I’m going to start by saying that there was one thing that saved last Friday’s Foo Fighters acoustic set for me. Dave burst out with Best of You towards the end of the night and violated us with one of the best screams in rock n roll today. He then followed that with Everlong, one of Judakris’ favorite songs ever. He ended the show with a bang while still maintaining the acoustic element. Because of this, I give this show an Unbelievable.
Now here’s how I felt about everything else.
On the way to the show we got turned around in the city. I am normally a pretty calm driver, but I was a nervous wreck as I tried to maneuver the little bug among the urban jungle. We practically reenacted a scene from 24 as J was on the phone with our friend M who had a map in front of her and offered directions. J would explain that we were now crossing this street, that street, this bldg, etc. When J would point out certain landmarks, I would just offer a courtesy smile and breathlessly respond “oh, cool” whilst never taking my eyes off the road and the pesky pedestrians.
We found our location and pulled into a parking garage, which unfortunately was valet. As we were getting out of the car I set my damn car alarm off. Nice.
I didn’t think our seats were too bad, although the angle of the balcony could give anyone vertigo. We sat in the center and had a pretty unobstructed view of the stage for most of the show. Our seats were on the third level and in the back row. The houselights were on the entire time where we sat, which meant that there were no visual cues for the morons sitting around us to know that there was indeed a performance happening.
People were generally restless around us. Apparently, no one told them that this was meant to be an acoustic performance and that you didn’t have to yell when speaking to your neighbor. With the women trying to not roll down and off the balcony onto the audience below us, there was added awkwardness to their return trips after getting their drinks. At some point in the evening, the Auditorium Theatre staff were mimicking the band behind us and being louder than they probably think they were. J and I both shot them a look knowing full well this wouldn’t help. It didn’t.
At some point, I had returned from getting my second beer and found some guy sitting next to J. When I sat down, he looked at us both and said “Hi there. I’m Phil” while thrusting out his hand for us to shake one at a time. What the fuck? Who was this guy? Go sell distraction somewhere else, bud. We’re all stocked up here. His survival instincts obviously kicked in because he left after a few short minutes.
Dave told a great story about meeting Nirvana for the first time and his experiences while living with them for a time. He then played a song called Friend of a Friend, a song he wrote during that time. The acoustics were perfect, but I could have done without hearing the violinist sing her version of Floaty. At some point, J and I looked at each other and wondered what was going there (wink, wink). I remember noting that there was a keyboardist. Inside I had an "AH HAH!" moment, but J was consistent in her dislike of keyboards as part of the set even with these guys. A little ambience never hurt anybody. [SCENE: hospital bed. Judakris girls are in the winter of their lives. J lies on bed, hardly coherent, beckoning K over to her. K leans in carefully and gently grabs her hand. She gazes into the eyes of her partner in crime and smiles through her oxygen mask waiting for her sister to form her last words. J whispers "Keyboards suck" then flatlines. Darkness. Curtain.]
The federalist emblem on the screen didn’t translate well from where we were sitting. It looked a little like a nutsack. They didn’t need it. They had beautiful lighting. Aesthetically that was all that was needed.
After the show, we headed towards the back of the venue and saw Nate Mendel. After waiting for some time, he ended up being the only band member that came out that night as the others had caught a flight to L.A. We knew this because our favorite Foo roadie told us. We know better than to trust security guards telling us the band won’t be coming out. We have learned that this is their way of thinning out the crowd so that there is less hassle. I will paraphrase our friend S quoting Mommie Dearest: this ain’t our first time at the rodeo. -K
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Acoustic Foo in Chicago
Settle in. This is gonna take awhile.
Yesterday K and I took the day off of work to travel to Chicago to see the Foo Fighters on their acoustic tour at the Auditorium Theatre. This trip was long-awaited and a welcome relief from work. I had a very stressful business trip from Monday to Thursday and in the worst moments, I would have to go to my mental happy place and just think “FRIDAY” to get me through.
The trip up to the venue was a bit dramatic but alas, we finally arrived at the beautiful Auditorium Theatre in time to hear Frank Black performing an acoustic set. Just to give you an idea of how far up we were, when looking at Frank Black on stage, I said to K, “He looks thinner than I expected”, and she replied, “Yeah, and he looks like he has hair”. Shit maybe it wasn’t even fuckin Frank Black but we were none the wiser without binoculars. We were stone cold sober at this point by the way. I throw in the “f” word to give you a feel for the onstage banter throughout the show.
Our seats were in the last stinking row of Balcony One, smack dab in the middle. This all sounded good on paper, but in actuality sucked. The house lights were on behind us the whole show, we had all of the noise from the open stairwell that led to the seating, and we had rude staff standing around us. It was really a shame. K and I came expecting a mellow experience. Yes, they still rocked out some of the songs, but it was a sit-down kind of concert.
Let's get to the show. Here's the setlist. The opening song was Razor, a song off the acoustic record of the double album In Your Honor, that is not one of my favorites, but the arrangement was amazing, with Dave on stage for most of the song alone with his acoustic guitar. By the end the entire band was out with a few additions: Pat Smear also playing guitar, a violinist/mandolin player, a percussionist, and a keyboardist. It was really beautiful.
The sound in the Auditorium Theatre was incredible. If anyone has seen the Foo, you know that Dave is a talker, which is always good fun. In this venue, you could hear every word.
There were a few songs I really missed hearing, which were Ain’t it the Life and Aurora, both off of There is Nothing Left to Lose. What was interesting was that some of my least favorite songs, Friend of a Friend, and Razor ended up being some of the best, either because of the arrangement or because of the stories Dave told to accompany them. For example, he told an insightful story about meeting Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain for the first time when they picked him up from the airport after he joined Nirvana. You see kids walking around these days in Kurt Cobain t-shirts like he’s their patron saint. People forget he was just a regular guy and the story illustrated this point.
Criticisms
I didn’t like the arrangements when there was heavy use of keyboards. Sometimes they were just ambient sounds but then other times they took the place of some of the guitar parts, and I didn’t like that at all.
Dave let the violinist sing Floaty. No Thanks!
K and I both agreed that we didn’t like the background screen behind the band with their logo from the In Your Honor album. The stage would have been fine with just the lighting and the curtains. I am attaching a pic of the background taken at the Philly show. This sounds sick but the shape of the emblem reminds of the scene in Silence of the Lambs when the cops bust into the hotel room expecting to find Hannibal in his cage, but instead they find the cop strung up by Hannibal Lector with his insides all open to the public.
Not the bands fault but I wish so badly we would have been sitting away from the house lights and rude staff and fans, so we could have just gotten totally immersed in the music. Instead we got a drunk girl in front of us who was trying to record the show on her cell phone who also got a bad case of hiccups and had to disrupt everyone to get up and then stand directly behind us bending over, drinking her beer out of the other side of her cup, trying to relieve said hiccups. I almost gave her my sister-in-law M’s signature, “Zip it!” Also, when K got up to get a beer, some guy jumped into the seat next to me and wanted to chat. There was also an almost fistfight that broke out very close by. Can these people not act like adults?
