Mark Knopfler - Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN 07/15/2008
I can read books more than once and I can damn sure watch a movie or a TV show more than once, but it is rare I’ll read or watch something a first time if I already know how it ends. The thrill of the initial discovery, the discovery of territory not yet discovered, the deflowering of a plotline - this is what propels me from the beginning to the end. There are exceptions, and last night was one of them.
If you’ve spent much time listening to the solo work of Mark Knopfler, it doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to envision what seeing him in concert will look, feel, or sound like. As the evening wore on, I realized why my trusty sidekick 11 likes Knopfler so much and it’s a good description of what was good about last night: imagine David Gilmour with better songs and a lesser, more Dylan-inspired voice. Gilmour is his favorite player and it wasn’t until last night I noticed the sonic (and physical) similarities between the two aging, British guitar legends.
Californian singer/songwriter Jesca Hoop opened the show. She seemed a pleasantly loony sort of lass; ever so slightly buzzed but still alert enough to notice people starting at her as she stood on the stage. Hoop has an interesting pedigree, having been the live-in nanny to the three children of Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan. Her set was brief, light, and tuneful. The crowd paid her little mind, but she may not have noticed.
A short time later, Knopfler took the stage. For two hours, he led his band through a sampling of his solo work as well as songs from his years fronting Dire Straits and it sounded just as I expected, just as it should. The multi-instrumentalist band provided texture and support, occasionally stepping out for a brief moment in the spotlight before retreating behind the pure sounds of Knopfler’s lead guitar.
The purity of his tone and clarity of his ideas are hallmarks of what makes Knopfler an engaging lead player. He isn’t sparing with his notes but each has a purpose. Nearly every song played was extended to allow for an exploration and expansion of his musical ideas ideas, which is where he lives as a player. He’s not about a display of chops; his guitar excursions are dreamy soundscapes with enough form to be pleasing to the ear but with a hint of mystery and ambiguity. He should restrain himself just a little less on record and allow himself the freedom to explore his ideas in longer form, because as he demonstrated to the near sellout crowd it is something at which he excels.
The sound was spectacular, instrumentally speaking. Everything was well placed and had the right amount of volume and separation - everything except for the lead vocals. Knopfler’s microphone was not turned up nearly loud enough, which was frustrating. I suspect part of the reason is that he was having some sort of throat problems, because despite not singing vocally demanding songs he struggled to hit notes that are seemingly still well within his range.
Another curiosity to me was the set list, or rather one part of it. It was a nice selection of songs and I enjoyed every one of them, even songs I didn’t know particularly well (if at all) before last night. What I don’t understand is why arguably the two most popular songs of the evening are played back to back, in midset. “Romeo & Juliet” and “Sultans of Swing” were played in the seventh and eighth spot respectively. They were brilliantly played, absolutely aural treats. I’m not complaining but was frankly surprised two songs the entire audience is sure to know and love were paired together and dispatched.
I walked into historic Ryman Auditorium a casual Knopfler fan and left even more suitably impressed, wondering how he slips through as many cracks as he does. With all the dodgy bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, how have Dire Straits been left out?
Filed under: Tags: Mark Knopfler, Musical Musings and Random Ramblings
I had not realized Dire Straits were not in the Hall. That’s a shame, and goes to show what a farce that whole organization really is.
Knopfler’s tones and playing were amazing. ‘Speedway to Nazareth’ and ‘Telegraph Road’ joined old favorites ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Sultans of Swing’ as the evening’s highlights. New song ‘True Will Never Fade’ also was a treat.
Mr. Knopfler, if you are out there, may I suggest taking on ‘On Every Street?’ It would fit perfectly into this show.
hey, didn’t know 11 was such a David Gilmour fan. any of you two ever see the documentary called “Guitar”…it has Skunk Baxter taking the viewer on the “mystique of the guitar”. really cool. has footage of both Gilmour and Knopfler playing some stuff with Baxter.
unfortunately , it’s out of print (but i happen to have a copy…heh)
I can’t understand how they could charge admission and not play “Money for Nothing??” I agree with your voice observations, and have to attribute it to that. As much as I enjoyed what was played, I was overall dissapointed because they didn’t have that song in the list.
really??? i always thought that song stuck out like a sore thumb on that record.
Dire Straits should be in the Hall of Fame. “Money for Nothing” is worst song on a great album.
I’m not surprised that “Money for Nothing” doesn’t get played. I’m sorry you were disappointed, Mike. I wasn’t. That’s the type of thing I could see him playing again if he were to reunite under the Dire Straits name, but I don’t think that’s a song he’s particularly in love with anymore despite its iconic status. It was a great concert.
I’d like to see Dire Straits honored in the HoF. They’re a classic band.
” can’t understand how they could charge admission and not play “Money for Nothing??”
That must have been you behind me bitching because he left that one out. I don’t think he’s played that for some time.
As for the Sultans/Romeo double shot. I liked it that way for some reason.
My only disappointment was that he left out “Punish the Monkey”.
Would love to have heard “Punish the Monkey.”
Did Knopfler play “A Night In Summer Long Ago” at the Ryman? That was one of his solo cuts that I was really looking forward to hearing last night in Clearwater and it wasn’t played.
Overall, though, it was indeed a fantastic performance.
No, Donald, we didn’t get that one (I’m pretty sure, anyway). He apparently doesn’t change up his set list just a whole lot. There are slight variations, but the set is pretty much the same. That’s what 11 and I noticed as we were deciding whether or not to buy tickets and when we were preparing for the show as it approached.
I’d like to see him again. It was excellent.
Josh, man, have you picked up Golden Heart yet? I really connected with that a couple days ago - his first true solo album - and it brought to mind the discussion that popped up about how I had been stuck on Shangri-La and couldn’t seem to hear past it. GH is really nice stuff - kind of a bridge between Dire Straits and where he went with his solo material, though I must admit I haven’t heard the last DS album yet, so maybe I’m wrong.
I did buy it, Tom. I’ve only gotten to listen to it once so I don’t have any definitive thoughts on it. It does seem to be a bit more rock oriented than later solo albums would get so your idea of it being a bit of a bridge seems, on the surface, accurate.
Glad to see so many Knopfler fans! Unfortunately in Australia we don’t get many visits from him, but I was lucky enough to see him on the Shangri La tour. Played heaps more Dire Straits stuff down here because that’s what most Aussies want to hear, including Money For Nothing, which I’m sure Mark still enjoys. I would have loved to see Money For Nothing on the Pensa Suhr, but the Les Paul was nice
Mark’s very much a traditionalist these days..
Would love to see more of his Kill to Get Crimson stuff live though.