John Hiatt

Great musicianship, songs, and venue! Staff was very welcoming and helpful!

As a working father of 2 young kids, I rarely have time or money to get out and see my favorite artists perform anymore. However, when I saw that my favorite song writer John Hiatt was performing in Seattle I couldn't believe it!! It was an opportunity that I had waited more than 20 years for. I just couldn't pass up the chance to finally see him perform in person!!! I splurged and bought front row tickets (seats AA 1 & 2) for my wife and I. We lined up a baby sitter and made the long trek out from Port Townsend for this once in my lifetime opportunity. John opened the show in the classiest of ways, just himself and his acoustic guitar and gave an intimate performance of some of his classics. He closed that first set on the electric piano with a beautiful version of "Have a little faith in me" which brought tears to my eyes. For the second set, he came out with his amazing band The Goners which included a master of slide guitar Sonny Landreth who absolutely slayed that guitar with the finesse and beauty of a dancer prancing across the strings. Every song they performed was amazing! John and the band never missed a beat. The sound however was a disaster about halfway into the show. The center speakers that fed sound to our seats and everyone behind us began to crackle and pop before completely dropping out for long moments at a time. This continued throughout most of the second half of the show. It would pop back on and you'd get a big sigh of relief only to have it start crackling again and drop out moments later. Because of our proximity to the stage and to the right and left main speakers, when the sound drops from our speakers you really couldn't hear much. During those moments I could only watch John mouth the lyrics and had to fill in the rest with what I could remember in my mental sound banks. As a musician myself, I know this is an unfortunate hazard that occasionally happens but I was still left so disappointed that it happened during a show of an artist that I had waited so long to see. It was very distracting. I hope the Moore Theater gets that figured out before the next act shows up.

John Hiatt is a legend. This was a not to be missed opportunity to hear him play with his band. Fantastic seats ... wouldn't have missed this concert for the world!

Great performance, good mix of old and new. Backing band, "the Combo" did a great job

John Hiatt and the Combo are absolutely incredible! They give an all out performance, full of energy. John Hiatt never ceases to amaze me.

John Hiatt never fails to impress. He and the band performed incredibly, played both new & old songs, and incorporated the crowd. Afterwards, they stayed after to sign autographs & take pictures, and went out of their way to be nice to their fans (i.e. the lead guitarist LEFT his seat/table to come take pictures with my sister & I when the staff would not let us back after taking one step away from the table).

Hiatt brought the house down in a set that included all the hits form the last 10 years and just a few from his new recording "Open Road". The show lasted a solid 2 hours after a stirring opener by Holly Williams. Those like the old favorites will love this tour. The Combo as has been the case during the last album tour were polished and right on behind John. Doug Lancio and Patrick O'Hearn as good as ever and technically brilliant, if not a little too sterile.

John Hiatt is amazing!!!!!! I have been listening to him since I was a kid and am so glad he is as amazing life (if not better) as he is on recording. It was also great of him to come out afterwards and sign autographs and take pictures. He was very polite and modest about it all.

If you like John Hiatt's music but have never seen him live, or even if you don't know his music at all, this is a "can't miss" show! Hiatt's gruff, dynamic, and far-reaching voice was phenomenal, not to mention his exceptional guitar skills. And unlike many guitar greats who put on a good show but dont engage with the audience (ahem, Clapton...), Hiatt was very social and loves to tell a good story or two in between songs. And he was grateful - grateful to be playing in front of a packed house, and thankful that the audience chose to spend their limited discretionary income on watching him live. And for this the audience was amply rewarded - he played his heart and soul out for about 3 hours. Though Hiatt had a semi-rough time getting started in Nashville, I'm grateful he has not had to succumb to a lifetime at a major label that would try to force him to adjust his music to Top 40 generic radio pleasers. He's a still somewhat under-the-radar phenomenan that the music world - and its followers - are lucky to have.

John Hiatt was amazing as always. I enjoyed his new songs better live than on the CD. Doug Lanzio was INCREDIBLE! I would see any show Lanzio performed in. I could have listened to him play all night.

Great venue, great musician, great evening!! John and the Combo played for over 2 1/2 hours straight. Opener -- Holly williams (yes-Hank Williams Jr.'s daughter) and her talented husband were a bonus! Thanks Birchmere for another great evening!

