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facing west Nov 23 2024 at 11:13 AM	Felt like a small miracle to see Metheny in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Pat’s first-ever trip through Atlantic Canada. The audience was friendly & receptive, with many standing to welcome Pat as he walked onstage. The age-range was mixed, with lots of younger fans in the crowd. About half the audience was seeing Pat for the first time (he asked them), and he did not disappoint. Generous 2.5 hours, with lots of story-telling. Pat’s use of dynamics is incredible on this tour--and the audience stayed dialed-in even for the quietest passages. For long-time fans (this was my 17th Metheny show, I believe) there are many, many highlights. The show isn’t exactly a retrospective, but many gems appear in the set. It’s just a delight, in every sense of the word. Almost a magic show. You could hear gasps of wonder & even laughter as people couldn’t believe what they were seeing & hearing. Another incredible show from Metheny. One that almost stands alone--it’s unlike anything else he’s done. But on the other hand, it’s genuine, 100 per cent Metheny. Which makes it unlike anything anyone else is doing, as well. I’m still processing the experience and hope to add a few comments below over time.
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yossarian Dec 23 2024 at 7:50 PM	What a great bunch of comments. These concerts were indeed special. But then all PM/PMG gigs are; certainly the 25-30 I’ve attended since 1982.
BobS Dec 01 2024 at 7:41 PM	I’ve seen Pat play in various configurations at least 20 times over the years. One thing that has stood out for me is that he doesn’t say much during his concerts. At first, it seemed odd, then I came to accept and appreciate that he just wants to play...that the music is a better form of communication than anything he could say. But I’ve also wished he would be more "personal" with the audience, as clearly he has a lot to say. I was beyond thrilled when Rick Beato’s interview with Pat came out. Not a second was wasted. So to hear that he is now talking a lot on this solo tour is nice to hear. I haven’t had the chance to catch this tour, but hope I’ll get the chance before Pat moves on to the next "thing". He’s provided the soundtrack to much of my adult life, and for that I’m very grateful.
naut Nov 29 2024 at 6:34 PM	In a similar vein to your comment about Pat’s greatness ("You are correct, sir!"), fw, Bruce Forman said, in a recent DB blindfold test: "Of course, Pat Metheny has done more for jazz guitar than anybody. He’s a god. ... He’s a hero. ... He’s got integrity and genius." Couldn’t agree more.
facing west Nov 28 2024 at 9:58 AM	About three quarters of the way through the Halifax show something arose in my awareness. And that was that I was in physical proximity to Pat, and could project gratitude & appreciation toward him. Just a gesture, but Metheny has contributed immensely to my quality of life and I’m grateful for that. I had a personal interaction with Pat once, and it was the usual kind of awkward exchange. I mean, what could I say in that moment? It was almost comical. But projecting gratitude & appreciation toward Metheny felt right. I also want to express appreciation to everyone who ever contributed to the American Garage forum over the years. I noticed again in Halifax that a Metheny audience is a great audience. Everyone is kind of ’up for it’ and inspired. We need to carry that inspiration into the world now, more than ever.
MarcNebo Nov 28 2024 at 9:30 AM	facing west : I agree, excellent reviews. Have you explored the Media section of this website? Excellent Podcasts, Writings from Pat and more. I expect an autobiography from Pat and someone to do a documentary on Pat, but it probably won’t be until he finally retires. Pat hinted at an autobiography years ago in Question and Answer (above). Pat has a lot more to give us and shows no signs of slowing down. I wish Pat documented the Dream Box MoonDial Tour like he did with the PMG shows.
facing west Nov 27 2024 at 10:13 AM	Thank you for your kind words Marc & Naut. To answer your question, Naut, yes -- my background is in communications. Another thing that really struck me about the show was how it speaks to the cultural & political moment. Metheny represents the best of America. In the tradition of Miles, Wes, Bill Evans, Gary Burton, Charlie Haden, Keith Jarrett, Pat aspires to greatness & achieves greatness. I know that Pat kind of rejects the idea that jazz is an American art form--I think he sees jazz as universal. But Metheny, for me, represents what makes America an inspiration for people around the world. Jazz has always been about inspiration & freedom. And that’s important right now.
facing west Nov 25 2024 at 9:54 AM	The story-telling aspect of the show is something that really stands out. Pat is incredibly comfortable on-stage. Which makes sense. He’s been on stages since he was a teenager. This show felt like a bookend to my first Metheny experience, way back when. I was listening to CFNY Toronto--an alternative station in start-up mode. They had almost no commercials. One afternoon they played an entire ECM promo disk of Metheny, which included tunes from New Chautauqua and Pat Metheny Group. It also had Pat talking (from an earlier radio interview). The music blew me away. But Pat’s voice also captured my attention. He clearly thought deeply about the music, and had insight after insight. Over the years, I’ve always paid attention to any interview Pat does. So something like Rick Beato’s lengthy YouTube interview is just gold. I hope there are plans in the works for a Metheny documentary. Maybe Questlove could get on that. My ideal would be for someone to do a follow-up to Ken Burns’ Jazz doc, which basically stopped when things got interesting in the late sixties, early seventies. I would love to get Metheny’s insights on the evolution of jazz & improvised music. My point is that Metheny has a lot to say & I hope much more of it is recorded & made available. Also, that Metheny is a gifted communicator & teacher. During the Halifax show he addressed some of his comments to musicians, but it was still inclusive & understandable (I think) to everyone in the audience. Perhaps this tour will help Pat realize that there is an audience out there for this kind of presentation. Final thought on this subject. When I first heard Metheny on CFNY his use of the word ’Chautauqua’ caught my attention. I already knew what it meant, because I was reading Robert Pirsig’s Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance at the time. Later, I learned that Pat got the word from his grandfather, who called Pat’s music a New Chautauqua--a moving feast of art, instruction & inspiration. I hope Metheny continues this path for many years to come.
tiny_tim Nov 25 2024 at 6:32 AM	Facing West....I had the same exact thing happening in Geneva, Switzerland on the 28th Oct 2024.....it’ll go down as a top gig for me...ever....for any gig I have ever witnessed....In music Tiny Tim
naut Nov 25 2024 at 1:51 AM	Very nicely written review, fw. Kind of makes me wonder about your background. Jounalism? English major? Particle physics? Evocative and observant and particularly descriptive. Not a single tyop. I caught this tour a year ago. One thing about Pat’s playing I really noticed was what I call his "attack." I think it stood out because it was primarily an acoustic show, though he did pull out the Roland near the end. I liked his anecdote about Charlie and Beyond the Missouri Sky. And his short story about Latifa and the kids before playing "Song for the Boys" was rather amusing. I hope you will augment your comments some time.
MarcNebo Nov 24 2024 at 11:53 PM	facingwest: I am very happy that you got a chance to catch the show, especially because of the expanded MoonDial portion of the show. I just caught the Dream Box Tour with one or two songs on the Nylon-String Baritone Guitar. One of my favorite shows (50+) for me. So many highlights that I could fill up this space and several more. The way he ended the show was mind blowing. I really enjoyed all the talking Pat did during the show and you could tell he really liked sharing it. I am still reliving the show in my head and hope it stays there. Hopefully he will bring the Dream Box MoonDial Tour to Chicago or somewhere else in the Midwest in 2025. Whatever he does next year I will be there.
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