September:
6: The Redwalls @ Cafe Du Nord
9: The Hacker @ Mighty
17: Paul Weller @ The Warfield
22: Stellastarr* @ Popscene
October:
5: M.I.A. @ The Grand
8: Download Festival @ Shoreline Ampitheatre
23: The Go! Team @ The Fillmore
29 July 2005
26 July 2005
Kaiser Chiefs / Brendan Benson / The Cribs (The Fillmore, 25 July 2005)
For the first time in a long time, I was actually interested in seeing a show from start to finish. All three bands are huge in their own right. The Cribs are one of those big NME bands, Brendan Benson is popular amongst the indie elite and the Kaiser Chiefs are getting so big that Liam Gallagher of Oasis feels somewhat threatened by their ascent into the UK rock scene.
The Cribs came on first although they should have been on second. The trio from Yorkshire, England provided a strong and solid set full of songs from The New Fellas. I missed the opener, but it was apparently "Hey Scenester!" which is appropriate since most of the people who like The Cribs fall into that category. Although, disappointingly, there are no scenesters in the crowd here at the Fillmore tonight. More songs were played, and more drunken banter was given by Gary while his brothers, Ryan and Ross, provided more theatrics. They even did a cover song - but the title escapes me at the moment. An amazingly short set, but it packed a punch.
Speaking of punches, the next band didn't have the punch that was needed. Or, to put it another way, I would have liked to punch these guys out so they can hurry up with their set. Local boy (Berkeley) Brendan Benson started off right with a really good indie pop rawk tune but afterwards everything sounded the same. There was no "umph" in most of the songs, and this is coming from someone who has never heard of Brendan Benson and was open to the idea of possibly liking his tunes. Their sound reminds me of Ambulance Ltd. although Ambulance is much better. Even when Mr. Benson played an acoustic guitar, I still couldn't tell much of a difference from one song to the next.
Then the Kaiser Chiefs came on. They had the lighting and they have the background (the largest football towel ever created with the Kaiser Chiefs' album cover on it) to show that this band definitely has arisen from indie stars to arena rock. The high powered, high energy, heavy clapping and yelling set featured all the hits off their debut album with a few new songs (or were they b-sides?) mixed therein.
Ricky Wilson was as jumpy and energetic as ever. I swear the guy must be on speed everytime he comes on. His jumping scares me sometimes, especially since that's how he broke his ankle the last time they were in the U.S. They opened up with "Na Na Na Na Naa" amidst the glow of disco lights that nearly blinded me. "I Predict a Riot" was played about 4 songs after that, with the crowd going hog wild over it. Then the Chiefs mellowed it down for a bit with the beautiful "You Can Have It All." Ricky says that if you don't like that song, then you don't have soul. Apparently, everyone in the crowd had soul, including lucky audience member Elizabeth joining Ricky on-stage for a dance and a serenade.
My favourite track from the album is "Oh My God!" I had to restrain myself from jumping up high at some point. Even stop myself from running to the front and join the merry people hopping like bunny rabbits. A similar reaction happened during "Modern Way."
After the main set, the crowd wanted more. And they yelled out "Kaiser Chiefs!" ad nauseum and did the clap that we so often hear at shows. They came back out with a thunderous ovation from the crowd. They closed with "Caroline, Yes," which is a weird way to close out the set.
Overall, the Kaiser Chiefs were spectacular. The Cribs are very promising and I will check them out when they headline the smaller venues here. Brendan Benson is alright, but at least I can say I checked them out.
The Cribs came on first although they should have been on second. The trio from Yorkshire, England provided a strong and solid set full of songs from The New Fellas. I missed the opener, but it was apparently "Hey Scenester!" which is appropriate since most of the people who like The Cribs fall into that category. Although, disappointingly, there are no scenesters in the crowd here at the Fillmore tonight. More songs were played, and more drunken banter was given by Gary while his brothers, Ryan and Ross, provided more theatrics. They even did a cover song - but the title escapes me at the moment. An amazingly short set, but it packed a punch.
Speaking of punches, the next band didn't have the punch that was needed. Or, to put it another way, I would have liked to punch these guys out so they can hurry up with their set. Local boy (Berkeley) Brendan Benson started off right with a really good indie pop rawk tune but afterwards everything sounded the same. There was no "umph" in most of the songs, and this is coming from someone who has never heard of Brendan Benson and was open to the idea of possibly liking his tunes. Their sound reminds me of Ambulance Ltd. although Ambulance is much better. Even when Mr. Benson played an acoustic guitar, I still couldn't tell much of a difference from one song to the next.
Then the Kaiser Chiefs came on. They had the lighting and they have the background (the largest football towel ever created with the Kaiser Chiefs' album cover on it) to show that this band definitely has arisen from indie stars to arena rock. The high powered, high energy, heavy clapping and yelling set featured all the hits off their debut album with a few new songs (or were they b-sides?) mixed therein.
Ricky Wilson was as jumpy and energetic as ever. I swear the guy must be on speed everytime he comes on. His jumping scares me sometimes, especially since that's how he broke his ankle the last time they were in the U.S. They opened up with "Na Na Na Na Naa" amidst the glow of disco lights that nearly blinded me. "I Predict a Riot" was played about 4 songs after that, with the crowd going hog wild over it. Then the Chiefs mellowed it down for a bit with the beautiful "You Can Have It All." Ricky says that if you don't like that song, then you don't have soul. Apparently, everyone in the crowd had soul, including lucky audience member Elizabeth joining Ricky on-stage for a dance and a serenade.
My favourite track from the album is "Oh My God!" I had to restrain myself from jumping up high at some point. Even stop myself from running to the front and join the merry people hopping like bunny rabbits. A similar reaction happened during "Modern Way."
After the main set, the crowd wanted more. And they yelled out "Kaiser Chiefs!" ad nauseum and did the clap that we so often hear at shows. They came back out with a thunderous ovation from the crowd. They closed with "Caroline, Yes," which is a weird way to close out the set.
Overall, the Kaiser Chiefs were spectacular. The Cribs are very promising and I will check them out when they headline the smaller venues here. Brendan Benson is alright, but at least I can say I checked them out.
24 July 2005
Ashbury (Cafe Du Nord, 22 July 2005)
Ashbury is a band from Los Angeles whose music is akin to Joy Division and Interpol, with a hint of The Killers (sans the pretty boys). This five-piece band is opening up for The Lovemakers, who has a week long residency at Cafe Du Nord. I arrived early, by show standards, at the venue and was surprised to see how full it was.
Ashbury consists of Jesse B. at vocals, Raul Martinez on guitar, Erik Hernandez on synths, Andy Magallon on bass and Greg Fierro banging the drums. As they were playing their first song, I immediately realize Jesse B.'s stoic stage presence. It seems like he is either just standing there looking at the ceiling or the floor after each song. This is not a band thing, since I think it adds to the dynamic of the band.
Another observation is that this band is ridiculously tight -- meaning these guys can rock. Especially Andy Magallon's bass. The bass sound was predominant throughout the night, and it would have been disappointing if I had to hear anything else. Erik's playful and cheerful demeanor on the keyboards was also evident, with several of the ladies around me commenting on his "cute shirt."
"Doubt Remains" was a definite highlight of their set. I was very impressed with the synths and bass, and it is definitely one of the better tracks on their new single. Jesse B.'s voice was so creepy during some of the songs, that if you closed your eyes, you'd swear Ian Curtis never died.
There was a good sized crowd that came in to see Ashbury and Ashbury entertained them from beginning to end with their great instrumentation and conflicting, yet appropriate, stage presences.
Ashbury consists of Jesse B. at vocals, Raul Martinez on guitar, Erik Hernandez on synths, Andy Magallon on bass and Greg Fierro banging the drums. As they were playing their first song, I immediately realize Jesse B.'s stoic stage presence. It seems like he is either just standing there looking at the ceiling or the floor after each song. This is not a band thing, since I think it adds to the dynamic of the band.
Another observation is that this band is ridiculously tight -- meaning these guys can rock. Especially Andy Magallon's bass. The bass sound was predominant throughout the night, and it would have been disappointing if I had to hear anything else. Erik's playful and cheerful demeanor on the keyboards was also evident, with several of the ladies around me commenting on his "cute shirt."
"Doubt Remains" was a definite highlight of their set. I was very impressed with the synths and bass, and it is definitely one of the better tracks on their new single. Jesse B.'s voice was so creepy during some of the songs, that if you closed your eyes, you'd swear Ian Curtis never died.
There was a good sized crowd that came in to see Ashbury and Ashbury entertained them from beginning to end with their great instrumentation and conflicting, yet appropriate, stage presences.
23 July 2005
New Show Added: M.I.A.
M.I.A.
The Grand at Regency Center
October 5, 2005
[Unfortunately, the same night as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!]
The Grand at Regency Center
October 5, 2005
[Unfortunately, the same night as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!]
New Festival Added: Download Festival
Download Festival
Shoreline Ampitheatre
8 October 2005
Featuring:
The Killers
The Arcade Fire
Doves
Modest Mouse
More TBA.
Source: Live 105
Shoreline Ampitheatre
8 October 2005
Featuring:
The Killers
The Arcade Fire
Doves
Modest Mouse
More TBA.
Source: Live 105
21 July 2005
New Shows Added
September:
15: The Bravery & Maximo Park @ The Fillmore
18: The Arcade Fire @ The Warfield
22: Bloc Party @ The Warfield
29: M83 @ Mezzanine
October:
19: Iron & Wine / Calexico @ The Fillmore
20: Tortoise @ The Independent
21: Tortoise @ The Independent
21: Nada Surf @ Bimbo's
November:
10: The Clientele @ Bottom of the Hill
December:
1: The Wrens @ Bottom of the Hill
15: The Bravery & Maximo Park @ The Fillmore
18: The Arcade Fire @ The Warfield
22: Bloc Party @ The Warfield
29: M83 @ Mezzanine
October:
19: Iron & Wine / Calexico @ The Fillmore
20: Tortoise @ The Independent
21: Tortoise @ The Independent
21: Nada Surf @ Bimbo's
November:
10: The Clientele @ Bottom of the Hill
December:
1: The Wrens @ Bottom of the Hill
The Go! Team (Bimbo's, 20 July 2005)
Life is full of surprises. Count The Go! Team as one of those surprises - one good and one bad.
Last year, i hailed the Go! Team's new album as one of the best releases in 2004. Thunder, Lightning, Strike was one of those albums that completely went underneath everyone's radar. While everyone was raving about the Arcade Fire or Bright Eyes, the Go! Team went silently along the way. Now, with a lot more press and some exposure at venues in the U.S. like SXSW, the Go! Team is now one of those bands whose hype is following them around - in every venue in their current U.S. tour.
