I have been consumed with building a very exciting fall '06 concert schedule for myself. Tonight, it's still looking great, but it's not as phenomenal as, say, ten days ago.
Last Tuesday night I sat down to purchase my ticket for HIM’s St. Louis date for their Fall ’06 tour. It would have been my third for this tour: Chicago, Kansas City, then St. Louis. It wasn’t a dream that I had until it became possible, but I was focused on making the final transaction. That’s when I saw that my hometown show was canceled. Devastating!
Then, Wednesday morning I woke up to find this notification:
"Hello, this is Ticketmaster Customer Service with an important alert for your upcoming event. HIM, scheduled at MEMORIAL HALL on SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 4, 2006, at 6:00 PM, has been cancelled.
Your credit card will automatically be credited the ticket price and
convenience charges, and should post to your account within 7 to 10
business days. Please note, the $4.60 per order processing fee and any
ticket Fast or UPS delivery charges are non-refundable."
WHOA! Hello! Don’t I have a say in this! Don’t be so rushed to refund me bitches! Wait. OK, I’ll take the $50 back, but can’t we at least talk about this?
I hate to use this dramatic metaphor, but the dates scheduled after 10/31, the original end of the tour, began dropping like flies during the course of the week. As of now there have still been no official announcements from the band. This makes me think it’s a contractual issue between the tour manager and the venues. But I don’t know. I sure have been thinking about it a lot, though. My multiple theories ran from the very possible contractual issues to a scheduled stint in rehab (ok, suddenly I’m seeing myself on some cop show in front of a white board listing my theories and possible suspects as though trying to solve a crime). As of tonight I’ve closed the case. I can’t think about it anymore. At least I still have my Chicago date where I can look for Dan and frolic with other fans in our natural habitat. -K
P.S. I went to see Jackass 2 today. It was better than the first movie, though the boys seem to be more aware of their mortality (well, we are all getting older, aren’t we). Luke Wilson and Ville Valo make cameo appearances. Bam, that greenish/grayish muslin scarf looks very familiar. You wear it well, babe.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Saturday, September 9, 2006
This Is What Cool Looks Like
Our friend R and I headed to Sauget, Illinois for The Stills/Kings of Leon show Thursday night. Pop’s in Sauget is an interesting place. It’s across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, next to some refineries and a bunch of strip clubs. So basically it smells like tar and the bar is spacious but not much to look at. When we were talking to Caleb Followill, from Kings of Leon, he jokingly mentioned that they asked for their buses to be parked close to the strip clubs. It’s a really weird location. All that said, the first thing that struck me when we walked in was how good looking the crowd was. Who would have thought in Sauget, Illinois?
We were first stuck in Opening Band Hell. Finn’s Motel wasn’t horrible but they were an older group of guys, and during the set, the lead singer played a slower acoustic number and the lyrics described basically getting older and not wanting to grow up, what a downer! I don’t want to hear that when I am standing among nineteen year-olds. Don’t make me the only person in the audience connecting with that sentiment!
The Stills came on next and they sounded great. Dave Hamelin’s voice sounds so French to me and I absolutely love it. I have a few of their songs but will definitely check out their latest album, Without Feathers.
Before I start talking about the Kings of Leon set, before they play a note, I’m sold. First, I think it’s one of the best band names ever, especially within the context of their story. I love that they are three brothers and a cousin, that they started touring and playing so young, that they were dragged around the Bible Belt as kids going to Pentecostal revivals where their father preached, I love their look, I love the logo on their bass drum, I love it all. The added bonus is I also love their music. It’s current yet very vintage at the same time. Who doesn’t love a band with a song title like Holy Roller Novacaine?
The stage at Pops is very stripped down, but with the right band and the right lighting, you need nothing else. KOL played about an hour and a half set hitting all the high points of Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak. There was little interaction with the audience but this did not take away from the performance. They sounded perfect. While we were on the floor in front of the stage, R and I were surrounded by young, good-looking people. Towards the middle of the set we walked up to the top floor of Pops to get a different perspective. All the older people were upstairs doing shots and getting loaded. It was a little jaded and depressing up there.
After the show, we hung out for a bit to see if the band was going to come out. Caleb had made a comment at the end of the show that he had not felt great that night but the audience really made him feel better. I thought to myself, I’ve heard this before; they’re going to make a clean getaway. A few young fans hung out over by the buses and we just stood and watched, contemplating why they are so huge in the UK but haven’t reached the same level of success here. They have a different look and sound than what is popular right now in the States so maybe that is what it is. One by one the band came out of the building and straight into the bus. They seemed a bit shy and uncomfortable with having to interact off-stage. As we were getting ready to walk to the car, we looked over and there stood Caleb smoking a cigarette. Nathan was standing there talking to a few young guys who were asking him if they could give them a CD. Nathan said that they get a lot from fans and they try and listen to all that they can. They were very quiet but very gracious. When these same young fans were asking Caleb about the opening song, which was full of high-pitched squeals, he smiled and said that he “liked to get in touch with his inner-woman”. I was so glad they came out so we could take some pictures since they weren’t allowed during the show. Here’s a picture of Nathan and me and a picture of Caleb and R. Check out the security guard's hair in this one.
