When Phish announced the tour dates for their 2009 Fall Tour, I immediately requested tickets for the two Albany shows since they were the two that I could feasibly get to. I was hopeful that we would get tickets to both shows and worried we wouldn’t get any. Thankfully I lucked out and won tickets to one of the shows, the first of the two nights. So last night my Dad, Charlie, and I all got together for the 2 and a half hour drive to upstate New York.

The venue, by the time the show started, was absolutely packed and the energy was palpable. Our seats were located directly behind the stage. At first I thought it would suck being behind the stage but it was actually a very cool experience that I had no problems with. Sure it’s not as exciting as being on the floor 20 feet from Trey, but it was still a blast. I had an excellent view of the whole band, especially Page.

The band opened up the first set with “AC/DC Bag” and “Maze”, which together made up a killer opening. The last three songs of the set were also incredible (a great jam in “Limb by Limb”, “Cavern”, and “Light”). “Light” in particular was interesting, with the band creating essentially a huge wall of sound and letting it drone for the last minute of the song.

As fun as the first set was, the second set is where things got really interesting. The highlight for me was an impressive “Fluffhead” into “Piper” that together made up some of the most interesting jams of the night. The crowd went absolutely crazy during “Suzy Greenberg”, which was another highlight of the night (and I believe the picture at the top of the page is from that song). Page gave us a great treat during “The Squirming Coil”. The band had left the stage for the encore break but Page just kept playing. And playing. And playing. He jammed for at least a couple minutes before the rest of the band finally came back on stage to play one more number with him before leaving together for the encore. They ended the show with a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song “Fire”.

All in all it was an incredible night. The setlist was quite interesting, playing some songs for the first time (like a cover of the TV on the Radio song “Golden Age”) and bringing out some rarities. That coupled with excellent jams and an excited audience made this a night to remember.

Set 1:

1. AC/DC Bag
2. Maze
3. Driver
4. My Mind’s Got a Mind of Its Own
5. Gumbo
6. Bouncing Around the Room
7. It’s Ice
8. Two Versions of Me
9. Timber
10. Limb by Limb
11. Cavern
12. Light

Set 2

1. My Friend, My Friend
2. Golden Age
3. On Your Way Down
4. Fluffhead
5. Piper
6. Tomorrow’s Song
7. Prince Caspian
8. Harry Hood
9. Suzy Greenberg
10. The Squirming Coil
11. I Been Around

Encore: Fire

Search for LIGHTS on Eggplante.com and you’ll find no less than seven articles about the heroin songstress. And with good reason too; she puts on an incredible live show, puts a whimsical touch on interviews, and has a glow about her that can only be captured when she talks about something she really loves (like beef jerky).

Let me start out by saying that I’m biased. I’ve been a fan of LIGHTS for a while, and I would probably love any show she put on, but this one was especially sweet because she has finally come home. “I’m home. I’m calling this my home from now on”, she spoke to the crowd mid-way through her show at the Kool Haus Thursday. The place was absolutely packed, with what appeared to be an infinite merch line.

Rather than coming out, playing a dozen songs, and leaving, LIGHTS made use of her other talents and implemented her online comic Captain Lights into the show by playing segments in between some songs. The crowd went wild for this as it meant she left the stage just long enough to keep them wanting more, and delivering with her running back on stage immediately to satiate the need for techno-synth pop. The stage was remarkably barren, a fitting scenario, considering the music is made up mostly of electric sounds rather than dedicated guitars, a bass, or other instruments. However, LIGHTS’s background duo Adam and Maurie were on hand to deliver live tunes and drumming to the crowd, respectively. Incredible energy was coming from those guys and they deserve great respect for that.

This is the first show in Toronto the songwriter has played since her album The Listening was released September 22nd. The crowd went wild for some of her biggest hits but even more so for the new tracks, clamouring for Lions!, River, and Second Go, among others.

I managed to get some great pictures of the show. These sets are unique. Some happened to turn out very emotional and mellow, hence the black and white tones. Others are more upbeat and fiery. Leave your feedback in the comments below!

You better check out this chick soon before she gets incredibly huge! She is incredibly popular now, and the crowds are only getting larger. She tours Europe with Owl City in January 2010, exposing her to even larger masses of crowds. Don’t be surprised if her next Toronto venue is the Rogers Centre!

You can follow LIGHTS on twitter (@lights) and get her album from iTunes now! She has also recently released The Ice Pack, a collection of remixes of her massively popular single “Ice”, for which a new video was recently released.

Monday the 23rd of November 2009 was a rather grim and rainy day, perfect for a black metal show. Luckily Swedish black metal band Marduk was playing at the Talking Head Club inside Sonar in Baltimore that night, the closest stop to Washington DC on their US Plague Tour. I had a couple friends flake out on me, but since Marduk failed to get into the US for Maryland Deathfest back in May, and I missed their Baltimore stop on their 3 show mini tour back in August, I was determined not to miss them for a third time this year. So I drove up to Baltimore in that dreary cold rain by myself blasting metal all the way. When I got there Nachtmystium was setting up. They’re ok, sort of a thrashy black metal band. Not my favorite but worth checking out while drinking a beer or two. The final song of their set was a cover of GG Allin’s song I Kill Everything I Fuck, which I gotta say was pretty fucking cool. Wasn’t expecting that one, wish I’d had my camera ready, I’d like to have that one on video. They’re scheduled to play with Kreator and Voivod at Jaxx in early March, so maybe I’ll get my chance then.

When Nachtmystium’s set ended I moved up to the front of the stage as everyone was clearing out to go smoke, order more beer, piss, etc… Got right up there and was chatting a bit to the people around me during the final sound check. Glad I did cause 2 of the guys next to me were throwing mad elbows all during Marduk’s set and fucking people up from the pit, but I got in good with em before that so I didn’t have any probs. Kinda dick of them, but it did keep people from the pit from fucking up my camera. Plus that latino guy wearing eyeliner and a shirt with the sleeves cut off looked like he could use a few bruises. Marduk’s set was pretty good, they played a good assortment of songs from a variety of albums which was cool. I’m not a huge fan of when bands play most of their new album and a few classics live, I much prefer the career spanning classics with a couple songs from the new album thrown in approach. This show was a pretty good example of that. During their long set they played songs off just about every album except for, oh yeah, my fucking favorite Marduk album Heaven Shall Burn… When We Are Gathered. Seriously, the whole time I was driving up there I was thinkin to myself how it’ll be worth all the stress of dark, rainy interstate traffic just to hear Infernal Eternal or maybe even Glorification Of The Black God live (basically a cover of Modest Mussorgsky’s classical piece A Night On Bald Mountain as arranged by Leopold Stokowski for the Disney movie Fantasia). Well, that didn’t happen. They did play some classics like Wolves, Funeral Bitch, and Baptism By Fire, but still, Infernal Eternal fucking rules. What the hell? If you like black metal and you haven’t heard those 2 songs do yourself a favor and listen to them right now by clicking their names up there. Fucking brutal! Anyways, the show was still fun and if not for the events on my drive home I’d probably say it was totally worth the trip to Baltimore on a Monday night (even tho the show ended after midnight on a weekday and I had to drive home afterwards). About 5 minutes outside of Baltimore on 95 my car decided it was going to stop running. Seriously, of all the times? I’ve had very few problems with this car in the 3 years I’ve owned it, but dying in Maryland was not awesome. A $200 tow truck ride got me back home at about 5am, plenty of time to be fucking exhausted for work the next day. Still, the set was good, the show was fun and I think I got some good pics too. I thought it was odd the drummer, Lars Broddesson, didn’t use 2 kick drums but instead had 2 petals set up on a single bass drum. That’s pretty uncommon for metal bands. By the end of their set, which was about an hour and a half, their corpse paint was smeared and the audience was running out of energy. They did the typical walk off stage encore thing but came back really quick, like 1 minute later, to play the final song of the night, Panzer Division Marduk. You can watch that video below. Overall I’d recommend any fan of old school black metal to go see Marduk, it’s a brutal show definitely worth the money.

Black Sheep Squadron

Black shirts, edge X’s and spin kicks separated the believers from the bystanders at Syracuse straight edge Sunday night at the Westcott Community Center. Clad in their best scene shirts, about fifty young people from as far as Toronto and Vermont came in support. Featuring Black Sheep Squadron (Black SS), Mindset, Not Sorry, Reason and Ghost Ship, these hardcore bands spouted lyrics promoting taking a stance and living a life of independence.

