Say, a Beatles song with a different treatment," he says, not wanting to give away too much.
To some, the thought of Fogelberg doing anything just for the fun of it just doesn't jibe with the image he portrays on stage - at least the last time he visited Syracuse and the Landmark Theater a couple of years back.
Fogelberg's taken aback by the notion that he's a very serious performer. "No, I don't consider myself that way, not in the least," he says. "If I seem serious onstage, it's because I'm working hard. I have to concentrate. With the solo shows, when you're working without a net, you ought to be focused. "So I don't crack jokes. I'm not that type of musician. I want to perform the best that I can for the people," Fogelberg says. His love for music comes from his father, who was a band leader, and his mother, who was into classical music. "We as kids were exposed to all types of music," Fogelberg recalls. "Jazz. Big band. Classical."
His grandfather gave him a Hawaiian slide guitar. "That didn't even make it to my college days," he says with a sigh. "I tried to play regular guitar on that thing. I didn't know. I got sore fingers right away. When I found out, I said, 'I've got to get another instrument."' Once he did, he was on his way to a music career known for striking ballads and pop-friendly rock.
"I would hope I'd be remembered for a sense of honesty," Fogelberg says. "A great melody is a great melody. People still love melody. For better or worse, I'm very autobiographical. I'm honest about my own life."
That translates into intense live performances. "I'm amazed when people call out things from 25 years ago. They know these things better than I do," Fogelberg says. "In a lot of ways, people who have been with my music 25 years almost are like my close friends." The details What: Dan Fogelberg in concert When: 8 p.m. Thursday Where: Landmark Theater, 362 S. Salina St., Syracuse Tickets: $40 and $32.50, available at Landmark box office, TicketMaster outlets, and by phone charge at 472-0700.
To hear Fogelberg: Call NewsLine at 472-2111. Once
connected, punch in 8864. The tune is "Part of the
Plan."
More Syracuse
The Post-Standard Syracuse, NY
Copyright 1997
Friday, July 4, 1997
Weekend
THIS TIME, FOGELBERG TACKLES CONCERT WITH ZEST
Mark Bialczak Staff Writer
The only guy ever to write a hit pop song with the word "exhumed" in it has pumped life back into his career.
No, Dan Fogelberg didn't exactly have to pull his performance back from the dead, but his show Thursday night at the Landmark Theater was so much better than the last time at the restored movie palace two summers ago that it's natural to make that comparison. For one thing, he played almost twice as long.
For another, he played with more than twice the energy.
Last time, Fogelberg concentrated on music to the extreme, coming off stiff.
On Thursday, instead, he traded one-liners with the crowd, chatted between songs and looked as if he was having fun.
"I love you, Dan," shouted a woman.
"Does that mean I have to buy you a house?" Fogelberg answered.
The rejuvenation couldn't have come at a better time for the singer-songwriter. The native of Illinois and favorite adopted son of Colorado and Maine is celebrating his 25th anniversary in the music business, with a brand-new, 62-song boxed set out on Epic Records.
But the milestone is only partly responsible for Fogelberg's change.
A year ago, the musician badly cut his left pinky in a fishing accident. He had to cancel his tour. He didn't know if he'd ever play again, he told the crowd. It made him realize what he had.
So he toured his career with gusto, jumping from 12-string guitar to six-string to piano, singing his heart out. Now that's something you expect with at-the-edge-of-sappy, sentiment-on-his-sleeve Fogelberg material.
But Thursday night, he also provided unexpected gems.
His 12-string work on opener "Nexus" absolutely danced.
His piano work on the old favorite "To the Morning" was jazzy and sophisticated.
"This is one of the oldest songs I've written and recorded," he said while introducing that one. "It actually dates back to the very dawn of time." Fogelberg also chose a couple of cool cover songs and gave them his special treatment.
Tim Harden's "If I Were a Carpenter" and George Harrison's "I Need You" were completely Fogelberg-ed, and with his voice in fine form, that was a good thing.
