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REVIEW: Jeffrey Foucault @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – 10/20/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I’ve been to many shows at Cozmic Pizza in downtown Eugene, but this was my first time in their newly remodeled place. Great new ordering queue/system, same great beer & pizza, great new stage, great new sound system. I can’t recommend the new digs enough!! On to the show…
I got there right after sound check… chatted with some folks, ordered some grub, an settled in for the opener. Jeffery Martin, from Eugene, played about a half hour set. His sound fit well with Jeffrey Foucault’s… Jeff #1 had an earthy, folky, Americana storyteller vibe. He didn’t necessarily “jump out” at me, but many singer-songwriters can bore. Bottom line: I’d see Jeffery Martin again. He was solid at his craft. He’s local; so I’ll most likely get a chance to see him again soon.
Jeffrey Foucault hit the stage shortly after 9. He had slide guitarist Jay Carter (?) with him for most of the set. They had just met / played together for the first time at the Seattle show. Despite their newness, they worked well together. The set contained a lot of the material (8 songs) from Jeffrey’s latest album, Horse Latitudes (samples via image to the right). Jeffrey showcased his gritty, superb storytelling in his lyrics and was in a good jokey spirit in between songs.
Foucault’s Setlist: about an hour
- Last Night I Dreamed of Television
- Goners Most
- Starlight and Static
- Pretty Girl in a Small Town
- Passerines
- Horse Latitudes
- “Statesboro Blues” [Chris Dombrowski poem]
- Twice I Left Her
- Mesa, Arizona
- Sixteen Tons [Merle Travis]
- The Bluest Blade
- Idaho
- Everybody’s Famous
- Encore: I Won’t Back Down [Tom Petty]
The encore was dedicated to Tom Petty – as his birthday is October 20th. The only disappointment of the night (well, once the loud couple was told to shut up by a fellow audience member) was that Ryan Adams was playing down the street at the Shedd at the same time as Foucault’s gig. I actually had a ticket to see Ryan Adams, but when I found out about Jeffery playing, I sold it (the heart wants what the heart wants). Jeffrey’s audience was a little sparse due to that scheduling coincidence (I think there’s some good crossover between the two artists).
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
- Jeffrey’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Jeffery Martin‘s Facebook
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- Cozmic’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check Jeffrey’s remaining 2011 tour dates below.
Next show for me… a house show with Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on 10/23 Sunday in Eugene.
~Dan – np: Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Jeffrey Foucault Fall 2011 Tour
- 10.18.11 Seattle, WA Fremont Abbey With Danny Barnes
- 10.19.11 Portland, OR The Woods Shelley Short opens
- 10.20.11 Eugene, OR Cozmic Pizza Jeffery Martin opens
- 10.21.11 Arcata, CA Arcata Playhouse Rorey Carroll opens
- 10.24.11 Felton, CA Don Quixote’s International Music
- 10.25.11 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord Kate Gaffney opens
- 11.05.11 Fall River, MA Narrows Center for the Arts Support to Rosanne Cash
- 12.01.11 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.02.11 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.03.11 Pawtucket, RI Stone Soup Coffeehouse Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.08.11 Evanston, IL SPACE
- 12.13.11 Marshfield, WI Vox Concert Series Hayward Williams opens
REVIEW: Opeth @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 10/16/11)
This tour was primed to be a Swedish metal onslaught… combine the dire, bleak sound from opener Katatonia with the melodic, progressive power of Opeth, and you have a tour combo made in Heav… um… Hades…
Katatonia played about an hour… I was jonesin’ for some thrash, and was initially disappointed by their slower, doom metal sound. It grew on me by the end, but knowing that Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt wasn’t breaking out the growls for this Heritage tour, I felt a little slighted…
Well, that, and the mix-up in the “photo pass situation“… all I was able to get was a few iPhone shots of Opeth.
Opeth went on around 9:45pm and led off with the opening song from their latest album, Heritage. Mikael’s lyrics are almost always poetic, but sometimes straight to the point as with “The Devil’s Orchard” and its Nietzschesque anthemic chorus “God is dead, God is dead.”
Mikael toyed with us several times… the first being the first non-Heritage song… “this one is from Still Life…” and then they play probably the only slow song on Still Life – “Face of Melinda.”
Oh, the crowd, ever wanting them to bust out into the heavy stuff – the band, ever restrained.
Mikael joked with crowd a bit. He’s going to grow his beard back. He’s only mustache’d now, and apparently he got hit on while taking a swim in Portland. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
After breaking out the acoustic guitar (yes, at an Opeth show!), Mikael remarked fondly of seeing an acoustic set from Winger. Some crowd members booed. He retorted, “well, Winger is better than your band.” Followed by “Winger is better than this band.” The crowded booed again and Mikael followed up with, “I’m glad you don’t agree” before starting into their acoustic set…
Opeth’s Setlist: just under 2 hours
- The Devil’s Orchard
- I Feel the Dark
- Face of Melinda
- Porcelain Heart [with drum solo]
- Pyre
- The Throat of Winter [acoustic]
- Patterns in the Ivy II [acoustic]
- Closure [acoustic]
- Slither
- A Fair Judgement
- Hex Omega
- Encore: Folklore
Probably the most cruel moment was during the acoustic set…
This one goes back to the Blackwater Park days!
*crowd roar*
Don’t get excited. This wasn’t actually on the album.
