November 12, 2008

English Folk Night at the Bottom Lounge.

We/Or/Me - Didn't like these guys. Too slow and depressing and totally slit your wrists to music. Whoops, did I say that out loud? Musically I'm sure they were fine. It was just way too mellow for me at that moment. We retired to the outer bar and the photobooth to pep ourselves back up.

Mumford & Sons - If you've been reading, then you must already know I absolutely LOVED these guys. Lead has a very distinctive voice, band sports unusual instruments, lots of harmonies and earnestness. They put on a great show, I am completely obsessed with a few of their only five tunes I've been able to get recordings of so far (this one), and I would highly recommend them should they stop by your town.

Laura Marling - She has an interesting voice but I wasn't really feelin' it.

Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit - Liked these guys. Certainly the most "rock" folk of the evening and a slightly more polished set than the others (not that polish is always a good thing, but they stood out as seemingly a more experienced touring band). But almost more entertaining than the music was watching members of the previous bands dancing in the audience. Clearly they are all having a great time touring together.

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Live at Monolith

So Monolith has become (by far) my favorite music festival, after several years going to both Lollapalooza and Pitchfork. Since it takes place in a place actually intended for music, rather than a random field, it has a) real bathrooms and b) built-in SEATING for the main stage (yes, seating, can you believe it) and c) NO DIRT and those are just three of the many reasons it was more pleasant.

Also instead of getting up early and staying out late and going to see 900 bands a day, we were big time lazybones, didn't show up until post noon, heard a few bands, and then went home to hot tubs and good beer and pizza and Wii and board games and puppy kisses and time with friends. Ah. Sweet.

Friday (9/13):

Cut Copy - Yay! So upbeat and fun. These guys got the crowd moving, crazy dancing times. People were INTO it, big time, and it was super early.

The Fratellis - Surprisingly, even though I think they are just as good as Cut Copy (and have more material), the crowd didn't seem engaged. They still sounded good, to me, but something was missing between them and the audience.

Vampire Weekend - Really, I am not a fan of this band. I guess I just don't get why people listen to their pale imitation rather than say the actual African bands they are mimicking and/or stealing from depending on your point of view. One of my frequent partners in concertgoing crime in Chicago is an Anthro PhD who has spent beaucoup de temps in Africa and this is a HUGE pet peeve for her. Anyway, I am not a real fan, not planning to buy their album.... but they DID put on a pretty good show. Good stage banter, crowd was into it. It was a pleasant hour of the afternoon....

[And then we went home! See, I told you, totally lazy "we'll see a few bands and then we'll relax"! It was awesome!]

Saturday (9/14):

The Avett Brothers - Yay yay yay!!! I couldn't wait to see these guys, they were one of my main reasons for wanting to go. And did they ever bring it. So much energy on stage, just pouring everything they have into it. Sounded great. I even stood up and danced! Can you believe it! *

The Kills - They were late going onstage and it seemed like maybe it was a sound or wiring issue or something? The band seemed annoyed / made comments to the crowd about us being nicer than the people who worked there or something? But they still sounded great. Not as upbeat as their set at Lollapalooza, but really rocking out. I dug it.

Band of Horses - Wowza. This was a completely magical set. They came onstage right as darkness really settled in and the stage lights went purple and the music was spooky and ethereal and lilting through the crowd and I almost started crying just over the beauty of it all. Lovely.

[And then we went home!]

*Oh, you have not seen me at concerts? Yeah, I dance more in my own apartment than ever at a concert. At concerts I am very intent. On the listening part. I might move my knees. Generally that is it. See, I am shorter than everyone and oftentimes I find I have to really concentrate to be able to hear over the bullshit people talking who are all taller than me and thus their mouths are right above my ears and they are inhibiting the my being able to hear the music part of the concert which is generally the whole reason I went.

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October 30, 2008

In Concert: Sam Phillips

Once a million years ago (late 80s/early 90s), I got this Rolling Stone mix tape, one selection of which was "Where the Colors Don't Go" by Sam Phillips, a song I have listened to off and on ever since. Then Ladder 49 came out with both a great Joaquin performance AND "How to Dream" another great Sam Phillips song. And somewhere along the way I heard "I Need Love", which is just a GREAT song.

You're a secret I whisper to myself

That's all I knew going in. She's a real show"man", so to speak. Very late-night bar/cabaret feel. Unusual instrumentation, very focused. Similar to going to a Joe Henry or Joan Baez concert. And speaking of Joe Henry, I am 99% sure that Jay Bellerose, who blew my mind at the Joe Henry concert, was also the drummer for Sam Phillips. Wow.

If you are buying me a birthday present next year: percussion lessons with Jay Bellerose please! Thanks! :)

Broken like a window, I see my blindness now
And I need love, not some sentimental prison
I need God, not the political church
I need fire to melt the frozen sea inside me
I need love

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September 28, 2008

In Concert: Great Lake Swimmers

I've been waiting a long long time to see this band. As I may have mentioned.

What can I say, a month later when I realize I never wrote this up? They're Canadian. They're in that whole current vein of mountain-y lookin' men (Sea Wolf, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver); except that unlike those bands most of the singing is done by just the one dude. (And they have more albums out, been around a bit longer.) Their songs are lush and dark and deep and layered. And lovely. Did I mention lovely? :)

I thought the crowd was a bit more idiotic than normal; I would make such a great bouncer as I would escort people out for yelling stupid things and being morons and talking too fucking loud during quiet songs. Perhaps that shall be my next career (if you haven't heard, I may be on the lookout for one).

They sounded gorgeous. I'd go see them again in a heartbeat.

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September 11, 2008

Pondering the Monolith Lineup

Here's what I'm interested in seeing this weekend, and obviously I am going to have some tough time-slot decisions to make! Uh oh! You KNOW how I am about making decisions!

Saturday
2 - Port O'Brien
2 - Foals
2:30 - The Morning Benders
2:45 - KaiserCartel
4:30 - Cut Copy
5:10 - Liam Finn (going to him in Oct, could skip)
5:45 - The Fratellis (I've seen them, could skip)
7:15 - Vampire Weekend
8:45 - Silversun Pickups
9:45 - Atmosphere

Sunday
4:15 - The Avett Brothers (!!!)
6:30 - Chester French (!!!)
6:30 - The Kills (just saw them at Lolla, will probly skip)
7:15 - Band of Horses
8:00 - Akron/Family
8:30 - Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip (since I've seen them at a great venue already, maybe I'll just go late?)

There are lots of other bands playing that I could technically have on my 'try to see' list (CSS, TV on the Radio, Sharon Jones, etc.) but I'm trying to remember that I am old and tired and be a bit less ambitious.

Posted by Duff at 11:20 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Lists, Live!!, Tunes

August 17, 2008

In Concert: She & Him

Oh yeah, baby, this was a GREAT show. [Minus the opener. I've decided not to say much about openers unless they were really good. My advice in this case: Don't get there early if you're going to see these guys.]

Zoey Deschanel has *such* a lovely voice and she can really open it up much more than you'd guess from the album. It's also got a very distinctive edge to it which really lends itself to this country/folky type of tune. The full band sets often felt like a throwback to June Carter or Patsy Cline. But when she and M.Ward did some one-on-one stuff, it had a more modern feel. Equally entertaining either way, I really liked when they did some harmonizing/trading vocals back and forth. I haven't been able to get into his solo stuff, but I though his voice worked well in counterpoint to hers.

The kind of show you just come out of HAPPY. So happy that you wind up drinking and talking and drinking and laughing and drinking [and eating mini corn dogs and doing karaoke] and getting home with only a few hours to go before the alarm goes off? Perhaps.

If they are coming to your town, they come very highly recommended.

Oh! and they played two new songs that were both really great! Yay!

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Lollapalooza: Friday

I was not a good 'paloozer this year. I only bought a ticket to the least crowded day; and then I was soooo damn lazy that I couldn't even be bothered to walk to the other field to see bands I really wanted to see (Stephen Malkmus, I'm sorry, will you forgive me?) when my friends were determined to see someone else. As a result, I only saw two "new to me" performers. Grrrr. Totally annoyed with myself in retrospect but I had fun at the time so I guess I just need to get over it.

