Tori Amos wrapped up the first date of new North American tour about an hour and a half ago in Seattle, and her fans are in for a serious treat. She, drummer Matt Chamberlain and multi-instrumentalist Jon Evans tried out some fresh, new arrangements on several of her ‘90s classics, most of them more synth focused than the acoustic originals. “Baker Baker,” the only song she played alone at her Bosendorfer, stood in stark, heart-rending contrast to numbers powered by Chamberlain and Evans’ galvanizing rhythm section. And “These Precious Things” washed over the crowd like a tsunami, with many women in the audience loosing their loudest wails for that cheeky line about "Jesus."

That powerful delivery alone was worth the price of admission, and stands as one of my favorite concert moments of recent years. I kind of wish Tori would have walked off with that one, actually, since it rendered the few numbers that followed a bit anticlimactic.

Anyway, I may have some more thoughts or pull some more details out of my notes in the morning. But here’s a set list till then.

Tori Amos Sinful Attraction tour launch set list
July 10, 2009
WaMu Theater, Seattle

Give
Siren
Welcome to England
Graveyard
Cornflake Girl
Icicle
Space Dog
Crucify
Sugar
Bells for Her
Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
Baker Baker (solo, acoustic)
China
Fast Horse
Curtain Call
Carbon
Bliss
Precious Things
Strong Black Vine

First encore:
Police Me
Digital Ghost

Second encore:
Big Wheel
Past the Mission

Here's who sang what on the second night of the American Idols Live tour, which wound down a couple of hours ago at the Tacoma Dome. Check back, 'cause I've got more pics and a little commentary on the way.

There were ribcage rattling explosions, fan cameos during songs and an inebriated, pink rabbit. Plus, some guy Frenched Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong during "Longview." Now that’s a tour kickoff! Here’s the set list for now with more photos and observations on the way.
ERNEST JASMIN

Green Day tour kickoff set list
July 3, 2009
KeyArena
Seattle

21st Century Breakdown
Know Your Enemy
East Jesus Nowhere
Holiday
Static Age
Before the Lobotomy
Are We Waiting
Geek Stink Breath
Hitchin’ a Ride
Brain Stew
Jaded
Longview
Basket Case
She
King For A Day/Shout
21 Guns
American Eulogy

Encore:
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Minority
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Before I write anything else about the Jonas Brothers’ headlining set at the Tacoma Dome Sunday night, I have to give a big shout out to “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. They made my experience at the T-Dome far more bearable than expected, and at times pretty humorous.

I don't mean to hate on the Jo Bros. They seem like nice enough lads. But I’m the wrong gender and about two decades too old to get it. Their confectionary, Disney-sanctioned pop makes my eyes glaze over faster than melatonin, and many of the parental guardian types on site at the T-Dome Sunday feel the same way by the looks of things.

But tweeners fiend for the Jo Bros in a way that can't be cured without a trip to the ol' Schick Shadel (or, like, turning 16 and discovering emo.) And being reminded just how crazed those hormone-addled fans get at the mere mention of Nick, Kevin or Joe, and just how little the “South Park” guys had to exaggerate for their Jonas Brothers episode, was heeee-larious!

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PJ Harvey is seldom more experimental (or screechy) than when she teams up with longtime collaborator John Parish. And Tuesday night at Seattle’s Moore Theatre, the duo performed rootsy selections from their two discs, “Dance Hall at Louse Point” and this year’s “A Woman A Man Walked By.” Apologies for the late set list, but I’m actually out of the office for a few days. But here ya go.

ERNEST JASMIN

PJ Harvey & John Parish set list
June 16, 2009
Moore Theatre
Seattle

Black Hearted Love
Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen
Rope Bridge Crossing
Urn with Dead Flowers In a Drained Pool
Civil War Correspondent
The Soldier
Taut
Leaving California
A Woman A Man Walked By/The Crow Knows Where All the Little Children Go
Passionless Pointless
Cracks in the Canvas
Pig Will Not

Encore:
False Fire
April

Neko Case wrapped up her Tacoma homecoming show at the Pantages an hour ago. Her joyfully tearful performance of "Thrice All American" was worth the price of admission alone. More on that later. Here's the set list for now.

