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REVIEW: dredg @ Wonder Ballroom (Portland, OR – 11/9/10)

11th Nov 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Call me a focused, but I showed up shortly before dredg‘s 8:35pm start time and left immediately after*. Frontman Gavin Hayes came on and said something along the lines of “we’re hypocrites,” and they kicked into their first song “Ode to the Sun” – a bombastic lead off from Catch Without Arms. I’m not sure what he was referring to regarding the “hypocrites” comment, maybe it was just the mood he was in…

As one of the several openers, they only got an opener-sized slot, but they made the most of it…

Setlist: about 45 mins

Ode To The Sun
Same Ol’ Road
Pariah
Jamais Vu
Upon Returning [new song]
Bug Eyes
Saviour
Lightswitch
Down to the Cellar

Their new album, as of yet untitled, comes out March 29, 2011. If it’s anything like The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion – it’ll be awesome. Great melodic prog-ish rock. Gavin tweeted on Nov 5th that the album was done (with compelling photographic proof):

a few more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

dredg’s Site
dredg’s Social Media Links (see below)
My Other Related Reviews~
- Hawthorne Theater (Portland – Apr 2009)
- Wonder Ballroom (Portland – Aug 2009)
Wonder Ballroom’s Site / Facebook

*– or perhaps call me dickish… I love music, but I don’t generally enjoy the 4 or 5 band “rock tours” – especially when 3-4 of the bands are underwhelming and the crowd is annoying (see POV video below). I will apologize, as I didn’t give Circa Survive a fair shake (or a shake at all). I’m sure they’re great. Sorry, after a 4 hour round-trip drive, a couple sour beers at Cascade Brewing and dredg was what I cared about. And I’m getting old (rock bands! get off my lawn!). Sorry. It is what it is. If the Circa Survive kids troll my comment section… well, it’s understood.

“POV Rock Concert“

~Dan – np: A Perfect Circle – The Thirteenth Step

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

(click for larger)

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop Tags: concert photos, concert review, dredg, new album, oregon, portland, POV Rock Concert, progressive, rock, set list, setlist, wonder ballroom

dredg review soon…

10th Nov 10 (Wed) Leave a comment

dredg was excellent last night in Portland…

Setlist: about 45 mins

Ode To The Sun
Same Ol’ Road
Pariah
Jamais Vu
Upon Returning [new song]
Bug Eyes
Saviour
Lightswitch
Down to the Cellar

Review & more photos by Thursday…

~Dan – np: Eisley – Combinations

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop Tags: concert photos, concert review, dredg, oregon, portland, rock, set list, setlist, wonder ballroom

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:

Nellie McKay’s Site
Nellie’s Social Media Links (see below)
Emobie Photography (on Facebook)
My Other Nellie McKay Reviews~
- Berbati’s Pan (Portland – Mar 2010)
- Jazz Alley (Seattle – Sept 2009)
- Doug Fir (Portland – Aug 2008)
- The Shedd (Eugene – Oct 2007)
The Shedd’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

~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: concert photos, concert review, emobie photography, eugene, home sweet mobile home, interview, jazz, klcc, nellie mckay, oregon, pop, rock, set list, setlist, shedd institute, the shedd, verve

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:

Sufjan’s Site / Asthmatic Kitty
Sufjan’s Social Media Links (see below)
DM Stith’s Site
DM Stith’s MySpace / Twitter
Alphaleonis’ balcony YouTube videos from the Portland 2010 show (far away, but good sound quality)
Amanda McAuley’s Flickr shots from Portland
Related Reviews~
- Chris Young‘s Portland 2010 review on OMN (with my photos)
- BrooklynVegan‘s Chicago review (10/15/2010)
- My MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – Apr 2007)
PCPA/Schnitzer’s Site

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

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:

Peter Mulvey’s Site
Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (click below)

Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
Jeffrey Foucault’s Social Media Links (he doesn’t appear to have any?)
Past Related Reviews~
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
The Woods PDX’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

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: concert photos, concert review, eugene, folk, jeffrey foucault, kris delmhorst, oregon, peter mulvey, pop, sam bond's, sam bond's garage, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter

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:

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Peter Mulvey’s Site
Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (click below)

Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
Jeffrey Foucault’s Social Media Links (he doesn’t appear to have any?)
Past Related Reviews~
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Peter & Jeffrey @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene – Oct 2010)
The Woods PDX’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

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: concert photos, concert review, david goodrich, folk, goody, jeffrey foucault, kris delmhorst, oregon, peter mulvey, portland, redbird, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, storyteller, the woods

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: aladdin, aladdin theater, concert photos, concert review, the weepies

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: aladdin, aladdin theater, be my thrill, concert photos, concert review, oregon, pop, portland, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, the weepies, weepies

REVIEW: Dead Kenny G’s & Trio Subtonic @ Mt Tabor (Portland, OR – 10/16/10)

17th Oct 10 (Sun) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

OK, so I have to start this out with an apology. I absolutely wanted to see Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. I had been up in Portland for a third night in a row (driving back to Eugene late each night)… and was thus quite tired and I couldn’t possibly stay for their set (which was posted to start at 12:30am). It’s a running theme on this blog… I miss them for one reason or another. Last night wasn’t gonna be a missed opportunity. Alas, it ended up as such. Damn. SO, JFJO, I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time. I dig your new one, Stay Gold. I’m getting old. I have no other excuse for bailing at midnight.

So, unfortunately this amazing triple modern jazz bill turned into an pretty damn good double bill for me.

Trio Subtonic started things off around 9:30. No Radiohead as in the past, but still a great groove for their 45 minute set. They really are what I’d consider to be Portland’s own Medeski Martin & Wood. Great piano-based three piece combo. They’ve got two killer albums out over at CD Baby (aka the best indie CD seller in the universe).

Skerik, Mike Dillon, and Brad Houser hit the stage after a short set change…

While also a three-piece modern jazz combo, the Dead Kenny G’s definitely weren’t a repeat of Trio Subtonic’s sound. Fitting with their name, they bring powerful elements of punk rock and a “fuck you” attitude to a jazz trio. Mix some sax groove from Skerik with some harder edged beats, avant-garde squeaks, gonzo drumming, and punk vocal belts…

I’d seen them before (at Sam Bond’s in Eugene), but it was nice to see them able to spread out a little more on the Mt Tabor Theater stage.

Setlist: over an hour

Death Panel
Birther Blues
Black Goldman Sax
“Black Death”
unknown
Bewildered Herd
I’m Your Manager, I’m Your Pimp
unknown
Yeah, Cat
Improv with some JFJO guys

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

DKG’s Site
Skerik’s Site
DKG’s on MySpace
Skerik on MySpace
Trio Subtonic’s Site
Trio Subtonic on MySpace
JFJO’s Site
JFJO on MySpace
Prior Related Reviews~
- Skerik / McTuff @ Sam Bond’s (Oct 2008)
- Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio @ Sam Bond’s (May 2008)
- Skerik / McTuff @ Sam Bond’s (July 2009)
- Trio Subtonic @ Lewis & Clark (Oct 2008)
- Trio Subtonic w/ Sex Mob @ Goodfoot (May 2009)
Mt Tabor Theater

Check out more DKG’s tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Milli Vanilli – Girl, You Know It’s True

DEAD KENNY G’S & TRIO SUBTONIC PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