Rogue Wave - Third time I've seen them this [fiscal/school] year so nothing very surprising. Still, a fun performance despite being so early in the day. Can't really get enough of the lead's voice as I've mentioned before.

The Kills - Yay!!! They were awesome. Totally enjoyable set. Loud and sassy and even better than on the album. Woot.

The Black Keys - They fall somewhere between the Raconteurs and (early) Rolling Stones. Rock with a bit of rollicky blues-i-ness. I thought they sounded great even though I was perfectly happy to be far from the stage where I could sit when I wanted to. The kind of performance that when it ended I immediately wanted to go buy every album. Really solid.

Cat Power - She was on what I consider the worst stage at Lollapalooza. There's concrete, you have to stare into the sun, there's a walkway/sidewalk right in what would be great seating. Yeah, I just couldn't deal. She sounded fine but I bailed for the record store, although technically I was listening to her the whole time I was there / I just wasn't devoted to the performance.

The Raconteurs - These guys are just great live. But as with Rogue Wave and Cat Power, I've seen them before, I knew what to expect. Jack White is really a great performer, he brings out the best in the rest of the band. A solid, enjoyable show.

Radiohead - Well, you must be aware by now that I'm not Radiohead's greatest fan. In fact, I find them hardly listenable at this point. And I've already seen them at a festival and not thought it was a good venue for them. So I listened to song one, nice, cool lights, fine. And then song two started. And it was a song I didn't like. The call of home and shower and bed was too strong. See ya later, Thom Yorke, maybe next time you'll impress me enough to stay. But not today.

So there you have it. Saw two new performances and enjoyed them, four repeat performances and enjoyed two of them, and was generally the lamest Lollapaloozer-er ever. It *could* be I'm just getting too old and cranky for this shit.

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August 05, 2008

In Concert: Earlimart

It's almost dangerous seeing a band you like this much at a tiny place like the Hideout. Dangerous like you might accidentally touch them or start raving about how awesome they are and do they need groupies because you could quit your d-a-y-j-o-b at ANY TIME. (No, I didn't. Ask or quit.)

Mentor Tormentor kept me under its dreamy seduction for many, many months. The new release Hymn & Her is a bit subtler. Sparser in arrangement, tauter.

Comfortable stage banter, lovely harmonies, introspective lyrics. What a wonderful evening.

Note: Opener billed as "Peter & the Rabbits" was actually "The Office" a much buzzed-about Chi-town band. And they were good!

Posted by Duff at 09:49 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

August 04, 2008

This Summer at Ravinia

Robert Plant & Alison Krause. Turns out I felt the same way about the concert as I did about the album. I like individual songs, some are really pretty, but as a whole I just feel kinda "eh, OK" about it. Nothing that really grabs me. Good Ravinia music, since (for me, anyway) Ravinia is soooo not really about the music. It's about the food and the drink and the friends and the conversations and the candles and the trees and... Yeah, it's just kindof a "thing". If there's good music in the background, it enhances it. If the music is bad, you just ignore it and carry on with your night.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band. This is our "must buy" for Ravinia, we go see Lyle every year. I don't even own any of his albums, but there are songs I recognize now. Always enjoyable. Gets people moving. Kindof a real "family" night at Ravinia. Fun.

Feist. You know, she just doesn't have THAT MANY SONGS. And the horrific Metra commute there and back just really blew the night. I guess they weren't prepared for every 20- and 30-something in Chicago to be going to Ravinia since that's not the usual crowd. Didn't get home until after midnight (maybe even 1:30? can't quite remember now, thank goodness) from a concert that ended before 10. Sure "1, 2, 3, 4" sounded good. But that wasn't enough to overcome the transit issues. We were ALL very annoyed.

I was supposed to go to Aimee Mann and Squeeze in August but turns out I'll be giving my ticket up as I have to go meet my future husband that weekend. Priorities, people, priorities.

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Pitchfork: Day Two

The Dirty Projectors: Didn't hear their whole set but what I did hear sounded good. Might have to do some research on this band!

Boris: Thrasher metal = so NOT for me.

The Apples in Stereo: Awesome! Probably my #2 favorite of the weekend, definitely Jenn's fave and was Tracy's fave as well. Lots of fun. Upbeat, good banter, nice set.

Ghostface Killah & Raekwon: They seemed a little worn out and apparently came straight to Pitchfork after a 9 hr flight back from Europe ("Our balls are still smelly!" was one comment). Some of it sounded really good, but I was too tired to move and get to a better spot. So I just enjoyed it from afar.

Occidental Brothers Dance Band International: Not for me. But I was too tired to move.

Bon Iver: Too tired to move closer/further (recurring theme, eh) but since this is my third Bon Iver concert in 2008, I was OK with that. What I could hear: sounded just as fucking beautiful as ever. But there was a LOT of noise competition from the other stage. Don't think outdoor fests are a great venue for these dudes.

Spoon: These guys played two or three Lollapaloozas in a row so I didn't really feel the need. We stayed for a few songs and then headed home before the crowds.

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Pitchfork: Day One

A Hawk and a Hacksaw: Unusual instrumentation. Sometimes enjoyable, but sometimes too much "orchestra jam band."

Caribou: Not for me.

Fleet Foxes: Yay!! My favorite performance of the weekend. They are lush and layered and lovely and I really really loved it, despite the sound completely dropping out for a song in the middle there. (But you've got to expect that with outdoor festivals.) Their harmonization is just wonderful.

Dizzee Rascal: So much fun!! I've heard it argued otherwise, but in my opinion rap is generally a more reliable performance at these outdoor fests because it just plain doesn't matter how shitty the "music" in the background sounds / distorted, dropping in and out, what have you. With actual bands, that's a problem. But as long as the rapper is loud and lively, he can still sound awesome despite those kinds of outdoor fest problems.

The Hold Steady: Pretty sizzling set...the bromance* crowd was really into it. But I've never listened to their follow-up albums the way I did to their first, and I've seen them a ton of times (this was the 4th or 5th, but I'll go with 4th). So while it seemed high energy and the crowd was excited, I felt more laidback about the whole thing.

Jarvis Cocker: Somehow the sound was completely fucked and I could barely hear the dude at all. So we left.

*Seems this word is in the air these days. First Joss Whedon going on about his bromance feelings toward Tahmoh at ComicCon. Then this post over at NPR Monitor Mix. EVERY Hold Steady show I've been to has been a total bromance and you'll see many of her commenters suggested it as well.

Posted by Duff at 04:40 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Tunes

June 12, 2008

In Concert: Sea Wolf

This show was sooooooooooooo good. Dramatic and intense and thick and layered. Cascades of sound. LOVED it. I listened to almost nothing but this album all of December and most of January; I was so happy to hear it live.

Other than the 6'2" dude in front of us wiping out (passed out? fell? who knows?) -- and causing me to fear for my safety in my summer dress up chunky high sandals (like if he falls any closer to me, I might break an ankle trying to get out of his way!) -- and then being carried out by his friends in a big commotion it was a great night.

And bonus: the hilarious byplay between the tattooed, muscle-y lead guitarist (as opposed to lead vocalist) and the skinny, 12-teen bassist. For ex., every time the bassist had to shake the tambourine, the lead guitarist would keep looking over and smirking at him like "Ha ha young'un', you're stuck with the tambourine!" I thought I might be imagining the whole thing but then TL leaned over and said "Are you catching the teasing going on up there?" Oh yeah, it made them even cuter.

Posted by Duff at 09:19 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

June 09, 2008

In Concert: Nada Surf

Given that this was a free show at Ribfest, I knew better than to expect a great mix or clear soundsystem. That said, although I thought the lead guitar was amped too loud and the vocals too low, "See These Bones" sounded even better than I imagined it would be (damn I love that song a ridiculous amount of love), and I really enjoyed the energy of the rest of the show (the rest that came before it, See These Bones being saved for almost the very end). "Ice on the Wing" and "Beautiful Beat" were other highlights. Lowlights were primarily a) the Amazon who kept shifting to stand in front of me no matter where I moved and b) her incessant pawing of her equally Amazonian boyfriend. Ew.

