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Denis Leary, Thrills and Mum

Posted by xneverwherex on November 13, 2007

11.8 – 11.10

So I’ve been getting really slack on this – and I do have to apologize. Been so busy and then had a 911 trip to Apple when I realized I couldn’t add more stuff on my computer. Doh! External drive here I come.

So much has been going on. So I’ve had to miss writing about a few shows (Morrissey was awesome as always!), and instead you’ll have to deal with reading about Denis Leary. For most of you that don’t know me, Denis Leary is hands-down my favorite comedian. I love his dirty, crass mind almost as much as my own. And he lived up to every bit of it as possible. I truly fell in love with him in “The Ref” and some other things, but “The Job” was when I knew it was like finding gold. I still turn on those DVDs and laugh my ass off. Adam Ferrara – pure f’ing genius.

So Thursday night was part of the New York Comedy Festival. Denis Leary was headlining the show with his friends at the Beacon Theater. Unlike most comedians (from what I’ve been told and have seen), he comes on stage first. He first started with a song from his band The Crown Royals. His songs were really relevant to all things going on today – there was a song about the presidential nominees, a song about Ms Winehouse and Ms Spears that Id rather forget. Disturbing images of things I never can see again. And naturally all sorts of jokes about Larry Craig’s ‘stance’. He lived up to everything I had hoped and I cant remember the last time I had laughed so hard I was near tears.

His guest comedians – including Adam Ferrara – were nothing short of genius. These jokes are so politically incorrect that I dare not even say what they were, as people will wonder about my f-ed up sense of humour. Some of his other guests included Australian Jim Jeffries, Mike Birbiglia and Robert Kelly. Only one of the comedians (which I’m not even sure hes listed here) wasn’t so funny, but overall it was a perfect night and well worth every cent. And besides ending the show with “I’m an A$$hole” was worth every cent.

If Denis Leary ever comes to your town – he is worth every dime he commands!

Friday night was filled with a date that I’d rather not remember and then it was off to see the boys from Ireland – The Thrills. This was a sold out show and many of my friends weren’t able to purchase tickets in time. And I was just damn lucky that I managed to get in on them. The crowd was really into them and everyone knew all of their old songs naturally, but even moreso all of the b-sides and their new album which was just released. The set consisted primarily of songs from their first album, which was entirely catchy.

The band was really into the show, and commented on how it was their best show in NYC by far. They played a song that they hadn’t played in years (which I’m forgetting at the moment), but just were really having a great time. The guys were joking around a lot on the stage and making fun of each other. It was great to see a band that truly got along so well on stage and clearly loved what they were doing.

Their music is as catchy as ever. Sunshine-y pop tunes that make you think you were in California. Their songs have that same sunshiney pop as the Beach Boys do which is always great to hear. On a cold night in NYC, you somehow forgot how cold it really was, as the music just makes you forget your cares and dance and sing along. Their really catchy songs were crowd pleasers, such as ‘Santa Cruz (you’re not that far)’, ‘Whatever Happened to Corey Haim?’, ‘Big Sur’ and ‘One Horse Town’.  And even tho I could barely move with people pressed into me, I left the show with a huge smile on my face.

 Saturday night might have been one of the best shows I have seen this year. The Wordless Music Series does NOT disappoint. What I mostly like is that I see a lot of things I would never probably see. As it combines pretty big bands with other unique people. This time the show opened with Germany’s Hauschka. Hauschka is the alias of Dusseldorf-based pianist/composer Volker Bertelmann.  His piano playing is incredible as he uses a lot of other things inside the piano to create certain sounds. He takes piano playing to a whole new level, and doesn’t play like traditional piano players do. He adds tape, clamps and other things to the chords of the piano creating a whole new sound. It is interesting to see him as he pulls out item after item from the piano and you start to learn how this unique sound is created.

David Moore, Bing and Ruth were the next group to come on. David Moore composes their music which is very atmospheric and ambient. Long, drawn out songs that easily blend into one another. Acoustic instruments add to the haunting vocals of sounds that barely emit from the women’s voices and you feel the pain and passion in each song. Its hauntingly beautiful and you can feel their emotion inside of you, which is a pretty impressive feat.

Finally – Mum takes the stage. Their first song comprised Hauschka, David Moore, Bing and Ruth. It was pretty awesome to start a show with everyone on stage and the variety of instruments that were played. It was very well harmonized and all the sounds filled the church.

Mum was nothing short of brilliant. Most of the songs were off of their new album “go go smear the poison ivy”. Their music consists of haunting melodies with vocals that are so impressive and mesh together well. The two women’s vocals blend together creating beautiful notes. Atmospheric electronica filled the church with the band members switching it up on the instruments – from cellos and violins to pianos, kazoos, etc. It was nothing short of an experience to watch. I think the church ended up being a perfect venue for this beautiful band. The acoustics are amazing and with all the songs so ambient – it was captured perfectly in this setting.

Im realizing now I must go buy all of their albums that I dont own, because their music is so beautiful its hard to not want to listen to it all the time. Its perfect music for these cold winter months that are soon approaching.

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CMJ 2007 Recap (in a nutshell)

Posted by xneverwherex on October 23, 2007

10/16 – 10/20 – CMJ 2007

CMJ as always seems to be a clusterphuck and it always seems that you are missing someone. It never fails; but then you catch that one band that sticks out that wasn’t even on your list, and you realize that this is why it is so worth it. CMJ is 5 days of shows throughout NYC showcasing some of the newest, hottest bands out there that you have never heard of. It also manages to get some top names that you can also catch in tiny venues.

This year CMJ was a bit of everything for me. I caught some hyped up names and some bigger names and then the names that are unheard of. I rely heavily on word of mouth (thanks Hannah) at shows to know who are so worth seeing. We all have our favorites, but my friends picks are usually so right on – that once I hear I *have* to see a show, inevitablly I see the band.

