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PHOTOS: Secret Chiefs 3 – The Seattle Residency (5/7/13 & 5/8/13)

12th Jun 13 (Wed) 3 comments

Better late than never, I got the Secret Chiefs 3 Seattle residency photos edited.  Two days and four amazing sets by this amazing band.  Go here for the SUNSET 5/7 SETLISTS (UR & Ishraqiyun) and here for the CROCODILE 5/8 SETLISTS (John Zorn’s Masada Book Two: Xaphan & FORMS).

Note: The new album, Book of Souls: Folio 1, originally announced to come out in May has now been pushed back.

The Appropriate Linkage:

Secret Chiefs 3 in Seattle 2013

Secret Chiefs 3 in Seattle 2013

Secret Chiefs 3 in Seattle 2013

Secret Chiefs 3 in Seattle 2013

Secret Chiefs 3 in Seattle 2013

SECRET CHIEFS 3 PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2013 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Secret Chiefs 3 – 2013 SPRING RESIDENCY TOUR

Seattle, WA
Tue May 7, 2013 @ The Sunset
Wed May 8, 2013 @ The Crocodile

San Francisco, CA
Fri May 10, 2013 @ Cafe Du Nord
Sat May 11, 2013 @ Cafe Du Nord

Los Angeles, CA
Sun May 12, 2013 @ Bootleg Bar
Tue May 14, 2013 @ Bootleg Bar

New York, NY
Fri May 17, 2013 @ Mercury Lounge

Brooklyn, NY
Sat May 18, 2013 @ Union Pool
Sun May 19, 2013 @ Union Pool

Chicago, IL
Tue May 21, 2013 @ Schubas Tavern
Wed May 22, 2013 @ Beat Kitchen

Toronto, ON
Fri May 24, 2013 @ The Drake
Sat May 25, 2013 @ The Drake

New York, NY @ The Stone (6 nights, 12 shows)
May 28, 2013
8pm: UR
10pm: FORMS etc.

May 29, 2013
8pm: Tesselations / Magic Squares
10pm: Ishraqiyun

May 30, 2013
8pm: FORMS etc. (expanded set + new material)
10pm: Xaphan

May 31, 2013
8pm: John Carpenter tribute + new material from Forms, UR, etc.
10pm: Tessellation 2: with guests Ches Smith and Gyan Riley

Jun 01, 2013
8pm: FORMS (new material adding Ches Smith, pipe organ favorites etc)
10pm: Ishraqiyun Kenny/Ches double-drum Cthulu mutations.

Jun 02, 2013
8pm: Final SC3 set, best of Stone week recap (with Ches Smith & Kenny Grohowski)
10pm: Masada (adding Gyan Riley to previous ensemble, the whole crew)

Secret Chiefs 3 @ Crocodile 5/8 (Seattle)

9th May 13 (Thu) 2 comments

UPDATE: Photos posted HERE

I’ll have photos of the Secret Chiefs 3 shows from the Sunset Tavern (5/7) and the Crocodile (5/8) up after the weekend. The shows were amazing… here’s what they played at the 2nd show and a teaser photo…

Secret Chiefs 3 in Seattle 2013

John Zorn’s Masada Book Two: Xaphan – light cloaks ~60 mins
presumably the whole album of Xaphan

FORMS+ – dark cloaks ~70 mins
Danse Macabre [Camille Saint-Saëns]
Vajra
[noted as “trads” on setlist, a Traditionalists medley?]
Renunciation [Ananda Shankar]
Zombievision
Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
Tistriya
Ship of Fools (Stone of Exile)
Toccata [Eugène Gigout]
Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
Saptarshi
———-
Stars and Stripes Forever [John Philip Sousa]

~Dan

Secret Chiefs 3 @ Sunset Tavern 5/7 (Seattle)

8th May 13 (Wed) 2 comments

UPDATE: Photos posted HERE

I’ll have photos of the Secret Chiefs 3 shows from the Sunset Tavern (5/7) and the Crocodile (5/8) up after the weekend.  The first show was amazing… here’s what they played and a teaser photo…

afba094ab7a611e2a8c922000a1fc80c_7[1]

UR – light cloaks ~60 mins
Book T: Waves of Blood
Book T: Broken Glass Hearse
Castle of Sand
Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
Sophia’s Theme
Labyrinth of Light
Drive
Dolorous Stroke
Hurqalya
Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]

Ishraqiyun – dark cloaks ~80 mins
Balance of the 19
Fast
The 15
The 3 (Afghan Song)
The 7
Tistriya
The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
Bereshith
Brazen Serpent
————
Saptarshi

~Dan

REVIEW: Tomahawk @ Wonder Ballroom (Portland, OR – 2/13/13)

17th Feb 13 (Sun) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Tomahawk 2013

Being a longtime Mike Patton fan, I got into Tomahawk right when the self-titled debut hit in 2001.  Mike Patton stated early on that Tomahawk was led by Duane Denison (from The Jesus Lizard).  It comes and goes at Duane’s pace.  With that, Tomahawk has tended to change a fair bit from album to album.  While Mit Gas (2003) was fairly similar to the debut in approach, the shape-shifting sound really caught me off-guard with their Native American-inspired third album – Anonymous (2007).Tomahawk - Oddfellows

Their latest album, Oddfellows, hit two weeks ago.  I’ve let it sink in a bit.  It’s a bit more “straight-forward” rock than their prior albums.  Still some Patton & Denison-isms thrown in to make it buck the normal rock trend.  Overall, it’s a solid record and I’ve been warming up nicely to it, getting ready for the show.

Their official video for the song “Oddfellows” came out late last week.  This is the one song on the album that I could see on the final Faith No More album (sandwiched in between Home Sick Home & Pristina perhaps)… it just has that “feel” to me…

The opener was Retox… and they played 30 minutes of homogenous tunes that were fairly screamy with muddy-drumming.  Nothing else to say there…Tomahawk

Tomahawk hit the stage a bit later than expected… at about 10pm after a 45-minute loop of the “Tomahawk Chop” chant (think Atlanta Braves cheering section, but with no game).  The band this go around is the previously mentioned Mike Patton on vocals/keys/sounds and Duane Denison on guitars with original Helmet drummer John Stanier and Mr. Bungle/Fantômas/Trio Convulsant/many more groups/NYC jazz bassist Trevor Dunn.

They played a great mix from their four records – showcasing the difference in the band’s catalog and the variety in Patton’s voice.  As this was the start to the tour, they seemed amped to be out there.  At one point during “God Hates A Coward,” Patton got a bit overzealous and yanked the cord out of his mic.  He got us to help him out, and while that’s oddly not a song where the “crowd takes over” technique would seem to fit, we worked through the technical difficulty well.