DKG’s Fall 2010 Tour Dates

Date	Venue	Band
10.9.10	Coda San Francisco, CA	With Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle and Black Frames
10.10.10	Harlow’s Sacramento, CA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.12.10	Forestville Club Forestville, CA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.13.10	HumBrews Arcata, CA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.15.10	Sam Bond’s Garage Eugene, OR	Dead Kenny G’s
10.16.10	Mt. Tabor Theater Portland, WA	Dead Kenny G’s and Jacob Fred Jazz Oddysey
10.17.10	Chop Suey Seattle, WA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.18.10	The Top Hat Missoula, MT	Dead Kenny G’s
10.19.10	Knotty Pine Victor, ID	Dead Kenny G’s
10.20.10	The State Room Salt Lake City, UT	Dead Kenny G’s
10.21.10	Aggie Theater Ft. Collins, CO	Dead Kenny G’s
10.22.10	Cervante’s Otherside Denver, CO	Dead Kenny G’s
10.23.10	Davey’s Uptown Kansas City, MO	Dead Kenny G’s
10.28.10	Kessler Dallas, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
10.29.10	Momo’s Austin, TX	Dead Kenny G’s and Hairy Apes BMX
10.30.10	La Bon Ton Roule New Orleans, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.31.10	The Blue Nile New Orleans, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
11.12.10 11.13.10	Bear Creek Music Festival Live Oak, FL	Dead Kenny G’s
12.1.10	Momo’s Austin, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
12.2.10	Kessler Dallas, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
12.3.10	The Deli Norman, OK	Dead Kenny G’s
12.4.10	Eclipse Tulsa, OK	Dead Kenny G’s
12.5.10	Chester’s Fayetteville, AR	Dead Kenny G’s
12.8.10	Momo’s Austin, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
12.9.10	Chelsea’s Baton Rouge, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
12.10.10	DBA New Orleans, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
12.11.10	Martin’s Jackson, MS	Dead Kenny G’s

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant Tags: brad houser, concert photos, concert review, dead kenny g's, groove, jacob fred jazz odyssey, jazz, jazz trio, jfjo, kenny g, mike dillon, mt tabor, oregon, portland, punk, rock, set list, setlist, skerik, trio subtonic

REVIEW: Holy F*ck & Indian Jewelry @ Holocene (Portland, OR – 10/14/10)

15th Oct 10 (Fri) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

First off… if you haven’t seen the adorable and infectious new music video for Holy Fuck‘s “Red Lights,” you need to go check it out now. OK, now that you’re back, on to the review…

This was the first time to the Holocene for me. It’s a nice venue, trendy looking bar, good beer on tap (Double Mountain IRA for me). They had a few side rooms with colorful lights, practically unusable mirrors in the bathroom, and odd fabric or paper christmas tree looking things in the performance area. In other words, everything that makes Portland its quirky, trendy self.

I got there near the middle of the first opener’s set. Clipd Beaks, from Oakland, were good from what I heard. Fuzzy rock with somewhat melodic vocals, use of trumpet, but primarily traditional rock sounds coming forth. I didn’t get any usable photos from their set as the lights were in force, yet.

Next up was Indian Jewelry, a four-piece from Houston, put out a 40 minute blast of tom percussion, dirty guitars and keyboards. They were a little warbly, drone-y in spots, and switched off between male and female vocalists. I enjoyed them, but I couldn’t really “re-sing” any of their songs… nice and percussive, genre-less but not aimless. I can see them working way better live than on record, but then again, I’ve been wrong about that before. Anyway, I’d recommend checking them out if they swing by your neck of the woods… cracked cymbals and all.

Holy Fuck started setting up immediately after Indian Jewelry’s set ended. They went on right around 11:30 and played a full hour, with encore. Not dissimilar from their Mississippi Studios show from earlier in the year… lots of tunes from Latin – which I am legally required to state in every mention of its name… it’s the best album of 2010 so far. Great groove-based live/organic electronic.

There were a few absent fab live tunes (Royal Gregory, Super Inuit, Milkshake), and I think I’m going crazy, as now I’m doubting my own note-taking… did they end with Lovely Allen? Or was it Safari? Or am I going crazy? Anyway… they played Red Lights, which smoked! I love Punchy’s bass on that track…

Setlist: about an hour

1MD
Super Inuit
Foxy
Jungles
Red Lights
Lucky
Stay Lit
Silva & Grimes
Stilettos
Encore: The Pulse
Lovely Allen (I should know this with confidence, but my brain fell apart)
italics – unsure of in the setlist, any help is appreciated

Great show as usual from Holy Fuck. But… severe lack of dancing again… or at least in comparison to the grooves. This seems to happen (i.e.- not happen) in Portland; so I don’t blame the band at all. They should swing down to Eugene next time… we’ll show ’em how to party! Pretty please!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Holy Fuck’s Site
Holy Fuck on MySpace
My Prior HF Reviews~
- Mississippi Studios in Portland (June 2010)
- Doug Fir Lounge in Portland (June 2009)
- Southgate House in Cincinnati (April 2007)
Great Recent HF Videos / Outside Links~
- Red Lights Music Video
- SXSW 2010 – Baeble Music Stage
- BrooklynVegan‘s photo coverage of NYC show
Indian Jewelry’s Site
Indian Jewelry on MySpace
Clipd Beaks on MySpace
Holocene Portland

