The Bravery / Ash (Slim's, 29 March 2005)

As the theme goes, this is The Bravery's second chance to win me over. I previously gave this band a horrible review because their Cafe Du Nord show was pure shite. Well, The Bravery impressed me alright . . . and now I'm really into them more than ever.

But before we go to The Bravery, let's discuss things in order:

Ash
Beer Rating: 1 Beer



I've seen them many times before and they deliver the goods each and every time. In the two or three times I've seen them in San Francisco, they always play Slim's. Whether they like it there a lot or this is the perfect sized venue for them, who knows, but like every other time, they were damn good. Tim Wheeler was in top form, wearing stylish clothes, and you know he's been practicing his rock moves in the mirror. They started off with title track off of their semi-new (because it was released in the UK last year, but in the US just a few weeks ago) album Meltdown and everything started to fall in place from there. Tim and Charlotte were constantly doing that sexy girl/boy guitar face-to-guitar face thing that they do so well throughout this song. Tim's Flying V guitar (which he has several of) was just that . . . flying all around. The next song was "A Life Less Ordinary" which was featured in the soundtrack of that same movie and on Nu-Clear Sounds. Another awesome song and they Charlotte and Tim did the same bit.



The overall energy of their set was astounding and they rocked out! They played all the songs I wanted to hear (sans "Goldfinger," "Jack Names the Planets," and "Sometimes"), especially the ones off the new album. The new album is not their greatest release, but they did play the core ones such as "Meltdown," "Detonator," "Clones," and "Orpheus." The great thing about Ash is that they have a pretty sizable discography at their disposal, and they took full advantage of that by playing their classics such as "Kung Fu" and "Girl From Mars" and mixing it in with their semi-new songs such as "Shining Light." They didn't play an encore, but the crowd loved every minute of their set. Tim had a problem with the amp on one of the songs, but that didn't stop Ash from cutting their set short and they just improvised without the crowd even knowing what happened.

Again, another awesome set for Ash. At first I thought they should have headlined, as it was originally slated, but as you will see, The Bravery definitely deserved that billing.

The Bravery
Beer Rating: 0 Beer



I hated these guys when they were at Cafe Du Nord. Not because their music is bad, but because the venue itself didn't suit these guys. The stage was low, the sound was shit, and the 6 foot and over crowd just all decided to go to this show. I'm no short guy, but if you are surrounded by people from The Land of the Tall, then you are in a bit of a bind, aren't you? I've had their new album for a while, and like pretty much all the songs in there. So, instead of leaving after the Ash set, as I originally planned, I decided to stick it out to see if the second time around was worth it.

And boy was it worth it! Now that I'm much closer to the stage and being surrounded by people from The Land of the Not So Tall, I got a closer look at these stylish blokes. Lead singer Sam Endicott looked awesome with his jeans and polo shirt. And that hair! Man! It was like Dagwood turned scenester, it was that awesome! Bass player (and a really thin Dave Coulier look alike) Mike H. was awesome looking with his 60s Biff style hair, 80s Duran Duran like eyeliner, and the tightest Levi's jeans I have ever seen on a man (N.B. I have the same pair but not as tight as this guy's!). The rest of the band, John, Anthony, and Michael (it's like the apostles, isn't it?) were awesome looking, giving their own signature hair styles and outfits a good spin.

Now that they have the look, do they have the ability to perform their songs live? I was skeptical, but as the opening synths to "Unconditional" came on, I knew these guys were for real. Mike and Sam were just all over the place, and Mike can play the bass like a mean M-Fer. Sam seemed really drunk, or just overly dizzy, because he can't walk straight. He would easily flunk a sobriety test if I were to conduct one. The sound was amazing and these guys thoroughly impressed me.



More songs were played, such as "No Brakes," "No Rings On These Fingers," and "Fearless" which are three of my favourite tracks. The crowd went crazy when they played, in the middle of their set, "Honest Mistake" which was amazingly done. I did a subdued dance, because a scenester doesn't want to look like a nut job - because the scenester ethic is to be cool right? (j/k). Throughout the set, Mike H. probably drank 8 beers, almost one per song played. It was crazy how much that guy can drink!



After their main set, they came back and they did a cover of a song which I know but have forgotten because I was so blown away by everything else. During this song, Sam did a pole dance and all the girls in the front touched him up. Not wanting to play second fiddle, Mike H. did the same and all the girls (and some guys I'm sure) were groping his bare torsoe and tight ass. I mean, why wouldn't they especially since those tight ass jeans were . . . well . . . tight on his ass.

A remarkable set and I now take back what I said about them. Although I still think their show was shit at Cafe Du Nord, their second show here in a much larger, higher elevated stage, and better sound system type venue definitely made their hypeness come true.

Beer Rating: 0 Beer.

Photos: Sara Fong

Japan Nite USA 2005 (Studio Z, 27 March 2005)

Son of a bitch!!

I wrote this long ass review for this gig and praised it for being one of the more surprising shows I've been to each year and the damn Blogger thing fucked it all up! Apparently there was HTML errors or some bullshit like that and now it's all GONE!!! DAMN IT!!!

I went and did an entire band-by-band analysis too!

Alright, I'm going to do a nutshell version of each band. FUCK YOU BLOGGER!!

The Emeralds. Fantastic four piece Japanese boy band that rocked the house from beginning to end. Songs are nothing special, just pure rock. But their energy is what stood out and that was good since there were 4 more bands appearing after them. Beer Rating: 3 Beers.

Noodles. Three piece girl band that played rock and some punkier tunes. The music was okay, but the highlight was their cute Engrish - especially when they were trying to peddle their merchandise on us. Beer Rating: 3.5 Beers.