Setlist: about 90 minutes

  • Oddfellows
  • Flashback
  • 101 North
  • Stone Letter
  • Birdsong
  • Rape This Day
  • Baby Let’s Play ____
  • Capt. Midnight
  • White Hats / Black Hats
  • God Hates a Coward
  • I.O.U.
  • Rotgut
  • South Paw
  • Point and Click
  • Waratorium
  • Laredo
  • Encore 1: Totem
  • Stalkin’ [Duane Eddy]
  • *Encore 2: Pay To Cum [Bad Brains]
  •  Just One More [George Jones]
    *per FB & Setlist.fm commenters

Apparently they came back on after the 1st encore.  The house lights had already come on, and I was out the door before I heard anything; alas, I missed the 2nd encore. Damn!  I’m still stoked to have gotten to see them live – it had been far too long!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

This was only the second date of the West Coast U.S. Tour; so definitely check out more tour dates below.  They’re hitting Australia after the U.S. West Coast and then hitting the rest of the U.S. hopefully later in the year.

Next show for me… two shows at the PDX Jazz Fest next weekend in Portland (Steve Kuhn Trio & Steven Bernstein’s Sex Mob).

~Dan – np: TomahawkMit Gas
Tomahawk - Mit Gas

TOMAHAWK PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2013 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Tomahawk – West Coast & Australia 2013 Tour

  • 2/12 Seattle, WA Showbox at the Market
  • 2/13 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
  • 2/15 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
  • 2/16 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
  • 2/17 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
  • 2/19 Los Angeles, CA The Mayan
  • 2/23 Brisbane, AUS RNA Showgrounds
  • 2/24 Sydney, AUS Olympic Park
  • 2/26 Sydney, AUS Metro Theatre
  • 2/27 Melbourne, AUS Billboard the Venue
  • 3/1 Melbourne, AUS Flemington Racecourse
  • 3/2 Adelaide, AUS Bonython Park
  • 3/4 Perth, AUS Claremont Showground
  • 3/30 Sao Paolo, BR Lollapalooza Brazil
  • 4/2 Buenos Aires, AR Malvinas Argentinas Stadium
  • 4/4 Santiago, CH Teatro La Cupula del Parque O’Higgins
  • 4/6 Santiago, CH Lollapalooza Chile

Favorite Concerts of 2012

31st Dec 12 (Mon) Leave a comment

Well, this year was once again good to the Pacific Northwest on the concert front… 366 days, 85 shows, 144 artists, many long nights driving home, and a lot of photos… my best albums lists will likely push off into mid-January (due to being busy & heading out on vacation), but here are my favorite concerts of 2012…

My favorite concerts of 2012:

  1. Secret Chiefs 3 :: WOW Hall :: Eugene, OR {6 Feb} [review with photos] – I saw them twice on this tour, and both shows were great. The Eugene show gets the nod mainly because it was first in the order. :)
  2. Roger Waters presents Pink Floyd’s The Wall:: Rose Garden :: Portland, OR {22 May} [review with photos] – Wow. I don’t even think The Wall is in my Top 5 of Pink Floyd albums, but holy cow, this was an amazing show.  Truly stunning.
  3. Radiohead :: Key Arena :: Seattle, WA {9 Apr} [review with photos] – A phenomenal band that keeps making me drive multiple hours anytime I want to see them!  I’ll gladly continue, though.
  4. Sufjan Stevens presents the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice :: Aladdin Theater :: Portland, OR {6 Dec} [review with photos] – I hate Christmas music, but this spectacle of wonderment warmed me over.
  5. Puscifer :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {14 Mar} [review with photos] – A wine tasting and a concert from rock’s favorite frontman? Yes, please.
  6. Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 :: WOW Hall :: Eugene, OR {18 Mar} [review with photos] – I love Nigerian music, and anyone with the last name of “Kuti” should come with a mandate that you go to the show.
  7. “Weird Al” Yankovic :: Lane County Fairgrounds :: Eugene, OR {18 Aug} [review with photos] – A long, many be-suited set of songs.  Saying it was a “fun time” would be an understatement.
  8. Over the Rhine :: The Triple Door :: Seattle, WA {17 Nov} [review with photos] – It had been too long since seeing Over the Rhine (a year).  I got spoiled when I lived in Cincinnati; so now Ive got to get my OTR fix when I can.  This was a gorgeous night.
  9. Levi Weaver :: my house :: Eugene, OR {16 Jul} [review with photos] – Going to an intimate house concert is great.  I recommend it.  Hosting an intimate house concert – doubly so!
  10. Peter Mulvey & Kris Delmhorst :: 3 venues :: 3 Oregon cities {17-19 Oct} [recap with photos] – Story time from two stupendous singer-songwriters.
  11. Dan Deacon :: Hawthorne Theatre :: Portland, OR {25 Oct} [recap with photos] – Dancing some asses off.
  12. Sigur Rós :: Edgefield :: Portland, OR {9 Aug} [review] – This was my first time at Edgefield and also my first time seeing Sigur Rós in an outdoor venue.  Plus side on a great venue, but a slight knock for loving how Sigur Rós works within a theater setting.  A great show regardless of venue, though.
  13. Fiona Apple :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {26 Jul} [review] – A bit spastic, but a phenomenal performer.  A mix of her new and old tunes, truly great show!
  14. Nellie McKay :: The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts :: Eugene, OR {2 Mar} [review with photos] – I saw her four times this year, and they all rank well.  I’ll see Nellie any time she comes through.  She’s always a delight!
  15. Portland Cello Project plays Radiohead’s OK Computer :: The Majestic Theatre :: Corvallis, OR {21 Sep} [setlist] – While I would have gone a different route than a men chorus for the vocal aspect (i.e. the one song with a regular vocalist was the best one), this was a very special night.

Runners-Up: My Brightest Diamond in Tacoma (Sep) – only because it was a short set, Penn & Teller in Vegas (Jan), Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity in Vegas (Jan), Trevor Dunn & Travis LaPlante at the Wandering Goat (Jan), and Skerik’s Bandalabra at Cozmic (Mar).

Disappointment: the absurd volume of Jack White at the Hult Center (May).

My favorite concert photos of 2012: (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 music of 2012 will be coming in a few weeks (unless I can squeak them out sooner)… EPs/DVDs/etc, vocal albums, instrumental albums

~Dan – np: George HrabCoelacanth
George Hrab - Coelacanth

REVIEW: Puscifer @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 3/14/12)

15th Mar 12 (Thu) 16 comments

Fourth time seeing Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer.  Always a treat!  I opted out of the hassle of doing the photo pass on this 2nd leg, as I wanted to catch Carina Round’s set and not miss the intro video or any of the Puscifer set like I had to back at the 1st leg kick-off in Seattle in Nov 2011.  Thus… ALL PHOTOS posted on this review are from the official Puscifer photographer and/or Meats Meier (see FB photo album).

I did the VIP soundcheck & wine tasting again (I’m a sucker for that)… Soundcheck performance was again stripped down acoustic on both songs – “The Chain” [Fleetwood Mac] and the personal favorite “The Humbling River” (with Carina Round on banjo).

