Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert Night 2

Night 2 started out much the same as Night 1. Tom Hanks then Jerry Lee Lewis (this time doing Great Balls of Fire).

Aretha Frankin was, well Aretha Franklin. It was ok for me but nothing special. Annie Lennox and Lenny Kravitz were her guests and ended up being the least interesting pairings. In fact they didn't mesh well at all.

Baby I Love You
Don't Play That Song
Make Them Hear You
Chain of Fools (with Annie Lennox)
New York, New York
Think (with Lenny Kravitz)
Respect

Jeff Beck is a genius. There are not enough adjectives to describe his playing. His set was a clinic on how to play guitar and I loved it. I do think Clapton would have gone over better with the crowd as the material is more familiar. Buddy Guy was really good, but Billy Gibbons song choice was...odd to say the least. Rough Boy is just about the worst ZZ Top song ever. Puzzling. Everything ended with Jeff's version of A Day In The Life. Stunning.

Drown In My Own Tears
People Get Ready (with Sting)
Freeway Jam
Cause We've Ended Up as Lovers
Let Me Love You (Buddy Guy)
Big Block
Rice Pudding
Rough Boy (Billy Gibbons)
Foxey Lady (Billy Gibbons)
A Day In The Life

James Hetfield: "We're Metallica and this is what we do". For Whom the Bell Tolls.

That pretty much says it all. Metallica were great last night. Touring all year has them playing like a well oiled machine. Lou Reed looked confused. Ozzy was Ozzy and Ray Davies was great. All in all an excellent set.

For Whom the Bell Tolls
One
Turn The Page
Sweet Jane (Lou Reed)
White Light White Heat (Lou Reed)
Iron Man (Ozzy)
Paranoid (Ozzy)
You Reall Got Me (Ray Davies)
All Day and All of the Night (Ray Daivies)
Stone Cold Crazy
Enter Sandman

U2 hits the stage at around 11:45. No tape backing, just them which was cool. If there is such a thing as look key U2 this was it. Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith join them for Because the Night. The Black Eyed Peas come out for one (not familiar with their stuff....they came out during Mysterious Ways) and stay. Gimmie Shelter starts and Fergie is dancing and singing the chick intro and out comes...Mick Jagger. The Garden goes ape shit. Mick sticks around for another with U2 and after Beautiful Day it's all over. Just an hour long, but is was a great hour.

Vertigo

Magnificent

Because The Night (Bruce & Patti Smith)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (With Springsteen)

Mysterious Ways > Where Is The Love > One (with Black Eyed Peas)
Gimmie Shelter (With Mick Jagger & Fergie)

Stuck Inside a Moment

Beautiful Day

The show was about 2 hours shorter than Thursday and in many ways Night 1 was a better show, at least for me. However the highlights last night were BIG. All in all it was two amazing nights of music. I'm glad I live in NY.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts

I was lucky enough to get tickets to both nights. Way up high but in the building. Ticket prices are a joke $79.50 to $2450.50 (and some of these are not even on the floor). These two nights have the potential to be very special. Here is the press release from the Hall of Fame...

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary with Two Groundbreaking Concerts

U2, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Simon & Garfunkel, Metallica, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills Nash & Friends and Eric Clapton along with Special Guests Set to Perform in Concert at Madison Square Garden

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 22, 2009: Music’s biggest stars – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, U2, Paul Simon, Metallica, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends, Simon and Garfunkel – will come together on October 29th and 30th at Madison Square Garden for two unique concerts celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The shows, presented by American Express, will be packed with guest stars and unique collaborations designed to tell the story of rock and roll. American Express® Cardmembers have access to advance tickets through ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000 starting 9 a.m. on Monday, July 27th. Additional sponsorship support for the event is being provided by Bacardi.

Each night will feature entirely different line-ups, with artists performing their own songs and the music that inspired them –tracing the history of genres ranging from soul to hard rock. All proceeds raised will go towards creating a permanent endowment for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum. “Twenty-five years ago a group led by legendary Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun created this foundation to recognize and celebrate the music and careers of artists whose music helped shape and define our generation,” said Jann Wenner, Founder and Chairman of Rolling Stone and Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “These once-in-a-lifetime concerts are designed to celebrate the artists and their music.” A creative team of Tom Hanks and his producing partner Gary Goetzman, Wenner, singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson, Academy Award®-winning screenwriter, director Cameron Crowe and several others will work with the artists to curate the show through the live performances and filmed segments. Joel Gallen, the producer/director behind the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies and the MTV Movie Awards (1995-2006), will direct the show and oversee the 25th Anniversary Celebration along with the creative consultants.

This event is being presented in conjunction with the American Express Concert Series. American Express offers Cardmembers the exclusive opportunity to purchase advanced tickets to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebration, prior to public. Tickets will be available for purchase with an American Express Card through ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000, from 9 a.m. Monday, July 27th, through Sunday, August 2nd at 9 p.m. Tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning Monday, August 3rd at 9 a.m.

The Rock and Roll of Fame Foundation and Museum’s anniversary celebration will also extend beyond the concerts, with both a book and a deluxe DVD set to be released this fall. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The First 25 Years, chronicling 25 years of induction ceremonies, will be published by Collins Design (an imprint of HarperCollins) in September. In August, Time Life will issue a nine-DVD boxed set of highlights of the past induction ceremonies, featuring speeches and all-star performances, many that have never before seen by the public.

Performing on October 29th will be:

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Simon & Garfunkel

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends

Paul Simon

Stevie Wonder

Performing on October 30th will be:

Eric Clapton

Aretha Franklin

Metallica

U2