All said and done… no growls, no cookie monster vocals… but a fucking amazing Opeth show. The tour is really showing off that Opeth is more than just “Swedish death metal.” They’re great performers, great musicians. They can be melodic and still rock our faces off. Sure, I’d love a “The Leper Affinity” appearance, but I enjoy the more subdued Damnation/Heritage sound that they put forth this time out. Accessible? Maybe. Quality? Definitely!
iPhone photos… all I got… *sadface*
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Opeth’s Site
- Opeth’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Katatonia’s Site
- Katatonia‘s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Opeth & Enslaved @ Roseland (Portland – May 2009)
- Roseland’s Site / Facebook
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene) on 10/20 [yeah, I’m skipping Ryan Adams]…
~Dan – np: Tool – Lateralus
Opeth/Katatonia 2011 North American Tour Dates:
- Sep. 19 – The Palladium @ Worcester, MA
- Sep. 20 – Webster Theater @ Hartford, CT
- Sep. 21 – Webster Hall @ New York, NY
- Sep. 22 – Webster Hall @ New York, NY
- Sep. 23 – Trocadero @ Philadelphia, PA
- Sep. 26 – Newport Music Hall @ Columbus, OH
- Sep. 27 – Expo Five @ Louisville, KY
- Sep. 28 – Cannery Ballroom @ Nashville, TN
- Sep. 29 – Amos’ Southend @ Charlotte, NC
- Sep. 30 – Center Stage @ Atlanta, GA
- Oct. 01 – House of Blues @ Lake Buena Vista, FL
- Oct. 03 – Warehouse Live @ Houston, TX
- Oct. 04 – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater @ Austin, TX
- Oct. 05 – Granada Theater @ Dallas, TX
- Oct. 06 – The Beaumont Club @ Kansas City, MO
- Oct. 07 – First Avenue @ Minneapolis, MN
- Oct. 08 – Burton Cummings @ Winnipeg, MB
- Oct. 10 – Edmonton Events Centre @ Edmonton, AB
- Oct. 11 – MacEwan Hall Ballroom @ Calgary, AB
- Oct. 13 – Commodore Ballroom @ Vancouver, BC
- Oct. 14 – Knitting Factory Concert House @ Spokane, WA
- Oct. 15 – Showbox SoDo @ Seattle, WA
- Oct. 16 – Roseland Theatre @ Portland, OR
- Oct. 18 – The Warfield @ San Francisco, CA
- Oct. 19 – Mayan Theatre @ Los Angeles, CA
- Oct. 20 – House of Blues @ San Diego, CA
- Oct. 21 – The Fox Theater @ Pomona, CA
- Oct. 22 – Marquee Theatre @ Tempe, AZ
- Oct. 24 – The Complex @ Salt Lake City, UT
- Oct. 25 – Ogden Theatre @ Denver, CO
- Oct. 27 – The Rave @ Milwaukee, WI
- Oct. 28 – Vic Theatre @ Chicago, IL
- Oct. 29 – St. Andrews Hall @ Detroit, MI
- Oct. 30 – Guelph Concert Theatre @ Guelph, ON
- Oct. 31 – Mr Smalls Theatre @ Millvale, PA
- Nov. 01 – Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD
Opeth @ Roseland (Portland) – review later Monday!
Wicked good show from Opeth and Katatonia at the Roseland Theater in Portland Oregon tonight. I’ll have my full review with a setlist posted by Monday evening. Possibly some iPhone photos if they came out… photo passes weren’t communicated properly for this show.
~Dan
REVIEW: Melt Banana @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 10/1/11)
Melt Banana started off their two month U.S. tour with an initial stop at the WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday. Their last time through Oregon, the Tokyo-based screamo/noise metal band didn’t stop here, and the freezing rain & severe winter fog kept many Ducks who wanted to trek up to Portland away. Not so this time… and I made it there just in time to catch their blistering set.
Agata shredded up the guitars, making dental exams seem pleasant. Yako was a sandstorm of power and unexpectedness on vocal duties… and charming in between songs. The drum & bass battery (presumably Takiya & Rika) propelled the blasts of music forward.
It’s one thing to hear this band on record, it’s quite another to see them live. They’re going all over the U.S.A. from now until late November! Catch them (dates below). They’re also working on a new album, out in 2012.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Melt Banana’s Site
- Melt Banana’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Other Related Reviews~
- Jeff Matarrese’s photos in ODE (Eugene 10/1)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next shows for me… Chromeo & Opeth at the Roseland (Portland) in a couple of weeks!
~Dan – np: John Zorn – At the Gates of Paradise
MELT-BANANA PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
MxBx 2011 U.S.A. Tour Dates
- 10/1/2011 WOW Hall Eugene, OR
- 10/2/2011 Star Theater Portland, OR
- 10/3/2011 Chop Suey Seattle, WA
- 10/4/2011 The Badlander Missoula, MT
- 10/6/2011 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT
- 10/8/2011 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
- 10/9/2011 The Record Bar Kansas City, MO
- 10/10/2011 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
- 10/11/2011 The Mill Iowa City, IA
- 10/12/2011 Nutty’s Sioux Falls, SD
- 10/13/2011 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, MN
- 10/14/2011 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
- 10/15/2011 Cactus Club Milwaukee, WI
- 10/16/2011 Subterranean Chicago, IL
- 10/17/2011 Cicero’s St. Louis, MO
- 10/18/2011 The Bishop Bloomington, IN
- 10/19/2011 The Historic Southgate House Newport, KY
- 10/20/2011 Mac’s Bar Lansing, MI
- 10/22/2011 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, OH
- 10/23/2011 The Haunt Ithaca, NY
- 10/25/2011 Wrongbar Toronto, ON
- 10/26/2011 Il Motore Montreal, QC
- 10/27/2011 T.T. The Bear’s Cambridge, MA
- 10/28/2011 The Space Hamden, CT
- 10/29/2011 Santos Party House New York, NY
- 10/31/2011 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA
- 11/1/2011 The Red Palace Washington, DC
- 11/2/2011 Ottobar Baltimore, MD
- 11/4/2011 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
- 11/5/2011 The EARL Atlanta, GA
- 11/06/2011 The Engine Room Tallahassee, FL
- 11/08/2011 Backbooth Orlando, FL
- 11/09/2011 Crowbar Tampa, FL
- 11/10/2011 Double Down Gainesville, FL
- 11/11/2011 Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL
- 11/12/2011 Caledonia Lounge Athens, GA
- 11/13/2011 The End Nashville, TN
- 11/15/2011 BottleTree Birmingham, AL
- 11/16/2011 Alabama Music Box Mobile, AL
- 11/17/2011 Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX
- 11/18/2011 The Prophet Bar Dallas, TX
- 11/19/2011 The Mohawk Austin, TX
- 11/20/2011 Jack’s Patio Bar & Grill San Antonio, TX
- 11/22/2011 Club Congress Tucson, AZ
- 11/23/2011 Hollywood Alley Mesa, AZ
- 11/25/2011 The Bunkhouse Las Vegas, NV
- 11/26/2011 Soda Bar San Diego, CA
- 11/27/2011 Echoplex Los Angeles, CA
- 11/28/2011 Harlow’s Night Club Sacramento, CA
- 11/29/2011 Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco , CA
REVIEW: David Bazan @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 9/29/11)
Wave 2 of the David Bazan 2011 Living Room tour… I missed the last swipe through in Corvallis, but was destined to see him in my home town again. It was held at the same house from 2009 (that review here). Thank you so much to the super great hosts!
