Fall 2010 IA tour

[Nonfatman]

Seven U.S. and Canadian dates have just been announced for Ian's solo tour this Fall. Judging by the dates and far-flung locations of these shows, it is safe to say that more dates will be added. See official site:

www.jethrotull.com/tourdates/index.html#anderson

The June 8th site update also includes Ian's appearance on Led Zeppelin online, which we had here a couple of days ago.

Jeff

[Dan]

Jun 8, 2010 17:36:44 GMT -5 Nonfatman said:

Seven U.S. and Canadian dates have just been announced for Ian's solo tour this Fall. Judging by the dates and far-flung locations of these shows, it is safe to say that more dates will be added. See official site:

www.jethrotull.com/tourdates/index.html#anderson

The June 8th site update also includes Ian's appearance on Led Zeppelin online, which we had here a couple of days ago.

Jeff

I noticed two other dates listed on the 'Ticketbastard' website on Oct. 30 for the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet,Il and Nov.14 at The National in Richmond, Va with presale tickets available 6/16 and 6/12 respectively.
www.ticketmaster.com/artist/722512?&camefrom=CFC_BUYAT_eventful

United States Of America (4) Oct 24Sun Penn's Peak
Jim Thorpe, PA
08:00 PM An Evening with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Find Tickets »
Oct 30Sat Rialto Square Theatre
Joliet, IL
08:00 PM Ian Anderson More Info »
presale begins:Wed, 06/16/10
10:00 AM
Nov 12Fri Hard Rock Live Orlando
Orlando, FL
08:00 PM An Evening with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson More Info »
on sale:Fri, 06/11/10
10:00 AM
Nov 14Sun The National
Richmond, VA
07:30 PM An Evening with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson More Info »
on sale:Sat, 06/12/10

Dan

[LJG]

I know Tull is playing here in a couple weeks (and I'm outta the country)... but if Ian came back to Toronto in the fall solo i'd go.

[tootull]

Jun 11, 2010 9:25:09 GMT -5 LJG said:

I know Tull is playing here in a couple weeks (and I'm outta the country)... but if Ian came back to Toronto in the fall solo i'd go.

Hopefully bound for Massey Hall.
Too bad: The last time there as a solo artist the building was only half full for Divinities. I sat in the front row & that is the only time I've seen a small crowd at a Massey Hall concert.

[Dan]

More I.A. Shows listed @ www.j-tull.com/tourdates/index.html

3 Jersey Shows?! Really?!!

I.A. must know there are some 'soft touches' out that way.

OCT
14 Montreal
St. Denis Theatre - tickets
15 Québec Le Théâtre Capitole - tickets
21 Morristown, NJ Mayo Center for the Performing Arts - on sale July 13th
22 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite Auditorium - on sale July 9th
23 York, PA Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center - on sale July 6th
24 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn's Peak - tickets
26 Munhall, PA Carnegie Library of Homestead - tickets
NOV
12 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live @ Universal Studios Orlando - tickets
14 Richmond, VA The National - tickets
17 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre - on sale June 18th
18 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Center - tickets
24 Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury - on sale June 20th

[TM]

Jun 15, 2010 4:32:39 GMT -5 Dan said:

More I.A. Shows listed @ www.j-tull.com/tourdates/index.html

3 Jersey Shows?! Really?!!

I.A. must know there are some 'soft touches' out that way.

OCT
14 Montreal
St. Denis Theatre - tickets
15 Québec Le Théâtre Capitole - tickets
21 Morristown, NJ Mayo Center for the Performing Arts - on sale July 13th
22 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite Auditorium - on sale July 9th
23 York, PA Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center - on sale July 6th
24 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn's Peak - tickets
26 Munhall, PA Carnegie Library of Homestead - tickets
NOV
12 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live @ Universal Studios Orlando - tickets
14 Richmond, VA The National - tickets
17 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre - on sale June 18th
18 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Center - tickets
24 Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury - on sale June 20th

[mothermonkey1]

11/23/10 Stamford ,CT Palace Tix just went on sale Center Orc $132, Go for Left or Right Orch for $72!!!

