Event Calendar

29 August 2005

New Shows Added

Sorry for the lack of updates. Here's what I dug up as "new" so far:

September:

1: Hey Willpower w/ Eats Tapes @ The Rickshaw Stop
2: The Strays @ Rickshaw Stop (Club Loaded)
10: Drunk Horse @ 12 Galaxies
10: M. Ward @ Bimbo's
12: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Amoeba S.F.
15: Maximo Park @ Amoeba S.F.
18: U.S.E. @ Cafe Du Nord
22: Bloc Party Guest DJs @ Popscene
29: Towers of London @ Popscene

October:

6: Cut Copy w/ Guest DJs Franz Ferdinand @ Popscene
12: LCD Soundsystem @ The Fillmore
25: Bauhaus @ The Warfield
26: Bauhaus @ The Warfield
29: Bridge School Benefit feat. Bright Eyes @ The Shoreline Amphitheatre
30: Bridge School Benefit feat. Bright Eyes @ The Shoreline Amphitheatre
30: Devendra Banhart @ Bimbo's

November:

9: Broken Social Scene w/ Feist @ The Grand Ballroom
13: Death Cab for Cutie w/ Stars @ The Warfield
16: Spoon w/ American Music Club @ The Warfield
16: Shout Out Louds @ Great American Music Hall

December:

5: Echo & The Bunnymen @ The Fillmore

28 August 2005

Von Iva / Hey Willpower @ (The Independent, 20 August 2005)

I'm here baking in San Diego for a day trip for the parents. I come home and I saw 5 chicks. Literally, chicks. Like baby chickens. In a box. I'm like, "What the hell is this?" Apparently, my little cousins wanted some chicks for pets but they can only buy them in bulks of, get this, 24!! We got stuck with 5 of them. Adding insult to injury, it's hotter than hell over here (I've grown used to San Francisco summers), and I have no shorts! Thus, I have to wear my dad's short shorts with a 28" waist. I can fit in them actually. But I look like a really bad Daisy Dukes with them on.

So, what does my bitching about chicks in 28" waistline short shorts have in common with the Von Iva and Hey Willpower show at the Independent last week?

I guess, stretching it, my shorts story is similar to the outfits worn by Hey Willpower's dancers, Erin Rush and Justin Kelly. However, I can't strut as well with them on as these two. I've reviewed Hey Willpower before when they opened up for Gravy Train!!! at Cafe Du Nord, and their show a few nights ago was just as scripted and just as fun. Will Schwartz's "Justin-like" vocals accompanied
by semi-unchoreographed danced moves was fun to listen to, as well as watch. I don't know any of their songs, but its catchy nature (which was artfully and cheezily accompanied by Tomo's PowerBook sounds) is enough to make even the curmudgeon of the crowd tap their feet with a 3-4 beat.

After some liquid refreshments, the ladies from Von Iva came on. These 4 "chicks" (there's your second similarity to my story above!) are just rock at it's most raw and riot grrrl-esque. The crowd were really into it, especially the guy with the tats and baseball cap right in front. He was constantly begging anyone from the band to shake his hand . . . and he loved every minute of it. I'm not familiar with their songs, but I think they started off, or had their second song as, "Hot to Trot."

Sheer energy is the best way I can describe it. Jillian Iva, the lead singer, was just all over the stage. She had problems with her microphone cord, but she corrected that easily by just knocking the mic stand out. Oh, that's hot.

As is the weather over here...



Beer Rating:

27 August 2005

Coldplay (Shoreline Amphitheatre, 19 August 2005)

Sorry for the lack of postings these last few days. Hopefully this weekend I'll catch up.

So, on with the show....

Coldplay. Mega. They are just one of those bands that are SO HUGE right now that it makes me proud to say that I paid $30 for their a copy of Parachutes 8 months or so before its release in the U.S. I still remember that album when I first played it for my ex-girlfriend in my hole in the wall East Village apartment, impressing her with "Yellow" and "Spies."

That was around 2000. Five years, and 3 albums, later, Coldplay is this huge behemoth of a band. So huge that they are playing the Shoreline. So huge that they sold it out completely in a matter of hours. So huge that the whole Shoreline parking lot is lined with SUVs transporting WHOLE families to their show. So huge that Chris Martin's wife is Gwyneth Paltrow. And it goes on and on...

The band opened up with "Square One" which is the customary starting song in their world tour. The stage was dim and all you can see are the silhouettes of the band. Of course, Chris was the crazy one at the back doing all sorts of weird hand gestures and dances. Like a script, he started singing to the mic adjacent to, but behind, the drums. After the spectacle, with lights and videos and everything, they launched into the first song off of Rush of Blood, "Politik." The banging keys and drums were as amazing as it was when I saw them first do this song at Bimbo's a while ago.

Chris Martin is a cheezy guy. Very cheezy. And his personality just oozed into the show. He commented to the crowd that the they felt so far away, so he encouraged everyone in the lower level to crowd the front. It was true, it did really feel like a convention rather than a concert. I was sitting in the 200 section and even though I wasn't close, the concert felt a little more intimate by him doing that.

