Glen Burtnik in Atlanta

[Rockwriter]

I'm still at the hotel, just trying to get enough coffee in me this morning to get cranked up for the drive back to Nashvillle, so I thought I'd post about last night while it was still fresh in my mind.

First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone from this board that I met last night, a bunch of really nice people, as well as a few names from some of the other lists. I had a great time talking to everyone.

I got to this place about five o'clock, and Glen was already on stage doing a little soundcheck. He joked around a little bit, did a sort of comedy bit with the music stand, and just kinda put everyone at ease before the meet and greet part of the program. Then he came through row by row and introduced himself and shook hands before going back to sit at the table they had set up for him to sign stuff. Bizarrely, I'd never met Glen before - I interviewed him extensively for my book, and he wrote the Foreword, but that was all by email. So when he came by, I shook his hand and said, "Glen, I'm Sterling." And he smiled really big and said, "Yes you are." LOL. So when it was my turn, I gave him a copy of the book and we chatted for a couple of minutes. True to his reputation, Glen couldn't have been any nicer. He seemed genuinely interested in knowing how my experience had been in writing and publishing it, and we joked and talked about Styx and the craziness of the music business in general. It was great finally meeting him.

As for his peformance, it was great! One of the things I've always liked about Glen's songs is that he utilizes some unusual chord voicings, and sometimes when the songs are arranged for a full band those chord voicings get a bit lost. So it was particularly interesting for me to hear them stripped down like that. In Nashville we always say that the true test of a song is that you have to be able to play it acoustically and have it hold up, and Glen's songs certainly do. He was taking requests and playing from this A-Z book of his songs that he had propped up precariously on this funky music stand the venue had provided, and he actually had to struggle to recall some of the more obscure songs, which was funny. He pulled it off.

We also got to see a very special guest vocalist for "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" . . . (drum roll) . . . our very own Zan! She did the Patty Smyth parts for that, and sang very well, I might add. Go Zan!

I had to leave before Randy Jackson came on, so I probably missed he and Glen doing some Beatles songs, which is too bad. But it was a great night, well worth seeing.


Sterling

[stmonkeys]

sterling, thank you so much for the review!!!! AARRGGHHHHH!!! judging from the set list, i'm so sorry i missed it. and hearing glen & zan doing a duet!! way to go zannie!

sorry you missed randy. he's amazing!!! been a huge zebra fan since 1981. here is a link to them doing A Day in the Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaKRFvi37Dc

Kathy put a whole bunch of clips up there from yesterday. to see them, click on "more from this user"

here's the setlist that was posted on gb's bb:

ATLANTA SET LIST

1) All That's Yet To Come
2) Abalene
3) All In A Day's Work
4) Abalene
5) BAM!
6) Hold That Thought
7) Heart In 3
Cool Little Red House
9) Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man
10) Every Breath You Take
11) Oh Darling!
12) Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough (w/ Zan)
13) Cry
14) Follow You
15) Learning To Crawl
16) Johnny Comes Home
17) Losing Your Hair
1Cool Roses
19) Roar
20) Exit Number 9 / Girls That I Grew Up With
21) Here Comes Sally
22) Kiss Your Ass Goodbye

Then, he returned to the stage to perform 4 Beatles songs with Randy Jackson including "If I Fell," "Eight Days A Week," and "A Day In The Life."

[Jodes]

He did Abalene twice?

[stmonkeys]

i noticed that- probably a mix up. i'm sure someone who was at the show will clear it up.