No opener this time. David kicked into it just after 8pm with the lead off track to his new album, Strange Negotiations. It’s a great record, and rumor has it that he’s working on a new one already – but there was no mention of that last night…
Setlist: ~80 mins
- Wolves at the Door
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
- Hard to Be
- Q&A 1
- Foregone Conclusions (Pedro the Lion)
- Shit Talker (Headphones)
- Virginia
- Q&A 2 on old blues guitarists
- Fewer Broken Pieces
- Slow and Steady Wins the Race (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A 3
- Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A 4
- Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box (Radiohead cover for Elliott Smith)
- Won’t Let Go
- Curse Your Branches
- Q&A 5
- Strange Negotiations
- No Encore
David’s playing Sam Bond’s Garage in about 2 1/2 months with a full band (Dec 14th for those wanting to know); so Eugene will be lucky to see his beardy face grace our presence once again.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
Check out the now-almost-all-done tour dates below. Woodinville, Washington tonight – then he’s back to his own bed until the band tour hits in the late Fall…
Next show for me… Melt Banana at WOW Hall on 10/1.
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison
Bazan’s 2nd wave of Living Room Tour Dates 2011
Mon 9/5 – Bozeman, MT
Tues 9/6 – Salt Lake City, UT
Wed 9/7 – Fort Collins, CO
Thurs 9/8 – Topeka, KS
Fri 9/9 – Winona, MN
Sat 9/10 – Wheaton, IL
Sun 9/11 – Champaign, IL
Mon 9/12 – Lexington, KY
Tues 9/13 – Scott Depot, WV
Wed 9/14 – Wilmington, OH
Thurs 9/15 – Cleveland, OH
Fri 9/16 – Rochester, NY
Sat 9/17 – Wilkes-Barre, PA
Sun 9/18 – Williamstown, NJ
Mon 9/19 – Oakton, VA
Tues 9/20 – Charlottesville, VA
Wed 9/21 – Simpsonville, SC
Thurs 9/22 – Birmingham, AL
Fri 9/23 – Shreveport, LA
Sat 9/24 – Tulsa, OK
Mon 9/26 – Payson, AZ
Tues 9/27 – Aliso Viejo, CA
Wed 9/28 – Santa Rosa, CA
Thurs 9/29 – Eugene, OR
Fri 9/30 – Woodinville, WA
Eddie Vedder @ Schnitz (Portland 7/14)
Stupendous show last night at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall from Eddie Vedder & Glen Hansard. I should have my review up with photos later this weekend.
Updated ~ Review & setlist posted: HERE (photos still to come)
The highlight for me was the duets set capped with a Eddie/Glen duet on The Swell Season’s “Falling Slowly.”
~Dan
PHOTOS: Toad the Wet Sprocket @ Bend Summer Festival (Bend, OR – 7/8/11)
Toad the Wet Sprocket dug through their catalog and delivered a long set full of their hits, as well as a couple brand new Toad songs, during their evening capping set at the Bend Summer Festival on Friday night. John Kingham joined them on keyboards. There are rumors (per a Facebook post about the Washington show) that a new studio album may be out by years’ end.
Here’s what they played in Bend…
Setlist:
- Something’s Always Wrong
- Whatever I Fear
- Fly From Heaven
- Crowing
- Good Intentions
- Way Away
- Inside
- Torn
- Windmills
- Is It For Me
- The Moment [new song]
- Friendly Fire [new song]
- Come Back Down
- Nightingale Song
- Finally Fading
- Crazy Life
- All I Want
- Brother
- Fall Down
- Encore: Sister Christian teaser [Night Ranger]
- Come Down
- Walk on the Ocean
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Site
- Glen Phillips’ Site
- Toad & Glen’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Toad @ Crystal (Portland – July 2010)
- W.P.A. @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Sept 2009)
- Glen solo @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Feb 2008)
Next shows for me… the Dead Kenny G’s @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene) on 7/13 and then Eddie Vedder & Glen Hansard at the Schnitzer (Portland) on 7/14.
~Dan – np: Silverchair – Diorama
TOAD THE WET SPROCKET PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: A Perfect Circle @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 6/29/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
A Perfect Circle [APC] is a beautiful collaboration between music-writer Billy Howerdel (Tool guitar tech, Ashes Divide frontman) and lyricist Maynard James Keenan (Tool & Puscifer frontman, winemaker). Their first album, Mer de Noms, took the artistic approach that is also in Tool’s world into a more mainstream hardrock setting. They dug deep into addiction-themed lyrics on their follow-up, The Thirteenth Step, and then got really politically bent on eMOTIVe (which was released on the day we failed as Americans by electing George W Bush for a 2nd term). WTF!? Anyway, sorry for my personal injection… here is their oeuvre to peruse if you are unfamiliar:
Their last full-length studio album (the aforementioned eMOTIVe) also showed less songwriting and way more covers… Lennon, Costello, Marvin Gaye, Zeppelin, Devo, Black Flag, Joni Mitchell, Depeche Mode, and more. Its political nature was maybe a last “rock the vote” push in the 2004 Presidential election? Well, the peace and war and political conflict from 2004 is still here in 2011. It’s different, but alas it’s still here. I think that album is still very relevant… while APC plans on releasing some new material in the near future (digital format initially), the first thing I noticed when I showed up at the Schnitzer on Wednesday night was their stage setup: camouflage curtains, ammo boxes, and military-like gear littered the stage.