Neko Case set list
Pantages Theatre
June 2, 2009

Maybe Sparrow
People Got a Lotta Nerve
Fever
Hold On, Hold On
The Pharoahs
Middle Cyclone
Deep Red Bells
I Wish I Was the Moon
I’m an Animal
Prison Girls
The Tigers Have Spoken
Margaret vs. Pauline
Red Tide
Don’t Forget Me
That Teenage Feeling
This Tornado Loves You

Encore:
Vengeance Is Sleeping
Lady Pilot
Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth
Thrice All American

Opening act: Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino

Two things have been in abundant supply for Fleetwood Mac during the band’s first four decades: Smash hits and behind the scenes drama.

The legendary rock outfit packed plenty of the former into a monster, 22-song greatest hits set Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome. And early on, singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham got a laugh, alluding to the drama with a dry, understatement about his band’s “fairly complex and convoluted emotional history.”

That history, of course, includes his past romantic entanglements with smoky-voiced band mate, Stephanie “Stevie” Nicks and bassist John McVie’s ill-fated marriage to departed keyboard player, Christine McVie. Those rocky relationships tested the band’s stability over the years while adding creative tension to cuts like “Second Hand News” and “Storms,” a song that Nicks introduced as being about “stormy people in dark, dark, stormy relationships” Saturday night.

But against all odds, Fleetwood Mac has endured through all that “Behind the Music” turmoil, not to mention roughly a gazillion lineup changes. And Buckingham declared, “Every time we come together there’s a sense of forward motion.”

Granted, that statement that seemed a tad ironic in one sense, since the Unleashed tour is all about revisiting the band's '70s/'80s heyday. Fleetwood Mac doesn't have a new album for 2009 (“yet,” as Buckingham emphasized.) Not that all those cheering Baby Boomers at the T-Dome seemed to care.

But Fleetwood Mac is a legendary band seemingly back in peak form after seeing its share of troubles. And at times Saturday’s set did seem like a triumph, as if the veteran group had moved on to a happier, more stable place.

The quartet - also big, wild-eyed drummer Mick Fleetwood - was backed by a great supporting cast: Neale Heywood on guitar and backing vocals; Brett Tuggle on keyboards; and Sharon Celani, Jana Anderson and Lori Nicks (Stevie’s sister-in-law) on backing vocals.

And while Fleetwood and John McVie may be the band’s namesakes, with Christine McVie long gone, Fleetwood Mac has essentially become the Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks show, with Buckingham’s manic intensity contrasting and often overshadowing Nicks’ icy detachment.

Buckingham’s buoyant, finger-picked melodies elevated early set numbers “Monday Morning,” “The Chain” and “Dreams.” Later, the guitarist held little back, whooping and stomping like a revival tent preacher after nailing cathartic passages in “Never Going Back” and an intense, solo, acoustic delivery of “Big Love.” An especially invigorating moment saw Buckingham swatting at his fret board, as if he were banging a set of bongos, during an epic solo that turned “I’m So Afraid” into a late set highlight.

And the comparatively aloof Nicks did her share of thrilling, too, most notably on “Gypsy” (about she and Buckingham’s early days in the San Francisco outfit Buckingham Nicks); “Landslide” (one of the most elegant ballads of the mid-1970s, which she dedicated to her friend, Valerie); and “Gold Dust Woman” (during which Nicks belatedly seemed to hit her stride, delivering a few twirls as psychedelic haze wafted across projection screens behind her.)

The show started half an hour late, and usual set closer “Silver Springs” got the axe as 11 o' clock curfew approached. But bubbly “Rumours” era smash “Don’t Stop” seemed a more fitting finale for the new show's feel-good vibe, anyway.

