Chamillitary Man

To the chagrin of many of you, I've been on a bit of a hip-hop kick recently, but I may have been cured of that tonight. I went to my first true hip-hop show, and I can honestly say it's one of the worst shows I've been to.

In the name of exploring other music genres and expanding my horizons, I've been delving into hip-hop lately. I've always sort of had an interest, but hadn't pursued it much beyond the really popular radio songs or music videos. But, the last few months I've been trying in earnest to see what's going on in the world of hip-hop, and I've been fairly impressed. I wouldn't say that I'm a whole-hearted fan, because I probably don't like 75% of what's out there, but I can say there are some really cool things going on in the genre that I can get behind, and shake my booty to. I'd downloaded a few Chamillionaire songs and liked what I heard, so when I saw he was going to be coming to town I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to round out my exploration and go to a hip-hop show. And so I did something I almost never do, I went out and bought Chamillionaire's album, The Sound of Revenge, in preparation.

To say I was impressed is an understatement. Granted, I wasn't expecting a lot, but the album is solid. The guy is great when it comes to lyrics, and the beats and hooks are tight as well. There are the obligatory songs about chicks, weed, slabs, etc., but there are also some pretty great songs about religion and life and death. Interesting topics to explore on a hip hop album, but he does so successfully. In fact, after I put the CD into heavy rotation I found myself skipping over the popular radio songs in favor of the rest of the album. While the radio songs (Turn it Up, Ridin') are catchy as hell, I wouldn't say they're the strongest on the album. It's pretty obvious after a few listens that Cham isn't your average rapper; he's smart, he's funny, his lyrics are clever and his flow is tight- perfect for my first hip-hop show.

I was happy to see Cham would be performing at one of my favorite concert venues, but I wasn't too thrilled with the ticket price- $25! That's pretty steep for this venue, tickets usually run 15-20 bucks, but I ponied up, all in the name of experience. Chamillionaire was the headliner, to be accompanied by Lil' Flip and Pokafase. I had no idea who Pokafase was, and didn't care much about Lil' Flip, so when the person I was going with wasn't going to be able to make it until 9:00, I wasn't worried. Usually shows start around 7:30/8:00, with the headliner coming onstage around 9:30/10:00. But apparently things work differently in the world of hip-hop. By the time we made it into the show at 9:30, Cham was onstage. We arrived in the middle of a song, and then heard Ridin'. And then he left. What!??! I was totally fucking puzzled. Apparently we missed the whole damn performance. But not to fret, Lil' Flip was still to come. What kind of shit is that?! An opener comes on after a headliner? A headliner is finished with his performance at 9:45? I was a teeny-tiny bit pissed. But okay, I was there, I may as well enjoy. Pysch.

We stood around waiting for Lil' Flip's ass to show up for over an hour. In the meantime some other rapper came on and performed a couple songs, but we weren't feeling this guy at all. His flow was weak and his beats were even weaker. I've never been so bored at a concert in all my life. Finally at 10:45 Lil' Flip decided to come on stage to a pretty excited audience. And here's where I came to a very definite conclusion about hip-hop shows- they aren't for women. Granted, we were fairly close to the stage, and thus in the thick of the action, but the vibe is totally masculine. Testosterone seemed to be oozing out of every crevice and every pore of that venue. Dancing was next to impossible with all the dudes bouncing. I felt like I was in a mosh pit. Luckily I had a bit of protection in the form of a male companion, but even still, I was totally uncomfortable. On the positive side, I was pretty impressed with the production of the songs. The beats and vocals sounded great, something I was a bit wary about coming in.

The night ended with Chamillionaire coming onstage to perform Turn it Up with Lil' Flip, a song they also collaborated on in the album version. Again, the sound was great but the vibe wasn't. For me, anyhow. The guy I was with enjoyed himself immensely, and the other dudes around us seemed to be having a great time as well. The group of girls to my right who kept getting shoved and stepped on by drunk dudes didn't seem to be having as good of time though. So consider yourself warned: don't show up late, and don't even bother to go if you're a chick unless you're prepared to get stomped.

to do #201: go to a hip-hop show.

Note, though this was a disappointing experience, I'd still recommend Cham's album The Sound of Revenge. It's pretty fantastic!

Ozomatli

Hey everyone!!!! For those of you that are still hanging in with me (I hope there are lots of you- I'm too scared to check my stats!) I'm sorry for my recent disappearance. As I mentioned in my last post, things have been so crazy around here with my family visiting and the holiday parties. After the last of my visitors were gone, I fully intended on getting back into blogging and visiting all my favorite blogs, but ended up hibernating in my apartment instead. I think my busy social agenda finally caught up with me. As most of you can probably relate to, the longer I took to get back to blogging, the harder it was to try to get back to blogging! But, I have buckled down today, and I'm writing here whether I like it or not. I have lots to catch you up on, and many half-started posts await you in the coming days and weeks. So, on with it...