[anesthetize]

Jun 11, 2010 9:25:09 GMT -5 LJG said:

I know Tull is playing here in a couple weeks (and I'm outta the country)... but if Ian came back to Toronto in the fall solo i'd go.

Same! The Tull concert in Toronto was incredible, and I'd love to see Ian solo too!

[TM]

Ok, I'm in for 2 shows so far.

[Deleted]

I have my tickets already for Lowell MA 5th row
2 tickets 140.75 each ticket 57.75 I love all bs charges they add to them
November 20

[Nonfatman]

Jul 16, 2010 19:18:32 GMT -5 TM said:

Ok, I'm in for 2 shows so far.

Which two you going? I just got tix for Westbury and will probably go to at least one other.

The nice thing is that you can get to see one show in October, and then another when they return in November, which is the way Rob usually likes to do it. But this time he went ahead and got tix without me, the bastard!

Jeff

[TM]

Jul 21, 2010 15:27:07 GMT -5 Nonfatman said:

Jul 16, 2010 19:18:32 GMT -5 TM said:

Ok, I'm in for 2 shows so far.

Which two you going? I just got tix for Westbury and will probably go to at least one other.

The nice thing is that you can get to see one show in October, and then another when they return in November, which is the way Rob usually likes to do it. But this time he went ahead and got tix without me, the bastard!

Jeff

Bastard!

Morristown and Montclair. They are too close to me to pass up, and like you said, being a month apart is nice too.

[Deleted]

Sorry for the late notice....tix go on sale TODAY at NOON for Ian's show at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. Show date is Monday, November 15. Ticketmaster sent me a notification, the show is not yet on the Tull website.

[Deleted]

Jesus Crackers!!! Tix for Ian's show at The Birchmere are $79.50!! I'm pretty sure the entire venue is GA. Still that's one of the more expensive shows in the area. Regardless of the price, I was not going.

[firkon]

Hi all, new to the board.

My wonderful wife bought me a ticket to the October show in Ann Arbor. Very excited! It's at the Michigan Theatre which I've heard is a good venue. I've never seen IA solo (saw Tull back in 2003). Any idea what I can expect, songwise?

[TM]

Jul 24, 2010 17:33:58 GMT -5 firkon said:

Hi all, new to the board.

My wonderful wife bought me a ticket to the October show in Ann Arbor. Very excited! It's at the Michigan Theatre which I've heard is a good venue. I've never seen IA solo (saw Tull back in 2003). Any idea what I can expect, songwise?

Hello, and welcome to the board.

Here's a brief description of what to expect from IA:

thejethrotullboard.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tours&action=display&thread=1180

The last IA show I saw was very good. The acoustic music suits his voice better which made the show very enjoyable. Plus you'll hear some new music which is nice as well. Have a great time.

[firkon]

Awesome-- thanks for the link. Looking forward to seeing David Goodier play live-- loved his bass work on the AVO DVD.

[TM]

Anderson solo concerts announced for Collingswood, NJ (10/22), Alexandria, VA (11/15), and Providence, RI (11/21)

[TM]

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson coming to Torrington

By JASON SIEDZIK


TORRINGTON — Ian Anderson has played many a role during his career in music, but among the things that have remained constant is his sense of humor, as well as his improvisational bent.

The longtime Jethro Tull frontman, who kicks off a 25-date solo tour in Montreal on Oct. 14, stops by the Warner Theater Nov. 19 during the tour’s New England leg. Anderson was in the process of rehearsing new material with his band, acknowledging that possibly three of the six new songs would make the cut.

“People like to hear something new,” said Anderson. “We’ll also fit in some classic Jethro Tull stuff, maybe with different arrangements, then the stuff that I call deep catalog. It’s the best mixture of the best-known and least-known.”