Titan Go Kings. Definitely the band of the night. 3 piece punk girl band with cute outfits and matching bunny tail hats. Their songs are short, and strong, and loud! My personal favorites were "YONEDA" which is a song where they just yell out that name because Pinky, the lead singer, was hit by this guy and the guy never paid up, and "Opening Theme No. 2 - We Are Titan" (I think that's the name of the song) where they urged the crowd to do a YMCA type thing with their hands but instead spell TITAN out with it. When the band would talk to the crowd, whether it be urging us to buy their CDs, professing their love for McDonalds, or thanking San Francisco ad nauseum, their Engrish was so damn cute that my friend Randy wanted to bring them all home! Beer Rating: 1 Beer

Tsushimamire. 3 piece girl rock outfit. They were alright, but after Titan Go Kings, they got the short end of the stick. Beer Rating: 4 Beers

Petty Booka. A Japanese girl duo with matching cowboy outfits and ukeleles. They played covers for the most part, from classics like "Que Sera Sera" to The Ramones' "Rockaway Beach." Very entertaining and cute! Loved it! Beer Rating: 2 Beers.

The Pillos. Four piece Japanese men rock outfit that acts and sounds eeerily like Ash. But by the time they came on close to 1am, I was tired as fuck and didn't care. They were definitely the crowd favourite, but they didn't provide any edge unlike the other bands that preceded them. Beer Rating: 4 Beers

Overall, a great night out!

Overall Beer Rating: 2 Beers

Ambulance Ltd. / Autolux (The Independent, 26 March 2005)

While last week was dubbed the "hype week," where the shows I went to (Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, and The Decemberists (to some degree)) were all bands with a lot of hype surrounding their current releases, this week of shows is dubbed "second look week," where I give bands who I didn't particularly like live and give them another chance to shine.

I was about to buy a ticket for the Stars show at Bimbo's because their current release, Set Yourself on Fire, is a great pop album. I have seen Stars 4 times, and all four times they sucked donkey balls. I blame Torquil Campbell's acting like a moron on stage and his rather weak live vocals to be the cause of my disdain. Luckily, I didn't buy tickets for this show and my friend's review of their show in L.A. affirmed my non-purchase.

Instead, I opted to buy a ticket for the Ambulance Ltd. / Autolux gig. Ambulance Ltd.'s self-titled debut was one of my top albums from last year. It's simplicity is sheer genius and the catchy guitar riffs are exactly that - catchy. When I saw them open up for Elefant last year at GAMH, I was thoroughly pleased with their performance. So, this was a no-brainer of a purchase.

However, I didn't buy this ticket once it was released but instead bought it the day of to give another band a chance to shine. I was sort of "so-so" with Autolux's performance opening up for Secret Machines a few months ago. This time, I wanted to give them another shot because their album, Future Perfect, is a great release with solid songs and lots and lots and lots of good noise.

Autolux came on around 10pm before a very full house at the Independent. Despite the show being on sale for months, it didn't sell out until after 7pm that day. The crowd were a weird bunch, some not knowing who's playing at all and some who are true fans. The people in the front were bouncing somewhat when Autolux came on. They played a lot, if not all, of their album. Highlights of their set includes "Turnstile Blues," where Carla Azar, the female drummer of the band, pounding the drums as if the volume of the banging depended on her life. The guitar work of Greg Edwards on this song, mixing influences of shoe gaze from Ride and Lush, was just amazing. Also, Carla's backing vocals added to the allure of this song. Another highlight was "Here Comes Everybody," where Carla's soft backing vocals gave me shivers. Her just saying, "sha-la-la, let's go, let's go" just had this profound effect on me. The harmonizing of Carla, Greg, and bassist Eugene Goreshter was perfect for the most part.

Ambulance Ltd. soon followed at around 11:30pm. They opened up with "Yoga Means Union" which was the same song they opened up with at most of their shows. Once again, Ambulance Ltd. did not disappoint. They played all the songs I wanted to hear, including "Primitive (The Way I Treat You)", "Ophelia", "Heavy Lifting", "Stay Where You Are", and "Anecdote". Marcus Congleton's voice, at times, was a bit scratchy and not in tune. However, he didn't disappoint when his voice needed that extra "umph" in key parts of their songs. I would give you an example, but I don't know how to describe this without you actually hearing it.

Ambulance Ltd.'s main set was short, but they came back for a couple of songs in their encore. The first song in their encore was a song that was not off their album, but the main guitar riff in that song is EXACTLY like The Charlatan's "Here Comes a Soul Saver." I wonder if they know this or not. It would be funny if they didn't. It would be even funnier if they admit to just knicking that riff outright. If anyone knows this song, please leave a comment on what the title is and where I can find it.

Overall, it was a great gig and Autolux definitely redeemed themselves.

Beer Ratings: 2.5 Beers for Autolux, 2 Beers for Ambulance Ltd.

Bloc Party (Bottom of the Hill, 23 March 2005)

The official review of this show will be released in the next Mesh Magazine issue. Excellent photos will be provided.

For those of you who are relying on this review to decide whether to see them at Popscene tonight, I tell you this: they are worth the hype.

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

The Decemberists (Bimbo's, 22 March 2005)

Despite being a beginner in all things Decemberists, I nonetheless downloaded their album Picaresque about a few months before its initial release date. I did this because I was really impressed with their previous release Her Majesty the Decemberists and what I heard from my friend such as their epic song "The Tain (Parts I-V)". If you haven't done so, you should immediately pick up your copy of Picaresque. It is definitely one of their best releases to date, and one of the better releases this year.