The latter piece was prettied up by his work on the Nashville high-strung guitar. And now that doesn't mean it's a nervous instrument. What it is, Fogelberg said, is a 12-string guitar with the six low strings taken off. The half-dozen strings that remain provided a ringing, distinctive tingle.
Fogelberg unveiled a couple of new songs, too, and "Fire and Ice," as-of-yet unrecorded, and "Don't Lose Heart," the new single from the boxed set, could fit nicely into the Americana, roots-oriented radio format that's rising these days.
Not to forget about his love for classical guitar, Fogelberg picked beautifully on an untitled instrumental that brought images of Andres Segovia to mind, and the Latin thrillers "Toro Santos" and "Manana Carnival."
Then he showed he's still passionate about his classic folk-rock, too, belting out old hits "Leader of the Band," "Run for the Roses," "Part of the Plan" and "Same Old Lang Syne" with newfound emotion and affection.
The details
What: Dan Fogelberg in concert.
Where: Landmark Theater, Syracuse.
When: Thursday night.
Crowd: 1,200.
Time of performance: 2 hours, 15 minutes.
ATLANTA
Dear Pete and fellow Danfans, This is Chris down in
Mobile dropping a line on the Atlanta show on 7/6/97. The
show was held at Chastain Park Ampitheatre not far from
the Bucjhead section of the city. My friend Todd and I
left his hometown early Sunday to get to the show early.
We arrived an hour early to make sure we would be the
first in. And yes we were on of the first into the show.
As for the show itself, Sarah Hickman opened with a half
hour set that included a song for her daughter, "The
Best OF Times." She closed with a song about having
sex om a train. She thanked everyone for coming out and
said she new everyone was here for Dan and didn't know
who she was. I have some of her early 90s stuff and it is
excellent. She made a few new fans after her set. Now for
Dan. My hand to God, the best show I have ever seen. This
was a show for the real fans. It wasn't just the greatest
hits and a few new numbers. This was a show that real
fans like Todd and myself could get into. Highlights for
me were "The Last Nail", "To The
Morning" and "Beggar's Game", which was
still just as intense as the album version. There was a
not a bad song all night. The song that stoodd out the
most was "Same Old Lang Syne." Dan had a new
arrangement for the choruses that made this piano tune a
classic. This version needs to be recorded either live or
in the studio. A few numbers that were done early on in
the tour were left off this set, but it didn't matter.
Dan played his heart out and put on one damn good show.
I'll be back next time as will my good friend Todd. And
since the show I've been hearing Dan on the radio again.
It's like 1982 all over again.
Christopher
Another Atlanta review:
I was fortunate to see him at Chastain Park in Atlanta on
July 6th. What a performance. I must say that at first,
when I heard it was solo acoustic, I was a little
disappointed. When he came out for his 20th anniversary
in the summer of 1992, he had the full band, and I
thought he would do the same for the big 2-5. Boy am I
glad he decided to make it solo. I have seen him about 10
times before in concert and never have I been more
pleased. I felt like I was in his back yard listening to
him perform. He explained that the reason for coming
alone was that his band was in jail, "and rightly
so", he quipped. He has always been personable in
the shows I've seen, but he truly exuded a sense of
graciousness like never before. He truly was appreciative
of all the fans who have come out to see him over the
years and bought the records. I was fortunate to receive
a copy of the new release at the concert as a gift from
my sister (thanks Hannah) which will always be memorable.
Atlanta in July is normally very hot. However, the
humidity was down but the crowd was hot. Chastain is a
great venue for Fogelberg. It seats about 7000 and it's
sort of a concert in the round. Dan looked rested and
tanned as he sat down to open with Nexus. (He had a
couple of days off before this show. He must have spent
it sailing) He apologized for cancelling last Fall due to
the accident. He hoped everybody got their money back. He
said if we didn't we could all come over for pizza at his
house. Wouldn't that be a blast? I'm really glad I had
the opportunity to see this concert. It probably will be
one of his last. I once heard that he would not tour past
the age of 50. I hope that's not true but I wouldn't be
surprised nor would I blame him. Several comments have
been made about him not hanging around to talk to the
fans. I say, he's earned that right. He can't be a friend
to everybody. Sure, I'd love to meet him sometime, but I
respect his privacy and would hope all of his fans would
do the same. Take care Dan and thanks alot for a great
show. Hope to see you next time. Ever on. Russell
MYRTLE BEACH
Dan appeared on July 7 at the Palace Theater in Myrtle
Beach, SC. A local singer-guitarist by the name of Janie
Trudell was the opening act. She has a beautiful strong
voice and all the songs that she played were her own. I
look forward to seeing her again . After a short
intermission, everybody was ready for Dan. He wore blue
jeans , t-shirt, blazer and sandals. The sound in the
auditorium was great. No cameras allowed though and I was
all prepared to try out the new Kodak 800 film. I was in
the 2nd row. I did meet some interesting people there ,
though. One couple met 5 years ago at a Fogelberg
concert. They are getting married this month and playing
all his music at their wedding. I'm pretty sure they said
that they will be at the Red Rocks concert for their
honeymoon. I waited outside with some die-hard fans, but
we did not even get a glimpse of Dan when he came out. He
made a quick get-away in the limo. Overall, It was a
great time . This was the 5th time I've seen him in
concert and if I had to rate it , it would have been my
second favorite show. I saw him at a college in the 70's
and that is the only time I've ever seen him look like he
was having as much fun as we were. As far as the music,
he never disappoints.
Megsky
VIENNA
I went to the concert last night at the Wolf Trap Farm
Park in Virginia. The concert itself was just as others
have described with the same line up of songs and similar
add libs. Dan did identify that he knew where he was when
he went into the 'write your congressman' line by saying
that we "should just go there, being so close and
all". There was one main omission due to the fact
that the complex has some sort of curfew or
something...there was no encore! He never played Auld
Lang Syne! I being a fan that loves Dan for songs other
that the 'hits' (not that they aren't great too) am just
glad to have heard The Morning in person and would be
more upset to have not heard that. Anyway many people
were voicing their disappointment as the lights came up
and the Park emptied out. Another aspect of the concert
that may of been particular to the Washington
Metropolitan area because I've not heard mention of it in
any other post was that Dan stopped the show at one point
early on and asked us to sing Happy Birthday to Joe
Walsh. He explained that a bunch of artists like Joni
Mitchell, Jackson Browne, as well as himself were filming
these 'tributes' to be used for a whole bunch of things
and would we mind being included? Who was he kidding!
This guy came out with a hand held camera and recorded us
and Dan singing happy birthday! The crowd went wild, Dan
was thrilled that we had cooperated so much and couldn't
stop thanking us. It was a unique moment for sure.
Another good moment was while Dan was singing If I Were a
Carpenter. The audience was quietly listen to the
strikingly beautiful version Dan was singing when after
he got to the line "Would you marry me
anyway...Would you have my baby?" a woman yells out
"YES!" . It was totally funny and even more
totally perfect. As a woman who adores the sensitivity
shown in Dan's music I too have thought he would be a
great candidate for marriage. Anyway, hearing that song
as well as the version of Crow where he adds "I
didn't do it" into the chorus after "like I was
running from a crime" I am wondering, asking,
begging Dan, Epic, Sony, Whoever! to please record the
concert for a CD release. Capturing acoustical recordings
of such classic Fogelberg songs and others sung with
Dan's inflections would be very popular in my opinion. I
know I would buy it!!! Speaking of merchandise to buy,
even if you aren't interested in buying anything, those
of you who have bought the compilation CD might be
interested in picking up one of these flyer things that
they give away at the souvenir stand. The flyer has a few
pictures and descriptions of course but what I found the
most worthy (especially since it's free) is that it has a
list of songs on each of the four CDs. You all might not
think that's such a good thing but I found that when I
was listening to them or if I wanted to hear a particular
song but didn't know which CD it was on it was not the
easiest thing in the world to see which song was where. I
took the flyer home and plan to cut and fold the part
with the song list so that I can put it in the
"album" to use as a reference in the future.
It's just an idea that I thought of to make it easier for
myself but I thought maybe some of you would appreciate
the knowledge that the flyer is there for the taking. I'm
also going to cut out some of the pictures and seal them
to sheets of adhesive magnet material that you can get at
craft stores to make magnets for my refrigerator. They
were selling a magnet there, but once again, the flyer is
free...what can I say. Anyway, I loved the show and hope
any and all of you who are planning to go have a just as
good if not better (if that's even possible) time as I
did.
Janice
Another Vienna Review:
After traveling to Vienna, Virginia from Knoxville, Tennessee ( a total round trip of 1150 miles and 16 hours on the road), witnessing Dan Fogelberg for two straight hours on stage performing his legendary solo performance was well worth the travel time.
Using a thumbpick, he opened with NEXUS on 12-string with his usual hypnotising way. After Nexus, the crowd went silent and I saw my opportunity to loosen things up a little. From the third row center, I yelled "How's your finger!!!???". As he held his pinky finger up, he replied "It's fine, thank you for asking."
After a beautiful rendition of CROW on the 6-string, Dan then played HARD TO SAY using his patented style of finger-clapping harmonics to create a bell like sound which makes the song so unique. Following this, he finger-picked his way thru SOUVENIRS and THE LAST NAIL.
Now he retreats to the grand piano to play TO THE MORNING. After completing the song, Dan instructed his assistant, who he introduced as "McDonald", to turn off his fan. (It was an extremely humid night). After about a two minute introduction of talking and playing, he magically flowed into THE BEGGAR'S GAME. He rose from the padded piano seat drenched with sweat, removed his sport coat and commented to the crowd, "Boy, that was a mistake turning off the fan!"
Wiping his face with a towel, he armed himself with his 6-string guitar and played MAKE LOVE STAY and followed with a blues song named NATURE OF THE GAME which had the crowd clapping with the beat of the song. After apologizing to the women in the crowd, he stated he was not a chauvenist and didn't write the song but enjoyed playing it, he performed IF I WERE A CARPENTER (by Tim Harden). Then came I NEED YOU by George Harrison, played on a Nashville high-strung guitar which Dan explained to the audience was the 6 high strings of a 12 string guitar.
Reaching the halfway point of the concert, Dan asked the audience if anyone enjoyed sailing. Stating he loved sailing as long as his finger didn't get in the way, he began playing THE REACH in a way only Dan Fogelberg can, by playing rhythm and lead at the same time. If you had closed your eyes, you would have sworn there were two people playing the song.
Back at he piano, he played a unreleased number entitled FIRE AND ICE fol lowed by DON'T LOSE HEART from his new PORTRAIT CD.
Returning to his wooden chair Dan was again assisted by McDonald. Dan comically advised the crowd that McDonald's fathers name was "OLD" and he did have a "FARM". The crowd in turn replied, "EE II EE II OO" with an occassional "OINK OINK" here and there. He then had McDonald video the crowd singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to JOE WALSH who is turning 50 in October.
We have now reached the instrumental part of the concert. He played SANT A FE followed by TODOS SANTOS from his NO RESEMBLENCE WHATSOEVER CD leaving no doubt in the minds of the crowd the true talent of Dan Fogelberg.
Now he returns to the grand piano for an enthusiastic rendition RUN FOR THE ROSES. The response from the crowd was estatic. Leaving his grand piano for the last time of the night, he positioned himself back on concert worn wooden chair. He took the 6-string and violently tore into the song MORNING SKY from his 1974 SOUVENIRS CD which, by the way, was produced by the future birthday boy, JOE WALSH.
Switching guitars, he played his tribute to his father LEADER OF THE BAND which received a standing ovation. After completion of the song, his faithful companion McDonald handed him a 12-string guitar and he began an unforgettable introduction into PART OF THE PLAN which was the finale of the concert. Exhausted, he stood and bid the crowd GOODNIGHT.
NO ENCORE. WHAT HAPPENED? Was Dan sick? He played PART OF THE PLAN with extreme power and enthusiasm. What happened to make him not come back for an encore? SAME OLD LANG SYNE is his all-time hit. Upon arrival back in Knoxville, I telephoned Wolf Trap and asked if there was a noise statute or 11:00 p.m. curfew. They advised no on both counts. So hopefully Dan was OK, just worn out or Wolf Trap officials were reluctant to reveal the true reason. The concert did end at exactly 11:00 p.m.
Anyway, for all the people I heard complaining of Dan not giving an encore, all I have to say is HE DIDN'T HAVE TO!!! We were able to witness vintage FOGELBERG for two straight hours. IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT! Best road trip we have ever taken.
Brad and Gail Boring
Knoxville, Tennessee
(Editor's Note: A city ordinance prevents
artists from performing past 11:00pm)
MELBOURNE
I drove an hour and a half to Melbourne, listening to
Dan's new CD's all the way. With every mile, I was more
excited.
The Kings Center is small, which is good, however, I was in the 5th row, and the sound was not good.
I thought the show was just ok, as compared to the other shows he's done, with the most recent good show being River of Souls at Sunrise.
He looked very tired, and didn't seem to be "into" it. I'm sure "the traveling is hell".
He even made a comment that he would remember Melbourne by the 'exit' signs.
PS-Those spirograph screen lights just have to go Dan.
All in all, though, he is still Dan with an incredible
voice. I love you forever and thank you for all your
wonderful lyrics. Diane
Another Melbourne Review:
This small seaside city, just east of Orlando and south of Kennedy Space Center, was treated to to a rich performance of music old and new, by Dan Fogelberg. The Thursday evening crowd of roughly 2000 gathered at the Maxwell C. King Center to hear the legendary artisan perform his songs of the heart in a pleasing and intimate acoustic program, coinciding with the release of "Portrait", a 4-CD boxed set which seems to celebrate Fogelberg's 25 years of performing. Now, you can read any of the other reviews at this site if you're interested in the exact titles he played. This tour is structured pretty much the same way in most of the destination cities. My angle is slightly different, one that speaks to Fogelberg's appeal. My older sister was my date. I invited her to come, as it was she who had an influence on my liking this kind of music. While she was waiting in the ladies room line, a somewhat spacey, flowerchild-like chick, enrobed in an outdated flowery evening gown, meandered through the line asking people what their favorite Fogelberg song was. One woman answered "Longer" to which the girl winced. Another person exclaimed "Illinois" and the space cadet countered, "Okay, we're getting better now." She asked my sister, who responded "Leader of the Band" (as it always reminds us of our deceased father) and the girl shrieked "Oh no, no, no." "I've been following him for nearly ten years" said the 30-something hippie chick, "how about you?" "Twenty" said my sister. "Whoa! man." said the ditz as she stepped back against the tile wall. Chalk it up as one of those how-to-spot-a-true-fan tests, I guess. It was obvious that a widespread mix of people attended the show. The majority of the audience was caucasian, and without making any racist presumptions, this was likely indicative of the genre of the music: sensitive acoustic artistry that you just won't find on your average hip-hop radio station. Ages ranged from teens to seniors. I'm serious. Kids with training bras and acne sat peacefully next to silver-haired retirees with adult undergarments. It was a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, there was a couple seated next to us who weren't exactly die-hard Fogelberg fans, so when he opened with the soft and brilliant "Nexus" my sister and I were distracted with grumbles from these arrogant theatregoers. Fortunately, they left during the second song, and we were able to scoot two seats closer to center stage. To be honest, I hardly recognized Dan Fogelberg with his haircut the shortest I've ever seen it and the obvious toll of time (although he's aged rather well) on his complexion. He even joked that he has no silver in his hair yet, but doesn't quite understand why. He told of his sailing accident and the injury to his finger which caused him to cancel this tour, originally scheduled for the fall of last year. Someone in the auditorium piped "Yeah, you cancelled out on us last time!" Dan replied "Well, I'm really sorry about that. To make up for it, you're all invited back to my place after the show... we'll do pizza...." He indicated how pleased he was with a full recovery, having been concerned that he may not be able to play again. In gratitude, Fogelberg said, "I hope you're not in any hurry... I might just play all night." to which the audience responded with a roar. The show was about 2 hours of enchanting vocals, excellent guitar and piano playing, humor, wisdom and chills-down-the-spine balladeering, accented with a pleasant, yet borderline-cheesy laser and projection light treatment. Overall, a very enjoyable evening. If yours is on the list of upcoming cities, I highly recommend seeing Dan Fogelberg. You won't be disappointed. On a more negative note, if you ever have the opportunity to attend a show at the King Center, try like hell to get lower level seats, about midway back. This is supposed to be the "sweet spot" for sound. It is a very shallow theater, with not much land-distance from stage to last row, but incredible height in the seat slope. I got my tickets late, so unfortunately, we were seated considerably back in the grand tier (the nosebleed section). Strike 1: It was a great idea for them to install two very large projection TVs for those on the upper tier. This could even enhance the experience for some. Unfortunately, whoever was operating the cameras had an apparent palsy or tremor, plus a desire to constantly zoom in and out, ad nauseum. I mean, c'mon.... Fogelberg was seated nice and still most of the time. There was no need to go crazy with the amateur camerawork. Strike 2: It seems nobody practices theater etiquette any more. After each song, a handful of people would exit out one of the twenty-odd doors to hit the restrooms. This wouldn't be so bad if the lobby and mezzanine were more dimly lit. But when the doors opened, it was as if the sun itself burst into the auditorium to disrupt the enjoyment of the show. Dim the lights and hold your urine. Please. Strike 3: This if Florida. This is summer in Florida. Anybody ever hear of air conditioning? My limited knowledge of physics tells me that heat rises, and those of us in the high-altitude section were quite uncomfortable, dripping beads of sweat (that could be mistaken for tears at a Fogelberg concert). I remarked to one of the ushers, who said "yea hon, when we get a full house like this, it gets pretty hot up here." I don't care. They have the technology. They have the budget. Fix the damned climate control! Of course, this is no reflection on a wonderful performance by Fogelberg. K.G. Miller
SUNRISE
All right, after much prodding I will add a short review.
As some of you know, I attended the Cohasset, MA show as
well so it has allowed me to do a comparison. By
coincidence, both shows skipped over the same half dozen
songs. The Cohasset show was due to a city ordinance, but
I can only assume, fatigue was the cause at the Sunrise
show. This was the last stop of leg one and Dan was ready
for a break.
I had decent 3rd row seats and enjoyed the show. (FYI, Ticket Bastard just like everyone else) The opening act was by a woman named Magda. She opened the Clearwater show as well. Not my style, but talented nonetheless. The acoustics at this theater are outstanding and even though the Cohasset show had a more romantic setting it could not compare acoustically. It was easy to pick out each word he sang. Dan was talkative and good humored. He did get annoyed when someone made a wise-crack regarding Tim Hardin's unfortunate early demise in the 60's though, but who could blame him.
I had the good fortune to meet with Dan after the Cohasset show, so instead for this show, I enjoyed meeting some of the fellow fans that read the page. One came all the way from Ecuador and they confiscated his video camera! Another, upon meeting my wife, found that they already knew one another. Small world. Unfortunately, after only a few minutes the Insecurity guards herded us out of the auditorium. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
See ya, Pete B.
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This page was last updated Tuesday, March 21, 2000
