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REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 11/17/10)

18th Nov 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I went into a little history about Over the Rhine on my 11/15 WOW Hall show blog (link).  This Aladdin show was OTR Show #52 for me.  Yep… I’m OCD, I love music, and I’ve had far too many opportunities to see this wonderful band.  I’m fortunate.  Since I blathered on in the blog from two days ago… I’ll jump right into it…

Lucy Wainwright Roche did a similar set… no discussion of the car break-in clean-up, but she’s quite the humorist.  I found myself humming along to some of her tunes, as if they were long lost friends.  I only first heard her music two days prior… so I guess that’s a testament to her craft.

Over the Rhine played a fairly similar set, with a few things swapped around and the addition of “The Trumpet Child” and “Ohio.”  They nixed the instrumental, but the additional tunes made up for it in my book.  Lots of stuff from The Long Surrender.  The album is really growing on me.  I’m looking forward to the lush vinyl that will hit my mailbox sometime in early 2011.

Setlist: about 75 mins

  • The Laugh Of Recognition
  • I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time
  • Trouble (horny & inebriated mix)
  • “The Bluebird” by Charles Bukowski [poetry reading by Karin]
  • There’s A Bluebird In My Heart
  • Rave On
  • Undamned
  • I Want You To Be My Love
  • Oh Yeah By The Way
  • I’m On A Roll (to be covered by The Judds on their next record)
  • The King Knows How
  • Drunkard’s Prayer
  • Only God Can Save Us Now
  • The Trumpet Child
  • Days Like This [Kim Taylor song]
  • All My Favorite People
  • Encore: Ohio [Karin solo on piano]
  • Infamous Love Song
  • No Kill Shelter

Once again, Over the Rhine deliver a beautiful evening.  Thanks for stopping by Karin, Linford, Nick & Lucy!  Have fun in Seattle!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Mr. Bungle – Disco Volante

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

(click for larger)

Fall 2010 Tour Dates

  • Fri, 2010-11-12 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
  • Sat, 2010-11-13 San Franscisco, CA Great American Music Hall
  • Mon, 2010-11-15 Eugene, OR W.O.W. Hall
  • Wed, 2010-11-17 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
  • Fri, 2010-11-19 Seattle, WA Triple Door
  • Sat, 2010-11-20 Seattle, WA Triple Door
  • Sun, 2010-11-21 Seattle, WA Triple Door
  • Fri, 2010-12-03 Marion, OH Palace Theatre
  • Sat, 2010-12-04 Kent, OH Kent Stage
  • Sun, 2010-12-05 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
  • Tue, 2010-12-07 Columbus, OH Lincoln Theatre
  • Fri, 2010-12-10 Louisville, KY Bomhard Theater
  • Sat, 2010-12-11 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music 7pm & 10pm
  • Fri, 2010-12-17 Cincinnati, OH THE LONG SURRENDER PREMIERE @ the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre (in the Aronoff Center)
  • Sat, 2010-12-18 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
  • Sun, 2010-12-19 Norwood, OH St. Elizabeth’s
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 11/15/10)

16th Nov 10 (Tue) 3 comments

 FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

It’s been three long years since I’ve seen Over the Rhine.  I missed them on their last tour through Portland (Doug Fir 2009) due to illness.  Going three years between shows is odd… I mean, when I lived in Southwest Ohio, I would see them 5 times a year (on average) for about 10 years.  Well, I’m making up for lost time by seeing them in both Eugene and Portland (Aladdin show review link).  One might call me a fan.

For those that don’t know Over the Rhine, they started out as a four piece in Cincinnati in 1989 and put out their “post-nuclear, pseudo-alternative, folk-tinged art-pop” indie debut ‘Til We Have Faces in 1991.  It was Karin Bergquist on vocals & guitar, Linford Detweiler on bass & keyboard (later focusing on primarily keys), Ric Hordinski on guitar, and Brian Kelley on drums.  They put out four studio albums and a dark, broodingly beautiful Christmas album as a four-piece.  Then in the late 90s, Ric & Brian left.  Ric went off to do some amazing records under the moniker MONK (check it!).  Brian still drums for various groups around Cincinnati.

Karin & Linford carried on the Over the Rhine flame throughout the years… moving away from a rockier feel to a more folky-pop-Americana thing.  What I like about Over the Rhine is they continually change and evolve into a different band with each album and each outing.  I’ve seen them rock out, I’ve seen them jazz it up, I’ve seen them happy, I’ve seen them somber, I’ve seen them celebratory, and I’ve seen them tell stories that will make you laugh and cry.

They’re on their annual West Coast tour as a precursor to their forthcoming album, The Long Surrender – which (last I saw in print) comes out on January 11, 2011 (aka 1/11/11).  I’ve heard the songs from it (it pays to pre-order), and I’m digging it a bunch.

They also have a huge back catalogue (my count: 8 studio albums, 2 Christmas studio albums, 3 studio & live b-side releases, 4 official live releases, 1 greatest hits, and 3 Linford solo releases).  While it’s hard to limit a large catalogue to a few albums, go check out some of my faves: the indie rocker Eve (1994), the acoustic homespun Good Dog Bad Dog (1996), the re-imagined band on Films for Radio (2001), or the magnum opus Ohio (2-CD 2003).  You can’t go wrong. Happy scout’s honor.

So, being that I haven’t seen them in three years, it was noted as a duo show by their publicist, and they have a large catalog of songs to play, I was excited for the hopeful surprises.  But first the opener…

Lucy Wainwright Roche played a humourous 30 minute set prior to Over the Rhine going on.  She was a great mix of stand-up comedian (unintentional?) and singer-songwriter.  Nice banter in between the songs.  You can see her father Loudon’s humour in her.  Where else are you going to hear about a car break-in “clean up” instead of a theft?  Or a first date whose lung collapsed at dinner?  And then top it off with a “Hungry Heart” sing-along?  Lucy was a very formidable crowd warmer-upper!

A suprise to me based on the initial reports, Karin & Linford weren’t just a duo on this West Coast jaunt.  They also brought along percussionist and cuatro player Nick Radina.  He provided some nice layers to the already grogeous sounds coming from the guitars and keys and voices.  Nick and Linford also played a nice instrumental which was called “Descarga” on the Santa Fe setlist.  I don’t know if this is the actual name, or just some other setlist identifer.  Anyway, it had a nice Latin feel.

They played a lot of their forthcoming The Long Surrender songs, with a few Trumpet Child and Drunkard’s Prayer songs thrown in.  Linford was on keyboard for most of the night, but did join Karin on guitar for a handful of tunes.  Karin also busted out some poetry prior to their “Bluebird” tune and a nice backstory about her mom’s nursing home prior to “Only God Can Save Us Now.”  The backstory made the song make much more sense to me… especially all of those characters.

Setlist: about 75 mins

  • The Laugh Of Recognition
  • I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time
  • Trouble (horny & inebriated mix)
  • “The Bluebird” by Charles Bukowski [poetry reading by Karin]
  • There’s A Bluebird In My Heart
  • Rave On
  • Undamned
  • I Want You To Be My Love
  • (Instrumental)
  • Oh Yeah By The Way
  • The King Knows How
  • I’m On A Roll (to be covered by The Judds on their next record)
  • Drunkard’s Prayer
  • Only God Can Save Us Now
  • Days Like This [Kim Taylor song]
  • All My Favorite People
  • Encore: Infamous Love Song
  • No Kill Shelter

It was soooooo great to see them again after too many years.  We got to chat with Linford for a bit after the show.  I forgot to ask / confirm the release date of The Long Surrender (the merch lady said Feb 8th instead of Jan 11th).  Here’s hoping they stick to 1/11/11, because that’s a superb release date… if I remember and I see him, I’ll check on Wednesday.

Anyway, Linford was glad to be able to spend a little bit of time in Oregon.  He said that had a great experience on their Roots on the Rail tour (go here for Bill Ivester’s write-up of the experience).  They might be doing another train tour next year in the west/central United States (Colorado area?).  I’ll be seriously considering it for 2011 vacation plans.

