I always said Stevie Wonder was one of those “must see’s” in my lifetime and as the years go by and concerts remain a steady for me, luckily my list keeps getting smaller.
As I took in the show last night, I couldn’t help but image what seeing Stevie was like back in the day, cause at age 57, he’s still bringing it and bringing it hard. I was a little apprehensive as to what kind of material he’d be playing on this tour, the first since ’95, but after the celebration at the Greek last night, I realized I was witnessing one of the greatest performers of our time, and one definitely not past his prime.
The show started out a bit on the mellow side with some slower less familiar tunes but once Stevie and his 11 piece back-up band got it going with Higher Ground- it was on.
One of the best things about last night was watching Stevie seamlessly weave his way in and out of his familiar and funky songs ala Boogie On, Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, Sir Duke and Superstition to effortlessly laying down the soft grooves of his ballads including Golden Lady, My Cherie Amour, Isn't She Lovely and You Are the Sunshine of My Life, all while telling stories and encouraging love and to be the best one can be. The show itself felt like one giant (but funky) love letter to his audience and looking around the venue, it was apparent the feeling was mutual.
The highlight of the night for me was the audience interaction he created during both Ribbon in the Sky and Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours). It wasn’t the usual sing-a-long by any means during Ribbon, but rather he took it to the next level by giving the ladies a line to sing while giving the men a piece of harmony. Combined together it became an organic extension of the song as he modernized the familiar tune and made it entirely new. After a killer version of Signed, Sealed, Delivered, he joked how with a few minor tweaks, the song could easily fit into the Country genre, and after laughing about it, he demonstrated exactly that by making it twangy and fit for a hoe-down while encouraging the audience to test his theory out by belting out the line along with him, with heavy emphasis on pronouncing Yours the non-Stevie-hick way of “Yores”.
On top of all the classic originals, we were also treated to 2 covers- Memphis by Chuck Berry as he paid homage to Berry’s heavy influence in his music and Nat King Cole’s When I Fall in Love, which was sung by the daughter of a recently deceased friend whose last wish was to have his daughter sing his favorite song on stage at the Greek with his dear friend Stevie. Definitely one of the most touching and heart felt moments of the night.
As if the music wasn’t enough, he delighted the crowd by sharing some personal stories, my favorite being the origin of My Cherie Amour, which he explained he wrote and debuted backstage at setbreak during a show for a girl he was smitten with, after she repeatedly turned down his offer to meet him in a hotel room (which btw, she finally gave in... but brought her mother). I never would have thought I’d call Stevie Wonder sexy, but with his inviting charm, lively story telling and savory pipes, he had me thinking just that. Oh yeah- did I mention he also plays the keys?
Yup, he’s still got it. And with that, I can cross him off the list.
9/5/05
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles
Love's in Need of Love Today
Too High
Visions
Living For the City
Master Blaster (Jammin')
Higher Ground
Golden Lady
Ribbon in the Sky
Overjoyed
Can't Imagine Love Without You > You and I > Lately > How Will I Know (with Aisha Morris)
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (country style)
Memphis (by Chuck Berry)
Boogie On Reggae Woman
My Cherie Amour
When I Fall in Love (by Nat Cole/with Anita Johnson)
I Wish > Sir Duke > Isn't She Lovely > You Are the Sunshine of My Life (medley)
Superstition
I Just Called to Say I Love You (segment)
Another Star
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Page Hits Hollywood ~ 7-7-07
We knew it was going to be a great Saturday night in LA after Page announced a show at the House of Blues on the auspicious date of 7-7-07. I’d been hearing mixed reviews about Page’s recent solo tour promoting his newly released self-titled album, but after picking it up, I was more than ready to see him take those songs live. Saturday night marked the first time I saw Page play post-phish and I was delighted to be there to share in the special night.
While the venue was only half full (that’s what happens when you come to LA during High Sierra and the 4th of July weekend), it provided an intimate setting to see Page and his new band in action. Looking around the venue- it seemed like everyone who was there- wanted to be there. Lots of smiling faces with the accompaniment of dancing filled the room as Page lit up the stage. Playing all of the songs off the album, as well as several covers including a tasty version of the Talking Head’s “Memories Can't Wait”, Page and crew rocked the house. Page’s new solo material is a bit of a departure from his work with Vida Blue, while still funky and dare I say phishy in tone, the heartfelt and genuine lyrics seem to be telling of his latest personal transitions. Closing out the night with 2 solo’s, the piano man captivated the audience as he tickled the keys and belted out a beautiful version of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”- the very first of the tour, as well as a familiar “Strange Design”. He then brought the band back out for the last song- a high energy, smoking rendition of the Stone’s “Monkey Man”. Despite it being a scaled-down tour (i.e. no baby grand), we were still treated to a exquisite light show, compliments of Chris Kuroda, which definitely helped add to the overall vibe of the night.
After the show, Julie and I were lucky enough to get some quality time in with Page himself. It’s always nice hearing what musicians think about their own shows, and after telling him our thoughts on what we had just heard, he confirmed that the band had just been discussing the show and said they felt it was their best of the tour (and by tour- I had him clarify the WHOLE tour, not just the best of the West coast leg). He told us he was afraid the room would only be filled with “industry” people and while he knew the venue was by no means full- he was definitely into the energy everyone put out and agreed with us that the band and audience connected. We told him the LA ladies loved the Tiny Dancer and he laughed and told us he didn’t even put together the “LA Lady” line until after he had written it down on the setlist earlier that day (even singing that line for us again). But the absolute best part of Page time was hearing him gush about his darling daughter as he proudly shared her photos with us. It’s definitely a special moment between a musician and fan when the barriers break down and you can relate as if you were old friends catching up.