Prying themselves from the new Call of Duty video game, Syracuse locals Ghost Ship took to the front, with Curtis Lepore at the helm. Red-faced, Lepore shook his fist and squinted his eyes as he spat out, “We won’t be bought, we won’t be sold, we’ve had enough,” in their anthem “Enough”. Despite being sick, he bounced and growled in the faces of the head nodding bunch, delivering dissonant but driving vocals. Only a band for the past few months, the hair-tossing bassist, jumping guitarist, and forceful drummer banged their heads in perfect unison to their double-kick peddle beat.

As a result of a family plagued by alcohol and drugs, Lepore choose a life of straight edge because he was turned off by the behavior. “Our first song is called “’Never Abandon Ship’ and that’s about, basically staying true to our promise that we make to ourselves and no matter how rough things get we wont succumb to substance and remain straight edge,” Lepore said. He goes on to explain that that everyone has their own beliefs, but straight edge is their driving force.

Covered in a black hoodie, Chris Smith of the four-piece Reason from Buffalo, New York, trounced about the floor in a two step serenade that never let up. Ripping through song after song, the drill of the drum set moved a third of the crowd to destroying the floor in hardcore dance moves and circle pits.

All the way from Seattle, Washington, John Twentyfive (yes that’s his last name) of Not Sorry spewed quick shouts of lyrics about people who makes a conscious effort to think about what they put in their bodies. Taking a moment to break from his fight to maintain his microphone from the gang pouncing on top of him, Twentyfive dedicated their song “Learned” to his mother’s 21 year victory over addiction. “Looking back on what they did, this is how I want to live,” he belts.

Maryland’s Mindset busted right into their set, lead singer flailing around the room, proclaiming, “Whether you want to light the way or watch the world burn, you’ve got to be a spark!”  Collectively, the pit tore across the floor in punk passion. Coaxed for an encore, the lead singer leans back and screams out a high pitched shrill, igniting the room in a 4/4 time fury.

With each set, the level of brutality rises. Black SS tops the night with band and crowd melding into a community-core of screaming, kicking, pushing and chanting. Vocalist Chuck Hickey is pushing 6 years rocking the hardcore scene. For him, the music is an outlet for things he hates — be it drugs or people.

“Straight edge to me is just logical,” Hickey said after the show. He doesn’t think straight edge makes someone a good person, but sees alcohol as a false experience that stifles exploration of who we are. “[Straight edge] frees up who you are and your personality too. It lets you flourish to become who you are.”

Hickey believed in edge before he knew what it or hardcore was and compares it to people who were born homosexual. When he sees young kids supporting the belief of clean living, he feels they have opened positive doors for their lives.

“The hardest things about being straight edge is realizing that things in your life, even when you are straight edge, that hold you back and keep you from being the best person you can be,” Hickey said. “And to look at that and to say ‘I don’t want that’ you have to be a free thinker, you have to be open minded to the idea that you’re going to be different for the rest of your life for all of these people because you have noticed that this is not the way that you should be and not the way people should interact with each other.”

On this night of community and commitment, each band took time between songs to give shout outs to the other musicians, thank the crowd for showing up (especially those from miles away), and to offer props to those took the time to X their hands in support of the scene.

– Rhema Hill

Half the battle is getting there….

The other night I went to a local show by a Toronto sextet that I knew very little about. We nearly missed the show as neither myself, nor my partner in crime was particularly committed to the band. We arrived just before they began and within the first minutes of the song St. Francis, we looked at each other, and knew, it was one of those shows. They were good. Really good. The music was solid, the vocals were beautiful and the addition of the cello and violin was perfect. Beyond all that, they were just damn cute! The front lady of the band Ohbijou, Casey Mecija, is barely five feet but mysteriously manages to fill the entire stage. I certainly walked away with a little crush. Ohbijou has been garnering a lot of praise across Canada as it seems I am not alone in my opinon. They just finished up their Canadian tour tonight for their second album Beacons. The evening reminded me of the lovely feeling you get when you discover a new band, or see an unexpectedly delightful show.  So much of the music I love is tied up into who introduced me to them, where I saw them or where I was in my life when I heard it. I had listened to Ohbijou’s album briefly but didn’t fall in love until I heard them live and the moment was right. Half of the fun of music is the experience of it, and the rush of emotion it evokes and this band is well worth discovering.

Black Ice

Check out their Website

State of Shock with Long + McQuade guitar winner

The other day, I drove 1.5 hrs from home to Kamloops, BC to see Vancouver band State of Shock. Each way. Too far to go? Not on your life -this is State of Shock we’re talking about!

The band has been working with Long and McQuade at various locations as they cross Canada on their current tour – at most stores the band does an acoustic set list before signing autographs for fans in the store. The Kamloops store is too small for a 5 ‘man’ band and so this night it was just an autograph signing – and giving away a brand new Long and McQuade guitar signed by the band, to one lucky fan. (a guitar giveaway is done at each store).

The band was fashionably late due to scheduling conflict and personally apologized to the fans waiting at the store – nobody seemed to mind though. The band wandered the store chatting to people one-on-one and signing State of Shock posters, taking photos with fans and waiting for all entries into the draw to be completed. The winning name was drawn, and one of the band suggested a personal phone call to the winner. Guitarist Kadooh (beanie hiding his trademark blond mohawk) did the phone call and our half of the conversation gave us “no, I’m not shitting you, this really is Kadooh from State of Shock and yes you really did win.” The incredulous fan was down to the store in about 5 minutes flat to pick up his winning guitar, and the band made sure that he got a picture with them all – guitarist Jesse Wainright ensuring that he had the photo on his own camera as well (he records each and every winner while they’re on tour). After a few more autographs and hugs, the band left to do whatever bands do prior to the show – which I also attended.

THE SHOW

Despite it being a Monday night, a later start (10:30pm) and not much local publicity for the show, the venue was jam packed with people braving the cold to come see State of Shock rock it like only they can! They jumped on stage and ripped into the title track of Life, Love, and Lies with full on energy. The crowd (which was giving the stage a comfortable buffer zone despite no barriers and no bouncers) ate it up singing the chorus and jumping to the melody. With no stopping between songs the band launched into Hearts that Bleed and Too Pretty which had the crowd (and the band) pogo-ing. Singer Cam Melnyk addressed the audience telling us he was going to sing us a ballad – The Best I Ever Had – and as he sang he knelt down right on the edge of the stage, took a girl’s hand, looked her in the eyes and sang directly to her much to her delight (and her friends’ envy). By the time the band started into the next song, the audience had tossed aside all thoughts of a discrete buffer zone and we were literally hanging on the edge of the stage – much to the delight of the band who genuinely love their audiences and encourage that closeness.

The remainder of the setlist consisted of most of the tracks from ‘Life, Love and Lies’ including Honeymoon’s Over, Different Day, Stupid Lives, Pieces of You, Money Honey (which wasn’t on their set list), and some songs I was unfamiliar with, including Rollin (which I really love!). The band seemed to have minor sound issues at one point but nobody noticed as they took it in stride – the band left the stage to sort it out as Cam sang a Pearl Jam song accompanied by guitarist Jesse Wainright who sat on a bar stool with an acoustic guitar… the crowd loved it and it gave Cam a chance to highlight his voice without the added drums and electric. By the time the song was over, the band was back on stage to kick it up a notch if that was possible! And they did.

What I really love about State of Shock is that they all move! I don’t know how many bands I’ve seen over the last year that stand in one spot glued to the floor (or their guitar pedal boards), seemingly frozen by fright…. this band moves. Kadooh and Jesse switch spots frequently to use each other’s microphones and give fans a chance to see them; fans aren’t going to push and shove to the other side of the stage to see a different band member so this is brilliant on the band’s part. Bassist Alley Toews bounces around too – sometimes so bad that she has bruises on her hip from bashing into Kadooh or Jesse. Cam too moves – and all band members frequently stand by the drummer, Johnny Philiippon who has a style that is unique; he’s got flair without being flashy. I’d like to say he’s the hardest working member of this band – most drummers are – but this band all work equally hard! And the great thing is they’re having fun at the same time; it shows on their faces and the faces of the crowd in front of them.

A few more songs, a few guitar picks tossed out to the audience and sadly, it was over. The band waved their goodbye’s, Johnny tossed his sticks out to a few lucky fans, and that was it – however, the house PA system announced that the band would be out in the foyer in 15 minutes to sign autographs and meet with the fans. Very Cool!

If State of Shock is hitting your city, be sure to go see this hard working, fun loving, kick ass rock band. I drove 3 hrs to see them without hesitation – they’re that good.

