Bruce Hornsby setlists 2023

Here is our list of Bruce Hornsby 2023 setlists. Please feel free to e-mail Si with any additions or amendments to this list. Thanks to those who have contributed below!

Setlists will be added as Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers hit the road and begin their 2023 tour. Also don’t forget to check our live concert archive for downloads!

01/20/23 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Scottsdale, AZ
Study #22 > Preacher in the Ring Part 1 > (Catenaires) – all piano and Chad Wright drum duo, Preacher in the Ring Part 2, Cast-Off, End of the Innocence, Days Ahead, Funhouse, JT organ intro > The Way It Is > Spider Fingers > The Way It Is, Bright Star Cast, Is This It*, MIA in M.I.A.M.I. > Dirty Water > MIA in M.I.A.M.I.*, Valley Road*, Shadow Hand*, Prairie Dog Town*, John Mailander fiddle/Chad Wright drum duo intro > Jacob’s Ladder**, Anything Can Happen, Tango King, Mandolin Rain
Encore: Nobody There But Me
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesSo good to catch up with the band after a couple of months, and we jumped in solidly right away (with the help of a good, lengthy sound-check!). Played a lot of requests.

01/22/23 Fox Tucson Theater – Tucson, AZ
See the Same Way, Cyclone, My Resolve, JT Organ Intro > The Way It Is, Long Tall Cool One, Meds, The Show Goes On, Every Little Kiss*, LIDAR*, Echolocation*, Over the Rise*, Pete & Manny**, On the Western Skyline**, Too Much Monkey Business, Look Out Any Window
Encore: Swan Song
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesHadn’t played “The Show Goes On” in a while, a young man shamed me into it with a passionate written request. I ran into him this morning in the airport and had a nice visit, both flying home from the concert. Same with “Swan Song”, and “Days Ahead” two nights before, supporters detailing how many times they have requested said song and how (in the case of “Days Ahead”) they were 0-6 during the last year!

03/23/23 Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – Troy, NY
My Resolve, The Road Not Taken, Sidelines, Every Little Kiss, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > (L’Escalier du Diable), Song C, Swan Song, The Way It Is > Changes (Tupac Shakur) > Valley Road, Continents Drift, Cyclone, Spider Fingers > Questions And Answers, End of the Innocence > Sun Bear Theme, White Noise > Country Doctor, Nobody There But Me
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesAs I was sitting backstage going through the requests collected from the stage, ten minutes before the concert started, I noticed a rare situation; that there were no songs requested that had been written, recorded and released after 1998 (Spirit Trail was well-represented, and the most recent). I went out and mentioned this right away, and instantly stated “since I’m in New York State I’m going to open with a song that was selected by the New York Times as one of the best pop songs of 2020!” and played My Resolve to very nice crowd appreciation, then went back 35 years ago for The Road Not Taken to solid response, and then followed with the Ezra Koenig duet song from Flicted, “Sidelines”, to fairly ecstatic response. So even though much of the crowd was not up on the latest (although one person yelled for “Fractals” and another for “LIDAR”- fellow science nerds with me), they were open and responsive to the newer music. So thanks, Troy friends, for being interested in all of it. Never hurts to have a top-notch piano and a very nice-sounding old hall.

03/25/23 McCarter Theatre – Princeton, NJ
Sticks and Stones, Song F > Lost in the Snow, Days Ahead, Look Out Any Window, L’Escalier du Diable > (one line of Free Bird), (The Blinding Light Of Dreams), Hooray For Tom,. Shadow Hand, Shadowland, End of the Innocence > Song A > Sun Bear Theme, Preacher in the Ring Part 1 > Webern’s Variation #2 > (Catenaires), Fortunate Son, Valley Road, Shit’s Crazy Out Here, Mandolin Rain (minor key), The Way It Is > Goldberg Variation #3 > Sister Rosa > Changes (Shakur), Spider Fingers > Twelve Tone Tune
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesMostly a night of requests from the engaged audience at Princeton, including a good wise-ass shouted request for “Free Bird meets Bartok”; I gave him the piece from Bartok’s fellow Hungarian titan Gyorgy Ligeti into one Ronnie Van Zant line- strange bedfellows! Played “Shit’s Crazy” in honor of the Princeton basketball team’s stellar NCAA tournament performance, so the audience received a good dose of the modern to go with several old chestnuts.

03/26/23 Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY
Harbor Waltz > Harbor Lights, Sidelines, Meds, The Way It Is, 20/20 Vision > Night on the Town, The Hound, End of the Innocence > Sun Bear Theme, Love Me Still, Cast-Off, Soon Enough, Mandolin Rain (minor key), Study #22 > Talk of the Town, Halcyon Days
Encore: I’ve Just Seen a Face, Fortunate Son
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesSuch a great night in old Tarrytown, at a venue I’ve played for years. Got to play some favorites, like Halcyon Days, Meds, Sidelines, and Fortunate Son (a song I often don’t play because it’s hard to sing and sometimes I don’t have the voice for it- not a problem this weekend!) Plus the first post-Carnegie version of the old Macca favorite “Seen A Face” Mostly I’m just trying to add to the small coterie of nerds and geeks (like me) who like “The Hound”!

05/28/23 Dark Star Jubilee – Thornville, OH
Bright Star Cast, My Resolve, Little Sadie > White-Wheeled Limousine, The Way It Is, Stander on the Mountain, Cyclone, Valley Road*, Prairie Dog Town*, Rainbow’s Cadillac
Notes: * denotes dulcimer
Hide Bruce's notesWe really enjoyed our time in the Dark Star Orchestra scene; everyone was very gracious and welcoming, and we appreciated their allowing us to go a bit over the allotted set time when we (I) lost sight of the schedule. Fun to get back into live playing groove, fun to feature Dead-related songs throughout the set, and also enjoyable to connect with The Wailers afterward (bus next to bus!).

05/31/23 Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall – Munhall, PA
Cast-Off, The Chill, Funhouse, End Of The Innocence >  Sun Bear Theme, Swing Street, Never in This House, Intro > Absolute Zero, Look Out Any Window, M.I.A. In M.I.A.M.I.*, Every Little Kiss*, Shadow Hand*, John/Chad duet Intro > Jacob’s Ladder**, The Old Kentucky Shore, Piano Intro > Bach Goldberg Variation #1 > The Way It Is, Cruise Control
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesPlaying to an extremely knowledgeable audience with so many interesting requests made this concert a joy from the start. Most everything on the set list came from the plethora of papers handed to me right before we entered the stage. “The Old Kentucky Shore,” on the other hand, just seemed sort of geographically appropriate.

