Whoa.
Pyrotechnics?
A bonfire in the back from a tin can?
Bikers?
Drunk men and women of various ages, styles, and degree of attractiveness?
Full on marching band complete with cheerleader strippers?
A 24 pack of Sierra and assorted Bass and Stella's at hand?
And a boxing ring in the middle where there are two girls wrestling each other with their bare hands?
All this for $5? Either I was in a real-life Fight Club or the bible got hell all wrong.
Welcome to the spectacle that is the East Bay Rats Fight Party & Carnival. This thing was probably the weirdest and most obscure thing I have ever seen. Yet, it was probably the most surreal and one of the most memorable nights I've had in a while.
As my friends and I were walking towards the warehouse, we can hear the loud sounds of engines, explosions, and the roar of the crowd from the inside. When we reached the entrance, a whole line of motorcycles were outside and was accompanied by a Volkswagen van that was so altered that the guys from Pimp My Ride would have been proud of it. I didn't know what to expect, especially since this isn't a scene that I'm really familiar with. I honestly thought, at that point, that I made a big mistake dragging my friends to this event.
However, all those preconceived notions were immediately thrown out the window when my eyes were greeted to the sight of a boxing ring where two guys were slugging the living crap out of each other. I was intrigued, so I moved closer. After I reached for a beer in my friend's bag, I suddenly became more into the event, becoming more thrilled as each punch landed. After this bout, I looked around and was amazed by the environment. Plenty of people all around of different backgrounds and ethnicities, a huge pyrotechnic set up in the far corner, a huge stage on the left for the band, and a blazing bonfire in the back. This was awesome!
My attention immediately focused on the ring yet again when a semi-attractive woman and her alleged sister or friend engaged in a wrestling match. At first, the match was boring because they would pull their hair and immediately both would end up on the mat. But then, the fight got better. At the start, these two girls were playful with one another, but now they are turning into bitter enemies. The hair tugging was more intense, there was real anger in each of their faces, more pushing and shoving, and then...the kicking started. Oh, yes! This was such a beautiful sight.
More of these types of matches went on and time definitely flew by. Most of the matches involving the men were entertaining, but some of them were just way too drunk to fight. For example, Fu Man Chu vs. Smitty was a great match to watch, but Smitty was way too drunk and everytime he would throw a punch, he would be falling soon thereafter. Fu Man Chu did get some good hits in there since Smitty was bleeding for most of the time. Another was the battle of the Big Black Guys, where the guy that belonged to the East Bay Rats was clearly drunk out of his mind to fight. They did give it a good go, but both of them were too tired and drunk to continue.
The girl fights were definitely the highlight of the evening because, let's face it, they're more entertaining to watch! DKNY vs. Whitie was a good one, with DKNY (a rather large African-American woman) got some good hooks and jabs against Whitie. However, despite the mismatch, Whitie stood her ground and fought DKNY hard. Another match was the Asian Girl with the Pink Streaks vs. Girl with Red Shirt. Asian Girl landed some great punches on Red's head and torsoe, and vice versa. Definitely the highlight match of the night, with Asian girl winning the bout.
While all these matches were unfolding, bands would play on the sidestage. Two punk bands played but were largely ignored by the crowd because they sucked. However, the Extra Action Marching Band stole the entire event. This group consisted of a full on marching band and they sounded fabulous, especially since their tunes were accompanied by people beating the crap out of one another. Then, the cheerleader strippers, which consisted of two flat chested women and one man with a thong performed cheers for the crowd while Extra Action were playing. It was fantastic! However, the dude with the thong was just way too disgusting to look at. Grotesque!
Overall, a memorable night. One of the most entertaining and awesome spectacles to date!
Beer Rating: 1 Beer
26 January 2005
The French Kicks (Bottom of the Hill, 22 January 2005)
It was a chilly Saturday evening in San Francisco as I arrived at the Bottom of the Hill. Surprisingly, there was a line outside the door full of kids waiting in the hope that the venue wouldn't fill to capacity. The place was packed and I was just checking to see whether I was at Arcade Fire again or something. Because, I would have never thought that the French Kicks would attract this many people.
So, yes, the place was packed. It was as if I was a lost cow in Coalinga - just going through herds upon herds of bodies. As I was trying to find my way through the place, Dios (or Dios Malos) were playing. I only have their EP, the really good Los Arboles EP. They played many songs that were, obviously, not on the EP and I found them rather enjoyable, although a bit repetitive. Repetitive in a sense that Kevin Morales' voice doesn't vary much and their songs blend some classy pop elements without any sort of "adventure" in any of their instrumentation. Probably the most enjoyable part of their set was when some woman decided to take Kevin's beer and splashed its contents on him, partially getting his equipment wet. I stiill don't know what was behind that fiasco, but apparently the band knew who this woman was.
On came the French Kicks a short time later. I couldn't believe how tall Nick was. I mean, I saw therm perform on Later with Carson Daly and knew he was tall, but he seemed taller than life on stage. I was excited to see this band, since their new album, The Trial of the Century, was a dramatic improvement over their debut release, One Time Bells. The band started off with their "hit" off One Time Bells "Wrong Side." This immediately ignited the crowd, and caught my attention. I was surprised that they played this song first, since it is a type of song that a band would save for their encore. The band were into it, with Nick playfully eyeing the crowd.