For the wine, this time we tried the Arizona Stronghold’s Mandala (2010) & Mangus (2010) and the Caduceus Cellars’ Nagual de la Naga (2010).  The Mandala was nice, had a very sweet and somewhat tart nose, but definitely a dry/balanced finish.  It’s still young, but was an interesting viognier white wine blend.  The next two were reds, and I liked them more.  The Mangus was very drinkable.  It was a “super Tuscan” primarily sangiovese blend – sweet, fruity, a little buttery in the mouth-feel.  My favorite of the night was the Nagual de la Naga.  It would have been perfect with a rich meal… this cabernet savignon, merlot, and sangiovese blend was only bottled a week before the tour started; so it was definitely a young wine.  Despite its age, it was full bodied and beautiful to drink now.

Carina Round opened the show.  She’s a great rocker singer-songwriter who also backs Maynard on vocals during the Puscifer set… she seemed more comfortable than the last tour go around.  Her band was made up of a majority of the Puscifer live band.  She had a lot of energy, and a high kick near the end of the set gave those of us in the front rows a special treat.  She left the stage, and shortly thereafter the video intro started with Billy D (played by Maynard), Hildy, Cherry Piles, Peter Merkin, and other odd characters.

The show started out the same as Seattle… with Maynard wheeling out a small airstream camper.  He set up some tables and chairs and talked about sustainability and what they’re trying to do with Puscifer (listen to the Fall 2011 monologue from NC).

The show overall was very similar to last year’s leg, which is fine with me… it’s a great set of songs, a fantastic light show, and a paradox of high technology with a stripped down feel.  The song selection was also quite similar, except for the middle of the set we got “Potions” and “Mama Sed” instead of “Polar Bear” and “Indigo Children”…

Setlist: about 90 minutes

  • Maynard Monologue while setting up camper/stage
  • The Green Valley
  • Tiny Monsters
  • Vagina Mine
  • Dozo
  • Toma
  • The Rapture (Fear is a Mind Killa Mix)
  • The Weaver
  • Rev 22:20 [Carina Round on lead vocals]
  • Potions
  • Momma Sed
  • Oceans
  • Monsoons
  • Horizons
  • Conditions of My Parole
  • Man Overboard
  • Telling Ghosts
  • The Undertaker
  • Tumbleweed
    No Encore

This is a brilliant tour for a brilliant album.  The western feel also fits extremely well with the newer mellower songs… tumbleweeds blowing by, fake campfire, and a dazzling electrical storm…

Don’t have Conditions of My Parole yet?  I think you should go buy it if you haven’t yet.  It’s at the top of my pile for 2011 releases (by far).

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below… the dates are winding down; so if you missed it, you’ll have to try next time!

Next shows for me… Seun Kuti @ WOW Hall (3/18) and Skerik’s Bandalabra @ Cozmic (3/20).

~Dan – np: John ZornIAO: Music in Sacred Light

Puscifer Winter Tour 2012

February
23  Austin, TX – Long Center for the Performing Arts
25 Baton Rouge, LARiver Center Theatre
26 Memphis, TNOrpheum Theatre
28 Nashville, TNAndrew Jackson Hall
29 Louisville, KYBrown Theatre

March
1 Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theatre
3 Cincinnati, OHTaft Theatre

4 Indianapolis, INMurat Theatre
6 Kansas City, KSKansas City Music Hall
7 Omaha, NEOmaha Civic Auditorium
10 Edmonton, ABNorth Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11 Calgary, ABSouthern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
13 Vancouver, BCThe Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
14 Portland, ORArlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
16 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
17 Riverside, CA Fox Performing Arts Center
18 Escondido, CACalifornia Center for the Arts

REVIEW: Secret Chiefs 3 in Oregon @ WOW Hall & Dante’s (Eugene & Portland – 2/6 & 2/7/12)

9th Feb 12 (Thu) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I’ve been a fan of instrumental world/surf/film metal shape-shifters Secret Chiefs 3 for a long time and a fan of Los Angeles-based, Cambodian-pop-fusion band Dengue Fever for a handful of years as well.

SC3 and DF has their own connection.  Dengue Fever’s debut album in 2003 was on Web of Mimicry, the label that SC3 frontman Trey Spruance runs.  Their connection goes a little deeper still.  Dengue guitarist Zac Holtzman was in Dieselhed with Danny Hefietz (drummer for Mr. Bungleanother Trey Spruance band).  Danny is also back drumming with SC3 on this co-headlining West Coast tour.

For this tour, the bands have been switching off their order of performance.  I was able to catch both Oregon shows… for Eugene (Mon 2/6), DF played first and SC3 closed.  There was no opener, and Dengue Fever went on just before 8:30 at WOW Hall.  I have a couple of their earlier records, but never had the chance to see them live.  I dug it… pretty fun, and it looked like they were having fun on stage as well.

They played about an hour of Cambodian power pop.  Trey Spruance joined them on stage and played guitar and a wicked solo for their final number “1000 Years of a Tarantula”…

DF Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about an hour

  • Genjer Genjer
  • Seeing Hands
  • New Year’s Eve
  • Hold My Hips
  • Tiger Phone Card
  • Durian Dowry
  • A Go Go
  • Uku
  • Pow Pow
  • Sober Driver
  • Only A Friend
  • Cement Slippers
  • 1000 Tears of a Tarantula [with Trey]
    No Encore

Secret Chiefs 3 came out at about 10pm, donned in long, dark hoods except for violinist/ guitarist Timb Harris dressed in more masked martial arts attire…

This was my third time seeing them, and it was definitely the tightest band I’ve witnessed.  They ripped through a blistering set of proggy, world metal.  The off-kilter timings, the meticulous instrumentation… all spot on.  “Bereshith” is a tune that I think I saw them start the 2007 NYC show with, and I thought it was “off” in NYC.  It’s a really odd number, from a timing perspective.  This time… they nailed it.

Probably the most strikingly different moment “live vs. studio” was the gorgeous intro/outro to “Exodus.”  The intro/outro on the Book of Horizons studio version is a lovely melody played on strings (Eyvind Kang on viola & Timb Harris on violin).  For this live setting, Timb put down his violin and played it on trumpet.  I looooooove trumpet… and this melody on trumpet about made me swoon…

SC3 Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about 80 mins

  • Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
  • Zombievision
  • Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
  • Balance of the 19
  • Fast
  • Bereshith
  • RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
  • Sophia’s Theme
  • Vajra (Rat Puriya)
  • Combat for the Angel
  • Tistriya
  • Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
  • Saptarshi
  • Encore: Hurqalya

For Portland (Tues 2/7), I showed up at Dante’s right around 8pm, and the first band wasn’t going on until closer to 8:45.  It was U SCO, who I had never heard of before; so I walked to the near-ish Deschutes Pub and had one of the last pours of their Jubel Kriek (their Jubel Ale aged 25 months in a barrel on cherries and with Brettanomyces).  They blew their 2nd (and last) 1/6 BBL keg shortly after I ordered.  Mmmm… sour beer… after that, I skedaddled back just in time to catch U SCO’s bitchin’ set.

