Show & Venue Reviews, What's New, Pussycat?
Please share your Tom Jones shows with other fans. Setlist? Audience? Energy? What was it like being there? We’d love to hear from you.
And, while you’re telling us about the shows, please let us know what you think of the venues where Tom plays. Clubs, theaters, casinos — Tom Jones performs in all of them. Which venue do you think is the best? The worst?
So that other fans will know what’s in store when they buy their tickets, please tell us a little bit about the venues you know. If possible, try to use the format below so others can tell at a glance what you think. The best venue will merit ****. More than one review of a venue is welcome.
From Knoxville: A Fan Review Like You’ve Never Read Before
Monday, March 10th, 2008Someone sent us this review from a blog and we thought it was terrific. It’s the opinion of one man named Eric who possesses a great deal of honesty, a great sense of humor and perspective. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. We’ve posted a lot of reviews but this is one of our favorites — heartfelt and honest. If the language is a bit rough for you, well — we’re sorry. The whole thing is just so right.
March 10 — Magnetism….. …. you know, as much as I groused and groaned prior to last night’s concert, it actually was a wonderful, wonderful show….. The Mystique that is Tom Jones is a treasure to behold & it is a piece of history- whether you are a fan or not…. and at 67 years old, he jumped, slid, wiggled, winked, sang, and sniffed panties like I can only wish to be able to do once I hit 67…. in short, the man is a Force….
…. he crooned to us all with equal abandon…. elderly, middle-aged, and the few younger folks who were there….. and by the time he came on for his encore, every seat in The Tennessee Theatre was empty as each of us stood, clapped, and screamed like rabid, lust-laden cheerleaders for a well-hung quarterback…. with the exception of myself and a few other husbands, of course…. we merely stood politely — grinning at the sheer magnetism of The Man — and clapped our hands ….. I saw one 60-ish man mouth the words, “you magnificent, cheesy, wild-dancin’ Welsh bastard… thank you!…. I am SO getting laid tonight..” ….
… hey, I’ll be the first to admit that I was completely blown away by watching how the crowd reacted as Mr. Jones performed…. it was like nothing I have ever seen, folks… you had grown women nearly fainting when he sang She’s A Lady…. you had 3,000 people screaming “WHY, WHY, WHY, DELILAH?” because those were the only lyrics they knew…. you had women with a walking stick in one hand & their panties in their other teetering slowly towards the stage and attempting to do dance like Tom….. and yes, yes…. there were lots and lots of panties…. black thongs, little white cotton bikini ones, and even a pair of granny-panties that you could have built a tent out of….. to him though, it really didn’t matter all that much…..
…. but see, therein lies The Great Key Of Tom Jones, rubberneckers…… trust me, I watched it unfold all night long, and it truly was a thing of beauty…. AND it is why Tom Jones is still packing theatres after 40+ years in The Business….. his message is so wonderful in its simplicity that it is perfect beyond words……. in short, “love me and I will love you back….. want me and I will want you”…… those simple ideas are so seldom truly and wholeheartedly felt, but he gives that to his audience….. isn’t that theme one of the greatest desires of everyone on the planet?…….
….. actually I digress a bit, that previous bit is only half-true…. his message isn’t trying to convey ‘love,’ really….. what he’s really saying is a much more boiled-down version of that general concept….. basically, “if you want to have sex with me, I make sure that you believe before this night is over that I want to have sex with you regardless of what you look like, smell like, how much you weigh, how old you are, or even if your husband wants to watch..” …. and hey, to pull something like that off?…. well, he’s one helluva presence when he gets on stage…..
…. he closed his three-song encore with a Prince song called Kiss….. I’ve written here before about witnessing the magical effect that song had on people, but watching Jones sing it took it to a whole new level….. somewhere deeply embedded in the song are lyrics to this effect….. check it out….
“You don’t have to be beautiful to turn me on
I just need your body, baby, from dusk till dawn
You don’t need experience to turn me out
You just leave it all up to me,
I’m gonna show you what it’s all about
“You don’t have to be rich to be my girl
You don’t have to be cool to rule my world
Ain’t no particular sign I’m more compatible with
I just want your extra time and your kiss
“You got to not talk dirty, baby, if you wanna impress me
You can’t be too flirty, mama, I know how to undress me, yeah
I want to be your fantasy, maybe you could be mine
You just leave it all up to me, and we could have a good time”
…. gentle people, that song may have been co-written by Prince, but it was MADE for Tom Jones…..
….. I don’t know what else to say about the concert other than if he visits your town, you should go and watch him…… his brass section was incredible…. and the rest of the band too, for that matter…… and regardless of the size of the venue, you will spend most of the show imagining that you are in Las Vegas….. it was a great night…… and while I am still not a fan, per se, I have a completely newfound respect for Mr. Tom Jones….. and may he continue to have panties lobbed in his general direction for the next fifty years……..
