Always worthwhile!
by QuestionTheNorm on 10/31/13Gramercy Theatre - New YorkRating: 4 out of 5An intimate evening — nostalgic, current, forward-looking, historical and cutting edge. Just what you would expect from Mr. Dolby. He never disappoints.

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An intimate evening — nostalgic, current, forward-looking, historical and cutting edge. Just what you would expect from Mr. Dolby. He never disappoints.
Never been to a more personal concert with Thomas Dolby talking directly to his audience over a gorgeous film and catchy music.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but the movie was really fantastic. And I loved the way he sang along and created the sound effects. The guest violinist was exquisite. And it was fun to hear him play his hits at the end. Only problem was the weird guy in the front!
Pretty good show. TD's voice was a bit on, and off ... meaning to say that he did pull a few obscure songs out - yet did not play his newest masterpiece 'Nothing New Under The Sun' But when he was on, man, it was heaven ! He even played 'Lifeboats' which was a long shot fantasy for me since I was at anchor in Annapolis, 50 miles away waiting for the hurricane to pass before heading offshore to be lashed by the tradewinds of the Caribbean (TD lyric). Nice almost jazzy show, and very intimate - maybe 200 people, and one could hear the wood of the drumsticks on many of the lighter passages. Met a guy who wanted more upbeat - R&R show ..... but that was years ago ! This was a great show from an older new wave rocker from the early MTV generation era. He did well, enough to satisfy my childhood friend and myself. The new album, "A Map Of The Floating City" is easily the best album of 2011.
Although the Birchmere was half empty due to hurricane Sandy, Dolby played his heart out. He has an absolute cracking backup band and he's got a great stage presence. He promised to play all night and probably played for a good 2 1/2 hours. I'm a big fan of his old stuff and he did a lot off of Golden Age of Wireless and Flat Earth so I was real happy with his setlist. As always, the Birchmere sound system was top notch although there could have been a little more balance with the vocals. The show had a very intimate feeling due to the small turnout and Dolby kept things interesting with this witty stories. An excellent show!
100 guests were treated to another wonderful show. Dolby sounds and performs at his best. Birchmere is made for these shows. His group was fantastic. I can't wait to see him again. He performed for about 2.5 hours with no break and no opening act. One of the best shows all year.
Phenomenal show with a great mix of old hits and solid new material. Thomas Dolby and the band braved the leading edge of the storm and committed to hunkering down in DC for the following days of Hurricane Sandy to play the Birchmere -- and I'm glad they did! One of the best shows I've ever experienced, and a great first time seeing him live. Thanks much!
The Birchmere is a great place to see a live show - really no bad seats in the whole place. Thomas Dolby put on a great show with a relatively small crowd in attendance due to the impending Hurricane Sandy. This actually made for an even more enjoyable experience as the show had a nice intimate feel to it.
I saw his show earlier in the year back in March, and it was a very good show. This time round, he seemed much more relaxed and interactive with the audience. He only played a few songs from the last tour and played some songs that are infrequently played live. Can't wait to see him next time he's in town!
I hate leaving negative reviews on things, so I'll try to keep this short. The opening band, Aaron Jonah Lewis and Ben Belcher, were really pretty fun. I don't know if I'd buy their album, since it's not necessarily my thing, but they were extremely charismatic and engaging, joking around a lot with the audience, and were fantastic musicians. Their set was quick, and may not have lasted quite as long as the audience would have liked, but it's better to understay your welcome than overstay. Thomas Dolby performed perfectly competently, but it just felt to me like there was no energy or connection somehow. He talked between tracks and the stories were fine, but not riveting. After a little while, I realized that I was really bored. I wound up departing after maybe four or five songs. It wasn't the venue; I love that venue and the opening band rocked it. There was just something ineffable missing about the performance.
Maybe it was just the small, intimate venue, but Thomas Dolby's show at L'Astral in Montreal was amazing! It really was just an evening of music with friends; he was chatting with us between songs and giving a lot of backstories. And of course, playing with a band that made the music even better! Some old stuff, some of his new stuff, a very eclectic set that fans will truly appreciate!
Wife and I drove up from NC to VA to see TD play, and he was awesome. Loved every minute of it! He played a diverse range of songs and styles which my wife liked as someone relatively inexperienced with TD (she was only familiar with "She Blinded Me With Science") and I loved as a more moderate fan familiar with a good bit of his 80s songs. I started looking online tonight to buy some more CDs now! Toad Lickers was a favorite of mine (wierd but awesome) as was My Brain Like a Sieve, Airhead, a few I need to learn the names of, and basically just everything he did. I loved the 80s stuff, I loved the film noir sounding stuff, the bluegrass influence- everything. And I am a huge early Dolby fan- have songs from Wireless stuck in my head constantly, but I really got into the later stuff in this show. We also enjoyed the stories he told during the show!
Thomas did not disappoint. He brought a large synth rig as usual, but also brought a crack guitar and drummer, (using an Octopad no less!). This is my 4th time seeing him. I love how he tells stories in between each song.
The concert was fabulous! Loved the steam punk time machine. He did a great job covering alot of albums and doing the all justice. His voice was perfect!
This is the 5th time I've seen Thomas Dolby over the years. Each time it's a different 'feel' to the shows. He mixes the set list well and changes each song enough to make it sound fresh each time. It doesn't hurt that he's a pretty charismatic guy on stage as well. I'd highly recommend seeing him to anyone whether you know alot about his discography or not. My wife is too young to have known his music from the early 80's but is a huge fan now.
Something tells me that Thomas Dolby wants more to be known as a musician than a technician. That might not have been so much the case in 1981, but it is certainly now. His music borrows from all walks of musical life, Jazz, Reggae, Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, Classical you name it - it's probably in there. So if you plan to see him, and you haven't heard any of his new material - be prepared for some culture shock. That is not to say it isn't excellent - it is - but it's not 'The Flat Earth'. Nonetheless, you WILL hear his songs from the past - redone in a way that modern electronic equipment can represent it. It didn't hurt that he had Kevin Armstrong with him (who has been his guitarist from the beginning!), and an excellent drummer who, in addition to playing a traditional drumset, has an Octapad triggering an iPad for sampled 'hits'. It's especially fun to watch him 'build' a song from bits. First a bassline, then percussion, then the rest of the band joins in. Fun to watch and listen to. What talent these guys have!
Thomas Dolby managed to play all of my favorite songs! The depth of the sound submerged my ears and gave me chills. He can't hit all the hi notes anymore, but it didn't take away from the experience. He told interesting tales about the songs and himself. The warm up duo were a fun romp also.
A fun, varied program with amusing stories to go with most songs. Thomas Dolby doesn't disappoint.