Any Pittsburgh Reviews?

[Brasil_Nut]

Hey Pittsburgh folks...anything to contribute about the Mendes performance in Pittsburgh last night? Inquiring Brasil Nuts and Corner Nuts wanna know!

Jon

...who can't wait for the Blue Note, online...

 

[bvy]

Yes. It was phenomenal! But that alone won't suffice, I know. I'll post a detailed review later tonight...

 

[Paula]

What a pleasure it was to see Sergio & Brasil 2003 yesterday! Sergio’s talented and lively troupe was as described by Mike for the Austin show. The set list probably was the same as well. ( I have no idea what the set list was for the Blue Note-Japan show, Jon.)

This is what I picked up:
Pretty World
Holografico Olodum
Lua Soberana
Roda
Chove Chuva
Upa, Neguinho
Jobim tunes:
(Girl from Ipanema was quoted, but never fully presented)
Desafinado
One Note Samba (yes, Spanish Flea was included as well)
Waters of March/Aguas de Março
Ela É Carioca
Like a Lover/O Cantador
Batucada featuring:
Promessa de Pescador (?)
Casa Forte
A Felicidade
Sarará Miolo
What is This?
After Sunrise
Só Danço Samba
Capivara
Look of Love
Fool on the Hill
Você Abusou
Magalenha
Viramundo
Mas Que Nada
Tristeza

The show itself reminded me very much of the shows in the late 60’s & early 70’s, with a similar mix of songs and batucada. All in all, this was a high-energy, super-polished, tight-knit performance.

What was lacking? Audience feedback! Applause was certainly warm and abundant, but the crowd was DEAD!!! (Literally, too. This crowd’s median age had to be in the 60’s.) No dancing, not even arms swaying.

Prior to the performance, Sergio was interviewed by a local radio jazz dj. It was a pleasant, if not newsworthy, interview. Sorry, there's nothing to report regarding a new cd. I did have the opportunity to thank Sergio for opening up the world of Brazilian music to me. With that expressed, I had no interest in going backstage, Jon.

The two-hour drive home went quickly; I played the “Brasileiro” cd to continue the magic of the evening.

Paula
NP: Paulinho da Viola "Serie Bis"

 

[bvy]

Sergio and company were incredible last night. They played at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in Pittsburgh, a small venue that seats about 350. This is nice because even if you have the worst seats in the house (like my wife and I did) you're still only 15 rows back. They'll play five shows here through Sunday.

The Thursday show began with a pre-show interview. Tony Mowod of WDUQ radio interviewed Sergio for (I believe) some radio program to be aired later. This was actually open to the public for free, but, in reality, only announced to ticketholders. Maybe fifty or so were present for this. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to talk to Sergio (if only to offer up a question from a distance), I asked him if he was working on any new projects. He said maybe an upcoming album but "nothing concrete yet." We'll see. A lot of the other questions focused around his last visit to Pittsburgh (and how one of his performers fell off stage). They'll do this again before the Sunday show.

The show started a few minutes late -- just after 7:30. I won't attempt a complete set list, as there were several songs I heard for the first time. They opened with "Pretty World" and closed with "Mas Que Nada." We also heard (in no particular order) "Night and Day," "Look of Love," "One Note Samba," "She's a Carioca, "Chove Chuva," and a few off of _Brasileiro_. Again, that's just a random sampling. (Paula seems to have done a good job with a full list.)

And what a show! Sergio is downright awesome and about as genuine a musician and person as you can find. The musicians were all top notch, although his percussionist -- a real virtuoso -- all but steals the show. He gets a chance to show off his skill on several exotic instruments, and is quite playful with the audience as well. What he was able to do with a simple tambourine left jaws wide open. The singers (Dawn and Jessica, I believe?) are not only fine vocalists, but are especially talented in their ability to bring the old songs back to life. Are these ladies fluent in Portuguese? I kind of doubt it, but their ability to rip-roar through the Portuguese lyrics is all the more stunning because of it. More than anything, I was impressed by how happy these folks were. I've been to shows where the performers looked bored or tired playing the same material, but these guys all had a lot of energy and seemed to be having a great time -- like they were playing together for the first time.

As Paula mentioned, the crowd was polite but not overly responsive. Most of these folks were, in fact, in their 60's, and it was quite amusing to watch them when the bassist broke into an electric solo that could have rivaled Pastorius. For what it's worth, there was some arm swaying and body moving in the back two rows (where I was), but that seemed to be the exception. Still, everyone appeared to have fun. Maybe the weekend shows will bring out a younger, hipper crowd.

My only regret is that the show was not a little bit longer; it lasted just under an hour-and-a-half. On second thought, I suppose that's pretty generous. I certainly didn't feel cheated. These guys packed a lot into that time, and I've been to shows that lasted longer and offered a lot less.

My wife, less familiar with some of the music, was completely impressed. I think she summed it up best when she said: "Those girls have the greatest job in the world!"