You can find more info about them on their MySpace where you can listen to some of their tunes, or their website Here

Their current tour includes the following dates:

Nov 27 Calgary Alberta
Nov 28 Brooks Alberta
Nov 30 Lethbridge Alberta
Dec 1 Edmonton Alberta
Dec 2 Saskatoon
Dec 3 Winnipeg
Dec 4 Thunder Bay Ontario
Dec 5 Kenora Ontario
Dec 7 Peterborough Ontario
Dec 9 London Ontario
Dec 10 Kitchener Ontario
Dec 12 Toronto
Dec 18 Regina Saskatchewan
Dec 19 Lloydminster Alberta

State of Shock covering Pearl Jam acoustic – Cam and Jesse

*update: a really cool compilation video from Rebekah H - I cant embed it so click here: State of Shock in Kamloops

mmm nice legs, but even nicer guitar playing

Artist(s): Sonic Youth, The Feelies
Location: Wilbur Theatre
Date: 11/22/09
Grade: A+

The Feelies:
I can safely say I was feeling the the Feelies haha. Nothing too special, but decent. I sensed some really catchy material and I could tell the young to the young at heart audience dug it; particularly one fan who was wildly dancing, to the point that it looked like he was having a seizure a la Ian Curtis. This continued during Sonic Youth’s set lol. I’m surprised he took a break in between performances! Anyway, the band seemed pretty chill, making very little contact with their fans. With that being said, the lead singer/guitarist rocked out and hopped and bopped a little. I might listen to them more, I haven’t decided; either way, they were a solid opening act. Clearly, the audience was pleased enough with their performance that they applauded long enough to elicit an encore. An encore for an opening band? I’ve never seen it. So, hats off to them!

Sonic Youth:
It never ceases to amaze me how cool, hip, YOUNG, Sexy( especially Kim in her black and white dress!) and all around mysterious these guys and gal appear to be. When Sonic Youth hits the stage, it’s not “Hello, Boston are you ready to rock?! Now we’ll kiss your ass with all our hits you know and love!” Nah, lame for these Artsy Fartsy hipsters. Instead they produce an enormous, four guitar assault, simply a Pounding, Pulsing Wall of noise,feedback, distortion, and killer tunes! Not to mention a crazu light show to complement the music. They essentially played their latest album, The Eternal in its entirety, minus “Thurnderclap For Bobby Pyn,” one of my favorites, but that’s okay. They played the somewhat new songs in no particular order with a few tracks from their 1980s catalog as well. One of the most memorable moments for me was when Thurston laid down frontwards on the stage and practically scraped his guitar across it, generating some sweet, guitar sounds. Everyone else, except the Nightwatchman, would have fucked up their strings and created some cacophanous racket. As of now, SY holds the candle (no pun intended) for best encore, previously held by King Khan & The Shrines. They kicked right into “The Sprawl,” track 3 from 1988’s Daydream Nation and followed it in sequence with track four, “Cross the Breeze,” an amazing powerhouse. Then they said peace and left the stage. But, that wasn’t good enough for us! We screamed for our No Wave heroes to return and return they did for Encore 2. I don’t think I’ve seen 2 encores by a band, but for some reason I feel like I have, either way it could not compare to the Supreme Genius of this or else I would have stored it better in my psyche. So, they blasted into “What We Know,” a new classic from The Eternal and finished the terrific evening with the 80s bizzaro Americana anthem, “Death Valley ‘69.” Definitely my favorite song all night. As the married couple of Thurston and Kim made their way backstage they playfully pushed each other around like teenagers flirting with each other in the hall between classes. That’s pretty cool, considering they have been married for 25 years!

Overall: This is a well-deserved A+. I loved every moment of Sonic Youth’s set and I dug The Feelies too. This concert ranks as # 5 for all time best concerts. In fact, SY were, musically, the best performers I have ever seen, with The Shrines, Radiohead, and Dinosaur Jr as moderately close rivals. The cool thing about these folks is the fact that they can be so damn, high energy and engaing and at the same time, so modest and mellow. It’s very fascinating, to say the least. Simply stated, seeing Sonic Youth is a spectacular attack on multiple senses!Pixies have tough competition, but I think they can do it…

Glen: I wouldn’t argue with Chris on SY’s performance. Stunning. If I had done my homework and listened to more of The Eternal before this show I’m sure this  would easily be a top 5 concert. It was nice to sit down and bask in the glory of the sound around me, but an all-time favorite for me is one where I’m standing front-row and doing various “dances” such as the pogo, mosh, or head movement all while basking in the glory of the sound. That said this show made “Death Valley ‘69″ an instant favorite for me and made damn sure that “‘Cross the Breeze” is freaking amazing. I’d give this show an A.

Here’s the setlist with the name of the album each song appeared on.

1. “No Way”
2. “Sacred Trickster”
3. “Calming the Snake”
4. “Stereo Sanctity”
5. “Walkin’ Blue”
6. “Anti-Orgasm”
7. “Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)”
8. “Shadow of A Doubt”
9. “Antenna”
10. “Malibu Gas Station”
11. “Poison Arrow”
12. “Tom Violence”
13. “Massage the History”
——-Encore Break——–
14. “The Sprawl”
15. “Cross the Breeze”
—–2nd Encore Break—-
16. “What We Know”
17. “Death Valley 69″

1-3, 5-7, 9-11, 13, 16- The Eternal (2009)
4- Sister (1987)
8 & 12- EVOL (1986)
14 & 15- Daydream Nation (1988)
17- Bad Moon Rising (1984)

Chris

by Michael

It seems that every other week I am at The Bowery Ballroom now, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is an expensive thing.  In an attempt to subsidize this, I petitioned my dorm to pay for my ticket by having me “host an event” where I would take 5 people who live in my residence hall to see Blind Pilot last week.  Little did I know NOBODY WOULD WANT TO GO.  So, sadly, this will probably be the last time I get a free concert.

Well, FUCK YOU RESIDENTS!!!  The show was amazing, and you were all too stupid/lazy to know it.  Luckily, my concert buddy Paolo was willing to tag along.

Laura Veirs was pretty damn amazing filling her role as perpetual unappreciated opener.  Luckily I didn’t have to do laundry, because Laura Veirs is still with the Hall of Flames (I’m like Arrested Development with my random self-references).  She even dug back and was playing some shit from when she was with The  Saltbreakers.  If I had to use a witty analogy to sum up how the crowd responded to her it would be this:

Laura Veirs and the Hall of Flames are the reclusive girl from middle school who somehow fights through all her shyness and self-consciousness to perform a beautiful self-composed song at the talent show only to lose to the 3 douchy dudes that lip-synch to LFO.

After Laura’s set, Paolo and I squirmed our way up through the crowd, and got up closer than we probably should have been for not being experts on Blind Pilot.  Regardless though, we were in prime concert enjoying spots.

When Blind Pilot came on, a wave came over the crowd that made us all extremely mellow, and also extremely effing excited.  Even though I wasn’t familiar with about half the songs they played, I spent the whole show in a trance, wrapt in awe as they played, only coming out periodically to sing along to the handful of songs of theirs I had memorized.  I began to melt when Israel just started talking about playing “Oviedo” and kept right on melting.  Honestly, the show was possibly one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced.

The one downside to the entire show was the insance cocktease that ended the concert.  Their final song was a new one entitled “We Are The Tired” which they announced would be on their next album which they haven’t even started recording, and won’t start until they finish this tour (which is not coming back to NYC).  We were left with one of the upbeat amazing pieces of music any of us in the crowd have ever heard, and were made fully aware will not get a chance to listen to again for some time.

In the end, I give Blind Pilot 5 awkward gushes out of 5 (my new awkward rating system for bands I love).

Trivium @ MacEwan Ballroom Nov. 22/09.

Will Hoge began the final night of his 2009 tour by sitting in a chair at the front of the stage, playing acoustic guitar. By show’s end Saturday night at Radio Radio, he was in full Pete Townshend windmill, testifying frontman mode. He was sweating, screaming and generally doing what Will Hoge does in a live setting: channeling his inner Petty and Springsteen to create Memphis via Nashville soulful rock and roll. And damn, if he isn’t about the best at what he does.

Ambling on stage in a white dress shirt, back vest, and black tie with an unbuttoned collar, Hoge dotted his 2 hour, 10-minute, 28-song show with songs from his five studio albums, leaning most heavily on his first (“Carousel”) and his latest (“the Wreckage”). Opening with the title cut to the new record – it served as a metaphorical reminder of the nearly year-long battle Hoge fought to recover from a serious scooter accident in August 2008, suffered on his way home from a studio session during the recording of the album.

