Robben Ford Discussion

gmack · New Member Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 3

anybody going? anybody know where one can find past setlists?

thanks
gmack

dodgeboy · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 5:17 pm Post subject: SETLISTS

Check out thread "Yoshi's It Don't Make Sense.

fingerlakes · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:25 pm Post subject:

Sunday night in Rochester :

Over My Head
Nothing to Nobody
Indianola
Moonchild Blues
Keep on Running
Homework
It Don't Make Sense
Cannonball Shuffle
Lovin Cup
Help The Poor
Badge
Chevrolet.......encore

BlueRunner · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 5:29 pm Post subject:

Sure wish I could be there. It's like happening right now (EST), so it's too late to catch a plane. Looking forward to some stories tomorrow, including info about the Campbell Brothers ("African-American Holiness-Pentecostal repertoire with a new twist: the growling, wailing, shouting, singing and swinging voice of the steel guitar, played as you have never heard it played before" according to the web site for BB King's.)
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- BlueRunner

professor · Member Joined: 18 Jul 2003 Posts: 19 Location: Trenton, NJ

I saw it. Great playing as usual by Robben. I have to say, though, that I much prefer when he has a B3 or keyboard player. Don't get me wrong, Bob Mallach is great on sax, but it's just not the same when Robben has to "fill" all the open space... it's almost as if he feels he has to overplay to beef things up, and that affects what he does when soloing, as well. I also noticed him switching delay settings with what appeared to be greater frequency than usual, perhaps to "fill out" the sound...

Nonetheless, great show, appreciative audience (although just a bit different from the old Bottom Line crowd,) overpriced food and drinks... what's not to like...? Laughing

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Regards, Dave Orban

Flavum · Member Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Posts: 32

I wish I could have been there, but work obligations keep me from attending.

Professor - I would have liked to meet you. I've always admired the particular "slant" of your posts on another Forum. Wink

I saw the Larry Carlton/Steve Lukater show at BB King's a while back, and it's a nice, albeit somewhat large, club. A bit on the LOUD side, depending on your seat.

gmack · New Member Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 3

right on right on
thought it was a great show~ Man has some serious skills

couple I knew names of: homework
help the poor
chevrolet encore
with a Cream ( ?) cover to close

I kinda dug that robben had to 'fill in' more sans B3. there is NOTHING I dont like about his playing. got a real cool stage presence too, not to mention not many folks can wear a yellow zoot suit with a T shirt and pulll it off like Robben did.

as for the club~ 3rd time there and really starting to NOT like it. big rectangular room with the stage in the middle , not on an end. "cabaret style" seating which is fine if your "entire party" is available to be seated at the same time. wreaks havoc when some folks have other commitments and cant get to the place early. found my burger edible so the $10 minimum was not an issue. another oddity is that they have screens on both sides of the stage for CCTV, except the camera is seeimingly in the back of the room and they NEVER zoom in- so basically you watch a big screen view from the crappiest seat in the joint. strange. then there are the lights, or lack of. straight SAME computerized lights for EVERY show. they lights move on their own with no ryhme or reason. robben would stroll out soloing but the lights wouldnt follow him. petty issue but an observation nonetheless. place appeared real real close to a sellout. all the seats were filled. no small feat. It was definitely plenty loud but a clean loud

one of the cool things I learned from lurking around here that Robben is not above a lil meet & greet post show. stuck around for maybe 10 minutes after the show and sure enough there he was on the side of the stage , shaking hands , signing stuff, chatting. He's got a real thing about flashbulbs so if you ever want to get a picture with him you've been warned. It was my friends birthday and Robben couldnt have been nicer to her. Solid citizen was my take. told him that I got on board after watching him play with Phil Lesh. he kinda cocked his head and raised his brow and said " Really??!!" guess he was soo used to being ravaged by uptight deadheads he didnt think anyone was really listening. I was.

campbell bros. were pretty cool. think robert randolph and you got the picture. music with a message- lotta train metaphors~ it was either coming or going or somebody just missed it or you better get on board- like I said- music with a message.

all in all~ great night. I will see him each and everytime he comes to my neck of the woods

professor · Member Joined: 18 Jul 2003 Posts: 19 Location: Trenton, NJ

I should add a "thank you" to Charles, Lou, John, Jonathan, and Paul (and Judy and Chase...), with whom I shared a table and more than a couple of yuks! Thanks, guys... made a fun evening even more so!

