Notes From Underground

The Dirtbombs @ Southpaw

Like the White Stripes, The Dirtbombs started out as a Detroit garage rock band, and followed a musical path away from the typical garage rock sound. But while the White Stripes took the smarty-pants route, making artsy videos and dressing like Bob Dylan, The Dirtbombs have kept things a lot more rough around the edges. They're intelligent and even virtuosic, but they rock with a raw power and unfettered soulfulness that makes you want to jump up and dance all night.

That's how the crowd responded at The Dirtbombs' show at Brooklyn's Southpaw a couple weeks ago. This band is just fun to rock out to. Their energy and precision is amazing. They're one of those double-drummer bands, so you know they gotta be tight! You don't mess around with 2 drummers if you're about to get sloppy.

The audience, however - that's a different story. Many beers were drunk and spilled. Drinking and dancing can get messy. New friendships were forged then lost in the crowd. The couple standing behind me concluded the show with a major makeout session. So I think it's fair to say - a good time was had by all.

http://www.thedirtbombs.net/

Yeasayer at The Bowery Ballroom

Last week I saw a band featuring a longtime friend's younger brother, which reminded me how old I am. But I'm cool with it.

Yeasayer are based in Brooklyn, with roots in Baltimore. (Like me!) They're very different from most of the music you hear today, more complex and ambitious, which is a good thing. They have a world music side to them (they've opened for M.I.A., I believe) but I also hear an early 80's INXS thing in some of their songs (also a good thing, no matter what my boyfriend says!), some Fleetwood Mac-ish vocals, and some other prog rock stuff I can't exactly put my finger on.

Also, many of their songs have a good beat and you can dance to them.

After Yeasayer I watched a little of Oakley Hall, which was boring in comparison.

Check Yeasayer out here:

http://www.myspace.com/yeasayer

http://www.nowwearefree.com/headquarters.html

Conrad: Arcade Fire At United Palace Theatre

A week or so ago, I took the A train uptown - way uptown - to 175th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. A mere block from the station sits the United Palace Theatre, a beautiful old place that serves as a place of worship most of the time. Once in awhile, however, it houses some pretty kick butt concerts. Bjork and also the Stooges have both recently rocked it there. It was Montreal's Arcade Fire, though, that got me to spend a Monday night in Washington Heights.

If you're familiar with Arcade Fire's music, then you know that it is emotional, melodic and anthemic in the tradition of U2. It's music that's meant to be played in big places. On this tour, their biggest yet, the band performed on a stage filled with risers, circular monitors and neon (Neon Bible) um, rods, that were not-very-gracefully sticking up at the front. I found the stage props to be a bit awkward. They were meant to frame the band, but I found those rods (!) to be distracting.

The music, of course, was top notch. I'm not a huge fan of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible album; the reverb-drenched bombast is a bit much for me. Live, however, the music was engrossing. And by the time the hits from their debut Funeral came out, the crowd was floating.

Conrad: Land Of Talk at Alchemize

Alchemize - the name makes the place sound like a dance club - and it is! Or at least it became one late in the evning of March 10, after some good old-fashioned indie rock.

A month ago, I had the good fortune of catching Land Of Talk at Alchemize, a small club in the hipster hood of Northside in Cincinnati. The Montreal trio is led by Elizabeth Powell, whose confident vocals and, especially, angular guitar playing were a perfect compliment to the rhythm section's cutting bass and articulate drumming. The wash of sound was like a mist from which melodies emerged. Cheesy description, I know, but that's what it seemed like.

You can listen to tracks from Land Of Talk's debut EP Applause Cheer Boo Hiss at their MySpace.

Land Of Talk seem to constantly be on the road. If you have an opportunity to experience their strong musicianship and easygoing stage demeanor, do so. Thank you for supporting Canadian rock. Good night.

Conrad: Dr. Dog and O'Death at the Bowery Ballroom

Photo from drdogmusic.com.

Last week I took the opportunity to enjoy an evening of music at the Bowery Ballroom here in New York City. It's my favorite venue in town, and definitely my most-visited. I'm not good with numbers, but I'd say I've been there about five hundred thousand times.