06/01/23 Strand Theater – York, PA
Resting Place, Sneaking up on Boo Radley, Days Ahead, The Way It Is > (Super Freak), Meds, Tango King, Across The River, Tropical Cashmere Sweater*, Rehab Reunion*, Every Little Kiss*, LIDAR*, Valley Road, Halcyon Days, Down The Road Tonight
Encore: Fields of Gray, Mandolin Rain
Notes: * denotes dulcimer
Hide Bruce's notesPlaying the Strand (as we grizzled hooples have called it for thirty- plus years) has always been a pleasure; the sound on stage during soundcheck was sublime, and continued to be during the concert (that doesn’t always happen!). When everyone can hear clearly, the gig has a chance to be especially spontaneous and improvisatory, and this was such a night. Requests comprised most of the set list, and led me to such disparate combos as “Halcyon Days” into “Down The Road Tonight”, “Rehab Reunion” into “Every Little Kiss”, “LIDAR” into “Valley Road”, “Meds” into “Tango King”!

06/03/23 Town Hall – New York, NY
Bright Star Cast, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune >  (L’Escalier Du Diable) (Ligeti), Absolute Zero, End of the Innocence, Little Sadie > Steps > White-Wheeled Limousine > Just One More, Long Tall Cool One, Never in This House, Meds >  I’ve Been Loving You Too Long, Spider Fingers > Tempus Fugit > Questions & Answers,  Over the Rise, The Way It Is
Notes: Noisemakers show with Christian McBride, John Scofield and Kenny Garrett.
Hide Bruce's notesThis was an EPIC night. Christian McBride with his unsurpassed rhythmic precision, DEEP groove, joie de vivre and knowledge, John Scofield with his unique angular melodicism, glorious flights of fancy and serious preparation work on my material, and Kenny Garrett with his with his beautiful tone, impeccable taste and mastery of his instrument(s), brought such powerful presences to the music and overall feeling on stage that elevated the proceedings in such a profound fashion. I think these collaborations will continue now and then, and the whole band looks forward to some future return engagements. Our guys were deep in it as well, and did fantastic jobs hanging with and supporting our guests. We will all remember this one.

06/04/23 Maryland Hall – Annapolis, MD
Red Plains, The Blinding Light Of Dreams >  L’Escalier Du Diable, Cyclone, Walk in the Sun, Lost Soul,  Swing Street,  Mandolin Rain, Is This It*, Green, Green Rocky Road*,  Valley Road*, Prairie Dog Town*, Pete and Manny**, piano intro > a Fractals-inspired version of The Way It Is, Hooray for Tom, Sunflower Cat > Woman to Woman
Encore: The Show Goes On
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesWe played in a nice small hall in an old high school not unlike Revolution Hall in Portland, OR, with (once again) very nice acoustics, so we had another very musical night featuring (once again!) lots of requests and an engaged crowd. A solid 6 of 16 songs were from the 1986-1990 period on this night, with the features (for me) being “Lost Soul,” a special 1990 duet with Shawn Colvin, and a “Fractals”-esque version of “Way It Is” spurred on by an insistent audience member who requested “Fractals” on paper and then vocally from the house. Plus a cover of the old Dave Van Ronk version of “Green, Green, Rocky Road,” taking us to the early-’60’s Greenwich Village- Bleecker Street folk scene for a spell.

06/06/23 Meymandi Concert Hall – Raleigh, NC
Sidelines (solo piano), Cast-Off, Days Ahead, J.T. Intro >  The Way It Is, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > L’Escalier Du Diable, (Mandolin Wind), Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blues, Funhouse, Bright Star Cast > Magic Mirror, End of the Innocence, Rehab Reunion*, MIA in M.I.A.M.I.,*  > Maggie May*, (Sidelines reprise*), Echolocation*, Valley Road*,  Jacob’s Ladder**, Fortunate Son, My Resolve
Encore: Harbor Waltz, Harbor Lights
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesWe played in a beautiful symphonic hall, similar to the hall in Omaha where Chad, Rob Moose and I played with the Omaha Symphony last October. To take advantage of the acoustics I started solo with “Sidelines” (big request item!), then the band eased in naturally on “Cast-Off.” Kept referencing Rod Stewart because the proceedings led me there. Then Keith Hornsby’s request “My Resolve” soared the highest to close the set, and a very persistent front-row man got his way with the “Harbor Lights” encore!

06/08/23 Coves Amphitheater – Union Hall, VA
My Resolve, Continents Drift, Cyclone, What a Time, The Dreaded Spoon, Mandolin Rain, Preacher in the Ring Part One > Preacher in the Ring Part Two, The Road Not Taken > Working in a Coal Mine > The Road Not Taken Jam, Every Little Kiss*, Black Rats of London*, Echolocation*, Prairie Dog Town*, JT Solo intro > Hymn in C > The Way It Is, Changes (Tupac), Chad Drum solo  > The Way It Is, Country Doctor
Encore: What the Hell Happened to Me
Notes: * denotes dulcimer,
Hide Bruce's notesAfter a run of beautiful indoor venues, we hit the Blue Ridge Mountain countryside for a night graced by perfect weather. Sound on stage proves difficult, at least for our band, on this stage, so perseverance is necessary!The requests had us ranging all over the stylistic map, from “The Dreaded Spoon” to the final song “What The Hell Happened?”, the latter rewarding the requester with, by far, the largest poster-board-sized offering of the tour. “Road Not Taken” and “The Preachers” were highlights for me, along with “Echolocation” and “Black Rats Of London”, requested about twenty times on twenty different sheets of paper from the same determined attendee!

