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REVIEW: My Brightest Diamond @ Pantages Theater (Tacoma, WA – 9/22/12)

24th Sep 12 (Mon) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Outside of a college football traffic-filled I-5 and a rainbow roll sushi before the show, there was no opener for My Brightest Diamond this weekend for me.  She was the first after “dinner break” act for Tacoma’s 9/22-9/23 weekend Broadway Center Free For All.  A free one-off show in the Pacific Northwest by one of my absolute favorite artists!!  Well, free outside of the time and gas money… I wasn’t going to pass this up.

Dressed in colorful balls, spikes, and pipe cleaner, My Brightest Diamond (Shara Worden) started the show by coming out in a mask and dumping two large trash bags full of bright orange balloons on the stage.

She played a short set, but hit some great high-points from her three album catalog and switched around a lot on various instruments: ukulele, keyboards, mbira, electric guitar…

Product Details Product Details Product Details

Setlist:

  • We Added It Up
  • Golden Star
  • Escape Routes
  • Be Brave
  • Apples
  • High Low Middle
  • I Have Never Loved Someone
  • Inside A Boy

Her quirkiness and fun-loving vibe shone through.  This being a free show, I’m hoping she attracted some new followers with her charms.  As far as what’s next for her?  Well, she’s bound to show up on someone’s record here, or a collaborative single there, or a remix album over there, or a new album in a bit.  She’s currently not specifically touring; so any chance she comes through your parts for a one-off show – check her out.  You shan’t be disappointed!

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Chevelle at Crystal Ballroom on 9/25.

~Dan – np: Chevelle – This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)

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

(click for larger)

Categories: Classical, Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PHOTOS & SETLIST: “Weird Al” Yankovic @ Lane County Fair (Eugene, OR – 8/17/12)

20th Aug 12 (Mon) 4 comments

What to say about “Weird Al” Yankovic?  Stunning musicians, crazy stamina, insane costume change schedule, immaculate performer!  Here’s what he played a glimpse at his costuming for his recent show at the Lane County Fair in Eugene last Saturday…

Setlist: about 90 minutes

  • Polka Face
  • TMZ
  • Interview w Eminem (video)
  • Smells Like Nirvana
  • Interview w Uma Thurman (video)
  • Party in the CIA
  • Weird Al movie trailer (video)
  • Huge Medley:
    • Beverly Hillbillies
    • You Can Have Whatever You Like
    • Tattoo
    • eBay
    • I Want a New Duck
    • Rye or the Kaiser
    • Spam
    • My Bologna
    • Spider-Man
    • Lasagna
    • Eat It
  • Interview w Rob Pattinson (video)
  • Amish Paradise
  • Interview w Megan Fox (video)
  • Craig’s List
  • 30 Rock ending credits/Titanic (video)
  • Perform This Way
  • Interview w Jeff Bridges (video)
  • White & Nerdy
  • Dirt PSA (video)
  • Fat
  • Encore: The Saga Begins
  • The Addams Family (intro on keys only)
  • Yoda (with “Grim Grinning Ghosts” & Hawaiian War Chant)

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Pojama People (Frank Zappa cover band) with Ike Willis on vocals (!) at WOW Hall (8/31).

~Dan – np: Antibalas – Antibalas

Categories: Concert Photos, Hip-hop, Humor, Rock & Pop Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Sigur Rós @ Edgefield (Portland, OR – 8/9/12)

10th Aug 12 (Fri) 1 comment

PHOTOS below from Sigur Rós’ Tumblr
(unless otherwise noted)

Sigur Rós is magical.  This was my 6th time seeing them, and quite frankly, it doesn’t get any less magical each time I am graced with their presence.  They don’t really speak to me on a linguistic level, but they blow me away on a musical and emotive level.

The sweeping movements that scream, the melodies that bleed, the ambient passages that don’t go anywhere by going everywhere.  The playing with light and shadows, the simplest/minimalist way to make a huge f*cking point.  That is what Sigur Rós is to its fans.

Their latest album, Valtari, is… well, it seems more minimalist than their prior albums.  It came out in late May 2012, and I’m only a few dozen spins in.  I’m still trying to let it sink in.  It’s slower going than the first spin of Agaetis Byrjun and ( ) for me.  It’s not a hooky (bwahaha!) as Takk… or Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.