Anyway, the reason for this memorable jaunt was Dr. Dog, a Philly group with their soul in Abbey Road-style sonic and song structure. They're on the tour this month supporting their latest release We All Belong. This was the sixth or seventh time I'd seen them, but the first time catching them since they've graduated to 500 capacity venues. Though I miss the intimacy of seeing the Dog in smaller places, I couldn't argue with the product of the hard touring that got them to this stage - mainly, their amazing chemistry. On recordings, Dr. Dog come off as meticulous craftsmen, arriving at a seemingly lo-fi sound after what is likely many hours of work. Live, they are anything but studious. Whereas the band once seemed tentative onstage, they are now confident, bopping around with a rambunctiousness driven by well-honed chops and stage presence, as well as wonderful material. It ruled.

Openers O'Death proved to be a well-matched fit. Over the course of a 45 minute plus set, the Brooklyn group delivered their (very) unique set of trashy, frenetic bluegrass, tempered with both the humor and pathos of mid-80s Tom Waits (think especially of the dusty liquor bottle, underground roots and washboard feel of Rain Dogs). Comparison and analysis, however, do not convey what it was like to watch a mostly shirtless band, a band featuring a banjo and what appeared to be an oil drum, build tension and anticipation in a manner generally unseen by opening acts. Well done.

Capping the evening in grand style, my pals and I shuffled several blocks east to Pianos for to enjoy a DJ set by indie crooner Baby Dayliner. Also enjoyed? A wide selection of spirits, all consumed rather late in the evening.

Next on Notes From The Underground,  Shirtless Performances: A Debate, and The Next Day: When Not To Wake Up Early.

Conrad: The Forms Live At Asterisk

Going to fancy venues and big shows is cool and everything, but sometimes one has to go to the out of the way places to be reminded of what makes rock n' roll great. So on Friday night I made my way out to the outer reaches of Brooklyn's East Williamsburg, an industrial hood slowly being claimed by musicians, artists and partygoers like me. The reason for my trek was to see The Forms, a New York-based quartet that makes angular and weird, yet melodic indie rock. I'd seen them before but the thought of seeing them play their new material was too much to pass up.

So anyway, the venue. I'm not sure if Asterisk is a completely legal joint, but it was cool; essentially, the place is a house, with two "stages" - read: rooms. Throughout the night several bands played on these two stages. The Forms went on around 1am and I was not disappointed. Their 40 minute set included every screaming guitar, syncopated drumbeat and odd time signature that a post-rock fan could ask for.

Their next album should be out in the summer and was recorded by Steve Albini, the legendary producer who worked on Nirvana's In Utero, to name just one impressive credit. Seriously, check out the Forms.

Conrad: Takka Takka At SXSW, Part 3

Three shows in three days. It can be tiring. And we're not even talking normal set times; our three shows had start times of 1am, 4pm and 230pm. Still, when you're running on adrenaline and tacos, anything is possible. So bleary-eyed and bed-headed, we rose early on Saturday morning to load our gear in at, wait for it, 9am. That's right, the 9 that's in the morning. We drew the first to load in slot. Nice. Luckily for us, the venue was a Cuban restaurant. Of course, this means strong Cuban coffee.

Following an interview, and enjoying some strong, caffeinated brew with the staff and show organizers, we set up. We were ready to soundcheck! Then we were told to break down our gear. OK, cool. Wait - they'd like us to set up again. Hmmm, alright. Ten minutes later, we were told to break down again. Argh. When you're organizing a daylong party with bands on TWO stages, however, a bit of confusion is understandable. Hey, it kept us busy.

And it was all worth it. Following a performance by Ferraby Lionheart and his band, Takka Takka took the stage. Of our three SXSW shows, this was by far the most attended, and the crowd seemed to be comprised of more than a few important types. Fortunately for us, we turned in what we think was one of our best shows ever. Yes! The feeling following a good show is impossible to describe. It's a euphoric, dazed relief. So after an hour of hanging around, catching up with more people and relaxing, it was time for Takka Takka to hit the road. We all had to make it back to New York as quickly as we could, and with a 33 hour drive ahead of us, we decided to put at least a dent into that distance as soon as possible. It was sad to leave Austin as another evening of music was heating up, but the thought of returning next year, and eating migas for four days straight, eased the pain.