Posted by Duff at 04:51 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

May 28, 2008

In Concert: The Long Blondes

per my drunken Flickr review:
Kicked Ass.
Openers sucked.
Venue was empty.
Crowd was weird.
Band Rocked.

Highly recommended that you see them live. Some songs almost a combination of Berlin (swoon) and early Madonna. Really great. Would love to see them again with a bigger crowd.

Posted by Duff at 08:51 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

In Concert: Rogue Wave

I think the reason I didn't write this show up earlier was it was so similar to the one I went to in October, except I wasn't as tired that night so I had more fun. This time, my feet hurt and I was cranky and I left early even though RK probably would have happily stayed longer. But don't fret, Rogue Wave, it was me, not you. You were great.

Really intimate show, started with an acoustic set in the middle of the audience and since it was Schuba's, the "middle of the audience" was no more than 10 feet away from anyone. A bit fuzzy once they got on stage. Didn't realize how much better the Double Door's sound system is (that was where the October show was) but I guess now I know.

Posted by Duff at 08:48 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

In Concert: Meg Hutchinson and Girlyman

We bought the tickets because AW is a huge fan of Girlyman; finding out that Meg Hutchinson was the opener was an added bonus!

Meg Hutchinson: Gorgeous set. Just her and a guitar. Mostly stuff from her new album which has such great lyrics, I really can't get enough of it. Lovely. On the folky side of pop. LOVE.

Girlyman: Three very unique voices, used quite well together. Reminds me of early Indigo Girls with their harmonies although AW was a little snippy about me having that viewpoint. They seem to switch back and forth between joke-y and serious (in a BNL kind of way), but the vocals/mike were mixed way too low(quiet) for the soprano, they need to amp her up a bit (a big bit). Despite that, really enjoyable, fun show.

Posted by Duff at 08:42 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

May 12, 2008

In Concert: Crowded House

Dear Neil Finn,

I honestly thought this night would never happen. I mean, first the band either broke up or just stopped playing together, whichever. Then one of the members died (committed suicide, if I recall?). And sure, I went to see you do a solo show in New York, and that was fine, I can dig your solo stuff. But honestly? Hearing "Weather With You"? Live and in person? (Preceded by "Don't Dream It's Over" and followed by "7 Worlds Collide")

Seriously,
I can die happy now,
Smooches, CMS

Posted by Duff at 03:36 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Letters, Live!!, Tunes

April 18, 2008

In Concert: Bon Iver (2nd x)

So the first time I saw him/them live, I didn't even have the album yet (small release in '07, big release 2/19/08). I was worried that seeing him/them again so soon would be too much the same, but given that I had the album to compare it to this time, it felt very different.

They're really evolving these songs away from the album versions. A lot more atmospheric, more discordance and (purposeful) feedback and such. The falsetto is a little wilder and sometimes turns into a yowl. The three of them sing in harmony a LOT and it's awesome. It's a bit more raw and in your face than on the record. Not quite as plaintive and sad, a bit more aggressive in its melancholy. Beautiful.

Posted by Duff at 10:06 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

March 19, 2008

In Concert: The Raveonettes

A totally rockin' sonic assault. Sounded great! Sooooo loud though, may have been the loudest show I've heard at the Double Door. My heart could not decide whether to beat in time with the bass or with the drums but it certainly was not beating at its own pace! And there were some songs during which the amps vibrated so strongly that you could see (or I could feel) the tips of my spikey hair vibrating. Nuts!

On the other hand...there's not a lot of variation going on in their sound. Every song was played at the same level of loud, same speed of beat-thumping, same vocals level, etc. There's no "Oh I like their softer ones" with this band, or even their "louder" ones, it's all at the SAME level.

So if you're a fan of their particular sound (and I am), then it was great. And if you're looking for a bit more variety in your listening experience (variety in tempo, or decibel level, or even beat), then this is not the band for you.

Posted by Duff at 12:01 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

March 18, 2008

In Concert: Matt Nathanson

So apparently Monday night shows at House of Blues start at 6:45 p.m. If your "goal" is one of the openers, hey, you can be home by 9! Nuts!

This dude has seriously the best stage banter I think I've ever seen/heard at a show. Lots of fun, totally charming. And looks about 22 causing us old folk some bizarre conversation since 90% of his references are 80s. Turns out he's 35 (or something, this discovery was made late last night and I cannot be bothered to look it up again); Never would have guessed!

I loved the songs and the banter and the energy he throws into the crowd and my god the brilliant covers. (He kicked the shit out of Don't Stop Believing.) But seriously? House of Blues? You're kindof sucky. If you are even an inch below the balcony overhang, the acoustics are COMPLETE SHIT. We did not stay for Lifehouse because frankly, how are they billed as the main band when Matt Nathanson is also taking the stage? How? (Smooches to you, funny boy!)

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In Concert: Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip

So much fucking fun. The skinny bearded nutty rapper dude is actually Scroobius Pip; Dan le Sac is the DJ/mixmaster/whatevah. Really great energy, even if half the time you can't understand what he's saying.

Posted by Duff at 08:43 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

March 12, 2008

In Concert...Over the Weekend.

Doug Hoekstra: The female vocalist (whose name I never caught; it was one word, started with S? Shaz?) has a really nice tone to her voice. Great harmonizer, she makes his voice sound a lot fuller.

Peter Mulvey: Given Amanda's huge crush on him, this is the third time I've seen him and that's probably just the first three in a long list. A deep, deep voice. Sassy sense of humor. Really connects with the audience.

The Spares: Wow! They were great. Very twangy, definitely on the country side of country/folk. The lead singer has a just absolutely crystal clear voice. Lovely. Great harmonies. Best "Wayfarin' Stranger" I think I've ever heard (and I'm not a lover of that tune).

Carrie Newcomer: Songs sounded pretty. But I guess I prefer my activism with a (heavy) dose of humor and sarcasm and a (LOT) lighter dose of contemplative, meditative "let's all be good to each other"-ness. You know I'm not somewhere I want to be when people are yelling "Amen" at the end of songs...

Posted by Duff at 11:38 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

March 06, 2008

In Concert: Griffin House

When I saw him in November, it was at Old Town, which while a lovely place to see people with great acoustics has a bit of a formal tone, it being a music school and all. This time he played Schuba's, a casual hole in the wall, ready-for-raucousness joint, and the difference between this night and that one was how comfortable and casual he seemed on stage, how much fun he seemed to be having. Bouncing around the stage, yelling at people to dance, making sassy comments, more stage banter and more relaxed. Both nights the sound was equally good, the songs were wonderful and I loved it. This time, HE was having more fun.

Sassy, smart, sweet, and, as I may have mentioned, h-o-t hot.

By the way, Steph, so sorry you weren't there, he played two new songs. One: "Colleen" ("a song written to make you blush!") all sexy-sassy and another "Run to Me". Wow. Can't wait for the next album to come out!!!

MK commented he had a Springsteen vibe going on. The feel of the show reminded me of Bob Schneider. Either way, awesome.

Posted by Duff at 08:11 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

In Concert: Sara Bareilles / James Blunt

Bought the tickets mainly for Sara (the opener): she introduced herself and pronounced her name Bare-el-ess. Good to know since I was putting some random French pronunciation on it! :) Her album is nice, pretty, kinda calm. In person she has a MUCH bigger voice / she can really fill up an auditorium (and we were at the Riviera so not a v. small area!) / seems like on the album they mixed her kinda bland and quiet compared to her actual voice. I described her to someone as a "less husky (and perhaps less sultry?) version of Rachael Yamagata" / not as electronic-based as Beth Orton or Dido, not as ballad-y as Sarah McLachlan. Sounds like she hasn't gotten much support from her record company, but she's certainly got a great voice.

James Blunt sounded good, all the songs sounded really pretty, but the cheesiness does get to you after a bit. Also he's quite comically awkward on stage, I think maybe it's the soldier in him? His "rockin' out" moves really cracked me up. Still - he played almost the entire first album with doses of the second, everything sounded pretty, and the crowd was SOOO into it (and it wasn't all 12 year old girls either; one of the most mixed crowds generation-wise I've ever seen at a late show, groups of 50 to 60 years olds in attendance as well).

