(THANK YOU DINA HILLIARD FOR THE TWO PICTURES ABOVE)
The Robyn publicity machine is in full gear! The same week she appeared on “The View” Robyn rocked a gig at Bimbo’s in S.F. After attending her fabulous performance at Pop Scene in San Fran a few months ago, I had to see her again at all costs. The buzz and hype that has surrounded Robyn for the past few months was palpable in the small concert venue filled with hot gay boys, dolled up girls and hipsters.
Robyn opened up like a sonic boom with her dark pop song “Cobrastyle” as the crowd jumped up and down in a frenzied rhythm. Robyn then proceeded to play almost all of the songs off of her U.S. self titled breakthrough album. The packed house seemed to know every lyric as the whole place shook from the crowd singing along.
When Robyn performed her ballad “Eclipse” you could feel the relief in the crowd as they collectively catched their breath. The fever pitch of Robyn’s infectious energy reached its height when she sang a stripped down slow tempo version of her late 90’s hit “Show Me Love”.
Robyn is currently the most relevant and forward thinking pop artist out there and this show just cemented this fact. It would be a shame if Robyn’s innovative sound and brilliant song writing don’t hit it big here in the United States. I have the feeling if enough people caught her live and listened to her new CD she could be as big as Britney. I think she has more talent than most of the pop tarts making the air waves these days.
WATCH MY FOOTAGE OF ROBYN PERFORMING “SHOW ME LOVE” @ BIMBO’S ON 5/16/08 IN S.F. BELOW:
WATCH MY FOOTAGE OF ROBYN PERFORMING “BE MINE” @ BIMBO’S ON 5/16/08 IN S.F. BELOW
This year’s three-day Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Indio, CA was light years ahead of the same event I attended two years ago when Madonna, Tool, The Scissor Sisters and Daft Punk performed. The complete organization and prompt concert line up were very impressive.
I highly recommend Coachella to all concert lovers, Burning Man fans, and people who love to meet new people and see exciting art installations. The vibe is positive all around and people are more pleasant than you would think. Add to that a brilliant line-up, comfortable camping conditions, constantly cleaned porta-potties, private showers, an expansive and eclectic food court and giant beer gardens. I cannot say strongly enough how much this event is a must for anyone looking for a fun group annual outing.
WE WERE THE SECOND GROUP OF CAMPERS TO ARRIVE AT THE HUGE POLO FIELDS FOR THE GROUP CAMPING
Here are reviews for each of the acts I saw this year :
COACHELLA DAY ONE:
THE “SAHARA” DANCE TENT
DJ MEHDI -
I had no idea who this DJ was but was pleasantly surprised by his 80’s dance/pop-influenced mix. Mixing Janet Jackson and other pop divas, DJ Mehdi blew the roof off the dance tent. This was the perfect set to start off a blistering hot day of bumping beats.
MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS - Of all the dance acts, this Australian threesome had me the most excited. Unfortunately they didn’t deliver the same freshness I recently heard on their debut CD “Dystopia.” I was pleasantly surprised to see the members playing instruments instead of tweaking out on a sound board and keyboards.
THE BREEDERS - It was fun to see Kim Deal and company go back to their grunge rock roots at a festival again (I saw them at Lollapalooza about 15 years ago). The classic modern rock group played all their hits including “Divine Hammer” which took me back to 1994 and had me dancing like a fool all over again.
WATCH VAMPIRE WEEKEND PERFORM BELOW:
VAMPIRE WEEKEND - The year’s most hyped and creative band (so far) played a breezy, fun set to an overheated crowd as the sun began to go down. Their music was perfect for cooling off and feeling good. The young hip college kids couldn’t get enough.
GOLDFRAPP - After playing two of their new, slower singles the crowd began to thin out, allowing me to get closer just as Alison Goldfrapp and company began to rock the house with their futuristic brand of disco funk. Their loss was my gain and I danced like a rock star again.
WATCH GOLDFRAPP PERFORM BELOW:
THE VERVE - Even though I only saw The Verve perform their breakthrough hit, “Bittersweet Symphony,” it was worth it just for bragging rights. Richard Ashcroft never looked or sounded better.
APHEX TWIN - This set was the most aggressive, scary, annoying, mean sound I heard at the whole festival. I’m not saying that they weren’t a hit with the crowd — I’m just saying that they made me want to beat someone up.
SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS - I am so pissed that I only got to see one song from this soul sensation, but the song I saw Ms. Jones perform was a mind-bending experience. She lost her mind and got the Holy Ghost barefoot singing out her heart. This was a powerful performance and it was just one song.
WATCH SHARON JONES PERFORM BELOW:
FATBOY SLIM - I was hoping for a bit more from this set but wasn’t let down by Fatboy’s live mixing style. He sounds less gimmicky and cheesy live then he does on some of his full-length CDs, but I must say that I wasn’t that impressed.
COACHELLA DAY TWO:
THE BIRD & THE BEE - This cutesy all girl group was a sweet way to start the day. Their airy brand of 60’s elevator music was fun and innocent enough to enjoy.
VHS OR BETA - I have been waiting to see this group for a long time and the payoff was well worth it. The second day of Coachella got off to a rocking start with their catchy brand of rock n’ roll, which sounded a lot like The Cure.
MGMT - This group had a lot of buzz and the tent in which the show was held was overflowing with people in 115-degree heat. They sounded pretty good and original, but the venue was so intense I couldn’t stick around for the whole thing.
WATCH BOYZ NOISE PERFORM BELOW:
BOYZ NOISE - This super fun DJ set was a surprise because of the high energy, techno sound and brilliant samples. The dance floor moved with the fun energy of these remix masters.
