pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

It was a long Memorial Day weekend.  But it was a musically fruitful weekend.  I could have made it more fruitful by adding The Shins / Blind Pilot / Head and the Heart as well as the Tenacious D shows on Friday and Saturday in Bend, respectively; alas, I needed to save some time and energy for Beck in Bend on Sunday and Jack White in Eugene on Monday.  It was still quite a great full weekend for my ears!

I had never seen either Beck or Jack White in concert.  I was familiar with Beck’s music fairly well… having all of his stuff.  I was completely unfamiliar with Jack White’s music – outside of some of the White Stripes and Raconteurs that I’d heard.  Needless to say, I was equally excited about both shows.

Beck in Bend was the tail-end of a nice “Bend Ale Trail” weekend for me… sampling some new places for me: 10 Barrel Brewing & Good Life Brewing.  Both highly recommended for their beer and their food!  Bend also had some lovely weather and some odd rainbows in the clouds…

(not photoshopped… photo taken near Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR)

Metric was Beck’s opener… the Toronto indie rock quartet ripped through a dancey hour-long set.  Their fifth album, Synthetica, comes out on June 12, 2012.  If the way they had the Bend audience going is any indication, the new album should be a crowd pleaser as well.

Beck went on after a short set break… kicking the show off right with some Odelay goodness by way of “Devil’s Haircut.”

Among his two-hour long set, he bounced around his back and “recent” catalog (2008′s Modern Guilt) fairly well.  Every era got some great representation.  As mentioned, I had never seen him live before.  I was pleasantly surprised with the great mix, especially the songs off of Sea Change…

Beck’s Setlist: about 2 hours

• Devil’s Haircut
• Loser
• Black Tambourine
• Soul of a Man
• Hotwax
• Sissyneck
• The Golden Age
• Lost Cause
• Sunday Sun
• Think I’m In Love
• The New Pollution
• Modern Guilt
• Paper Tiger
• “Song for Bend” [Improv]
• End of the Day
• Tropicalia [partial]
• Jack-Ass
• Gamma Ray
• Minus
• Girl
• Where It’s At
• Encore: Soldier Jane
• Looking Back
• Mutherfuker
• E-Pro

Next, on to Eugene…

I missed Jack White’s opener, Quasi.  I’d heard of them before, and would have liked to have seen the show (I like Sam Coomes work with Elliott Smith).  Alas, driving back from Bend and personal commitments made it so we skated into the venue right as Quasi was ending their set… d’oh!

Jack White’s show… what to say, what to say?  Professional, yet muddy.  Loud, yet not necessary.  Thoroughly energetic, yet confusing.  Quite enjoyable, yet painful.

The man writes hooky songs, and plays guitar and piano very well… yet, the sound was cranked through the roof.  It lost so many of the lushness and subtlety that I think would have been suited for this show at the Hult Center.

Another thing that can’t go without mentioning, the “III” imagery abounding.  Sure, rockstars should have iconic imagery.  But a suffix namesake seems like an odd thing to so vehemently brand… unless you’re branding your ego or something.

Several times it seemed as if Eugene wasn’t stroking his ego enough… he quipped that if we didn’t want, they didn’t have to come back out (after their 45 minute initial set).  He tried to get the crowd to do a sing-a-long on one song, but it seemed as if the song had ended already, and it was more of a confusing thing (or so it seemed to me).

The loudness, was, again… unnecessary.  Fantastic musicianship and seemingly intricate things going on with fantastic players… completely lost in the brash, feedback-induced sound cloud.  So many subtleties lost.  So many subtleties lost.

Jack White’s Setlist: two sets, ~45 mins & ~35 mins

• any help on the setlist??

(pro photos from Eugene will be posted at jwiii.com)

The bottom line… I really enjoyed the Jack White show.  The flaws that I saw in the show are totally fixable.  Who am I to say what he should do anyhow? :)  I’m just thinking that something that shows off his musical chops, his writing prowess, his voice, his players, and his songs at the forefront – not clouded by sheer volume – could have been far, far, FAR more enjoyable… and probably far, far, far more enjoyable to more to others (not just me).

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Beck’s Site
• Beck’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Metric’s Site
• Metric’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
• Les Schwab Amphitheater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter1 / Twitter2
  - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
  
• Jack White’s Site
• Jack White 2012 Tour Photos by Jo McCaughey
• Jack White’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Quasi’s Site
• Quasi’s Facebook / MySpace
  
• The Hult’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Next show for me… Emily Wells @ WOW Hall on 6/3.

~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Valtari

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I got to the venue just in the nick of time as Jonathan Kingham was starting his opening set.  I had seen him about four years ago in Eugene with Glen Phillips.  I thought he was great last time, and he held up to that memory quite well on Thursday night.  I think he’s matured a little bit in his songwriting, and still quite the charmer on-stage.  Funny, witty, smooth voice, and slow jams.  He played some new tunes, some tunes about food, a tune called “Satisfied” (about a poodle?), a cover of Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step” with an impressive improv rap, and ended the 45 minute set with “Grace” with Glen on backing vocals.

After a short break, Glen Phillips came out and dug right in.  He played the first handful of tunes unaccompanied, then Jonathan joined him on guitar and backing vocals for the classic Toad song “Walk On the Ocean.”  Jonathan stayed with him for the rest of the set, switching to piano partway through.

The things that draws me in to Glen are his voice and his poetic lyricism.  Whether it be with his solo stuff, his side-projects, or with his first band Toad – his humor, wit and joy for life shines through.  He played a great mix of songs throughout his career and even treated us to a couple brand new songs.  No word on if these new songs will show up on an upcoming solo album, collaboration album, or the rumored upcoming Toad the Wet Sprocket album.

Setlist: ~90 mins

• The Next Day
• Crowing [Toad the Wet Sprocket]
• Thankful
• End This Now
• Return to Me
• Blood Pressurize [RemoteTreeChildren]
• Walk on the Ocean* [Toad]
• The One Who Got Away
• Always Have My Love
• Released
• Whatever I Fear [Toad]
• True
• Finally Fading
• Windmills [Toad]
• new song “I could never be as strong as you”
• Solar Flare
• Fred Meyers
• All I Want [Toad]
• Rise Up
• Encore: Rare Bird (new song)
• Brothers on a Hotel Bed [Death Cab for Cutie]
  *J. Kingham guest on guitar for “Walk On the Ocean” through
  “Whatever I Fear” & on piano from “True” through “Rise Up.”
  

A great show from two fantastic, silken-voiced singer-songwriters.

GLEN PHILLIPS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Glen Phillips’ Site
• Glen Phillips’ Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Jonathan Kingham’s Site
• Jonathan Kingham’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
• My Other Related Reviews~
  • Toad @ Bend Summer Fest (Bend – July 2011)
  • Toad @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland – July 2010)
  • W.P.A. @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Sept 2009)
  • Glen solo @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Feb 2008)
• Alberta Rose Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Next show for me… Dan Deacon at the University of Oregon on 4/17.

~Dan – np: Boards of Canada – Twoism

“One third” of the alt-country indie rock group Drive-By Truckers (Patterson Hood & Jay Gonzalez) stopped Skip’s CD World in Eugene, Oregon, for a 30 minute in-store session ahead of their show tonight at McDonald Theatre…

all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Of the songs I could identify… “Betty Ford,” “Polly Anna,” “Old Timer’s Disease,” “Margo and Harold,” and “Mercy Buckets.”