When reading not so positive reviews from other fans, I always wonder if its people’s own expectations that get in the way of letting go and having a good time or perhaps they caught an “off” night, or maybe it just takes a few shows for a band to warm up and gel together. It’s hardly a musicians fault when members of the audience go to a “solo” show expecting to see the same familiarity and level of playing that they are used to seeing that musician play with the same band for decades. As I always say- go with low or no expectations and chances are you won’t be disappointed. It’s those damn expectations that get you. I mean after all- it’s just music.
Los Angeles, CA
7/7/2007
Page McConnell, Jared Slomoff, Rob O'Dea, Adam Zimmon, Gabe Jarrett
Maid Marian
Heavy Rotation
Everyone But Me
Memories Can't Wait
Complex Wind
Runaway Bride
Back in the Basement
Rules I Don't Know
Close to Home
Beauty of a Broken Heart
Encore:
Tiny Dancer*
Strange Design*
Monkey Man
*Page solo
While the venue was only half full (that’s what happens when you come to LA during High Sierra and the 4th of July weekend), it provided an intimate setting to see Page and his new band in action. Looking around the venue- it seemed like everyone who was there- wanted to be there. Lots of smiling faces with the accompaniment of dancing filled the room as Page lit up the stage. Playing all of the songs off the album, as well as several covers including a tasty version of the Talking Head’s “Memories Can't Wait”, Page and crew rocked the house. Page’s new solo material is a bit of a departure from his work with Vida Blue, while still funky and dare I say phishy in tone, the heartfelt and genuine lyrics seem to be telling of his latest personal transitions. Closing out the night with 2 solo’s, the piano man captivated the audience as he tickled the keys and belted out a beautiful version of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”- the very first of the tour, as well as a familiar “Strange Design”. He then brought the band back out for the last song- a high energy, smoking rendition of the Stone’s “Monkey Man”. Despite it being a scaled-down tour (i.e. no baby grand), we were still treated to a exquisite light show, compliments of Chris Kuroda, which definitely helped add to the overall vibe of the night.
After the show, Julie and I were lucky enough to get some quality time in with Page himself. It’s always nice hearing what musicians think about their own shows, and after telling him our thoughts on what we had just heard, he confirmed that the band had just been discussing the show and said they felt it was their best of the tour (and by tour- I had him clarify the WHOLE tour, not just the best of the West coast leg). He told us he was afraid the room would only be filled with “industry” people and while he knew the venue was by no means full- he was definitely into the energy everyone put out and agreed with us that the band and audience connected. We told him the LA ladies loved the Tiny Dancer and he laughed and told us he didn’t even put together the “LA Lady” line until after he had written it down on the setlist earlier that day (even singing that line for us again). But the absolute best part of Page time was hearing him gush about his darling daughter as he proudly shared her photos with us. It’s definitely a special moment between a musician and fan when the barriers break down and you can relate as if you were old friends catching up.
When reading not so positive reviews from other fans, I always wonder if its people’s own expectations that get in the way of letting go and having a good time or perhaps they caught an “off” night, or maybe it just takes a few shows for a band to warm up and gel together. It’s hardly a musicians fault when members of the audience go to a “solo” show expecting to see the same familiarity and level of playing that they are used to seeing that musician play with the same band for decades. As I always say- go with low or no expectations and chances are you won’t be disappointed. It’s those damn expectations that get you. I mean after all- it’s just music.
Los Angeles, CA
7/7/2007
Page McConnell, Jared Slomoff, Rob O'Dea, Adam Zimmon, Gabe Jarrett
Maid Marian
Heavy Rotation
Everyone But Me
Memories Can't Wait
Complex Wind
Runaway Bride
Back in the Basement
Rules I Don't Know
Close to Home
Beauty of a Broken Heart
Encore:
Tiny Dancer*
Strange Design*
Monkey Man
*Page solo
Friday, June 29, 2007
Les Claypool and his Fancy Band ~ 6-27-07
What the hell is going in LA? First everyone around us is up and dancing the entire time at The Police’s Dodger Stadium show last Saturday- wait- make that everyone around us was up and dancing for the Foo Fighters who were OPENING up for The Police, no less… then Les Claypool manages to get the masses out for his Henry Fonda show in Hollywood- on a Wednesday night. I’m certainly not complaining with this new wave of LA concert goers- but it is a shock to the system after living here for 9 years with the LA crowds usually being so hit or miss.
Not only was it a pleasant surprise for all of us, but even Les himself made several comments about the energetic crowd, calling us peppy and even going so far as to say it was one of the best LA audience’s he’s ever had and what a great venue it was. It was the first time Les played at the Henry Fonda and after Wednesday night, I’m sure he will be coming back. Claypool’s most recent side project dubbed his “Fancy Band” consists of Skerik on tenor and baritone sax and Mike Dillon on vibraphone, marimba and percussion (both of Garage a Trois and Critters' Buggin), Cake drummer Paulo Baldi and Gabby La La on sitar, ukulele and theremin.
It was my first time seeing this line-up and I have to say- it totally worked for me. I’ve never been a fan of Gabby La La’s before- in fact, I despised her from the moment I first saw her opening up for Les in 2004 during his Bucket of Bernie Brains shows in Hollywood and San Francisco. But after seeing her in this line-up, all of that changed. I don’t know if it’s because she didn’t open her mouth at all or if she’s finally figured out the right balance as to not overwhelm the audience with the sounds of her unusual yet distinctive instruments, but Wednesday night she completely complimented Les without being distracting or even annoying. In fact- I’ll even go so far as to say she actually threw down the gauntlet challenging Les in some duals and adding a nice texture to the new sound Claypool is forging. As much as it shocks me to say it, there’s no need for a guitar player in this line-up- Gabby’s got it covered. And she wasn’t even the good part about the show. Skerik sounded great and while at certain times in the past I’ve felt like he was sometimes out of place or unintentionally trying to steal the show, he also was a perfect compliment to the Fancy Band. Besides Les, who even from across the room always manages to slap me silly with his bass, Paulo Baldi and Mike Dillon killed it- they were both absolutely on fire the entire night, showcasing their solid playing with a hot drum/percussion solo. Baldi is a monster behind the kit and Dillon adds such a cool layer to the overall sound- at times almost adding an electronica vibe. Playing a variety of older and newer songs from Claypool’s entire catalogue, the band took us from hard pounding bass and drum heavy songs to an almost whimsical circus-like dance club atmosphere. During the encore, Les treated us to a couple solos on the bass banjo, sans band, including a hot version of American Life, and once again proved why he is one of my favorite bass players around. We wouldn’t have known he was playing with 2 screws in one of his fingers after breaking it in May, had he not mentioned it.
