Punch bros ravinia concert - i don't get it?

[RB250]

I've listened to bits of their new CD @ Borders and some of Chris's other CD's. Never really liked what I heard but then, I'm more of a purest....but one who likes Sam Busch. Even checked out Chris's instructional DVD from the library and found it way over my intermediate mando head or just not very interesting (unlike Ronnie Mccoury's or Butch's instructional DVD. But after reading the Fretboard Journal interview (w/Grisman) and seeing some videos of them @ the Birchmere playing great straight ahead bluegrass, I decided to go see their Ravinia Park Concert last night in Highland Pk, IL. I didn't pressure my wife to go and I'm glad I didn't. Their concert was out there and not that interesting either musically or technically to me. And I do like classical as well. I at least thought I'd hear some bluegrass to please that part of the audience (Don Stiernberg always plays some even though his shows are jazz & pop stds)or some technically mind blowing mando that I'd admire....but my ears couldn't find either. I'm sure the very talented sidemen and Chris are capable of a great show but I didn't hear it or like it. He's got it but he didn't flaunt it as I wish he did. Disappointing show, in my estimation, that could have been great considering who's in this band.

RB 250

[morristownmando]

I also don't care for his type of music and picking style i have seen a show with him and nickel creek and it is just not for me. I am more of a bluegrass purist myself and think ronnie mccoury can pick circles around thile.

[El Greco]

Nitpicking but it's "Bluegrass pur(i)st", not purest. Unless you are pure, purer, purest than all the other bluegrass listeners.

[morristownmando]

I am pretty darn pure when it comes to bluegrass. Thanks for the spellchecker.

[Joel Spaulding]

RB,
Thanks for posting your review. My wife and I are headed to the Louisville show - the March date was snowed out. I suspect my wife won't be particularly impressed - she likes NC but probably won't care for the direction Chris and #Co. are headed currently. Personally I want to see him because my 17 year old self(now 40) would still like to see someone do things that most of us will never be able to do with 40 years of dedicated practice.

Not a huge fan, but the opportunity to see one of the world's most talented Mandolinists with an almost equally impressive cast is enough for me - at least once. I've been neutral to slightly underwhelmed by The Punch Bros release but am (still) hoping their live show will be more than a simple reprise of the album. Think I'l put'em on now and give another listen. #

[Chris Biorkman]

I like some of his older stuff, but I bought his latest cd a few days ago and I can't get into it at all. It just seems like pretentious noodling to me. To each their own, I guess.

[fstylemb1]

Even for those not into his music, one still has to appreciate the way Chris plays the mando. A lot of his playing is way over my head but he is an amazing player.

[mdlorenz]

To each their own... I'm not sure there's a better group of musicians on tour today. Each one of them are at the top of their game. & playing together is an amazing thing to see. I saw them in several different venues, the best being a half empty 50 year old 200 seat concert hall. You could hear a pin drop in that place, & it was just amazing seeing such talented musicians play in such an environment.

I don't care a whole lot for nickel creek, but thing what they are doing w/ Punch brothers is pretty amazing.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I wish i had his playing ability - but it stops there. I bought the first Nickel Creek CD & i thought it was great,i still do. I then bought the second CD & gave it away,i then bought 'Not All Who Wander ...." & took it out of my player after the first 2 tracks.
# Maybe Christ Thile has outgrown his Bluegrass roots,but some of his stuff is leaving
musicality behind,IMHO of course. I do have "How to Grow a Woman ...." & a few of the tracks are great & a few ain't. We'll have to see where his obviously huge talent leads next. I think that the music he & his band or Chris Thile alone plays,will always polarise opinion,but whatever,thank the good Lord that we have him,
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Saska

[mandopluker]

Remember this? It's about the only one I really enjoyed. The talent is amazing.

[Brandon Flynn]

I enjoy Punch Brothers. To each his own. I'll say that the only Thile release that I didn't really enjoy was Deciever. Two good instrumentals, but the songs were very experimental with out much time put into them. But Thile himself said he just had to get that record out of his system. I think Into the Cauldron, Live Duets, and Not All Who Wonder are of the highest quality. I think the fact that artists like Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Bryan Sutton, Hilary Hahn, Jerry Douglas, etc. work with him says alot about him and his music.

[adgefan]

Saw the Punch Brothers in England last week and they were awesome. They were very well-received with extended applause after each of the movements and a standing ovation at the end. I fully understand why some don't get the new CD, but the live show has other elements - there was a fair bit of bluegrass and they did a beautiful, tasteful cover of a Norman Blake song for the encore.

The thing I really like about them is that they are a proper band rather than just Chris Thile's backing musicians. Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge stand out for me, but all are Thile's equal. It is great fun watching them play off each other on stage, and it is obvious that they enjoy it immensely too.

[Dan Voight]

I am more of a bluegrass purist myself and think ronnie mccoury can pick circles around thile.

Not a chance.

[Dan Voight]

I think Into the Cauldron, Live Duets, and Not All Who Wonder are of the highest quality. I think the fact that artists like Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Bryan Sutton, Hilary Hahn, Jerry Douglas, etc. work with him says alot about him and his music.

