(Melanie's favorite place to sing, I had heard, is the Turning Point in Piermont, NY. And I'd also heard that her annual Christmas concerts there are her best concerts. So I just had to go there, at least once, to see what it was all about. This is the only concert I've flown to, instead of driven to, and so I needed a little help from some friends. I had made a very close online friend named Paula, and she and her husband Chris said I could stay in their home while in New York, and go with them to the concert. Melanie was doing shows on Sunday and Monday night, and Paula and Chris had decided to go to the Monday show, and drive up early enough to have dinner before the show.)
The Turning Point is a wonderful place that seems to have been just made for Melanie. Upstairs is a restaurant where you can have dinner, and downstairs is where the show happens. There are tables and a bar downstairs, so you can eat or drink during the show, but most people just wanted to see the show.
Melanie was fashionably late for this show, as usual, and seemed a bit tired at the beginning (she had already done 2 shows in 3 days, including a show in another place on Friday), but as the evening progressed, she became stronger, and the had best finish I think I've seen. And she sang some new songs! Beau also had some new songs he had written.
I'm sure you're all waiting for this part -- the song list. There is one song she sang that's missing from this list. That song is Baby Day, and it's not on the list because I was thinking of Wendy and how much that song means to her, and I forgot to write it down. So I'm not sure in the list where it goes. By the way, Melanie remarked that Baby Day was one of her own favorites, too.
Here's the list:
1. Perceive it
It seems to be a tradition for Melanie to start with this song
2. Arrow
3. I Really Loved Harold
4. Love to Lose Again
5. Song of the South
Before this song, Melanie talked a bit about the song Brand New
Candidate, which was made out of Brand New Key. The parody group,
"Capitol Steps" had done the song, and used to have it on their
website: http://www.capsteps.com/.
6. Cerulean Blue
7. Any Guy
After this song, she said Beau's guitar work reminded her of Momma
Told Me Not To Come, and sang a few bars of it.
8. Leftover Wine
9. Look What They Done To My Song, Ma
There was a 15-minute intermission after this song.
10. Instrumental by Beau -- Hootzel
He said a Hootzel is a Ukrainian cowboy.
11. Instrumental by Beau -- Dad
This song was inspired by, and dedicated to his Dad (Peter).
12. Old Bitch Warrior
Melanie got some hot tea with a little brandy in it for her voice
before this song.
13. Ships in the Harbor
Before this song, someone in the audience said they'd like to hear
some Christmas songs.
14. Good King Wenceslaus
15. Tonight's the Kind of Night
16. California Dreaming
17. Song by Beau -- Angel Song
18. Song by Beau -- Stevie Brown
Stevie Brown was a friend of Beau's, who was born on the same day,
in the same hospital. They had their birthdays together. A couple of
months before their 19th birthday. Stevie was killed by a drunk
driver.
19. Live Will Not Go Away
After this song, Melanie did a little of her version of the Evita
song, "Don't Cry For Me..." Her version was about Hillary
Clinton -- "Don't Cry for me, New York City. The truth is, I never
lived here..."
20. New song by Melanie -- And We Fall
Melanie said that this song was inspired by her daughter Leilah.
After starting the song, and having trouble with the guitar chords,
Melanie turned to Beau, and said "Teach me this." So they practiced
a bit, and started the song over. David Boldinger was video taping
the show, and so Peter asked if they could sing it over for the
tape. They agreed, but did a couple of other songs first.
21. I Am Not A Poet
22. Ballerina
Melanie said this song was inspired by Leilah, too.
23. And We Fall (2nd take)
24. O Come All Ye Faithful
25. New song by Melanie -- You Can Find Anything
This song and the next one were done karaoke style, to introduce the
new CD Melanie's working on. That is, the recorded track was played,
and Melanie and Beau sang (and Beau played) over it. Melanie said
Beau did all the instrumentation on the recording.
26. New song by Melanie -- a cover of Got To Be Free
27. Ruby Tuesday
This was the longest show I've been to so far, and Melanie finished the last song with quite a flourish. And after all that, she was gracious enough to meet and talk with the fans. I saw more online fans at this show than any of the other's I've been to. Besides Paula and her husband Chris, there were webmasters David Boldinger and Rick Ziegler. I also saw brothers Carl and Matthew, Mechthild from Germany, and probably others I'll remember after I finish writing this.
If you have never been to a Melanie concert, I highly recommend you go to one at the Turning Point if you can. It will be a wonderful experience, to say the least!
The pictures from this concert are here.