Takka Takka hanging with our buds from Toronto, Raising The Fawn:

marya: village records?

so, the student record label i work for, village records, is having a showcase this friday at the knitting factory. it is going to be interesting to say the least, so you all should come. maybe you will see me make an ass of myself while doing trivia between acts onstage. yeah, you should definitely come just to witness that. it's friday, at 7, and it's five dollars.

also, my band Slow Century (www.myspace.com/slowcenturymusic) is playing at the knitting factory on sunday, the 1st. we go on at 7pm, and it's 8 dollars. so, after you witness me making an ass of myself on friday, you can see me try to redeem myself on sunday. that is all.

Conrad: Takka Takka At SXSW, Part 2

Afer the show-attending and show-playing from Takka Takka's first day at SXSW, we were tired. Beat. And ready to do it all over again.

Following a brunch of yet more Mexican food (chicken tacos for me), my bandmate Gabe and I once again headed out to hear some music before our afternoon show. After missing Do Make Say Think by five minutes, we decided to try and catch Montreal's Land Of Talk. We had played a show in Cincinnati with Land Of Talk on the way down to SXSW, so we knew how fantastic they were. Sadly, they were running late, but before we could get down about things, we caught Snowden, an electro-glam quartet from Atlanta that put on an exciting show. One out of three ain't bad! We then walked a brisk five blocks to see the incomparable Apostle Of Hustle. We took in three tunes before we had to leave for our own show. Here's a shot of Apostle Of Hustle. FYI, frontman Andrew Whiteman also handles lead guitar in Broken Social Scene:

Three songs under our belt, Gabe and I departed to make our way to South Austin for Takka Takka's second show of the week. Unfortunately, the venue was well out of walking distance and cabs were nowhere to be found. Of course, this did not present a problem to your intrepid reporter and his bandmate; we merely stood at a bus stop and figured out which bus to take. While on the bus, we were called out as tourists. "I can tell y'all aren't from around here." spoke the woman sitting across from us. "Y'all are wearing jackets." I should point out that it was 68 degrees or so. Still, one can never tell when the weather might change, especially in central Texas. I think we were the shrewd ones, tourists or not. But I digress.

After a ten minute bus ride we arrived at the venue, a coffee shop called Ruta Maya. The lineup was put together by our friends Goes Cube and The Deli Magazine and included us, Goes Cube, Foreign Islands and more. The gig was at 4pm. Sometimes it's odd to play in the afternoon but in Austin it seems to feel just right. We played a short set of our quieter stuff that seemed to fit the vibe of the place. Very fun. For us, the show was a fun, no-pressure gig with friends. And at a festival like SXSW, where bands definitely feel pressure to play their best for industry types, a relaxing show can be a welcome, calming respite.

After the show we tossed a Nerf football in the parking lot and posed for a few photos with our Goes Cube pals. Left to right we've got Kenny from Goes Cube, yours truly, Grady from Takka Takka and Gabe (wearing shades) from Takka Takka.

With our  work for the day completed by 5pm, we were able to relax and enjoy the evening. We decided to get dinner. Hmmm, what to get. How about Mexican food. This time I got the guacamole tacos. Oh and more music. We spent the evening with our close friends Raising The Fawn, a Toronto band (also featuring a member of Broken Social Scene, John Crossingham) we don't get to hang with as often as we'd like. Instead of hopping from venue to venue, we picked one place and stuck there. And there are worse places to be than at an Arts & Crafts label showcase. The lineup was pretty stellar: Young Galaxy, Amy Millan, Apostle Of Hustle (yes, I saw them twice in one day) and The Dears.

By the time the Dears played their final notes, it was past 2am. Since we had to load in at, no joke, 9 the next morning, it seemed like a good time to call it a day...

STAY TUNED FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL INSTALLMENT OF TAKKA TAKKA AT SXSW...

Conrad: Takka Takka's SXSW Adventure, Part 1

SXSW. If these letters mean nothing to you, then i'll spell it out: South By Southwest. What is it? Essentially, it's the largest music and music industry festival in the world. Each March, thousands of people and, more importantly, thousands (yes, thousands) of bands descend on the impossibly awesome town of Austin, Texas for four days of music, drinks and food. This year, i was fortunate enough to be able to both attend and play SXSW. Put simply, it ruled.

Though my band, Takka Takka, was excited to play three shows throughout the week, we were determined to see a lot of great bands and, especially, eat a lot of Mexican food. Mission accomplished. I saw about 20 bands in three or four days and ate Mexican food for seven straight meals. The streak was not planned, but I wasn't complaining.

So after a breakfast of migas at South Austin's El Sol Y La Luna on Thursday the 15th, my bandmate Gabe and I decided to check out some music in the warm, non-Northeastern March sun. We headed to a small place called the Scoot Inn. The venue is a juke joint that has a sizable yard. During SXSW, bands played both indoors and outdoors. Given the balmy conditions, I chose to stay outside most of the time. Here's a pic of Gabe watching the fantastic Matt & Kim.

We also got to watch Denmark's proggy Mew (fantastic), Minnesota's Cloud Cult (dreamy) and Sacramento's Hella (scary, but good scary). At one point in the afternoon, we took a 15 minute break to have free ice cream and be interviewed by Rice University's student station. The interview was lighthearted and dealt mainly with ice cream.

By 5pm it was time to head over to Momo's for our first show of the week. Momo's is a small, fine place on West 6th Street, capacity probably about 150, and blessed with a large and inviting roof deck.

We were scheduled to play at 1am, so it was a bit weird to load our gear in approximately seven hours before we went on, but SXSW is all about unusual start times - there are ALWAYS shows going on. Morning, noon and night. Shows and interviews, that is. After loading in to Momo's we went across the street for our second interview of the day. This was with the A.P. (Associated Press, not Alternative Press). The theme was how bands that play SXSW find time to watch some of the NCAA March Madness hoops action, which kicks off as SXSW rages. We were paid to drink beer, watch Duke lose (yes!) and talk about basketball. Pretty rough.

After the interview, another bandmate, Grady, and I walked around 6th Street meeting friends and checking out bands. At Bourbon Rocks, a watering hole with a feel befitting it's name, we met up with our friend Nate from a wonderful band called My Brightest Diamond. Though he was scheduled to play several shows, he also spent his free time chicking out music. We wandered in and saw Marissa Nadler perform her acoustically delivered tunes, as well as Portland's hard, psych-rocking Danava.

Soon, it was time to head back and play our set. Though the late start time threw us off a bit, we settled down and just concentrated on having fun. Once you're onstage, the time and location don't matter anymore - you just PLAY. And it's like no other feeling. Following our last notes at approximately 1:45am, Takka Takka packed up the van and crashed at a friend's house. On the schedule for the next day was more shows, and more Mexican food.

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2...

annie: pb&j isn't just a sandwich anymore..

After reading my 2 posts, you are going to think that I focus on food a lot (yup, I do) and that I only go to shows at the Mercury Lounge.  Well I do go elsewhere, but since I have been too lazy to post for a while, I will have to let that go for now.  But in all seriousness, last night I went to the best show that I have seen in quite a long while, and that show was Peter Bjorn and John at the Mercury Lounge.  That statement might seem a bit melodramatic, but you can double check this post with some more 'professional' blogger opinions (www.stereogum.com; www.fluxblog.com.  You get the point.).

PB&J are a Swedish indie pop group hailing from Sweden.  And yes, as you may have guessed, the band is made up of 3 guys named Peter, Bjorn and John.  The 2 records of theirs that I have (Falling Out and Writer's Block [which is in stores next week in the US]), are a mishmash of big hooks, dreamy guitars, synth, an occasional bongo and a little bit of whistling.  "Young Folks," one of the tracks on the new record, features Victoria of the new defunct Concretes.  You can tell the band draws from artists of different eras, especially from '60s pop bands and '80s new-wavers, but they have created music that really stands out from the rest of their peers.

The show was scheduled to start at 10:30pm, and I arrived promptly at 10:20.  After watching Drew Barrymore arrive with a tall, handsome man that was not Fab of the Strokes, I shoved my way through the crowded bar at Merc only to realize that Born Ruffians, the band in direct support of PB&J, were still on stage.  I caught their last song of the night, which didn't impress me too much.  I was already annoyed that I was going to be out late for a Monday night.  That feeling faded as soon as Peter Bjorn and John hit the stage.  They have such an energy and stage presence that it feels like there are way more than just the 3 of them on stage.  A backing track does assist them a bit, but didn't seem to affect anyone's enjoyment of the show.   The show really brought all of the recorded material to life for me, which I don't find to be the case with many shows that I see these days.  I have never heard a Mercury Lounge crowd sing along with a band as loudly as last night (and that's saying a lot, as I go to a lot of “emo” shows.)  Peter, the lead vocalist on most of the songs, has amazing stage presence.  Victoria was there to do her part in "Young Folks" (she was also on Conan which they taped that afternoon), as well as someone on the bongos.  Peter pointed out that he was the 'best bongo player in Sweden,' and to the ladies, that he was single.    My only 2 complaints were the 'acoustic' version they did of their song "Amsterdam," which is one of my favorites as it is on the record, and that the jam session in the encore went just a few minutes too long for my taste.  But all in all, you could tell that the guys were having a great time on stage, and that in turn made the audience have an even better time watching.

Last night was PB&J's first real gig in NYC.  Well, sort of.  They did play a secret show the night before at Union Hall in Brooklyn, but really who's counting.  Their episode of Conan aired yesterday as well.  I'm sure you can find the performance somewhere on youtube.  Tonight is a sold-out night at the Bowery Ballroom, which is happening as I type this.  Next stop is LA for 2 shows and then they leave our fair country for Australia and Japan.  I really hope they'll be back soon.

Check 'em: www.peterbjornandjohn.com or www.myspace.com/peterbjornandjohn.

Conrad: Sloan at the Bowery Ballroom

Photo of Sloan, Bowery Ballroom, 01.18.07, by Kathryn on flickr.

First, a confession.

I'm a sucker for catchy pop/rock. When I was six years old, the Beach Boys were my favorite band, and they remain dear to my heart. I'm into melody, songcraft... whatever you want to call it.

So of course many of my favorite bands are good old fashioned tunesmiths; artists that know their way around a hook. Readers, Sloan is such a band.

If you're into Sloan, you'll know that the Halifax-bred, Toronto-based quartet have been creating relentlessly catchy, somewhat 70s-indebted guitar pop/rock since the early 90s. [In fact, I first got into them as a kid in Ontario.] What fans may or may not know is that this month Sloan released their strongest CD since 1998's classic Navy Blues. The new album, Never Hear the End Of It, is a 30 song strong collection of melodic major-chord rockers, tear-stained ballads and skewed indie pop that represents Sloan's Exile On Main Street moment. And by Exile On Main Street, I mean the 18 song 1972 Rolling Stones classic that threw everything into a proverbial kitchen sink, with spectacular aural results.

The album kicks off with Flying High Again, a one minute long statement of purpose that flows neatly into lead single Who Taught You To Live Like That. The rest of the album satisfyingly touches all of the familiar Sloan bases, showcasing monster tunes that are linked to each other by a thread of shorter songs and, frankly, ditties.

How do you support a new release? Correct! With a tour. On January 18, Sloan arrived at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC to play a celebratory set in support of Never Hear The End Of It. Kicking off with a bevy of tunes from their latest release, the band won over the audience with unfamiliar material before heading into a string of Sloan classics like The Lines You Amend and The Other Man.

Sloan are notable for playing frenzied, lengthy shows that don't skimp on hits. Their concerts on fun - one can't help but notice how much the band loves performing. Though all four members (Patrick Pentland on guitar, Chris Murphy on bass, Jay Ferguson on guitar, Andrew Scott on drums) write and sing, it is Chris Murphy who is the de facto frontman, high kicking and teeth flashing all over the stage. Another cool facet? They switch instruments throughout the show. Guitarist Ferguson was the only member of the band to not get behind the drums at some point throughout the performance.

May I also point out that their fans (guys AND chicks) are pretty hot? Sloan shows are nice for scoping. Now you have no excuse - see Sloan at any cost.

Visit Sloan's website.

Sloan at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC on January 18, 2007, setlist:

Flying High Again
Who Taught You To Live Like That?
Will I Belong?
Ill Placed Trust
The Other Man
The Lines You Amend
Fading Into Obscurity
Golden Eyes
Love Is All Around
Living With The Masses
HFXNSHC
Blackout
All Used Up
C'mon C'mon
Everybody Wants You
I Understand
You Know What It's About
Someone I Can Be True WIth
Money City Maniacs
I Can't Sleep
I Know You
Something's Wrong
I've Gotta Try
Everything You've Done Wrong
Can You Figure It Out?
Penpals
The Good In Everyone
Another Way I Could Do It

ENCORE:
Anyone Who's Anyone
Chester The Molester
If It Feels Good, Do It

John: Yusuf - Live in New York

I felt fortunate to be invited to an intimate performance by Yusuf last night at the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle. I'll tell you all about the show- but I think a little perspective is in order.

Steven Demetre Georgiou was born on July 21, 1948. You probably know him as Cat Stevens. Certainly you are familiar with his string of hits including: "Morning Has Broken", "Peace Train", "Wild World", "Father and Son", and "The First Cut Is the Deepest". He has sold over 60 million records. But that is just the beginning of the story.

Stevens converted to Islam in 1977. He changed his name Yusuf Islam in 1979 (the year I was born) and walked away from popular music for almost 30 years. He got married, had kids and dedicated himself to educational and charitable efforts. At times there was controversy; he was criticized for comments about Salman Rushdie and was denied entry to the US recently in September of 2004- his name was on the FBI's no fly list.

About two years ago he picked up a guitar and began writing music again. This fall Atlantic Records released Yusuf's first pop record since 1978, An Other Cup.

I have very early memories of listening to Cat Stevens. "Moonshadow" was on a mix tape that a friend had made for my mother. I can remember my sister and I singing along in the car. As a kid it sort of seemed like a goofy song; only later in life would I appreciate its Taoist themes.

Cat's music is often lumped in with other sensitive male singer/songwriters of the seventies. However, I always thought there was a simplicity and optimism in his work that made it unique. His ability to convey confidence in the concepts of peace and love gave an atypical weight to subjects that often came across as trite in pop music. When I listened to Cat Stevens I felt like I was hearing someone unsure of the means - but confident of the ends. It was a duality I found appealing.

Last night was his first performance in the United States in thirty years.

First let me say, to set the scene, The Allen Room is a great auditorium with wonderful acoustics and an amazing wall of windows behind the performers that looks out over Columbus Circle.

Nic Harcourt, host of the popular KCRW program Morning Becomes Eclectic, introduced Yusuf (to a standing ovation by a capacity crowd of about 350) and conducted a brief interview with him to start the show. Though the story was familiar it was certainly more interesting to hear it from the source. Most interesting to me was when Yusuf talked about being hospitalized, at the age of 19, for tuberculosis. It was during that time that he fist began reading various spiritual texts. He talked about his desire to find a path, and how that search was reflected in the music that he would write going forward.

Yusuf opened the show solo with "Maybe There’s a World" followed by his classic, and one of my favorites, "The Wind". After that a six piece band, including a pianist, percussionist, and backup singers joined him for the reminder of the evening. The set mixed new and old including: Midday, Oh Very Young & In The End.

At that point Harcourt and Yusuf sat down again. Yusuf talked about his introduction to Islam and how it showed him the way he had been searching for. It was a path that required a drastic change in lifestyle. He abandoned his celebrity and his life as a pop musician- mainly he says- to stay out of trouble. Music was not the problem – but rather the ancillary lifestyle. At Harcourt’s prompting Yusuf acknowledged that for years he denied his talent as musician. However, recently he has come to accept that music could compliment and augment his journey. Not everything was deep; in a humorous moment Yusuf's cell phone rang- indicating a new voice message.

To me the conversation indicated a change in perspective that has translated to the music on Yusuf’s new album. In the past he wrote as someone seeking a path, in the present he writes as someone who has found their way. I suppose thirty years is enough time to allow for that change. Oddly something about the new perspective speaks to me less.

The second half of the set included "Heaven / Where True Love Goes" which incorporates part of Steven's own "Foreigner Suite", a cover of The Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood" and the well intentioned (but in my mind poorly executed) "Indian Ocean" a song written in response to the tsunami tragedy. The band closed the set with the "Peace Train" which seemed relevant as ever. Yusuf dedicated the final number to the late Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records. After another standing ovation Yusuf and his two guitar players returned for an unrehearsed but heartfelt encore of "Father & Son".