Favorite Moments
I actually enjoyed hearing the songs that they played off their other albums over the acoustic album the best. Songs like Walking After You and February Stars (which they played but isn’t on that set list) are never on their rock show set list. Due to the highly entertaining footos video, they never play Big Me at shows because Dave doesn’t want to get candy thrown at him. He played it here.
Dave did a rocking, but acoustic version of Best of You out on the stage alone and it was the most amazing moment of the night.
And of course, they finished the night with my all-time favorite Foo song, Everlong.
After the show, we got to watch Nate Mendel sign some autographs and get into a van to head to the airport. The rest of the band had hit the road as soon as the show was over so they could board a private plane back to L.A. While we stood outside on Michigan Avenue, enjoying the beautiful summer night weather and the people watching, we chatted with some other fans and also our favorite Roadie. He was telling us how if you are part of the crew and you are late to arrive when they have chartered a private plane, you get a financial penalty, so no one is ever late! I also overheard some of the other roadies talking and they said that the Auditorium Theatre staff was the most meticulous and biggest pain in the asses that they had ever worked with in all their years. One of them also expressed his unhappiness about the upcoming Foo Fighters/Bob Dylan tour dates. This person said that while it is being booked as a co-headlining tour on paper, the person who goes on last is the headliner and gets all the perks in staffing, space, etc. We also inquired with our favorite roadie on how my nephew, D, could get a job like he has and he made it sound like it was all chance. He did mention having to drive bands around when he first started, so D, if you are reading this, GET YOUR LICENSE!
This night gets an UNBELIEVABLE rating from me. --J
Yesterday K and I took the day off of work to travel to Chicago to see the Foo Fighters on their acoustic tour at the Auditorium Theatre. This trip was long-awaited and a welcome relief from work. I had a very stressful business trip from Monday to Thursday and in the worst moments, I would have to go to my mental happy place and just think “FRIDAY” to get me through.
The trip up to the venue was a bit dramatic but alas, we finally arrived at the beautiful Auditorium Theatre in time to hear Frank Black performing an acoustic set. Just to give you an idea of how far up we were, when looking at Frank Black on stage, I said to K, “He looks thinner than I expected”, and she replied, “Yeah, and he looks like he has hair”. Shit maybe it wasn’t even fuckin Frank Black but we were none the wiser without binoculars. We were stone cold sober at this point by the way. I throw in the “f” word to give you a feel for the onstage banter throughout the show.
Our seats were in the last stinking row of Balcony One, smack dab in the middle. This all sounded good on paper, but in actuality sucked. The house lights were on behind us the whole show, we had all of the noise from the open stairwell that led to the seating, and we had rude staff standing around us. It was really a shame. K and I came expecting a mellow experience. Yes, they still rocked out some of the songs, but it was a sit-down kind of concert.
Let's get to the show. Here's the setlist. The opening song was Razor, a song off the acoustic record of the double album In Your Honor, that is not one of my favorites, but the arrangement was amazing, with Dave on stage for most of the song alone with his acoustic guitar. By the end the entire band was out with a few additions: Pat Smear also playing guitar, a violinist/mandolin player, a percussionist, and a keyboardist. It was really beautiful.
The sound in the Auditorium Theatre was incredible. If anyone has seen the Foo, you know that Dave is a talker, which is always good fun. In this venue, you could hear every word.
There were a few songs I really missed hearing, which were Ain’t it the Life and Aurora, both off of There is Nothing Left to Lose. What was interesting was that some of my least favorite songs, Friend of a Friend, and Razor ended up being some of the best, either because of the arrangement or because of the stories Dave told to accompany them. For example, he told an insightful story about meeting Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain for the first time when they picked him up from the airport after he joined Nirvana. You see kids walking around these days in Kurt Cobain t-shirts like he’s their patron saint. People forget he was just a regular guy and the story illustrated this point.
Criticisms
I didn’t like the arrangements when there was heavy use of keyboards. Sometimes they were just ambient sounds but then other times they took the place of some of the guitar parts, and I didn’t like that at all.
Dave let the violinist sing Floaty. No Thanks!
K and I both agreed that we didn’t like the background screen behind the band with their logo from the In Your Honor album. The stage would have been fine with just the lighting and the curtains. I am attaching a pic of the background taken at the Philly show. This sounds sick but the shape of the emblem reminds of the scene in Silence of the Lambs when the cops bust into the hotel room expecting to find Hannibal in his cage, but instead they find the cop strung up by Hannibal Lector with his insides all open to the public.
Not the bands fault but I wish so badly we would have been sitting away from the house lights and rude staff and fans, so we could have just gotten totally immersed in the music. Instead we got a drunk girl in front of us who was trying to record the show on her cell phone who also got a bad case of hiccups and had to disrupt everyone to get up and then stand directly behind us bending over, drinking her beer out of the other side of her cup, trying to relieve said hiccups. I almost gave her my sister-in-law M’s signature, “Zip it!” Also, when K got up to get a beer, some guy jumped into the seat next to me and wanted to chat. There was also an almost fistfight that broke out very close by. Can these people not act like adults?
Favorite Moments
I actually enjoyed hearing the songs that they played off their other albums over the acoustic album the best. Songs like Walking After You and February Stars (which they played but isn’t on that set list) are never on their rock show set list. Due to the highly entertaining footos video, they never play Big Me at shows because Dave doesn’t want to get candy thrown at him. He played it here.
Dave did a rocking, but acoustic version of Best of You out on the stage alone and it was the most amazing moment of the night.
And of course, they finished the night with my all-time favorite Foo song, Everlong.
After the show, we got to watch Nate Mendel sign some autographs and get into a van to head to the airport. The rest of the band had hit the road as soon as the show was over so they could board a private plane back to L.A. While we stood outside on Michigan Avenue, enjoying the beautiful summer night weather and the people watching, we chatted with some other fans and also our favorite Roadie. He was telling us how if you are part of the crew and you are late to arrive when they have chartered a private plane, you get a financial penalty, so no one is ever late! I also overheard some of the other roadies talking and they said that the Auditorium Theatre staff was the most meticulous and biggest pain in the asses that they had ever worked with in all their years. One of them also expressed his unhappiness about the upcoming Foo Fighters/Bob Dylan tour dates. This person said that while it is being booked as a co-headlining tour on paper, the person who goes on last is the headliner and gets all the perks in staffing, space, etc. We also inquired with our favorite roadie on how my nephew, D, could get a job like he has and he made it sound like it was all chance. He did mention having to drive bands around when he first started, so D, if you are reading this, GET YOUR LICENSE!
This night gets an UNBELIEVABLE rating from me. --J
New Rating System
Judakris spent a lot of time in Chicago traffic over the last two days and decided to apply a grading scale to our posts. After a retrospective discussion on past shows we realized that our musical experiences can literally be summed up by one of these four words. We’ll make retroactive changes over the next few days. -Judakris
Unbelievable – We love it, Judakris endorsed!