I was excited to see Colin Meloy and his band in action. I wondered how his voice would sound live and how the instrumentation would translate live. Well, they didn't disappoint. With a beautiful sounding 12 string acoustic guitar on hand, Colin played a good majority of the songs from his current release such as "The Infanta," which was the opening song, to "The Sporting Life," "16 by 32," "From My Own True Love Lost at Sea," and "The Engine Driver."

The band was in top form, and the addition of violinist Petra Hayden (formerly of That Dog) added much more to Colin's excellent voice and guitar playing. Colin was really playful with the crowd. He read a note that was tossed to him and reading to the crowd the note which said something about hens loving their coop. Another time is when Colin encouraged the crowd to stomp their feet during "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" (NB: I think that's the song) and telling the crowd to yell as if they were swallowed like a whale in "The Mariner's Revenge Song." The crowd ate it all up and was thoroughly enjoying the show.

During the encore, they played, as their last song, their epic "The Tain (Parts I-V)." I haven't heard this song in a while but the five movements in this song was truly outstanding live. Part I sounded like a cross between Led Zeppelin and Oasis while the other parts gravitated towards Nick Drake type instrumentation. It was truly excellent and was a great way to end the night . . . although I was so tired after the show.

If Colin were to fight Ben Gibbard of Postal Service, I would think Colin would win. Well, Colin and his band of merry sailors were the victors tonight, providing an outstanding show that is well worth seeing.

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

Kaiser Chiefs (Virgin Megastore, 22 March 2005)

This is the start of "hype" week with installment one: The Kaiser Chiefs. A band that opened up for Franz Ferdinand and is now one of the new "IT" bands from the UK Indie circuit. Along with Bloc Party, this band is getting more press coverage everyday. The NME loves them, Filter devoted a 5 page photo spread on them, and the SXSW audience loved their performance.

To rev up the hype machine even more, the boys played a free instore gig at the Virgin Megastore in downtown S.F. The crowd was a good size, although not crazy large. The band was a little late arriving and they didn't start their set until around 6:30 despite the promised 6pm start time. They all dressed sharp! I have to give it to a band that dresses sharp. Ricky Wilson, the lead singer, was wearing a Penguin green polo shirt and a spiffy green and red striped boarding school jacket. Unfortunately for Ricky, he busted his ankle and was walking around with a cane like the guy from TSOOL.

Injuries aside, that didn't prevent Ricky from jumping up and down the stage during some of the songs. The band started off with "Oh My God" from their debut release Employment. They sounded great, despite the low sound quality of the speakers. After this song, Ricky commented on how The Incredibles were playing on the various TV screens while they were playing. Kind of surreal to see a band this good in an in-store but I consider myself lucky.

They also played "I Predict A Riot" and "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" which were stand out songs during their set. However, about midway through the set, Ricky's mic just fell mute and he had to scream his throat off to sing the remaining songs, one of which was a b-side that sounded great! If the mic was working, maybe I would have bought the CD single right then and there.

It's unfortunate that I had a conflict with their show at Slim's. However, this mini instore gig was definitely a good taster for their main show.

The hype is real for this band.

Beer Rating: 2.5 Beers

Ian Brown (GAMH, 15 March 2005)

It’s not often that you get to see a fight onstage.

Ian Brown and his band arrived at the Great American Music Hall amped and, from an Oasis fan’s point of view, “Mad Fer It!” So was the crowd, filled with Stone Roses afficionados and some casual observers. Ian looked like, as my friend Paul said, a “scally” with his Adidas track jacket, shades, and a goldie lookin’ chain around his rather slender neck. His pants were saggin’ too - Easy Access style. You would think that the baggy era never left with this guy on stage. He opened up with the title track of his third solo release, Solarized, but he kept on complaining throughout the song that the sound levels were shite. He even told the crowd after the song, “You guys paid money to see this show - let’s not go cheap with the speakers!” He then asked the crowd, “How much did you pay for this?” He then tried to incite a riot afterwards by saying, “We’ll trash this place!” Now I see where Liam gets his stage presence!

Then, this is where the fun started. After “Sally Cinnamon,” which caught the entire crowd by surprise and back to those nostalgic days of the early 1990s, he then played “Made of Stone.” My beer was raised up high and I was ecstatic to hear this song. Then, right dab in the middle of the song, Ian Brown, in diva-like fashion, signaled the band to stop. He then blurted something about the sound being horrible and then went to the mixing desk to fix the problem. As Ian was singing acapella about some penny he found, just to check the noise levels, he then signaled the band to start. Again, I was amped, ready, beer raised high, and bouncing my head. Then, AGAIN, he stops the song and complains about the sound. Same procedure happened: mixing desk, sings song about pennies, and then signaled the band to start. This time, he completes the song and continues.

You thought that was entertaining, then you’ve seen nothing yet! As he was just starting “Love Like a Fountain,” some guy in a white shirt from the crowd jumps on the stage and rugby tackles Ian Brown! This totally caught Ian by surprise because he was blindsided by this guy. The band immediately rushed to aid Ian, with security following, but Ian defended himself! When he got up, he kicked the living shit out of the guy! His band also did the same, and security was trying to free the guy and break up the melee. As the man with the white shirt got up and tried to escape the stage, Ian then continued to pummel him. A really big security guard tried to get Ian to stop by holding onto Ian’s jacket and refusing to let go. This pissed Ian off and then Ian started to fight the security guard! Somehow, someway, the security guard ended up on the ground and Ian started pummeling him with either his microphone or a beer glass (there are conflicting stories on this). After the band joined in, the security guard got up and was bloody from the fight.

