Ray Lamontagne

[Karen]

Still painfully shy, LaMontagne loves playing the gigantic, impersonal venues. "I always hated playing clubs," he says. "I need space between me and the audience — and the more space the better. Intimate shows feel weird. People want to know you and that sort of feels like folk music, where you want to artist to be your friend. I just can't stand it."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/180774

[carla_k_bailey]

Thank goodness Grace doesn't feel that way. It is her personal feel that keeps bringing me back for more!

[Karen]

Grace to Ray : Apples to Oranges

2008: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4956727.ece

So it’s pretty amazing to see him put himself out there.

[Trish]

Just bought his new album and am loving it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm_XebMavGk

[Karen]

Ray LaMontagne interview (http://www.acguitar.com/article/default.aspx?articleid=25705) in December 2010 “Acoustic Guitar” magazine:

For someone whose business is creating organic-sounding acoustic music, is there a sort of digital-world pressure that gets exerted upon you?
LaMONTAGNE The music business is weird. The music that I’m making draws such a wide range—the audience is very diverse. High school kids come to the show, all the way up to people my mom’s age, and it’s not one more than the other—it’s from 15 to 65. And so from the record label, there’s a lot of pressure. They constantly want it to go to the next level. It’s so close to this thing they call a “crossover,” where it goes on to commercial radio. It’s always on the cusp of that. It’s like [I’m] walking this line where, if they could just push me just a little bit more in a certain direction, I could cross over and it would be massive, you know? But the records that I love and the music that I love, it’s just not that. I don’t have any interest in that world. I don’t want to hang out at the right clubs and go to the right parties and all that stuff. Another pop artist once told me, “You need to get your face out there more, Ray.” It was his opinion, I won’t name any names, but that was his advice to me. I don’t want to.

Lots more good stuff in this issue, including free CD featuring acoustic guitar greats.

[Karen]

I saw Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs two nights ago, with openers The Secret Sisters and Brandi Carlile - it was wonderful, beginning to end. But I must get a camera. Smart phone doesn't even do as well as old cellphone.

-->My Review<-- (http://4kiki.posterous.com/pages/ssbcrm)


-->A Real Review<-- (http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/music/blog/2011/06/CONCERT-REVIEW-Ray-LaMontagne-and-the-Pariah-Dogs-at-CMAC/)

[toofarnorth]

Glad you had a great show !
Hated to miss Ray LaMontagne, well, all of them actually, when they played in Bangor. That non-music life stuff can be so inconvenient ! ;-]
The reviewer's comments made me wonder if the majority of the audience was used to the early RLM ? Know I'd certainly have a hard time sitting quietly in a seat for some of the songs from the last album played by the Pariah Dogs !

Coincidental to your post I found a still active video of RLM's "Live-On-Letterman" performance this morning. Ties in nicely to your post . . . 93xrt radio
(http://wxrt.radio.com/2011/05/11/ray-lamontage-rivets-crowd-with-haunting-live-on-letterman-performance/)
Repo Man
New York City’s Killing Me
God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise
Beg, Steal or Borrow
Are We Really Through?
The Love is Over
Old Before Your Time
For The Summer
Like Rock & Roll and Radio
Henry Nearly Killed Me (and it’s a Shame)



Actually Ray is live on that radio station right now (1:40 p.m.) . . . link (http://player.radio.com/player/RadioPlayer.php?version=1.2.11472&station=54)

[Karen]

Thanks, toofar. I played the entire RLM set you linked here and have to say that it was very different on a large stage at an outdoor venue (open on three sides). The band was way more relaxed and looser.

Also, I don’t know where that reviewer was sitting, but I heard plenty of support from all over – inside and out back on the lawn. People don’t get on their feet much in that venue, but there were quite a few around me dancing some. And people don’t have to be screaming and whistling to be enjoying the music. Are we there to listen, or to proclaim "I'm listening"? :rolleyes: Not to put them down, just saying the reviewer was generalizing too much.

I wasn't sure I'd like the new stuff, but did - very much. There was a perfect mix of old and new. The first song Ray walked out and did solo was new, was beautiful, was like this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcM-xyHtSYQ

[toofarnorth]

The band was way more relaxed and looser.
On the big stage ? or the one they did for TV ?

"Rock & Roll and the Radio" is one of my favorites on the new album. Trouble and God Willin' And The Creek Don't Rise are his stand out albums for me.
There are a a few songs from Till the Sun Turns Black and Gossip in the Grain that I play but almost never listen to either full album.

[Karen]

On the big stage ? or the one they did for TV ?

I meant the concert setting was so much better than the confined space and nerves of television.

Another new song that I love (even though it might be a breakup song - but we don’t know the other side so I’m hopeful):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPdNuomOFB4


Reference - Richard Manuel

"Whispering Pines" (the other voice is Levon Helm)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKnPYcsf508


-->Richard Manuel wiki bio<-- (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Manuel)

[kcsunapee64]

Tix for Ray at The Orpheum in Boston Fri 11/23 on sale 9/14 at 10am!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0100490AA2FE6869?artistid=935501&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1