Unexpected – We didn’t know what to expect going in, but liked it in the end.
Unfortunate – We like the performer(s) but can’t believe this is what they dished out to the public. Shame on them! They can do better.
Unnecessary – Don’t know why anyone booked studio time or venue time for this. It sucks!
Unbelievable – We love it, Judakris endorsed!
Unexpected – We didn’t know what to expect going in, but liked it in the end.
Unfortunate – We like the performer(s) but can’t believe this is what they dished out to the public. Shame on them! They can do better.
Unnecessary – Don’t know why anyone booked studio time or venue time for this. It sucks!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
25 Greatest Live Bands Now
It’s Monday at 8:00am and I am standing at a newsstand in the Memphis airport jonesing for some music magazines when I reach for the new SPIN. Johnny Knoxville is on the cover, but what catches my eye is the top headline: “The 25 Greatest Live Bands Now”. I must buy this. I’ll only comment on the bands on the list I’ve seen…
Number 21 – Against Me!
A good live performance, okay, they’re low on the list, so I’ll accept that.
Number 14 – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I’m a little surprised by this. See our review of their St. Louis show for more background.
Number 13 – My Chemical Romance
Okay, I’m with you having seen them twice last year. They are solid performers and know their audience.
Number 11 – Queens of the Stone Age
Yeah, they put on a good show.
Number 9 - Prince
Only number nine? Is there a guitarist out there that makes playing look so effortless? Now, I’m starting to question you, SPIN.
Number 4 – Red Hot Chili Peppers
When you say “Greatest Live Bands Now”, I’m assuming you mean if I went to see them on their current tour. I could see the Chili Peppers being up there about fifteen years ago for the unexpected factor, but I don’t know if I agree about today. I would go to see John Frusciante, but I don’t think he alone can rank a number four. Maybe I’m just bitter that St. Louis is nowhere on their tour schedule this year!
Number 1 – U2
What?! Yeah they’re good, but Jim DeRogatis didn’t use the phrase “impassioned windbaggery” to describe some of Bono’s onstage commentary for nothin. They should be on the list but I question them being number one. Is this like figure skating where they give the gold to the “seasoned performer”?
But SPIN, as I sit at the gate waiting for my flight, if I didn’t think I would be branded a security risk, I probably would have screamed. What were you thinking with no Foo Fighters on the list? They’re so good live that most of the audience needs a cigarette afterwards. Even when I’m not feeling all the songs on their latest release, I can always depend on a stellar live show.
I’ll have to console myself at their concert in Chicago this Friday night, cigarettes in hand. --J
Number 21 – Against Me!
A good live performance, okay, they’re low on the list, so I’ll accept that.
Number 14 – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I’m a little surprised by this. See our review of their St. Louis show for more background.
Number 13 – My Chemical Romance
Okay, I’m with you having seen them twice last year. They are solid performers and know their audience.
Number 11 – Queens of the Stone Age
Yeah, they put on a good show.
Number 9 - Prince
Only number nine? Is there a guitarist out there that makes playing look so effortless? Now, I’m starting to question you, SPIN.
Number 4 – Red Hot Chili Peppers
When you say “Greatest Live Bands Now”, I’m assuming you mean if I went to see them on their current tour. I could see the Chili Peppers being up there about fifteen years ago for the unexpected factor, but I don’t know if I agree about today. I would go to see John Frusciante, but I don’t think he alone can rank a number four. Maybe I’m just bitter that St. Louis is nowhere on their tour schedule this year!
Number 1 – U2
What?! Yeah they’re good, but Jim DeRogatis didn’t use the phrase “impassioned windbaggery” to describe some of Bono’s onstage commentary for nothin. They should be on the list but I question them being number one. Is this like figure skating where they give the gold to the “seasoned performer”?
But SPIN, as I sit at the gate waiting for my flight, if I didn’t think I would be branded a security risk, I probably would have screamed. What were you thinking with no Foo Fighters on the list? They’re so good live that most of the audience needs a cigarette afterwards. Even when I’m not feeling all the songs on their latest release, I can always depend on a stellar live show.
I’ll have to console myself at their concert in Chicago this Friday night, cigarettes in hand. --J
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Bonnie Prince Billy at Vintage Vinyl
Before I saw Bonnie Prince Billy make an in-store appearance at Vintage Vinyl on August 15 I had no idea what his music sounded like. I knew from M that he is huge in France and that when he rocks out he has a stage presence that is undeniable. Trusting her instincts, I jumped at the chance to see what this artist was all about.J and I went down to check it out and could barely see the solo Will Oldham because of the large crowd. What we could hear were the knockings of the microphone as he nervously situated himself on his stool and tuned his guitar. He said that he had never had one of those dreams where you stand naked in front of a crowd, but that this must be what that kind of dream feels like.
The crowd was an interesting mix of rustics and two 30-somethings that had just purchased tickets for the September MUSE show. It was a quiet set and wouldn’t you know it- my cell phone went off. What was worse was that because I couldn’t get to the phone it just kept ringing and ringing and ringing… Also, my ringtone is a song that this crowd would in no way desire to hear. The last thing I wanted was to disrespect the already nervous artist and get stoned (because I’m sure that among this crowd besides walking sticks, dirt, and handmade messenger bags there were stones as well). With one look we headed to the back of the store.
His and my social anxieties aside, Oldham’s voice has an unrefined beauty to it that expresses longing and reflection. An example of the tone of that night can be seen and heard here. Find his music, sit on a porch in the darkness of night, and give it a listen. -K
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Ghostfinger - These Colors Run
K and I have a good friend, M, who lives in Birmingham. When we lived in the same town, M and I used to rent or go see movies frequently. I remember M saying once she judged how much she liked a movie on when and if she looked at her watch during the screening. I’ve picked up that same habit and a similar one for music. I tend to judge how much I like a CD by whether I feel obligated, like exercise, to put it in the CD player in hopes of it growing on me, or whether I wake up in the morning with a fixation on a song and a strong need to hear it as soon as possible. We have all bought CDs that fall into either category. These Colors Run falls into the second category. I love all the tracks that K mentions, but the one that plays over and over in my head and I wake up wanting to hear is the opening track, Aminal Eye. It’s in iTunes so download it and give it a spin! --J
Beastie Boys on DVD
I recently watched the Beastie Boys concert DVD, Awesome; I Fuckin Shot That! and watched it over the weekend. If you don’t know the background of this concert film, let me give you a brief synopsis. The Beasties played Madison Square Garden, their home turf, in 2004. On that night’s performance, they picked 50 people sitting in various locations around the arena and gave them a video camera to film the concert. They told the lucky 50 that they could shoot whatever they wanted as long as they did not turn off their cameras. At one point, one of the 50 goes to the can, and true to instruction, does not shut off the camera. We see a stream of urine hitting the toilet, yeah! The Beasties then took all of the footage along with some that they shot and spliced it together to make a great concert film.