While the sold-out show (a sign was posted on the front door of Radio Radio just before 8:30pm) pushed showgoers together and created a palpable energy of expectation, Hoge’s initial two songs, played seated, had much of the audience struggling to see the singer and dive into the moment. His voice is gritty, blue-eyed soul when he slows his music down, and his plaintive, tough yet-sensitive lyrics shine.

But with “Highway Wings” from the new record, Hoge stood up, the audience energy came with it, and the rock and roll began. The three song-suite, featuring the ultra-hooky “Secondhand Heart” and the rocker “She Don’t Care”, played to Hoge’s strengths: Petty-esque, anthemic pop/rock, dirtied up with loud Fender Telecaster rhythm and a band that fits nicely and loudly into the mix.

The sound at Radio Radio is always some of the best for any venue in the city, and this night was no exception, treating the audience to clean, crisp instrument separation: just the right thump of Adam Beard’s bass and Sigurdur Birkis’s drums (and they may be the best rhythm section I have seen in 2009), with dueling, jagged guitars, and vocals that rode just atop the mix. Nearly perfect.

Hoge and his band built energy in five or six song bursts, starting with an acoustic song or two before heating up the room with the electric guitars. As the band rocked Hoge would hold his blond Tele above his head, and lean backwards and sideways into the microphone to sing a lyric.

He mentioned how nice it was to have an audience that knew the words, and responded by playing “Heartbreak Avenue”, a song he said the band rarely tries, pulled from the “Carousel” album. “Favorite Waste of Time” had a Smithereens crunch to it, while “Better Off (Now that You’re Gone)” from his underappreciated “Blackbird on a Lonely Wire” album showcased the band’s ability to take a sugary rock song and infuse it with off-the-beaten-Nashville-path twang. Halfway through the show, it was evident Hoge was back. Sure, he sat a few times, either to rest or for effect. Either way was OK, because when he did stand, strap on the electric guitar, and rock, that’s the Will Hoge experience that most seemed to relish.

And you have to be proud of Indy to pack 500 or so into a club for a band whose music doesn’t fit neatly onto the radio in 2009. It’s a shame, a sham, and a pity; Hoge is the guy delivers energy and connection with his rock music, not to mention some great fuckin’ lyrics on top of the guitar snarls and snare snaps.

The staccato riffs of “Your Fool” revved the song and audience up, and the current radio song “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” proved to be anthemic, as expected, singing about the powers of ambition filtered through the radio of a kid. It began a sweep into the back half of the show that found the audience finding their voice, and singing with Hoge.

The crowd knew and sang with “Ms. Williams”, the Elvis Costello-ish “Hard to Love” and laughed along with a story of him breaking into one of the band’s two hotel rooms to find the guitar and bass players on the web, watching video’s of 80’s heavy metal band the Scorpions..

Ending the set by sitting at the piano for “Too Late Too Soon”, Hoge and the band soon came back for a nine-song, end of tour blowout encore, channeling the Georgia Satellites, Todd Snider, The Faces and The Who as they sweated their way through “Just Like Me,” , Long Gone” and a beautiful “Highway’s Home” featuring guitarist Devin Malone on pedal steel.

Near the end. Hoge said the band was going to do a “social experiment” and took them into the back of the room, with only acoustic instruments, and sang and played unamplified, quieting the crowd with harmonies, before he jumped back on stage to perform a sublime, gospel-influenced, “Washed by the Water”. It found Malone moving over to play the keyboard, and eerily emulating a church organ. The audience sang the chorus back to Hoge as the singer waved and walked off the stage.

Will Hoge’s ability to rock and roll with aplomb and walk away with a big smile was a far cry from the days following his accident, after a van driver failed to yield and Hoge smashed into the side of the vehicle. He broke numerous ribs, his sternum, leg, knee cap, shoulder blades, and required more than 100 stitches. So it’s quite a distance traveled for Hoge. Just only once did he quickly mention how “tough it had been” before he fell back into his show, performing like he was glad to be back.

Great, up-close video from the show – November 21, 2009 at Radio Radio

-Sitting in a Seattle coffee shop (Tully’s) writing this to you.-

*I changed my layout, so the links are harder to spot*

Upon our arrival in Seattle, it still hadn’t hit me that we were about to witness arguably the best rock line-up to come together since I don’t know when (dare I say ever? Speaking on my behalf, yes, I dare say it.).  It was the first time that I have gone south of the border for a show, and what a better show for me to lose my US Rock Concert virginity then at Them Crooked Vultures.

Comprised of Josh Homme (lead singer of my favourite band Queens of the Stone Age) Dave Grohl (Lead singer of the Foo-Fighters/Ex Nirvana Drummer) and the legendary John Paul Jones (bassist for Led Zeppelin, aka LEGEND) Them Crooked Vultures for the most part have been very humble about their new side project. David Grohl has been quoted saying that ““this is the best fucking band” he’s ever been in”.

Wanna read an interview with John Paul Jones concerning his new band? Click here.

When I saw QOTSA play in Vancouver in 2007 I was utterly blown away, and that is a lot to say considering that I had front row centre dress circle tickets for the show at The Orpheum Theatre, and at the last second it was changed to the Burnaby Hockey arena, general admission. In fact, any band/project that Homme has been a part of has stolen a bit of my soul (that’s good). TCV re-unites Grohl and Homme again after the highly credited “Songs for the Deaf” album from QOTSA, the album that went on to win a Grammy Award for this song.  Add John Paul Jones into the mix, and well, I still think that what I witnessed last night dream. Please don’t wake me up if this is the fact, ok?

TCV is already part of rock and roll history. What I seen last night is not possible to describe to you in words, it just does not do it justice. Music is music, and I hate to say it, but you had to be there.

None the less, I will do my best for you!

A band by the name of Mini Mansions opened up for TCV, and the trio was pretty damn good. One piano which the “lead singer” claimed, a bassist, a guitarist, and  drum kit which the guitarist and bassist rotated on made this threesome a very dynamic sounding bunch. The harmonies between the lead singer and guitarist/drummer were absolutely beautiful, and the overall sound of Mini Mansions was a very mesmerizing one, and I couldn’t help but think they must have listened to a lot of Pink Floyd. A very good band, keep an eye on them, they were chosen for a good reason.

Just before TCV hit the stage, my friend Andrea says to me, “Is that Travis over there?” I look over and see my buddy Travis, Lead singer for The Luna Riot, about 5 feet in front of us! Haha! What are the odds! We ended up spending the evening rockin out with him, his sis, and her boyfriend.

David Grohl hit the stage first to a HUGE welcome-back-home applause. He approached his drum set, which was not on a riser, with a face full of smiles, sat down, and emptied a bottle of water over his face.

Then the man who received more cheers than anybody else that night came out onto the stage with a crazy, purple, glowing, slide bass (by the way, it looked like it was from a science fiction movie. I have never seen anything like it before.), John Paul Jones-his name says it all. He too, was all smiles.

Then out came Josh Homme. Calm, cool, collected, and yes, he too, with a smile on his face. This man has done so much in the past 15 years with his music I will have to save it for a blog on its own.  I have no problem saying that this man is on the top of the world as far as Rock and Roll is involved. Josh Homme is the shit.

*Fav pic of the night*

No time wasted, they began to blow us away in a matter of seconds with the opening song: Nobody Loves me and Neither do I. Their chemistry is so obviously apparent, and although I was initially shocked that Grohl’s kit wasn’t on a riser, it all made perfect sense when they began playing: They all want to be on the same level. It seemed like they had been playing together for years! They were having more fun than the crowd, and that’s saying a lot, because people were surfing when the first chord was struck!

The crowd was composed of hard-core fans from all 3 main members past projects. It was a really cool mix to be honest. You obviously got the John Paul Jones fans, who were older but definitely not outnumbered, re-living the Led Zep days. The hardcore Grohl fans welcoming him back to his home state, and of course the Josh Homme fans were out in full force. They are arguably (bring it) a collection of rock’s most devoted and hardcore fans. Age definitely didn’t stop the John Paul Jones fans from crowd surfing!

Throughout their entire powerhouse performance, which NEVER lulled for a second, they would gather together around Dave’s drum kit and all would exchange smiles with one another. This was especially true for Dave Grohl and John Paul, for Jones would approach Grohl nearly every song and the two of them would just stare at each other as they tore through one song to the next.  All the while with grins on their faces, as if they were thinking “Yes, this is something special that we have here. “

Now that I’m on the topic of Jones, he is living proof that things do in fact get better with age. You should have seen his bass guitars! 4 string, 8 string, and yes, a 12 string! I have never seen anyone play a 12 string bass, so thank you Mr. Jones! Not only is the man a God on the bass, he proved that he could easily play the mandolin, keytar, and piano. I am officially going to go through all of the old Led Zeppelin albums once again. So once again, thank you Mr. Jones: I have been taken to a new rock concert high!