Is Valtari anything different than I’d expect from Sigur Rós?  No, not really.  It just hadn’t broken through to me, yet.

Despite Valtari not quite breaking through yet, the anticipation for this tour was killing me.  I had last seen Sigur Rós in October 2008 (review at my photo to the left), and I had last seen lead-singer Jónsi (solo) in April 2010 (review at my photo to the right).

The short trailer for the tour based on the Iceland rehearsals and the tour opening show in Philadelphia had me giddy…

After a delightful drive up and bite to eat at McMenamins’ Black Rabbit with a friend, we hit the venue right about 6 and found a nice shady spot on the lawn.  Opener Julia Holter went on at 6:30 as scheduled…

She played a mellow, 40-or-so-minute set with her 3-piece band (unless there was another member out of my sight).  We were far enough away and the crowd was a bit restless; so her set was more of a backdrop to discussions, people watching and decisions on pizza.  I’d have liked to get into her music more, but sadly things were not conducive to that.  Since she’s from Los Angeles, perhaps I’ll get another chance soon.

After a fairly short set-change, Sigur Rós hit the stage…

This was my first time seeing them in an outdoor venue.  No fancy lights bouncing Orri’s silhouette off the walls, no starting the show behind a white sheet, no cannons of confetti blasting.  Some of the “magic” was missing on the venue side of things, if you ask me – but I don’t think any magic was missing in the music.

Setlist: an hour & 45 min

  • Ekki Múkk
  • Svefn-g-englar
  • Olsen Olsen
  • Gong
  • Andvari
  • Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása
  • Í Gær
  • Vaka
  • Sæglópur
  • Hoppípolla
  • Með Blóðnasir
  • Festival
  • Varúð
  • Hafsól
  • Dauðalogn (on setlist, not played)
  • Encore: Popplagið

Many times throughout the set, within 2 or 3 notes, the crowd was clapping and hooting in anticipation for the song that was just started.  I love that I live in a day and age where I can escape and listen to good live music that sells out a large outdoor venue.  It’s not just the pop stars & starlets that draw a crowd, and it’s nice to see Sigur Rós’ progression and success over the years.

The lesser Valtari-focus made room for a great mix from their catalog, and I think songs from the different eras worked well together.  Some of my favorites from the night… “Svefn-g-englar” leading into “Olsen Olsen,” “Vaka,” “Sæglópur,” “Hoppípolla,” and the show-capper “Popplagið.”

Despite always knowing that they’ll end the show with an epic 10-15 minute “Popplagið,” I don’t think I could choose a better song to end a beautiful night on.

~Tumblr-Rós photos from Seattle 8/8~

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more Sigur Rós – North American tour dates below.

Next shows for me… Kevin Smith & Scott Mosier Live SModcast on 8/17 (Portland) and Weird Al Yankovic on 8/18 (Eugene / Lane County Fair).

~Dan – np: Testament – Dark Roots of Earth

July 2012
29 & 30 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Skyline Stage at The Mann
31 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Prospect Park Bandshell

August 2012
1 – Toronto, Ontario @ Echo Beach at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
3 – Montreal, Quebec @ Osheaga Festival Musique Et Arts
5 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lollapalooza
8 – Seattle, Wash. @ The Paramount Theater
9 – Portland/Troutdale, Ore. @ Edgefield Amphitheater
11 – San Francisco @ Outside Lands
12 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Post-rock, World Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Fiona Apple @ the Schnitz (Portland, OR – 7/26/12)

30th Jul 12 (Mon) 1 comment

Fiona Apple in Minnesota (July 2012)

Poetic and pop-forward, yet jazzy on record, Fiona Apple turned out a full force band show at Portland’s Schnitzer last Thursday.  She bounced around her back catalogue, only playing a handful from the new album, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.

What to like about what she played?

