Concert Reviews | pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane in SF

5th Oct 10 (Tue) 1 comment

Wanderlusting took some fantastic photos of Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane show at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival this past weekend… check ’em out (click the picture below for more):

Stubbadubb also posted a photo of Mr Bungle / Secret Chiefs 3 frontman Trey Spruance playing guitar with Mondo Cane. Here’s hoping Mike and Trey keep up the showing up in the same places together… :)

Also, here’s some video of the show…

I’m so jealous… wish I could have gone…

~Dan – np: The Weepies – Be My Thrill

Categories: Concert Photos, Music News, New Sounds Tags: concert photos, faith no more, fnm, hardly strictly bluegrass, ipecac, mike patton, mondo cane, mr bungle, san francisco, sf, trey spruance

REVIEW: AMA Trio @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 9/25/10)

26th Sep 10 (Sun) Leave a comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

My second time to a lovely Rolling & Tumbling House Concert near UO campus in Eugene, OR. R&T is a great! They seem to bring in a lot of songwriters and world musicians. SO, this was only my second of many R&T house shows…

When I saw Amy Denio on the list with a new project, the AMA Trio, I didn’t want to miss it. I have been a fan of another of Amy’s bands – The Tiptons Sax Quartet. The AMA Trio is a bit different from the woodwind-forward jazz of the Tiptons, more world fusion / Latin American music. The AMA Trio is Amy Denio alongside Madeleine Sosin & Abel Rocha (who have a few CDs out under the name Correo Aereo).

They played traditional songs from Venezuela, Mexico and Argentina, as well as many of their own original tunes. All three were proficient multi-instrumentalists. Madeleine also played the violin, guitar, drum, shakers as well as singing on a few songs. Amy played accordion, clarinet, and drum. She sang on a few tunes as well. Abel was the primary vocalist (when they weren’t jamming), as well as played a mean set of guitars and harp. The ease of all three members switching from one instrument made it seem quite effortless.

Some of the most fascinating playing was what might be considered normally subdued instruments… Madeleine’s shaker playing made the little instruments seem way more distinctly rhythmic. She should teach lessons… because I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people “just shaking” them with no real purpose. Abel’s harp playing was also captivating… playing both the lead melodies and the rhythm parts. Amy stuck to accordion for more than half the set, when she broke out the clarinet, she had some nice flavors and solos to add to the songs. I dug the more jazzy textures she added when she was on reeds.

Setlist: a little over 2 hours

Set 1~ unknown
Carnaval (Venezuela)
Ararat (Armenian)
Jarabe Loco (Mexico)
Martiñana (Mexico)
“I Love You” (Amy’s tango for a cat)
Playa Grande (Venezuela)
Cuatrapeado
Raisa (Algerian-based original)
Ti Feu (Mexico – Spanish & Zapotec)
Entre a Mi Pago (Argentina)
Golpe de Agua
Set 2~ Tres Diamantes (Venezuela)
Finadita
Breakfast in Bed (Amy original)
Los Hermanos (Argentina)
unknown klezmer-Argentinian tune (Tiptons-y in spots to my ear, but actually arranged by Madeleine)
Guendanabani (Zapotec)
Darling, Please Don’t Wake Me (Amy original)
Golpes Tocuyanos
Hanana (Amy original)
corrections to the setlist are welcomed

They’re going into the studio this coming week to make their first record as a trio. Stay tuned to their MySpace page below for news as it becomes available.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

AMA Trio on MySpace
Correo Aereo on MySpace
Amy Denio on MySpace
Amy Denio’s Site
Correo Aereo’s Site
Rolling & Tumbling House Concerts (Eugene, OR)

~Dan – np: Beats Antique – Blind Threshold

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

(click for larger)

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Singer-Songwriter, World Music Tags: Abel Rocha, ama trio, amy denio, concert photos, concert review, Correo Aereo, eugene, house concert, house show, Madeleine Sosin, oregon, world music

PHOTOS: Jason Webley @ Eugene Celebration (Eugene, OR – 8/29/10)

30th Aug 10 (Mon) Leave a comment

I missed this show, but my wife took some good pictures of Jason Webley‘s “damn the power outage” performance…

~Dan

JASON WEBLEY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock Tags: accordion, concert photos, eugene, eugene celebration, jason webley, oregon

REVIEW: Boys Eats Drum Machine & Beats Antique @ McDonald / Eugene Celebration (Eugene, OR – 8/28/10)

29th Aug 10 (Sun) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Eugene Celebration 2010 “Raise the Roof” was in full effect on Saturday. This year’s Celebration was in a partnership with with Springfield/Eugene Habitat for Humanity and Northwest Community Credit Union to fund the construction of two houses in the Eugene-Springfield community over the next three years.

We caught some good grub, interesting people watching, scoped out the pretty damn awesome electric vehicle (the Pulse made by Arcimoto)… and some music. The first band I saw was Upstate Trio. They’re from New York, but now live in the Eugene area. Great groove rock trio. I hope to catch them again soon.

Boy Eats Drum Machine was the next major act to take in. I saw him open for That1Guy in May (review link with photos below), and he put on a great show. Last night’s performance wasn’t any exception. Sax, turntable, drums, effects pad, loops, and all around great grooves from this one-man wrecking crew. Check out the stop-animation video for “Hoop+Wire“:

You can also download the BEDM song “Hoop+Wire” on mp3 and FLAC (or other options) for FREE over at Bandcamp. Next up…

As mentioned a little over a week ago, Beats Antique is coming out with a new album in about two weeks. It’s called Blind Threshold. If it’s anything like their past two albums and an EP, it’ll be great.

They hit the stage around 11pm and played a fairly percussive set. Zoë Jakes wasn’t able to dance last night. She hurt her knee a while ago and is on doctor’s orders to take it easy for a while. So, we didn’t get the gorgeous dance performance that we’re used to (photos of Zoë dancing at prior events linked below). Despite the lack of dancing by Zoë, their infectious music got the rest of the crowd to pick up some of the slack. It was a great show, and hopefully they’ll be back soon, with Zoë in full health.