Ian and his band walked off stage and house lights came on. GAMH promptly shut down all bars and had security in place on the stage and around the area. The crowd were pissed that he walked off, but I don’t blame him. The crowd chanted for his return, but to no avail. Some left the venue, while others stuck it out. I went to the bathroom, and I chatted amongst the Brits in line and they were saying that this is the greatest gig ever and that it would be even greater if Ian came out. After 20 minutes or so, the drummer came back on stage and Ian soon followed. Ian then grabbed the mic and was still pissed, and he says, “If anyone wants to fight me, come to the stage right now!” A couple of tossers in the crowd raised their hand, but Ian was not joking. He pinpointed a guy with glasses in the crowd, and told the guy that he is ready to fight him on stage. The man with glasses, surprised at this reaction, declined but Ian was insistent. After a couple of minutes of that, Ian then focused his attention to another guy, stage left, and began badgering him. Then Ian prompted the security guards, asking any of them if they want to fight him. From that point on, the house lights remained on and the bars were shut down.

They then started where they left off, playing “Love Like a Fountain.” The sound was still not optimal, but Ian continued anyways. More songs off of the new album and his previous releases were played, all of which were quite good even though I haven’t heard of most of them. Another Stone Roses song was played, this time it was “Waterfall.” No stoppage in the music here (I think), but there was stoppage when the band played, “I Wanna Be Adored.” Same complaints from Ian, but the crowd loved it nonetheless. No encore, which came as no surprise, but we hoped for one.

News came out today that Ian got arrested in his hotel room by S.F.P.D. and was questioned for the assault and battery. A friend just e-mailed me today, saying that Ian was throwing a party in his room when a hotel worker came in asking them to stop the party because of complaints. Ian then grabbed his shirt and threatened to tear his buttons off. Needless to say, this man has a short fuse, despite his short stature. So, I take it he wasn’t at the after party then?

Overall, one of the most amusing and testosterone filled shows I have ever seen in my life! A truly great show to remember! Not only were the onstage antics hilarious, and the fight thrilling, but the music was great. My only criticism is that the guitarist needs to improve his Stone Roses guitar work. Then again, how can one emulate the great John Squire?

Beer Rating: ½ Beer

Kasabian (Slim's, 11 March 2005)

Thanks to James, I was able to see one of the great new U.K. bands at Slim's. Kasabian opened up for shite band The Music at Slim's on Friday night before a sold out audience full of, what seems like, British citizens and ex-patriots. If these individuals were here on holiday, they sure picked the perfect weekend for it with Embrace playing Popscene and The Futureheads playing Slim's on Thursday and now with Kasabian the night after.

I have never seen Kasabian, but I do have the album which I think is one of the better releases of the year. I was amazed on how great of a live band these guys are. Lead singer Tom Meighan's stage presence was one of the best I have ever seen. If Genentech were to make an individual with Richard Ashcroft's voice, Ian Brown's stage singing style, Liam Gallagher's swagger, and Mick Jagger's dancing, Tom Meighan may have been the end result.

As I sat sandwiched in the back, Kasabian played pretty much their entire debut release, with Tom. speaking in that Liam Gallager-esque voice, saying "Thank you San Francisco!" as if it was the last song in their set. The stand out tracks played were "Club Foot," "Processed Beats" and "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)." In these three songs especially, I couldn't help but feel energized. Each song played was just so full of energy, vigor, and noise that I constantly bobbed my head to each 3-4 beat emitted.

After Kasabian's set, it seemed like a majority of the crowd just left. And for good reason. How is the Music going to top this act? I look foward to seeing this band do a proper headlining tour. Should be a good one.

Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers

Embrace (Popscene, 10 March 2005)

Embrace is a huge band . . . in England. They have been around for quite a while now, and have been around longer than Coldplay and have released many more albums than Coldplay. Yet, they are lumped into that "Coldplay" category along with other U.K. bands such as Keane, Thirteen Senses, Snow Patrol and Feeder. So, it is surprising to hear that their second ever U.S. show happened at Popscene of all places. I mean, this is a band that co-headlines summer festivals and sell out huge arenas in England. Yet, here at Popscene, they were not able to attract the same fan fare. I arrived at Popscene early with friends, two of whom are natives of America's Greatest Ally, and we were all shocked to see that at 9:30 p.m., there was nobody lined up to see this band. Needless to say, my friends were all thrilled because how many times can you say that you saw Embrace in a small club while they were at the height of their success?

Embrace came on shortly before 11:30pm before a semi-packed crowd filled with U.K. ex-pats. The problem with Popscene, usually, is that their sound system is shit and the stage is too damn low to see the band. Even standing a mere 7 feet from the stage means that you can't see the band. Either that or the boys from Embrace are short men, which is also possible. The sound in the first song, a track off their new album Out of Nothing, sounded like crap. Richard McNamara's guitar easily drowned out brother Danny's vocals.

The second song was their classic hit "All You Good Good People" and the sound at this point was adjusted accordingly. This time, Danny's voice was heard loud and clear and the majestic guitar that accompanied this song was truly amazing. This was an odd choice for a second song, especially since it runs for 6 minutes, has an extended jam session, and has an ending so final that it's probably best suited as the final song for an Embrace set. Nonetheless, the song got the kids hopping around and football looking hooligans yelling their throats out.

"Gravity" was also played, which Danny described as a song "written by a friend of theirs who had short hair who now has long curly hair" (i.e. Chris Martin of Coldplay). Beautifully done, with the keyboards being the dominant instrument in this song. It could have easily been a Coldplay song. Hence Embrace being in that "Coldplay" category was only fitting.

Many more songs were played, a majority of which was from their new album with a splash of other tracks from the rest of their discography mixed in. They played a substantial set of songs, with another two for encores. I have only heard maybe four songs from this band prior to going to Popscene ansd after seeing them, I am hooked on this band.