Even though the footage is good, I think you have to be a Beastie Boys fan, which I am, to watch this. When I was sixteen years old, Licensed to Ill was the soundtrack of my life and I’ve been a fan ever since. One of the highlights of the concert for me was the absence of a particular song. “Fight for your Right (to Party)” was not part of the setlist! It has always annoyed me that when popular radio chooses to play a Beastie Boys song, 99.99% of the time it’s this annoying song that really doesn’t sound like any of their other songs. I say 99.99% of the time because the other day when K and I were driving in the car and we actually heard “No Sleep til Brooklyn” on the radio. What a shock!
The coolest part of the show was the encore. The Beasties use service elevators to pop up in various audience locations, including the nosebleed sections, to perform songs in the middle of the crowd. In the commentary, the band says that they wished that they could have done that for the whole show, even though their bodyguards didn’t like it.
Giving the cameras to the audience really captures the party on the floor. You get shots of various people, including Ben Stiller, really getting into it. If only for one night, you can let go of your cares and have fun; the beauty of the concert experience.
As for the extras on the DVD, the band commentary is good. Check out the fan segment to see the crazy costumes people wore to the shows. Slipknot, System of a Down and Jack Black all make guest appearances in the special features section. The day in the life of Nathaniel Hornblower is only for the hardest of hardcore David Cross fans. It’s a little funny in the beginning but goes on way too long.
If you are fan of the band, this DVD is a must. --J
Even though the footage is good, I think you have to be a Beastie Boys fan, which I am, to watch this. When I was sixteen years old, Licensed to Ill was the soundtrack of my life and I’ve been a fan ever since. One of the highlights of the concert for me was the absence of a particular song. “Fight for your Right (to Party)” was not part of the setlist! It has always annoyed me that when popular radio chooses to play a Beastie Boys song, 99.99% of the time it’s this annoying song that really doesn’t sound like any of their other songs. I say 99.99% of the time because the other day when K and I were driving in the car and we actually heard “No Sleep til Brooklyn” on the radio. What a shock!
The coolest part of the show was the encore. The Beasties use service elevators to pop up in various audience locations, including the nosebleed sections, to perform songs in the middle of the crowd. In the commentary, the band says that they wished that they could have done that for the whole show, even though their bodyguards didn’t like it.
Giving the cameras to the audience really captures the party on the floor. You get shots of various people, including Ben Stiller, really getting into it. If only for one night, you can let go of your cares and have fun; the beauty of the concert experience.
As for the extras on the DVD, the band commentary is good. Check out the fan segment to see the crazy costumes people wore to the shows. Slipknot, System of a Down and Jack Black all make guest appearances in the special features section. The day in the life of Nathaniel Hornblower is only for the hardest of hardcore David Cross fans. It’s a little funny in the beginning but goes on way too long.
If you are fan of the band, this DVD is a must. --J
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Wizard Rock in St. Louis
My daughter A. and I headed down to the Museum of Contemporary Art last night to see a band called Harry and the Potters. We weren’t sure what to expect. Novelty acts can have potential. Years ago, I went to see EL Vez, the Mexican Elvis with my friends J & T. Check him out if he comes to a town near you! The show started at 6 which is deadly traffic time in St. Louis, but we made it there on time. We got in before it sold out at around 300 attendees. Here’s how the St. Louis Post-Dispatch billed the show:
Harry and the Potters
Brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge of Massachusetts have found their niche. The lads combine their passions for literature and rock 'n' roll with their resemblance to Harry Potter, resulting in Harry and the Potters. The brothers employ their own age difference in taking on the persona of Harry, presenting a repertoire about the books with a heavy punk rock influence. Their Summer Reading and Rocking Tour 2006 has played book stores and libraries nationwide. Opening the show is Draco and the Malfoys. Honest. We wouldn't make this stuff up. Just ask J.K. Rowling. The 6 p.m. show is open to all ages at the Contemporary Art Museum,
I was expecting to see lots of parents with kids like me. There was a sprinkling of that but mostly the audience was filled with teenaged girls who sang every word of every song. Who knew?
As promised, Draco and the Malfoys took to the stage first. This band consists of two guys on guitar and a drum machine. One of the guys looks and acts like Ahmet Zappa and is the more musically proficient of the two. I got the impression that maybe the other guy might just be filling in. His guitar playing was a bit off. However, their lyrics were extremely witty and I was down more with the making fun of Harry Potter than celebrating him. My favorite song they played was a song called Potions Yesterday. To me it raises a lot of valid points. Harry is not the best wizard, so why does everyone think he’s so great? The song that got the most response was “99 Deatheaters” which was sung to the melody of “99 Luftballoons”.
Next was the main attraction, Harry and the Potters. This band consists of a guitarist, a keyboardist/saxophonist, and the so-so guitarist from Draco on drums. He is a much better drummer so maybe there’s truth to my theory. Wikipedia classifies this group as part of a new “wizard rock” genre. I think I would classify it more as nerd pop/punk. They had lots of energy, and the crowd loved them. When I was looking into the crowd at the front of the stage, one lone chunky teen boy was pogo-ing to the music, in full Hogwarts robes and a heavy Gryffindor scarf making the heavy metal devil symbol with his hand. He was serious.
When the show was over I asked A. what she thought. She really liked it. I asked her if she wanted to meet the guys and get her picture taken and I got a very quick “no” response. She said, “They have some hardcore fans!”
While I won’t rush out and buy their CDs, I truly appreciated going to a musical event with children in attendance that was not totally lame. This was a show that had enough lyrical references and punk hooks to keep both parents and kids interested. I'm sure I won't be saying the same thing when I take A. to see The Cheetah Girls and Hannah Montana in October! --J
Harry and the Potters
Brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge of Massachusetts have found their niche. The lads combine their passions for literature and rock 'n' roll with their resemblance to Harry Potter, resulting in Harry and the Potters. The brothers employ their own age difference in taking on the persona of Harry, presenting a repertoire about the books with a heavy punk rock influence. Their Summer Reading and Rocking Tour 2006 has played book stores and libraries nationwide. Opening the show is Draco and the Malfoys. Honest. We wouldn't make this stuff up. Just ask J.K. Rowling. The 6 p.m. show is open to all ages at the Contemporary Art Museum,
I was expecting to see lots of parents with kids like me. There was a sprinkling of that but mostly the audience was filled with teenaged girls who sang every word of every song. Who knew?
As promised, Draco and the Malfoys took to the stage first. This band consists of two guys on guitar and a drum machine. One of the guys looks and acts like Ahmet Zappa and is the more musically proficient of the two. I got the impression that maybe the other guy might just be filling in. His guitar playing was a bit off. However, their lyrics were extremely witty and I was down more with the making fun of Harry Potter than celebrating him. My favorite song they played was a song called Potions Yesterday. To me it raises a lot of valid points. Harry is not the best wizard, so why does everyone think he’s so great? The song that got the most response was “99 Deatheaters” which was sung to the melody of “99 Luftballoons”.
