SOM07Archive

All Points West: Day 1 - August 8, 2008

2007-08-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Festival and Radiohead review to come...

Here is the setlist and playable playlist. Enjoy for now...

1. 15 Step
2. There There
3. Morning Bell
4. All I Need
5. Lucky
6. Nude
7. Arpeggi
8. The Gloaming
9. Optimistic
10. Videotape
11. Reckoner
12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
13. You And Whose Army
14. Idioteque
15. Climbing Up The Walls
16. Bodysnatchers
17. How to Disappear Completely

Encore 1
18. House of Cards
19. Pyramid Song
20. Paranoid Android
21. Dollars & Cents
22. Street Spirit

Encore 2
23. Cymbal Rush
24. Just
25. Everything In Its Right Place

(Setlist courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.)

All Points West: Day 2 - August 9, 2008

2007-08-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Festival and Radiohead review to come...

Below is Radiohead's setlist (and playlist) from Saturday. Enjoy for now...

01. Reckoner
02. 15 Step
03. The National Anthem
04. Kid A
05. All I Need
06. Nude
07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08. Where I End And You Begin
09. The Gloaming
10. Faust Arp
11. No Surprises
12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
13. The Bends
14. Bangers and Mash
15. Everything In Its Right Place
16. Exit Music (For A Film)
17. Bodysnatchers
Encore 1
18. Pyramid Song
19. Videotape
20. Airbag
21. Fake Plastic Trees
22. There There
Encore 2
23. House of Cards
24. Planet Telex
25. Idioteque

(Setlist courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.)

Animal Collective - June 1, 2007

2007-06-04T15:26:00.001-07:00

River to River - South Street Seaport [7 pm] ~Free

Yes... they played mostly new stuff, and a few older ones at the end. the only one from feels that i believe i heard was 'loch raven' if i have the name right. anyway, the new stuff sounds like it will be really good. now we just wait for the album to leak. but no, no 'banshee beat' for us...Doug...

Animal Collective - October 1, 2007

2007-06-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Webster Hall [7 pm] ~$20

Doug said... "we did not go sunday night but heard it was a disaster. and we were informed by the band that there were just bad vibes the previous evening. whatever the problem was they probably figured it out though. anyway, as should have been expected, they played newer material post-strawberry jam for roughly half the set. nothing from feels, a few older ones, and from the new album, peacebone, unsolved mysteries, chores, fireworks, and they closed with derrek. everything sounded great and maniacal too. they are supposed to be coming out with a live double vinyl only lp set or something. if it has half the energy it should be another good one."

Arcade Fire & LCD Soundsystem - October 6, 2007

2007-06-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

Randall's Island [3:30 PM] ~$39.50

I arrived at the venue as Blonde Redhead was playing, but I never got close enough to warrant a comment (though I know they are great live from past shows). Now, I did make my way up towards the stage as LCD Soundsystem was getting ready to play. James Murphy and the band were excellent! Their set was full of energy and was fun all around. Each song carried a bright, bouncy dance beat with Murphy leading the band and crowd through the festivities. Everyone around me seemed to be loving the music as much as I was. James Murhphy was witty, and as a matter of fact, various members of the Arcade Fire came on stage to play different instruments or sing back up vocals (you'll easily be able to find pictures of this), so we were all very happy with the sounds coming from the stage. The set seemed too short in fact, even with the extended jams.

LCD Soundsystem's set list courtesy of Music Snobbery (read their great review):

Get Innocuous
Us vs. Them
Time to Get Away
North American Scum
All My Friends
Tribulations
Movement
Someone Great
Yeah
New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down

Though this was my fifth Arcade Fire show of the year, and it never could top the Judson Church shows, the band were great once again. From the outset, Black Mirror sounded fresh and powerful. Each member of the band did their thing playing with abandon while keeping the energy level high. Win told the us that it was his brother Will's birthday today and that this show was the last time they would play in New York for a few years (though I agree with most bloggers that this means that they will rest, record a new album, and be back within the next two years). I thought each song sounded excellent. I was especially pleased with their decision to add "Cold Wind", "I'm Sleeping in a Submarine," and "Headlights Look like Diamonds" to the set list. I had not heard the latter two live since 2004, and I do not believe that they play "Cold Wind" much. What a great song! The second half of the set was full of Funeral songs and you could tell that most people in the crowd prefer those songs over most of the tracks off Neon Bible. I thought all the songs sounded great, but it was fun singing along to the Funeral anthems. During "Rebellion (Lies)", I believe, birthday boy, Win climbed up the scaffolding on stage right and banged his drum as he made his ascent. His antics increased the energy being emitted from the crowd, and it just looked crazy from my vantage point. I thought the encore was too short, but as I just stated, being a part of such a large crowd singing along to "Wake Up" was just perfect. Now, I thought it was strange that the band ended with 10 minutes to spare, but with the lights coming up and the stage music coming on I turned and made my way back to my car. I knew I should have trusted my instincts about this band. The way it ended didn't seem right considering the others shows I had been to. As with the most of us, I found out about the "second encore" by reading the blogs the next day. Damn, that would have been fun to be there for the "private" encore. Lesson learned. Next time look and listen more carefully.

Set list from Brooklyn Vegan:

1. Black Mirror
2. Keep the car running
3. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
4. No Cars Go
5. Haiti
6. I'm Sleeping in a Submarine
7. My Body is a Cage
8. Cold Wind
9. Intervention
10. Antichrist Television Blues
11. The Well and the Lighthouse
12. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
13. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
14. Rebellion (Lies)

Encore:
15. Headlights Look like Diamonds
16. Wake Up

Encore 2:
17. Kiss Off (Violent Femmes Cover)

As Brooklyn Vegan put it, "Yeah, I missed this too..."

Devendra Banhart - September 27, 2007

2007-06-04T01:48:00.000-07:00

The Manhattan Center (Grand Ballroom) [8 PM doors] ~$35

Bat for Lashes - July 25, 2007

2007-06-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Knitting Factory [10 pm] ~$12

I couldn't stay at this show very long (I had to leave after about 30 minutes), but it was great to get a glimpse of these ladies in action. Bat for Lashes maintain a very art house aura and perform an interesting mix of minimalist, mystical music. I am happy to say that they played Trophy, Tahiti, Horse and I, I Saw a Light, the Wizard, and Mother Sea before I left. I look forward to catching these ladies for a complete set next time they are in town.

If anyone else was at the show, tell us how the rest of their act was.

Set list from bpearis

Intro
Trophy
Tahiti
Horse
I saw a light
The Wizard
Mother Sea
What's a Girl to Do?
Sad Eyes
Sarah
Moon and Moon (I think)
blurry

Read the review on Stereogum.

Bat for Lashes - The Knitting Factory, July 25, 2007

Beirut - September 24, 2007

2007-06-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Wordless Music Series - Society for Ethical Culture [9:30 pm to 11:15 pm] ~$25

This was my first Wordless Music show and my second Beirut concert. Both were great! The Wordless Music Series presented an interesting lineup that included Colleen playing an electrified, effects laden viola, Katya Mihailova on solo piano as well as accompanying violinist Colin Jacobsen (at one point Katya, Colin and few of the Beirut boys attempted an impromptu Bartok jam or something like that), and of course, Beirut.

Beirut performed a well played, joyous set. After seeing them play a novice set at McCarren Pool in 2006 it was great to see Zach and the gang play a solid, fun, horn driven set of lovely Beirut songs. I don't think they could have chosen a better set of song. They played everything from "Postcards from Italy," "A Sunday Smile," "In the Mausoleum," "Gulag Orkestar," "Scenic World" and "Elephant Gun." Zach seemed happy to be playing for the Wordless Music Series, dancing around, clapping hands and directing the sounds coming from the stage. After each song the crowd gave a rousing chorus of cheers and thunder claps, and during the encore the band had everyone standing, clapping along and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Nice job Wordless Music people. I look forward to your other shows.

Read a review from the blog Pop Tarts Suck Toasted.

Beirut - May 18, 2008

2007-06-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Music Hall of Williamsburg [10:45 pm - 12 pm-ish] ~$20

Luckily a few of us got to catch Beirut's last minute Brooklyn gig. Even though we all had to wait in a ridiculous will call line Zach and the band were excellent! We finally got in around 10:45 and the band took the stage around that time. Zach was his usual happy, boyish self and the band have only gotten better. The (at times) ten piece sounded wonderful. The horns, guitars, ukalalies, strings, etc filled the Music Hall. The crowd and band were enjoying the vibes felt throughout the venue. Check out the set list below and you'll see why we were all so happy to make it to this somewhat impromptu set. Zach and the band have definitely left us looking forward to their next album (due shortly!?.).

Cherbourg
The Penalty
Nantes
My Wife
La Fete
Elephant Gun
The Shrew
Brandenburg
After the Curatain
O Leaozinho (a Caetano Veloso song)
Mt Broclai
A Sunday Smile

Cocek
Scenic World

Postcards
Siki Siki Baba

The Besnard Lakes & The Jealous Girlfriends - July 13, 2007

2007-06-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Mercury Lounge [11:30 pm] ~$12

Well, I was away and missed seeing this great band (The Besnard Lakes), but Christopher was there and had this to say:

My Big Show Review Strikes Again: 7.13.07-07.14.07

The Besnard Lakes - December 5, 2007

2007-06-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

Bowery Ballroom [11 pm] ~$13

My chance to catch a band I was glad to find in 2007. The Besnard Lakes played a perfectly tight set of some of their best work. Their textured guitars and vocal harmonies set the mood perfectly. One song after another was an intense jam of high quality. From my recollection, they opened with "Rid the Rails" (perfect opener), and went on to play (not in this order) "Disaster", "And You Lied to Me" and "On Bedford and Grand" (to names those I can remember). They played two or three songs off of their first album, and each song they played sounded excellent between my ears. The only off moment of the night was the closer of their only encore. After setting a beautiful atmosphere with the layered, psychedelic sounds, they closed their "last show of 2007" with Fleetwood Mac's "You Make Loving Fun." Technically it was a great cover, and the drummer's vocal performance was exceptional, but for me it was a strange choice. I turned to Doug during the cover and, "This is really strange", and he just laughed. What a strange way to strip the ballroom of the original atmosphere the band created for us.

Oh, and the opening act, Peter from Peter, Bjorn and John was bloody awful.

Beastie Boys - August 8, 2007

2007-06-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Central Park SummerStage [7 pm] ~$51

Beastie Boys - August 9, 2007

2007-06-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

McCarren Park Pool [8 pm] ~$49

Christopher was there. Check out his review:

Beastie Boys at McCarren Park Pool [Brklyn] 8.9.07

Blonde Redhead - August 5, 2007

2007-06-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

McCarren Park Pool [6 pm] ~Free

Built to Spill, Cat Power and Bob Mould - July 7, 2007

2007-06-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

McCarren Pool [7:30 pm] ~$32

Well, this show was a last minute decision that we were glad we made. Casey and I met up with Jamie, Beth, Adam and Brian at McCarren around 8:40 and Cat Power's set was already finished. Needless to say, I was upset about that! Anyway, after a brief appearance by Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, Built to Spill took the stage and gave another great performance. This was my second time seeing Doug and the band and I thought there were excellent. Along with great versions of their own songs, they covered a Brian Eno song. After doing a great job with this song, they played another excellent three to four tracks before the clock struck ten. Overall, it was a great show, but Doug and the crowd seemed ready to keep going were it not for the ten o'clock curfew.

(Oh yeah, McCarren Park fucked with the beer lines again. The lines were annoyingly long, but not as ridiculous as the lines during the Bloc Party show last year. I hope they fix this for the rest of the 07 shows.)

Built To Spill - McCarren Park Pool Setlist - 7/7/07

Liar
Velvet Waltz
Nowhere Nothing Fuckup
Else
Wherever You Go
In The Morning
Third Uncle (Brian Eno Cover)
Car (slow and almost solo version)
Mess With Time
Made-Up Dreams
Time Trap
Carry The Zero

Time Trap - McCarren Park Pool, July 7, 2007

Manu Chao & Radio Bemba Soundsystem - June 27, 2007

2007-06-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

Prospect Park Bandshell [7pm] ~$30

Man, what is there not to say about this show! It was invigorating! Manu Chao is definitely an act to catch. Though I hate making such comparisons, Manu Chao has a very Bob Marley ethic and persona. His stage presence and spirit simply lit the crowd up. We (Adam, Carmen, and one of Adam's co-workers) connected with this spirit from the moment the band started playing (OK, Adam had some problems getting to the park in time, but he made it). You could feel the excitement and expectation throughout the audience. Song after song Manu played excellent music. I have to simply say that it was refreshing to be a part of this communal experience. After a long, super set a representative from Celebrate Brooklyn came out to tell us that a storm was coming and Manu Chao could only play one more song for the encore. The moment this statement was made the crowd made its disappointment known and seconds later Manu was out again. The "one" song was Bongo Bongo! The crowd was just as charged before and then, a few verses into this song...the night sky opened up and it poured. Instead of running for the closest exit out of the park the crowd roared with excitement hoping the band would play through the torrential rain, but they couldn't. Manu and the band came out after a short stop off stage, and you could see that he wanted this experience to keep going as well, but there was nothing he could do. Many of stayed close to the stage for a futile attempt to get him to play, start up an acoustic set, anything! We were in love with the energy, but we all had no choice but to go home. I guess the experience will have to be continued next year...rain or shine...

Check out the pictures on Brooklyn Vegan.

Clandestino - Prospect Park, June 27

Corrientes - July 25, 2007

2007-06-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

169 Bar [10 pm] ~?

The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear & Land of Talk - July 16, 2007

2007-06-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Central Park Summerstage [6:30 pm] ~$30

Setlist:
July, July!
Billy Liar
Summersong
Perfect Crime 2
The Sporting Life
From My Own True Love
The Engine Driver
Crane Wife 3
The Island
O Valencia
Sons And Daughters

Encore
Red Right Ankle
Oceanside
The Chimbley Sweep
The Mariner's Revenge Song

I didn't make it to this one either, but Christopher did:

http://mybigmouthstrikesagain.blogspot.com/2007/07/decemberists-central-park-summerstage.html

The Music Slut review of this show...

DeVotchka - July 24 & 25, 2007

2007-06-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Spiegelworld [10:30 pm] ~$33

This was a beautiful concert all around. DeVotchka played a wonderfully exciting set (including a cover of Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs"). The Spiegelworld tent was a great venue to see this multi-instrumental band and hear their Eastern European tinged sounds. Whether substituting the sousaphone for a stand up bass, switching between accordion and violin, drums to trumpet, or adding a cello, viola and second violin to the mix, this band sounded just wonderfully pure and invigorating. In addition to the great variations of sounds, a acrobat performed above the center of the tent. It was an added bonus to an already excellent event (as was talking to members of the band after the show).

DeVotchka - Spiegelworld, July 24, 2007

DeVotchka - May 21, 2008

2007-06-03T13:18:00.001-07:00

Terminal 5 [9:30 pm to 10:45] ~$27

This DeVotchka show turned out to be another excellent performance. I have to admit that I wasn't looking forward to the show that day (tired, saw them in a small venue and fearful they would not pull off a repeat performance, etc), but DeVotchka were a successpulled out a great show. The played a live, energetic set. You got to love the strings, sousaphone, upright bass, horns, accordion, melodica, etc. In fact, it is the variety of instruments that ensured a great sound at the venue "everyone" slams for poor sound quality. I can see how Terminal 5 is rather sterile, but Devotchka overcame the ghost of Club Exit. Excellent set (I wish they actually followed down the suggested Bob Marley cover!). They haven't disappointed yet!

Other comments and pictures at BV!

Explosions in the Sky - April 8, 2008

2007-06-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Terminal 5 [8 pm] ~$17

I had to bail on this one, but koawmfot said...

excellent show. too short.

Gogol Bordello - July 20, 2007

2007-06-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Irving Plaza [10 pm -12 am] ~$25

Another brilliant performance by these Gypsy punks! This is one of those rare bands that can put on such an excellent performance that surpasses any rave reviews or write ups that are given by the music establishment. Eugene and the gang played a hard charging, infectious set for over two hours. Whether they were playing "Not a Crime", "Immigrant Punk", "Avenue B" ("acoustic") , "Start Wearing Purple", or "Super Taranta", "Wunderlust King" and "Tribal Connections" off their excellent new album ("Super Taranta!") the crowd just went wild. People were bouncing up and down, dancing, simply plugging in to the band's mania of eastern rhythms and their punk assault. At one point toward the end of the set Eugene jumped up on the platform on the left of the stage, climbed up to the balcony (with the help of his fans), sang and hugged and kissed one of his female fans! The song ended, the band laughed and watched Eugene hug some more ladies and wave to the crowd, showing up on stage a few minutes later. The set was far from over. They launched into an electrifying ending to the set and came back for two encores. The first encore lasted about a half an hour; the second, was just one song.

This is a band that should never be missed in action!

Read another review and see more pictures (from the Saturday show) from Brooklyn Vegan.

Ahhhh, forget it...just watch this...

Ultimate - Irving Plaza, July 20, 2007

...and this: Wonderlust King - Irving Plaza, July 20, 2007

Gogol Bordello - November 3, 2007

2007-06-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Terminal 5 [8 pm] ~$27.50

Jose Gonzalez - August 21

2007-06-01T23:40:00.000-07:00

Spiegelworld [10 pm] ~$?

Chistopher's review:

Jose Gonzalez @ Spiegelworld Tent (Pier 17) 8.21.07

Jonny Greenwood's "Popcorn Superhet Receiver" - January 17, 2008

2007-06-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

The Church of St. Paul the Apostle [6:30 Doors] ~$29.99

Listen to the opening pieces.

P. J. Harvey - October 10, 2007

2007-06-01T23:35:00.000-07:00

Beacon Theater [?] ~$?

Set List:

To Bring You My Love
Send His Love to Me
When Under Ether
The Devil
White Chalk
Man-Size
Angelene
My Beautiful Leah
Nina
Electric Light
Shame
Snake
Big Exit
Down by the Water
Grow, Grow, Grow
The Mountain
Silence

Encore:
Rid of Me
Water
The Piano
The Desperate Kingdom of Love

Lauren Hill - August 6, 2007

2007-06-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Wingate Park [8 pm] ~Free

Here's a review from Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn.

Islands - May 24, 2008

2007-06-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Webster Hall [9:15 - 10 pm] ~$16

Islands played a fun show on Saturday the 24th. The set was energetic for the most part. They opened up with "The Arm" and "Pieces of You", mostly playing songs from the new album (Arm's Way). The highlights of the night for me were "Swans (Life After Death)", "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby", "Rough Gem", "Vertigo (If It's a Crime)" and the two songs that started the set. As one could see, my favorites are off the first album. The new, second album is good, but it doesn't stand up next to Return to the Sea. I had to disagree with Nick Thorburn's tongue-in-cheek (I think) statement about playing the "old" songs, "Out with the old, and in with the new." This show was very good, but it is always hard to see a band play a larger venue, supporting a weaker album after seeing them in a more intimate setting previously. Nick and the gang were in great form none-the-less. All the songs did indeed sound great, except for one poorly placed song, "To a Bond." This song is a decent track on the album, but it was a poor choice for a show closer. The band played great, I only wish the new album was as fun as the old.

More pictures here...

Bert Jansch - June 10, 2007

2007-06-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

Bowery Ballroom [10:30 pm] ~$18

The Bert Jansch gig was akin to a magical, Holy experience. Before the small crowd in the Bowery Ballroom (the show was not sold out), Bert Jansch sat on a chair with only his guitar, the microphone at his mouth. He played a beautiful set (playing Blackwater Side and Black Swan, of course). In between songs Jansch would tell personal stories related to why he favored a particular song (such as a song by Jackson C. Frank) or the historical or ethnic references to the folk tune he was about to play. Seeing Bert Jansch was like taking a bridge from the current world of rock music (a faithful devotee of his being Jimmy Page who copied Jansch's intricate style of playing) to the traditional folk songs lost in the time before major labels and A&R men. Bert Jansch's down to earth persona gave me a glimpse into what it must have been like to hear amazing artists grown on local stories, myths and traditions carrying one away from the ordinary day.

Land of Talk - July 14, 2007

2007-06-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Citysol [?] ~Free

Christopher was there and had this to say:

My Big Show Review Strikes Again - 7.13.07-7-14.07

Lollapalooza: Day 1 - August 3, 2007

2007-06-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

Chicago, Grant Park [11 am to 10 pm] ~$195

"Music Tasting and Other Delights..."

We set out for Chicago Wednesday afternoon and arrived Thursday evening (with a stopover in northwestern Pennsylvania). The road trip was fun, as we brushed up on possible Lollapalooza music...and Friday I was set...

I arrived at Grant Park around 1:30 pm and caught some of Col our Revolt's set. I had only heard a few songs of theirs, but I was looking forward to hearing them. They sounded great on the small stage, in the mid-day sun (as I often said "I'll have to check out more songs of theirs"). People were sitting under trees or standing in front of the stage. Lollapalooza wasn't crowded yet (Friday had the smallest crowd, as expected), but it was early still.

This afternoon session shall be called the "music tasting", for I heard a few songs from a variety of bands. Leaving Colour Revolt I headed over to Son Volt's stage. Son Volt had a perfectly pleasing sound coming from the stage. They brought a nice rock to the building crowd, but, man, the sun was even hotter at their area. Surrounded by the city skyline to the west of the park and Lake Michigan to the east, we just baked out in the open throughout the early afternoon sets at Grant Park. With this being the case, and knowing that I had a full weekend of music ahead, I made my way to the trees lining this end of the park and enjoyed Son Volt from a shaded distance.

Though I was thoroughly enjoying Son Volt's set, I tried to check out Ted Leo and the Pharma cists, but they must have ended earlier then scheduled. Ahhh...the schedule. You learned very quickly to plot out your day well if you wanted to get the most out of the festival. The walk between the North and South ends of the park was lengthy when you consider that it may take up to ten minutes just to get from one excellent act to the next. Each end of the park had about three stages near each other (with staggered band schedules) and three other small stages in between. I wasn't the only one constantly checking out the pocket schedule and map to figure the next best move. (By Sunday afternoon, my pocket schedule was looking as wore and beaten as I was starting to feel.)

It was hot, I was hungry, and a band seemed to end earlier than stated, so I grabbed some food and hit the shaded ground to relax and digest. I only sat for a few minutes as I realized that I was nodding to the music coming from the stage near by. The band sounded really interesting and I had never heard them before. I made my way over to the stage and checked out a great set by Viva Voce. This duo was an excellent discovery for me. I had read about them, but I never heard their music before. They were great!

In the same vein of "discovering" new sounds, I had the pleasant surprise of catching the tail end of The Polyphonic Spree as they played a manic cover of Nirvana's "Lithium". I was making my way past Buckingham Fountain when I heard this interesting cover and walked over to their area to see twenty people in white robes making some great noise. They finished their set with an excellent song, and I added them to my list of bands that I must see when I get home (I'll be writing this a lot throughout my review of the weekend). They were a beautiful experience that I wish I caught more of.

The 3:30 to 4:30 set didn't have anyone playing on my "had to see" list, so I checked out Electric Six - didn't like them. Checked out Against Me! on the recommendation from a Chicago paper and really didn't like them, Slightly Stoopid (same), and eventually settled on finding some shade near the stage where M.I.A. was going to perform and not far from where Sparklehorse was playing. Though I know most people would think I was crazy not to choose Sparklehorse from the start, I only know their latest album and don't care for it, so I was up for some "music tasting." With that being said, I'm glad I landed near Sparklehorse because they were playing some beautiful music. It was great listening to them under the trees in Grant Park.

Now, M.I.A. was on my short list of acts not to miss (especially after missing her at Siren Fest two weeks earlier). I had been waiting anxiously for this part of the day. M.I.A. came out with her DJ and backup dancer/singer. I enjoyed her set and stage presence, but though I enjoyed it, I felt that her show was lacking something. Early on in her set she told us that she lost her voice in California, but would soldier on. Her vocal problems weren't that noticeable (only really apparent when she and her backup singer harmonized). With this being the case, I accepted the flawed harmonies and enjoyed the dancing, singing and DJing (though more dancers were needed on stage). The set was really good considering (especially with M.I.A. coming down to the audience, climbing up the scaffolding and shaking around the stage in general) and now I'm sure that I have to her in a small club atmosphere.

From M.I.A on I was on a mission. Forget the "music tasting", the next few hours were set... On the run to Blonde Redhead, I heard great sounds coming from The Rapture, but I had to keep going (adding them to my list of shows to catch in the future of course). At the Silversun Pickups stage I heard more great sounds and the band say "...thank you, but what are you doing here? You should be over at Blonde Redhead." "That's right", I thought, and added them to my growing list. They were dead on. Blonde Redhead was amazing. They truly started my night. They played an excellent set and the crowd was very appreciative of the scene they were creating. Song after song Blonde Redhead (as with many bands throughout the weekend) reminded me that Canada and Iceland didn't have the music market cornered. We New Yorkers seem to forget how many great bands today, not just in our distant and recent past, but today, we have coming from our city (more on this later).

Next up - Satellite Party! Though their album hasn't blown me away (or disappointed either), who could pass up seeing Perry Farrell's new band?!? So, I wanted to see this band, but didn't expect the show they played! Starting off (as I was getting booze), they ripped into "Stop!", an excellent, classic Jane's Addiction song. Perry and his new band embraced playing Jane's and Porno for Pyros and we all loved it. People were singing along, dancing, just having a manic good time. Half the songs of their set came from this repertoire! (Peter DiStefano from Porno for Pyros even came out to play "Pets" and other songs.) Their set provided a recharge that I was sorely needing, since I had driven to Chicago the day before and had been standing for a large part of the day. Satellite Party was great to experience. Perry was full of life and ready to rock, and so they did.

From this great set I was lucky enough to have LCD Soundsystem playing at the other stage in the same field as Satellite Party. I had really fallen for them since their recent "Sound of Silver" album and have read many other blogs raving about Jame's Murphy's live presence, so this was an act I was looking forward to. They carried the momentum of the previous three acts onward! LCD Soundsystem were the highlight of Friday. They were amazing! What an intense performance! James and the crew played a hard charging, percussive onslaught of music from their two albums. Every song seemed better than the last! The crowd danced. James crooned, screamed, beat the cymbals next to him. He even brought on the night as the band played into the darkness with James yelling at the lighting crew to "fuckin' turn them [the lights overhead] off!" It was frenzied and it was fun all around. (Though I am giving the ultimate rating away early in my review, LCD Soundsystem were the top act of the festival for me. I can't wait to see them play with Arcade Fire on October 6.)

Of the two Friday headliners, Daft Punk and Ben Harper, I chose Daft Punk (especially with James Murphy's commands of "Go over there! Go over there!", pointing to Daft Punk's stage). Daft Punk were a perfect ending to this night. I was happy to (sort of) relive my electronica days as Daft Punk lit up (literally) the night from their electric pyramid playing their infectious dance music. Everyone was moving, while, at the same time, mesmerized by the stage lights and images. They played a full, excellent set leaving no one less than satisfied that this was going to be a great festival...

Videos:

Blonde Redhead - "Melody of a Certain Three" from Lollapalooza, August 3, 2007

LCD Soundsystem - "North American Scum" from Lollapalooza, August 3, 2007

Daft Punk - Encore from Lollapalooza, August 3, 2007

Friday Set Lists from Lollapalooza.com

Lollapalooza: Day 2 - August 4, 2007

2007-06-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

Chicago, Grant Park [11 am to 10 pm] ~$195

"You want it all, but you can't have it!"

I walked into Lollapalooza around 1 pm and heard Ludo covering Faith No More's "Epic" and the The Sippy Cups (on the Kidz Stage) covering the Velvet Underground's "Rock & Roll"! This had to be a good sign, great sign even!

I heard these songs on the way to check out Tapes 'n Tapes. This band was decent. I was looking forward to seeing them live, but, though they were good, they didn't do much for me. The music made me feel like I was at a friend's garage watching a band from the neighborhood play. I left a few minutes early to get to the Stephen Marley stage on time.

To put it mildly, I'm bit of a fanatical Bob Marley fan (my first concert was The Melody Makers), so I had Stephen Marley on the short list of acts I had to see this weekend. Stephen Marley was excellent. He came out covering his father's "Punky Reggae Party", and covered many Bob Marley songs in a way only the Marley family can do. To those who have never seen any of the Marleys live then it may sound like Bob's offspring are covering their father just to make a living, but this is a family where it is not the case. Each and everyone of them find the true heart and soul of the Marley magic. It is always great to see one of the Marley clan; this is especially true in this case. Stephen has a resounding likeness to Bob. During the show I realized that Stephen is around the age when Bob was at the peak of his stardom. Great show, great show. In addition to the amazing covers, Stephen played tracks from his excellent new album, Mind Control. He has produced many musicians giving him a tight connection to the music he creates on stage. Stephen is starting to turn out some really poignant songs. A small boy (Stephen's son , I'm sure) danced around stage left and waved a Rasta flag. Marley played a joyous, invigorating set all around. He and the (great) band closed the show with "Could You Be Loved." Perfect!

After Stephen Marley I had to grab a bite to eat and I planned to relax my quickly deteriorating body (...the standing and walking and standing and walking was breaking me down...), but I was quickly caught up by the crowd filling all the available space from the next stage down to the food vendors. The Cold War Kids were on this stage and pulling off a wild performance. I heard that they are great live, but this was a wonderful surprise! I'm not a huge fan of their recent album, but luckily I caught about 25 minutes of their set and headed off to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I'll be sure to catch a future Cold War Kids show.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah turned out to be an interesting act to watch live. I enjoy their music, but have heard stories of poor live CYHSY performances from a few people who saw them last year. I trust the personal reviews that I heard, so I have to imagine that CYHSY have worked out their Freshmen jitters. They played an energetic, infectious set. The crowd was crazy for the group. People danced, sang, bounced, you name it. This band that I saw were tight and ready to push out some more tunes.

Ok, well, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah ended and I hate to say that I missed seeing Regina Spektor, but I've seen her twice and I HAD to take a rest. I laid out on one of the surrounding hills closer to where the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were soon to play and listened to the terrible music coming from this "new" band (new to me that is), The Hold Steady. What a poor mix of camp AC/DC and Bud Light commercials. I needed to rest. What can I say? Once again the local paper gave me some bad advice. The Hold Steady were the recommended act of the two (them and Regina Spektor). Additionally, I have read a lot strong reviews about them since, but, man, I just hated this band.

So, the music that was ruining my rest eventually ended and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' stage was all filled up and ready for the band from Brooklyn. Karen O and the boys were introduced by Perry Farrell, stating that they are exciting, wonderful and one of his favorite bands. Karen O came out draped in a white and black overcoat with long tassels. A very "Karen O sight". The three piece band had an additional player for most of the show (a guitarist who came out wearing a mask for the first song). They rocked the crowd and Karen O put on an excellent performance, apparently finding something comical since she was close to cracking up laughing as she sang most of the songs in the second half of the set. I am inclined to think that the sight of the person translating the song into sign language from the front of stage left was making her laugh. It was an all around good time.

After the YYYs, I had to make my way back across the park to see Patti Smith. I am ashamed to say that I hadn't seen her before Lollapalooza. I have heard nothing but great things about her stage presence and performance. I arrived to a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced" but I had to leave shortly thereafter to run over to the box office to get my wife a ticket for Sunday. When I returned she was playing her classics "Because the Night" and "Gloria", then Nirvana's "Smell's Like Teen Spirit", then one last Patti Smith original. I only caught about four songs, but the point was taken. See more Patti Smith!

Luckily Patti Smith was playing near the next and last stage of my Saturday night, the Interpol stage. It is interesting to note that throughout the day every other shirt that I saw seemed to be a Muse shirt (Muse were playing opposite Interpol across the park), but I have never really cared for their music. More importantly, I really wanted to see Interpol. They came out all dressed in black and proceeded to play a set that made me, I'm embarrassed to say, think of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. I say this because Interpol made me think of the book where the vampire Lestat had a band and became a rock star. Silly, I know, but Interpol just reminded me of the scenes from that story (book three, I think). Point being (weird point being) that they had this interesting dark seriousness to their performance working for them. Well, that is until Paul Banks would talk between songs, as well as when he strapped on a flying V guitar with the word "breasts" written in tape on it. (I thought that was really strange and in opposition to the image they were fronting on stage.) Anyway, Interpol were great. Which brings me back to the whole Muse vs. Interpol saga. I have no doubt that more people were at the Muse stage (the youtube video uploads and blogs reinforce this), but we had a strong, faithful crew at our stage. Someone near me yelled "Fuck Muse!" That said it for me. Fuck Muse, Interpol were the only band on the planet we were interested in at that time.

Videos:

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Satan Says Dance" from Lollapalooza, Day 2 - August 4, 2007

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps" from Lollapalooza, Day 2 -August 4, 2007

Interpol - "Pioneer to the Falls" from Lollapalooza, Day 2 - August 4, 2007

Saturday's set lists from Lollapalooza.com

Read the review of Day 1!

Lollapalooza: Day 3 - August 5, 2007

2007-06-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

Chicago, Grant Park [11 am to 10 pm] ~$195

Write up to come...

Videos:

The Stooges

My Morning Jacket

Amy Winehouse

Rodrigo y Gabriela

TV on the Radio

Menomena & Beat the Devil - July 13, 2007

2007-06-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

River to River - South Street Seaport [7 pm] ~Free

Again, I was away the first two weeks of July, but Christopher was there:

My Big Show Review Strikes Again: 7.13.07-7.14.07

Midlake - September 8, 2007

2007-05-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Webster Hall [9 pm to 10:15 pm] ~$17

A beautiful show! Midlake make such pleasantly harmonious sounds. Each song of their set was a perfect choice for the night. Even with technical difficulties and other complications, this band was able to bring pleasure to our night. Watching the keyboardist enjoy his time playing sounds and singing along was infectious. My only complaint is that Webster Hall had the first floor club going and we could all feel the pounding bass of recognizable songs under our feet. It was very disturbing considering Midlake were playing their hushed, soulful sounds. The new song they played (I believe it was called "The Children of the Ground") is a good indication that the next album will be another pleasing Midlake experience. Highlights included "Head Home", "Jungler", "Kingfish Pies" and "Young Bride". Excellent!

Modest Mouse - September 8, 2007

2007-05-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

McCarren Park Pool [6 pm doors] ~$35

Modest Mouse - June 19, 2008

2007-05-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Music Hall of Williamsburg [2:30 AM] ~$20

Mum - November 10

2007-05-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Wordless Music Series at St. Paul the Apostle [6:30 pm] ~$20

doug said...

i was pretty tired making it to this one. both opening acts were really great to hear. and mum put on a great show. i am really liking the new album and they did them great. grab a copy of the show here:; www.nyctaper.com

The National & Takka Takka - August 18, 2007

2007-05-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

River to River - South Street Seaport [7 pm] ~Free

I got to the Seaport late and caught about seven minutes of a song from The National. It was a great seven minutes, but it was their last song! It was all over before 9:30 pm. Apparently, one blogger believes that the rain caused the event organizers to shorten the opening bands' time allotment to get The National on by 8 pm and avoid any later rain. Whatever the case, I didn't make it to see more than a few minutes of The National's set. Doug and Eric, you'll have to tell us how it was!

Here's the set list from Scoboco's blog:

1. Start a War
2. Mistaken For Strangers
3. Secret Meeting
4. Brainy
5. Baby We'll Be Fine
6. Slow Show
7. Abel
8. Squalor Victoria
9. Racing Like a Pro
10. Apartment Story
11. Daughters of the Soho Riots
12. Fake Empire
13. Mr. November
---
14. Murder Me Rachel
15. About Today

Download the live recording of this show from NYCtaper.com.

New York Dolls (Siren Music Festival) - July 21, 2007

2007-05-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Coney Island [7:45 to 9:10 pm] ~Free

Ughhhhh....I planned on getting to the Siren Music Festival early and enjoying a few key acts (Mat and Kim, MIA, etc), but my lazy ass didn't get there until seven pm, so I was able to catch the headliners, the New York Dolls. With that being said, they were great. They played a surprisingly refreshing and energetic set (which included a cover of "Piece of My Heart", "Pills", "Personality Crisis", "Trash", etc). David Johansen and the gang were great. Did anyone make it to see the other acts?

See more pictures and read the review from Music Snobbery.

Ozomatli, Babylon Circus and DJ Joro Boro - June 30, 2007

2007-04-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

Central Park Summestage [3pm] ~Free

The Pogues & Billy Bragg - March 16, 2008

2007-04-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Roseland Ballroom [6:30 Doors] ~$55

Sunday night with the Pogues was excellent! First off, I wasn't sure if Shane MacGowan was going to show up, but the band came out, kicked into gear and the crowd went nuts as MacGowan walked on stage. Though he didn't look to good, he sounded great! Song after song was a Pogues classic - If I Should Fall from the Grace of God, Bottle of Smoke, Thousands are Sailing, Fairytale of New York, etc... During the fourth song (I believe) Shane was twirling to the music, beer in hand, and fell down. It was sad and funny at the same time, but he was fine and the show went on.

The crowd were great. We all had fun. It was great seeing this talented band with an old friend from out of town. Each song got the crowd moving and wanting more. The band seemed to have no end in mind. The energy of the music could be felt throughout the venue. It was a great way to bring in St. Patrick's Day as we walked out of Roseland onto the streets of New York for a few pints as Monday began. Excellent show!

...Oh, I wish I could report otherwise, but we missed Billy Bragg's opening set. I heard it was great. Next time, I guess...

The set list (apparently the same as the 16th):

Streams Of Whiskey
If I Should Fall From The Grace Of God
The Broad Majestic Shannon
Turkish Song Of The Damned
Pair Of Brown Eyes
Dark Streets Of London
Tuesday Morning
Sayonara
Kitty
Sunnyside Of The Street
Repeal Of Licensing Laws
Thousands Are Sailing
Body Of An American
Boys From County Hell
Love You Till The End
Greenland Whale Fisheries
Dirty Old Town
Bottle Of Smoke
The Sick Bed of Cúchulaínn
-------------
Sally McLellan
Rainy Night In Soho
Irish Rover
--------------
Star Of The County Down
Poor Paddy
Fairytale Of New York (w/ Ella Finer)
Fiesta

(source)

"Faiytale of New York" March 16, 2008

Raconteurs - May 31, 2008

2007-04-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Terminal 5 [9:30 pm] ~$40

Jack, Brendan and the boys played a fantastic set on Saturday. Doug and I were a bit wary about the show since neither one of us cared for their new album much (Consolers of the Lonely). We arrived to Terminal 5 early to catch the much hyped opening band, The Black Lips. Man, they were boring. They had a lot of energy and the right musical references (early Rolling Stones, early Beatles, 13th Floor Elevators, The Clash, etc), but every song had the same beat, the vocals were indecipherable and overall just not very interesting. The Raconteurs came on shortly after their set. From the opener onward the band played a rockin' set. Most songs were off the new album, but this didn't take away from the musicianship, great guitar licks, simply stellar playing overall. Even the songs we really didn't care for sounded great live (with the exception of silly song, "Rich Kid Blues"). The closer of the pre-encore set was "Blue Veins". Man, what an amazing blues, Led Zepplenesque jam. Jack White's guitar playing was amazing throughout, as was Benson's and the rest of the band. It was refreshing to hear a current band play such classic, yet fresh sounding rock n' roll licks. Doug statement after "Blue Veins", was spot on. "Man, how do they follow that?" None-the-less the band came back (after a longer than anticipated pause due to White knocking over the head on his amp during "Blue Veins") and closed the show with the same energy. The crowd was ecstatic, and were extremely with our choice to check this one out.

Saturday night (May 31) setlist
Consolers of the Lonely
Hold Up
You Don't Understand Me
Top Yourself
Switch & Spur
Intimate Secretary
Old Enough
Together
Rich Kid Blues
Level
Steady As She Goes
Blue Veins
---
Broken Boy Soldier (w/Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
Salute Your Solution
Many Shades of Black
Carolina Drama

(Setlist from Brooklyn Vegan.)

Other reviews...

Rodrigo y Gabriela, Vietnam and JDH and DAVE P - July 1, 2007

2007-04-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Central Park Summerstage [3 pm] ~Free

Satellite Party - September 5, 2007

2007-03-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

Irving Plaza [?] ~$?

DJ Shadow - January 26, 2008

2007-03-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

Irving Plaza [?] ~$?

Sandro Perri, Nico Muhly, Valgeir Sigurðsson & Sigur Ros - October 5, 2007

2007-03-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

Good-Shepard Faith Church - Wordless Music Series [8 pm] ~$15

Ending weeks of running myself ragged, coming down with a cold, etc, it was a pleasure experiencing the Wordless Music Series presentation of Icelandic (and Canadian) musicians. The night was full of some beautiful sounds with the occasional hiccups.

From the outset it must be said that the Good-Shepard Faith Church was hot and humid, and the evening's congregation (including Sufjan Stevens and other music notables) were sweaty, tired and hoping for some surprise guests. The first musician was Sandro Perri of Canada. Apparently, Mr. Perri's background is in electronica, but the event organizer assured us that though Perri's acoustic album sounded scary on paper, the music would be beautiful. Well, I believe that he was half right. The guitar playing was good (though the mixing was poor), but I felt that the singing needed work. He hit upon some good sounds, but they didn't last long. Sandro Perry played for about a half an hour to 45 minutes.

Up next were the main acts, Nico Muhly, Valgeir Sigurðsson and their ensemble. The first piece was a somewhat interesting piece with Muhly on piano (which he played most of the night), Sigurðsson on his laptop of sounds (sometimes with guitar), and a woman singing the numbered vocals (the words consisted of numbers in interesting repetitions and rhythms). The remaining pieces included violin, viola and various percussion instruments. At times the music included only a violin, viola, or, on one piece, only percussion on top of the sounds coming from Muhly and Sigurðsson. Will Oldham sang on three songs, but I can't say I enjoyed that very much. My friend and I agreed that we could have done without his appearance. Overall, the music was enjoyable even with the heat and humidity, but at the end of their performance our hopes were fulfilled when the organizer announced that their would be a fifteen minute break before we enjoyed a short, surprise Sigur Ros set.

The four men of Sigur Ros joined us in our heat overload with their acoustic instruments. They opened their three song set with a beautiful version of "Agætis Byrjun" (acoustic bass, piano, acoustic guitar, everything sounded wonderful). After which Jonsi said "it is very hot, my hands are sticky..." We all laughed, then they played what seems to be "Heima" from the movie coming out about them. It was another beautiful song that was song in English (at least partly from what I remember). Lastly, they played "Njósnavélin", or track 4 from "( )". This too was another song washed in pleasant guitar strings, hushed drum strokes, and soothing piano notes. It was to be a perfect set, but that was it. I cannot complain, for they played a surprise set for us, but we all wanted more. Who wouldn't?

Sigur Ros - October 6, 2007

2007-03-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

Florence Gould Hall, French Institute Alliance [7:30 pm] ~$35

Check out the acoustic tracks recorded by nyctaper.com (thanks, dg). Read dg's review!

Sigur Ros - June 16, 2008

2007-03-01T22:18:00.001-08:00

The Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center [7 pm doors]

Patti Smith - September 6, 2007

2007-03-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Music Hall of Williamsburg [?] ~$?

Sonic Youth & The Slits - July 28, 2007

2007-03-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

McCarren Park Pool [7:30 pm] ~$34

Christopher made it to this one:

http://mybigmouthstrikesagain.blogspot.com/2007/07/sonic-youth-mccarren-park-pool-72807.html

Set List

teen age riot

silver rocket

the sprawl

'cross the breeze

eric's trip

total trash

hey joni

providence

candle

rain king

kissability

the wonder/hyperstation/eliminator jr.

----

incinerater

eena

do you believe in rapture?

what a waste

---

jams run free

pink steam

(Set list and pictures from TomVu.)

Sufjan Stevens - November 3, 2007

2007-03-01T21:59:00.001-08:00

BAM [8 PM] ~$20, $25, $30, $35

This special Sufjan Steven BQE show started and ofcourse we were late. I was really looking forward to hearing Sufjan's BQE piece played by his band and orchestra. Since we were late we only heard (and saw) about 15 minutes of the BQE piece, but luckily, unknown to me, the playbill said that the second set of the night would be "Sufjan Plays the Hits." After the intermission Sufjan, his band, and the orchestra came out and played an amazing set of his songs to everyone's pleasure. We loved this gig. There were great sounds and images coming from the stage, and Sufjan was really funny too! I didn't know much about this show heading into it, but I was happily surprised with the entire event, even if we did miss most of his BQE piece.

Set list (from North by Northwest)
The BQE
-intermission-
Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
Jacksonville
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)
Casmir Pulaski Day
John Wayne Gacy Jr.
story – “Toilet Paper Dolls by Sufjan Stevens”
The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!
Barn Owl, Night Killer
Majesty Snowbird
Chicago

Read the North by Northwest Review!

The Stills, Sam Roberts Band and Malajube - June 30, 2007

2007-03-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

Prospect Park [3 pm] ~Free

Tinariwen - November 27

2007-03-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Highline Ballroom [8 pm] ~$25

A beautiful, refreshing show. The band from the desert played some excellently textured fuzz guitar melodies, rhythmic Arabic and French vocals, African infused drumming and a few dance moves! This was my first Tinariwen show and my first Highline Ballroom show. The band was excellent. The crowd was pleased as we all tapped, bounced or danced along to the sounds of these Tuaregs. This long awaited change of pace was very appreciated as I lost myself to the layers and rhythms. I was not very impressed with Highline Ballroom on the other hand. There is something missing in these new venues popping up around the city.

Rob Troise and his Band - August 12, 2007

2007-03-01T21:45:00.000-08:00

Sidewalk Cafe [10 pm] ~Free

I caught up with Rob and the boys at the Sidewalk Cafe for a long overdue listening session. They played a great set. I especially enjoyed "Scarlet Rose" and "I Know You Well". If you haven't check out Rob's music in a while then you're missing some great sounds.

Check out his myspace page for songs and videos.

Tuung - October 24, 2007

2007-03-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

Mercury Lounge [10:30 pm] ~?

TV on the Radio - July 29, 2007

2007-03-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

McCarren Park Pool [6 pm - 7:20 pm] ~Free

Considering that we all woke up to a shitty day in NYC, I'm glad to say that I was one of the many (though not predicted "thousands") seeing TV on the Radio from the pool in McCarren Park. TVOTR took the stage at six PM and dove into "Wash the Day Away", and the rain was more or less finished from that point. The set was excellent and perfectly played. TVOTR played one perfect song after another, playing such songs as "Young Liars", "Hours" and "Let the Devil In" early in their set. Tunde Adebimpe did his strut and painted the soundscape, while Kyp Malone and the gang used their sounds (chimes, effects laden guitars, many percussive instruments) to whip the crowd into a frenzy. By the second half of the set guest musicians came on stage at different points to add vocals, percussion, etc. With the first song of the encore, the stage was full of the previous guests and additional hands, including Kyp's young daughter, to add to the percussive cacophony coming from the stage. Everyone around me was moving in some direction or another to the music and by the last song of the encore only "Staring at the Sun" could satisfy the expectations we all had. It must be said that, I go to many shows and I have had many different experiences at concerts, but I never experienced the chill that went through my body as Kip Malone hit the cord that launched "Staring at the Sun" from its atmospheric start to its frenzied climax. The show was excellent. I hope these Brooklynites continue to give us open access to them each summer. I'm looking forward to seeing them again next weekend in Chicago.

"I was a Lover" - McCarren Park Pool, July 29, 2007

The Verve - April 28 & 29, 2008

2007-02-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

WaMu Theater at MSG [9 pm both nights] ~$40-$50

Yup, I went to both nights. I was a Verve fanatic in the early 90s. I was obsessed with A Storm in Heaven, No Come Down, A Northern Soul and all the singles... ...ok, notice I didn't reference Urban Hymns. Yes, it has some great songs ("Come On", "Rolling People"), but most of the good songs come from their older days. Ahhh, anyway, the show.

First, WaMu and MSG suck!!! I hate this venue. I saw The Shins there and hated that too for similar reasons. It was a poor setting and I wish bands would get over the "played MSG" focus and play some of our finer music institutions. ...so, the band hit the stage exactly at 9 pm on Monday, and of course I was late. My friend and I had general admission tickets for the area in front of the stage so that was a good thing (we thought). We arrived while The Verve were playing "Space and Time." We were annoyed to hear that we missed "A New Decade" and "This is Music", two excellent songs, but we were able to catch that the next night. It must be said that we were happy to have general admission tickets, but the sound in front of the stage was rather poor. The music was too loud and most of the instrumentation was lost (Nick, of course, sounded great and we were very happy to be up close and personal to see all his fretboard magic). The set list from there was decent (again too much Vervecroft, Urban Hymns stuff). The highlights for me were, "Already There" (simply beautiful), "Gravity Grave" (thankfully Simon Jones keep playing this bass line in between songs which prompted Richard and the band to play it off the cuff), "Life's and Ocean" (marvellous!), "History" (sounded great, even without the strings), and the "new" (old) song "Sit and Wonder" (an excellent song they resurrected from their vault). As one can see, they mostly played Urban Hymns shite...ohh! And, the last song of the night was a new one...a horrendous, horrifying new song...Richard called it "Love is Pain" in New York, but many Verve fans on the net state that he called it "Love is Noise" at other shows. Wow, what an awful sample. The sample was a vocal of Richard going "Ooo Ooo, Ooo Ooo, Ooo Ooo - ahh ahh, ahh ahh, ahh ahhh". They must drop this one... With this thought I left night one rather disappointed realizing the recent London set lists, which included "All in the Mind", "Let the Damage Begin", etc., wouldn't be happening at MS-fuckin'-G.

Tuesday night turned out better than I expected. For one, we were on time and caught "A New Decade" and "This is Music" as I had mentioned. (Though we did have to sit through "Sonnet". What an awful song - sorry I'm a bit negative, but the Urban Hymns fans and MSG staff drove me nuts, plus the song, really, really sucks!) The sound from the 200 seats (smack dab in the middle) was excellent. The band sounded great, so that was a major improvement. The highlights from Tuesday were similar, the only difference was that they played "A Man Called Sun" (thankfully they played one of their greatest!!!) and "Velvet Morning". Richard's antics were reassuring as they were in the 90s, with his fist punching, cursing, and other shenanigans. Simon and Nick were their more low key self on Tuesday, as opposed to Simon's out of character exuberance on Monday night. Tuesday night turned out to reassure my faith in a band that should have a few more songs to offer the music loving crowd.

When all is said and done, I felt that both nights together created one rather good (though not great) show. They may not come close to comparing their Irving Plaza gigs, but they were great to see again.

Monday's Set List:

New Decade
Sonnet
This Is Music
Space In Time
Life's An Ocean
Already There
Weeping Willow
Sit and Wonder (new)
The Rolling People
Gravity Grave
Drugs Don't Work
Lucky Man
Come On

Encore: History
Bittersweet Symphony
Love Is Pain (new)

Tuesday's Set List:

A New Decade
Sonnet
This Is Music
Space & Time
Life's An Ocean
Already There
Weeping Willow
Sit and Wonder (new)
The Rolling People
A Man Called Sun
Velvet Morning
Drugs Don't Work
Lucky Man
Come On

Encore: Bittersweet Symphony
Love Is Pain (new)

The White Stripes & Grinderman - July 24, 2007

2007-02-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

Madison Square Garden [10 pm - 12 pm] ~?

Posted on Brooklyn Vegan:

From http://doctormooney.blogspot.com

Set List:

Start Time: 10:06P

Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground
When I Hear My Name
Hotel Yorba
Cannon/John The Revelator/Cannon
Icky Thump
Do
Death Letter
In The Cold, Cold Night (Meg on Organ At End)
Martyr For My Love For You
I’m Slowly Turning Into You (Disco Ball)
I Think I Smell A Rat -> Wasting My Time
300 MPH
You Don’t Know What Love Is…
Fell In Love With A Girl (Slow Version)
Ball & Biscuit

Break: 11:16P -11:24P

Encore:

Blue Orchid (Disco Ball)
I Just Don’t Know…
Little Ghost (mandolin)
We’re Going To Be Friends
Little Bird -> Catch Hell Blues
My Doorbell (Guitar)
7NA
Boll Weevil

End Time: 11:56P

Download the live recording of this show from NYCtaper.com.