Singer-songwriter Savannah Conley and her band played at the Tractor Tavern in support of her new EP, Twenty-Twenty. On the road with Brent Cobb, the show was near the end of a 40-city tour. Another week and they’ll be headed home to Nashville. Rolling Stone featured Savannah in their 10 New Country Artists You Need To Know in March. We took a few minutes before her set to do some photos outside the venue.
Savannah Conley
Taylor Swift @ CenturyLink Field – Tuesday, May 22nd
Review & Photos by Dagmar
Taylor Swift & Dancers
Taylor Swift started her Seattle date on Tuesday evening with “. . .Ready for It?,” a perfectly chosen track to introduce us to a powerful arena performance for the ages. Let the games begin, indeed!
Of course Swift was the performer everyone came to see, but she shared the stage with a superb squad of dancers and band of musicians. Designers made creative and stunning stage use, switching themes and lights; these artists deserve major compliments for a nearly Transformers-like stage design technique.
Taylor Swift
Now, Swift is a mighty star. That she writes genius songs on her own as a cowriter is fortunate enough. But she’s also an accomplished stage performer, one who has the ability to make this pop/rock star gig one she can do forever, should she choose to (hey, I want that!). A seductive presence, after all, there were 56,000 fans who came out on a school/work night to enjoy a Taylor Swift concert. Her music relates to us. We relate to the songs. This was actually a feeling I got on my arms: I got goosebumps during “Long Live”/”New Year’s Day,” which she introduced by talking about how she feels as if we all grew up together. Whether you grew up with Swift’s albums, or mark her releases along with times of your lives, or if you just heard a Swift song and are all in, if you’re fan, you understand her songs. It was awesomely sweet when Swift reflected on her appreciation of fans, no matter how long they’ve loved her music. She also mentioned an adorable Seattle link about one of her cats, who’s named Meredith Grey after the character from Seattle-based TV show, Grey’s Anatomy.
Taylor Swift
When the giant stage snakes made it out into the audience, my jaw dropped. I honestly think it was marvelous. And the setlist offered seamless flows of songs; many from her most recent and excellent albums, Reputation and 1989. Opener Charli XCX popped out to sing along during “Shake It Off,” while “Don’t Blame Me” and “Dress” were also slinky highlights. I also adored “Blank Space,” and that fabulous showstopper, a mashup of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”/”This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.” I missed “Look What You Made Me Do” because of venue camera policies (cameras had to be taken off premises), but I am certain I would have loved that (hint: the snakes!!). I’m not complaining, just excusing what I think would be a bizarre omission in any review. “Getaway Car” filled the arena, and giant screens in the middle and on both sides of the stage let us see closer up, giving us great views of Swift’s expressions and outfits. Every audience received a bracelet, which was programmed to change colors along with the songs. This was the first time I’d been at a show with this brilliant touch. Via the lights, Swift told us she could see all of us. And we loved to see Swift!
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift Fans & Stage
Singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews played at the Tractor Tavern in support of her recently released album, May Your Kindness Remain – her sixth studio album. The sold-out show at home was the last stop on the two-month tour for Courtney and her four-member band. Frequently retuning before songs to change keys, the brief break provided an opportunity for some interaction with the audience. Seattle-based Old Coast opened and were back onstage for the last song of the evening.
Courtney Marie Andrews
Old Coast
Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Song: “Four Out Of Five”
Why You Want to Watch: Arctic Monkeys just released album six, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Awesome! The first video from the album is “Four Out Of Five,” which includes a magnificent stallion. One of the directors, Aaron Brown, was also at the helm of previous Arctic Monkeys’ video (“Suck It And See” and “Snap Out Of It”.”A history nerd such as myself appreciates that the larger location in the video is Castle Howard, a home of the English Howard family. If you don’t know, the Howard family included Henry VIII’s two executed wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Also, both Queen Elizabeth I & II descend from this mighty family.
Arctic Monkeys‘ Alex Turner in “Four Out Of Five”
P!nk @ KeyArena, 5/13/2018
Show Review & Photos by John Rudolph
P!nk
So, let me begin and end this review by saying that P!nk killed at her amazing concert, full stop.
The production was amazing, the choreography was stunning, and P!nk’s voice was so pure and powerful. P!nk isn’t some silly popstar, she is a true entertainer who can write good songs, fill an arena with her lovely voice, and dance with the best of them.
P!nk grabbed the stage, enveloped in her silver bodysuit, surrounded by pink-clad dancers singing “Get the Party Started.” She quickly took to the air with the grace of a Cirque du Soleil artist. The set had P!nk street lamps and a P!nk building façade, which reminded me of a hotel. Not too far into the concert, P!nk took flight while clutching the chandelier with beads and lights draped over it. She then came back down to earth, and she and the dancers glided all over the hotel lobby.
P!nk changed things up a little with “Just Like a Pill.” She brought the lights down, and everyone changed to black or dark grey outfits. The tempo of the music became a little more rock and roll. The dancing matched the tempo and became a powerful modern dance. Dancers appeared and disappeared into and out of the darkness.
P!nk transitioned her stage and she went immediately into Funk House and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It was clear to me that P!nk’s concert wasn’t just a series of songs like most concerts. She was telling a story through song and performance art. Her stage went dark again; it was like we were in a dark and gloomy, fantasy-type forest. For this transition, she sang “Try” and “Give Me a Reason.”
During this part of the show, she flew around the arena in a four-poster bed with a dancer flying with a red umbrella. I was reminded of a dark Peter Pan scene. Right when I thought the show couldn’t get any better, the intensity kicked up again and she broke out with “Just Like Fire.” At this point, the dark and foreboding forest burst into flames and she and her band rocked out. It was like she was bursting out of a dark and gloomy place and she was taking control of her life, leading her journey to the positive.
Feminism and women’s empowerment led the next set. Even as a man, I felt what she was saying. It made me feel great and not lectured to.
For me, the message of her show was: reject negativity, embrace positivity and accept people for their individuality. In this age of Charlottesville and other craziness, we need to be reminded from time to time that the world is a good place and that we all have a role to play.
Thank you P!nk for spending your Mother’s Day with us and for one of the best shows that I have ever seen.
P!nk