One of the highlights was the sensual song “Interlude with Lude”. John Paul Jones put on a keytar, and Homme ditched his guitar for a beer, and took his mic of the stand to swoon the crowd over, esp the ladies in the crowd. He danced and shuffled around the stage, and instantaneously put people under his smooth spell. It was a short but effective little break from the hard-hitting riffs that he was ripping out for the entire night. I’m pretty sure that half of the ladies in the crowd became pregnant from just witnessing it. On a Homme note, being the hard-core Queens of the Stone Age fan that I am, I noticed that Homme’s vocals have hit all time highs.  Once again, Josh Homme has proven that he is the king of collaboration and a future rock legend.

They finished up their set with a 10 minute jam that made the lack of an encore all the better: They came in and went out with a bang that I would be lucky to ever see again at any live show. We were all left in awe, not even wanting more, because there really couldn’t be any more!

Oh and I left out one big thing that put the cherry on top of the best live rock show that I have ever witnessed in person: Josh Homme threw his pick into the crowd and it whizzed past me about 6 feet to the right. “Damn it!” I thought to myself, I want that pick! I REALLY want that pick!” Of course the floor was so tightly packed with people I thought that there was no chance that I would get it, and that some lucky bastard had obviously picked (no pun intended) it up. I was wrong. As soon as the lights went on I walked towards the door scanning the floor. What do I see? A yellow, .73 mm Dunlop pick on the ground! I now own the Pick that Josh Homme used for the Them Crooked Vultures show in Seattle. Awesome.

What a night! Crowd surfing, sweating drunks rubbing of their moisture onto those unfortunate enough to be within their range(but who cares right? That is live music!), and a line-up that leaves no questions that they can collectively blow the roof off of buildings, and have proven that right now, they own rock and roll. I expected amazing, and what I got was awesome. These guys seem like they were made to jam with one another, and if you have a chance, I STRONGLY urge you to get to one of their shows before they are done and go back to their respected bands/ projects. It is worth a kidney, if that’s what it takes, give it up for a ticket.

Until next time,

Rock on!

Kevin Mattice

@kevinmattice

@lucidlive

Back to my favorite concert location in Oslo, John Dee. This time for Chrome Division, this cool heavy metal band from Norway having Shagrath and Lex Icon among members. But first on stage I got to see Lucid, also from Norway. I wasn’t able to find anything about them online but what I can tell you is that they have a very hot bass player. The big guy singing did a really god job and the female vocalist has a good voice, yet a tad too strident at times. But the 30 mins of show were entertaining. To get an impression for yourself, checkout the video here.

The main show started with some minutes of darkness and a scene with the curtains down, while we were hearing motorbike sounds and a suave woman voice announcing the band, like in this video. My surprise was the new singer. Apparently they replaced Eddie Guz with Shady Blue (aka Athera from Susperia). Good lucking guy and the voice is not bad at all. But I was so looking forward to hear the other guy sing. I had the chance though, since he came on stage to perform Trouble with the law.

All of them them put on the ‘bad guys’ look with their tight pants, fancy sharp shoes, leather jackets, hats, cigarettes, etc. And the singer kept changing his looks by adding or removing items. He did a good job at keeping the crowd entertained. He went to the front of the stage, shaking people hands, looking them in the eyes and having them singing. During one of the songs he managed to fall off the stage. Hope he didn’t get hurt too badly. Other show pieces that we didn’t miss were whiskey drinking, all guitarists gathering in front of the drums and making the same moves with the guitar, an extra guy showing up on stage during one of the songs, the microphone passed to some drunk guys in the audience to sing along. And it was one of the biggest moshpits I ever saw in Norway. I mean, Norwegian crowd is actually able to move and dance. Surprising. And annoying when you try to film or take photos.

The songs they played (in the order I remember them): Doomsday overture, Boys from the East,  Raise your flag, Raven black Cadillac, Trouble with the Law, Lets hear it, Whole lotta Rosie, Rebel Yell and all ended with the great Serial Killer.

Les Paul / Iridium Jazz Club/ NYC/ May 2009 / Jim Piccirillo

I was at the Nokia Theatre today watching rehearsals for the American Music Awards this coming Sunday night. My good friend and mentor Bob Bardo, who is the EIC of Production for Dick Clark, was kind enough to invite me down for a little behind the scenes look and tour of the upcoming show.  Janet Jackson was running through her opening with a stage full of dancers. The staging and technology is amazing these days. The entire set is basically LED walls and Hi end projection. The audio system hurt my chest with its power and bottom end.

I am a gear head. I love this stuff.

Anyway, on a trip through the production truck parked out back, I bumped into my old friend Hugh Grew who was running the Dekko graphics system that is used when the show is on the air.

And it reminded me of one of the best musical moments I have had in many years and it happened just a few months back.

Hugh and I were in NY doing the CW Upfront show at Madison Square Garden. During rehearsals, Hugh walks up to me and says if we can get out early tonight he has an extra ticket to see guitarist, inventor, & jazz great Les Paul!

This is the guy that invented the Les Paul guitar (duh) and also invented mult-track, over dubbing recording. I was intrigued but not sure  if I could cut out early on my own rehearsal! However, Hugh reminded me that the guy is 94 years old and this may be the last chance to see him.

I took a cab down to Broadway just above Times Square around 9:45 to the Iridium Jazz Club. Hugh was already inside and I waited patiently in line to get in the small club. This place holds maybe 125 people… standing sideways!

I found Hugh, who had grabbed a table right on the end, on the first level. Great view of the stage. The waiter informed us of the two drink minimum, so I ordered two right away.

At 10:05 the house lights go down… actually they go all the way out. The place is pitch dark.. you can’t see a thing. A voice announces over the PA.. “ladies and gentlemen please welcome to the stage, the legendary Les Paul!” .. The audience applauds and nothing happens. Dead silence… then we hear footsteps and clanging on the stage, and the sound of  something that made a loud crash. Moments later, still in the dark, a voice comes over the microphone and says… “Now, I understand how Stevie Wonder must feel” !

The lights come up and there sits Les Paul on a stool holding a beautiful Gibson Les Paul. He had obviously had a hard time finding his way on stage in the dark and opened with that very funny line.

That set the tone for the night, because he did more talking and joking than playing. It was like seeing your dirty old uncle hold court, telling off color jokes and stories and strumming a few tunes in between. He was hilarious! He would talk for five minutes between each song, zinging the musicians, the audience and the poor waitresses. Everyone was a target and he relished making everyone laugh at themselves.

When he did play, it was with grace and fluidity. Even at this advanced age, he was sharp with his wit, and sharp with his guitar playing. His long fingers moving over the fretboard effortlessly like he had obviously done thousands of times before.

It is not often that one gets to see someone as legendary as this. A guy who invented the very instrument that you have seen played by about 90 per cent of your favorite musicians for more than forty years. Clapton, Page, Beck, BB,  Allman.. just to name a few and just in the rock world. Les Paul is responsible for just about everything that you and I associate with rock and roll guitar!

Les Paul “retired” in 1965 and here he was forty years later still going strong. He told a great story about when he was a kid and he would be in charge of cranking the player piano for his parents during parties. He said he would load the paper roll with holes on them that created the music from the player piano. One time while loading one of the rolls, he accidentally punched a hole in one and notice the piano made a different sound when it rolled by that hole. So he started putting more holes in the paper and discovered he could create his own music this way. That was the advent of multi-track and overdubbing on records, according to him, and played a pivotal role in his career as a musical inventor. That story alone was worth the price of admission!

But of course he is best known for inventing the solid body electric guitar. (Although Leo Fender may have a word or two about that!). The legendary Les Paul Goldtop was created in 1952 and took the music world by storm. And the rest as they say is history.

Hugh and I had a great time that night. We laughed at his jokes, marveled at his old vaudevillian style of entertainment, and were impressed with his still spot on playing. It was truly amazing to see such a giant of the industry from just a few feet away with a small,  appreciative and adoring audience.

Apparently Les Paul had played every Monday night at the Iridium on Broadway for many years and many of the patrons were regulars. And for that one night in May of 2009, Hugh and I were part of the Les Paul regulars. What a blast!

Les Paul died a little over two months later. I heard it on the radio driving to work and thought fondly back to that wonderful night only a few short months ago. Thankfully, my friend Hugh had the right idea that night and was gracious enough to take me along.