Random comments overheard after the show:
Guy to his girlfriend in the parking lot discussing how this show was not as good as other KOL shows. “I’m not a fanatic or anything but I was looking at him, thinkin ‘What the fuck are you doing?!’”
Guy to his friends out in the parking lot discussing how crowded the floor was, “I don’t know if that girl realized that while she was grinding on her boyfriend’s leg, he was grinding on mine!”
Forty-something year old guy trying to prostitute his younger date to Caleb Followill, “Hey, she’s a huge fan, man, look at her she’s blushing. She loves your band!”
Girl coming back to hug Caleb after already getting two pictures taken with him, “I’ve just gotta come back to you!”
If you get a chance to see Kings of Leon, run don’t walk. They are unbelievably cool in every way.
--J
Monday, September 4, 2006
Chicago Vol. 3 Playlist
Since the last “reorganization” within our company, work has become a little angsty for me. Everyone would rather be doing something besides work, right? Well, I never actually saw my job as being a shitty one. So, it has been particularly disappointing to face the bad taste in my mouth and find the motivation just to get out of bed every morning. I admit it, I’m stressed. You can probably tell how stressed I’ve been based on my Foo Fighters review. I know, boo-hoo. Whatever. It happens and it won’t be there forever, so for now I’m just getting by with getting by. My ways of decompression were and are a little schizophrenic, because on some nights I work out intensely or I just drink a healthy amount of Jaegermeister and smoke. Both do the trick for me, but on the latter nights I inevitably fire up the laptop, get onto iTunes, and test drive or purchase the latest pop songs that iTunes tells me everyone else is listening to.
J and I are into playlists for our road trips. Since we were going to an acoustic show, we both prepared playlists that had mellower themes. While mine was mellower than usual, it was also poppier. Shockingly so, in fact. Not only was it poppier, it also raised some eyebrows. I knew what I was doing, but some of the songs on the playlist show how outside of myself I have been in the last few weeks. I can justify it by saying that sometimes I need to cleanse my palate and start fresh. I can also say that I was clearly self-medicating when I purchased some of these songs and created the playlist. Listed are a select few to represent what the Chicago Vol. 3 playlist was like.
Stars Are Blind- Paris Hilton. You know, sometimes you just have to close your eyes and pretend the person you’re with is someone else. That’s what I do when I hear this song because as long as I forget who is singing, the song is good pop.
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo- Bloodhound Gang. I love these guys, but I never expected to share this particular song with anyone in a car. It reminded me of hearing “Let’s Talk About Sex” in the car with my Granddad once, just not as awkard. More “unexpected”.
Suddenly I See- KT Tunstall- I heard this song when I watched The Devil Wears Prada. I don’t seek this song out, but it’s a good driving song.
Call Me When You’re Sober- Evanescence. J and I were both a little curious to see how all the internal drama of this band was going to translate into the material. If this song is representative of that, then it’s just another day in Evanescenceland. Take it or leave it.
Fidelity- Regina Spektor. I downloaded this song and then forgot about it until I saw the video. Pretty original. I can appreciate that she is doing her own thing.
Idlewild Blue- Outkast. I have always liked Outkast anyway, but this song is pretty amazing even though when the lyrics start I always want to continue singing Higher Ground.
Electricity- Anathema. I’m very new to these guys. It’s moody, ambient, and a nice background piece to any conversation. Like another band I like, as M would put it, “this music’s made for [luv makin]”. Yes, it is.
Murderers- John Frusciante. I’m not surprised that I added John to this playlist since we were on our way to an acoustic show and he’s just a fucking great composer. But I have no idea why I decided to add this song after a 30 second taste.
Sexyback- Justin Timberlake. Sometimes I need to sex things up a bit.
Baby Hold On- Dixie Chicks. I don’t give a shit what they say about politics- who cares! But, what surprised me for wanting to add them was the fact that I was SO SICK of them being played on Huntsville Radio all the time and would have been happy to never hear their music again. HOWEVER, this latest album is phenomenal. Also, J really likes this song and played it for me one night while we were having a “night”. It makes my heart melt.