So lets waste no more time and begin. Tuesday night the festival began and knowing I had an insane week of shows I ended up foregoing who I had wanted to see. Surprisingly it was ok as most the bands I had just seen. The highlight of that night was to be Hot Iqs which I ended up catching on Wednesday. All hope was not lost.

Wednesday was Day 1 for me. I started out by catching a free show over at Club Midway – Hot IQs. What a way to begin the festival. Catchy songs that are so danceable. A lead singer with a quite low voice in the realm of The National. A female drummer who is kick-ass who plays barefoot and looks like Lana of Smallville (Kristin Kreuk). I was so glad that I got to catch this band as they’re from Denver and only had a few shows. After the set the band invited me to Brooklyn with them and I had wished I could go. They were also handing out free CDs, so I plan to give them a listen or two. As you can’t go wrong with catchy pop melodies.

After that it was off to The Delancey. I was hoping to be catching Five O’Clock Heroes, but at some point it got switched up (is all I’m guessing). Instead I got to hear BM Linx not once, but somehow twice. They sound quite OK on myspace, but live I just wasnt so into them. They definitely had the New York vibe going on looks wise with a guitarist who looks like he just stepped out of a new wave video. Cant comment much more on them, as they were easily forgettable, which in my book is never a good thing. After that was The Wildbirds from Wisconsin. The lead singer has a sexy, sultry voice and the band has the classic rock/bluesy sound. I basically would describe them as sexed up rock, which was all I could think of during their set. 4 guys with longish hair that have the typical rocker look, with tight jeans that are oh so hipster. But their music is far from that which is indeed a nice change. Finally was the band that had a lot of hype that I had been waiting for. Cut Off Your Hands is from New Zealand, which apparently is the ‘it’ place to be from right now as far as bands go. They had about 8 showcases (if not more) that they were playing. Nick Johnson, lead singer of the band, has for one the best haircut in the bands playing these days. But regardless of his indie hipster look with tighter than tight jeans, has this amazing voice – reminiscent of Morrissey’s from The Smiths days. He’s beyond spastic when he sings and dances, and goes from standing to falling to the floor to hanging off beams in clubs and climbing on things. He’s got so much energy that their 25 minute set is the most intense set that could be seen at CMJ. Its fast, bouncy, post-punk rock at its finest. If you liked The Smiths, I dont think there is any way you can not like them. Likeable guys in the band who were so excited to be there, proved that this is what CMJ is about. And if thats not enough, any lead singer who can go through 3 bottles of water – pouring them down his back and over his head – should give you an indication of just how much heart he puts into each set. Besides, anyone who shoves a cameraperson away gets extra points with me.

After that it was off to The Canal Room. I caught Air Traffic from the UK which put on a good, tight set. Its a little too Coldplay-lite for me and too much like all those other bands from the UK. This is not a bad thing as I love Coldplay, Travis, etc. but I find that I wont remember them from anyone else, especially at a festival. I would add that if you can see them on their own, it’d be worth it. After Air Traffic was the band I was super excited to see. I caught Division Day from LA. The last time I had seen them was at CMJ a year ago with Birdmonster. I’m a huge fan of Division Day so this time I knew nearly all of the songs. Great catchy hooks, sing-along-choruses, and keyboards that will get you on the dance floor. Each song is seemingly different from the prior one, yet each has its own hook that will get you dancing. Rohner has an amazing voice and their new album, Bear Trap Island, is as catchy and as great as their prior one. So definitely go out and buy it.

And finally the continuation….

Thursday was a bit of craziness with friends coming to town, and trying to coordinate everything. I started the day off by catching Division Day at the former Mo Pitkins (sadly it closed that Saturday for good). Division Day now has a reputation for playing places that somehow end up closing soon after (it was sin-e for them last year). Again, another great show.

After some wandering around the Lower East Side I ended up catching some stuff at Pianos. There was a DJ set with San Serac that was quite entertaining. After that set, I think I caught some of someone else but cant remember. I met up with Hannah and it was off to the Fader party and get some food! The Fader party was good but but it was only open for those who rsvped. They had DJs between sets and free drinks. Always a good thing. I caught Cut Off Your Hands again and it was as good and as out of control. So loved this band! After they finished up – I rushed over to Club Midway to catch The Warlocks. Really no need for rushing as they were behind schedules. The lights went down (near pitch black), with the only glow from the neon lit floor. The guitars kicked in, the noise filled the room, swirling, lush sounds. It was hard to stay awake (surprising with how loud it was), but I was dead tired, and in the near pitch black with just guitars it was pretty peaceful. I should say that The Warlocks were on my bands to see list. Being a fan of the Dandy Warhols, nearly everyone who likes them, are huge fans of The Warlocks as well. And they did not disappoint!

After all this I headed uptown to Town Hall to see Stars. This was not a part of CMJ. Stars, from Montreal, put on an incredible set. Amy Millan’s vocals were right on and she sounded amazing. Torq sounded great also and had such a bubbly personality. They played a set consisting of songs from all the different albums. People were in front of their seats dancing and it made for a great time to get away from CMJ for just a bit. Their set was nearly 2 hours or so and it made for a great time. One of the highlights was when Amy messed up the lyrics to the song, and they went into a big production over having to restart the song. It was even better the second time.

After their set, I rushed back to the LES, and caught the end of Wintersleep‘s set. It was so loud is all I can really remember, and the vocals were near impossible to hear. Fat Baby was having a Canadian night with all bands from Canada. I was there to check out the Toronto band Uncut who I keep on managing to miss. It was a good thing I got there, because Im not sure Derek would have been happy with me anymore 🙂 Uncut put on a really great set. Their new-ish stuff is sounding really great. Ian’s vocals were right on. Their new guitarist Chris fits right into the band. If you like your music with heavy guitars, very loud, great songs this is the band to check out. “Kiss Me” sounds like something that Jesus & Mary Chain would have put out sometime ago.  And that rounds out my Thursday night.  