The overwhelming bass attacked our ears for both BEDM’s and Beats Antique’s sets. It got especially painful up in the balcony; so we stayed downstairs for most of the night. All in all, a great hour-long set from each band. Round 2 of Celebration for me today… I hope to catch 3 Leg Torso‘s set.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Upstate Trio on MySpace
Boy Eats Drum Machine’s Site
BEDM on MySpace
Beats Antique’s Site
Beats Antique on MySpace
Zoë Jakes’ Site
Zoë Jakes MySpace
Prior Reviews:
- BEDM opening for That1Guy (WOW Hall, May 2010)
- Zoë w/ Rachel Brice & Mardi Love (Oregon Country Fair 2008)
- Beats Antique w/ Zoë dancing (Faerieworlds 2009)
Eugene Celebration
McDonald Theatre

Check out more Beats Antique tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Bar Kokhba Sextet – John Zorn 50th Birthday Celebration 11

BOY EATS DRUM MACHINE & BEATS ANTIQUE PHOTOS
pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld, except for Beats Antique #21-29 (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien, you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Beats Antique Tour Dates

8/20 – Sheldon, VT – Liberate Music And Arts Festival
8/21 – Stephentown, NY – Bella Terra Music Festival
8/28 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre
9/10 – Clarks Grove, MN – Harvestfest – Harmony Park
9/11 – Minot, ME – 1st Annual Dankfest
9/17 – Laytonville, CA – Earthdance
9/18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
9/24 – Seattle, WA – Decibel Festival @ Motor
9/25 – Arcata, CA – Aracata Theatre
9/28 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
9/30 – Madison, WI – Majestic Live
10/1 – Milwaukee, WI – Miramar Theatre
10/2 – Chicago, IL – Abbey Pub
10/3 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
10/6 – New Orleans, LA – Republic
10/9 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
10/11 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
10/12 – Birmingham, AL – Zydeco
10/13 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
10/14 – Asheville, NC – TBD
10/15 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
10/16 – Athens, GA – New Earth Music Hall
10/17 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Hell Room
10/22 – Allston, MA – Harpers Ferry
11/11 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret
11/12 – Edmonton, AB – The Pawn Shop
11/13 – Calgary, AB – Royal Canadian Legion
11/14 – Winnipeg, MB – Crescent Wood United Church

Categories: Concert Photos, Hip-hop, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: bedm, boys eats drum machine, concert photos, concert review, electronica, eugene, eugene celebration, Hip-hop, jon ragel, mcdonald theatre, oregon, world music, zoe jakes

REVIEW: Toad the Wet Sprocket @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland, OR – 7/28/10)

29th Jul 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Last night was my fourth opportunity to see one of my favorite bands, Toad the Wet Sprocket. I have been able to see frontman Glen Phillips many times, and he does throw in some Toad tunes here and there – but it’s not quite the same as the full conglomerate Toad experience with guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning and drummer Randy Guss. While Toad’s alternative melodic rock isn’t in my usual jazz or metal wheelhouse, I could never pass up a chance to see them… even if it meant making a 4 hour round-trip up to Eugene’s big sister, Portland.

Opener Hey Marseilles went on around 8 and played a full and energetic set of what they call “folkestral” music.

The seven piece band is from Seattle, and the guys were hard to pin down on any instrument. Several of the guys swaped out instruments for each song. They definitely had the folky, singer-songwriter band elements, but mixed in some great violin, viola, cello, accordion, trumpet, amidst traditional rock guitar, bass & drums.

Check out their video for “Rio” from their new album To Travels and Trunks.

If you go to their MySpace page, you can download the “Rio” single for free. See the download button in the left pane under their contact info.

Glen, Todd, Dean & Randy of Toad the Wet Sprocket hit the stage around 9pm with an extra player – Johnny Hawthorn on slide guitar, electric mandolin, and guitar. The packed Crystal Ballroom got a taste of something from every album…

Setlist: ~90 mins

Something’s Always Wrong
Rings
Stupid
Woodburning
Crowing
Good Intentions
Is It For Me
Windmills
Torn
Before You Were Born
Spirit [The Waterboys cover] ->
Know Me
Nightingale Song
Come Back Down
Whatever I Fear
All I Want
Fall Down
Encore: Come Down
Brother
Walk on the Ocean

There were no new songs, Lapdog tunes, or Glen solo material as they have done in the past. This was all Toad from all around their decade long catalogue. My favorites of the night were “Windmills” and “Whatever I Fear” – and some of their classics like “Brother,” “All I Want,” and “Walk On the Ocean” were crowd favorites as well.

The fact that Toad keeps touring on occasion keeps me hopeful that they may record again. In the meantime, check out Glen’s multitude of projects and Todd & Dean’s work as well (see links below). Support indie music!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Toad’s Site
Toad on MySpace
Glen Phillips’ Site
Glen on MySpace
Todd Nichols on MySpace
Dean Dinning on MySpace
Lapdog on MySpace (Todd/Dean/Randy’s now-defunct side-project)
WPA’s Site (Glen side-project with Nickel Creek, Luke Bulla, etc)
WPA on MySpace
Plover’s Site (Glen one-off?)
RemoteTreeChildren’s Site (Glen one-off?)
Hey Marseilles’ Site (opener)
Hey Marseilles on MySpace
McMennamin’s Crystal Ballroom
Prior Related Reviews~
- Works Progress Administration (Glen, etc) @ WOW Hall (Sept 2009)
- Glen Solo @ WOW Hall (Feb 2008)

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Wynton Marsalis – Tune in Tomorrow

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET &
HEY MARSEILLES PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Glen Phillips and/or Toad TWS Tour Dates

Fri, 07/23/10	The Fillmore	San Francisco	CA	9:00 PM	415-775-7722	thefillmore.com
Sat, 07/24/10	The Uptown Theater	Napa	CA	8:15 PM	N/A	uptowntheatrenapa.com
Sun, 07/25/10	Knitting Factory Concert House	Reno	NV	7:30 PM	208-367-1212	knittingfactory.com
Tue, 07/27/10	Knitting Factory Concert House	Boise	ID	8:00 PM	509-325-SEAT	knittingfactory.com
Wed, 07/28/10	Crystal Ballroom	Portland	OR	8:00 PM	503-225-0047	mcmenamins.com
Thu, 07/29/10	Moore Theatre	Seattle	WA	7:30 PM	206-628-0888	stgpresents.org
Sat, 08/14/10	Blue Sky Music & Adventure Festival	Mammoth Lakes	CA	8:00 PM	888-285-5893 ext. 2	blueskymusicfest.com
Tue, 08/17/10	Gerald R Ford Amphitheatre	East Vail	CO	6:30 PM	970-476-2918	vvf.org – free show!
Thu, 08/19/10	The Belly Up – Aspen	Aspen	CO	10:00 PM	970-544-9800	etix.com
Sat, 08/21/10	Chautauqua Auditorium	Boulder	CO	8:00 PM	303-440-7666	chautauqua.com
Sat, 09/11/10	Red Rock Resort, Spa & Casino	Las Vegas	NV	10:00 PM	N/A	redrocklasvegas.com
Tue, 09/14/10	The Intersection	Grand Rapids	MI	7:30 PM	616-459-0931	intersectionlive.com
Wed, Thu 09/15-16/10	The Ark	Ann Arbor	MI	8:00 PM	734-761-1451	theark.org
Fri, 09/17/10	Midland Theatre	Newark	OH	8:00 PM	740-345-LIVE	midlandtheatre.org
Sat, 09/18/10	The Southgate House	Newport	KY	8:00 PM	895-431-2201	southgatehouse.com
Sun, 09/19/10	The Vogue Theatre	Indianapolis	IN	8:00 PM	317-254-2028	thevogue.com