Drive By Truckers: SITE / Facebook / Twitter

Skip’s CD World: SITE / Facebook / Twitter

~Dan – np: The Blood Brothers – Crimes

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOWs at the BOTTOM

I’ve seen Nellie McKay quite a bit since moving to Oregon.  She plays two-week residencies in New York on occasion (lucky!!), but she rarely hit the Midwest when I lived there.  Now that I’m here in the Northwest, I’m glad that she tried to swing by at least annually.  This time was for her new project, yet to be released officially in any form… I Want To Live! – a story of Barbara Graham, the third woman to be executed in the State of California (via the gas chamber at San Quentin).  It’s loosely based on the 1958 film of the same name.

This death row theme shouldn’t be a shock for fans of McKay.  She’s never been afraid to push boundaries – hitting political hot-button issues right out of the gate with her debut album, Get Away From Me (“Sari,” “It’s a Pose,” “Won’t U Please B Nice,” et cetera), and some of her non-jazz-standard followups Pretty Little Head (“Cupcake” and “The Big One”) and Obligatory Villagers (“Mother of Pearl”).

In person, though, she’s as lovable and jovial as some of her adorable, campy press photos suggest.  She’s also a great thinker, great interpreter of classics & standards, and a great artist in her own right.  She may have been “born in the wrong era” (her words), but she’s doing the best with her love of the classics by making a great mark and not giving in to the current trends in what a jazz/pop “woman and a piano” should sound or act.

The first hour of the I Want To Live! tour makes up the story of a woman who falls in with the wrong people, gets caught up in a crime, and – whether innocent or not – is found guilty of murder.  Nellie plays all of the emotions perfectly.  Love, mystery, joy, pain, frustration – all while weaving in standards and her own tunes to tell Barbara Graham’s story.  While she hints at Graham’s fervor for being innocent, Nellie leaves her opinion about guilt or innocence out of the musical.  She also leaves her opinion of the death penalty out of it, which – quite honestly – was shocking that she didn’t add some of her thoughts on it, specifically due to her past as being very politically opinionated.  Perhaps that will show up in the liner notes if this gets released as an CD or DVD some day…

I Want To Live! setlist: about an hour (both nights)

• Billie’s Bounce [Charlie Parker]
• Purple Haze [Jimi Hendrix]
• Swingin’ On The Reservation [Ella Fitzgerald]
• Please
• Pity The Downtrodden Landlord [Woolf/Clayton]
• April Showers [DeSylva/Silvers]
• Isn’t It A Lovely Day [Irving Berlin]
• They Say It’s Spring [Blossom Dearie]
• Some Other Spring [Billie Holiday]
• I Only Have Eyes For You [Warren/Dubin]
• Don’t Worry Be Happy [Bobby McFerrin]
• The Down Low
  
• Call The Police [Nat King Cole]
• Twinkle In Your Eye [Burl Ives]
• Song For Troy Davis
  
• I’m So Tired [The Beatles]
• There You Are In Me
  
• Small Day Tomorrow [Landesman/Dorough]
• Chelsea Bridge [Billy Strayhorn]
• Genius Of Love [Tom Tom Club]
• Ah! The Sweet Mystery Of Life [from Naughty Marietta operetta by Young/Herbert] (gorgeous operatic chops on Nellie for this one)
• Straight To The Top [Tom Waits]
  I think I got all of the cover tunes identified, if not, please comment& I’ll correct.

Eugene setlist, post-IWTL! (3/2): about 30 mins

• One’s On the Way [Shel Silverstein]
• Midnight Sun [Ella Fitzgerald]
• ¡Bodega!
• Clonie (audience request)
  
• Sari (audience request)
• Encore: A Wonderful Guy [Doris Day]
• The Dog Song

Portland setlist, post-IWTL! (3/4): about 30 mins

• The Dog Song
• In a Sentimental Mood [Duke Ellington] (with false start)
• Caribbean Time
• I Will Always Love You [Whitney Houston] (snippet)
• Encore: One’s On the Way [Shel Silverstein] (dedicated to Rick Santorum)
• Mother of Pearl (with Michele Bachmann tagline at end)
• I Wanna Get Married

Two wonderfully entertaining nights in Oregon.  Nellie and her band are excellent performers and entertainers.  Through wardrobe changes, police chases, drug addiction, and working in different musical genres – the band was on point.  At one point, the saxophonist mimics a crying baby simply with his mouth as the instrument, and it drives you mad how amazing he pulls it off without a talkbox or effects.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Nellie McKay’s Site
• Nellie McKay’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• My Other Related Reviews~
  • The Shedd full band (Eugene – Oct 2010)
  • Berbati’s Pan (Portland – Mar 2010)
  • Jazz Alley full band (Seattle – Sept 2009)
  • Doug Fir (Portland – Aug 2008)
  • The Shedd (Eugene – Oct 2007)
• The Shedd’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
• Alberta Rose Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… Adam Carolla @ the Newmark (3/11) and Puscifer @ the Schnitzer (3/14).

~Dan – np: Steven Wilson – Catalogue / Preserve / Amass (live in Europe)

NELLIE McKAY PHOTOS
Eugene (53 pics) then Portland (32 pics)
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Nellie’s 2012 Winter/Spring Tour Dates (so far)

• 1/25 & 1/26 – Minneapolis, MN Dakota
• 2/9 – Lafayette, IN Duncan Hall
• 2/10 & 2/11 – Elgin, IL Elgin Community College Arts Center
• 2/12 – Louisville, KY Bomhard Theater
• 2/25 – Park City, UT Eccles Center
• 2/28 & 2/29 – San Francisco, CA Rrazz Room
• 3/2 – Eugene, OR Shedd Institute
• 3/3 – Kirkland, WA Kirkland Performing Arts Center
• 3/4 – Portland, OR Alberta Rose Theatre
• 3/7 – Chico, CA Laxson Auditorium
• 3/8 – Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa Jazz Center
• 3/9 – Hollywood, CA Catalina Jazz Club
• 3/20 to 3/31 – New York, NY Feinstein’s at Loews Regency
  ^^^^ “SILENT SPRING – It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature”
  
• 4/26 – Alexandria, VA The Birchmere Music Hall
• 5/19 – Denver, CO Swallow Hill

Nellie McKay’s I Want To Live! show in Eugene on Friday was brilliant! Portland is tonight.  Here’s a small taste from Eugene…

More photos, reviews and setlists for both Oregon shows will be up by Tuesday early morning.

~Dan

David Bazan is a busy man… he just got done with a 40+ date band tour in Nov/Dec 2011, and now he’s off and running with another near-40 date living room tour in Feb/Mar 2012.  His proximity (Seattle) to me (Oregon I-5 corridor) means I get to take in a lot of his shows.  Even though I just saw him with his band at Sam Bond’s in December, the living room tours are so fun and intimate.  I had to hit the Portland show last night…

He arrived about an hour late… first night of tour, and got stuck in traffic coming out of Seattle.  The good thing: hanging out in someone’s living room and kitchen sippin’ a beer is waaaaay better than hanging out at a stinky club playing LMFAO on loop.

After setting up his small cube amp, he kicked into his set…

Setlist: about 70 minutes

• Cold Beer and Cigarettes
• Wolves at the Door
• Hard to Be
• Q&A #1
• Priests and Paramedics [Pedro the Lion]
• Transcontinental [Pedro the Lion]
• Shit Talker [Headphones]
• Q&A #2
• Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box [Radiohead]
• Options [Pedro the Lion]
• Virginia
• Bearing Witness
• Q&A #3
• Strange Negotiations
  No Encore

A little shorter set than in the past, but I think that may have been due to running late.  The original “everyone needs to be out time” was 10pm, but he didn’t get going until 9:15pm.  So, for the rest of the living room tour, don’t judge the set length on Portland.  Despite the shorter set, I think it was a pretty good show… David was in a great mood and quite chatty as usual.