Anderson said that there would be some short pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach in the set list, but that his position in music offered a degree of flexibility. Performing these works in a rock context, instead of a classical one, allows some improvisation, according to Anderson, who said “Bach might not approve, but he might be sympathetic to a different reading of elements of his music.

“He hasn’t come back to haunt me,” added Anderson.

Jethro Tull, which started in 1968, has plied its trade of blues-based rock, influenced by traditional music, for over 40 years, but Anderson’s solo ventures allow him to explore much more diverse genres. Along with guitarist Martin Barre, Anderson — a multi-instrumentalist who is most well-known for playing the flute, but also plays the mandolin, bouzouki and guitar — has been a mainstay of Jethro Tull, a band that has sold over 60 million albums during its tenure.

“The solo tour’s part of what I do every year,” said Anderson. “It’s a break from the more rock-based repertoire of Jethro Tull, and a break from the larger audiences.”

That departure comes with more intimate venues as well. Jethro Tull’s last scheduled date of 2010, on Friday, is at Gypsies Green, a former velodrome in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, but Anderson’s solo tour will cover smaller, more historic theaters.

“One of the things I like to do is play in theaters that have some history,” said Anderson, “and in the case of some places, 2,000 years. Sometimes, they’re ancient amphitheaters, or perhaps some art deco theater of a northeastern American town. These places all have their own charm.”

“It’s something that’s partly on my mind,” added Anderson. “I don’t get that feeling in a sports hall, a basketball arena or some multifunction convention hall. I do play some shows in holy places as well, but it’s something I like, to feel something of history, in order to be a conduit of that.”

The Nov. 19 show will not be Anderson’s first venture into Litchfield County. The entire region, in fact, is reminiscent of his home in southwestern England, in Anderson’s experience.

“It’s an area that I find very familiar geographically,” said Anderson. “It’s not unlike where I come from. People from the UK find New England an easy fit. I suppose, in a way, we’re following the footsteps of our pilgrim forefathers. It bears the imprint of British settlers. A lot of it’s familiar, and you’re reminded it’s where it all started.”

Anderson had pursued aquaculture starting in the late 1970s, setting up a salmon farm to offset the costs of a second home in his birthplace of Scotland. However, his involvement lessened over time, and Anderson eventually divested himself of the fish farming business. Consequently, Anderson described his position as “comfortably pretty much out of it nowadays,” adding that “it was exciting and it was developmental,” but that his career is as a “full-time musician for a few more years.

“Ultimately, what we play is with great respect to other composers,” said Anderson. “I’m always humble when somebody does a cover of one of my tunes, because they’re paying respect to me. It’s a peer group mark of respect, an accolade.”

The opportunity to reinterpret the works of others, as well as his own work with Jethro Tull, allows Anderson to keep the interest of himself, his bandmates and the audience.

“It’s always relatively easy to have some freshness of performance, because there’s a fair degree of improvisation,” said Anderson. “It’s always a challenge. I do feel sympathy for classical musicians who have to play exactly what’s written every night, and your expression is dependent on the conductor. You’re really just a cog in a machine in an orchestra, albeit a very highly trained cog in an expert machine. You don’t get to do what I do, which is fool around.”

Anderson’s playful sense of humor comes through on the band’s official Web site as well. His biography on the site describes Anderson as “being far too young to hang up his hat or his flute, although the tights and codpiece have long since been consigned to some forgotten bottom drawer.”

“It certainly does, but probably not like Frank Zappa,” said Anderson of his songwriting style and humor. “There was a cruel and cynical sort at the heart of his music. He was almost afraid to let go of the humor. I’ve tried to not get too reliant on it. It’s more of a wry, rather than cynical humor.”

“The rest of it’s other things,” added Anderson. “Plain, downright anger, and mostly observational stuff. I like writing about people and things. If you want to buy me a drink, I’ll tell you all about me, if you buy a concert ticket, I’ll tell you about someone else.”