Fleetwood Mac set list
May 16, 2009 at the Tacoma Dome

"Monday Morning"
"The Chain"
"Dreams"
"I Know I'm Not Wrong"
"Gypsy"
"Go Insane"
"Rhiannon"
"Second Hand News"
"Tusk"
"Sara"
"Big Love" (Lindsey Buckingham solo acoustic)
"Landslide" (Stevie Nicks and Buckingham acoustic)
"Never Going Back Again" (Nicks and Buckingham acoustic)
"Storms"
"Say That You Love Me"
"Gold Dust Woman"
"Oh Well"
"I'm So Afraid"
"Stand Back"
"Go Your Own Way"

Encore:
"World Turning"
"Don't Stop"

Top photo: The Ventures’ Nokie Edwards, Bob Spalding and Don Wilson rock out to their 1960 hit “Walk, Don’t Run.” Later, drummer Leon Taylor would steal the show with an epic solo on “Caravan.” Second photo: The Fabulous Wailers’ Kent Morrill still has that Little Richard-style howl; guitarist John Hanford in the background.
ERNEST JASMIN

The Ventures and Fabulous Wailers celebrated 50 years of rock and the release of their new CD “Two Car Garage” Friday night at Seattle’s Moore Theatre, a triumphant night for two titans of Tacoma rock.

Dressed in dapper, black suits, the Wailers ripped through an opening set that included fan favorites “Dirty Robber,” “Wailin’” and “Out of Our Tree,” plus a touching photo tribute to fallen Wailers Rockin’ Robin Roberts, Ron Gardner, Rich Dangel, John Greek and Mark Marush.

The Ventures’ and Wailers’ Blue Horizon Records has been working on a documentary about the influential Tacoma bands. And several celebrities involved in the project congratulating the two bands preceded the Ventures set, with Alec Baldwin, Billy Bob Thornton, Joe Perry and Times Square’s Naked Cowboy among those extolling the two groups.

Liberty DeVito gave congratulations, with a passing joke about the Ventures ridiculously prolific output (more than 250 albums and counting.) “I think since I said that, three albums just came out,” he said.

Many of those album covers provided fun backdrops during the Ventures’ 21-song set, with kitschy ‘60s imagery featuring bikini-clad girls, go-go dancers and astronauts.

The quartet onstage Friday -- founding member Don Wilson, Nokie Edwards, Bob Spalding and Leon Taylor on drums – got things started with “Walk, Don’t Run,” the hit that propelled the Ventures to stardom in 1960. The Ventures were joined by Lt. Governor Brad Owen for “Surf Rider,” a track that experienced a resurgence in popularity in the ‘90s, thanks to its use in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” And Alan White of Yes made an appearance later, providing the booming snare drum to “Hawaii Five-O.”

But the night’s high point occurred during the Ventures’ last pre-encore number “Caravan.” Leon Taylor delivered a truly epic drum solo during that hit, meandering from behind his kit midway through to band on Bob Spalding’s bass strings as video of his dad, the late Mel Taylor, played behind the band.

For the encore, both bands teamed up for “Needles & Pins” and “Black is Black,” both featured on the new “Two Car Garage” CD. And, yes, Don Wilson sings. His band is known for instrumental rock, but I’m pretty sure he sang more than Britney Spears did Thursday night at the Tacoma Dome.

And three guesses regarding what the two bands finished up with. There are three things you can count on in life, death, taxes and the Wailers playing “Louie Louie” some time during their set.

The Ventures set list
Ventures, Wailers 50th anniversary show
The Moore Theatre
April 10, 2009

Walk, Don’t Run
Blue Dawn
Driving Guitars
Telstar
El Cumbanchero
Slaughter on 10th Ave.
Apache
Penetration
Out of Limits
Surf Rider (with Lt. Governor Brad Owen)
Secret Agent Man
Sleepwalk
I Got a Woman
Walk, Don’t Run ‘64
House of the Rising Sun
Diamond Head
Hawaii Five-O (with Alan White of Yes)
Wipe-Out
Pipeline
Caravan

Encore: The Ventures with the Wailers

Needles & Pins
Black is Black
Louie Louie (And you were expecting what else for the finale?)

Sorry, Wailers fans. My first notebook fell out of my pocket somewhere between the parking garage and my seat, so I didn't have anything to jot their set down on. Off the top of my head, it included "Dirty Robber," "Wailin'," "Out of Our Tree," "Tall Cool One."

Britney Spears didn’t show up with her dome shaved Thursday night at the Tacoma Dome. She wasn’t listless and pudgy, a la her career low on the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. She didn’t even storm off stage, peeved at the aroma of wacky tobacky, as she did night before last in Vancouver, B.C.

