stuff I like this week

I can't stop listening to this song! Bruno Mars sounds so fantastic. The rap sounds SO much like "96,000" from In the Heights, which I think is part of why I love it. There's even a lyric "I be in a whole new tax bracket/we in recession but let me take a crack it/I'll take everything left and split it up/So everyone I love could have a couple bucks", which reminds me not only of Benny's rap in "96,000" but how Usnavi talks about splitting it up for him, Abuela and Sonny. Anyway, "Billionaire" is a great summer song, I end up belting out the chorus every time I hear it.



Another song I can't stop listening to! I also love the video. I love the lead singer's voice. I actually got their entire album after hearing this song a few times, I liked it so much!



Zac's cover of "Oh Darling" is one of my favorite things ever. I got to see it again this week and I was extra reminded of why. This is my favorite version of it.

"Is someone smoking pot? That's so cute! It's like a '70s show!"

Tonight I went to see Butch Walker! I have not been into Butch for all that long. He is one of those people I kept seeing mentioned all over the place so I gave him a try probably about six months ago or so. At first, I didn't think I liked him all that much aside from a few songs but I kept finding myself listening to him anyway and slowly realized that I liked him a lot. So when I saw he was playing Webster Hall, and Locksley was opening, I figured why not!

Locksley was a lot of fun, as I expected from having seen them open for Tinted Windows last year. I only have the album before their most recent so I didn't know a whole lot of songs they played but they are so full of energy. They also have so many bro moments. They're always sharing microphones really close to each others faces, putting their arms around each to play each other's guitars, kissing each other when amplifiers don't work, the like. I like them a lot. And they closed the show with my two favorites songs from the album I do have, "She Does" and "Don't Make Me Wait". Yay!

Butch started his set alone at the keyboards and the first song he sang was "Cigarette Lighter Love Song", which made me super happy because I adore that song. I think it goes back to his pre-solo days but I have the version from his live album and it was pretty much exactly the same. I didn't realize just how incredible his voice was until I heard this song live. He has so much range and his falsetto is amazing! After that, he sang "I Passed Your Place, I Saw Your Car, I Thought of You" on the Wurlitzer, also very cool. I'm not going to lie, I was a little intimidated of him at first, in his leather jacket with his arm sleeves peeking out and his mustache. He just seemed kind of serious and closed off. But that soon changed once the band came out!

Butch's band, The Black Widows, were kind of a show onto themselves. They were such a hodge podge of individuals! His lead guitarist looked like he woke up in 1973. His name was even Fran. His bassist looked like he woke up as Tom Petty. His keyboardist looked like he woke up as a pot-smoking 15-year-old. His rhythm guitarist looked like he woke up as a punk-rock Rastifarian. And his drummer looked like he literally just woke up after passing out in his Lazy-Boy recliner after drinking too many 7and7s while watching Magnum P.I. reruns. They were all incredible musicians though!

Once the band was on stage, the show was pretty much hopping for the rest of the night. I don't know everything he sang since I don't have all of his albums but it didn't matter because it was all that good. He has an incredible stage presence and is so funny between songs! He kept telling stories and writing songs on the fly and playing various instruments like a banjolin and swigging from a bottle of Jameson. Among the song he definitely did play were "Pretty Melody", which I was impressed that got the super pretty instrumental intro perfectly recreated, "Trash Day", "She Likes Hair Bands" introed with a song he wrote while he was singing it as a disco ball turned overhead, "Ponce de Leon Ave." and "The 3 Kids in Brooklyn" which was so super fun and felt like a pub song as he seriously rocked out on mandolin. He also did a cover of "Laid", like Matt Nathanson does, AND a cover of "Rich Girl" and y'all know how I feel about Hall and Oates covers! The last song they played before the encore, I'm not sure exactly what it was, but every single band member sang lead for a verse and then Butch kind of lost his shit for a good five minutes. By the end of it, the jacket was off and he was all tattooed and wifebeatered, he was covered in sweat, his acoustic guitar was down to three strings as he flung it and himself around and then he perched himself at the edge of the stage with the microphone cord around his neck. It felt so intense and raw and intimate, my mouth was hanging open!

Webster Hall is also a dance club and the entire show, Butch was convinced they didn't have much time until they had to stop because the dance music would penetrate the floor below us and take over. For the last song, he was like "they would come up here, cross their arms and be like 'lame'! So, we're gonna be as lame as can be!" And he came off the stage literally right to two people from where I was standing and proceeded to start a rock out dance party. Everyone around me kept trying to get closer to him and touch him and stuff and he was just rocking the hell out, arms in the air and then he got all of us down on the ground and it was very much like that part of Fuerzabruta and we were yelling shit and flung back to our feet and jumped around some more and then he found his way back to the stage and the show as done!

So. Yeah. Butch Walker is kind of awesome. I'd go see him again in second. I love rock music. I love live music. I love rocking out to live music.

Top 100 v2.0

I am admittedly ridic about these things but it's been six months since I reset my play counts, I'm bored and it's hot out, so Top 100 on my iPod! Not only that, but songs that were on the LAST Top 100 are bolded! Yay play count obsessions!

100. "Who Says", John Mayer, Battle Studies
99. "Outside", Green River Ordinance, Out Of My Hands
98. "Never Going Back Again", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (#63)
97. "Hope For Me Yet", Marc Broussard, Carencro
96. "Wagon Wheel", Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, The Bear
95. "Touch Me Bad", Steel Train, Live From Bonnaroo
94. "Mandolin Moon", Sister Hazel, Absolutely (#95)
93. "The Wanderer", Marc Broussard, Carencro (#39)
92. "Charmer", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#65)
91. "Call and Return (Say That You're Into Me)", hellogoodbye, hellogoodbye
90. "Something Coming Over", O.A.R., Live From Madison Square Garden (#85)
89. "Carry You There", Hanson, Stand Up Stand Up
88. "The First Single (You Know Me)", The Format, Interventions and Lullabies
87. "Rainbows", Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue
86. "Alone", The Bee Gees, Still Waters
85. "Chelsea", The Summer Set, Love Like This
84. "Wake Your Eyes", Steel Train, Twilight Tales from the Prairie of the Sun
83. "Make It Through", Sherwood, QU
82. "Garden", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
81. "Song to Me", MWK, Incoherent With Desire to Move On
80. "Use Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night (#3)
79. "Rich Girls, Poor Girls", Everybody Else, Everybody Else (#27)
78. "Sure Fire Winners", Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment
77. "I've Let You Go", Steel Train, Trampoline
76. "More Time", Needtobreathe, The Heat
75. "All Part of the Show", Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, The Bear
74. "Better Love", Steel Train, Twilight Tales from the Prairie of the Sun
73. "We Could Run Away", Needtobreathe, The Heat
72. "The Story of Your Life", To Have Heroes, To Have Heroes
71. "Must Be the Water", Marc Broussard, Must Be the Water (#99)
70. "Happy Alone", Kings of Leon, Youth and Young Manhood
69. "Milk", Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak (#38)
68. "I Saw It On Your Keyboard", hellogoodbye, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!
67. "Where's the Love", Hanson, Middle of Nowhere (#78)
66. "Snails", The Format, Dog Problems
65. "The Weight of Her", Butch Walker, Sycamore Meadows
64. "More Like Me", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
63. "The Boys You Do (Get Back At You)", The Summer Set, Love Like This
62. "Black Eye", Steel Train, Live From Bonnaroo
61. "Gimme Some Lovin'", The Spencer Davis Group, Gimme Some Lovin'
60. "The Day I Quit My Job", Sleeperstar, To Speak, To Love, To Listen
59. "Whose Chariot", O.A.R., Rain or Shine
58. "One True Thing", MWK,Incoherent With Desire to Move On
57. "Camaro", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#33)
56. "Fire on the Mountain", Hanson, The Walk (#1)
55. "Makeup", Everybody Else, Everybody Else (#10)
54. "Better Day", To Have Heroes, To Have Heroes
53. "Tickle Your Toes", Steel Train, Twilight Tales from the Prairie of the Sun
52. "Firecracker", Steel Train, Trampoline
51. "What You've Done to Me", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
50. "Alright With Me", Kris Allen, Kris Allen
49. "Manhattan", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night (#6)
48. "Touchdown Turnaround (Don't Give Up On Me), hellogoodbye, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!
47. "World's On Fire", Hanson, Stand Up Stand Up
46. "Oceans", The Format, Dog Problems
45. "Moving On", Needtobreathe, The Heat
44. "Killing More Than Time", MWK, Incoherent With Desire to Move On
43. "Lost Myself in Search of You", Matt Nathanson, At the Point
42. "Come Around", Marc Broussard, Carencro
41. "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)", fun. Aim and Ignite
40. "Bleed to Love Her", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance (#7)
39. "It's About Time", The Beach Boys, Sunflower (#69)
38. "School is For Losers", Steel Train, Trampoline
37. "Stronger (Back on the Ground)", Nick Jonas and the Administration, Who I Am
36. "Get Up and Go", Hanson, Underneath (#18)
35. "Be Calm", fun. Aim and Ignite
34. "Ragoo", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#24)
33. "The Stuff You Gotta Watch", The Band, Jericho (#89)
32. "Strut", Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment
31. "Swan Dive", Sister Hazel, Chasing Daylight (#22)
30. "Restless", Needtobreathe, The Heat
29. "Notion", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night (#5)
28. "Georgia", Hanson, The Walk (#67)
27. "I Want You Back", Steel Train, 1969
26. "Heartbreaker", Matt Wertz, If It Ain't Broke...
25. "Barlights", fun., Aim and Ignite
24. "Fever", Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment
23. "Shady Esperanto & the Young Hearts", Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, The Bear
22. "Hard Knocks", Marc Broussard, Keep Coming Back
21. "Live Like We're Dying", Kris Allen, Kris Allen
20. "These Walls", Hanson, Stand Up, Stand Up
19. "Walking the Dog", fun. Aim and Ignite
18. "Imperial Lover", Carney, Nothing Without You
17. "Save Me", Marc Broussard, Carencro (#96)
16. "Be Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night (#34)
15. "When We First Met", hellogoodbye, When We First Met
14. "Let Us Love", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
13. "Home", Marc Broussard, Carencro
12. "Girl Named Tennessee", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
11. "Perfectly Lonely", John Mayer, Battle Studies
10. "All the Pretty Girls", fun. Aim and Ignite
9. "Something Beautiful", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
8. "Washed by the Water", Needtobreathe, The Heat
7. "Fans", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#2)
6. "Take Your Time (Coming Home)", fun. Aim and Ignite
5. "You and I Undercover", Steel Train, Steel Train Is Here
4. "Here (In Your Arms)", hellogoodbye, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!
3. "Been There Before", Hanson, The Walk (#23)
2. "Benson Hedges", fun. Aim and Ignite
1. "Waiting For This", Hanson, Stand Up, Stand Up