Redemption. Here are some other tunes that made it onto the playlist. A little more K-typical…
Last Caress- Misfits
DOA- Foo Fighters
Dancing With Myself- Billy Idol
Paranoid- Black Sabbath
Exo-Politics- MUSE
Lonely Road- Daniel Lioneye
Goody Two Shoes- Adam Ant
Bad Reputation- Joan Jett
I Want to Be Buried in Your Backyard- Nightmare of You
Headfirst for Halos- My Chemical Romance
-K
J and I are into playlists for our road trips. Since we were going to an acoustic show, we both prepared playlists that had mellower themes. While mine was mellower than usual, it was also poppier. Shockingly so, in fact. Not only was it poppier, it also raised some eyebrows. I knew what I was doing, but some of the songs on the playlist show how outside of myself I have been in the last few weeks. I can justify it by saying that sometimes I need to cleanse my palate and start fresh. I can also say that I was clearly self-medicating when I purchased some of these songs and created the playlist. Listed are a select few to represent what the Chicago Vol. 3 playlist was like.
Stars Are Blind- Paris Hilton. You know, sometimes you just have to close your eyes and pretend the person you’re with is someone else. That’s what I do when I hear this song because as long as I forget who is singing, the song is good pop.
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo- Bloodhound Gang. I love these guys, but I never expected to share this particular song with anyone in a car. It reminded me of hearing “Let’s Talk About Sex” in the car with my Granddad once, just not as awkard. More “unexpected”.
Suddenly I See- KT Tunstall- I heard this song when I watched The Devil Wears Prada. I don’t seek this song out, but it’s a good driving song.
Call Me When You’re Sober- Evanescence. J and I were both a little curious to see how all the internal drama of this band was going to translate into the material. If this song is representative of that, then it’s just another day in Evanescenceland. Take it or leave it.
Fidelity- Regina Spektor. I downloaded this song and then forgot about it until I saw the video. Pretty original. I can appreciate that she is doing her own thing.
Idlewild Blue- Outkast. I have always liked Outkast anyway, but this song is pretty amazing even though when the lyrics start I always want to continue singing Higher Ground.
Electricity- Anathema. I’m very new to these guys. It’s moody, ambient, and a nice background piece to any conversation. Like another band I like, as M would put it, “this music’s made for [luv makin]”. Yes, it is.
Murderers- John Frusciante. I’m not surprised that I added John to this playlist since we were on our way to an acoustic show and he’s just a fucking great composer. But I have no idea why I decided to add this song after a 30 second taste.
Sexyback- Justin Timberlake. Sometimes I need to sex things up a bit.
Baby Hold On- Dixie Chicks. I don’t give a shit what they say about politics- who cares! But, what surprised me for wanting to add them was the fact that I was SO SICK of them being played on Huntsville Radio all the time and would have been happy to never hear their music again. HOWEVER, this latest album is phenomenal. Also, J really likes this song and played it for me one night while we were having a “night”. It makes my heart melt.
Redemption. Here are some other tunes that made it onto the playlist. A little more K-typical…
Last Caress- Misfits
DOA- Foo Fighters
Dancing With Myself- Billy Idol
Paranoid- Black Sabbath
Exo-Politics- MUSE
Lonely Road- Daniel Lioneye
Goody Two Shoes- Adam Ant
Bad Reputation- Joan Jett
I Want to Be Buried in Your Backyard- Nightmare of You
Headfirst for Halos- My Chemical Romance
-K
Roadtrippin and Playlists
I know that Nick Hornby (masterfully) wrote an entire book about the art of the mixtape, the precursor to the playlist, so let’s just say that these are my rules for the judakris road trip playlist. Inevitably, we get in the car and we have some of the same songs on our lists.
Start out mellow
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Be sure to mix in known crowd pleasers with an occasional element of kitsch
I Will Follow – U2 / Love Plus One – Haircut 100
Pick songs or artists that may spur conversation
I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t that Lonely Yet) – The White Stripes
Vary tempo throughout
Love is a Stranger – Eurythmics / I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – Arctic Monkeys
Don’t over-think it. Just alphabetize the list by song title and let God take responsibility.
P.S. This is my beef with the Paris Hilton track. If you’re loaded, why does your first single sound like it was created on a Casio keyboard? Does anyone else recognize the “reggae” beat button found on such devices? When I heard this song, it made me think of Andrea True Connection’s More More More. At least the story behind that single is way more interesting. K including this on her playlist certainly did spur conversation, as did my equally cheesy contribution, Terrence Trent D’arby’s Let’s Go Forward.
Here’s the last hour of my Chicago Playlist
She’s Crafty – Beastie Boys
Something – The Beatles
Starlight – Muse
Strange Condition – Pete Yorn
Suzie – Boy Kill Boy
Taper Jean Girl – Kings of Leon
Under My Thumb – The Rolling Stones
Vampire Heart – HIM
Walking After You – Foo Fighters
Waterloo – ABBA
Ways to be Wicked – Maria McKee & Lone Justice
Whiskey in the Jar – Thin Lizzy
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
Yesterday Never Tomorrows – The Stills
Young Americans – David Bowie
--J
Start out mellow
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Be sure to mix in known crowd pleasers with an occasional element of kitsch
I Will Follow – U2 / Love Plus One – Haircut 100
Pick songs or artists that may spur conversation
I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t that Lonely Yet) – The White Stripes
Vary tempo throughout
Love is a Stranger – Eurythmics / I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – Arctic Monkeys
Don’t over-think it. Just alphabetize the list by song title and let God take responsibility.