One thing I love about Claypool is his innovative style which he consistently pushes forward, staying one step ahead of the latest music trends. He transitioned Primus into a “jamband” after playing with Oysterhead and now he’s worked some insane dance beats and grooves into his latest ensemble. Another trait I’ve become fond of when seeing Claypool perform is that the man is not afraid to speak out when he has something to say, my favorite being when he chastises rude members in the audience with comments like: "hey you! yes, you, in the white shirt. Was your only reason for coming here today so you could walk away knowing that I thought you're kind of dick?" and "Hey asshole… seriously. I'm just trying to do my job here... I don't come to your job and slap the dick out of your mouth...” Wednesday was no exception as we had a very chatty Les on our hands. While most of his comments were in praise of the crowd, he did stop mid-song to call out one very enthusiastic person on the rail who was encroaching on a father and his young daughters space, prompting Les to- in an unusually kind way- ask the guy to move away from his spot saying he appreciated that the guy knew all the words to the song, and he liked his enthusiasm, but he wanted the young girl to enjoy the show as much as he was enjoying it.
Speaking of rude audience behavior and dicks, we had a similar situation go down next to us during the show and found pure comedy in Les’ reaction as we had just dealt with our own space and respect issues. I’m not exactly sure why some people feel a certain sense of entitlement at concerts but being short does not give you a free pass to stand wherever you want. It’s called get to the show earlier to secure your spot- trying to sneak into a space when the lights go down, that other people have occupied for 20 minutes prior to the show, is not kosher. After one particular short girl’s unsuccessful attempt at doing just that and a surrender to her original spot with a heated debate as to what to do next- I look over at my boyfriend who is practically being grinded from behind by the girl’s boyfriend. Still in the exact same spot we had been in all night, Mike and I continued to get down- Mike being completely aware yet totally unfazed that he had a dude on top of him. When the drunk obnoxious dude started to get into my space however, I quickly responded with some elbow thrusts, which he chose to ignore. Now, had it been a sold out show and if space was totally limited, it would have been one thing. But looking behind this guy- he had 5 feet of space between him and his crew- there was no need for him to be riding on Mike in such a manner but he just wouldn’t back off. We’re not exactly sure what point he was trying to make either, because again, neither of us had moved an inch from our original spots and hey- we had a tall guy in front of us too. After not being able to take it anymore, I leaned over to Mike and asked loud enough for the schmuck to hear: “Is there any reason this guy is on your dick?” and sure enough- not only did he hear it but he flipped out and finally backed the fuck up. After a slight shoving match with Mike, started by the dick’s buddy, wouldn’t you know it, they bailed before the show ended. Hallelujah!
Another brilliant moment of the night took place towards the end of the show when several people pulled out their lighters to sway along with the music. Les informed the crowd that lighters were totally passé and that the newest thing was to point your cell phone at him, queuing about ½ the audience to do just that while designating the song and subsequent actions as the “new Freebird of the millennium”. A classic moment and at least we didn’t hear any of the usual “Primus Sucks” chanting.
I highly recommend checking out the Fancy Band if they come to your town- just make sure not to stand next to any dicks to maximize your experience.
06/27/2007
Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Setlist:
Up on the Roof
One Better >
Glide >
Tommy the Cat tease >
Glide >
One Better
Rumble of the Diesel
David Makalaster I >
Southbound Pachyderm tease >
David Makalaster
IPrecipitation
Vernon the Company Man
A Shot in the Dark
Drums >
Drum and Whamola Jam
Phantom Patriot
D's Diner
Whamola
Encore:
Master of Puppets tease >
^American Life >
^Iowan Gal
^ Riddles are Abound Tonight
Lust Stings
^ - Les solo on bass banjo
Not only was it a pleasant surprise for all of us, but even Les himself made several comments about the energetic crowd, calling us peppy and even going so far as to say it was one of the best LA audience’s he’s ever had and what a great venue it was. It was the first time Les played at the Henry Fonda and after Wednesday night, I’m sure he will be coming back. Claypool’s most recent side project dubbed his “Fancy Band” consists of Skerik on tenor and baritone sax and Mike Dillon on vibraphone, marimba and percussion (both of Garage a Trois and Critters' Buggin), Cake drummer Paulo Baldi and Gabby La La on sitar, ukulele and theremin.
It was my first time seeing this line-up and I have to say- it totally worked for me. I’ve never been a fan of Gabby La La’s before- in fact, I despised her from the moment I first saw her opening up for Les in 2004 during his Bucket of Bernie Brains shows in Hollywood and San Francisco. But after seeing her in this line-up, all of that changed. I don’t know if it’s because she didn’t open her mouth at all or if she’s finally figured out the right balance as to not overwhelm the audience with the sounds of her unusual yet distinctive instruments, but Wednesday night she completely complimented Les without being distracting or even annoying. In fact- I’ll even go so far as to say she actually threw down the gauntlet challenging Les in some duals and adding a nice texture to the new sound Claypool is forging. As much as it shocks me to say it, there’s no need for a guitar player in this line-up- Gabby’s got it covered. And she wasn’t even the good part about the show. Skerik sounded great and while at certain times in the past I’ve felt like he was sometimes out of place or unintentionally trying to steal the show, he also was a perfect compliment to the Fancy Band. Besides Les, who even from across the room always manages to slap me silly with his bass, Paulo Baldi and Mike Dillon killed it- they were both absolutely on fire the entire night, showcasing their solid playing with a hot drum/percussion solo. Baldi is a monster behind the kit and Dillon adds such a cool layer to the overall sound- at times almost adding an electronica vibe. Playing a variety of older and newer songs from Claypool’s entire catalogue, the band took us from hard pounding bass and drum heavy songs to an almost whimsical circus-like dance club atmosphere. During the encore, Les treated us to a couple solos on the bass banjo, sans band, including a hot version of American Life, and once again proved why he is one of my favorite bass players around. We wouldn’t have known he was playing with 2 screws in one of his fingers after breaking it in May, had he not mentioned it.
