The Week I Saw Edward Sharpe, REO Speedwagon, Styx and Brian McKnight
20 May
It’s been an eclectic week of live shows, that’s for sure. NPR Music’s Bob Boilen, who hosts All Songs Considered, has been wanting to go to a show together, and last week we settled on Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The gazillion-piece band puts on a generous and fun live show, and they have some sentimental significance for me since photog Channing set his 2010 slideshow of our wedding photos to the Edward Sharpe hit, “Home.”
That show was Tuesday night. The band delivered. And that was probably the “hippest” show I saw all week.
Heard it From a Friend Who Heard it From a Friend
B y Friday we were at a performance by 1980s monster ballad makers REO Speedwagon and Styx, thanks to our boss Joel. Joel’s little bro Todd Sucherman is the drummer for Styx and we’ve been wanting to go see him for as long as we’ve known that bit of trivia. It finally happened, and it was magical out there in the Virginia ampitheatre, in perfect 70 degree weather, eight rows back from the stage.
After the show we went backstage and met the members of Styx (including the few remaining original members) and Drummer Todd cracked us up with his almost total recall of Arrested Development scenes. That guy is rad.
Four: Repeat Steps One Through Three
Capped the week off with 1990s R&B great Brian McKnight. This was basically an impulse move. Sometime at a bar last week, I was telling friend Ian how much I loved 90s R&B, especially artists like Brian McKnight. Ian thought he had heard McKnight would be in DC and sure enough, the crooner was set to perform at the historic Howard Theatre on Sunday night. We bought tickets right then and there. Some photos:
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- I heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend that REO Speedwagon was playing a live show.
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- We showed up just in time for REO Speedwagon and just late enough to miss Ted Nugent (on purpose).
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- The proof we were there photo.
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- Marc (center) came back from New York for this epic night.
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- The proof we were there together shot. L to R: Joel, Marc, Matty, Me (and fetus)
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- Styx takes the stage! There’s original band member Tommy Shaw in silhouette.
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- Crooning a ballad.
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- Tried to get an action shot of Joel’s little bro, Todd Sucherman, on the drums.
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- Tommy Shaw and Chuck Palozzo, both original band members.
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- Todd Sucherman in action!
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- Time for a group sing! Come Sail Away…
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- We caught Todd Sucherman’s signature drum stick (made with Texas maple) that he threw into the crowd.
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- Curtain call
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- Backstage with Styx! Joel and his baby bro, drummer Todd Sucherman.
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- Marc, Todd, me, Matty backstage
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- And Brian McKnight was joined by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, which was amaaazing.
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- I had deep, deep love for the tenor sax player.
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- Howard Theatre is a fantastic historic venue, recently redone.
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- There he is getting hounded when he tried to go the bar to get a drink — Brian McKnight.
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