KATE NASH - After dancing my ass off, Kate Nash was a great way to cool down. Her voice was a strong and effective blend of sweet girlie lyrics and witty vocal styling. The mostly female crowd ate up every minute of this set.
HOT CHIP - This was my favorite dance experience of the whole three days. Hot Chip knows how to throw a dance party with their loud cheeky dance music. Their hour-long set drew a huge crowd that braved the direct sun just to dance to their music.
WATCH HOT CHIP PERFORM BELOW:
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - Besides dissing Prince, Death Cab for Cutie didn’t impress me, although I did sing every lyric of my favorite song of theirs, “Soul Meets Body,” as loud as I could. It was a magical moment that sounded just like their CD.
RILO KILEY - As the sun went down Rilo Kiley played their brand of chilled-out Southern California rock ‘n roll to a crowd of wiped-out fans. This was the best comedown-from-dancing rock act of the day and it was the perfect way to cool off.
ME AT MARK RONSON WITH DAVID HASSELHOFF
MARK RONSON - My favorite experience of the whole three-day event was when Mark Ronson brought out a parade of Brit-pop stars to sing his hits. Kenna, the lead singer of The Kaiser Chiefs, and The Charlatans all helped Mark Ronson give the most mind-blowing set of the entire festival. It was a history-making experience AND I met David Hasselhoff!
MARK RONSON
WATCH MARK RONSON PERFORM BELOW:
PORTISHEAD - Portishead played at the first hint of night with an eerie and somber set that packed the main stage with people in a daze. The electro pioneers played all of their trip-hop hits along with some new stuff to thousands of tripping fans who were mesmerized by their performance.
SASHA & DIGWEED - I love dance music but this show was like popping in a CD at my house, it had no human touch or emotion. There was nothing authentic or original about it. Maybe it was all the awesome live acts I had just seen, but this repetitive electronic dance music just didn’t do it for me.
CALVIN HARRIS
CALVIN HARRIS - Calvin Harris was my second favorite performance of Coachella 2008. I don’t think many people knew who he was or what he was capable of because as soon as he started his act, the roof blew off the tent and people started swarming. I danced my ass off and was in heaven when he played the hot track, “Vegas.” After walking up to him near the beer garden earlier in the day I can confirm that he truly is smoking hot in person.
WATCH CALVIN HARRIS PERFORM BELOW:
PRINCE - Right before Prince began to play, all of the lighting at Coachella turned purple. No other act went up against Prince and that was the right thing to do. Prince played every hit and dissed all of his haters. It didn’t hurt that he brought this friends Sheila E and Morris Day and the Time with him. This was history in the making, folks. He played The Beatles’ “Come Together” and made sure to remind us all “this is my house!”…and it was!
COACHELLA DAY THREE:
PERRY FARRELL - I had no idea Farrell was going to play all of Janes Addiction’s best hits. He even performed a dance version of “Been Caught Stealing,” that made me squeal like a teen girl. This little surprise made me lose my gay mind.
DIMITRI FROM PARIS
DIMITRI FROM PARIS - My favorite DJ of all time made sure he played enough French house and disco inspired tracks to keep the crowd going crazy. I was not surprised he won over thousands of people who obviously had no idea who he was. This was unpretentious old school dance music with lyrics we all knew! His remix of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” tore up the dance tent.
WATCH DUFFY PERFORM BELOW:
DUFFY - Duffy played the perfect set to calm down from a dance frenzy. Her soulful set was calming and she sounded as clear as she does on her debut CD “Rockferry.” I even got to meet her in the dance area know as Do-Lab “The Mushroom Garden” (picture below). Not only does she sound lovely but she looked sweet as pie as well.
DUFFY
JESSE MURPHY (BRAZILLIAN GIRLS) - What a rare treat this performance this was! Murphy’s remix of The Smiths “Big mouth Strikes Again” at the Do-Lab “Mushroom Garden” wet grass dancefoor had me in a gay tizzy! I screamed and danced until I had a heart attack, then I passed out from all the excitement. What fun!
BOOKA SHADE - This dance act was another sweet surprise and a great hour of booty shaking beats. Despite the unbearable heat people couldn’t avoid dancing to the funky fresh dance tracks these guys laid down in the blaring sun.
DANNY TENAGLIA - Once again I became over saturated with dance music in the high heat of the day and I had to leave once Danny’s music became too repetitive and robotic with no sense of real fun.
WATCH GOGOL BORDELLO BELOW:
GOGOL BORDELLO - These gypsy punk rockers from Eastern Europe had the massive crowd at the main stage swirling in a massive mosh pit. Their fun blend of world music and melodic punk rock made me an instant fan.
METRIC - Metric played a soothing and charming set as the sun began to trickle over the palm trees on the horizon. Their soft rock sound was the best way to calm down after a day of non-stop dancing.
WATCH MY MORNING JACKET PERFORM BELOW:
MY MORNING JACKET - My favorite stoner rock band didn’t disappoint their legion of hippy/jam band fans by playing all their hits and some new tracks which have me drooling at the mouth for their new CD out next month. This group knows how to play a sun set and put you in a good space.
SIA - The female voice of the band Zero 7 played tracks from her terrific new solo CD and then she played one Zero 7 song, “Destiny.” After a day that wiped me out this was another great song set to lie out and relax to.
SIA
ROGER WATERS - This was the most anticipated show of the day and people were obviously emotional as Waters played hits from “The Wall”, “Wish You Were Here” and “Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety. This deeply moving experience was truly breath taking to watch and Waters voice sounded gorgeous. I am so glad I was able to see this show and be a part of something legendary.
WATCH A CLIP OF ROGER WATERS PERFORM BELOW:
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO - The dance tent suddenly exploded with bouncing heads and a crazy light show as soon as these guys came on. Their crafty blend of dance music and hilarious lyrics had the crowd going insane.
CHROMEO - This group started off with a bang but then became a bit too repetitive and cheesy. The electro-voice recorder sound effects and early 80’s rap knock of their songs didn’t sustain the energy of the first few tracks. This was another slightly disappointing band that I had high hopes for.
WATCH JUSTICE PERFORM BELOW:
JUSTICE - Just like their techno influences (Daft Punk) Justice decided to create an experience rather than just play tracks from their CD’s. These guys built up songs that exploded making a frenzy in the crowd that was crazy to witness. Closing out Coachella should always go out with a similar bang as Justice provided.
Thank goodness for Mika’s fresh brand of bouncy Euro-pop! His debut album “Life In Cartoon Motion” is a sugar-sweet pop masterpiece. The album is full of catchy, memorable singles that are instantly ingrained into your pop culture conscience. This new innovative sound translates very well onto the stage. Mika’s performance at The Warfield last Tuesday was a masterful production with many surprises.
The first thing I noticed was how multi-talented Mika is as a performer. The Broadway-style set designs and costumes only highlight the talent expressed though his crisp singing and stage presence. Right away I noticed that Mika performs eerily like Freddie Mercury. His vocal style and fun energy were completely infectious and made me as giddy as a school girl.
Which brings me to another point: Mika has a lot of teen fans. Most of them stayed in the balcony area, but it was obvious that his fan base is made up mostly of young girls. Throughout the concert hall the hormone-filled screams of little girls echoed. It was hard not to get caught up in the excitement of it all.
Mika’s colorful and imaginative performance was very similar to a Flaming Lips concert I went to two years ago. The confetti, costumes, streamers, balloons and set designs created an experience beyond just a regular rock concert. Songs like “Love Today” and “Relax (Take It Easy)” were enhanced by the vibrant theatrics presented on stage.
It was as if Mika and company were able to fit an amusement park on stage and the crowd went along for the scream-filled ride with the enthusiasm of a 12 year old! I would recommend that you go out of your way to see Mika live if possible!
WATCH MIKA PERFORM “BIG GIRL, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL” BY CLICKING BELOW:
WATCH MIKA PERFORM “BILLY BROWN” BY CLICKING BELOW:
WATCH MIKA PERFORM “LOVE TODAY” BY CLICKING BELOW:
First off, I want to thank photographer (and Robyn fan) Monica Ortiz for the fabulous pictures posted in this blog! You rock my world sweetie! These pictures are awesome!
Every now and then a pop artist comes along that blows away all preconceived notions about how cheesy and affected pop music is. Robyn is in the same high fun pop concept category as other European chantueses like Jem, Annie, Rachel Stevens, Lily Allen, Kate Nash and Goldfrapp. These girls are able to keep intact the infectious main stream nature of pop music while expressing a new artistic sound that is ahead of its time.
I have been waiting for this Robyn concert since the late 90’s when she broke onto the scene the same summer as The Spice Girls, Britney and Christina. For some reason Robyn didn’t survive the tidal wave of pop acts that surged during the late 90’s.
But over in her native country of Sweden and across Europe she put out two innovative and R&B infused discs that were hits; “My Truth” and “Don’t Stop The Music”. Of course, we here in the states never got a chance to hear this music.
Robyn performed some tunes off of both of these older albums like “Don’t Stop The Music” and “Keep This Fire Burning” as well as her classic breakthrough pop song “Show Me Love”. Most of the concert ’s track listing was comprised of songs from her new, ridiculously creative and catchy album “Robyn”.
Songs like “Konichiwa Bitches”, “With Every Heartbeat”, “Cobrastyle” and “Be Mine” sounded as crisp and revolutionary as they do on her c.d. The experience in it’s self was artistically masterful and fine tuned.
Robyn’s voice live in person sounded just as clear and crisp as it does on her albums, if not better. The uber tiny space of Popscene at 330 Ritch here in S.F. was the perfect intimate space to hear these tunes.
I not only recommend that people see Robyn, but that they go out of their way to listen to her new c.d. and to see her live if they get the chance. It has been a long time since pop music has been this fun, smart and fashion forward.
Robyn is the queen of a new sound that fuses rap, techno, disco and R&B to meld together into a perfect orhcestra of smart bubblegum pop. This show couldn’t have highlighted these qualities any better.
WATCH YOU TUBE FAN FOOTAGE OF THE CONCERT BELOW (I AM THE GAY SPAZ JUMPING UP AND DOWN TO THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN):
This was my 8th Morrissey show and I have to say that Morrissey never disappoints. After following his California “Tourrissey” this past summer I was suprised that Morrissey booked four nights at the historical Fillmore music venue this Fall. Out of all the places to see Morrissey the Fillmore is my ultimate favorite venue. This was my third time seeing Moz live at the Fillmore.
Unlike past shows I did not try to get on stage to touch Morrissey. This show was particularly quiet as far as rowdy fans are concerned. Morrissey started the show with a bang performing Smith songs followed by recent hits from his “Ringleader of the Tormentors” c.d. The crowd was amped for this performance and you could tell by how much the crowd sang along to such Smith hits like; “Death of a Disco Dancer”, “London” and “How Soon Is Now?”.
Morrissey’s band couldn’t have been any more hot. The crowd went crazy when Moz introduced them to the crowd. Morrissey was in a talkative mood on this night as he discussed current events with the crowd; “The President of Iran was in your country today and he stated that there were no homosexuals in his country”…..”what he forgot to mention was that it’s because he had them all slaughtered”. Right on Morrissey!
About a third way into the show Morrissey threw out his shirt to the crowd. A good friend of mine immediately dove in to grab a piece. With luck he was able to get the shirt and then gave me a shred of it (it is the blue shirt pictured below). This may be weird for some of you, but this was a dream come true for rabid Morrissey fans. I am currently in the process of framing my classic Fillmore poster from the show WITH the shred of shirt I was given.
I was surprised to hear some of my favorite songs from his c.d. “Vauxhaul and I” like “Billy Bud” and “Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself”. All in all this was yet another fun night at a Morrissey concert. After seeing him 4 times this year I can pretty much guarantee that if he tours Northern California again that I will most likely try to catch as many shows as possible. Morrissey is the quintessential showman and entertainer. His music is timeless and he knows what his fans want, who could ask for a better concert going experience?
The Arcade Fire continued to prove that they are one of the best live bands out there on their most recent tour stop in the bay area this past weekend. I am not a big fan of Amphitheater style concert venues but this show became an different experience for fans at the Shoreline. I showed up to the concert right as LCD Soundsystem started their set and noticed right away that the parking area was strikingly empty.
As we approached the ticket gates I noticed a mad rush of scalpers trying to unload lots of concert tickets at very cheap prices . As I was about to purchase my ticket I was told by the attendant that they were free. I soon noticed that people were giving away tickets once they realized they could not sell them. Basically the event did not sell out and if you arrived at the venue without a ticket you were pretty much guaranteed a free ticket to get in. Even though it started to rain a little bit, this stroke of luck set the mood for a great night!
What shocked me was that LCD Soundsystem blew me away with their set. I have heard of the band before this gig, but had not heard their music until this show. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the funky dance beats and terrific singing by the lead singer. I will have to admit that I am going to go out and buy the new LCD album and put it into heavy rotation, they were that impressive in person. After the LCD Soundsystem set I became even more pumped to see The Arcade Fire which is what a good opening band is supposed to do.
The Arcade Fire’s latest album “Neon Bible” is one of the best of 2007 and it transcends beautifully on stage. The Arcade Fire’s last two albums “Funeral” and “Neon Bible” play well together live much like a well crafted opera. The dramatic touches and tightly synchronized band movements were awe inspiring to witness. I danced to almost every song and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of The Arcade Fire set. Watching the many talented musicians crafting an intricate frenzy of soaring rock music was uplifting and an awesome concert going experience. If you get the chance, go see both of these bands live!
WATCH YOUTUBE FOOTAGE OF THE ARCADE FIRE PERFORMING “NO CARS GO” @ THE SHORELINE AMPITHEATER ON 9/21/07 HERE:
I have become a big fan of this Swedish threesome this past summer. “Young Folks” is my summer song, and remains to be the best single of the year. I was excited to see Peter, Bjorn and John the minute I heard they were playing at the Warfield in San Francisco (which is 5 minutes from my apartment). The tickets were a mere $25 bucks a pop, which are a bargain if you buy them at the box office, otherwise you had to pay almost $15 in fees! But my ticket was free, so it didn’t matter anyway.
When I arrived to the venue I was earlier than I usually like to be. I hate opening bands more than anything! And this opening act was so contrived it was hard to not feel a bit anxious. “The Clientele” as they were called, grated on my last nerve. The blonde wispy Fiona Apple wannabe back up singer/Xylophonist looked out of place and silly. And their music is about 10 years too late as far as “indie rock” goes. The irritating blonde back up singer later came out to do do vocals on the PB&J hit “Young Folks” much to my dismay.
The band itself reminded me a lot of The Jesus and Mary Chain in the way it sounded live. As for Peter, Bjorn & John’s performance; it was energetic, fun, and a bit like that of the Gallagher brothers from Oasis. It was a brit-pop concert performed by 3 Swedish indie rockers. The crowd was a bit tired and not very responsive to much of the on stage antics. As I looked up at the balcony I could see that the venue was half full, which I have never seen before for such a hot band at this particular concert hall.
Peter, Bjorn & John played their entire new c.d. “Writer’s Block” and all of their fun hits like; “Amsterdam”, “Let’s Call It Off” and the previously mentioned “Young Folks” (which plays great live by the way). I particularly liked the Indian sitar instrumental version of “Young Folks” that played moments before the show started. The music was flawless and I was surprised to see that all 3 members sing on these tracks.
These highlights were good enough for me to enjoy the whole concert for what it was worth. The sound quality was terrific, the singing was c.d. quality and pitch perfect. If anything the boring crowd made the show seem anticlimactic. During the finale the lead singer walked off stage into the crowd still singing and walked back towards the tables and bar area uninterrupted. I couldn’t help but think that this was great showmanship and the sign of a great band at it’s heigth.
WATCH YOUTUBE FOOTAGE OF PETER, BJORN & JOHN PERFORMING “YOUNG FOLKS” @ THE WARFIELD ON 9/18/07 HERE:
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR “LET’S CALL IT OFF” HERE:
My first Daft Punk concert experience was over a year ago at Coachella 2006. I’m not sure what I was expecting to see or experience. I was completely in shock after the show was over and I instantly fell back in love with one of the best electronic bands of all time. Before that show I had given up to the magic that is The Flaming Lips in concert and assumed no one could ever match their showmanship and creativity during a live show. I was wrong, watching Daft Punk at Coachella and then again recently at the Greek theater is the closest I have ever come to a religious experience.
The show itself sounds flawless and is loud enough to blow out your ear drums, which is just the way I like it when I am ready to dance my ass off. But what you don’t expect is the hypnotizing, pulsing light show with huge television screens and shooting laser beams. The French duo themselves are lit up with lasers on a giant Pyramid spaceship. As if from another planet the whole venue was in awe and the energy was infectious.
Listening to these guys live a second time around I found myself saying “I cannot believe how many hits they have”. They may not all be radio friendly but any dance music lover and old school raver would be brain dead to not know such hits as “Da Funk”, “One More Time”, “Around The World” and “Technologic”. Each song was carefully woven in and out of each other creating a gorgeous mammoth mash-up by the concert’’s end.
Everyone in the venue was singing out loud, dancing like a kid or just grinning like a fool. If you were at this concert then you were ecstatic to be there. I am going to make it a point to see these guys every chance I can on tour. It is a once in a life time experience that has to be witnessed to believe, it is that freakin’ awesome! Check out the video below!
REGINA SPEKTOR: THE WARFIELD SAN FRANCISCO, CA 4/30/07
Regina Spektor’s recent album “Begin To Hope” is a modern musical masterpiece. Her sense of timing and her arrangements are peculiar and exciting all at the same time. I went to this concert to see how well the tunes transcend onto a live stage. The good news is that she sounds as crystal clear live, as she does on her c.d. The bad news, this tour consisted of just Regina and her piano. The last time I saw a tour like this it was with Tori Amos. That concert put me to sleep, this one almost did. If it weren’t for Regina’s perky attitude and silly lyrics I would have been bored to tears.
I took only one picture and one video (posted above) because the security staff was on high alert. They were given specific instructions to kick out people with flash photography. That is lame for the Warfield, just lame. I even saw the security people going through the crowd hushing people who were talking too much. Yikes.
Regina has a a great stage presence and her songs are so lively that you are able to follow the story in such an intimate setting. But this show lacked the showmanship I am used to at this venue. Her best songs “Hotel Song” and “Fidelity” were pitch perfect, but not as fun played with just the piano. There was no pizazz or great moments that I could relay from this concert, which is sad. It was just Regina and her piano telling stories. And compared to her c.d. the material wasn’t given the right treatment.
For those of you that do not know it, Morrissey is my favorite musician/songwriter of all time. I have now seen him live in concert 6 times, and each time he matures more and more giving a flawless performance every time. For his “Greatest Hits” tour he chose 4 venues in the S.F. Bay/Northern Cali area; Stockton, Reno (Nevada), Oakland and Santa Rose. When the tickets went on sale I quickly purchased 3 tickets for 3 different shows. I was not going to miss this tour, and had vowed to see every show I could if possible.
On the very first night of his world tourin Stockton, CA. Morrissey opened up with The Smith’s song, “The Queen Is Dead”. The crowd lost their minds. I was blown away by the crisp and polished sound the Smith’s songs had. Morrissey is known to be pitch perfect live, but he hasn’t performed some of these songs in ages. You couldn’t tell though, he truly mastered every note sounding no different then his recorded material. “How Soon Is Now” caused the arena in Stockton to erupt with applause. The audience sang along to every word. It was a great moment.
The very next day I started the road trip to Reno, Nevada for the Moz show at the Nugget casino and hotel. The cool thing about this venue was that it was the quintessential Las Vegas type of lounge made popular by the Rat Pack. And Morrissey seemed right at home. He came onto the tiny stage followed by a wall of screams, he was close enough to touch. I lost my shit right then and there. This was the most intimate I have ever seen Moz perform before. The ambiance and vibe were awesome, the venue created a lounge like mood the whole night.
All in all the Reno show was the best Morrissey concert I have ever seen. The Stockton show was a great way to open the tour, it allowed his fans in the bay area to follow the tour and see their favorite artist in intimate venues. I still have one more show to attend tonight in Oakland, so I am not counting out that tonight may have some magic of its own. I will take more footage tonight but in the meantime check out the pictures below which were taken just 5 feet away from Morrissey in Reno:
WATCH VIDEO FOOTAGE I TOOK WITH MY DIGITAL CAMERA AT THE MORRISSEY CONCERT IN RENO, NV. BELOW
(IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS TO LOAD):
BELOW IS FOOTAGE I FOUND ON YOUTUBE TAKEN AT THE STOCKTON, CA SHOW I ATTENDED ON 4/26/07:
Lilly Allen has been riding a wave of buzz for some time now in the America. Last fall I heard this c.d. and watched it tear up the European and British charts. Every single released off of her debut c.d. “Alright Still” has gone to the top ten in the U.K. Here in the states she is having a warm reception as well. Radio airplay, marketing and talk show appearances are everywhere in support of this tour. Lilly Allen shows no sign of stopping, her infectious attitude and creative lyrical style make her one of the most important pop singers currently around. After viewing Lilly Allen live in concert I can now say she has the staying power as an entertainer and singer to be around for a while.
It was obvious by the sold out crowd that S.F. is digging Lilly Allen, her reception was crazy loud and she was blown away by the applause and cheering. Lilly came out looking cute as a button. Her hip-hop girlie look is super hot. She spoke to the crowd in the cutest British accent peppered with curse words and surly comments. She told us right away she was already buzzed and intended to get wasted on stage. At that point she lit up the first of many, many cigarettes. But she didn’t skip a beat and gave a flawless performance with a sense of humor that was refreshing.
The best track she sang was “Ldn” and “Not Big”, both crowd pleaser songs to say the least. Her description of the songs themes and the meaning behind the songs were hilarious. With her banter in between songs we got a peak at Lilly’s sassy side, all I can say is that whoever burned her in a relationship sure is regretting it now. Her pixie like stature, soft singing voice and stoner like demeanor are perfect for her reggae and ska influenced tunes. The crowd more than once was jumping in unison, and it was obvious by the crowd singing the words to her hits “Alfie” and “Smile” that she has a solid fan base.
This was a great night and a fun event. It was as if Lilly Allen’s young, exciting and fresh c.d. had come to life on stage at the Filmore. Just like her song styling she is brutally honest and sincere in her emotions. I was happy to catch this rising star at the pinacle of her popularity, supporting one of the best c.d.’s of the past year. If you are going to Coachella, make sure you see her! If you do not know her music, then go listen to her c.d. And then go watch some of her music videos that are in the “Music Video” section of my blog (to the right of this page).
I am a huge dance music fan. I love Burning Man, Halloween parties and the many different kinds of techno inspired events that take place here in the S.F. bay area. I went to my first “rave” here in 1993 when I was still in high school, it was called “Cyberfest”. I saw the progression of dance music, underground parties and raves evolve at a fast pace. It has been a long time since I have been to a full fledged rave like the one I went to this past weekend called “POP” with Kaskade, Infected Mushroom, DJ Dan and Benny Benasi. At the end of the night I was calling this event “babies first rave”. 5 minutes into the show some kid felt it necessary to tell me this was his first rave…..ahh, how cute.
As soon as I entered the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium I was overwhelmed by the blinking pacifiers, glow sticks, candy ravers and costumes. Secondly I noticed how fucking young everyone was at the event. The crowd looked like it was full of high school kids. Being 31 years old, I really wasn’t expecting to feel so old, but these kids were still wet behind their ears. The boys looked like Abercrombie & Fitch models, the girls looked like jail bait. And after many hours of “cruising” I couldn’t find one cluster of gay boys or lesbians. This was a young, straight event and I was in for a night of silliness and confusion.
The element of gangster and hip-hop lovers at this concert confused me, is electronic music now for the “thug” types too? The break dancers and dance circles were full of hip-hop gangster wannabees and that was something I had never seen at the early raves of the 90’s. I am glad to see that even though the culture is changing as far as style and influences, that the “good vibes” and “brotherly love” were still abundant. I didn’t see any fights or sexist behavior, it was a bunch of adults (kinda) acting silly and having fun. It would have been nice to see more gay boys (slutty gay boys) but all in all it was a fun flashback to the old times.
Kaskade came on like a wave, within 5 minutes the crowd grew in size in the room he was spinning in. He played a huge set and kept the house diva beats going, I was in heaven. Kaskade played some of his all time favorites like “Everything”, and some new gems “Sorry”, “Stars Align” and “Be Still”. But the best part of his set was the weaving of pop songs like Madonna’s “Jump” towards the end of his performance. The crowd lost their shit. I have to say his charisma and style were meshing well with the dancers and the over all vibe. And for all of you DJ whores out there, he is hot as hell. Really though, Kaskade is so good looking it was painful! I had a great time and got to hear my all time favorite DJ from S.F. spin fun records that didn’t try to be anything more than the dance tunes they were.
I had never heard Razorlight’s music until attending their show on March 5th at Slim’s in San Francisco. A good friend of mine gave me tickets for my birthday knowing I love the euro-pop and guitar driven music with hot lead singers. Man was he right on this one. Razorlight not only sounded perfect, they were fun and sexy. They had a much bigger fan following than I expected also, people were singing every word with the lead singer Johnny Borrell. Of course the girls were swooning over his half naked body and melodic falsetto. After the show I realized what all of the fuss was about over in the U.K. These guys sell out big venues and have had big success with their albums and singles.
I enjoyed their brand of light pop rock and British wit. Johnny Borrelll is a fantastic lyrical story teller and has genuine moments of comedic bliss in lyrics. The soft and building chorus’s and soft riff’s are pretty in the way Coldplay’s first c.d. was. I purchased the newest Razorlight c.d. and found out they sound just as crisp and fresh on c.d. as they do live. This is always the true test of a great rock band. Will these guys break it big here in the states? I doubt it, which is a shame these guys are what is new and hip in main stream rock these days.
1.) “The Queen” - The acting and light comedic touches make this my favorite movie of 2006. 2.) “Borat” - Sacha Baron Cohen is a genius, he has made the funniest film of the last 20 years. 3.) “Pan’s Labyrinth” - Scary, gory, moving and left me longing for more. 4.) “Children Of Men” - Haunting and real, this movie shocked and moved me more than any other movie. 5.) “Little Miss Sunshine” - I love everything about this rich family comedy, especially the ending. 6.) “Sherrybaby” - Maggie Gyllenhaal deserves Oscar credit for this small real life gem. 7.) “Dreamgirls” - Jennifer Hudson gives THE best performance of 2006 in this fun ride. 8.) “Notes On A Scandal” - Deliciously twisted and dark, this movie was the smartest film of 2006. 9.) “The Hills Have Eyes” - The best horror film of the past 20 years, over the top and nasty..I loved it! 10.) “Clerks 2″ - This movie was not only funny and smart, but it was just as moving and sweet.
THE WORST MOVIES:
1.) “Little Man”
2.) “Lucky Number Sleven”
3.) “You, Me & Dupree”
4.) “Accepted”
5.) “The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift”
6.) “Mission Impossible 3″
7.) “Click”
8.) “Basic Instinct 2″
9.) “The Lake House”
10.) “John Tucker Must Die”
THE BEST HORROR MOVIES:
1.) “Pan’s Labyrinth”
2.) “The Hills Have Eyes”
3.) “Slither”
4.) “Feast”
5.) “The Omen”
THE BEST ANIMATED MOVIES:
1.) “Happy Feet”
2.) “Flushed Away”
3.) “Open Season”
4.) “Over The Hedge”
5.) “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown”
THE BEST DVD RENTALS:
1.) “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” (Starring Val Kilmer & Robert Downey Jr.)