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, crystal ballroom, glen phillips, Hey Marseilles, lapdog, mcmennamins, oregon, pop, portland, rock, set list, setlist, toad, toad the wet sprocket, ttws, walk on the ocean

REVIEW: Antibalas @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland, OR – 7/19/10)

20th Jul 10 (Tue) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Originating from Brooklyn, ANTIBALAS (aka Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra) is: AMAYO (Vocals & Percussion), VICTOR AXELROD (Organ/Clavinet), ERIC BIONDO (Trumpet), STUART BOGIE (Tenor Sax), MARCUS FARRAR (Shekere), MARCOS GARCIA (Guitar), AARON JOHNSON (Trombone), JORDAN MCLEAN (Trumpet), NICK MOVSHON (Bass), LUKE O’MALLEY (Guitar), MARTIN PERNA (Baritone Sax, founder) and CHRIS VATALARO (Drums).

They are sooooo fun in concert, words don’t do them justice. I saw them back in 2007 in the Cincinnati area, and haven’t had a chance since now to see them again. I’ve been Jonesin’ for an Antibalas fix.

They’ve been busy the last couple years with the multiple-Tony Award winning FELA! Broadway musical (a tribute to afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti). This July, Antibalas is doing a mini-tour in pre-support for their upcoming album on Anti-Records (untitled as of now). The Sway Machinery opened the Portland show…

They were a nice horn-infused Jewish five piece rock band. Their MySpace billed them as “Other / Blues / Afrobeat.” Outside of the horns, I didn’t really hear the afrobeat. Definitely Judaic and bluesy – I dug their sound. The mix last night was a bit bass heavy, and the vocals got drowned out, but I liked their vibe overall. Their line-up is fairly power-packed… guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood of Balkan Beat Box, drummer Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, bass saxophonist Colin Stetson of Arcade Fire and Tom Waits‘ band, and the trumpet and tenor sax horn section of the band Antibalas, Jordan McLean and Stuart Bogie. They’ve got an album, Hidden Melodies Revealed, out on JDub Records (same record label as Balkan Beat Box, SoCalled, etc).

Antibalas went on a little after 10:15 and hit the ground running with their percussive, groove-laden, horn-drenched bombast. Lead vocalist Amayo came out at the second song and started off on percussion before moving over to lead vocals…

The sound in the club got a little more balanced for Antibalas, whose 12 band members were tightly jamming away. Great mix of horn-heavy tunes, percussion heavy tunes. The packed house danced away to the fun beats. I’m horrible with their song names, and they didn’t play as many lyrical songs; so no luck on a setlist this time around. If anyone has a setlist, pass it along, please.

Antibalas jammed away for a fairly dancey, long set without showing signs of letting up. A fantastic night! I’m hoping they hit the PacNW again when they come back through to support their upcoming untitled record. Portland, Eugene, anywhere really. :)

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Jon Madof’s Rashanim – Masada Rock

ANTIBALAS & THE SWAY MACHINERY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Antibalas July 2010 Tour Dates

07.14.10 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
07.15.10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echoplex
07.16.10 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
07.17.10 – Garberville, CA – Reggae on the River
07.19.10 – Portland, OR – Berbati’s Pan
07.20.10 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
07.22.10 – New York, NY – River to River Festival, Castle Clinton
07.29.10 – Philadelphia, PA – Kimmel Center, Perelman Theater

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Post-rock, World Music Tags: afrobeat, antibalas, antibalas afrobeat orchestra, berbati's pan, concert photos, concert review, fela, jewish music, nigeria, oregon, portland, rock, the sway machinery

REVIEW: Susan Enan @ Our House (Eugene, OR – 7/15/10)

16th Jul 10 (Fri) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

UK-native singer-songwriter Susan Enan got a break in 2003 when, after hearing her Moonlight -EP-, she was asked to go on tour with Cincinnati-based but nationally-known folky-pop band Over the Rhine. I got a chance to see Susan on that tour twice and bought that little indie recording.

Several years in the making, her full-length album Plainsong expands on that initial EP with some suberbly crafted acoustic pop. It has recently garnered some acclaim and mainstream exposure… Paste Magazine noted Plainsong as one of the “eight criminally underrated albums of 2009.” To kick off this tour, she did a live session at Paste studios in Atlanta, Georgia (check link below for video of Live @ Paste). One of the cornerstone songs of Plainsong, “Bring on the Wonder,” features Sarah McLachlan and was recently on the Fox crime drama BONES. Sarah McLachlan has recently recorded her own version of Susan’s song for her upcoming album – Laws of Illusion.

During last night’s show, Susan shared with us that she was trying to find a way to do something unique. She had done a couple “accidental” house shows in Europe and figured she’d give house shows a try on a larger scale. Personally, I had been to a handful of house concerts (recently: David Bazan of Pedro the Lion in 2009 & Fishtank Ensemble earlier this year), but I’d never hosted a house concert before. Well, there’s no better time than the present… so I volunteered.

The Eugene show was roughly 1/3 of the way through the North American leg of Susan’s Bring on the Song – House Concert Tour. She brought her guitar, keyboard & voice and serenaded us on our back patio amidst a mild summer Oregon evening. The audience brought a few extra chairs, some wine, beer, and snacks. It was truly moving to be able to listen and interact with Susan in such an intimate setting. A gentle breeze, a wandering pup, random neighborhood noises, and beautiful song. Bring on the song!

