Great Show I waited decades for. "Sailing to Philadelphia" is the last CD I'd heard so "Speedway at Nazareth" blew me away- I'd love to know how the fiction was woven into that Champ Car/Indy Car story. Worst crowd experience I ever had at Chastain- chattering 30-somethings/old stoner idiot with noisy light toy/Spanish? cell phone conversation right next to me for at least 15 minutes after I'd moved once. Well, my rant is with the venue, and lawn/picnic shows everywhere-saw three in a row ruined B. Hornsby shows out west I would have traded for one more (albeit identical) MK serenade!

My wife and I took our two teens for a lesson in understanding how to recognize an amazing talent. They got it. Before the show, standing at the gate, we couldn't help but hear a security officer excitedly tell his incoming cell phone call about the show he was working. Walking out after the show, my daughter overheard someone say "Hey, I knew he was good but I didn't know he was THAT good!" In between, Mr. Knopfler did all the talking. The kids actually smiled and laughed in amazement during MK's one of kind solos. This was my second time seeing him. The first was around '85 front and center at the Fox Theatre at during the Brothers In Arms explosion. The energy was different then both on AND OFF the stage (Chastain was set up this time for its social scene of corporate table sponsorship). The raw skill and talent still radiates. I have been a MK devotee and fan recruiter from the debut Dire Straits album. This show is a must for any true fan and an eye-opener for those who may know a little about the legend but do not quite UNDERSTAND. Sultans, Telegraph, Romeo, Speedway, Boom, Sailing, and Sonny were personal show highlights for me.

This is the concert I’ve waited 20 years to see, and Mark and the boys went well beyond my expectations. This was the first chance I’d had to see them since I learned of Mark and DS in the ‘80’s. The set list was the same as the more recent shows, minus Local Hero and Shangri La because of the curfew. The biggest surprise for me was Romeo and Juliet. It’s never been one of my favorites, but hearing it live was absolutely enchanting. My wife hit me on the arm after it was over and demanded to know why I had never played it for her. She was completely mesmerized by it. I still don’t know what made it so different from the studio version. Other highlights for me were Sultans (he's the best guitar player in the world!!), Telegraph Road, Boom Like That, and Speedway at Nazareth (love the ending!). I lean toward the faster, more powerful songs, but it was a pleasure to hear Bonaparte and Rudiger too. I would have loved to have heard Postcards from Paraguay, but I don’t think he’s played it anywhere. All in all, it was a perfect performance and I’d gladly sit and listen to Mark play whatever he chooses. The only down side to the show was that at Chastain there are so many corporate tickets at the tables down front that a lot of the audience were obviously not big fans. Without the people who were there for free, it would have opened up the front for dedicated fans and might have been a more dynamic show. It’s also too bad that the show has to be cut off at 11 pm, instead of when the artist is finished. Next time around I’ll make arrangements to go to the Atlanta show and the next closest city also (in this case it would have been Nashville). Those complaints about the venue and audience aside, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience provided by Mark and the band. They were amazing and I’m anxiously awaiting another album and tour.

Awesome show. Even from the small lawn portion of the venue the sound was crisp, and clear. From the "Why Aye Man" opener, to the "Telegraph Road" closer, the guitar work was slick and smooth... Mark's trademarks coming through in spades. Now I'm really glad I paid to see him twice! Thanks for the great show...