Went to the Rubbing Elbows Wit Ian Anderson last night in Troy NY.
No, he didn’t play any whistle ( although 2 other band members did ). Yes, he still stands on one leg sometimes to play.
This was not a Tull concert. Ian had a 4 piece backup “acoustic” combo with him, and they did quite a few oldies, including some Tull stuff, plus some newer work. The format of the concert was a bit unusual. They had a little livingroom setup to one side of the stage ( couch, table, coupla chairs) and a local rock radio show announcer sat there with Ian between songs and shared anecdotes, etc. At various points, local people who won a contest on the radio had the chance to come up and ask Anderson some questions ( eg who were your greatest musical influences: answer was Muddy Waters and Beethoven). I could have lived without this aspect of the show, but it wasn’t really too intrusive.
Some of Anderson’s early fire has mellowed as befits his age, but he still plays a heckuva flute ( he did a few on a bamboo flute too). He also played guitar on a lot of the songs, and a bit of mandolin too.
This show is on the road, and if you’re a Tull and/or Anderson fan, give it a try.
Thanks for this nice bit of info, brewerpaul. “Aqualung” was THE album to have when I was in college. I wasn’t sure if Ian was still around, but I used to love hearing him play the flute.
~Larry
madguy, were we in the same college? Aqualung and Thick as a Brick were must haves during my college days as well. Wowzers, we must be old…no, can’t be…we’re just classics.
First time I saw Jethro Tull was in 1980 - Broadsword and the Beast. Not the highlight of Anderson’s career, but it was fun and I was 13 years old. 
I saw him again a few years ago and he could hardly sing a note - must’ve been an off day, but his flute playing was still brilliant – he’d treated us to a few selections off his new album Divinities (which I had to buy) and it was nice to hear how much his music had matured. Less abrasive and more sophisticated. You gotta love Locomotive Breath though! 
Sounds like it would’ve been a interesting venue.
I too am an Aqualung fan. First saw them in '75. Minstrel in the Gallery was the new tune they played if I remember correctly. To me the lyrics are as great as the tunes. Heavy Horses is still the best,IMHO.
First saw Tull in '77 I think. Hard to remember thru the haze of pot smoke. Ummm I didn’t inhale, yeah, thats it.
Always loved Thick as a Brick as the ultimate Tull album. What can I say? I love songs that are 44 minutes long.