Its hard to imagine that those were only 2 days. Next day it was onto work (barely functionable), and then after work it was time to rush back down to the LES and catch more bands. I made it down to the Fader Party to catch yet another band from New Zealand. The Checks who were so full of energy and had some very catchy blues rock. They were definitely a band not to miss. And it was quite dancy as well, which made for an even better time. After that, it was over to Fat Baby for probably the biggest let-down of the festival. I honestly think though something happened when I listened to the bands, because I really thought they were supposed to be good. First was The Alarmists from Minneapolis. Now they were fine – but a little boring. Didnt do much on stage, but the music held its own. Catchy indie pop, but nothing out of the ordinary. The next set went even more down hill which was Spouse from Northampton, MA. Way boring indie pop that the band barely seemed all that into. It seemed they were bored on stage, which definitely didnt help. Next was Minneapolis’ The Melismatics. Now I really like the way they sound online, but live I was mostly appalled with the scene. I felt like they were trying so hard to be just another indie hipster band. Which is unfortunate, because they did seem to have some talent. Their music wasnt bad, but just seemed like any other band you could see in Williamsburg (and no – this isnt a slam on Williamsburg – but when youre seeing a ton of bands, youre hoping for something at least memorable). On their own outside of a festival, I think theyd be damn good.

About this time I got really worried about who I was seeing. My only consolation was – I had RSVP’ed to Crash Mansion and was on the guest list and could get in for free. Now their show would not disappoint. First – Crash Mansion is an amazing venue. It is huge and it is _very_ swanky. Its basically a place to go to be seen. Hardwood floors, stone walls, minimal lighting, tables scattered throughout the place and a DJ spinning in the corner of the main room. Plenty of bars with great drink specials, and acoustics that are amazing.

The first band we caught was Zambri. Mostly women in the band playing rocked out dance type music. Its quite likeable music until the woman singing goes off-key and is hitting notes she should have never tried to hit. Its ear pitching screams would make me never want to hear them again. Thats fine – I had no clue who they were and werent there to see them. Next up was House & Parish that I was looking forward to. And they were nice guys to look at, with a really good guitarist, and some good crowd interplay, but overall a wee bit boring. Just didnt seem so into the show. I was worried tonight was a big bust. UNTIL…  WILD LIGHT. 4 guys make up the band and the great thing about them is the 3 guys (minus the drummer) rotate instruments throughout the set. They all take turns singing lead vocals, but mostly there is a lot of harmonies that shows off their truly impressive vocals. Very catchy indie pop songs that even without knowing the words – will have you singing along in no time. They were easily one of the most likeable bands that were playing. It was great when at the end of the set – they said that they had some very good news. They were just asked by the Arcade Fire to come on tour with them in Europe. I recommend checking out Red House which shows off their amazing harmonies.

My night had been saved by these great guys from New Hampshire. And after that I had the great fortune of finally catching Foreign Islands. I have been a big fan of this Brooklyn band for quite awhile, it was just more amazing that I had never seen them live. Foreign Islands tore it up – had the crowd dancing within seconds and a band that was as wild on stage. They played a pretty revved up 25 minute set that ended with the singer throwing his mic straight at a lamp that went shattering everywhere. Needless to say, whether the show was meant to end at that moment or not, the show was over for them. Damn intense!

And finally, we reach Saturday. Im just tired remembering all this and typing it up – I dont know how I did it all. Saturday started out with some day shows. I caught a bit of The Pierces who were way behind schedule at Club Midway. I dont understand how you can be behind schedule after only one band. I guess nothing started on time. A pity as I was going to catch Foreign Born. Instead I ended up heading to Pianos to catch Turbo Fruits. I had heard that they were friends with The Checks and it makes sense (musically wise). They both play similar music with bluesy rock music. A great set with some catchy stuff, although I found The Checks just a tad more appealing. Im now getting strange looks from people that I work with over the music.  Next up was Foals – from the UK. They put on an amazing dancy set that just kept going and going. They really worked the crowd up – with the guys jumping into the crowd with their guitars. Lots of keyboards and lots of fun. I really cant wait to catch a full set from them, as 25 minutes was not nearly long enough. After that was The Maccabees who I had been longing to see after I saw them several months back. They seemed a bit tired, and it was only fitting with all the shows they had been playing. Their music was good, but not as good as they were previously. Catchy, British-post punk rock in the same genre as The Rakes. Still love the band – will just have to wait till they can play a full set.

After that it was back to The Fader party. Im not even sure who I was trying to see there, but I know I had missed them with the problems that Foals were having. I did end up seeing Yeasayer (and another band that I dont even know who it was). Yeasayer played a good set but I really wasnt so into the music and was getting tired.

From there I had to head back uptown to check out the new Terminal 5. The name doesnt lie – and it has the coldness of a terminal feel to it. The club isnt yet finished and the walls are just stark white and smell of paint. Sightlines are atrocious, so it helps to go up to one of the other floors to have a perfect view. Midnight Juggernauts opened the set and unfortunately with the sound problems they didnt sound that great. Some of the songs sounded really good, while others were horribly muddled. 70’s prog rock sounds, spaced out sounds, with amazing vocals (when properly heard) and you get a really great band. Electronic rock is here to stay. Cant wait to see them at a smaller venue (which Im hoping will one day soon happen). Unfortunately this great band is from Australia, so who knows when that will happen.

They opened for Justice – who claim that Midnight Juggernauts is one of the best albums. Justice put on a DJ set for over an hour that was pure dance party crazy. I was upstairs and watching the crowd flying back and forth – everyone moving with each other I was pretty surprised. I expected it to be wild, but I wasnt expecting what I saw. It was an amazing view, and it was a great set. A real pity that they didnt come out for a 2nd encore after the crowd was chanting “We are your friends, Youll never be alone again, Well c’mon”. Its hard to imagine with a whole club singing along, that there wasnt another encore. The band did come out upstairs to acknowledge the crowd. Overall it was a great set – but unlike their fellow countrymen Daft Punk – they just didnt blow me away in the same light.