U SCO were helmed by guitarist Ryan A. Miller, who I had just seen a week prior in Eugene opening for a solo bass show from Trevor Dunn (a former Trey Spruance band member as well).  Small musical world in a quite vast musical sea.  Crazy.  Anyway, U SCO was a shredding, avant-garde jazz-metal band – to the best of my descriptions.  They’re a three piece made up of Ryan on guitars, Jon Scheid on bass, and Phil Cleary on drums.  They also had a guest saxophonist for some songs.  They’re from Portland; so I hope I’ll get a chance to see them again.  Definitely!

SC3 started setting up right afterwards and hit the stage about 9:45pm… of core of their setlist was the same, but they did throw in a few new ones: “The 15,” “The 4” and “Zulfikar.”

They ripped through a great set once again.  They’re such a tight band on this tour – quite stunning.  Even when Trey kicked his cord out for about 5-10 seconds during “Halloween,” they didn’t miss a beat.  And, once again, Timb’s trumpet intro/outro for “Exodus“… swoon…

SC3 Portland 2/7 Setlist: about 70 mins

  • Bereshith
  • Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
  • Zombievision
  • Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
  • The 15
  • The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
  • RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
  • Vajra (Rat Puriya)
  • Zulfikar
  • Tistriya
  • Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
  • Saptarshi
    No Encore

The one gripe with the Portland show… the lighting was pretty poorly matched.  They didn’t turn the house lights down until nearing the end of SC3’s first song.  Also, the lights in general were behind the band, and they were still too bright if you ask me.  For some bands, that’s probably good… but with the Chiefs, the air of mystery and cloaks in darkness adds to the allure of the live show.  Don’t get me wrong, it was still an amazing show.  I’m just glad I got to catch it in Eugene, too.

I had a long drive home and work in the morning; so I sadly bailed on Dengue Fever’s closing set in Portland.  I’m sure it was groovy like the Eugene show.  Sorry, but my body thanks me for getting home at 1am instead of 2:30am!

The tour wraps this weekend… but stick around, SC3 are bound to kick something off later in 2012.  More 7″ vinyls?  More touring?  The long-awaited Book of Souls?  A Chinese Democracy cover album?

If you missed the tour, I’d HIGHLY RECOMMEND checking out their new schwag… including the new SC3 Traditionalists Le Chanson de Jacky / The Western Exile 7″ split (featuring Trey’s fellow Mr. Bungle band-mate Mike Patton on “Jacky”), the 12″ re-releases of First and Second Grand Constitution & Bylaws, and three bitchin’-design new t-shirts.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… most likely the David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) house show in Portland on 2/15, unless something pops up before then.

~Dan – np: John ZornFilm Works XIII: Invitation to a Suicide

SECRET CHIEFS 3 & DENGUE FEVER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

SC3 & DF 2012 West Coast Tour Dates

  • Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
  • Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
  • Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
  • Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
  • Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
  • Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
  • Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
  • Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
  • Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
  • Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
  • Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
  • Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
  • Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
  • Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
  • Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
  • Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre

Secret Chiefs 3 & Dengue Fever in Eugene & Portland

7th Feb 12 (Tue) 1 comment

Due to my schedule, I won’t be able to edit photos until Wednesday night, but I should have my Secret Chiefs 3 / Dengue Fever post covering both the 2/6 Eugene WOW Hall show and the 2/7 Portland Dante’s show posted on Thursday morning.  Here’s a teaser from Eugene…

2/6/12 Eugene Setlists:

2/7/12 Portland Setlist (SC3 only):

Bereshith
Radar
Zombievision
Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
The 15
The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
Medley (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini)
Vajra (Rat Puriya)
Zulfikar
Tistriya
Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
Saptarshi
no encore

Check back Thursday morning for more photos…

~Dan – np: MadLoveWhite With Foam

Favorite Concerts of 2011

27th Dec 11 (Tue) 4 comments

Well, this year was once again good to the Pacific Northwest 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 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

REVIEW: Puscifer @ Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA – 11/7/11)

8th Nov 11 (Tue) 15 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM

A 6 week tour from Puscifer with no Oregon date?  Well, pack up and drive to Seattle is what I’ll do!  Seeing as Conditions of My Parole is vying quite strongly for one of my favorite albums of 2011 (and a marked improvement on Puscifer’s already strong work previously), I wasn’t going to miss this one.

This was only my second time to the Paramount Theatre (first time was for Spinal Tap Unwigged in 2009).  It’s a really gorgeous venue.

I opted for the “VIP” plan; so 99 other rabids & I got to see a special “VIP Soundcheck” performance… stripped down acoustic on both songs – “The Chain” [Fleetwood Mac] and the personal favorite “The Humbling River” (with Carina Round on banjo).  Maynard flubbed the lyrics slightly to the Fleetwood Mac song and joked about needing to google the lyrics later.  After their short warm-up, Maynard talked about what they were trying to do with Puscifer – small, indie, sustainable.  He joked about that with their small distributor that “even Hot Topics won’t take their call.”  He thanked us for our support and then they left…

Also, being a sucker for Maynard, I also opted for the wine tasting session… For those not in the know, Maynard is an artist.  He started with Tool.  Branched out with Billy Howerdel on A Perfect Circle.  But then he found his creative juices flowing with his boutique Caduceus Cellars / Merkin Vineyards in Jerome, Arizona.  He makes fantastic wine with Eric Glomski and much help from his local friends… I’ve nabbed a few bottles in Ohio when I lived there, had some tastings at the 1st night Nov 2009 Puscifer show in Portland, and finally was able to direct order some at a local bottle shop in Eugene, Oregon (thanks, 16 Tons!).

Last night, we had the Merkin Vineyards’ The Diddler (2010) & Chupacabra (2010) and the Caduceus Cellars’ Sancha (2009).  The Diddler was a nice white, primarily California Viognier, Arizona Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay/Malvasia Blanca blend.  It was floral aromatic and a sweet in the nose, dry with a little sweet on the tongue.  I’ve had the Chupacabra before (2005 & 2006).  As a shape-shifter, it changes with each vintage.  The 2010 had caramel and toffee on the nose.  It was a deep, rich Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah blend with all California grapes.  The final wine was special, the 2009 Sancha was a gorgeous all Arizona grape Tempranillo blend (with Garnacha).  Dark, deep fruity nose, slightly chalky tannins (thanks to the host for pointing out chalkiness in some tannins).  I love Tempranillo!  Maynard came up to the room we were in near the end of the tasting and flashed us the peace sign and said “thanks.”  Much less interaction than two years ago, but he’s a busy guy.

“Drink responsibly… even at a rock show!”
-Puscifer road manager

I missed the front end of Carina Round’s opening set due to wine tasting and needing to run to my car to get my camera.  Her short (30 minute?) set struck me as a singer-songwriter turned rocker.  I like her sound, and I have enjoyed some of her singles in the past.  Her latest is the 2009 EP – Things You Should Know.  She also has a new exclusive video for “The Last Time” on AOL Music.  Despite her shortish set, I knew we’d see her shortly, as she’s in the band…

The Puscifer show started shortly after Carina left the stage with the VH1 Behind the Music-esque videos chronicling the honky-tonk performers struggles in life and love and incarceration.  The odd things about the stage set-up was that… there was no stage set-up.  The stage was completely empty when the show-proper started.  At around 9pm, out came a small silver-bullet camper that housed some campfire chairs, tables, and some band members.  Maynard moved the camper into place while talking to us about sustainability and the tour.

Puscifer shows in the past had some complex set design & changes, but the set for this tour was fairly steadily a campfire scene – with of course, an audacious light and video show at times.  The juxtaposition of simple and complex, like Maynard’s nature, was also similar to the juxtaposition of melodic and heavy.  The set was pretty much the entire Conditions album, with some V is for… and C is for… songs thrown in, too.  No skits, some videos (Meats Meier’s and others), no over the top costuming, just a focus on the great music!

Setlist: about 90 minutes

  • Maynard Monologue while setting up camper/stage
  • The Green Valley
  • Tiny Monsters
  • Vagina Mine
  • Dozo
  • Toma
  • The Rapture (Fear is a Mind Killa Mix)
  • The Weaver
  • Rev 22:20 [Carina Round on lead vocals]
  • Polar Bear
  • Indigo Children [2011 Mix]
  • Oceans
  • Monsoons
  • Horizons
  • Conditions of My Parole
  • Man Overboard
  • Telling Ghosts
  • The Undertaker
  • Tumbleweed
  • No Encore

Conditions of My Parole is a brilliant record; so I think you should go buy it if you haven’t yet.  It’s at the top of my pile for 2011 releases (by far).

The 1st night of tour had very minimal hiccups (if any).  Check it out, if you happen to be in the markets they’re hitting on this leg (see dates below).  I was able to shoot the 3rd & 4th songs; so check back for my photos once I have time to get home and edit them.

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below the photos.

Next shows for me… 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 – np: dredgChuckles and Mr Squeezy

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

(click for larger)

Puscifer Fall 2011 Tour Dates

  • 11/7 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
  • 11/9 Salt Lake City, UT Capitol Theatre
  • 11/10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
  • 11/12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
  • 11/14 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
  • 11/15 Chicago, IL Cadillac Palace Theatre
  • 11/17 Cleveland, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
  • 11/18 Toronto, ON Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
  • 11/19 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
  • 11/22 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
  • 11/23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
  • 11/25 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Academy of Music
  • 11/26 Washington, DC Lisner Auditorium
  • 11/27 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
  • 11/29 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
  • 11/30 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center
  • 12/2 Tulsa, OK Brady Theatre
  • 12/3 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
  • 12/6 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
  • 12/7 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
  • 12/9 Mesa, AZ Ikeda Theater (previously listed as Phoenix)
  • 12/10 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl

REVIEW: Opeth @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 10/16/11)

17th Oct 11 (Mon) 6 comments

This tour was primed to be a Swedish metal onslaught… combine the dire, bleak sound from opener Katatonia with the melodic, progressive power of Opeth, and you have a tour combo made in Heav… um… Hades

Katatonia played about an hour… I was jonesin’ for some thrash, and was initially disappointed by their slower, doom metal sound.  It grew on me by the end, but knowing that Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt wasn’t breaking out the growls for this Heritage tour, I felt a little slighted…

Well, that, and the mix-up in the “photo pass situation“… all I was able to get was a few iPhone shots of Opeth.

Opeth went on around 9:45pm and led off with the opening song from their latest album, Heritage.  Mikael’s lyrics are almost always poetic, but sometimes straight to the point as with “The Devil’s Orchard” and its Nietzschesque anthemic chorus “God is dead, God is dead.”

Mikael toyed with us several times… the first being the first non-Heritage song… “this one is from Still Life” and then they play probably the only slow song on Still Life – “Face of Melinda.”

Oh, the crowd, ever wanting them to bust out into the heavy stuff – the band, ever restrained.

Mikael joked with crowd a bit.  He’s going to grow his beard back.  He’s only mustache’d now, and apparently he got hit on while taking a swim in Portland.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that

After breaking out the acoustic guitar (yes, at an Opeth show!), Mikael remarked fondly of seeing an acoustic set from Winger.  Some crowd members booed.  He retorted, “well, Winger is better than your band.”  Followed by “Winger is better than this band.”  The crowded booed again and Mikael followed up with, “I’m glad you don’t agree” before starting into their acoustic set…

Opeth’s Setlist: just under 2 hours

  • The Devil’s Orchard
  • I Feel the Dark
  • Face of Melinda
  • Porcelain Heart [with drum solo]
  • Pyre
  • The Throat of Winter [acoustic]
  • Patterns in the Ivy II [acoustic]
  • Closure [acoustic]
  • Slither
  • A Fair Judgement
  • Hex Omega
  • Encore: Folklore

Probably the most cruel moment was during the acoustic set…

This one goes back to the Blackwater Park days!

*crowd roar*

Don’t get excited. This wasn’t actually on the album.

All said and done… no growls, no cookie monster vocals… but a fucking amazing Opeth show.  The tour is really showing off that Opeth is more than just “Swedish death metal.”  They’re great performers, great musicians.  They can be melodic and still rock our faces off.  Sure, I’d love a “The Leper Affinity” appearance, but I enjoy the more subdued Damnation/Heritage sound that they put forth this time out.  Accessible?  Maybe.  Quality? Definitely!

iPhone photos… all I got… *sadface*


The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene) on 10/20 [yeah, I’m skipping Ryan Adams]…

~Dan – np: ToolLateralus

Opeth/Katatonia 2011 North American Tour Dates:

  • Sep. 19 – The Palladium @ Worcester, MA
  • Sep. 20 – Webster Theater @ Hartford, CT
  • Sep. 21 – Webster Hall @ New York, NY
  • Sep. 22 – Webster Hall @ New York, NY
  • Sep. 23 – Trocadero @ Philadelphia, PA
  • Sep. 26 – Newport Music Hall @ Columbus, OH
  • Sep. 27 – Expo Five @ Louisville, KY
  • Sep. 28 – Cannery Ballroom @ Nashville, TN
  • Sep. 29 – Amos’ Southend @ Charlotte, NC
  • Sep. 30 – Center Stage @ Atlanta, GA
  • Oct. 01 – House of Blues @ Lake Buena Vista, FL
  • Oct. 03 – Warehouse Live @ Houston, TX
  • Oct. 04 – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater @ Austin, TX
  • Oct. 05 – Granada Theater @ Dallas, TX
  • Oct. 06 – The Beaumont Club @ Kansas City, MO
  • Oct. 07 – First Avenue @ Minneapolis, MN
  • Oct. 08 – Burton Cummings @ Winnipeg, MB
  • Oct. 10 – Edmonton Events Centre @ Edmonton, AB
  • Oct. 11 – MacEwan Hall Ballroom @ Calgary, AB
  • Oct. 13 – Commodore Ballroom @ Vancouver, BC
  • Oct. 14 – Knitting Factory Concert House @ Spokane, WA
  • Oct. 15 – Showbox SoDo @ Seattle, WA
  • Oct. 16 – Roseland Theatre @ Portland, OR
  • Oct. 18 – The Warfield @ San Francisco, CA
  • Oct. 19 – Mayan Theatre @ Los Angeles, CA
  • Oct. 20 – House of Blues @ San Diego, CA
  • Oct. 21 – The Fox Theater @ Pomona, CA
  • Oct. 22 – Marquee Theatre @ Tempe, AZ
  • Oct. 24 – The Complex @ Salt Lake City, UT
  • Oct. 25 – Ogden Theatre @ Denver, CO
  • Oct. 27 – The Rave @ Milwaukee, WI
  • Oct. 28 – Vic Theatre @ Chicago, IL
  • Oct. 29 – St. Andrews Hall @ Detroit, MI
  • Oct. 30 – Guelph Concert Theatre @ Guelph, ON
  • Oct. 31 – Mr Smalls Theatre @ Millvale, PA
  • Nov. 01 – Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD

Opeth @ Roseland (Portland) – review later Monday!

16th Oct 11 (Sun) Leave a comment

REVIEW posted HERE.

Wicked good show from Opeth and Katatonia at the Roseland Theater in Portland Oregon tonight. I’ll have my full review with a setlist posted by Monday evening. Possibly some iPhone photos if they came out… photo passes weren’t communicated properly for this show.

~Dan

REVIEW: Melt Banana @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 10/1/11)

3rd Oct 11 (Mon) Leave a comment

Melt Banana started off their two month U.S. tour with an initial stop at the WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.  Their last time through Oregon, the Tokyo-based screamo/noise metal band didn’t stop here, and the freezing rain & severe winter fog kept many Ducks who wanted to trek up to Portland away.  Not so this time… and I made it there just in time to catch their blistering set.

Agata shredded up the guitars, making dental exams seem pleasant.  Yako was a sandstorm of power and unexpectedness on vocal duties… and charming in between songs.  The drum & bass battery (presumably Takiya & Rika) propelled the blasts of music forward.

It’s one thing to hear this band on record, it’s quite another to see them live.  They’re going all over the U.S.A. from now until late November!  Catch them (dates below).  They’re also working on a new album, out in 2012.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next shows for me… Chromeo & Opeth at the Roseland (Portland) in a couple of weeks!

~Dan – np: John ZornAt the Gates of Paradise

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

(click for larger)

MxBx 2011 U.S.A. Tour Dates

  • 10/1/2011 WOW Hall Eugene, OR
  • 10/2/2011 Star Theater Portland, OR
  • 10/3/2011 Chop Suey Seattle, WA
  • 10/4/2011 The Badlander Missoula, MT
  • 10/6/2011 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT
  • 10/8/2011 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
  • 10/9/2011 The Record Bar Kansas City, MO
  • 10/10/2011 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
  • 10/11/2011 The Mill Iowa City, IA
  • 10/12/2011 Nutty’s Sioux Falls, SD
  • 10/13/2011 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, MN
  • 10/14/2011 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
  • 10/15/2011 Cactus Club Milwaukee, WI
  • 10/16/2011 Subterranean Chicago, IL
  • 10/17/2011 Cicero’s St. Louis, MO
  • 10/18/2011 The Bishop Bloomington, IN
  • 10/19/2011 The Historic Southgate House Newport, KY
  • 10/20/2011 Mac’s Bar Lansing, MI
  • 10/22/2011 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, OH
  • 10/23/2011 The Haunt Ithaca, NY
  • 10/25/2011 Wrongbar Toronto, ON
  • 10/26/2011 Il Motore Montreal, QC
  • 10/27/2011 T.T. The Bear’s Cambridge, MA
  • 10/28/2011 The Space Hamden, CT
  • 10/29/2011 Santos Party House New York, NY
  • 10/31/2011 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA
  • 11/1/2011 The Red Palace Washington, DC
  • 11/2/2011 Ottobar Baltimore, MD
  • 11/4/2011 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
  • 11/5/2011 The EARL Atlanta, GA
  • 11/06/2011 The Engine Room Tallahassee, FL
  • 11/08/2011 Backbooth Orlando, FL
  • 11/09/2011 Crowbar Tampa, FL
  • 11/10/2011 Double Down Gainesville, FL
  • 11/11/2011 Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL
  • 11/12/2011 Caledonia Lounge Athens, GA
  • 11/13/2011 The End Nashville, TN
  • 11/15/2011 BottleTree Birmingham, AL
  • 11/16/2011 Alabama Music Box Mobile, AL
  • 11/17/2011 Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX
  • 11/18/2011 The Prophet Bar Dallas, TX
  • 11/19/2011 The Mohawk Austin, TX
  • 11/20/2011 Jack’s Patio Bar & Grill San Antonio, TX
  • 11/22/2011 Club Congress Tucson, AZ
  • 11/23/2011 Hollywood Alley Mesa, AZ
  • 11/25/2011 The Bunkhouse Las Vegas, NV
  • 11/26/2011 Soda Bar San Diego, CA
  • 11/27/2011 Echoplex Los Angeles, CA
  • 11/28/2011 Harlow’s Night Club Sacramento, CA
  • 11/29/2011 Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco , CA

REVIEW: A Perfect Circle @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 6/29/11)

1st Jul 11 (Fri) 19 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

A Perfect Circle [APC] is a beautiful collaboration between music-writer Billy Howerdel (Tool guitar tech, Ashes Divide frontman) and lyricist Maynard James Keenan (Tool & Puscifer frontman, winemaker).  Their first album, Mer de Noms, took the artistic approach that is also in Tool’s world into a more mainstream hardrock setting.  They dug deep into addiction-themed lyrics on their follow-up, The Thirteenth Step, and then got really politically bent on eMOTIVe (which was released on the day we failed as Americans by electing George W Bush for a 2nd term).  WTF!?  Anyway, sorry for my personal injection… here is their oeuvre to peruse if you are unfamiliar:

Their last full-length studio album (the aforementioned eMOTIVe) also showed less songwriting and way more covers… Lennon, Costello, Marvin Gaye, Zeppelin, Devo, Black Flag, Joni Mitchell, Depeche Mode, and more.  Its political nature was maybe a last “rock the vote” push in the 2004 Presidential election?  Well, the peace and war and political conflict from 2004 is still here in 2011.  It’s different, but alas it’s still here.  I think that album is still very relevant… while APC plans on releasing some new material in the near future (digital format initially), the first thing I noticed when I showed up at the Schnitzer on Wednesday night was their stage setup: camouflage curtains, ammo boxes, and military-like gear littered the stage.

This was their first show of the six-week tour… Was the show going to be a musical battle-zone?  Maynard has been quite theatrical with his live shows lately (see my Puscifer Nov ’09 review links below), but APC tends to be a different beast… Maynard in Puscifer is the outgoing one, in APC is a bit reserved, and in Tool is many times cloaked and hidden for 75% of the show.

Before digging into APC’s set, the opener…

The opener was a Japanese noise-pop hardrock trio Red Bacteria Vacuum.  The reviews I’ve read have really dissed them.  I’m a fan of this type of thing (poppy Tsu Shi Ma Me Re & noisy Melt Banana); so I dug them plenty.  Plus they were cute a button when exchanging words with the crowd… “please… to… eat you.”  Nice 30-minute sugar punk from Japan.  I didn’t have my photo pass issue sorted out for their set.  Photo above courtesy of Meats Meier.