06/10/23 The Caverns – Pelham, TN
New Circus piano intro > Circus on the Moon, John/Chad intro > Great Divide, Candy Mountain Run, Absolute Zero ,Lost Soul, Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blues > The Way It Is, Anything Can Happen, LIDAR*, MIA in M.I.A.M.I. > I Truly Understand*, Valley Road*, Defenders of the Flag**, Mandolin Rain, Across the River, Halcyon Days
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesOur second concert ever at The Caverns was mostly very strong. We sailed along through the first 4/5ths of the gig until we came to the windup, a group of three 1986-90 songs selected in the moment that didn’t, for us, achieve the lift-off that had been happening throughout until then. The crowd response was notably high (maybe an enthusiastic nostalgic reaction) in contrast to my/ our feeling of dissatisfaction (maybe losing an in-the-moment battle with old-song burnout). We got our mojo back on the last song choice, “Halcyon Days”, inspired by two requests for the song detailing in depth how the song had helped someone through tough times. Thanks to the crowd for making us feel so welcome all night long.

06/21/23 Mayo Performing Arts Center – Morristown, NJ
Barren Ground, Cleopatra Drones, Days Ahead, Hey Ma (Bon Iver) . End of the Innocence > Sun Bear Theme,  Fractals, White-Wheeled Limousine, Song H (solo piano), Hooray for Tom, Jacob’s Ladder**, Is This It*, MIA In M.I.A.M.I., Prairie Dog Town, Every Little Kiss (piano version), Funhouse > When in Rome > Got Yourself a Gun (Sopranos Theme), See the Same Way, The Show Goes On > (Mandolin Rain )
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesWe try to achieve lift-off throughout every concert we play. On this night we were able to get there often. Possibly the highest levitation occurred on the opening song, “Barren Ground,” but we were able to follow with “Cleopatra Drones” and “Days Ahead,” songs that came close and were still off the ground at certain points. We had been listening to Imogen Heap and Bon Iver before the concert and so they were in my head, resulting in the homages throughout “Innocence” and “White- Wheeled Limousine.” Requests led to a couple of solo piano-plus areas of the gig- “Song H” into “Hooray For Tom,” and “Every Little Kiss.” “Prairie Dog Town” is pretty much always a high point, as are “Spirit Trail” stalwarts “Funhouse” and “See The Same Way.”It was enjoyable to close with “Show Goes On” (to be featured very soon on the FX show “The Bear”) into “Mandolin Rain.” We loved this gig.

06/23/23 Tanglewood – Lenox, MA
Bright Star Cast, My Resolve, Mandolin Rain, See the Same Way, End of the Innocence, Over the Rise*, Prairie Dog Town*, Tanglewood modern classical piano intro >  (L’Escalier du Diable) > (La Grive Musicienne), The Way It Is, Rainbow’s Cadillac
Notes: * denotes dulcimer. Opening for Steve Miller Band
Hide Bruce's notesOur brief foray into the opening-act world went well. Supporting Steve Miller (or anyone for that matter) at the large Tanglewood venue in Lenox, MA (basically playing for an audience that for the most part is NOT there to hear you) can be a challenge, but it ended up being exhilarating. I wanted to see if we could play ten full songs in the hour allotted, and tightened up song arrangements; still couldn’t do it! In a nod to the fact that Tanglewood serves as the summer home for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, I played an intro featuring parts of two modern classical pieces, and that may have doomed the attempt although I (and the band) felt afterward that it was aesthetically the right move. And the Steve Miller Band sounded just great.

06/24/23 Groton Hill Music Center – Groton, MA
Absolute Zero, Cast-Off, Take You There-, Preacher in the Ring Part One >  Webern Variation #2 > (Catenaires ), Preacher in the Ring, Part Two, (Sad Moon), Walk in the Sun, The Way It Is, Rat King, Tropical Cashmere Sweater*, Shadow Hand*, Valley Road*, Big Stick**, Too Much Monkey Business, Mandolin Rain, Invisible, Sunflower Cat
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesThis brand-new venue (18 months old) was fairly spectacular, as was the audience, and our performance felt special as well. I would play the Groton Hill Music Center again any time.

06/26/23 Ocean City Music Pier – Ocean City, NJ
John/Chad Intro >  Great Divide, Bruce/Gibb Intro > Resting Place, Funhouse, Look Out Any Window, Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blues, Maybe Now, Lost Soul, JT Organ Intro > Bruce piano intro > Shit’s Crazy Out Here > (L’Escalier Du Diable) > The Way It Is, Gibb sitar intro > Is This It*, The Good Life*, Rehab Reunion*,,. Celestial Railroad*, John/Chad Intro >  Jacob’s Ladder**, The Show Goes On, Big Rumble
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesOur band is on a serious roll right now. Even when we had a slight emergency missing man formation onstage, Gibb jumped in with a request (from me) for an intro, picked up the electric sitar, and made instant new special music. We’ve played 80+ different songs of mine so far in the last month, and the band continues to impress with their recall, consistency and stylistic breadth. All hail Noisemakers!

06/28/23 Rochester International Jazz Festival – Rochester, NY
See the Same Way,  Sunflower Cat > Woman To Woman, Cyclone, JT organ intro > Bruce piano intro (Hymn in C) > The Way It Is, Life in the Psychotropics, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley>  Twelve Tone Tune > (L’Escalier Du Diable), Love Me Still, End of the Innocence, Hey Kafka*, MIA In M.I.A.M.I.*, Is This It*, Jacob’s Ladder**, Mandolin Rain, Rainbow’s Cadillac
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesAnd then we come to the Rochester Jazz Festival gig, which presents a different type of challenge. Here we have a free concert in a downtown park space, with around 10,000 patrons attending on a nice summer night. How to play it is the challenge, and I thought I would open with “Spider Fingers” to nod to the “jazz” title and still have an up-tempo opening (the Rochester event showcases more actual jazz than most so-called “jazz” festivals). Then I mentioned this to JV and Chad on the bus, with an alternate choice that was more “large venue”, and they picked the second, seconded by Gibb who emerged from the dark middle depths of the bus. Their choice was the right one, because the crowd wanted to “jam”, and we went from there (two Spirit Trail songs and a Hunter-Hornsby song “Cyclone”, then Way It Is), and we were off and running until the end for a really strong night.