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2 Nights With Maps = Bliss!

Posted by xneverwherex on October 4, 2007

9/28 – 9/29

I somehow ended up with 2 tickets to Maps for each of the nights. Initially I had planned on seeing them on Friday night with a friend from out of town, but that didnt pan out, but instead of selling both our tickets, I sold off hers and kept mine. And I must say, I’m sure glad that I did.

It was an early set at the Mercury Lounge on Friday night starting out with Brooklyn’s own The Silent League. (as this is a recap of both nights – im infusing two nights shows together, got it?) 🙂 The Silent League played a really great set. I recall last time that I had seen them, there were more members in the band. (I havent seen them in at least 3 years).  Their sound was as incredible as always, and the trumpet player ended the set playing 2 trumpets at the same time. Their songs were quite slow and more mellowed out and we should have been just sitting around a campfire. I guess Kevin (or one of the other guys) was right when he stated that. Justin, formerly in Mercury Rev, has still managed to keep some of that sound in their style and it complements them perfectly. Has that feeling of being in an orchestra with the variety of instruments.

The highlight was definitely on Saturday when Justin brought his brother, Jason, along to sing backups on 2 of the songs. Jason is the lead singer of Hopewell and one thing that I did notice was that it seems Silent League’s new stuff invokes some of Hopewell’s last album. Such as Calcutta. Not necessarily the same middle-eastern/indian flare, but for whatever reason that is what it reminds me of.

Saturday night’s set was really great as well. The crowd didn’t seem to be quite as into it, with very few of us clapping or yelling in appreciation. Im definitely set on seeing them again. I got to meet Justin on Saturday night, and he’s a cool guy. We talked for a bit, and I told him I had come out here to see them. He playfully joked to me, that I better stay around for Maps. 🙂 I had told him that I had first seen them quite a few years back at the Mercury and he seemed pretty stoked about it. Good guy, good music, great sound! What more.

For those thinking that their music is completely different from Maps (which it is), they met when they were playing some festivals in the UK. And they all got along great, and voila! Together the bands were awesome.

Before I get to Maps – there was a 3rd band on the Saturday night show, but I swear it was a joke, and it was really awful. The lead singer cannot sing at all, and it was a cringe-worthy set. For that – I wont even name their name, aside for the fact I also blanked it out.

Maps, from Northampton, UK, were the band to see. Friday night I wasn’t sure what to expect. I remember falling in love with their sound the moment I heard it, but it still couldn’t match what was on stage. The Mercury set was packed and felt overflowing with Brits. I’d have to guage that at least 80% of the crowd were from the UK and the band was quite excited. This was their first show in the states and they were clearly excited to be playing in NYC.

James asked everyone to move forward to be as close to the stage as possible and wanted everyone dancing. Their music, while many would probably think is not the most danceable, works quite well live to dance to. James not only fronts the band, but is apparently THE band and he brings the other guys along with him when touring. His lush vocals almost drowned out by the guitars fit with the music. An electronic beat infuses with the swirling guitars complementing James’ vocals.

Now put all that combination together and you get Maps. A dancey-electronica band with guitars that you’d expect to hear at a My Bloody Valentine or shoegaze show. James seemed excited about Saturday night in a different way than Friday night. He seemed much more relaxed on stage and was having fun with the crowd. He was on the sides while The Silent League were playing, and I caught his eye a few times, and he gave me the biggest smile. You could just see the excitement. While it was not a sold-out show at Luna Lounge, the crowd up front seemed really into them (I think a lot of us saw them on Friday night). The girl next to me grabbed my arm at one point, and excitedely tells me “ive been singing this song all day, i couldnt wait to hear it”. About this time, her, me and some other excited girls continued to dance to a very happy James Chapman.

Stand outs from the set were definitely “You Dont Know Her Name” and “It Will Find You”. Great friends (new and old), great bands, great music = awesome time!

I also managed to catch +/- {plus/minus} on Friday night, but barely remember the rest of the night after a butterscotch shot and some beer on an empty stomach. I do remember trying to find somewhere to eat in Tribeca at 2am and that was not fun!

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Mum is the Word…

Posted by xneverwherex on September 27, 2007

So – I just bought my mum tickets as part of the Wordless Music Series. And I can’t recommend seeing shows at this series enough. I have been listening to mum a bit and am just blown away by how amazing they sound. So naturally, a church and mum seem a great fit!  Now really …. its on to Beirut.

9/24/07

Monday night was a great way to start the week by heading up to the Society for Ethical Culture on the corner of Central Park West & 64th. The church is still in amazing condition (I did read it was recently refurbished) and the paintings are gorgeous. The pews are about as comfortable as pews can be, but more importantly, the acoustics are amazing. This was my second trip to this church – my first time having seen Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance.

This series is about putting together acts that we might never consider listening to. For a lot of indie fans (myself included), its not often that I’d go out and find a new classically trained artist with electronic influences. And its not that I don’t care for the music, I just don’t find myself gravitating towards that. So I look to this series to expose my horizons.

The first review I read about the Beirut show had me so disappointed with what I read, I was convinced I attended a different show. Thanks NYT for thinking outside of the box.

Colleen, a French woman who it turns out barely made it into the states thanks to our government’s efficient visa plan with turning away all these artists, was the first artist to play. She is classically trained and primarily played the cello. She was very gifted and her music was a fusion of classical and electronic. She played everything from a clarinet to wind chimes to the violin. And everything was so beautifully crafted it was hard not to drift away with the music. I had no idea what to expect coming in, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

The next artists up were Katya Mihailova (on the piano) and Colin Jacobsen (on violin). Katya came up to perform 2 songs by herself on piano. The song from Chopin was performed perfectly, her fingers flying over the keys amazing to watch. I was seated in the 3rd row on the edge and had an amazing view. Her next song – which I dont remember the title but has something to do with only the left hand – was even more impressive. With just her left hand, she played the entire song. I don’t know if anyone else would have realized it, but when it hit me that she was only playing with one hand, I was blown away. Brooklyn (where she lives) should have been proud tonight!