This was their first show of the six-week tour… Was the show going to be a musical battle-zone? Maynard has been quite theatrical with his live shows lately (see my Puscifer Nov ’09 review links below), but APC tends to be a different beast… Maynard in Puscifer is the outgoing one, in APC is a bit reserved, and in Tool is many times cloaked and hidden for 75% of the show.
Before digging into APC’s set, the opener…
The opener was a Japanese noise-pop hardrock trio Red Bacteria Vacuum. The reviews I’ve read have really dissed them. I’m a fan of this type of thing (poppy Tsu Shi Ma Me Re & noisy Melt Banana); so I dug them plenty. Plus they were cute a button when exchanging words with the crowd… “please… to… eat you.” Nice 30-minute sugar punk from Japan. I didn’t have my photo pass issue sorted out for their set. Photo above courtesy of Meats Meier.
Well, the 90 minute set from A Perfect Circle seemed less like a battle zone than the stage lead us to believe. Not as much energy as the props suggested (a generally more subdued Maynard sticking to his perch, etc). As far as song selection, they played a decent mix of their originals material, but the night was really heavy on the covers. While I like their “making the song theirs” in the approach, I was hoping for more of the rawness and angst from their original tunes…
Setlist: 90 minutes
- Annihilation [Crucifix] (false start)
- Imagine [John Lennon]
- Weak and Powerless
- The Hollow
- What’s Going On [Marvin Gaye]
- People Are People [Depeche Mode]
- The Outsider (lyric flub)
- (What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? [Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello]
- When The Levee Breaks [Led Zeppelin]
- The Noose
- 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix)
- Gravity
- Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie [Black Flag]
- Orestes
- Passive
- Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
- The Fiddle and the Drum [Joni Mitchell]
- By and Down [new song]
No encore
I was hoping for “Judith” and perhaps the Failure cover “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” but it was still a highly enjoyable night. While there were a few flubs, it was their first tour date in a while, and they pulled off quite an entertaining show. Maynard explained, “I’m closer to 50 than 40” in an attempt to get some forgiveness. The band didn’t talk much, outside of a few brief apologies from Maynard and the band introductions. The band was Maynard on vocals, guitarist/co-founder Billy Howerdel, guitarist/keyboardist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl (filling in for Josh Freese who is currently out with Weezer).
I don’t think you can go wrong with any of Maynard’s bands. This year promises some new music & tour from Puscifer, some new music from A Perfect Circle, and potentially some Tool (they’ve been in a writing phase, but they take longer). If APC is hitting your next of the woods, do your damndest to make it out to the show…
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- APC’s Site
- APC’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Red Bacteria Vacuum’s Site
- Red Bacteria Vacuum’s Facebook / MySpace
- Other Related Reviews~
- Oregon Music News APC 6/29/11 review (with my photos)
- SPIN magazine APC 6/29/11 review (with some more professional shots)
- Puscifer Night 1 (Portland – Nov ’09)
- Puscifer Night 2 (Portland – Nov ’09)
- The Schnitzer’s PCPA Site / Facebook
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… Portland Cello Project at Alton Baker Park / Art & the Vineyard on 7/4.
~Dan – np: Klezmerson – Siete
A PERFECT CIRCLE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld / Pacificlectic,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
APC 2011 Tour Dates
- May 22 – Columbus, OH @ Rock on the Range
- June 29 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
- June 30 – Kent, WA @ Showare Center
- July 2 – Gibbons, AL @ Boonstock Festival
- July 4 – Winnipeg, MB @ Centennial Concert Hall
- July 6 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
- July 8 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
- July 9 – Toronto, ON @ Edgefest
- July 12 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
- July 13 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
- July 15 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
- July 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Penn’s Landing – Festival Pier
- July 17 – Washington, DC @ Constitution Hall
- July 19 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
- July 20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
- July 22 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
- July 23 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
- July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
- July 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheater
- July 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Memorial Auditorium
- July 30 – Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre
- August 1 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
- August 2 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- August 8 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbent
- August 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
- August 10 – Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre
- More information & more dates: http://www.aperfectcircle.com/
MRT – The Living River 6/3 (photos)
The McKenzie River Trust benefit concert, The Living River for the benefit of the McKenzie River, with Misty River & Doug Smith at The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, Eugene, Oregon – Friday, June 3rd, 2011:
Photos by Margaret O’Brien (emobie photography)
http://emobiephotography.com/
emobie on Facebook
http://mckenzieriver.org/
http://www.mistyriverband.com/
http://www.dougsmithguitar.com/
~Dan – np: Les Rhinocéros – Les Rhinocéros 
Iron Mike Savoia’s U2/Kravitz pics (Seattle 6/4)
“Iron Mike” Savoia of Savoia Photography Live just posted his beaufitul Lenny Kravitz & U2 shots from Saturday’s show at Qwest Field in Seattle, WA… click the photo of each artist to hit Mike’s Facebook album for each. If you want to check out my review of the show, GO HERE (setlist/review/photos). #U2360SEA
Mike’s Webpage
Mike’s Facebook
~Dan – np: dredg – Chuckles & Mr Squeezy
REVIEW: U2 & Lenny Kravitz @ Qwest Field (Seattle, WA – 6/4/11)
photo by Soren McCarty (Denver show)
U2 is one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They’ve been a band for almost 35 years – all the same four guys. Sit back and think about that for a minute. Sure, they haven’t been without struggles, but they’ve been a solid force in rock music for a long, long time. Saturday night was my third time to see them (PopMart 1996, Elevation 2001), and based on the reviews and photos I had seen, I knew I was going to be blown away…
Qwest Field started being configured for U2’s 360º Tour earlier that week. The 360º Tour features the largest concert stage structure ever and a 360-degree staging/audience configuration that allows fans to surround the stage from all sides. The large parking lot full of semi-trucks wasn’t just for Bono’s sunglasses supply. Check out the GeneStout.com media recap of the stage build out (with Mike Savoia’s photos – more from Mike below, too). See a time-lapse build-out of the Denver show (FB video link).
We positioned ourselves at near the north side of the outside of the loop for the show – as we hadn’t gotten there early enough for the inner loop. After running into a bad batch in the crowd (i.e.- drunk as hell d-bags), we backed off and watched from a nice safe distance. Opener Lenny Kravitz hit the stage around 7:30 and played a solid 50 minutes set. One new song, and a cadre of his hits. Cindy Blackwell was not on drums – that was the only noticeable absence. Lenny had some ear-monitor issues near the end, which was frustrating him, but he put on a great show regardless.
Lenny’s Setlist: 50 minutes
- Come On Get It [new song]
- Mamma Said
- It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over
- Let Love Rule
- American Woman [The Guess Who]
- Fly Away
- Are You Gonna Go My Way
After a short break, the David Bowie tape intro started, and U2 walked out onto the stage…
U2’s Setlist: 2+ hours
- Space Oddity [tape intro, David Bowie]
- Even Better Than The Real Thing
- I Will Follow
- Get On Your Boots
- Magnificent
- Mysterious Ways
- Elevation
- Until The End Of The World
- All I Want Is You
- Stay (Faraway, So Close!) [acoustic]
- Beautiful Day with NASA video* & Space Oddity snippet (*video below)
- Pride (In The Name Of Love)
- Miss Sarajevo
- Zooropa
- City Of Blinding Lights
- Vertigo
- I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight with Discothèque and other snippets
- Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Scarlet
- Walk On
- Encore 1: Aung San Suu Kyi Message [tape]
- One
- Where The Streets Have No Name
- Encore 2: Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
- With Or Without You
- Moment of Surrender
They rocked out, and from our vantage point it was like watching alien TV. Some of the best moments for me… The kick-off “Even Better Than the Real Thing” followed by the throwback “I Will Follow” (this show was going to be all over their catalog). The NASA Commander Mark Kelly video intro to “Beautiful Day” (from space – video below). The snippet of “Discotheque” was excellent (POP is a great, under-appreciated album). Bono swinging out on his lit-up microphone during “Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me.”
Oh, and Zoo-fucking-ropa. The expanding televisions caught me off guard… it was a circus of sights and sounds.
A massive spectacle from a massive band. A truly entertaining experience. U2 blows about any other live show out of the water as far as sheer force, light, power, and energy.
My Photos from the show:
(really, just shots of the TV… sigh…)
Mike Savoia’s Pro-shot Photos:
(used with permission)
check out the links to Mike Savoia’s work below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- U2’s Site
- Amnesty International
- One Campaign
- U2.com splash page for Seattle show (with photos & video)
- U2’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Lenny Kravitz’s Site
- Lenny Kravitz’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Mike Savoia’s Digital Photography from the Seattle Show (6/4/2011)
Check out more tour dates below. #U2360SEA
~Dan – np: Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire
U2’s rescheduled 2011 North American dates:
- May 21 Denver, CO Invesco Field (formerly June 12/10)
- May 24 Salt Lake City, UT Rice Eccles Stadium (formerly June 3/10)
- June 01 Edmonton, AB Commonwealth Stadium (formerly June 23/10)
- June 04 Seattle, WA Qwest Field (formerly June 20/10)
- June 07 Oakland, CA McAfee Coliseum (formerly June 20/10)
- June 17 Anaheim, CA Angels Stadium (formerly June 6/10)
- June 18 Anaheim, CA Angels Stadium (formerly June 7/10)
- June 26 East Lansing, MI Spartan Stadium at MSU (formerly June 30/10)
- June 29 Miami, FL Sun Life Stadium (formerly July 9/10)
- July 05 Chicago, IL Soldier Field (formerly July 6/10)
- July 08 Montreal, QC Hippodrome (formerly July 16/10)
- July 09 Montreal, QC Hippodrome (formerly July 17/10)
- July 11 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre (formerly July 3/10)
- July 14 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field (formerly July 12/10)
- July 20 East Rutherford, NJ New Meadowlands Stadium (formerly July 19/10)
- July 23 Minneapolis, MN TCF Bank Stadium (formerly June 27/10)
MRT’s Misty River benefit show (Eugene, OR)
Busy weekend… hitting the road for Seattle shortly for U2…
Last night was the McKenzie River Trust benefit show “The Living River” at The Shedd (Eugene, OR) with finger-picking wonder Doug Smith & folky group Misty River. It was a delight.
emobie photography was in the house snapping away some photos. I’ll post them here with her permission once they are processed (by Tuesday for sure).
In the meantime, check out the websites for MRT & the performers:
http://www.mistyriverband.com/
http://www.dougsmithguitar.com/
~Dan
REVIEW: Ani DiFranco @ McDonald Theatre (Eugene, OR – 4/12/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Ani DiFranco comes through Eugene on just about every West Coast tour – which is always a delight. The crowd seemed a tad sparse… perhaps due to the lack of new Ani material out there recently. She’s prolific, but hasn’t put out an album since 2008’s Red Letter Year. She hasn’t even put out any new official live bootlegs since 2009. With that lack of apparent new music on the shelves (CD World or iTunes), one might think she’s taking a break. Well, as you’ll see from the setlist below, no break has occurred with her songwriting proliferation…
Super busy week; so I apologize in advance… I didn’t catch the opener Animal Prufrock this time. I saw her back in 2008 with Judy Grahn & Ani D. I enjoyed Animal’s raucous energy, but again… twas an uber-busy week, and I couldn’t make it to the McD for the early opener start time (Animal @ 7:30, Ani D @ 8:30!).