For the meantime, enjoy some Eugene photos.  Sorry about the primarily black & white and graininess… WOW Hall is a dark venue with normally high use of red lights (i.e.- death for my camera’s focus).  Here’s hoping I’ll get some better shots at the Aladdin Theater show in Portland on Wednesday.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill

OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
these 11 pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien (emobie photography),
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

these 22 pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Fall 2010 Tour Dates

  • Fri, 2010-11-12 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
  • Sat, 2010-11-13 San Franscisco, CA Great American Music Hall
  • Mon, 2010-11-15 Eugene, OR W.O.W. Hall
  • Wed, 2010-11-17 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
  • Fri, 2010-11-19 Seattle, WA Triple Door
  • Sat, 2010-11-20 Seattle, WA Triple Door
  • Sun, 2010-11-21 Seattle, WA Triple Door
  • Fri, 2010-12-03 Marion, OH Palace Theatre
  • Sat, 2010-12-04 Kent, OH Kent Stage
  • Sun, 2010-12-05 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
  • Tue, 2010-12-07 Columbus, OH Lincoln Theatre
  • Fri, 2010-12-10 Louisville, KY Bomhard Theater
  • Sat, 2010-12-11 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music 7pm & 10pm
  • Fri, 2010-12-17 Cincinnati, OH THE LONG SURRENDER PREMIERE @ the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre (in the Aronoff Center)
  • Sat, 2010-12-18 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
  • Sun, 2010-12-19 Norwood, OH St. Elizabeth’s

 

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

REVIEW: Eisley @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 11/14/10)

15th Nov 10 (Mon) Leave a comment

 FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I got into Eisley after a Paste video sampler with the video for “Marvelous Things” (from their Warner debut).  It’s a well shot video… bright colors and mopey* looking kids singing excruciatingly hooky pop-rock (*-ah, the mid-2000s).  Little did I know that they were all related (sisters & a brother).  When the young DuPree kids started (as Moss Eisley) – Chauntelle was 15, Sherri was 13, Stacy was 8, and Weston was about 11 or 12.  They were later joined by Garron DuPree (their cousin) when their bassist Jonathan Wilson left.  Familial band make-up and young starting ages aside, they write great songs.  In fact, the familial slant probably helps with their songwriting.  It’s definitely in their genes.

I’ve been a fan of theirs since 2005, but they’re touring schedule has been elusive and just didn’t line up with my calendar.  So, five years in the making… my first Eisley show… the “Over the River and Through the Wood” Tour.  They just signed with Equal Vision Records, after a long battle to get let out of their Warner contract.  Their third studio album (which I think has been done for some time) will come out on Equal Vision in early 2011.

Christie DuPree was the first opener.  She was accompanied by Collin DuPree.  Let’s just assign that last name to everyone on stage last night (ok, not Ives the Band – but there were 7 DuPrees on stage at some point last night!!).  Christie went on around 8pm and played a nice handful of songs over the next 30 minutes.  She had a acoustic-pop, singer-songwriter vibe… and her voice was very Eisley-esque.  Of course, that’s not a shock, as she is their little sister.  I could see some maturity in the tunes, and I think shes got a solid songwriting base with plenty of room to grow and progress, too.  Definitely enjoyable!  She had a homemade EP for sale… and I imagine she’ll be on the road with Eisley in the near future, too.

Ives the Band went on around 8:45 and played a bit over a half hour as well.  They have been described as Beatles-esque.  That’s a tough description to match, and while I don’t think they hit that mark (again – tough to do), they had some nice hooks and melodies.  Great power pop from San Diego.  Their album, The Incredible Story of Mr. Birch, is out now.

Eisley hit the stage around 9:45 and started right into their set without much chit-chat.  Sherri & Stacy shared lead vocal duties last night, and even though Sherri was sick, she pulled off her songs quite well.  In fact, had she not mentioned it, I might not have noticed.

Of their 19 song set, my guess is Sherri covered 2/3 of the set’s lead vocal duties (too lazy to count it up – sorry!).  The 300-400 or so fans at the WOW Hall got treated by many favorites from their two albums, Room Noises and Combinations, as well as a couple of new songs…

Setlist: about 75 mins

  • The Valley
  • Invasion
  • Ten Cent Blues
  • Come Clean
  • Brightly Wound
  • Tree Tops
  • Marvelous Things
  • Go Away
  • Telescope Eyes [acoustic]
  • My Lovely [acoustic]
  • Kind [acoustic / new song]
  • Golly Sandra
  • Many Funerals
  • I Could Be There For You
  • Memories
  • I Wasn’t Prepared
  • Sad [new song]
  • Lost at Sea
  • Ambulance
    No Encore

Some of my favorites were the acoustic pieces, as well as the aforementioned “Marvelous Things.”  Great show, great band.  They’re going to be on the road again in the spring of 2011 when their new album comes out.  I’m glad they’ve added Eugene to their touring plans now and in the future.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

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

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

(click for larger)

Eisley Fall 2010 Tour Dates

  • 10/10/2010 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitinas Uptown (18+)
  • 10/12/2010 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall(16+)
  • 10/14/2010 – Gainsville, FL – 1982 Bar (All Ages)
  • 10/15/2010 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar (AA)
  • 10/16/2010 – Orlando, FL – The Social (AA)
  • 10/17/2010 – Tallahassee, FL (18+) – Club Downunder, FSU
  • 10/19/2010 – Atlanta, GA (AA) – The Loft
  • 10/20/2010 – Greenville, SC – The Handlebar (18+)
  • 10/21/2010 – NYC, NY – Gramercy Theater (16+)
  • 10/22/2010 – Farmingdale, NY – The Crazy Donkey (AA)
  • 10/23/2010 – Asbury, NJ – The Wonder Bar (AA)
  • 10/24/2010 – Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel (AA)
  • 10/25/2010 – Philadelphia, PA – North Star Bar (AA)
  • 10/27/2010 – Boston, MA – The Red Room@Cafe 939 (AA)
  • 10/29/2010 – East Lansing, MI – Union Ballroom @ Michigan State (AA)
  • 10/31/2010 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
  • 11/1/2010 – Akron, OH – Musica (AA)
  • 11/2/2010 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
  • 11/3/2010 – Indianapolis, IN (AA) – Earth House
  • 11/4/2010 – Minneapolis, MN – The Varsity Theater (18+)
  • 11/5/2010 – DesMoines, IA – The Vaudeville Mews (AA)
  • 11/7/2010 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom (AA)
  • 11/8/2010 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room (AA)
  • 11/9/2010 – Denver, CO – The Bluebird Theater (16+)
  • 11/10/2010 – Salt Lake City, UT (AA) – In The Venue
  • 11/12/2010 – Boise, ID – The Venue (AA)
  • 11/13/2010 – Portland, OR – Wonderland Ballroom (AA)
  • 11/14/2010 – Eugene, OR (AA) – WOW Hall
  • 11/15/2010 – Seattle, WA (AA) – Chop Suey
  • 11/17/2010 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Slo Brewing Co (AA)
  • 11/18/2010 – San Francisco, CA (AA) – Swedish American Hall Acoustic
  • 11/19/2010 – San Diego, CA – Soma Sidestage (AA)
  • 11/20/2010 – Santa Barbara, CA – Velvet Jones (AA)
  • 11/21/2010 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre (AA)
  • 11/24/2010 – Austin, TX – The Parish (AA)
  • 11/26/2010 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Studio (AA)
  • 11/27/2010 – Dallas, TX – Palladium – The Loft (AA)
Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – 10/29/10)

2nd Nov 10 (Tue) 2 comments

I wasn’t able to attend the Nellie McKay show at the Shedd in Eugene on Friday (due to Sufjan Stevens in Portland the same night).  I was completely torn, but I’ve had the opportunity to see Nellie several times since living here in the PacNW (four times in 3 years) and Sufjan far fewer times (i.e.- none).

