Ian Hunter Rocks the Fillmore

January 28 2011 The Fillmore 
San Francisco

I couldn't resist the chance to see Ian Hunter play at this classic venue and decided to make the trek from Vancouver to see the show. So we flew in Friday afternoon with just enough time to check-in to our hotel and head over to to the Fillmore. We had a beer or two with some fellow board members in a pub nearby and headed over to the hall.

The show was fantastic. The band was great and Ian rocked like it was 1974. He made what I thought  was an unusual song choice to begin the show with Sea Diver but it is such a great song it turned out perfect  and he remained seated at the keyboard for the first 6 songs.

Sea Diver

Life After Death

Cleveland Rocks

Dancin' on the Moon

Shallow Crystals

Irene Wild

He moved away from the keyboard and picked up an acoustic guitar for a rousing version of  "Arms and Legs", an obvious fan favourite from the latest album "Man Overboard".

Arms and Legs

Flowers

Soul of America

Man Overboard

Wash Us Away

23a Swan Hill

Then Ian gave the crowd a choice of which song he would play next. The choices were "Boy" and "Michael Picasso" and althought there were cheers for both, The touching tribute to best friend Mick Ronson was obviously the crowds choice. 

Michael Picasso

Sweet Jane

I thought "Sweet Jane" was one of the weak spots (if there was one) during the reunion shows and not my favourite MTH song anyway but they finished the first part of the show with an absolute rocking version of the Lou Reed classic.

The band returned to a thunderous applause and slowed down the pace with a few unusual live choices including "Somewhere," a song from "West Side Story"

Letter to Brittania

Ballad of Little Star

Somewhere

They got back to some serious Rock and Roll  where Sweet Jane had  left off with Ian playing his birthday gift Maltese Cross replica guitar, which he explained was a 70th birthday present from Joe Elliott. 

All the Way From Memphis

Walkin' With a Mountain

Rock & Roll Queen

Once Bitten Twice Shy

The band left the stage again but the crowd screamed for more as everyone knew there were a couple of songs that he never leaves out. After a good few minutes of applause the band came back for the last time.

Roll away The Stone
Saturday Gigs
All the Young Dudes

Scott McCaughey from REM joined the band for Dudes looking a lot like the late Jerry Garcia.

After a bit of a lie in Saturday morning I was able to get around to some of the sights of San Francisco. Saw much of the downtown hanging from the side of a cable car.

 Had a bread bowl of awsome clam chowder down at Fisherman's Warf

Standing at the famous corner of Haight and Ashbury, the center of everything duri ng the Summer of Love. Peace!

Oh, and I ate my delicious official Fillmore apple. If you didn't grab a free apple out of the box at the Fillmore you really missed out!