March 11th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Fantastic review! This man uses simple words to express the deep emotions I think we all feel when we attend a concert of Sir Tom’s.
March 11th, 2008 at 4:08 am
Without doubt, the best review of a TJ concert I’ve read.
March 11th, 2008 at 5:51 am
TJI, I have to agree with you and the other posters, this was absolutely, without a doubt, one of the best, honest, heartfelt, true grit reviews I’ve ever read. He stated it all so perfectly that I could see the entire show in my mind’s eye. Thanks for much for sharing this with all of us! As always, TJI rocks!
March 11th, 2008 at 6:12 am
…. it was an incredible show…. and Tom Jones is amazing…. I’m glad y’all liked the review…..
March 11th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Brilliant! Eric (the writer) has finally captured the Tom Jones’ experience like no other reviewer! I didn’t think the language was rough, so much as finally REALISTIC for a Tom Jones review. Some people are “bothered” by the talk of love, lust and sexuality, but truthfully: isn’t that REALLY the essence of Tom Jones?! Git Me Some, Leave Your Hat On and Kiss draw great reactions from the audience and they all have sexual innuendo as their common theme. Tom gives EVERYONE (young, middle-aged and older folks) a place to be themselves. The cherry on the sundae is his “magical” ability to draw all the women in the audience into his voodoo spell and for those few magical minutes each woman BELIEVES that SHE is the chosen one in HIS EYES! Talk about BANG for your buck!! Eric found just the right words and what I especially like is that it is written by a MAN!! Gotta love it!
March 11th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Now THAT guy gets it. Awesomecool review, Ellen. Thanks for sharing with us.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Eric, Just perfect & like my husband, you must be quite a guy to understand the true essence of Tom Jones.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:03 am
amen
March 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
What a great review! We love him and he loves us back. Eric, thanks for writing a refreshing and fun review. You’ve managed to capture what so many others don’t see. It’s not only the voice but also the presentation. I’m really glad you enjoyed yourself and wrote about it in your blog! Ellen, thanks for sharing it with us.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Oh my gosh, Eric’s review almost caused me to break a rib with laughter! I felt I was at the concert with him. Brilliant! Yes, and I agree as he said, … “The Mystique that is Tom Jones is a treasure to behold & it is a piece of history..”
March 11th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Hey, Eric — you definitely “GIT IT!”
March 11th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
OK–Which one of you ladies is posing as a writer named “Eric”
March 11th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Rick E:
…Thanks for the kind words
…Wish we had written it
…here’s the link to Eric’s blog and, if you look, you’ll find some stuff he posted before the concert.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Now, ain’t that the truth. Dre, you said it — “AMEN.” Eric, thanks for writing one of the best, honest reviews I have ever read.:)
March 11th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
… thank you very much, ladies….. I definitely get Mr. Jones now… and I am very happy that all of you liked my post!..
March 11th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
This review is a home run!!!! Loved it….thanks Eric.
March 11th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Oh My God
March 11th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Just brilliant! Thank you, Eric, for this insightful review…..really loved it.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
This lusty review is definitely a welcome complement to all the others and from a man and not even a fan. This is some testament to the amazing effect of the man in question - on women, on men and on children. Tom’s music is definitely about the exchange of love energy. He gives us everything he has, every time - literally his life’s blood, sweat and tears.
He reminds us how powerful our feelings can be and how great it is to feel them. We feel his joy and despair and are reminded of our own. His voice, the music and witnessing his powerful emotions, together create a complete system that satisfies a longing in us. Listening to his recorded voice is an emotional experience. Watching him perform can add to the effect. Seeing him perform live is another type of experience. Each can be as powerful. What else can we want?
What does he want from us? Our money? He hasn’t needed it from pretty early on. Even then - you couldn’t pay someone enough money to do what he does if it wasn’t in them. It is in him! You can’t learn to do it. He was born with it and no one does it better.
What does he want from us? Our love and appreciation for what he does. He has it and we each show him in our own way. Thanks Eric for reminding us.
March 12th, 2008 at 11:20 am
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Eric, Fantastic, insightful, and funny review, but after reading all your glowing remarks, I am puzzled that you are “still not a fan, per se.” Believe me, you should be a pro music writer; from all the responses you have received, we are a bunch of fans who would read your comments on a regular basis…and now I must check out your blog……
March 12th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
It’s like the saying about James Bond: “Everyone woman wants him (TJ); every man wants to be him (TJ)”
March 12th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I was in Knoxville that night and, Eric, you said it all. I was in the front row and what a show. Thanks, Eric, for the review. Flo
March 15th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Well that is some great review and written by A MAN with humour and honesty and no jealousy.way to go