Setlist: about an hour
(per written setlist… but may have switched around a bit)

If You’re Feelin’ Low
Skin, Bone & Silicone
Monoplain
Bring on the Wonder
Don’t Worry
Ingrid Bergman [Woody Guthrie]
Bird
On Your Side
Love Song
We All Belong Here
Moonlight

Short and sweet and highly memorable. We all got to chat with her a bit after the show, and it was nice to not be stuck in a smokey bar buying overpriced beer and snacks while sitting 30+ feet away from the artist. If you have the opportunity to see an upcoming house concert of Susan’s – do it! If you get an opportunity to host a house concert for her (or anyone) – do it! It’s totally fun!! First time hosting, hopefully not the last…

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Susan Enan’s Site
Susan Enan on MySpace
Susan Enan on Facebook
Live @ Paste Studios (July 2010)

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Lovage – Music To Make Love to Your Old Lady By

SUSAN ENAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld &
Margaret O’Brien (and one by Susan Stumpf),
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Summer 2010 – North America House Concert Tour Dates
go to susanenan.com for info/ticket availability

6/30 – Atlanta, GA
7/3 – Sherman, TX
7/5 – Lawrence (nr Kansas City), KS
7/8 – Salt Lake City, UT
7/10 – Burlingame, San Francisco Bay, CA
7/13 – Harbor/Brookings, OR
7/15 – Eugene, OR
7/16 – Portland, OR
7/17 – Seattle, WA
7/19 – Vernon, BC, Canada
7/21 – Helena, MT
7/24 – Winnepeg, MB, Canada
7/26 – St. Paul, MN
7/28 – Dubuque, IA
7/29 – Chicago, IL
7/31 – Hamilton, MI
8/1 – Columbus, OH
8/5 – Nashville, TN
8/6 – Asheville, NC
8/8 – Reston, VA
8/20 – West Grove/Kennett Square, PA
8/21 – Franklin Square, NY

Categories: Concert Photos, Singer-Songwriter Tags: bring on the wonder, concert photos, concert review, eugene, house concert, house show, oregon, plainsong, pop, sarah mclachlan, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, susan enan

mini-REVIEW: Tiempo Libre @ OBF/Hilton Ballroom (Eugene, OR – 7/10/10)

11th Jul 10 (Sun) Leave a comment

How does the penultimate night of the Oregon Bach Festival keep things going? By having a Cuban dance party… naturally. ;)

Wait… Cuban music at the Bach Fest?! Well, Tiempo Libre melds the two seemingly disparate styles together in quite a popular way. In fact, their latest CD, Bach in Havana, was nominated for a Grammy this past year (category: Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album).

The show moved out of the Hult Center’s confining chairs over to the Eugene Hilton’s Ballroom. The dance floor filled up almost immediately. Throughout Tiempo Libre’s two sets, the dancers spilled out off of the dance floor onto the surrounding carpet. Super fun night, super hot music!

Tiempo Libre is Jorge Gomez (piano, coros, music director), Joaquin Díaz (lead vocal), Leandro G. (congas, bata & coros), Tebelio Fonte (bass, coros), Luis Beltran C. (sax & flute), Cristóbal F.G. (trumpet, trombone), and Armando Arce (drums, timbal & bata).

If you’re reading this early on Sunday… today is the last day of the Oregon Bach Festival. Catch the festival-capping Elijah this afternoon at the Hult (3pm)! Or check back soon for the 2011 schedule… http://oregonbachfestival.com/

The Appropriate Linkage:

Tiempo Libre’s Site
Tiempo Libre on MySpace
Oregon Bach Festival
Pink Martini review from OBF (June 26th, 2010)
Bobby McFerrin/SFYCA review from OBF (July 5th, 2010)

~Dan – np: Múm – Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know

Categories: Classical, Jazz & Avant, World Music Tags: Bach in Havana, concert review, cuban music, dance party, eugene, obf, obf2010, oregon, oregon bach festival, tiempo libre

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 right – I 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:

The Melvins Official Page
The Melvins dot net (the premiere fan page)
The Melvins on MySpace
Totimoshi’s Site
Totimoshi on MySpace
Ipecac Recordings
John Henry’s
My Previous Review~ Melvins @ JH’s Aug 2009

See their Spring/Summer 2010 tour dates below.

~Dan – np: John Zorn’s Locus Solus – 50th 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

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Rock & Pop Tags: bride screamed murder, buzzo, concert photos, concert review, eugene, john henry's, king buzzo, melvins, metal, oregon, rock, set list, setlist, sludge, Totimoshi

REVIEW: Bobby McFerrin & Stangeland Youth Choral @ OBF/Hult Center (Eugene, OR – 7/5/10)

6th Jul 10 (Tue) 1 comment

This special Oregon Bach Festival performance brought together two diverse but compatible vocal acts – the more straight-forward orchestral-meets-gospel Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy [SFYCA] and the vocal gymnastic Bobby McFerrin. Outside of the rendition of 23rd Psalm being penned by Bobby McFerrin, which prompted his walk on to the stage to show gratitude to the choral and conductor Anton Armstrong, the entire first set belonged to the youth. The first piece, Kyrie, showcased their angelic voices and was the start to what would become a very religious-centric repertoire…

SFYCA’s 1st Set: ~90 mins (SFYCA only)

Kyrie from Mass in B Minor [Bach]
*set change*
The 23rd Psalm [McFerrin]
Estampie Natalis [Nelhybel]
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree [Scriven]
Zigeunerleben, Op. 29, No. 3 [Schumann]
The Seal Lullaby [Whitacre]
Beautiful City [A.Thomas]

The group was very talented, but I felt they could have mixed it up in both song selection and interaction with Bobby McFerrin. Perhaps it’s my own slant, but the church music is good in moderation. Again, outside of Kyrie (which was from a Mass, but in another language and not so god-y), I could have done without most of the rest of the choral-only selections. Additionally, trading off more with Bobby in both sets would have been better in my opinion.

Bobby came on right away during the second set, which was welcome…

He started off with his standard first song improvisation – which set the stage for his vocal gymnastics throughout the show. He twisted his vocals chords into warbles, gurgles & bubbles. He moved all over the range of several octaves with ease. His style, for those unfamiliar, is much more than the “Don’t Worry Be Happy” guy, but one of vocal experimentation – not quite singing, not quite beat-boxing, not quite human. He’s a one-man band with only one organic instrument.

Beyond his initial improv song, he sang and vocalized alongside the SFYCA, who for the second set was conducted by Bobby’s VOCAbuLarieS co-writer Roger Treece. Bobby interacted a lot with both the choral group and the audience – directing us in “call & repeat” verses and improvising on some random people’s names…

SFYCA with Bobby McFerrin Setlist: ~85 mins

Bobby McFerrin solo improvisation
Circlesongs (with SFYCA)
VOCAbuLarieS[McFerrin & R.Treece]:
- The Garden (with SFYCA)
- Blackbird [Beatles]
- I Can See Clearly Now [Johnny Nash] (with SFYCA)
- Messages (with SFYCA)
- He Ran the Train / Name Improvisation (with SFYCA)
- Wailers (with SFYCA)
True Light [K.Hampton] (SFYCA only, Anton back conducting)

My favorite pieces of the evening were the initial improvisation and the Beatles cover. This show gave me a great taste for Bobby’s music, and I’d definitely recommend seeing him if he comes through your town.

The Appropriate Linkage:

Bobby McFerrin’s Site
Bobby McFerrin on MySpace
Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy
The Hult Center
Oregon Bach Festival
My Pink Martini review from OBF (June 26th, 2010)

More OBF shows are running through July 10th. Find out more at http://oregonbachfestival.com/events/

Next shows for me? The Melvins on Wednesday (not part of OBF… haha), and OBF’s Tiempo Libre on Saturday.