Next was the main attraction, Harry and the Potters. This band consists of a guitarist, a keyboardist/saxophonist, and the so-so guitarist from Draco on drums. He is a much better drummer so maybe there’s truth to my theory. Wikipedia classifies this group as part of a new “wizard rock” genre. I think I would classify it more as nerd pop/punk. They had lots of energy, and the crowd loved them. When I was looking into the crowd at the front of the stage, one lone chunky teen boy was pogo-ing to the music, in full Hogwarts robes and a heavy Gryffindor scarf making the heavy metal devil symbol with his hand. He was serious.
When the show was over I asked A. what she thought. She really liked it. I asked her if she wanted to meet the guys and get her picture taken and I got a very quick “no” response. She said, “They have some hardcore fans!”
While I won’t rush out and buy their CDs, I truly appreciated going to a musical event with children in attendance that was not totally lame. This was a show that had enough lyrical references and punk hooks to keep both parents and kids interested. I'm sure I won't be saying the same thing when I take A. to see The Cheetah Girls and Hannah Montana in October! --J
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Ghostfinger at The Creepy Crawl
J and I have a HUGE appreciation for a smart ass and can spot one immediately. This is probably why as soon as lead singer Richie Kirkpatrick of Ghostfinger walked onstage with his handlebar moustache and headband we knew we were in for some fun. At some point before the first song, he announced they were from outside of Nashville. J's response was “WOO HOO!” clap-clap-clap. Mind you, I was in another part of the bar at that time and could hear her. Haha.Like I said, we knew we were in for some fun, but we were surprised to be hit by a virtuosic sampling of all the familiar riffs we knew and loved from southern rock and classic rock layered with lyrics that were peppered with winks more than any kind of sincerity. It was absurd, yet the most refreshing absurdity. In fact, I read a review online that describes the apparent mission of the band perfectly: “dedicated to fulfilling their apparent mission to make the familiar seem absurd and the absurd seem familiar.” (Ezra Weller, Cincinnatti Citybeat).
After their set, we enjoyed chatting it up with both Van and Richie (their third member was not there that night). We gave them the address to our blog and explained that we were intending to write about their performance as being the night’s blessing. As a thank you, Richie handed us their cd, aptly titled, “These Colors Run”. I would later regret my chattiness with Van, although he didn’t outwardly seem to mind. I just couldn’t believe that I was talking to another human being, who, while “Welcome to the Jungle” was blaring through the speakers in the bar, agreed with me on two counts: 1. that there is not one bad song on Appetite and 2. Rocket Queen is the best song on the cd. Van is in another group called Black Diamond Heavies.
I have devoured this cd. I love it. In fact, my neighbor is probably sick of me playing it. Well, I’m sick of hearing his loud lovemaking through the vent over my damn stove when I’m trying to make breakfast. I'm sorry, but unless I'm the target, I shouldn't know what you sound like when you're charging the mound.
Just the other day, J said to me that she couldn’t get one of the songs out of her head. I responded “I am a man havin a baby”. She said, “EXACTLY”.
My favorite tracks include:
Hello Movies
Devil
Lady
Pretending to Die
Moon
From the band's website: Sounds like: hall and oates, peter cetera, blind guardian, neil diamond, and elton john eaten by pavement, the rolling stones, neil young, and the wu-tang clan and then vomited onto lynyrd skynyrd and led zeppelin. in outer space.
-K
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Saturday Evening Thoughts
This morning as I was driving through my neighborhood, one of my neighbors was standing over his lawnmower looking a tad bit hung over. As I passed I noticed the back of his shirt read in large bold letters: 100% PURE WHOOP ASS.
You read it here first! Judakris predicted that Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy would be the song of summer 2006. This was confirmed by the fact that not one, not two, but three other musical acts covered the song at Lollapalooza. We were really impressed with The Raconteurs’ version. They also covered Bang Bang (My Lover Shot Me Down) which was awesome. I love now that Jack White lives in Nashville he has a Southern accent. Last year when he was promoting Get Behind Me Satan, he sounded like Katherine Hepburn or Cary Grant with one of those weird Continental accents that you just can’t quite place. Jack, if you're reading, I kid because I love! I’m hoping The Raconteurs will head to STL for a show sometime in the future.
Is anyone watching RockStar: Supernova? It’s like a car crash. I find myself watching every week just to see how ridiculous the performances will be and how often Tommy Lee will tell someone they’re “dope”. The part that amazes me the most is from watching the show I have gathered that the performers have a lot of control over the arrangement of the song they are singing. They have very capable musicians backing them every week, but things sound like crap. Do they mean to make everything sound like muzak? Is it in hopes of pulling in American Idol viewing numbers? Okay, and do we honestly think these guys will pick a woman to front their band? It’s not that I think they are sexist, I just don’t think it would work in this case. The only one that has a chance is Dilana and I really can’t stand her voice. I could go on and on dissecting the performances from this week which ranged from boring to silly but I won’t. Sorry to be so acidic, but it’s been one of those weeks at work where you want to come home and crawl into a fetal position. Maybe I just need to focus my energies towards being 100% PURE WHOOP ASS. --J
Saturday, August 5, 2006
Is Anything Original?
To answer the question, no and yes. All we can hope for is an entertaining pastiche (the only word I remember from my mass communications class).
We waffled back and forth as to whether we should go see Living Things at the Creepy Crawl. I know we waffle quite a bit, but that’s how it is when all of your energy is consumed by the 9 to 5 portion of life. We had discussed this band a few times in the past. Their song Bom Bom Bom seems to be everywhere. It’s the soundtrack for television commercials and even background music for a portion of the film Lady in the Water. That’s especially amusing because one of the characters in the movie, a movie critic, states that there is no originality left in the world, how appropriate. When I went to Living Things’ website, I couldn’t believe how much the lead singer, Lillian Berlin, looked like a “Performance”-era Mick Jagger. K also pointed out the obvious T.Rex influences in their music.
The Creepy Crawl is a small bar and all of their shows are all-ages, so for a portion of the night, part of the club was roped off for the under 21ers. The bar also has a 30inch television behind the bar that plays movies constantly. When we walked in, one of my all time favorites, Office Space was on. There was also a sign on the door alerting all to a film crew in the bar. The bassist, guitar player, and drummer for Living Things were on stage being filmed running through a sound check. It was interesting to see the behind the scenes. The bassist and guitarist of The Living Things are so thin. At one point as we watched them during soundcheck , K said, “Does it hurt to be that skinny?” They cleared the stage and made way for the first band of the evening, Victoria. They had great energy, especially the bass player, but as far as I am concerned, they could have removed the quarter of the stage that held their female keyboard player. She didn’t match. I must admit, she might not have had much of a chance with me, because I’m not a huge fan of keyboards in most music. Unless it’s boogie woogie piano or 80’s synth pop, I can do without most. I love the musician who keeps a cigarette lit the entire time they play. The bass player in Victoria was dedicated to the cigarette! The faces that he had to make to keep the cigarette steady as he bounced around the stage kept me enthralled. Before Victoria took the stage, the movie on the television behind the bar had switched to American Psycho. Victoria was told they had about 16 minutes left to perform so they got a little jammy. The guitarist began using a tuning fork to create a wall of sound. At this precise moment that he was trying to be the hardest working man in rock n roll, the threesome scene from American Psycho came on the television and every male in the room no longer cared who was on stage. There were about 40 people in the audience at this point, and after Victoria played, most cleared out.