Posted by Duff at 08:04 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

In Concert: Jason Isbell

Isbell split off from Drive By Truckers and released a solo album that I liked well enough -- well enough to buy these tickets! -- but wasn't completely blown away by. Well, if you liked that album at all, you MUST go see him on live because he's on fire and it was completely exhilarating and now I listen to the album with completely different ears.

Very casual and laidback on stage, drinking Jack right out of the bottle, smoking, and sweating up a storm, and such awesome guitar playing it seemed like flames would start coming out...

One of those people whose talents make them more and more attractive. The night started out: He's a OK-lookin' dude. Seems fun. Later: Wow, he really loves to play guitar. He's kickin it. Later: Damn, look at him go. He is hot!

Thick layered Southern Rock, a sound that just fills you up. Awesome concert.

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In Concert: Joe Henry

You might think you don't know any Joe Henry songs, but it's really that you don't necessarily know any of the songs he wrote for himself; you certainly know songs he wrote for other people (Loudon Wainwright among others). He told a great story about a song he wrote he thought would be perfect for Mavis Staples (I think, although I may be remembering the wrong name...). And he played it for her...and she said "Oh that's just fine, Joe Henry. Just fine... What else ya got?"

I know you've heard the song he wrote with his sister in law "Don't Tell Me". When he introduced it, he said "I wrote this with a friend of mine, and we both recorded it. I recorded it as a tango...and she recorded it as a hit. Don't know why I didn't think of that!" But then he also pointed out "I own just as many fancy Italian shoes as she does but I can still walk down the street without bodyguards!"

He's an old-school showman with a seriously talented bass/drums duo backing him up; moving from piano to guitar; telling stories; completely at ease. Unusual voice, not a squeaker like Dylan, but still quite distinctive. Totally entertaining.

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In Concert: Bon Iver

I had only heard three of Bon Iver's songs before this show, but "Skinny Love" is such a beautiful lovely piece of music that I would've bought tickets based on that one alone. He's a bit rougher in concert (as many people are), but also a bit more atmospheric, his voice and the music swirling around above you. Getting great harmony support from two backing dudes. Haven't heard falsetto used this much or this well since probably Jeff Buckley, and I never really fell for Buckley the way my other friends did.

Small intimate show at Schuba's, really great place to have seen him. Everything sounded just beautiful. Often quite sad and heartrending, but beautiful.

Posted by Duff at 07:43 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

February 08, 2008

Live Tunes: Winter/Spring [Updated]

Jan 18: Bon Iver (it was awesome. I'll try to write it up soon)
Feb 2: Joe Henry / Chris Connelly
Feb 8: Jason Isbell (others playing as well but he's who I'm going to see)
Feb 22: Sara Bareilles / James Blunt
Mar 1: Griffin House (2nd x)
Mar 8: Peter Mulvey (3rd x)
Mar 9: Carrie Newcomer
[Mar 12: Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip (yay!)]
Mar 17: Matt Nathanson (yay!)
Mar 18: Raveonettes
Apr 13: Girlyman
[Apr 24: Long Blondes]

Hmmm. These things really seem to come in clusters, don't they? The person planning my life is doing her usual crapass job of scheduling, at least in March. I'm going to be all tired out right in time for my trip to Japan!

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December 17, 2007

Wrapping It Up: Best Gigs / Best Tunes 2007.

Since I have already gone to all the concerts I'm going to in 2007, I'm sure you want to know which were my faves.

My Favorite Live Gigs This Year:
1. Gomez. Amazing show. But they're low on everyone's 07 radar since they didn't put out an album this year.
2. Travis. So much fucking fun in concert.
3. The National. Just as beautiful as the album.
4. Polyphonic Spree x2. highest energy show you'll ever see.
5. Ben Harper x2. He's amazing.
6. Griffin House. He's hot.
7. The Decemberists. So polished.
8. Midlake. Bewitching.

I have also finished my overall favorite music of 2007 list, which I'm sure is a) far more detailed than anyone could ever want, and b) pretty obvious if you've been reading this site all year. Enjoy.

Posted by Duff at 11:57 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Best of..., Listenin', Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

December 03, 2007

In Concert: Over the Rhine

This is the second time I've gone to Over the Rhine's "Holiday" concert. Always a good choice for this time of year. Great blues-y laidback sounds. Sometimes contemplative, sometimes sassy and upbeat. Great new instrumental piece dedicated to Charles Schulz (in the Vince Guaraldi tradition).

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In Concert: Griffin House

I've mentioned Griffin House a few times in the past (here or here), most recently here, so I was psyched to find he was opening for Over the Rhine the other night.

Better than I could have possibly imagined. A little less twangy in person than some of the stuff on the albums: more "songwriter" or folk-pop than country. Gorgeous sounds, great lyrics accompanied by an adorable smirk on the funny ones, nice stage presence. Cool sense of family and history and heartache and comfort. Really, really enjoyable.

And did I mention he's H-O-T, hot. Yum.

p.s. yes I did run into him in the lobby and yes I did touch his arm and tell him he was lucky he played my favorite song as his encore or I would have... "Killed me?" he said. "Gone out of my mind!" I replied. ;)

Posted by Duff at 08:00 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

November 12, 2007

In Concert: Athlete

Wow. Great, great show. Empty Bottle is kind of my own personal version of Hell, the most smoke-filled, cram-packed, claustrophobic, basement-like concert venue on earth. (I want to burn the clothes I wore. I took a 40 minute shower when I got home, trying to scrub the smoke out of my skin.) Makes the Mercury Lounge feel like Madison Square Garden.

But the low ceiling and the packed crowd and the proximity of the stage can make it a very intimate show if the band has the skills to take advantage of it: Athlete certainly does.

Lead singer really connected with the audience. Band sounded great. Anthemic and emotional and heart pounding and connected. Solid rock. Not quirky and not pop-y and not sparse. But deep, thick, rich.

Who would I compare them to if you don't know them? Hmm.. If you like Snow Patrol, you should be listening to Athlete. If you were an Oasis fan back, back in the day, you should be listening to Athlete. Love them, love their latest album, loved their previous albums, loved this show.

But damn, motherfuckers, when the headliner doesn't start until around 11:30, we're talking a seriously sleepy Carolyn on the way home. Destroyed by a concert. I'm so fucking old.

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In Concert: Stars

I have wanted to see these guys for a WHILE having missed their Lollapalooza appearance the one year because I was down at the other field.

The music sounded great, sonically it was a very awesome show. Visually it was a bit bizarre. One of those bands where everyone seems to have their own thing going on. Some dudes very engaging with the audience, others just playing their part and not interacting with anyone, on stage or off.

And the female of the two leads seemed a bit of a train wreck, falling all over and a little...shall we say, argumentative at times But maybe that's just her on-stage persona. Did think her boob was about to make a great escape from her off-shoulder top during the first couple songs...suddenly later there was a strap showing - seems she went and put on a bra on during one of her random disappearances from the stage! :)

But as Bill commented, it's rare you see a girl just shredding it up like that on guitar. Very impressive skillz. (His review here.)

Also thought it was a bit funny how the male lead kept saying "We're Stars of Montreal." Ok? Yeah, not the Stars of New York, or the other ones from...wherever...

Posted by Duff at 12:10 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

November 09, 2007

Serendipity.

So a long long time ago I mentioned liking a song by The Changes on a Paste sampler...turns out they are opening for Athlete * tomorrow night. Yay!

p.s. I think that is the same band that a month or so after the post, a dude in the band sent me an email. I remember they were going over to England for a while to hang out and record and stuff...

*one of my favorite bands of the past few years, all thanks to Michele G for introducing me to them!

Posted by Duff at 01:44 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Tunes

October 31, 2007

In Concert: Tom Paxton

When I told my dad I went to hear Tom Paxton, he was surprised to hear Paxton was still alive. (Then he said, "Well I guess he's probably not that much older than me if I stop and think about it...) Then he immediately starting singing a Paxton song to me, one from around the time of my birth.