Just about everything.  The pain & hurt in “Shadowboxer,” the disappointment in “Paper Bag,” the anger in “Get Gone,” the positivity and whimsy in “Extraordinary Machine.”  I would have loved to hear a live rendition (with vocal loops) of “Hot Knife” from The Idler Wheel, but overall, I was pleased with what she gave us…

Setlist: about 90 mins

  • Fast As You Can
  • On the Bound
  • Shadowboxer
  • Paper Bag
  • Anything We Want
  • Get Gone
  • Sleep To Dream
  • Extraordinary Machine
  • Werewolf
  • Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)
  • Daredevil
  • I Know
  • Every Single Night
  • Criminal
  • Carrion
  • Not About Love
  • Encore: It’s Only Make Believe [Conway Twitty]

Fiona’s rocking band was helmed by Blake Mills on guitar (the show opener as well), and rounded out by Sebastian Steinberg on bass, Amy Wood on drums, and Zac Rae on keys.

Fiona is on the top of her game, and I just hope that it’s not another 7 years before we hear something new.  But even if it is, I know it’ll be a delight.

The Appropriate Linkage:

She just ended her 2012 summer tour (dates below), but check out her TOUR PAGE for Fall dates that start in September.

Next show for me… Sigur Rós @ Edgefield (Portland) on Aug 9th.

~Dan – np: Celldweller – Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head, Volume 2

Fiona Apple — 2012 Tour Dates
6/19 – Ithaca, NY – State Theatre
6/20 – Baltimore, MD – Lyric Opera House
6/22 – Mashantucket, CT – MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods
6/23 – Holyoke, MA – Mountain Park
6/24 – New York, NY – Governors Ball at Randall’s Island
6/26 – Washington DC – Warner Theatre
6/27 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theatre
6/29 – Danbury, CT – Ives Concert Park
6/30 – Boston, MA – Citi Performing Arts Center
7/1 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
7/3 – Montreal, QC – Olympia Theatre
7/4 – Toronto, Ontario – The Sound Academy
7/6 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Cain Park
7/7 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
7/10 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
7/11 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
7/13 – Nashville, TN – The Ryman Auditorium
7/14 – St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House
7/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
7/17 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland by AMC
7/20 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
7/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kingsbury Hall at University of Utah
7/24 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum
7/25 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
7/26 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
7/28 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
7/29 – Hollywood, CA – Hollywood Palladium

Categories: Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Levi Weaver @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 7/16/12)

19th Jul 12 (Thu) 2 comments

How did I get into Nashville-based singer-songwriter Levi Weaver?

Well, um… is “Yahoo! fantasy baseball league via twitter” a valid explanation?  Well, it’s how it went down.  After following him, he had posted something about his documentary String Theory, then I sent him a “hey next time you’re in Oregon let me know” message, and then he sent me a “well actually” message… and the rest is history.

This was only my 3rd house show to host and/or coordinate (Susan Enan & Peter Mulvey being the other two), but it went smoothly.  Levi is a delight to work with, and he’s a true professional.  He’s still in the midst of shooting the String Theory doc; so he had a two-person crew with him.

A little sparser attendance than I was going for due to being the Monday right after Oregon Country Fair, we still had a decent turnout for Levi’s lovely set.  I’m still getting familiar with his music, but from his hour-long set he started with “String Theory” (on mandolin) then Radiohead’s “Idioteque” (with plenty of loops, bowed guitar and effects).

After my post-show delving into his music, other tunes played were: You Are Home, Which Drink?, Good From Evil, We’re Tornadoes When We Dance, Spirit First (I think?) and a few more.  Here are some shots from the show… I had front row couch seats… (click for larger)

He has tons of fantastic music out there.  Check it out on bandcamp (links below), support indie music, check him out when he swings by your town, and enjoy!

Civil War Between My Heart and Mind cover art You Are Never Close To Home, You Are Never Far From Home cover art The Letters of Dr. Kurt Gödel cover art
Twenty Thousand Miles cover art I Am Only a Tiny Noise cover art

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Bad Mitten Orchestre at WOW Hall on 7/21.

~Dan – np: Tin Hat & e.e. cummings – the rain is a handsome animal

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Double-REVIEW: Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend, OR – 5/27/12) and Jack White @ the Hult (Eugene, OR – 5/28/12)

30th May 12 (Wed) 7 comments

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

  • Set 1: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground [The White Stripes]
  • Missing Pieces
  • Sixteen Saltines
  • Love Interruption
  • Cannon/300 Pounds of Joy [Howlin’ Wolf]
  • You Know That I Know [Hank Williams]
  • Hotel Yorba [The White Stripes]
  • Weep Themselves to Sleep
  • We’re Going to Be Friends [The White Stripes]
  • Blunderbuss
  • I Cut Like A Buffalo [The Dead Weather]
  • Steady as She Goes [The Raconteurs]
  • Set 2: Freedom At 21
  • Trash Tongue Talker
  • I’m Slowly Turning Into You [The White Stripes]
  • Carolina Drama [The Raconteurs]
  • Seven Nation Army [The White Stripes]
  • Goodnight, Irene [Lead Belly]

(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:

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

~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Valtari

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Roger Waters presents Pink Floyd’s The Wall Live @ Rose Garden (Portland, OR – 5/22/12)

24th May 12 (Thu) 4 comments

Above Photos: Roger Waters ‘The Wall Live’ at the Rose Garden on 5/22/12
by Kevin Tomanka (more at Oregon Music News)

FYI… my PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

The spectacle, the brilliance that is Pink Floyd & The Wall Live… I sadly never got a chance to see Pink Floyd perform together, but seeing Roger Waters bring The Wall to us 30+ years later was still quite the treat.  It’s not my favorite album of theirs… I love Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon and Meddle a bit better, and before the show you’d have caught me saying things like “The Wall is quite overrated.”  Well, after the show, I still think the album is a bit overrated, but my opinion has definitely appreciated.

And the live show… holy smokes!  Amazing!!!

There was no opener; so the show started fairly promptly (8:15pm).  Wide stage with the start of the wall, a tape intro, then BANG… In the Flesh with fire, sparks, projected graffiti animation on the walls, an airplane flying in from mid-crowd ceiling crashing and bursting into flames just beyond the wall… whoa!  We were in for a SHOW!

The show featured several other blow up accoutrements… an evil schoolmaster during the school children song (local school children were used), a war pig, and another creature.  The imagery from the original The Wall movie was used in addition to a lot of modernized imagery and animations.  For “Mother,” Roger played with himself… a 1980’s Earl’s Court version of himself, that is.

The Wall went up slowly as the band went on… the second set, the band was primarily behind the wall, with Roger coming out to sing for a few tunes.  At the end… huge explosion and down it came!  They played The Wall in its entirety, no encore.

Setlist: just shy of 2 hours total

  • Set 1: Outside the Wall [Tape]
  • In the Flesh?
  • The Thin Ice
  • Another Brick in the Wall Part 1
  • The Happiest Days of Our Lives
  • Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
  • Mother
  • Goodbye Blue Sky
  • Empty Spaces
  • What Shall We Do Now?
  • Young Lust
  • One of My Turns
  • Don’t Leave Me Now
  • Another Brick in the Wall Part 3
  • The Last Few Bricks
  • Goodbye Cruel World
    <<25 minute intermission>>
  • Set 2: Hey You
  • Is There Anybody Out There?
  • Nobody Home
  • Vera
  • Bring the Boys Back Home
  • Comfortably Numb
  • The Show Must Go On
  • In the Flesh
  • Run Like Hell
  • Waiting for the Worms
  • Stop
  • The Trial
  • Outside the Wall
    No Encore

Brilliant show!  Go go go go if you get the chance!  It’s a brilliant display of excess, but it also has good points about government overreach and the ills of war.  It’s a paradox and dichotomy.

Portland 5/22 The Wall photos:
(iPhone + 2 of Kevin’s pro shots)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Go to OMN for Kevin Tomanka’s pro shots

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend) 5/27 and Jack White @ Hult (Eugene) 5/28.

~Dan – np: Beck – The Information

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Glen Phillips @ Alberta Rose (Portland, OR – 4/12/12)

16th Apr 12 (Mon) Leave a comment

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]
  • Golden Age [new song]
  • 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:

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

~Dan – np: Boards of Canada – Twoism

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Radiohead @ Key Arena (Seattle, WA – 4/9/12)

10th Apr 12 (Tue) 1 comment

The last time I saw Radiohead was in a large outdoor amphitheatre (White River, Aug 2008), and I’ll say the move to indoors was much appreciated.  This was my first time to Key Arena.  Pretty basic arena… stage set up at end.  I arrived just as the opening band was wrapping up… the TicketMaster/Radiohead paperless ticketing was great from a no-scalpers perspective, but it took a bit longer to file everyone in timely.

Radiohead started off the set with “Bloom,” featuring the double drum set-up with both Phil Selway and touring member Clive Deamer (from Portishead) in addition to Jonny Greenwood on a small drum kit.  Jonny hit the mini-kit again (along with Ed O’Brien) for “There There” later in the set.

The light show was a LED wall behind the band with moving, suspended video screens (see photo above and slideshow below).  The moving video screens had been slowly coming down on the band until they were under an archway of lights by the time “Airbag” came around.  Ed make a half-hearted leap to hit the screen above him with his hand.

The band stuck to a lot of new stuff for this show, only digging into the first half of their catalogue a handful of times during their 23-song set.  Some highlights were the wall of Thom eyes during Thom’s piano close-up on “You And Whose Army?,” the grandeur of “Lucky,” the wild strobe and raucous “Idioteque,” the subtler / gentler piano-driven “Daily Mail,” and Jonny’s bowed guitar combined with the piano intro to “Pyramid Song.”  I’m still getting used to The King of Limbs, and while I don’t think the rockier songs worked (for me) live, the gentler stuff really hit the mark, especially “Give Up the Ghost” and the aforementioned “Daily Mail.”  “Little by Little” seemed a little off at the beginning, but other than that, no major disappointments…

Setlist: about 2 hours

  • Bloom
  • 15 Step
  • Airbag
  • Little by Little
  • Myxomatosis
  • The Gloaming
  • Morning Mr. Magpie
  • Pyramid Song
  • The Daily Mail
  • These Are My Twisted Words
  • Nude
  • Identikit
  • Lotus Flower
  • There There
  • Feral
  • Idioteque
  • Encore 1: How to Disappear Completely
  • Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
  • You and Whose Army?
  • Lucky
  • Encore 2: Give Up the Ghost
  • Reckoner
  • Everything In Its Right Place

Soundcheck songs were Supercollider, 15 Step, Identikit and Meeting in the Aisle, but I was not in attendance for those…

A few iPhone shots from
Radiohead Seattle 4/9/12:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Matthew Lamb’s Pro-shot concert photos here on Key Arena’s FB page.:

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more RH tour dates below.

Next show for me… Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) in Portland 4/12.

~Dan – np: Tyler Fortier – Bang On Time

Radiohead North American Tour 2012

February 2012

Mon 27 American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL, USA

Wed 29 St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL, USA

March 2012

Thu 1 Philips Arena Atlanta, GA, USA

Sat 3 Toyota Center Houston, TX, USA

Mon 5 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX, USA

Wed 7 Frank Irwin Center Austin, TX USA

Fri 9 Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO USA

Sun 11 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO USA

Tue 13 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO USA

Thu 15 Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ USA

April 2012

Mon 9, Key Arena, Seattle, WA – USA

Wed 11, HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA – USA

Thu 12, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA – USA

Sat 14 Coachella – Indio, CA – USA

Tue 17 Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico

Wed 18 Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico

Sat 21 Coachella – Indio, CA – USA

Categories: Concert Photos, Post-rock, Rock & Pop Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

PHOTOS: Skerik’s Bandalabra @ Cozmic (Eugene, OR – 3/20/12)

23rd Mar 12 (Fri) Leave a comment

Seattle-based jazz/groove saxophonist Skerik brought his new band Bandalabra through Eugene’s Cozmic Pizza on their debut tour / West Coast CD release.  The quartet made up of Skerik (sax), Dvonne Lewis (drums), Evan Flory-Barnes (bass), and Andy Coe (guitar) played two sets (over two hours) full of loops, noises, experimentation, funk, jazz and groove.  Their debut CD, Live at the Royal Room, can be purchased at shows and probably soon via Skerik’s website.

SKERIK’S BANDALABRA PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… Ani DiFranco at the Roseland (Portland) on 3/31.