The somber take on “Wolves at the Door” was excellent… slower and a bit haunting compared to the version the band was belting out last year.  Another favorite was the return of the Radiohead cover that he played last year.  First three notes and goosebumps.  Such a great song.

There weren’t any new tunes played, which was a bit striking – as David is working on a new album, and it might even be done and to the label (Barsuk) by the beginning of May.  He said it could come out in August/September, but a lot of that depends on delivery to the label.

The Appropriate Linkage:

• David Bazan’s Site
• David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• My Other Related Reviews~
  • Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Dec 2011)
  • House Show (Eugene, OR – Sep 2011)
  • Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
  • Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
  • House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
  • The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)

This was his first date of this tour… check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… MEDGE (bellydancing) at Cozmic Pizza (2/17) and then post-rockers Talkdemonic at Sam Bond’s Garage (2/24).

~Dan – np: John Zorn’s The Dreamers – O’o

David Bazan – Winter 2012 House Show Tour

2/15 – Portland, OR
2/16 – Sacramento, CA
2/17 – Oakland, CA
2/18 – Los Angeles, CA
2/19 – Long Beach, CA
2/20 – Orange, CA
2/21 – Carlsbad, CA
2/22 – Phoenix, AZ
2/24 – Clinton, OK
2/25 – Denton, TX
2/26 – Dallas, TX
2/27 – Austin, TX
2/28 – Houston, TX
2/29 – Baton Rouge, LA
3/02 – Orlando, FL
3/03 – Jacksonville, FL
3/04 – Altanta, GA
3/05 – Nashville, TN
3/06 – Asheville, NC
3/07 – Charlotte, NC
3/09 – Charlottesville, VA
3/10 – Baltimore, MD
3/11 – Philadelphia, PA
3/12 – Brooklyn, NY
3/13 – Brooklyn, NY
3/14 – Boston, MA
3/15 – Buffalo, NY
3/16 – Cleveland, OH
3/17 – Three Rivers, MI
3/18 – Chicago, IL
3/19 – Madison, WI
3/21 – Minneapolis, MN
3/22 – Lincoln, NE
3/23 – Lawrence, KS
3/24 – Denver, CO
3/25 – Salt Lake City, UT
3/26 – Boise, ID
3/27 – Spokane, WA

Well, this year was once again good to the Pacific Nowrthwest on the concert front… 365 days, 67 shows, 132 artists, many long nights driving home, and a lot of photos…

My favorite concerts of 2011:

1. Puscifer :: Paramount Theater :: Seattle, WA {7 Nov} [review with photos] – brilliant new album, fantastic stripped down/meets over the top tour!
2. U2 & Lenny Kravitz :: Qwest Field :: Seattle, WA {4 Jun} [review with photos] – one of the biggest tours ever doesn’t disappoint
3. My Brightest Diamond :: Mississippi Studios :: Portland, OR {6 Nov} [review with photos] – Shara’s gorgeous voice works well even in a solo setting
4. Peter Mulvey :: three shows :: Eugene/Creswell/Corvallis, OR {10-12 Nov} [3-show review with photos] – yes, I’m an addict, but I can’t pass up any chance to see Peter in my neck of the woods…
5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor :: Crystal Ballroom :: Portland, OR {18 Feb} [review, no photos] – surreal and amazing!
6. The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl):: The Woods :: Portland, OR {28 Jan} [review with photos] – pure pop brilliance, Sean takes after his father…
7. Nels Cline Singers :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR {30 Jan} [review with photos] – avant garde guitar experimentation…
8. Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam) & Glen Hansard (of The Swell Season) :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {14 Jul} [review with photos] – Glen is a great singer-songwriter, and Eddie is an amazing performer (this time, mainly on ukelele)…
9. Explosions in the Sky / MusicFest NW :: Pioneer Courthouse Square :: Portland, OR {10 Sep} [no review] – I had to scuttle from this show to a follow-up MFNW show, but this was definitely a highlight…
10. Pomplamoose :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR {27 Oct} [review with photos] – the youtube stars make good with a real tour… A+!
11. Over the Rhine :: Aladdin Theater :: Portland, OR {17 Nov} [review with photos] – OTR will always be a favorite
12. Opeth :: Roseland Theater :: Portland, OR {16 Oct} [review with photos] – no cookie monster screams, I missed them, but Opeth still doesn’t disappoint.
13. Erik Friedlander plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two (Book of Angels, Volume 8: Volac) :: The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts :: Eugene, OR {8 Jan} [review with photos] – an amazing cellist playing a amazing book of melodies
14. Toad the Wet Sprocket :: Downtown Bend Celebration :: Bend, OR {8 Jul} [review with photos] – anytime Toad or lead singer GLen Phillips are playing in my radar, I’m going!
15. Jeffrey Foucault :: Cozmic Pizza :: Eugene, OR {20 Oct} [review with photos] – Jeffrey is quickly becoming a favorite songwriter of mine, full of grit and charm…

Runners-Up: Reptet at Luckey’s (Jan), Elton John at Matthew Knight Arena (Feb), A Perfect Circle at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (June), The Dead Kenny G’s at Sam Bond’s Garage (July), and Jason Webley & Mood Area 52 at WOW Hall (Oct).  Even after honorable mentions, I cut some GREAT ones… 2011 was a great year.

My favorite concert photos of 2011: (in chronological order)

(all images are free to use under a creative commons designation,
simply identify Daniel Temmesfeld with a
photo credit and link to pacificlectic.com.

Past Favorite Concerts Lists:

• Favorite Concerts 2010
• Favorite Concerts 2009
• Favorite Concerts 2008
• Favorite Concerts 2007

Favorite music of 2011 will be coming soon… EPs/DVDs/etc, vocal albums, instrumental albums…

~Dan – np: Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra – MTO Plays Sly

If anything is certain in life, the move from the Midwest to the West Coast has been good for my David Bazan tour in-take.  Being only a short hike from his homebase in Seattle, we get the treat of the former Pedro the Lion frontman in our neck of the woods several times a year.

Many times, he trots out on his own… which is usually more intimate.  But the chance to see Bazan with a backing band shouldn’t be passed up.  He’s really able to let the rock come forth in his songs.  His doubtful, questioning, reflective lyricism work just as well behind a dirty, loud guitar as it does with just him and a guitar in a living room.

Last night at Sam Bond’s, after delightful indie-rock quartet opener Shay Roselip’s short set, Bazan came on to do what I thought was just sound check.  Nope… boom goes the dynamite, his mighty three-piece kicked into a tune from Pedro the Lion’s Control… “Second Best.”

Setlist: ~85 mins

• Second Best [Pedro the Lion]
• Wolves at the Door
• Bless This Mess
• How I Remember
• I Do [PTL]
• Of Up and Coming Monarchs [PTL]
• Q&A #1
• Gas and Matches [Headphones]
• Eating Paper
• Magazine [PTL]
• Climb That Hill [Tom Petty]
• Bearing Witness
• Q&A #2
• Virginia
• People
• Cold Beer and Cigarettes
• Big Trucks [PTL]
• Criticism as Inspiration [PTL]
• Q&A #3 with lifetime pass drawing
• Strange Negotiations
  No encore

The setlist was similar to other shows on this tour… a great mix of Pedro the Lion tunes, a Headphones tune, a Tom Petty cover and a lot from his two solo albums & EP.  Strange Negotiations, this years effort, will definitely be somewhere on my Best of 2011 list (still formulating).

