Mark Knopfler at Chateau Ste. Michelle
Since many people aren't familiar with his name, I'll start by saying that Mark Knopfler is the former frontman of Dire Straits.
Last night was a beautiful evening at the winery, marred only by a little rain and the occasional presence of those older guys you can tell just by their skin tone have been heavy drinkers for many years.
Mark Knopfler is a guitarist first, a songwriter second, and a vocalist third, though his vocals have improved dramatically as he has aged. His guitar played effortlessly around indelible melodies, slicing through the air and leaving me on the verge of tears through much of the first half of the concert. His deep, earthy voice was not nearly as strong as his guitar, but still engaging, and on some tunes they added vocal harmony, most effectively on the chorus of Cannibals: "Once upon a time there were cannibals, now there are no cannibals anymore."
Nearly every tune was augmented with a little jam, and his fantastic band was able to jam expertly with him. One highlight was Hill Farmer's Blues to which a bright sounding mandolin was added, and which featured a jam at the end that the album version always seems to promise but never delivers.
The crowd gradually warmed up through the entire night, and you could tell even people who didn't know the songs were really enjoying them. What It Is, Sailing to Philadelphia, Why Aye Man, and Sultans of Swing were all incredible, and his reading of Romeo and Juliet was heartfelt and better than the album version.
He brought the crowd to their feet many times, especially after Sultans and Song for Sonny Liston, a very cool blues tune about the boxer.
He mostly avoided poppier hits like Walk of Life and Money for Nothing, songs that perhaps his band wouldn't have had as much fun jamming on.
Knopfler is not much of a showman - his guitar does his speaking for him - but he is surely one of the five best guitarists in rock history, and my personal favorite.
Last night was a beautiful evening at the winery, marred only by a little rain and the occasional presence of those older guys you can tell just by their skin tone have been heavy drinkers for many years.
Mark Knopfler is a guitarist first, a songwriter second, and a vocalist third, though his vocals have improved dramatically as he has aged. His guitar played effortlessly around indelible melodies, slicing through the air and leaving me on the verge of tears through much of the first half of the concert. His deep, earthy voice was not nearly as strong as his guitar, but still engaging, and on some tunes they added vocal harmony, most effectively on the chorus of Cannibals: "Once upon a time there were cannibals, now there are no cannibals anymore."
Nearly every tune was augmented with a little jam, and his fantastic band was able to jam expertly with him. One highlight was Hill Farmer's Blues to which a bright sounding mandolin was added, and which featured a jam at the end that the album version always seems to promise but never delivers.
The crowd gradually warmed up through the entire night, and you could tell even people who didn't know the songs were really enjoying them. What It Is, Sailing to Philadelphia, Why Aye Man, and Sultans of Swing were all incredible, and his reading of Romeo and Juliet was heartfelt and better than the album version.
He brought the crowd to their feet many times, especially after Sultans and Song for Sonny Liston, a very cool blues tune about the boxer.
He mostly avoided poppier hits like Walk of Life and Money for Nothing, songs that perhaps his band wouldn't have had as much fun jamming on.
Knopfler is not much of a showman - his guitar does his speaking for him - but he is surely one of the five best guitarists in rock history, and my personal favorite.