They kept playing and playing and playing. Great mix of old and new stuff. Wonderful interaction between John and the audience. He was very funny and truley a nice person to meet after the show.

John Hiatt is always great live. If you havn't seen him live go! On this tour he is picking out at least one song from his many records. He hit the new record heavy, as he always does, and he played five tunes from Slow Turning. An excellent record to start with if you have none. His band The Combo keeps it in a slow to medium blusey groove all night. They rock it out when they need to. For you Zappa freaks his bass player is Patrick O'Hearn from Zappa late 70's period. His bass solo on The Tiki Bar is Open was one of the surprize highlights of the show. Plus the whole band came out after the show and met with the crowd signing stuff and conversing with everyone. But then I saw him at the Birchmere outside D.C. and they, the artists, like the place so much they uusally come out after shows.

John Hiatt with The Combo provided a non-stop, amazing evening, which had the audience on its feet clapping and cheering throughout the performance.

What's so great about seeing John Hiatt, other than the fact that he's an amazing talent, is that his performances are always so sincere. He sings and plays every song like he really means it, really loves it. For someone who's been performing for so long he keeps it feeling exciting and fun each time. I'm convinced it's because he loves what he's doing even after all these years. John Hiatt is a real treasure!

John Hiatt and his rock n roll band rocked the new Jannus Live! Got a real good sample from the new release interspersed with revised renditions of some of the old standby's.... Spent the entire show on my feet ....don't miss this edition of John Hiatt....it can't be beat!!

John Hiatt is outstanding!!! Very gracious, humble, kind, and the most superb songwriter and guitarist this side of anywhere!!! Hiatt Rocks (and Rolls...)!!! The Combo did an outstanding job as well. Would return nightly to get my fix of these guys, situations permitting.

Great show, great venue and great music. You must go to Hoyt Sherman for a show at least one time and you ll be hooked to go there a lot

.for any music lover, a wonderful performance by John Hiatt and Sonny Landreth, great sound, perfect venue!

John Hiatt was incredibly fun to see in person. He appears to have as much fun as the audience, jamming with band members, laughing, and all the while, taking music through multiple genres. We enjoyed southern rock, full rock, R&B sounds, and plain old country rock. His band is so talented, and Sonny Landreth, his guitar player, is amazing to watch and more importantly, hear! I hope John comes back!

We arrived when the doors opened, which I recommend because the venue is very beautiful and they let you walk around and look. We felt very welcome as the staff greeted us. John Hiatt was FABULOUS!! I will go see him again.

The Hiatt/Landreth show on March 17 was outstanding, all the more so because of being at the Moore, which has the best acoustics of a medium-sized Hall in Seattle. Oddly, however, Hiatt s voice was often too far back in the mix but that may be because we were just under the balcony in the rightmost seats (i.e., a bass trap). Hiatt can t hit some of the high notes he used to, but that didn t stop him from delivering an excellent and moving performance. And as a songwriter, he is an American treasure, so it was like listening to a history lesson as he worked his way through several dozen of his best known (and some lesser known) songs. Landreth as always continues to be one of my favorite slide players, along with Ry Cooder, both of whom have played with Hiatt. As a bonus, Sonny did his signature tune, Congo Square\u2014 Snake dance ! All in all a top notch performance with expertly crafted songs and a powerhouse rhythm section that, to me, is what rock n roll is all about!

No frills and no flash just all about the music...

Excellent. Moore Theater needs to adhere to start times and not let late comers walk in front of others.

Had seats in the 3rd row center. The sound mix was so bad that the instruments were simply unintelligible. Mr Hiatt and Mr. Landreth were not very enthusiastic-just going throuhg the motions of a long tour. Too bad for me. I love John Hiatt's music and voice-and have seen him live several times.

John Hiatt definitely carried the show. He played for 30 minutes before the band took the stage. Went to see Sonny Landreth, but was totally BLOWN away by John Hiatt.

I love a guy who answers his own phone and warms-up for his own backing band Respect. John's voice was a bit froggy but overall a wonderful show. Hiatt is no longer a kid but he makes up for it in pure song quality.

The performance by John Hiatt and Sonny Landreth exceeded my expectations. The entire band went all out every minute of the concert. In some ways, the quality exceeded recorded material - Great instrumentation! The accoustics in the Moore were exceptional, and although we were a long way from the stage, it didn't seem that way.