One thing I love about Claypool is his innovative style which he consistently pushes forward, staying one step ahead of the latest music trends. He transitioned Primus into a “jamband” after playing with Oysterhead and now he’s worked some insane dance beats and grooves into his latest ensemble. Another trait I’ve become fond of when seeing Claypool perform is that the man is not afraid to speak out when he has something to say, my favorite being when he chastises rude members in the audience with comments like: "hey you! yes, you, in the white shirt. Was your only reason for coming here today so you could walk away knowing that I thought you're kind of dick?" and "Hey asshole… seriously. I'm just trying to do my job here... I don't come to your job and slap the dick out of your mouth...” Wednesday was no exception as we had a very chatty Les on our hands. While most of his comments were in praise of the crowd, he did stop mid-song to call out one very enthusiastic person on the rail who was encroaching on a father and his young daughters space, prompting Les to- in an unusually kind way- ask the guy to move away from his spot saying he appreciated that the guy knew all the words to the song, and he liked his enthusiasm, but he wanted the young girl to enjoy the show as much as he was enjoying it.
Speaking of rude audience behavior and dicks, we had a similar situation go down next to us during the show and found pure comedy in Les’ reaction as we had just dealt with our own space and respect issues. I’m not exactly sure why some people feel a certain sense of entitlement at concerts but being short does not give you a free pass to stand wherever you want. It’s called get to the show earlier to secure your spot- trying to sneak into a space when the lights go down, that other people have occupied for 20 minutes prior to the show, is not kosher. After one particular short girl’s unsuccessful attempt at doing just that and a surrender to her original spot with a heated debate as to what to do next- I look over at my boyfriend who is practically being grinded from behind by the girl’s boyfriend. Still in the exact same spot we had been in all night, Mike and I continued to get down- Mike being completely aware yet totally unfazed that he had a dude on top of him. When the drunk obnoxious dude started to get into my space however, I quickly responded with some elbow thrusts, which he chose to ignore. Now, had it been a sold out show and if space was totally limited, it would have been one thing. But looking behind this guy- he had 5 feet of space between him and his crew- there was no need for him to be riding on Mike in such a manner but he just wouldn’t back off. We’re not exactly sure what point he was trying to make either, because again, neither of us had moved an inch from our original spots and hey- we had a tall guy in front of us too. After not being able to take it anymore, I leaned over to Mike and asked loud enough for the schmuck to hear: “Is there any reason this guy is on your dick?” and sure enough- not only did he hear it but he flipped out and finally backed the fuck up. After a slight shoving match with Mike, started by the dick’s buddy, wouldn’t you know it, they bailed before the show ended. Hallelujah!
Another brilliant moment of the night took place towards the end of the show when several people pulled out their lighters to sway along with the music. Les informed the crowd that lighters were totally passé and that the newest thing was to point your cell phone at him, queuing about ½ the audience to do just that while designating the song and subsequent actions as the “new Freebird of the millennium”. A classic moment and at least we didn’t hear any of the usual “Primus Sucks” chanting.
I highly recommend checking out the Fancy Band if they come to your town- just make sure not to stand next to any dicks to maximize your experience.
06/27/2007
Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Setlist:
Up on the Roof
One Better >
Glide >
Tommy the Cat tease >
Glide >
One Better
Rumble of the Diesel
David Makalaster I >
Southbound Pachyderm tease >
David Makalaster
IPrecipitation
Vernon the Company Man
A Shot in the Dark
Drums >
Drum and Whamola Jam
Phantom Patriot
D's Diner
Whamola
Encore:
Master of Puppets tease >
^American Life >
^Iowan Gal
^ Riddles are Abound Tonight
Lust Stings
^ - Les solo on bass banjo
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Bonnaroo.. 3 days, 18 bands...
Ok I know it’s actually 4 days and there were over 80 bands that played at Bonnaroo this year- but for me, 18 bands in 3 days, is pretty damn good.
We kicked the weekend off in style by staying at the Loews in Nashville on Thursday night and after grabbing Lauren at the airport on Friday morning, we were off to Manchester. Upon arrival, first stop was at the local hotel I booked- a very quick stop after checking in and seeing the digs. After experiencing Manchester and the surrounding area last year, I knew it was going to rank high in the “worst hotels ever” list but I had at least hoped for clean sheets and towels. That hope was quickly dashed as we walked into our “suite” – my first thought was why the hell didn’t we grab pillows and towels at the Loews, especially since we were going back there 2 nights later. It was one of the most disgusting places I’ve ever seen, much less stayed at- not to mention it was missing a toilet in one of the bathrooms. I’m kicking myself now for not taking pictures of the “abortion bathroom” complete with a bloody tub- you had to see it to believe it but I’m pretty sure at least one took place there.
After a quick stop we got the hell out of dodge and I headed over to the fest with Andy- my partner in crime for Friday afternoon. After checking out the guest area, we decided to cruise into the Main stage area where we saw a massive amount of people on the other side of the gates. I pointed over at them and said they must be watching a good show, not even realizing they were all waiting to be let in- they hadn’t opened up the gates to the general public yet. Had we wanted to, we could have set up prime real estate on the rail, but instead we decided to hang out by the venders to watch everyone run in. I grabbed my phone and caught video of the “running of the bulls”. It was definitely a “had to be there” moment and a great way to kick off Bonnaroo.