Being the last stop of the 40+ date tour across the country, his voice showed some wear – especially on the “right on” part of “Cold Beer and Cigarettes.”  He powered through it, dropping the notes to a more suitable weary-throat range.  His band, made up of Alex Westcoat on drums and Andy Fitts on bass, blistered away with David.  Despite the aforementioned vocal strain, their musical chops were evident last night.

They were driving through the night to make it home to Seattle by sun-up.  If you missed them on this tour, David hinted at a new album being done by March 1st, with it coming out sometime in 2012.  So the chance of more tours in 2012?  High possibility!

The Appropriate Linkage:

• David Bazan’s Site
• David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Shay Roselip’s MySpace / Soundcloud
  
• My Other Related Reviews~
  • House Show (Eugene, OR – Sep 2011)
  • Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
  • Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
  • House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
  • The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
• Sam Bond’s Garage’s Website / Facebook

This was the last date of the tour… see other dates below.  I’m sure David will be out again in the Spring…

Next show for me… Cellophoria private house concert on 12/18.

~Dan – np: Marketa Irglova – Anar

David Bazan + Band Tour – Fall 2011

11/01 Tue – Spokane WA - A Club
11/02 Wed - Boise ID - Neurolux
11/04 Fri - Colorado Springs - The Black Sheep
11/05 Sat - Lawrence KS - Bottleneck
11/06 Sun - Omaha NE - The Waiting Room
11/07 Mon - Iowa City IA - Blue Moose Taphouse (upstairs)
11/09 Wed - Milwaukee WI - Cactus Club
11/10 Thu - Indianapolis IN - White Rabbit Cabaret
11/11 Fri - Newport KY - Southgate House
11/12 Sat - Grand Rapids MI - Ladies Literary Club
11/13 Sun - Pittsburgh PA - Brillobox
11/14 Mon - Hoboken NJ - Maxwell’s
11/15 Tue - Baltimore MD - Ottobar
11/17 Thu - Charlottesville VA - The Southern
11/18 Fri - Norfolk VA - Jewish Mother
11/19 Sat - Charlotte NC - Evening Muse
11/20 Sun - Columbia SC - New Brookland Tavern
11/21 Mon - Knoxville TN - Pilot Light
11/26 Sat - Athens GA - Caledonia Lounge
11/27 Sun - Nashville TN - Mercy Lounge
11/29 Tue - St Augustine FL - The Original Cafe Eleven
11/30 Wed - Tampa FL - Crowbar
12/01 Thu - Tallahassee FL - Engine Room
12/02 Fri - Oxford MS - Proud Larry’s
12/03 Sat - Memphis TN - Hi Tone
12/04 Sun - Norman OK - Opolis
12/06 Tue - Albuquerque NM - Low Spirits
12/07 Wed - Tucson AZ - Solar Culture
12/08 Thu - Las Vegas NV - Beauty Bar
12/09 Fri - Costa Mesa CA - Constellation Room
12/10 Sat - Santa Cruz - Crepe Place
12/11 Sun - Sacramento CA - Blue Lamp
12/12 Mon - Arcata CA - Jambalaya
12/14 Wed - Eugene OR - Sam Bond’s Garage

Glen Phillips (from Toad the Wet Sprocket & Works Progress Administration) has been doing what he calls “Sofa Sundays” on Stageit.com for a couple months now.  I didn’t know what it was all about until the last one (after it happened).  He sits down in his living room and plays (at least) 30 minutes of music directly to his computer-connected audience.  His shows thus far have cost only $3, and you can pay more (in tips) – but it’s limited to the first 250 people who buy tickets.  You can make requests and also chat with others in “attendance.”  Here’s what he played…

11/27/11 Setlist: ~50 minutes

• Train Wreck
• Nanci [Toad the Wet Sprocket]
• The Next Day
• Back On My Feet
• I Still Love You
• Cry For You [WPA]
• I Will Not Take These Things For Granted [Toad]
• Don’t Need Anything [fast version]
• Thankful
• Rainbow Connection/I’m Going To Go Back There Someday [teasers only]
• End This Now
• Good Intentions [Toad]
• Redemption Song [Bob Marley]
• Windmills

Easily the best $3 plus tip I’ve ever spent for live music.  From here on out, if I’m around, I’m IN.  He mentioned after “Train Wreck” in response to some requests, that he’ll do a show in the near future that’s more request oriented on songs that he doesn’t necessarily know off hand (i.e.- he’ll practice).

Stay tuned… the next Sofa Sunday might even be next week!

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Glen’s Site
• Glen’s Facebook / Twitter
• Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Site / Facebook
• Glen’s Stageit page
• My Prior Related Reviews~
• Toad @ Bend Summer Fest (Bend – July 2011)
• Toad @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland – July 2010)
• W.P.A. @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Sept 2009)
• Glen solo @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Feb 2008)

~Dan – np: Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Prior to the show, we fought against the horrid Portland traffic, dodged rain and ducked into a fine meal at Portobello Trattoria, a creative vegetarian establishment that is fast becoming my new favorite SE Portland dinner spot.  Their cocktail list is impressive (apple-infused vodka ginger hot toddy), their bottle list is impressive (Russian River… yum), and their menu is the kind that is frustrating due to having too many things you want and one that a meat-eater wouldn’t even notice or care.  Check it out sometime.

After dinner, we got to the venue a little bit before the opener… we had a little bit of time to catch up with Kentucky-based friend / Over the Rhine photographer Bill Ivester.  He’s helping them out on this tour with merch and social media, and photography.  After briefly catching up, we found some seats for the opener…

The Milk Cartoon Kids were a fantastic guitar duo.  Based on their name, I was going in hoping it wasn’t going to be a repeat of “The Children’s Hour” opener for Over the Rhine a score ago.  Well, I was greatly pleased.  They played about a half hour set of mellower folk songs.  Fitting for fans of Paul Simon.  Excellent guitar chops and quite humorous between songs, as well.  They also have all of their recorded music available for free mp3 download (go here for free music).

Over the Rhine hit the stage at 9pm.  Karin & Linford had Nick Radina with them again on drums/percussion/cuatro, as well as a slide guitar player Jason Goforth.

The set seemed somewhat similar to last year’s tour, a lot of The Long Surrender tunes.  But this time, the album was officially out.  It was nice to hear those tunes more in a live setting.  I get thrown off that it’s technically a 2011 release, I think I’ve had it too long.  Anyway, it’s a beautiful record, and it’ll wind up somewhere at the top of the pile for 2011, for sure.

Setlist: 1 hour 45 mins

• The Laugh Of Recognition
• Rave On
• Undamned
• The King Knows How
• Suitcase
• I’m on a Roll
• Infamous Love Song
• Only God Can Save Us Now
• Latter Days
• “On The Sacred Ground” (new song, currently untitled)
• Jesus in New Orleans
• Trouble (with drum solo)
• All My Favorite People
• Encore: Hallelujah [Leonard Cohen]
• Born
• Drunkard’s Prayer

My favorite tunes of the night were “Trouble” and “Latter Days,” and the lead-in of “Laugh…” through “Undamned” is a great start to the show as well.  The new currently untitled song is great… it seemed quite poetic and moving.  Karin was about to give out a tentative title, then stopped.  I’ll go with “On the Sacred Ground” for now, but I doubt that’s it.  I wish I had more listens to digest it.

