The Annuals. Another one of those blog bands that Brooklyn Vegan hypes up. When I listened to their album, I thought, "Oh well." It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was entertaining. Live though, these guys are something else. So full of energy, both in their songs and in their actions. A band that have percussion instruments for every member should be an indicator of how eclectic and just crazy this band is prone to get. They are a large band, and the sound definitely echoed that. "Father" was the definite highlight, along with "The Bull and the Goat."If the Annuals are the rookies of indie rock, then Blonde Redhead are the all-star veterans. I've said this ad nauseum, but I first saw this band in 1998 when I was in college at UC San Diego. I absolutely hated them. So much so that I'd rather listed to a Marion cassette then have to endure their live show at the Che Cafe. But when they released Misery is a Butterfly in 2004, they went away from the experimental yelping and actually played tunes. Kazu actually sang rather than shouted and there was more structure in their music. I forgot what they started off with, but I think they did "23" as the second song. The sound was just amazing, and Kazu sang perfectly. The twins can really emit so much sound just out of two instruments. When they did "Equus," it seemed like there were three guitarists and a keyboardists playing, but they were nowhere to be seen. Other songs from 23 were just amazing, like "Dr. Strangeluv" and "Spring and By Summer Fall". Yes, there were backing tracks on "Equus," but that didn't bother me a bit because Kazu's voice was just mesmerizing.Kazu wasn't as crazy as she was in the earlier days, but she was just as captivating with that fiery red hair of hers. Beer Rating: 
Although I like the Shins, I've never been a big fan of their live show. It's almost always boring. I'm not quite sure why. They're energetic enough, but I just can't get into it. Last time I saw them was when they opened up for Belle & Sebastian at the Hollywood Bowl. And back then, they were boring, but that's just because I was anticipating B&S with a full on orchestra.Now, they are Billboard chart toppers with Wincing the Night Away. Will the success get to their head? No, not the bit.They started off with the new stuff from the new album. "Sleeping Lessons" was accompanied by the soft glow of lights. "Australia" followed, and then "Phantom Limb." I thought they were going to play the album in order. But they didn't, thank goodness.They played everything and anything that I possibly wanted to hear from their entire discography. Of course, the biggest applause came for that Garden State song, "New Slang." But there were some other great songs played there, like "Young Pilgrims" and "Girl Inform Me" that went relatively under the radar.Although they played a great song selection, and a rather tight set, their show lacked the gusto that was sorely needed. One friend was so bored with the show that he and another friend played Cat's Cradle. I enjoyed it, but it lacked something that I can't pinpoint. My hunger during the entire set triumphed over any possible encores. So, I grabbed a burrito from Taqueria Cancun across the street and I was satisfied.
Beer Rating: 1/2
The last time I saw Muse, they were playing to a sold out crowd at the Warfield about two years ago. Since then, their popularity has skyrocketed to arena like proportions. Although this new album, Black Holes and Revelations, is not as strong as Absolution or Origin of Symmetry, Muse has proven themselves to be the purveyor of all things rock.
We missed a few songs in the beginning of the set, but Muse played long enough to satisfy the rock and noise I’ve been craving for. Muse’s lead singer acted as if he was Freddy Mercury, cleverly prancing around the stage with that rock star swagger and know-it-all attitude. The guitar riffs were amazing as well. It still bewilders me how just three blokes from England can emit so much noise like that.
"Hysteria" and "Stockholm Syndrome" were my absolute favourites in their nearly 2 hour set. Their big single, "Starlight" was amazingly done. Muse sound like Radiohead at times, but this show set them apart from Radiohead. Muse is nowhere close to being great as Radiohead, but Muse set themselves up as just a rock band with strong tunes and catchy riffs.
Overall, the show was amazing. It was a pleasant surprise and a much needed arena rock show to spark the senses.
Beer Rating: 1/2
It’s been a while since I posted. I’ve just been really busy with all sorts of things. Now that I have this brief moment of respite, I will post about the Mew show that I saw eons ago.
When I first saw Mew at Popscene, they blew me away. It’s that rich sound that emits from their instruments and the lead singer’s voice that convinced me that they are one of those bands that are absolute gems. I still don’t understand how that singer’s voice can reach that high. It’s just bewildering.
At the Fillmore, their biggest show in San Francisco to date, the packed house was treated to a plethora of sound and visuals. Mew played a whole bunch of songs that I didn’t even recognize, possibly because it was from their previous albums. But when they played songs from And The Glass Handed Kites, the crowd went ballistic. They opened up with “Chinaberry Tree,” which is a fitting beginning to the set. Start off powerful, slow it down and then pick it back up again.
Easily, the best consecutive songs ever recorded are in this album. The trio of “Apocalypto,” “Special,” and “The Zookeeper’s Boy” are just flawless in transition and sound. Although Mew didn’t play these songs in a row, but rather in strategically placed points of their 90 minute set, they were still powerfully played.
The visuals were a bit distracting and weird. That’s all I have to say about that.
Beer Rating:
