A Look Back: Radiohead (Coors Amphitheatre, San Diego, 23 September 2003)

Back in 2003, I won the Capitol Records' Radiohead contest whereby the winner from each tour city receives a pair of tickets to see Radiohead, a photo pass and a new 2.0 megapixel Canon digital camera. I was the lucky guy for the San Diego show and here's a video I took of "Sit Down, Stand Up."

Some Radiohead Photos (Berkeley Greek Theatre, 24 June 2006)

-- Photos by #1

Some Black Heart Procession Photos (The Fillmore, 16 June 2006)

-- Photos by #1

Radiohead (Berkeley Greek Theatre, 24 June 2006)

I am going to make a bold declaration: Best Radiohead Show Ever!

Saturday night's Radiohead show at the Berkeley Greek Theatre was, hands down, the best Radiohead show I've ever seen. It easily made the Friday night show look mediocre. And the best thing amongst best things: Radiohead played an entirely different setlist (sans a couple of songs).

Unlike Friday's slow start with "You and Whose Army?', Radiohead started off with "Airbag", a thunderous and boisterous start to their set. This was a foreshadow of great things to come. Thom, complete with a "Thank You" baseball-ringer tee and accompanying black vest, was not only happy to be in Berkeley, but he was also in much better spirits compared to last night. During the rockin' part of the next song, "2+2=5," me and my friends jumped around like crazy. Unheard of in a Radiohead concert, let alone having genuine Radiohead fanatics doing such a thing.

"Where I End and You Begin," followed by new song, "15 Step" came on next. Then a rather peculiar choice in playing "Kid A." I don't think I ever heard Radiohead play this song live.

Thom had some technical difficulties during "Nude". He stopped the song mid-verse and told the crowd to "stay where you are" and that to forget what just happened.

Boisterous applause during "Paranoid Android" with the crowd jumping like crazy in the pit area. Which was good for me because I was able to push a bunch of drunken girls away from my friends and I.

One of my favourite songs from OK Computer, "No Surprises" was played much to my surprise. But then they played "The Gloaming," which weirded me out a bit.

New song "All I Need" returned to the Radiohead set. I don't have this song in my collection, and it was amazing live! Thom on piano with Jonny behind him was a classic moment. Thom crooning "You're all I need" just made me grip my parka in giddiness.

"Climbing Up The Walls," followed by a new song called "Go Slowly" came on next. Then two songs I don't really care for, "Myxomatosis" and "Bangers 'N Mash" came on. The only consolation with "Myxomatosis" is Thom's crazy dancing. That alone makes that song worthwhile. Otherwise...

Two so-so songs were followed by two heartwrenching and beautiful ones. "How To Disappear Completely" is a Radiohead classic that I first heard back in the OK Computer tour. It was gripping then, it's even more gripping now. Then, a surprise! "Fake Plastic Trees" was played. My friend Jason called the song once Thom put on the acoustic guitar. I told him, "No way!" And then Thom played the first words and I was just dumbfounded. In utter disbelief.

But my disbelief didn't end there. "Black Star" was played two songs later. At this point, I was like a teenage boy in the 1960's when the Beatles came to America: both hands covering mouth, jumping for joy, and just yelling out "OH MY GOD!!!" There is a huge significance to this song, and people who know me know why. When I heard this song, I was soooo happy yet soooo sad. This song isn't my favourite, but the favourite of someone else. And I was so happy that she finally got to hear this song live again after all these years. It was played so well, so tight, it was as if I was listening to The Bends. My only qualm about this song is that Thom looked bored singing it. Or was he just being cocky? Or was he just doing a pseudo-Liam Gallagher with his hands inside his vest pocket? I don't know...

I think it was also at this point where some idiot went on stage and boasted his "accomplishment." He was properly tackled by security.

"True Love Waits," another Radiohead classic that they barely play, was done with Thom on the keyboards while the rest of the band was in their "Everything In Its Right Place" position. Although "True Love Waits" was played with guitar in the Live EP, it's prettier with keys. The song then transitioned into "Everything In Its Right Place" and that was the bands first encore. I thought that it would end there, but it didn't.