Next up was a group called Sexy Robots, a solid punk trio. It was bound to happen though. Before they came onstage, I saw some of the guys who work at the Creepy Crawl who do sound and what-not, break into “the robot” when someone asked, “Who’s up next?” Not only did they answer, but they had to demonstrate through dance. I loved it.
The high point in the evening was when Ghostfinger, a two-piece from Nashville took the stage. K and I were immediately hooked. We were cheering and whooping it up from the back of the club for them. Here is where I would insert the word “original” as far as performances of the night. As K states, there will be more about them in a later post.
Onto what was supposed to be the highlight of the evening, The Living Things. I had read before the show that they were native to St. Louis, which was kind of surprising to me. Here come the bassist, guitarist, and drummer out on the stage, then out struts Lillian Berlin. I told K he kinda scared me a little. I swear every time I have seen a musician or any celebrity in person, they are always these extremely tiny people. Lillian is very thin but also unexpectedly very tall. When he walked out on the stage it was a Tim Curry Rocky Horror Picture Show moment. He was full of attitude. At certain angles, he is a dead ringer for Mick Jagger. He also reminds me a bit of David Johansson. They opened with their single Bombs Below. After a few songs, Lillian mentioned that St. Louis held some very bad memories for them. After three or four songs, without playing Bom Bom Bom, they walked off the stage and the show was over. What the hell? I agree with K’s sentiments in her review of the show. Get bent about the pizza in St. Louis, not the folks who are gracious enough to come and watch you do your thing.
Now it’s Saturday afternoon and I am watching their set at Lollapalooza on the internet. Lillian has on the same outfit as Thursday but a much sunnier disposition. He has the nerve to have local St. Louis celebrity Beatle Bob dancing on stage with him and to also say during the set, “Hail St. Louis”! Yeah sure, asshole. --J
We waffled back and forth as to whether we should go see Living Things at the Creepy Crawl. I know we waffle quite a bit, but that’s how it is when all of your energy is consumed by the 9 to 5 portion of life. We had discussed this band a few times in the past. Their song Bom Bom Bom seems to be everywhere. It’s the soundtrack for television commercials and even background music for a portion of the film Lady in the Water. That’s especially amusing because one of the characters in the movie, a movie critic, states that there is no originality left in the world, how appropriate. When I went to Living Things’ website, I couldn’t believe how much the lead singer, Lillian Berlin, looked like a “Performance”-era Mick Jagger. K also pointed out the obvious T.Rex influences in their music.
The Creepy Crawl is a small bar and all of their shows are all-ages, so for a portion of the night, part of the club was roped off for the under 21ers. The bar also has a 30inch television behind the bar that plays movies constantly. When we walked in, one of my all time favorites, Office Space was on. There was also a sign on the door alerting all to a film crew in the bar. The bassist, guitar player, and drummer for Living Things were on stage being filmed running through a sound check. It was interesting to see the behind the scenes. The bassist and guitarist of The Living Things are so thin. At one point as we watched them during soundcheck , K said, “Does it hurt to be that skinny?” They cleared the stage and made way for the first band of the evening, Victoria. They had great energy, especially the bass player, but as far as I am concerned, they could have removed the quarter of the stage that held their female keyboard player. She didn’t match. I must admit, she might not have had much of a chance with me, because I’m not a huge fan of keyboards in most music. Unless it’s boogie woogie piano or 80’s synth pop, I can do without most. I love the musician who keeps a cigarette lit the entire time they play. The bass player in Victoria was dedicated to the cigarette! The faces that he had to make to keep the cigarette steady as he bounced around the stage kept me enthralled. Before Victoria took the stage, the movie on the television behind the bar had switched to American Psycho. Victoria was told they had about 16 minutes left to perform so they got a little jammy. The guitarist began using a tuning fork to create a wall of sound. At this precise moment that he was trying to be the hardest working man in rock n roll, the threesome scene from American Psycho came on the television and every male in the room no longer cared who was on stage. There were about 40 people in the audience at this point, and after Victoria played, most cleared out.
Next up was a group called Sexy Robots, a solid punk trio. It was bound to happen though. Before they came onstage, I saw some of the guys who work at the Creepy Crawl who do sound and what-not, break into “the robot” when someone asked, “Who’s up next?” Not only did they answer, but they had to demonstrate through dance. I loved it.
The high point in the evening was when Ghostfinger, a two-piece from Nashville took the stage. K and I were immediately hooked. We were cheering and whooping it up from the back of the club for them. Here is where I would insert the word “original” as far as performances of the night. As K states, there will be more about them in a later post.
Onto what was supposed to be the highlight of the evening, The Living Things. I had read before the show that they were native to St. Louis, which was kind of surprising to me. Here come the bassist, guitarist, and drummer out on the stage, then out struts Lillian Berlin. I told K he kinda scared me a little. I swear every time I have seen a musician or any celebrity in person, they are always these extremely tiny people. Lillian is very thin but also unexpectedly very tall. When he walked out on the stage it was a Tim Curry Rocky Horror Picture Show moment. He was full of attitude. At certain angles, he is a dead ringer for Mick Jagger. He also reminds me a bit of David Johansson. They opened with their single Bombs Below. After a few songs, Lillian mentioned that St. Louis held some very bad memories for them. After three or four songs, without playing Bom Bom Bom, they walked off the stage and the show was over. What the hell? I agree with K’s sentiments in her review of the show. Get bent about the pizza in St. Louis, not the folks who are gracious enough to come and watch you do your thing.
Now it’s Saturday afternoon and I am watching their set at Lollapalooza on the internet. Lillian has on the same outfit as Thursday but a much sunnier disposition. He has the nerve to have local St. Louis celebrity Beatle Bob dancing on stage with him and to also say during the set, “Hail St. Louis”! Yeah sure, asshole. --J
A.F.I. at the Pageant
On July 30, 2006 I headed down to the Pageant, sans J, to watch A.F.I.
I did not expect to love Nightmare of You as much as I did. One of my coworkers, R, considered tagging along that night only because of them.
Next was Dillinger Escape Plan. Very raucous and the crowd ate them up.
A.F.I. sound like every other band in that genre, really, but they put on a great show for their fans who returned their love and admiration with their screams and pumping fists.
In a recent article in the Dispatch, lead singer Davey Havok was described as being “rail thin”. Eh? I have seen rail thin and rail thin he ain’t! But I’m getting ahead of myself.