However, that was probably the best moment of the Kicks' entire set. The songs from that point just all blended together, and the band themselves weren't exactly the most exciting to watch on stage. "Don't Thank Me" was played well, but it failed to really catch my attention. "Oh Fine" did catch my attention, with Nick clapping his hands, but I was so inattentive after the opening drums that I almost fell asleep.
I think this review is really unfair on The Kicks because I really do think that they are an excellent band, with strong tunes. However, I may have to categorize them as one of those bands that you can just listen over and over again on your iPod but yet feel empty when you see them live. Although Nick makes a great effort in trying to entertain (the man looks like Topher Grace to me, but that's my opinion), the band just lacks the "ooomph" that I thought would be forthcoming.
Then again, I love Oasis and they don't do jack shit on stage. Eh, go figure.
Beer Rating: 3.5 Beers
So, yes, the place was packed. It was as if I was a lost cow in Coalinga - just going through herds upon herds of bodies. As I was trying to find my way through the place, Dios (or Dios Malos) were playing. I only have their EP, the really good Los Arboles EP. They played many songs that were, obviously, not on the EP and I found them rather enjoyable, although a bit repetitive. Repetitive in a sense that Kevin Morales' voice doesn't vary much and their songs blend some classy pop elements without any sort of "adventure" in any of their instrumentation. Probably the most enjoyable part of their set was when some woman decided to take Kevin's beer and splashed its contents on him, partially getting his equipment wet. I stiill don't know what was behind that fiasco, but apparently the band knew who this woman was.
On came the French Kicks a short time later. I couldn't believe how tall Nick was. I mean, I saw therm perform on Later with Carson Daly and knew he was tall, but he seemed taller than life on stage. I was excited to see this band, since their new album, The Trial of the Century, was a dramatic improvement over their debut release, One Time Bells. The band started off with their "hit" off One Time Bells "Wrong Side." This immediately ignited the crowd, and caught my attention. I was surprised that they played this song first, since it is a type of song that a band would save for their encore. The band were into it, with Nick playfully eyeing the crowd.
However, that was probably the best moment of the Kicks' entire set. The songs from that point just all blended together, and the band themselves weren't exactly the most exciting to watch on stage. "Don't Thank Me" was played well, but it failed to really catch my attention. "Oh Fine" did catch my attention, with Nick clapping his hands, but I was so inattentive after the opening drums that I almost fell asleep.
I think this review is really unfair on The Kicks because I really do think that they are an excellent band, with strong tunes. However, I may have to categorize them as one of those bands that you can just listen over and over again on your iPod but yet feel empty when you see them live. Although Nick makes a great effort in trying to entertain (the man looks like Topher Grace to me, but that's my opinion), the band just lacks the "ooomph" that I thought would be forthcoming.
Then again, I love Oasis and they don't do jack shit on stage. Eh, go figure.
Beer Rating: 3.5 Beers
22 January 2005
The Bravery (Cafe Du Nord, 21 January 2005)
Let's see:
1. Scenester Hair? Check.
2. Scenester Outfits? Check.
3. Booming guitars ? Check.
4. Accompanied by synths? Check.
5. Stage presence? Check.
6. Good music? Umm...good music? Anywhere?
The checklist above represents how the Bravery were like. All looks, no music. This is the new buzz band of the moment and NME is already heralding this band as the next Franz Ferdinand or the next Killers. Are they kidding me? You know, NME has mislead me many times throughout the years. When they said that Gay Dad back in 1997 was the next Blur, I bit on the bait and was sorely disappointed. Oasis' Be Here Now as the greatest Oasis release? Yeah right! I should have learned my fucking lesson when the NME said the same about the Bravery.
Don't get me wrong. On MP3, the Bravery can churn out the tunes. The incredibly catchy "Honest Mistake," "Unconditional," and "Fearless" are outrageously dancy that I find myself strutting down Market St. on my iPod sometimes. But such songs, for some reason didn't translate well live.
First, the Bravery were hindered by a non-working mic on the first 3 songs of their set. This immediately made me disinterested in their proceeding songs. Although the instrumentation was very strong, not being able to hear the lead singer's voice made the first 3 songs unbearable. In fact, I was yawning uncontrollably during these songs, despite "Unconditional" and "No Brakes" being a part of those songs.
Second, the crowd in the back sucked. There was no energy back there and it showed. Maybe because they were as turned off as I was with the mic being off, but others just didn't give a shit. It seemed like we were suckered by all the hype behind this band and we didn't get anything.
Third, even when the Bravery were audible, the lead singer's voice was just not strong enough for the mediocre PAs of Cafe Du Nord. His voice did not carry and it didn't enable me to be even remotely interested. Even "Honest Mistake," which is my favourite song by the Bravery, was just plain flat. Even their covers were flat. It just never flowed.
Finally, there were many personal circumstances which prevented me from enjoying this show. After seeing The Arcade Fire three times before this show, the Bravery had a lot to live up to. I wanted theatrics, like how Will and Richard would bash each other. I wanted a strong voices like Win. I wanted eye candy with the band like Regine. See what I mean? It was just not fair for the Bravery under the circumstances.
Without the music, your band of pretty boys is just that . . . a bunch of pretty boys. Haven't these guys learned from The Faint? They needed more synths! Hell, more cowbell would be great too!
This was how bad the Bravery were: their openers were better than they were. The first band sounded like how the Bravery would have sounded like if their mic worked. Honestly, I thought it was the Bravery playing when in fact it was only the opener. Even the Peels, which is a female fronted band which is not new wave band unlike the two others, energized the crowd with their strong guitarwork and the lead singer's Karen O. like presence.
Beer Rating: 4.5 Beers
1. Scenester Hair? Check.
2. Scenester Outfits? Check.
3. Booming guitars ? Check.
4. Accompanied by synths? Check.
5. Stage presence? Check.
6. Good music? Umm...good music? Anywhere?
The checklist above represents how the Bravery were like. All looks, no music. This is the new buzz band of the moment and NME is already heralding this band as the next Franz Ferdinand or the next Killers. Are they kidding me? You know, NME has mislead me many times throughout the years. When they said that Gay Dad back in 1997 was the next Blur, I bit on the bait and was sorely disappointed. Oasis' Be Here Now as the greatest Oasis release? Yeah right! I should have learned my fucking lesson when the NME said the same about the Bravery.
Don't get me wrong. On MP3, the Bravery can churn out the tunes. The incredibly catchy "Honest Mistake," "Unconditional," and "Fearless" are outrageously dancy that I find myself strutting down Market St. on my iPod sometimes. But such songs, for some reason didn't translate well live.
First, the Bravery were hindered by a non-working mic on the first 3 songs of their set. This immediately made me disinterested in their proceeding songs. Although the instrumentation was very strong, not being able to hear the lead singer's voice made the first 3 songs unbearable. In fact, I was yawning uncontrollably during these songs, despite "Unconditional" and "No Brakes" being a part of those songs.
Second, the crowd in the back sucked. There was no energy back there and it showed. Maybe because they were as turned off as I was with the mic being off, but others just didn't give a shit. It seemed like we were suckered by all the hype behind this band and we didn't get anything.
Third, even when the Bravery were audible, the lead singer's voice was just not strong enough for the mediocre PAs of Cafe Du Nord. His voice did not carry and it didn't enable me to be even remotely interested. Even "Honest Mistake," which is my favourite song by the Bravery, was just plain flat. Even their covers were flat. It just never flowed.
Finally, there were many personal circumstances which prevented me from enjoying this show. After seeing The Arcade Fire three times before this show, the Bravery had a lot to live up to. I wanted theatrics, like how Will and Richard would bash each other. I wanted a strong voices like Win. I wanted eye candy with the band like Regine. See what I mean? It was just not fair for the Bravery under the circumstances.
Without the music, your band of pretty boys is just that . . . a bunch of pretty boys. Haven't these guys learned from The Faint? They needed more synths! Hell, more cowbell would be great too!
This was how bad the Bravery were: their openers were better than they were. The first band sounded like how the Bravery would have sounded like if their mic worked. Honestly, I thought it was the Bravery playing when in fact it was only the opener. Even the Peels, which is a female fronted band which is not new wave band unlike the two others, energized the crowd with their strong guitarwork and the lead singer's Karen O. like presence.
Beer Rating: 4.5 Beers
18 January 2005
The Arcade Fire (The Troubadour, Los Angeles, 16 January 2005 [1st Show])
What a crazed, maniacal fan am I. After seeing Arcade Fire for two straight nights at the GAMH, and missing their third night there due to a trip to L.A. that weekend, I decided to shell out the bucks and see them (again) in L.A. This time, the venue was the Troubadour and I went to see the Arcade Fire play their early show on Sunday night. As you may already know, Arcade Fire had a two day, three show residency at the famed Troubadour, with them playing two shows on Sunday: a 6:30pm matinee and a 9:30pm prime time show.
Opening bands Tyco B and Final Fantasy once again joined the Arcade Fire on this part of the tour. The schedule was tight, so each opener was relegated to a set amount of time (30 minutes max). At around 7pm, members of the Arcade Fire started to enter the venue. At one point, during a brief pause in the Final Fantasy set, I yelled out, "Hey Win!" and Win looked around to see who it was. I raised my beer to assert my presence, he looked at me weird, but nonetheless waved hello. Yeah, I'm a freak. My girlfriend thought so at least.
At 7:45pm, Arcade Fire came on. Unlike their San Francisco shows, where they opened with "Wake Up" and "Laika," they instead opened up with "Tunnels" and, I believe, "Crown of Love." The set was shorter because of the time constraints, with standard setlist songs like "In the Backseat" and the Talking Heads cover of "This is the Place" missing from the setlist. Regardless, core favourites of mine like, "Power Out" and "No Cars Go" were present. Win called the early crowd the "polite crowd," since the night before, the L.A. crowd was really loud and active.