"Bodysnatchers" followed by "The Tourist" were the last two songs. "The Tourist" is such a fitting song to end with, and it broke the monotony of having "Everything..." be the last song.

After the show, my friends and I agreed that this was Radiohead at their finest. Armed with a whole catalogue of fantastic songs, Radiohead did the right thing by completely altering the setlist, unlike some bands (ahem Oasis!) that just play the same setlist over and over again. It truly made the Saturday experience very, very different from the Friday one.

Cheers Radiohead!

Beer Rating: 0 Beers

Radiohead (Berkeley Greek Theatre, 23 June 2006)

Radiohead made a triumphant return to the Bay Area last night, and their first live show in California since Hail to the Thief was released a couple of years ago. Without a record contract in hand, the band seemed a lot more relaxed and easy going than usual. The sold out crowd was full of excitement, electricity and any other adjective you can think of synonymous with those.

The band kicked off their set with "You and Whose Army?", a rather odd choice since that song is typically in the middle of most Radiohead sets. But, this is Radiohead, and they like to spice things up a bit. There were 10 screens on-stage, each looking like shattered pieces of glass and whose images projected a member of the band. For this song, it was all Thom, complete with theatrics and the occassional eye brow raising and eye winking.

"The National Anthem" was on next. I thought this would be the first song because, before the band came on, blips of radio interviews were played in the P.A. (something about Hillary Clinton's candidacy for president). As usual, as loud and amazing as always, with Jonny twiddling with the gadgets he has up front.

The first installment of the new songs, "15 Steps" was played next with Thom saying "OK California" with an American (or is it Californian?) accent.

"Morning Bell" followed next, which I didn't pay attention to. "Exit Music (For a Film)" caught my attention, and it shent shivers down my spine everytime I hear Radiohead play it.

"Arpeggi" was the next new song played. It was beautiful, but it didn't quite capture me as the next song, "Videotape." My God, "Videotape" is an amazing song, with fantastic lyrics:

when im at the pearly gates thisll be on my videotapewhen Mephistopholis is just beneathand he's reaching up to grab methis is one for the good daysand i have it all here in red blue greenyou are my centre when i spin awayout of control on videotape

Skipping a few songs from the setlist, a song they played from the Bends called "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" was played. Again, shivers down my spine. Although I was pretty far away, and thought the sound was so-so, this song got my full attention.

I didn't start going a little crazy until me and my friends hopped on the wall and got a better view. "Bangers N Mash" was played, complete with Thom in the little drumkit (Jonny also played the mini drums in another song, but I don't know which that was). I got really into the show with "There There". There's just something about that song that makes me want to dance and go crazy.

After the main set, I went to the WC and listened to "Wolf at the Door" from the queue. My friends and I decided to go on the floor, which was much more of an amazing experience. "4 Minute Warning" was the song played, and just seeing Thom up close and personal is SO MUCH BETTER than being afar. Plus the sound was just dumbfounding from up close.

As usual, they ended with "Everything in Its Right Place." I didn't notice this before, but Ed was talking on the phone when he played the blips. I don't know who he was calling, or if the phone just served as a listening device, but it was really cool. The screens flashed "Ever and Ever" when the sound was winding down (as opposed to "Forever" like in the last tour).

Although the setlist was alright, Radiohead was amazing as always. Complete setlist:

You And Whose Army?

The National Anthem

15 Step

Morning Bell

Exit Music (For a Film)

Arpeggi

Videotape

I Might Be Wrong

Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Nude

Down Is The New Up

Pyramid Song

Like Spinning Plates

Bangers 'N Mash

There There

Spooks

Idioteque
A Wolf At The Door

4 Minute Warning

Bones

Lucky
House of Cards

Everything In Its Right Place

Beer Rating: 1/2

New Shows Added

June:

24: The Hacker @ BOCA
24: The Hatch @ Brainwash Cafe
28: Apollo Sunshine, Cold War Kids @ The Independent
28: Neko Case @ Bimbo's
29: The Grates @ Popscene

July:

6: One Republic @ Popscene
7: Club Loaded Presents: Rock N Roll Soldiers @ Rickshaw Stop
20: Ima Robot @ Popscene
27: Scissors for Lefty @ Popscene

August:

3: Margot and the Nuclear So and So's @ Popscene
7: Tricky @ The Independent
8: Tricky @ The Independent
9: Dirty Pretty Things @ Slim's
10: Diplo, CSS @ Mezzanine
10: Gris Gris @ The Independent
10: The Subways @ Popscene
18: French Kicks @ Cafe du Nord
19: French Kicks @ Cafe du Nord
24: Popscene's 10 Year Anniersary Party @ Popscene
26: Herbert @ Mezzanine
29: Zero 7 with Jose Gonzalez and Sia @ The Fillmore
30: Zero 7 with Jose Gonzalez and Sia @ The Fillmore
31: Silversun Pickups @ Popscene

September:

21: Film School, Serena Maneesh @ Bottom of the Hill
22: Serena Maneesh, Film School @ Bottom of the Hill
23: Miss Kittin @ Mezzanine
24: Snow Patrol @ The Warfield
29: M. Ward @ The Fillmore

October:

12: Vitalic @ BOCA

Tapes n' Tapes, Cold War Kids (Cafe du Nord, 17 June 2006)

Minnesota's Tapes n' Tapes are getting so much hype in the blog world recently that it's driving my head in. Yes, The Loon is a good album, but it's not *that* good. I'm not saying that they are not worth the price of admission, but these bloggers all over the place are just raising my expectations to heightened levels. Only two bands have really "wowed" me with the hype: The Arcade Fire and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! Tapes n' Tapes are not quite there yet.

Tapes n' Tapes played in front of a sold out crowd at Cafe du Nord. They were energetic and played a majority of their songs from The Loon. Biggest crowd pleasers included "More Cowbell," "Ten Gallon Ascots" and "Insistor" (my personal favourite -- since I was yelling out my favourite line "Just hold my lips and say good lies"). At times, the sound at Cafe du Nord didn't cooperate because I could barely decipher what the lead singer was saying. Regardless, they were excellent.

However, I think Cold War Kids overshadowed Tapes n' Tapes. I have read about Cold War Kids through various blogs (duh!) but never heard any of their songs until that night. These guys were awesome! Not only were they so energetic on stage, but the lead singer was very soulful in his singing and in his mannerisms. The guy was really into the music and the music was really into him. "We Used to Vacation," from their album Up in Rags was just full of conviction and feeling. "Hospital Beds" was also full of soul. This may sound like an insult, but it isn't, but the song sounded a bit Keane-ish. "Hang Me Up to Dry" was the absolute highlight with its unique guitar chords and damn that voice. A truly magnificent surprise. So much so that I will again go to their show at the Independent.

Beer Rating:

The Black Heart Procession (The Fillmore, 16 June 2006)

Black Heart's The Spell is one of the great albums released this year. Unfortunately, nobody really knows it. This San Diego band has been around for years and deserve more notoriety than what they are given. However, I doubt that they care much about fame and popularity -- epsecially since such things come naturally when you write fantastic songs.

Black Heart was on early at the Fillmore. The venue barely had 50 people inside when they went on stage to play their first song. They played a good range of songs from their discography. I'm only a newcomer to Black Heart, so I didn't really know song titles or some of the songs they played. I know though that they didn't play anything from Amore del Tropico which is a shame since I like that album a lot.

From the songs that they did play from The Spell, I recognized "Tangled," a beautiful "Not Just Words", the haunting sounds of "The Letter", a slow and meandering "Return to Burn," the heart pounding "GPS", and a rather poppy version of "The Fix".

For several songs, they also utilized an oboe sliding through a saw for extra sounds. I could barely hear it however.

What Black Heart lacks in stage presence makes up tenfold with their songs. This was a great show, despite the lack of theatrics. The songs spoke for itselves and everyone knew it.