Beer Rating: 1.5 Beers

Kings of Convenience (GAMH, 8 March 2005)

You know what I hate most about going to shows with tons of people? Hecklers. Not the occassional heckler or, sometimes, the "Freebird!" heckler, but the kind that just do it the entire show and saying mindless phrases. Entertaining at first, yes, but annoying every subsequent time afterwards.

This is what happened to an otherwise beautiful set by Kings of Convenience. A heckler, who heckled nice things about the band, just got damn annoying. Was it his voice? Yes! His voice was screechingly loud. Was it the intonation of his voice? Yes! It sounded like Richard Simmons on crack. His choice of phrases? Yes! He would say out loud, "Oh, I like that song!" or "You guys are hot!" or, and I don't understand this one, "You guys are perfect in San Francisco!" What the hell? Even the band didn't understand that, mentioning to the entire audience, "We don't even know what that means." So, yeah, I would have liked to have muzzled that heckler and chuck him onto O'Farrell St. so I can enjoy the rest of the show. Even his friends were annoyed with him.

Okay, now that I got that out of my system, let me tell you about Kings of Convenience. Erlend and Erik came out at around 10pm looking tired and sedate. Not surprising since their songs are like that, albeit very beautiful. Erlend announced that he was not feeling well today but that the crowd's presence was making him feel better. I forgot what song they opened up with, but it was quite good.

Throughout the show, as the heckler was mouthing off stupid things, Erlend and Erik would tell a story, say quirky things, and encourage crowd participation. The crowd clapped, whistled, and sang with the band throughout their hour plus long set. At one point, Erik was describing their hometown of Bergen, Norway and how it is very similar to San Francisco. At this point, the heckler yelled out, "Are there gays there?" Erik seemed perplexed by this question and answered, "Yes, there is a gay community there but I don't visit it that often." Erlend replied, "There's one gay bar there and I end up visiting it once a month." The crowd giggled, and then Erik said, to some extent, "This is like the first page of 'How to Become a Rock Star,' let people always question your sexuality."

Kings of Convenience played a lot of songs, mostly stuff from their new album Riot in an Empty Street. They also played some b-sides or covers, which I was not familiar with. They played a couple of songs from their debut album, Quiet is the New Loud, such as "I Don't Know What I Can Save You From" and "Toxic." What's amazing about KoC is that they really, really sound good with just two acoustic guitars. Some bands fall short with a full rhythm section, but yet the amazing strumming and plucking of the strings by Erlend and Erik left an everlasting feeling of bliss at some points, and pure sadness in others. They are truly talented.

In a couple of points in the set, Bart Davenport and Feist assisted the band. Feist sang the female vocals in a couple of songs from Riot and Bart played bass during another b-side/cover. Both Feist and Bart Davenport, and another girl, helped the boys out in their final song "I'd Rather Dance With You." Erlend was shaking all about, albeit not as boisterous as my friends in the East Coast have described it.

A fantastic show. Truly one of the more memorable ones of 2005.

Beer Rating: 2.25 Beers

Mark Morriss (Spaceland, Los Angeles, 6 March 2005)

Remember Mark Morriss? Or, specifically, remember the Bluetones? You know, that "Britpop" with that 1996 release, Expecting to Fly with such hits as "Bluetonic," "Cut Some Rug," "Carn't Be Trusted" and "Slight Return"? No? Well, maybe because this band fell off the U.S. radar after their debut release, despite releasing three more albums in the UK. The U.S. has not been kind for the Bluetones, with last minute gig cancellations, lack of interest and no U.S. indie or major label picking them up at all. To test the waters, Mark Morriss came across the pond to see if any interest is left.

The first stop of his brief tour is, fittingly, L.A. The crowd at Spaceland was sparse, with only at least 40-50 people in attendance, if that. Mellow Drunk opened up and they sucked, as usual. Although they play good melodies and riffs, their songs are standard, at best, and they have no edge that distinguishes them from any other band.

Here comes Mark, with only acoustic guitar at hand. He was chatty with the sparse audience and his witty British humour and "politeness" was displayed throughout this set. His set was 1/2 acoustic, with him playing songs from the Bluetones, while the other 1/2 is from his upcoming solo album with rhythm section in tow.

Mark chose some obscure Bluetones stuff to play in his acoustic set. There were only two A-sides and they weren't even from the Bluetone's debut album, much to my dismay. "Keep The Home Fires Burnin'" and "One Speed Gearbox" were both from their third album, Science and Nature. Although I love that album, I wanted to hear songs from Expecting To Fly instead. He also did a cover of Barbara Streisand's "Woman in Love" which was brilliantly done. A couple more songs were played, and all were b-sides that I have no clue what the title are.

In his "solo project" set, Mark's music were more like The Bluetones. Lyrics are a bit cheezy, such as one regarding a blue balloon with a red penny and another about being sick. He also did an amazing rendition of Teenage Fanclub's "Alcoholiday" which sounded oh so good! His encore consisted of two songs from the Bluetones but still are b-sides. I have no freakin' clue with this guy! I wanted to yell out "Slight Return" but decided not to because of the sparse crowd.

Too bad his S.F. show is cancelled. Probably because of low ticket sales. I would have enjoyed that.

Beer Rating: 3 Beers

New Features / Shows Added

So many shows coming up. So little time and money.

Anyways, if you look at the calendar, shows that have a "Gray/Blue" background means I am confirmed for going to that show. So, join me in these shows. "Red" shows mean that the show is sold out. However, sometimes a "Gray/Blue" show may also be sold out.

Finally, a whole slew of shows were added. Here they are and they are highlighted in "Green":

• March 16: M.I.A. @ The Independent
• March 24: Louis XIV @ Slim's
• April 7: Every Move A Picture @ Popscene
• April 14: Longview @ Popscene
  
• April 19: The Album Leaf @ The Independent
• April 21: Dogs Die in Hot Cars / Phoenix @ GAMH
• May 2: Gang of Four @ The Fillmore
• May 2: Snow Patrol @ The Warfield
• May 2: The Bravery @ GAMH
• May 3: Gang of Four @ The Fillmore
• May 3: Sloan @ Slim's
• May 11: Trashcan Sinatras @ Slim's
  

The Walkmen (Bimbo's, 27 February 2005)

WE'VE BEEN HAD!!

The last night of Noise Pop 2005 turned out to be the worst show of the lot. With high hopes and expectations, I was sure that the Walkmen will put on a superb performance. Unfortunately, they did the complete opposite: they sucked.

The first time I saw the Walkmen was when they played at the Bottom of the Hill with Hot Hot Heat as support. They were all dressed up in preppy clothing and were excellent. The lead singer was in tune (for the most part) and they churned out their debut album like it was a greatest hits collection.

Now, with fame with them and their highly acclaimed sophomore album, Bows + Arrows, being one of the better releases of last year, I had nothing but high expectations for this show. I was looking forward to them playing the hits and some newer material, and enjoy their antics on stage - complete with matching Gap outfits.

Unfortunately, they didn't do anything but bore the hell out of me and aggravate my ear ache. Hamilto Leithauser sang totally off key, with his yelling and yapping resulting in nothing but pure dissonance and a bunch of saliva mist. Granted, his voice isn't exactly what one would call "pretty" or "soothing" which is what I expected since the Walkmen's song feature his gruff and rough voice. However, his voice just did not translate live like how it did at Bottom of the Hill two years earlier, and at times, his voice will trail off and one couldn't even hear him sing. You know, he should try adjusting the mic stand sometimes so that he can get some leverage rather than strain and go on his tippy-toes to sing.

Some might say, "Oh, you're just not a fan of the Walkmen because he's always like that." I say that's pure bullshit because I saw the Walkmen and I like their albums, and this was a totally off night for Hamilton. Even though I mention the Walkmen "sucked", the rest of the band didn't necessarily suck. Drummer Matt Barrick was awesome and organist Walter Martin was equally impressive. Paul Maroon and Peter Bauer were also right on, but Hamilton's vocals - coupled with Bimbo's notoriously bad acoustics - just tainted the entire show for me. Even songs that I was looking forward to like "The Rat," "Wake Up," and "We've Been Had" were barely listenable. I could listen to the music, but that was just destroyed once Hamilton's saliva mist would spray in the air.

Overall, not the worst show I have ever seen, but still one of the bottom dwellers in my 14 year history of seeing shows.

Beer Rating: 5 Beers

High on Fire (12 Galaxies, 26 February 2005)

The whole point of Noise Pop weekend is to not only see the bands that you like, but to also try out new ones. Well, I did just that with Joanna Newsom on Friday night and now I'm going to try the absolute opposite of a sweet woman playing the harp - by watching three hairy, over tattooed men play death metal. Yeah, death metal.

High on Fire is a local Oakland band whose local following is anything but small. This is a band that attracts a legion of metal heads throughout the Bay Area and just cause mayhem at their shows. Mike once told me that during their sold out Bottom of the Hill show a few months ago, several non-ticket holders decided to jump the fence just to get in! Well, once again, we have a sold out crowd amongst us and the crowd itself was intimidating, a bunch of them being loyal followers of High on Fire and know every single move of theirs.

The band came on close to midnight at this rather horrendous venue they call 12 Galaxies, which is named after that crazy Asian guy who carries a sign with the same phrase. He was there, and he gets in for free apparently and begins making speeches. Which he did before the Fucking Champs came on. Rather weird.

Anyways, I was standing in the front, stage right just trying to catch a glimpse of this "life changing" band. When they came on, I didn't know what to expect. At first, I thought I couldn't possibly enjoy this band because I never really got into heavy metal or anyting of the sort. When they belted out the loud guitars and pounding drums, I was already impressed. These guys mean business and they ROCK hard! Matt Pike, the lead singer and guitarist, just impressed the crowd with his amazing guitar work and stage presence. His voice sounded demonic, and I have no idea what he is saying. Regardless, he sang sporadically, but the rock just came on hard. It was so damn good!

Then the crowd started moshing. A sight I haven't seen since The Offspring back in the mid-90s! I mean, this was serious mosh pit, with a bunch of shirtless dudes that look like they just came out of prison. This ain't no Blur or Yeah Yeah Yeahs dance pit by any means!

I don't know any of their songs, but the first song off their encore was just crazy! "Speed Wolf," off their "Lord of the Rings-esque album cover" record Surrounded by Thieves drove the crowd ape shit and they just started either jumping wildly or pushing each other. Even I wanted to be part of that, but opted not too since I do want to live past this show. Regardless, this was an excellent song and it just ROCKED!!

Anyways, a surprising show and a definite must see.

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

Rogue Wave (Slim's, 26 February 2005)

Noisepop is like playing musical chairs in an elementary school gym on a rainy day. Scenesters run around the city, hopping from venue to venue to experience the latest hype-generated bands, established independent music vets, and local faves. On this rainy night, however, we arrived to find that the scenesters weren't playing the game at Slim's. That's not to say that it wasn't a full house -- this was the most crowded I had ever seen it at Slim's. But what was unusual was the fact that the crowd was late 30s mainstream folk. This year has been pretty eclectic in terms of the crowds we homogenize with -- from the scenesters at The Bravery to the bloodied faces of the East Bay Rats to the fey pixies at Joanna Newsom, I thought I had seen it all. But seriously, was this a company Christmas party or a Dave Matthews concert? No -- it was indeed a Noisepop show, and Rogue Wave was headlining.

We arrived to the upbeat sounds of The Comas. We only caught one and a half songs, but judging from the crowd's reaction, they played a solid set of catchy melodies. During the set change, my anticipation grew as the large crowd maneuvered for position to catch a glimpse of what could be a great band to come out of Oakland. Surely a crowd this large must beget a decent performance.

Rogue Wave took the stage and played a song. I'm not going to pretend that I know which song it was, because really, all their songs sort of blended into each other in a goulash of mediocrity. In their defense, they had an uphill battle to climb for three reasons -- they were playing at the worst venue in San Francisco, I was not familiar with their music (nor will I ever be), and they had to follow a great performance from Joanna Newsom on the previous night. That being said, let me rant about mediocre bands. Is it me, or is everything on pitchfork these days a 7 or an 8? Is music really that great right now, or have our standards declined? I mean c'mon -- 8.3 for the Scissor Sisters? 8.2 for the Secret Machines? Rogue Wave was given a generous 7.8 by pitchfork for Out Of the Shadow, and judging from their performance, they must not have played anything from said album, because every song was more uninspiring than the last. The singer sounded exactly like Ben Gibbard from Death Cab/Postal Service, except he wasn't crying or anything. They played two covers - a Beach Boys song and a Buddy Holly song. I forget which ones, but I think the Buddy Holly one was Everyday. Their songs weren't really that horrible, but there was nothing about them that stood out from the rest of the crap that kids call music these days. The crowd seemed to agree with my sentiments, as they slowly dissipated throughout the set. By the end of the night, half the crowd had left. They probably went to the Holy Cow or something.

I had three beers that night, and didn't enjoy a second of it, so I'm going to give it a 4.

Beer Rating: 4 Beers

Joanna Newsom (Swedish American Music Hall, 25 February 2005)

I have to admit, when I first heard Joanna Newsom, I thought her voice was the most annoying thing in the world. This disdain for her voice was rooted in my first two years of working in New York where all the secretaries had that Fran Dresher accent from Long Island. Coming from California, I thought that such accents were an overexaggeration, but, hence, if anything, it was an understatement. From that point on, I found such accents annoying, although at times endearing. Thus, when I first heard of Joanna Newsom sing about bees and honey, it sounded like Fran Dresher with a harp.

Then, something changed. I think as more and more people started convincing me of how awesome she is, and after several articles, I decided to download her album. I listened to the entire thing and still found her voice somewhat annoying. The thing is, I started to like it. When I watched the Nanny on CBS, I hated it, but when I watched the syndicated versions, I liked it. Well, that's how Milk Eyed Mender was to me - it was annoying like the Nanny in the beginning, but I liked it after a few listens.

So, I went to this show with a bit of optimism that this is going to be a special show, but also with a bit of pessimism because this might be one of those annoying shows where I just want to chuck tomatoes at people.

This is the first time I have ever been to the Swedish American Music Hall (SAMH) and it was quite a sight! The SAMH is a very small venue, although slightly bigger than its sister venue, Cafe Du Nord. As you enter, you feel like you are in a Swiss Miss fantasy land. Of course, the first order of business when entering a venue is to get the liquids, but when I approached the concession stand, all there was was snacks and tea! Good grief, is this an elementary school recital or something?

Well, it certainly felt that way as I entered the venue. Folding chairs all around with a bunch of people standing about. The crowd itself looked like a bunch of elementary school teachers and proud parents, waiting for their prized pupil or offspring to play. The stage was rather small, with just a folding chair there for the singer.

We skipped the opener and opted to go to the rather brute Lucky 13 bar next door. We came back just in time for Joanna and there she was, pretty as a pixie with a doily on her head, playing that humungous harp. She was having trouble adjusting her seat at times, since, she candidly admits, "It's hard to find a good chair for a harp."

She opened up with a song that I don't know the title of and she encouraged the crowd to clap along - which we all did. At this point, I can barely hear her voice. The next song, which was a 15 minute epic, was just great! The voice came out of her, and it was so surreal. It was so amazing, yet I was bewildered. I asked, "Self, how the hell does a voice like that come out of her?" Then Self said, "I don't know. Shut up and listen to her singing, bitch!" Yeah, Self and I have issues we need to address.

I left Self alone and started listening to her some more. The crowd loved every single song she played and were just so in awe with her voice and her cute presence. She thanked the crowd often, acknowledged her dad and sister from Valley City being there amongst the crowd, and even dedicated a few songs.

Definite stand outs were "En Gallop," "Sproud and the Bean," and "Peach, Plum, Pear." Absolutely stunning performance! Her voice is still somewhat annoying, but it's just amazing to see a performer like her sing and play the harp.

A definite breath of fresh air from all the rock.

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

Hot Hot Heat (GAMH, 24 February 2005)

Remember back in the days where the band that you liked were not so popular with the in-crowd? That's my experience with Hot Hot Heat. I remember when they were just mere lads who opened up for The Walkmen at the Bottom of the Hill two years ago. And my, look at them now! Selling out the Great American and playing bigger venues than the Walkmen (who incidentally sold out Bimbo's which is a smaller venue than the GAMH). However, the Walkmen played The O.C. while Hot Hot Heat haven't.

I came in late to the show - partly because I was running late and partially because I knew that the opener will take a while. As I joined my friend at the front, on came Hot Hot Heat. The band looked refreshed and energized after what seems like a long absence. Steve Bays grew out his Jewfro and he looks fab! Kinda crazy like Carrot Top but still stylish enough to take on all the scenesters. Oddly enough, they started off with my favourite song, "No, Not Now" which quickly energized the crowd and a rather tired me. Amazing what a few strokes of the keyboard can do for the song. The band was full of energy, and Steve was bouncing around and playing with the audience.