~Dan – np: +Live+ – Birds of Pray

Categories: Classical, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: bobby mcferrin, concert review, don't worry be happy, hult center, obf, obf2010, oregon bach fest, oregon bach festival, roger treece, set list, setlist, stangeland family, stangeland family youth choral academy

REVIEW: Pink Martini @ OBF/Hult Center (Eugene, OR – 6/26/10)

27th Jun 10 (Sun) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

The only appropriate way to explain the multi-culturally influenced, genre hopping band Pink Martini is that they are an Oregonian treasure. You expect some schizophrenia when you mix classical, big band, jazz, and pop with vocals in not only English, but also French, two dialects of Italian, Japanese and Turkish. However, that schizophrenic expectation melts away when you see how seamlessly they stir the musical melting pot.

Since 1994, Pink Martini has wowed not only their local Portland Oregonians, but also the world – Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and North America. And while Pink Martini aren’t strangers to Eugene (we’re only 100+ miles south of their hometown), this was their first appearance at the Oregon Bach Festival (OBF).

The “mini orchestra” last night was led by pianist/founder Thomas Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes and includes Timothy Nishimoto (vocals and percussion), Robert Taylor (trombone), Gavin Bondy (trumpet), Phil Baker (bass), Dan Faehnle (guitar), Nicholas Crosa (violin), Maureen Love (harp), Brian Davis (congas, drums and percussion), Derek Rieth (percussion), Martín Zarzar (drums) and more (names announced that weren’t in the program but I didn’t catch).

Saturday’s concert was only the second day of 2010’s OBF, and Pink Martini played the first bit of Bach for the Fest – Double Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor. Pink Martini also dug into many songs from their excellent back catalogue, as well as a few new tunes – including the Turkish song “A Dusty Road” from their upcoming symphonic release.

Setlist: 2 sets spanning 2+ hours

Set 1: Bolero
Let’s Never Stop Falling in Love
Sympathique
Lilly
Kikuchiyo To Mohshimasu
big band instrumental song with band solos
Fantasy in F-minor for Piano and 4 Hands (Schubert)
And Then You’re Gone
But Now I’m Back
Double Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (Bach)
Splendor in the Grass
instrumental song – Spanish flavor
Set 2: Ninna Nanna
Tempo Perdido (Adolfo Alves)
Over the Valley
Tuca Tuca
Hey Eugene
A Dusty Road
Hang On Little Tomato
Dosvedanya Mio Bombino
Encore: Amado Mio
Brazil

Some fan favorites throughout the double set were the entrance of China Forbes with “Let’s Never Stop Falling in Love,” the tango-rific “Lilly,” and the Schubert-inspired “And Then You’re Gone” (with China on vocals) and “But Now I’m Back” (featuring Timothy Nishimoto’s vocal response). Even though the song is not about our fair city, “Hey Eugene” got the biggest crowd reaction. To cap the wonderful night of music, Pink Martini got the crowd on their feet for a conga line with “Brazil.” This was a wonderful ensemble opening to the two week long 40th Annual Oregon Bach Festival.

OBF attendees can win a chance to “cuddle up with Pink Martini.” There is a raffle to win this beautiful Pink Martini quilt (pictured at the right), handsewn by Corvallis fiber artist Karen Illman Miller. It has the band members’ autographs inscribed on each of the pink fabric martini glasses. Miller designed the quilt she calls “Singing the Blues” to help mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Corvallis Youth Symphony in 2007 (Pink Martini had performed with the CYS the prior year). Raffle tickets for the Pink Martini quilt are only $5 and on sale at the Bach Boutique in the Hult Center lobby, where the quilt is on display. The winner will be announced on July 11, prior to the Festival’s Eugene performance of Elijah. All proceeds from the raffle benefit the Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy Scholarship Fund.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

More upcoming OBF shows are running through July 10th. Find out more at http://oregonbachfestival.com/events/

~Dan – np: Damien Jurado – Saint Bartlett

PINK MARTINI at OBF PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (7 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (34 pics)

PINK MARTINI PHOTOS

all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,

you may use freely under a <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/” target=“_blank”>creative commons attribution</a>

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (7 pics)

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Categories: Classical, Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: china forbes, concert photos, concert review, eugene, hult, obf, oregon, oregon bach fest, oregon bach festival, pink martini, set list, setlist, thomas lauderdale

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)

Higher Resolution (20 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (29 pics)

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Rock & Pop Tags: concert photos, concert review, dream theater, iron maiden, john petrucci, metal, mike portnoy, oregon, portland, prog, progressive, rock, set list, setlist

Dream Theater @ Roseland Portland (6/21)

21st Jun 10 (Mon) Leave a comment

So, since I’m out of town for work, I won’t be able to upload my photos and review from tonight’s Dream Theater‘s Roseland Theater gig in Portland (Oregon) until most likely Tuesday night (6/22)… in the meantime, check out some of Cinn City / Skulls-n-Bones photo coverage of the recent Denver gig… I sooooooo envy their amazing shots!!

Check back later on Tuesday for my Portland coverage! It shant be as nice looking as Cinn City’s shots, but hopefully make you wish you were there and/or bring back the joy of being there.

~Dan

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Rock & Pop Tags: cinn city photos, concert photos, dream theater, john myung, john petrucci, mike portnoy, oregon, portland, Roseland Theater

REVIEW: Imogen Heap @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 6/16/10)

17th Jun 10 (Thu) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

As many others, I got into Imogen Heap via her band Frou Frou‘s inclusion on the Garden State soundtrack. Their song “Let Go” was featured heavily in the Garden State trailer and movie. Thanks to Zach Braff, a love of all things Imogen Heap started to develop. A solid electronic-pop singer-songwriter in her own right before and after the Frou Frou debut Details, she took a longer break before her 2009 re-emergence, Ellipse. She needed some time away, and many times the much needed time away brings forth some great work. Ellipse is a solid album in both song catchiness and experimentation.

Her interest in experimentation spanned to her openers for this 6th leg of the North American tour… Geese is a stringed duo, backed by Imogen’s drummer. They started out slow and moving with high use of looping of their violins. Their 20 minute set only featured 3 songs, but it was quite captivating. It went from the aforementioned moving piece to a more spastic, experimental uproarious piece to a final piece that I’d describe as “noodley junkyard chic” with occasional drumming bombast. Being a fan of more experimental instrumental music, I was quite fond of their set. They also played with Imogen on a few of her songs that required strings (definitely “Little Bird” and a few others).

Ben Christophers came on shortly after Geese… he also played a fairly short set (and joined her on stage as part of her Ellipse band). Ben is a British singer-songwriter who focused mainly on the electric guitar with a voice in the higher registers. I found him similar to Sean Lennon mixed with the late falsetto/whispy singer Jeff Hanson. Ben played five songs for about 25 minutes… quite delightful, with a nice reference to Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.”

Imogen and her band started shortly after 9pm. First off, Imogen has an adorable stage presence. She is very unassuming, and even came out to introduce both openers. She told many stories in between songs, and carried on a nice dialogue with the audience. She really made a concert in a large concert hall seem like an intimate show in a smaller venue. The intimate setting was quite beautiful at times with the simple but sleek stage design. The center piece was a tree which worked in nicely with the light show, even appearing to be on fire or dancing in the wind at times (sorry, no photos of that, as press cameras were not allowed past the 3rd song).

Second, Imogen knows how to mix it up… she played rockier songs, mellower songs, songs from across her catalogue. Some favorite moments were “Let Go,” the dancing trees in “A-ha!,” the rocking out of “Goodbye and Go,” the loops and general excellence of “First Train Home,” and the gentleness of “Little Bird.” Oh, and the ’80s sunglasses and keytar used in “Tidal” was quite the throwback… it nicely showed off her silly, fun side.

Setlist: about 2 hours

The Walk
Swoon
Come Here Boy
Wait It Out
First Train Home
Little Bird
Canvas
Breathe In
Charity Improv
A-Ha!
Speeding Cars
Let Go
Just For Now
Goodnight and Go
Headlock
Tidal
The Moment I Said It
Hide and Seek

Half way through the set, she did the charity improvisation that is an important part of her tour this time around. Each city’s fans help her pick an important charity. The audience gets to recommend the key and melody starting point. Imogen records the song and it becomes available later for purchase. The charity improv song for Portland was for Eco Trust, whose mission is to “inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity and environmental well-being.”

To get the Portland improv song to help out the charity, go to imogenheap.com/charity. To donate to the charity directly, click the banner below…

Imogen wrapped up her final two songs solo, bringing to a close a wonderful night of both danceable and gorgeous music. The only disappointment: there was no “Earth” with Portland-based chorus this time. All in all, a great show! Thank you, Immie!

Check out her latest album, Ellipse, or her forthcoming documentary DVD, Everything In Between:

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Dream Theater – Black Clouds and Silver Linings

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

(click for larger)

North American Tour Dates (2010 World Tour – 6th Leg)

May 22nd Detroit, MI Fillmore Theatre
May 23rd Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
May 25th New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
May 26th Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
May 27th Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
May 29th Washington DC Warner Theatre
May 30th Norfolk, VA Norva
June 1st Orlando, FL House Of Blues
June 2nd Miami, FL Fillmore Theatre
June 4th Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
June 5th Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
June 7th New Orleans, LA House Of Blues
June 8th Houston, TX Verizon Wireless
June 9th Dallas, TX Nokia Grand Theatre
June 11th Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
June 12th Salt Lake City, UT Rail Event Center
June 14th Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
June 15th Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
June 16th Portland, OR Schnitzer Hall
June 18th Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery
June 19th Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
June 20th San Diego, CA Humphrey’s
June 21st Santa Barbara, CA Granada Theatre

#ihportland

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: #ihportland, arlene schnitzer hall, ben christophers, concert photos, concert review, ecotrust, frou frou, geese, imogen, imogen heap, oregon, pop, portland, rock, schnitzer, set list, setlist

Imogen Heap @ Schnitzer (6/16)

17th Jun 10 (Thu) Leave a comment

The Imogen Heap review with photos will be posted Thursday afternoon/evening… in short: superb!

~Dan

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: #ihportland, concert photos, concert review, frou frou, imogen, imogen heap, oregon, portland

REVIEW: Zappa Plays Zappa @ McDonald (Eugene, OR – 6/12/10)

13th Jun 10 (Sun) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Five years running, Dweezil Zappa and his precision-cut Zappa Plays Zappa band have toured the world bringing us a different slice of Frank’s music to our ears. Past tours have featured players from Frank’s own classic ’70s and ’80s band arsenals: Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ray White and more. There are no “old guard” members present in the 2010 incarnation — but regardless of which musicians surround Dweezil’s guitar mastery, the fact remains that the genius, adventurous spirit birthed in Frank’s songs is still alive.

The ZPZ band this time around is Dweezil Zappa: Guitar; Scheila Gonzalez: Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards & Vocals; Pete Griffin: Bass; Billy Hulting: Marimba, Mallets & Percussion (and lead vocals for a bit); Jamie Kime: Guitar; Joe Travers: Drums & Vocals; Ben Thomas on lead vocals; and introducing Chris Norton on Keyboards & Vocals.

With no opener, the band kicked into their long set a little after 9pm… they played a super tight, super long set. Having seen the ZBZ band with Napoleon Murphy Brock and Ray White in the past, I was skeptical of this “new guy” Ben Thomas. He joined the ZPZ band after Ray White left the tour last year. After the first vocal belt, there was no more skepticism… Ben can sing (and plays a mean trumpet, harmonica and cow bell, too). He handled the lows and highs, and carried the tunes in a way that would have made Frank proud.

Throughout the set, each band member got their time to shine… “Echidna’s Arf” was probably the tightest song the band played… lightning fast, and spot on. Dweezil had killer solos on “Florentine Pogen” and “Pick Me, I’m Clean.” “Big Swifty” & “Mystery Roach” showed off great solos from Billy on marimba, Scheila on sax, and Jaime on guitar. Joe’s drum solo at the end of “Latex Solar Beef” could have ended the show, but (lucky for us) they stayed out and finished the main set with “Apostrophe” that featured Pete’s fuzzy, dirty bass groove and solo.

Here’s what they played:

Setlist: about 2 & 1/2 hours

Purple Lagoon
Stinkfoot
Daddy Daddy Daddy
What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?
Florentine Pogen
Big Swifty
Mystery Roach
Advance Romance
The Blue Light
Pick Me, I’m Clean
Blessed Relief
Echidna’s Arf
Keep It Greasey
Easy Meat
The Little House I Used To Live In
Latex Solar Beef (with hints of Willie the Pimp)
Apostrophe
Encore: Lonely Little Girl
City of Tiny Lites
Cosmik Debris
I’m the Slime

As in the past, amazing musicians this time out. Some of the highlights were the aforementioned tight “Echidna’s Arf,” “Florentine Pogen,” and the more gentle “Blessed Relief.” The only song I was craving that wasn’t played was “Peaches En Regalia,” but it was nice to hear some older, rarer Frank songs being trotted out in lieu of the “fan fave” Peaches. As far as sound quality, near the front it was OK, but I heard from people in the middle and back that it was a bit muddy. Regardless of that downside, the evening showed off a super tight band who gave their all! ZPZ band, Eugene loves you! Come back soon!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Zappa Plays Zappa’s Site
ZPZ on MySpace
Dweezil on MySpace
Prior Review~ ZPZ w/ Ray White – Jan 2009 (Portland, OR)
McDonald Theatre

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Jóhann Jóhannsson – & In the Endless Pause There Came Sound of Bees

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

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (18 pics)

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Tour Dates

May 30, ’10 Chilicothe, IL Summer Camp Music Festival
Jun 3, ’10 Mexico City, MX Teatro de la Ciudad
Jun 5, ’10 Ozark, AR Wakarusa Festival
Jun 6, ’10 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
Jun 7, ’10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
Jun 8, ’10 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
Jun 10, ’10 Ventura, CA Ventura Theater
Jun 11, ’10 Santa Rosa, CA Harmony Festival
Jun 12, ’10 Eugene, OR McDonald Theater
Jun 13, ’10 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Jun 14, ’10 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
Jun 15, ’10 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theater
Jun 17, ’10 Richmond, VA Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
Jun 18, ’10 Pittsburgh, PA Palace Theatre
Jun 19, ’10 Tarrytown, NY Music Hall
Jun 24, ’10 Woodstock, NY Bearsville Theater
Jun 25, ’10 Providence, RI Lupo’s
Jun 26, ’10 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Theater
Jun 27, ’10 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
Jun 28, ’10 Verona, NY Turning Stone Resort and Casino
Jun 29, ’10 Niagara Falls, NY The Rapids Theatre
Jul 1, ’10 Bridgeport, CT The Klein
Jul 2, ’10 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Jul 3, ’10 Great Barington, MA The Mahaiwe
Jul 4, ’10 Oxford, ME Nateva Festival
Jul 5, ’10 Moncton, NS Capitol Theater
Jul 6, ’10 Halifax, NS Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
Jul 9, ’10 Amsterdam, NL Melkweg
Jul 10, ’10 TBA, TBA Soon
Jul 11, ’10 Weert, NL Bospop Restival
Jul 12, ’10 Antwerp, BE Openluchttheater
Jul 14, ’10 Tel Aviv, IL Hangar 11
Jul 19, ’10 Nice, FR Nice Jazz Festival
Jul 21, ’10 Cambridge, UK Cambridge Corn Exchange
Jul 22, ’10 Brighton, UK Brighton Centre
Jul 23, ’10 Wolverhampton, UK Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Jul 24, ’10 London, UK London Classic Rock Festival
Jul 25, ’10 Liverpool, UK Liverpool Summer Pops Festival
Jul 26, ’10 Glasgow, UK Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Jul 27, ’10 Gateshead, UK Gateshead The Sage

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop Tags: concert photos, concert review, dweezil, dweezil zappa, eugene, frank zappa, mcdonald theatre, oregon, rock, set list, setlist, zappa, zpz

REVIEW: Holy Fuck @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 6/6/10)

7th Jun 10 (Mon) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

“Analog electronica at its finest.”

One of the best bands that you may have never heard of because of a fear of the unknown and/or an aversion to George Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words is Toronto’s experimental electro-rock band Holy Fuck.

Starting off more experimental with their self-titled debut in 2005 and moving into a more groove-fueled diet of instrumental rock in 2007, Holy Fuck has been tearing up clubs around Canada, Europe, and the United States for the past few years. Their records are superb, and their live shows are even better. This show in Portland was stacked with some other electro-pop favorites…

Portland-based Fake Drugs went on a little after 9pm. They are made up of a few guys from Starfucker – Keil Corcoran and Shawn Glassford. Their sound was a nice pop electronic. Primarily rhythm guitar & live drums with primarily pre-recorded keyboards & loops. Danceable and fun… not what I expected from Starfucker gents, but a good warm up.

Another Portland band, Nice Nice had a great electro-pop sound. This two piece band was the primary tour support for Holy Fuck. Fewer guys on stage compared to Fake Drugs, but it seemed like they had more going on. The drummer played both live drums and electronic drum pads… there was a nice juxtaposition of both the organic and artificial sounds – usually intertwined with each song. The singer played keys, electronic drum pads, as well as guitar. They have a building, electronic-rock sound, much like Holy Fuck… they meshed really well, and I can see why HF brought them along.

On to Holy Fuck…

The seemingly scattered performance with keyboards, toy instruments, live drums & bass, 35mm audio strip replay, guitars, and distorted vocals ultimately leads into the music that is undeniably catchy and composed. Brian Borchedt and Graham Walsh man the up-front melodic and non-melodic drive of the band, and bassist Matt McQuaid and drummer Matt Schulz are an excellent battery to fuel the groove. They’re out supporting their latest, excellent record, LATIN. It’s out now on CD, vinyl, and download formats (click picture to the right). Personally speaking, it’s one of my favorite albums this year so far.

Holy Fuck went on at 11:25 and kicked it right off with the charged “Latin America.” The band seemed pretty charged up, especially bassist Matt McQ… who really looked to be having a blast. They plowed through an over hour set, hitting many of their new tunes, with some choice cuts from LP and the new version “Jungles” (on the +Ghost EP, based on the 2005 debut’s “Tonebank Jungle”).

Even if you aren’t a dancin’ fool… you’ll usually be turned into one at a Holy Fuck show. The very danceable set was met with a severe lack of dancing from the crowd compared to past shows I’ve witnessed. Perhaps it was a “Portland on a rainy Sunday” thing, because Holy Fuck was deep in the groove but the crowd seemed more concerned with their PBR’s. Regardless of the “dancin’ deficit,” the crowd definitely showed their appreciation for the mighty HF via hoots & hollers…

Here’s what they played as best I remembered the song names…

Setlist: ~70 mins

Latin America
Super Inuit
Foxy
Jungles
1MD / Red Lights
SHT MTN
Frenchy’s
Stay Lit
Lovely Allen
The Pulse
Stilettos
Encore: unknown… a really dirty, fuzzed out riff
P.I.G.S.

Brilliant show… my favorite was Red Lights, and its deep groove and killer bass. Jungles and Stay Lit were close behind. Stay Lit is probably HF’s most mellow song, and it features Brian on guitar instead of the electronics table. They ended the night with a new song (or at least new to me) featuring a really fuzzy, dirty bass followed by P.I.G.S..

