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SETLIST: David Bazan @ Gutenberg College (Eugene, OR – 4/24/13)
David Bazan is off on another jaunt of a 40+ house concert tour. Last night’s show at the McKenzie Study Center at Gutenberg College wasn’t technically a “house,” but it still had that living room feel.
He showed up a tad late, but after quickly setting up, he entertained a few questions and then kicked into his set…
Setlist: about 75 minutes
- Q&A #1
- Hot Girls [Headphones]
- Fewer Broken Pieces
- Big Trucks [Pedro the Lion]
- Man In Me [Bob Dylan]
- Q&A #2
- “I write it down for what it’s worth” [new song, no title mentioned]
- Hard To Be
- Virginia
- Shit Talker [Headphones]
- Q&A #3
- Wolves At The Door
- Selling Advertising
- Of Minor Prophets and Their Prostitute Wives [Pedro the Lion]
- Q&A #4
- The Fleecing [Pedro the Lion]
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- Q&A #5
- Strange Negotiations
No Encore
Some Bazan-related news…
1) His newest side-project Overseas is up for pre-order now. If you pre-order it, you get a download of the full album immediately. I got it a couple weeks ago, and I dig it. Overseas is David Bazan, Will Johnson, Matt Kadane and Bubba Kadane…. and in the 2nd Q&A I asked if they were going to tour. He said that they will likely do a limited set of dates: a few Texas dates, New York area dates, and then a limited West Coast run (LA, SF, Portland, Seattle).
2) On this tour, though he didn’t have them available last night, is a art print that comes with a download code for a Covers EP. He didn’t have them last night, but noted that we could buy it online (soon) without shipping fees. He should have them soon on some of the other dates on this tour. He mentioned the Bob Dylan cover, Radiohead’s “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box,” and a few others will be included.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- House Show (Portland, OR – Feb 2012)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Dec 2011)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Sep 2011)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
- The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
This was his second date of this tour… check out more tour dates below (sorry, many are already sold out).
Next show for me… Infected Mushroom at McDonald Theater (4/25).
~Dan – np: Pet Bottle Ningen – Non-Recyclable
David Bazan – Spring 2013 House Show Tour
04/23/13 Tue – Portland OR – SOLD OUT
04/24/13 Wed – Eugene OR – SOLD OUT
04/25/13 Thu – Redding CA
04/26/13 Fri – Sacramento CA – SOLD OUT
04/27/13 Sat – San Francisco CA – SOLD OUT
04/28/13 Sun – Hollister CA
04/29/13 Mon – OFF
04/30/13 Tue – Los Angeles CA – SOLD OUT
05/01/13 Wed – Costa Mesa CA – SOLD OUT
05/02/13 Thu – Riverside CA – SOLD OUT
05/03/13 Fri – San Diego CA – SOLD OUT
05/04/13 Sat – Tucson AZ – SOLD OUT
05/05/13 Sun – Phoenix AZ – SOLD OUT
05/06/13 Mon – OFF
05/07/13 Tue – Graham TX
05/08/13 Wed – San Antonio TX – SOLD OUT
05/09/13 Thu – Houston TX – SOLD OUT
05/10/13 Fri – Baton Rouge LA
05/11/13 Sat – New Orleans LA – SOLD OUT
05/12/13 Sun – OFF
05/13/13 Mon – Orlando FL – SOLD OUT
05/14/13 Tue – Jacksonville FL – SOLD OUT
05/15/13 Wed – Augusta GA – SOLD OUT
05/16/13 Thu – Atlanta GA – SOLD OUT
05/17/13 Fri – Columbus GA
05/18/13 Sat – Birmingham AL – SOLD OUT
05/19/13 Sun – Memphis TN
05/20/13 Mon – OFF
05/21/13 Tue – St Louis MO – SOLD OUT
05/22/13 Wed – Kansas City MO – SOLD OUT
05/23/13 Thu – Tulsa OK – SOLD OUT
05/24/13 Fri – Oklahoma City OK – SOLD OUT
05/25/13 Sat – Lubbock TX
05/26/13 Sun – Los Alamos NM
05/27/13 Mon – Prescott AZ
05/28/13 Tue – Las Vegas NV
05/29/13 Wed – OFF
05/30/13 Thu – Davis CA
05/31/13 Fri – Chico CA – SOLD OUT
06/01/13 Sat – Phoenix OR (Medford)
06/02/13 Sun – Portland OR – SOLD OUT
REVIEW: Sarah Kirkland-Snider’s PENELOPE featuring Shara Worden & FearNoMusic @ Alberta Rose (Portland, OR – 2/2/13)
Ever the Shara Worden / My Brightest Diamond fanboy, I got PENELOPE – the collaboration with composer Sarah Kirkland-Snider – back when it came out in 2010.