On Saturday night three friends and I went to see Ozomatli at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. Before I tell you about the show, let me give you a little of my Ozomatli history. I first saw them on Later with Jools Holland several years ago and I was instantly drawn in by their energy. I don't remember the performance very well, but I do remember lots of band members and lots of energy and a huge sound. They style was also so unique- a latin/hip hop/rap band from Los Angeles with black, white, latino and asian band members! But for some reason I never got around to checking them out, and pretty much forgot about them over the years. That is, until a couple months back when I was at a show and saw a poster for an upcoming Ozomatli show. I remembered the Jools performance and made a note to myself to check them out. I borrowed their most recent album (Street Signs) and a recent live album (Live at the Fillmore) from my local library and instantly fell in love. I put the cd's on high rotation, got a few friends hooked as well, and so the four of us went to see them Saturday night...

If you've been reading my blog for a while you're pretty familiar with how obsessed with music I can be, and how obsessed with the details I am at shows. I take a little moleskine notebook with me to write down the set lists, and fully immerse myself in the experience of the show. If I go alone I'm usually right near the stage so I can see everything the band does and take it all in. I'm like a musical sponge. I notice the details and I love it. I didn't used to be this way, but the more shows I go to, the more I appreciate the intricacies and the effort it takes to produce the music, and it just awes me. Now, I say all this in preparation to justify why I am going to give you a terrible account of the Ozomatli show. It's not because I don't know how, or I'm not practiced in the art of observing and relating a story, it's just that I was too busy having waaay too much fun!

My friends and I arrived a little after 8, in the middle of the opening band's set. The opener was scheduled to be Salvadore Santana, but I'm not sure whether it was or not because I'm not familiar with his/their music. From what we saw the music was decent, and the crowd was fairly into it. It was nothing I'd run out and buy, but the music seemed to be a fitting opener for Ozo.

Ozomatli took the stage around 9 pm to a crowd of around 250-300 people, which was less than I expected but turned out to be the perfect size. The venue appeared full, but there was still enough space around everyone that you could dance and not be right on top of the people next to you. The guys took the stage one at a time, which I always think is a great touch because it gives the crowd a chance to recognize each band member individually, and it makes for a really cool build up of the sound (and with 10 band members it takes a while!). Dos Cosas Ciertas is the perfect song to do this with, and is a great opener because it's so upbeat. The crowd went totally crazy, and pretty much never stopped going crazy the whole night. The crowd often times has the power to make an average show great or an average show awful, and this crowd definitely made the show great. Everyone was totally into the music and sang and danced their asses off.

After the first song, the details are a bit fuzzy. I was just so busy having fun that I didn't pay attention to what was happening on stage, which I sort of regret now because that's one of the things I love most about going to see live music. There are some great highlights I do remember though...The band played several new songs, beginning with the second song of the night. They asked the crowd if they'd mind hearing some new songs, and of course no one seemed to mind. The new songs were really good, and probably mean a new album is due out soon. At one point toward the beginning of the show the band asked everyone to introduce themselves to their neighbors and give them a hug whilst they played the theme song to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I think people enjoyed singing along with this goofy childhood tune as much as they enjoyed hugging the strangers around them- good times! The set was long, about two and a half hours, and included almost all of my favorites, especially Ya Viene El Sol. The night ended with their 'End Samba', which entails all of the band members bringing a percussion instrument or horn down into the crowd and playing right in the middle of the crowd while the crowd chants "O-zo-matli, Ya se fue, Ya se fue". This went on for ages, while the band snaked through the crowd playing their instruments, and then ending up in the lobby of the venue. They also played the classic football chant "Ole, ole ole ole, ole, ole...." and the goofy Hokey Pokey. After the music ended the band stuck around in the lobby to visit with fans and sign autograghs and take pictures. This amazed me. I've never been to a show where the band was so humble and willing to get to know their fans. Even local bands seem to be too cool for school these days, so this totally impressed me.

This was a great show and a great night! Seeing a band for the first time when you only own their cd is always a gamble because you don't know what you'll get. Music can be fantastic on a cd, but not translate well live. I'd say the opposite is true of Ozo. The cd's are good, the live show is amazing. There are ten band members who are all incredibly talented on their respective instruments, and somehow each is highlighted in the live performance and equally shares the spotlight. I think that in itself is a testament to how good their music is. So, go out and buy their cd's and see them live!!!!

Following is the setlist, as best I could piece it together from my notes. Often times my notes are a little hard to read because it's dark in the venue when I'm trying to write, but when I looked at my notes from Saturday night I had to laugh, because they looked like they'd been written in another language!

Setlist:
1. Dos Cosas Ciertas
2. City of Angels - new song
3. ?- new song
4. Eva
5. ?- new song
6. Ya Viene El Sol
7. Street Signs
8. Believe
9. ?
10. ?- new song
11. ?
12. Elevation
13. Cumbia de los Muertos
14. Saturday Night
15. Déjame en Paz
16. Como Ves
17. La Misma Canción
18. End Samba

to do #78: see Ozomatli (and get my ass blogging again!)

My Morning Jacket

Tuesday night I saw My Morning Jacket at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. A few years ago when their album It Still Moves came out I was an instant fan. Jim James has such an amazing and unique voice. Of course some of that is because of the vocal effects and album production, but the airy/ethereal/spacey quality of his voice makes for a pretty distinguished sound. At the time I couldn't get enough of the album. When their latest album was released this year I was ready for something even better than the last, but was so turned off by the sound I barely gave it a few listens before I decided they were a one-album wonder for me.

But, despite my disappointment I still wanted to check them out when they came to town in hopes that they'd play lots of the older stuff. I wasn't expecting much, except maybe to get my live music fix, so I was totally surprised at how great the show was. Not only did they play some of the old songs I love, but the new songs totally took on a different sound. They didn't seem cheesy anymore, they were fantastic. MMJ played for about an hour and a half and played a good mix of old and new stuff. The sound was spot-on and captured his voice perfectly. Several of the songs extended into long jam sessions, which under normal circumstances I'm usually not a fan of, but in this case I absolutely loved, especially Dondante with the saxophone solo at the end. Seeing the new songs performed live totally got me into the new album, and now I can't get enough of it. I'd recommend you definitely check it out, and check out the band if they come to town. I know the album can be a bit tough to get through the first few times, but stick with it, it's excellent!

The setlist:

1- Wordless Chorus
2- It Beats for You
3- One Big Holiday
4- What a Wonderful Man
5- Off the Record
6- Golden
7- Sooner
8- Gideon
9- Lay Low
10- Dondante
11- Runthru
-encore-
12- Bermuda Highway
13- At Dawn
14- Anytime
15- Mahgeeta

to do #263: see My Morning Jacket

Traffic School or Iron & Wine?

This is the conundrum I was presented with when I contemplated how to spend my Sunday evening. If you recall, a few weeks ago on the way back from Vegas to see Oasis I was issued a traffic ticket for speeding. Said traffic ticket needs to be taken care of with online traffic school before October 19th. As is my typical fashion, I planned on doing it all weekend but put it off till Sunday night. That is, until a friend called to say he had a couple tickets to the Iron & Wine show he wasn't going to be able to use, and would I be interested? It took me all of a few moments to contemplate: Traffic School or Iron & Wine? Those of you that know me know that traffic school had no chance. And so it came to pass I went to see Calexico and Iron & Wine tonight, and put off traffic school another day.

Earlier in the week I had contemplated getting tickets for the Iron & Wine show because I was going through a bit of live-music withdrawal. It had been ten (*gasp*) days since the BRMC show, and I was dying for another music fix. But the pragmatic side of me won out, and I decided to skip the show. Afterall, I'm not a massive fan, nor very familiar with his music, though I was sure it would be a good show. Never one to happily capitalize on the misfortunes of others, I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy I didn't buy a ticket and that my friends who did were now unable to go. As they say, one man's misfortune is another man's fortune. Do they actually say that? No, I don't think that they do. Anyhow...

Oh, and before I give you a show review, let me just tell you something I realized tonight- I have no concept of what music is popular in Phoenix/America right now. I didn't think Iron & Wine was very well-known, and thus assumed the show would be pretty empty, especially on a Sunday night- wrong. The place was packed, probably around 700 people! This isn't the first time I've grossly under/over-estimated the turnout for a show. Kings of Leon come to mind: a friend and I gave our two extra (free!) tickets to the ticket-taker at the door because we couldn't find anyone to give them to, and there ended up only being around 100 people at the show. And Wilco, I waited until a week before the show to buy my ticket because I was certain there wouldn't be many people there, and the show had already sold out. Clearly my finger is nowhere near the pulse of the music listeners here. I know what I like, and I figure everyone else should like them too.

So, tonight at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Calexico was the opener for Iron & Wine. I was somewhat familiar with the band, but had never seen them, nor do I own any of their music. They're a semi-local band, from Tucson, and have a couple core members and lots of guest musicians. They were incredible, and I wouldn't hesitate to see them again. Their music straddles so many genres, going from an indie rock sound to a highly Mexican influenced sound complete with trumpets to an alt-country sound with lap steel guitar. Their collective of musicians were amazing and the resulting sound was so unexpected and beautiful. Which is probably why Iron & Wine recruited them to be his opener and his backing band. They played the initial set of 8 or 9 songs from 8:45 until around 9:30. Iron & Wine then came out around 9:45 and played the first couple songs on acoustic guitar with a female back-up singer. For the rest of the set, the guys from Calexico were the backing band, with as many as 12 people on the stage at once. The resulting sound was deep and layered and gorgeous. There were two or three percussionists, a harmonica, a lap steel guitar, a bass, two or three guitarists, two trumpets, a xylophone, and those are just the instruments I can remember.

My main issue with Iron & Wine, and the reason I never really gave the cd's I have much play time, is that the songs tend to all sound the same after a while. An acoustic guitar and him singing. You can only take so much before you want a little variety. Because of this sparseness, I wasn't sure what to expect tonight. But performing alongside the members of Calexico was such a wonderful surprise. The result of their collaboration is an indie jam band. With so many musicians and such a variety of instruments, the songs often extended into long instrumental jams punctuated every now and then with singing from Iron & Wine. Jams aren't usually my style because I find them to be self-gratifying and boring, but I was never bored tonight. It may have been the lap steel or the trumpets or the harmonica but I was always captivated and excited about the music. The hour and a half passed quickly, and I was sorry when it was over, as I always am. Luckily for you, Iron & Wine and Calexico have recorded an EP together that was just released, so you can hear their collaboration too. Enjoy!

to do #237: see Calexico and Iron & Wine

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Tonight I went to a great show at The Clubhouse in Tempe: Mark Gardener opening for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I'd never heard of Mark Gardener before, but apparently he was the frontman for a band called Ride, which I'd also never heard of. I googled Mark Gardener earlier in the day to see what I might expect, and started reading up on him and his history. It appears that in the early 90's I must have been living under a rock to not be familiar with Ride and their shoegazing style. Actually, I should give myself a little credit, I wasn't living under a rock in the early 90's, I was just beginning to come into my own as far as music goes. I was catching up on the old stuff via my dad's record collection with bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Peter Paul & Mary. And I was also sorting out what current music I liked by dabbling in R.E.M., The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Violent Femmes, Nirvana, The Dead Milkmen, and many more. Nevertheless, it seems like by now I should have heard of Ride, or at least shoegazing, although, now that I have, it makes a lot of sense why BRMC would choose Gardener as their opener- their sound, especially their early sound, was heavily influenced by shoegazing (Shoegazing is characterized by the use of distortion and the fuzzbox, droning riffs and a Phil Spector-esque wall of sound from the noisy guitars. Vocals are typically subdued in volume and tone, but underneath the layers of guitars was often a strong sense of melody.). I don't think you could more perfectly describe the backbone of BRMC than with that sentence. Anyhow, I'm off on a tangent...

Mark Gardener was decent enough. He reminded me of an older Robbie Williams in looks, which kept cracking me up, I'm not sure why. His band consisted of him on guitar & vocals, a keyboardist/back up vocalist and another guitarist/back up vocalist. They played about seven or eight songs, all of which were acoustic and all of which all three of them sang on. They were good songs, but nothing really stood out. Actually, there was one thing that stood out, which is that I think the sound mix was screwed up. The vocals were entirely too loud, especially the keyboardist, and especially since all three of them were singing at the same time. Otherwise, it was a good set. I'm not sure that I'll run out and buy the new album, but I may check it out when I have a chance.

BRMC took the stage around 9:30 to a crowd of maybe two hundred people. The set started with just Peter on the stage with guitar and harmonica. He played three of the more acoustic songs from the new album and the band joined him at the end of the third. This was my second time seeing BRMC, the first time being back in 2002 when they opened for Spiritualized. At that time I was a fan of their music but didn't know anything about the band. I left the show absolutely blown away by their sound, and by the fact that three guys created it. Their songs were so intense and were literally a wall of sound. It was amazing. After hearing the latest album, Howl, I wasn't sure what to expect when seeing them live because their sound had changed so much. Again I left in amazement, this time for two reasons: 1, at how much they've evolved and 2, at how much each song is a cooperative effort between Peter and Robert. They both sing, they both play guitar and they both play bass, and often all on the same song. It's amazing to watch these sounds recreated live because you really have no idea what goes into each of them.

I had a great spot up near the stage in front of Peter, so it was cool to see what an amazing guitarist he is (not that I know much about playing guitar!). He switched guitars on almost every song and was doing all sorts of stuff with the various pedals and the sound board at his feet. He also played harmonica on several songs, bass on As Sure as the Sun, keyboards on a few songs, trombone on Promise and a strange accordian/organ instrument on Open Invitation. Most of the time Robert played bass, but he played guitar on several of the songs as well as piano. He's such a cool bass player because he plays the bass almost like a guitar. His fingers are all over the place and he picks the bass instead of thumping it, like a lot of bassist do. Their songs can be so bass-heavy, so it's really cool to watch him play. Their drummer, Nigel, is pretty average as far as drummers go, but he works really well with them.

I was impressed with the new sound and how well it translated live. I was also pleased with how well the old songs blended with the new. Whereas old BRMC was a loud, brash, in-your- face sound, the new BRMC was more diversified. There were still plenty of loud guitars and heavy basslines, but there was also an element of soul in the acoustic guitars and harmonica and vocal melodies. The most noticeable album divergences were an acoustic rendition of US Government and an electrified Sympathetic Noose. Overall this was a great show with a really good setlist...

The Setlist:
1- Complicated Situation
2- Fault Line
3- Devil's Waitin'
4- Shuffle Your Feet
5- Ain't No Easy Way
6- Weight of the World
7- Love Burns
8- White Palms
9- Punk Song
10- As Sure as the Sun
11- Rise or Fall
12- Howl
13- Still Suspicion Holds You Tight
14- US Government
15- Sympathetic Noose
16- Promise
-Encore-
17- Spread Your Love
18- Stop
19- Gospel Song
20- The Line
21- Open Invitation

to do #314: See Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

UPDATE: I love interconnectedness in life. I was just reminded by a friend that I have, in fact, heard of Ride because Andy Bell (the bass player for Oasis) was a member of Ride. Duh! That explains why Mark Gardener, when he saw a guy in an Oasis shirt, dedicated a song to Andy Bell. This feels vaguely like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, except with Oasis. All music can be related to Oasis within six degrees. Try it! I dare ya.

The Frames, minus Josh Ritter

I'm writing to you a little disappointed tonight, because I was supposed to see Josh Ritter open for The Frames at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, but alas, there was no Josh Ritter. Instead there was a guy named Andrew Lloyd Swordfish. I have no idea if that's his real name, but if it is I'd be fucking amazed. He was entertaining enough, and played a relatively short set of quirky ditties, alternating between him on guitar and him on keyboards. He was goof-rock at it's local musician best, with a tune about a trashman killing himself, another proclaiming he doesn't want Michael J. Fox to die, and another beseeching the president to raise the minimum wage. The crowd enjoyed him, as did I, but he was no Josh Ritter.

The Frames took the stage around 9pm to a crowd of about eighty people. They seemed happy with the turnout and commented, 'We're The Frames, we're from Ireland, we didn't know if anyone would show up tonight'. I'm not too familiar with the band, having only one of their cd's Set List, which is a live recording of a show they did in their native Dublin in November 2002. I enjoyed several of the tracks, but never gave it much play time in my ever-changing rotation of music. That was my first mistake- this is a great band that deserves more than just a casual listen.

They are five musicians that clearly love what they are doing and their enthusiasm translates into really beautiful music that at times is soft and melodic and swooning with soft whispery vocals, and at other times heavy and loud with plenty of guitar reverb amid wailing vocals. They truly run the gamut, and they have the formula perfectly mastered. In unison they will bring songs to a halting quiet and then quickly raise the tempo to twice what it had been. It's a pretty amazing sight to see out of a band that's been around so long, their fury seems more teenage garage band than seasoned rock band. Their influences, or comparisons to their sound are hard to pinpoint, but they are obviously influenced by traditional Irish folk music, especially with a violin player as a full-time member of the band. Their sound hugely benefits from the violin, which gives the songs a soaring quality. Ah, as you can see, I can't say enough about The Frames. I'll definitely be checking out their catalog of music, and I recommend you do the same, or better, check them out if they come to your town. I did just that, which means I can cross #194 off my list: go see The Frames.

**Two songs into the set I decided to try and keep track of the setlist, as per my habit, though I wasn't very familiar with their songs, so it will take me a while to sort out the song titles, but I'll post an update when I do...

The Setlist:
1- ?
2- ?
3- Lay Me Down
4- What Happens When the Heart Just Stops
5- God Bless Mom
6- Pavement Tune
7- Fake
8- Your Face
9- Revelate
10- Star Star
11- Santa Maria
12- Red Chord

Oasis x2

I hate to be a complainer, but after having just seen Oasis in Vegas, and knowing the potential their music has to transform into the best show I've ever seen, I was disappointed to see them tonight in Phoenix. Not that it was a bad show, it wasn't. The set was exactly the same and the lights and sound were amazing, but the venue sucked and the crowd was lame.

When the Phoenix show was announced I marked my calendar for presale and was online a moment after the presale tickets went up for sale. To my dismay, I couldn't get a ticket. I kept trying and trying to no avail. A friend was also buying presale tickets in those first few moments, so after he secured his tickets he was able to get one for me. We had 33rd and 32nd row, respectively. What the hell? These are what you get on presale?? Ah well, we were content to have Oasis tickets. But we were fools. Turned out a guy we talked to tonight walked up to the box office before the show and asked for a ticket, best available, and he ended up with a front row seat for the same price we paid. Screw that guy. Anyhow...

So, with our lame 33rd & 32nd row tickets we planned on ditching the assigned seats and rushing up to the front of the stage with the rest of the mad-crazy Oasis fans. Mistake #2. There were no mad-crazy Oasis fans. And the security people wouldn't have it anyway. We were scolded for standing in an aisleway by a railing behind the section we were assigned to. Apparently it's a fire hazard to have people standing in aisleways at a concert venue. Go figure. Okay, I suppose I've ranted enough on the lameness of the Dodge Theatre and their Nazi-esque employees. The show.

Kasabian opened with a short set. It was the same set they played in Vegas, which is really a great set. It's their most stand-out songs from the album, and a new song to get us excited about a forthcoming album. I really felt sorry for them, though, because they were playing to a bunch of duds. The venue was almost empty, and the people that were in the venue were just sitting in their seats. Ooops, I seem to be ranting again...

The set:
1. Reason is Treason
2. Cutt Off
3. The Stuntman
4. 55
5. Processed Beats
6. L.S.F.
7. Club Foot

This really was an excellent set. The band was great even though they were playing to practically no one, and their sound was right on.

Next up, we went outside in a failed attempt to con the ticket sales guy in the box office to release a few more front row seats. He wasn't having it. But, we did run into a guy that wasn't able to sell his two club level seats and he just gave them to us. Sweet! We really had no use for them since they weren't as good as our row 33 & 32, so I made a few calls and found a friend who'd be able to come down last minute to use one of the tickets.

By this time Jet had started their set. I'm not really a Jet fan at all since I find them to be a bunch of rip-off artists, so I wasn't in any hurry to get in and check them out. However, I have to say that when we finally did make it in, they weren't too bad. The crowd was clearly very into them, and they seemed to be putting on an entertaining show with a pretty decent sound. It was about this time we were scolded for standing in the aisleway so I went back outside to meet up with my friend to give her the recently acquired ticket. This is when the night started getting weird...

While I was outside waiting for her I started talking to a guy selling tickets. He had 15th row center stage tickets. He wanted $50 apiece. Hell no! But, I'd give him our tickets and $20 each in exchange for his tickets. We had a deal! So I went back inside to find my friends and see if they agreed. He'd wait for me outside. We all agreed it'd be a great way to spend twenty bucks, so we went back outside to find the guy. I told him we had a deal, we just needed to pull cash out of the ATM. No prob, he said. So we stood in line at the ATM. The guy behind us started in on a confusing conversation about where we were sitting and other random things. Then the strangest thing happened. A woman said to me, I know this is going to sound weird, but my husband has a cigarette butt stuck in his ear and I was wondering if you would get it out for him since I noticed you have fingernails and I don't. WHAT THE HELL?!?!? And she was serious. Whoa. She went on to explain that they had seats near a speaker and he had stuck the butt in his ear like a make-shift earplug. Weird. I checked out the guys ear just for curiosity sake, and that butt was barely visible. Gross. Anyhow, by the time we pulled out our cash we looked around for our ticket guy and he was nowhere to be found. We looked all over, but he was gone. Weird. We were resigned to our 33rd & 32nd row tickets once again. Meanwhile, I found my friend and gave her the free ticket. She had somehow come across a couple guys who were talking a mile a minute asking me if I worked for a radio station and if I had backstage passes. Huh? Weird.

Back inside we sat in row 33 and waited for Oasis. They came out and played a great set. It was the same set as Vegas, with plenty of song dedications and chatter with the crowd. I have to say, I was disappointed with Liam's voice. It sounded great on the first song and on the encore, but for most of the rest of the set it sounded scratchy and rough and forced to me. It wasn't terrible, but again, comparing it to Vegas it was disappointing. It was so spot-on and perfect in Vegas. But, the light show was amazing. The House of Blues is such a tiny venue that there is really no space for complex lights, but the Dodge did shine in this area (ooh, pun). The guys sounded great and Noel seemed more present tonight. There was a funny moment when he noticed that in front of him there was a man doing sign language for a (presumably) deaf person. He asked if he was, in fact doing sign language. Then he commented, only in America. Ha. Oh, and the crowd. I was just so shocked that all these thousands of people would be content to stand in their little assigned space and barely move whilst in the presence of great music like Oasis. Sad. They did seem to be into the songs though, including the old stuff, and I think lots of them were singing along, though it was hard to tell because of the acoustics of the venue.

The set:
--before they took the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
1. Turn up the Sun
2. Lyla
3. Bring it on Down
4. Morning Glory (for all the junkies)
5. Cigarettes and Alcohol
6. The Importance of Being Idle
7. A Bell Will Ring (for Mohammed Ali)
8. Acquiesce
9. Live Forever (for New Orleans)
10. Mucky Fingers (for all the deaf people)
11. Wonderwall (for the ladies)
12. Champagne Supernova
13. Rock 'n' Roll Star (for Jet & Kasabian)
--as they left the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
14. Guess God Thinks I'm Abel
15. The Meaning of Soul
16. Don't Look Back in Anger
17. My Generation

Okay, this post has gotten waaaaaaay too long, so I'm going to wrap it up. Did I have a good time? Yes. Am I happy I saw Oasis tonight in Phoenix? Yes. Do I think the Dodge Theatre is a lame place to see a rock concert? Yes. Am I even happier now that I saw Oasis in Vegas? Yes. Do I get to cross off #211 on my list: see the same band (Oasis!) twice in the same week? Yes. Will I pull a cigarette butt out of your ear if you stuff it in there as an earplug? No.