Although Les Paul was already 94 by the time I got to see him, one should always take advantage of the opportunity to see any musician of note when given the chance. You just never know when it may be the last opportunity.

When I was ten or eleven, my older brother got tickets to see Jimi Hendrix and offered to take me with him. I declined and went on a Boy Scout camporee instead. A few months later, Hendrix was dead of a drug overdose. I never got over that one.

A few years later, while in high school, a friend’s mother gave me two tickets to see Elvis Presley. Me and a buddy drove down to Charleston Civic Center (WV) and upon arrival found hundreds of screaming, crying women begging for tickets. Thinking I would always have the chance to see Elvis, we sold the tickets for 65. dollars each. That was big money in those days. We hopped back in his truck, stopped and bought a six pack and headed back home content with our profit for the night. Elvis died two years later and I never forgave my stupidity for that one.

And just this year, all of us witnessed the pre-mature death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. From the movie reviews of the footage that was shot in rehearsal, the entire world will miss the opportunity to see perhaps one of the most monumental musical happenings of a lifetime.

So, my message to all. Get off the couch. Buy a ticket. Go see a band tonight. You won’t regret it. There is nothing like the sound of a Les Paul cranked up in a small, smoky club spewing out riffs over thumping bass lines and the crack of  a snare!

Thanks to my friend, Hugh Grew, for gently giving me the nudge i needed that evening to create a memory of a lifetime!

Julian Marley put on a great show at the McDonald Theater on November 6th.  Julian Marley is now touring, with Stephen Marley as a special guest, in support of his new album Awake.  He played a set that featured most of the album along with some Bob Marley classics and an awesome rendition of Stephen Marley’s “Traffic Jam”.  My favorite part of show though had to be when Julian and Stephen came together and played “Could You Be Loved”.   All the people up next to the stage were dancing, and it was their last song before taking a break.

Opening act Javaughn got the crowd hyped pretty well.  His set seemed a little too rehearsed though, but he’s young and has a good future ahead of him.

Set List:
Intro  “Sling Thing Irie”
1. “Babylon Cookie Jar”
2. “Lion In The Morning”
3. “Rastaman Vibration”
4. “On The Floor”
5. “Sharp Aza Razor”
6. “Boom Draw”
7. “Rosehall”
8. “Stir It Up”
9. “Awake”
10. “Systems”
11. “Violence In The Streets”
12. “Things Ain’t Cool”
13. “Jah Works”
14. “A Little Too Late”
15. “Iron Bars”
16. “Traffic Jam”
17. “Could You Be Loved”
Encore
18. “Give Thanks And Praise”
19. “Trying”
20. “Exodus”

On Wednesday the 18th of November 2009 I got off my ass and headed up to the Rock And Roll Hotel in the Atlas Theatre district of North East Washington, DC to go see Baroness play. I’d been to the Rock & Roll Hotel before, but not to see a band play. The venue wasn’t great, not very wide but deep, which must have been a bitch for the people in the back trying to see. The stage lighting was pretty poor and they don’t allow flash photography and since I can’t afford a $3k camera my pics aren’t the greatest. They did allow you to shoot video, but again since the lighting was so bad it all came out pretty dark (though the audio isn’t too bad) which you can see for yourself at the bottom of this post. It was $4.50 for a Miller Lite bottle which I guess is pretty standard for DC. The bar was crammed on one of the side walls to the back of the room, and the merch stand was crammed into the other side in front of the mixing console. Apparently they don’t allow moshing of any kind because a couple songs in when some guy started pushing people a bit the security came right up and put an end to that. The shift actually helped me get a little closer to the stage. Even though I’m usually holding a camera up front, I really don’t mind moshing at concerts (hate crowd surfers tho). If you don’t want people moshing at your venue, maybe you shouldn’t book metal bands at let them play somewhere more fun instead. Anyways, on to the band’s performance…

This was the first show of the tour supporting Baroness’ new album, Blue Record. I’m not certain but I’m betting this was the first time those songs were being played live. On the stage they had a cool looking fabric backdrop of the cover art from the new album. Their show started off a bit disorganized, they had some intro song playing, then it stopped, then after several minutes of silence they walked onto the stage and started playing. I noticed the lead guitarist had changed from a St. Vitus shirt to a Dark Castle shirt in this time, for some reason. I really like the energy of a lot of their songs on their new album. I’ve listened to their first one, Red Album, a few times but it has never gripped me as much as these newer songs do. The one thing I don’t like about the new album is all the intros and instrumentals, there’s a lot of them. Unfortunately for me, they play them live too. I guess that’s cool for people who enjoy them, but it’s really just a pause in the energy to me and honestly I don’t find theirs particularly interesting. Their show was pretty loud for a club this size, which is never a bad thing to me. The kick drum was really pounding, though the microphones didn’t seem to work well for the live show. They seemed to be very tight uni-directional microphones, which means if you’re not directly in front of them, you might as well be in the next room. This made the vocals just disappear completely from the mix a few times when the band members were particularly excited on stage. This was especially a problem for the lead guitarist and bass player, who were helping with backing vocals from time to time, since their mics were not as loud in the mix to begin with. The show was pretty good for the most part, they played most of the songs I really wanted to hear. The stage was pretty cramped but they still did a few theatrics to make things interesting. I thought it was kinda cool when the drummer poured water on his cymbals before a big entrance in a song, spraying the water everywhere in a cool visual effect. At the end of the show they did the typical encore thing where they walked off stage and waited a couple minutes to come back and play their final song of the night. I don’t understand why every headliner band seems to feel the need to do this, regardless of genre. It’s not an encore if it’s scripted! Anyways, they did play for almost an hour and a half, which might be a bit long for them. I mean I do enjoy their music, but since they’ve only got 2 full length albums out, they started running out of material to play that’s of the same caliber. This made the show start to drag on a bit for me. I really think these guys are a great up and coming band and I think with some better exposure they would be playing much larger venues. On the other hand, watching concerts at the 9:30 Club has become quite a drag, so I hope they don’t get too big too quick! It was a really fun show and for $12 it was well worth attending.

One more thing, if you’re planning on buying the Blue Record on vinyl at the concert, try to do it early. They ran out of copies to sell at this show. They said they were getting more the next day, but who knows how long those will last. I spoke to the bass player, Summer Welch, after the show, and the band seemed to think the vinyl was available on their record label’s website, Relapse.com. I had checked earlier that day and knew it wasn’t, so that means this vinyl is going to sell more than they’re expecting since people can’t buy it anywhere. They were selling all vinyl for $20, all t-shirts for $15 and CDs for $12, cash only of course.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ The Saddledome Nov. 18/09.

I went to this concert after having listened to Five finger… (to be referenced as FFDP). But they have some soft songs there so I was prepared for a chill on the sofa atmosphere since I had no idea about the openers and was busy why hearing them. I only recalled the photo of the singer who had huge dreadlocks. Indeed, he had them. When he was spinning his head, the guitarists had to hide in the corners of the stage so they don’t get hit. I wonder if he managed to play the cymbals with them.

Their sound check was funny since they didn’t use the classical ‘1,2 testing’ for the mic check, but some phrase related to guys genitalia. Wish I remembered it. But the great surprise started with the first sound of the concert. The americans proved why they have earned two previous Grammy awards for best metal performance.  It was the kind of show that didn’t allow you to stand still. You had to headbang. Jump. Or at least legbang, fingertap. Do something on the rhythm. My small complain was that the sound of the vocals’ microphone seemed low, yet there was a big plus for the clean drum sound (not ‘empty bucket’ like). Brian Fair, the lead singer, didn’t look like the most sober man on earth but if that helped him put that show up, who cares. He was climbing on the monitors in front of the stage to shake people hands and to get them to sing. He was air drumming and guitaring. He introduced each member of the band. And speaking of guitaring, I was surprised how nice they managed to include the fat and speedy guitar riffs in the thrashy sound of the rest of the songs. From the playlist, I can recall that they played ‘Still I rise’ (a song that starts as if someone has a shotgun), ‘What drives the weak’ and ‘A public execution’ (I recall the latter due the lyrics that were exactly what I needed to scream at that point and he got everyone to yell them out).