~Dan – np: Silver Mt. Zion – Born Into Trouble As the Sparks Fly Upward

Skerik’s Bandalabra Spring 2012 Tour Dates

  • Thursday March 15 – Conway, WA @ Conway Muse
  • Friday March 16 – Olympia, WA @ Olympia Ballroom
  • Saturday March 17 – Seattle @ Nectar
  • Sunday March 18 – Bend @ Players
  • Monday March 19 – Welches @ Skyway
  • Tuesday March 20 – Eugene, OR @ Cozmic
  • Wednesday March 21 – Applegate @ Applegate Lodge
  • Thursday March 22 – Arcata @ Jambalaya
  • Friday March 23 – Sacramento @ Harlow’s
  • Saturday March 24 – San Francisco @ Boom Boom Room
  • Sunday March 25 – Los Angeles @ Bacchanal
  • Monday March 26 – Los Angeles @ The Mint
  • Tuesday March 27 – San Diego @ Winstons
  • Thursday March 29 – Portland, OR @ Goodfoot
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant Tags: , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 3/18/12)

21st Mar 12 (Wed) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I have to be honest, part of me loves afrobeat due to it originating from my country of birth – Fela Kuti brought it to the forefront in Nigeria in the 1970s (I was born in Jos, Nigeria in the mid-70s as well).  Another part of me loves afrobeat due to how straight-up awesome that it is… blending and stirring folk, jazz, funk, rock, and world music into a brilliant, bubbling, oozing-through-your-pores musical and political form of expression.  It represents the struggle alongside the joy… and it’s got a funky beat I can dance to…

Sadly, I missed Femi Kuti (elder son of Fela) when he came through a few years back.  But I love the music, and didn’t want to miss that opportunity again.  I got into the style via NYC-based Antibalas.  When I saw that Seun Anikulapo Kuti was coming to Eugene, I had to go…

had. to.

The opener was California based instrumental afrobeat band Afromassive.  The crowd was sparse at first, but near the middle of the set, the WOW Hall was beginning to fill out…

They played a 45 minute set of instrumental afrobeat songs and a James Brown cover… definitely fun and danceable.  They were an 8-piece band on this tour – lighter on the horns than what was to come, but definitely a horn-centered funky vibe.

They were a perfect warm-up for Sean Kuti and the Egypt 80… The Egypt 80 was Fela Kuti’s band that Seun started singing in as a young boy.  After his father died in 1997, Seun took over the band when he was only 14!  Many of the members in this 15-piece (!) touring band were active in the band when Fela was alive and kicking.

The set kicked off with singer / trumpeter Muyiwa Kunnuji (in purple below) getting things going on vocals for “Giant of Africa.”  During this song, each member of the horn section got a chance to come out and show off their chops with a solo…

Sean came out during the 2nd song with backup singers/dancers and his sax in tow.  He took over the bulk of the lead vocals duties, but most of the band pitched in for the shouts and choruses…

The band played a spirited set of anthems with large swaths of stunning musicianship.  The band, presumably the same from the album’s liner notes (as the album photo appears to be the same people), was made up of the aforementioned Seun on sax & vocals, Muyiwa on vocals and trumpet, Bidemi Adekunle on baritone sax, Gdabe Okunade and Lekan Animashaun on trumpets, Oyinade Adeniran on tenor sax, David Obayendo and Gbenga Alade on guitars, Kunle Justice on bass, Ajayi Raimi on drums, Kola Onasanya on percussion, Okon Iyamba on shekere, Wale Toriola on keyboards, and Iyabo Adeniran and Yetunde Ademiluyi on backing vocals and dancing.

Setlist: 90+ mins

  • Giant of Africa
  • African Soldier
  • Kalakuta Show [Fela Kuti]
  • Zombie [Fela Kuti]
  • African Problems
  • Rise
  • Mr. Big Thief
  • The Good Leaf
  • You Can Run
    No Encore (despite “Mosquito Song” listed)

Seun was drinking hot tea during part of the set… which couldn’t have helped with the heat on the packed stage.  His voice had been giving him troubles; so they ended their set without the listed “Mosquito” encore, despite the many cheers for an encore from the nearly-danced out crowd.  This was only the band’s fourth show on a 2-month long tour (full tour dates at the bottom).  I wish Seun rest and many large mugs of tea!