In the middle of the set, Win invited the singer of Tyco B on stage for them to perform "Cars and Phones," which is a demo performed by the Arcade Fire when the Tyco B singer was part of the band. Win said, "the San Francisco crowd asked for this song, so after a couple of days of rehearsing it, here it is." Apparently, this song is available on some P2P sites, but I have yet to hear the demo version. However, this live version is absolutely amazing and is very worthy of being an A-side in any upcoming Arcade Fire release. It's one of the softer songs, with heavy strings and acoustic guitar accompanying it.
The stage antics were again present here, with Richard and Will knocking the crap out of anything solid during "Laika," which was the last song of the main set. The band came on to perform one encore, "Wake Up," which was, yet again spine chilling from beginning to end.
After the short set, the crowd obviously wanted more! Talk was abundant amongst the audience on how they could sneak into the sold out second show. Others were saying that this was the "best show ever!" Nonetheless, the crowd was not disappointed and I'm absolutely certain that when Arcade Fire come around L.A. again, these same people will be there and they will take a few friends along to witness the glory. I brought my girlfriend along and thought that Arcade Fire put on an amazing show, so much so that she is probably listening to their album right now as I type.
Beer Rating: 0.5 Beers (just because it's shorter and it's in L.A.)
Opening bands Tyco B and Final Fantasy once again joined the Arcade Fire on this part of the tour. The schedule was tight, so each opener was relegated to a set amount of time (30 minutes max). At around 7pm, members of the Arcade Fire started to enter the venue. At one point, during a brief pause in the Final Fantasy set, I yelled out, "Hey Win!" and Win looked around to see who it was. I raised my beer to assert my presence, he looked at me weird, but nonetheless waved hello. Yeah, I'm a freak. My girlfriend thought so at least.
At 7:45pm, Arcade Fire came on. Unlike their San Francisco shows, where they opened with "Wake Up" and "Laika," they instead opened up with "Tunnels" and, I believe, "Crown of Love." The set was shorter because of the time constraints, with standard setlist songs like "In the Backseat" and the Talking Heads cover of "This is the Place" missing from the setlist. Regardless, core favourites of mine like, "Power Out" and "No Cars Go" were present. Win called the early crowd the "polite crowd," since the night before, the L.A. crowd was really loud and active.
In the middle of the set, Win invited the singer of Tyco B on stage for them to perform "Cars and Phones," which is a demo performed by the Arcade Fire when the Tyco B singer was part of the band. Win said, "the San Francisco crowd asked for this song, so after a couple of days of rehearsing it, here it is." Apparently, this song is available on some P2P sites, but I have yet to hear the demo version. However, this live version is absolutely amazing and is very worthy of being an A-side in any upcoming Arcade Fire release. It's one of the softer songs, with heavy strings and acoustic guitar accompanying it.
The stage antics were again present here, with Richard and Will knocking the crap out of anything solid during "Laika," which was the last song of the main set. The band came on to perform one encore, "Wake Up," which was, yet again spine chilling from beginning to end.
After the short set, the crowd obviously wanted more! Talk was abundant amongst the audience on how they could sneak into the sold out second show. Others were saying that this was the "best show ever!" Nonetheless, the crowd was not disappointed and I'm absolutely certain that when Arcade Fire come around L.A. again, these same people will be there and they will take a few friends along to witness the glory. I brought my girlfriend along and thought that Arcade Fire put on an amazing show, so much so that she is probably listening to their album right now as I type.
Beer Rating: 0.5 Beers (just because it's shorter and it's in L.A.)
14 January 2005
The Arcade Fire (GAMH, 13 January 2005)
Remeber how things that comes in two's are good? Wouldn't it be better if things came in three's? Such as three strikes against the opposing team? Three day weekends? Three wishes from a genie in a bottle (preferably not Christina Aguilera . . . well, maybe)? How does seeing three Arcade Fire shows in a month sound? Too good to be true? Well, add seeing them three times to the list.
Like my previous post, I thought that seeing them for the third time, the recent two in consecutive nights, will erode my interest and "awe" in them. And at the very beginning of their set during their second night at GAMH, I thought that albeit for only a brief moment. My friends and I secured a really good spot this time, front and center, to see the band in all their glory. Unfortunately, that spot had its consequences: we had to stand there and perish as opening bands Tyco B and Final Fantasy did their bit. Granted, I came in late (as usual) and saw Final Fantasy, but his schtick immediately wore off. This is especially the case when he did his avante garde bit with the yelling into the violin and even more random fits of shouting. Although Owen is very talented, I think his role is better suited as Arcade Fire's second violinist.
Arcade Fire came on much quicker this time, since their set-up is practically rooted at the GAMH stage for the next three nights. There really is no incentive to disassemble and re-arrange from the previous night. Like last night's show, the band came on with the same stage outfits and opened with the same two songs, "Wake Up" and "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)."
Although the same two songs came on, they were noticeably different from the night before. First, "Wake Up" didn't seem so great the third time around. Although it is still my favourite song from the album Funeral, the in unison shout of the band didn't seem to be that strong tonight. Maybe it was where I was standing, where the speakers were weirdly aligned, or maybe it's because of my "been there, done that" attitude at that point, or, and this is the most logical reason, it may be because of Win's initial guitar problems, but it just wasn't the same. However, that feeling quickly disappeared towards the last and final group shout. The shivers came back and it was more intense than ever. The below 5'7" crowd I was around was jumping and dancing at the last minutes of the song. The crowd was into it, and then I became into it.
"Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" [pictured above] was also different because, apparently, someone stole Will's blue helmet. Win then threatened the crowd, albeit jokingly, that if he sees the helmet on eBay, he will kill the person! The absence of the helmet really changed the dynamics of the song because, usually, Will goes ape shit with that helmet on and does really bad things. Like smash walls! I was looking forward to him smashing more walls, but this time no such smashing was to be found. However, Richard did climb up the speaker and ignited the crowd with his helmet bashing. Will proceeded to do other things that are even more electrifying compared to last nights. At this point, I was thinking, "Damn it! I LOVE THIS BAND!!"
"No Cars Go" was the next song. At this point, Win was urging the crowd to stop acting as if the GAMH was a museum. Although the GAMH did look like a museum, I really didn't understand this remark because it seemed like the crowd was even more into it tonight compared to the night before. Another fantastic rendition of this Arcade Fire staple. Will was his usual crazy self, playing the guitar wildly and marching back and forth throughout the stage. At one point, Win had enough of his shenanigans and Win took the mic cord and wrapped it around the neck of his brother and proceeded to strangle him. We were in shock! But it made for great entertainment. Also, Win was slightly injured in this set because he hit his head on the mic. This produced some bloodshed and that's probably why he choked his brother. It was pure foreshadowing because more antics involving bodily harm were to come up.
Regine was as dazzling as ever when she was playing the steel drums during Arcade Fire's rendition of the Talking Head's "This is the Place" [see above]. She was playing with the crowd the entire time, raising her arms and playing "peek-a-boo." She's so cute! Why must she be all chummy with Win. Yeah, the guy's her husband. And they are madly in love as evidenced by her signing a friend's EP (my friend's name is Edwin, and she wrote edWIN and placed smiley faces and hears around WIN - argh!!!). I'm happy for them . . . I guess. But I digress.
Not sure what was next, but maybe it was "Haiti."
As the band powered through the rest of the album, including my new favourite renditions of "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Crown of Love," the band came back for their first encore. Like last night, the flash lights were back as, "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" came on. At this point, Win said, to some extent, that this song will end the museum-ness of the venue. Surely, it did. Everyone was having an epileptic seizure it seems like, with their bodies shaking, knees buckling, and facial expressions that are just plain weird. Yeah, I was one of them. Win was really into it that he stood in front of the drums and climbed on it. The man almost fell over, nearly injured the drummer, and severely injured Bessy the Cow.
The last song played was "Backseat." As the song was ending, the group began their moaning all at once bit, then in funeral procession like fashion, marched off stage carrying a tambourine. A fitting ending to a fantastic show.
A fucking amazing show! So much show that I bought tickets for their L.A. gig on Sunday.
By the way, the awesome pictures above were taken by Sara. Thanks Sara!
Beer Rating: 0.0000000000000001 Beers
Like my previous post, I thought that seeing them for the third time, the recent two in consecutive nights, will erode my interest and "awe" in them. And at the very beginning of their set during their second night at GAMH, I thought that albeit for only a brief moment. My friends and I secured a really good spot this time, front and center, to see the band in all their glory. Unfortunately, that spot had its consequences: we had to stand there and perish as opening bands Tyco B and Final Fantasy did their bit. Granted, I came in late (as usual) and saw Final Fantasy, but his schtick immediately wore off. This is especially the case when he did his avante garde bit with the yelling into the violin and even more random fits of shouting. Although Owen is very talented, I think his role is better suited as Arcade Fire's second violinist.
Arcade Fire came on much quicker this time, since their set-up is practically rooted at the GAMH stage for the next three nights. There really is no incentive to disassemble and re-arrange from the previous night. Like last night's show, the band came on with the same stage outfits and opened with the same two songs, "Wake Up" and "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)."
Although the same two songs came on, they were noticeably different from the night before. First, "Wake Up" didn't seem so great the third time around. Although it is still my favourite song from the album Funeral, the in unison shout of the band didn't seem to be that strong tonight. Maybe it was where I was standing, where the speakers were weirdly aligned, or maybe it's because of my "been there, done that" attitude at that point, or, and this is the most logical reason, it may be because of Win's initial guitar problems, but it just wasn't the same. However, that feeling quickly disappeared towards the last and final group shout. The shivers came back and it was more intense than ever. The below 5'7" crowd I was around was jumping and dancing at the last minutes of the song. The crowd was into it, and then I became into it.
"Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" [pictured above] was also different because, apparently, someone stole Will's blue helmet. Win then threatened the crowd, albeit jokingly, that if he sees the helmet on eBay, he will kill the person! The absence of the helmet really changed the dynamics of the song because, usually, Will goes ape shit with that helmet on and does really bad things. Like smash walls! I was looking forward to him smashing more walls, but this time no such smashing was to be found. However, Richard did climb up the speaker and ignited the crowd with his helmet bashing. Will proceeded to do other things that are even more electrifying compared to last nights. At this point, I was thinking, "Damn it! I LOVE THIS BAND!!"
"No Cars Go" was the next song. At this point, Win was urging the crowd to stop acting as if the GAMH was a museum. Although the GAMH did look like a museum, I really didn't understand this remark because it seemed like the crowd was even more into it tonight compared to the night before. Another fantastic rendition of this Arcade Fire staple. Will was his usual crazy self, playing the guitar wildly and marching back and forth throughout the stage. At one point, Win had enough of his shenanigans and Win took the mic cord and wrapped it around the neck of his brother and proceeded to strangle him. We were in shock! But it made for great entertainment. Also, Win was slightly injured in this set because he hit his head on the mic. This produced some bloodshed and that's probably why he choked his brother. It was pure foreshadowing because more antics involving bodily harm were to come up.
Regine was as dazzling as ever when she was playing the steel drums during Arcade Fire's rendition of the Talking Head's "This is the Place" [see above]. She was playing with the crowd the entire time, raising her arms and playing "peek-a-boo." She's so cute! Why must she be all chummy with Win. Yeah, the guy's her husband. And they are madly in love as evidenced by her signing a friend's EP (my friend's name is Edwin, and she wrote edWIN and placed smiley faces and hears around WIN - argh!!!). I'm happy for them . . . I guess. But I digress.
Not sure what was next, but maybe it was "Haiti."
As the band powered through the rest of the album, including my new favourite renditions of "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Crown of Love," the band came back for their first encore. Like last night, the flash lights were back as, "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" came on. At this point, Win said, to some extent, that this song will end the museum-ness of the venue. Surely, it did. Everyone was having an epileptic seizure it seems like, with their bodies shaking, knees buckling, and facial expressions that are just plain weird. Yeah, I was one of them. Win was really into it that he stood in front of the drums and climbed on it. The man almost fell over, nearly injured the drummer, and severely injured Bessy the Cow.
The last song played was "Backseat." As the song was ending, the group began their moaning all at once bit, then in funeral procession like fashion, marched off stage carrying a tambourine. A fitting ending to a fantastic show.
A fucking amazing show! So much show that I bought tickets for their L.A. gig on Sunday.
By the way, the awesome pictures above were taken by Sara. Thanks Sara!
Beer Rating: 0.0000000000000001 Beers
13 January 2005
The Arcade Fire (GAMH, 12 January 2005)
Few things in life are good the second time around. A second helping of your favourite dish, a second paycheck, and a second chance. Well, add a second time seeing The Arcade Fire to that favourite lists of seconds. After raving about them in their first San Francisco show at the Bottom of the Hill back in December, well, be prepared for another rave review of their first of three shows at the Great American. In fact, I'm so excited to write about what transpired in their first show at GAMH, that I'm literally going to pee in my pants in 5 minutes. Yeah kids, drinking and then having a spot that is impossible to leave is not good for the bladder.
There were several similiarities from their December show with this one. First, everyone's outfit was the same. Regine wore her trademark black dress with white strap and accompanying red stockings and gloves (more like an arm warmer), the female violinist (forgot ther name) wore the same dress, and Win wore the same outfit (suit jacket and dress shirt). The props were the same, with the cow near the drums (I like to call her Bessy) and the reindeer (which Winn said they got from Wal-Mart who is their secret corporate sponsor). And they played the same songs.
Also, the first two songs they started with were the same, with "Wake Up" and "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)." Like the December shows, these were just outstanding and they were excellent starting songs because it really pumped up the crowd. I literally got shivers when they shouted in unison during "Wake Up." It's just sheer bliss. During "Laika," Richard (aka Napoleon Dynamite) and Will put the motorcycle helmets again and were banging the living shit out of anything solid. Will even got up on the speaker and made several visible dents on the wall on the upper right side of the stage. An act so brilliant and moving that I wanted to go up there and smash things up myself.
Let me digress here about Will: he has to be my favorite Arcade Fire member next to Richard. He is just an absolute crazy fool! You don't know what he'll be up to. And he bangs the drums like a mad man. At one point, he had this look on his face while he was banging the drum on "Laika" like this crazed murderer constantly stabbing his helpless victim. Yeah, it was that intense.
While some things were the same, others were noticeably different: (1) There was one reindeer missing. in their props; (2) They had the album cover hands taped on the pillars; (3) they have an additional violin player, Owen from Final Fantasy; (4) the songs were played in a different order; and (5) the length and sound of their songs were more epic. I think the reason for (5) is that the GAMH's sound system is vastly superior to Bottom of the HIll's.
I am just amazed at the Arcade Fire's intensity throughout their show. I don't know how they do it. They seemed a lot fresher for this show than their December one, probably because of their much needed break (even though Win was sidelined for a couple of weeks with illness). Of course, their intensity is . . . um . . . intensified by the much bigger stage of the GAMH. Every song, from the start to the finish, was just downright amazing. From all 10 tracks of the album, to "No Cars Go," to their newish song called "Burning Bridges, Breaking Hearts," and to their outstanding cover of Talking Head's "This Must Be the Place," every bit was played with so much intensity and brilliance that one has to wonder if these guys are like manna from heaven. Just the abundance of layers in their music - the percussion, guitars, strings, and the occasional accordion and xylophone - made each song stand out on their own. All they needed was a cowbell damn it!
OK, my bladder is about to burst, so I have to stop here. Just to let you know, I'm going tomorrow night and I can't fuckin' wait! Also, I brought some friends with me who saw them for the first time and I'm glad to hear from all of them that they enjoyed the show very much. So much so that they were asking me for tickets!
Once again, Arcade Fire, "this Bud's for you!"
Beer Rating: 0 Beers
There were several similiarities from their December show with this one. First, everyone's outfit was the same. Regine wore her trademark black dress with white strap and accompanying red stockings and gloves (more like an arm warmer), the female violinist (forgot ther name) wore the same dress, and Win wore the same outfit (suit jacket and dress shirt). The props were the same, with the cow near the drums (I like to call her Bessy) and the reindeer (which Winn said they got from Wal-Mart who is their secret corporate sponsor). And they played the same songs.
Also, the first two songs they started with were the same, with "Wake Up" and "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)." Like the December shows, these were just outstanding and they were excellent starting songs because it really pumped up the crowd. I literally got shivers when they shouted in unison during "Wake Up." It's just sheer bliss. During "Laika," Richard (aka Napoleon Dynamite) and Will put the motorcycle helmets again and were banging the living shit out of anything solid. Will even got up on the speaker and made several visible dents on the wall on the upper right side of the stage. An act so brilliant and moving that I wanted to go up there and smash things up myself.
Let me digress here about Will: he has to be my favorite Arcade Fire member next to Richard. He is just an absolute crazy fool! You don't know what he'll be up to. And he bangs the drums like a mad man. At one point, he had this look on his face while he was banging the drum on "Laika" like this crazed murderer constantly stabbing his helpless victim. Yeah, it was that intense.
While some things were the same, others were noticeably different: (1) There was one reindeer missing. in their props; (2) They had the album cover hands taped on the pillars; (3) they have an additional violin player, Owen from Final Fantasy; (4) the songs were played in a different order; and (5) the length and sound of their songs were more epic. I think the reason for (5) is that the GAMH's sound system is vastly superior to Bottom of the HIll's.
I am just amazed at the Arcade Fire's intensity throughout their show. I don't know how they do it. They seemed a lot fresher for this show than their December one, probably because of their much needed break (even though Win was sidelined for a couple of weeks with illness). Of course, their intensity is . . . um . . . intensified by the much bigger stage of the GAMH. Every song, from the start to the finish, was just downright amazing. From all 10 tracks of the album, to "No Cars Go," to their newish song called "Burning Bridges, Breaking Hearts," and to their outstanding cover of Talking Head's "This Must Be the Place," every bit was played with so much intensity and brilliance that one has to wonder if these guys are like manna from heaven. Just the abundance of layers in their music - the percussion, guitars, strings, and the occasional accordion and xylophone - made each song stand out on their own. All they needed was a cowbell damn it!
OK, my bladder is about to burst, so I have to stop here. Just to let you know, I'm going tomorrow night and I can't fuckin' wait! Also, I brought some friends with me who saw them for the first time and I'm glad to hear from all of them that they enjoyed the show very much. So much so that they were asking me for tickets!
Once again, Arcade Fire, "this Bud's for you!"
Beer Rating: 0 Beers
10 January 2005
Communiqué (Bottom of the Hill, 9 January 2005)
Minus a handful of exceptions, local bands seem to disappoint me. I guess it all started in high school in San Diego when this band called FITH (i.e. Fucked In The Head - dumb ass name!)played at the high school talent show. Consisting of high schoolers and some recent graduates, the band was a direct knock off of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Unfortunately, they weren't as good as those bands, and they were just downright dreadful. I gave local bands another try throughout the years, all with utter disappointment and disgust.
So, when Jason told me to check out Communiqué, a local band, my skepticism immediately started. I was hesitant to see this band because: (1) they were local and (2) they opened up for a handful of major acts that came to San Francisco and I missed all their appearances on purpose because of (1). Since I had nothing better to do that night other than watch Desparate Housewives and Jason guaranteed to me that they were going to be good, I bought my ticket and checked them out.
Before going to the show, I bought the band's EP, A Crescent Moon, and gave it a listen. I was impressed by their sound, since it was very melodic indie rock. Some of the tracks reminded me of The Killers, solely because of the accompanying keyboards in some of the tracks.
Jason's excitement for this show was very amusing, insisting that we go to the front. I acquiesced and was not disappointed. I don't know the titles to most of the songs they did, but the ones I did know, such as "Evaporate," were surprisingly good. The band weren't "spring chickens" by any means. They were tight in their song playing, provided a really hyper stage presence, and the lead singer would sometimes place his left arm on his back - sort of like how Brett Anderson of Suede would do. The chords were really catchy, although the lyrics were a bit simplistic. Lyrics really never bothered me, since I'm more of a catchy tunes person myself. They were rockin' on all their songs, including their encore. The crowd were hopping and some were dancing maniacally. They definitely wanted more after their encore (although a majority of those were their friends). Needless to say, I wanted to see more of what these guys can do.
Sure they can play a crowd, but can they headline? With one album and one EP under their belts, they definitely need some more material to provide a more meaningful headlining act (their set lasted 45 minutes). Based on what I saw, they could be a fantastic opening band for any indie show. This headliner show they had proved that they can headline and have the music to prove it.
A great show. One of the surprising ones of the year thus far.
Beer Rating: 2.5 Beers
So, when Jason told me to check out Communiqué, a local band, my skepticism immediately started. I was hesitant to see this band because: (1) they were local and (2) they opened up for a handful of major acts that came to San Francisco and I missed all their appearances on purpose because of (1). Since I had nothing better to do that night other than watch Desparate Housewives and Jason guaranteed to me that they were going to be good, I bought my ticket and checked them out.
Before going to the show, I bought the band's EP, A Crescent Moon, and gave it a listen. I was impressed by their sound, since it was very melodic indie rock. Some of the tracks reminded me of The Killers, solely because of the accompanying keyboards in some of the tracks.
Jason's excitement for this show was very amusing, insisting that we go to the front. I acquiesced and was not disappointed. I don't know the titles to most of the songs they did, but the ones I did know, such as "Evaporate," were surprisingly good. The band weren't "spring chickens" by any means. They were tight in their song playing, provided a really hyper stage presence, and the lead singer would sometimes place his left arm on his back - sort of like how Brett Anderson of Suede would do. The chords were really catchy, although the lyrics were a bit simplistic. Lyrics really never bothered me, since I'm more of a catchy tunes person myself. They were rockin' on all their songs, including their encore. The crowd were hopping and some were dancing maniacally. They definitely wanted more after their encore (although a majority of those were their friends). Needless to say, I wanted to see more of what these guys can do.
Sure they can play a crowd, but can they headline? With one album and one EP under their belts, they definitely need some more material to provide a more meaningful headlining act (their set lasted 45 minutes). Based on what I saw, they could be a fantastic opening band for any indie show. This headliner show they had proved that they can headline and have the music to prove it.
A great show. One of the surprising ones of the year thus far.
Beer Rating: 2.5 Beers
07 January 2005
Earlimart (Popscene, 6 January 2005)
You know that Napoleon Dynamite movie? Well, it was on last night on the telly at 330 Ritch and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Granted, the audio is on mute but the sheer sight of Mr. Dynamite himself is so hilarious! I can't get over how much he looks like Richard Parry of the Arcade Fire. I just had to laugh as I was watching the movie.
Then there's this stupid bimbo and her boyfriend dancing as if this was some sort of freak show. Me and my friend Minh-Lan were speaking in Spanish (really badly by the way) making fun of them. "Le estupide en su izquierda bailar como una slut!" Yeah.
Popscene crowd was kinda old. The young kids must be out and about in thier suburban homes in L.A.
Oh, yeah. Earlimart. Almost forgot about them. Just goes to show how much I wasn't into them during this show, which is a shame since their latest release is pretty good. You know how there are those certain bands that are just really good on CD but not so good live? Well, that's Earlimart. They were fun to watch at the Fillmore, but 33o Ritch doesn't give bands that much justice. I haven't seen one show at 330 Ritch that's even worth a 3 beer rating. Even Ash, a band that I absolutely love to watch, was not worth a 3 beer rating at 330 Ritch.
With that in mind, my apologies Earlimart. It didn't seem like you guys were having that much fun on stage anyways.
Beer Rating: 4 Beers
Then there's this stupid bimbo and her boyfriend dancing as if this was some sort of freak show. Me and my friend Minh-Lan were speaking in Spanish (really badly by the way) making fun of them. "Le estupide en su izquierda bailar como una slut!" Yeah.
Popscene crowd was kinda old. The young kids must be out and about in thier suburban homes in L.A.
Oh, yeah. Earlimart. Almost forgot about them. Just goes to show how much I wasn't into them during this show, which is a shame since their latest release is pretty good. You know how there are those certain bands that are just really good on CD but not so good live? Well, that's Earlimart. They were fun to watch at the Fillmore, but 33o Ritch doesn't give bands that much justice. I haven't seen one show at 330 Ritch that's even worth a 3 beer rating. Even Ash, a band that I absolutely love to watch, was not worth a 3 beer rating at 330 Ritch.
With that in mind, my apologies Earlimart. It didn't seem like you guys were having that much fun on stage anyways.
Beer Rating: 4 Beers
06 January 2005
New Music Calendar
Yeah, as you can see, there's this monstrosity of a music calendar above the posts. I like the format better than the old list view.
Now, you can click on an event and a new pop-up window will appear providing more details of the show (time, location, address, ticket prices) and provides you links to where you need them (band's official website, venue's official website, ticketing website).
Scroll and click people.
Hope you like the improvement. If you don't, then suck it!
Now, you can click on an event and a new pop-up window will appear providing more details of the show (time, location, address, ticket prices) and provides you links to where you need them (band's official website, venue's official website, ticketing website).
Scroll and click people.
Hope you like the improvement. If you don't, then suck it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