I got into the venue about 30 seconds before Ani and band hit the stage. Whew, perfect timing! Her band this time was the same as her prior Eugene gig… Andy Barger on drums, Mike Dillon on percussion, and Todd Sickafoose on contrabass. Fantastically gelled band… I love watching these guys play. In fact, I’ll be seeing Mike Dillon play again next week in Eugene. At the end of the Ani tour, he’s hitting the road with Skerik and the rest of the guys with Garage A Trois.
Tons of new stuff was played…
Setlist: around 90 minutes pre-encore
- Anticipate
- Angry Any More
- Unworry (newish – she played it at Eugene 2009)
- Paradigm
- Promiscuity (new)
- Gloating (new)
- W.O.W. (new)
- J (new)
- I Know This Bar
- See See “Still in Love with You” (new)
- The Atom
- Everest
- If You’re Not (new)
- Untouchable Face
- Which Side Are You On?
- Encore: Overlap
- Angel from Montgomery
Due to a hectic week, I had to bail right before the encore. Based on other reports from this tour, she also played a few older tunes and maybe the newer tune “Mariachi.” Anyone with a good memory or notes throw a little help on what she played after “Which Side…” for an encore?
As far as the new stuff, I dug it… especially “Gloating,” “Jay,” and “W.O.W.” I will say one of the best things of the night was the main line to “If You’re Not”…
If you’re not getting happier as you get older, you’re fucking up.
A lot of new stuff to digest… I usually need some more time for the new material to kick around my brain. Perhaps with this glut of new material, she’s heading into the studio soon for studio album #18(!). Anyone catch her Crystal Ballroom show in Portland? Any major difference in setlist?
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Ani DiFranco’s Site
- Ani DiFranco’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Ani-Related Reviews~
- McDonald Theatre (Eugene – Oct 2009)
- McDonald Theatre (Eugene – Apr 2008)
- McDonald Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Skerik, Mike Dillon, Marc Benevento and Stanton Moore are Garage A Trois @ Sam Bond’s 4/21.
~Dan – np: Todd Sickafoose – Tiny Resistors
ANI DIFRANCO PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Ani DiFranco in Eugene (4/12)
Photos and review of Ani DiFranco’s show at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene coming soon(ish)!
Check back Wednesday evening or Thursday morning for the report from Eugene!
Her Portland show is Wednesday… check it!
~Dan
REVIEW: Madeleine Peyroux @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – 4/5/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Madeleine Peyroux has a new album coming out called Standin’ On the Rooftop. The album, coming out June 7th on Decca, features Marc Ribot on guitar/banjo along with Me’shell Ndegeocello on bass. No word on tracklist for the full-length, but she just released a preview EP called The Things I’ve Seen Today, which features the title track co-written by violinist Jenny Scheinman and a delightful cover of The Beatles’ “Martha, My Dear” (click picture to the right for samples).
This show in Eugene was her second time through in as many years. I don’t recall if the band members were the same as last time, but regardless, they were all fantastic musicians. While Ribot/Ndegeocello/Scheinman were not in the live band, all four band members created a vibe conducive to taking in Madeleine’s golden vocal chords.
They played a fairly jazzy set, and Madeleine’s lush vocals bounced around in more of a jazzy singer-songwriter feel than I remembered her from before. As you’ll be able to see from the setlist below, she played a lot of the new material from the forthcoming album – much of it I was unable to unidentify. If you have any assistance on the setlist, let me know in the comments.
Setlist: over 90 minutes
- unknown
- The Things I’ve Seen Today
- Martha, My Dear [The Beatles]
- “Muddy Mississippi”
- You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go [Bob Dylan]
- “seen my reflection underneath the moon”
- “here we are… I’m only human”
- Don’t Wait Too Long
- Don’t Pick a Fight With a Poet
- “Meet me in Rio”
- “involuntary pass/past(?)”
- Dance Me to the End of Love [Leonard Cohen]
- unknown love song
- Instead [with band introductions & solos]
- Encore: J’Ai Deux Amours
- “I hear music” [with band solos]
Fantastic show. Madeleine was fairly chatty and in a great mood. The Eugene crowd was fairly subdued, except for a particular “amateur comedian” named George who interacted a bit with Madeleine – which at one point said she should have him open for her. :)
Be on the lookout for her new album in June. She’s hitting a few more West Coast & Canada dates (as well as a NYC date) between now and the end of June. Check out more tour dates below.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Madeleine Peyroux’s Site
- Madeleine Peyroux’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- The Shedd (Eugene – March 2009)
- The Shedd’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… quite possibly Ani DiFranco at McDonald Theatre in Eugene (4/12).
~Dan – np: Platypus – When Pus Comes to Shove
MADELEINE PEYROUX PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Madeleine Peyroux Spring/Summer 2011 Tour Dates:
3/31-4/02 – Seattle, WA @ Jazz Alley
4/03 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
4/05 – Eugene, OR @ Shedd Institute for Arts
4/06 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Wells Fargo Center
4/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Palace of Fine Arts
4/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Luckman Theater
4/11 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre
4/13 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
6/17-19 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
6/22 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
6/24 – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada @ Royal Theatre (Victoria
International Jazzfest)
6/25 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada @ Centre for the Performing Arts
(Vancouver International Jazz Festival))
6/26 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada @ Winspear Centre for Music (Edmonton Int’l
Jazz Festival)
6/28 – Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada @ Theatre Granada
6/29 – Montreal, Quebec, Canada @ Theatre Maisonneuve (Fest Int’l De Jazz De
Montreal)
6/30 – Quebec, Canada @ Raoul-Jobin Hall (Palais Montcalm)
REVIEW: The Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile @ McDonald Theatre (Eugene, OR – 3/16/11)
I hadn’t heard the Punch Brothers prior to the show, outside of a few clips on their webpage… but what I did hear, I knew I’d love it. I have also been a fan of frontman Chris Thile’s mandolin work with Nickel Creek; so I knew what to expect from at least his performance.