06/30/23 State Theatre – Portland, ME
Sidelines (solo piano),  20/20 Vision > Night on the Town (Bruce/John Mailander duo), Absolute Zero, Every Little Kiss (piano version), Circus on the Moon, (Study #22) > Talk of the Town, Never in This House, Walk in the Sun, Anything Can Happen, Mirror on the Wall*, Soon Enough*, Valley Road*, Prairie Dog Town*, The Long Race**, The Way It Is (in waltz time), Swan Song, White-Wheeled Limousine, Nobody There But Me
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesA wild and freewheeling night ensued from Circus on as the band was prodded by an engaged and ebullient Portland audience ready to receive. Seven songs played for the first time this year kept us on our toes (and had us trying to keep the senior moments at bay!). I’m always ready to reference the great New Englander, Mr. Ives, when in the area. So glad to be back in Maine playing for more people than in years, thanks Portland!

09/06/23 Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC
Gibb Droll/John Mainlander intro: variations on the theme of “Line in the Dust” >  Line in the Dust, John/Chad Wright intro > Great Divide, See the Same Way, Intro based on an opening mistake > The Way It Is., Cast-Off, Days Ahead, End of the Innocence, The Show Goes On, Shadow Hand*, Rehab Reunion*, JT intro while fixing the iPad on the stand > MIA in M.I.A.M.I.*,  Valley Road > Not Dark Yet*, Pete And Manny** > Jacob’s Ladder**, Every Little Kiss (on piano), King of the Hill
Encore: Mandolin Rain
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion
Hide Bruce's notesWe picked up right where we left off in early July. We soundchecked several songs we hadn’t played yet, including “Line In The Dust” in which we went for more of the original record feeling on the drums (lighter, bouncier, more swinging), realized this was the perfect way to play it, and had the confidence to open with it, and wham- finally figured it out after all these years, with a little impromptu Gibb-John intro as a prelude. Had a massive amount of requests and drew from that large pile for several songs (Rehab, King, Cast-Off and more) and loved playing the (again) newly re-arranged “Show Goes On” to strong effect. It was a great night for our band.

09/08/23 Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion – Bristol, TN
Bright Star Cast, My Resolve, Sunflower Cat, The Way It Is, Funhouse, Go Back To Your Woods,  End of the Innocence > Sun Bear Theme, Living in the Sunshine, Drunken Hiccups *, LIDAR*, Valley Road*, Prairie Dog Town*, Fortunate Son, Rainbow’s Cadillac, Swan Song
Notes: * denotes dulcimer. First time playing “Living in the Sunshine” (released that day)
Hide Bruce's notesHad one of those nights where we never seemed to fully connect with the crowd. Large distance, a chasm between the stage and the audience may have been a factor. Hard to figure, fairly inexplicable; “Way It Is” got the crowd, sort of; a very soulful “Innocence” version, not so much. A new (old) song from the post-Spirit Trail era “Living In The Sunshine” (from the new box set) in its first-ever public performance achieved lift-off and went over; “Swan Song” achieved lift-off and didn’t fare as well. “Prairie Dog Town” totally engaged the audience; “Funhouse” less so. “Rainbow’s Cadillac” in its more recent incarnation as a Leon Russell-bluegrass-inspired song, got ‘em (as it usually does); “Sunflower Cat”, another standard Dead-inspired pleaser, did not. So I guess one can only shake the head and move on down the road…… and go after it with intent again the next night!!

09/09/23 Lexington Opera House – Lexington, KY
Preacher in the Ring Part One > Variation #2 > (Catenaires) > Chad Wright/Bruce duo, Preacher in the Ring Part Two, Sneaking Up On Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > L’Escalier Du Diable, Look Out Any Window, Walk in the Sun, Absolute Zero, Listen to the Silence, Is This It*, MIA in M.I.A.M.I*., Where’s the Bat (at the piano, an impromptu move inspired by the presence of a bat in the hall!), Every Little Kiss*, Pete and Manny**, Resting Place, Mandolin Rain
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion. First time playing “Listen to the Silence” after 25 years!
Hide Bruce's notesWe had a great night at the Opera House. We’ve been playing this venue for many years and it’s always a treat, clear sound on stage and appreciative crowd every time. We were able to go on several creative flights of fancy and then pull it back into the original song structure in a (hopefully) deft manner. Highlights included a rare performance of “Where’s The Bat” brought on by a bat flying around, a strong opening performance from the Chad-BH duo, a rare “Barcelona Mona” play (while in search of an ending for “Pete”!), killer John-Gibb interplay on “Pete” and many other songs, an emotional “Resting Place” that moved to new places vocally and pianistically, and Steve Reich-ian minimalist move on “Look Out Any Window” that raised the roof a bit.

09/12/23 Victory Theatre – Evansville, IN
Living in the Sunshine, Circus on the Moon, Country Doctor, Meds, Mandolin Rain, Song C > Sad Moon, Fortunate Son, Line in the Dust, JT organ intro > BH piano intro > (Hymn in C) > The Way  It Is, Shadow Hand*, Echolocation*, Prairie Dog Town*, Jacob’s Ladder**, The Road Not Taken, Cruise Control, Swan Song
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion.  First ever Sad Moon with the band.
Hide Bruce's notesThere’s a great story about Leon Russell, possibly apocryphal (but I hope not), in which he and his band played a gig (in the era when he was playing arenas) where the crowd was very small in a large space, and he played a four-hour show, his longest ever. Well, we’ve never played Evansville, and we were packin’ ‘em out (as opposed to packin’ ‘em in), so we decided to use that situation as an opportunity to attempt to jack it up higher and give our small crowd the strongest performance we could muster.Highlights included the first-ever band performance of “Sad Moon” (I’ve played it solo, not always well!), opening with “Living In The Sunshine” (a new star), JV’s evolving, melodic and soulful solo spots, and JT’s stirring organ intro movi ng into a Philip Glass-esque version of “Way It Is.” Our audience was very responsive and effusive throughout, and it was our pleasure to play for them.

09/14/23 Peoples Bank Theatre – Marietta, OH
See the Same Way, Listen to the Silence, Old Kentucky Shore > Preacher In The Ring Part Two, JT organ intro > BH piano intro > The Way It Is, Fractals, Maybe Now, Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blues, Crown of Jewels, End of the Innocence, Song C, Hooray For Tom Lost in the Snow, Never in This House, Too Much Monkey Business, Every Little Kiss*, Over The Rise*, Big Stick**, Come On in My Kitchen, Evening Sun, Little Sadie > White-Wheeled Limousine, Nobody There But Me
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion. Song C to Too Much Money Business were solo piano. First performance of Evening Sun.
Hide Bruce's notesThis was a fairly unique gig. In Marietta there’s a program called the “Esbenshade Concert Series” in which the shows are funded by a long-time area family and are free to the community. So we had a good crowd!! And also a knowledgeable crowd, and requests played a major part in the night’s spontaneous “setlist”, so much so that in the middle of the concert I played a four-song mostly-solo mini-set that moved into a requested “Monkey Business” version. Several surprises, rarities and cover requests made for a very atypical and enjoyable gig, and we finally played “White-Wheeled”, for the first time in ages!