Another cheezy moment is when the huge LCD video monitor backing the band (which I want in my house some day) told the crowd to get out their cameras and did this countdown thing so the crowd can capture the exact moment. Well, the crowd ended up taking a picture of themselves because the video that came out was them.

Coldplay is so big that I think that Chris is trying to minimize the resentment and backlash that has followed many big bands. He called the band "ugly" which the crowd snickered with. My sister didn't agree, calling Chris Martin really good looking. Also, he said that "this isn't exactly a Mariah Carey concert," which I'm not sure what he meant by that.

As to the songs, every song had its moment while others just fell flat. Most of the songs off of X&Y fell flat. Even "Speed of Sound" sounded dull. The lighting was off on other songs like "Low" and "Yellow." "Yellow" was played third, and it didn't seem right at the very beginning like that. There wasn't much fan fare to it, other than the balloons that were released towards the end of the song.

There were some excellent highlights though. "What If" was brilliantly done, with Chris' keys just pressing the right points in your psyche. "The Scientist" was excellent as always. After the song, Chris played a tape of him singing it backwards. While they were doing that, they dimmed the lights and the band grabbed random cameras from the crowd and took pictures. This lead in nicely to the acoustic set where the boys did a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." They first did "Kingdom Come" which was a song they were supposed to do with Johnny Cash until he died. They also did an acoustic version of "Don't Panic."

But the most IMPORTANT Coldplay song ever written, "Fix You," was the highlight, and last song, of the evening. Damn that song. Nothing encapsulates my feelings at that very moment other than that 4:54 song. Shit. I hate that song. Damn Chris Martin basically read my mind and wrote a song about it. My sister feels the same way.

Despite the over 1.5 hour drive to Shoreline because of inexplicable traffic on the 101, and the somewhat long wait to get the fuck out of there, it was a great show of wholesome goodness. Not a drink of alcohol was imbibed by moi. Partly because I have to get a bracelet to do so and I can't be arsed to get one since I thought we were hella late.

I think the charm of Coldplay is that they are just really nice guys who love their fans. Despite their huge appeal and massive stature in the concert touring circuit, they still want the crowd to be immersed in their show regardless of whether they are sitting in Row 1 or Row 1000. They did that here in Shoreline. However, the concert still felt a bit off at times, with lackluster songs from X&Y and not so engaging lighting.


Beer Rating:

14 August 2005

Gravy Train!!! (Lobot Gallery, 13 August 2005)

This was my first time at the Lobot Gallery in Oakland. Located in what seems to be the middle of nowhere, Lobot is this good sized loft/warehouse that houses some local art and the occasional show. It's located across the street from a baseball field and some trucking warehouses near the West Oakland/Emeryville border.

As 6 of us squeezed in a Subaru station wagon, our navigator relied on his vague memory via a bike route for us to get there. Surprisingly, we got there with no problems whatsoever. As all of us entered this place, it was as if I was transported to Brooklyn. It had all the elements of Brooklyn: (1) secluded area in the middle of nowhere; (2) it was dark all around; and (3) all these kids that are hipster/scenester and bike scenesters were there. The crowd was littered with a bunch of good looking and stylish kids. I was in heaven! And there was a dwarf (or was she a midget?) there that made the crowd even more diverse.

The beauty of Lobot is that there is no discernible alcohol policy so everyone, including us, brought shitloads of beer to drink. Let's just say we were able to finish all the beers we brought in, and that was a sizable number to begin with. Some kids were underage, but that didn't prevent them from downing the occasional tall boy or Pabst. There was also no discernible smoking policy, so people of all sorts were smoking their lungs away.

In the midst of all this cool atmosphere and eye candy were three bands. The Husbands, VIP and Gravy Train!!! I missed the Husbands, but caught a bit of VIP.

Lobot has no stage. They have an elevated platform that is only about 1 foot higher than the ground. Thus, this takes the whole concert going experience to a whole new level. The crowd is right in the band's face and when they go crazy, they go on stage and play. Also the sound and acoustics suck ass. But, I didn't really care.

VIP consisted of a bunch of gay wiggas rapping about God knows what. The only thing I can decipher is when they mention "VIP" somewhere in the lyrics. I didn't pay much attention, since I was busy socializing and drinking. But from what I saw as I waited in line for the bathroom, they were pretty entertaining. Talentless, but entertaining.

Enter Gravy Train!!! It's the third time I've seen this band and these guys just know how to throw a party and have some fun. Like I said above, the sound was horrible so you can barely hear and understand them. Not that you could understand Gravy Train!!! with good sound, but this made it even more impossible. I wasn't into them at first, but after all the kids were hopping around in the front, we decided to join them. Hell, if you can't beat them, join them, right?

So we did and we had an absolute blast! There was some guy with a stripped hoodie that was too ridiculous. He was over 6 ft. tall and he would hop around and run into people, and he leaned on them with all his weight. Thus, there were some unfortunate lightweights getting thrown around. Some guy warned him of this and told him to "take his advice for his best interest" and warned him that he knew jujitsu. Well, my friend came to the conclusion that the "advice" guy didn't know jujitsu because he ran away everytime stripped hoodie guy was close by. Pussy.