P.S. Hi back at ya, Flav...! Laughing

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Regards, Dave Orban

mudboneblue · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 4:35 pm Post subject: Robben @ BB King's

I was at the show as well, I have seen Robben dozens of times all over the country. My first time at BB's though, and I was not impressed with the PA sound at all. The soundman could use some lessons in what constitutes "good sound". The vocal quality was terrible! Muddy and rolled off of mid and high frequencies. Sax was alittle loud! Robben needed to play louder for sure. You just couldn't "feel' the sound. Robben Ford is my idol and BB's sound system/soundman just didn't do him justice. I do agree that keyboards would have went a long way in the "fill" department but hey, I appreciate the variety of instruments and musicians Robben has hired over the years. Robben did pull off some of his best solo's that I have ever heard. Outstanding! As for BB Kings, the food isn't very good, small potions, outrageous prices!! The $10 minimum per person per set costs more than the tickets. we were jammed packed into tables that were difficult to manuever out of. Boy am I sad the Bottom Line closed shop. The memories...

bigdoins · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 5:10 pm Post subject: Great Show!!!!

Another great show for the master,I must say BB kings was rockin....

First,Robben's tone was KILLER! The best i've heard in that room. To compare to the Bottom Line show in July...I must say they were different,strangest thing i though (as well as others) that RF's tele was ready to retire and his Baker was ace's/////last night the tele came back to life in an even bigger sense...

the tone was off the charts...the Willie Dixon number was killer and RF's playing was out of this world...only fretted out one note late,late in the show on a low "f" ...not bad! and that was after some real aggressive playing....Robben was hitting the guitar like he was Pete Townsend.

Indianola,was also killer Robben was loose like a Kieth Richards thing,but in a different way...those who were there know what im speaking of....the Dumble amp sounded like a the room was made of marble...just ring out..WOW!

Robben is one cool dude and hits all the right notes ..its amazing...i have to mention the yellow zoot suit....can you say shake down street!

lastly, the venue....iwas not thrilled with that,and take my word for it...everyone always says Robben should play bigger places ...i though BB's was to large...the bottom line nyc is much better venue...robben is a player who mainly plays for musicians and the friend and families...GUITAR GOD THING! so small is cooler!

Special Note: Campbell bros. made you want to get up and pray to GOD! it was fun...the only thing they were missing was the collection baskets for the mass! night to remember just the same......out

ps. I liked the change to the sax from the b3...RF did chord fills and breaks that made your ear twist...i love that!

LongIslandRod · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 5:25 pm Post subject:

I've seen Robben over a dozen times and last night he was at his best. He keeps getting better. When I was at his clinic in Ojai last August he said he dosen't practice anymore. I kept thinking that last night and laughing to myself as I listened him just tear it up. All I can say is, I wish I could get that good and not practice. Dewayne, Hillary and Bob were equally impressive, the dynamics, groove and lock tight endings were top-notch!

I liked the club and liked the different line-up, less the B3.

From where I was sitting it sounded fine. Sound was better than the Bottom Line - IMHO.

The new material is great live. The set list was similar to previous posts.

Dave it was a pleasure meeting you last night.

Peace,

Rod

bigdoins · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 5:27 pm Post subject:

mudboneblue,.i hear ya...the room sucked! i didnt blame the sound guy...but i told a friend this morning the guitar rang through the PA ...so i understand where your comming from...

I was far left of the stage drinking $10 beers in the dinner section...i moved around a few times...and the sound changed in every part of the room...I love the small houses..Bottom LIne was the place...

did the tele sound much better to you then in past shows?
I agree the soloing was ..........what it was GREAT! do you know where i can get a yellow zoot suit in a 50 long .... Shocked

LOL.....

bigdoins · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 5:45 pm Post subject:

LongIslandRod,
Robben's funny like that ....at the may clinnic he said he only knew 30 cords and it takes him alittle while to "get out of the box"

yeah right! very understated....robben is a jazz cat that ripps the blues with a hell of alot to altered cords and never hits a bad note..thats why we love him....i agree the b3 for the sax was a cool twist...the sound only ok the room sucked the flat panels on the sides of the stage were silly ..i didnt get it were we in yankee stadium and the picture was real bad...if you couldnt see from the bar ....you didnt belong.. Cool

mudboneblue · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 5:58 pm Post subject: BB Kings

Bigdoins, Sorry to blame the soundman but I'm a bit spoiled. Wish I could have had a shot at fine tuning the mix. The room very well may have presented problems. I have tickets to several other shows at BB's in the near future so I'll have some comparison. From experience, I also prefer the small venues. Can you believe that NYU wanted to increase the Bottom lines rent $11,000 per month to $28,000 per month. What a shame. And YES, in my opinion, the Telecaster/Dumble tone last night was AWESOME and made minced meat of the Baker. It was night and day and we had many opportunities to hear the guitar switch back to back though out the set. That is just my preference and realize the reasons for using different guitars and pick-ups for different songs. I can't wait for Robben to return to NYC!!

elizabeth · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 6:23 pm Post subject: East Coast

Awww, great reports...sounds like some of us should have grabbed a cheap flight to NY. We could have gone shopping for hats in the Village AND seen Robben! Next time. (I say that a lot these days!)

Isn't that suit just tooooooo wonderful? LOVE IT! Kind of a cross between liquid sunshine and crayon yellow, no? And with my favorite two-tone shoes...magnifique!

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