Katya was later joined on the stage with Colin Jacobsen. Their first piece was from Arvo Part which really played out well together. The violin accompanying the piano was just beautiful. I am a sucker for beautiful piano pieces, and I have a love affair with watching people play the piano. It takes me to a different world. The set ended with a piece from Bela Bartok and Colin asked the lovely men of Beirut to join them on stage. So 4 guys from Beirut came out with a trumpet, a cello and some other instruments. There seemed to be a bit of confusion, but by the last part of the song it came together. It was a great way to end the set and get us pumped up for Beirut.

 Beirut were amazing. Zach Condon, the ever talented lead singer of Beirut, was exceptionally cool! Possibly the epitome of cool. With heavy French influences in the form of Jacques Brel, the band put on quite a show. 6 other guys filled the stage playing a variety of instruments and the lone female primarily on violin. The music which has a very Eastern European flair contained a big sound from the accordion, trumpets, violins, ukuleles and minimal drums. Guitars were barely used which was quite the nice change.

Its hard to close your eyes and imagine this band from Brooklyn, performing this Eastern European music, but this is what they do. And they do it quite well. The evening ended with Zach coming back after the encore and telling everyone to move forward and stand up. It ended with some sort of Romanian jig like tune. It was a perfect setting for nearly an hour and a half even when inside of a church!

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Our Love To Admire (Interpol)

Posted by xneverwherex on September 17, 2007

9/14/07

This was the first time I had pit tickets in quite awhile at a big venue. I had decided originally to get there insanely early to get a great spot in line. But when it came down to it, I just had no energy to do that. So I arrived at The Garden around 10 till 6. And there were maybe 20 people in front of me. Not bad, not bad. I start talking with the girl in front of me, who seems so nice. And she is quite friendly. She has just moved here from New Mexico and loves to go to concerts. On that note – I should send her a text about tomorrow’s show.  So its always a great way to hang out before the show begins. I get a text from my friend Hannah who is coming up from DC. yay! After our last fiasco – which is the fiasco not named – we had our fingers crossed that the trains would have no delays. And she made it just in time before we were let into the doors.

After standing around for an hour – and we are RIGHT in front (well one row ahead of us of shorter women) – The Liars come on. I had no clue what to expect of The Liars as I hadnt listened to them. The music is very loud, screamo type stuff but is quite out there at the same time. Some of their music was really good that I liked but for the most part I felt like I was in some sort of weird reality time-warp. The lead singer is entertaining and very much is a strong presence on the stage. He would mimic the drum movements and do all sorts of crazy little things. After about 35 mins. and their set was done.

I will say MSG has amazing acoustics and the first band sounded great. A super quick sound check and they were ready to go. Its not often that you get to see this, but suddenly you realize this is how its done by the pros 🙂

Next up was the amazing – Cat Power & The Dirty Delta Blues. I had always wanted to see her, as she has such an amazing beautiful, sultry voice. She definitely didn’t disappoint at this show. She seemed so happy to be there, working the stage as she made her way back and forth. She sat down on the side when there was nothing to see and let the band go to town. And this band was so talented. They really were a great backing unit to her. She played a cover (or maybe 2) and some other songs that I knew but for the most part I cant say I recognized them. It wouldn’t have mattered. She did not disappoint.

It was hard not to go insane once she left the stage. Floods of memories came back of seeing Interpol just a month ago at Lollapalooza. Thinking about what they might or might not play, was not helping the anticipation. I knew they were scheduled to be on at 10:30 per the employees of MSG who let us know. Around 10:20 Interpol takes the stage.

MSG at this point is so loud! Everyone is screaming and yelling for them and the place is going nuts. A large white sheet is in front of the band as they begin to play. The shadows that should have shown through the sheets were not working, so it didnt look quite right. Being in the front I could still easily make out the band and see everyone, but it didn’t seem quite right.  During the 2nd song, Daniel is going frantic yelling at the guy in front of him to take down the sheet.

The band has to stop the show and wait for the sheet to come down, which is having a malfunction. During all this the band starts to play, just instrumentals and the crowd is getting even more antsy just wanting to see them.

The sheet comes down and the band bursts into the rest of their set. The band was incredible. They played for a full hour and 40 mins, with not one, but two encores. Paul’s voice was so spot-on; Daniel was full of energy working the stage coming towards the crowd and Carlos D was naturally on his game and Sam worked it on the drums. The new songs which they played a bunch of were simply beautifully played. The highlights were “Pace Is The Trick” which has the trademark dramatic Interpol song. The crowd went nuts during “Heinrich Maneuver” with everyone singing along. Actually I think a lot of people were singing to every song. My favorite song on the album “Rest My Chemistry” was just what I had expected. From their first note, it was hard to contain oneself.

If anything Interpol far exceeded any other prior impressions I had of them. The final song “Untitled” was the perfect way to end the night. Luscious guitars that swirled and filled the room, with the constant drum beat in the background with the sparse lyrics from Paul was all that was needed. And the show couldn’t have ended on a better note!

Here’s hoping I can see them again soon.

Setlist:
Pioneer to the Falls
Obstacle 1
C’Mere
Narc
Say Hello to the Angels
Pace is the Trick
Mammoth
Hands Away
No I in Threesome
Slow Hands
Rest My Chemistry
The Heinrich Maneuver
Evil
Not Even Jail

NYC
Stella Was A Diver and She Was Always Down
PDA

Untitled

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Friday night with editors

Posted by xneverwherex on September 10, 2007

9/7/07

Friday night started out on a great note at Webster Hall with Ra Ra Riot. I arrived there quite early and had a prime spot right in the front center. I’m slowly beginning to feel tho, that maybe they just arent ready for it all yet. The music still sounds as great as ever, but it just feels like they’re lacking something on stage. The 2 women in the band seemed nearly afraid of the crowd. Perhaps they’ve just been touring too much and need to take a break. Regardless, the new Kate Bush cover sounds quite good, but it doesn’t have the same catchiness as “Hounds of Love”. The drummer was good as well and it seems he’d make a fine replacement for John Pike.