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Metallica – S&M

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

(click for larger)

Holy Fuck Fall 2010 Tour:

08-28 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival
08-29 Reading, England – Reading Festival
09-08 Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
09-09 Birmingham, AL- Bottletree
09-10 New Orleans, LA – Howlin’ Wolf
09-11 Austin, TX – The Mohawk
09-12 Houston, TX – Walter’s on Washington
09-13 Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
09-14 Athens, GA – New Earth Music Hall
09-15 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
09-17 Washington, DC – Black Cat
09-18 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
09-19 Boston, MA – Paradise
09-20 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
09-21 Buffalo, NY – Soundlab
09-22 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
09-23 Cincinnati, OH – Midpoint Music Festival
09-24 Urbana, IL – Pygmalion Music Festival
09-25 Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop
09-26 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick (Fucking Awesome Fest)
09-27 London, Ontario – London Music Hall
09-28 Hamilton, Ontario – Studio Theatre
09-29 Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix Theatre
09-30 Montreal, Quebec – Espace Dell’Arte
10-02 Ottawa, Ontario – Capital Music Hall
10-03 Guelph, Ontario – Vinyl
10-05 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Pyramid Cabaret
10-06 Saskatoon, Saskatchewa – Louis Pub
10-07 Toronto, Ontario – Republik
10-08-09 Edmonton, Alberta – Pawn Shop
10-11 Victoria, British Columbia – Element Nightclub
10-12 Vancouver, British Columbia – The Rickshaw Theatre
10-13 Seattle, WA – Neumos
10-14 Portland, OR – Holocene
10-16 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Music Festival
10-17 Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
10-18 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
10-20 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
10-21 Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
10-22 St. Louis, MO – Firebird
10-23 Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Post-rock, Rock & Pop Tags: cats, clipd beaks, concert photos, concert review, electronic, holocene, holy fuck, holy-f, indian jewelry, Indie Rock, inspired by kittens, latin, oregon, portland, post-rock, red lights, rock, set list, setlist

Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane in SF

5th Oct 10 (Tue) 1 comment

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

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

Also, here’s some video of the show…

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

~Dan – np: The Weepies – Be My Thrill

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

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

26th Sep 10 (Sun) Leave a comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

Setlist: a little over 2 hours

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

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

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

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

~Dan – np: Beats Antique – Blind Threshold

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

(click for larger)

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

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

30th Aug 10 (Mon) Leave a comment

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

~Dan

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

(click for larger)

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

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

29th Aug 10 (Sun) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

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

Check out more Beats Antique tour dates below.

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

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

(click for larger)

Beats Antique Tour Dates

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

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

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

29th Jul 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

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

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

Setlist: ~90 mins

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

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

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

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

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

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Wynton Marsalis – Tune in Tomorrow

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

(click for larger)

Glen Phillips and/or Toad TWS Tour Dates

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

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

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

20th Jul 10 (Tue) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

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

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

(click for larger)

Antibalas July 2010 Tour Dates

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

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

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

16th Jul 10 (Fri) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

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

Check out more tour dates below.

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

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

(click for larger)

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

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

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

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

8th Jul 10 (Thu) 7 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

Setlist: ~90 minutes spanning 2 sets

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

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

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

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

See their Spring/Summer 2010 tour dates below.

~Dan – np: John Zorn’s Locus Solus – 50th Birthday Celebration Vol 3

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

(click for larger)

Spring/Summer Tour Dates (winding down)

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

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

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

27th Jun 10 (Sun) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

Setlist: 2 sets spanning 2+ hours

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

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

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

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

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

~Dan – np: Damien Jurado – Saint Bartlett

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

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (7 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (34 pics)

PINK MARTINI PHOTOS

all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,

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

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (7 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (34 pics)

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

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

22nd Jun 10 (Tue) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

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

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

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

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

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

Setlist: 2 hours 15 minutes

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

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