So… then we decided it was time to see some music. Our first act of the day was catching Brazilian Girls where we easily met up with our friends Jen and Alicia under a tree in an attempt to find some shade. We stayed for a couple songs- enough to get a decent feel for them- my verdict is still out while Andy called them “cheesy”. Tortoise was next on our list and they rocked it. I discovered them at Coachella a few years ago and they are just a really solid band to hear live. Playing after Tortoise in the same tent was Hot Chip. Holy shit- these guys threw down. The main comment I kept hearing all weekend about them was- “too bad they had such an early slot” because their tent was going off- just a sick dance party- totally unexpected so early in the day and while their tent was packed, I know a lot of people missed out on that gem of a set. Definitely a new discovery of mine and one of my favorite shows of the whole fest. After Hot Chip we caught a little bit of Manu Chao. I had been hearing great things about him lately but it just wasn’t happening for us so we met up with Lauren who wanted to check out Lily Allen. Miss Allen is another one I’ve been curious to see what all the recent hype is about and I missed her at Coachella so I was psyched to see her in action. Lots of energy and she sounded great.
We had a nice break after her set, grabbed some food and found friends in the bleachers to watch Tool. We also caught Tool at Coachella so I knew what I was in store for. I was a little surprised that everyone around us was sitting on their asses for the entire set- definitely a different vibe than Coachella, but I’ll blame the heat and long day of music for that one. I’m still not familiar with any of Tool’s material but again they had me dancing the whole time and their light show is amazing- definitely one of the best around. We decided to give String Cheese one last shot since this is their last tour and would be our last opportunity to see them before all is said and done. I’m glad I can say I caught SCI in their prime because they were playing no where near that level and it was pretty sad to see them go down so hard, especially after seeing them almost 50 times in the last 9 years. People around us seemed to be having a good time though so we bailed instead of killing their buzz. We definitely found our groove at the SuperJam which consisted of John Paul Jones, Ben Harper and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, playing Zeppelin and other covers, including a sick version of Superstition. Despite being a fairly short set considering they ended a good hour before allotted, it was a great way to end the night and it was back to the nasty ass hotel for us.
I tried to forget where we were laying our heads and after taking a shower with my flip flops on and using a T-shirt as a pillow cover, I woke up in the morning overhearing people talking outside of our room. I opened the door to find the “maids” talking about towels so I asked if we could get some clean ones. They actually made me hand them the 2 in the room so they could wash them and bring them back. When I explained that there were 3 of us, and we had paid extra for a 3rd person, they finally agreed to bring us 3. Right then we got a call from Lauren and Ash who were staying at one of the “festival run” hotels through The Police and they told us there was an extra room we could stay in over there since some of the bands had already checked out- thank you Kings of Leon!! We quickly packed up and ran out screaming, literally.
After “checking in” to our new room and hitting the Waffle House for a quick bite (ok Ash- you were totally right.. it’s much better than I had thought), our Saturday was off to a good start. A late start, but a good one nonetheless. Our first act of the day was Ween- it was hot and I’m not just talking about the heat. I met Dave, the bassist, the night before so it was cool to see him doing his thing. Even cooler was seeing our friend Chip in action who works for them. Mike met Chip when he and Jay Arch were hitchhiking after the Phish show on 8/10/96 and I met Chip the night Mike and I connected at a show in 2000 so he definitely shares a special in our hearts. I love seeing my friends doing their thing, especially when they do it well. Lauren, Ash and I ducked out of Ween a little early and caught a couple songs of Franz Ferdinand’s set- I’ve yet to actually listen to their catalogue but they are a fun band to see live. After FF, we grabbed a bite and it was time for The Police. The bleachers were packed but Mike managed to grab a spot in the aisle where we enjoyed the show. The Police are one of those bands I never thought I’d have a chance to see live, so despite the nostalgia and Andy Summers forgetting how to play the guitar, it was definitely a great moment in my own personal music going experiences. We were sitting next to some hard core Police fans and it was pretty awesome to hear them call songs and break everything down, including the solos- some of which were cool, some of which we could have down without. It made me realize “other” bands have obsessive fans as well- as Mike likes to say- same amusement park, different ride. Again, I was shocked at the amount of people sitting down for their entire 90 minute set- everyone but a handful. Dodger Stadium last weekend put these people to shame- and no one dances in LA (although LA was a longer and better show).
After the Police, we regrouped in the Artist tent, connected with some new and old friends and then headed over to catch Girl Talk. On the way there we had to cruise by where the Flaming Lips were playing- I saw them open for Beck in 2000 and wasn’t all that impressed, but I hadn’t seen them since. The sound was horrible and you couldn’t see a thing on stage because there was such a huge crowd watching them so we kept cruising to our desired destination. We managed to catch the last 20 minutes of Girl Talk and he was incredible- definitely my new favorite DJ after Coachella and once again he had a ton of fans getting down on stage with him to close his set- the guy knows how to lay it down. Wish we had gotten there earlier and wish he played longer- what can you do? We then closed out the night with Sasha & Digweed who more than made up for some of the other performers short sets as they were still going strong when we walked back to the car around 5:30AM.
Sunday was another late start for us but Lauren and I made it to the festival grounds in time to catch the last acts of the weekend. We started the day by watching Wilco from sidestage- not a bad way to catch a band for the first time. Wilco has always been one of those bands that I’ve had certain friends be really into yet I’ve never heard or even given them a chance. Needless to say, I was impressed and already picked up tickets to their LA show in August.