I picked up their most recent record, From Africa With Fury: Rise.  I dig it.  It’s available in CD or 12″ double-vinyl at the show… or over on the Amazons.  And next time a Kuti or other afrobeat band comes to town… get there.  You won’t be disappointed.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… well, as I write this, it’s in a few hours… Skerik’s Bandalabra @ Cozmic Pizza (3/20).  After that, it’s Dan Bern @ Cozmic (3/27) and Ani DiFranco @ Roseland (3/31).

~Dan – np: Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 – From Africa With Fury: Rise

SEUN KUTI & THE EGYPT 80 PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 – Spring 2012 U.S. Tour Dates
3/15 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/16 – Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
3/17 – Mt. Tabor Theater – Portland, OR
3/18 – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR
3/21 – Center for the Arts – Grass Valley, CA
3/23 – Moe’s – Santa Cruz, CA
3/24 – Mateel Cultural Center – Redway, CA
3/28 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
3/29 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO
3/30 – Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS
3/31 – Englert Theater – Iowa City, IA
4/1 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
4/4 – Variety – Atlanta, GA
4/5 – Duke Performances – Durham, NC
4/6- Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
4/7 – Club Helsinki – Hudson, NY
4/8 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY
4/12 – UW Madison – Madison, WI
4/13 – Rhythm Foundation – Miami, FL
4/14 – The Cedar – Minneapolis, MN
4/15 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/16 – Campbell Hall – Santa Barbara, CA
4/18 – UC San Diego – San Diego, CA
4/19 – Zellerbach Hall – Berkeley, CA
4/20 – UCLA Royce Hall – Los Angeles, CA
4/22 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/24 – KTAOS Solar Center – Taos, NM
4/25 – Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM
4/27 – New Orleans Jazz Festival – New Orleans, LA
4/29 – Houston International Festival – Houston, TX
5/2 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
5/13 – Lake Eden Arts Festival – Black Mountain, NC

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 in Eugene [photos soon]

19th Mar 12 (Mon) Leave a comment

Youngest son of afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Seun Anikulapo Kuti & the Egypt 80 hit Eugene’s WOW Hall on Sunday night… it was an amazing show!

More photos, setlist and review of the show to be posted by Wednesday morning are posted here.

~Dan

Categories: Concert Photos, World Music Tags: , , , , , , , ,

PHOTOS: Drive-By Truckers @ Skip’s CD World (Eugene, OR – 3/18/12)

18th Mar 12 (Sun) Leave a comment

“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

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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 Zorn – IAO: Music in Sacred Light

Puscifer Winter Tour 2012

February
23  Austin, TX – Long Center for the Performing Arts
25 Baton Rouge, LA – River Center Theatre
26 Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
28 Nashville, TN – Andrew Jackson Hall
29 Louisville, KY – Brown Theatre

March
1 Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theatre
3 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
4 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
6 Kansas City, KS – Kansas City Music Hall
7 Omaha, NE – Omaha Civic Auditorium
10 Edmonton, AB – North Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11 Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
13 Vancouver, BC – The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
14 Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
16 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
17 Riverside, CA Fox Performing Arts Center
18 Escondido, CA – California Center for the Arts

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Rock & Pop Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Adam Carolla @ Newmark Theatre (Portland, OR – 3/11/12)

12th Mar 12 (Mon) Leave a comment

Adam Carolla had a busy weekend.  The most recently fired celebrity on Donald Trump’s NBC Celebrity Apprentice, the former co-host of Loveline with Dr. Drew, the former co-host of The Man Show with Jimmy Kimmel, and the #1 podcaster in the world (with the Guinness World Record to show for it) played Seattle on Friday night, Spokane on Saturday night, and Portland’s Newmark Theatre last night.

