Donovan

I have to mention the Donovan concert attended Saturday, June 10th. It was MUCH more than I expected and was shared my an exceptionally intimate crowd. Apparently there are not as many flower power type boomers out there in the QC. The Adler was not really half full, if everyone moved forward. We were 4th row and had empty seats directly in front of us. Anyway, what I wanted to say, besides YOU MISSED A GREAT AND INTERESTING SHOW...was to talk a bit about the concert itself. First, there was an opening act and while it sounds a little like nepotism, the opening act was Joolz Jones, whose father was Jules Jones...who was the sone of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones...and the nepotism part is, he is also the step-grandson of Donovan. IF one left the story there...it would be a disservice to both Joolz and Donovan. Joolz has chops and showed them. He came out very genuine and did what sounded like a guitar warmup that smoothly became the intro for Paint It Black. His take on that and other known songs by different artist was a breath of fresh air and made one set up and take note of his interpretations. He even covered Hendrix. BUT, he did a couple of originals as well and they had all the dynamic of a well trained, born with a guitar in your hands and a song in your mind type of person...as if born with experience. Donovan came out and he explained that this was sort of an after-leg of his recent tour. He had been playing larger places and decided to pay back some of his fans from places with smaller venues and so he was winding up this tour with places like the Adler and other intimate venues. Truth be known, these probably were/will be the best shows of the tour for the sake of intimacy. I won t go on and on and on about the details, but he punctuated an eclectic grouping of songs with stories just as eclectic about the period of music history in which the songs were created. I will say, for a 70-something performer, his guitar work was impeccable. His fingering styles were right on and except for what I took to be a string buzz (or and amp buzz) on the base end of the guitar...every note was spot on. Sitting close enough to see the details of the fingers finding their strings and the music ringing forth....was nothing short of sitting at the feet of a master. The songs were some of the hits you would expect, but for me, I was there to see and experience Season Of The Witch. My all time favorite song as done by many (Bloomfield-Kooper-Stills Super Session being one of the best) and to get to hear it from the original was a treat I was waiting for. I was not disappointed. He talked an intro to it while Joolz came out and plugged in to lend a guitar-slinger aspect of the song. The two ripped through a memorable rendition, a memory to be kept with some of the finest moments in concerts I have seen. Joolz left the stage and a few more hits rolled our way and then evening was over. Again, because of the small dedicated crowd, it didn t feel like a huge hunk of an evening was over and now a struggle to get out of the venue....rather it was like talking to your friends and it was time to go home...say good night and head out...secure in the knowledge that whether in person or just on record, the things talked about would be there between friend forever.

From beginning to end, Donovan kept us entranced with great songs and stories. Despite the size of the theatre he made it seem an intimate event as though the audience were all gathered in a circle around the fire for a night's entertainment. At age 71 the man is still fully capable of casting a spell. I would heartily recommend this event to anyone.

This was my dream concert and I was not let down. Donovan sounded great. He was really really fun and told wonderful stories (but we already knew he was a great story teller, didn't we?). I didn't want it to be over and I will certainly be seeing him again when he comes back through!!!

Donovan was delightful. He told stories and sang many songs I haven't heard in years. His voice may not be as versatile as a few years ago, but he delivers a wonderful evening.

DONOVAN... at The Saban. (considering he is 70)... Overall... "A". Seats were great. Audience was great. Sound was great. The show was almost 3 hours long, with a 20 min. intermission. This was basically an acoustic show. He performed solo, except for 4 songs in which he had a violinist on 2 and a singer/guitar on 2 songs. He played all of his hits (69 - 70's) and some earlier songs (66-68). He told many stories that were very entertaining and interesting, mostly pertaining to his early years, which included his interactions with many rock stars, like Paul McCartney and many other Big names that you would know. I did miss the drums and electric guitar on a few songs, like Hurdy Gurdy Man, but these acoustic versions were fine. Anyway... I last saw Donovan at The Hollywood Bowl in Sept. of 1969, in which I had Reserved seats with a price tag of $4.50. And yes, the show was Mellow... Yellow.

Donovan put on a great show. Just him and his guitar. Lots of interesting stories as well. The facility is relatively new and they are still working out kinks.

I left feeling love and peace-- just like the sixties could make you feel. His exceptional songwriting, warbling voice and three dimensional storytelling made me feel to be part of a beautiful legend.