They’re wrapping up a few more dates this year, culminating in the annual Taft Theatre show in Cincinnati.  Catch ‘em if you can!  Oh, Karin also mentioned that they recorded a Portland Session when they were here.  Keep an eye out on the Portland Session Vimeo & Facebook pages for that to be posted in the future (HERE NOW).

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Over the Rhine’s Site
• Bill Ivester’s photos from the 11/17 show
• OTR Nov 2011 Portland Sessions
• Over the Rhine’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• The Milk Carton Kids’ Site
• The Milk Carton Kids’ Facebook / Twitter
  My Other Related Reviews~
  • Aladdin Theater (Portland – Nov 2010)
  • WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2010)
  • Doug Fir Lounge (Portland – Sept 2007)
  • Bogarts (Cincinnati – March 2001)
  • Canal Street Tavern (Dayton – June 2000)
• Aladdin Theater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… Dan Deacon at the Branx in Portland on 12/3.

~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Inní (live)

OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Fall 2011 Tour Dates

• Fri, 2011-11-18 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
• Sat, 2011-11-19 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
• Sun, 2011-11-20 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
• Fri, 2011-12-02 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
• Sat, 2011-12-03 New York, NY (le) poisson rouge
• Sun, 2011-12-04 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
• Mon, 2011-12-05 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live!
• Wed, 2011-12-07 Columbus, OH The Lincoln Theatre
• Thu, 2011-12-08 Kent, OH The Kent Stage
• Fri, 2011-12-09 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College
• Sat, 2011-12-10 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music (7:00 PM)
• Sat, 2011-12-10 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music (10:00 PM)
• Sat, 2011-12-17 Cincinnati, OH The Taft Theatre
• Sun, 2011-12-18 Norwood, OH Sunday Soiree @ St. Elizabeth’s

Three more Radiohead The King of Limbs Remixes are out (“Separator” by Anstam, “Magpie” by Nathan Fake and “Bloom” by Jamie xx).  Sadly they didn’t make it onto the TKOL 1234567 vinyl or CD issues, but they’re available streaming now and will be available for purchase/download HERE on Monday.

I saw Over the Rhine play a beautifully gorgeous set last night at the Aladdin Theater in SE Portland, including a brand new untitled song (I’ll call it “On the Sacred Ground” for now).  I should have a review up tomorrow with photos & setlist…

~Dan – np: Megadeth – Th1rt3en

Peter Mulvey takes the craft of American singer-songwriter out of the humdrum of a “guy and three chords on a guitar” into the realm of oft-comedic-oft-sentimental storytelling mixed in with the grit of the road and the shine of fine silver in your grandmother’s dining room.  He plays Tom Waits with humility and charm, and he plays perfectly ear-worm inducing folk-pop originals.  He plays show tunes, rock covers, and Michael Hedges-executed instrumentals.  His music gets stuck in your head, and for me, any time I hear of new music from him, I get it without question.  I also try to see him whenever I can… which brings me to recount the past three days of fantastic music.

from the house concert, 11/11/11
more photos at the bottom

Three Peter Mulvey concerts, three unique experiences.  First up, an interview with Peter Mulvey on KLCC Living Large (stream it here).  He talks about his tentative new standards album (tentatively called “Pocket Diamonds“) and played a few new songs in the studio.

The first of three shows was at Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene on Thursday, November 10th.  The opener was local musician Michael Conley.  He played a shortish 25 minute set, but I was impressed with his songs… he fit in really well with fans of Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault.  Good guitar work.  Gritty songs, yet with a pop edge.

Peter came on at 9:45 and started off with a normal closing song for him, “Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home).”  As expected, Peter’s set was a great mix of originals and covers.  Despite the large amount of covers that he plays, he really puts his own mark on them.  He also pulls songs out that are classics or memorable favorites but not in the forefront of one’s memory.  A favorite from the night was his take on U2′s “The Fly“…

Eugene 11/10 Setlist: ~80 minutes

• Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
• Are You Sure? [Willie Nelson]
• Old Simon Stimson
• “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
• The Knuckleball Suite
• Two Janes [Los Lobos]
• Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies [Maybelle Carter]
• Some People
• Lonely at the Top [Randy Newman]
• Black Rabbit
• What Else Was It? [new PM song]
• Lord I Have Made You a Place in My Heart [Greg Brown]
• The Dreams
• Blackbird [The Beatles]
• Charlie
• The Fly [U2]
• Kids In The Square
• Encore: The Book of Love [The Magnetic Fields]

Peter is usually good with a few one-liners or jokes.  Some favorites from the Sam Bond’s gig:

“Freedom should be fried.“
“I had a banjo once, and then someone broke into my car… and they left 12 more banjos.“

SO, how do you make a concert experience better?  You invite the musician to your house (or a friend’s house in this instance) and have him play in a living room for 35-40 of your friends.

Well, that’s what we did on Friday, November 11th… we invited Peter to play at a friend’s farm in Creswell (near Eugene).  He played two fantastic sets, with only a little bit of overlap from the night before.  There was much fantastic music, fantastic food (a HUGE vegetarian smorgasbord thanks to host Jenny!), vegan cupcakes (yay Divine Cupcake!), great craft beer and homebrew beers and sodas, and great discussion!

House Show 11/11 Setlist: two 45-minute sets

• Set1 ~ You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams [Fats Waller]
• “shout the battle cry of freedom” [public domain w/ Beatles instrumental tag at end]
• Kids In The Square
• Windshield
• Pearl Handled Pistol [Jeffrey Foucault]
• The Knuckleball Suite
• Shirt
• What Else Was It? [new PM song]
• …Plus The Many Inevitable Fragments / Dynamite Bill
• Set2 ~ Black Rabbit
• Charlie
• The Trouble With Poets
• Trempealeau [new from 2010, not recorded yet]
• Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
• “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
• The Healthfood Girl [new PM song]
• Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
  No Encore

I bought tickets to the Corvallis show (Saturday, November 12th) before I even knew about the Sam Bond’s show and before I could organize the house show.  Was I going to go?  Um… duh!

This was my first time to the Majestic Theatre in downtown Corvallis.  It was a gorgeously remodeled theater, and it looks like they’re ramping up to have a lot more exciting things going on (if you’re local, friend them on Facebook or sign up for their newsletter).

We had a wonderful dinner at Del Alma then dodged the rain to catch the opener Joe Von Appen.  I had only seen a YouTube clip of him prior, and it didn’t grab my interest.  Well, I’m glad I showed up for his set.  He was a mix of thinker/agitator/comedian/one-man freak show.  He was thought provoking, humorous, and frighteningly exciting and entrancing.  He is from Portland, and I hope he makes his way down south sometime again.  He was highly entertaining!

Peter hit the stage at 8:45 and played his longest set of the weekend.  Some repeats (hey, we like re-Petes) and tons of untouched music in the three-day run.  He did one of my favorite spoken word pieces from Letters From A Flying Machine – “Vlad the Astrophysicist.”

A new Mulvey tune “The Cardinal” made its first appearance for me.  It was a touching tune that came along with a seemingly non sequitur story about a squirrel getting into a large batch of THC butter.  Another favorite song he played was a Joe Henry cover… “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation“… I think I’ve heard Peter play this before.  Prior to this, though, I was only familiar with Joe’s producer/mixer work (he does a LOT, specifically Over the Rhine’s latest album that I’m currently listening to in advance of their gig this coming week – The Long Surrender).