Paxton's not as famous to the rest of the world, but certainly in the folk world, he's as well known as Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and others of that ilk. Witty and sharp, his personal songs are just as entertaining as his political ones. Lovely voice, great sentiments, and a heart solidly in the right place. A very enjoyable evening.

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In Concert: Rogue Wave

One of my favorite bands of recent years, I was glad to finally see them live even though I didn't stay for the entire thing given it was a Wednesday night, they didn't go on until 10:30, and I had to arrive at the office by 6 a.m. the following morning.

Lead singer has a very unique voice to me. Not sure if they are sonically enhancing it somehow but sometimes sounds like it's echoing from the bottom of a well. Very rich. Sounded really good. Solid. They're maybe not quite as pop-py as the Shins, not quite as quirky as Band of Horses -- but along those lines.

Posted by Duff at 09:36 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

October 19, 2007

In Concert: The Polyphonic Spree

Two-word review: Glorious Cacophony.

Three-word review: Sufjan on Speed.

Eight-word dream: Goal in Life, Become Member of Spree Choir.

Posted by Duff at 08:23 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

October 08, 2007

In Concert: Christine Kane.

Lovely voice, great style. Her guitar playing skills really blew my mind. Very much in the storytelling folk/country/songwriter style, each song pictured a whole world for you. Some sad and thoughtful, some sassy and upbeat. Totally enjoyable!

Posted by Duff at 10:32 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

September 24, 2007

In Concert: The National

Totally awesome show. The lead singer has a voice so deep, it feels like it reaches down to the very bottom of your soul. Their new album is probably my top listen of the year and this show just made me like them that much more. Ranks right up there with Gomez as the top two gigs of the year thus far.

Consummate musicians, tunes sounded great, stage banter was minimal but fine, lead's antics were perplexing and sometimes humorous. Lovely lovely sounds. Beautiful show.

Posted by Duff at 11:59 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

In Concert: Common

I really enjoy Common's style; a mix of hip hop, R&B, rap. The rapper bragadocio (sp?) combined with a socially concious mind. I really enjoyed this concert...until the point where he referred to Michael Vick as "Misunderstood"*. Actually, I'd say Michael Vick has been understood for exactly what he is, a fucking criminal who belongs in jail. There is no excuse for cruelty to dogs.

*Misunderstood is a song where he name checks in the chorus. "Malcolm X = Misunderstood." Certainly. "Tupac Shakur = Misunderstood." In a different way than Malcolm, but OK I can see how you could make the argument there. He slowly moves into the living. "Erykah Badu = Misunderstood." I know nothing about her, but OK. "Lauryn Hill = Misunderstood." I've heard she's a little crazy, so OK. but "Michael Vick = Misunderstood"? No, no, and no. Not misunderstood at all. Criminal.

Opener: Joss Stone. She certainly has impressive range, but it's not really my kind of music. (Pretty much pure R&B).

Posted by Duff at 11:43 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

September 13, 2007

In Concert: Midlake

I've talked about this band a few times (here, here...) Really enjoyable show. Dense, thick, layered, atmospheric sound, with layered vocals on top. On some songs all five dudes were singing at once! Smooooooth, seductive and sometimes shimmery. Loved all the stuff from the current album, and the new song, think they've really found their groove with multiple vocals and a '70s feel; didn't like the 'older' stuff as much.

The vocals have a very CSNY feel, but with more piano, more atmosphere in the background. T. was reminded of the Eagles, but I don't think there's as much twang, and Midlake's harmonies are much better (as were CSNY's as well). These guys do NOT sound like they are from Texas...

I think Wilco was doing an outdoor show last night? At the end, the band thanked us for coming "We know you had a lot of other options here in Chicago tonight and you chose Midlake!" and someone in the audience yelled "Yeah, fuck Wilco!" Humorous ... and not as annoying as some of the other audience yelling earlier. You know, those people who are always trying to prove how they KNOW the band more than everyone else by yelling out something only the band will know about... (To their credit, Midlake's response was "you can come talk to us back stage, but right now we're going to sing!")

Posted by Duff at 08:49 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

September 11, 2007

In Concert: Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals

What an amazing show. Blew me away. Can't really put it into words. Ben Harper's amazing voice, and his truly remarkable guitar skills, and his completely awe-striking mastery of so many musical styles... His band is polished and professional but can still rip it up. There were loud rocking moments, and rollicking funky moments, and Marvin Gaye sexy moments, and quiet heartbreakingly beautiful moments. They're promoting their new album "Lifeline" (with possibly the most lovely title song of any album in recent history) and I think it may be their best one yet. Highly recommended, both the album and the show.

Posted by Duff at 09:27 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

August 09, 2007

In concert: Travis (!!!)

[Yes it took me FOREVER to write this up, went to see them July 21.] I have been waiting to see this band for a LONG time and I was NOT disappointed. They finally put out a new album this spring after...I think SIX years since their last real album!!! ("Singles" in 2004 doesn't really count to me.) Their albums can be pretty mellow so I thought maybe this would be a sleepy little relaxed concert. Um, NO. Not at all. Totally high energy, bouncing off the walls, singing their hearts out. So amazing. Tied with Gomez for my #1 live show so far this year, and I really do not foresee enjoying myself this much at any of the concerts I have lined up for the near future.

If you like their tunes AT ALL, their sweet, sweet melodies and (sometimes) melancholy lyrics and the extreme hummability of all their songs...make sure you catch them on their way through town. The sound was amazing, they turned songs I don't even love off the albums into totally catchy tunes live. Sooooooo good. Great stage banter, completely engaging. Woot!

Posted by Duff at 06:18 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

August 06, 2007

Lollapalooza: Day 3.

ALL and I mean ALL I cared about today was Lupe Fiasco and Pearl Jam, beginning and end. There were other things I wouldn't have minded seeing, but for one reason or another just didn't really care if I saw or not...and since Lupe and PJ were both going to be at the same stage and I knew Pearl Jam would be bloody fucking hell to get a good spot at if you didn't plan it out several hours ahead....

So yeah, I picked our spot, spread out my sheet and did not move my butt away from that little incline except twice when I had "blanket company" and I ran up to the portapotties. Otherwise I just sat and read my book and occasionally listened to WHOEVER happened to be playing that field and lazed the day away in the BOILING sun.

Lupe Fiasco: Loved it. Totally loved it. Even though I saw him in March opening for the Roots, I still got totally jazzed by this performance. Like Rhymefest the day before, he's super young and a little raw (and man does it crack us up when he says things like "sometimes I like to do my OLD stuff". boy you don't have OLD stuff yet!), but he's a little more "poppy" and upbeat (whereas Rhymefest is a little more on the serious, heavy message side), and his dancing antics just totally push all my buttons. Would love to see him open things up with a backing band instead of just a DJ. His new album "The Cool" comes out on Halloween. Can't wait!!

Blue October: I would have walked to the other field to see Paolo Nuttini, but a) did you read the first two paragraphs of this post? and b) I would really rather see Paolo in a small venue like the Vic or the Metro so I didn't feel like it mattered if I missed this set. I do actually have a few mellow songs by Blue October on the iPod so I figured I might enjoy the set anyway. Not so much. It was 99% headbanger's ball and 1% mellow. (For you young'uns, Headbanger's Ball used to be an hour or so long set on MTV at midnight where all they played was heavy metal. Whenever you see "headbanger's ball" on this blog, you can substitute the words "heavy metal shit that carolyn does NOT listen to" and you will get the context.)

Kings of Leon: I just do NOT get what the fuss is with this band. When everyone was lovinglovingloving their previous album a few years ago, I was loving Kings of Convenience instead. After seeing them live, I STILL DON'T GET IT. I did not think they sounded very good. Just loud. Boring!

!!!: I can't remember how to pronounce their name although I know I read it several different times last week and after seeing them live I doubt I will ever even want to find out. I thought this set pretty much sucked. As did several people around me. But their friends (sitting elsewhere) loved it. Never know what's going to float one's boat, do ya.

