Last update: 2024-12-10, 13:19 shows: 4043 setlists: 2803 songs: 2326 artists: 1340 cities: 693 venues: 1498

VAN MORRISON - LIVE - THE PERFORMANCES

2009-03-03

www.beacontheatre.com/events/van-morrison-beacon-309.html		 2h08m38s

Setlist

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Band

Setlist Remarks

Northern Muse Solid Ground has now been played 312 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 22OCT1981

Spirit has now been played 14 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 23JAN1980

Wild Night has now been played 156 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 00MAY1970
Played at a different position from the previous show.

And It Stoned Me has now been played 40 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 00JUN1969
Played at a different position from the previous show.

I Can't Stop Loving You has now been played 178 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 21JUN1977
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Jackie Wilson Said has now been played 462 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 27APR1972
Played at a different position from the previous show.

It's All In The Game > You Know What They're Writing About has now been played 140 times as a medley in this combination of songs since its first appearance on 23AUG1979
Played for the first time this year.

Queen Of The Slipstream has now been played 44 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 19SEP1987
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Moondance has now been played 834 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 08NOV1969
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Have I Told You Lately has now been played 580 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 18MAY1989
Played for the first time this year.

Comfortably Numb has now been played 16 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 20JUL1990
Played at a different position from the previous show.

And The Healing Has Begun has now been played 200 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 04OCT1979
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Astral Weeks has now been played 36 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 25SEP1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Beside You has now been played 16 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 09AUG1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Slim Slow Slider has now been played 29 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 15OCT1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Sweet Thing has now been played 134 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 15OCT1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Cyprus Avenue has now been played 71 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 09AUG1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

The Way Young Lovers Do has now been played 56 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 00AUG1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Ballerina has now been played 80 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 00AUG1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Madame George has now been played 58 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 09AUG1968
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Common One has now been played 4 times as a stand-alone song since its first appearance on 08NOV2008
Played at a different position from the previous show.

Mystic Eyes > Gloria has now been played 3 times as a medley in this combination of songs since its first appearance on 27FEB2009
Overall closing shows 14 times.

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Location

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
on 04MAR2009 from avalondan2003
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.another killer astral weeks set tonight, this time at the Beacon of hope on
broadway at 74th.
van was anchored in his own special place and time, rock solid at the microphone with waves of energy flowing from the stage and then back again into the singer's implosive core. Somtimes you'd think van has a little artistic nuclear reactor racing in that heart of his, His art was in full flight, transforming the personal into a universal emotional motherlode that the audience savored.
Slim slow slider was memory made flesh. As JG said afterward: "I'm speechless. I just don't know what to say."
Slim slow was overflowing with drive and passion, Morrison going back in time to when the "doctor gave me railway carriage charms."
Van was channelling something indescribable tonight during the astral weeks suite. The band knew it; the audience knew it. rain-a-bow rain-a-bow rain-a-bow ribbons in her hair.
The opening set was a warmup for the main event, but it contained some nice treats.
Another sweet Northern Muse Solid Ground; a stronger Spirit; Wild Night; Moondance; a soulful Jackie Wilson; All in the Game; And the healing has begun, with Van moaning and singing into the harmonica microphone; have I told you lately, the slow lover man version; queen of the slipstream was ecstatic; comfortably numb; and it stoned me; i can't stop loving you.
the muse settled in for good during beside you, and Morrison's voice opened up like a flower for the remainder of the evening.
the performance concluded with a ripping mystic eyes into a pulverizing gloria.
no listen to the lion tonight. the lion had already roared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
on 04MAR2009 from Anthony
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The first half of this show found Van a little fussy, changing arrangements mid-song (!) and apparently catching the band by surprise throughout. He didn't play as much harmonica as last Friday, and seemed to be constantly taking sips from several cups behind him. I wonder if the 2+ hour shows have been a little strain on his voice? But except for a few gravel-voiced tones in one song from the Astral Weeks set, I could hear no difference. The vocals were excellent all night. And his fussy behavior was gone during the Astral Weeks set. I do not mean, in any way, that the first set wasn't less than excellent... just that Van seemed to be experimenting and fussing.

There were a few other subtle differences from the Friday WaMu show: Guitarist Jay Berliner skipped the first half last night, there was a steel guitar added to the instrumental mix, and the bass player used an electric bass during the first set before returning to stand-up in the second set.

Friday, Astral Weeks was in the same order as the album. Not so last night.

Solid Ground
Spirit
Wild Night - During this song, he skipped singing some of the lyrics and substituted dah-dah-dah in their place. It was pretty funny.
And It Stoned Me
I Can't Stop Loving You - He let the back-up singers handle the last third of the song while he chimed in vocally from time-to-time... and they can sing!
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)
It's All In The Game > You Know What They're Writing About
Queen of the Slipstream
Moondance - Started with a long sax solo by Van let the back-ups handle the last third (as above) and the bass player got a solo.
Have I Told You Lately?
Comfortably Numb
And The Healing Has Begun

INTERMISSION

Astral Weeks
Beside You
Slim Slow Slider - This was stretched out a bit during this concert, to amazing effect. The band rattled on, the arrangement got looser and more primitive, the bass player alternated between plucking the strings and simply banging on his stand-up, Van was clawing at his guitar, the energy built and built, until Van cut them all back to a quiet shuffle as he brought the song to a close. Stunning performance.
Sweet Thing - Much like the previous song, this too was stretched out in a similar manner, though not as manic sounding.
Cyprus Avenue
Young Lovers Do
Ballerina
Madame George
Common One - Also stretched out more than Friday, with the usual fun of the call-and-response challenge between Van & the sax player but as the song progressed, Van started a separate alternating call-and-response with the back-up singers... so he would sing one line for the sax player, who repeated it, and then the next line for the singers, then the sax player, etc. Van was playful and playing around.
Mystic Eyes > Gloria

Instead of a "real" encore, they just kind of kept playing. Van very briefly exited the stage between Common One & Mystic Eyes > Gloria, but it was for less than 30 seconds.

The Astral Weeks set has obviously grown and evolved since Friday. Friday night sounded a little sharper and spikier, like a brittle music box and last night it was warmer, but both versions were mesmerizing and inspiring. I would love to be at the concerts in the UK in a couple of months to see how the second half of the show keeps evolving, but... no such luck.

Van is better than ever.
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