AKUS on PBS

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 26 Oct 2008 6:15 pm

Thank God for PBS. I hear more good music there than anywhere. FI, in the last week our local KET stations have aired AKUS at the Louisville Palace concert at least 4 times. I think it was aired the first time several months ago.

Alison and company give a stellar performance. The production is top notch and the music is just fabulous. Jerry Douglas is not of this world. With a brilliance and execution beyond description, his contribution is immense.

I've been a fan of Allison and the band for a long time and a Jerry Douglas fan for years before that.

Couple of highlights: Ghost in this House, a beautifully written bittersweet ballad humbly offered by Allison and band with gorgeous embellishment by Jerry Douglas.
New Favorite: A hauntingly beautiful delivery by both Allison and JD that just defies adequate description. Add in the tasteful use of drums in strategic places and it's one of the most moving musical experiences I've ever had.

The entire hourlong program will keep you spellbound particularly if you are and AKUS and/or JD fan.
I guarantee a most pleasant listening experience for you when it airs in your area.

I also was fortunate to see the Austin City Limits program with Carrie Rodriguez. Terrific band. Being that I'm partial to steel guitars, I particularly enjoyed Greg Leisz with his Williams pedal steel and a variety of tunings on lap steels.

Since I don't have cable or dish, I depend largely on PBS for my broadcast music fixes...and they deliver for me big time.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 26 Oct 2008 8:08 pm

Indeed, Jerry... that concert is amazing. PBS also great for catching steelers on Prarie Home Companion. Great for news, too! We're lucky to have it.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 1 Nov 2008 5:47 pm

I'm a huge fan of Alison & Union Station. Their cd "New Favorite" really amazes me! There are so many pretty songs on that record. There's one song on there that sounds sad, but it's hauntingly beautiful called "I'm Gone. During the song, you can hear Ron Block's guitar and Jerry's dobro play pretty solos and they blend in with Alison's beautiful voice very well. I also love their "Lonely Runs Both Ways" record that features the song "If I Didn't Know Any Better". The song is beautiful and sad too.

Brett

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 1 Nov 2008 7:57 pm

Brett, I'll have to get the new CD. I have heard "New Favorite" but I don't recall hearing the other tunes you mentioned. If they're any sadder than New Favorite, I don't know If I can stand to listen to them, though

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 1 Nov 2008 8:46 pm

Hey Jerry, actually there are some fast songs on both records. There's one on New Favorite called "Bright Sunny South" featuring Dan Tyminski on lead vocals/guitar, Ron Block-banjo, vocals Jerry Douglas-dobro, Alison-fiddle, and Barry Bales on bass. New Favorite features some pretty slow songs, but there are a few upbeat songs in there too. "Lonely Runs Both Ways" is also a mixture of fast upbeat songs and pretty slow songs.

Brett

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Nov 2008 9:34 pm

If that's the show I've seen on PBS before, it is several years old. I have the DVD of the concert (does she talk about how she loves the statues?), and although it doesn't state when it was filmed, the copyright on the package is 2003. I have seen it several times on PBS over the past few years. GREAT CONCERT.

Bob Ritter · Post by **Bob Ritter** » 1 Nov 2008 9:44 pm

I liked Carrie Rodriguez too

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 2 Nov 2008 9:30 am

Richard, probably is the same one. The CD and DVD are just labeled "Live". I realize it's been around awhile. I probably have seen bits and pieces of it, but never the entire show. The airing is only an hour long, but the recording is a double one, so I'm assuming they formatted the airing to fit in the time frame available, and didn't include the Alison comments you refer to. In the defunct Pedal Steel US magazine article with JD, he is quoted as saying that their concerts were 2 1/2 hours!

PBS airs these older programs sometimes. I think this particular one captures just about all the best of AK US with Jerry Douglas up to that point. Lotsa dobro leads, solos and fills in the spotlight with good camera shots.

Other songs... "Constant Sorrow", so it musta been filmed after the movie. New Favorite which was realeased in 2002 according to CD Universe.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Nov 2008 9:13 pm

It's been a while since I watched it, but I do seem to remember it being longer than an hour. The second DVD has no concert footage. It's just interviews, behind the scene stuff, pics etc...

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 4 Nov 2008 7:20 pm

I've got the live dvd and cd and they are the same concert that was filmed at the Louisville Palace in Kentucky. There's one part where Jerry plays two songs by himself. The live CD and DVD are both amazing!

Brett

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 4 Nov 2008 7:23 pm

Richard Sinkler wrote:If that's the show I've seen on PBS before, it is several years old. I have the DVD of the concert (does she talk about how she loves the statues?), and although it doesn't state when it was filmed, the copyright on the package is 2003. I have seen it several times on PBS over the past few years. GREAT CONCERT.

Richard, that part is on both the cd and dvd.

Brett

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 4 Nov 2008 9:33 pm

I also have the CD, Brett. You're right, it was a great concert. Unbelievable musicians. Unfortunately, on the CD, some of the in-between song dialog was not included. Some real funny stuff.

As a aside, I have a DVD that was a concert on CMT that Shania Twain (no flames please) that had AKUS backing her up. Another great DVD.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 7 Nov 2008 11:05 pm

Richard Sinkler wrote:I also have the CD, Brett. You're right, it was a great concert. Unbelievable musicians. Unfortunately, on the CD, some of the in-between song dialog was not included. Some real funny stuff.

As a aside, I have a DVD that was a concert on CMT that Shania Twain (no flames please) that had AKUS backing her up. Another great DVD.

That performance they did with Shania was amazing!

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 9 Nov 2008 8:35 am

Yeah, me too Richard. I don't have the disc, but I did see the Shania program you refer to. I thought it was great. AKUS did a fine job with her songs. I particularly enjoyed one of the AC/DC numbers she did.

Also, the Paul Simon Gershwin Awards show had Jerry Douglas and the band doing a bang-up job with "The Boxer".