Saturday, December 21, 2013

Just a few quick updates...

The 2013 tour has come to an end with two shows at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, TX, and a show in Lafayette, LA at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.  As you may have noticed, trumpeter Quentin Ware has left the band to pursue other interests, and has been replaced by Tyler Mire.  At Gruene Hall, Elio let us know that he is returning to Nashville to devote his time to his own band, Elio and The Hank Sinatra Band (Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elio-and-the-Hank-Sinatra-band/112609035422394)  Best wishes to Quentin, Elio, and Tyler, and thanks for the music!

New dates are being added frequently and you can keep up with the additions at http://swagnet.tripod.com/shows.html, the band's official website www.themavericksband.com, www.pollstar.com

For the insatiable fan, and there are a few, a new studio album is in the works for 2014.

Facebook group Mavericks Fans Unite is over 811 members and growing every day.  Check it out if you haven't already.

And next up:  New Years Eve in Nashville with the Mavericks - putting the cork in 2013 with a bang, I tell ya.

So stay tuned, the circus continues through 2014!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Raul Malo and Michael Guerra on the road at New Hope Winery 12 08 13

Wait, what is a Raul Malo solo tour post doing in the Mavericks reunion tour blog?  It's like Raul says, he and Michael sing it in Spanish because they can!  So I'm the blog author and I can.  But it's not off topic at all. Two talented Mavericks, the bandleader and the outstanding accordionist and guitarist and, now we can see/hear, vocalist.  So that's why.



It was a snowy and icy night on the hilly roads of Bucks County, but 90% of the sold-out crowd made it to the show.  Now that's dedication.

Sometimes a second night at a venue can be a pale imitation of the first night.  I witnessed the second, which was rollicking, and by all accounts, equal to the first, with slightly differing setlists.

Here's what was played last night, in order, something that I used to do well back in the MML/RTML days :)   21 songs, each a beauty

Silent Night
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Santa Claus Is Back In Town
Welcome To My World
Lucky One
Games Lovers Play
Loving You
For You
Hot Burrito #1 
Me Voy Pa'l Pueblo
Every Little Thing
I Said I Love You
[acoustic solo] Dream River
[acoustic solo] The Wonder Of You
[acoustic solo] Moon River (by request from the audience)
Marshmallow World
Never On Sunday, erupts in laughter, segues into Tico Tico
Polkas? Not an expert, but definitely Beer Barrel Polka was in there
Feliz Navidad
Come Unto Me (was to have been the finale, but then)
Around The World

All of the Dec. 8 videos, every last one of them, are up on Youtube.  Enjoy! So now you know how I remembered the setlist.

Additional reviews, photos, videos are at Facebook group Mavericks Fans Unite - join up now and push the membership over 1,000

Afterwards, Raul and Michael visited with the crowd for quite a generous time, and signed CDs and posed for photos.  It's always a great part of the shows to talk with these talented and did I mention generous artists.

We learned that the Mavericks will do a new studio album, and we learned that Michael is getting a wireless mic and wireless setup for his accordions so that he can wander down in front of the Mavs when he soloes. Well-deserved! 

Really glad that I took a day off after this one, whew.  Hope you see the Mavs out on the road for the best party show around.

Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  Happy Birthday!  Cheers! 

Oh yeah, look for The Mavericks, In Time, fantastic 90 minute show airing now on your local PBS stations.  Not to be missed if you can help it.  DVDs were available for a pledge to the stations, a worthy cause (because anyone that airs 90 minutes of the Mavericks is a cause that I can support, eh)



This should link to all 21 videos: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL1kHLvUAxcsY1Yz-RddQ1pqeP0hLOP_J_" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Allentown Symphony Hall, 24 Nov 2013

Allentown was the last tour stop before a 4 week break for Thanksgiving and some down time with families.  I knew from fan reports from the dates leading up to this one that it would be especially good, with new songs in the rotation and as usual, some surprises.  This, on top of what is already, in my humble opinion, the most energetic and fun live show out there!  So not only was I not disappointed, I found it to be arguably the best one I have seen.  Most definitely the  best show I've seen of the five that I've attended since the band reunited in June, 2012.

What I didn't know about the venue was that it has a long history, having been built in 1896 at the same time as my grandfathers were under construction :)  with 1200 seats on three levels, and great acoustics.

Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, at sound check
 
Sound check was fun, with bits and pieces of the songs that would be performed that night, in a  completely relaxed atmosphere, plus an older one from Raul's "Today" solo album that was a nice warmup.  You can see from the interplay among the band members during "Pretend" and "Tequila" (not done during the show) that there is a nice comfort level, even on the part of the new trumpet player Tyler, who performed flawlessly in replacement of Quentin Ware.  Quentin, by the way, has moved on to other pursuits. Nice to see Raul's smile when Eddie came in with a melodic guitar part at the break in "The Wonder of You".   And it turned out to be a special treat because Eddie did not play on this one during the show later that evening. 
 