Beer Rating: 1/2

Jakob Dylan (GAMH, 14 June 2006)

So...

Jakob Dylan. Yeah, that guy who's dad is that old, wrinkly guy named Bob (apparently, Bob is pretty good). And, yeah, the J.D. (as my friend calls him) is the lead singer of that band the Wallflowers. Who? You know, the guys who did a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes" and had that huge hit called "One Headlight" back in the 1990's.

Well, he played as the opener for T-Bone Burnett. Yeah, who the f*ck is that guy? I still don't know what he's all about and I really don't care.

GAMH was sold out for this show. I lined up in line with my friend (who's the big J.D. fan) and chatted it up while various crackheads passed us by and the gaggles of the 40+ yr. old crowd we were to be a part of. We made our fair share of old people jokes, and some didn't take it too lightly, but we were just having fun...loosen up pops!

J.D. played an acoustic set while the numerous waiters and waitresses were handing burger platters to the audience. Even the J.D. thought that this was rather awkward with all the scents of burnt cow flesh coming his way (he's vegetarian apparently).

He played a bunch of songs I didn't know. But I waited and waited for "One Headlight" but to no avail. The set list is as follows:

1. Letters From The Wasteland
2. Up From Under
3. Here in Pleasantville
4. Closer To You
5. How Good It Can Get
6. God Says Nothing Back
7. Here He Comes
8. Empire In My Mind
9. The Beautiful Side of Somewhere

I have to admit, the J.D. was surprisingly good. He is an excellent musician and songwriter. And he's not bad looking either after all these years.

We didn't say for T-Bone. I opted to watch T.V. instead.

Beer Rating:

New Shows Added

July

14: Sonic Youth @ The Fillmore
15: Birdmonster @ Bottom of the Hill
19: Hard-FI @ GAMH

August

9: Dirty Pretty Things @ Slim's

September

24: Snow Patrol @ The Warfield

Liars, The Apes (Bottom of the Hill, 5 June 2006)

Damn Liars!

This has to be one of the loudest shows I've ever been in. Even now, three days since the show, my ears are ringing like crazy. And the Apes also played a loud set, so my ears are doubly injured.

The Apes came on in between Rabbits and Liars. The Apes are from Washington, D.C. and they were loud. They have a new singer, who looked like a mix of Dizee Rascal and Dave Chapelle. They opened up their set with this hooded figure talking on the mic in some distorted voice. I was surprised to see that this hooded figure was a woman, but I should have expected it. I didn't know anything about these guys, but their music was full of energy and they were a lot of fun to watch. Even the youngsters in front were moshing around like crazy.

Liars came on and they just emitted so much noise from their instruments. I'm not that well versed with the Liars but I do know some of their songs. And for the life of me, I only really recognized one ("Be Quiet Mr. Heart Attack" from Drums Not Dead). I was so hoping they'd play "Mr. You're on Fire, Mr." but they didn't. THAT would have been fun. Instead, Angus and Co. played loud ass noise to the point where my ear drums will be dead. Angus and the drummer also wore these ridiculous outfits for no apparent reason. Angus also flashed the crowd several times by lifting his skirt.

The odd thing is: they played the YYYs after the Liars' set. Why they would do that, considering that Angus and Karen O. were lovers for a while, I have no clue.

The Liars were alright. That's about it.

Beer Rating: 1/2

Pretty Girls Make Graves (GAMH, 4 June 2006)

I think I've bought tickets to Pretty Girls Make Graves three times in the last two years, and I sold all of them because I was either too lazy or forgot about it. Such a waste. This time, I was determined to go to their show. However, come show day, I was so exhausted from my bronchitis that I almost didn't go. Luckily I was convinced to go and so I did.

Their new album, Elan Vital, is pretty good actually. I haven't listened to it for a while, but from what I remember, it was similar to their other albums, The New Romance and Good Health.