2.) “Who Killed The Electric Car?” (Documentary)
3.) “Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby” (Starring Will Farrell)
4.) “The Corporation” (Documentary)
5.) “This Filthy World w/ John Waters” (Performance)
THE BEST ALBUMS:
1.) Kaskade - “Love Mysterious”
2.) The Dixie Chicks - “Taking The Long Way”
3.) The Flaming Lips - “At War With The Mystics”
4.) Lily Allen - “Alright Still”
5.) Morrissey - “Ringleader Of The Tormentors”
6.) Nelly Furtado - “Loose”
7.) Zero 7 - “The Garden”
8.) Belle & Sebastian - “The Life Pursuit”
9.) Cat Power - “The Greatest”
10.) Robbie Williams - “Rudebox”
11.) Bob Sinclar - “Western Dream”
12.) The Scissor Sisters - “Ta Dah”
13.) Tom Petty - “Highway Companion”
14.) John Mayer - “Continuum”
15.) Tiga - “Sexor”
THE BEST SINGLES:
1.) Nelly Furtado - “Maneater”
2.) Paris Hilton - “Nothing In This World”
3.) Gnarls Barkley - “Smiley Faces”
4.) Mary J. Blige - “Be Without You”
5.) Indigo Girls - “Little Perenials”
6.) Justin Timberlake - “Sexy Back”
7.) Rhianna - “S.O.S.”
8.) Robbie Williams - “We’re The Pet Shop Boys”
9.) Regina Spektor - “On The Radio”
10.) Of Montreal - “Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games
11.) Beck - “Nausea”
12.) John Mayer - “Vultures”
13.) Amy Millan - “Skinny Boy”
14.) Tiga - “You Gonna Want Me”
15.) Madonna - “Jump”
THE WORST OF MUSIC:
1.) Fergie - “The Dutchess”
2.) Gabriel & Dresden - “Tracking Treasure Down”
3.) Gwen Stefani - “The Sweet Escape”
4.) Carrie Underwood - “Jesus Take The Wheel”
5.) Kevin Federline - “Playing With Fire”
6.) Janet Jackson - “20 Y.O.”
7.) Clay Aiken - “A Thousand Different Ways”
8.) Daughtry - “Daughtry”
9.) The Pussycat Dolls - “PCD”
10.) Beyonce - “B-Day”
THE BEST LIVE SHOWS:
1.) Daft Punk - Indio, CA (Coachella)
2.) The Flaming Lips/Gnarls Barkley/Cat Power - SF, CA (Bill Graham)
3.) Kaskade - Indio, CA (Coachella)
4.) Goldfrapp - SF, CA (The Filmore)
5.) The Flaming Lips - SF, CA (Bimbos)
6.) The Scissor Sisters - SF, CA (The Warfield)
7.) Cat Power - SF, CA (Bill Graham)
8.) Amadou & Mariam - Indio, CA (Coachella)
9.) The Foo Fighters - South SF, CA (Genentech 30th Anniversary Party)
10.) The Dixie Chicks - Oakland, CA (Oakland Coliseum)
11.) My Morning Jacket - Indio, CA (Coachella)
12.) Scumfrog - Black Rock City, (Burning Man)
13.) Franz Ferdinand - Indio, CA (Coachella)
14.) Imogene Heap - Indio, CA (Coachella)
15.) The Scissor Sisters - Alice 97.3 Studios (SF)
THE BEST OF TV:
1.) The Office (NBC) - This show was sad, uncomfortable and hilarious all in one! The best sitcom on t.v.! 2.) Lost (ABC) - I am sick of “Lost” haters, I love that I am kept guessing. This show is genius. 3.) 30 Rock (NBC) - The 2nd best sitcom on t.v., this show is fresh and makes me laugh out loud.
4.) Big Brother All Stars (CBS) - I cannot get enough of Janelle. This show never gets old. 5.) Big Love (HBO) - This show is so charming and a great replacement for “Six Feet Under”. 6.) The Soup (Comedy Central) - This show is a pop culture junkies wet dream. 7.) Intervention (A&E) - Real & touching, this show doesn’t pander to critics or social users, it’s just real.
8.) Judge Judy (Syndicated) - I love how Judge Judy puts things into perspective, no bullshit! 9.) Scrubs (NBC) - This show is still fresh and never gets old, the characters are so easy to love. 10.) The View (ABC) - Thank god for Rosie, this show has been my Tivo staple for 3 months.
11.) Extras (HBO) - I prefer this show over the British version of “The Office”, it is smart and edgy. 12.) The Amazing Race (CBS) - Finally, the race came back with great contestants and was fun again. 13.) Saturday Night Live (NBC) - “Dick In A Box” and the new cast members make this show fresh again. 14.) The Chelsea Handler Show (E!) - Offensive and crude, Chelsea is the perfect fag hag for T.V.
15.) South Park (Comedy Central) - This season showed this show has legs and critical love.
THE WORST OF TV
1.) Flavor Of Love 2 (MTV)
2.) House Of Carters (VH1)
3.) Jericho (CBS)
4.) The Oprah Winfrey Show (Syndicated)
5.) Primetime Live - “To Catch A Predator” (ABC)
6.) Inside Edition/Entertainment Tonight (Syndicated)
7.) The O.C. (FOX)
8.) Dancing With The Stars (ABC)
9.) The Tyra Banks Show (Syndicated)
10.) Laguna Beach (MTV)
THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS OF 2006:
1.) “X-Men 3″ - I miss Bryan Singer’s voice in this series. 2.) Taylor Hicks “Taylor Hicks” - To say I was sad to hear this mild c.d. would be an understatement. 3.) “For Your Consideration” - I wanted to love this film, and didn’t. 4.) Madonna @ Coachella - Madonna seemed like she hated performing and her fans didn’t appreciate it. 5.) “Freakshow” on Comedy Central - Lots of voice talent, not enough fun. 6.) Project Runway Winner: Jeffrey - I wanted Uli to win. 7.) “Superman Returns” - Bryan Singer fucks up sometimes, this would be it. 8.) America’s Next Top Model Cycle 10 - Tyra became a drag queen, and the ending was choppy and silly. 9.) “Snakes On A Plane” - Lots of hype and not enough pay off. It was a great idea though. 10.) Angelina Jolie - I am sick of this homewrecker. Will she ever put out a good movie?
This concert is getting my highest rating for many reasons. Right off the bat I could tell there was going to be a great vibe. You could see that the quality of sound was massive and by the way the stage was decorated you could tell we were about to be treated to a huge spectacle. I had already decided I was going to make a point to show my Flaming Lips love by dressing up in a pink bunny suit, one which The Lips have used in their videos and stage act many times. I really got into the spirit of the event. After all it was New Years Eve-Eve and I was ready to make a fool of myself!
Within a few minutes of entering the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium I knew this night would be special. There were give away tables with blinking lights, glowing glasses, glow sticks and even a cute little “Tic-Tac” cart with free mints. The space was huge and I noticed that the concert was not sold out. That was more of a benefit than a let down. The less the better I thought, than I can make my way up to the stage.
Cat Power came on with a mellow anticipation and the crowd that gathered towards the stage was considerably big. The set started of with a great funky line up and never veered off into the melancholic blues her recorded work is known for. Instead the set started off what would be a funky, bluesy, silly extravaganza. Lead singer Chan Marshall was in good spirits and exceptionally happy with the reaction of the crowd. I love this group and Marshalls hypnotic, sad but mellow charm. She played most of the magical hits from her latest c.d. “The Greatest”, and that was a special treat.
As the lights went down I was getting more and more amped for Gnarls Barkley. Then out of nowhere an older hippie looking gentleman came up to me and asked if I was a Flaming Lips fan. I guess the pink bunny outfit worked pretty well. I of course replied, “hell yes”. He then asked if I would be interested in joining the band for the entire show and wear an inflatable Santa Clause suit and dance along to the show. I nearly shit myself, but immediately said of course I would.
I was instructed to meet the stage manager at 10:10 to be orientated on my dance moves and to get back stage. Within a few seconds Gnarls Barkley came on with a grand entrance. Dressed as space men the band came on like a sonic boom.They played nearly their whole current hit debut c.d. “St. Elsewhere”. Needless to say though, my mind was really somewhere else.
I showed up to the backstage entrance area early just to make sure there was no room for error. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. When it came time for the group of dancers to go back into the dressing room I was ready to go. It was not even one minute backstage when we bump into the band Cat Power. They looked pretty glammed up and super sexy all dresssed up in black clothing and with cigarettes hanging from their mouths. At that moment where I was standing I had the best view of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse performing “Crazy”. This was such a rock star moment, I couldn’t have been but ten feet away!
As we squeezed into the costume area and were given instructions on our jobs, Wayne and the rest of The Lips strolled by and thanked us for our help. There were 15 people that were assigned the task of alien dancers. Then there were 15 people assigned Santa Clause dancers. And lastly there was a super inflatable dancing alien and me, the super inflatable Santa. Not only did I get to get on stage, but I got to be a big puffy dancing Santa with a prime location next to Wayne Coyne! As soon as the lights went down I was told to stand by the spaceship in the front of the stage and wait.
When the band came on I was instructed to wait for 4 songs before I was to be suited up in the gigantic costume. When Wayne was introduced he came onto the stage by being inflated into a human hamster ball on top of the spaceship which had a ramp that lead to the crowd. At that point I was only six feet away from the base of the spaceship. For the first part of the show I was just jumping in the background watching the confetti fly and my friends freak out. It was great to be able to dance around to the bands cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” with my regular street clothes on, I was a dancing fool!
After the midnight countdown had begun I was suited up with a huge fan strapped to a backpack with a tube attached to the heavy deflated Santa costume. I put my feet into the Velcro strapped boots and was zipped up. In five minutes I was completely inflated into a 10 foot tall Santa. I slowly walked towards the front of the stage and could see right through my Santa suit. I could tell no one could see me through the front, but I still had a wide view of the band which was less than 5 feet away from me, and I had a clear view of my friends in the audience.
I did every kind of dance a 10 feet tall, 4 feet wide inflatable plastic Santa could do; the robot, I vogued and did the snake…well at least that is what I felt it looked like. It was a big suit and I was dripping with sweat. But to be so close to the band and see the ocean of faces waving at me and the other dancers was a crazy ass feeling. This was a dream, coming true. Thank god I decided to be sober and just act like a fool and go with the whole thing.
As soon as the guys floated off on their space ship I was ready to get stripped and meet the band. Within a minute or two I was face to face with Wayne and gave him a huge hug. With my voice shaking and tears in my eyes I told him his music had been so important to me and that this was a dream come true. He was humble and thanked me for helping in the show. He looked so dapper in his suit, I was in shock. The back stage area was littered with roadies, alien dancers, Gnarls Barkley fans with champagne and drunk Santa’s. It was like a crazy dream with a cast of insane characters. I was glad to be a part of the action and meet my rock gods.
Here is a group of pictures that were taken by my good friend of the whole night. The first set are of Gnarls Barkley and then they progress to the when The Flaming Lips came out and I made my stage debut. Look for me to the right of the stage, I am dressed as a huge, puffy inflatable Santa with the stoner eyes. Yes, that is really me and I have the friends who can prove it (for all you wise asses out there!). Also on this blog page is video footage of the show and some shots of me too:
Pop Culture Buzz.com is where to go to get your daily fix of the newest movie, music, concert, television and DVD reviews! Watch music videos, movie clips and trailers, concert footage and listen to streaming music! Just check the pop culture categories below!
Pop Culture Buzz.com is a great place to kill time while at work and now Pop Culture Buzz.com is on MySpace! Add Pop Culture Buzz.com to your MySpace page and watch video and read the hottest gossip from your profile!
Hear the buzz on Pop Culture Buzz.com!!