At sound check, tuning up "the instrument" didn't take long at all
 
 
Mockingbird Sun performed a great job as opening act, as they had for several dates in the Northeast, and did several excellent songs a cappella.
 
At about 8:20, "Zorba's Theme" started to play, and the Mavs took the stage to cheers.
 
I didn't keep track of the setlist, but I can tell from what's posted on Youtube and my own pics and videos that it included, in random order:
 
Back In Your Arms Again
As Long As There's Loving Tonight
Every Little Thing
The Wonder of You - solo Raul
Come Unto Me
I Said I Love You
Dance the Night Away
Pretend
Be My Guest (Fats Domino, first heard 10/8/13 at Tipitina's in New Orleans)
Never on Sunday
Boogie Shoes
From Hell to Paradise
All That Heaven Will Allow
One More Angel
In Another's Arms
Sinners and Saints
What A Crying Shame
Okie From Muskogee
La Bamba ---> Dance In the Moonlight
Moonlight Kiss - with great Elio Giordano solo on bass
All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down - rocking show closer with opening act Mockingbird Sun

 
I know I've missed a few in this 2 1/2 hour Mavsfest but that's most of 'em.
 
After everybody cooled off a little bit, most of the band came out to the lobby to say hello, take photos and sign, and just generally do what they do so well, which is give of themselves to their fans.  Jerry Dale had to take a pass as he had a very early flight home to see his family, but I think everyone else came out.  Here's a shot of the maestro working the crowd
 
 

 
Lest I forget, I want to insert a plug for the largest Mavericks fan group on the web, Mavericks Fans Unite.  It's over on Facebook and all of the concertgoers post lots of great content there:  photos, videos, reviews, setlists, historical artifacts - so go over and join up now or we will find you and... no, just kidding, it's voluntary.  But you know you want to.
 
Photo collection from that night
 
 
After Thanksgiving, Raul and Michael Guerra hit the road again for some solo shows, and then 3 more Mavs gigs in Louisiana and Texas, a Christmas break, the Delbert McClinton Sandy Beaches Cruise, and the tour resumes in early 2014.
 
And on December 8, 2014, happy 25th anniversary to the Mavericks




Sunday, October 13, 2013

Three videos from Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown, NJ on 8/16/13

 
"Sinners and Saints" a.k.a WOW!
 
"All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down"
 
"Dance In The Moonlight"
 
 

The whole video collection from Tipitina's, New Orleans, 8 oct 2013


The whole video collection from Tipitina's, New Orleans, 8 oct 2013

Most of these are just quick clips but I did get a full song or two...  and the "Zorba" intro, because I was ready and waiting

"Zorba's Dance"
 
Raul Malo, "La Vie En Rose" with Michael Guerra and Quentin Ware
 
"Blue Bayou"
 
"La Bamba" becomes "Dance in the Moonlight" as if by magic
 
 
 
"Dance the Night Away"
 
"Pretend"

Saturday, October 12, 2013

The whole photo collection from Tipitina's 08 oct 13


 Seth Walker
































Photo credit Stede George (c)

Long time no post, & I should rename this blog "2012 2013 2014 and forever"

Greetings, Mavs fans. I've been slacking off in the blog department lately but have managed to see two Mavs shows since last post: one at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, NJ a few weeks back, and a great one this past Tuesday in New Orleans at Tipitina's, a neat little venue where we were front row, stage left, in front of a wild and crazy keyboard wizard of some renown.

I've posted photos to a Facebook group that you're all probably aware of called Mavericks Fans Unite. If you're not aware, go join, it's a great resource and forum. Go now! Go! You can come back here afterwards :)

Here is the one song for which I grabbed full-length video, with Raul, Michael and Quentin doing "La Vie En Rose":

 http://youtu.be/Nq-OFnEdWuc

Mike Scarborough took video of the entire show from the front row, stage right, and has uploaded all of the songs to YouTube - search username tigerbaitcom to see 'em all.

Set list:  this was not strictly followed, by the way, but is generally correct. Tipitina's welcomed the Mavs for two nights and unusually enough, "Come Unto Me" was not performed the first night, but was on the final night. In nods to the New Orleans crowd, "Blue Bayou" and Fats Domino's "Be My Guest" were part of the offering.


So I will end this blog post the way I always do, with "There's nothing like a Mavs show, go see one!"

And if you can't physically get to a show, Austin City Limits Fest is streaming live tonight, with the Mavs taking the stage at 20:00 US Eastern time (GMT -5h).  Go here:  http://dangerousminds.net/