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Holy Fuck’s Site
Holy Fuck on MySpace
My Prior HF Reviews~
- Doug Fir Lounge in Portland (June 2009)
- Southgate House in Cincinnati (April 2007)
Great Recent HF Videos~
- The Cake Shop in NYC
- SXSW 2010 – Baeble Music Stage
Nice Nice’s Site
Nice Nice on MySpace
Fake Drugs on MySpace
Mississippi Studios

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Waka/Jawaka

HOLY FUCK, FAKE DRUGS & NICE NICE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Holy Fuck 2010 N.A. Tour Dates (so far)

May 28 Le Poisson Rouge New York, New York #
May 29 The Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts #
May 30 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania #
May 31 Rock N Roll Hotel Washington, Washington DC #
Jun 1 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, Ohio #
Jun 3 Turf Club Saint Paul, Minnesota #
Jun 6 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon #
Jun 8 The Independent San Francisco, California #
Jun 10 Troubadour Los Angeles, California #
Jul 5 Club Soda – Festival International de Jazz de Montreal Montreal, Quebec
Jul 9 Molson Amphitheatre Toronto, Ontario ^
Jul 30 Sappyfest Sackville, New Brunswick
# w/ Nice Nice
^ w/ Metric and Passion Pit

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Post-rock Tags: concert photos, concert review, experimental, fake drugs, holy fuck, Indie Rock, latin, mississippi studios, nice nice, oregon, portland, rock, set list, setlist, starfucker

REVIEW: final ISIS tour @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 5/29/10)

30th May 10 (Sun) 10 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

On May 18, 2010, post-metal powerhouse ISIS officially called it quits. They did everything they wanted to do, and said everything they wanted to say… and this May & June tour would be their last. It was a good run: 13 years and 5 brilliant studio albums.

The break-up news was deeply saddening news to the fans, but at least we get one last hurrah.

The show opened with Jakob (a three-piece from New Zealand). They played a solid 40-minute set of instrumental post-rock. They had heavy moments, but they were decidedly the “calmest” of the trio of bands last night. They were really tight and created a great, building wall of sound. Great for fans of a harder edged Explosions in the Sky. Jakob’s debut, Solace, is out now.

Tombs (a four-piece from Brooklyn) were more in the metal category. Guttural vocals, double kick drum blasts, but more building in their guitar sound compared to other metal fare (e.g.- similar to ISIS versus Slayer). A great 40-minute onslaught to our ears. Check out their album, Winterhours.

ISIS went on just before 11pm and came out hard and heavy… while both Jakob and Tombs were tight, it seemed as though things got kicked up a notch when Isis hit the stage. The audience crowded the stage to be pummeled by the sweeping and soaring musical backbone amidst Aaron Turner’s powerful voice…

They played a hauntingly brutal mix from Wavering Radiant, In the Absence of Truth, and a few oldies thrown in as well. There were a handful of moments of Aaron’s more melodic vocals, but that was few and far between… the show tended to show off Isis’s more pained vocal cuts. They played about 90 minutes…

Setlist: (thanks for corrections from a fellow fans)

Deconstructing Towers
Not In Rivers, But In Drops
So Did We
Threshold of Tranformation
Ghost Key
Collapse and Crush
From Sinking
Encore: In Fiction
The Beginning and the End

It’s sad to see Isis end, but at least they are ending with a kick ass tour. Also, if you go to one of the shows (see below), there is a TON of merch… they’ve brought about everything each member has ever been involved in. I dropped some coin for the Japanese limited edition Panopticon, Oceanic, 7.23.06 live, and the Melvin split 12″ vinyl. That was barely scratching the surface for this excellent “Isis Garage Sale.”

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out the final tour dates for ISIS below.

~Dan – np: Ellery – This Isn’t Over Yet

ISIS, Jakob & Tombs PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

ISIS – 2010 TOUR DATES
May 26 2010 The Casbah w/ Jakob & Tombs San Diego, California, US
May 29 2010 Wow Hall w/ Jakob & Tombs Eugene, Oregon , US
May 31 2010 Rickshaw Theatre w/ Jakob & Tombs Vancouver, British Co, CA
Jun 1 2010 Neumo’s w/ Jakob & Tombs Seattle, Washington, US
Jun 2 2010 Doug Fir Lounge w/ Jakob & Tombs Portland, Oregon , US
Jun 4 2010 Great American Music Hall w/ Jakob & Tombs San Francisco, California, US
Jun 5 2010 The Troubadour w/ Jakob & Tombs Los Angeles, California, US
Jun 12 2010 Bonnaroo Festival W/ Clutch, Melvins, Flaming Lips, etc. Manchester, Tennessee , US
Jun 14 2010 40 Watt Club w/ Melvins Athens, Georgia , US
Jun 16 2010 9:30 Club w/Melvins Washington, Washington, US
Jun 17 2010 Theater Of Living Arts (TLA) w/ Melvins Philadelphia, Pennsylvan, US
Jun 18 2010 Webster Hall w/ Melvins New York, New York , US
Jun 19 2010 Music Hall Of Williamsburg w/ Melvins Brooklyn, New York , US
Jun 20 2010 Paradise Rock Club w/ Melvins Boston, Massachuse, US
Jun 21 2010 Paradise Rock Club w/ Melvins Boston, Massachuse, US
Jun 22 2010 Port City Music Hall w/ Cave In Portland, Maine , US
Jun 23 2010 Club Soda w/ Cave In Montreal, Quebec , CA

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Post-rock Tags: break up, concert photos, concert review, eugene, final tour, finale, ipecac, isis, jakob, metal, oregon, post-metal, post-rock, set list, setlist, wavering radiant, wow hall

REVIEW: Charlie Hunter @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 5/18/10)

19th May 10 (Wed) 3 comments

Charlie Hunter‘s new CD Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid was the first CD through the gates in 2010. The CD is named after a saying from an undisclosed curmudgeon musician who used to pull that on his players (no, it’s not indicative of Charlie’s payment habits).

The album is a fun jaunt full of the groove-laden jazz that Charlie Hunter fans know and love. It’s a highly recommended purchase for 2010… (pictured to the right)

The current “Evening with Charlie Hunter” tour is slightly stripped down compared to the album… it features Hunter on guitar, Ron Miles (trumpet) & Eric Kalb (drums). They hit the WOW Hall stage just after 8pm and played two sets and a long encore… well over two solid hours. All three men played effortlessly… their first set was smokey and soulful. Their second set was a bit more upbeat with more solos, including a few standards mixed in with the Neglected tunes.

Eric and Ron were very tight players, with stunning solos in their own right. Eric had a great feel, and while I think Ron stayed in the shadows more during the sets, the trumpet flavor he added to the trio was a perfect fit.

One of the most amazing things from the night was watching Charlie play. His seeming ease at which he plays bass and guitar on one instrument is stunning (and curse-worthy for the guitar aficionado in the crowd). If you weren’t watching the stage, you’d easily be fooled that it was a quartet and not a trio. It’s quite an amazing thing to see and hear. He’s so unassuming about it, too… a showman without the show-off attitude.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage: