So, here’s the deal. Andrea was listening to the radio a month ago, and heard that a local station (107.5) was sponsoring discount tickets for the James Blunt/Sheryl Crow show at the Sommet. Tickets were $10.75, which, with all the Ticketmaster fees, translates to ~$20 – still a great price. We jumped on ‘em, and I thought they’d be nose-bleed seats.
Fast-forward to last night. We get there, and the seats are amazing! We’re in the second tier, second row, right in the middle, dead-on with the stage. I could throw a plastic cup at the FOH on the floor. Nice job, Andrea!
When James took the stage, the room was empty. Maybe 30% of the seats occupied, which made the cave that much more cave-y. However, Blunt is a great musician, entertaining and quirky, and the mix was solid. People continued to filter in, so that by the time the lights came up for the set change, the room was full.
Andrea and I commented that we were a bit disappointed in the mix for Sheryl. For one, it was too loud (and I’m probably too old), and so any time there was a full moment in the arrangement – two electric guitars, plus B3, say – Sheryl’s voice disappeared in the mix. Gone. It didn’t sound like she was having problems, just that she was getting masked by all the midrange. In contrast, Blunt’s mix was just the right level, and ultra-clear. His voice was on top of the mix, with a solid foundation underneath, and you could hear the textures of the upright piano he played contrasting with the Rhodes his keyboardist played, and the plucking of the bass in the pocket with the kick. Crow is also moving decidedly more political in voice, and the audience really didn’t respond well. She may think she’s from Nashville now that she’s living on a farm south of Franklin, but she’s still not a native.
Still, it was a fun night. We got downtown early, parked, and walked around with ice cream before heading in. I don’t remember the buskers for the clubs, bars, and carriage rides being so aggressive, but it was fun to be in the chaos for a bit, to remember that we do live in a decent-sized city.