The next band up was Biffy Clyro from Scotland. The first thing I noticed about the band was that they had die-hard fans who came out just to see them. A group of guys from Ireland were so excited to be seeing them, it was quite contagious. Now, I will start this out by saying Biffy Clyro is not someone I would normally listen to. It seemed an odd mix to put them between editors and Ra Ra Riot, two indie-pop/britpop bands. Biffy Clyro’s sound check was so loud I thought my ears might die. But when they came out to play it wasnt quite so loud. Or maybe my ears had adjusted. Some of the songs were quite easy to get into, but the loud, scream, noise heavy band was definitely not my cup of tea. The drummer and lead-singer (brothers), played with their shirts off. The lead singer has a collection of tattoos that range from everything from images to words. The band was very talented, and they could sure play those guitars. It was great fun to watch.

The highlight of the night – and probably one of my favorite shows from this year was editors. I became very addicted to the new album – An End Has a Start – , so I really couldn’t wait to see the band. Tom came out and right away jumped into Bones. What a track to start the night. The night continued with a set-list that I would say were some of their best songs.  Tom is very expressive with his hands, as he’d hold them out and wrap them around him. The crowd loved him and he played it up for the audience. His songs on the piano, enmeshed with his guitar were absolutely amazing. Watching his hands fly across the keys was pretty impressive. It was easy to see how truly talented he was. The lead guitarist is an incredible player and its easy to forgot how much of the music he actually plays.

Tom

The bassist on the other side of the piano, and nearly cut off from the band held his own and would often times go back towards the drummer and play facing him. When the 4 of them came together in the back of the room (bad pun), it was easy to see how they fed off of each other. The energy was there and in each song you could feel the energy emanating in the room.

The more popular songs were huge hits with the audience with everyone singing and jumping, and heads bopping along. I thought ‘Blood’ sounded amazing and one of my favorite songs ‘All Sparks’ was impressive. ‘Fall’ was as beautiful as it gets. Tom’s voice is so impressive live – it cant even compare with the recorded song. I am shooting myself that I am only seeing them once on this tour, because their new music is great. “When Anger Shows” is incredible live with the emotion all over Tom’s face and in his hands. Set list is listed below. If you haven’t yet seen editors, do yourself a favor and see them soon! They will not be this small forever. I keep thinking how impressive it would be to see Coldplay and editors play together. Similar styles and incredibly talented lead singers. Just might be a dream show.

Editors setlist:
Bones
Bullets
An End Has a Start
Blood
Fall
Escape the Nest
All Sparks
When Anger Shows
Lights
The Racing Rats
Weight of the World
Munich
Open Your Arms

You Are Fading
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
Fingers in the Factories

Video and photos to be added in the next day.

Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Friends, Live Music | 2 Comments »

Sharp = $3.50 w/The Rentals

Posted by xneverwherex on August 24, 2007

8/23/07

I happened to come across this sweet deal, where I was able to obtain Rentals tix for $3.50. And seriously, for that price how could anyone say no. So I invited 3 other people to come along with me from my meetup group.

The night started off with a band called Goldenboy who apparently is friends with Matt Sharp. He played on one of their songs later in the set. Goldenboy played a bit too long for an opener, and it was a bit slow. It was good music, but it just didn’t have anything to get me excited about the Rentals. Nearly 45 mins later and they were finally done.

Next up was Copeland. I wasnt familiar with their music, had a familiar name, and one of the guys is convinced its a reincarnation of Radiohead. I must say I’m not sure I agree on that one. The lead singer has a great voice and their music is very catchy. It was easy to just get into their music with a very familiar indie-pop sound. Only major disappointment was a 35 MINUTE set. I was completely blown away, as I really thought they were much better than the first band. Truly, it seemed completely backwards. And besides, the guys were quite nice to look at 😉

Around 10:30pm The Rentals came on. Now truth be told, aside from Matt Sharp (formerly bass player in Weezer) fronting the band, I really didn’t know any of their songs. I knew the song “Friends of P”, but wasn’t sure I’d recognize anything else.

Instead, I was blown away to one hell of a performance. Very catchy songs that were quite recognizeable, combined with likeable performers consisting of a woman on violin, a woman on bass, and a whole bunch of other people in the band. A filled stage with lots of dancing and truly a band having a great time. Matt is an incredible front-man, making use of the entire stage, going back and forth to opposite ends, truly playing to the crowd.

He had some very funny banter about their trip to Minneapolis and some mention of Purple Rain and Prince. Along with the drummers mustache reminding people of Hall & Oates. Why they didnt play “Maneater” one will never know – but the crowd surely wanted it. It was enjoyable and even more funny.

It was a great crowd, although I’m not entirely sure about the pushing/shoving/mock mosh pit. Was truly annoying more than anything, and it cleared out the crowd in parts of the room. But these guys truly enjoyed their music as they were all singing along.

The set ended at midnight and Matt clearly didn’t have enough time to play everything he had wanted. I guess it means that they will have to return soon. Was awesome to hear “Friends of P” live. The crowd went insane! What a set it was and I will surely be seeing them next time they come around. Great company and great band = sharp time!

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Lets Dance to Joy Division- Those Marsupials Rock!

Posted by xneverwherex on August 16, 2007

To describe a band as cute and cuddly would probably horrify most bands, but when you call yourselves The Wombats and show up to the gig with a stuffed animal, what can you expect. While they might look cute and cuddly they sure do rock. Infectious jangly hooks with post-punk/pop-punk melodies and somewhere in that you have The Wombats.

The Wombats, hailing from Liverpool, performed their first show in the states last night at The Annex. Wooo! If New Yorkers were happy that this was their first stop, the band seemed even happier to be playing in the States. They were headed off to the West Coast to play Popscene in SF tonight.