I did send someone in my place… here are some lovely photos and a write-up of the show taken by guest blogger Margarita O’Brien from Emobie Photography…

many more photos below

Margarita’s write-up of the show:

Let’s face it. I just love Nellie McKay. I am extremely grateful that The Shedd here in little ol’ Eugene, Oregon, keeps managing to bring her back. She has serious musical talent, diversity, and a quirky, silly sense of humor that I dig. That makes a great show when she’s solo, but holy cannoli, there was a five piece backup band! THAT makes for a phenomenal, knock-your-socks-off show.

The introductions for the band members were extremely silly (“And just released on bail for jay walking…”) and the crowd was enthusiastic so I will likely have the names completely wrong and I am seriously sorry about that, ‘cause these guys were the bomb diggity. It was seriously hard to hear with the laughing and cheering. Corrections greatly appreciated!

Guitar: Terry Park?
Bass: Willy Harvey
Sax: Mark Fischer?
Trumpet: Willy Mario?
Drums: Benjamin Barnum?
“That’s right! We have two willies!”

There are few things I tire of more quickly than a show with a “sound” that never changes.
Me-“Is this still the first song? Good Glory, it’s long.”
Dan-“This is the fifth song.”
Me-“*Giant Eye Roll*”

This exchange could not happen at a Nellie McKay show. She skillfully flutters her way through Big Band, Reggae, Jazz, Blues, Pop, sweet old Doris Day tunes (and a number of Ella Fitzgerald tunes this time).  The band was right there with her making everything fuller, brighter, grander, and making it difficult for some folks to stay put in their seats.

The crowd was fairly enthusiastic and really seemed to love “Mother of Pearl.”  This is Eugene after all. There were even a couple zombies dancing around at the end.

Go See Nellie! She’ll make you think. She’ll make you laugh. She might make you whistle.

Setlist:

  • Bruise on the Sky
  • Sentimental Journey [Doris Day]
  • Do Do Do [Doris Day]
  • Caribbean Time
  • Dispossessed
  • Meditation [Doris Day]
  • Georgy Girl [The Seekers] (dedicated to Barbara Billingsly)
  • Vote for Mr. Rhythm [Ella Fitzgerald]
  • Bluebird
  • No Equality
  • The Portal
  • Dig It [Doris Day]
  • It’s Alright With Me (with skat)
    <<intermission – costume change>>
  • A-Tisket, A-Tasket [Ella Fitzgerald]
  • Beneath the Underdog
  • Crazy Rhythm [Doris Day]
  • Early Autumn [Ella Fitzgerald]
  • A Wonderful Guy [Doris Day]
  • Don’t Fence Me In [Ella Fitzgerald] (with group whistle)
  • Mother of Pearl (crowd favorite)
    “I’m Sarah Palin and I approve this message”
  • Adios
  • ¡Bodega!
    “Support the Arts, but sponsor a Bodega.”
  • Coosada Blues
  • I’ve Got Rhythm (impromptu instrumental as she ran to get her notes)
    “Don’t worry folks, they’re professionals!”
  • Broadway Melody
  • Really
  • Unknown Reggae (veggie anthem)
  • Encore: Zombie

Nellie’s 10/29 KLCC interview is here:
http://klcc.org/audio/NellieMckay102910.mp3

Nellie is out supporting her latest album, Home Sweet Mobile Home.  Check it out here:

More 2010 Tour Dates:
Oct. 30th SF Jazz Festival – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 1st Kuumbwa Jazz Center – Santa Cruz, CA
Nov. 4th The Roxy – West Hollywood, CA

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: William Ryan Fritch – Library Catalog Music Series: Music for Honey and Bile

NELLIE McKAY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien – emobie photography,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (14 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (33 pics)

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

REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens @ Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 10/29/10)

30th Oct 10 (Sat) 12 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

So, the last few months has been a flurry of unexpected, yet superbly exciting information coming from Sufjan Stevens and Asthmatic Kitty.  First was the tour announcement (on Aug 9th), then a week and a half later came the immediate release of the All Delighted People EP, and less than a week later came the news of the new full length album The Age of Adz (pronounced ‘odds’).  Outside of the orchestral The BQE piece, Sufjan had been silent for a couple years (which we recently found out was due to nervous system health issues).  Within the past two months, he came roaring back in 2010 with a North American-spanning tour and two new adventurous albums (the “EP” is 58+ minutes).

The new music from Delighted and Adz is a little less accessible compared to Seven Swans or his “State” albums, but a little more poppy/accessible compared to BQE or Rabbit.  I think the new music strikes a nice balance between the adventurousness and electronic-ness in his past music… possibly “A Sun Came! updated for the Sufjan listener in 2010.”  While I don’t think it’s a repeat of A Sun Came! (at all) – that’s the best Sufjan repertoire comparison I can muster.  It’s sweeping and glitchy, quiet and loud.  But how would it translate into a live show?

Before we could find out, labelmate DM Stith hit the stage.  He only played 20 minutes, but was a good warm-up.  Nice singer-songwriter fare, with Sufjans’ horn section on “Thanksgiving Moon.” I’d heard DM’s music via AK samplers and free downloads.  It never struck me as solidly as Sufjan has, but in the live setting, he seemed to carry himself well.  After he did his tunes, he left to go put on shiny pants for Sufjan’s band.  I was slightly disappointed that he left after only 20 minutes, but that disappointment soon went away as the anticipation for Sufjan mounted.

Sufjan and his 10 piece band hit the stage around 10 ’til 9pm in shiny outfits.  His band was comprised of DM Stith on keyboards, two drummers, a 3-member torn section, a guitarist, bassist, and two backup singers/dancers.  After a short hello, they went immediate into “All Delighted People” and didn’t stop with the new material until 10:30.  I’d been listening to the new material for the past week, and glad they played some personal favorites: Heirloom, Futile Devices, The Owl and the Tanager, and the 20+ minute Impossible Soul.

Sufjan’s “slow jam” dancing to “I Walked” was charming.  The projected graphics and dark, hallowed lighting during “Vesuvius” made my friend mention that it seemed like a weird, ancient worship service.  The auto tune hip-hop near the end of “Impossible Soul” is one of my favorite parts, and it really worked in the live setting. I wish cameras had been allowed near the end, as a large luminescent diamond descended*, and Sufjan busted out the jams in front of the back-lit, strobe-diamond facade.  While that was his most “rockstar moment,” most of the show, he was talkative, yet unassuming and grateful to the audience.

* Amanda McAuley got some photos of it (some shown below), plus I found an “Impossible Soul” part 2 video snippet – see alphaleonis’ youtube for more from the show.

Setlist: about 2 1/4 hours

  • All Delighted People
  • Too Much
  • Age of Adz
  • Heirloom
  • I Walked
  • Futile Devices
  • Vesuvius
  • The Owl and the Tanager [Sufjan solo with backing vocals]
  • Get Real Get Right [with story about Royal Robertson]
  • Enchanting Ghost
  • Impossible Soul
  • Chicago
  • Encore: Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois [Sufjan solo piano]
  • Casimir Pulaski Day

It was a brilliant show.  He was quirky and subdued, gentle and cacophonous, amusing and bewildering, and all around charming.  He saved the old tunes for last, and only three Illinois tracks made the cut.  I got goosebumps as he hit the intro for “Concerning the UFO Sighting.”  While the older tunes were nice (and I wish there had been more sprinkled in), I can honestly say that the new tunes hold their own.  There’s a reason Sufjan has a piece of our hearts.  Seeing the new songs live definitely elevated those albums to being amongst my favoritesfor 2010.  After seeing them performed live, I think they fit better within his catalogue, too.  I hope it’s not another 3+ years until I get to see Sufjan and his band of musicians again.

Sidenote: Sufjan’s one of the only artists who could have pulled me away from a reported, equally awesome Nellie McKay show in Eugene (check back tomorrow for Nellie McKay photos from Margaret O’Brien – who went in my place).