Ian Anderson performs at the Warner Theater Friday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $45 to $75. For more information, visit www.warnertheatre.org.

www.registercitizen.com/articles/2010/09/16/entertainment/doc4c917fc648a59320168236.txt

[Dan]

The last U.S. solo tour was excellent with the inclusion of new songs, A Change of Horses and A Tea With The Princess and seldom, if ever heard gems March, the Mad Scientist and Just Trying To Be.

That was a great time meeting Jeff , Rob and others and I'm satisfied if that was the last show I saw.
I'm spoiled and don't travel further than about 40 miles to see them anymore. So no I.A this time around.

Hopefully, the show will include those same elements (new and seldom heard tunes) that made it memorable for me.

Can't wait to hear your enthusiastic reviews.

Dan

[Nonfatman]

From the Montreal Gazette 10/14/10, slow down? No way to slow down.

He's clear on the concept

Ian Anderson has a progressive take on his sound with legendary British rock band Jethro Tull

By BERNARD PERUSSE, The Gazette October 14, 2010
StoryPhotos ( 1 )

Ian Anderson of British band Jethro Tull, who plays tonight at Théâtre St. Denis, says he wants to reduce his touring and spend more time with his family.Photograph by: Bruce Stotesbury, Times Colonist.Ian Anderson might not be the man to visit for a primer on three-chord garage-band rock, but he embraces the value of musical naivete on stage every night.

When Anderson entered the studio to record his first album with Jethro Tull, he had spent only a few months playing the non-rock instrument that would forever define his niche, he said during a recent phone interview with The Gazette.

According to Anderson, the leader and sole original member of the British group, the band's debut release, This Was, was recorded in the summer of 1968. He had blown his first flute notes the previous December. As his skills on the instrument improved by leaps and bounds, however, he found it increasingly difficult to get that primitive sound. He still struggles with it.

"When I play songs from the first album live on stage, I have to relearn to play them, kind of like the way I played them then," said Anderson, who performs a solo show tonight at Theatre St. Denis. "I wasn't using the correct fingering then. I was using a kind of cheat fingering that was easier for me to play."

But he's hardly dismissive of those primitive attempts.

"If I was coming up with a piece of that sort of music today, it would probably sound a little different. I would hope that, tonally, it would be better and have more variation in internal quality and dynamics, and a more controlled delivery," he said. "But sometimes you recognize in some early and more naive attempts to play flute, guitar, sing -whatever it might be -that there is something quite essential and valuable about that rather naive approach to it. And it's good not to lose touch with that."

When Jethro Tull released the 44-minute manic suite Thick As a Brick four years later, however, critics and some fans concluded that the accessible, song-based and cherished Tull sound of the group's first few albums was dead. They would, inaccurately, be branded by many as a prog-rock band from that point on.

But for many, and certainly for Anderson, Brick is a misunderstood album, owing more to the new wave of British comedy that was coming into its own around the same time. It was never intended as a serious prog-rock album. In fact, that label, he pointed out, had yet to be in common use.

The group's previous release, Aqualung, had been unfairly branded as a concept album in the press, Anderson remembered. "So I thought, 'Let's give them the mother of all concept albums and have a little fun with the genre.' (Thick As a Brick) had some good music in it, but it was definitely a dig, quite a satirical look at the genre," he said

Citing the cover, the lyrics and the running joke in the packaging that the entire piece had been written by a 12-year-old boy, Anderson pointed out that it was a product of the Monty Python era, which ultimately influenced many British groups, like the Bonzo Dog Band.

"We were all in the spirit of that rather zany surrealist British humour that had begun with the Goons on the radio in the '50s," Anderson said.

Britishness resurfaced more explicitly in some of the folk-influenced sounds of Songs From the Wood (1977), perhaps Jethro Tull's most perfect recorded moment. It's one of Anderson's favourites, too.

"It holds together as an album with a lot of influences from the tradition of British folklore, and also in how a lot of that folk music has found its way into classical music, too," Anderson said. "Some things I think of as kind of folky I've actually nicked from Beethoven who, in turn, found them through elements of folk music and other classical composers who used elements of folk music to form their rather more intellectual works."

Although the rock version of intellectualism has often had an uneasy alliance with rock's primal roots, some see this year's induction of Genesis into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame as an open-minded move that could eventually see Jethro Tull get in. Anderson is skeptical. And once again, the group's national origins came up.

"The Hall of Fame is meant to celebrate primarily American music, perhaps not played necessarily by American citizens, but nonetheless, stylistically and in terms of origin, I think it's meant to celebrate music that comes directly from that history of black blues, jazz, early rock 'n' roll. It's about Americana," Anderson said.

"I don't think Jethro Tull or Genesis fit that bill. They're very much a British variation on rock music. I don't think it's appropriate that we should usurp the position that rightfully belongs to more obscure American singers and songwriters who are not yet recognized by the Hall of Fame. A lot need to go in before they start looking for volunteers among the rest of us," he said, laughing.

Anderson said he will go deep into the Jethro Tull catalogue for some obscurities and rearranged favourites during his show tonight, with some new compositions thrown into the mix. And in the long run, he said, he might be looking to slow down: he's asked his agent to cut his touring schedule by half, and when he's closer to home, he's looking to be away for maybe a week at a time, max.

"Sleeping in my own bed for at least three nights a week is much more appealing than going off for two or three weeks," he said. "Plus, I have a family and a new generation of grandchildren coming up. I'd rather like to share in their lives while I'm still around. Now's the time to get to know those folks."

Ian Anderson performs tonight at 8 at Theatre St. Denis. Tickets cost $49.50 to $74.50.

www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/clear+concept/3669592/story.html#ixzz12PQtvQP6

Jeff

[Nonfatman]

First review of the solo show in Montreal, from our FB friend, Brian, but don't read this if you want to be surprised by the set list and highlights:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just got back from Montreal show.

Basically it's a toss up as to whether Ian has to exclude certain songs at this point. Half way through TAAB he ended up speaking the lyric. The good side of this way of working is with the 2 bands going Ian is playing material with this outfit you would never hear in a Tull show. He did a reading with book in hand of ...The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles with full vigour and brought the house down.

The requisite hits were there, but there were about 6-7 songs I have never heard in concert, which is why this was a treat: Nursie; Up To Me; Wondering Again,Life's A Long Song, 2 new pieces, the guitarist played a flamenco piece and Anderson appeared to be having more fun than usual. I'm sure I missed a few othrs not ...played before, but just from those few I just mentioned, this is giving the impression of an extended show.i.e. didn't get a chance to squeeze these in on the Tull concert, let's add them here. I do have a bone to pick though but it goes back to loosing a grat keyboard player and bass player. The accordian is annoying. The 2 sidemen were fine players, but enough to differentiate from a Tull show. Not really, I think if we got special guests it would have been different but none here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wond'ring Again? Up to Me? The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles? Two (non-Hare in the Winecup/Change of Horses/Tea with the Princess?) new pieces? Maybe it was that Child in My Garden song? Sounds good to me.

Thanks, Brian!

Jeff

[Dan]

Oct 15, 2010 2:36:25 GMT -5 Nonfatman said:

First review of the solo show in Montreal, from our FB friend, Brian, but don't read this if you want to be surprised by the set list and highlights:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wond'ring Again? Up to Me? The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles? Two (non-Hare in the Winecup/Change of Horses/Tea with the Princess?) new pieces? Maybe it was that Child in My Garden song? Sounds good to me.

Thanks, Brian!

Jeff

Spoiler Alert;

Setlist for Montreal.

Just what I was afraid of- the two new songs were indeed "Hare.. and Change of Horses."
One new one , " Adrift and Dumbfounded" and "ugh- Bungle.


1. Eurology

2. Life Is a Long Song

3. Up To Me

4. Nursie

5. In the Grip of Stronger Stuff

6. Set Aside

7. Hare In the Wine Cup

8. Wond'ring Again

9. Andantino (acoustic flamenco solo by Florian Opahle)

10. Bungle In the Jungle

11. The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles (from A Passion Play)

12. Bouree



****** INTERMISSION *********



13. Thick As a Brick (edited version)

14. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Florian Opahle electric guitar showcase)

15. Adrift and Dumbfounded

16. A Change of Horses

17. Budapest

18. Aqualung



****** ENCORE *******



19. Locomotive Breath

[Dan]

Montreal Concert Review:



Rock n' roll!," a man yelled from the audience as Ian Anderson and his four musicians walked onto the St. Denis Theatre stage last night.

To paraphrase an endlessly-repeated zinger from readers who disagree with Gazette critics, uh ... dude, were we at the same show?

Jethro Tull, Anderson's usual band, does not rock n' roll. Never really has. And since an Anderson solo concert differs very little from a Jethro Tull show --- two of his four backup players, in fact, are current Tull members --- rock n' roll was not on the table. (Don't worry, by the way; Anderson would agree. See his comments on the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in our recent interview with him).

What was on table is what Anderson does better than anyone: a consistently tuneful folk, rock and classical blend that's clearly composed and highly precise, but played with such a comfortable flow that it sounds like it's just happening by cosmic accident. At its best, with Anderson's lyrical flute playing dominating the mix, it can be stunningly beautiful. The always touching Life Is a Long Song, played early in the two-hour show, provides a fine example of Anderson's underrated gifts as a melodist.

Other high points piled up fast and furious, making Anderson's concert --- to contradict myself --- significantly different from Jethro Tull's last show here, in November 2007, in at least one important regard: it was terrific.

Anderson's voice still struggles painfully to hold its own with the rest of the music, and it seems unlikely, judging from the past few years, that the situation will improve. But there were enough riveting exchanges between the five musicians (Anderson on flute and guitar, guitarist Florian Opahle, bassist David Goodier, keyboard player John O'Hara and drummer Scott Hammond) to carry the night with ease.

Strangely, the emotional tone of the concert seemed somehow very different from the 2007 Tull show, so that what seemed annoying and pointless three years ago, like a radically-rearranged Aqualung, seemed somehow playful and intriguing this time. Rearranging the time signature of Locomotive Breath to 5/4? Mere high-spirited behaviour from everybody's favourite crazy old uncle.

It's certainly not impossible that the near-perfect sound mix helped in a big way: the Tull show had taken place at the generally muddy Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts.

Nor did a mostly inspired set list hurt. Dividing the show into a largely acoustic set and a louder, more electric second half, Anderson dug deep into the Jethro Tull catalogue and mixed in some solo material, both older and brand new. Ultimately,he came up with a stirring, satisfying blend that exhumed rarely-heard songs like Up To Me, Bungle In the Jungle and Nursie along the way.

Opahle, a prodigy who began to play with Anderson six years ago, when he was 20, won the audience over with some serious grandstanding on both acoustic and electric guitars. His heavy metal take on Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, with arena-rock blues licks mixed in with the composer's frantic arpeggios, pretty much wowed 'em. The kid might be guilty of some excessive posturing, but he sure can play.

Guaranteed crowd-pleasers like Bouree and Thick As a Brick drew appropriately vocal crowd reaction and patches of mini standing ovations, but a few impressive recent compositions, like Hare In the Wine Cup, Adrift and Dumbfounded and A Change of Horses, were also warmly received.

Closing the night with the epic Budapest, which always sounds like a long-lost Dire Straits song, and retooled versions of Aqualung and the sole encore Locomotive Breath, Anderson said goodnight and basked in the crowd's noisy approval of a show that was far better than anyone had a right to expect.

See John Kenney's photo gallery from the show here, and the set list here.


14 Photos found here:
www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Gallery+Anderson+concert/3671893/story.html

Dan

[Dan]

T. As A B. from Montreal
Loco Breath and Aqualung are on Youtube there also but I just can't watch them for the 200th time.
"The cattle quietly grazing ...."line is spoken ala "Wounded, Old and Treacherous" @ about 9:04.