Their show started out as a Barbershop Trio (or is that triplet?). The 3 guys came out and sang a really catchy song (sans instruments) about marsupials! yay marsupials! It was hard not to be singing it along with them. Once that was done, they all went to their instruments and started playing like there was no tomorrow. With songs like “Lets Dance to Joy Division” and their single “Kill The Director” – its really hard not to start dancing.

The lead singer was very talkative and mentioned things about how we should do the waltz to one of the songs, and whoever waltzed best would win either a shirt, or a dirty nappy of the drummer. Sadly, no New Yorkers claimed to be doing the waltz. Next, he asked about swinging? Naturally, a few cackles were heard in the back, whether it was for actually swing dancing or other things, one will never know.

The show was just what was expected. With some songs sounding reminiscent of Maximo Park, it made for a great night of fun. The bands were asking for hand-clapping and lots of dancing and the crowd didn’t disappoint. Wombats are rumoured to be back in February so if you werent fortunate to catch them this time around, Feb is just around the corner.

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Lollapalooza 2007 – Day 3 !!! (Chk Chk Chk)

Posted by xneverwherex on August 9, 2007

Sunday started out by looking a bit overcast. So it was really hard to guage the weather. Needless to say, I really chose the wrong clothes to wear. Black in the heat of the sun is never a good choice.

Started my morning under the trees at the BMI Stage yet again checking out local band (Springfield, IL) The Graduate. The lead singer has a bit of the Mark McGrath (of Sugar Ray) thing going on. Good looking, great voice and to me, had that cocky attitude. Not a bad thing. This music is guaranteed to be on Top 40 radio. Its pop friendly, easily listenable, but for me, easily disposable. Enjoyable for what it was.

From there headed into the hot hot sun and caught some of The Postmarks set. The lead singer has a great voice, but their music just wasn’t getting me energized. Her music was low-key and a bit slow-going, so I have a feeling its a band I must see in a club. On the stage behind I could hear Juliette Lewis (yes, the actress) from Juliette & The Licks going crazy, so I had to check it out. She was working the crowd into a frenzy, running back and forth on the stage in her skin tight clothes. The band was great that was backing her up. From what I saw of her set, I was very entertained and the crowd loved it.

Slowly meandered from Juliette Lewis to the big stage to catch The Cribs. I somehow managed to get right in front of the big opening, and was very surprised. Lollapalooza Day 3 - The Cribs I should mention that at this time the weather is oppressive.  The stage felt a bit too big for them, but they managed best they could. Definitely a band better fitted to be playing a club. Liked what I had heard, and can’t say I’m a huge fan of them, but really enjoyed their set. With the hot weather, I lasted about 30 mins before heading to an open spot in the grass, grabbing some water as it dripped everywhere. Closed my eyes, and The Cribs took me away.

As I got some much needed food, I listened to Dios in the background. I really wasnt familiar with their music, but for background music it was quite nice. Then it was time to see Rodrigo y Gabriela. 2 guitarists from Mexico who are nothing short of being amazing live. Gabriela’s fingers fly over the guitar, making it seem effortless. Add the two of them together and its near magic. As they went from their own songs to breaking out into Hendrix, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Zepp, etc. it was easy to see how talented they really were. It was great as they played “Wish You Were Here” as the crowd attempted to sing with them. Somewhere during the set, Rodrigo mentioned as they played their new song that we should feel free to get naked. Ah, what a moment it was. Be sure to check them out if you can appreciate some great guitar work.

After this headed over to see Scotland’s own – Los Campesinos! Lollapalooza Day 3 - Los Campesinos!
I had just started listening to their stuff and easily loved their catchy, indie-pop music. Great stuff to dance to, so it wasnt that surprising when 6 of them were on the stage and just wanted to dance and have a great time. It was great when by the end of the set the lead singer had jumped into the crowd and was dancing with them. The only real down-fall is that they were having awful sound issues. They didnt start on time plus had problems in the beginning. They did make mention of their neighbor Amy Winehouse who was playing at the stage nearby.

Found myself looking for shade and swung back to the BMI Stage to check out The Diffs. Really wasn’t into their loud, thrashy music and headed to check out Blue October. Was having too many issues with sound bleeding over from The Annuals so had to leave. From what I could hear of Blue October, I did like them and it was catchy music. Caught bits and pieces of Paolo Nutini and Apostle of Hustle.

As I met with friends and grabbed some food, Kings of Leon filled the background. Recognized some of their music, but can’t say I’m a fan of their described ‘Southern Rock’ sound. So instead, headed over to proceed to get very close for !!!. Nic Offer is definitely the epitome of fun. Ridiculous dance moves  to music that cant help but make you dance. He made his way back and forth across the stage, jumping into the crowd, which apparently pissed off security. In tight blue shorts a bright blue shirt with a mop of curly hair, he entertained the crowd. Lollapalooza Day 3 - !!! Shannon, who has quite the voice too, danced it up and also managed to pour a can of beer down her body before proceeding to rip off her top. Danced and danced till I felt like I was going to pass out. “Must be the Moon” sounded great!

Needless to say, by the time TV on the Radio came on stage, I was sure at any moment I’d pass out from exhaustion. My great spot on the rail soon got moved back. Albeit, a very short set, the crowd was jumping and singing along with the band. I managed to get further back and could properly enjoy their last song ‘Staring at the Sun’. What a way to end the set!

As I headed towards the next stage for the last show of the night – Pearl Jam would soon be heard. And it could be heard even far out from the park. Eddie Vedder’s most catchy song of the night was his ‘Dont go to BP/Amoco’. As always, he said some great things that should have sunk in and were a perfect way to end the festival. But yes, it is important that we save Lake Michigan. It’s more important that the oil companies quit spilling oil into our lakes. Enough said. The set consisted of a mostly greatest hits set and it was great. Daughter and Even Flow live were simply amazing! The area was packed and everyone was singing along and really rocking out.

