Conical valves concert review

I do have a concert review today, but before I get to that, a moment of eulogizing for Les Paul. For those who were unaware, Les Paul died this past Thursday of pneumonia, at the age of 94. While many people have heard of the guitars named after him, few are aware that he pretty much invented the solid-body electric guitar. Also, he was a major figure in the development of multitrack recording, which was a revolutionary event in the history of rock music. So R.I.P. Les Paul.

On a lighter note, I recently saw Crosby, Stills, and Nash perform at Jones Beach. Admittedly some of the band members looked as though they were about to collapse on stage, but all in all it was a decent show. They played two sets and had no opening band. The first set was the softer, acoustic tunes and the second featured more of an electric sound and some jamming. They sprinkled the entire show with covers, which I enjoyed immensely. The first set was not the best for the venue, as the sound dispersed too much before reaching the cheap seats (aka where I was located) leaving the atmosphere more coffee shop-esque than concert. Some notable moments from the first set include a cover of "Ruby Tuesday," by the Rolling Stones, and a performance of their song "Our House." The band segued between songs with some witty repartee including such bon mots as "If I'd known that song was going to be such a hit, I would've written a better one" (in regards to "Our House") and "Well, you know Crosby writes all the weird shit" (following a performance of "Wooden Ships" that included an extended jam session.) The second set reminded everyone that they were in fact at a concert as they brought out the heavier material. The back-to-back jam sessions were a bit much for me, as I tend to believe that there should be a limit of one jam session per concert. These were also marred by the fact that much of the jamming was done by the various band members who were not Crosby, Stills, or Nash, and as such were never introduced. The high point of the second set definitely came in the form of the aformentioned performance of "Wooden Ships." All in all, not one of the best concerts I've seen, but definitely worthwhile and highly interesting.

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