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!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
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!
"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!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"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!
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!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
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!
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!
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