But what made the album so brilliant and fun to listen to went *kaput* in their live performance. See, the reason why I liked the Go! Team's album is because the instruments did the talking while the talking was merely an afterthought. The singing was in the background, rather than in the forefront, and the instruments dominated the songs. Songs like "Panther Dash" were so strong and fun because the vocals were minimal and the guitars were just booming.
At Bimbo's, The Go! Team's focus went from instrumentation to vocals. Ninja is the culprit. God bless her, she's a fun girl to watch. A lot of stage presence. Really made the crowd participate throughout the night with a lot of that side-to-side arm waving reminiscent of that "Hip Hop Hooray!" song by Naughty by Nature back in the 1990's. But fuck girl, must you sing for every single song?
I've got issues with Ninja. She ruined my favourite song off of Thunder, Lightning, Strike. Yes, "Panther Dash", which they opened with, was ruined because her vocals drowned out the sound. Her rapping of incoherent words destroyed the song. I'm listening to "Panther Dash" right now, and the only words that Ninja ever echoes in the song is "1, 2, 3." This can also be said with plenty of the band's other songs, such as "Get It Together" and "The Power is On." If only they sampled her voice instead of doing live. Or maybe even toning down her mic a bit so that she doesn't dominate but instead co-exists with it.
She wasn't all that bad though. Songs where her vocals were appropriate lived up to my expectations. In "Huddle Formation," she sang it well but only because the sound drowned her out a bit.
The songs that were the best were, ironically, the ones where Ninja didn't sing. "Junior Kickstart" absolutely kicked ass live. This is because the band just went and rocked out rather than having Ninja sing. Also, their song "The Ice Storm" was also really good. In this song, Ninja merely pressed a bell rather than sing. So, she is good for something.
All my friends agreed that this was the case. We even dubbed the band "Spice Team" because of Ninja's antics. Or, as I repeatedly said last night, it's like you're expecting to drink Coca-Cola but yet when you sip your drink, it was actually Sprite. Yeah, you are shocked and appalled because you have trained your taste buds to taste Coca-Cola. Well, in this case, my ears were not trained to hear Ninja. Thus, when I heard Ninja, I was dumbfounded.
Overall, a good show. Despite the surprises.
Last year, i hailed the Go! Team's new album as one of the best releases in 2004. Thunder, Lightning, Strike was one of those albums that completely went underneath everyone's radar. While everyone was raving about the Arcade Fire or Bright Eyes, the Go! Team went silently along the way. Now, with a lot more press and some exposure at venues in the U.S. like SXSW, the Go! Team is now one of those bands whose hype is following them around - in every venue in their current U.S. tour.
But what made the album so brilliant and fun to listen to went *kaput* in their live performance. See, the reason why I liked the Go! Team's album is because the instruments did the talking while the talking was merely an afterthought. The singing was in the background, rather than in the forefront, and the instruments dominated the songs. Songs like "Panther Dash" were so strong and fun because the vocals were minimal and the guitars were just booming.
At Bimbo's, The Go! Team's focus went from instrumentation to vocals. Ninja is the culprit. God bless her, she's a fun girl to watch. A lot of stage presence. Really made the crowd participate throughout the night with a lot of that side-to-side arm waving reminiscent of that "Hip Hop Hooray!" song by Naughty by Nature back in the 1990's. But fuck girl, must you sing for every single song?
I've got issues with Ninja. She ruined my favourite song off of Thunder, Lightning, Strike. Yes, "Panther Dash", which they opened with, was ruined because her vocals drowned out the sound. Her rapping of incoherent words destroyed the song. I'm listening to "Panther Dash" right now, and the only words that Ninja ever echoes in the song is "1, 2, 3." This can also be said with plenty of the band's other songs, such as "Get It Together" and "The Power is On." If only they sampled her voice instead of doing live. Or maybe even toning down her mic a bit so that she doesn't dominate but instead co-exists with it.
She wasn't all that bad though. Songs where her vocals were appropriate lived up to my expectations. In "Huddle Formation," she sang it well but only because the sound drowned her out a bit.
The songs that were the best were, ironically, the ones where Ninja didn't sing. "Junior Kickstart" absolutely kicked ass live. This is because the band just went and rocked out rather than having Ninja sing. Also, their song "The Ice Storm" was also really good. In this song, Ninja merely pressed a bell rather than sing. So, she is good for something.
All my friends agreed that this was the case. We even dubbed the band "Spice Team" because of Ninja's antics. Or, as I repeatedly said last night, it's like you're expecting to drink Coca-Cola but yet when you sip your drink, it was actually Sprite. Yeah, you are shocked and appalled because you have trained your taste buds to taste Coca-Cola. Well, in this case, my ears were not trained to hear Ninja. Thus, when I heard Ninja, I was dumbfounded.
Overall, a good show. Despite the surprises.
18 July 2005
The Arcade Fire at Warfield
The Arcade Fire
The Warfield
September 18, 2005
$25 at Ticketmaster
On Sale: Sunday, July 24
The Warfield
September 18, 2005
$25 at Ticketmaster
On Sale: Sunday, July 24
17 July 2005
Sufjan Stevens (GAMH, 17 July 2005)
Sufjan Stevens has some crazy goals. His latest one, the "50 States Project", is an attempt to compose an entire record for each of the 50 states in the Union. Well, he has two down (Michigan and Illinois) and 48 to go (unless we make Puerto Rico or Guam a state as this project unfolds).
Tonight, Sufjan and his Illinoise-makers are performing in support of his latest album, Illinois. He started off the set going solo with an acoustic guitar performing "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois." I've never seen Sufjan Stevens before, and I was amazed by his vocal capabilities. While some artist whose album voices tend to fall apart live, Sufjan's voice remained amazingly flawless. Every low note, high note and everything in between was done extremely well. Unlike some soft voices, which Sufjan has, his dominates the room. It grabs the listener and makes you focus on every minute detail of his singing.
Afterwards, he was joined by the Illinoise-makers (or the Michigan Militia if he were touring Michigan). They were all in their cheerleading outfits, convincingly looking like a squad from the University of Illinois. Sufjan foreshadowed his set by telling the crowd about the random cheers that they were going to do in between songs and inviting the audience for any constructive criticism afterwards.
The first cheer they did was about Peoria, Illinois. It was a cute cheer, and it was very charming to see him and the others make such a bad cheer seem good. In fact, Sufjan noted that he hoped to make the district finals with his cheers.
More songs from Illinois were played, including "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" Definitely one of the highlights of this gig, it was just really good to see Sufjan perform with such a full sound and with a full band.
Much of the songs played by Sufjan seemed a lot longer than the album version. Although there are 22 tracks in Illinois, it seemed like Sufjan played only a small handful of songs. This is because the length of each one of these songs were long. Despite this extended play, the show was still enjoyable.
Two more cheers were done. One of which had a reference to Balki Bartocamus which just had me rolling. Both were equally good as the first, and it was just so cute!
They ended their main set with "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts." An obvious ode to Superman (which ironically sued Sufjan's record company about Superman's likeness in the Illinois album). It was probably the most lively song done of the entire set. Which is fitting since this would ideally leave the crowd wanting more for the encore.
Overall, a great show. If you were a Sufjan novice or maybe have never heard of him, then you may have found it boring. Since I knew full well what I was getting myself into, I enjoyed it a lot.
Tonight, Sufjan and his Illinoise-makers are performing in support of his latest album, Illinois. He started off the set going solo with an acoustic guitar performing "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois." I've never seen Sufjan Stevens before, and I was amazed by his vocal capabilities. While some artist whose album voices tend to fall apart live, Sufjan's voice remained amazingly flawless. Every low note, high note and everything in between was done extremely well. Unlike some soft voices, which Sufjan has, his dominates the room. It grabs the listener and makes you focus on every minute detail of his singing.
Afterwards, he was joined by the Illinoise-makers (or the Michigan Militia if he were touring Michigan). They were all in their cheerleading outfits, convincingly looking like a squad from the University of Illinois. Sufjan foreshadowed his set by telling the crowd about the random cheers that they were going to do in between songs and inviting the audience for any constructive criticism afterwards.
The first cheer they did was about Peoria, Illinois. It was a cute cheer, and it was very charming to see him and the others make such a bad cheer seem good. In fact, Sufjan noted that he hoped to make the district finals with his cheers.
More songs from Illinois were played, including "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" Definitely one of the highlights of this gig, it was just really good to see Sufjan perform with such a full sound and with a full band.
Much of the songs played by Sufjan seemed a lot longer than the album version. Although there are 22 tracks in Illinois, it seemed like Sufjan played only a small handful of songs. This is because the length of each one of these songs were long. Despite this extended play, the show was still enjoyable.
Two more cheers were done. One of which had a reference to Balki Bartocamus which just had me rolling. Both were equally good as the first, and it was just so cute!
They ended their main set with "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts." An obvious ode to Superman (which ironically sued Sufjan's record company about Superman's likeness in the Illinois album). It was probably the most lively song done of the entire set. Which is fitting since this would ideally leave the crowd wanting more for the encore.
Overall, a great show. If you were a Sufjan novice or maybe have never heard of him, then you may have found it boring. Since I knew full well what I was getting myself into, I enjoyed it a lot.
13 July 2005
New Shows Added
July:
15: Numbers/Deerhoof/Jolie Holland @ Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
15: Club Bang! with DJ Carlos D. of Interpol @ Mezzanine
18: Kings of Leon/Secret Machines @ The Fillmore
28: Nine Black Alps @ Amoeba S.F.
31: Hot Hot Heat @ The Fillmore
August:
20: Von Iva/Hey Willpower @ The Independent
24: The New Pornographers @ Amoeba S.F.
28: Black Mountain @ The Independent
September:
11: The Decemberists @ The Fillmore
12: The Decemberists @ The Fillmore
21: Bloc Party @ The Warfield
23: Stellastarr* @ The Independent
October:
5: The National/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! @ Mezzanine
6: Franz Ferdinand/TV On the Radio @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
29: American Analog Set @ Bottom of the Hill
30: American Analog Set @ Bottom of the Hill
15: Numbers/Deerhoof/Jolie Holland @ Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
15: Club Bang! with DJ Carlos D. of Interpol @ Mezzanine
18: Kings of Leon/Secret Machines @ The Fillmore
28: Nine Black Alps @ Amoeba S.F.
31: Hot Hot Heat @ The Fillmore
August:
20: Von Iva/Hey Willpower @ The Independent
24: The New Pornographers @ Amoeba S.F.
28: Black Mountain @ The Independent
September:
11: The Decemberists @ The Fillmore
12: The Decemberists @ The Fillmore
21: Bloc Party @ The Warfield
23: Stellastarr* @ The Independent
October:
5: The National/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! @ Mezzanine
6: Franz Ferdinand/TV On the Radio @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
29: American Analog Set @ Bottom of the Hill
30: American Analog Set @ Bottom of the Hill
09 July 2005
My Favorite (Rickshaw Stop, 8 July 2005)
After I left work at 5pm on Friday, my entire night was open. I had no plans whatsoever, and thought a night in would do me a world of good. I've been tired all week, and still feel overwhelmed by the things around me.