Had great expectations for a legend but was disappointed from the very beginning. He had no band which really took away from the psychedelic sound that has made this man popular for Fifty years. He told more stories than actually singing. The venue had big fans blowing air on the crowd that were so loud that you couldn't hear. Other attendees were rude and no fun. Really a let down.

Donovan was entertaining, telling his stories between songs but it would have been better with at least a couple other musicians (percussion and synth if no sitar etc). I'd still give Donovan 4 stars but the venue was a drawback. Nice place and great food but we were required to be seated by 7 when Donovan wasn't playing until after 9. I get it that they want dinner service completed before he starts, but the sound was bad. Opening band was ok but 2nd band was HORRIBLE and the sound was HORRIBLE and LOUD. Seats were so uncomfortable. It was really a challenge to stay in the seats for over 3 hours. The food really was great, and I'd go there again but without dinner to avoid the long night of uncomfortable seating. The best seats are all for dining and show though. Also, after dinner security let too many people cram into our expensive area, blocking aisles and views. Wish I could give it a better review. It was nice to see Donovan after enjoying his music my whole life.

Donovan is a brilliant vocalist and performer. His voice is richer and more versatile than what you hear in his early recordings. His songs are splendid and joyous. Each one is an unforgettable gem. Hearing them live brings out all of their nuances and depth. The band was subdued and complemented the songs. The only negative comment I have is that I would have preferred hearing fewer melancholic songs and more of his uplifting songs.

The archetypal flower child is now the archetypal flower senior citizen. He did all his hits, he engaged with the audience, he had a good band, and he made everyone happy. He selected an excellent opening act. The dude is unique. No one like him.

.Donovan's acoustic set was a delight. The backing band was adequate for the electric set. The audience loved his interplay and storytelling. A good time was had by all.

There were new hippies, old hippies, never grew up hippies and hippie's kids. It was like going to Woodstock in downtown LA! The smell of Vaporizers in the air! What a trip down memory lane. And Meiko was enchanting! A sensual wispiness in her voice. But a cute innocence in here body language. I bought one of her "Albums" as she called them. Interesting how musicians still call CD's albums. Donovan's voice was strong and his guitar playing seemed effortless. Really good.

Put his whole heart and soul into his show and really drew the attention of all the fans. He was truly amazing and talented.

Donovan was great, still has amazing voice and his back up band was wonderful.

Donovan's voice was lovely. His guitar work was lovely. Oh how I wish he had just done the entire show on his own. His "big hits" would have been just fine that way. More than just fine - really good. It would have been a good evening. Alas, he had a backing band of some sort and they just brought the whole thing down. They had no chops. No personality. No vibe. I don't know who they were; a pickup band, presumably, but man - poor Donovan deserved a FAR better pickup band and in a city of this size there are so many terrific players he could have cobbled together a pretty snppy bunch of session players in about 3 seconds. That could have walked in cold, w/o rehearsal, and just got it. Instead, we had a lugubrious evening where poor Donovan came across like the emcee at a depressing tourist backwater hotel lounge . Bonus bummer points because this night was meant to be a celebration of Donovan's recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Great venue, great storyteller. Changed up the songs just enough so as not to bore

When I say Donovan is a walking flashback, I mean that in every positive sense. He brings all the good influences of sixties folk, sixties pop/rock, and the East/West mysticism collision and combines them with his very own sweet voice and unbeatable fingerpicking for a really joyful evening. He did a surprisingly long set of fantastic songs, from the sublime ("To Try for the Sun," "Barabajagal") to the enjoyably silly (couldn't believe he did "I Love My Shirt" and couldn't wait to sing along on it). And when he wasn't doing that, he was telling hilarious stories complete with spot-on impressions of Ravi Shankar, Michael Caine, and the Beatles. Terrific with just him and acoustic guitar, and terrific backing band too.

I fulfiled my life-long dream by seeing and hearing Donovan live. The theather was perfect for his performance, intimate like him. Love ya Donovan!

Donovan is still the 60's troubadour full of good music that gives good vibes. His first half was solo acoustic and he delivered, strongly. Yes, he's 66, but he still posesses the same yputhful exuberance from the era of flower power. He is a great storyteller with great stories about all kinds of adventures in the 60's, whether traveling to Pacific coast Mexico or India with the Beatles, his stories are always fun & fascinating. In the second act he brought out his 4 piece band to deliver " the hit singles" as he jokingly termed them. The band and the sound was simple but tight and all the hits flowed effortlessly. It was a very satisfying evening and while there wasn't any incense in the air, but there was plenty of love going around.

