Author: Josh Bradley

Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour made a second stop in Tampa Wednesday night, at a much larger venue than last time.

Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour made a second stop in Tampa Wednesday night, at a much larger venue than last time.

Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour made a second stop in Tampa Wednesday night, at a much larger venue than last time.

Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour made a second stop in Tampa Wednesday night, at a much larger venue than last time.

Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour made a second stop in Tampa Wednesday night, at a much larger venue than last time.

Snow Patrol opening for Ed Sheeran. Last time they were in Tampa, the roles were reversed.

Snow Patrol opening for Ed Sheeran. Last time they were in Tampa, the roles were reversed.

Lauv opening for Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol.

“After this tour, I won’t be playing in America for a very long time.” Modern-day heartthrob Ed Sheeran called out only two songs into his hour and a half long set. All I can say is if what Tampa was given Wednesday night, or even one of the other five times he’s been here, is what the rest of the world will be getting from the Thinking Out Loud performer, they’re in for one hell of a treat.

Last year, the opening act was You’re Beautiful sensation James Blunt. This year, however, is singer-songwriter Lauv (I Like Me Better), and Irish alt band Snow Patrol (Chasing Cars, Run). The latter, who just released a new album in May, haven’t been on tour since 2012, and their last opening act was an up and rising star named…Ed Sheeran. Surprise surprise.

After Lauv and Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody trilled out their hits, the jam-packed Raymond James Stadium screeched at the top of their lungs, as the headliner, wearing a short sleeved turquoise shirt under a white long-sleeved one and jeans, ran on up. With just his voice, his guitar, and some pedals, Castle On The Hill kicked everything off, with every word being sang right back to him by a few thousand teenagers. “Everything you’re going to hear tonight is completely live, coming from this guitar!” Ed called out following another song off his newish album, Divide, Eraser.

Ed didn’t only truck through the hits one by one. He gave shout-outs to his opening acts, of course. Same to the boyfriends and dads that didn’t want to be there, and “took the time on a Wednesday night to come out here.” Because in his book, even his haters deserve good recognition, or something like that. Especially Tampa.

Unfortunately, there was no I See Fire, which was the song he did for The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug in 2013. Instead, for the first time this leg of the tour, he played Supermarket Flowers, a song he wrote about his grandmother, who passed away during the making of Divide. Apparently, many fans told him backstage before the show how much the song means to them. His tears during the song proved that he really loves his fans enough to take a request of something he seldom plays.

Oh, and there was also Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself, written by Sheeran. “I wrote this one on the tour bus when I was in Florida!”

Even with that oddity, just like his last Tampa show, last year at Amalie Arena, 2011’s Give Me Love made it in. But in a medley that included Lego House and Tenerife Sea, among others.

Of course, he couldn’t leave out his groundbreaking 2014 sophomore album, x. “If you don’t know the words to this song, you’re at the wrong concert.” he declared before leaping into a heartfelt rendition of Thinking Out Loud, which brought a wave of nostalgia. x’s other hit, Photograph immediately followed, followed by last year’s phone-illuminated Perfect, a song he did solo, with opera legend Andrea Bocelli, and Beyoncé.

The main set ended with an audience-assisted Sing, also off of x. A very generous encore was given shortly after, with Ed sporting a Bucs jersey with his name – A transposed Shape Of You, and a foot stomping, yet more obscure You Need Me, I Don’t Need You capped up one of the most epic shows of the year.

Ed’s well-loved around here, which is probably why this was his sixth show here since opening for Snow Patrol at Jannus Live in 2012. “Florida was the third place in the US I ever played!”

It’ll be three years until he comes back, so hopefully, it’ll also be one of the next.

Bob Dylan brought his Never Ending Tour to a sold-out Ruth Eckerd Hall on Saturday night.

Bob Dylan brought his Never Ending Tour to a sold-out Ruth Eckerd Hall on Saturday night.

Bob Dylan brought his Never Ending Tour to a sold-out Ruth Eckerd Hall on Saturday night.