Well, the 90 minute set from A Perfect Circle seemed less like a battle zone than the stage lead us to believe.  Not as much energy as the props suggested (a generally more subdued Maynard sticking to his perch, etc).  As far as song selection, they played a decent mix of their originals material, but the night was really heavy on the covers.  While I like their “making the song theirs” in the approach, I was hoping for more of the rawness and angst from their original tunes…

Setlist: 90 minutes

  • Annihilation [Crucifix] (false start)
  • Imagine [John Lennon]
  • Weak and Powerless
  • The Hollow
  • What’s Going On [Marvin Gaye]
  • People Are People [Depeche Mode]
  • The Outsider (lyric flub)
  • (What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? [Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello]
  • When The Levee Breaks [Led Zeppelin]
  • The Noose
  • 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix)
  • Gravity
  • Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie [Black Flag]
  • Orestes
  • Passive
  • Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
  • The Fiddle and the Drum [Joni Mitchell]
  • By and Down [new song]
    No encore

I was hoping for “Judith” and perhaps the Failure cover “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” but it was still a highly enjoyable night.  While there were a few flubs, it was their first tour date in a while, and they pulled off quite an entertaining show.  Maynard explained, “I’m closer to 50 than 40” in an attempt to get some forgiveness.  The band didn’t talk much, outside of a few brief apologies from Maynard and the band introductions.  The band was Maynard on vocals, guitarist/co-founder Billy Howerdel, guitarist/keyboardist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl (filling in for Josh Freese who is currently out with Weezer).

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of Maynard’s bands.  This year promises some new music & tour from Puscifer, some new music from A Perfect Circle, and potentially some Tool (they’ve been in a writing phase, but they take longer).  If APC is hitting your next of the woods, do your damndest to make it out to the show…

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… Portland Cello Project at Alton Baker Park / Art & the Vineyard on 7/4.

~Dan – np: Klezmerson – Siete

A PERFECT CIRCLE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld / Pacificlectic,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

APC 2011 Tour Dates

  • May 22 – Columbus, OH @ Rock on the Range
  • June 29 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
  • June 30 – Kent, WA @ Showare Center
  • July 2 – Gibbons, AL @ Boonstock Festival
  • July 4 – Winnipeg, MB @ Centennial Concert Hall
  • July 6 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
  • July 8 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
  • July 9 – Toronto, ON @ Edgefest
  • July 12 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
  • July 13 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
  • July 15 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
  • July 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Penn’s Landing – Festival Pier
  • July 17 – Washington, DC @ Constitution Hall
  • July 19 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
  • July 20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
  • July 22 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
  • July 23 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
  • July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
  • July 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheater
  • July 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Memorial Auditorium
  • July 30 – Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre
  • August 1 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
  • August 2 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
  • August 8 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbent
  • August 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
  • August 10 – Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre

APC setlist (6/29/11)

29th Jun 11 (Wed) 5 comments

Brief post with A Perfect Circle’s setlist from tonight (Portland, OR, 6/29/2011 @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall).  Any help on the two missing songs, let me know… my photos and longform review to be posted by the weekend

UPDATE 7/1: review & photos posted HERE.

Setlist: 90 minutes

  • Annihilation [Crucifix] (false start)
  • Imagine [John Lennon]
  • Weak and Powerless
  • The Hollow
  • What’s Going On [Marvin Gaye]
  • People Are People [Depeche Mode]
  • The Outsider (lyric flub)
  • (What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? [Elvis Costello]
  • When The Levee Breaks [Led Zeppelin]
  • The Noose
  • 3 Libras (Remix)
  • Gravity
  • Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie [Black Flag]
  • Orestes
  • Passive
  • Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
  • The Fiddle and the Drum [Joni Mitchell]
  • By and Down [new song]
    No encore

REVIEW: Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland, OR – 2/18/11)

19th Feb 11 (Sat) 13 comments

GYBE-evaphoto

Video flickers “hope” on loop. Slow build with piercing tones presumably of guitar mixed with cello & screams in the violin pickups. The vapors turn into steam, the bowing more frantic, random percussive shakes. Eight minutes, the first hits on a high hat. The steam now turning into an impending waterfall. “Hope” still flickers. The impending waterfall never comes. The sounds fall away into sweepy hallways.

Clean guitars, gentle malleted vibes, as the guitar soars upwards with the violins. The screen text and numbers jumble. The pace expands and explodes, then stabilizes. Guitars are the backbone, the drums brisk, the xylo/vibes, on the other hand, are furious. Gasping. Grasping. They’re trying to escape. The drums take over, the other players fall to the side. A stringed étude tucks it away.

Violin warming up, workshop hammering percussion until the sounds become like a train leaving the station. This one built quicker than the prior pieces. More Mogwaian versus Sigurrósient. Churning turns into hints of melodic keys. Maybe they were just car keys… it’s turned more into a tumultuous rock instrumental.  Rush.

That was the first forty minutes. The rest of Godspeed You! Black Emperor‘s two-plus hour set was full of highs and lows, and all the things that make post-rock so wondrous and confounding. Sweeping movements with The Anatomy of Melancholy text and images flashing above the band’s heads. I think sprinting away from convention is what makes this music so magical. Shying away from the press definitely adds to the mystery.

Setlist: (thanks Jason & others)

  • Hope Drone
  • Moya
  • Albanian
  • Monheim
  • Dead Metheny
  • (unknown)
  • 09-15-00 (outro)
  • Chart #3
  • World Police & Friendly Fire
  • Gathering Storm
  • Blaise Bailey Finnegan III (aka BBF3)

Sorry for no photos from the show… t’was too packed, dark and I decided to hang back and enjoy anyway.  My opinion of the opener in the comment section.

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… Nik Barstch’s Ronin as part of Portland Jazz Fest next weekend.

~Dan – np: EarthAngels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1

Godspeed You! Black Emperor Tourdates

February 2011
16 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Vogue Theatre
17 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox at the Market
18 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Ballroom
20 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Great American Music Hall
21 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Great American Music Hall
23 – Los Angeles, Calif @ Music Box at the Henry Fonda

March 2011
16 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Masonic Temple
17 – New York City, N.Y. @ Church of St. Paul the Apostle
19 – Philadelphia, Penn. @ Trocadero
20 Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
22 – Athens, Ga. @ 40 Watt Club
24 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Cannery Ballroom
26 – Chicago, Ill. @ Metro
27 – Chicago, Ill. @ Metro
29 – Detroit, Mich. @ Majestic Theatre

REVIEW: The Melvins @ John Henry’s (Eugene, OR – 7/7/10)

8th Jul 10 (Thu) 7 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

A hot and sweaty return to Eugene, just under a year from when they were last here… the Melvins rocked hard on John Henry’s sticky stage.  This was a waaaay early show (6pm doors, 7pm start time); so I missed the opener, Totimoshi.  From what I heard on MySpace, I wish I hadn’t missed them.  Oh well, on to the Melvins…

This was near the end of their June/July tour with Toptimoshi, which included a mid-June stint with Isis (see split Melvins 12″ vinyl with Isis to the rightI picked up one at the Isis show in late May).  Being near the end of a month-long tour, the Melvins had enough practice along the way… they ripped through many songs from their back catalogue and their brand new release, The Bride Screamed Murder (out now on Ipecac).

