Your last concert was to see who and when?

Audiowoman- you should really enjoy Gretchen Peters. I saw her last year about this time and it was one of the best shows I've seen in years.

Going to see Ray LaMontagne next week.
Saw Cyndi Lauper at New Years. Great talent, terrible venue. What a waste.

Last night my wife and I saw Lyle Lovett and his Large Band.  What a show, one of the best ever!  Lyle, Christine, amazing 4 piece horn section, 9 person gospel choir, Russ Kunkel on drums (best ever) Luke Bulla on violin (best I've ever heard besides the incomparable Mark O'Connor), pedal steel, Matt Rollings on piano, Ray Hendron on electric guitar, John Hagen on cello.  The tightest ensemble I have ever heard.  Not a lick out of place, amazing solos not a note too long.  But most of all, the love for the music and the joy of sharing it with each other and a great crowd at the College Street Music Hall in New Haven.  Truly awesome.  In addition to many of his well known songs, they did several lesser known, a couple of tributes to Guy Clark, and a few traditional gospel pieces in 2 1/2 hours of non-stop excellence.  Every song was a wonder of song writing, singing and musicianship.  Miss them at your peril!!

Bdp24- I didn't get into Lyle's story telling and dry/offbeat sense of humor because it can be a bit off-putting to some folks.  It tickles my funny bone, but I'm pretty far off the norm on that axis.  I've seen him several times now over about 20 or more years; in a small venue with small "acoustic" type back-up, in a large venue with a rocking band, but this is the first time with "His Large Band".  All shows were excellent, but this took it to "perfection".  My wife and I would look at each other several times during each song with an OMG face.  I know Kunkel's resume and always enjoyed his drumming but this was the first time I saw him drum live.  It takes an extraordinary percussionist to really catch my attention but I was absolutely dumbstruck.  Each time he drew a song to a conclusion, each stroke was obviously, perfectly pre-ordained by the prior one and lead inexorably to the next.  And the same could be said for pretty much each vocal and instrumental part all night.  Something as simple as a short sax lick in the middle of a bridge was exactly as long (or short) and loud (or soft) and as mournful (or joyful) as it needed to be.  No more and no less.  

But-. Well said.  No individual ego in that group; all players/singers serving the song.  When they are that technically skilled and the songs are that good, it's sublime!  

My wife and I saw John Prine (& co.) Saturday night at the Warner Theater in Torrington, CT Saturday night.  A great show from one of the greatest songwriters and performers out there.  His voice has changed as a result of his cancer treatments, but the songs still have the ring of honesty and humor that they always have.  Excellent band ( Dave Jacques • Jason Wilber • Pat McLaughlin), good acoustics, very few annoying cell phone videographers.  John played non-stop for over 2 hours, ending w my all-time favorite, Paradise.  Greg Trooper was a terrific opening act and also joined in for the encores.  If you like the Americana/folk genre, don't miss him.  

bdp- Pat played a little geetar ;-) but mostly mandolin, and a did a lot of backing vocals.  Again, what was remarkable about him (and the two other backing musicians), was their ability to add to the experience of the song w/o sticking out.  With mandolin a little can go a long way, but he was never over the top, even on the solos.  And he had a unique (to me anyways) way of gently strumming with all of his fingers that produced a feathery kind of sound that I have never heard from a mandolin.  Plus his physical style was so expressive; truly a man who loved what he was doing. 

@reubent- I hope you enjoyed the show.  We caught them at the Garde Theater in New London, CT a couple of weeks ago.  I'm not a huge Shawn Colvin fan but Lyle is amazing!  Saw him with the Large Band last summer and a couple of times in an acoustic show. He is unique, I love his songwriting and his quirky sense of humor.   

@reubent-
+1 to everything you said. esp. "any Lyle I can get".  In the acoustic shows I've seen, you get a more "personal" experience,. but his Large Band is just a stunning exhibition of musical virtuosity.  Most incredible to me was how each individual musician, a "star" in his own right, was always playing in service to the song.  The last time we saw the Large Band, there were 13 pieces and a 9 person choir backing Lyle and Justine!  One of the best shows I've ever seen.