“I’m a worried man, I got a worried mind, no one in front of me and no one behind,” Bob Dylan croaked as his sold-out show at Ruth Eckerd Hall Saturday night began. Not a camera was in sight. All around the venue, there were warnings about how if one took any video or photos, it would be grounds for removal from the venue. And most folks sneaking in a photo or two were demanded by security every ten minutes to put it away.

But enough about that. How was the show?

Dylan has been on the road pretty much his whole life, and with “his band” on his Never Ending Tour, which, since its start 30 years ago, has changed in just about every way imaginable. The lights went down around 8:05, and Bob and the band hit the stage to kick off with 2000’s Things Have Changed, immediately followed by an unrecognizable, yet heartfelt It Ain’t Me, Babe.

In between every song, the lights onstage would go down for some secretive Dylan reason. He didn’t stop to talk to the audience. Not even at the end. And almost each time they came back on, the man was still sitting at the piano. That was the cool part of this show: Bob didn’t pick up a guitar once. And he only stood up from the piano twice. During Scarlet Town and once again later on in his set.

Unlike a normal 21st century Dylan show, the classics actually had a great presence in the setlist. New arrangements of Highway 61 Revisited, Simple Twist Of Fate, and When I Paint My Masterpiece, just to name a few. Also included were more recently recorded songs that had far different arrangements than the originals. A heartbreaking rendition of Trying To Get To Heaven, and a nearly identical ride through the 1997 lament Love Sick.

Speaking of identical to the original recording, Like A Rolling Stone made it into the rotation, for the first time in about six years. Yep, he’s played it literally over a thousand times in 50 years, and it replaced 1975’s Tangled Up In Blue at the tail end of the most recent leg of the tour. While both are genius, it’s not a Dylan show without the former. I mean, how would you feel if you went to see Paul McCartney, and he didn’t play Hey Jude?

Following an all-in Gotta Serve Somebody, the legend and his band snuck behind the grey-orange curtain, and after a minute, firmly walked out once again. Dylan remained behind the piano for his very generous encore of 1963’s Blowin’ In The Wind, and 1965’s Ballad Of A Thin Man. You could tell what they were, just by each song’s iconic opening lyrics.

Oh, and we got a bow at the end, rather than just a nod.

These days, Dylan does Dylan, because he knows he can. What does he care if his fans complain? With a Nobel Prize, a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction, and a career spanning over 55 years, he could retire now, and his fans wouldn’t complain.

That said, he’s also one of the last folk-rockers that still plays, now that Paul Simon‘s retired, among many others. But anyway, long live Dylan. Period.

Paul Simon brought his farewell tour, deep cuts, and a 15-piece band to Tampa’s Amalie Arena

Paul Simon brought his farewell tour, deep cuts, and a 15-piece band to Tampa’s Amalie Arena

Paul Simon brought his farewell tour, deep cuts, and a 15-piece band to Tampa’s Amalie Arena

Paul Simon brought his farewell tour, deep cuts, and a 15-piece band to Tampa’s Amalie Arena

Paul Simon brought his farewell tour, deep cuts, and a 15-piece band to Tampa’s Amalie Arena

Paul Simon brought his farewell tour, deep cuts, and a 15-piece band to Tampa’s Amalie Arena

Paul Simon brought his farewell tour, deep cuts, and a 15-piece band to Tampa’s Amalie Arena

Halfway through Paul Simon’s last ever show in Tampa Friday night, he made it very clear that something was very different about his stage. A man (no, not Art Garfunkel) who played with him live and in the studio for over 30 years was not present.

In December of last year, guitarist Vincent Nguini passed away. He was present on Paul’s brief US tour last summer for maybe four or five dates, before heading home to receive treatment for an unspecified illness.

Nguini’s unfortunate passing was a key reason to why the genius behind Graceland announced Homeward Bound: The Farewell Tour in an open letter back in February. He had kicked the idea around for the last few years, but two new albums (one of which released Friday) and two tours proved that it was probably blasphemy.

