The Thile Solo Bach Tour - Live, Fall of 2013

[tmsweeney]

Yes he absolutely looked like he was enjoying the exercise of performing the Bach pieces ( I imagine even to him they are not without their challenges) , and like a gold medal gymnast, stuck the landing every time.

[Chris Womack2]

The Chapel Hill show was fantastic. Anyone who might have been there, can you identify the second to last song he played? The one before the final Sonata piece.

[Matt Spencer]

It was from the Goat Rodeo Sessions and is called "Here and Heaven"

[JEStanek]

JeffD wrote: Maybe Thile will do a live album someday. Or what do they call it, "live in front of a studio audience".

Ummm. He has. Live Duets with Mike Marshall. As much as we love him (or don't as the case may be), I wonder about the commercial viability of a live recoring of one of these concerts given the expense and effort required. I'm looking forward to Pt 2 more than a live record. I'll fully admit, if I could get a live version of that show, I would.

Jamie

[Matt Spencer]

One thing that I forgot to mention in my previous posting. It was amazing to here a Loyd Loar mandolin playing the music it was designed to play. I am not saying that they are not great over all instruments capable of playing any style of music, It was just something else to here it being used for its intended purpose.

[Wolfboy]

Oh I'm going to make everybody so jealous now...

Last Saturday I led a mandolin workshop at Strathmore Music Center in Rockville MD, and part of the deal was that the 30 students and I were invited to a pre-show meet-and-greet with Chris in the hall before his show there last night...during which he was nice enough to play the Fuga from the A Minor Sonata for us, which wasn't on the concert program. (!) Then he answered questions about Bach, his Loar, pick grip, etc., signed autographs, chatted, and was every bit as friendly and warm and approachable and good-humored as everybody says he is. And the show was as amazing as everybody else in this thread has reported. (The Loar sounded absolutely incredible, and I got to hear it both up close and far back.)

[Mandomax]

For people attending the show tonight in Gainesville- anybody going to the preperformance discussion beforehand? says it starts at 6:45PM. I don't know who is leading it, or if it will resemble Robin's experience above. I will probably attend. I am beyond stoked for this show- I have front row, dead center seats. I probably won't need a seat, since I will be levitating with excitement.
-Max

[KyleG_MandolinMuse]

Ok, it’s been a week since the concert at Koerner Hall in Toronto, so I think I’ve digested it enough to make a few comments about the experience. First off, I should say that it was the BEST Thile experience I’ve had yet. I’ve seen him three times now – once with Nickel Creek, once with The Punch Brothers, and now on his solo tour – and was impressed every time. All three experiences were considerably different, of course, and all had their merit – it was through Nickel Creek that I developed an interest in the mandolin, and they were my introduction down the wonderful roads that are the mandolin, and bluegrass music. (I feel like that last comment is one that should be shared on the thread debating the value of Alan Jackson’s contribution to “bluegrass;” I was, at one point, the young person sitting and listening to a mandolin for the first time saying “what is THAT, and where do I get one. . . “ and I don’t think that even early Nickel Creek would be fully accepted by the hardcore bluegrass fuzz. But I digress.) The Nickel Creek concert held a lot of sentimental value for me, as it was a part of their final tour – I was fortunate enough to get to see them in the beautiful concert hall at Goshen College, and the experience was completely satisfying, if not a little bittersweet for what it signified. That said, I think by that time everyone new that Thile himself was pretty tired of playing Nickel Creek material for fans that wanted only to hear their favourites from the first album.

The Punch Brothers concert was a different experience altogether. First of all, we were jammed in a little club in Toronto, and had to wait forever before TPB even came on stage. I realize that this is a standard part of nightclub culture, but for those of us who had a two hour drive to get home, and had to go to work the next day, it’s a bit much. They were all phenomenal, of course, and Thile was even better than when I saw him with Nickel Creek. However, the entire experience was unsettling, even tiring by the end, because I felt like The Punch Brothers had nothing to offer except their remarkable talent as a band. Considering that Thile was in a particularly dark and troubled state himself for a few years, I think I can appreciate why the whole concert experience seemed to be missing something. I remember standing there thinking: “ok, these guys are amazing, I’ve been waiting years to see them play live, and yet I’m ready for this concert to be over because I’m tired of this.” It was a strange feeling to say the least, because I LOVE live music.