Soundcheck break, beers, comments etc. The singer from FFDP comes on stage just to announce that one of their guitarists (Zoltan) fell sick and was taken to hospital so he asked the crowd if we wanted them to perform without one or come back some other time. The consensus  of the participants was they should perform. So they asked for a few more minutes then they came back on the stage to rock as Four finger death punch (same initials afterall). Yey, luckily the myspace music was pretty misleading. They indeed had cheesy parts in their songs but it wasn’t all a never ending ballad. And a wow for the vocalist. He did his job well and he also was a great showman since he didn’t only say the name of the next songs and the usual attempt to cheer in the locals language. He told the crowd that Norwegian women are beautiful (or the most beautiful, but I don’t know if I agree with him). He also asked if Norwegians are the most depressed people in the world and then said something like ‘Yea, you have 16 hours of dark, 4 hours of daylight then 8 more hours of dark. Gimme a razor’. Then something about the fact that america sucks and when the crowd cheered loudly for that, he said he agrees. And for the comeback, one of the guitarists went like ‘yey, I’m alone on the stage. I never get to talk to the crowd. And now we’re gonna play one more song’. Plus getting the girls to scream (followed by some meows) and then the guys followed by a loud growl, to which he replied ‘vikings’. And he mocked the true metal.

So despite the lack of the rhythm guitar, they put together a damn good performance with the front part of John Dee juping most of the time. Actually the people even managed some moshpits in that tiny place. Too bad for those standing in the back who sort of looked like statues who were immune to the singer’s attempt to get them to react. From the songs performed I guess I can’t go wrong with the names since they only have 2 albums and they had a bit over an hour show. So there was Ashes, Meet the monster, the bleeding, way of the fist, Bad company.

Oh, and during the FFDP, a girl came up to my friend handing the phone number of one of the guys in Shadows Fall. Wonder if anything ever happened with it. We should sell it

And now I need to get back to work. Cheers and fuckitall

Todd Rundgren / Club Nokia / L.A./ June 19, 2009/ Jim Piccirillo

My friend and colleague, Michael Niles,  e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to see Todd at the new Club Nokia at L.A. Live.

OF COURSE I DO!

I mean IN TODD WE TRUST. Todd and I share the same birthday. (June 22)

My name is on one of his albums (Todd, the one with his multi-color hair). Actually it is on a giant pull out poster from that album along with thousands of other fans. I filled out a post card that came in A Wizard a True Star (when I was about 14) that said if you fill out the card, Todd will put your name on his next album. So, Jimbo Piccirillo and Mike Piccirillo (my older brother who turned me on to Todd in the first place) both have their names on a Todd Rundgren record!

Anyway, sorry to digress.

But I love Todd. Always have. Have seen him many times either on or near our birthdays. Saw him live at The Roxy in ’76 while visiting my brother in Hollywood. We had my mom press play and record on the reel to reel recorder which was set to record KMET’s (the mighty MET!)  live broadcast of Todd’s show that night, while me and my brother and his wife Lucy went to the show. My mom did a great job… that reel to reel was made into many cassettes that were bootlegged around to my friends for years. Todd later released that recording as a live album, Back to the Bars, in the late 70’s. Didn’t matter because a lot of my friends in Man, WVA. had the bootleg version many years before!

But again, sorry to digress.

I once saw Todd at the Palace in Hollywood. Just him at piano or guitar and several reel to reel recorders sitting on stools behind him. At certain points in the song he would hit various foot switches that would trigger background vocals, synth fills, guitar solos, etc. along with several video projectors that would show various visual images to go with the songs. How progressive was that? This was long before the term MTV generation even existed.

Okay.. I know.. I have digressed yet again.

How bout the time I saw Todd at a bar in Huntington Beach on our birthdays. I sat front row with my wife-to-be at the time, Brenda,  and my friends Kelli and Felipe. Todd sang happy birthday to me (us.) My friends made sure that he knew it was my birthday too. Todd had this fake hammer he kept hitting himself in the head with and it would make the sound of glass shattering. When he stepped off stage for the encore, one of my friends grabbed the hammer and put it in my hand. When Todd came back out.. he immediately started looking for his hammer. He was actually a little perturbed and thought I had grabbed it from the stage!  We swore we didn’t have it. He gave me the evil eye throughout the encore. That was twenty years ago.  I still have the hammer. Saw it in a box in the garage recently.

Anyway… back to 2009 and Todd’s show at the new Club Nokia.

Michael and Katherine Niles were gracious enough to grab tickets and take Brenda and I along. On the drive down we listened to Something, Anything. Is there anyone anywhere that doesn’t love that album. I don’t think so.

We arrived at the new L.A. Live venue and were duly impressed with all the new restaurants, clubs, Staples Center and the new ESPN studios. The Renaissance of downtown L.A. is truly something to behold. After a so-so dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s new restaurant we walked upstairs to the swanky new Club Nokia. This is what all rock clubs should strive to be. The downstairs stage level is the size of a small aircraft hangar, but with nice chairs to sit in (unlike the oppressive HOB! main floor).

The next two levels of seating are arranged vertically where you look down on the stage. There are no bad seats or views. The seats are big leather recliner type seats and there are seriously hundreds of plasmas showing the stage with live cameras. Bars are plentiful and well placed. Club Nokia makes concert going a true pleasure (although it helped that Michael had gotten us VIP tix). We still ended up down on the floor eventually.

So… Todd comes on with his band including Kasim Sultan on bass and Prairie Prince on drums. UTOPIA!

Todd opens with Black Maria. He is fit and wearing a sleeveless rock shirt and playing shredding guitar. So far, so good. Not bad for a 60 something rocker!

After the opening number, Todd greets the crowd and says,  “thanks for coming, I am sure you all came to hear the old hits….. however, I would hope that you know me better than that by now!”  With that they launched into the first song of the entire heavy metal influenced album “ARENA”.

Don’t get me wrong.. I could watch Todd play guitar all day.. but after being pummeled for 6 or 7 straight songs, we left our seats and went down on the floor to see the view from down there and take a break from the really loud assault on our sonic senses.

After playing the entire ARENA album, Todd did slide in a few oldies including,  Hello Its Me, for the encore. Todd has always played by his rules. He does things his way. He always goes against the grain while still making albums for himself and others that are filled with heavily textured pop and rock. And now metal too. Todd still rocks.

In all, it was still a great evening filled with good friends, interesting music and lots of laughs. So, what if I can’t stand by the edge of the stage and bang my head like I did when I was seventeen. However, I can sit in the VIP seats and gently sway back and forth, with a shit eating grin, while witnessing A Wizard, A True Star !

Yes indeed.. In Todd We (still) Trust!

On March 19, 2009, The Allman Brothers played one of their 17 straight nights at the Beacon Theatre in NY as they do each spring. This year was the 40th anniversary of the Allman Brothers Band and each night they had a special guest(s) play with them. On this historic night, the one and only, Eric Clapton was the guest for his first ever live appearance with the Allmans. I happened to be in NY that night. Here is my story, via an email i sent to my friend and colleague Bil Ossher.   This is a classic RnR War Story!

———————–

from: Jim Piccirillo(jimvpp@earthlink.net)

To: Bil Ossher(bilossher@msn.com)

3-23-09

I Saw God..

.. And he was playing a beautiful strat!

Okay..i have a great story for you… And just because you are one of the few who will truly understand and appreciate the effort that went it to this.. I am giving you the long version. (so you may want to read later when you get home!)

Short story: I saw Eric Clapton live with the Allman Brothers last Thursday night at the Beacon Theatre in NY!

Back Story: As you probably know, the Allmans are in the middle of their annual 15 night run at the Beacon Theatre in NY. However, this year is the 40th anniversary of the band’s formation and the entire run has been dedicated to the memory of Duane Allman.

Each night, they invite different guests to take the stage with them… Levon Helm, the two guys from Los Lobos, Buddy Guy, Boz Scaggs, Stanley Clarke, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Juke Horns, Sheryl Crowe, Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Brammlett and Susan Tedechi.. To name a few.. Plus assorted side musicians, etc…   It has been quite impressive.

This year the Allmans launched Moogis.com, a subscription service that allows you to stream every show in its entirety live in your home. Naturally, I paid the 125. bucks and have watched every show either live or archived (you can watch for six months) hooked up to my 50″ plasma and sound system in my den each night. My wife and kids think I have absolutely lost it.

Of course, I blog endlessly with other peach heads before, during and after the shows.. To get the full effect!  The set list changes nightly as do the guests (ALLMANBROS.COM for complete set lists and guests each night)

I knew I was going to be in NY on the 19th and rumors were abound that Clapton was going to play that night (his first time EVER playing live with the Allmans).. So the blogs were a-twitter and speculation was intense.

Before I left, I checked all the usual sources for tix.. And balcony tix were already in the $200. range. So I thought.. I can do better there in person in NY.