Donovan was way before my time, but a Saturday night and an hour and a half drive I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him. I was glad to have been there, the crowd was small, but for those who were there you couldn't be disappointed. Donovan was energetic and was a real treat to listen to his stories and the music he played. There will likely not be a generation like his anytime soon again. Was glad to see him and listen to the stories and songs, classic!!!!.

Was an enjoyable show and played all the songs I wanted to hear.

It was an honor to be in the same room with this talented singer-song writer!

Up close and personal...told stories in between songs. Always admired his songwriting and wanted to see him in person. Good show.

Concert was entertaining...storytelling, song, and positive audience participation.

So sick I could not go! I am very sad that i missed the great show!!

Saw Donovan Sunday night in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Great concert. Just Donovan and his guitar, a couple of songs with harmonica. Excellent acoustic guitar player. First set 45 mins, then 20 min break. Second set 1 hr and 20 mins. Told some good stories. Played a bunch of songs from his first 2 albums along with all of his top hits. Ended with Mellow Yellow, encore was Atlantis.

Enjoyed everything about the concert. Donovan's voice was as pure and clear as it has ever been in his life. He sprinkled stories from his life between songs, creating a warmth, a connection amongst his listeners. It was a concert of peace, much like the times in which he wrote those songs. You have to be good; one man, simple electronics, over a 2+ hour concert bringing a crowd to its feet three times. Great music by a great artist.

While I was glad to finally see him, his voice is not what it once was.

It may be time to hang it up. Loved the stories. His voice is shot

Still has it after all these years. Venue was great also:

Donovan was led onstage, sat cross legged on a white flocati rug and instantly transported the audience back to 1966. Yes, he is 70 now, but he still has that same innocent stage presence that graced the world on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour years ago. Armed with only his green acoustic guitar and his storytelling, Donovan charmed the audience with all of his memorable songs. Donovan opened the evening's first set with a signature "Catch the Wind". After a 20 minute intermission, the Hurdy Gurdy Man returned to the stage and played another hour charming the crowd with stories about the Beatles and early British rock and roll lore. He closed the night's second set with "Mellow Yellow" and returned to the stage to perform "Atlantis" for the encore. Very enjoyable evening indeed in Seattle's Neptune Theatre.

We had super seats, second row balcony. The show started at promtly at 8:12. Donovan opened with Catch the Wind. Using only his green acustic guitar the sound was fine. He only sang his sings from the 1965-69 era and told stories between the songs explaining about them. Where, why, and who he wrote the songs about. Really interesting.

I loved the show, everything was wonderful about the show, sound lighting, intimacy. I just don't understand why the show had to start so late. 9pm is late and when the show doesn't start on time. Oh dear just realized my age is showing. Still every other venue starts no later than 8, please consider.

This show was supposed to include two warm up acts scheduled to begin at 7:00, with the theater doors opening at 6:00. We had general admission seating, so we wanted to get there early to get good seats. We arrived at 6:20. The doors were still closed, but opened shortly thereafter. We and the other people made a beeline to the balcony to get our seats, only to find the doors closed and the ushers announcing that the first two acts had been canceled. Due to this, the doors would not open until 8:00, an hour before Donovan was scheduled to begin. This left a crowd of mostly older people stuck standing or sitting on the ramp by the doors for an hour and a half. No discounts on drinks, vouchers for snacks, or anything else to compensate for our inconvenience and misery. The carpet on the ramp smelled, but I had to sit for that long period. Once we got in the theater, we waited another hour and a half for Donovan to start. This meant spending a total of three hours killing time with fellow audience members, who were all pretty much getting stir crazy. It was not a fun way to pass the time. Donovan's show was okay, especially considering his age, but not worth the long wait and misery. He had no light show to speak of and virtually no production value to his show. For people in the balcony, it was like sitting there for another 2.5 hours staring at a little postage stamp view of Donovan sitting on a rug. The whole experience ranged from terrible to barely acceptable. I want my Saturday night back!

Beautiful venue and how can anyone say anything against the beautiful voice and storytelling of Donovan? I will say, however, that no matter how old one is, they can still have FUN. The crowd acted angry and as if they were going back to the rest home. The ushers were very rude.