The show started with a delightful set from local fiddler prodigy Tatiana Hargreaves (backed by Scott Law on guitar). I had seen Tatiana play (with her brother Alex) during Works Progress Administration’s show at the WOW Hall in 2009 – which is a side project from Glen Phillips and Sean & Sara Watkins (from Nickel Creek as well)… so her opening for the Punch Brothers made perfect sense. Her set was a great warm up for what was to come (sorry, no photos came out of Tatiana & Scott, my camera was acting up).
The Punch Brothers went on shortly after Tatiana’s set. No flashy stage set-up or lights, just five guys and their instruments. The Punch Brothers are Chris Thile on mandolin & vocals, Gabe Witcher on fiddle/violin, Noam Pikelny on banjo, Chris Eldridge on guitar, and Paul Kowert on bass. They played a hour and a half or more with a great split between rollicking bluegrass vocal numbers and more stretched out instrumental pieces.
The overall musicianship in the entire group was evident early on. They were a quite tight five piece string band, and the lack of drums was barely noticeable – their use of rhythm duties amongst the strings was more than enough to keep the jammy, progressive instrumental movements rolling along. Since I don’t know their material all that well, I can’t really help out on the setlist front. I know they played “Rye Whiskey,” the Beatles “Paperback Writer,” a stunning mandolin-centric version of Radiohead “Paranoid Android,” and Chris Thile did a riveting Bach piece on solo mandolin.
Also, per Serena from the Register Guard, they covered the Strokes and Josh Ritter as well.
Fantastic show, and I shall get to know their music before they swing through again. Their latest CD is 2010’s Antifogmatic (pictured to the right).
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Punch Brothers’ Site
- Punch Brothers’ Social Media Links (see below)
- Chris Thile’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Tatiana Hargreaves’ Site / MySpace / Twitter
- McDonald Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… probably Lawn Gnomes & Upstate Trio @ Cornucopia (3/25) or Pojama People (an Oregon Frank Zappa cover band) @ Sam Bond’s Garage (3/26).
~Dan – np: David Bazan – Fewer Moving Pieces
THE PUNCH BROTHERS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Tres Mts in Seattle (3/16)
So, I got stranded in Eugene, and wasn’t able to go up and shoot the debut Tres Mts show at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle… :(
Well, “Iron Mike” Savoia took some great photos… check them out at his Facebook page… dUg Pinnick (King’s X), Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Richard Stuverud (The Fastbacks), and Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)… Savoia Digital Photography does amazing work!
Also, check out Jason Tang Photography, too…
While I missed this great show, I was able to hit the excellent Punch Brothers (with Chris Thile) at McDonald Theatre that night. My review with photos will be posted this weekend.
~Dan – np: Pedro the Lion – It’s Hard To Find A Friend
REVIEW: Kaki King @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 3/9/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Kaki King burst into the music scene in 2003 with her exquisite fretwork and primarily instrumental pieces. “Playing With Pink Noise” (from 2004’s Legs to Make Us Longer) thrust her more in the indie rock spotlight, showcasing a guitar that she played as if it were trying to run away from her. The video for “Pink Noise” was simply a white backdrop with Kaki effortlessly plucking and slapping away among randomly timed pink rose petals and balloons. It helped land her hands on the silver screen — as the up-close guitar “stunt double” for Freddie Highmore, who played a guitar prodigy in 2007’s August Rush. Later that year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her score for Sean Penn’s Into the Wild (alongside Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder).
With her fifth album, Junior, a more mature songwriter has emerged. She still brings the famous fretwork to her songs, but Junior brings vocals more to the fore. Kaki woos us with the subtle and intricate pop of “Spit It Back In My Mouth,” the drive of “Falling Day,” the indie pop feel of “Communist Friends” and the hard rock of “Death Head.” The vulnerable and heartfelt “Sunnyside” brings the album to a close and shows off her more personal side. Kaki King is for fans of the indie rock of Sleater-Kinney and Tegan & Sara, or for those who like a bit more virtuoso musicianship mixed in with their lush pop melodies.
Kaki came through Eugene last May, and blew us away with her rockin’ band. For this go-round, it was just going to be her and her guitar. Or, shall I say… guitars… this is dubbed her “Guitar Traveling Freak Show” tour…
kaki king’s “band” on this tour
Before Kaki hit the stage, Washington went on. (Megan) Washington is an Australian singer-songwriter, who I hear is quite popular down under. She actually started her set with a joke about an odd fellow from Arcata, CA, who brandished a sword in front of her the day prior. She told us that she normally plays guitar, but due to obvious reasons wouldn’t be tonight. Her sound reminded me of a slightly grittier Regina Spektor (specifically from a vocal side of things). She definitely had some songwriting chops. She played about an hour… sometimes dreamy piano pop, sometimes more sullen indie rock. She didn’t have anything to sell us (no shirt, CDs, etc)… probably too difficult to manage hauling it to this hemisphere. I’d recommend checking out her records, especially How to Tame Lions and I Believe You Liar.
Kaki hit the stage at 8:30pm for this early show. She played almost entirely an instrumental set… with vocals only on “Life Being” and “Communist” (if I remember correctly). She switched between her trusty six string, a smaller than usual 12-string (Irish?), a banjo-guitar hybrid, an interestingly “koto”-style modified bridge guitar, a harp guitar, and probably a few I’m missing.