My Morning Jacket: This was my pleasant surprise of the day. As with Kings of Leon, I've just never understood the hype. I bought "Z" when no critic would stop talking about it, and i just couldn't get into it. Seeing them live was a TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY and I am really going to have to either give Z another listen or check out other albums that I might enjoy more. Because this set was GREAT. Really great. They were both rocking out and slowing things down very effectively. The vocals sounded great. They brought the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra out and the combination was just as sonically pleasing as almost any show I've been to in the past few years. Really impressed me and I was NOT expecting it. I would go see them live again in a heartbeat!!

TV on the Radio: This set left almost no impression on me because as the field just kept filling up and filling up and filling up, it got to the point where I could barely hear them over the crowd murmur of the milling about and not so patiently waiting Pearl Jam fans. Apparently during this time, Cafe Tacuba played a blisteringly awesome set in the other field. Which if the world was perfect and I could BEAM places and back effortlessly, I would have gone to but a) bygones, and b) I refer you again to the first two paragraphs. Two goals today. TWO GOALS. No dithering around.

Pearl Jam: Great set. Not the most even or polished performance I've ever seen. But a solid crowd pleaser. A mix of old and new, with the old songs certainly getting the most crowd involvement. Having seen him sit in with Ben Harper Friday night as well, we were all a little "woah" at how Eddie Vedder has aged. Maybe he's doing some of the same kind of hard living as, say, Keith Richards, because he looks a lot older than he actually is. I figure this is probably my one time seeing Pearl Jam since a) I'm not big on the stadium-size shows other than at Lolla and b) I don't spend all that much time listening to them anymore although I still LOVELOVELOVE their back catalog; so I was super psyched that I sat it out all day and had a really great view and could hear everything and ... And. It was really a satisfying performance. Eddie brought Ben Harper out for a duet also (how did Ben Harper play HERE Friday night, at Virgin fest in where? Baltimore somewhere? on Saturday, and then back here Sunday night. Is he crazy?), And the "bring everyone from backstage on stage for the last song" really cracked me up especially because DENNIS RODMAN was there and at one point put Eddie Vedder up on his shoulders like a little kid. Too funny. Definitely a well-worth having seen set, not something I will easily forget.

Posted by Duff at 06:55 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Lollapalooza: Day 2.

Day two we decided to start late so we could make a HUGE dropoff at Goodwill first (I'm honestly starting to think that it's weird I've never run into anyone wearing my old clothes because at this point statistically the odds have got to be in favor of that happening), and because nothing in the morning was on our MUST SEE list (which changed of course as the weekend went by).

Rhymefest: Super fun. I loved him. Super young, still seems a little raw. Lots of sass and fun and hello he threw himself into the audience and bodysurfed around. What a goofus. His band was great, his backup rapper dude did some great falsetto-y singing and it was a very enjoyable lively show. Tracy wanted him to use his band MORE and do the solo rappity rapping stuff LESS. I think he thinks of himself as a rapper first and a hip hop whateva whateva second so unlikely that he's ever going to give that up. Even if about half the crowd ran away after his super serious a capella "this is how bad life can really suck and do you even have any idea about that" ditty.

The Roots: Since I just saw them in March, I wasn't planning to watch this set, but as the plan of our day unfolded it just made more sense to stay down at that end of the festival. It was pretty good -- high energy, good sound, etc. -- but basically just a replay of that concert so I wasn't like jumping out of my "seat" (prone position on the sheet) or anything. But if I hadn't just seen basically a carbon copy of this set, I probably would have been!

Regina Spektor: So since I've already seen the Hold Steady three times, I figured why not try someone new? Yeah, and the reason would be because I don't like Tori Amos-type freaky girl singers and I should have believed Michele G. when she told me that's what Regina Spektor was. NOT MY THING. I stayed until she sang the hea-uh-uh-uh-uh-art song and then I took off...at a rapid pace.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Tracy really wanted to see these guys and I saw Snow Patrol (as with so many others today, right?) just last fall (and it's not like they have a new album since then) so I didn't really care one way or another. This was a set very much in the vein of, say, Of Montreal or Deerhunter. Just as much about the visuals and the wacky outfits/behavior of the lead singer as about the sound, and the visuals were definitely on the wacky sometimes you can't even fathom what the "message" is side. So = OK. But nothing that blew my mind, and I know I've never even listened all the way through to the first album and this set isn't going to make that situation change.

Spoon: We were too lazy to run a block north for Patti Smith so we sat through this one but we weren't really paying attention. Spoon played Lolla last year also (weird). They sounded fine, but nothing that was really making me sit up and take notice.

And here's where it gets REALLY weird is that I didn't care whether we saw Muse or Interpol, whichever was fine (Muse I have no clue about, Interpol I don't really like but I don't hate, I'm just "eh" when it comes to them), but then it started raining and we were getting cranky and finally someone or other said "fuck it, couldn't we just go check out the merch and maybe get home early?" The suggestion was met with resounding agreement and off home we went. I heard Muse's show was great. So next time they come to town, I'll make a point of checking them out. But considering how mediocre a lot of the rest of the day was, I was happy to go home and crawl into my dry bed! ;)

Rhymefest was definitely the highlight of the day, but I'm sure the fact that I didn't really LOVE anything else I saw was my own fault due to bad choices. But if you balance it against day one, I'm still coming out ahead here in terms of stuff I loved....

Posted by Duff at 06:40 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

August 04, 2007

Lollapalooza: Day 1.

I was feeling a little festival-ed out after Pitchfork. Turns out: that must have been a Pitchfork-specific feeling, as today was a GREAT first day at Lollapalooza!!

I saw five full performances, four really great and one really good, as well as two other performances that I missed parts of, one being REALLY great and one being pretty good. Yay!

The Fratellis: Great, great way to start the day. Perfect festival music. Not only did they sound great but the sound was wonderful (cough*unlike Pitchfork!!*cough). The crowd was into it. They seemed like really fun dudes. Good energy and good balance in the set. Totally enjoyable performance. Tracy: The Fratellis were really good, they rocked, sounded awesome.

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: This was the performance I'd have to call "really good" as opposed to "really great" and I think that's based primarily on the fact that Ted never seemed to get his mike in the right place. The rest of the sound / the entire band / sounded great. But his vocals were a little in & out, sometimes hard to hear, and it seemed like the mike might have been set too high? Liked the variety in the set, really showed off a bunch of different musical styles. Tracy was at Son Volt: They were allright, but not very exciting. Not a performance that was very different than listening to the album at home.

The Polyphonic Spree: Holy crap what an amazing fucking set. THE performance of the festival so far. I was a few minutes late, running the eight miles over from Ted Leo (no I did not really run) and I'm so glad I made the effort to get there. Super super high energy. Crowd interaction, hep, pep, laughing and shouting and SO MUCH FUN. The set was completely energetic and electric. And hello: the Nirvana cover at the end???? BLEW ME AWAY. Never heard "Lithium" like that. They were amazing. I feel like the Arcade Fire's live show owes the Spree some debt. Tracy: The Polyphonic Spree was out of control. They were awesome, in a weird army slash gospel choir kind of way. I figured out what I want to be when I grow up: a backup singer for the polyphonic spree!!!

The Rapture: I don't know these guys' album as well as I know the Fratellis, but M.I.A. (english girl rapper) just wasn't doing it for me so I wandered over to one of the smaller stages just in time for this set. Um, hello, these guys know how to put on a show. Given that it was at a smaller set, you figure the proportion of the audience that is actually already fans of the band is a bit higher. Uh-huh. The entire crowd was jumping up and down by the end. Pretty much straight rock, but with some interesting touches thrown in (the sax bits were great), two lead singers, pretty great energy for a band that doesn't have backup singers or trombonists running around on stage.

G. Love & Special Sauce: I missed the first half while I was at the Rapture, but the second half was pretty damn good. He's got all kinds of sass. It feels like a gimmick when you think about it in the abstract,: scrawny white dude doing this crazy mix of hip-hop, rap, blues, and a little bit of country. But he was great. Put on a show, really knew how to play with the audience. Love his sassy lyrics. Didn't even realize this dude was still around. Defnitely worth seeing.