It was quite in experience to hear such familiar songs in such an intimate setting. Yusuf’s voice was great and his backing band was tight. Here’s to finding your path.

 

Donny: Atlantic City at 1am to see Hacken Lee

So I don't know if this is for all concerts at the Trump Taj Mahal or not but so far every concert I've been to (3) started at 1 in the morning.  If you pay an extra $5 you'll get a round trip bus ride from our good friend Academy Bus.  The bus left Chinatown at 7pm and arrived at Atlantic City 2hours later.  Trump used to give people $10 coupons to play but he's gotten cheap this time.  NO COUPONS!!  So how do you waste 3.5 hours at a casino area surrounded by nothing?  i bascially walked on the boardwalk very slowly.  Anyways enough of that, so I went to see a Hacken Lee, a Hong Kong pop singer, perform at the Trump Taj Mahal.  He's been one of my favorite artist since long long time ago and last time I saw him in concert was more than 10 years ago.  I don't know if any of you are familiar with Chinese concerts, but almost everyone there looked bored as hell.  Unlike concerts here where everybody gets up and totally immerse themselves, mentally and physically, into the whole live experiences, Chinese people just like to sit and listen.  I've seen many Hong Kong artists trying their best to get the audience involve but all they want to do is sit.  At the concert I went, the only time people got up was when they wanted photos of the artist.  They would rush the stage and clog the walk ways just to snap a photo of their idol.  There were some exceptions and they armed themselves with glow sticks.

I was surprised at myself for not being as excited about the concert as I was when I bought the tickets.  Maybe I was tired and it was 2am ( I sound old).  This artist has been around since 1985 and he's been through high and low points.  At the moment, he's the "Come Back Kid" of Hong Kong music scene.  He's one of the few artist that just sounds better live and he's able to carry those notes so smoothly.  In the sea of bubblegum pop Ford style music in Hong Kong, he writes his own lyrics and in his two most recent albums he has combined the old and new, western and eastern styles of music.  So that is what he did near the second half of his concert.  He brought out a Japanese violinist and a Chinese erhu-ist? (Erhu is a Chinese violin) to perform a set of old songs with him.  That was when I started to enjoy the show, the power of his voice singing some of his classic songs accompanied by violin, erhu, guitars, bass, drums, and a synth was just WOW.  I left the concert satisfied and wanting more.

Annie: Don't eat macaroni and cheese before going to a concert

My piece of advice for the week: As much as you are craving it, don't eat a giant plate of mac & cheese before going to see a rock show.  The two just don't go together....

Friday night, after eating said plate of heavy food, I went to see Anathallo at the Mercury Lounge.  Despite the fact that I was in a fairly intense food coma, I had fun at the show...  If you haven't heard Anathallo before, and are a fan of the Arcade Fire, Death Cab, Sufjan Stevens, Modest Mouse or other indie-pop with interesting instrumentations and arrangements, you should definitely give them a listen.  Much of their current album Floating World, is based on a Japanese folk tale.  In order to play the songs off the record live, the 7 piece band utilizes the typical guitar, bass, drums along with horns, keys, pots, pans, xylophone and even handclaps.  Each band member plays at least a couple of the different instruments throughout the performance, and even though the band was a little too big for the stage at Mercury, they constantly moved around and switched places on the stage.   Singer Matt Joynt, has a beautiful voice, and I thought his slightly awkward but intelligent banter between songs was totally adorable.  The show, like their acoustic performance that I saw a couple of months back at the Cutting Room, was mesmerizing.... They are on tour with Page France through December 10th.  Check 'em out at anathallo.com, myspace.com/anathallo or purevolume.com/anathallo.

Currently listening to:

The Slip "Children of December" - It's oddly about me...

Brand New "Jesus Christ" - I know the record has only been out for 2 weeks, but its already shaping up to be one of my favorites of the year.

Radiohead "Just" - This was the last song on my ipod before I left the gym this evening.  One of my all-time favs.

Bands I'm seeing this week:  Murder By Death, As Tall As Lions, Meg & Dia.