My wife donated a kidney to my 10 days prior to the show and we still attended. That s how much we enjoy a Hiatt show. As always, John didn t just phone in the performance. Was also wonderful to see the Goners on stage with him again. I ve missed that band lineup. All in all great show and looking forward to the next.

I like John Hiatt's music, but often listen to his - and other - music primarily in the background. I was looking forward to the concert, in part, to listen more carefully to the lyrics of his songs. Unfortunately, where we were sitting - toward the rear in the center area of the main floor in the Moore Theatre - the lyrics were hard to understand due either to the quality of the sound system or perhaps the instruments drowning out the microphone. The sound quality may have been less of an issue for people who already know all his lyrics - presumably including the sound engineers for the event (who were not far behind us) - or perhaps for those who were sitting closer to the stage. Fortunately, the music was great, so the show was pretty good overall, but I was disappointed the show didn't offer a better opportunity to better hear - and appreciate - the lyrics.

This show was an excellent display of John Hiatt s musical abilities & his extensive song writing. Having Sonny Landreth show off his slide guitar licks as part of the band was a wonderful bonus!

Decent venue, great artist. What can I say? I cried during Icy Blue Heart and Walk On.

Very good acoustic, and fabulous electric set with Sonny landreth

I love Hiatt's music and have seen him perform many times. This night his voice was croaky and a little off key. I don't know if he's recovering from the flu or just getting older. The second set, using the abilities of the great Sonny Landreth (who should have been given more solo time) was better. The venue itself is not the best---I am 5'2" and it seems like everyone in my section was 6 feet tall and overweight, so very difficult to see the stage without constantly shifting around for slivers of unobstructed sight line.

John Hiatt actually opened for himself this past Friday at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. At 9pm sharp one of Americas greatest tunesmiths walked onstage with only an acoustic guitar. He opened with "Thing Called Love" and ran down another 7 of your favorites during his 40 minute "Unplugged" effort. Over his almost 50 year career Hiatt has written dozens of songs that have been recorded by just about everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Buddy Guy. After a brief intermission John returned with The Goners a 3 piece band that he has recorded and toured with many times, the solid rhythm section of Kenneth Blevins and Dave Ransom on drums and bass respectively and fronted by slide guitarist extraordinaire, Sonny Landreth. Together they celebrated the 30th Anniversary by playing John's "Slow Turning" album in it's entirety. Hard to believe that this album is 30 years old and contains so many hits including "Drive South", "Tennessee Plates", and "Feels Like Rain". A wonderful show indeed.

Great venue John Hiatt and the goners were superb

Remarkable performance as always. JH connects to his audience in a comfortable, accessible way. Even "opening for himself" was a treat as then we got more of him. He never disappoints.

We enjoyed the show, but the sound for John's vocals was very muddy and boomy, which was a big disappointment. We don't know if it was the sound system, or where we were seated (pretty close to the stage on the side). Fortunately, the sound for the instruments, was much better.

I saw John Hiatt solo 15 years ago and he was great. He did not disappoint on this tour. Seeing him with a full band was awesome. He was having a great time up there.

John Hiatt performed at the Saban Theater in LA on Friday, January 26th, 2018, and he was amazing! He had the energy of a person a third of his age, and kept rocking late into the night. The set list was great, the musicianship was astounding, he was very funny, charming, and earnest, and his band was stellar, too. He gave it his all and it was a great show. So glad I got to see him on this tour!

John Hiatt is one of my favorite artists. We love the show John was amazing yet the theater acoustics had a lot to be desired. The vocals were extremely muddy it was very difficult to hear any lyrics to any songs except at the beginning of the show when he was doing acoustic guitar and singing. We went to the soundboard and told them and not really much changed after that it was very disappointing to us to a paid quite a bit of money for these tickets when we were even able to hear the vocals of our favorite musician. We brought friends with us and were introducing them to His music yet they were unable to even hear the vocals. I d love to have my money back.

Anytime one gets a chance to see John & the Goners one should just pony up & go. The quality of the songs is incomparable & getting to hear Sonny Landreth play guitar is worth the price of admission by itself. Granted, it seemed like Mr. Hiatt was having a bit of respiratory/throat issue (maybe the flu everyone has). It was still a great show.

John Hiatt "opened for himself". He did a solo acoustic set, took a short break, then came out with his great band "The Goners", featuring Sonny Landreth on guitar. They performed his 1988 album SLOW TURNING, in it's entirety; with a few other songs mixed in. They did the rockingest version of Paper Thin, EVER! John is one of our premiere songwriters. Clapton, Dylan, Raitt and dozens more have performed his songs. This was a great opportunity to see the writer perform his own songs, and get the true "feeling" of them.. GREAT SHOW.

Great venus, great seats. great bars, and nice bathrooms. John Hiatt is a master songwriter. His opening solo act was terrific, and the addition of the band for the second portion of the show brought a refreshing energy. Amazing musicians and wonderful songs. He's a consummate professional and a gentleman as well.

I love John and this band is amazing. However the sound mixing really did them a disservice on Friday. It was extremely muddied and difficult to hear the vocals clearly once The Goners came on. Disappointing as we had been looking forward to this show for a long time.

I love John Hiatt. I love Sonny Landreth. Putting them together is great. Their music is amazing. Sitting up in the balcony of the Moore theater is not. John is best known as a lyricist and that's why I love him. The acoustics in the balcony were not condusive to actually hearing or understanding John's magical words.

Americana troubadour and songwriter John Hiatt rolled into the new Canyon Club in Santa Clarita Sunday night with guitar virtuoso Sonny Landreth and a crack rhythm section. This show did not disappoint. Hiatt, a master wordsmith, joked with the crowd that he had been all around America, Europe and other countries but had never been to "Valencia" CA .. the sold out crowd quickly embraced him and a love affair was born between artist and audience. Hiatt, perhaps one of the most underrated and most consistent musician and songwriter touring, performed his classic album "Slow Turning" in its entirety, celebrating its release 30 years ago. Watching him and Sonny Landreth trade licks and child like grins throughout the evening was worth the price of admission. Landreth turned in a master performance with his unique style of playing.. providing tasty harmonics and licks and bone crunching slide guitar. The rhythm section was tight and moved deftly between Hiatt's slower ballads and his Stone's inspired, Memphis stew of funk and rock. Hiatt, a great guitar player in his own right, also jumped to the piano several times with his introspective lyrics of relationships, hardships, good times and bad..and provided a perfect walk down the road of life for many of the boomers in the crowd. The Canyon Club is only a few months old.. but is quickly becoming the go to venue for a valley starved for quality name acts. The attractive and well built out venue, features two huge bars flanking a nice sized center stage with top notch lighting, audio and great sight lines from most anywhere in the room. If you haven't been to the Canyon in Santa Clarita.. put in on your list.. and keep your eye out for your favorite artist when they come to town. Hiatt, ever the dedicated artist, turned in a massive set of 24 songs, kept the audience entertained with witty banter between songs, and pushed his band to finish strong. Afterwards, the entire group including Hiatt, jumped in their tour bus parked outside.. and took off down the road.. for the next lucky small town America audience.

Having seen both John Hiatt and Sonny Landreth before, I knew how good they are together, but that last time was back in 2001, so this encore performance was a long time coming for me. I went to this with one of my best friends, who had never seen either musician before, and we had a really great time. I knew that I would love it; Hiatt is easily one of my favorite songwriters and performers--I've seen him multiple times over the years, both solo and not, and once even sharing the stage with the great Levon Helm. John is a super-passionate performer, humble and funny, and his voice is just fantastic. This concert featured a straight run-through of the classic "Slow Turning" album from 1988, with the original band that recorded it (The Goners) which of course included the great Sonny Landreth, who for my money is probably the best slide-guitarist to come along since Duane Allman. He and Hiatt fit so perfectly together that I wish they would be together all the time--they have the same musical telepathy that Mark Knopfler and steel guitarist Paul Franklin had during Dire Straits' "On Every Street" tour, which was similarly fantastic when I saw a stop on that trek in Phoenix more than twenty years ago. These guys compliment each other perfectly, and the music was stratospherically great as a result. The show started with Hiatt performing a solo set of seven classics, plus one beautiful new song, "Aces Up Your Sleeve". Then an intermission, after which the band assembled and the volume--plus the "Slow Turning" album--got going, and the energy level went through the roof. This is likely the best concert I'd ever seen Hiatt perform, and my friend was really blown away, as I'd hoped he would be.

Enjoyed hearing John again. Good stories and great songs. The Southern Theater was a perfect venue for him. It is a wonderful old theater that has been beautifully restored. The small size made it an intimate concert.

I was totally disappointed by the sound at this show and this is the only show that I have ever been to at the Ryman that I wish I had never been to. I love all the performers and left after John's second song. prior to this show the Ryman was my favorite play to listen to live music.

John is a treasure! His gritty voice telling the story of life is a moment you need to experience.

I have been to hundreds of concerts and hardly ever come out being completely blown away! This was one of those times and when they came on TOGETHER for an encore, it was absolutely amazing. They both have as good a voice as they ever had ( I first saw Taj Mahal in concert 45 years ago!!). This was the highlight of my concert year so far!! Fabulous in every way. Wow

John Hiatt is my all-time favorite performer and always entertains. He is not aging, but he is taking liberties with his own style. I have been to twenty plus JH performances and he is simply one of a kind. He mentioned he was happy to be back in Nashville, home at last, but by appearances not the least bit road weary. There were a couple of standing ovations from a group of his faithful fans. Although his set list did not include my two favorites Lipstick Sunset and Feels Like Rain, I am not complaining! The Ryman acoustics coupled with my favorite singer/songwriter made for a perfect evening.

As reported in the Nashville Scene, this truly was the best of "Dad Rock". My wife & I have been following John Hiatt since 1976 in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis. He actually has written many hits that have been recorded then covered by stars that flair & burn out. Hiatt keeps his "slow burn". Taj Mahal still is & has been one of the best self taught musicians ever. He has mastered numerous instruments & demonstrated that during the concert. Mahal's 50 years of making music has taken his career across several genres including: bluegrass, world music, folk, & rock while maintaining his love for blues. Life does not get better than seeing these two on stage together.

The Legendary Maestro Blues Master Taj Mahal Put on a Great Show !!! A Must See !!

One of the most talented singer/ songwriters alive today. Incredible music, beautiful lyrics and he keeps coming up with new, great music. It was so amazing, I'm still thinking about how special that night was. It also doesn't hurt that he is a genius and very witty. Consistently one of the best performers I have ever seen.

What a great show in a venue like no other; The Birchmere - Where you get to enjoy table service and decent pub food with not a bad seat in the house. John Hiatt put on a magical solo show with just him, his guitar, that amazing voice and his harmonica. He charmed us all. Thanks John!

JH remarked midway through his and The Combo's energetic, consummate set that they were grateful to bring the music to people in all kinds of venues and settings on this tour, and would even settle for a garage if that was all they had available. Well, they transformed the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills into that very garage last Thursday night. All of his familiar musical signatures were in strong evidence, from his soulful, ever-expressive voice to the percussive time he keeps on the acoustic guitar, to the well-crafted songs, and to the high level of play one can expect from any band that backs him up. An unforgettable performance! Especially in such a close and accessible space. One to stick in the back pocket, pull out and burnish every once in a while. We're lucky to have that guy roaming around and trying to sing to us...

John Hiatt never disappoints, whether he's promoting a new release like last year's "Mystic Pinball," or keeping busy ahead of a pending new release some months in the future, as in this tour. Having seern him more than 20 years ago at the Wiltern on his "Perfectly Good Guitar" tour, the beautifully refurbished Saban Theatre is a fitting showcase for his LA return. Like his show at the Saban's sister venue The Canyon out in Agoura, Hiatt delivered full-throttle rock classics like "Tennessee Plates" and "Drive South" along with achingly beautiful and poignant ballads including "Crossing Muddy Water" and "Have a Little Faith in Me." Production values at Saban are tops, with both subtle and dramatic lighting effects and crisp, bright full-volume sound mixed to perfection. Only complaint: $11 beers. Really?!

Excellent show! Great set list and John was on his game. Great musicians in the band. During the bit where John sings about turn the radio down...he keeps saying "turn in down, turn it down" and the band gets quiet, John's draggin' it out and when it's real quiet and John's in whisper, some guy in the back yells "it's down!". John's guitar player starts laughing and shaking his head. Then John's starts singing..."turn it up, turn it up!" The sound was not that good on the front row. The Main speakers are mostly behind you. High end frequencies were missing and the vocals were not loud enough. Sounded great if you were out in front of the main speakers though. As for the view.... there was speaker set right at the edge of the stage that blocked a lot of my view. It was not a stage monitor as it too far away from the band (which were a good 20 feet from the edge of the stage) and it pointed out toward the audience, but I couldn't hear anything coming out of it.

I saw them play 10 months ago in Barre Vermont. Same exact show. Would've been nice to hear a couple of different songs, but the show was still fantastic. Funny, at both shows people were yelling requests asking for him to play Georgia Ray but he didn't. Too bad, great song.

The setting was right, played lots of favorites and all had a blast!

It was my first time to hear John H. and I was not disappointed. Most of the songs he played were my favorites... I don't think he has a bad song. Our seats could not have been better, I was right up front and could hear every nuance.

Loved this show. If I could have made up a songlist of all my favorite songs, he would have played almost every single one. Don't miss this show. Also, the opening act, Heather Lutrell was terrific. Loved her voice and bluesy music!!!

John ripped up the Variety Playhouse on Wednesday night. He played a great set with a really varied set of songs. It was interesting being front row and being able to read his set list and know what songs were coming next (and I got the set list from a roadie after the show). The Combo was excellent as well. A really great backup band for John. And, as usual, he came out of the bus after the show to meet and greet, and was friendly and garrulous as ever. Just a fantastic evening. Go if you can.

I saw John with Lyle Lovette last year which was a great show and this time was just as great. He's the best American songwriter ever and I'll see him every time he comes to town. He took requests and his setlist had his classics plus some new songs. I've been a fan for 30 years, Thanks John !

Great songwriters, excellent performers, intimate venue, appreciative audience - what's not to like? Great songwriters both, gracious men who write thoughtful, catchy songs in the best folk/rock tradition. This was an awesome show, major love affair between middle-aged audience and performers. VENUE: Although it was nice to be so close to the stage - it's a round setup with a rotating stage that gives everyone equal front and center time - the acoustic compromises are serious. The 2nd half of Earle's set was washed out by an overloud lead guitar, so you couldn't make out the vocals, and the bass late in Hiatt's set was playing into total feedback, forcing the rest of the band to work hard to be heard. Hiatt only played for an hour due to curfew, which was a little disappointing, Earle opened and played longer. But Earle was just as great, and both deserve bigger audiences. I was amazed there were empty seats. But Hiatt and Earle are worth the price of admission anytime, anywhere. If you're not yet a fan, get a copy of Hiatt's "Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns". Or any other album.

music rocked and hiatt was quite witty. did riding with the king for an encore.

John Hiatt has the same passion or more performing his music then Neil Young.

Awesome show. Never in my life would I have thought of seeing John Hiatt along with Big Head Todd and the Monster's at the same place on the same night.

Excellent show by both acts. Sound on vocals was a little to low and muddy in the beginning, but was adjusted and much better for Hiatt. Even Hiatt's new stuff fit right in, no down time and the flow was great. Big Head Todd opened with "Love in Vain" for his opening song all alone on stage. I love that tune and he did it right.

HUGE BHTM FAN - great set - great solo of "America" by Todd - wish they would have played a few more songs :-(

What a night to remember!!!!! John Hiatt at the South Milwaukee PAC was in the top couple of concerts I have ever seen. The enthusiasm of Hiatt and the Combo was contagious. The set list imaginative, the interaction between Hiatt and the audience awesome, and the performance soul felt and riveting.

John Hiatt and the Combo Band played the Aladdin Theater in Portland Sunday night and as is always the case, the master of disaster put on a great show! The first few songs were a bit slow but as John warmed up, the crowd responded and it got better and better as the two hour set went on. This was the fifth time I've heard Hiatt, and he has never disappointed. His usual encore of "Have a Little Faith" was sweet but the last number, "Ridin' with the King" simply rocked the house. He could have sustained it for ten more minutes as the crowd went nuts. A wonderful show, with an appreciative crowd. The Aladdin management staff was over the line trying to keep people in their seats.

I loved it, his voice is as good as ever and the band is tight, I forget the guitarist name but he must be heavily sought after, he was awesome. I wasn't familiar with opening act Webb Wilder but am a fan now, clever lyrics and great performer.

Unbelievable double bill. Every minute a musical delight.

This was my first time seeing Taj Mahal though I was familiar with his work. Taj was well received as he has played Ann Arbor numerous times. He was in fine spirits and played a thoroughly enjoyable set. His band was good, especially the drummer. The sound was excellent. Hiatt and his Combo took the stage after a few minutes to swap out the equipment. Right from the start it was evident that the sound man had buried the vocals. It never improved. Really a muddy sound. Adding to the unenjoyment was Hiatt's decision to focus on his rockier song offerings. I had seen him perform before, with Lyle Lovett in a duo acoustic setting. While I didn't look for him to replicate that amount of spareness, I did assume that he would focus on the songs themselves. He did not. This was a band thing. If you liked his "Perfectly Good Guitars" album, you would have liked this show. While I sometimes enjoy that album, I usually pick another from his catalog when I'm in a Hiatt mood. I was happy when he finished. For an encore, just he and Taj performed Corrina, similarly to the way that Taj does. The crowd ate it up. A great moment. Should have been more like this throughout the evening.

Taj Mahal played a pretty long set. His band was really tight and he might not move as well as he used to, but he sounded fantastic. The crowd loved him so much and he was having such a good time a roadie had to tell him to get off so John Hiatt could come on. Hiatt's set was a really good mix of old and new stuff. He has such a huge cataloge I didn't get to hear every single song I hoped to, but what he was able to get to was great. His band seemed like they have been playing together for a really long time. His lead guitar/mandolin player was amazingly talented. The encore was just a duet of Taj and John doing Corrina. I haven't been able to get it out of head since I heard it.

Although I have two or three Taj Mahal CD's I haven't listened to anything recent from him. This said, I was more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of his music and skill as a musician. On the other hand I have almost every CD that John Hiatt has ever issued and have seen him once before. He did not disappoint! He did all the Hiatt "standards" like "Thing Called Love", "Memphis in the Meantime", "Perfectly Good Guitar", etc. He also did a few numbers I was less familiar with. Because each did separate sets with an intermission between, for Hiatt's encore both returned to do one number together. Very nice! If I had one complaint, it would be I would have enjoyed more collaborative numbers. The sample wasn't enough!

Taj Mahal is new to us, and we would go see him anytime! We were VERY surprised by the hard rock and screaming guitars of The Combo, who were John Hiatt's musicians. We came to see the easy tones of Hiatt's recordings, like an old friend telling stories on the porch, and instead got a cat caught in the screen door. We would go to see John again, hoping for the John we enjoy on John Hiatt Radio. It was not the show we paid to see.

I really enjoyed seeing both of them. I bought my first Taj Maj album around 1970, so to see him in person was such a thrill. There are so many people playin the blues but very few seem to Feel the blues. Both Taj and John were able to transport me to a place for a time where all my cares were swept away. YES!

Both bands were very good. Great players (no surprise). You didn't have to be a huge fan to enjoy. Shout out to John's drummer... you rock! Very fun evening.

We've seen John Hiatt twice before but this was the first time with a full band. Each time we saw him, we loved it, but this performance really was the best ever! Downside is that the John Hiatt performance was too short. The local band opening act were good, but not what we paid (or traveled 800 km to see). The Taj Mahal Trio was great, but their act really was way too long. Should not have been longer than John Hiatt. While I think it was noble of John HIatt to bring Taj Mahal on stage for the encore and it was nice to see two legends perform together, we felt cheated. We really wanted to see LOTS more John Hiatt. Venue note - we were VERY pleased the bar inside the seating area was closed during the performances. Last time we were at State Theatre the bar was open and the noise from it practically ruined the night for us.

Opening act Jason Spooner was good but I first saw Taj Mahal 40 years ago and he surprised me with a voice that was as strong as can be. I'd seen Hiatt before too and he's always good, his guitarist was fantastic and the time flew by. They played until midnight! State was almost sold out, great night.