I don’t always agree with what he says.  He’s middle-of-the-road politically – not claiming alignment with any party.  He’s quite in favor of many good social issues (gay rights, sex education, women’s reproductive issues, etc), but he’s staunchly conservative on fiscal and immigration concerns.  But in all honesty, how many times do you agree with everything even your loved ones say?  While some people may have “something for everyone to like,” Adam may very well fit into having “something for everyone to hate” or at least “have issue with.”  Eh, I still fall into the “love camp”…

His sharp wit, funny stories and quirky-yet-still-grounded sense of humor make coming back to listen daily a treat.  His Monday to Friday daily podcast is one of my favorites and it quickly goes to the top of my queue (subscribe iTunes).  His ACE podcasting network is also growing and excellent things abound: Penn Jillette’s PennSundaySchool, Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend (the funny & charming news gal), Ace on the House (home improvement), CarCast (I’m not even a gear junkie, but this is a fascinating show), et cetera… all great!

I thought comedian/songwriter Josh Gardner was to open the show.  However, they played the title track to Mr. Stinkfinger via laptop and then Adam came out.  Josh’s comedy albums are available now… Mr Stinkfinger EP and Winter Bush:

Adam’s stand-up shows are basically 90-minutes.  They are sometimes free form, but this one seemed a little more planned, with a little thrown in as far as what happened to him this past weekend.

He walked out with an oatmeal cookie… with dried cranberries in it.  This opened up into a rant about the adding shit to shit and why we keep fucking good things up.  Next on his complain list was “Spring Forward,” and he went through a funny USA Today bit about what people would do with their extra hour (back in the fall).

He got off complaining for a bit to talk about a Leno show appearance with Queen Latifah.  She had been going on about “limin’,” which apparently is what they call “chillin'” in the Caribbean.  Adam’s bit after her was about children’s toys at Christmas, and how you need lineman dykes to cut the toys out of their boxes.  Apparently people got in a huff because they thought he was calling “Queen” a “limin’ dyke.”  Ah, good times.

Up next, a little bit about his NBC Celebrity Apprentice experience with a few clips from last night’s show (where he got fired).  Apparently Buick didn’t like his jokes.  Oh well… now once Penn Jillette gets fired, I can quit watching that rubbish.

Next he played a cartoon rendition of “Gay Eyes,” a made up movie that Adam worked up during a 2009 podcast with Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston.  I can’t find the cartoon-version on line anywhere, but I remember hearing it when it went down.  Here is the audio.

The next 45 minutes… what Adam is known for… more complaining.  No “what can’t Adam complain about” requests from the audience, but some pre-loaded hyper vigilance rants that hit on many topics: tagging the landscape in Los Angeles, buttons on car keys, shower handles in hotels, key cards in hotels, toys under sofas, custom shoes, WC Field’s smoking & drinking poster in the doctor’s office, L.A. ice cream truck, recumbent cyclists, Click-It or Ticket, auto flush toilets, the L.A. “river,” rescue dogs, and how Mexicans grieve.

He ended the show with a stroll through memory lane via his Social Security Statement.  From an astonishing $1k to $9k/year of earnings for most of the 80s to stardom in the mid 90s.  His “money can’t buy you happiness” was a nice, uplifting non-rant about applying yourself to work towards doing what you want to do.

Some of his stories were ones we’d heard before via the podcast or radio show… he was playing to his audience; so it was all good.  Adam is a busy guy… ever turning logs in the fire.  Keep up to date with him via the links below… and by all means, if you like to listen to podcasts, make room in your queue for what I consider to be one of the best / funniest ones out there.

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Maynard James Keenan’s PUSCIFER on 3/14 in Portland.

~Dan – np: John Zorn – IAO: Music in Sacred Light

Categories: Concert Reviews, Humor Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Nellie McKay’s ‘I Want To Live!’ in Oregon @ the Shedd & Alberta Rose Theatre (Eugene 3/2/12 & Portland 3/4/12)

6th Mar 12 (Tue) 2 comments

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:

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
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Nellie McKay – Oregon reviews coming by Tuesday

4th Mar 12 (Sun) Leave a comment

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

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , ,

REVIEW: David Bazan @ House Show (Portland, OR – 2/15/12)

16th Feb 12 (Thu) 1 comment

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:

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

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

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. Bungle – another 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 Zorn – Film 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
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Metal, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: MadLove – White With Foam

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Metal, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,