"I'd have left that shit in Jersey and played for y'all acoustic"

Saw Needtobreathe again last night, this time here in NYC! It was at Bowery Ballroom, which I somehow had never been to before. I liked it! The acoustics weren't the best but that might have been a little to do with where I was standing. It's really not big at all, which made the fact that it was Needtobreathe's "biggest" NYC show to date a little weird seeing as they had just sold out the Chicago House of Blues and that was at least double the size and possibly closer to triple. But it's good they are getting a bigger following around these parts!

First up was Matt Hires, someone I had heard of but not really listened to. I did not really like him much. He kept singing about being rock 'n' roll and he really wasn't, he just played slow songs on an acoustic guitar. But he was cute at least!

Next up was Will Hoge, another person I have heard of and who is friends with lots of other people I am a fan of (SK6ers, Sister Hazel, Broussard, etc.). I've tried to get into his music and realized it just wasn't my thing aside from a few songs, but damn, was he good live! He had a band of three, including a guy on steel guitar and he just rocked it. Even his slower songs had more fire than the studio versions I've heard. I really enjoyed his set a lot. He had a great stage presence and just looked like kinda rugged Southern rock. He was funny when he was telling us how Needtobreathe brings out all the bells and whistles for their tour, even though it would be way easier not to. He's like "I'd have just left that shit in Jersey and played for y'all acoustic! Nah, I'm kidding, I'd have rented shit when I got here." Another awesome thing about Will is that he almost died in a motorcycle accident a little over a year ago and basically everything that could break, broke, yet he's back on a stage, hopping around in a military jacket and playing mean guitar. How can you not be on board with that?

Needtobreathe was essentially as kickass as I've come to expect. I had a nice spot right in front of Bo, which was a happy place to be because he's so smiley and always doing a little dance. The set was pretty much the same as Chicago, minus a song or two. The crowd was pretty into it, though not quite as much as there. During "Lay 'Em Down", Bear waited for the crowd to sing the last verse and it kind of didn't work and instead of coming in and singing it himself, he just let everyone flounder while he laughed. It really does feel like their set starts out rock, gets a little calmer in the middle and then goes kind of tent revival at the end. All the big singalongs are later in the set and I kind of like that progression, it builds up the energy in a good way. "Let Us Love" is definitely still my favorite live song of theirs, it's so much fun! "Washed by the Water" was a little different this time around. Since the venue was smaller than in Chicago, the band left the stage and went up to the balcony to perform it. Still unplugged and I could hear Bear's voice as clear as when he sang it right in front of me, which is pretty amazing. He had warned everyone not to sing along before he started, telling us his Mom had called him and heard he was "scolding" people for singing over him too early in the song, so everyone was pretty quiet and then when he did say to sing, no one actually did, so he stopped the song anyway and got everybody going. Something tells me Bear has a very specific idea of how he wants this song to go! It's very awesome though, even though the Chicago version is the one that's going to stick in my mind when I hear the song. This show was great and energetic and awesome, but something about that show made me like it just a little bit more. Love seeing them though and hope to again soon!

SK6ers and Needtobreathe in Chi-town

It just so happened that my friend and I wanted to see SK6ers soon and also see Chicago. It also so happened that SK6ers were opening for Needtobreathe in Chicago. Thus, we went!

When it comes to the SK6ers, I really can't imagine anyone seeing their live show and not liking them. They have one of the most fun live shows I have ever seen and that is one of the main reasons why I became a fan of theirs to begin with. They are everything an opening band should be. Energetic, entertaining, playing a mix of their own music, getting the crowd involved and tossing in some familiar tunes. Love them SO much. There was a lot of Glassjaw Boxer love, with "Fourth of July", "Milwaukee" and "Big Easy", which of course was the crowd participation number with the hand motions. They played "The Bear", which entertained me extra because I had been singing it all day and there was TUBA on it! "Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts" had a choreographed dance, which was various levels of entertaining depending which member of the band you happened to be looking at. They all had ties on and some had vests, some had hats, they're so adorable and that song is just so catchy that to see them in those outfits, singing that song while bouncing on one foot, it's just too much. They closed the show with a Stephen song mixed with a medley of covers and when I say medley, I mean medley. There were at least 20 songs in there, chronologically by decade. It was awesome. Shana and I were dorks and cheered extra loud for "Aquarius" in memory of Kyle Riabko, who is currently starring in Hair former SK6er status. So much fun, those guys are. I wish they made it easier to see them in my own town!

Needtobreathe was incredible. It kind of amazes me that I had no idea who they were at this time last year but they're that kind of band that sometimes, it just clicks and it has totally clicked for me. Something about them just resonates with me, I love their music so much and seeing them live is an awesome experience. It was especially fun seeing them in the Midwest, where they have a considerably larger following. I saw them at Highline Ballroom here in the city in September and it wasn't even sold out. That's about a third of the size of the Chicago House of Blues and that was sold out. They were able to play quite a longer set, with obviously, a lot of love for The Outsiders, I think they played all but three songs from that album, plus a mix of songs from The Heat and even "Don't Wait for Daylight". They even let Bo sing lead on "Won't Turn Back", aww! He sings so pretty and so different from Bear. All of the rockier songs seemed to be in a row and it kind of felt like all the more rootsy stuff was toward the end. "More Time" and "Something Beautiful" and "Stones Under Rushing Water", it's almost like a different band when those songs come out after "Prisoner" and "Girl Named Tennessee" (I could not stand still for that song, oops). They closed with "Through Smoke", which I thought was a bit of an odd choice for a closer and also, they still hadn't played a few songs that I was surprised they'd go without, but really didn't think they'd encore for long. But, they did! First song of the encore was "Hurricane", then into "Let Us Love" which is one of the most fun of their live songs, with the built in singalong and ridiculous energy. When I saw them in New York, they had ended the show with an unplugged version of "Something Beautiful". When they played that earlier in the set here, I figured that they wouldn't be doing anything like that for this show because the venue was so much bigger and it just probably wouldn't work. So when Bear walked to the absolute tip of the stage and said they were going to sing something totally unplugged, I was pretty intrigued on how that was going to work. He asked everyone to be as quiet as possible, because his unamplified voice wouldn't be able to sing over people talking or singing along, and you could seriously hear a pin drop. He started singing "Washed by the Water" and it completely filled the room up. He has an absolutely incredible voice and hearing it just as it is, in this big room, full of silent people, singing that song about his dad and his faith, was insanely amazing. After the bridge, he asked to crowd to join in and I think he was a little blown away by the immediate response that came. He had said earlier that it was their biggest headlining show to date and I love that I got to be there for such a huge show for them. It was so, so awesome.

I think I'll be thinking of this performance every time I hear the song from now on. Even in the video, when the crowd comes in, it's a little chilling and being there was even more awesome. And when Bear starts singing "Can't Always Get What You Want" at the end, you can sort of hear the crowd trying to be patient and let him sing, but everyone loses their resolve at the exact same moment and screams "you get what you need!" Really, one of the best live concert moments I've ever been a part of! I love them so much. Can't wait to see them again here in a few weeks.

lots of stuff I love right now

There's always so many songs and stuff that I love at any given time so I decided to compile a bunch of it into a post. So, here are some songs and videos of songs and a few other things I love right now!

"The Story of Your Life", To Have Heroes - To Have Heroes is Andy Skib's "solo" project, away from MWK and playing in David Cook's band. I love Andy's voice and I love the way it's complimented by the acoustic nature of his EP. This song is just gorgeous, lyrically and instrumentally and as a writer, I find myself really relating to the idea of it. I love the way the words in the verses are quick and then the choruses and bridge slow back down. Extra perk of this song, and what kind of explains that varying structure for me, is that it was written by Jason Mraz and Isaac Hanson at Fool's Banquet!



"The Weight of Her", Butch Walker - I love this song so much! It reminds me of Tom Petty. Also, the awesome spoken bridge: "What am I supposed to talk about with you anyway? I graduated the year you were born. I don't wanna have to drive around listening to your burned CDs through your shitty car speakers of every band you think you discovered. It's just gonna make me feel insecure!"



"Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers - I can't stop listening to this song! It's so freaking catchy and this video is hilarious, if just because it's like, the SK6ers in a legit video and they're so awkward and goofy as usual plus a marching band.



"Perfectly Lonely", John Mayer - God, I love this song. The guitar on it is so addicting and his voice and the lyrics and I love John Mayer. Watch him bounce! Also, I love that in this video, he basically admits that it is not a very long-lasting feeling! That's all I wanted, JM.



"Texas Rain", Sleeperstar - These guys are so wonderful. This video is from the show I saw them and I was standing basically right where this view point is. I love Chris' voice and he is also rather cute. I also love that this video does a good job of showing Shaun, because I loved watching him drum.



"Song Burning in Hell", Steel Train - So much of why I love Steel Train is present in this video. From Jack being adorable and his big red guitar to the pounding drums to the random high-pitched harmonies to the percussion jam in the middle to the crowd participation moments to Evan and his fro to everything about them. I saw them play this song twice and it's so much fun live and makes me want their new album right now!



"River", Isaac Hanson - This video kind of sums up why I love Isaac. Taylor had the flu for almost a whole week of this fall's tour, the first show being in Boston, so Ike and Zac stepped up a little extra. Isaac busted out "River" from 3 Car Garage for his solo there. I just love how surprised he is when the crowd sings back to him, his goofy face when he wants it later, how much he can still sell a song he wrote when he was 15, how kickass his voice is sometimes and just how awesome he is in general.



I could probably do this weekly and I just might!

it's the way, it's the way, it's the way that i want it

I still remember the first time I heard "No Such Thing" on the radio. It was 2001 and I was sitting at my desk in my dorm room and my roommate was sitting at hers and it came on the little Woodstock station we liked to listen to. We turned to each other and wondered who it was and from then on, any time it came on, we would sing along to it, especially loving the falsetto part. A few weeks later, I received a mixed CD from my friend of John Mayer's first EP and quickly got myself his new album, Room for Squares. I fell for it. Hard. He was a huge part of my soundtrack for my sophomore year of college. I still remember listening to him the whole way down to the city, "City Love" and "3x5" and "Why Georgia" and "Comfortable" still bring to mind those all too frequent rides. I saw him in 2002. A new band called Maroon 5 opened for him and he came out and played guitar on their single, "This Love" prior to his own set. I saw him again in 2003 when I was working for the radio station, at the Meadows in Hartford. Tonight was my first time seeing him live since then. While I've continued keeping up with him and getting his new albums, for some reason I just hadn't seen him live again. And seeing him just confirmed what I already knew. I love this guy. I love John Mayer.

Highlights:
- I was taken by how amazing his voice sounded from the first song and it continued to be amazing the entire show. He was so present the whole time, so into it and really on and giving it.
- "Vultures"! That's one of the first songs I learned how to play drums to!
- "Perfectly Lonely"! This is my favorite song off of Battle Studies and do I love it! Even if I do kid about it not being entirely true.
- Cover of "Free Fallin'"!
- "Comfortable". I flipped when he started this song. I hadn't even thought to hope it would make an appearance and it was such a treat. "I loved you, gray sweatpants, no makeup, so perfect." This song is perfect.
- Ok, John Mayer has a Rick Turner Model 1 and this means nothing to the majority of people in the world, but to me, it is awesome because that is the guitar Lindsey Buckingham plays and basically no one else plays one. It has such a distinct sound and I love how it compliments "Half of My Heart", the tune Mayer plays it on. I also love that while he has it out, he plays a little bit of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" because how could I not?
- Steve Jordan on drums, holy crap. Ridiculous, man.
- "Why Georgia" into "No Such Thing". God, it's been NINE years and I still love those two songs like I just heard them for the first time yesterday. I never tired of "No Such Thing" when it was on the radio all over the place and I don't think I will tire of it ever. And I love the live lyrics of "I am invincible, you are invincible, we are invincible, as long as we're alive"! The crowd was awesome the whole show, but for those two songs, it was something else.
- He had a bit of a Preacher John moment, where he was being all deep and inspirational about love and lovelessness. I loved it. It also made me think of Nick Jonas and "Did I LET it GET me DOWN?!" <3
- Acoustic "Who Says" that basically was a crowd sing-along. I don't care how douchey that song may be, I freaking love it.
- Epic "Gravity". He was literally on the floor with the guitar. I didn't want it to end because I knew when it did, the concert was over and I never wanted the concert to be over.

Such a great show and I'm so glad I finally saw him live again. It will not be so long till I see him again. I love the dude and I will shout it loud and clear. He makes it a little hard sometimes, with the stuff he says and does but you know what? He knows that shit went down. He knows his place in all this drama that has swirled around and because of him. To me, he's a musician. He's a guy from Connecticut who got very famous, very fast and is still trying to figure out how to handle that. Does he say shit he shouldn't say? Yeah, sometimes. Does he cross lines and push buttons where he doesn't need to? Yeah, sometimes. But way more than that, he is a ridiculously talented guy who writes amazing songs and can wail on guitar. I think he's finally starting to truly realize how that can be enough. That it doesn't have to be more than that and that people will love him just for that. That people love him despite all of that other shit. There was a moment tonight where he thanked everyone for their support and it really felt like a moment of "all these people are here, even though I can be a real dumbass" and it felt GOOD. It felt good to be a part of this mass of people who don't care because we love the music. We love the part of that guy who makes the music we love and we can separate him from that other part that can be a real douchebag, and just take him for what it's really worth. His music has been a huge part of my life for a very long time. That is what means the most to me and that is what I love him for.

"We know we look 18. Don't hold it against us."

Tonight I saw Sleeperstar and Green River Ordinance at Mercury Lounge!

I had never heard any of Sleeperstar's music prior tonight, nor had I ever seen them. When they first came out, I was amused by a number of things, ranging from how young they looked (I really thought the lead singer might still be in his mid-teens), how varied they looked (the drummer and bass player looked like they were in a different band than the other three) and how the lead singer was wearing a leather jacket with a sweatshirt hood sticking out despite the fact that it was already really hot in the room. They proceeded to sell me. Hardcore. They were so tight and energetic and their music was really easy to get into, so much so that I didn't want it to end. Chris, the lead singer, was ridiculously cute and charming, played guitar and keyboard and had a great voice and stage presence. He even confirmed during his charismatic banter that they were not as young as they looked (see subject line). Shaun the drummer almost looked like he was dancing on the kit, his movements were so fluid and entertaining to watch, even though he was also managing to bang the shit out of the things. At the end of the last song, Brandon the bassist ended up on the ground, lying the bass down and just plucking at it while falling over it. I was actually concerned for him a bit because he was just like, passing out onto it! But he got up when it was over and starting putting his stuff away, so I figured it was all just for the sake of a dramatic ending. They seemed super excited to have such a great reception and I was happy for them and eager to get their CD after the show.

GRO came out next! I've been listening to GRO for over a year and I still get confused by their names because everyone but Denton the drummer has a name with a "juh" sound. There's Josh the lead singer, Josh the guitar/mandolin player, Geoff the bassist and his brother Jamey the other guitarist. It may be weird, but I like knowing the individual's names, it just feels weird to refer to them by instrument! I think I am good now, though. We were almost in the front, right in front of Geoff, which was a good place to be! Josh looked a little nervous when he first came out but quickly warmed up and they were clearly excited to have such a full house and participating crowd. In just the second song, "Sleep It Off", Josh's mike fell apart and didn't work for almost an entire verse, which the audience carried as he fixed it. They played a bunch of faves, including that song, "Goodbye LA", "Getting Older", "Outside", "Come On" and their new song "Rise Up" which was written specifically for the Olympics and is being used in the coverage. It's so perfectly Olympian too! They're such a fun band, I love their sound so much. At the end of their set, they brought Sleeperstar back on stage to sing "With a Little Help From My Friends" and I love those chaotic all-band enders. There were ten guys on stage, everyone sharing mikes and playing random instruments and it's just super fun! GRO ended their set with an acoustic unplugged version of "On Your Own", one of my favorites of their songs. I love intimate shows like this because these kinds of songs always end up being a band/crowd sing-along and this was no exception. All five guys stood in a row at the edge of the stage and sang with just Josh's acoustic guitar, other Josh's mandolin ("what's Josh playing!" "That's a mandolin!" "It's cute!" "It's cute or I'm cute?") and some shakers. The crowd was a little timid to join in at first but when the chorus came around, everyone was full on singing with the band and it was so obvious that they were so psyched by it. They're doing fairly well these days but it still must be pretty awesome having a full room sing one of your songs with you, especially in New York! It's one of the reasons I love going to shows here!

cuz i know that my steel train, we're gonna ride on till the end

I have found that experiences with opening bands usually go one of three ways. One is that you spend their whole set wishing them off the stage and counting how many songs are left till you get to see the band you actually want to see. Another is that they're enjoyable enough that you don't really mind that you aren't yet seeing the band you actually want to see. More rare, but most pleasantly surprising, is when they put on such a great set that you leave that show a fan of theirs as well. As hard as the first option is to deal with and as relieving as the second one is in not being the first, the third always excites me. I mean, isn't that the purpose of an opening band in a lot of ways? They don't just fill that time before the headliners out of the goodness of their hearts, they're there to hopefully gain a few new ears, people who may not have been that into seeing them when they walked in but are happy to have when they walk out.

Such was my first experience with Steel Train. I had no idea who they were when I saw them open for Hanson in October. Usually I at least listen to a few tunes to get an idea and I didn't really even do that. I saw them that first night and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked them. The songs were catchy and the band members had a fun and endearing vibe about them. I left excited to see them again the next night. I enjoyed their set the second time around even more and purchased their most recent album, Trampoline, soon after. It's been one of my most listened to albums of the past few months, full of catchy and quirky songs, rooted in that area of music that I sometimes have a hard time putting into words but my ears recognize almost immediately. It's kind of crazy to me that they're yet another band that sort of found their way to me in the sense that I would not have thought to even know who they were had they not opened for a band I already loved, but since they did cross my path in that way, they are another band on my list of favorites. It's one of my favorite ways to find new bands to love and it excites me that it's been happening more and more lately.

I went to Hoboken on Wednesday night for night two of their two show stay at Maxwell's (which is an awesome venue! Can't wait to go to another show there). Night one had been mostly songs from Trampoline while night two was set to be an all-request show, the set decided upon based on a poll sent out by the band. Each person attending was asked to choose twelve original Steel Train songs they'd like to hear as well as twelve songs from a list of covers the band provided and the top six of each would be performed that night. I decided to go with that show and after seeing the list of covers, was even more happy with that decision. They opened the show with "I Feel Weird", and after that, it was cover/original for the rest of the night. Lots of my faves from Trampoline got play, including "Firecracker" (cameo from Jack's dad on acoustic!), "Alone on the Sea" and "Kill Monsters in the Rain", plus a few from earlier albums including "Better Love" and of course, "Road Song"! Which is the song that stuck out so much to me the first time I saw them and that I still love lots and lots! They closed the show with it and it was basically a band/crowd sing-along, so fun.


The covers that night were also pretty amazing. Among them were Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark", Bowie/Queen "Under Pressure" (Jack sang the Bowie parts, Nate from The Format was around to do the Freddie ones), pretty much all of the best parts of Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" inserted into the middle of their own song "A Magazine" and my favorite, The Band's "The Weight", in which all five members switched instruments and sang a verse on their own. Jack went from guitar to drums, Evan from bass to guitar, Jon from drums to bass, Daniel from guitar to keys and Justin from keys to guitar. I love when bands do that kind of thing! That is such a great song too! A band that has great taste in covers gets extra points from me (it especially helps that they cover Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk"!).

I had so much fun at the Hoboken show that I decided to go to their show in Brooklyn last night too! They put on such a fun and energetic show and I was happy to hear a lot of the same favorites in the set and still get a few others ("School is for Losers", woo!) plus hear the new songs they had played in Hoboken again too! One of the new ones is super super catchy and fun and has a five part percussion break, which please. Part of why I love their live shows so much is that they really recreate the pretty musically layered sound on their albums. There's glockenspiel and timpani and Wurlitzer and all these things that just make it all sound so good! I love them. I'm glad they found their way to my ears.

Concerts of 2009!

I'm rather pleased with this list! Hoping 2010 holds as many or more!

1/29 - Kings of Leon at MSG - I only knew Only by the Night at the time, my seat was essentially behind the stage so all I could see was their backs and I was by myself, but I still had a great time. I think seeing them at this point is what really got me loving them so much.

3/19 - Fleetwood Mac at MSG - Pretty much twelve years in the making, as it was my first time seeing Fleetwood Mac, even though I had seen Stevie and Lindsey solo. Very cool to finally do that!

4/20 - Tinted Windows at Mercury Lounge - Things went from "What, Taylor's in another band?" to being in the fourth row for said band's CD release very quickly! Lots of fun, loved seeing James Iha and watching Bun E. Carlos drum is a total joy. Good times.

4/26 - Matt Nathanson and Jack's Mannequin at Marist - Maybe the last Marist concert? I say that every year. Always fun to going up there for a show, always fun seeing Matt, enjoyed Jack's as well.

5/15 - Sister Hazel at Tulsa Mayfest - They played eight kickass and amazing songs and then an Oklahoma thunderstorm came and showed us all who's boss.

5/16 - Hanson at Tulsa Little Theatre - Member's only event, debuting eight songs from the upcoming new album and recording them live to become what we now know as the Stand Up Stand Up EP. Really awesome and intimate show, with four bonus songs from fan club membership kits.

5/24 - David Cook at Toad's Place in New Haven - David played close to home so I had to go! Loved Ryan Star's opening set, lots of fun seeing David again. He played "A Daily AntheM" too!

5/31 - Matt Caplan at a bar - Matt had a gig! He played "Sideways" and "Tempted" and laughed at us when we were excited. Such is.

6/11 - Fleetwood Mac at MSG - I bought a ticket in the front section and managed to snag a spot right at the stage, directly in front of Lindsey. Basically, my life was made and he sweat on me.

6/16 - Matt Nathanson at Summer Stage - My friends and I went and sat in the wood chips outside of the venue and listened to Matt's set, then went and ate barbecue.

6/17 - Locksley/Tinted Windows at Highline Ballroom - Locksley was awesome and it was fun seeing Tinted Windows again so soon. Taylor the front man and that Bun E., man.

7/19 - Jonas Brothers at Nassau Coliseum - And Honor Society and Jordin Sparks. I still love that this happened. They put on such a fun show!

8/15 - Matt Nathanson and O.A.R. at MSG - Matt in an arena! And my love of O.A.R. returns ten times stronger than ever.

8/20 - Marc Broussard at The Gap - Short acoustic set but still great to see him, especially since he played "Home"!

9/12 - Kings of Leon at Izod Center - This time, I knew every single song they played and it was that much more awesome. Love these guys.

9/21 - Green River Ordinance/Serena Ryder/NeedToBreathe at Highline Ballroom - Finally saw GRO, whom I love, and my love of NeedToBreathe was completely solidified by an absolutely awesome show.

10/15 - Steel Train/Hellogoodbye/Hanson at Nokia Theatre - First experience with Steel Train, realizing I might like them. Realized I really do love Hellogoodbye even though they can be a little obnox. Hanson put on a pretty great set, there was an Isaac solo and Taylor was kickass despite having the flu.

10/16 - Sherwood/Steel Train/Hellogoodbye/Hanson at Northern Lights in Clifton Park - Love of Steel Train and Hellogoodbye was officially confirmed. Hanson shows in general make me very happy and the amount of upbeat songs made me even more so.

10/18 - Hanson at Madison Hotel in DC - Member's only event. Some fun and random songs made an appearance. Most of all, Zac played "Devil's Nachos".

10/24 - Pat McGee/Sister Hazel at Irving Plaza - Yay, a full Sister Hazel show! Played all my faves, love seeing these guys. Still a little weirded out that Drew was missing though.

11/10 - Joe Perry at Irving Plaza - Won tickets, definitely cool to see him. We won't talk about what happened after I left a little bit before it was over.

12/30 - Steel Train at Maxwell's in Hoboken - These guys are so fun. Awesome mix of originals and covers, super energetic. Enough so that they will be my first show of 2010!

Band of Brothers: Jonas Brothers and NeedToBreathe

Jonas Brothers
Brothers: Kevin Jonas (guitar), Joe Jonas (lead vocals), Nick Jonas (lead vocals, guitar, piano, drums)
Other Members: None

Ohh, Jonas. What can I say about these three? Mostly, I love them. And they have some really great songs that get overlooked because of who they are and how popular they are and their fanbase. I love me some catchy pop and that's not even all they offer. "A Little Bit Longer" anyone?

While I love Kevin and Joe, I am always quick to admit that Nick is the talent. Not to say that the older two aren't good at what they do. Joe is an amazing and energetic frontman and Kevin has so much heart, but so much lies in Nick. He plays three instruments, he writes a lot of their songs (though sometimes with his brothers, also sometimes alone) and he sings about half of the leads. Their group started because of Nick, who was signed as a solo act and then ultimately, the idea of the group of three brothers came along. I'm curious what is going to happen with these three as their fame starts to dwindle, as it inevitably will. I really, honestly hope they end up like Hanson, still making music and having a close following even when they aren't so much in the limelight because I do think they have a lot more talent than people give them credit for.

I still adore this song:


NeedToBreathe
Brothers: Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar), Bo Rinehart (guitar)
Other Members: Seth Bolt (bass), Joe Stillwell (drums)

I'm still pretty new to NeedToBreathe but it's safe to say that they'll be sticking around on my list of favorites. Their music is more faith-based than any other I listen to, based mainly on Bear and Bo's father being a preacher and their upbringing. What I love about them is that while they do have those songs that are very obviously about their faith and they're clearly very in tune with each other through that, it doesn't define them or their music. Some of my favorite songs of theirs are those, especially since Bear tends to sound just a little bit more awesome (see below) but their regular old rock tunes are flat out amazing as well, and catchy to boot. I mean, "Girl Named Tennesse"? Love it.

Bear has such a soulful rock voice and Bo's is so smooth and they blend together so ridiculously well, in that way that only brother's voices can. Listen to these two:

Band of Brothers: Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon
Brothers: Nathan Followill (drums), Caleb Followill (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Jared Followill (bass)
Other Members: Matthew Followill - cousin (lead guitar)

One of the first things I read about Kings of Leon, after hearing Only by the Night, was that they exist because Caleb wanted to be a singer. Nathan, who was set to go to college, decided to not go to school and instead help his younger brother out getting a music career going. They eventually decided that a band would be best and bought a bass for 14-year-old Jared and told him to learn how to play it. The band was born.

These are four guys that want this. The fact that they went from guys who weren't even an official band to having the success that they currently do in just a matter of years says a lot about their drive and their talent. They don't just get by, they are amazing. They create music that I love to pick apart because each element is just that good. I love pounding out Nathan's beats, singing along to Jared's bass lines, wiggling my fingers to Matthew's solos. And Caleb's voice, Caleb's words, are just haunting and amazing and incredible in every way. This band creates a whole that completely exceeds the sum of its parts, yet those parts are so huge on their own.

Listening to their albums is an experience as well, as you can pretty much hear them get better and better and their style grow and develop. Youth and Young Manhood almost sounds like a different band from the one on Only by the Night. But if you listen to the two in the middle, the sound is so clearly progessive. You start to hear elements of Aha Shake Heartbreak in songs on Y&YM. There are songs on Because of the Times that would fit in on Aha Shake as well as they would on Only by the Night. They've said themselves how fun it is to play songs from the earlier albums now that they've improved as musicians because those songs sound like they always wanted them to. Yet, some of those early songs, like "Trani", were pretty kickass even back then.

The media loves to jump on these guys, saying that they're fighting backstage, they aren't getting along, they're breaking up. This is a band who have already done the cliche rock star thing. They did the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll route, they're already on their way back from that. They're brothers. They're family. They're going to fight. But watch any interview with these guys and you see how much they want this. You see how much they support each other. They've all sacrificed to make this happen. They've reached something so huge because they've just been plugging away. They don't always get along. Caleb gets a lot of the glory because he's the only lead singer and that's just the way it works. Nathan steps up a lot, maybe because he's the oldest and has kept it all together for so long or maybe because he just likes to put himself out there. They seem paired off some of the time, Nathan and Caleb are more the leaders, Jared and Matt hang in the back a little more. But when all's said and done, they're four boys from Tennessee who make some awesome music and put on great live shows. I really don't doubt they're going to be doing that for a long time to come.

This makes me laugh:

Band of Brothers: Hanson

Hanson
Brothers: Isaac Hanson (guitar, lead vocals), Taylor Hanson (piano, lead vocals), Zac Hanson (drums, lead vocals)
Other Members: None

One of the things that fascinates most about Hanson is how young they were when they started. Isaac was 11, Taylor was 9 and Zac was 6. So essentially, being a band together has been their life. They started out just singing and added instruments by the time they recorded their first major label album. Listening to that album now, as someone who was a fan of it at the time and became a bigger fan of the band years later, is mind-blowing to me. They were so young, yet it is so good. Only Isaac sounds exactly the same then as he does now, Taylor is a slightly higher (and purer) voiced version of his current self and Zac sounds like an 11 year old who can sing and barely sounds at all like he sounds today.

The thing about these three is that they made it work. It's something that, given their age, was likely started for them, yet they have embraced it since those early days. Any time they are posed with a question about their early start or what they'd rather do or what they'll be doing ten years from now, it always goes back to how much they love creating and sharing music. Like the Bee Gees, it hasn't been easy for them. Their first hit is a song that has stuck them with an image that even now, they can't shake though it's starting to finally be driven home that they are so much more than that one song. The struggle they had with their label led to them owning and running their own independent label. They basically do it all themselves.

I think Hanson is also a great example of how individuals can be different, yet compliment each other so well. They truly balance each other out. Their voices, while quite different from each other, blend so well that it's sometimes hard to pick the harmony apart, even when you know who's likely singing what. Isaac is always the lowest, with his rockier, bluesy tone. Taylor tends to sing the middle, his harmony voice blending with his brothers way more than his unique and soulful lead singing voice might have you believe. Zac, with the crystal clear falsetto, usually tops the harmony. Their voices together are truly gorgeous. The lead singing has gone from mostly Taylor to a pretty fair share of Zac as well, with some (not enough!) Isaac thrown in too. They've all gotten more versatile instrumentally, with Zac sometimes playing piano on songs where he did the primary songwriting or sings lead, Taylor covering drums or adding an additional guitar, Isaac playing some bass and Zac has started to incorporate more variety in his percussion instruments for acoustic sets. Their range of styles has been apparent since Middle of Nowhere ("Look at You" vs. "With You in Your Dreams" anyone?) and I love that that has continued to be such a signature part of their albums. They even balance each other personality-wise, a dymanic that is clear in their documentaries and podcasts. Isaac, the oldest, wears his heart on his sleeve, tends to be most pessimistic in the studio, but shares his excitement just as easily. Taylor is the peacemaker, the one who keeps things moving, the most optimistic. Zac is the youngest, still somewhat the goofiest but also the one who sees things the most as they are and just wants to get it done. At the end of Strong Enough to Break, the three are sitting in a hotel lobby and Isaac says, "I just realized something." He points to himself. "Pessimist." Points to Taylor, "optimist". Points to Zac and he and Taylor both say "realist." It's such an interesting and necessary dynamic that makes watching them work almost as entertaining as listening to the product of that work. Of all the brother bands, they are the ones who will likely be doing this for the rest of their lives, with the least amount of baggage or drama within them. They love it and I love them for it.

I also love this:

Band of Brothers: The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees
Brothers: Barry Gibb (lead vocals, guitar), Robin Gibb (lead vocals), Maurice Gibb (guitar, piano)
Other Members: None

The Bee Gees are the first group I found on my own, which is funny in and of itself, considering it was 1997 and they'd already been performing professionally for over 30 years. They were kids when they started singing around Australia and Robin and Maurice were still teenagers when their first single hit big.

These guys went through a lot together. Their early footage is fun to watch, if only because it's an adult-sized Barry and a kid-sized Robin and Maurice (aka the twins who couldn't look less like twins). After their first round of fame in the late 60s, they kind of self-destructed. Robin quit the band and went solo, Barry and Maurice tried to carry on without him and they all got married, got addictions and fought with each other via the press. But, they got it all sorted out and then 1975 happened and with it came the Bee Gees most people know today. They didn't invent disco, but they were such a signature sound of that era that they may as well have. In 1978, five of the Top 10 songs were written by the Gibbs. They got so famous that it blew up in their faces and the hype turned into intense backlash and yet they stuck through. When it was obvious that people no longer wanted the Bee Gees (I think they might have figured that out from the Bee Gee Free Weekends on radio stations and the mass burning of disco records), they started writing for other artists like Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick. They never stopped working. They never stopped going with the flow and incorporating contemporary sounds with their signature style. They always sound like the Bee Gees but you can always tell what decade they're in. I personally love their 80s and 90s albums and the range of styles they explore. I love that they refused to give up, even when they could have just said "well, guess our time is up". Their success in the late 90s was so much fun for me, as a new fan, to watch and be a part of. I can't imagine my mid-teen's without Still Waters and "Alone" and so many of their songs.

Their dynamic was always interesting as well. Barry, the oldest, is the leader, the one who talks the most and is the most passionate when discussing their career. Robin is the quirky, quiet one. Maurice is the down-to-earth, funny, snarky one. They're more based on vocal harmony than any other group here, in the sense that only Barry and Maurice played instruments live and even then, the majority of the sound came from a backing band. Their voices are distinct. Very few people sound like Barry, no one that I know of sounds like Robin and Maurice, who rarely sang lead, balanced those two unique voices out perfectly. They create absolutely amazing harmonies. Their work as producers and the sound they created for themselves is incredible. They write awesome songs. And they always, always share the credits. Pretty much every single Bee Gees song is credited to all three brothers. It's always clear in interviews that they loved their crazy delinquent childhood, that they enjoy having spent their lives working together and that while they don't always get along, they appreciate each other as people and musicians.

Like the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees have a sad ending too. Maurice died about six years ago and that pretty much ended everything, and understandably. While the Beach Boys could continue to function eventually, I can't imagine the Bee Gees as they were without Maurice. It makes me sad to think what else they could have gone on do but I respect that they haven't forced it and that if eventually Barry and Robin do work together, it will be because they are ready to and want to. A good thing is gone though, and I miss it.

This video blows my mind. They're SO famous here, their little brother Andy is in the height of his own career and they're all just on stage, being ridiculously famous together. So awesome:

Band of Brothers: The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys
Brothers: Brian Wilson (lead vocals, piano), Dennis Wilson (lead vocals, drums), Carl Wilson (lead vocals, guitar)
Other Members: Mike Love - cousin (lead vocals), Al Jardine - friend (rhythm guitar), Bruce Johnston - friend (piano, guitar)

Sometimes talking about the Beach Boys now depresses me because of how it all turned out in the end. The two I like the best and who's talents were vastly underrated simply because Brian exists, are dead. Dennis died before I was even born, so it's always felt a little bizarre that he's my favorite. Brian was the genius, and then he became the tortured genius. Dennis was the rebel middle child, the wild spirit. Carl was the baby, the gentle one with the angelic voice. It wasn't until Brian started declining that Carl and Dennis really started to shine and in my opinion, it was Carl that held it all together after Dennis died. Once Carl died, it all kind of fell apart. Brian, who really didn't perform as a Beach Boy much at all even when his brothers were still around, started performing on his own. Mike and Bruce started performing as The Beach Boys with a myriad of other people and Al was left to just do whatever. It's always strange to speak of them so darkly, but that's how it is. Their early music is sunny and happy, their history, not so much.

That said, the brothers really are the root of this group for me. Mike did sing lead quite often and essentially took on the "leader" role but he probably had the least talent of them all. Al had a few tunes to sing lead on but for the most part, was the sidekick friend. Bruce was similar and was essentially brought in as a replacement for Brian. My favorite Beach Boys album is 1970's Sunflower which features a lot of songwriting from Dennis and proves his strength in that area. Carl has one of my favorite voices in music and I especially love when he's singing a song that Dennis wrote (such as "Only With You", one of my alltime favorite songs in the universe and "It's About Time", the most kickass Beach Boys song you will ever hear). It's because of my love of their contributions that I tend to love that music more than the early 60s music that most people know the Beach Boys for, though of course, I love and appreciate that as well. I'm a sucker for harmony and they really had some amazing vocal arrangements throughout their career (see below). The three brothers are extremely different, though, and played very different roles in the group and saw both of those things affect their lives in very different ways. Brian, the crazed musical genius and the one largely behind the signature sound of the group, was in and out of the live group for years and a perfectionist in the studio. He performed only when he was stable enough to, yet he's been performing the music pretty consistently in recent years. Dennis, the wild drummer, was a drug addict and alcoholic, had Charles Manson living in his house for a time and recorded a brilliant solo album before his accidental death in 1983. Carl performed with the group until his death from cancer in the late 90s and to me, was the real heart and soul of the Beach Boys in their later years.

The thing about the Beach Boys is that while so much of the group is based on the Wilsons, the fact that they are brothers kind of stays in the back of my mind, even though their early family life and the way their father treated them played a large part in the dynamic among them. I think part of it is because they were from a different era, they aren't a group that I can watch interact with each other all that much. Still, a large part of what fascinates me about bands of brothers is that there is that much talent among them and that they are able to turn that talent into amazing music and that plays a large part in why I love the Beach Boys so much.

And of course, there's the harmony. Please love this:

Top 100!

I'm re-setting my play count tonight. My iPod, Jackson Braddock, is almost a year old. Considering how I feel about play counts, this is a fairly big step for me to take. However, it is time. But, because I am me, my Top 100 Listened To tracks, from late October 2008 to late October 2009:

100. "Everybody Finds Out", Fleetwood Mac, Say You Will
99. "Must Be the Water", Marc Broussard, Must Be the Water
98. "The Beauty of Letting Go", Green River Ordinance, Way Back Home
97. "To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts", Matt Nathanson, Some Mad Hope
96. "Save Me", Marc Broussard, Carencro
95. "Mandolin Moon", Sister Hazel, Absolutely
94. "Will You Be There", Michael Jackson, The Essential Michael Jackson
93. "17", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
92. "Got Me Going Crazy", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
91. "I Have You to Thank", Gavin DeGraw, Gavin DeGraw
90. "Oh Well", Fleetwood Mac, Live
89. "The Stuff You Gotta Watch", The Band, Jericho
88. "One Man Show", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
87. "In the City", Hanson, This Time Around
86. "Thirteen", Stephen Kellogg, Bulletproof Heart
85. "Something Coming Over", O.A.R., Live from Madison Square Garden
84. "Dying to be Alive", Hanson, This Time Around
83. "Eyes of the World", Fleetwood Mac, Live in Boston
82. "Black or White", Adam Lambert, American Idol
81. "What Christmas Means to Me", Hanson, Snowed In
80. "I'm On a Boat (featuring T-{Pain)", The Lonely Island, Incredibad
79. "BB Good", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
78. "Where's the Love", Hanson, The Middle of Nowhere
77. "A Daily Anthem/Kiss on the Neck", David Cook, David Cook
76. "Mission Responsible", Michael Tolcher, I Am
75. "Great Divide", Hanson, The Walk
74. "Where You Are", Marc Broussard, Carencro
73. "Arizona", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
72. "Change in My Life", Hanson, Take the Walk
71. "Faker", Everybody Else, 1 1/2
70. "Silver Springs", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance
69. "It's About Time", The Beach Boys, Sunflower
68. "Ophelia", The Band, Northern Lights - Southern Cross
67. "Georgia", Hanson, The Walk
66. "Madeline", Hanson, Middle of Nowhere
65. "Charmer", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
64. "Wait Here For You", Hanson, Hanson.net 2009
63. "Never Going Back Again", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
62. "Rock 'n' Roll Band", Boston, Boston
61. "You Are the Best Thing", Ray LaMontagne, Gossip in the Grain
60. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk Tour Live
59. "Summertime", New Kids on the Block, The Block
58. "Kiss and Run", Fleetwood Mac, Tusk [Bonus Tracks]
57. "The Shape I'm In", The Band, Stage Fright
56. "Change Your Mind", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
55. "All For You", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
54. "Someday I Suppose", The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Don't Know How to Party
53. "Golden Slumbers", The Beatles, Abbey Road
52. "Starfish", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
51. "Bold as Love", John Mayer, Continuum
50. "The Longest Hour of My Life", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
49. "Hungry Heart", Bruce Springsteen, The River
48. "Glory Days", Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A.
47. "Stumbling Through the Dark", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
46. "Say Goodbye", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
45. "Oh! Darling", Dana Fuchs, Across the Universe
44. "Crazy Beautiful", Hanson, Underneath
43. "Meat Market", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
42. "Oh! Darling", The Beatles, Abbey Road
41. "Bus Song", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
40. "Love Me", Taylor Hanson, Live in Poughkeepsie NY 10/25/08
39. "The Wanderer", Marc Broussard, Carencro
38. "Milk", Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak
37. "Love Bug", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
36. "China Grove", The Doobie Brothers, Best of The Doobie Brothers
35. "River Song", Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue
34. "Be Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night
33. "Camaro", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
32. "Second Hand News", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
31. "Not Down With That", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
30. "Dreaming with a Broken Heart", John Mayer, Continuum
29. "Rock 'n' Roll Razorblade", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
28. "Sweetest Goodbye", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
27. "Rich Girls, Poor Girls", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
26. "I Am", Hanson, The Walk
25. "One Man Band (of Brothers)", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
24. "Ragoo", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
23. "Been There Before", Hanson, The Walk
22. "Swan Dive", Sister Hazel, Chasing Daylight
21. "Long Train Runnin'", The Doobie Brothers, Best of The Doobie Brothers
20. "Love Runs Deeper", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
19. "Every Word I Say", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
18. "Get Up and Go", Hanson, Underneath
17. "Sweet Sophia", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
16. "Lost Without Each Other", Hanson, Underneath
15. "What Did I Get Myself Into", Kyle Riabko, Before I Speak
14. "Sex on Fire", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
13. "Gift of Screws", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
12. "Down", Hanson, 2.0 Membership Kit
11. "Faker", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
10. "Makeup", Everybody Else, Everbody Else
9. "Watch Over Me", Hanson, The Walk
8. "Running Man", Hanson, The Walk
7. "Bleed to Love Her", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance
6. "Manhattan", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
5. "Notion", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
4. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk
3. "Use Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
2. "Fans", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
1. "Fire on the Mountain", Hanson, The Walk

Hansoning 2009

I love concerts. I am pretty obvious about that. When it's one of my two favorite bands that I just saw? I have much to say.

The Hansons were around this week and thus, Hansoning commenced! I like turning Hanson into a verb. I also really like going to see Hanson. Because I love Hanson.

The first show was on Thursday. It was rainy and nasty that day, but I still ducked out of work to do the walk in my own city since I failed at it last year. After picking up my friend at work, we ate and then headed over, hoping to have skipped at least two openers but only succeeding in skipping one, since they started late. It was all good though because I really liked Steel Train! Way more than I was expecting to! The songs were catchy and the guys in the band were endearing, so yay for that, their set went by nice and fast thanks to how enjoyable they were.

Hellogoodbye were the co-headliners on the tour so they played for about an hour or so. I like Hellogoodbye's music, and I'm surprised I do because it's not really the kind of music I usually like, but since I do, I pretty much enjoyed their set. They talk too much. But when they finally do play their songs, they sound pretty good, so I enjoyed them. They at least played all my faves of theirs, including "Call and Return", "Bonnie Taylor Shakedown", "All Time Lows" and "Oh, Is It Love".

Then it was Hanson time, yay! Ok, so the first thing that needs to be said is that Taylor Hanson is one dedicated showman. The dude had the FLU and still went out there and did his thing. I had a cold this weekend and didn't even feel like walking to the subway so the fact that Taylor did an hour and a half long set, three nights in a row, just blows my mind. He's a trooper, that one. And what's more amazing is while it was clear he was under the weather when he spoke, it really wasn't obvious that he was so sick. He still sounded good when he sang, still had some energy, all of that. So much love for him trucking through when he had to have felt like utter shit and giving us such a great show. He amazes.

This was the set list:
1. World’s on Fire
2. Great Divide
3. Where’s the Love
4. Minute Without You
5. Running Man
6. Get Up and Go
7. Been There Before
ACOUSTIC
8. Carry You There
9. I Will Come to You
10. Use Me Up (Zac solo)
11. Hand in Hand (Isaac solo)
BACK TO ELECTRIC
12. This Time Around
13. Crazy Beautiful
14. Penny & Me
15. MMMBop
16. Something Going Round
17. Gimme Some Lovin’
Encore - Great Divide a capella

Highlight of the set was definitely Isaac's solo "Hand in Hand". I love Isaac but I'm always reminded most of my Ike love at tour time. I love that the guys occasionally do solos during the acoustic set because it's fun to see that individual really shine, away from his brothers. I've seen quite a few Zac solos (he does one almost every show), I've seen three Taylor solos but I had never seen an Ike solo and I was so excited when he came out alone with the guitar. He owned it! That song is so badass and builds in such a way that by the end, he's up there screaming "Say goodbye, say goodbye now!" and I was stomping along with him. So intense!

I was SO excited that they played "Get Up and Go"! That is one of my favorites of theirs and one of my only faves I hadn't heard live yet and it was so much fun to bounce along to. I always love some "Running Man" just because I do not understand how drummers can sing and drum like crazy at the same time. Love singing the "na na na" part of "Been There Before" so much. They've played that song every time I've seen them and it doesn't get old! It was a great set. Nokia has a curfew so, like last year, they had to cut it short, but it was still an awesome show and much fun was had!

Yesterday, they were in Albany! It was quite a nice drive, right up 87. It was supposed to be snowy and wet and cold all day but once I got halfway there, the sun came out and it was totally gorgeous, especially with the changing trees. Yay for that! I got there around 12:45, checked into my hotel and then headed to the venue for the walk. Zac and Isaac were in charge since Taylor was still sitting it out to rest up for the show. It was a little weird walking without Tay since he's very much the leader when he's there but Zac gave the mid-walk speech and did a great job with it. He also made sure we all walked back the way we came and not over the grass like Ike wanted because "there are no shortcuts on the walk!" Ha.

After the walk, I went to get some lunch and explore Clifton Park, which is the suburb of Albany we were in. It looked like a suburb, haha. But it was nice and they had an amazing selection of eateries that made me jealous. The venue itself was in a strip mall and while it was cold, it wasn't freezing so I ended up waiting a bit for doors to try and get a good spot. Northern Lights is basically a bar. A bar in a strip mall. So it's not very deep and the ceilings are pretty low. The stage was tiny and short and in the corner on a diagonal. I ended up around sixth row on Isaac's side but we all kind of merged around as the openers went on and off and a few people left after Hellogoodbye. I had a pretty great view by the time the acoustic set was over.

The first opener, Sherwood, was pretty good though I don't regret not seeing them on Thursday. I still liked Steel Train a lot, even though it took them 15 minutes to get started once they were on stage due to some sound issues. They have one song that they sing in five part harmony that is totally cute and wonderful. I was really into Hellogoodbye too, partially because it's easier to be than not when you are confined to only the amount of space your body takes up, just so you aren't focusing on that lack of space, but also because I really do like them. I think I'd go see them again on their own, even! But it did help that after their set was Hanson time again!

Set!

1. Worlds on Fire
2. Great Divide
3. Where's the Love
4. Runaway Run
5. Got a Hold on Me
6. Get Up and Go
7. Been There Before
8. This Time Around
ACOUSTIC
9. These Walls
10. Cecilia
11. A Song to Sing
12. Use Me Up (Zac solo)
BACK TO ELECTRIC
13. Carry You There
14. Minute Without You
15. Waiting For This
16. Crazy Beautiful
17. Penny and Me
18. If Only
19. Mmmbop
20. Something going round
Encore - Lost Without Each Other

I love the first four songs ("Runaway Run"!) but the real excitement of the show started to hit me around "Get Up and Go". I had been focusing on Taylor, who just seemed really happy to be there and by then Isaac was all warmed up and I was just totally in it. The acoustic set was pretty fabulous. I will say, "A Song to Sing" followed by "Use Me Up" was pretty brutal, even though I love both songs. Zac's voice on "Use Me Up" cuts right in and those words just hit me really hard. I think it'd be hard to find someone who doesn't relate to that song in some way. Amazing song.

They kicked back into electric with "Carry You There", which they hadn't done electric until last night! I loved what the full drum kit and electric guitars did to the song, brought it to another level. After that, it was a total rock-out till the end of the show. By this point, I could see all of Zac and his kit and loved getting to watch him go at it. SO happy they did "Waiting for This", as it's currently my favorite Hanson song. It's perfect for a live show, with the built in crowd participation and it's exactly the kind of Hanson song I always tend to love the most. Watching Ike and Tay bounce around during "If Only" is one of my favorite things, so glad we got "Something Going Round" again and "Lost Without Each Other" is the perfect song to end a show with. Awesome show and totally worth going up for!

I do love Hanson time. It's going to be sad if they aren't on tour next October because now that it's been two years in a row, it feels like the October thing to do! Unless, of course, they're on tour BEFORE October. Yes, please!

Happy birthday, Lindsey Buckingham!

In honor of Lindsey Buckingham's 60th birthday, I will post my Top 20* most listened to (so essentially, favorite) Lindsey SOLO songs!

20. It Was You, Under the Skin - Will is here! Leelee's here! Stella's here! Love the shout-out to the fam in this one.

19. I Must Go, Go Insane - I love the chorus for this song.

18. Surrender the Rain, Out of the Cradle - Seeing as OOTC was the first Lindsey solo album I owned, this song had the honor of being my first favorite Lindsey song. I love his vocals on this one.

17. Wait for You, Gift of Screws - Awww, shuffle riff! I love when this song goes into the "no one knows my name!" bit.

16. Don't Look Down, Out of the Cradle - Another early fave. I always think of my brother, who sings the lyric like "I don't who cares!" Heh.

15. Underground, Gift of Screws - Just think this one is gorgeous.

14. Down on Rodeo, Under the Skin - I really like the style on this one, there's something about it that sold me right away, though I still can't put my finger on it. It probably helps that Mick and John are the rhythm section though.

13. Turn It On, Out of the Cradle - I love yelpy Linds?

12. Bel Air Rain, Gift of Screws - The closest to "Play in the Rain" there's ever been and that's all the explanation needed.

11. Bang the Drum, Go Insane - Love the musical similarities to "Eyes of the World".

10. Try for the Sun, Under the Skin - Always a sucker for the type of guitar work featured on this one. Just really pretty.

9. Play in the Rain (Continued), Go Insane - LOVE it. I always end up singing the non-vocal parts, too!

8. That's How We Do It in L.A., Law & Order - Most of my faves on this album are because I think they are oddly hilarious and this is not an exception.

7. Johnny Stew, Law & Order - See above. The "Gift of Screws" of its time.

6. The Right Place to Fade, Gift of Screws - STILL convinced he is saying "Twist of Fate". Loved this one for years and years and that love has not decreased one iota. Love the guitar on it and the speediness of the lyrics. It rocks!

5. I Want You, Go Insane - Love it, plain and simple.

4. Great Day, Gift of Screws - It's kind of badass and intense, plus has that nifty guitar thing going on. I was sold from the first listen.

3. Love From Here, Love From There, Law & Order - This song amuses me SO much. I always want to line dance to it.

2. Love Runs Deeper, Gift of Screws - Possibly my actual favorite Lindsey solo song of all time. It's addictive and that last minute of guitar at the end is one of my favorite things ever. It never fails to get me all worked up with giddiness and glee.

1. Gift of Screws, Gift of Screws - But this is the most-listened to because it is a. hilarious, b. ridiculous and c. amazing for both of those reasons and more. Plus, I am a sucker for in-song instructions.

Yay, happy birthday Lindsey! Hope to add another album to this list someday!

*Count is based on the past year, for that is how long this iPod has been around.

through everything we've learned, we've finally come to terms. we are the outsiders.

Tonight I went to go see Green River Ordinance and NeedToBreathe! GRO was exciting because I've been listening to them for awhile now, like them a lot but still had never seen them. They even opened for David Cook, but I missed the NY show because it was while I was on vacation! So I was happy to see them. They only played five songs but one of them was "On Your Own" and another was "Come On", so I was happy. They sounded great and they are pretty tight. Hopefully they'll get some longer sets in the near future, now that they've been featured on So You Think You Can Dance and all!

NeedToBreathe was exciting because they are awesome. End of story. I'm kind of on a roll lately with finding some new things to listen to and having them click right away. Giving this band a try, mostly because I was seeing their name coming up amongst fans of other bands I like, came at the right time. They just released their third album The Outsiders and the whole album is incredible. I love the flat out rock of their harder songs, the reflectiveness of their ballads and am finding the handful that are more rooted in their faith to be hitting me harder than I expected they would. Bear has that southern rocker boy grit to his voice that I'm getting addicted to (he sounds kind of like a peppier Caleb Followill, which, can't go wrong there.) When he and Bo harmonize, the sound of their voices mixing is absolutely incredible. A few songs also have their bassist Seth on harmony too and that full sound completely compliments Bear's style of singing. It's amazing.

The show tonight was one of the most fun shows I've been to in awhile. It was mostly stuff from The Outsiders with a few songs from The Heat. Opened with the title track, into "Streets of Gold", then into "More Time", which really summed up the vibe of the show and how awesome they are. It's the only song I took the camera out for and I barely got two full minutes because I just wanted stay in the music, but I'm glad this is the one it was out for because awesome Bo moment!


It's so fun watching Bo bounce around! The other opener, Serena Ryder came out to sing "Stones Under Rushing Water" which was pretty. I forget how much I like that song until I hear it. The set really started to build after that with the hard rocker, "Prisoner", then "Hurricane", then freaking "Girl Named Tennessee" which is ridiculously awesome and fun and one of my favorites. "Lay 'Em Down" mellowed it out a bit and sounded so awesome. That soulful sound is so addicting and it was perfect going right into "Washed by the Water". I feel like those songs touch me so much because they remind me of how much more there is to believing than the aspects I've fallen away from. It's a feeling I've missed having and I found myself completely transported during those two songs. Last was "Let Us Love", which is perfect for closing a show with the built in sing-a-long and extended ending and Bo and Bear going head to head with the guitars and stomping around. So fun and amazing. The encore was my favorite song of theirs, "Something Beautiful", done acoustic and completely unplugged. Bear just stood at the edge of the stage, his feet even with my waist and sang with no mic, accompanied by Bo on guitar and harmony, Seth on tambourine and Joe the drummer playing a guitar case. SO simple and beautiful and being so close and hearing it so perfectly was amazing.

I love when a live show makes you love a band even more than you thought you did. I love when live music makes me feel the way I did tonight. It's one of my favorite things to experience and I know part of that is why I'm getting into more bands and going to more shows. I really, really love it. These guys are flat out awesome and I'm so glad to add them to my list of favorites!

make me feel like I'm the one who's movin' you

Saw Kings of Leon tonight! Twas amazing and they are awesome. And I wasn't behind the stage this time, which was a plus.

A few brief and late-night highlights:
- Opened with "Closer" and "Crawl", which makes it go from creepy to kickass immediately.
- Is "Charmer" so early in the set to ensure that Caleb can shriek as banshee like as possible?
- Gaaaah, "Fans"! Favorite. Love love love.
- Current obsession with Aha Shake Heartbreak made "The Bucket" and "Slow Night, So Long" particularly awesome.
- I need to take this moment to be a total geek. I know and love these songs, I listen to this band so much, but tonight I realized even more than I already knew just HOW distinct and incredible each component of their music is. I sometimes find myself patting out Nathan's beats or singing along to Jared's bass line or wiggling my fingers to Matthew's guitar and I just LOVE that. I love that the whole is so huge, yet the sum of the parts completely lives up to it. Just the fact that there are songs where I can sing the bass line better than the words because it's that clear is unreal. Love it.
- Singing along to "Knocked Up", oh oh oh oh oh ohhhh! Then having Caleb tell us he hadn't heard it quite so good in a long time.
- "Be Somebody"! "I Want You"! Pretty much ALL of Only by the Night except "17"!
- Ok, "Trani" is not a song I listen to a lot, probably one of the few I usually skip but holy crap. I think I need to spend more time with it because that was ridiculous. Starts slow into total rock out, with Caleb and Matthew facing off and Nathan somewhat resembling an octopus he was so all over the kit. Plus, the screaming made "Charmer" look tame.
- I love "Sex on Fire", it's an awesome song and without it, I'm not sure I would have ever given this band the attention I have since hearing it. That said, tonight reminded me that there are at least ten songs I love more than "Sex on Fire".
- Related, I love "Use Somebody", it's an awesome song and without it, I'm not sure I would have ever given this band the attention I have since hearing it. I continue to adore it, over a year later, and I'm convinced I will never tire of it. Hearing it live tonight was amazing.
- Closed with "Black Thumbnail", which gave them all one last chance to rock out and shine. Kick ass!

Before the concert was over, Caleb thanked us again, then said happily. "It seems like some of you have more than just the latest record!" Huge cheers. "It's about fucking time!" There's only so much I can say, being a newer fan myself. I only got into them because of Only by the Night. The other three albums were quick to follow, though, and I can see where their frustration lies with people only knowing the two hit songs and even just the most recent album. Caleb isn't shy about letting on that he wishes people knew more of the music and I'm glad that the older songs are starting to go over so well with the bigger audiences. They're awesome songs!

After the show, we waited for the bus back to the train and laughed at the drunk guys behind us in line and re-wrote "Use Somebody" to our needs and then waited too long at the train because the train schedule does not coincide at all with when the concert gets out/buses drop off. But all told, it was a great experience, I really liked the Izod Center and will go back there for a concert in a heartbeat and of course, it was great to see those Followill boys. Can't wait for what's next from them.