Obviously, because of the new album, Hot Hot Heat played some tunes in their a little over an hour long set. "Goodnight, Goodnight," their current single, was played pretty early on in the set. The energy in that song was a lot more than I expected, and the crowd seem to love it. They also played a slew of other new songs, which I don't know the titles to, but were just excellent live. If the live versions of these songs are any indication of how the recorded ones will sound, I cannot wait to pick up their album.

Of course, they played the hits that made them the grown up boys of indie rock that they are. "Bandages," their biggest hit off of Make Up The Breakdown, was just amazing this time around. It was loud, boisterous, and the crowd ate it up.

Minus the douche bag that started pushing the crowd around, it was a flawless show.

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

Secret Machines / Moving Units / Autolux (The Independent, 18 February 2005)

I have to admit, my expectations were pretty low for this show. Although the bill was quite appealing, with all three bands being one of those "up and comers" in the scene, and with pretty decent record releases within the last year, I just didn't know what to expect. From the looks of the sold out crowd, appealing seems to be an understatement.

Let's start off with Autolux, shall we? I have never seen this band, although I think their album Future Perfect is quite good. I was only able to catch their last song, because of my friend and I eating some BBQ across the street. Autolux was very, very similar to Midnight Movies. Girl drummer, very attractive, two blokes on the side, and the girl was singing. However, unlike Midnight Movies, this girl from Autolux can really dish out the drumming. Probably one of the best female drummers I have seen in a while. I don't know which song they played, but they rocked out for a good long time and I dug it immensely. I hoped to have seem more, but I'm sure these guys will be back supporting very soon (yeah, like 3 times!).

Next comes Moving Units. Dubbed as one of the hardest working bands in the business by Filter, you can tell that these guys are professionals. Despite having problems with their equipment, with the singer being shocked once with his mic, they put on a decent set. The catchy disco/electronic tunes were all there with "Fearless," "Killer-Lover," "Birds of Prey," "Submission," "Anyone," "Between Us and Them," "Emancipation," "Melodrama," and "X and Y" being the more memorable ones. However, something left me empty with Moving Units. They were just flat. They weren't excellent, they weren't bad, but they were just flat. Dare I say it, they are like The Bravery: fantastic on MP3 but not so good live. They put on a valiant effort to engage the crowd, which did work at times, but other times it was just a futile attempt.

Finally, Secret Machines. At this point of the show, I couldn't care less about them since I was tired and annoyed with the crowd and the lack of good bands this year. The lighting was excellent, and they did churn out the tunes from their debut release. However, like the bands that preceded them, they were just flat in my opinion. The energy was there, but it wasn't enough to move me to be into it. It was not until "Nowhere Again" did I start to pay attention but that was the encore song by that time. They failed to grab me, and it shows with the other folks watching them since a good portion of the people have exited the building. Not that it's empty inside, but it was noticeably less people in there halfway through their set.

Overall, a show that is flat with a few highlights.

Beer Rating: 3.5 Beers

Calendar Improvements

Starting this week, and everyday thereafter, any show highlighted in green in the calendar means that it is a recent addition. So far, the following shows were just added:

15 March: Ian Brown @ GAMH
16 April: Q and Not U @ Slim's

Bright Eyes (Berkeley Community Theatre, 15 February 2005)

Me and my friends went to a party. It was a birthday party. It was Conor Oberst's birthday party, happy birthday Conor! And everyone at the party loved him very, very, very, very, very, very, very much. And then Conor started humming this little tune, and it was "At the Bottom of Everything," from the best album of 2005 thus far, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning.

Yes, it was Conor's 25th birthday today and it was celebrated by an uplifting and memorable performance at this high school auditorium in downtown Berkeley. The whole show felt like a birthday party . . . albeit a rather large one. After the second song of the set, someone from the crowd yelled and encouraged everyone to sing Conor happy birthday. Of course, we all did and Conor was enamored by the love.

Bright Eyes played pretty much all of Wide Awake, with a sprinkle of Lifted's "Method Acting" and Fever and Mirror's "The Calendar Hung Itself." Wide Awake has been heralded as Conor's finest work. The music press has been waiting for Conor to realize his true potential when he was a songwriter at 19, then 22, and now when he was 24. Wide Awake is a true indie rock/folk classic, some even comparing it as a true Dylan-esque album. Although that may be too high a praise, at least at this point in Conor's career, it was pretty damn close to it.

"We Are Nowhere and It's Now" was played with such emotion that you can really feel that you have been drinking wine until you are blind. "Old Soul's" keyboards were just blissful, with Conor belting out the high notes at the end that made the back of my spine tingle with pure excitement. "Another Travelin' Song" sounded like a true western hee-haw ho-down. All I needed was my cowboy hat and boots and I would have been all set. Then my anger at the current political regime was put into words with "When the President Talks to God." Although this song received mixed applause in Texas, it was received with open arms and loud applause in this Blue State. Speaking of blue, "True Blue" was played with sillyness and coy. One cannot help but laugh at the simplicity of the lyrics when Conor sings this song. Hell, even I wrote a song called "The Red Song" on my drive home, already completing three lines of lyrics.

However, the true highlight song of the evening was "Land Locked Blues." The whole range of emotions this song had was captured live. A bit of sadness when Conor describes a scene where a girl begs her partner to come back to bed, to a bit of comedy when Conor describes being shot by kids with a tree branch gun, and anger at our government's handling of Iraq and Afghanistan. All that was missing was Emmylou Harris' presence and backing vocals and this would have truly been an instant live classic.

After a string of O.K. shows, seeing Bright Eyes was a welcome relief.

Beer Rating: 1 Beer