Overall, the band was super entertaining. They played all the good stuff I liked from The New Romance including "Something Bigger, Something Brighter", "This is Our Emergency," "All Medicated Geniuses," "The Grandmother Wolf," and "Blue Lights," which they ended with.

From Elan Vital, they played "The Noctural House," a very entertaining and energetic "Domino."

As enjoyable as the show was (and the countless dedications they gave to support band Giant Drag, which I missed), the show had a pretty sour ending with the guitarist tossing his guitar to the crowd. Although one lucky audience member walked away with a guitar, another walked away with a huge gash on his forehead. I think that's a lawsuit waiting to happen, don't you think?

Despite the sour ending, PGMG were very entertaining and I will never, ever miss their shows ever again.

Beer Rating: 1/2

New Shows Added

June:

8: The Raconteurs @ Amoeba S.F. (FREE at 9:30pm)
10: BFD After Party featuring Rock Kills Kid @ Mezzanine

July:

1: Hey Willpower @ Cafe du Nord
16: The Rakes @ GAMH
18: Gnarls Barkley @ The Fillmore
19: Gnarls Barkley @ The Fillmore
22: The Raconteurs @ The Warfield

August:

1: Hot Chip @ The Independent
24: Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes @ The Fillmore
31: Radio Bird Man @ GAMH

October:

10: Ladytron, Cansei de Ser Sexy @ The Fillmore
12: Vitalic @ BOCA
18: Matmos @ GAMH

The Boy Least Likely To (GAMH, 2 June 2006)

This is the second time I've seen Boy Least Likely To (BLLT). The last time was with stupid, crap ass James Blunt. Thank goodness they didn't come with him this time. Instead, BLLT headlined their own gig in front of a good sized crowd at the Great American.

The first band that played was Bicycles from Toronto, Canada. They were amusing at first, but their twee-ness just got so old at the end. Clever stage outfits with the big "B" on the shirts, ala Sufjan Stevens with the "S" on his band mates' shirts. However, these guys just got really old and all their songs started to sound the same.

BLLT came on afterwards, with Jof and Peter wearing the exact same outfit they did when I saw them with Blunt. Not that it's bad, but I just found it funny, de javu even. They played all their songs from their album, along with a handful of old ones. Throughout their set, Jof and Peter talked playfully with the crowd, and cracked jokes at one another.

They also did a cover of a George Michael song, which was entertaining. I think it was "Faith" but I'm not too sure.

Definite highlights were "Papercuts," "Be Gentle with Me" and "I Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon to Your Star." Which, oddly enough, is a song about them traveling to Nashville although they've never been there before.


Beer Rating:

Mogwai (The Fillmore, 27 May 2006)

I am so behind with this blog thing. I blame laziness and the bronchitis for this one.

Mogwai were awesome a couple of weeks ago. I haven't seen these guys since they played 'Canes in San Diego back when I was in college. *gasp*. And a lot has passed since then. Before, I didn't really care much for them. I didn't particularly like their music, but didn't hate them either. I just remember my friend would play them constantly in her room and I would just shrug.

Now, my ear is a little more atuned (and a little more deaf) to music and Mogwai are in there with my good bands now. And after interviewing Barry, I like them even more.

They opened up with "Christmas Steps" with each band member arriving at different points during the song. All of them wore matching green track jackets in the beginning, but those were gone right quick once the show moved on.

This was a testosterone filled show, with the audience raising their fists in the air in approval of each song played. "We No Here" was loud but beautiful. "Friend of the Night" was beautifully done, and a welcome to all the noise that they played. But the definite highlight was "Glasgow Mega Snake" which was so damn loud but yet so invigorating that it made me feel alive.

Mogwai also played this one song whose title I don't recall. It's where they scared the living shit out of everyone. It didn't scare me that much, since I kind of knew what was coming. So, if you know the song, post a comment.

The last song they played dragged on for 20 minutes, with just noise and nothing else. I stayed 'til the very end, hoping they'd play more. They didn't. Nor was I rewarded with a poster. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic show and it made a Mogwai fan out of me.

Beer Rating: