- Birdmonster - Mezzanine - 4/19
This was the record release party for Birdmonster's new album, No Midnight. There weren't many people there, but they still rocked. And those that did show up were true fans, singing along and yelling the whole time. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin also opened (something I didn't mention in the original posting). It was a nice bonus. - Helio Sequence - Mezzanine - 4/1
I think the main reason I went to this show was to see Band of Horses. They were getting a lot of buzz and I figured I'd see if they could hold up to the hype. Turns out that they couldn't. I'd like to see them again just to see if it was an off night. But the real show came from the boys in Helio Sequence. If you're looking for a show to remove the socks from your feet, go see these guys. It's just pure fun from start to finish. - Beirut - Lily Pad - 6/24
Maybe it's because I just saw them, but I sure liked the Beirut show. Sure, it wasn't the cleanest show I've ever seen. But I wasn't expecting U2. The music is good, and the intimate setting really made for an excellent time. And the band was quite approachable. They're coming to San Francisco in October, playing at Great American. That should be quite a difference. - Spinto Band - Cafe du Nord - 3/13
The Spinto Band's album has been one that I keep coming back to. The songs are really poppy, but still retain the complexities and subtleties of great music. And their live show is similar. It's juvenile in some regards (the guys are all young), using kazoos and funny dance moves, but it is subtle and complex with excellent solos and a genuine rapport between band members. Simply put, I enjoyed myself. - Islands - Slim's - 5/6
Boy, that's a small picture I have of Islands. But I think that is actually a good thing. I really enjoyed the show. And I really like the music played (if I were making a similar list of songs, Rough Gem would have probably been at #1). But Nick Diamonds is a dick (which is seen in full effect during a Pitchfork interview). The real reason I enjoyed this show so much was the energy and the events that unfolded during the concert. So having a small picture of the guy, with his band mates, might be the kind of blow to his ego that he could use. But more likely, he'll think "some people are just bitter that they ended up reviewing the show rather than playing the show, perhaps." Yes, Nick, jealousy got us this far...
28 June 2006
Top 5 Shows of First Half of 2006
Everyone likes to make top 10 lists at the end of the year. But why wait until then to arbitrarily rank things? I figured I could do a brief ranking of the best shows I've seen so far this year. One bonus of doing this now is that this is happening when things are easier to remember. From my memory, I've been to 19 shows in the last 6 months. So this does have some merit. But enough pontificating!
26 June 2006
Postcards from Italy
I was hanging out in Beantown this last week. It's one of my favorite towns in America, and it didn't disappoint this time either. I'm lucky that I get to visit at least once a year.
Before going, I emailed my friend Geoff, saying, "Geoff, so far, our time in Cambridge has been nothing but trouble. And I'm happy to report that I'm a bigger dick now than ever." Geoff was quite the host, bringing me to a cool bar one night and having me over for a party at his house another.
The bad part about this trip is that it was scheduled exactly when Built to Spill and Radiohead were in San Francisco. But I made up for missing those "mainstream" bands by seeing one of the internet's most hyped artists, Beirut. This band is fronted (and formed) by a 19 year old from New Mexico. He plays almost all the instruments on the album (which doesn't contain a single pluck of a guitar string). His instrumental knowledge goes from piano to accordion to ukulele. The eclectic instruments combined with his strong, vibrato voice, and Eastern European influences leads to a very full and interesting sound.
While waiting in line for the show, I met two cool Bostonians, Debbie and Dan. We chatted and occasionally overheard the conversation of the group behind us, who were idiots. There were many examples of this, but the best came when one engaged me in conversation. It went a little like this.
Idiot (pointing at my shoes): Hey, did you get those at Nordstrom's?
Me: Nope.
Idiot: Oh, well I tried them on at Nordstrom's. I was going to get them, but my Mom wouldn't let me.
Me: Wait, did you just say you Mom wouldn't let you?
Everyone around: LOL
Me (pointing at the idiot's feet): So are those Mommy approved?
Idiot's cute girlfriend: Ha! Mommy approved!
Anyway, once we got into the small room of the Lily Pad in Cambridge (which could fit about 50 people), we saw the band hanging out, drinking beer. No stage, and definitely no back stage.
Despite the lousy sound system (the PA blew out before the show, causing them to pipe everything through their back-up keyboard amp), the show was excellent. The 19 year old was a bit shy, singing with his eyes closed and generally avoiding the crowd, but he sounded great. All of the band members were great musicians, but I was especially impressed by the cello player and drummer. And there was a ukulele player/general percussionist that was a great show. He looked pretty nerdy, but had a lot of energy. Without him, I feel that the stand-back-and-listen-without-moving-an-inch crowd would have pushed the atmosphere of the show into the doldrums.
Beirut is planning on touring the West Coast this Fall. If I can get a ticket (I can only imagine how hard it'll be), I'll be there.
Beirut - Postcards from Italy
Beirut - Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
Before going, I emailed my friend Geoff, saying, "Geoff, so far, our time in Cambridge has been nothing but trouble. And I'm happy to report that I'm a bigger dick now than ever." Geoff was quite the host, bringing me to a cool bar one night and having me over for a party at his house another.
The bad part about this trip is that it was scheduled exactly when Built to Spill and Radiohead were in San Francisco. But I made up for missing those "mainstream" bands by seeing one of the internet's most hyped artists, Beirut. This band is fronted (and formed) by a 19 year old from New Mexico. He plays almost all the instruments on the album (which doesn't contain a single pluck of a guitar string). His instrumental knowledge goes from piano to accordion to ukulele. The eclectic instruments combined with his strong, vibrato voice, and Eastern European influences leads to a very full and interesting sound.
While waiting in line for the show, I met two cool Bostonians, Debbie and Dan. We chatted and occasionally overheard the conversation of the group behind us, who were idiots. There were many examples of this, but the best came when one engaged me in conversation. It went a little like this.
Idiot (pointing at my shoes): Hey, did you get those at Nordstrom's?
Me: Nope.
Idiot: Oh, well I tried them on at Nordstrom's. I was going to get them, but my Mom wouldn't let me.
Me: Wait, did you just say you Mom wouldn't let you?
Everyone around: LOL
Me (pointing at the idiot's feet): So are those Mommy approved?
Idiot's cute girlfriend: Ha! Mommy approved!
Anyway, once we got into the small room of the Lily Pad in Cambridge (which could fit about 50 people), we saw the band hanging out, drinking beer. No stage, and definitely no back stage.
Despite the lousy sound system (the PA blew out before the show, causing them to pipe everything through their back-up keyboard amp), the show was excellent. The 19 year old was a bit shy, singing with his eyes closed and generally avoiding the crowd, but he sounded great. All of the band members were great musicians, but I was especially impressed by the cello player and drummer. And there was a ukulele player/general percussionist that was a great show. He looked pretty nerdy, but had a lot of energy. Without him, I feel that the stand-back-and-listen-without-moving-an-inch crowd would have pushed the atmosphere of the show into the doldrums.
Beirut is planning on touring the West Coast this Fall. If I can get a ticket (I can only imagine how hard it'll be), I'll be there.
Beirut - Postcards from Italy
Beirut - Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
25 June 2006
Fastest Man Alive
I've been in Boston this last week chumming with work people, seeing a college friend, and going to one show. That'll be my excuse for why it's taken me over a week to post about the Sound Team / Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin show at the Independent. I went to this show by myself, knowing that it was going to be great, but unable to convince others of that fact.
I got to the venue a few minutes before SSLYBY started up, The band is a laid-back rock outfit. I want to compare them to a band, but nothing is really coming to mind. They're sort of like Rogue Wave or OK Go or Razorlight or Spinto Band. It's pretty simple music, but very solid. They were also pretty fun to see live. I'll probably try to see them next time they're around (caught them before when they opened for Birdmonster a few weeks ago).
As for Sound Team, one of the internet's favorite bands, they really performed well. It's a group of really good musicians with some very good songs. They're not going to be the next Radiohead, but I think they'll be pretty big in the indie scene. During the set, something went wrong with one of the keyboards, forcing some quick fixing and a couple of songs with two guys working over each other (like in the picture).
After the show, I talked to Phillip from SSLYBY for a while. He sounds like a really good guy just trying to make it in this business. But he seems to understand that you need to work your way up slowly, gaining fans along the way.
Sound Team - Fastest Man Alive iPod-ready Video- Highly Recommended
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - House Fire
I got to the venue a few minutes before SSLYBY started up, The band is a laid-back rock outfit. I want to compare them to a band, but nothing is really coming to mind. They're sort of like Rogue Wave or OK Go or Razorlight or Spinto Band. It's pretty simple music, but very solid. They were also pretty fun to see live. I'll probably try to see them next time they're around (caught them before when they opened for Birdmonster a few weeks ago).
As for Sound Team, one of the internet's favorite bands, they really performed well. It's a group of really good musicians with some very good songs. They're not going to be the next Radiohead, but I think they'll be pretty big in the indie scene. During the set, something went wrong with one of the keyboards, forcing some quick fixing and a couple of songs with two guys working over each other (like in the picture).
After the show, I talked to Phillip from SSLYBY for a while. He sounds like a really good guy just trying to make it in this business. But he seems to understand that you need to work your way up slowly, gaining fans along the way.
Sound Team - Fastest Man Alive iPod-ready Video- Highly Recommended
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - House Fire
15 June 2006
Steady, As She Goes
Last week I saw two "shows." I use the ever-popular quotations because they were unlike most shows I go to. The first was of music I know and like, but it was in a record store, and I couldn't really see the band at all (a photo from Ben's camera shows our distant view). The other was a band I didn't know at all and I ended up mostly talking to friends during the set. I'm normally opposed to that, but I made an exception.
Early on Thursday, Ben and I went to Amoeba to catch the Raconteurs, a combination of two of my favorite Michigan musicians, Jack White and Brendan Benson. Their music isn't quite what I was hoping for when I heard of the collaboration. It sounds more like Jack wrote some songs and Brendan wrote the others. There isn't as much of a merge of sounds. Anywho, Prasad met us at Amoeba and we took in the set from about a football field away. Jack White is a good musician to see live since he actually changes the songs a little. Not like the new David Lee Roth version of Jump, but just a few new notes thrown in.
After that show finished, the three of us met up with Andrea and Jeni to see the Skygreen Leopards. Billed as "Band of Horses if they weren't dicks" by Ben, I figured I'd give them a try. Band of Horses? No. They had a solid laid-back sound. The highlight was running into Udi, a really nice and cool guy I met a couple of weeks earlier. Not a very eventful night overall.
Check out the new video for the Raconteurs single, Steady, As She Goes.
And if you want to hear the Skygreen Leopards, check out their myspace page.
Early on Thursday, Ben and I went to Amoeba to catch the Raconteurs, a combination of two of my favorite Michigan musicians, Jack White and Brendan Benson. Their music isn't quite what I was hoping for when I heard of the collaboration. It sounds more like Jack wrote some songs and Brendan wrote the others. There isn't as much of a merge of sounds. Anywho, Prasad met us at Amoeba and we took in the set from about a football field away. Jack White is a good musician to see live since he actually changes the songs a little. Not like the new David Lee Roth version of Jump, but just a few new notes thrown in.
After that show finished, the three of us met up with Andrea and Jeni to see the Skygreen Leopards. Billed as "Band of Horses if they weren't dicks" by Ben, I figured I'd give them a try. Band of Horses? No. They had a solid laid-back sound. The highlight was running into Udi, a really nice and cool guy I met a couple of weeks earlier. Not a very eventful night overall.
Check out the new video for the Raconteurs single, Steady, As She Goes.
And if you want to hear the Skygreen Leopards, check out their myspace page.
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