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan –Dave Douglas & Keystone – Spark of Being: Expand

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

(click for larger)

Sufjan’s 2010 Tour Dates

  • Tuesday, 12 October – Metropolis Theater, Montreal QC
  • Wednesday, 13 October – Massey Hall, Toronto ON
  • Thursday, 14 October – Royal Oak Music Theater, Royal Oak MI
  • Friday, 15 October – Chicago Theater, Chicago IL
  • Saturday, 16 October – Orpheum Theater, Minneapolis MN
  • Sunday, 17 October – Uptown Theater, Kansas City MO
  • Tuesday, 19 October – The Long Center for the Performing Arts, Austin TX
  • Wednesday, 20 October – McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Dallas TX
  • Friday, 22 October – Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater, Mesa AZ
  • Saturday, 23 October – The Wiltern, Los Angeles CA
  • Tuesday, 26 October – The Paramount Theater, Oakland CA
  • Thursday, 28 October – Orpheum Theater, Vancouver BC
  • Friday, 29 October – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland OR
  • Saturday, 30 October – The Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA
  • Monday, 1 November – Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City UT
  • Tuesday, 2 November – Paramount Theatre, Denver CO
  • Thursday, 4 November – Hilbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis IN
  • Friday, 5 November – Bijou Theater, Knoxville TN
  • Saturday, 6 November – The Tabernacle, Atlanta GA
  • Sunday, 7 November – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville NC
  • Wednesday, 10 November – Kimmel Center, Philadelphia PA
  • Thursday, 11 November – Orpheum Theatre, Boston MA
  • Sunday, 14 November – Beacon Theatre, New York NY
  • Monday, 15 November – Beacon Theatre, New York NY

 

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

REVIEW: Peter Mulvey & Jeffrey Foucault @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 10/24/10)

25th Oct 10 (Mon) 9 comments

Summing Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault‘s travelling show in one word would be: “authentic.”  This was round two for me (link here for my Friday Portland review with photos); so I’ll keep it short and sweet.

They hit the stage at Sam Bond’s around 8:45 and played two great sets.  The show was partially more of the same, but don’t take that the wrong way… it was definitely not a disappointment.  Switching off on vocal duties, about a half originals and half covers.  They also switched up about half of their setlist from the Friday show… great show as usual for these gents.  Quite a talky crowd, but still a bit more subdued than a normal Sam Bond’s crowd.

Setlist: 90+ minutes

  • Set 1: Starlight and Static (Jeffrey on vocals, new tune)
  • Kids in the Square (Peter on vocals)
  • Mesa, Arizona (JF)
  • The Obvious Child [Paul Simon] (PM)
  • Pretty Girl in a Small Town (JF, new tune)
  • Shirt (PM)
  • Last Night I Dreamed of Television (JF, new tune)
  • Some People (PM)
  • Goners Most (JF, new tune)
  • But I Do [Bobby Charles] (PM)
  • Set 2: Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] (PM)
  • City Flower (JF)
  • Ithaca [Redbird] (PM)
  • Tulsa Time [Don Williams] (JF)
  • Duncan and Brady [P.D.] (PM)
  • Late Season (JF)
  • Diamond and Gold [Tom Waits] (PM)
  • Tea and Tobacco (JF, new tune)
  • Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home) (PM)
  • 4 & 20 Blues (JF)
  • Encore: Tecumseh Valley [Townes Van Zandt] (PM/JF)
     thanks to Eric for JF new tunes/song identification



more photos below

Re-posting Friday’s NEWS from the stage:

Jeffrey Foucault has a new album out called Cold Satellite. Peter Mulvey has recorded a new duet instrumental album with longtime collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich – release next year(?). And the Peter & Jeffrey collaboration with Kris Delmhorst and Goody called Redbird has a second installment on the horizon. It’s already been mastered (woot!), and the last four songs will have the explicit tag in iTunes. It was recorded live, but they didn’t mention live in studio or live on stage. I guess we’ll see.

Kris Delmhorst (Jeffrey’s wife, fellow singer-songwriter) is coming to Eugene… Tsunami Books on Saturday, November 6th – 8pm.  Make note!

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Carissa’s Wierd – Songs About Leaving

PETER MULVEY & JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
Eugene pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien
of Emobie Photography, you may use freely
under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Mulvey & Foucault West Coast 2010 Tour Dates

  • 10.22 – The Woods – Portland, OR
  • 10.23 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
  • 10.24 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
  • 10.25 – Arcata Playhouse – Arcata, CA
  • 10.26 – Freight and Salvage – Berkely, CA
  • 10.27 – Maverick Saloon – Santa Ynez, CA – w/ Bonnie Prince Billy
  • 10.29 – McCabe’s – Santa Monica, CA
  • 10.30 – Janey’s Coffee House – Cave Creek, AZ
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Peter Mulvey & Jeffrey Foucault @ The Woods (Portland, OR – 10/22/10)

23rd Oct 10 (Sat) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Last night was my first time to The Woods in SE Portland.  One word: melikey.  Nice cozy living room feel in the middle of an old funeral parlour.  Random chairs, couches, beer & wine, candles, and a well laid out listening room.  It was actually the perfect listening room for the likes of Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault.  They had the early show last night; so we shuffled into the venue and found some seats… we got up close (but to the right of the stage).  There’s not really a bad spot in the house… but a tip, if you come to a show at The Woods – show up early for the primo spots.

The guys got on the stage shortly after 7:30, and kicked into a hour and half set of songs, trading off in the vocal slot.  They played a few originals, a few covers, told some stories, and warmed the crowd with their all around genuineness.  Both of these men are prime performers – excellent songwriters and guitarists in their own right, but they really draw you in with their humanity, humility and… well… their charm.


They reminded me a lot of the Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt show from last fall in their trade-off approach and general witty banter.  Their song selection was also excellent… I didn’t know all of the songs, but I loved them all.

Setlist: about 90 minutes

  • Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] (Peter on vocals)
  • Starlight and Static (Jeffrey on vocals, new tune)
  • On the Way Up (PM)
  • Mesa, Arizona (JF)
  • Some People (PM)
  • Last Night I Dreamed of Television (JF, new tune)
  • Trempealeau (PM – new song?)
  • “Don’t Fuck with my Miller Time” [Andy Friedman & the Other Failures] (JF/PM)
  • O My Star! [Anais Mitchell] (PM)
  • Train to Jackson (JF)
  • Knuckleball Suite (PM)
  • Passerines (JF, new tune)
  • We’ll Go No More A-Roving [Kris Delmhorst/Lord Byron] (PM)
  • Anybody’s Heaven [Kris Delmhorst] (JF)
  • Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me [Mississippi John Hurt] (PM)
  • Real Love (JF, new tune)
  • Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home) (PM)
  • 4 & 20 Blues (JF)
  • Encore: Moonshiner [Bob Dylan] (JF)
    thanks to Eric for JF new tunes/song identification

I’ll be seeing Peter & Jeffrey again in Eugene on Sunday at Sam Bond’s.  Oh, and I almost forgot… the NEWS from the stage:

Jeffrey Foucault has a new album out called Cold Satellite.  Peter Mulvey has recorded a new duet instrumental album with longtime collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich – release next year(?).  And the Peter & Jeffrey collaboration with Kris Delmhorst and Goody called Redbird has a second installment on the horizon.  It’s already been mastered (woot!), and the last four songs will have the explicit tag in iTunes.  It was recorded live, but they didn’t mention live in studio or live on stage.  I guess we’ll see.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Carissa’s Wierd – Ugly But Honest

PETER MULVEY & JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Mulvey & Foucault West Coast 2010 Tour Dates

  • 10.22 – The Woods – Portland, OR
  • 10.23 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
  • 10.24 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
  • 10.25 – Arcata Playhouse – Arcata, CA
  • 10.26 – Freight and Salvage – Berkely, CA
  • 10.27 – Maverick Saloon – Santa Ynez, CA – w/ Bonnie Prince Billy
  • 10.29 – McCabe’s – Santa Monica, CA
  • 10.30 – Janey’s Coffee House – Cave Creek, AZ
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Weepies Portland photos now up…

23rd Oct 10 (Sat) Leave a comment

Photos now posted.  Low light, but you get what you get… Full review with setlist over here:

https://jazzsick.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/weepies-portland/

~Dan

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

REVIEW: The Weepies @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 10/20/10)

20th Oct 10 (Wed) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

The Weepies have a new album out, Be My Thrill.  It’s fantastic!  And unlike their prior album, Hideaway, they’re touring behind it.  To be fair, they weren’t able to tour behind Hideaway due to a new baby at the time.  With Be My Thrill, they have a 3 year-old and a 6-month old… they’re on the road, and Oregon got a chance to see them twice on their “sponsored by 755 diapers” tour (Eugene and Portland).  I caught the Portland show tonight…

Opener Lucy Schwartz and her two lovely backing ladies hit the stage around 8pm and played a 30 minute set that flew by too fast.  All three women sang, with Lucy at the center but not the sole shining star.  Mona was also talented and fantastic on providing the energetic percussion for the set.  I didn’t catch the guitarist’s name – but again, a great part of the trio.  Favorite songs were “Rain City,” “Seven Hours” (with Aqualung on the recorded version), and “When We Were Young.”  She has a handful of albums, an EP, and songs on soundtracks.  Her latest CD is Life in Letters… and if it’s anything like her live show, it’s a delight.

The Weepies hit the stage around 9pm, surrounded by guitars, candles, and Weepies-cover art lamps.

The light was low due to trying to rely primarily on candles for effect – which was quite nice aesthetically.  Not great luck on the photos in low light (some below, though). The lighting person was also trying to be clever a bit too late or didn’t know the Weepies songs were generally short.  A swirling sun, swirling green light, and fade-in blue light all came on during lyric-instigated songs… right at the end of the song (10 seconds left and boom goes the dynamite).  Awkward at best for the lighting… it would have been best to stick to the candles. :)

Luckily the lighting didn’t impact the songs.  And, in fact, the Weepies via candlelight was sublime.  Deb and Steve played with a backing four-piece band that created some nice folksy, indie-rock, singer-songwriter splendor.  They packed in twenty songs in their 90 minute set – roughly a third from Be My Thrill, and the rest from their other three equally-excellent albums.

Setlist: about 90 minutes

  • Please Speak Well of Me
  • Stars
  • Can’t Go Back Now
  • I Was Made for Sunny Days
  • Orbiting
  • Riga Girls
  • Gotta Have You
  • Painting by Chagall
  • Hard to Please
  • They’re in Love, Where Am I?
  • Be My Thrill
  • Citywide Rodeo
  • Sing Me To Sleep
  • Antarctica
  • World Spins Madly On (with slight false start)
  • Just Blue
  • Not a Lullaby
  • Encore: Nobody Knows Me at All
  • Little Bird
  • Hope Tomorrow

A beautiful end to a beautiful evening.  If you’re on the fence about checking out the Weepies, either in concert or on record – get off the fence!  It’s great music.  If you’re a fan and are on the fence about going to a show, get your tickets soon.  They’re selling out many of the shows before the day of the show.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tourdates below.

~Dan – np: Peter Mulvey – Letters from a Flying Machine 

LUCY SCHWARTZ & The WEEPIES PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

The Weepies Fall 2010 Tour

10/10/2010 Los Angeles CA El Rey Theatre
Lucy Schwartz
SOLD OUT
10/12/2010 Santa Barbara CA SOhO
Les Shelleys
SOLD OUT
10/13/2010 San Diego CA Winston’s
Lucy Schwartz
SOLD OUT
10/14/2010 San Juan Capistrano CA Coach House
Parlor Hawk, Sarah Wallace
SOLD OUT
10/15/2010 Visalia CA Fox Theatre
The Gospel Whiskey Runners
10/16/2010 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
Lucy Schwartz
SOLD OUT
10/17/2010 Chico CA El Rey Theatre
MaMuse
10/19/2010 Eugene OR John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
10/20/2010 Portland OR Aladdin Theater
Lucy Schwartz
SOLD OUT
10/21/2010 Seattle WA City Arts Music Festival – The Crocodile
The Head and The Heart, Lucy Schwartz
SOLD OUT
10/22/2010 Boise ID The Bouquet
Blaze & Kelly
10/23/2010 Salt Lake City UT The State Room
Joe Pug
SOLD OUT
10/24/2010 Englewood CO The Gothic Theatre
Matt The Electrician
10/26/2010 Iowa City IA The Englert Theater
Matt The Electrician
10/27/2010 Minneapolis MN Cedar Cultural Center
SOLD OUT
10/28/2010 Madison WI High Noon Saloon
Matt The Electrician
10/29/2010 Indianapolis IN Radio Radio
Matt The Electrician
10/30/2010 Evanston IL SPACE
1st SOLD OUT
2nd SOLD OUT
11/1/2010 Grand Rapids MI The Fine Arts Center
11/2/2010 Ann Arbor MI The Ark
The Chapin Sisters
SOLD OUT
11/3/2010 Cleveland OH Beachland Ballroom
Carsie Blanton
11/5/2010 Philadelphia PA World Cafe Live
Greg Tannen
SOLD OUT
11/6/2010 Londonderry NH Tupelo Music Hall
Greg Tannen
SOLD OUT
11/7/2010 Boston MA Royale Nightclub
Greg Tannen
11/8/2010 Fairfield CT FTC Stage One
Greg Tannen
11/10/2010 New York NY Hiro Ballroom
Greg Tannen
SOLD OUT
11/11/2010 Falls Church VA The State Theatre
Greg Tannen
11/12/2010 Norfolk VA The Attucks Theater
Greg Tannen
11/14/2010 Charleston WV Mountain Stage
Punch Brothers, Infamous Stringdusters, Trampled By Turtles
11/15/2010 Annapolis MD Rams Head On Stage
11/16/2010 Raleigh NC The Lincoln Theatre
Carsie Blanton
11/17/2010 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse
Beth Amsel
11/19/2010 Dallas TX Lakewood Theater
Seela
11/20/2010 Austin TX Momo’s
Seela
SOLD OUT
11/22/2010 Tucson AZ Plush
Leila Lopez
11/23/2010 Phoenix AZ The Rhythm Room
Rachael Sage
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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:

~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: , , , , , , , , , , ,

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:

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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:

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Kaki King with An Horse @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 5/16/10)

17th May 10 (Mon) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Last night the fine folks of Eugene were treated to two lovely indie rock acts… Kaki King and An Horse. Kaki had played a short, but fantastic set earlier on Sunday at CD World (review with photos/videos) – and she brought up Kate Cooper from An Horse at the end, which had been my only exposure to An Horse outside of the WNYC Soundcheck podcast a month ago.  Kate’s “Camp Out” with Kaki solidified it to me that I shant be late to the opening set…

An Horse went on right around 8pm and played a SOLID melodic indie rock set.  Being only vaguely familiar with their songs didn’t matter.  It was 45 or so minutes of indie rock goodness.  “Camp Out” was played, which is perhaps their “single” but it far from being their only good song.  The Aussie duo put out a nice wall of sound, too.  Mighty big for a two person crew!  Check out their latest record, Rearrange Beds!

After a short break, Kaki came on with her band…

They started off strong with a powerful few numbers.  “Bone Chaos” may have been my favorite of the night… it really shows off Kaki’s guitar prowess combined with some haunting EVI by Dan Brantigan.  It was pretty obvious early on that the drums were taking over (unfortunately).  The mid-section of the show was nice, as we got to see Kaki shine solo with some “Pink Noise”…

Kaki’s Setlist: just shy of 2 hours

  • Falling Day
  • Bone Chaos in the Castle
  • Life Being What It Is
  • Pull Me Out Alive
  • Death Head
  • The Betrayer
  • Hallucinations From My Poisonous German Streets
  • Playing with Pink Noise [solo]
  • Goby [solo]
  • All the Landslides Birds Have Seen
  • Doing The Wrong Thing
  • My Nerves That Committed Suicide
  • unknown song
  • Spit It Back in My Mouth
  • Everything Has An End, Even Sadness (which is not new age)*
  • You Don’t Have to Be Afraid
  • Encore: unknown rock jam
  • fucking around on the lap steel
  • Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers
  • unknown dance song

*– don’t ever call Kaki new age… especially if you have balls and would like to retain them.
any help on unknown songs is appreciated

Kaki came out for an encore and treated us to another instrumental favorite, “Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers,” which featured Dan trading the EVI off for a theremin, alongside Kaki’s lapsteel.  She then capped the show off with a “dance number,” which unbeknown to us involved her jumping amongst the crowd and dancing it up while her guitar went on loop above us… a great end to a great day full of music.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Kaki King – How I Got Lost (soundtrack)

KAKI KING with AN HORSE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Spring 2010 Tour Dates

Apr 15, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, New York
Apr 16, 2010 Bowery Ballroom – New York, New York
Apr 17, 2010 Middle East – Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 19, 2010 Iron Horse – Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 20, 2010 Port City Music Hall – Portland, Maine
Apr 21, 2010 Higher Ground – Burlington, Vermont
Apr 28, 2010 TLA – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 29, 2010 9:30 Club – Washington, DC, Washington DC
Apr 30, 2010 Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, North Carolina
May 1, 2010 The Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, Georgia
May 4, 2010 Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, Ohio
May 5, 2010 The Ark – Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 6, 2010 Park West – Chicago, Illinois
May 7, 2010 High Noon Saloon – Madison, Wisconsin
May 8, 2010 Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 9, 2010 The Waiting Room – Omaha, Nebraska
May 11, 2010 The Fox Theater – Boulder, Colorado
May 12, 2010 Cervantes – Denver, Colorado
May 14, 2010 Neumos – Seattle, Washington
May 15, 2010 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, Oregon
May 16, 2010 WOW Hall – Eugene, Oregon
May 19, 2010 Knitting Factory – Reno, Nevada
May 20, 2010 Mystic Theater – Petaluma, California
May 21, 2010 The Fillmore – San Francisco, California
May 22, 2010 The El Rey Theater – Los Angeles, California
May 24, 2010 The Belly Up – San Diego, California
May 25, 2010 The Glass House – Pomona, California

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

REVIEW: Derek Webb & Jennifer Knapp @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 4/27/10)

28th Apr 10 (Wed) 11 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

There’s something about songwriters that draw me in.  With Derek Webb, I’ve been a long time fan since 1996… ever since first seeing him with his folksy-poppy band Caedmon’s Call.  While I dug Caedmon’s a lot as a group, I really enjoyed Derek’s songwriting the most.  He seemed to have the more “real life” songs – ones I could relate to the most.  His initial departure from the band went OK with me, as he kept making solo music… starting out in the traditional acoustic and then morphing into more rock and even electronic-infused meets acoustic.  His last album, 2009’s Stockholm Syndrome, was one of my favorites from last year (#3 to be exact).

Stockholm Syndrome fuses some great keys & beats from fellow Caedmon’s Call member Joshua Moore with Derek’s solid songwriting.  Lyrically, Derek tackles many issues that I think are relevant and important to everyone (not just christians) – including, but not limited to, addressing Fred “God Hates F-gs” Phelps from the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church (“Freddie Please”) to one-side of a superficial relationship with a club beat (“Jena & Jimmy”) to the conflict of a walk of faith and easier route living in the world at large (at least, that’s my take on “The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum”) to the seemingly-singling out of homosexuality in the church as a major sin (“What Matters More“).

“What Matters More” is a song that resonates with me, as it is a big part of why I eventually left the church.  The church’s singling out of one sin over another really hit me as hypocritical, legalistic, and not loving.  If this was the god that the bible talked about, I didn’t want to be part of this disease.  If this wasn’t god’s view, then I didn’t want to be part of this group of “believers.”  Regardless of my personal road that led to a lack of faith and becoming an atheist, I still hold Derek’s music closely, as I think of any christian artist, he seems to “get it.”

Derek going out on tour with Jennifer Knapp ended up being a perfect match (she just “came out” as being in a long-term, committed same-sex relationship).  This isn’t shocking to me, and I wish it didn’t even have to be mentioned.  Why is someone’s sexuality any of our business? I suppose that in this day and age, especially coming from a christian musician, this “coming out” has to occur to set the record straight that there is nothing wrong with this.  I’m happy that she was finally comfortable coming back into making music, touring and coming out to be true to herself.  I didn’t know much of her music prior to this show (though she was on my radar back when I was a music buyer at a christian bookstore in the Midwest), but I was equally excited to see her play alongside Derek.

Amy Courts opened the show right at 8pm.  She only played about 3 songs, but had a lot of banter (she was up there about 20 minutes).  Her banter was quite adorable, and her songs were in a similar acoustic singer-songwriter vein to both Webb & Knapp.  Amy had a gentler song in the middle, but her opener and closer showed off her powerful voice.  Definitely a good warm up…

Derek Webb went on immediately after Amy.  I guess with a bunch of acoustic guitars and no backing bands, it’s easy to stack the artists right after one another.

Prior to the show, I wasn’t sure how the Stockholm Syndrome songs would translate to solo acoustic, and according to Derek – he can only play about half of them on a solo tour.  With that being said, he played a good mix of older tunes, newer tunes, and even a brand new Caedmon’s Call song…

Derek’s Setlist: about 50 mins

  • Heaven
  • A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fear
  • New Law
  • My Enemies Are Men Like Me
  • Freddie, Please
  • Nobody Loves Me
  • God’s Home Town (new Caedmon’s Call song)
  • Wedding Dress
  • What Matters More
  • American Flag Umbrella

My favorites from his set were the last three, but I enjoyed his set throughout.  Derek was fighting some form of sickness, which contributed a little bit to his normal raspiness (which I love).  Hopefully he’ll come by soon and be able to be more talkative, as that’s usually where things get interesting. :)

After a short 10-minute break, Jennifer Knapp hit the stage.  As mentioned previously, I was not too familiar with her music, but I did recognize one of the tunes early on from my old christian bookstore days – “Whole Again.”  I also recognized “Dive In” from her webpage.  She definitely had a powerful voice and stage presence.  I can totally see her draw… she’s a great performer and has some vocal and guitar chops.

Some of her songs were a bit too “christianeze” for my tastes.  Though, she is decidedly less CCM-y than most, and I can definitely appreciate that. :)  One funny moment (to me) was her describing how “such and such” song was written a while ago but never put on a record because it didn’t have the right mentioning of “Jesus” and wasn’t as religious, etc – but to me, it definitely seemed religious… I mean, why do christians many times think that songs aren’t religious if they don’t use “god” or Jesus’ name directly?  This song’s mentioning being “in need of mercy” (among other things) definitely had a religious bent, if you ask me.  Anyway, christians’ perceptions of christian songs gets a chuckle out of me.  That’s all.  She is enough of a cross-over lyricist where I think she’ll do fine on the Lilith Fair circuit… she’s a powerful woman musician warrior.

I enjoyed just under an hour of Jennifer’s set before heading out back home to Eugene.  I did catch a few songs with Amy Court joining her, and I’m sure Derek joined her later in the set (as he has done in the past).  All in all, I thought it was an A+ triple singer-songwriter bill.  If you have any thoughts on Jennifer’s set or if you have her setlist, please post in the comments.

This was one of the last shows featuring both Derek & Jennifer.  Derek Webb will likely be more involved in the Caedmon’s Call album wrap-up in the coming months (I’m hoping they tour with Derek).  Jennifer Knapp will be on the Lilith Fair tour in 2010 alongside many other great artists.  I’d highly (HIGHLY) recommend Derek’s latest album, Stockholm Syndrome.  Also, check out Jennifer’s album, Letting Go, when it drops on May 11th…

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Erin McKeown – Hundreds of Lions

AMY COURTS, DEREK WEBB
& JENNIFER KNAPP PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

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

REVIEW: Erin McKeown & Emily Wells @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 4/21/10)

22nd Apr 10 (Thu) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM


(despite these pictures, this show was not a head-scratcher)

Last night, the Mississippi Studios in Portland had a triple-bill tour de force.  Almost two and a half hours from three wonderful musicians – violinist indie-rapper Emily Wells, folk-pop songwriter Erin McKeown, and Portland-based singer Timmy Straw.  All three were showered us with great music (both old and new)…

Timmy Straw hit the stage late and quickly went into the first number.  Timmy’s vocals were gorgeous, in that gristly-yearning kind of way.  Songs were mostly haunting piano numbers, but there was some electronic-infusion on a song or two.  I picked up Timmy’s equally gorgeous debut CD, 2009’s State Parks.  Timmy only had a little banter during the set, playing fairly straight from one to the next (playing about 6 or 7 songs in a half hour).  Songs I did catch names for are “Rock of Ages,” “Scoops,” and “Herakles.”  I highly recommend State Parks. I think you can only get it at shows at this point (if someone has other info, please pass it along).

Erin McKeown went on around 10 and his us with a lot of gems from her latest album, Hundreds of Lions, out on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records.  I’d seen her a couple times prior (in Cincinnati), and she was just as adorable and delightfully charming with her stories and music as she can be.  My wife noted (and I agree) that Erin has such great stage presence and spark.  She’s a ball of joy and it comes through in her songs…

Erin’s Setlist: ~45 mins

  • “Manifestra” (new song)
  • Cinematic
  • Santa Cruz
  • You, Sailor
  • (Put the Fun Back in) the Funeral
  • Queen of Quiet
  • Didn’t They
  • “Train of Steel” (new song)
  • Lullaby in 3/4

Emily went on around 11 and started swinging with her crowd-pleasin’ hip-hop numbers.  She employed Doug from the Portland Cello Project during half of her set.  I saw her play with the PCP last summer, and it’s what had me sold on her music.  She switched between violin and various other toys in her arsenal (toy pianos, drum loops, toy microphones, guitar, ukulele, etc).  She relied a lot on looping – which is always fun, as far as I’m concerned.  The hour-long Emily Wells “solo/live remix” included some of her Symphonies, her über-fun Notorious B.I.G. cover, as well as some newer songs… oh, and she was sportin’ some bling…

Emily’s Setlist: ~1 hour

  • If You Love Me, Really Love Me
  • Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun
  • Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well & the Requiem Mix
  • Juicy (Notorious B.I.G.)
  • Mama’s Gonna Give You Love (new song)
  • Give Ya Everything (new song)
  • Let Your Guard Down (new song)
  • The Fire Song (new song)
  • Passenger
  • Encore: Symphony 9 & the Sunshine

Emily has a new album coming out later this year, and also a project with Dan the Automator called Pillowfight.  Check her out on the MySpaces to keep in the loop.  We headed back home to Eugene around midnight… tired, but content.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Ozomatli – Fire Away
 no download or free torrent mp3 flac available
support music by buying it

EMILY WELLS, ERIN McKEOWN
& TIMMY STRAW PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld and Margaret O’Brien,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

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

REVIEW: Jónsi of Sigur Rós @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 4/13/10)

14th Apr 10 (Wed) 6 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Jon Thor Birgisson aka “Jónsi” has a majestic voice and a penchant for clever, extravagant, and utterly gorgeous stage show that converts the already beautiful music into something worthy of an art exhibit.  His voice is well known in the indie rock scene via his long history bringing the enigmatic Sigur Rós to our shores/ears.

Sigur Rós is on a hiatus while many of the members’ families welcome new children into their lives; so Jónsi decided to follow-up his last album (Riceboy Sleeps with his partner Alex) with a “solo acoustic album.”  That “solo acoustic” album morphed into what became GO, a not-so-acoustic album.  Go fits in with the most recent Sigur Rós album (Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust).   It’s a “more accessible rock” affair full of the ideals, quirks, and high quality craftsmanship we’ve come to expect.

That high quality craftsmanship shows in Jónsi’s decision to bring in 59 Productions to work up his tour stage.  If I wasn’t sold on going to see Jónsi before, the lead-up to the show was almost unbearable after seeing the 59 Productions behind the scenes video.  More on that later… first, the opener…

Death Vessel (aka Joel Thibodeau) hit the stage around 8 and played a 35 minute set (6-7 songs).  His songs were gentle acoustic numbers, and his voice reminded me a lot of the late Jeff Hanson (nice falsetto).  The crowd seemed a little restless near the end, but I thought Death Vessel put out an enjoyable set.

Jónsi went on right at 9pm and started the show with just an acoustic guitar solo tune, Stars in Still Water.  Shortly thereafter the band joined him and the stage show began.  The walls and projectors played for about half of the songs in the set, and ranged from butterflies, to other animals, to a rainstorm that turned into a flood.  Some of the coolest effects were the burning stage-pieces early on, as well as the water flood.  It was quite astonishing how well done everything was… and it didn’t take away from the music at all.

Setlist: ~85 minutes

  • Stars in Still Water (solo)
  • Hengilás
  • Icicle Sleeves (K14 or Red Bicycle)
  • Kolniður
  • Tornado
  • Saint Naive (K7)
  • Sinking Friendships
  • Go Do
  • Boy Lilikoi
  • K12
  • New Piano Song (K365)
  • Around Us (with acoustic piano intro)
  • Encore: Jonsi New Guitar Song
  • Animal Arithmetic (Jonsi donned a colorful headdress)
  • Grow Till Tall

The fave songs of the night were Tornado, Go Do, Boy Lilikoi & Grow Till Tall – as those were the ones that resonate with me the most from the record.  All in all, it was an utterly superb show, and it ranks easily in my favorite shows ever (which includes many Sigur Rós shows, too).  The stage, the songs, the voice, the beauty… I hope Jónsi comes back through soon – either solo or with his “main band.”

Speaking of bands… the band members for Jónsi’s solo tour are Alex Somers on guitar, Úlfur Hansson on bass, þorvaldur þorvaldsson on drums and Ólafur Björn Ólafsson on piano

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

OK, I’m off for a while… if you comment, sorry if I won’t/can’t  respond (or potentially be able to approve comments) for a bit.  Anyway, for those of you who are going to one of the upcoming dates, have fun.  It is an AMAZING show.  Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome

JÓNSI (from Sigur Rós) & DEATH VESSEL PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (8 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (5 DV, 27 Jónsi pics)

2010 North American Tour Dates

  • april 6 vancouver, canada vogue theatre
  • april 7 vancouver, canada vogue theatre
  • april 9 seattle, wa the showbox sodo
  • april 10 seattle, wa the showbox sodo
  • april 13 portland, or roseland theatre
  • april 15 berkeley, ca zellerbach auditorium
  • april 16 san francisco, ca palace of fine arts
  • april 18 indio, ca coachella
  • april 21 denver, co paramount theatre
  • april 22 lawrence, ks liberty hall
  • april 24 minneapolis, mn pantages theatre
  • april 25 minneapolis, mn pantages theatre
  • april 26 milwaukee, wi the pabst theatre
  • april 27 chicago, il vic theatre
  • april 28 chicago, il vic theatre
  • april 30 toronto, canada sound academy
  • may 1 toronto, canada sound academy
  • may 2 montreal, canada metropolis
  • may 3 philadelphia, pa electric factory
  • may 5 boston, ma house of blues
  • may 6 boston, ma house of blues
  • may 8 new york, ny terminal 5
  • may 9 new york, ny terminal 5
Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Post-rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter, World Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland, OR – 3/31/10)

1st Apr 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Nellie McKay‘s most recent album, As Normal As Blueberry Pie, came out last year, and while different from her prior records, it definitely fit in her catalog nicely.  It featured her at her campiest but also her jazziest, versus her edgier side. For evidence of the campiness, check out the lovely publicity shots over on nelliemckay.com.  The serious and silliness perfectly fit her personality.  I wouldn’t want Nellie any other way.

On to the show…

The venue, Berbati’s Pan, was known to me more for its rock acts.  The “jazzy, bluesy, singer-songwriter evening” in store for us was bound to be a big question mark regarding how it would come across… well, it was delightful.  The lighting and small couches on the outskirts of the club made for a nice atmosphere.  We got to the show just before Howard went on.  Most of the people were hanging out on the chairs & couches; so we got some spots right up front.

Howard Fishman opened up the show and hit the stage around 8:45pm.  He played guitar in Nellie’s backing band, the Aristocrats, last fall.  He played a good set of bluesy standards and originals.  He had a lap steel guitarist, Henry Bogdan, playing with him.  He played about 25-30 minutes, primarily “upbeat blues” tunes… with a few darker tunes thrown in near the end.  Some of my favorites were “The One Rose (That’s Left in My Heart),” a silly song about the Red Sox, and the capper called “Best Days.”