While Nightmare of You, who sounded very nicely like a punk version of Morrissey, played their set, I stood on the top floor and found a wall to lean against as I drank my gin. I had a great vantage point from where I was because I could see the stage, the audience, and people around me. I hadn’t smoked in a week and wanted to smoke one a mile long. Well, that’s what I did. I went up to the bar and purchased a pack. Not having a lighter (which is unheard of for me) I asked the guy next to me who looked a little drunk to hand me a book of matches, located to his left. As soon as I lit up and took the first drag I felt alive again. I’m not religious at all, but that moment makes me want to drop to my knees and thank someone, anyone. Earlier that day I had purchased a pair of sexy black open-toed platform wedges and that night was their inaugural outing. So, I was feeling fine.
Anyway, once J and I observed that it seemed perfectly acceptable nowadays to wear the band’s t-shirt at the concert. Among the black t-shirt brigade were a lot of A.F.I. shirts. I also saw a lot of parents hanging out in their jean shorts.
As the crew started to fix up the very white A.F.I. stage, I ordered another drink and fumbled to try and light my cig. I had been noticing a group of non-goth kids standing to my left that kept looking over at me. I recognized one of them as being the one that handed me the book of matches. I was uncomfortable. Without wanting to show my insecurity by looking down to see if I had made some incredibly bad fashion decision, I just acted like I didn’t notice and tried to light my cig. The group walked away, but out of the blue comes this hand with a lit match. He was tall, cute, and very much out of place. I looked at him and said “thanks” and he said, “You know you’ve made it when even your crew is color coordinated with the band and the stage”. I looked down at the stage and sure enough, the crew was all in white. He said that with great sarcasm and I appreciated that.
While there was no music and the atmosphere was conducive to talking we got to know each other a little bit. The perfunctory, “so are you from here?” type questions we got out of the way early. I was surprised that the small talk didn’t seem boring at all. He seemed young, but was an old soul. At some point I unintentionally impressed him with my knowledge of history. I told him I grew up in Germany and he said “Ah, my ancestors came from there about 200 years ago. Valerius”. I looked at him and said “Romans”. At hearing this one word, he jumped up and yelled “OH MY GOD-YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE!!! HOW THEY MADE EVERYONE LATINIZE THEIR NAMES!” I was taken aback by the reaction and then said “bridges”. What I meant to say was “yes, the long arm of the Holy Roman Empire stretched out and influenced many aspects of life in Europe- look at the architecture, for example.” When I’ve been drinking I can’t always articulate, but this guy knew exactly what I meant to say. In fact, he said “Yes, the architecture, absolutely! MAN! I can’t believe I can talk to you about this. Can I buy you another drink?”
You know, for once I’d like to really impress a guy with looks rather than my knowledge of history, comics, or argue that Queen may possibly be the greatest band that ever was.
When we started discussing what we do for a living, we both realized that we were perpetual fixers. He was a Democrat who maintained a database for a local Republican politician. He would be in charge of sending messages or activating a dozen Blackberries at once, for example. He told me that the Republicans were thanking god when the storm hit. He said “they’re all about distraction right now”. When I asked him how he could take it, he said “this is why I’m a drunk at 23”.
So, then A.F.I comes on. The crowd screamed so loudly we looked at each other and grinned. He said “Wow. They’re here for A.F.I., it seems”. Finally, I turned to him and said, “What the hell are you doing here?” He said he was a friend of a friend of one of A.F.I.’s roadies and tagged along for the night. Oh good- another non-fan!
Back to A.F.I. The cd is called DecemberUnderground and how appropriate that the stage and the band were all in white. As I watched Davey run around in his white suspenders, asymmetrical haircut and glittery eye make-up, I looked at my new friend and asked “do you think he’s gay?” He said, “Maybe. Or, maybe he gets so much poon that he doesn’t have to pretend to be straight.”
When the crowd’s singing overwhelmed the band’s voices and Davey simply turned it over to them, my friend looked at me and said “ you know, if I were the artist I’d be like ‘People your job is to buy the album. My job is to sing’”.
In regards to the show, I wasn’t won over, but I also didn’t walk away hating them. I can respect them now, just because they knew their job is to put on a show for their audience and by god they did.
At the end of the night, I said goodbye to my new friend. I didn’t get digits- too young and a drunk at that age! No thanks. I’ve had an alcoholic boyfriend before, and although he was a wonderful man, I will never knowingly walk into that again.
As I drove home, I reflected on what a fun evening it was. When I looked at the time, I realized I would be home in time to tape a FUSE F*** Ups episode that was going to have Ville Valo getting slightly shitty with a tv producer who kept interrupting him. Say it with a flower pot, baby! I opened a cold beer, taped/watched the show, went to bed happy, and woke up the next day feeling like ass. Life is good. -K
I did not expect to love Nightmare of You as much as I did. One of my coworkers, R, considered tagging along that night only because of them.
Next was Dillinger Escape Plan. Very raucous and the crowd ate them up.
A.F.I. sound like every other band in that genre, really, but they put on a great show for their fans who returned their love and admiration with their screams and pumping fists.
In a recent article in the Dispatch, lead singer Davey Havok was described as being “rail thin”. Eh? I have seen rail thin and rail thin he ain’t! But I’m getting ahead of myself.
While Nightmare of You, who sounded very nicely like a punk version of Morrissey, played their set, I stood on the top floor and found a wall to lean against as I drank my gin. I had a great vantage point from where I was because I could see the stage, the audience, and people around me. I hadn’t smoked in a week and wanted to smoke one a mile long. Well, that’s what I did. I went up to the bar and purchased a pack. Not having a lighter (which is unheard of for me) I asked the guy next to me who looked a little drunk to hand me a book of matches, located to his left. As soon as I lit up and took the first drag I felt alive again. I’m not religious at all, but that moment makes me want to drop to my knees and thank someone, anyone. Earlier that day I had purchased a pair of sexy black open-toed platform wedges and that night was their inaugural outing. So, I was feeling fine.
Anyway, once J and I observed that it seemed perfectly acceptable nowadays to wear the band’s t-shirt at the concert. Among the black t-shirt brigade were a lot of A.F.I. shirts. I also saw a lot of parents hanging out in their jean shorts.
As the crew started to fix up the very white A.F.I. stage, I ordered another drink and fumbled to try and light my cig. I had been noticing a group of non-goth kids standing to my left that kept looking over at me. I recognized one of them as being the one that handed me the book of matches. I was uncomfortable. Without wanting to show my insecurity by looking down to see if I had made some incredibly bad fashion decision, I just acted like I didn’t notice and tried to light my cig. The group walked away, but out of the blue comes this hand with a lit match. He was tall, cute, and very much out of place. I looked at him and said “thanks” and he said, “You know you’ve made it when even your crew is color coordinated with the band and the stage”. I looked down at the stage and sure enough, the crew was all in white. He said that with great sarcasm and I appreciated that.