We cut out of Wilco a bit early to catch Feist. I hadn’t even heard of this band until Ash dubbed them as “vagindy rock” at the beginning of the weekend but it was cool to take in a bit of their set. After a couple songs we snagged a ride on a golf cart (something much easier to do when you’re hanging out with people that work for the fest) and checked out Ornette Coleman. Never in my wildest did I think I’d have the chance to see the living legend perform, much less that I’d catch him at a festival like Bonnaroo. Right before we were about to head out, we witnessed him passing out on stage mid-song. Not that shocking considering he’s 77 years old and was wearing a full suit in the 100 degree weather- but still scary watching him be escorted off- definitely an indicator of how hot it actually was over the weekend. I caught Marc Ribot in the crowd as we were leaving making me wonder if I had missed him playing a set or sitting in with anyone but I have yet to hear otherwise. That’s one of the coolest things I find about Bonnaroo- just randomly seeing musicians, comedians and filmmakers hanging out and catching different acts- from Jim Jarmusch kicking it in the Artists tent to Lewis Black sidestage watching Panic.
The White Stripes were up next and they did not disappoint. We actually caught their set from behind the stage because it was so crowded up front but the sound was surprisingly good since we had monitors facing us. They definitely made me want to see more of them so we’ll hit their LA show in September. And last but not least was Widespread Panic who closed out the fest on the main stage playing 30 minutes over their timeslot. We were also able to watch that show from sidestage and it rocked- the perfect ending to a fantastic weekend.
All in all- an amazing festival and an incredible weekend of music shared with good friends and phenomenal musicians. Once again I left feeling inspired by new discoveries and awakened by old stand-by’s. Only 4 months until Vegoose... I can’t wait.
We kicked the weekend off in style by staying at the Loews in Nashville on Thursday night and after grabbing Lauren at the airport on Friday morning, we were off to Manchester. Upon arrival, first stop was at the local hotel I booked- a very quick stop after checking in and seeing the digs. After experiencing Manchester and the surrounding area last year, I knew it was going to rank high in the “worst hotels ever” list but I had at least hoped for clean sheets and towels. That hope was quickly dashed as we walked into our “suite” – my first thought was why the hell didn’t we grab pillows and towels at the Loews, especially since we were going back there 2 nights later. It was one of the most disgusting places I’ve ever seen, much less stayed at- not to mention it was missing a toilet in one of the bathrooms. I’m kicking myself now for not taking pictures of the “abortion bathroom” complete with a bloody tub- you had to see it to believe it but I’m pretty sure at least one took place there.
After a quick stop we got the hell out of dodge and I headed over to the fest with Andy- my partner in crime for Friday afternoon. After checking out the guest area, we decided to cruise into the Main stage area where we saw a massive amount of people on the other side of the gates. I pointed over at them and said they must be watching a good show, not even realizing they were all waiting to be let in- they hadn’t opened up the gates to the general public yet. Had we wanted to, we could have set up prime real estate on the rail, but instead we decided to hang out by the venders to watch everyone run in. I grabbed my phone and caught video of the “running of the bulls”. It was definitely a “had to be there” moment and a great way to kick off Bonnaroo.
So… then we decided it was time to see some music. Our first act of the day was catching Brazilian Girls where we easily met up with our friends Jen and Alicia under a tree in an attempt to find some shade. We stayed for a couple songs- enough to get a decent feel for them- my verdict is still out while Andy called them “cheesy”. Tortoise was next on our list and they rocked it. I discovered them at Coachella a few years ago and they are just a really solid band to hear live. Playing after Tortoise in the same tent was Hot Chip. Holy shit- these guys threw down. The main comment I kept hearing all weekend about them was- “too bad they had such an early slot” because their tent was going off- just a sick dance party- totally unexpected so early in the day and while their tent was packed, I know a lot of people missed out on that gem of a set. Definitely a new discovery of mine and one of my favorite shows of the whole fest. After Hot Chip we caught a little bit of Manu Chao. I had been hearing great things about him lately but it just wasn’t happening for us so we met up with Lauren who wanted to check out Lily Allen. Miss Allen is another one I’ve been curious to see what all the recent hype is about and I missed her at Coachella so I was psyched to see her in action. Lots of energy and she sounded great.
We had a nice break after her set, grabbed some food and found friends in the bleachers to watch Tool. We also caught Tool at Coachella so I knew what I was in store for. I was a little surprised that everyone around us was sitting on their asses for the entire set- definitely a different vibe than Coachella, but I’ll blame the heat and long day of music for that one. I’m still not familiar with any of Tool’s material but again they had me dancing the whole time and their light show is amazing- definitely one of the best around. We decided to give String Cheese one last shot since this is their last tour and would be our last opportunity to see them before all is said and done. I’m glad I can say I caught SCI in their prime because they were playing no where near that level and it was pretty sad to see them go down so hard, especially after seeing them almost 50 times in the last 9 years. People around us seemed to be having a good time though so we bailed instead of killing their buzz. We definitely found our groove at the SuperJam which consisted of John Paul Jones, Ben Harper and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, playing Zeppelin and other covers, including a sick version of Superstition. Despite being a fairly short set considering they ended a good hour before allotted, it was a great way to end the night and it was back to the nasty ass hotel for us.
I tried to forget where we were laying our heads and after taking a shower with my flip flops on and using a T-shirt as a pillow cover, I woke up in the morning overhearing people talking outside of our room. I opened the door to find the “maids” talking about towels so I asked if we could get some clean ones. They actually made me hand them the 2 in the room so they could wash them and bring them back. When I explained that there were 3 of us, and we had paid extra for a 3rd person, they finally agreed to bring us 3. Right then we got a call from Lauren and Ash who were staying at one of the “festival run” hotels through The Police and they told us there was an extra room we could stay in over there since some of the bands had already checked out- thank you Kings of Leon!! We quickly packed up and ran out screaming, literally.