After being urged by a friend to go out, I was determined to find something remotely interesting to do. So, I thought that maybe Club I.D. or Loaded would be on tonight, but instead the S.F. Popfest was going down. I didn't know any of the bands on tonight's bill, but by a stroke of fate, I clicked on My Favorite. I read their bio and the words "Belle and Sebastian" immediately made me a skeptic. I checked out their website, saw their videos, listened to their tunes. I was impressed. They were good. Indie pop at it's most basic yet most beautiful. I had to go.
I convinced the others to go and there we were at Rickshaw Stop at around 11pm. The band came on shortly thereafter. My Favorite is a five piece ensemble, with Andrea Vaughn's angelic, Sarah Cracknell type voice filling the venue. Andrea's signature "schtick" (if you can call it that) is the varying inscriptions on her arms.
I've never seen this band, nor do I know any of the song's titles other than what was sampled on their website. However, I do know that they opened up with "Le Monster" off their most recent album The Happiest Day of Our Lives. Very good start to the show with the drumming and guitar work just oozing with indie poppy-ness. My one critique about this song is that it's too long. It could have been shortened, and it still would have been a great song.
The low-light of this show is when Michael Grace, Jr. would sing. Like Blake from Rilo Kiley, this guy was just horrible when he sang. Of course, that's just my opinion but real My Favorite fans absolutely adore him. Granted, he is entertaining when he does side chatter (sometimes) but not when he sings. Actually, I'd rather have Blake sing compared to this guy.
Andrea and Michael would trade vocals for every other song. Thus, like a roller coaster, there were plenty of ups and downs during their set.
The absolute highlight was when they played "Burning Hearts." This is an indie pop song created to perfection. Todbot's drumming in this song is just spectacular and well timed. Especially in the very beginning of the song. It's just the right amount of intensity involved and immediately catches your attention. Again, Andrea's voice was spectacular, and Michael's more appropriate role as backing singer is perfect for this song.
I don't understand why these guys didn't headline, but left it to the Orange Peels to do so. The Orange Peels were horrible and I need not discuss that band any more than I have to. But, My Favorite were spectacular (without Michael singing lead). They are not my favorite yet, but they may soon will be.
Beer Rating: 2.5 Beers
After being urged by a friend to go out, I was determined to find something remotely interesting to do. So, I thought that maybe Club I.D. or Loaded would be on tonight, but instead the S.F. Popfest was going down. I didn't know any of the bands on tonight's bill, but by a stroke of fate, I clicked on My Favorite. I read their bio and the words "Belle and Sebastian" immediately made me a skeptic. I checked out their website, saw their videos, listened to their tunes. I was impressed. They were good. Indie pop at it's most basic yet most beautiful. I had to go.
I convinced the others to go and there we were at Rickshaw Stop at around 11pm. The band came on shortly thereafter. My Favorite is a five piece ensemble, with Andrea Vaughn's angelic, Sarah Cracknell type voice filling the venue. Andrea's signature "schtick" (if you can call it that) is the varying inscriptions on her arms.
I've never seen this band, nor do I know any of the song's titles other than what was sampled on their website. However, I do know that they opened up with "Le Monster" off their most recent album The Happiest Day of Our Lives. Very good start to the show with the drumming and guitar work just oozing with indie poppy-ness. My one critique about this song is that it's too long. It could have been shortened, and it still would have been a great song.
The low-light of this show is when Michael Grace, Jr. would sing. Like Blake from Rilo Kiley, this guy was just horrible when he sang. Of course, that's just my opinion but real My Favorite fans absolutely adore him. Granted, he is entertaining when he does side chatter (sometimes) but not when he sings. Actually, I'd rather have Blake sing compared to this guy.
Andrea and Michael would trade vocals for every other song. Thus, like a roller coaster, there were plenty of ups and downs during their set.
The absolute highlight was when they played "Burning Hearts." This is an indie pop song created to perfection. Todbot's drumming in this song is just spectacular and well timed. Especially in the very beginning of the song. It's just the right amount of intensity involved and immediately catches your attention. Again, Andrea's voice was spectacular, and Michael's more appropriate role as backing singer is perfect for this song.
I don't understand why these guys didn't headline, but left it to the Orange Peels to do so. The Orange Peels were horrible and I need not discuss that band any more than I have to. But, My Favorite were spectacular (without Michael singing lead). They are not my favorite yet, but they may soon will be.
Beer Rating: 2.5 Beers
03 July 2005
Annie / The Lovemakers / Every Move a Picture (Mighty, 1 July 2005)
Ah, the long weekend finally arrives. Ever since I wake up on Friday morning, I've been counting down the seconds until the work day is done. I had some exciting plans this weekend, including a show that showcases three very good acts. With an after party at my place planned, there was much to look forward to once 9pm hit on Friday. Why not start the July 4th weekend off with a bang, you know?
My friends and I arrived at Mighty at around 9:30 on Friday. I've never been to Mighty. It seemed like a good space from the outside, and the queue was pretty long once we got there. Luckily we got there early. Upon entering, the space itself was pretty big. As a friend of a friend said, "It reminds me of PPAD (Peach Pit After Dark) from 90210." Very fitting.
Every Move a Picture came on first. This band is getting a lot of hype of late, most notably through their appearance at SXSW and at Live 105's BFD Festival. I first saw these guys open up for The Bravery at Cafe Du Nord a while back, and thought they were pretty good. Well, here, I think they were just okay. I think the sound system had something to do with their average performance. The last song they played, "Signs of Life," was pretty well done. That's when the crowd started paying attention. I'm a sucker for synths, and "Signs of Life" has a really good one towards the middle.
The Lovemakers were next. This band is another one of those big hype local bands. After being swooped up by Interscope, and apparently having a Eurythmic as their producer for their next album, the buzz around this band was pretty obvious from the now much larger crowd present. When they came on, they sounded promising. The sound was much louder compared to Every Move a Picture's set, and Scott Blonde and Lisa Light were quite entertaining to watch. They emit a lot of sex in their stage performance, and that was evident when Lisa showered herself with water about part way through their set. Not wanting to be outdone, Scott took his shirt off to reveal a somewhat toned torso (much to the delight of the gay boys and straight girls in the crowd). They were very entertaining, but I just wasn't into their sound that much.
Finally, the alleged highlight of the evening, Annie, came on a little after midnight. I love Anniemal and the catchy pop tunes in there. It's been in constant rotation in my iPod, with "Heartbeat," "Chewing Gum," and "Me Plus One" being my favourites. What plagued the two previous bands was the sound at Mighty being inconsistent. Here, Annie's performance was a victim of the poor sound off of her mic, coupled by her rather weak vocals. At one point, the recorded backing vocals were just too loud. It instantly reminded me of Ashlee Simpson's embarassing moment on SNL, but it didn't happen here. Annie's set was somewhat entertaining, but fell way below my expectations. "Chewing Gum" was the 3rd or 4th song played, and it really didn't make me want to dance. Which was a damn shame. "Me Plus One" also fell victim to her lackluster vocals and uneven sound at Mighty. Then there were a couple of instrumental songs which just didn't mesh well with the entire set. I got so bored that I left early and missed "Heartbeat." I wasn't that upset, given the poor performance, in leaving early, but I was quite upset that: (1) I didn't drink enough to enjoy this show and (2) that I dragged my friends and hyped this shit up when it was a total let down.
The 4th of July weekend didn't start off with a bang. Instead, the fireworks were duds, and I was left wondering why the hell it happened this way.
Beer Rating: 4.5 Beers
My friends and I arrived at Mighty at around 9:30 on Friday. I've never been to Mighty. It seemed like a good space from the outside, and the queue was pretty long once we got there. Luckily we got there early. Upon entering, the space itself was pretty big. As a friend of a friend said, "It reminds me of PPAD (Peach Pit After Dark) from 90210." Very fitting.
Every Move a Picture came on first. This band is getting a lot of hype of late, most notably through their appearance at SXSW and at Live 105's BFD Festival. I first saw these guys open up for The Bravery at Cafe Du Nord a while back, and thought they were pretty good. Well, here, I think they were just okay. I think the sound system had something to do with their average performance. The last song they played, "Signs of Life," was pretty well done. That's when the crowd started paying attention. I'm a sucker for synths, and "Signs of Life" has a really good one towards the middle.
The Lovemakers were next. This band is another one of those big hype local bands. After being swooped up by Interscope, and apparently having a Eurythmic as their producer for their next album, the buzz around this band was pretty obvious from the now much larger crowd present. When they came on, they sounded promising. The sound was much louder compared to Every Move a Picture's set, and Scott Blonde and Lisa Light were quite entertaining to watch. They emit a lot of sex in their stage performance, and that was evident when Lisa showered herself with water about part way through their set. Not wanting to be outdone, Scott took his shirt off to reveal a somewhat toned torso (much to the delight of the gay boys and straight girls in the crowd). They were very entertaining, but I just wasn't into their sound that much.
Finally, the alleged highlight of the evening, Annie, came on a little after midnight. I love Anniemal and the catchy pop tunes in there. It's been in constant rotation in my iPod, with "Heartbeat," "Chewing Gum," and "Me Plus One" being my favourites. What plagued the two previous bands was the sound at Mighty being inconsistent. Here, Annie's performance was a victim of the poor sound off of her mic, coupled by her rather weak vocals. At one point, the recorded backing vocals were just too loud. It instantly reminded me of Ashlee Simpson's embarassing moment on SNL, but it didn't happen here. Annie's set was somewhat entertaining, but fell way below my expectations. "Chewing Gum" was the 3rd or 4th song played, and it really didn't make me want to dance. Which was a damn shame. "Me Plus One" also fell victim to her lackluster vocals and uneven sound at Mighty. Then there were a couple of instrumental songs which just didn't mesh well with the entire set. I got so bored that I left early and missed "Heartbeat." I wasn't that upset, given the poor performance, in leaving early, but I was quite upset that: (1) I didn't drink enough to enjoy this show and (2) that I dragged my friends and hyped this shit up when it was a total let down.
The 4th of July weekend didn't start off with a bang. Instead, the fireworks were duds, and I was left wondering why the hell it happened this way.
Beer Rating: 4.5 Beers
27 June 2005
David Byrne (Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, 26 June 2005)
I don't know much of David Byrne other than what he released with the Talking Heads. I didn't pay much attention to Talking Heads or David Byrne until Arcade Fire covered "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" in San Francisco. After that, I bought the Talking Heads' Best Of and didn't realize that these were the same guys who did "Psycho Killer" and "Burning Down the House."
After the high of Arcade Fire, and my anger for missing half of their set, I made my rounds around Hollywood Bowl and quickly saw some friends. It couldn't have worked out better since all three of them were within ear shot of one another. I got the scoop from Robin on Tom and Katie (she still insists its a stunt), said hello to Dylan (who was sporting an Arcade Fire shirt) and my yearly visit with Angela (who I finally gave that damn mix CD to!). Oh, and Jason cut his finger trying to open a Beck's using my dad's signature bottle opening trick, but I managed to find his dad who just happened to have a band aid. Go figure.
So, here comes David Byrne. After a brief introduction by Nic Harcourt, David Byrne immediately launced into song, citing the rather strict time guidelines of the venue. Sporting a pink seersucker suit (I think), he launched into one of his solo songs that I have no idea of. It sounded good, but there's just way too much of those bongo drums going on. More of his solo stuff was played, accompanied with strings, along with one Talking Heads song that I don't know the tile of. At this point, Jason and I were bored. We noticed that all the young kids were gone and how we were all surrounded by old people (i.e. 40 yrs. and older). The only thing amusing us is seeing this Beyonce looking silhouette in the Terrace section dancing.
This is where Jason made one of the greatest predictions in concert history. He said something along the lines that David Byrne is going to do a Destiny's Child song. Now, that is just an outrageous claim to begin with, especially since the man is making this prediction after finishing all but 3 bottles of the Beck's that night. We had a good laugh and continued to watch the show.
Things started to pick up once David Byrne played "Burning Down the House." I was in the bathroom at that time and once people heard that song, the bathroom immediately emptied and everyone ran back to their seats. The oldies were dancing now, so much so that you can hear the creaks in their knees. I have to admit, it was a great rendition and I was caught tapping my feet with the 3/4 beat.
After a couple more songs, David Byrne introduced Arcade Fire. This was definitely expected and they played "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" with Regine on the steel drum and the blokes all sharing a mic doing backing vocals. At times, Win would trade vocals with David Byrne. Overall, another excellent rendition of a fan favourite. The addition of the Tosca strings and David Byrne's session musicians gave the song a lot more than usual.
Then this is the part of the show where things started to get weird.
After a couple more songs, here comes Extra Action Marching Band coming from the sides of Sec. K2 and marching their way over to the other side of the Bowl, and then down towards the stage. Lead by their cheerleading squad of 2 guys and 4 girls and 2 flag girls, the band found their way on stage and played for about 7 minutes.
Then, the percussion section of the band stayed and the horns stood on the side a bit. Then David Byrne played "Burning Down the House" which drove the entire Bowl ape shit. I too was having a lot of fun at this point.
Just when you think it couldn't get any better than that, the rest of Extra Action joined in David Byrne. This time, the cheerleaders were dressed in their signature skimpy thong outfits (yes, even the guys were dressed like that - I feel sorry for the guys that had to stand in front of them) lining the outside of the pool circle. Then David said, "we've never done this before, so here it goes."
The horns started playing, and oddly enough it sounded like a Beyonce song. I'm like, "NO WAY!" And it was! It was "Crazy in Love"!! [WATCH CLIP: David Byrne - Crazy In Love] Jason called it (OK, it's not a Destiny's Child song, but it's close enough). This was absolutely amazing! The cheerleaders were doing their whole pom-pom thing and Extra Action and the band were just going crazy. David Byrne didn't know the lyrics, so he was cheating by keeping his head down and reading it. He would stick his head up during the chorus, but it didn't matter at this point. Everyone in the Bowl was dancing and standing up. People were looking at one another with huge smiles in their faces, but yet a puzzled look in their eyes. Mobile phones were raised up high with the listener in the other side probably cursing to him/herself that they weren't there to witness this one-of-a-kind spectacle.
That was the last song and as people were exiting the venue, they couldn't stop talking about the cover song.
As we left the venue, we saw Lloyd again! This time we yelled out his name. "LLOYD!!" And he would constantly ignore Jason and I. He was sort of far, but we wanted to say hello. He would still ignore us. We then saw him walking alone on Hollywood Blvd. and we again yelled but again he would ignore us. So, if Lloyd is reading this, what gives man? Why you dissin'? Well, I hope you enjoyed the show.
Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers
After the high of Arcade Fire, and my anger for missing half of their set, I made my rounds around Hollywood Bowl and quickly saw some friends. It couldn't have worked out better since all three of them were within ear shot of one another. I got the scoop from Robin on Tom and Katie (she still insists its a stunt), said hello to Dylan (who was sporting an Arcade Fire shirt) and my yearly visit with Angela (who I finally gave that damn mix CD to!). Oh, and Jason cut his finger trying to open a Beck's using my dad's signature bottle opening trick, but I managed to find his dad who just happened to have a band aid. Go figure.
So, here comes David Byrne. After a brief introduction by Nic Harcourt, David Byrne immediately launced into song, citing the rather strict time guidelines of the venue. Sporting a pink seersucker suit (I think), he launched into one of his solo songs that I have no idea of. It sounded good, but there's just way too much of those bongo drums going on. More of his solo stuff was played, accompanied with strings, along with one Talking Heads song that I don't know the tile of. At this point, Jason and I were bored. We noticed that all the young kids were gone and how we were all surrounded by old people (i.e. 40 yrs. and older). The only thing amusing us is seeing this Beyonce looking silhouette in the Terrace section dancing.
This is where Jason made one of the greatest predictions in concert history. He said something along the lines that David Byrne is going to do a Destiny's Child song. Now, that is just an outrageous claim to begin with, especially since the man is making this prediction after finishing all but 3 bottles of the Beck's that night. We had a good laugh and continued to watch the show.
Things started to pick up once David Byrne played "Burning Down the House." I was in the bathroom at that time and once people heard that song, the bathroom immediately emptied and everyone ran back to their seats. The oldies were dancing now, so much so that you can hear the creaks in their knees. I have to admit, it was a great rendition and I was caught tapping my feet with the 3/4 beat.
After a couple more songs, David Byrne introduced Arcade Fire. This was definitely expected and they played "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" with Regine on the steel drum and the blokes all sharing a mic doing backing vocals. At times, Win would trade vocals with David Byrne. Overall, another excellent rendition of a fan favourite. The addition of the Tosca strings and David Byrne's session musicians gave the song a lot more than usual.
Then this is the part of the show where things started to get weird.
After a couple more songs, here comes Extra Action Marching Band coming from the sides of Sec. K2 and marching their way over to the other side of the Bowl, and then down towards the stage. Lead by their cheerleading squad of 2 guys and 4 girls and 2 flag girls, the band found their way on stage and played for about 7 minutes.
Then, the percussion section of the band stayed and the horns stood on the side a bit. Then David Byrne played "Burning Down the House" which drove the entire Bowl ape shit. I too was having a lot of fun at this point.
Just when you think it couldn't get any better than that, the rest of Extra Action joined in David Byrne. This time, the cheerleaders were dressed in their signature skimpy thong outfits (yes, even the guys were dressed like that - I feel sorry for the guys that had to stand in front of them) lining the outside of the pool circle. Then David said, "we've never done this before, so here it goes."
The horns started playing, and oddly enough it sounded like a Beyonce song. I'm like, "NO WAY!" And it was! It was "Crazy in Love"!! [WATCH CLIP: David Byrne - Crazy In Love] Jason called it (OK, it's not a Destiny's Child song, but it's close enough). This was absolutely amazing! The cheerleaders were doing their whole pom-pom thing and Extra Action and the band were just going crazy. David Byrne didn't know the lyrics, so he was cheating by keeping his head down and reading it. He would stick his head up during the chorus, but it didn't matter at this point. Everyone in the Bowl was dancing and standing up. People were looking at one another with huge smiles in their faces, but yet a puzzled look in their eyes. Mobile phones were raised up high with the listener in the other side probably cursing to him/herself that they weren't there to witness this one-of-a-kind spectacle.
That was the last song and as people were exiting the venue, they couldn't stop talking about the cover song.
As we left the venue, we saw Lloyd again! This time we yelled out his name. "LLOYD!!" And he would constantly ignore Jason and I. He was sort of far, but we wanted to say hello. He would still ignore us. We then saw him walking alone on Hollywood Blvd. and we again yelled but again he would ignore us. So, if Lloyd is reading this, what gives man? Why you dissin'? Well, I hope you enjoyed the show.
Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers
The Arcade Fire (Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, 26 June 2005)
After a crazy night in Philadelphia, I am now in Los Angeles hoping to garner enough energy to enjoy Arcade Fire and, possibly, David Byrne. Of course, nothing prepared me for what I was about to witness tonight. This is, easily, the best Hollywood Bowl show I have seen thus far. Yes, even better than Radiohead front row at the Hollywood Bowl.
I arrived at 11:45am in Los Angeles from my stop over in Atlanta. I flew AirTran, f/k/a ValuJet. It's not a bad airline actually. Service was great, no food but what do you expect. I just wish I wasn't sitting in the window. I held it in for 3 hours and upon landing in L.A., and dodging two parapalegics and a geriatric to get to the bathroom, I got my second wind.
I'll spare you the trip to the Vietnamese sandwich shop where pork is apparently like mana from heaven, how Jason bought a 12 pack of Becks for our show drinking pleasure for only $4 thanks to a mix up at Ralph's in Arcadia and how Hollywood Blvd. is the worst possible route one can take to go to the Bowl.
So, after walking from the parking lot at Hollywood and Highland (N.B.: validate so you can save $8 on parking), lugging our $4 Becks, and being constantly ignored by Lloyd (yeah, we saw you Lloyd, you wouldn't even say hi despite us saying hi to you!) we finally made it to the venue. The will call line was SO LONG but we were there a little after 7pm and thought there was no way Arcade Fire is playing anytime soon. Well, we were gravely mistaken. At approximately 7:45pm, I heard the beginning guitars to "Laika." Jason and I were shocked, and pissed, at missing our favourite live Arcade Fire song. This called for desparate measures. I had the bright idea of trying to bribe my way to the front. I offered a guy $10 but he flat out declined, and so did the others. What's wrong with you people! You and your morals. Geez!
So, we got our tickets and ran like hell to our seats. Thus far, we missed "Wake Up," "Laika," "No Cars Go," "Haiti," and "I'm Sleeping in a Submarine." I was so angry for my mix up (N.B.: Use TicketFast and the extra $2.50 for next Hollywood Bowl event) but was quickly distracted by the view of the bowl, the lighting on the stage, and Regine's wonderful voice for "In the Backseat." The acoustics for the Hollywood Bowl is incomparable to any venue I've been in before, and our seats in Sec. K1, Row 7 was just right. Once the closing strings were played for this song, it just eminated throughout the venue. Regine's voice and the awesome sound sent shivers down my spine. Literally.
Win seemed very into the crowd and was just dumbfounded by the audience's reaction to each and every song. He thanked the crowd a lot, and even cracked a joke. Will just graduated from university (applause) and Win said that this was his first day on the job. Win further emphasized that "getting a college degree is very important, I wouldn't know what I'd be doing right now with my religious studies degree. Stay in school." I guess you have to be there to truly appreciate this deadpan remark, but it was hilarious!
Then "Crown of Love" played and again, shivers went down my spine. I cannot emphasize enough how awesome the acoustics are and this is a venue I see the Arcade Fire playing again. Once "Tunnels" came on, people were on their feet. Probably because they thought that "Tunnels" was the last song, and people gave the band a standing ovation upon finishing that song. But they kept on going, much to my pleasure. "Power Out" was next and after that blistering song, with Wil killing the living shit out of the cymbal, the crowd gave the band another standing ovation. At this point, they thought it was over, but I knew better. Little did these Arcade Fire novices know that "Tunnels" segways into "Rebellion (Lies)" and at this point there was dancing everywhere. From the rich folks in the garden boxes to the huge crowd of people in the back of sections P and M, people were filling the aisles with dancing, hopping, and just plain maniacal screaming. I went ape shit in my little section, taking it all in.
That was the final song, and afterwards Win unplugged his guitar and walked around the pool circle area. As he went around, the rest of the band did their march towards stage left. As the lights flickered dim, Tim's silhouette was the last one to be seen.
This is the seventh time I've seen Arcade Fire (S.F. (x4), L.A. (x2) and Coachella) and every single show was as memorable as the one before. This show added a whole new dimension to their greatness. More people are now figuring out how great this band is. So much so that Tower Records nearly sold out of copies of Funeral in their little kiosk.
Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers
I arrived at 11:45am in Los Angeles from my stop over in Atlanta. I flew AirTran, f/k/a ValuJet. It's not a bad airline actually. Service was great, no food but what do you expect. I just wish I wasn't sitting in the window. I held it in for 3 hours and upon landing in L.A., and dodging two parapalegics and a geriatric to get to the bathroom, I got my second wind.
I'll spare you the trip to the Vietnamese sandwich shop where pork is apparently like mana from heaven, how Jason bought a 12 pack of Becks for our show drinking pleasure for only $4 thanks to a mix up at Ralph's in Arcadia and how Hollywood Blvd. is the worst possible route one can take to go to the Bowl.
So, after walking from the parking lot at Hollywood and Highland (N.B.: validate so you can save $8 on parking), lugging our $4 Becks, and being constantly ignored by Lloyd (yeah, we saw you Lloyd, you wouldn't even say hi despite us saying hi to you!) we finally made it to the venue. The will call line was SO LONG but we were there a little after 7pm and thought there was no way Arcade Fire is playing anytime soon. Well, we were gravely mistaken. At approximately 7:45pm, I heard the beginning guitars to "Laika." Jason and I were shocked, and pissed, at missing our favourite live Arcade Fire song. This called for desparate measures. I had the bright idea of trying to bribe my way to the front. I offered a guy $10 but he flat out declined, and so did the others. What's wrong with you people! You and your morals. Geez!
So, we got our tickets and ran like hell to our seats. Thus far, we missed "Wake Up," "Laika," "No Cars Go," "Haiti," and "I'm Sleeping in a Submarine." I was so angry for my mix up (N.B.: Use TicketFast and the extra $2.50 for next Hollywood Bowl event) but was quickly distracted by the view of the bowl, the lighting on the stage, and Regine's wonderful voice for "In the Backseat." The acoustics for the Hollywood Bowl is incomparable to any venue I've been in before, and our seats in Sec. K1, Row 7 was just right. Once the closing strings were played for this song, it just eminated throughout the venue. Regine's voice and the awesome sound sent shivers down my spine. Literally.
Win seemed very into the crowd and was just dumbfounded by the audience's reaction to each and every song. He thanked the crowd a lot, and even cracked a joke. Will just graduated from university (applause) and Win said that this was his first day on the job. Win further emphasized that "getting a college degree is very important, I wouldn't know what I'd be doing right now with my religious studies degree. Stay in school." I guess you have to be there to truly appreciate this deadpan remark, but it was hilarious!
Then "Crown of Love" played and again, shivers went down my spine. I cannot emphasize enough how awesome the acoustics are and this is a venue I see the Arcade Fire playing again. Once "Tunnels" came on, people were on their feet. Probably because they thought that "Tunnels" was the last song, and people gave the band a standing ovation upon finishing that song. But they kept on going, much to my pleasure. "Power Out" was next and after that blistering song, with Wil killing the living shit out of the cymbal, the crowd gave the band another standing ovation. At this point, they thought it was over, but I knew better. Little did these Arcade Fire novices know that "Tunnels" segways into "Rebellion (Lies)" and at this point there was dancing everywhere. From the rich folks in the garden boxes to the huge crowd of people in the back of sections P and M, people were filling the aisles with dancing, hopping, and just plain maniacal screaming. I went ape shit in my little section, taking it all in.
That was the final song, and afterwards Win unplugged his guitar and walked around the pool circle area. As he went around, the rest of the band did their march towards stage left. As the lights flickered dim, Tim's silhouette was the last one to be seen.
This is the seventh time I've seen Arcade Fire (S.F. (x4), L.A. (x2) and Coachella) and every single show was as memorable as the one before. This show added a whole new dimension to their greatness. More people are now figuring out how great this band is. So much so that Tower Records nearly sold out of copies of Funeral in their little kiosk.
Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers
26 June 2005
Oasis (Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA, 25 June 2005)
It was 5am on a Saturday morning on a fall day in 1995. I was 17 years old and was awaiting my ride to the cross country meet at Kit Carson Park. As I was awaiting my ride, I opted to turn on the television and my teenage instinct immediately lead me to tune it to MTV. Back then, MTV would play music videos and the most obscure of these videos would play in the early morning hours. As I sat there, this song called "Live Forever" by Oasis was on. The very beginning was in black and white, with this guy looking like a sixties hipster staring at me. As the drum beats went on, and as this guy snarled the worlds "Maybe, I don't really want to know, how your garden grows..." I was immediately drawn to this song and music video. I just sat there, probably part in awe of how terrific this song was but also partly because I'm sleepy as fuck. The video finished and I ran outside to meet my ride.
My love for Oasis didn't materialize that day. I didn't really pay much attention to that song or that video much until my friend Roman gave me a mix tape. This is the mix tape from the heavens. The mix tape that radically changed my life. In this mix tape was the Oasis song, "Live Forever" as well as "Supersonic." I loved "Supersonic," with that singer's snarl and confidence saying "I'm feeling supersonic, give me gin and tonic, you can have it all but how much do you want it?" I then bought Definitely Maybe.
Fast forward to 1996. I was in college and I was driving home from La Jolla on Miramar Rd. I tuned it to 92.5 FM, the now defunct Flash, and heard this song. The beginning was this really soft, yet simple, acoustic guitar. Dr. Dre says that you can tell a lot about a song by listening to the first 20 seconds of it. Well, the first 20 seconds were terrific and I immediately turned up the volume. Then it was the snarl again. It was Oasis. I didn't even know they released a single that day, let alone another album. "Today, was gonna be the day..." I was hooked. This was my band. I immediately made a u-turn and went to the Music Trader in Miramar. I bought (What's the Story?) Morning Glory.
Oasis became my band that day. The #1 band in my little world. I was obsessed. I traded in a majority of my alternative CDs in exchange for 3 to 4 song import singles released by Oasis. I remember trading in Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Vitalogy so I can get Oasis' Whatever EP. And boy was that trade well worth it. Then I heard they were touring, the first stop being in San Francisco on a Saturday. I didn't hesitate. I flew to San Francisco and witnessed my very first Oasis show at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium that night. As I entered the venue, being one of the first few in line, I saw the huge Oasis banner in this equally huge venue. I ran to it, with this rush of excitement going through every bone in my body. I ignored the calls of security to "slow down" or "no running". I was there in front. It was an
amazing show! I raised my hand up high, "LIAM!!" "NOEL!!" I sang to every tune, bounced to every beat, pushed and shoved to every word out of Liam's mouth. After the show, I was a wreck. Physically, I felt like I just went through a war zone full of thugs. Emotionally, I cannot believe I witnessed my first Oasis concert. This was certainly not my last.
From that point on, I made every effort to see Oasis whenever possible. No matter how near or far, I will see Oasis. If there was a weekend date and nothing pressing was going on, I will fly to see Oasis. So far, I have seen Oasis in Los Angeles, San Francisco (x2), New York (x5), Detroit, Chicago, and now Philadelphia, and very soon, Austin and San Diego.
Now that you have that background about my profound devotion to Oasis, let me begin my review of my Philadelphia experience. I cashed in my US Airways miles and got a first class ticket on the red eye to Philly from San Francisco on Friday. Arrived in Philly at my friend Pat's flat at around 6:30am. Slept for a bit. Ate brunch. Slept for a bit again. And then we were off to his friend's place at around 6pm for drinks. Boy, we were drinkin'! Beer was flowing like tap water from a faucet. I don't remember how many I drank before the show, nor how many I drank overall, but I was well near drunk when we all got to Festival Pier. And that's the way I liked it.
I was with Pat's friends, all of whom were very nice and loved Oasis. I couldn't have asked for better company. We missed Jet, which we weren't too concerned about, and decided to grab some more drinks before the show. The area was small for an Oasis show, about 3,000 people, and it is outdoors. The forecast was for a steamy and balmy night in Philly, but it wasn't even like that. The weather was ideal and the setting couldn't have been better. It was a lot like Pier 39 in San Francisco, where the venue overlooked the bridge and it's all standing room.
Then the recorded countdown began. Oasis has been using this as their entrance music since at least Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. The lights got dimmer, the crowd got noisier, I got ancy and wanted to go as close to the front as possible. Glenn, Pat's brother, and I decided to squeeze our way closer, but got as close as the middle because this rather big guy prevented my advancement. Rightfully so, since I hate guys like that too, but I didn't care.
They started off with "Turn Up the Sun" and the band sounded fantastic. My view was somewhat obstructed, but from what I saw Gem was wearing a red Penguin brand shirt and Liam was wearing a white shirt with pinstriped blazer like in Madison Square Garden. The band sounded clear and well rehearsed. Liam's voice couldn't have been better. Then "Lyla" came on. With my hands tied behind my back and one knee slightly bent, I sang along - much to the dismay of some people around me. I didn't care. This is my band and I can do whatever the hell I want! I'm Mad Fer It!
Then the classics came on. "Cigarettes and Alcohol," "Morning Glory" and "Bring it on Down" came on next, though I don't know in what order. "All your dreams were made, when you're chained to the mirror and the razor blade" was sang by me really loud. Fist in the air! Others were doing it too. When Liam sang "So I guess that you might as ...." I sang the "Well..." part of it. Fucking amazing!
More new songs were played such as "The Importance of Being Idle" and "Love Like a Bomb." "Meaning of Soul" was also played and it was played really, really fast. I don't know whether the band were anxious to leave, but it seemed like all the songs were much shorter than they were supposed to be. I guess me being in the state that I was may have contributed to that perception as well.
"Champagne Supernova" and "Live Forever" were played and they were beautifully done. Pure bliss. At that point, I was just so happy to see my band play and for them to play this song. The band left, then they immediately returned for their three song encore. It was no surprise that they played "Wonderwall" next and I jumped up and down like a rabbit during mating season. "Don't Look Back in Anger" was next and at that point, I had one arm around some bloke who was enjoying the show to my left and then Glenn to my right. We all sang it in unison. Oasis song gives me and others a sense of camraderie. I've never met either person on my side before until that night, yet we sang this song as if we knew each other for years.
In typical Oasis style, they ended their set with a cover of the Who's "My Generation." I was so drunk that I mistook the Who with the Rolling Stones, but who cares. "My Generation" Oasis-style was superb, with just so much energy and bravado that the Who probably wished they did it Oasis-style. The key to a show is that the band leaves you wanting more. Well, I definitely wanted more Oasis but that's how the story goes. It was unfortunate that they didn't play "Hindu Times" or "Supersonic" or even anything from Be Here Now, but beggars can't be choosers.
It was around midnight at that point. After luckily hailing a cab, we went to the pub again for a night cap. We talked Oasis and all its glory. I stumbled home to Pat's apartment at around 3am, awaiting my 5am cab ride to the airport for a 6am departure to Atlanta, and then a 10am departure to Los Angeles. I was mad drunk, the world was spinning and I had the biggest headache. When I entered the plane, I reeked of cigarettes and alcohol (they still let you smoke inside bars in Philly) and my eyes were bloodshot red. I just sat in my aisle seat and slept the entire flight. To Los Angeles, the same thing.
I'm rejuvenated and ready to take on another concert tonight, this time my #2 favourite band at the moment. But nothing can top Oasis. Their show in Philly was outstanding, and I can hardly contain my excitement in seeing them in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Austin in September.
Beer Rating: 0 Beer
My love for Oasis didn't materialize that day. I didn't really pay much attention to that song or that video much until my friend Roman gave me a mix tape. This is the mix tape from the heavens. The mix tape that radically changed my life. In this mix tape was the Oasis song, "Live Forever" as well as "Supersonic." I loved "Supersonic," with that singer's snarl and confidence saying "I'm feeling supersonic, give me gin and tonic, you can have it all but how much do you want it?" I then bought Definitely Maybe.
Fast forward to 1996. I was in college and I was driving home from La Jolla on Miramar Rd. I tuned it to 92.5 FM, the now defunct Flash, and heard this song. The beginning was this really soft, yet simple, acoustic guitar. Dr. Dre says that you can tell a lot about a song by listening to the first 20 seconds of it. Well, the first 20 seconds were terrific and I immediately turned up the volume. Then it was the snarl again. It was Oasis. I didn't even know they released a single that day, let alone another album. "Today, was gonna be the day..." I was hooked. This was my band. I immediately made a u-turn and went to the Music Trader in Miramar. I bought (What's the Story?) Morning Glory.
Oasis became my band that day. The #1 band in my little world. I was obsessed. I traded in a majority of my alternative CDs in exchange for 3 to 4 song import singles released by Oasis. I remember trading in Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Vitalogy so I can get Oasis' Whatever EP. And boy was that trade well worth it. Then I heard they were touring, the first stop being in San Francisco on a Saturday. I didn't hesitate. I flew to San Francisco and witnessed my very first Oasis show at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium that night. As I entered the venue, being one of the first few in line, I saw the huge Oasis banner in this equally huge venue. I ran to it, with this rush of excitement going through every bone in my body. I ignored the calls of security to "slow down" or "no running". I was there in front. It was an
amazing show! I raised my hand up high, "LIAM!!" "NOEL!!" I sang to every tune, bounced to every beat, pushed and shoved to every word out of Liam's mouth. After the show, I was a wreck. Physically, I felt like I just went through a war zone full of thugs. Emotionally, I cannot believe I witnessed my first Oasis concert. This was certainly not my last.
From that point on, I made every effort to see Oasis whenever possible. No matter how near or far, I will see Oasis. If there was a weekend date and nothing pressing was going on, I will fly to see Oasis. So far, I have seen Oasis in Los Angeles, San Francisco (x2), New York (x5), Detroit, Chicago, and now Philadelphia, and very soon, Austin and San Diego.
Now that you have that background about my profound devotion to Oasis, let me begin my review of my Philadelphia experience. I cashed in my US Airways miles and got a first class ticket on the red eye to Philly from San Francisco on Friday. Arrived in Philly at my friend Pat's flat at around 6:30am. Slept for a bit. Ate brunch. Slept for a bit again. And then we were off to his friend's place at around 6pm for drinks. Boy, we were drinkin'! Beer was flowing like tap water from a faucet. I don't remember how many I drank before the show, nor how many I drank overall, but I was well near drunk when we all got to Festival Pier. And that's the way I liked it.
I was with Pat's friends, all of whom were very nice and loved Oasis. I couldn't have asked for better company. We missed Jet, which we weren't too concerned about, and decided to grab some more drinks before the show. The area was small for an Oasis show, about 3,000 people, and it is outdoors. The forecast was for a steamy and balmy night in Philly, but it wasn't even like that. The weather was ideal and the setting couldn't have been better. It was a lot like Pier 39 in San Francisco, where the venue overlooked the bridge and it's all standing room.
Then the recorded countdown began. Oasis has been using this as their entrance music since at least Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. The lights got dimmer, the crowd got noisier, I got ancy and wanted to go as close to the front as possible. Glenn, Pat's brother, and I decided to squeeze our way closer, but got as close as the middle because this rather big guy prevented my advancement. Rightfully so, since I hate guys like that too, but I didn't care.
They started off with "Turn Up the Sun" and the band sounded fantastic. My view was somewhat obstructed, but from what I saw Gem was wearing a red Penguin brand shirt and Liam was wearing a white shirt with pinstriped blazer like in Madison Square Garden. The band sounded clear and well rehearsed. Liam's voice couldn't have been better. Then "Lyla" came on. With my hands tied behind my back and one knee slightly bent, I sang along - much to the dismay of some people around me. I didn't care. This is my band and I can do whatever the hell I want! I'm Mad Fer It!
Then the classics came on. "Cigarettes and Alcohol," "Morning Glory" and "Bring it on Down" came on next, though I don't know in what order. "All your dreams were made, when you're chained to the mirror and the razor blade" was sang by me really loud. Fist in the air! Others were doing it too. When Liam sang "So I guess that you might as ...." I sang the "Well..." part of it. Fucking amazing!
More new songs were played such as "The Importance of Being Idle" and "Love Like a Bomb." "Meaning of Soul" was also played and it was played really, really fast. I don't know whether the band were anxious to leave, but it seemed like all the songs were much shorter than they were supposed to be. I guess me being in the state that I was may have contributed to that perception as well.
"Champagne Supernova" and "Live Forever" were played and they were beautifully done. Pure bliss. At that point, I was just so happy to see my band play and for them to play this song. The band left, then they immediately returned for their three song encore. It was no surprise that they played "Wonderwall" next and I jumped up and down like a rabbit during mating season. "Don't Look Back in Anger" was next and at that point, I had one arm around some bloke who was enjoying the show to my left and then Glenn to my right. We all sang it in unison. Oasis song gives me and others a sense of camraderie. I've never met either person on my side before until that night, yet we sang this song as if we knew each other for years.
In typical Oasis style, they ended their set with a cover of the Who's "My Generation." I was so drunk that I mistook the Who with the Rolling Stones, but who cares. "My Generation" Oasis-style was superb, with just so much energy and bravado that the Who probably wished they did it Oasis-style. The key to a show is that the band leaves you wanting more. Well, I definitely wanted more Oasis but that's how the story goes. It was unfortunate that they didn't play "Hindu Times" or "Supersonic" or even anything from Be Here Now, but beggars can't be choosers.
It was around midnight at that point. After luckily hailing a cab, we went to the pub again for a night cap. We talked Oasis and all its glory. I stumbled home to Pat's apartment at around 3am, awaiting my 5am cab ride to the airport for a 6am departure to Atlanta, and then a 10am departure to Los Angeles. I was mad drunk, the world was spinning and I had the biggest headache. When I entered the plane, I reeked of cigarettes and alcohol (they still let you smoke inside bars in Philly) and my eyes were bloodshot red. I just sat in my aisle seat and slept the entire flight. To Los Angeles, the same thing.
I'm rejuvenated and ready to take on another concert tonight, this time my #2 favourite band at the moment. But nothing can top Oasis. Their show in Philly was outstanding, and I can hardly contain my excitement in seeing them in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Austin in September.
Beer Rating: 0 Beer
19 June 2005
Rilo Kiley (The Grand, 18 June 2005)
Thus far, I've seen Rilo Kiley twice and although they put on solid performances during those times, the show didn't really astound me or make me say, "Wow! Now this is a good band!" The likelihood of that happening was minimal for last night's show at the Grand, especially since this venue is just way massive and uncomfortable to be in. Why? I have no clue, but it just is. Kind of like the Concourse - it's just awkward.
Thus, with that in mind, my expectations for Rilo Kiley were pretty modest to begin with. I love all their albums, especially The Execution of All Things, so my like for them isn't casual by any means.
Feist opened up for Rilo Kiley and the crowd seem to like her a lot more now compared to her opening slot for Kings of Convenience. It sure helps to have a Juno award under your belt and some publicity, but she put on a good set for the 3 songs that I saw her perform. It wasn't that impressive, but it was not as boring or as dissonant as most other opening bands. She stood alone on stage, using an electric guitar for the songs I saw her perform. I assume she used an acoustic guitar as well, since there was one present by her side.
Rilo Kiley came on shortly thereafter to a thunderous ovation. They opened up with my favourite track from More Adventurous, "It's a Hit." The horns opening up the set livened up the crowd, kind of like how a bugle would rowdy up the French Foreign Legion. A couple more songs from More Adventurous were played, including "Portions for Foxes" and "Does He Love You?" I love "Does He Love You?" live because of Jenny's prolonged "I" towards the middle of the song. Tonight's version is way more upbeat and loud compared to the previous versions I saw.
More songs from More Adventurous were played, but Rilo Kiley also played 2 or 3 new songs as well. The first one was a typical Rilo Kiley song (yeah, I know, really good description), but the clincher for this song is when Blake, Pierre and Jason all sang in unison while sharing one mic. It's one of those cutesy moments of their set, and there were a lot of them. The other new song had the same gimmick, and it was quite good.
The only parts I didn't like from the Rilo Kiley set is when Blake sang. I don't know about his voice. I hate it. It's not bad, but it's far from good either. It's just so weak, and when he tries to make it stronger, like in "Ripchord," it just doesn't sound good.
However, Blake redeemed himself ten fold during Rilo Kiley's encore where they covered a Pete Townshend's "Let Love Open the Door." This song was done by Rilo Kiley, The Brunettes and Feist all on stage - so this super group formed. I've never heard of this song before, and I thought they were saying "Let Milo Open the Door," which made sense to me at that time. Blake sang lead vocals for this song, accompanied with some light percussions and him playing a ukelele. His voice and that ukelele reminded me of Tiny Tim, but that was quickly erased once the accompanying vocals were emitted.
Overall, this is probably the best Rilo Kiley show I've seen thus far. Of course, I wish they'd play more songs from Take Offs and Landings or at least play "Paint's Peeling" or "Science vs. Romance." Well, they did play "The Execution of All Things" which more than made up for any missing gaps in their set.
Beer Rating: 2 Beers
Thus, with that in mind, my expectations for Rilo Kiley were pretty modest to begin with. I love all their albums, especially The Execution of All Things, so my like for them isn't casual by any means.
Feist opened up for Rilo Kiley and the crowd seem to like her a lot more now compared to her opening slot for Kings of Convenience. It sure helps to have a Juno award under your belt and some publicity, but she put on a good set for the 3 songs that I saw her perform. It wasn't that impressive, but it was not as boring or as dissonant as most other opening bands. She stood alone on stage, using an electric guitar for the songs I saw her perform. I assume she used an acoustic guitar as well, since there was one present by her side.
Rilo Kiley came on shortly thereafter to a thunderous ovation. They opened up with my favourite track from More Adventurous, "It's a Hit." The horns opening up the set livened up the crowd, kind of like how a bugle would rowdy up the French Foreign Legion. A couple more songs from More Adventurous were played, including "Portions for Foxes" and "Does He Love You?" I love "Does He Love You?" live because of Jenny's prolonged "I" towards the middle of the song. Tonight's version is way more upbeat and loud compared to the previous versions I saw.
More songs from More Adventurous were played, but Rilo Kiley also played 2 or 3 new songs as well. The first one was a typical Rilo Kiley song (yeah, I know, really good description), but the clincher for this song is when Blake, Pierre and Jason all sang in unison while sharing one mic. It's one of those cutesy moments of their set, and there were a lot of them. The other new song had the same gimmick, and it was quite good.
The only parts I didn't like from the Rilo Kiley set is when Blake sang. I don't know about his voice. I hate it. It's not bad, but it's far from good either. It's just so weak, and when he tries to make it stronger, like in "Ripchord," it just doesn't sound good.
However, Blake redeemed himself ten fold during Rilo Kiley's encore where they covered a Pete Townshend's "Let Love Open the Door." This song was done by Rilo Kiley, The Brunettes and Feist all on stage - so this super group formed. I've never heard of this song before, and I thought they were saying "Let Milo Open the Door," which made sense to me at that time. Blake sang lead vocals for this song, accompanied with some light percussions and him playing a ukelele. His voice and that ukelele reminded me of Tiny Tim, but that was quickly erased once the accompanying vocals were emitted.
Overall, this is probably the best Rilo Kiley show I've seen thus far. Of course, I wish they'd play more songs from Take Offs and Landings or at least play "Paint's Peeling" or "Science vs. Romance." Well, they did play "The Execution of All Things" which more than made up for any missing gaps in their set.
Beer Rating: 2 Beers
14 June 2005
Doves (Fillmore, 13 June 2005)
Doves played an excellent set at the Fillmore tonight. With a packed house and plenty of booze a flowing and Mary Jane a smokin', the crowd was ready to see this established band play their new songs from the somewhat sub par Lost Cities and their classics. As you know, Doves cancelled their original date at the Fillmore because of lead singer Jimi Goodwin losing his voice. Well, his voice was fine and strong tonight - although he couldn't keep up with the final song as I will describe below.
Doves opened up with an instrumental whose title escapes me at the moment. Accompanying this instrumental was a phenomenal light show that is similar to Kasabian's set-up back at Slim's a few months ago. The Fillmore is a fantastic and beautiful venue, and with the lights shining as they were, you can see the rows of chandeliers at the top. It was a nice start to this set, and there was plenty more where that came from.
They opened up with "New York" from their second album, The Last Broadcast. Accompanying this song was another light spectacular and a video of archive footage from the 1930's and 1940's it seems like, with zepplins and huge cruise ships ala The Titanic. The white backdrop used to project images projected four images in almost an overlapping pattern. It was a nice touch, compared to the traditional one dimensional footage. "New York" was an appropriate start with the strong guitars and the booming drums that accompany it.
The next song, or maybe the one after, was off the new album Some Cities. "Black and White Town," which is their first single off the new album and my personal favourite was played the same way as "New York" with black and white video footage and a great light show. The keyboards, which sounds a lot like "Heatwave," was the highlight of this song.
More songs from Some Cities were played, but those songs didn't get as much loud reception as Doves' older songs such as "There Goes the Fear," which was played as the last song, or "Sea Song" from Lost Souls. The only "old" song that didn't get a good reception was "Last Broadcast," which seemed really dull and repetitive compared to the other songs that they were playing.
Throughout the set, Jimi thanked the crowd for their support throughout the years and how they were so excited to play the Fillmore.
The last song was "Cedar Room," which my friend was longing for the entire night. So was I, but it was a rather disappointing performance of this excellent song. Jimi's vocals were really slow for the fast pace of this song. His vocals seemed as if they were three steps behind, while the music and the backing vocals were three steps ahead. It got annoying to me, but the rest of the crowd didn't mind. It was a good song to end with, but I wished it was done better.
Overall, a great performance by Doves. Although they are good as they are, the accompaniment of the lights and the videos (especially the video for "There Goes the Fear") added so much more to the show.
Beer Rating: 2 Beers
Doves opened up with an instrumental whose title escapes me at the moment. Accompanying this instrumental was a phenomenal light show that is similar to Kasabian's set-up back at Slim's a few months ago. The Fillmore is a fantastic and beautiful venue, and with the lights shining as they were, you can see the rows of chandeliers at the top. It was a nice start to this set, and there was plenty more where that came from.
They opened up with "New York" from their second album, The Last Broadcast. Accompanying this song was another light spectacular and a video of archive footage from the 1930's and 1940's it seems like, with zepplins and huge cruise ships ala The Titanic. The white backdrop used to project images projected four images in almost an overlapping pattern. It was a nice touch, compared to the traditional one dimensional footage. "New York" was an appropriate start with the strong guitars and the booming drums that accompany it.
The next song, or maybe the one after, was off the new album Some Cities. "Black and White Town," which is their first single off the new album and my personal favourite was played the same way as "New York" with black and white video footage and a great light show. The keyboards, which sounds a lot like "Heatwave," was the highlight of this song.
More songs from Some Cities were played, but those songs didn't get as much loud reception as Doves' older songs such as "There Goes the Fear," which was played as the last song, or "Sea Song" from Lost Souls. The only "old" song that didn't get a good reception was "Last Broadcast," which seemed really dull and repetitive compared to the other songs that they were playing.
Throughout the set, Jimi thanked the crowd for their support throughout the years and how they were so excited to play the Fillmore.
The last song was "Cedar Room," which my friend was longing for the entire night. So was I, but it was a rather disappointing performance of this excellent song. Jimi's vocals were really slow for the fast pace of this song. His vocals seemed as if they were three steps behind, while the music and the backing vocals were three steps ahead. It got annoying to me, but the rest of the crowd didn't mind. It was a good song to end with, but I wished it was done better.
Overall, a great performance by Doves. Although they are good as they are, the accompaniment of the lights and the videos (especially the video for "There Goes the Fear") added so much more to the show.
Beer Rating: 2 Beers
13 June 2005
Gravy Train!!! / Hey Will Power (Cafe Du Nord, 11 June 2005)
So, the kids were out tonight yet again at Cafe Du Nord. I thought only Popscene attracted the hordes of kids with the black X on their hands. Well, there was a whole sea of them at the Gravy Train!!! and Hey Will Power show tonight. Which made me feel like an old fart because I am almost a decade older than some of these shorties. And there were a lot of short people tonight. Why? I have no clue. I hope the next generation of kids aren't fulfilling their USDA daily requirement of vitamins because they're not growing!
I arrived late because I think I just sold my server to Al Qaeda and had to show them how to use the server. It was around 11pm when I arrived which was fortunately just in time to see Hey Will Power. I have no idea how this band sounds like. I thought that they would sound a lot like Gravy Train with a bunch of basic beats and a lot of shouting. Kind of like Bis in the old days. And with an established artist like Will Schwartz from Imperial Teen at vocals, I thought this was going to be a synth rock spectacular. Well, it was synth based, but nobody ever prepared me for what I was about to see.
Hey Will Power consists of Mr. Schwartz, two dancers (guy and girl) and another guy manning the iBook and the synths. Schwartz's vocals and lyrics are reminiscent of the boy bands of yesteryear. This guy was like Justin Timberlake and his voice was awesome! The choreography was pretty good too, but don't expect anything like Janet Jackson or even Backstreet Boys precision in these dances. The dancing was utterly simple, but brilliantly executed. The matching outfits added that extra "umph" to this indie R&B spectacle. I enjoyed their set a lot, but I wondered whether they are ridiculing the current state of boy band R&B or are they just having fun and liking what they do. I'm still confused, but I think it's the latter. The kids loved it too.
Gravy Train!!! was next and these guys are just downright infectious. The last time I saw them at Oakland's Mile High Club, they were very entertaining, although I opted to stay behind rather than get myself tangled up in all the dancing and raucous kids. Well, this time I didn't feel so inhibited and just went right in with the crowd. I barely know any of their songs, but I did know one and that was enough for me to dance like a mad man. The crowd was so crazy (it's the craziest crowd I've ever at seen Cafe Du Nord) that members of Gravy Train!!! urged the folks to just take a few steps back so as to not squash the people in front. Well, despite doing that, the members of Gravy Train!!! kept on crowd surfing, so that really didn't help to quell the excitement.
All this dancing got me and my friends to want more dancing. We went to Arrow Bar as a last ditch effort for some dancing during Frisco Disco, but that was disappointing. We then continued dancing at my house and didn't fall asleep until 5am or so.
Overall, a truly fun night of dancing. I highly recommend seeing both bands.
Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers
I arrived late because I think I just sold my server to Al Qaeda and had to show them how to use the server. It was around 11pm when I arrived which was fortunately just in time to see Hey Will Power. I have no idea how this band sounds like. I thought that they would sound a lot like Gravy Train with a bunch of basic beats and a lot of shouting. Kind of like Bis in the old days. And with an established artist like Will Schwartz from Imperial Teen at vocals, I thought this was going to be a synth rock spectacular. Well, it was synth based, but nobody ever prepared me for what I was about to see.
Hey Will Power consists of Mr. Schwartz, two dancers (guy and girl) and another guy manning the iBook and the synths. Schwartz's vocals and lyrics are reminiscent of the boy bands of yesteryear. This guy was like Justin Timberlake and his voice was awesome! The choreography was pretty good too, but don't expect anything like Janet Jackson or even Backstreet Boys precision in these dances. The dancing was utterly simple, but brilliantly executed. The matching outfits added that extra "umph" to this indie R&B spectacle. I enjoyed their set a lot, but I wondered whether they are ridiculing the current state of boy band R&B or are they just having fun and liking what they do. I'm still confused, but I think it's the latter. The kids loved it too.
Gravy Train!!! was next and these guys are just downright infectious. The last time I saw them at Oakland's Mile High Club, they were very entertaining, although I opted to stay behind rather than get myself tangled up in all the dancing and raucous kids. Well, this time I didn't feel so inhibited and just went right in with the crowd. I barely know any of their songs, but I did know one and that was enough for me to dance like a mad man. The crowd was so crazy (it's the craziest crowd I've ever at seen Cafe Du Nord) that members of Gravy Train!!! urged the folks to just take a few steps back so as to not squash the people in front. Well, despite doing that, the members of Gravy Train!!! kept on crowd surfing, so that really didn't help to quell the excitement.
All this dancing got me and my friends to want more dancing. We went to Arrow Bar as a last ditch effort for some dancing during Frisco Disco, but that was disappointing. We then continued dancing at my house and didn't fall asleep until 5am or so.
Overall, a truly fun night of dancing. I highly recommend seeing both bands.
Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers
The National / Menomena / Robbers on High Street (Cafe Du Nord, 10 June 2005)
The weekend is back and I was determined to have a good time. This Friday was chock full of events. With this show at Cafe Du Nord featuring at least two good bands and possible dancing and rock star gazing over at Mezzanine for the BFD After Party, the night looked promising. The grand plan was to stop by Mezzanine at around 9:30pm to get our hand stamped so we can enter the BFD Afterparty for free and without wait. Then, after that, go to Cafe Du Nord and catch Robbers on High Street on. Then go back to Mezzanine.
Well, we got our hand stamp so we were all set with that.
Off we go to Cafe Du Nord where we were just in time to catch Robbers on High Street. This band opened up for several shows here in San Francisco - all of which I probably attended and all of which I definitely skipped Robbers on High Street. Not that I hate the band, but they never really caught my interest until I heard one of their songs in a Filter free CD. The song, whose title I forget, was alright and it had that "happy" piano beat to it which was good enough to catch my attention.
Robbers on High Street were alright, but it was odd for me to figure out why they would put these guys on the same bill as The National. If the schtick was to put bands that start off as progressively happy and cheery and end the show with a band that is the complete antithesis of that previous genre, then by all means it worked. Robbers on High Street attracted more people than The National apparently. I don't know why, but I figure it's because the songs are more appealing to the folks at Cafe Du Nord that night compared to The National. Overall, Robbers on High Street were solid, with Ben Trokan providing solid vocals and the occassional "happy piano" for these New Yorkers. The songs were well received by the crowd and everyone seemed pleased by it.
Menomena followed Robbers on High Street much to my surprise. I thought these guys went on already, just because I wanted to go dancing immediately, but oh well. Menomena (not to be confused with Phenomenauts (a rap group) or Mesothelioma (the cancer from asbestos)), these Portland, Oregon based trio perform multiple instruments and create some experimental noise. I've never heard of them, so I was open to listening to a new band. Well, they didn't really do much for me. I guess I wasn't feeling "experimental indie" that night, but I can see why this band could be good. My friend thinks they're good, but I beg to slightly differ. Regardless, they bored me so I proceeded to stay back and down some Newcastles.
The National came on after 12am after taking a hell of a long time setting up and doing soundcheck. Their 2003 release, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, is apparently very good although I'm only familiar with their most recent release, Alligator. Matt Berringer's vocals are very good, and it even translated well live. The band seemed to be pretty solid with the brothers Devendorf to be in full sync with one another. However, I didn't enjoy their set and I was falling asleep at this point. It's a combination of being tired from a long work week, the number of beers imbibed and my craving to do some dancing (just to wake me up at least). This should be expected since The National isn't exactly "happy piano" music like Robbers or even experimental like Menomena. Their brand of music is super mellow, meshing in some properties of Brit rock and then some indie country jangles. This brand of mellowness was almost a lullaby to me.
We left mid-set, so we can at least get some dancing going on at Mezzanine. One friend of mine thought The National were utter shit live, but still liked their releases. Some bands just don't translate well live, and The National were one of them.
Well, the Mezzanine party was dead after 1:30am and all that was left there were the Foo Fighter crowd. Although the sight of members of Ash somewhat made up for the lack of beautiful people in the crowd, and not to mention decent music to dance to (stop with the mash-ups already!), the BFD night was disappointing. Thank goodness I didn't pay to get in there.
Beer Rating: 4 Beers
Well, we got our hand stamp so we were all set with that.
Off we go to Cafe Du Nord where we were just in time to catch Robbers on High Street. This band opened up for several shows here in San Francisco - all of which I probably attended and all of which I definitely skipped Robbers on High Street. Not that I hate the band, but they never really caught my interest until I heard one of their songs in a Filter free CD. The song, whose title I forget, was alright and it had that "happy" piano beat to it which was good enough to catch my attention.
Robbers on High Street were alright, but it was odd for me to figure out why they would put these guys on the same bill as The National. If the schtick was to put bands that start off as progressively happy and cheery and end the show with a band that is the complete antithesis of that previous genre, then by all means it worked. Robbers on High Street attracted more people than The National apparently. I don't know why, but I figure it's because the songs are more appealing to the folks at Cafe Du Nord that night compared to The National. Overall, Robbers on High Street were solid, with Ben Trokan providing solid vocals and the occassional "happy piano" for these New Yorkers. The songs were well received by the crowd and everyone seemed pleased by it.
Menomena followed Robbers on High Street much to my surprise. I thought these guys went on already, just because I wanted to go dancing immediately, but oh well. Menomena (not to be confused with Phenomenauts (a rap group) or Mesothelioma (the cancer from asbestos)), these Portland, Oregon based trio perform multiple instruments and create some experimental noise. I've never heard of them, so I was open to listening to a new band. Well, they didn't really do much for me. I guess I wasn't feeling "experimental indie" that night, but I can see why this band could be good. My friend thinks they're good, but I beg to slightly differ. Regardless, they bored me so I proceeded to stay back and down some Newcastles.
The National came on after 12am after taking a hell of a long time setting up and doing soundcheck. Their 2003 release, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, is apparently very good although I'm only familiar with their most recent release, Alligator. Matt Berringer's vocals are very good, and it even translated well live. The band seemed to be pretty solid with the brothers Devendorf to be in full sync with one another. However, I didn't enjoy their set and I was falling asleep at this point. It's a combination of being tired from a long work week, the number of beers imbibed and my craving to do some dancing (just to wake me up at least). This should be expected since The National isn't exactly "happy piano" music like Robbers or even experimental like Menomena. Their brand of music is super mellow, meshing in some properties of Brit rock and then some indie country jangles. This brand of mellowness was almost a lullaby to me.
We left mid-set, so we can at least get some dancing going on at Mezzanine. One friend of mine thought The National were utter shit live, but still liked their releases. Some bands just don't translate well live, and The National were one of them.
Well, the Mezzanine party was dead after 1:30am and all that was left there were the Foo Fighter crowd. Although the sight of members of Ash somewhat made up for the lack of beautiful people in the crowd, and not to mention decent music to dance to (stop with the mash-ups already!), the BFD night was disappointing. Thank goodness I didn't pay to get in there.
Beer Rating: 4 Beers
04 June 2005
Out Hud (Bottom of the Hill, 3 June 2005)
I have to be honest, I wasn't really feeling like going to a show tonight. I just wanted to relax for a bit and then go all out on Saturday or Sunday. I also had a lot of things to take care of, so it would have been nice to get Friday evening off. Alas, I go to the show. I have no regrets in going to see Out Hud, but it would have been better if I was a bit more into it.
Out Hud has a great album out called Let Us Never Speak of it Again. In it, they have some of their most outstanding songs to date. I also here that they put on a good show, enticing the crowd to dance and just get krrrazy.
No falsity in the advertising here. They came on close to midnight and played an electrifying set to a sold out crowd. Although they were in dire need of towels in the beginning, they got into the groove by playing some of the better songs in their recent release and a couple from S.T.R.E.E.T.D.A.D. like "This Bum's Paid."
Songs like "It's For You" with its awesome drum beats and that weird noise intertwined in there kept the crowd alive and hopping. The subtle female vocals were perfect, although it could have been better than perfect if it weren't for the sound that Bottom of the Hill is notorious for. As much as I wanted to stay to enjoy this song, I had to go outside since the restrooms were blocked.
See, all of this would have been great if I were into it. I was just tired and my friends weren't into it either. I felt like I was going to be into it, but that quickly went away. I don't blame Out Hud for this, but it's just my own quirk. Out Hud put on a great show, and I would have enjoyed it more if I were into it.
Beer Rating: 3.5 Beers
Out Hud has a great album out called Let Us Never Speak of it Again. In it, they have some of their most outstanding songs to date. I also here that they put on a good show, enticing the crowd to dance and just get krrrazy.
No falsity in the advertising here. They came on close to midnight and played an electrifying set to a sold out crowd. Although they were in dire need of towels in the beginning, they got into the groove by playing some of the better songs in their recent release and a couple from S.T.R.E.E.T.D.A.D. like "This Bum's Paid."
Songs like "It's For You" with its awesome drum beats and that weird noise intertwined in there kept the crowd alive and hopping. The subtle female vocals were perfect, although it could have been better than perfect if it weren't for the sound that Bottom of the Hill is notorious for. As much as I wanted to stay to enjoy this song, I had to go outside since the restrooms were blocked.
See, all of this would have been great if I were into it. I was just tired and my friends weren't into it either. I felt like I was going to be into it, but that quickly went away. I don't blame Out Hud for this, but it's just my own quirk. Out Hud put on a great show, and I would have enjoyed it more if I were into it.
Beer Rating: 3.5 Beers
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