Tony Furtado Concert in Los Alamos

Every summer season in Los Alamos a man named Russ Gordon puts together a Summer Concert Series, which are weekly concerts completely free to the public made possible through fundraisers and donations of sponsors in the area. We've been going to the concerts for as long as we have lived here (though not as often in later years since we bought our camper) and always enjoyed the Friday night musical events when we attended.

One of the first concerts we saw was in around 1999 and saw Tony Furtado and have been fans ever since. The second time he came to town for the Summer Concert was in 2001; my youngest son was only a few days old and my parents were visiting. I have great memories of that evening of wonderful music and of Mom holding the baby. Then a third time, Tony came to town in about 2004 and signed a t-shirt for me that I gave to my dad for his birthday (Dad plays banjo as well and loves Tony's music too). From there, Tony didn't come back to our little Summer Concert Series anymore, hitting the "big time" and moving to Portland, Oregon. He came to Albuquerque a couple of years ago, but we couldn't afford the concert tickets! So when I heard last week that Tony was coming to Los Alamos to play as a benefit to the Concert Series (and as a friend of Russ Gordon's), I wanted to go. Ticket prices were reasonable since it was a fundraiser and so it was meant to be. It was held at the Blue Window Bistro restaurant, which is a good place to eat (try the Southwest Chicken) so we decided to have dinner there before the concert.

Tony came alone, without the band, but brought a banjo (5-string), acoustic guitar, and electric guitar. He played and sang some old favorites of mine, some awesome banjo tunes, and the remaining 50% was music from his newest CD, "Deep Water," which is more folk-rock than his previous CDs. His slide guitar playing was mesmerizing and his banjo picking was fantastic. I found myself watching his hands as he played. His new songs were more modern and touched my heart. I've included some lyrics for you to read, but you really have to hear the songs to truly appreciate them.

I learned many things from Tony last night:

1. A guitar string can be used to replace a broken 1st string of a banjo, but only in desperate situations such as at live concerts.
2. "Let go the heavy; lighten up your load. If it aint what you need, let it go."
3. Tony started to play guitar because it wasn't as heavy as the banjo and standing for 5 hours singing with a banjo was not easy.
4. "Don't rest your soul on what you've been."
5. Tony played his banjo along with songs on MTV as a kid when MTV still played music.
6. "Shadows only know the color of cold."
7. "The touch of skin can bring you back to life."
8. "A soul weighs 21 grams."

Some song lyrics were especially poignant. Here are three songs that I particularly liked that were new to me.

Waste of the Moon (From his newest album "Deep Water," 2009)

Wither and shiver, rain on my skin

Covered my face in the shape that I'm in

Searching for solace in something that's true

Just here to witness the waste of the moon

Layers of lovers, stars in the night

Angels and devils slipping from sight

I could love you forever but I'd be a fool

Just here to witness the waste of the moon

Only the echos and embers remain

Still feel your fingertips tracing my name

It's time I finally let go of you

To be here to witness the waste of the moon

Wade through the ruins, sun at my back

Cold chill of winter beginning to crack

What's left to say when there's nothing to do

Just here to witness the waste of the moon

Only the echos and embers remain

Still feel your fingertips tracing my name

It's time I finally let go of you

To be here to witness the waste of the moon

Darkest Day (From his newest album "Deep Water" and written for his parents)

I've had open roads run through my life

And I've chosen few that served me right

But there's one thing through, a constant light

You will guide me through my darkest night

You will guide me through my darkest night

Well I've seen my dreams slip miles away

All the brilliant colors fade to gray

I don't mind what unkind fools might say

You will guide me through my darkest day

You will guide me through my darkest day

Through the dimming harm of an angry world

Your voice is full of light

Only you can tame my troubled mind

Rolling cold as life unfolds

Confused along the way

I can always look to you and say

You will guide me through my darkest day

You will guide me through my darkest day

Waste Away the Night With You (from the album "Graciously-A Gulf Benefit Compilation" recorded after Hurricane Katrina, 2006)

I like lazy days that come with rain

I like the way your mouth tastes like sugar cane

Let's take it real slow until we get it right

Then we'll find some time to waste away the night

Waste away the night with you

That's all I want to do

Let the whole world slip away

At least until we're through

Waste away the night with you

I've nothing left to prove

Do we have to face the day

Waste away the night with you

I like to hear your voice whispering my name

Real soft and low at the end of the day

Let's watch the clouds cross the dimming sky

Then I'll watch you watching me with those sleepy eyes

Waste away the night with you

That's all I want to do

Let the whole world slip away

At least until we're through

Waste away the night with you

I've nothing left to prove

Do we have to face the day

Waste away the night with you

Here's a clip of one of his banjo medleys that he played last night. Of course, the sound is not very good from my cell phone (which is all I had with me, not my trusty camera), but you can definitely hear the talent and the crowd's enjoyment (I hope it's not illegal to post this!).

Tony does have a MySpace site where he's got a couple of songs to listen to, such as the title track of his newest CD, "Deep Water" and the banjo tune "The Bawds of Euphony."

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Neat