Vegas Baby, Vegas: Kasabian & Oasis at House of Blues

On Thursday night I was at the most amazing show. This show was so great I think it will take something of a miracle to surpass it. Not that it can't be done, but it will be damn difficult. The show was Oasis (with Kasabian opening) at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

I bought a ticket for the show a few months ago. I was super-excited when the Vegas show was announced, as I'd already bought a ticket for their show in Phoenix, but wasn't too thrilled with the venue choice. I knew the House of Blues would be a great venue for Oasis after seeing Gomez and the Zutons there last year. Seeing them in Vegas would also be a bit nostalgic since the only other time I'd seen them was in Vegas. The ticket was expensive (85 bucks when you added on the services charges), but I figured I'd go totally budget on everything else: a cheap plane ticket a few hours before the show, cab fare to the venue, cab fare back to the airport where I'd spend the night and then take the first flight back to Phoenix the next morning. In theory it sounded great. But as I'm inclined to do, I procrastinated on the plane ticket and totally missed out on the cheap fares. Plan B: drive to Vegas, sleep in the car somewhere and drive back the next day. Plan B would have been put into action if Plan C hadn't come around...A friend had recently left her job and I suggested she come along. She was up for it! And so Plan C became: drive to Vegas in her rental car, stay in a room on the 28th floor of the swanky Mandalay Bay resort & casino (where the band was staying as well!), valet the car, spend way too much money on food & drinks, laze away the morning in bed on Friday, and then drive back to Phoenix on Friday whereupon I'd be issued a ridiculously exaggerated speeding ticket 50 miles outside of town. The trip was great except for that last bit, thank God for online traffic school! Anyhow, I got way off on a tangent there. The show.

The show was amazing. We arrived at the hotel a mere 30 minutes before the doors to the venue were to open. We checked in, dropped our bags off, ooohed and aaahed at the magnificance of our room, and then headed down to the House of Blues. My friend didn't have a ticket, so we were in search of scalpers. There were none to be found, or they were deep incognito, so I was on my own. I quickly scouted out the scene inside: it was packed. It was about 7:25 and the place was nearly full. I bought a drink and then squeezed my way through the crowd on the floor near the front left side of the stage. But, I was dissatisfied with my spot so I decided to roam around a bit (this is one of the huge benefits of going to a show solo- you can squeeze in anywhere!). This was the best decision of the night because I ended up with a great spot near the front on the right side of the stage which is where the brothers Gallagher were positioned for their set. Yay! I killed a little time drinking and text-messaging before Kasabian, who promptly took the stage at 8:00. They played a super short, but exciting set. This being my third time seeing them this year, I knew what to expect and I wasn't let down. The crowd was fairly into them, though it didn't seem like many people knew the songs.

Their set list:
1. Reason is Treason
2. Cutt Off
3. The Stuntman (a new song)
4. 55
5. Processed Beats
6. L.S.F.
7. Club Foot

It was during the first few bars of the first song that I realized I'd left my little black notebook at home in which I usually write the setlists. I had a pen but no paper, and I didn't dare leave my prime spot in search of a piece of paper. Just then the guy standing in front of me started to leave. I asked if he was going to the bar, and if he'd bring me a napkin. A few minutes later he returned with a huge wad of napkins. I was saved! Kasabian's set only lasted about thirty minutes. During the break I thanked my neighbor for the napkins and explained their purpose. We got to talking and it turned out he was a huge Oasis fan. He'd seen them about twenty times. So, we killed time talking about all things Oasis until they took the stage at 9:00.

I can't even begin to describe how amazing the show was. The whole place was packed, and on the floor we were as tight as sardines. But the crowd was great and I had a perfect vantage point, so it was no bother to me. The most impressive element of the crowd was that everyone seemed to know all the songs, not just the new ones. Everyone sang along at the top of their lungs, and were so happy to hear the old stuff. Liam was in top form bantering with the crowd and just being an ass. It was great. Noel was practically hiding behind a speaker from what I could see, but I was pretty far to the right. Zak was unbelievably amazing on drums- it makes you realize they actually have a drummer now (I loved Whitey, but there's no comparison between the two)! Both Andy and Gem are pretty subdued as far as stage presence, but they sounded phenomenal. Gem's harmonica solo on Mucky Fingers was amazing, and Andy kicked ass on the bass solo's in My Generation. The set was about an hour and a half, with Liam leaving the stage three times for Noel's songs. They played one encore and ended the night with an amazing cover of the Who's, My Generation. When the show was over the lights came back up and the Beatles, Let it Be came on the PA. The whole place sang at the top of their lungs again on the way out. It was an incredible end to the night.

The setlist:
--before they took the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
1. Turn up the Sun
2. Lyla
3. Bring it on Down
4. Morning Glory
5. Cigarettes and Alcohol
6. The Importance of Being Idle
7. A Bell Will Ring
8. Acquiesce
9. Live Forever (for New Orleans)
10. Mucky Fingers
11. Wonderwall (for the ladies)
12. Champagne Supernova (for the kid)
13. Rock 'n' Roll Star
--as they left the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
14. Guess God Thinks I'm Abel
15. The Meaning of Soul
16. Don't Look Back in Anger
17. My Generation

All in all, just an incredible show. I can only hope that the show in town tomorrow is a fraction as good. The atmosphere will be totally different, which was a huge contributing factor to the success of the Vegas show, but if there is a way to get out of my assigned seat in row 32 and up to the front of the stage, you can bet I will be there! I'm psyched to see them again, but for now will be content to cross off #196: see Oasis again in Vegas, and end up going to the best show of my life (no exaggeration!!).

Ray LaMontagne

Tonight I saw Ray LaMontagne at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. It was one of the strangest shows I can recall going to in quite a while, both for the performance and for the crowd. First, a bit of history. I first saw Ray last October 14th as the opener for Badly Drawn Boy at the same venue. I'd never even heard of him before that night, but was instantly impressed with him. His band was a three-piece: him on acoustic guitar, an upright bassist, and Ethan Johns on drums (!!!!). He played a great upbeat folky acoustic set. He chatted with the crowd, seemed pleased that people knew who he was and took lots of song requests from the crowd. I was convinced and got his cd Trouble soon after, and have been loving it ever since. When I heard he was coming to the Marquee again so soon, and as the opener this time, I was looking forward to checking it out.

Rachael Yamagata opened. I'm familiar with her name, but not her music. It was pretty decent. She has a great voice, but the music was just average and not too polished. Not that folk-ish music needs to be polished, but there was something lacking. She was a decent opener though, and the crowd was really into her.

Ray came out around 9 to a pretty big audience. There were definitely more people in attendance than were at Badly Drawn Boy, which was a big surprise to me. But, the crowd totally had me confused. Being folk music I was expecting a low-key emo crowd, but instead it was packed with loud obnoxious people. People that talked through the first five songs when he was playing with no drummer and really required a quiet audience. People that sang words loudly in my ear, made out with each other practically on top of me, talked to me incessantly about how they were going to put me on their shoulders, bought me bottled water, and danced to the beat of some music that wasn't coming from the stage. In summation, they were annoying as hell. But nevermind, it was the music I was there to see, not the crowd.

Having seen Ray already, I was expecting (read: hoping for) a longer version of the show I'd seen him put on a mere nine months prior. However, this isn't the show I got. In this show he seemed like he was on the brink of insanity or suicide. He was quiet, withdrawn, hardly spoke to the crowd at all and when he did he muttered so that we could hardly hear him. He played an odd collection of songs with tons of new songs mixed in. Even the most upbeat song on Trouble, How Come, was super mellow and stripped down. There were two highlights of the night. One was a new song which he played the electric guitar on and totally rocked. It was the opposite of his folk stuff, but his voice could easily command the rockiness of the song. The second highlight was when he appeared to totally be losing his mind during the encore. I've never seen anything like it. He came out for the encore and mumbled to the crowd about how he felt weird. And how he'd had a weird day. He said weird about 10 times. Then he played a song. Then the band left and he started mumbling again. He said something about forgetting words and forgetting chords. More incoherent mumbling. Then he thanked Rachael. Someone in the crowd yelled out for her to come out, and so he motioned her out. They conferred on the stage for a while and I swear he looked like he was going to cry. Then he gave her his guitar and left the stage. She fumbled around with it for a few minutes and tried talking to the crowd a bit and then the audience started yelling for Ray. He came back and strapped on the guitar he'd given her. A few more minutes of conferring and they decided to 'try an experiment'. He played a new song that was super soft and rather depressing and she sang a bit of back-up vocals with her back to the audience facing him and sharing a mic. When the song was over he looked relieved to be getting the hell off the stage.

I have no idea what was going on tonight. It was still a good show, but such a stark contrast to the show I'd seen less than a year ago. It can also be really tough to get into a show when there is so much material you are unfamiliar with. But, with that much new stuff in the set I imagine there is a new album around the corner.

Geeking out with the set list:
1. Burn
2. New song
3. New song
4. Narrow Escape (sung with Jennifer Stills)
5. Jolene
6. Hold You in my Arms
7. Shelter
8. New song- You Got What I Want
9. Hannah
10. New song- So Empty
11. New song- You Should Belong to Me
12. Trouble
13. How Come
-encore-
14. New song
15. New song- Can I Stay

With an all around entertaining night, I cross off #174: see Ray LaMontagne again, in a totally different way.

Kasabian

Kasabian, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

I was entertained by the band Kasabian tonight at The Clubhouse in Tempe. They are the most danceable band I've ever seen live. If you have a pulse I don't see how you can't help but groove- you have no choice, your body makes you.

This was the second time I've seen them, the first being back on March 15th of this year. I don't think I've ever seen the same band twice in the same year. However, if things go well, I'm slated to see Kasabian three more times this year. I think I will have full groupie status by that point. And who can blame me, just look at Serge.

Cause I'm a geek, the setlist:
1- I.D.
2- Cutt Off
3- Reason is Treason
4- Test Transmission
5- 55
6- Butcher Blues
7- Processed Beats
8- Nightworkers
9- ??
10- L.S.F.
11- Ovary Stripe?
12- Club Foot

Oh, ah ah ah ah ah ah...

And so with ears still ringing I cross #294 off my list: See Kasabian (again).