P.S. This is my beef with the Paris Hilton track. If you’re loaded, why does your first single sound like it was created on a Casio keyboard? Does anyone else recognize the “reggae” beat button found on such devices? When I heard this song, it made me think of Andrea True Connection’s More More More. At least the story behind that single is way more interesting. K including this on her playlist certainly did spur conversation, as did my equally cheesy contribution, Terrence Trent D’arby’s Let’s Go Forward.
Here’s the last hour of my Chicago Playlist
She’s Crafty – Beastie Boys
Something – The Beatles
Starlight – Muse
Strange Condition – Pete Yorn
Suzie – Boy Kill Boy
Taper Jean Girl – Kings of Leon
Under My Thumb – The Rolling Stones
Vampire Heart – HIM
Walking After You – Foo Fighters
Waterloo – ABBA
Ways to be Wicked – Maria McKee & Lone Justice
Whiskey in the Jar – Thin Lizzy
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
Yesterday Never Tomorrows – The Stills
Young Americans – David Bowie
--J
Another Week...
Labor Day Weekend and the end of summer; it is hard to believe it’s time to go back to work tomorrow. I’m cracking up over the comment on the Pete Yorn – Nightcrawler post. Keep the comments coming! Blues Traveler and work got me thinking about one of my favorite movies of all time, Office Space.
Samir: No one in this country can ever pronounce my name right. It's not that hard: Na-ee-ana-jaad. Nayanajaad.
Michael Bolton: Yeah, well at least your name isn't Michael Bolton.
Samir: You know there's nothing wrong with that name.
Michael Bolton: There was nothing wrong with it... until that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys.
Samir: Hmm... well why don't you just go by Mike instead of Michael?
Michael Bolton: No way! Why should I change? He's the one who sucks.
My daughter A, turned eleven this past week and has fallen madly in love with Panic! at the Disco. It’s better than the Hilary Duff/High School Musical stuff she has listened to up to this point so I’m being supportive, but as I said to K, there is “much tinkling of the ivories” in that music (yes, I meant to say tinkling), but it fits the cabaret style of a lot of the songs. Because of this obsession, every time I walk into the living room, the MTV VMAs are broadcasting on the television thanks to TiVo! Boy, kids have no idea how lucky they are these days with things like TiVo, YouTube, and iTunes. It’s good to be a pop culture junkie in 2006.
We are seeing The Stills/Kings of Leon Thursday night. Our friend R is joining us. She has been a longtime Kings of Leon fan since they took off in the U.K. Stay tuned for a review and hopefully some pics! --J
Friday, September 1, 2006
Pete Yorn - Nightcrawler
This week sucks. I just can’t seem to get it together. I’m listening to the new Pete Yorn CD, Nightcrawler, which came out Tuesday the 29th. Am I officially lazy or just forward-thinking because I no longer care to go to a store and buy a CD? It’s so nice to sit in my bathrobe, have a cup of coffee and download a new CD on Tuesday morn.
The first single, For Us, has grown on me. Yeah I admit I gave it a little more thorough listening when I heard Pete’s podcast and he said he had to call Dave Grohl in to do the drum fill because he couldn’t get it quite the way he wanted it.
By far, my favorite song on the album is The Man. It’s a beautiful song and Pete’s vocals are so seductive that even a straight man or two might fall in love with him. I can see said straight guys at the concert, yelling “Dude!” and punching their best guy friend in the shoulder when Pete begins to sing this live. Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks sings backing vocals on this track and Martie Maguire plays fiddle. It’s funny that my favorite song off of this CD is Dixie Chicks-related since after a few listens of their new CD, Taking the Long Way, the standout track on that is the song Baby Hold On, which was co-written by Pete. Another favorite is Undercover.
I’m gonna give this record a strange UNFORTUNATE/UNEXPECTED review. There are a few tracks that I really love but the odds aren’t good when there are fifteen on the record. These are unfortunate odds. However, I’m throwing in the unexpected because I never thought I would consider myself a fan of his. My interest was piqued because of the album cover of Musicforthemorningafter. It probably says a helluva lot about me that I’m shallow enough to pick up an album just because of the front pic, but we all do it. Don’t judge, if we weren’t sometimes attracted to musicians because of their looks, no one would buy anything by The Pussycat Dolls or Fergie, but instead our music shelves would be packed with Blues Traveler and Edgar Winters records. --J
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Chicago Got the Best of Me- Acoustic Foo
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
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
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
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