Yup. I can't wait for the Meyer/Thile album. How about you oflynny?

[MikeEdgerton]

...I'm not sure there's a better group of musicians on tour today...

I've seen some absolutely great musicians clear out venues. I am in awe of Thile's technical abilities but not real fond of his latest musical offerings.

[nashvillebill]

I am more of a bluegrass purist myself and think ronnie mccoury can pick circles around thile.

I love RM, he's one of my favorite pickers- but that statement is just silly.

[F5GRun]

Here we go...this thread might get a little hot.

Let me first start off by saying Im a bluegrasser to the bone, and only dig on some of Thiles stuff.

Just because Thile dosent play a style of music you like does not mean hes not as talented as other players such as Ronnie. Do you think Ronnie is better than the Dawg too? There are many musical styles I do not like but if you got the talent and the ability I am sure to be listening. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion on things like this, but please dont sell a person short becasue you dont like thier style. When it comes down to it Thile is up there with the best of them...plus hes only in his 20's

[first string]

Personally I hope he continues in this current direction for a while. I thought Punch showed great compositional skill and savvy. I didn't hear it myself, but I think someone said that he cited Debussy as a big influence in an interview, and if so I can definitely see the connection. There have been a lot of composers who have experimented with atonality, but what Debussy did so well was to always return to the melodic themes at exactly the right moment (just as your ear/mind is about to loose focus or wander away from all the experimentation that is going on).

Anyway, I would encourage anyone to hear them live, even if you didn't like the album. I did, but both my girlfriend and my father didn't particularly care for it, and yet when we saw them live, both were blown away. Obviously this won't be the case for everyone (hence the original poster), but it really is a whole different experience. Also, they did play a fair amount of pretty much straight ahead bluegrass at the concert I went to. I'll second the big thumbs up for their rendition of Norman Blake's "Green Light on the Southern."

[64lusso]

I took my 18 year old daughter (who has about as wide a taste in music as you can imagine, Italian opera to Lynard Skynard) and her rock guitar playing boyfriend (Nirvanna is his fav) to see the Punch Bros at the beginning of the summer and ALL 3 of us very much enjoyed the show. I don't own anything later then the Nickle Creek CD with the lighthouse song on it so don't have any notions about where his music has been since then but unless you are a total 100% bluegrass purist who only wants to hear Monroe then I think you need to make an effort to hear this band, IMHO!

[alisterhrae]

I admire CT as a great player, I have all his solo stuff and duets, I buy em because I feel I should buy them, to help expand my knowledge of the mandolin and the different ways it can be used away from bluegrass, which although I like in small doses I tend to find repetitive.

But how many times can I listen to them? The truth is, not often. Why? Because the TUNES are not that great.

The thing is, (for me) with CT he seems to write & play for the notes on the paper rather than the notes in his heart, he has a great 'proper' musical training which many of us would trade a kidney for. The only problem for me is that he sounds like he has had a 'proper musical training', often this leaves me cold. Technically brilliant, emotionally numb.

I probably will buy The Punch Brothers cd, I'm just a tad concerned about how many times it will get played for enjoyment!

[Brandon Flynn]

Yup. I can't wait for the Meyer/Thile album. How about you oflynny?

I'm very excited. I love Edgar Meyer, he's a good composer, and I can only imagine what the two of them will cook up with their ability both on their instruments and compositionally.

[BloozeGit]

I caught them at the Manchester Academy last week. Being rather new to mandolin and bluegrass, I'd like to think that I'm approaching it without any prior expectations of adherence to time-tested traditions (as opposed to blues, for which I'm quite the fusspot).

I'd say I was less enthusiastic about the extended movements, which is probably a reflection of how I prefer The Rolling Stones to Dream Theater for rock. I'd prefer a good groove and riff, which is what they did for their other songs from their first album. No doubt they're all great musicians and there were numberous moments of highly-inspired picking in those long numbers, but for the most part they sounded more like a whole lot of songs cut short and stuck together, maybe prog-grass of some sort?

Just as some can dig Dream Theater and Miles Davis's extended contemplations on Bitches Brew, I'm sure there is a valid artistic intent behind those movements. It just escapes my Neolithic musical sensibilities.

[mandocaster]

"The Blind Leaving the Blind"? A 40 minute classical/bluegrass interpretation of the aftermath of divorce? It's probably great, but yikes.

Divorce can be shattering, of course. In the Fretboard Journal interview I got a possibly erronious impression of somone with a melancholy, even morose temperament. I guess it would be natural for that to be reflected in his music.

Unfortunately, my psychology skills aren't all that great.

[mandopete]

I've listened to the Punch Brothers recording now about three times all the way through and I like it more and more each time.#This is fairly complex music, but I felt the same way about Not All Who Wander Are Lost and Deciever (which I liked too). #I didn't like How To Build A Woman From The Ground as much.

[Pete Martin]

I think sometimes these stellar players hear at a level the rest of us can't understand. For instance, one of my all time favorites is John Coltrane, but I only like some of his recordings. Some of his stuff is REALLY out there.