The experience last Friday in Toronto was a completely different experience, and perhaps more like the one with Nickel Creek. Chris was spectacular as a musician and an entertainer, and I couldn’t ignore the sense that he is far more settled personally. His banter with the audience was at once cheeky and sincere, and seemed entirely authentic. His singing and playing was stratospheric, and the structure of the show was brilliant. As I’ve reflected on it, I think that what was the most fulfilling was the fact that Chris has finally found a way to tap into something far bigger than himself AND present it to people in a way that challenges him and satisfies both musician and audience. This is what was missing in The Punch Brothers concert, even though the music proper was great. I’m convinced that tapping into Bach, and incorporating such a tremendous tradition into a set, has Chris feeling like he’s taking part in something way bigger than what he could offer on his own. It’s why he’s almost giddy with delight when he gets to play it for people who appreciate it. I could have sat for hours more listening to him play and discuss the material he brought with him on this tour, and I consider it a privilege to have been able to be a part of it as an audience member. The fact that it was performed on one of the finest mandolins ever crafted only added to the experience – it was not the substance of the experience.

Enough philosophizing though. . .

[marcodamusician]

wolfboy, i'm jealous as I live in the area but was and still am looking at property in AZ. Strathmore is such a lovely place. I remember the old Strathmore but the new venue is lovely.

[Manistee]

Thile in Atlanta last night at Emory's Schwartz Center. What an awesome experience hearing Chris in an environment designed to allow the audience to appreciate the artist and their instrument like you were sitting right in front of them (maybe better?). I am used to seeing bands at bars and smaller music venues, but can't imagine enjoying this show any other way.

Chris mixed it up a lot (Rabbit in a Log shortly after the opening Bach piece!), and it just worked. My wife was there with me - no big goofy mandolin fan like me - and really enjoyed the show too. Banter in between songs also great - explained some things, cool dry sense of humor all around.

Just a great night. Anybody else there?

[Larry S Sherman]

Another video from the tour:

[Bluetickhound]

Thile in Atlanta last night at Emory's Schwartz Center. What an awesome experience hearing Chris in an environment designed to allow the audience to appreciate the artist and their instrument like you were sitting right in front of them (maybe better?). I am used to seeing bands at bars and smaller music venues, but can't imagine enjoying this show any other way.

Chris mixed it up a lot (Rabbit in a Log shortly after the opening Bach piece!), and it just worked. My wife was there with me - no big goofy mandolin fan like me - and really enjoyed the show too. Banter in between songs also great - explained some things, cool dry sense of humor all around.

Just a great night. Anybody else there?

I wish... I had a family function going on and couldn't be there. Was it a sold out show? I've never been to Schwartz... how many folks does it hold?

[Mandomax]

my report on the Gainesville, FL show- breathtaking, awe-inspiring, electrifying- I am out of superlatives. It was like watching someone do ballet on a tightrope above the grand canyon. His musicality and showmanship were unparalleled. I've seen Thile since he was a young'un, and he has definitely matured on-stage. As far as the picking- unbelievable. He used all elements of the mando, from the strings behind the nut, to tapping the face. During the Fiona Apple song, he was even using hybrid picking, grabbing the higher courses with his ring and middle finger. His memory is incredible. One of the greatest concerts I've had the pleasure to witness. the muscles in my face hurt from smiling so much- all I could say after the show was "That was bananas."

[OldSausage]

Thile in Atlanta last night at Emory's Schwartz Center. What an awesome experience hearing Chris in an environment designed to allow the audience to appreciate the artist and their instrument like you were sitting right in front of them (maybe better?). I am used to seeing bands at bars and smaller music venues, but can't imagine enjoying this show any other way.

Chris mixed it up a lot (Rabbit in a Log shortly after the opening Bach piece!), and it just worked. My wife was there with me - no big goofy mandolin fan like me - and really enjoyed the show too. Banter in between songs also great - explained some things, cool dry sense of humor all around.

Just a great night. Anybody else there?

Yes, I was there too, and I completely agree. I've never heard a mandolin sound as good as his did in that room.

[danielpatrick]

I was there as well. Great show! As soon as my ears adjusted the sound was perfect! Although, when he first came out I couldn't understand who he dedicated the show to. Did anyone catch that?

Yes, I was there too, and I completely agree. I've never heard a mandolin sound as good as his did in that room.