Peter also busted out not one, not two, but three Tom Waits tunes – the last one as the encore, sung off-mic.  He has a side gig in The LPs, and they play Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs front to back!  I’d LOVE to see that gig…

Corvallis 11/12 Setlist: ~1 hour 40 min

• Kids In The Square
• “man I’m broke and I’ve got nowhere to go” [Mississippi John Hurt, unidentified title]
• Black Rabbit
• Oh What A Beautiful Morning [Rodgers & Hammerstein Oklahoma! teaser]
• The Dreams
• Charlie
• Shirt
• “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song, guess on title]
• Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation [Joe Henry]
• Girl in the Hi-Tops
• Old Simon Stimson
• Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
• Hang Down Your Head [Tom Waits]
• The Cardinal [new song]
• What Else Was It? [new song]
• Some People
• Vlad The Astrophysicist
• Mailman
• Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
• Encore: Goodnight Irene [off-mic] [Tom Waits]

Some gems of info… Peter was once in an all-rollerskate version of Oklahoma!  Also, apparently, scientists have a difficult time showing THC toxicity in small animals.  A new expression Peter uttered… “the nickel of espresso dropped.” (explaining when the caffeine kicks in).  I dig it!

Peter has a new guitar duets CD out now, Nine Days Wonder, with long-time collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich.  It’s a fantastic record (click the image to the right for samples) – though it’s not really indicative of his live show.  Based on the amount of new material he played this weekend (five songs not on a PM record yet), it looks like he has a good start on a new studio record.  Here’s hoping!

In the meantime, check him out on Facebook, iTunes/Amazon, YouTube, etc… and go see him live if you get a chance.  He plays upwards of 120 live gigs a year all over the US (and sometimes in Europe, too).

I can guarantee you’ll like him (I’ve yet to hear someone who doesn’t love him when I drag them along to shows). :)

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Peter Mulvey’s Site
• Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• My Other Related Reviews~
  • Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene – Oct 2010)
  • Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
  • Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
• Michael Conley’s MySpace (Eugene opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
  
• Joe Von Appen’s MySpace (Corvallis opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
• KLCC Living Large interview with Peter from 11/10/11
• Sam Bond’s Garage Site / Facebook
• The Majestic Theatre’s Site / Facebook
  

Next shows for me… Cirque du Soliel presents Michael Jackson: The Immortal (Eugene 11/15), rapper Chali 2Na (Eugene 11/16) and the Americana duo Over the Rhine (Portland 1/17).

~Dan – np: Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender

PETER MULVEY PHOTOS 11/10 to 11/12/2011

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I can’t go on enough about how much I love My Brightest Diamond and how much I love her newest album, All Things Will Unwind.  She hasn’t planned a full tour under this record (yet), but when I saw she was playing a couple one-offs in Seattle and Portland, I jumped out of my chair.

While hitting both shows in a scenario like this isn’t uncommon for me, I showed some restraint and only hit the Portland show…

The opener, Netherfriends, is currently in Portland this week for a “residency” of sorts.  Several shows at the Mississippi Studios and two DJ sets (one at Aalto Lounge and one at Beech Street Parlour).  He was a veritable one-man rockfolktronic wrecking crew.  After his first song, I wasn’t sure what to expect… he powered through some technical difficulties and ripped through 35-40 minutes of fun energy.

Very danceable, very off-kilter, a little spastic, but grounded in melody.  Sort of like Holy Fuck, if they were a one-man band.  Beatboxing, electronic drums, loops, Harry Nilsson covers (see below).

What’s more to love?  Check him out (free downloads here)!

Since it was billed as a “Shara Worden solo show,” I expected a more stripped down My Brightest Diamond set.  Oh, was a wrong… she came out initially in costume (mask, fabric bubbles on her shirt) and danced along to a pre-recorded instrumental number, then immediately took off her mask and started in with the lead-off track, “We Added It Up.”  She donned the mask again for “Be Brave“…

She mixed up the set a bit with ukulele, keyboards, pre-recorded drums and strings, acoustic guitar, rockin’ electric guitar, mbira (below), and a hand-held harp-like instrument.

Setlist: just over an hour

• Instrumental #1 with dance
• We Added It Up
• Everything is in Line
• Golden Star
• Escape Routes
• Instrumental #2 with dance
• Be Brave
• She Does Not Brave the War
• There’s a Rat
• High Low Middle
• Apples
• Feeling Good [Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley]
• I Have Never Loved Someone [for her son]
• Inside A Boy
• Encore: Be My Husband [Nina Simone]

My favorite songs of the night were “Be Brave” and “Inside A Boy,” but honestly, I enjoyed it all intently.  Even the almost-too-cutesy-for-me “There’s a Rat” was brought to new heights for me with Shara’s adorable story about her rehabbing her “fixer-upper” that she and her husband recently bought in Detroit.

more photos below

I hope she does a bigger/longer tour for the record… but if she doesn’t Portlanders & Seattlites can count themselves blessed.

The Appropriate Linkage:

• My Brightest Diamond’s Website
• MBD’s record label: Asthmatic Kitty
• MBD music video compendium (non-exhaustive, but pretty chock full)
• My Brightest Diamond’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Netherfriends’ Bandcamp Site (tons of free downloads)
  
• Netherfriends’ Blog / Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
• My Other Related Reviews & Links~
  • MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – April 2007)
  • WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2008)
  • Face Time with John Norris 2011 (20 minute interview video)
• Mississippi Studios’ Site / Facebook / Twitter

Next show for me… Puscifer tonight (11/7) in Seattle, then a three-day run by Peter Mulvey (11/10 @ Sam Bonds in Eugene, 11/11 @ private house concert in Creswell, 11/12 @ Majestic in Corvallis).

~Dan – Peter Mulvey & David Goodrich – Nine Days Wonder

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND (SHARA WORDEN)
& THE NETHERFRIENDS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Remember, remember, the 5th of November…

Poet Chris Chandler and guitarist Paul Benoit played a free show at Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene last night before their late night show at the Axe & Fiddle in Cottage Grove.  I first heard Chris & Paul at Oregon Country Fair 2011, and I loved what I heard.  Paul’s band creates a great backdrop for Chris’s thoughtful, irreverent, insightful and inciting words.

CHRIS CHANDLER & PAUL BENOIT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

“freedom is thanking a god that you don’t believe in…“

“freedom is giving credit to the spacebar as one of the letters in the alphabet…“

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Chris Chandler’s Site
• Paul Benoit’s Site
• Sam Bond’s Garage’s Site / Facebook
  

Next shows for me… My Brightest Diamond at Mississippi Studios (11/6) & Puscifer at Paramount (11/7).

~Dan – np: Ben Folds – The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective

Fantastically fun Halloween show by Mood Area 52 and Jason Webley at Eugene’s WOW Hall.  Tons of accordion, sing-a-longs, baby carrots, leaves, water bottle shakers, giant balloons (even one Jason got about waist-deep into until it popped), and great music.  Jason last show (for a while) is 11/11/11 at the Moore Theatre in Seattle… go if you are able!

MOOD AREA 52 & JASON WEBLEY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Jason Webley’s Site
• Jason Webley’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Mood Area 52′s Site
• Mood Area 52‘s Facebook / MySpace
• My Other Related Posts~
  • Webley @ Eugene Celebration (Eugene – Aug 2010)
  • Mood Area 52 & Raquy and the Cavemen @ Joe’s (Eugene – Sept 2009)
• WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Next shows for me… Chris Chandler at Sam Bond’s (11/5), My Brightest Diamond at Mississippi Studios (11/6) & Puscifer at Paramount (11/7).