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Bone Chaos in the Castle
- I Need A Girl Who Knows A Map
- Doing the Wrong Thing
- unidentified… possibly “Ingots”
- Life Being What It Is
- Playing With Pink Noise
- unidentified… possibly “Carmine St”
- My Girl the Horse [Fences]
- Andecy [Andrew York]
- Because It’s There [Michael Hedges]
- Nails
- unidentified… possibly “Magazine”
- unidentified… new song for Megan Washington
- unidentified… possibly “Bowen Island”
- Encore: unidentified… with Dan Brantigan on trumpet
- unidentified… “world premiere” drunk guitar song
- Communist Friends
Kaki is the kind of guitar player that makes non-guitar players want to learn how to play. She’s also the kind of guitar player who makes current guitar players want to throw away their axe. And despite her focused brilliance with her instrument, she has quite a humorous and awkwardly delightful stage presence. She’s charming, she’ll jokingly cuss the audience out, and then she’ll be self-deprecating. She’ll act playful and humble, and then she’ll smoke the 6 to 12 strings in front of her without much trouble. There’s no doubt that she belongs on stage and that you belong watching her.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Kaki King’s Site
- Kaki King’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Washington’s Site
- Washington’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Kaki & An Horse @ WOW Hall (Eugene – May 2010)
- Kaki in-store @ CD World (Eugene – May 2010)
- Not a review… but Kaki meets Tupac…
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… Chris Thile‘s Punch Brothers at McDonald Theatre on 3/16.
~Dan – np: Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin – Llyrìa
KAKI KING PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
KAKI KING – 2011 TOUR DATES
Feb 23 Museum of Modern Art: Celeste Bartos Theatre New York, New York
Feb 26 Salon Vive Cuervo Mexico City, Mexico
Feb 28 The Loft – UC San Diego San Diego, California
Mar 2 Largo at the Coronet West Hollywood, California
Mar 3 College of the Sequoias Theatre Visalia, California
Mar 4 Yoshi’s San Francisco, CA
Mar 5 Ashkenaz Berkeley, California
Mar 6 Harlows Sacramento, California
Mar 8 Jambalaya Arcata, California
Mar 9 WOW Hall Eugene, Oregon
Mar 10 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon
Mar 11 The Triple Door Seattle, Washington
Mar 12 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Mar 24 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 25 Space Evanston, Illinois
Mar 26 The Old Rock House St. Louis, Missouri
Mar 28 Southgate House Newport, Kentucky
Mar 29 The Birchmere Alexandria , Virginia
Mar 30 World Cafe Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 1 Center for the Arts Natick, Massachusetts
Apr 2 Iron Horse Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 3 Infinity Hall Norfolk, Connecticut
Apr 7 City Winery New York, New York
Apr 8 City Winery New York, New York
Apr 9 Binghamton University Binghamton, New York
Kaki King @ WOW Hall in Eugene 2011
Full review with more photos of Kaki King & Washington to be posted by Saturday… UPDATE: GO HERE
~Dan
REVIEW: Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin @ Alberta Rose/PDX Jazz Fest (Portland, OR – 2/25/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Despite Grammy-winner Esperanza Spalding going on at the same night as part of Portland Jazz Fest 2011, I wasn’t going to miss Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin. I got into Ronin with 2006’s Stoa. Nik’s way of creative a funky, piano-based jazz setting captured my attention. And being from Switzerland, the chances to see Ronin are few and far between (their U.S. Tour consisted of four dates: Oakland, Portland, Knoxville & New York). First, the opener…
First up was Portland’s own Blue Cranes. I had heard of them, and I was glad to make it to the club early enough to catch their set. Great reed-driven quartet. They started out with a guest sax player and a string trio (with Anna Fritz, whom I’ve seen/heard before). They were genteel at first, but also drove the tempo up with some raucous solos and melodies.
Songs I caught the names of their hour-long set (I missed the opening song’s name): Love Love Love (by Wayne Horvitz), Hated Because of Great Qualities (by Blonde Redhead), Grandpa’s Hands (featuring toy piano), Beware of the Pneumatic Nailer, Soldier (with strings), Ritchie Bros., and Maddie Mae. Sha from Ronin joined them on-stage for a number as well. They’re heading out on an 30-day Amtrack tour soon… kicking off March 19th @ Tony Starlight‘s in Portland.
RONIN is Nik Bärtsch on piano, Kaspar Rast on drums, Andi Pupato on percussion, Sha on the alto and bass clarinet, and Thomy Jordi on bass. Their latest album, Llyrìa, came out on ECM in October 2010 and features what Nik calls “moduls.”
A “modul” is an unnamed, but numbered musical entities that can be woven together. Per Nik (in his interview with Oregon Music News), “when a module combination makes dramaturgically and formally sense and creates a coherent piece, I give a number to it.”
Friday’s show was primarily pulled from the moduls in Llyrìa. Interwoven, interlocking, overlapping pieces played through the air as the dimly, strategically lit stage changed to fit the sounds. Color and music formed an fantastic audio and visual masterpiece. The moduls started with a slow rumble and grew and warped throughout their long set. Very much jazz-centric, but also many elements of rock, funk, and progressive music. The PDX Jazz Fest brought Nik to town in 2008, but I’m hoping it doesn’t have to be another three years before we get to see this amazing live act again in Oregon.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Nik Bärtsch’s Site
- Nik Bärtsch’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Blue Crane’s Site
- Blue Crane’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Dave Holland Quintet (PDX Jazz 2010)
- Pharoah Sanders (PDX Jazz 2010)
- Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy (PDX Jazz 2010)
- SF Jazz Collective (PDX Jazz 2008)
- Ornette Coleman (PDX Jazz 2008)
- Portland Jazz Fest’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
- Alberta Rose Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Damien Jurado & Viva Voce at Doug Fir Lounge on Friday, 3/4.
~Dan – np: Mike Patton – A Perfect Place
NIK BARTSCH PDX JAZZ FEST PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
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-Frank Zappa
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