09/16/23 Sound Board Theatre – Detroit, MI
Line in the Dust, Living in the Sunshine, Long Tall Cool One, Look Out Any Window (with whole-tone scale chordal outro!), Lost Soul, Levitate, Love Me Still, The Show Goes On, Valley Road* > Not Dark Yet*, LIDAR*, Down the Road Tonight* > We’re Having a Party, The Long Race**, Concord Sonata movement 4 > (Thoreau) > The Way It Is, Spider Fingers, Mandolin Rain (minor key > major key) > The Grand Tour
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion. First time playing Down the Road Tonight on dulcimer.Hide Bruce's notes“The L list”- On every show day I send around a group text with a list of two to five songs to rehearse at soundcheck. Yesterday’s list was “Love Me Still, Lost Soul and Levitate”, and I noticed after having written it that it was alliterative, which was fun, leading me to try to think of all the “L” songs I had. I came up with twelve, made that list, and decided to pick songs from it during the gig. We played ten (if you count “Long” Valley Road” haha) as you will see. A very enjoyable night at the Casino, featuring the first-ever dulcimer performance of “Down The Road Tonight”!

09/17/23 Clyde Theatre – Fort Wayne, IN
Tipping*, Is This It*, MIA in M.I.A.M.I.*, Funhouse, Preacher in the Ring Part Two, Cleopatra Drones, Walk in the Sun, Fields of Gray > That’s Where It’s At, Jacob’s Ladder **> Cartoons and Candy** > Jacob’s Ladder**, (When In Rome*), Shadow Hand*, Big Stick*, Cyclone, Anything Can Happen, The Way It Is, Across the River
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion. Big Stick first time ever on dulcimer. First time opening on dulcimer.
Hide Bruce's notesWe soundchecked “Tipping” (an obscure song from Rehab Reunion) the last two days and felt confident enough, and enjoyed playing it so much, that we decided to use it to open the concert. Opening on the dulcimer went over big with the audience, and changed the overall feel of the gig; I’m sure we’ll do it again. Not so successful with “Cleopatra Drones”; requesters following us around on this tour have been dogged and determined, insistent and persistent, so we succumbed to peer pressure and played it with mixed results! The show was very creative with new moments occurring throughout, and hopefully Fort Wayne will become a standard stop on our trail.

09/19/23 State Theatre of Ithaca – Ithaca, NY
Bright Star Cast, Song C > Sad Moon, Evening Sun, Living in the Sunshine, End of the Innocence, Talk of the Town > Ives Study #22, Sunlight Moon, The Show Goes On, Listen to the Silence, Gibb Droll intro > BH Pointillistic space intro > The Way It Is, Echolocation*, The Good Life*, Hey Kafka*, MIA in M.I.A.M.I.* > Brother Trucker, Pete and Manny**, Mandolin Rain, Swan Song
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion. First ever Sunlight Moon with the band.
Hide Bruce's notesNine Spirit Trail songs; attendees last night who were unfamiliar with the old 1998 double- album re-issued here got a serious introductory course in some of the lesser-known songs contained therein. New in-the-moment content abounded on this night; an impromptu homage to Gibb in the middle of “M.I.A.” led to an old obscure James Taylor song, and Gibb’s new intro into “Way It Is” inspired a full-keyboard range piano move into diatonic pointillistic Webern-esque stylings. And speaking of obscure, “Hey Kafka” found its way into the concert, as did the thorny, knotty Ives piece “Study #22″!

09/21/23 Garde Arts Center – New London, CT
King of the Hill > Twelve Tone Tune > Mystery Train > Hallucinations, John Maiiander/Chad Wright intro > Great Divide, Cast-Off, Black Rats of London**, JT intro > BH intro > Concord Sonata fourth movement “Emerson”, The Way It Is, Life in the Psychotropics, Fields of Gray, White Noise, Red Plains, Every Little Kiss*, Tipping*, (TSA Man*), Is This It*, John/Chad intro > Super Washboard Freak** > Jacob’s Ladder**, Gibb intro > The Show Goes On, Valley Road*, Mighty Rainbow > Life of the Party > Mighty Rainbow
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion.
Hide Bruce's notesWe were greeted right away by a very boisterous, enthusiastic crowd that made us feel really welcome, and they remained so for the entire concert. This sort of continual exhilaration is, of course, inspiring for performers and we’re lucky to have this experience. Highlights began right away with a romp through “King” featuring a strong Chad groove with Elvis, Bill Evans and Bud Powell making cameos, then another romp through “Great Divide” and a stirring “Cast- Off”, a rare “Psychotropics” (a request, so much fun to play), and on and on until stage equipment issues insidiously crept into the mix. We limped slightly to the finish line because of this, but hopefully didn’t blow the roll we had going until “Show Goes On”, from which we gutted it out to the end through sonic hell. Overall though, a very strong night, and thanks again to our wonderful audience.

09/22/23 The Cabot – Beverly. MA
Preacher in the Ring Part One > Variation 2 > (Catenaires) > Chad Wright/BH duo > Preacher in the Ring Part Two, Resting Place, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > L’Escalier du Diable > (Etude 13), End of the Innocence, Fractals, Evening Sun, Absolute Zero, Crown of Jewels, Valley Road*, Over the Rise*, Prairie Dog Town*, Pete and Manny**, The Way It Is, Here We Are Again, Song C > Sad Moon
Notes: * denotes dulcimer, ** denotes accordion.
Hide Bruce's notesAgain we were graced with a very lively audience, shouting and exhorting us with requests but also becoming still and one with us in our quiet moments. We’re fortunate and couldn’t ask for more. The request pile has been growing consistently this year, revealing deep knowledge of the 38-year corpus which is extremely gratifying. And the band cats are connected, with each other and me, like never before in the six-year run of this iteration. We’re hoping the weather allows us to play our final gig of the run, but if not, this was the perfect one to wrap up an extremely enjoyable ST25 tour.

09/24/23 XPN Fest – Camden, NJ
Bright Star Cast, My Resolve, Living in the Sunshine, L’Escalier du Diable > The Way It Is, Over the Rise*, Prairie Dog Town*
Notes: * denotes dulcimer.
Hide Bruce's notesBecause of serious weather we were given a 45-minute set time, which was definitely better than not playing at all. We went a little longer, and as a certain group of dear friends would say, it was a real good time. Serious kudos to our crew who made it all work in sloshy weather, so much so that our stage sound, with no soundcheck, was pretty perfect from downbeat on. Everyone in the band was locked in, and our time flew by, especially during the Ligeti intro to “Way It Is” that led to a fairly wild full-band theme-and-variations back-and-forth musical conversation throughout the song. Other than a private gig in early November, because of other commitments we won’t be able to play together until early next summer when we’ll hit the West Coast, the Rocky Mountains, and hopefully other regions as well. The band loved playing this year and can’t wait to do it again, and sends much love and thanks to all our friends and supporters who joined us from the end of May to now.

10/17/23 Pabst Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
Preacher In The Ring, Part 1 > Webern Variation 2  > (Catenaires), Shadow Hand, The Show Goes On > Halcyon Days, Sneaking Up On Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > (L’Escalier du Diable), Living in the Sunshine, Sidelines, The Way It Is , Spider Fingers > Questions and Answers, The Good Life, Soon Enough, Every Little Kiss, What the Hell Happened, Study #22 (Charles Ives), Talk of the Town > Charlie Woody and You,  Valley Road (Dead shuffle), Fractals, Mandolin Rain (Skaggs-Hornsby version)
Notes: solo show. The Way It Is duet with S. Carey.
Hide Bruce's notesIt’s “Left-Hand Band” time again, and the first night was, for the most part, exhilarating. The audience was ready for adventure (or at least tolerant of it!), and the requests led me to unlikely and interesting places. Having my friend Sean Carey with me added so much; his opening set was sublime. I didn’t nail everything; the Ives “#22″ was a bit bloody, and vocal tuning issues dotted (marred?) the landscape here and there, but overall it felt special. Thanks to the audience for making us feel so welcome.

10/18/23 Pablo Center at the Confluence – Eau Claire, WI
Harbor Lights, Resting Place. C# Bach Prelude > Fortunate Son, Bb Bach Prelude > Look Out Any Window, Cyclone, [Eau Claire Music section: Cast-Off, Concord Sonata- 4th Movement “Thoreau” > The Way It Is, Fields of Gray, End of the Innocence, Man Like You, King of the Hill > There is a Mountain, Song C > Sad Moon, Love Me Still, Mandolin Rain- minor key version
Notes: solo show. The Way It Is, Fields of Grey, End of the Innocence duets with S. Carey.
Hide Bruce's notesSo enjoyable to finally play an official public gig in this town. I’ve played it twice before, in 2017 at the amazing Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival and in 2018 for a pickup gig with J. Vernon, Sean Carey and more at the Ox-Bow Motel in 2018, but never a proper gig. Having S. Carey playing a hometown gig with me made it more special. Inserted a designated section in the middle to feature songs with Eau Claire origin stories and songs performed over the years with the Bon Iver crowd. “Cast-Off” was mostly written at April Base studio in April 2018, with Justin Vernon and featuring vocals by Sean, as was “Man Like You” (featured on the latest Bon Iver album “i,i” under the title “U (Man Like)”)Played “End Of The Innocence” with Bon Iver for 90,000+ at the 2018 Coachella festival, and a did a duet with Justin on “Fields Of Gray” at a wedding in Raleigh, NC in 2019, so it seemed appropriate to play all these together to highlight some special times from the recent past. One more concert with S. Carey happens in Minneapolis on Friday night, and then we move to the Southwest.

10/20/23 Uptown Theater – Minneapolis, MN
20/20 Vision > Night on the Town, Line in the Dust, Sneaking up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > (L’Escalier Du Diable), Evening Sun, Every Little Kiss, Over the Rise (never played on piano) > Camp Meeting > Over the Rise (two requests performed as a medley!), The Road Not Taken, The Way It Is, Sticks and Stones, Continents Drift, End of the Innocence > Sun Bear Theme, Valley Road (Dead version), Here We Are Again, Mandolin Rain (original version) > The Grand Tour
Notes: solo show. The Way It Is, End of the Innocence duets with S. Carey.
Hide Bruce's notesFor me, this was the best one so far. The sound of the piano, the sound of the room, the first musical moves made (often I begin a concert by just putting my hands on the keyboard and playing whatever the fingers dictate) all combined to make me feel in complete command of everything I was doing, a euphoric feeling, and this lasted all night. We will definitely mix this concert (if it was captured well on our recording) for future dissemination. Two requests, a large and loud cardboard poster board ask for “Camp Meeting” with album cover included and an anniversary entreaty for the dulcimer song “Over The Rise” (one of my, and the band’s, favorites) led to an unlikely medley that may become a semi-regular move. Many thanks to S. Carey for being an inspiring partner for these first three concerts; always great to see him, hear him and perform with him.

10/22/23 Tower Theater – Oklahoma City, OK
Country Doctor (with Leon Russell stylings!), My Resolve, Sunlight Moon, Anything Can Happen, Valley Road (with more Leon blues licks), Never in This House, End of the Innocence > Song A, Living in the Sunshine, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > Ligeti Etude #13 > (L’Escalier Du Diable), The Way It Is > Bach Goldberg Variation 1 > (Tupac Shakur’s Changes), Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blues, Mandolin Rain (Skaggs-Hornsby- minor version), Shit’s Crazy Out Here, Walk in the Sun, Cyclone, Swan Song
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesI had a feeling during the day that I had never played OKC before, did some research and found that it was probably true. We came close once; in 1988 BH and the Range were seen packin’ ‘em out (as opposed to packin’ ‘em in) at the OU basketball arena, drawing 1400 in the 11,500-seat Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, OK. Twenty minutes before the concert I mentioned to road manager Matt Clery that I was expecting no requests onstage (I’ve never been there, how would anyone know?), so he went out, checked and reported back that, in fact, there were none. Still, we had a fine crowd that was actually fairly rowdy and fun, especially one enthusiastically vociferous devotee in the front row who exclaimed throughout! When I’ve played Tulsa over the years, I’ve always paid homage to my man Leon Russell. I had to do the same here for this Oklahoma music icon.

10/24/23 Paramount Theater – Austin, TX
China Doll, Absolute Zero, Meds, The Way It Is > Bach Goldberg Variation 3, The Hound, The Road Not Taken, My Resolve , Every Little Kiss, Song C > Sad Moon, Hooray for Tom, Defenders of the Flag,  End of the Innocence > Sun Bear Theme, King of the Hill >  Giant Steps > There is a Mountain, Shadow Hand, Fortunate Son, C# Bach Prelude, Nobody There But Me
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesI first played Austin in the fall of 1986 with the Range, on our first opening act tour with Steve Winwood, very memorable. The latest time was also notable; the Absolute Zero record was single- handedly responsible for many doors opening for me in 2019, including a return European tour for the first time in fifteen years and an invitation to play both weekends at the renowned Austin-based ACL Festival, both in the fall of that year. I played the second and third songs in honor of that second memorable event. We made the “Every Little Kiss” video (not great, but fun!) in Austin and that same night recorded a song of ours, “Nobody There But Me”, with Willie Nelson in the spring of ‘87. Both songs made the program to commemorate those events. Loved the hall, the audience and the piano, and this concert goes right up there at the top among the best nights so far.

10/25/23 The Heights Theater – Houston, TX
20/20 Vision > Night on the Town, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > (L’Escalier Du Diable), Sunlight Moon, End of the Innocence, Study #22 > Talk of the Town, Love Me Still, The Way It Is > Tupac Changes> Sister Rosa > Bach Goldberg Variation 1, (Manhattan Island Serenade), Valley Road, Fractals, The Show Goes On, The Rat King, Spider Fingers > Questions & Answers, Mandolin Rain (Skaggs-Hornsby version), Harbor Lights
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesI haven’t played Houston in over 20 years, and I’m happy to have finally made it back. Playing this small (500 cap), intimate room worked well; very few written requests, but shouted ones could easily be heard. “Fractals”, “Sunlight Moon” and “The Rat King” emerged from the din of suggestions to make the cut. A surprising, serendipitous moment occurred as I pulled out the six-page sheet music for “Fractals” (VERY difficult to play and sing, I don’t always nail it); at the same time, a woman near me asked for it. I turned to her and said, “wow, I just put that on the music stand- okay!” What fun. Playing the full complement of “Way It Is”-related material together was enjoyable- Bach to Tupac! (With some Nevilles to complete the picture). Thanks to all 500+ who filled the room with sustained, excited enthusiasm.

10/28/23 Charline McCombs Empire Theater – San Antonio, TX
Preacher in the Ring Part One > Webern Variation 2 > (Catenaires), Preacher in the Ring Part Two, Days Ahead, Every Little Kiss, Lost in the Snow, Non-Secure Connection, The River Runs Low, The Way It Is > Bach Goldberg Variation 3, King of the Hill > Hallucinations > There is a Mountain, Cyclone, Here We Are Again, Song H, Hooray For Tom, Circus on the Moon, Mandolin Rain (minor key)
Encore: (But Beautiful) – old standard played Bill Evans-style, Bb Bach Prelude > Look Out Any Window, Swan Song, Valley Road
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesThe venerable Empire Theatre hosted us on the last gig of this first solo run. A small but very engaged audience (not unlike the band’s September Evansville show!) made it feel like a party in which I was the piano guy in the corner being allowed to play whatever came to mind. Almost half of the songs had not been played yet on the run, testing the old memory lyrically and musically! The range was broad, from old first-album chestnuts like “River Runs Low” to the “computer hacker meets modern chromaticism” vehicle “Non-Secure Connection.” Throw in some Bud (Powell) mixed with Donovan (strange bedfellows!) and both “Preachers” and we had a wide-ranging, very satisfying, intimate musical night. Also was able to hit the Spurs game the night before- thanks, San Antonio

11/15/23 Steinmetz Hall – Orlando, FL
Sunlight Moon, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune >  (L’Escalier du Diable) >  (Ligeti Etude #13),  Song C > Sad Moon, Every Little Kiss, Dreamland, What the Hell Happened, End of the Innocence > Song A, Study #22 > Halcyon Days, The Way It Is > Goldberg Variations 1 & 3, Fractals, The Good Life, Hooray For Tom, Mandolin Rain (minor key version), Nobody There But Me
Notes: solo show. First show after illness.
Hide Bruce's notesMy voice wasn’t quite ready, but the schedule is set and here we were, so I carefully proceeded, guarding against voice cracks and phlegmatic moments (!) while trying to retain some level of expression to make it through. I’ve had to do this now and then for many years, of course, and so hopefully experience pays off in these moments, and the night was strong. Requests leaned heavily on “21st-century ballads” so it was fun (and challenging for the memory!) to play Dreamland (first time all year), Good Life, Hooray For Tom and Halcyon Days (Cyclone and Continents Drift were also requested but I didn’t feel my voice was quite up to those challenges). Audience was totally involved and exclamatory during songs, applauding for instrumental sections song after song like one would experience at a jazz club. Very nice start to a quick four-concerts-in-five-nights run.

11/16/23 Seminole Casino – Immokalee, FL
20/20 Vision > Night on the Town, Shadow Hand, King of the Hill > Mystery Train, The Way It Is > Goldberg Variations 1 and 3 > Tupac Changes, The Hound, Valley Road (Dead style), MIA. In M.I.A.M.I., The Dreaded Spoon, End of the Innocence > Song A, The Show Goes On, Evening Sun, The River Runs Low, Hooray for Tom, Every Little Kiss, Mandolin Rain
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesI’ve never been much of a casino draw. What I do doesn’t have much in common with the standard “Vegas” musical milieu, so it’s always made sense. This casino has a bit of a smaller room so empty seats were scarce (not always true at my gigs!), and I had a good time playing my “casino songs”, “Funhouse” and “M.I.A. In Miami”, along with referencing Elvis with “Mystery Train”. Played some of the lighter fare like “M.I.A.” and “The Dreaded Spoon” because they seemed to fit the feeling in the room. I started losing my voice toward the end, but made it through by lowering keys (“River Runs Low”) and singing lower-key songs to end the night. Gotta do what you can with what you’ve got in the moment!

11/18/23 Bilheimer Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL
Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > Ligeti Etude #13, Valley Road, Love Me Still, Cast- Off, The Way It Is > Goldberg Variations 1 & 3 > Tupac Changes, Harbor Lights, Mandolin Rain, Where’s the Bat, The River Runs Low, Spider Fingers > Steps > Questions & Answers, Anything Can Happen, MIA In M.I.A.M.I., Every Little Kiss, Walk In The Sun, Country Doctor, End Of The Innocence
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesMy voice is becoming more “Cocker-esque” with each successive gig. Husk and gravel abound, making me sing songs in new ways (one could call it “shuckin’ and jivin’’, slippin’ and slidin’”). Again, the audience seemed to respond to lighter songs so “Where’s The Bat” was a big hit along with “Spider”, “Anything Can Happen” and “M.I.A.” A sizable portion of the audience actually seemed completely unfamiliar with what I do; maybe it was just something to do on a Saturday night! I remember having the same feeling here two years ago. Played mostly requests, leading to “Cast- Off”, “Boo Radley”, “River Runs Low”, “Walk In The Sun” and more. And then there was the coterie of latecomers screaming for “Valley Road” when I had already played it!

11/19/23 Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra, FL
Preacher in the Ring Part One > Variation 2 > (Catenaires), Sunlight Moon, Song C > Sad Moon, End of the Innocence, Evening Sun, Sticks & Stones, Resting Place, Every Little Kiss, Cyclone, The Way It Is > Goldberg Variations 1 and 3, The Good Life, MIA In M.I.A.M.I, The Show Goes On, Mandolin Rain (Skaggs-Hornsby version), Fortunate Son
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesEverything came together on the last gig of this little run, maybe a little inexplicably. After my slight croak-fest the night before, I decided to try a different vocal warmup idea during the daily preparation for the show which possibly served me well (I’m so equivocal about all this because alas, after all these years of doing this, no “standard routine” has ever proven to be reliably effective!). The intangible but clear upbeat feeling in the room took off around the new/old song from the boxed set, “Evening Sun”, which led to “Sticks & Stones” (a featured song from the record made instead of the “Evening Sun” record, back in 2001). This led to a request from a 10-year-old kid for “Resting Place” (similar feeling to “Sticks”), and the concert stayed in an atypical and very enjoyable “songwriter“ mode for the rest of the allotted time. Insistent audience requests for “Cyclone” and “Fortunate Son” helped cure me of my vocal fears (they are hard songs to sing!) and we sailed through to the end. The embattled, beleaguered and besieged voice, featuring a slight smoky rasp, held up pretty darned well.

12/05/23 Lyric Theater – Stuart, FL
20/20 Vision > Night on the Town, Shadow Hand, This Too Shall Pass, Every Little Kiss, Sticks and Stones, Days Ahead, Valley Road, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > (Ligeti Etude 13), White Noise, The Way It Is > Goldberg Variation 3 > (Tupac Changes), Harbor Lights, Walk in the Sun, Here We Are Again, Bb Bach Prelude, Look Out Any Window, Mandolin Rain (Skaggs/Hornsby version), The Show Goes On
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesThe venerable old warhorse medley “20/20 Vision” into “Night On The Town” seemed to really please everyone, including me, and I was deeply in it from there to the end. Fun to play “This Too”, “Days Ahead” and “White Noise” for the first time on these solo tours, and “Here We Are Again” spontaneously brought the crowd to its feet, a rare and rewarding occurrence for a song that very few people know. Thanks to the audience and a great Steinway, the night was special.

12/06/23 Parker Playhouse – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Song H > Country Doctor > (Song H teases) > L’Escalier du Diable > (Ligeti Etude), Go Back to Your Woods, Song E (Hymn in Eb), End of the Innocence > Song A >  Sun Bear Theme, Lost in the Snow, Lost Soul, Bright Star Cast, Fields of Gray, La Grive Musicienne (Messiaen) > Preacher in the Ring Part One > Webern Variation 2 > (Catenaires), M.I.A. in M.I.A.M.I., The Way It Is > Goldberg Variations 1 and 3, Love Me Still, Shadowland, Talk of the Town > Ives Study #22, Mandolin Rain (minor version)
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesFollowing the lead from the previous night, this concert started with another perennial, “Country Doctor”, this time with Ligeti intrusions (a new wrinkle here) to brighten the night. Starting with these old and time-tested tour-de-force songs sometimes helps me acclimate to the room, instrument and audience, and also work well as statement-making openers (there’s a very strong YouTube video of a CDoc solo performance if anyone’s interested; look for the blue background). Collaborations were highlighted throughout with songs written with Robbie Robertson, Don Henley and Chaka Khan, along with two Spike Lee movie end-title contributions, and there was enough time for some Messiaen “Musique D’Oiseaux” (birdsong) to add a different color halfway through. Another great piano makes my job much easier- thank you, Steinway!

12/08/23 Van Wezel Performing Arts Center – Sarasota, FL
20/20 Vision > Night on the Town, Sneaking Up on Boo Radley > Twelve Tone Tune > Ligeti Etude #13, Sidelines. The Way It Is > Goldberg Variation 1, Continents Drift, The Road Not Taken, Valley Road, Non-Secure Connection, Every Little Kiss, Heir Gordon, What the Hell Happened, Cyclone, Harbor Lights, Mandolin Rain, The Show Goes On
Notes: solo show.
Hide Bruce's notesI love the Van Wezel. Sonic clarity and balance, onstage and in the hall, can be elusive in concert halls (for instance, be careful using rock drums at Carnegie Hall- it was not designed for that!), but I now have two very strong experiences in this one, making this a perfect spot for the last show of 2023. A request for “Heir Gordon”! Hadn’t played it in years, but (mostly) remembered all the moves and changes. The audience reacted in a big way to the levity, leading me to double up with “What The Hell Happened”! And it’s really true- seeing the beautiful pics of my movie-star-looking parents made some people look at me with sympathy (and/or derision)!! After a (hopefully) fun upcoming sit-in and a little recording for Gibb, there’s a slight holiday break and then on to an extremely busy 2024.