~Dan – np: U2 – Zooropa

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I first heard Pomplamoose with their cover of the Lady Gaga/Beyonce tune “Telephone” and their video song concept: (1) what you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice), and (2) if you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds):

Pomplamoose kept coming out with more and more clever video songs… that video alone is at 7.8 million views as of 10/31/11 (69 million total views on their channel!).  The creativity from Nataly and Jack made me fall in love with their music – whether covers or originals.  They each have their own YouTube channels (Nataly’s / Jack’s) and there’s also a Nataly side project with Lauren O’Connell called My Terrible Friend.  Yes, they’re busy people.  Go check them all out, you won’t be disappointed.

On to the show…

The opener was Louis and Genevieve…

They played about a half hour of electronic pop.  A nice core sound, but it was difficult to hear the depth in the songs during the show.  I think L&G’s music is superb based on some videos they’ve posted on their YouTube channel.  I hate being negative, because hell if I could go up there and do what they’re doing… but I think their live show needed work… all said and done, they were a good warm-up act.

Pomplamoose came on and kicked right into their cover tune hit “Telephone”… and as expected, they were full of energy.  I honestly don’t know how Jack keeps up the energy, but he was pounding away on keys all night.  They had a full band; so Jack didn’t cover drum duties except for one song later in the set.  Both Nataly & Jack looked like they were truly having fun… they were playful, smiling, and even giddy when microphone cables got tangled in chairs or when they had cellphone reception issues with the monitors.

As expected, they played a great mix of covers and originals.  Since Pomplamoose is ubiquitous with YouTube, for songs below with a YouTube Video Song, click the “YT” link below.  This is a rare show where it’s truly difficult to pick some favorite songs from the set.  If I had to pick favorites, Telephone, Mr Sandman, River Shiver, and Bust Your Knee Caps would rise to the top, but in all seriousness – it’s hard to separate the creme de la creme.  The sold out Doug Fir Lounge crowd got a full set of glorious pop…

Setlist: ~1.5 to 2 hours

• Telephone [Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce] {YT}
• Hey, It’s Pomplamoose
• Expiration Date {YT}
• If You Think You Need Some Lovin’ {YT}
• Hail Mary {YT}
• Twice as Nice [with drum solo] {YT}
• Beat the Horse {YT}
• Makin’ Out [Mark Owen] {YT}
• Nature Boy [Eden Ahbez] {YT}
• Be Still {YT}
• Jam
• Mister Sandman [The Chordettes] {YT}
• Things We Like In Hats
• Things We Like In Hats
• Things We Like In Hats [yes, they played it THREE times in a row]
• Bust Your Knee Caps {YT}
• River Shiver {YT}
• Achin’ Heart {YT}
• Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) [Beyoncé] {YT}
• September [Earth, Wind & Fire] {YT}
• Encore: Goodnight Song
• Sexy Time [goofing around, impromptu song]
• Centrifuge {YT}

The band had a special the album you bought at our show (thanks for that) CD that I picked up.  As far as those not lucky enough to catch their brief tour, you can find their video songs on the YouTube links above (I’d recommend subscribing to their channel).  You can also get their music via Amazon, iTunes or other e-tailers…

Their tour was very limited (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Portland & San Francisco), but hopefully they’ll head out again soon.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Pomplamoose’s Site
• Pomplamoose’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Louis and Genevieve’s Site
• Louis and Genevieve‘s Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
  
• Doug Fir Lounge’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Next show for me… Jason Webley & Mood Area 52 at WOW Hall (Eugene) tonight/Halloween…

~Dan – np: U2 – The Joshua Tree

POMPLAMOOSE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Brilliant show by Pomplamoose last night at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, Oregon…

Busy week for me at work; so look for the Pomplamoose (Portland) and the John Scofield Quartet (Eugene) photos and a reviews by the weekend.

Cheers!
~Dan

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I’ve been to many shows at Cozmic Pizza in downtown Eugene, but this was my first time in their newly remodeled place.  Great new ordering queue/system, same great beer & pizza, great new stage, great new sound system.  I can’t recommend the new digs enough!!  On to the show…

I got there right after sound check… chatted with some folks, ordered some grub, an settled in for the opener.  Jeffery Martin, from Eugene, played about a half hour set.  His sound fit well with Jeffrey Foucault’s… Jeff #1 had an earthy, folky, Americana storyteller vibe.  He didn’t necessarily “jump out” at me, but many singer-songwriters can bore.  Bottom line: I’d see Jeffery Martin again.  He was solid at his craft.  He’s local; so I’ll most likely get a chance to see him again soon.

Jeffrey Foucault hit the stage shortly after 9.  He had slide guitarist Jay Carter (?) with him for most of the set.  They had just met / played together for the first time at the Seattle show.  Despite their newness, they worked well together.  The set contained a lot of the material (8 songs) from Jeffrey’s latest album, Horse Latitudes (samples via image to the right).  Jeffrey showcased his gritty, superb storytelling in his lyrics and was in a good jokey spirit in between songs.

Foucault’s Setlist: about an hour

• Last Night I Dreamed of Television
• Goners Most
• Starlight and Static
• Pretty Girl in a Small Town
• Passerines
• Horse Latitudes
• “Statesboro Blues” [Chris Dombrowski poem]
• Twice I Left Her
• Mesa, Arizona
• Sixteen Tons [Merle Travis]
• The Bluest Blade
• Idaho
• Everybody’s Famous
• Encore: I Won’t Back Down [Tom Petty]

The encore was dedicated to Tom Petty – as his birthday is October 20th.  The only disappointment of the night (well, once the loud couple was told to shut up by a fellow audience member) was that Ryan Adams was playing down the street at the Shedd at the same time as Foucault’s gig.  I actually had a ticket to see Ryan Adams, but when I found out about Jeffery playing, I sold it (the heart wants what the heart wants).  Jeffrey’s audience was a little sparse due to that scheduling coincidence (I think there’s some good crossover between the two artists).

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
• Jeffrey’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Jeffery Martin‘s Facebook
  
• My Other Related Reviews~
• Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
• Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene – Oct 2010)
• Cozmic’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Check Jeffrey’s remaining 2011 tour dates below.

Next show for me… a house show with Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on 10/23 Sunday in Eugene.

~Dan – np: Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole

JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Jeffrey Foucault Fall 2011 Tour

• 10.18.11 Seattle, WA Fremont Abbey With Danny Barnes
• 10.19.11 Portland, OR The Woods Shelley Short opens
• 10.20.11 Eugene, OR Cozmic Pizza Jeffery Martin opens
• 10.21.11 Arcata, CA Arcata Playhouse Rorey Carroll opens
• 10.24.11 Felton, CA Don Quixote’s International Music
• 10.25.11 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord Kate Gaffney opens
• 11.05.11 Fall River, MA Narrows Center for the Arts Support to Rosanne Cash
• 12.01.11 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
• 12.02.11 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
• 12.03.11 Pawtucket, RI Stone Soup Coffeehouse Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
• 12.08.11 Evanston, IL SPACE
• 12.13.11 Marshfield, WI Vox Concert Series Hayward Williams opens

Wave 2 of the David Bazan 2011 Living Room tour… I missed the last swipe through in Corvallis, but was destined to see him in my home town again.  It was held at the same house from 2009 (that review here).  Thank you so much to the super great hosts!

No opener this time.  David kicked into it just after 8pm with the lead off track to his new album, Strange Negotiations.  It’s a great record, and rumor has it that he’s working on a new one already – but there was no mention of that last night…

Setlist: ~80 mins

• Wolves at the Door
• Cold Beer and Cigarettes
• June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
• Hard to Be
• Q&A 1
• Foregone Conclusions (Pedro the Lion)
• Shit Talker (Headphones)
  
• Virginia
• Q&A 2 on old blues guitarists
  
• Fewer Broken Pieces
• Slow and Steady Wins the Race (Pedro the Lion)
• Q&A 3
• Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
• Q&A 4
• Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box (Radiohead cover for Elliott Smith)
• Won’t Let Go
• Curse Your Branches
• Q&A 5
• Strange Negotiations
• No Encore

David’s playing Sam Bond’s Garage in about 2 1/2 months with a full band (Dec 14th for those wanting to know); so Eugene will be lucky to see his beardy face grace our presence once again.

The Appropriate Linkage:

• David Bazan’s Site
• David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• My Other Related Reviews~
  • The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
  • House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
  • Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
  • Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)

Check out the now-almost-all-done tour dates below.  Woodinville, Washington tonight – then he’s back to his own bed until the band tour hits in the late Fall…

Next show for me… Melt Banana at WOW Hall on 10/1.

~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison

Bazan’s 2nd wave of Living Room Tour Dates 2011

Mon 9/5 – Bozeman, MT
Tues 9/6 – Salt Lake City, UT
Wed 9/7 – Fort Collins, CO
Thurs 9/8 – Topeka, KS
Fri 9/9 – Winona, MN
Sat 9/10 – Wheaton, IL
Sun 9/11 – Champaign, IL
Mon 9/12 – Lexington, KY
Tues 9/13 – Scott Depot, WV
Wed 9/14 – Wilmington, OH
Thurs 9/15 – Cleveland, OH
Fri 9/16 – Rochester, NY
Sat 9/17 – Wilkes-Barre, PA
Sun 9/18 – Williamstown, NJ
Mon 9/19 – Oakton, VA
Tues 9/20 – Charlottesville, VA
Wed 9/21 – Simpsonville, SC
Thurs 9/22 – Birmingham, AL
Fri 9/23 – Shreveport, LA
Sat 9/24 – Tulsa, OK
Mon 9/26 – Payson, AZ
Tues 9/27 – Aliso Viejo, CA
Wed 9/28 – Santa Rosa, CA
Thurs 9/29 – Eugene, OR
Fri 9/30 – Woodinville, WA

MY PHOTOS NOW POSTED (see bottom)

Last night in Portland showed two stripped down musicians, parting ways from their “main gig” and creating some delightful energy despite the solo nature of it all.  First up was Glen Hansard of The Swell Season (see the Once movie) and The Frames (who essentially became the backing band for the Swell Season)…

(not from GH’s July 2011 Portland gig – this shot from Nov 2009)

Glen played a 45 or so minute set.  Among stories of getting drunk and staying out until 5am viewing women only wearing feathers, he played some tunes that featured his powerful voice.

Glen’s Setlist: 45 minutes

• Pennies in the Fountain
• Leave
• Lucia
• You Will Become
• Love Don’t Keep Me Waiting (with “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” tag)
• In These Arms
• Astral Weeks [Van Morrison] (with “Death Metal” solo)
• Song of Good Hope

After a short set change, Pearl Jam front-man Eddie Vedder came out.  He was dressed as expected… Seattle casual – complete with flannel.  Shocking, I know…

The stage was set up with a sparse bungalow living room feel.  Some chairs, a reel to reel, antique lamps, guitars and shelving strewn about.  While this was billed as the Ukulele Songs tour, Eddie started out on acoustic.  He played a wandering and energy filled set: some stripped down Pearl Jam tunes, some Into the Wild tunes, some ukulele numbers, some covers.  While his casual flannel may make him seem like stuck in the 90s slacker movement, Eddie is anything but a slacker.  He delivered 2 hours of music…

Eddie’s Set: 2 hours

• Walking The Cow [Daniel Johnston]
• Can’t Keep
• Sleeping By Myself
• Without You
• Goodbye
• Blue, Red And Grey [The Who]
• I Am Mine
• Thumbing My Way
• Just Breathe
• Far Behind
• Long Nights (with Glen Hansard)
• Setting Forth
• Guaranteed
• Rise (dedicated to Gerry Lopez)
• Immortality
• Unthought Known
• The End
• Arc
• Encore 1: If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out [Cat Stevens]
• You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away [The Beatles]
• Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
• The Golden State (with Corin Tucker) [John Doe]
• Tonight You Belong To Me (with Janet Weiss) [Billy Rose & Lee David]
• Sleepless Nights (with Glen, off mic, a cappella, gorgeous) [Gram Parsons]
• Society (with Glen) [Jerry Hannan]
• Falling Slowly (with Glen on lead vocals) [The Swell Season]
• Porch
• Encore 2: Hard Sun (with Glen, Corin & Janet) [Gordon Peterson]
• Dream A Little Dream [The Mamas & the Papas]

Eddie has such passion for what he does.  He doesn’t do things half-assed.  While I’d say he isn’t in my short list for “best singers,” he is on the short list for “most passionate singers.”  He’s a gritty and emotive rockstar, definitely – all while being down to earth.  I also find his voice to be distinct, despite the copycats of the 90s.

Eddie shared a funny story about a party with Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell trying to help Eddie create the perfect “evil ukulele” sound.  Too much wine brought on Chris hurling over the balcony… “the ukulele won.”

The session of duets Corin Tucker (from Sleater-Kinney/CT Band) and Janet Weiss (from Sleater-Kinney/Quasi/etc) was fantastic.  The absolute highlight for me was when Glen came back on for the encore and played three songs with Eddie… the first being a stunning off-mic, a cappella version of “Sleepless Nights” and the third being “Falling Slowly” (from Glen’s band The Swell Season).

This tour ends tonight in Seattle…

One question of note: why were the roadies dressed in white lab coats?

more EV photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Eddie Vedder/Pearl Jam Site
• EV/PJ’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Glen Hansard’s Swell Season Site
• Glen Hansard’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
• Other Related Reviews~
  • The Swell Season @ McDonald Theatre (Eugene – Nov 2009)

The tour dates below… all done tonight in Seattle.

~Dan – np: Garage A Trois – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil

EDDIE VEDDER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Eddie Vedder & Glen Hansard – Summer 2011 Tour Dates

June 15: Providence, R.I. (Providence Performing Arts Center)
June 16: Boston, Mass. (The Wang Theatre)
June 18: Hartford, Conn. (The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts)
June 21: New York, N.Y. (Beacon Theatre)
June 22: New York, N.Y. (Beacon Theatre)
June 25: Philadelphia, Pa. (Tower Theatre)
June 26: Detroit, Mich. (Fox Theatre)
June 28: Chicago, Ill. (The Chicago Theatre)
July 1: St. Louis, Mo. (Fox Theatre)
July 2: Minneapolis, Minn. (Orpheum Theatre )
July 5: San Diego, Calif. (Copley Symphony Hall)
July 6: Long Beach, Calif. (Terrace Theater)
July 8: Los Angeles (The Wiltern)
July 9: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Santa Barbara Bowl)
July 11: Oakland, Calif. (The Paramount Theatre)
July 14: Portland, Ore. (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)
July 15: Seattle, Wash. (Benaroya Hall)