Anyways, so Gravy Train!!! were excellent not because their music was excellent but because they were so much fun! The whole place was dark, so I can barely see the band. Which was good because once the lights came on, the band member we affectionately call "Pinky" was wearing nothing but a jock strap and it exposed his rather large and black badunkadunk in plain view. Holy shit that was horrifying!

The highlight of the evening was the last three songs, where the entire audience just decided to invade the stage and hop around in it. I was there and I think I accidentally kicked the mic stand and a speaker whilst I was hopping around with the kids. I nearly trampled over the midget, which would have been awesome not because I may have hurt her, but because of the pure story value behind it.

Anyways, a fun night at a great space, despite the lack of sound, light and stage.

10 August 2005

New Shows Added

September:

20: Antony & The Johnsons w/ CocoRosie @ Palace of Fine Arts

October:

1: Dungen @ The Independent
5: M.I.A. @ The Grand at Regency Center
18: The Hold Steady w/ The Constantines @ Great American Music Hall

November:

3: Metric @ Slim's
13: Death Cab for Cutie @ The Warfield

04 August 2005

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) (Mezzanine, 4 August 2005)

Before embarking on their European tour, the seven-piece group !!! -- pronounced Chk Chk Chk in some circles, powpowpow in others -- decided to throw a free show in San Francisco as a warm-up. It wasn't announced by Mezzanine until today actually, when I received the e-mail. I got another e-mail a couple of days earlier informing me of it. It was free, so, what the hell? Why not go, right?

I came in at around midnight, figuring that they won't be on until then anyways. Well, they were already on but I'm sure I only missed a few songs. The show didn't end until 1:30am so I use that as my measuring stick.

!!! were absolutely crazy!!! And their sound was just spectacular. Nic Offer was sporting shorts and this weird parrot shirt as if he just stepped out of the beach in Honolulu. His signature curly top -- somewhat akin to Carrot Top or the lead singer of Hot Hot Heat -- was in full force tonight as well as his booming voice.

The crowd were mad for it too. Several times throughout their 90+ minute set, audience members freely jumped on stage to dance. At one point, this really skinny guy jumped on stage, took his shirt off to reveal his slender and pale physique, proceeded to do a dance off with Nic and then slowly pulled his pants down to moon the crowd. It was quite a spectacle! Another time, this dumb ass Asian girl, who was crunked out of her mind, started dancing on stage and fell on her ass at least 3 times. I was so embarrassed for her that I wanted to leave just avoid seeing it.

Wisely, I didn't. !!! is an eccentric band, employing every piece of musical instrument imaginable. They played a bunch of new songs, all of which sounded absolutely brilliant and dancey. It's hard to describe any of the new songs, let alone tell you the titles (since most have none), but all I can say is it follows the thread of !!!'s previous releases. It's as dancey as "Intensified" and as intense as "Me and Giuliani..."

With their new songs came the hits such as "Me and Giuliani..." which was the third to the last song played. This song drove the crowd bonkers, and it made me dance in place too. It was so full of energy and outstanding musicianship that every note and beat were in perfect synch. Nic was doing some original improv throughout the song, but it just blended so well with the sound that you hardly thought he was doing something different.

"Pardon My Freedom" was another song that drove the crowd ape shit. The front rows were dancing to their hearts' content, with some attempting to crowd surf above the others.

Overall, this is one of the best free shows I've seen in a while. A definite crowd pleaser.

03 August 2005

More New Shows Added

September:

6: Brian Jonestown Massacre @ The Independent

November:

3: Metric @ Slim's

02 August 2005

New Shows Added

August:

3: !!! (Chk Chk Chk) @ Mezzanine [FREE]
5: Mesh Magazine & Virgin69 Summer Soirée @ Cat Club
5: Club Loaded presents 8-Bit @ Rickshaw Stop
18: Gus Gus @ Mezzanine

September:

6: OK Go / The Redwalls / The Colour @ Cafe Du Nord
17: Feist @ Great American Music Hall
27: Athlete @ Slim's
30: Fiery Furnaces @ Cafe Du Nord

October:

1: Fiery Furnaces @ Cafe Du Nord
1: Sigur Ros @ The Paramount Theatre [On-Sale This Sunday]
15: Deerhoof @ Great American Music Hall
23: Okkervil River @ Cafe Du Nord
25: Pretty Girls Make Graves @ Bottom of the Hill

December:

2: The Wrens @ Slim's

Mesh Magazine & Virgin69 Summer Soirée

10PM-3AM
Mesh Magazine & Virgin69 Present
The Summer Soirée
with DJs
Jenny Fake (Fake/Sixxteen)
Jet Set James (Jailbait UK)
Marco Vega (Suicide/Guilty Pleasures)
Vin Sol
Spinning ?80s, Brit-pop, new wave, indie, & hip-hop
Plus t-shirt giveaways & more!

@ The Cat Club
1190 Folsom Street @ 8th Street
San Franscisco
$5 before 11PM/$7 after
21+ w/ID