After a short break, Nellie hit the stage alongside both Howard and Henry around 9:20pm.  Her set was a more stripped down version of what she brought to Seattle last fall.  A great selection of Doris Day and other older standards, with a few of her own songs thrown in for good measure.  Her originals were some of my favorites for the night – specifically “Toto Dies” and “The Dog Song.”  The newer cover tunes added to her setlist – “Small Day Tomorrow” and “Two Sleepy People” – were really great as well.

She was a giddy and lovable as usual… very jokey and generally in a delightful mood.

Setlist: about 75 minutes

  • Do Do Do (Doris Day cover)
  • Sentimental Journey (Doris Day Cover)
  • A Wonderful Guy (Doris Day cover)
  • Georgie Girl (The Seekers cover)
  • Mean to Me (Doris Day cover)
  • Prisoner of Love (Kitty Wells cover)
  • Close Your Eyes (Doris Day cover)
  • “Happy Birthday” (to Becky)
  • If I Ever Had a Dream
  • Toto Dies
  • P.S. I Love You
  • Mother of Pearl
  • Alone When It Rains (duet with Howard Fishman)
  • The Dog Song
  • A-Tisket, A-Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald cover)
  • Small Day Tomorrow (Bob Dorough / Fran Landesman cover)
  • Crazy Rhythm (Doris Day cover)
  • Encore: “Old-fashioned Bodega” (title unknown)
  • Two Sleepy People (Hoagy Carmichael cover, duet with Howard Fishman)


many more photos below

Howard joined her on vocals on two songs.  “Alone When It Rains” is actually a song of his, which was sung last night as a tribute to her former dog, Charro.  The Hoagy Carmichael duet (“Two Sleepy People”) had a giggle-fit lyrical screw up, but they kept rolling with it.  Henry’s lap steel changed the Doris Day sound to a more bluesy feel from the jazz sound of the Aristocrats backing band.  The more stripped down Nellie backing band was a treat.  I hope she keeps on swinging through the Pacific Northwest.

They’re off to Seattle next (check out more tour dates below).  Catch them if you can!

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Coheed & Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow

no free download or torrent here
2010 Tour Dates (so far)

  • 3/28/2010 Los Angeles, CA Alex Theatre
  • 3/29/2010 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
  • 3/31/2010 Portland, OR Berbati’s Pan
  • 4/3/2010 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater A Prairie Home Companion
  • 4/10/2010 Delaware Water Gap, PA Deerhead Inn
  • 5/15/2010 Sellersville, Pennsylvania Sellersville Theater 1894
  • 6/1/2010 through 6/12/2010 New York, NY Feinstein’s at The Regency
  • 9/17/2010 Monterey, California, United States Monterey Jazz Festival

NELLIE McKAY with HOWARD FISHMAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (8 pics)

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

REVIEW: David Bazan @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 3/4/10)

5th Mar 10 (Fri) 7 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

So, what is there to say about David Bazan that I haven’t already said?  Well, not much; so I’ll just recap.  In short, he’s a genuine song-writer, an honest thinker, a gentle soul, and a wonderful song-weaver.  Since moving to Eugene, I’ve had the opportunity to see him three times… now a fourth.  All in a shorter window of time compared to the rare opportunities when I saw him in Ohio.

The show last night was one of the first shows from his Winter/Spring Tour (and the first with opener Headlights).  For more tour dates, check out the list at the bottom.  At Sam Bond’s Garage, David Bazan isn’t on the same A-frame as a delicious quiche (click for picture from a recent gig), but he does share the venue with some mighty fine pizza and beer.

Headlights were really good.  They played about 45 minutes and had some good indie rock / pop songs with nice melodies.  They are a traditional four piece (guitar, keys, bass, drums) and swapped lead vocal duties around a bit.  Their sound at Sam Bond’s Garage last night was a little too loud, but that’s definitely not the band’s fault.  I think Sam Bond’s doesn’t seem to have the acoustics for rock bands (this issue spilled over into David’s set, too).  Anyway, Headlights = good.  Check ’em out!  Here’s the video for their song “Secrets“:

David went on with his band a little after 10pm.  His band this time around is Blake Wescott on guitar, Andy Fitts on bas, and Alex Wescoat on drums.  The set was filled with songs from his most recent solo album, Curse Your Branches, as well as older material – including a nice collection of Pedro the Lion and Headphones songs.  Outsider of the aforementioned curse that Sam Bond’s Garage has on rock bands’ sound, it was a highly enjoyable show.  The mix of tunes and passion with which David sings is fun to take in.

Setlist: about 75 minutes

  • I Do (Pedro the Lion)
  • Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
  • Man in Me
  • Please, Baby, Please
  • June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
  • Q&A #1
  • When We Fell
  • Magazine (Pedro the Lion)
  • How I Remember
  • When They Really Get To Know You, They Will Run (Pedro the Lion)
  • Q&A #2
  • Shit Talker (Headphones)
  • Harmless Sparks
  • Fewer Broken Pieces
  • Q&A #3
  • Bands With Managers (Pedro the Lion)
  • Bad Diary Days (Pedro the Lion)
  • Cold Beer and Cigarettes
  • I Never Wanted You (Headphones)
  • Penetration (Pedro the Lion)
  • In Stitches
  • No Encore

Personally, ending the show with “In Stitches” is perfect.  That song sunk in with me last fall, especially the last verse…

When Job asked you a question,
You responded, “Who are you
to challenge your creator?”
Well if that one part is true
It makes you sound defensive
Like you had not thought it through
Like you didn’t have an answer
Like you bit off more than you could chew

So, yeah, the well documented pivot from religious to questioner to agnostic suits Bazan’s songwriting especially well in my book.

more photos below

SO, if you haven’t gotten it already, go check out his new live in the studio recording from his Fall 2009 band tour.  Bazan: Live at Electric Audio is a great recording, and it’s out on CD, vinyl, or digital only (for insane people):

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Bill Frisell – Rambler

DAVID BAZAN & HEADLIGHTS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Winter/Spring 2010 Tour Dates

  • 03/03/10 Wed – Salem OR – Ike Box
  • 03/04/10  Thu – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
  • 03/05/10  Fri – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
  • 03/06/10  Sat – Visalia CA  – Cellar Door
  • 03/07/10  Sun – Santa Barbara CA – Soho
  • 03/08/10  Mon – Long Beach CA – Alex’s Bar
  • 03/09/10  Tue – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
  • 03/10/10  Wed – Phoenix AZ – Sail Inn
  • 03/12/10  Fri – Norman OK – The Opolis
  • 03/13/10  Sat – Springfield MO – Gallery Sounds
  • 03/14/10  Sun – St Louis MO – Old Rock House
  • 03/15/10  Mon – Newport KY – Southgate House
  • 03/17/10  Wed – Nashville TN – Exit/In
  • 03/18/10  Thu – Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
  • 03/19/10  Fri – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
  • 03/20/10  Sat – Richmond VA – Alley Katz
  • 03/21/10  Sun – Baltimore MD – The Ottobar
  • 03/22/10  Mon – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
  • 03/23/10  Tue – Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
  • 03/27/10  Sat – Grantham PA – Messiah College
  • 03/28/10  Sun – Columbus OH – The Summit
  • 03/29/10  Mon – Bloomington IN – The Bishop
  • 03/30/10  Tue – Grand Rapids MI – Calvin College
  • 04/01/10 Thu – Iowa City IA – The Mill
  • 04/02/10 Fri – Urbana IL – Canopy Club
  • 04/03/10  Sat – DeKalb IL – House Cafe
  • 04/04/10  Sun – Milwaukee WI – Pabst
  • 04/05/10  Mon – St. Paul MN – Turf Club
  • 04/06/10  Tue – Fargo ND – The Aquarium
  • 04/08/10  Thu – Missoula MT – The Palace
  • 04/09/10  Fri – Spokane WA – Empyrean
  • 04/10/10  Sat – Bellingham WA – Western Washington University

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