While there was no music and the atmosphere was conducive to talking we got to know each other a little bit. The perfunctory, “so are you from here?” type questions we got out of the way early. I was surprised that the small talk didn’t seem boring at all. He seemed young, but was an old soul. At some point I unintentionally impressed him with my knowledge of history. I told him I grew up in Germany and he said “Ah, my ancestors came from there about 200 years ago. Valerius”. I looked at him and said “Romans”. At hearing this one word, he jumped up and yelled “OH MY GOD-YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE!!! HOW THEY MADE EVERYONE LATINIZE THEIR NAMES!” I was taken aback by the reaction and then said “bridges”. What I meant to say was “yes, the long arm of the Holy Roman Empire stretched out and influenced many aspects of life in Europe- look at the architecture, for example.” When I’ve been drinking I can’t always articulate, but this guy knew exactly what I meant to say. In fact, he said “Yes, the architecture, absolutely! MAN! I can’t believe I can talk to you about this. Can I buy you another drink?”
You know, for once I’d like to really impress a guy with looks rather than my knowledge of history, comics, or argue that Queen may possibly be the greatest band that ever was.
When we started discussing what we do for a living, we both realized that we were perpetual fixers. He was a Democrat who maintained a database for a local Republican politician. He would be in charge of sending messages or activating a dozen Blackberries at once, for example. He told me that the Republicans were thanking god when the storm hit. He said “they’re all about distraction right now”. When I asked him how he could take it, he said “this is why I’m a drunk at 23”.
So, then A.F.I comes on. The crowd screamed so loudly we looked at each other and grinned. He said “Wow. They’re here for A.F.I., it seems”. Finally, I turned to him and said, “What the hell are you doing here?” He said he was a friend of a friend of one of A.F.I.’s roadies and tagged along for the night. Oh good- another non-fan!
Back to A.F.I. The cd is called DecemberUnderground and how appropriate that the stage and the band were all in white. As I watched Davey run around in his white suspenders, asymmetrical haircut and glittery eye make-up, I looked at my new friend and asked “do you think he’s gay?” He said, “Maybe. Or, maybe he gets so much poon that he doesn’t have to pretend to be straight.”
When the crowd’s singing overwhelmed the band’s voices and Davey simply turned it over to them, my friend looked at me and said “ you know, if I were the artist I’d be like ‘People your job is to buy the album. My job is to sing’”.
In regards to the show, I wasn’t won over, but I also didn’t walk away hating them. I can respect them now, just because they knew their job is to put on a show for their audience and by god they did.
At the end of the night, I said goodbye to my new friend. I didn’t get digits- too young and a drunk at that age! No thanks. I’ve had an alcoholic boyfriend before, and although he was a wonderful man, I will never knowingly walk into that again.
As I drove home, I reflected on what a fun evening it was. When I looked at the time, I realized I would be home in time to tape a FUSE F*** Ups episode that was going to have Ville Valo getting slightly shitty with a tv producer who kept interrupting him. Say it with a flower pot, baby! I opened a cold beer, taped/watched the show, went to bed happy, and woke up the next day feeling like ass. Life is good. -K
Living Things at The Creepy Crawl
Thursday night J and I were both in need of getting out and so we headed down to the Creepy Crawl. We had heard that Living Things were playing that night and so thought it might be interesting to see what they are all about.
They sounded great, for the three-song set they gave us. Apparently, they were a little miffed that none of their high school friends were there. In fact, there were about 12 people in the audience, including the camera people, who kept shining a bright light in our faces for extended periods of time.
My god, Lillian was desperately trying to look like a rock star. Really, he looked like an insecure dandy unable to contain his disappointment at the turnout. Clearly, he’s a lead singer who doesn’t give a shit about the music as much as his image. He was a classless, immature, and insecure idiot and I will never buy anything of theirs (which, thankfully I hadn't yet) or spend money to see them again.
J said it best to me when, after Lillian denounced St. Louis and everything about it, she asked “if you don’t like St. Louis that much, then why book shows here?” We’re not even from here, and we felt like we were being punished for having spent 12 dollars to stand and watch them in a St. Louis venue. I think not, ya puny fuckers!
I can't be bothered to check, but I can see these guys being the kind of band that references their St. Louis roots to make them more credible or hardcore in the music industry. Yet, in reality, when here they cower and show their asses like they did Thursday night.
Getting to perform in front of people is a privilege. At least no one was yelling obscenities or throwing piss bottles at you. If something like turnout bothers you that much, then you should probably rethink what you do for a living. You lost two potential fans, guys. This early in your career you should be a little more careful. You never know who is in the audience and word of mouth gets around fast.
Also, if you're going to try and be political, don't take steps to alienate yourself from your target audience, no matter how small or large. If you just act like a stupid rockstar wannabe group, then you need to forget about people giving a shit about what it is you're saying. Lillian, I'm disappointed. You claim to be so well-versed in your political reading, but you haven't a clue as to how to communicate or relate to people. You were clearly too young to understand all that lofty literature from Chomsky, Malcolm X, etc. Live a bit more and reread your precious literature with more mature eyes, but don't come back too soon.
Thankfully, Nashville’s Ghostfinger was there to save the night. They get their own post because Judakris loved them that much. -K
They sounded great, for the three-song set they gave us. Apparently, they were a little miffed that none of their high school friends were there. In fact, there were about 12 people in the audience, including the camera people, who kept shining a bright light in our faces for extended periods of time.
My god, Lillian was desperately trying to look like a rock star. Really, he looked like an insecure dandy unable to contain his disappointment at the turnout. Clearly, he’s a lead singer who doesn’t give a shit about the music as much as his image. He was a classless, immature, and insecure idiot and I will never buy anything of theirs (which, thankfully I hadn't yet) or spend money to see them again.
J said it best to me when, after Lillian denounced St. Louis and everything about it, she asked “if you don’t like St. Louis that much, then why book shows here?” We’re not even from here, and we felt like we were being punished for having spent 12 dollars to stand and watch them in a St. Louis venue. I think not, ya puny fuckers!
I can't be bothered to check, but I can see these guys being the kind of band that references their St. Louis roots to make them more credible or hardcore in the music industry. Yet, in reality, when here they cower and show their asses like they did Thursday night.
Getting to perform in front of people is a privilege. At least no one was yelling obscenities or throwing piss bottles at you. If something like turnout bothers you that much, then you should probably rethink what you do for a living. You lost two potential fans, guys. This early in your career you should be a little more careful. You never know who is in the audience and word of mouth gets around fast.
Also, if you're going to try and be political, don't take steps to alienate yourself from your target audience, no matter how small or large. If you just act like a stupid rockstar wannabe group, then you need to forget about people giving a shit about what it is you're saying. Lillian, I'm disappointed. You claim to be so well-versed in your political reading, but you haven't a clue as to how to communicate or relate to people. You were clearly too young to understand all that lofty literature from Chomsky, Malcolm X, etc. Live a bit more and reread your precious literature with more mature eyes, but don't come back too soon.
Thankfully, Nashville’s Ghostfinger was there to save the night. They get their own post because Judakris loved them that much. -K
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