Bruce and Sonny

Also this came from Bruce, which should help with any setlist takers:

Hey Si- the new songs we’re playing (we’re playing lots of new songs) are, generally, “Where No One’s Mad”, “Might As Well Be Me”(written with Hunter), “Adonis”, “Where’s The Bat”,”Neighborhood Watch”and of course, “Psychotropics”. Several of these songs are from the upcoming Solo Concerts record. We’re also playing “Lost in the Snow”, “Paperboy”, “Preacher 1″,”King”,”Talk”, “Circus on the Moon”, and “Nobody There But Me” as a tribute to our great friend, the late, great Charlie Haden. Also, Pat and I are playing the new song “M.I.A.M.I.” to start the concerts, because he’s a really big fan of the song.

This is my setlist that I sent Si. Bruce played with Sonny the entire set except for the first tune. He was on WashBoard for Valley Road and drums the rest of set. Bruce on Piano for everything after Valley Road.
Harsh Mistress was just Pat and Bruce and Wayitis was whole band both drummers.
Bruce seems to really continue to want to test/play the SCBSTRD stuff, even though the audience was bored with that, to which Bruce said “I’m going to play what I like and have evolved. Alot of others sound the way they did in their 20’s still and I don’t really care what people think they don’t have to come see me.” The only request he played was Loser.

Yes…Sonny washboard on VlyRd. and the rest Drums.

So has anybody gone to these Bruce and Sonny shows opening for Pat Metheny. They played about 8 so far. I was wondering what people thought of it as I’ve read bad reviews but mostly from people who evidently don’t know who Bruce is past his Range stuff.
For example some douche taper from DIME said about being asked if he taped the Bruce set.

In comment [HASHTAG]#6536455[/HASHTAG] Scooter123 wrote:
I normally don’t respond, but since two people asked–
I was very disappointed in Bruce Hornsby. I remembered him with “The Range” and for a short time with the Dead, and recalled a fluid, rolling pop-rock sound, with melodic songs and interesting lyrics. Well, that isn’t the guy that showed up at the Greek.
Hornsby was a solo or at the most a two piece act, playing a dis-jointed, staccato type of keyboard jazz, with a counter-balance of equally dis-jointed back-beat vocal style that was frankly irritating, and I don’t irritate very easily. I was surfing the net trying to figure out if there were perhaps two guys named Bruce Hornsby, one the guy I remembered and this other really irritating jazz guy. Nope–same guy.
People were walking out of his show in droves. I turned off the recorder, as I did not want to listen to the performance a second time when I re-mastered the show.
I have broad musical tastes and can (and have) put up with many a disappointing act at the Greek, but the Bruce Hornsby show is not one which will thankfully see the light of day again.
Hope I have not offended any serious Bruce Hornsby fans.

This taper is in the wrong business if he doesn’t know good music…I went through his profile and he tapes stuff like Wilson Phillips and thinks that they rock but for some reason couldn’t get our pal Bruce. If you go to DIME looking for Hornsby recordings this douche’s recording of Metheny pops up and thats where I found this wonderful review and figured I’d share this lost soul’s point of view on the music we here love.

I was very Underwhelmed (though he did play my request for Loser though I had to Push him a bit). I look at the activity on this site and wonder what his impact is now and in the future. He is on tour and no one has posted any setlists or reviews. He seemed to be more playful and out of the box up until he has been so committed to SCBSTRD the last 6 years. I don’t know what to say, but a guy who has seen bruce since 1988 over 45 times as Solo/Band and 30 times with the Dead, I am not that excited to see him or go out of my way to see him anymore, and this kind of saddens me.

My wife and I attended the show in Milwaukee last night. I’ve been to about fifteen shows over the years and have been fortunate enough to meet and speak with the ever-gracious Bruce on a number of occasions. Many moons ago I had an active presence on this site (thanks to Si) where I reported setlists and did a fair amount of trading of tapes (yes, it was that long ago).

I have not been to a Bruce show in several years and I gotta say DANG! I was very impressed last night. Bruce’s two-handed independence just gets better and better. I’ve played piano since the age of five, and I play Bruce’s stuff, but I just don’t know how he does it! Kudos Bruce. You continue to get better my friend.

My second impression was just how fantastic the sound quality was last night. I’ve seen Bruce and the band from the front-row center of the same theater. Last night we were in the second-row center of the balcony. The piano, voice, and drum sound were simply spectacular.

A last general impression was just how wonderfully well Bruce and Sonny play together. The play off each other and they compliment each other beautifully. I’ve heard a LOT of live music over the years. I don’t think I’ve ever heard two musicians play so tightly together. The set was far too short. I could easily have enjoyed a full concert by the two of them. I hope you will NOT let the fact that this is “only” a duo keep you from going to see this show.

I did not take notes last night like I used to back in the day when I was somewhat obsessive about reporting setlists. The following tunes were played as far as I remember this morning. Admittedly, that memory is somewhat clouded by my consumption of a fine distilled malt beverage last night. So, I would gladly appreciate any corrections, additions, or deletions to this list:

M.I.A.M.I. (perhaps preceded by another solo tune, perhaps played later in the set)
Valley Road (with Metheny on acoustic and Sonny on washboard and I think Sonny played drums on all of the following)
Life In The Psychotropics
Preacher In The Ring Part I/Variation II(Twebern)/Catenaires (Carter) Excerpt
Might As Well Be Me (“for the deadheads”)
Where’s The Bat
Mandolin Rain (mellow re-work version)
Nobody There But Me (tribute to the late great Charlie Haden)

As always, thanks to the tapers. And if one of you happened to have caught the show last night, well…..