I arrived in Ny, had dinner with Scott Kaye (who had seen the show the previous Tuesday.. And said it was a great tribute to Duane Reade!..(the NY drugstore)..so clueless as always)… Anyway.. We dined and drank and laughed and had a great evening.

Next day I go to MSG for meetings.. But had one thing on my mind.. Clapton tix.

By mid afternoon Balcony tix were in the 400. Range and Orchestra seats were approaching 1k to 1500! Panic set in.. And I decided to go to the Beacon.. I arrived by cab around 3p (show wasn’t until 8).  Obviously lines already formed at Box office to snag any extra seats.. So I immediately went to the four corners of the venue to talk to the scalpers… It looked grim. They all said there are absolutely no tickets on the street! They couldn’t figure it out.. I made friends of course with several and said I would check back periodically.

I then went to the back Stage Door of the Beacon.. And right when I walked up , I hear strains of DREAMS…aahh.. The Allmans doing a sound check! But wait.. I hear an extra guitar in there… Then they launch into Why Does Love Got to Be so SAD, and then ANYDAY.. And then LAYLA!  I had my proof.. Clapton was indeed in the house!

I tried everything to sneak into the sound check with every story I have ever known but was turned away by security each time. Eventually the head of security came out and told me I had to leave the back stage door.. And I asked him when it became illegal to stand on the sidewalk and listen?!  However, knowing I would see these guys again and again throughout the evening.. I moved on.

I called back the brokers.. And had 4 going at once on my blackberry.. By this time Balcony seats were 550!  However, one guy I had been talking to all day has one orchestra seat for 650. I pull the trigger, buy it over the phone, and walk back to my hotel (in the rain) to wait and see if the ticket actually gets delivered. As I walked, I pondered just how crazy or stupid I was to buy a ticket for 650. bucks .. But was somehow able to keep justifying it in my mind.. of course.

When I get to the hotel.. Another contact had left a message.. She has two tickets for me, behind the sound board at face value (100. Each!).. So I grab those two as well.. NOW I HAVE 3 TICKETS AND I AM IN FOR AROUND 850. BUCKS!

Not to panic, I took another cab back to the Beacon.. By this time it was a mob scene, hundreds of old heads wondering around dazed and confused looking for tickets..! It was an incredible vibe.. I felt like I was back in college.. It was so much fun, so much excitement in the air. I knew the average fan would not pay the freight on such high end tickets.. So I sought out my old friends, the scalpers that I had met earlier… After some haggling and negotiating..I sold the pair of seats behind the sound board to a scalper for 650. ( he probably was able to get 900 to 1200 for them. But I didn’t want to stand around and deal with the crazies).. I had checked NY law and made sure I was at least 1500 feet from the box office when re-selling tickets..

So I ended up keeping the orchestra seat, row N, on the aisle for a total of 200 bucks! I was feeling good.. On top of my game.. At the height of my powers.. Yes! I still have it.

Now, there was still about an hour and half to go before the show.. So I started hitting all the bars in the near vicinity.. All filled with Allman fans that had traveled from all over the country.. Cincinatti, Florida, Michigan.. Etc.. I snuggled up to the bar and immediately started telling them my story about listening to the sound check and confirming that Clapton was indeed there! People started buying me drinks and bringing their friends over for me to tell them the story and verify that Clapton was indeed going to be there!  I was like a folk hero.. And when I tell them my story of swapping and selling tickets for the last couple of hours.. They buy me more drinks! I am approaching major peach head status!

As show time approaches, me and about twenty of my new found “brothers” walk down to the Beacon entrance.. It was like going back 30 years…cops on horseback, people everywhere, weed smoke everywhere, but everybody cool to each other with a great friendly vibe.

I finally get in the venue, and the Beacon has been totally refurbished.. It is beautiful.. I find my 14th row seat.. On an aisle.. On Clapton’s guest side. The skies definitely parted and the stars aligned. My seatmate next to me was a lawyer from CA.. He paid 800. For his seat.. But didn’t seem to care. Neither did i… They open with Little Martha while a video tribute to Duane rolls… The guy in front of me lights a big joint.. Passes it back to me.. And the band launches into Statesboro Blues!

The brothers played an incredible set.. And after intermission they brought out Clapton.. And he stayed for the next two hours playing incredible licks with Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes.

Clapton definitely cannot play any longer like the young Trucks, who is a monster and master of the guitar… But his stage presence and tasty playing were something to behold. KEY TO THE HIGHWAY, DREAMS, WHY DOES LOVE GOT TO BE SO SAD, LITTLE WING, ANYDAY & encore with LAYLA.   WHEW!

I have not had such a fun evening in many years… It was truly an historic night for a rock fan. Clapton playing live for the first time ever with the Allman Brothers since the by-gone days of Layla being recorded in Miami in 72…on the Brothers 40^th anniversary of being a band!

I was so drunk and exhausted after the show.. I fell into  a coffee shop, poured about 5 cups of coffee, ate a big breakfast..got back to hotel about 230am.. Got up at 6am.. Got to the airport with the nastiest hangover known to man, caught an 8am flight back to LA.. And end up sitting next to Jimmy Fallon’s wife! Who smelled good and invited me to see his show next time in NY.. Which I will..

But it will be hard to top my last show in NY ..do doubt. The Road Goes on Forever for the Midnight Rider…

Take care, pic

Ps.. Check out Moogis.com

I can let you use my login and password.. And you can watch the show(s) so far… They are saying tonight or tomorrow will be Dickey Betts as guest.

Jerry Lee Lewis / House of  Blues New Orleans/ January 1999 /Jim Piccirillo

I love New Orleans. There is no greater city to wander around aimlessly. Down the narrow little dark alleys among the ancient buildings, one never knows what you will come across. But it usually involves drinking, eating and lots of music at least.

One night in January 1999, I was in town working a project for FOX. My colleagues and I had dined in the French Quarter and retired back to the hotel for an early evening. I was still restless and sat in my room shuffling through the usual magazines and entertainment guides that are always on the hotel coffee table.

I’m looking at concert listings and see that Jerry Lee Lewis, the Killer himself, is playing at the House of Blues…. Tonight!

It is already around 9 pm.. but no worries, I know the headliner at HOB never goes on before 10 pm. I quickly call up my other friends staying in the hotel but not one wants to venture back out. Everyone has an excuse. Well, I am not going to sit there watching lame hotel movies when  The Killer is literally playing several blocks away!

Fifteen minutes later I am walking briskly alone in the quarter near the House of Blues. I cut down the alley behind the venue and end up at the side door by the artists’ entrance. Literally, right when I walk up, a long, white stretch limo pulls up. Out hops a giant beast of a man, and several mobster looking guys… followed by the one and only, Jerry Lee Lewis.

Several savvy fans lined up out back catch his attention and start screaming… the body guards’ focus turns to the fans as Jerry Lee grins at them like a Cheshire cat… I am about five feet away moving toward them on the sidewalk. As I get closer the first of the bodyguards move right by me, still with an eye on the fans making sure no one makes a break towards them.

Jerry Lee passes within several inches of me… he is wearing some type of Liberace-looking jacket with a fur collar, white, patent leather, pointed shoes and dark sunglasses… exactly what you would expect!

Out of instinct, the moment he passes me, I turn and fall in line with his entourage, blending into the middle of the pack. We are hustled through the side door, down a long hallway, to the backstage area. I am trying to look like I belong while keeping an eye out for any of his bouncers who may notice that I have encroached their tight little formation.

Suddenly, the entire group comes to a stop as they encounter someone from HOB… to the right is a sign that says, “dressing rooms”.. everyone starts that way and I knew that if I followed my cover would quickly be blown.

As the group moved down the right hallway, I took a chance and walked left through an unmarked door…. Wala! It was a direct path to the back of the stage left bar… I walked right through the bar area, behind the bartender and the barbacks, out the other side and directly into a packed house of  honky tonk fans!  What seemed like an eternity had in reality taken about 2 minutes… from the sidewalk to the front of the stage in a flash!

Jerry Lee came out and did a short but rousing forty minute set. I was close enough to see the gaudy gold rings on his fingers and that he didn’t play or sing like the young Jerry Lee….

..but he still had enough fire and showmanship to leave the crowd wanting more.

In the end, he was a sweaty mess, his perfectly coiffed hair falling in his face, and his shirt unbuttoned as he kicked away his stool for the finale, Great Balls of Fire!

As I walked back to the hotel, through the dark streets of the quarter, strains of music pouring out of every door way… I thought how lucky I am and how fortunate I was to not settle for a mediocre evening inside my hotel room. Sometimes you just got to make the extra effort to be rewarded.

As I always like to say.. run the maze, ring the bell, get the cheese!