After “checking in” to our new room and hitting the Waffle House for a quick bite (ok Ash- you were totally right.. it’s much better than I had thought), our Saturday was off to a good start. A late start, but a good one nonetheless. Our first act of the day was Ween- it was hot and I’m not just talking about the heat. I met Dave, the bassist, the night before so it was cool to see him doing his thing. Even cooler was seeing our friend Chip in action who works for them. Mike met Chip when he and Jay Arch were hitchhiking after the Phish show on 8/10/96 and I met Chip the night Mike and I connected at a show in 2000 so he definitely shares a special in our hearts. I love seeing my friends doing their thing, especially when they do it well. Lauren, Ash and I ducked out of Ween a little early and caught a couple songs of Franz Ferdinand’s set- I’ve yet to actually listen to their catalogue but they are a fun band to see live. After FF, we grabbed a bite and it was time for The Police. The bleachers were packed but Mike managed to grab a spot in the aisle where we enjoyed the show. The Police are one of those bands I never thought I’d have a chance to see live, so despite the nostalgia and Andy Summers forgetting how to play the guitar, it was definitely a great moment in my own personal music going experiences. We were sitting next to some hard core Police fans and it was pretty awesome to hear them call songs and break everything down, including the solos- some of which were cool, some of which we could have down without. It made me realize “other” bands have obsessive fans as well- as Mike likes to say- same amusement park, different ride. Again, I was shocked at the amount of people sitting down for their entire 90 minute set- everyone but a handful. Dodger Stadium last weekend put these people to shame- and no one dances in LA (although LA was a longer and better show).
After the Police, we regrouped in the Artist tent, connected with some new and old friends and then headed over to catch Girl Talk. On the way there we had to cruise by where the Flaming Lips were playing- I saw them open for Beck in 2000 and wasn’t all that impressed, but I hadn’t seen them since. The sound was horrible and you couldn’t see a thing on stage because there was such a huge crowd watching them so we kept cruising to our desired destination. We managed to catch the last 20 minutes of Girl Talk and he was incredible- definitely my new favorite DJ after Coachella and once again he had a ton of fans getting down on stage with him to close his set- the guy knows how to lay it down. Wish we had gotten there earlier and wish he played longer- what can you do? We then closed out the night with Sasha & Digweed who more than made up for some of the other performers short sets as they were still going strong when we walked back to the car around 5:30AM.
Sunday was another late start for us but Lauren and I made it to the festival grounds in time to catch the last acts of the weekend. We started the day by watching Wilco from sidestage- not a bad way to catch a band for the first time. Wilco has always been one of those bands that I’ve had certain friends be really into yet I’ve never heard or even given them a chance. Needless to say, I was impressed and already picked up tickets to their LA show in August.
We cut out of Wilco a bit early to catch Feist. I hadn’t even heard of this band until Ash dubbed them as “vagindy rock” at the beginning of the weekend but it was cool to take in a bit of their set. After a couple songs we snagged a ride on a golf cart (something much easier to do when you’re hanging out with people that work for the fest) and checked out Ornette Coleman. Never in my wildest did I think I’d have the chance to see the living legend perform, much less that I’d catch him at a festival like Bonnaroo. Right before we were about to head out, we witnessed him passing out on stage mid-song. Not that shocking considering he’s 77 years old and was wearing a full suit in the 100 degree weather- but still scary watching him be escorted off- definitely an indicator of how hot it actually was over the weekend. I caught Marc Ribot in the crowd as we were leaving making me wonder if I had missed him playing a set or sitting in with anyone but I have yet to hear otherwise. That’s one of the coolest things I find about Bonnaroo- just randomly seeing musicians, comedians and filmmakers hanging out and catching different acts- from Jim Jarmusch kicking it in the Artists tent to Lewis Black sidestage watching Panic.
The White Stripes were up next and they did not disappoint. We actually caught their set from behind the stage because it was so crowded up front but the sound was surprisingly good since we had monitors facing us. They definitely made me want to see more of them so we’ll hit their LA show in September. And last but not least was Widespread Panic who closed out the fest on the main stage playing 30 minutes over their timeslot. We were also able to watch that show from sidestage and it rocked- the perfect ending to a fantastic weekend.
All in all- an amazing festival and an incredible weekend of music shared with good friends and phenomenal musicians. Once again I left feeling inspired by new discoveries and awakened by old stand-by’s. Only 4 months until Vegoose... I can’t wait.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Coachella, New Music and Inspiration
There's nothing quite like the giddy excitement I get when I discover a "new" band. In the last 12 years I've managed to hit quite a few festivals- Mountain Aire, High Sierra, Jazz Fest, numerous Phish festivals, Bonnaroo, Vegoose and I just returned from my 4th Coachella experience. I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to music and usually am inclined to stick with just seeing the bands I know and love at festivals but Coachella has been the one festival I've attended that each year I've been exposed and turned on to something new. In 2003 it was Tortoise and Thievery Corp, in 2004 DJ Danny Howells did it for me, last year surprisingly enough my "new" discoveries were actually as main stream as you can get- Kanye West and Franz Ferdinand- I hadn't given either a chance before hearing them live but what can I say- they threw down last year and I was sold.
It's a rarity (for me anyway) to have a day at a fest where you actually see 5 band's entire sets and love them all- including 3 you've never heard before. Saturday this year at Coachella was one of those days. We started out catching !!! (Chk, Chk, Chk)'s set and what a perfect band to kick the day off with. The LA Times described them as "Big-thump dance-rock, with echoes of the Talking Heads and B-52's in its electronic frippery" and we were not disappointed. From there we bounced back over to the VIP section (where one can enjoy shade, an elevated view of the main stage, nicer bathrooms and shorter beer and food lines) and found a spot for Arcade Fire's set. I've been a fan of Arcade Fire since seeing them play Vegoose in 2005 and once again they put on a stellar show. I'm looking forward to finally seeing them in a "smaller" venue at the Greek here at the end of the month.