John Hiatt sounds as good as ever. Still a wonderful songwriter and musician, and his guitarist was particularly great. Taj Mahal is one of the top blues performers in the business, and his set showed why. The encore number, when John and Taj played together, was very special. My only reservation about the concert had to do with the venue. The State Theatre has good acoustics but little emphasis on crowd control. Phone/cameras were going all the time, people were talking, the theater was overheated. The performances were great but the theater???? Not so great.......

taj mahal is pretty vital for 73. his show was relaxed and eclectic, probably cut a bit short by his being dropped to the floor when his piano stool collapsed. john hiatt is a definite class act, a real pro who really puts himself out there when he performs, obviously enjoying the hell out of performing and appreciative of his band's efforts. I look forward to seeing both these guys again.

Taj Mahal and John Hiatt both were outstanding! Taj played first, the Haitt and for an encore they both came out and did a few more songs together. I'd definitely go see them again!

Great show Taj brought the blues and Hiatt brought the rock n roll.

Another musical Nirvana at the Ryman. Taj and John together made my birthday trip to Nashville complete

I loved Taj Mahal - left 3 songs into John Hiatt, I felt he was just phoning it in. Would have been happier staying home and listening to him on iTunes...I would give Taj Mahal Trio 5 stars but didn't want John Hiatt to think they were for him...if you're playing the Ryman, please bring your A Game.....or, for that matter, anywhere else people are paying to see you.

We loved the Taj Mahal set and he is a master at his craft, a fun and smart songwriter and performer. I have seen John Hiatt several times in the Nashville area over the last few years, and although he has a deep catalog to choose from he keeps playing the same old songs over and over. It is time he picked some different ones.

Loved the show. Loved the place. very nice. Wish John Hiatt would have played a little longer.

John's Sunday concert at the Ryman was just OK. It was my first time ever to see Taj and honestly I got more than I bargained for. And that's not a good thing. An hour and a quarter? John played about the same. I'd rather have 45 minutes (max) of Taj and 90-120 of John. Also the sound sucked. I know every song in his catalogue but couldn't understand hardly any of his vocals. Taj's vocals on the other hand were clear and easy to listen to. It's not the Ryman. It's either the guy on the board or the mic. Not too happy here with Sunday. Probably won't pay to see John again. A shame.

The concert overall was great We would have liked 20 minutes less of Taj Mahal and 20 more of John Hiatt. That would have allowed Hiatt to play a few more hits,like Slow Turning. Hiatt's encore was very disappointing. It was he and Taj Mahal on stage and acoustic, ending with Rocky Top Tenn. Not the best way to end

These guys were bucket list level for me and they did not disappoint. The Ryman is a perfect venue for musicians of this caliber and the show couldn't have been better.

Excellent show as usual, had a great time but\u2026the show was only 1 hour and it was if the band was ready get out of town.

Always like the Mobile Saenger for concerts. This show entertaining.

Seeing Taj Mahal was a life changing event! I seriously started to cry when he played. I have wanted to see him play since I was a little girl and the moment finally happened! When he fell that was a bit scary but he just got up and jammed out like a bad ass! This was a night I will never forget!!!

I usually enjoy shows at the Saenger, and this show didn't disappoint. I have enjoyed Taj Mahal's music for years, but this was the first chance I've had to see him perform. The trio were great, not much on showmanship, but musically they were great. Taj's voice is still wonderful, and the different tones he uses makes it always interesting. His piano stool failed him when he attempted to switch to the piano, and he crashed to the floor. There was some delay in helping him up, but he appeared to be no worse for wear. He gave up on the piano, and went back to the guitar. His catalog of music is enormous, and he couldn't scratch the surface, but still a solid set. John Hiatt has never disappointed me - whether it's a solo show, with the Combo, or with the Goners. Like Taj Mahal, he has a ridiculous catalog of great songs, personal favorites, and he cannot get to all of them. The band continues to be tight, and the show had a lot of energy. The only disappointment were the two people somewhere around Row L, center section, who refused to sit down, despite the crowd around them asking (politely at first). The ONLY 2 standing up, you'd think they'd have some consideration, but they chose to ignore the majority. Finally, they were able to move up to one of the small balconies adjacent to the stage, much to the crowds delight. But being the classless fools they were, she flipped off the main floor from the balcony several times. Come on - keep it classy. I had my 10-year-old son with me, and he thought she was rude.

Each played about an hour. Didn't hear any of the Hiatt songs I expected. Taj Mahal fell trying to sit at the piano - not sure if it was his old legs or the stool.