Though his final show in Queens, NY is still a few weeks away, Simon’s final stop in Tampa, felt like his first stop here. In 60+ years, Paul is not very familiar with Tampa, as his last time in the area was in 2011 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. But him and Garfunkel did bring their reunion tour with surprise guests The Everly Brothers to the same venue in late 2003. If at least some fans at the farewell show hadn’t seen the reunion tour, that’s an honest shocker.

Simon’s 9-piece band, with the 6 members of yMusic hit the stage around 8:15, and the man came slowly walking out in an orange t-shirt and purple blazer. After plucking the opening chords to the Simon & Garfunkel classic, America, and swaying to 1973’s 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, he told a humorous Tampa story, about a time he was asked to throw the first pitch at a Yankees spring training game held here. Apparently, some of the players were betting on how many times the ball would bounce in the event of a celebrity such as Paul threw the first pitch. “The only person that bet on me was Tino Martinez!” he closed the story with.

He then granted permission to get up and dance “if we felt the urge to,” but to “keep in mind the couple behind you may disagree with your urge.”

While only five Simon & Garfunkel songs were played in the two-and-a-half hour musical odyssey, he hardly missed a moment in his solo career. As he’s done in most shows over the years, Mother And Child Reunion and Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard, off his first proper solo album, were blasted back-to-back. Graceland’s follow-up, The Rhythm Of The Saints was not snubbed either. Four tracks, one of which was a recently revamped song, Can’t Run But, made the cut for the first time on tour in nearly 20 years.

“I’ve been writing songs since I was twelve years old,” he bragged before proceeding to emphasize his life of songwriting. Or at least up until he broke up with Artie, because he didn’t want to continue going on and on.

Some songs on this tour haven’t appeared on many, or any, tours before this one. With the release of In The Blue Light the day of the show, in which Simon revisits obscure songs he penned that he felt had an impact on him, there had to be some tunes off of there. And three, one mentioned before, made it. The Joan Baez inspired Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War, which has not been played since 1984, and never played on tour, featured the breathtaking talents of yMusic, of whom came forward to the carpet Simon stood on to surround him. And 2011’s Questions For The Angels, of which the new version was previewed during last summer’s mini US tour, was very unfamiliar to the crowd, except for one of the very few die-hards in the house.

There was also 1973’s Kodachrome during Simon’s final of two encores, and a newer version of the legendary Bridge over Troubled Water, which was later dedicated to the Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin. “Very seldom do I sing it,” he began. And an emotional Homeward Bound featured a montage of photos from Paul’s 60+ year career on the screen behind him.

That’s the major difference about this tour from any other he’s done before. Normally, Paul plays smaller, intimate venues. But this time around, he wanted to give everyone in town a chance to say goodbye to him. And also, there’s normally not a big screen behind him, showing neither graphics nor a magnified view of himself. So while some of his shows (including this one) were not sold out, I think it’s safe to say that this is a dazzling way to go out on top.

The show closed with a trio of his most beautiful songs. A devastating rendition of The Boxer brought tears to the eyes of boomers, Gen-X’ers, and millennials. Before the highlight of the night, The Sound Of Silence tore the house down, the 1973 lament American Tune, featured just Simon and his trademark acoustic guitar. “Strange times, huh?” he asked, swiping the opening chord.

“Don’t give up.”

For the age of 76, those are pretty solid final remarks to Tampa Bay. That’s the closest he came to mentioning politics. (other then getting booed when mentioning the first pitch for Yankees)

Even with Bob Dylan on the way to Clearwater next month, Simon’s advice has some serious significance, especially for the music lovers. Many of the great singer-songwriters have either died or retired, so we’re losing people to see live. Not to say there aren’t any left, but regardless of what anyone says, never again will there be anyone with the same potential and love for music owned by Aretha Franklin, Joan Baez, Elton John, and in any case, especially here, the genius, sharp-wit; and underrated musical skills of Paul Simon.