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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
 Posted - 03/09/2002 : 09:48:55 AM
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This is the second time I've seen Led solo. The first time I was amazed, this time I was enthralled. I don't know if it was the venue, the audience, Led's mood, or the phase of the moon, but it seemed at times like Led had invited us to a party in his backyard. I've never seen a performer so open, so free, so generous with himself. One of the hosts for the evening was a Big Island lady from Kalapana, so maybe that was the inspiration.
He was using his Martin 000-18, with the tone and volume knobs in the upper shoulder and the detuner on the bottom string. He used the detuner to switch the bottom string from D down to C. He played most of the night in taropatch and drop C (Leonard's C). He also had a uke I haven't seen before - a Graziano tenor with a spruce top but no soundhole, and tone and volume knobs on the top. The sound was really wonderful from both instruments. Led was adding a touch of echo on some songs, and he was really dialing it in just right.
I'm sorry to say I didn't write a set list, so I'll forget most of the tunes he played. My wife and I noticed that he wasn't just repeating the "Led Live" CD - some of the tunes were unfamiliar to us, and others were completely rearranged. One that really knocked me over was "Koke`e," a Dennis Kamakahi number that Led did as an instrumental on the "Black Sand" CD. At the show he sang it, and it was really chicken skin. Actually I started getting chills from the first number, and went back and forth from goose bumps to giggles as he went from singing to story telling to playing. For some reason Led was really cutting loose on the uke - absolutely virtuoso stuff, and yet free flowing and obviously in the moment. He did "Spanish Eyes," a marching band medley!!! and several others, but perhaps my favorite was a version of "Mauna Loa Slack Key" on the uke, complete with poi-mixing (fretting with the back of his hand, his arm, complete show-off stuff).
The host and her daughter took to the floor, and then the stage, to add hula to the mele, and that seemed to delight Ledward. His already big grin got bigger, and he started mugging and eyeballing the dancers and the crowd. He looked like he was having so much fun he should be paying us!
So how to summarize - basically, if you get a chance to see Ledward live, you HAVE TO GO. He is one of the world's most amazing performers.
Fran
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Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2002 : 10:21:17 AM
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Led has always been an amazing musician, and like fine wine, he just keeps getting better and better. It's a joy to see him now performing solo (and loving it!).
Although his current mainland tour is winding down, he will be back again in August -- with the very talented Owana Salazar:
http://www.owanasalazar.com
Tour dates will be posted as soon as the promoter finalizes them:
http://www.mele.com/ConcertCalendar.cgi
-- auntie maria |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2002 : 7:10:42 PM
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Thanks for breaking the ice Fran - 1st performance post. 
I love seeing Led live and it has been a while. Saw him play years ago in Boston with Bob Brozman. Then, saw him a couple years back with Ikona at what used to be the Hawaiian Regent. I've seen him twice and still listen in near disbelief at the sweet falsetto coming out of that guy. And he seems to play with a child-like enjoyment that is quite contagious.
I enjoyed listening to Led (along with George Kahumoku, Jr., Keoki Kahumoku, and Noelani Mahoe & the Leo Nahenahe Singers) on the Prairie Home Companion show last January. Led is a virtuoso on any stringed instrument it seems. On PHC, it was evident after playing the song "Chloe" when Garrison Keillor asked Led, "Is it true you never heard that song before yesterday?"
Boy can Ledward play! Thanks for sharing the show with us.
Andy |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2002 : 8:05:39 PM
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By the way, Andy, Lance was at the show as well.
Fran
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