Nope, there were no tabloid-worthy moments during the pop princess’ first Puget Sound performance in half a decade, a victory by itself. Instead, Spears confidently strutted, gyrated and lip-synced her way through a slick two hours of smash hits, eye-popping spectacle and PG-13 erotica, much to the delight of more than 20,000 screaming and mostly female fans. It was another step forward on a comeback trail that’s seen her bounce back from the public meltdowns and trips to rehab that have largely overshadowed her musical career these last few years.

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Beyonce, the reigning queen of pop, just flew through KeyArena (literally, during "Baby Boy.") I’ll dig through my notes for more details in a spell. Meanwhile, here’s a set list for anyone who missed all the bootylicious action.

Beyonce’s I Am Tour set list
KeyArena
April 1, 2009

“Crazy in Love” (with elements of James Brown’s “Pass the Peas,” DJ Kool’s “Let Me Clear My Throat”)
“Naughty Girl”
“Freakum Dress”
“Get Me Bodied”

“Smash into You”
“Ave Maria”
“Broken-Hearted Girl”
“If I Were A Boy”/”You Oughta Know” (Alanis Morissette)

“Diva”
“Radio”
“Me, Myself & I”
“Ego”
“Hello” (called favorite song from new album)
Band jam with snippets of Digable Planet’s “Rebirth of Slick,” The Commodores’ “Brick House,” etc.
“Love Hangover” (Diana Ross, sung by backup singers)

Second stage set:
“Baby Boy” (Beyonce clones dance before the real Beyonce “flies” and flips her way across arena to a second, smaller stage)
“Irreplaceable” (crowd sing along)
“Check On It”
Medley with “Bootylicious,” “Bug-A-Boo,” “Jumpin’ Jumpin’”
“Video Phone”

Ballad set:
“At Last” (to backdrop of civil rights and “Cadillac Footage,” culiminating in Barack Obama’s inauguration)
“Listen”
“Scared of Lonely”
Piano solo
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"

Encore:
Halo

Portrait of a country guitar hero: Brad Paisley Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome.
ERNEST JASMIN

Brad Paisley’s show was a gas Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome, thanks in no small part to a slick video presentation that brought us Guitar Hero, Brad Paisley stye, and virtual cameos from the likes of Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Alison Krauss. Check back later and I’ll have more comments and some pics up. Meanwhile, here are a couple of set lists for you.

Brad Paisley set list
Tacoma Dome
Feb. 28, 2009

Mud on the Tires
Better Than This
The World
Wrapped Around
Waitin’ on a Woman
Celebrity
Mr. Policeman
I’m Still a Guy
Letter to Me
Start a Band
Fishing Song
She’s Everything
Instrumental “Play” medley
Whiskey Lullaby
Acoustic covers medley feat. Roger Miller's “King of the Road,” George Strait's "The Chair" and Clapton’s “Layla”
When I Get Where I'm Going
Online
Alcohol (with Dierks Bentley and Crystal Shawanda)

Encore:
Ticks
Let the Good Times Roll (B.B. King)

Dierks Bentley set list

How Am I Doin'
Feel That Fire
Lot of Leavin' Left to Do
Trying to Stop You Leaving
Sideways
Settle for a Slowdown
Closer
Every Mile a Memory
What Was I Thinkin’
Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)

Opening act: Crystal Shawanda

Just got back from Metallica's big show at KeyArena. And for the record, the sound and set list were a bit better Nov. 1 in Portland. James Hetfield's vocals tended to get lost in the sound mix at times; and among my favorite classic tracks missing from the Seattle set were "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "And Justice for All." But whaddayagonnado? The band's got 25 years of tunes to choose from, and "Blackened" was a nice add, besides.

Speaking of the set list, I think I may be leaving one out that I can't recall, as I decipher my sloppy, in-the-dark handwriting. But this is most of what them Metallica boys played in Seattle, at any rate.

Metallica set list
KeyArena, Seattle
Dec. 1, 2008

That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Creeping Death
Harvester of Sorrow
One
Broken, Beaten & Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Wherever I May Roam
The Day That Never Comes
Master of Puppets
Blackened
Nothing Else Matters
Enter: Sandman

Encore:
Die Die, My Darling (Misfits)
Seek & Destroy

Opening acts: Lamb of God, The Sword