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Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson Presents Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary

It is a little-known fact that Jethro Tull’s namesake comes from an English agriculturalist from Berkshire who was a major part of the British Agricultural revolution. Jehtro Tull has had many members in it’s 50-year history, however, vocalist/flutist Ian Anderson has been there from day one until now. This tour includes members of Anderson’s solo band, but past Jethro Tull members were mentioned and appeared on screen throughout the show. On June 1, Anderson and his band stopped at the Greek Theater where I had seen Jethro Tull in 2011 when the band was celebrating 40 years of the Aqualung album. I saw Anderson with his solo band celebrating 40 years of Thick As A Brick at the Greek Theatre in 2013. For a band that’s been around as long as Jethro Tull it is common to have landmark anniversaries so close to each other. This show was broken into two sets with an intermission in between. Between most songs there was a short video segment of a former Tull band member sharing a memory and of famous rock-stars stating their favorite Tull song. Here is the setlist outlining what songs were announced by video and the full setlist for the evening.

  1. My Sunday Feeling
  2. Love Story

Video-Former bassist Jeffrey Hammond Hammond at Louvre in Paris, France

  1. A Song For Jeffrey

Anderson told the story of performing the next song at the Marquee Club with Mick Abrahams, the first guitar player of Jethro Tull as a duet. Abrahams announced on the screen

  1. Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine On You

Anderson stated former drummer “Clive Bunker as a natural Showman. He loved to entertain himself with a long drum solo when those were popular.” Anderson dedicated the song to Clive.

  1. Dharma for One

Joe Bonamassa appeared on screen to announce the following song which was on his debut album.

  1. A New Day Yesterday

Anderson mentioned a guitarist they had for one night on Rolling Stones Rock N roll circus which was Toni Iommi who appeared on the screen

  1. Bourree In E Minor
  2. With You There to Help Me/ The Witch’s Promise

Anderson stated that people were burning the album aqualung thinking anti-religion.

  1. My God

Hammond Hammond appears again and yells Mary

  1. Cross Eyed Mary

15-minute intermission

Archival footage of Claude Nobs (Montreux Jazz Fest founder) announcing Jethro Tull

  1. Thick As A Brick
  2. Too Young To Rock N Roll

Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) announced

  1. A Passion Play
  2. Songs From the Wood

Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) announced

  1. Ring Out, Solstice Bells

Anderson joked about the number of keyboardists Jethro Tull had over the years and referred to current keyboardist John O’Hara as Number 7 on keyboards. Video segment with former keyboardist John Evans dressed in a flower costume

  1. Heavy Horses
  2. Farm On the Freeway

Slash (Guns N Roses)

  1. Aqualung

Encore

  1. Locomotive Breath