Santigold’s sound is difficult to pin down, but it has been described as a mix of dub, electronic, hip-hop, reggae, indie rock, new wave, and punk rock (to name a few). Last night’s show at The Warfield in San Francisco highlighted all of these influences and by the end of the night I was floored by her high energy and perfect sound quality. I’ve read reviews of some of Santigold’s other live shows and in the past she has performed with just a DJ using back up tracks. As luck would have it Santigold decided to debut her new band at this concert and they sounded flawless and well rehearsed.
Thirty-two-year-old Santigold , aka Santi White, began her set with “You’ll Find A Way,” which paved the way for her pulsing 40-minute set. Her crowd pleasing track “Say Aha” started with a reggae beat and grabbed the hipster crowd instantly creating a bouncing frenzy. When the first guitar strums of “Lights Out” were played the tiny venue turned into an 80’s dance party with whole audience singing along. Afterwards Santigold announced that it was the first time she had ever performed the original version in the USA.
When “L.E.S. Artistes” started she continued to work the crowd into a lather high fiving the front row. Santigold had the voice, dance moves, and the best back up singers I have ever seen. She even invited people on stage with her to dance to the closer “Creator”. Everything she did redefined what it means to see a live rock show. The high energy, crisp vocals and almost militant timing of her dancers made this one of the best unpredictable performances I have ever seen. Santigold is hope for pop music and a “must see” live in concert for any music fan.
WATCH MY VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM SANTIGOLD’S MAY 21ST SHOW @ THE WARFIELD IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA BELOW!
I went to the recent Lykke Li live show at the historic Filmore concert hall not knowing what to expect. The 23 year old pop singer songwriter from Sweden released her debut album last November here in the US, but she hasn’t had much exposure other than making Spin & Rolling Stone magazine’s top albums of the year. I personally love her spunky dark pop sound but did not know if it would translate well into a live stage show. Man was I wrong.
Lykke Li came onto the stage like a tornado on fire. Her bubbly personality quickly won over the hyped up sold out crowd. As soon as she started playing one of her more catchy tunes like “I’m Good, I’m Gone” the place erupted into a full on dance hall. When the band started playing the first few chords of “Dance, Dance, Dance” the crowd squealed with anticipation. I soon found myself singing out the lyrics and dancing with dozens of trendy hipsters.
As Lykke Li played on she took a few moments to introduce herself and have some fun with the crowd. The audience was more than happy to play along as she belted out more signature tunes from her debut album “Youth Novels”. The catchy tracks “Little Bit” and “Complaint Department” instantly became part of a cheerful audience sing-a-long.
When Lykke Li brought out her megaphone to sing parts of her most familiar song, and the obvious fan favorite “Breaking It Up”, the venue burst into cheer. The hip-hop dance groove was in full effect at this point. I found this show to be much like a dance party, with a few cool down moments peppered through out. Even Lykke Li’s more slowed down ambient tracks played well as the crowd swayed to the hypnotic throbbing beats.
I was surprised to see how much stage presence and fun energy Lykke Li puts out in her shows. She has the quirky random energy of a pop star with the hard edge of more experimental artists like Bjork and The Knife. This show not only got me excited to see Lykke Li at Coachella, but it also confirmed my suspicions that she is one of the few new artists around today that has a sense of humor and appreciates great pop music.
(MAJOR PROPS GO OUT TO LYKKE LI FAN AND PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER GRETCHEN ROBINETTE FOR GIVING ME PERMISSION TO POST PICTURES FROM THE SHOW ON POP CULTURE BUZZ, THANK YOU!!!!)
After seeing Tina Turner’s Break Every Rule and Whitney Houston’s Greatest Love tours in the 80’s, you’d think that The Virgin Tour or Blonde Ambition would have been must-see’s in my young concert playbook. Unfortunately, Madonna’s early concert tours fell through my hands. I’ve only seen the ‘Post Girlie Show’ shows. I have however, seen all of these tours, including a slightly misguided stint at Coachella in 2006.
After enjoying the Sweet and Sweet Tour in Oakland on 11/1, I officially throw in the towel. Madonna wins. She is simply amazing.
I thought that this tour was the showcase of a mature artist and an accomplished writer. Rather than haul around a behemoth set, she relied on state of the art LCD screens that displayed amazing animation, visuals and video compilations of Madonna’s past and present. As usual, she also used these screens to show off her overwhelming sense of civic duty, which has had varying degrees of success for Madonna over the years. During this show, only days before electing Obama as our president, the images complimented the music, the energy and the excitement of the sold out crowd. By focusing the energy away from set design, Madonna relied on her dancing, her dancers, her costumes, her voice and most importantly, her music to carry us through the 2 hour set.
Madonna always was and still is the best dancer in the business. Period. Artists like Janet have dancing skills, but no one has ever challenged themselves the way Madonna has. She has always rewritten the book on choreography, and searched out the newest, most cutting edge styles as her backdrop (eg: voguing, krunking and even her use of yoga as dance). This night was an absolute barrage of dancing. At 50, Madonna still rocks. Her newest version of Into the Groove was a stand out, incorporating double-dutch her dancing, while Keith Haring’s artwork was brilliantly shown above. And, much to the crowd’s delight, Vogue, which she mashed up with 4 Minutes to Save the World, was a great throw back.
Madonna’s voice is her challenge. Because it didn’t come ‘naturally’, like, say, Mariah, she had to learn to work with her voice. She learned during the Drowned World tour to change the music to fit her voice. She continues that tradition, by continually reimaging her library. She brought back Borderline, but as a hard edged punk song, that kept the chorus and verses well within her range. During one of the slowest parts of the evening, she slowly emerged from a trap door atop a grand piano, singing You Must Love Me, the Oscar winning song from Evita. She sounded lonely, subtle and soft. It was a testament to the hard work she’s done since we first heard her squeak through Everybody in 1981.
Where this concert shown the greatest, however, was in the catalog itself. We were reminded that this amazing artist: fashionista, singer, dancer and pop art icon, is most importantly a song writer. For 2 hours we listened to Madonna retell us the story of her life. She told the story as only she can. Her lyrics are not overwhelming. And, nobody’s ever accused her of being too ‘deep’. But, her lyrics obviously resonate; otherwise she would not have enjoyed these decades of success. In song after song, we were reminded of the breadth and depth of her catalog, all while putting on the best show around!
SET LIST: Intro/Candy Shop
Beat Goes On
Human Nature
Vogue
Video Interlude - Die Another Day Into The Groove
Heartbeat
Borderline
She’s Not Me
Music
Video Interlude - Rain/Here Comes The Rain Again Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You
Spanish Lesson
Miles Away
La Isla Bonita/Lela Pala Tute
Doli Doli (Live interlude - Romanian folk song)
You Must Love Me
Video Interlude - Get Stupid (About saving the planet) 4 Minutes
Like A Prayer
Ray Of Light
Hung Up
Give It To Me (Finale)
WATCH FOOTAGE OF MADONNA PERFORMING “THE BEAT GOES ON” @ THE OAKLAND ARENA BELOW:
WATCH FOOTAGE OF MADONNA PERFORMING “LA ISLA BONITA” @ THE OAKLAND ARENA BELOW:
“She & Him” are much more than just some actress trying to get her music credentials by trying to become a “triple threat”. On their debut album “Volume One”, and live in concert, Zooey Deschanel’s voice transcends modern sounds to come off as a throw back cross between Patsy Cline and Karen Carpenter. Unfortunately though I was unable to take pictures as there was a heavily enforced “no phones or cameras” policy (lame!). Bimbo’s sited “over saturating of Zooey’s image” as the reason for the strict rules (lame again!).
The combination of M. Ward’s soothing guitar hooks and Zooey’s supple voice make this duo a rare artistic and entertaining pop treat for music fans. The bubbly harmonies and late 70’s am radio sound that “She & Him” creates is a welcomed new formula to a musical landscape that usually is over saturated with rap and country hits. This CD is the ultimate chilled out California rock album, full of light and chipper lyrics that are romantic and silly at the same time.
(BAND ARCHIVE FOOTAGE)
The song “Why Do You Let me Stay Here?” was the shining star amongst a slew of other sparkling gems that the band recreated at Bimbo’s night club in San Francisco this week. It was obvious that Miss Deschanel hadn’t yet found her on stage persona as she coyly thanked the audience between each song. As the night progressed she shed her shyness and warmed up to the audience with pro-Obama statements and cute responses to the swooning crowd.
After beautiful renditions of “Sentimental heart” and “Black Hole” the band came out of its shell and cranked out tight performances of “I Was Made For You” and “Sweet Darlin”. She & Him may have a lot of practice to go to become as legendary as some its influences, but this concert was a calming and sweet little surprise that didn’t go on too long or cut off too short, it was just right. Much like the music they create, She & Him put on a pleasant show that leaves you feeling happy and light as air after listening to it.
WATCH YOU TUBE FOOTAGE OF SHE & HIM PERFORMING “TAKE IT BACK” LIVE IN CONCERT BELOW:
This was my third time watching My Morning Jacket live in concert and I guess the saying is true that “the third time is the charm” because this show was emotional and electrifying. The night started ominously with some slight rain but as soon as I got to the beautiful Greek Theater the skies cleared up. The cool moist air and sparkling stars were the perfect setting for one of the best concert going experiences I have ever witnessed.
The band’s recent album “Evil Urges” plays better live than on CD, which is saying a lot because the album is an instant classic and one of my favorite records of the year. Haunting songs from that album such as “The Librarian” moved me and my companions to tears. And no, it wasn’t from the billowy clouds of marijuana that rose from the surprisingly half filled venue. The chilled out hipster crowd was ready for a jam session and the band delivered every stoner fans dream with bouncy performances of “I’m Amazed” and “Touch Me I Am Going To Sleep 2″.
The funk inspired “Highly Suspicious” was a highlight of my evening with everyone screaming out the famous line “peanut butter pudding surprise”! Even though we had no idea what it meant we all screamed out the lyric as we did our very own version of the “dead head” hippie twirl. Once the band played hits like “Wordless Chorus” and “Gideon” the crowd erupted into a frenzy. It soon became apparent that the whole place had turned into a dance party.
It has been ages since I went to a show that didn’t have an opening act and only a tight band like My Morning Jacket can pull it off. Even though they only have a few albums of material released the band stretched it all out into a 2 hour and 45 minute masterpiece of perfect showmanship. Every member on stage played meticulously and feverishly with such passion and preciseness it was mesmerizing to watch and I really didn’t want it to end.
If you don’t own a My Morning Jacket album and you consider yourself a music fan then you need to rush out and buy a copy of their landmark album “Z” or their more recent 4 star juggernaut “Evil Urges”. Both their live act and their recordings have an emotional tug and sense of melodic creativity that is truly original without being pretentious. This show was not only fun and entertaining it was extremely thought provoking and groovy.
WATCH FOOTAGE OF MY MORNING JACKET PERFORMING “ONE BIG HOLIDAY” @ THE GREEK THEATER ON FRIDAY 9/19/08
(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:
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