LCD Soundsystem: Oh boy, THIS is the set people brought their dancing shoes to. My eyes almost couldn't believe some of the stuff going on around me (you may not know that I am incredibly calm at concerts for the most part or until I get drunk. I mean unless you are watching my knees, you might not see me move at all). I was a little taken aback by their appearance however. I mean, I guess I just EXPECT cool techno-dance-pop bands to be STYLIN' do you know what I'm saying? And there was certainly only one person in this band (the girl) who really had any style at all. The rest were scruffy and unkempt, unshaven and sloppy. I found the visuals kind of distracting. But the sounds? They were great. I was impressed. Now go take a shower, shave, and have your girlfriend buy you some new clothes. THEN you will really rock.

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals: Wow. His voice is beautiful. (Hello, his face is beautiful!) One of those dudes who's been around forever but I've only listened to intermittently so I don''t know his stuff very well. (You may remember me obsessing over "Reason to Mourn" last year. I think I would have started crying if he played that last night, so I'm relieved he didn't!!) But this set was just gorgeous. Just sit down and hug your knees and lose yourself in the loveliness. Really talented musicians in his band (all outshone by him of course, check him out the lap slide guitar. fucking amazing) and a really tight set, including when Eddie Vedder came on stage for a song. Next time Ben's in town, I am all over it. Wow.

p.s. my other "can barely listen without crying" Ben Harper-written song is actually a performance by Eliza Carthy of "Walk Away." With so many people to love in my life, why do I worry about one? The lyrics of this song just blow me away.

And now it's on to day two....

Posted by Duff at 11:22 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

July 27, 2007

Fall Tunes.

Aug 3-5 Lollapalooza
Aug 9 Bishop Allen (2nd x this summer!)
Sep 12 Midlake
Sep 20 Common (2nd x)
Sep 22 The National (WOOOOT!)
Oct 6 The White Stripes (Aragon = Ugh)
Oct 7 Christine Kane (folk)
Oct 28 Tom Paxton (folk)
Nov 11 Stars (WOOOOOOT!)
Nov 17 Tinariwen & Mamadou Diabate (african)
Nov 24 Over the Rhine (2nd or 3rd x)

Looks pretty full, right? And I'm actually trying to go to FEWER concerts right now after a bit of an overload this year, but somehow it never works out that way.

Posted by Duff at 10:24 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Lists, Live!!, Tunes

July 17, 2007

Pitchfork: Tracy's Thoughts

Best overall performance: The New Pornographers

Best compellingly weird stage presence: the dude from Deerhunter (First runner-up: Cat Power; Second runner-up: the dude from Of Montreal)

Best Chicago band: Califone and The Ponys (tie)

Posted by Duff at 09:57 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Best Performance?

Tracy: New Pornographers.

Jenn: The Ponys.

Carlos: Maybe New Pornographers. Wait! I mean Mastodon. [Hahahaha, he's JOKING!]

Duff: A tie between Cat Power and Clipse. And De La Soul. A three-way tie.

Posted by Duff at 09:51 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: De La Soul

Tracy: They were good. They were high energy, awesome. Loved it although I was too fucking tired to appreciate them.

Jenn: All the party people in the house say uuuuuuhn. The butt was shakin.

Duff: Pretty great to see them live even though I haven't listened to them in years. "Three Feet High and Rising" is a very nostalgic thing for me. They were fun, but a little too much downtime between songs for me. More songs, less banter, please!

Posted by Duff at 09:02 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: New Pornographers

Tracy: The sound was great, probably the best it's been all weekend. I thought they sounded awesome, I thought they were really great actually.

Jenn: I'm just really not a big fan but they have a good groove and it's hard not to get into it while they're on. But it all sounds kind of the same

Carlos: I enjoyed them, they were really good. They were really fun to listen to, very catchy.

Duff: They always put on a good show live. But they don't really "last" beyond that for me. Felt the same at Lollapalooza: enjoyed them live, went out and bought the album, but it just doesn't thrill me to listen to. When the singles come up on shuffle, they're enjoyable enough, but the overall album isn't very interesting. Wasn't expecting to hear them do a Queen cover...

Posted by Duff at 08:57 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Of Montreal

Jenn: They're always really fun. Silly theatrics are OK when the band is good enough to back it up. Sound wasn't great though.

Duff: Same stage as the Ponys but the speakers appear to have dropped out or the band's mikes aren't at the right volume. Would enjoy it more if it was as loud sound-wise as it is visually. Could barely tell which songs were which.

Posted by Duff at 08:55 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Jamie Lidell

Jenn: What a space cadet.

Tracy: Is he wearing tinfoil on his head?

Posted by Duff at 08:54 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: The Sea and the Cake

Tracy: I liked them. But it seemed a little bit like the wrong venue for them. I'd rather listen to the record than watch them live.

Jenn: I shook my booty. I didn't realize they were as old as they are. They still rock, but... [Duff: They were dinosaurs, weren't they?!?!]

Carlos: They weren't awful, they weren't great. I couldn't get into it. It sounded too generic to me

Duff: I was bored. Seemed like they weren't playing quite together...

Posted by Duff at 08:52 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Junior Boys.

Duff: Duran Duran wanna-bes. A combo of Duran Duran, The Cure and Erasure. Fun and bouncy to listen to; but doing nothing to distinguish themselves from that early '90s crowd.

Posted by Duff at 08:51 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: The Ponys

Tracy: Good. They rocked. No real surprises, pretty conventional rock and roll band, but solid.

Jenn: Straight up rock. A lot of fun, nice energy.

Carlos: Enjoyed them, they were pretty good.

Duff: Once the speakers were fixed, they really filled up the field with their sound. Liked the rhythm and the energy. Definitely going to seek out their albums!

Posted by Duff at 08:48 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Menomena

Tracy: I wasn't into it. I would say I thought the songs were sort of interesting but I didn't think they were well executed. For example, I thought they were very lousy singers and for a sparse arrangement where you're highlighting vocals you need more. So I didn't think they were good enough for what they set out to do.

Jenn: I really liked them. They have sort of an unexpected sound. They build until the point where I think they're gonna blow up, but instead they drop out for a few seconds. It's interesting but hard to dance to.

Carlos: I liked them. They weren't conventional sounding, which was nice.

Duff: The music was way too sparse for me. They need to add another member who plays a "filler" instrument. They all shared vocals but at least two of the three vocalists had (to put it nicely) VERY WEAK voices.

Posted by Duff at 08:46 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Deerhunter

Tracy: I liked them. I liked the skinny boy in the dress, I thought he looked like a big grasshopper. On the other hand, I thought it dragged a little bit.

Jenn: Didn't want to watch skeletor take off his dress. The band's not that bad -- they've got pretty good back beat.

Carlos: They were definitely better than some of the stuff yesterday. It was kind of scary to see how waifish the guy was. I felt like if I were to stare at him, he'd break in two.

Duff: Having an anorexic emo freak as a lead singer = immediate turnoff. See ya!

Posted by Duff at 08:44 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

July 14, 2007

Pitchfork: Cat Power

Tracy: I thought she sounded good, if a little soft. She's kind of a nut job. But she was good, despite any perceived sound issues.

Jenn: She was calm tonight. I'm kinda reviewed out. It was good.

Carlos: I enjoyed it. It was probably my favorite of the bunch regardless of sound issues. Band was really good. Simple.

Duff: They should have upped the volume on her mike a little bit, the vocals were a little quiet. But she sounded really, really pretty. Very funky and bluesy. Odd grimaces on stage and good grief I was worried that crazy vein in her neck was going to burst!!! But I really loved her set, so glad I FINALLY got to see her after two failed attempts in the past. She seemed a little unsure of herself (apologized to the audience incessantly) but I thought it was a pretty great show. Crowd loved it and got super quiet and hush so you could actually hear the vocals...at least until the Yoko Ono soundchecking started interfering a little at the end.

Posted by Duff at 10:51 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Clipse

Tracy: They're cool. I like 'em.

Jenn: Good, but a little too hard[core rap] for me. They have good charisma.

Carlos: Good stage presence. Enjoying it. Good sound. Hadn't heard them before.

Duff: These guys have the crowd going more than anyone else all day. They're up up up, sassy and lots of fun! I say yay for Clipse!!

