Rodriguez @ Olympia, Paris March 16 2014

Rodriguez @ Olympia, Paris March 16 2014

The show has been long SOLD-OUT  without publicity... I guess lots of people couldn't get in when Sixto played 3 sold-out shows in Paris last year ( 2 shows @ Zénith and one show @ Cigale) and wanted to see him performed at least for once. The documentary "Sugarman" that went out in theaters last year was a massive success in France. So Sixto is still riding high...

Sixto Rodriguez is introduced on stage by a French man then a young kid , probably his grandson, as Sixto is traveling with the whole family.
Laid back start with 4-5 acoustic songs on his own then the band is joining in, just drums, guitar & bass, no keys or piano so arrangements are kept to a minimum.
Sixto smartly dressed with boots , leather pants, white shirts and beautiful black jacket, let's not forget the shades and Gibus hat. He is in fine spirit , talking with the audience, joking and...drinking water. His guitar playing is kept to a minimum but that's ok and the voice is still a bit freil but this concert is miles away from the catastrophe we had for both Zénith shows last year.
This one was much  better that the concert of La Cigale (from last year).
Sixto feels really comfortable on the stage this year.
A few cover songs " La Vie en Rose", "Fever", "Lucille", "Blue suede shoes" and probably a couple of others ("unchained melody") and his famous songs from both his fantastic records., including a couple that I've never heard him performed before...Franck Sinatra's "I 'm gonna live till I die" and another one
Great gig on Sixto's scale!

 setlist inaccurate

Merchandising & Opening artist Cory Becker (far right)

archives:

Sixto " Sugarman" Rodriguez @ Zénith 1st show, Paris June 03 2013

 Sixto Rodriguez  @ Zénith , show n°2, Paris June 04 2013

Sixto Rodriguez @ Cigale, show N°3, Paris June 05 2013

Sixto " Sugarman" Rodriguez @ Zénith 1st show, Paris June 03 2013

Contact: Irockinparis@yahoo.fr

Rodriguez + Jill is Lucky @ Zénith 1st show, Paris June 03 2013

Thanks to OLIVER PEEL I've discovered cult musician Rodriguez just after he played his first ever ( and sold-out) show in Paris @ Nouveau Casino on June 01 2009. Of course Oliver, the lucky Bastard, was at the gig. Oliver offered me both his records for my birthday a few months later and I've been listening to them constantly since. Fantastic records !!! Many People are comparing him to the best records of Bob Dylan, I guess they're right, but I've never been a hard-core B. Dylan fan.
Needless to tell you my expectations were high  as I've been waiting for this moment for 4 years and needless to tell you that the movie "Sugarman",  its success and its quality I've raised my expectations  higher.
All shows are sold-out: 2 Zénith and 1 Cigale.
The audience:  from Posh young girls (many)  to old hippies ( a few). Going to Rodriguez is the Hip place to be/go , just heard a girl waiting in line telling her friend on the phone " I'm going to Rodriguez , Isn't that cool !! But I don't know any of his songs" Nice way to start !!!

Down the front before Jill is lucky starts playing I can see a bit more of the audience around me: a whole posh/ultra catho family, feels like being at the local church party/bazaar. What the Fuck ?!?

Anyway, Rodriguez is escorted onto the stage by 3 people , I guess that now that he is a rock-star he can afford it.
Unfortunately he seems to be a bit lost on this huge stage and a bit nervous, his voice is very weak and we can barely hear his acoustic guitar.
From all the Live videos I've seen on Youtube where he was really playing, now things have changed he's "acting" a Rock-star on stage.
To get things worse, Songs are under-rehearsed, the band is trying to follow him but it's far from being tight. In fact there was no rehearsals.and when Rodriguez is losing the rhythm because the band is not playing the right thing he's editing the song.
Of course like at all his gigs he's not only playing his own songs but he's doing a few covers "dead end street"... including a short " La vie en Rose" for Paris.
This is just above average.
I guess I'm the only one feeling (very) disappointed as all my neighbors seem to enjoy themselves.
75 min show
I have my ticket for tomorrow I hope his voice will be back after a good night sleep.

setlist shortly