So what a way it was to end the 3-day festival. I’m already thinking about next years, wondering how on earth anything can top it.

And as a side note: Pearl Jam’s concert was edited by AT&T cutting out his Anti-Bush statements. Please join Rock The Net – Musicians Support Network Neutrality. To read about the Pearl Jam show, click here.

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Lollapalooza 2007 – Day 2 – My Love for Gary…

Posted by xneverwherex on August 8, 2007

Day 2  

Saturday started out by being a relatively nice day, on the cool side, but nothing crazy. Oh how Chicago weather can change in the blink of an eye.

Started out the morning by catching some of Dear and the Headlights set. Loved their sound, but was sad to say only caught the last 2-3 songs of their set. It was a slow start on a Sat. so unfortunately missed a bit of it. They are definitely worth another listen as I enjoyed their music so much.

Then on my way wandering over to the next show, I managed to catch a small bit of Arckid. Arckid is from Leeds (now living in nyc and royston (singer) is married to Liv Tyler) and previously made up most of the band Spacehog. Their sound is somewhat similar and is very catchy britpop/rock music. Good stuff from the few songs I was able to hear.

Finally, I was able to hear Sherwood, whom I had been wanting to catch for quite a while. They are from San Luis Obispo, CA, and it seems apparently the band went to Cal Poly. Not big of a surprise. So, I was very excited to see some sunshine-y Cali pop rock, to get me dancing and clapping and having a great time. Unfortunately, had to get moving as other shows across the park were awaiting.

Then it was off to see I’m From Barcelona, who are of course from Sweden. Great band with 30 or so members. Some of them were dressed up in costumes, and they all were dressed sunshine-y and colorful. Pic below. IMG_8862.JPG Their music is very indie-pop sounding, bright and cheerful. The whole set was basically a dance party, bursting into songs about the Chicken Pox, their band name, and the like. At one point balloons were pouring onto the crowd. And it was amusing to hear the singer ask if anyone from the band of Montreal were there, because he had apparently ‘stolen’ Kevin’s red guitar strap 🙂 Lots of fun and great music to dance along with.

Next, was Tapes ‘n Tapesfrom Minneapolis. They put on a good enjoyable set, but didnt find myself really getting into their music. Some of the songs seemed to drag out a bit to long, but in general it was good indie rock. Caught a bit of Silverchair who were apparently rocking out, but couldnt be bothered to go farther up and get closer. I did like what I managed to hear.

After all that was the nightmare that I call Cold War Kids. CWK was on a very small stage and as they are opening for Muse have quite a big following. Needless to say, the stage was way too small for them, and the crowd was everywhere. There was nowhere to stand and really get a great view. From what I could hear, I wasn’t impressed. Just wasnt quite the sound that I was expecting.

The show I had been long awaiting was CSS and unfortunately (or fortunately) they cancelled. Instead I was treated to Cage The Elephant – enjoyed their set. Definitely rocked out. But the BIGGEST surprise was a band from Isle of Man called Back Door Slam. Back Door Slam is a blues/rock band but what makes them stand out is the guys in the band. The lead singer, who comes across as very shy and almost embarrassed, plays guitar as if he’s possessed and has become Stevie Ray Vaughan, and for all we know, that could have happened. Words cant describe how talented he is, and as he closes his eyes and the music envelopes him, something beautiful happens. As the music filled the area, people came by to see what it was, and everyone walked away a changed person. This quote sums it all up: “I heard the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, it was Back Door Slam from the Isle of Man” – Seattle Times

Pic of lead singer of Back Door Slam

Lollapalooza Day 2 - Back Door Slam

So what a high that was to go and see Gary next. The Gary above would be one Gary Lightbody, lead singer of Snow Patrol. Snow Patrol did not disappoint. Gary is a great frontman, talking to the crowd, dedicating songs to “Spiderman with the Irish flag”. This is one band that is clearly used to playing for huge stadiums and crowds. Their music soared from the first song “Hands Open” and just drew people in. Everyone was yelling out the lyrics and singing along. It was a real treat when Nikki (from Silversun Pickups) was brought on for “Set the fire to the third bar”. Last time I had seen this perform it was with Martha Wainwright (who is also used on the album), but Nikki definitely held her own. It was a great setlist and read like a best-of including “Chasing Cars”, “Run”, “Spitting Games” and “How to be Dead”.

Finally, the long awaited-last band was here. I waited for over and hour to be up front and finally hear new Interpol live. Interpol took the stage as the skies grew darker and rain came and went. But can anyone imagine seeing Interpol in a better setting. Interpol was as brilliant as ever. Carlos D’s bass lines could drive any crowd into a frenzy. Paul, hidden behind his locks, muttered barely a few words to the crowd, aside from acknowledging that we were all standing in the rain. The band stood there in their fashionable black threads, and played through a setlist that had me yearning for more. It was great to hear a good dose of their first album, and a smattering of hits off their second. By the time “Slow Hands” came on, the crowd was going nuts. Everyone screaming out the lyrics, jumping, dancing, having the times of their lives. Does it really matter that Interpol doesn’t do much on stage? HELL NO! They deliver the music they put out, exactly as one would expect. But from the moment the lyrics “Rosemary, heaven restores you in life” I knew we were in for a treat. Everyone sang along to ‘Evil’, and I must say I figured more people would know the first album, but it seems they didnt. Crowd surfing began, to which I wondered what band they had really come to see. I mean can you imagine surfing to ‘NYC’. And ending the set with Stella was simply put – BEAUTIFUL!

Here is the entire list of their 70 min set. And yes, I am most excited to be seeing them again in NYC! Ill be front and center baby!

Pioneer to the Falls
Slow Hands
NARC
Say Hello to the Angels
Rest My Chemistry
Mammoth
Hands Away
No I In Threesome
Heinrich Maneuver
Evil
Not Even Jail
PDA
NYC
Obstacle 1
Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down

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