Posted by Duff at 10:49 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Battles

Tracy: I wasn't impressed. Thought it was like groove music in search of a groove: they just didn't have any.

Jenn: Ten minutes and I was done. The drummer had a lot of energy and was very oddly interesting but not enough to hold my attention.

Carlos: I liked some of the stuff. It was interesting but maybe a little too...???... for me. A lot of noise. I just couldn't get into the rhythm sometimes. The Abercrombie and Fitch-looking drummer looked so out of place with everyone else. But he was really into what he was doing and he's really the reason I ended up staying.

Duff: Hated it. It sucked.

Posted by Duff at 10:46 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Iron & Wine

Tracy: I liked them but I was sort of far away. They sounded good. Low key.

[far away, taking a rest]
Duff: Wow, you can hear these guys a LOT better than I expected to (about 8,000 times louder than Grizzly Bear!!).

Posted by Duff at 10:45 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Fujiya & Miyagi

Jenn: Fun dancity. Best thing I've seen thus far.

Duff: A lot of fun, I just wish the sound was better on that stage. Really got a kick out of one silly dude in the audience so loving life and dancing his heart out. Some great samples, one sounded a lot like "Funkytown" to me. Would like to see these guys again at higher volume.

Posted by Duff at 10:43 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: William Parker Quartet

Jenn: Afro beat and jazzy band. Not really my thing.

Posted by Duff at 10:39 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: Califone

Tracy: I liked them, I would buy their record although I thought some of their sort of noodily experimental stuff was a little lame.

Jenn: Not really into this while psychedelic jam bandy thing that's going on. A little bit of that is OK but the entire thing is a little much.

Carlos: My first time hearing them. I was surprised at how much I liked them. I would be curious to see how their music on CD sounds as opposed to live. Not sure I would like it as much.

Duff: If they cut the 10 minutes of electronic distortion out of each song, they would be really pretty and I would like them more. Maybe those parts sound better on the albums than they do live? Liked the country twang to the vocals.

Posted by Duff at 10:37 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

Pitchfork: The Twilight Sad

Tracy: OK. Cute lead singer but a little dull.

Jenn: Meh. Rock-y but kindof boring. Even cute boys in cardigans and Scottish accents couldn't save it.

Carlos: I guess it's likeable. Sounds like something I've heard before.

Duff: Odd that the dude doesn't lose his accent when he sings, as per the norm. They were OK but nothing special. It all sounded the same.

Posted by Duff at 10:34 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

July 06, 2007

Late-Summer Live Tunes

Jul 14-15 Pitchfork*
Jul 21 Travis
Aug 3-5 Lollapalooza
Aug 9 Bishop Allen
Sept 12 Midlake
Sept 20 Common

*If you, like me, are busy trying to figure out which bands you want to see at Pitchfork, shoot me an email (link below "Say what?") -- I made an excel grid of the schedule, as well as a written out version that includes Chicago Innerview's descriptions of each band.

Posted by Duff at 08:53 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Lists, Live!!, Tunes

June 28, 2007

In concert: Bishop Allen !!!

Yay! I've been trying to see these guys for ages and it's just never worked out. They do quirky, melodius, good-natured pop with fun lyrics and great harmonies.

They put out 12 albums last year, a 4-song EP for every month except August, which had 13 live songs instead. And they were lots of fun in concert!

Are they playing near you? GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Posted by Duff at 06:38 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

June 25, 2007

In concert: The Pinks (FINALLY!!)

I've been trying to see this band for so long it's not even funny. Once I was out of town, once I had to work, and once I got there 20 minutes late and they had already played! Waah! So it was great to finally see them and I was highly impressed. The bass player Wendy is the wife of Mike who is the brother of Nan, one of my best friends from New York. I went to the concert with Cathy and Paul: Paul who cuts my hair, who cuts everyone mentioned here's hair (except Nan, but also Nan and Mike's mom); Cathy who was one of Mike's best friends growing up... Wendy's sister is one of the lead vocals/guitarists...

Yeah, I was sort of predisposed to enjoy this concert, eh? They haven't been a band that long, but they're writing their own stuff, and I thought it was all quite fun, both musically and lyrically. They sounded polished and together and rocked the place out. Yay, the Pinks!!

Posted by Duff at 10:14 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

June 22, 2007

In concert: The Fray.

Huh, I guess I never told you about this one and I forgot to put it on the list too. I'll have to fix that tonight.

Not sure why I bought these tickets. If you only have two decent songs, even if they are REALLY good (which I do think those two songs are, and you know them if you watched Grey's Anatomy), you're really a fairly middle of the road band. No shame in that, maybe your album/tours shouldn't have happened until a bunch of better songs on down the road. I realize the industry is not run for long-term success, it's their fault more than the band's I'm sure. Years from now, they could be a good band. Right now, not so much.

Opener: OK Go. Third time I've seen them. Technically they are the better band but I guess they haven't made as much money. A much calmer set than their usual. No dancing. But sounded good.

Banterwise for both bands: Dudes. What is up with constantly telling the audience about how they are different/better/worse than the previous night's audience? a) who fucking cares about the idiots who came to last night's show? and b) to us, this is the ONLY concert. Tonight. You/Us. That's it. You should pretend that too.

Posted by Duff at 11:02 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

June 19, 2007

In concert: Manu Chao

Hard to say what was the issue here (the mixing boards? the mikes?), but the sound was the worst of probably any show I've been to in the last few years: really really bad, completely distorted, lyrics indecipherable, everything muddled together.

In addition, the Aragon was the fullest I've EVER seen it, main floor completely full all the way to the back. Air conditioning on minimally at best, if at all. Everyone covered in sweat, what seemed like over half the males in the audience took their shirts off and some of the female audience came as close as they could without getting thrown out.

Pretty miserable evening. I went home early and listened to the CDs instead. Better sound, better surrounds. Much more enjoyable.

Posted by Duff at 10:19 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

June 13, 2007

In Concert -- Double Feature: The Maccabees / The Noisettes

I had actually bought The Maccabees album the other day when I was wandering Virgin and it was playing in the store but I hadn't gotten around to listening yet, so it was a pleasant surprise to find they were playing before The Noisettes. The lead singer has an amazing voice, despite his bizarre stage antics. My friends were postulating various illnesses/handicaps/etc., but I think it was more a case of nerves / nowhere to put his hands. Maybe he needs something to hold while he's on stage. Someone give that boy a tambourine! They're being hyped as the next Franz Ferdinand/best new British band/etc. etc., which as you know can often spell a band's downfall trying to live up to the hype (Arctic Monkeys?) . Based on their live performance, I have to think these guys have a chance: they were polished and together, none of the odd gaffes you often see in a band's early tours. And they sounded great! Interesting lyrics, rockin' guitar licks. Have finally started listening to the album post-show: Thumbs Up for "Colour It In".

While equally compelling in concert, musically The Noisettes are an entirely different ball game. I've been racking my brain all morning trying to think of others to compare them to. Thrashing, yelling, jumping = super super high energy, loud, badass performance. I'd call them "punk" before anything else. (And in an odd coincidence of timing, one of their songs was on The Sopranos finale!) Here's a review and this one describes the lead singer as "Billie Holiday on PCP." A lot of fun but I don't spend a lot of time listening to this album since a) I'm not going to the gym these days (I think it'd be perfect workout music) and b) stuff that is this high energy feels very POSITIVE to me and you know I'm all about the negative.

[p.s. and this site has a photo from the same concert.]

Opener: The Reds and the Blues. Nothing that inspiring, but definitely unforgettable. Come on, when was the last time you saw a bassoon on-stage in a rock band?

Posted by Duff at 09:18 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Live!!, Tunes

June 02, 2007

In Concert: Dinosaur Jr.

Either we missed Lou Barlow doing a solo set at the beginning of the night...or he decided not to when he came back on stage after Dinosaur and everyone started Booing because it wasn't the encore they were looking for? (Jackhats!)

Great sounds. Really rocking out. The hair on the lead singer is like less-coiffed leftovers from a Ratt video. And it drove me nuts all night to try to figure out what was on his t-shirt. Dinosaur? Diamond? DeeWayne?

Posted by Duff at