Donovan told some great stories from the sixties. His voice was quite uneven when he tried to sustain the high notes, but besides that he was really good. A nice set!

He sang many of his big hits from the 1960's, and told entertaining stories about the music business during that period.

Donovan performed to an adoring crowd, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of Sunshine Superman, arguably his best album. The fact that he sang just two, or maybe three songs from that album did not seem to faze the audience much. Donovan is 70 years old and his voice, as delicate and quivery as it was in the 60's has turned tremulous and changes pitch with frequency. He told several interesting and amusing stories of his wanderings and adventures with Gypsy Davy, encounters with Paul Macartney, Billy Fury (Billy who?), PeteTownsend, Roger Daltry, the Hollies and other British Invasion luminaries. Long haired and still hippieish, his songs and stories pleased the aging audience, though I saw many young, younger than 30, people there at the Saban Theatre. It was nice to hear a pleasant pastiche of the old songs, sung by by Donovan, keeper of the flower power-hippie flame. 4 Stars because this won't happen again.

Donovan's performance was phenomenal & his persona is an inspiration! It brought me back to days of innocence & conviction & faith. The accounts of his life were so interesting & insightful. Filling in gaps & adding color to the tapestry of my hippie memories. Loved the guest appearance of the violin.

It was great to see Donovan's voice is still strong. I really enjoyed listening to him tell stories of the 60's while sitting cross-legged on the stage. The violinist he brought on was good. Got sleepy with the songs when the female singer was on with him. The theater is beautiful but messed up when they turned on the house lights and everybody started to leave before the encore.

The first concert I ever attended was Donovan at the Hollywood Bowl. From the moment he came out and sat down cross-legged at the Saban Theatre and began his first song I was transported back to that time. Still a poet, philosopher. and minstrel, weaving many tales in between his songs. We thoroughly enjoyed the journey!

Have been a fan of Donovan since the sixties and the Concert Saturday Night @ the Saban Theater was magnificent and magical. He played for two hours and was as good as Donovan at the Hollywood Bowl way back when! He told many stories and played to perfection. If you missed him don't make that mistake again if you are lucky enough to see him.

I saw Donovan in 1975 and loved the concert. I have been a fan for many years. It is hard to see an artist that is so far past his prime. He performed a handful of his early hits that sounded good. The rest of his early work was disappointing to me. He also performed many songs i didn't know and didn't enjoy. The concert started at 9pm and we left at 11:40pm, before it was over. I would have preferred her perform his best material for an hour and forty minutes that to drag it out for close to three hours.

The Saban Theatre is lovely. No bad seats and very beautiful decor. Donovan was magnificent. Acoustic guitar playing is still great. His voice is lovely. He can't hold the long notes as he did, but his voice is still mellow and soothing. I will have to start listening to him again to get my zen on.

Even though the show was scheduled for 9pm and started a little late, Donovan didn't disappoint. He sat on the floor with Kelly, his guitar, and sang every hit imaginable. His voice was strong; his guitar playing was phenomenal. We loved each of his stories and this venue is always great to go to. If you are/were a Donovan fan, don't miss a chance to hear him. The violinist, Lily, was amazing. When they performed Lalena, I had tears in my eyes!

I loved all of the music that Donovan sang...new, old, and in between. At 70 years old, his voice still sounds great. It was an acoustic performance, so that allowed his voice to be heard better. I didn't care at all for all the talking he did. The concert was about 2 hours long, but really about 1.5 hours if you take away the talking. I have wanted to see Donovan since I was a kid, so now I have seen him and I glad I did. It was a great venue.

OK. I am a true fan of music - in particular of my era - 60's and 70's. I had just seen Cat Stevens at the Pantages October 7th and he was magnificent and sounded great. Saw ELO at the Hollywood Bowl and that show was magnificent! My bar was set really high. Donovan really disappointed and I rarely - if ever - walk out of a concert but after 4 songs and way too long of dumb stories and name dropping I could not bear it any longer. He was late after a very boring 'poem' at the start. I thought I was at a Tiny Tim concert. His vocals were off and very vibrato. I wish him well and glad he is doing well but I would not waste my money or time on him again. This is obviously just my opinion. I hope others had a great time. For me it was a waste of time and money.