After Arcade Fire, we went to check out Girl Talk – It was hard to tell exactly what was going on when we first walked into the tent because there was almost as big of a party happening on stage as there was on the dance floor. The tent was going off with about 30 people dancing on stage, including none other than Paris Hilton. I assumed it was a band but soon after joining the dance party I realized it was all the work of one man- Pittsburgh's Gregg Gillis who samples anyone and everyone remixing dozens of elements from different pop songs creating brilliant mash-ups with extremely sexy results.
LCD Soundsystem was next on our list. Hailed as "the leading edge of the dance-rock juggernaut", by the LA Times we were ecstatic about these guys as soon as we heard what they were throwing down. These guys absolutely blew me away. High energy, incredible dance beats with elements of glam rock, punk rock and disco all mixed in- the entire tent was going off and there was no other place I would have wanted to be. Probably my favorite set of the festival and I'm pumped they'll be back in LA in June so we can see them again in a much smaller venue.
After LCD we spent the last part of the evening at The Good, The Bad and The Queen- Damon Albarn's (Blur, the Gorillaz) new side project featuring The Verve's Simon Tong, Paul Simonon from The Clash and Nigerian drummer Tony Allen. They were accompanied by a string section and played their debut album from start-to-finish. Although there were a few sound issues and it was a much more mellow vibe than the prior bands of the day, it was a great way to cap of the night- very serene and mesmerizing- a perfect fit for the palm trees flowing in the desert breeze.
We also caught Bjork on Friday and on Sunday- The Roots, Air (incredible) and Rage Against the Machine (awesome). My friend Jessie summed up Rage with one sentence: "I feel like we're witnessing a part of music history right now". While I'm not too familiar with Rage, I enjoyed every second of their set and danced until the music stopped. I don't know if anything can ever quite top the epic day in 2004 when the Pixies played before Radiohead, but Saturday this year came pretty damn close and was a rare perfect festival day shared with old friends, new friends and 50,000 others.
Before this past weekend, the last time I've been inspired by a new band was last summer after being turned on to The Raconteurs. I heard their debut album for the first time playing in the background as I got ready for their show at the Henry Fonda, and once seeing them live later that night, I was immediately hooked. Of course the 9 Radiohead shows I saw last summer are also on the top of my recent inspiration list but until they go back on tour, I'll just have to settle with the CD's I just ordered (!!!, Girl Talk, LCD Soundsystem and Air, naturally) and the Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem's LA shows. After such a great weekend in the desert and being turned on by so many new bands, I have a feeling I might find it a bit easier to cruise around looking for some new inspiration at Bonnaroo this year… or at least I'm going to try.
It's a rarity (for me anyway) to have a day at a fest where you actually see 5 band's entire sets and love them all- including 3 you've never heard before. Saturday this year at Coachella was one of those days. We started out catching !!! (Chk, Chk, Chk)'s set and what a perfect band to kick the day off with. The LA Times described them as "Big-thump dance-rock, with echoes of the Talking Heads and B-52's in its electronic frippery" and we were not disappointed. From there we bounced back over to the VIP section (where one can enjoy shade, an elevated view of the main stage, nicer bathrooms and shorter beer and food lines) and found a spot for Arcade Fire's set. I've been a fan of Arcade Fire since seeing them play Vegoose in 2005 and once again they put on a stellar show. I'm looking forward to finally seeing them in a "smaller" venue at the Greek here at the end of the month.
After Arcade Fire, we went to check out Girl Talk – It was hard to tell exactly what was going on when we first walked into the tent because there was almost as big of a party happening on stage as there was on the dance floor. The tent was going off with about 30 people dancing on stage, including none other than Paris Hilton. I assumed it was a band but soon after joining the dance party I realized it was all the work of one man- Pittsburgh's Gregg Gillis who samples anyone and everyone remixing dozens of elements from different pop songs creating brilliant mash-ups with extremely sexy results.
LCD Soundsystem was next on our list. Hailed as "the leading edge of the dance-rock juggernaut", by the LA Times we were ecstatic about these guys as soon as we heard what they were throwing down. These guys absolutely blew me away. High energy, incredible dance beats with elements of glam rock, punk rock and disco all mixed in- the entire tent was going off and there was no other place I would have wanted to be. Probably my favorite set of the festival and I'm pumped they'll be back in LA in June so we can see them again in a much smaller venue.
After LCD we spent the last part of the evening at The Good, The Bad and The Queen- Damon Albarn's (Blur, the Gorillaz) new side project featuring The Verve's Simon Tong, Paul Simonon from The Clash and Nigerian drummer Tony Allen. They were accompanied by a string section and played their debut album from start-to-finish. Although there were a few sound issues and it was a much more mellow vibe than the prior bands of the day, it was a great way to cap of the night- very serene and mesmerizing- a perfect fit for the palm trees flowing in the desert breeze.
We also caught Bjork on Friday and on Sunday- The Roots, Air (incredible) and Rage Against the Machine (awesome). My friend Jessie summed up Rage with one sentence: "I feel like we're witnessing a part of music history right now". While I'm not too familiar with Rage, I enjoyed every second of their set and danced until the music stopped. I don't know if anything can ever quite top the epic day in 2004 when the Pixies played before Radiohead, but Saturday this year came pretty damn close and was a rare perfect festival day shared with old friends, new friends and 50,000 others.
Before this past weekend, the last time I've been inspired by a new band was last summer after being turned on to The Raconteurs. I heard their debut album for the first time playing in the background as I got ready for their show at the Henry Fonda, and once seeing them live later that night, I was immediately hooked. Of course the 9 Radiohead shows I saw last summer are also on the top of my recent inspiration list but until they go back on tour, I'll just have to settle with the CD's I just ordered (!!!, Girl Talk, LCD Soundsystem and Air, naturally) and the Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem's LA shows. After such a great weekend in the desert and being turned on by so many new bands, I have a feeling I might find it a bit easier to cruise around looking for some new inspiration at Bonnaroo this year… or at least I'm going to try.
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