That album is the Melvins’ first album to ever hit the Billboard 200 chart.  I guess it goes to show you, corporate rock is dead if an indie sludge metal band can break the chart with 2,800+ units moved… when their “hit album” Houdini moved 110,000 units to date never got there.  Well, I doubt Buzzo and rest of the Melvins care about chart success.  I just think it’s funny to see the industry implode on its own greed.  I’m glad indie artists, like those on Ipecac and other many great indie labels, are still cranking away.

The show was quite good.  Despite who dark and hot & sweaty John Henry’s is, the sound quality was right on… no bad feedback or muddy sound – beyond the normal intended muddiness that is the Melvins. As mentioned before, a great mix of older tunes and material from their latest. I’m bad on their song names; so here’s a tentative setlist based on prior recent shows.  If anyone has any help (especially on 2nd set), I’d greatly appreciate it…

Setlist: ~90 minutes spanning 2 sets

  • Set1: Dueling Banjos
  • Sacrifice [Flipper cover]
  • Civilized Worm
  • Black Stooges
  • Pig House
  • Electric Flower
  • Anaconda
  • Black Bock
  • The Kicking Machine
  • Billy Fish
  • Skin Horse
  • Set Change (bassist Jared’s solo set): Summer Breezes
  • Autumn Breezes
  • Stage Breezes (with Dale)
  • Set 2: The Water Glass
  • Evil New War God
  • Amazon
  • The Talking Horse
  • Hung Bunny
  • Roman Bird Dog
  • My Generation [The Who cover]
  • Let It All Be
  • Revolve
  • Bacon Industry
  • Lovely Butterfly
  • Drum Duo
  • No Encore
    any setlist assistance is greatly appreciated

I can’t wait ’til the Melvins’ next stop through Eugene… which, based on recent history shouldn’t be too long… :)

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

See their Spring/Summer 2010 tour dates below.

~Dan – np: John Zorn’s Locus Solus50th Birthday Celebration Vol 3

MELVINS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Spring/Summer Tour Dates (winding down)

  • June 1, 2010 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
  • June 2, 2010 – Tempe, AZ – The Clubhouse
  • June 3, 2010 – Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad
  • June 5, 2010 – Austin, TX – Emos
  • June 6, 2010 – San Antonio, TX – The White Rabbit
  • June 7, 2010 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
  • June 8, 2010 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
  • June 9, 2010 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks
  • June 10, 2010 – Birmingham, AL – Bottle Tree
  • June 12, 2010 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Festival
  • June 14, 2010 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
  • June 16, 2010 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
  • June 17, 2010 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of The Living Arts
  • June 18, 2010 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
  • June 19, 2010 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg
  • June 20, 2010 – Boston, MA – Paradise
  • June 21, 2010 – Boston, MA – Paradise
  • June 23, 2010 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
  • June 24, 2010 – Detroit, MI – Small’s
  • June 25, 2010 – Chicago, IL – Double Door
  • June 26, 2010 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
  • June 27, 2010 – Des Moines, IA – House Of Bricks
  • June 29, 2010 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
  • July 2, 2010 – Calgary, AB, Canada – Sled Island Festival
  • July 3, 2010 – Calgary, AB, Canada – Sled Island Festival
  • July 5, 2010 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – Rickshaw Theatre
  • July 6, 2010 – Seattle, WA – Showbox At The Market
  • July 7, 2010 – Eugene, OR – John Henry’s
  • July 9, 2010 – San Jose, CA – Blank Club

REVIEW: Dream Theater @ Roseland Theater (Portland, OR – 6/21/10)

22nd Jun 10 (Tue) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Progressive metal powerhouse Dream Theater is quite possibly one of the most technically superb group of musicians ever assembled.  They’ve also weathered over 20 years in the dog-eat-dog music industry and remained a challenging force in the progressive rock/metal landscape.  One might say that they’ve risen to icon status amongst their peers.  When I think about drummer Mike Portnoy, guitarist John Petrucci, and bassist John Myung – I can’t really think of many other musicians in any genre that baffle me with their prowess so profoundly.

Singer James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess round out the quintet.  They are both very talented in their own right, and while I won’t dwell on it, LaBrie and Rudess sometimes make Dream Theater’s sound a throwback to the 80s… which I suppose is an unfortunate consequence of shrieking singers and ax-blade keytars (come on, guys, this is 2010!).  Thankfully, the rhythm from Myung & Portnoy and the shred from Petrucci prevailed for most of the over two hour set.  Sorry, but in the everlong, ever-subjective DT-fan keyboardist debate I rank Kevin Moore > Derek Sherinian > Jordan Rudess.  Just laying it out there now… sorry if it’s offensive to some. Again, I don’t want to dwell… so back to the positive – all five guys in Dream Theater now run circles around the notes, making them fit in a pretty incredible sonic package.

This show was one of the handful of one-off in between dates as Dream Theater tour the U.S. with metal legends Iron Maiden.  If you hit one of the Maiden shows, make sure you show up early, as Dream Theater doesn’t have much input on when they go on, and sometimes it has been before the advertised time.

Luckily, this Portland show was Dream Theater’s to shine.  I showed up a little late, and unfortunately missed the opener.  Dream Theater started right around 8:45pm and ripped into A Nightmare To Remember from their latest record, Black Clouds and Silver Linings.  The 16-minute song (on the record) showcases all five guys’ talents and set the stage for what was to come…

Some of my favorite parts of the set were their earlier tunes… the “puppies on acid” intro to the “The Mirror / Lie” seamless prog-metal fest and the switch-up “Pull Me Under” that converts into “Metropolis Part 1” during the middle of the solos.  Wow!  The newer tunes, which I consider anything from Scenes from a Memory and on (i.e.- since Jordan joined), were also full of amazing musicianship… led by the “balls and chunk” in “Home” and the instrumental opening to “Count of Tuscany.”  Another new era song, “As I Am,” ranks for me due to John Myung’s bass harmonics’ opening and some of my favorite Dream Theater word play (justify / just defy)…

Setlist: 2 hours 15 minutes

  • A Nightmare To Remember
  • Constant Motion
  • Hollow Years
  • The Mirror / Lie
  • A Rite Of Passage
  • Home
  • Panic Attack
  • As I Am
  • Pull Me Under / Metropolis Pt. 1
  • Encore: The Count Of Tuscany

Brilliant showmanship, technical skill with an air of ease, stellar solos, and only a touch of keytar… Dream Theater is yet again showing up the competition.  They are truly the kings of the progressive scene.

(and one from MikePortnoyDT’s twitter…)

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check them out on tour with Iron Maiden now…

~Dan – np: Pink Martini – Hey, Eugene!

DREAM THEATER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

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