Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November

Subject: Tim O'Brien
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 10:43 AM

Tim O'Brian played to a large crowd at Hugh's Room, Toronto, on Sunday night. He did a lot of songs from his new album Chameleon. My favourite parts of the night, though, were when he picked up his lonely old-time fiddle. Ooooh....aaaahhh!!!!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Tim O'Brien
From: John Hardly
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 11:00 AM

I've been a huge fan since the earliest Hot Rize years. I think I have everything he's recorded. Go here to listing 477 and you can see some really nice video -- some from that new Chameleon CD.

Subject: RE: Tim O'Brien
From: Wesley S
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 11:28 AM

Yep - One of the best out there no matter what hat he's wearing. Singer-songwriter, mandolin player, guitar, fiddle ,zouk, clawhammer banjo and a darn fine singer too. He seems to do it all - depressingly well. If I get reincarnated I want to have his job when I get back.

Subject: RE: Tim O'Brien
From: nickp
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 11:44 AM

He's touring in the UK in November

12 Nov The Forge at the Anvil, Basingstoke
13 Nov The Greennote, London
14 Nov Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead, Wirral
15 Nov National Centre For Early Music, St. Margaret's Church, York
17 Nov The Courtyard Centre For The Arts, Hereford
19 Nov The Met, Bury, Lancs
20 Nov The Customs House, South Shields
21 Nov The Wesley Centre, Maltby, Rotherham
23 Nov Twick Folk, Cabbage Patch Pub, Twickenham

Subject: RE: Tim O'Brien
From: peregrina
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 12:16 PM

UK tour--yay!

Subject: RE: Tim O'Brien
From: Effsee
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 12:52 PM

Sob!!! THAT is an English tour! Ochone, ochone...

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 01:45 PM

Why did this thread get renamed? I began this thread and I live in Canada. This is not a thread about his English tour...although the information can be included...it is a thread about Tim O'Brien. If anything it should be renamed: Tim O'Brien / Cameleon.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: John Hardly
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 01:50 PM

Why did this thread get renamed?

Because for some reason this has become a UK folk music site.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 03:04 PM

Yes, I've been actually meaning to say something about that. But it's hard to talk about....I have friends over there in jolly old...who I met here at the 'Cat. But quite honestly, it's pretty weird to have one's thread renamed in such a blantly slanted way.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: peregrina
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 03:11 PM

I know nothing about the renaming.
Tim-concerts on this side of the Atlantic are much rarer though, and have sometimes been in remote venues, whereas the US tour dates are, well, more frequent, more widely scattered, and usually posted with more advance notice. (Incidentally, it seems he'll also be at Celtic Connections 2009)

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: peregrina
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 03:16 PM

what I meant was, a Tim O'Brien tour in the US isn't so news-/-thread-worthy.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 03:28 PM

Peregrina - I think I know what you meant, but ALL of us here at the Mudcat - ANY of us - have the right to start a thread from where WE are and where WE live. I initiated this thread to talk about Tim, his new CD, and my response to hearing him play and sing live last weekend. I'm not from the US by the way, I'm from Canada, and he doesn't come here all that often either. Nonetheless, whether it is newsworthy or not..."my" thread was never meant to be about the US or Canada or England or Antarctica.   I am sorry that it has become just that.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: John Hardly
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 03:48 PM

I was fortunate enough to have seen Hot Rize the year Charles Sawtelle died. It was at the beautiful, intimate, State Theater in Kalamzoo. (I was sitting right behind Joel Mabus, by the way).

Just this past week I've been learning "She's Running Away" and "One Girl Cried" from his "Rock In My Shoes" CD. They are both great examples of what a fine writer O'Brien is. I can't think of another artist that covers the breadth of material Tim does.

I was also lucky enough to see him during the "Crossings" tour -- with Kennedy and Carroll and Doyle and Powell it was an amazing lineup. Twin fiddles of O'Brien and Carroll was otherworldly. The concluded with Kennedy's double whistle opening to "Norweigian Wood". This concert was at the Goshen College theater, and I was lucky enough to be in the second row, dead center.

Few people's music have affected me so profoundly as O'Brien's.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: Wesley S
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 04:10 PM

I was able to see both "Hot Rize" about a year and a half ago and one of Tim's solo {American} concerts. It was at the Noth Texas Irish Festival to be exact. Both were sublime musical experiences. I got to chat with him for just a minute after the Irish Festival appearance and he seemed to be a very pleasant and patient individual.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 04:32 PM

He had a coughing-type of cold at this recent Toronto show, which marred the performance somewhat - especially because he just looked like going to bed early would have been a really good thing for him that night - but that might also be why I favoured his fiddle playing. What a voice though, anyway, despite the cold....and great song-writing and song-interpreting.

A few years back he played Hugh's Room with his sister Molly. Now THAT was quite a night to remember!

Wherever he's playing, here or there, hither or yon, you can't go wrong. Go hear him!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 07:30 PM

Sorry to be pedantic but this thread can't be called a Review till after the event... howzabout just putting a "P" at the front??

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 08:32 PM

Ah, but you see...there's the problem. I did begin this thread AFTER the concert I saw. It had nothing to do with England (at the time).

Sigh...

~b.w.

(P.S. Thank you J.H. and W.S. for trying to get this back on track!)

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: peregrina
Date: 09 Nov 08 - 04:45 PM

Tim O'Brien UK tour starts next week!

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: Effsee
Date: 09 Nov 08 - 10:27 PM

..."It had nothing to do with England (at the time)."... England is not the UK(alone)!

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: evansakes
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 11:11 AM

Saw him at the Green Note last night. Excellent as always...and better still he's coming to TwickFolk on 23rd....yay!

Mostly the gig was solo but he is touring with another musician who I think is also doing the road managing.

Didn't catch his name but he played guitar on a few numbers. Pretty well too!

Plenty of tickets left for Tim at TwickFolk. It'll be the last night of this tour so let's give him a good send-off!

TwickFolk at THE CABBAGE PATCH PUB
67 London Road
TWICKENHAM
Middlesex TW1 3SZ

Sundays at 8 PM

My Space             www.MySpace.com/TwickFolk
Advance Tickets       www.wegottickets.com/location/466
Website               www.TwickenhamFolkClub.com

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: peregrina
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 05:24 AM

apparently a few tickets left for this evening's gig at the NCEM York

Subject: RE: Review: Tim O'Brien/UK Tour in November
From: peregrina
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 06:02 PM

Fantastic concert to a full house at the NCEM York--always a great venue, great sound, and for once, it was warm enough!

Mainly Tim solo, but a few with Jason Titley (not sure if that's how it's spelled) on guitar and drum. A wide range of songs and a few tunes. Many from the most recent CD Chameleon, but also Traveler, Cornbread Nation, Fiddlers Green, The Crossing, Real Time, even 'Lay Down your Weary Tune' from Red on Blonde.
Great patter too (the story about the Obama sign in Tim's front yard in Nashville)... From the first song, 'Kelly Joe's Shoes' to the encore, 'A Mountaineer is always free', rapt attention and enthusiasm...

Definitely a catch-if-you-can.