I loved the record then… dark, light, moving, haunting, gorgeous emotions not only from Shara’s voice but also from the musical compositions. Penelope is a song cycle / concept album, inspired by a journey and coming home a la Homer’s Odyssey. Read more about it here.
Never did I think I’d have a chance to see it performed live. I mean, I’ve seen My Brightest Diamond plenty of times, but I always thought of Penelope as a one-off – solely an album collaboration. A very good album collaboration, but an album collaboration nonetheless.
I only found out about the one-night only show with Portland’s FearNoMusic chamber ensemble about two weeks ago, but I bought I ticket without consulting my calendar. Luckily nothing was on my calendar… but honestly, if something had been, I would have had to change my plans anyway.
The show was as gorgeous as the record,if not more. Quite moving and amazing to hear in the room: the strings, the horns, the woodwinds, the powerful voice. There is a lot of pain in the words, but also a hope in starting over… blown over by the wind, turned over by the tide. At least that’s what I take out of it. It left me with hope.
- The Stranger with the Face of a Man I Loved
- This Is What You’re Like
- The Honeyed Fruit
- The Lotus Eaters [music video]
- Nausicaa
- Circe and the Hanged Man
- I Died of Waiting
- Home
- Dead Friend
- Calypso
- And Then You Shall Be Lost Indeed
- Open Hands
- Baby Teeth, Bones, and Bullets
- As He Looks Out to Sea
- Encore: Be Brave
Shara Worden’s stunning vocal delivery was joined by FearNoMusic conducted by Katherine FitzGibbon with Inés Voglar, violin; Joël Belgique, viola; Nancy Ives, cello; Alicia Paulsen, flute; Mark Dubac, clarinet; Leander Star, French horn; Jeffrey Work, trumpet; Dan Balmer, guitar; and Sergio Carreño, drum set and percussion.
Shara kicked off her heels (literally) for the encore MBD song. I’m glad that Shara played at least one tune from her own catalog… but honestly, it wasn’t needed. Penelope worked on so many great levels in a live setting.
There are a few more Penelope dates scheduled… Minnesota, Indiana, and New York so far. Check out Sarah Kirkland-Snider’s events page.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Website / Twitter
- My Brightest Diamond’s Website
- FearNoMusic’s Website / Twitter / Facebook
- MBD’s record label: Asthmatic Kitty
- MBD music video compendium (non-exhaustive, but pretty chock full)
- My Brightest Diamond’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews & Links~
- MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – April 2007)
- WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2008)
- Face Time with John Norris 2011 (20 minute interview video)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland – Nov 2011)
- Free for All @ Pantages (Tacoma – Sept 2012)
- Alberta Rose Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
And, I promise, I’ll get my gosh-darn “Best Of 2012” list posted soon… I’m horrible this time. The next show for me is Ben Folds Five @ Roseland (Portland) on 2/5.
REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens presents the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – 12/6/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I hate Christmas music. There are a few rare instances where it doesn’t make me cringe. Over the Rhine’s Darkest Night of the Year and Monk’s How Like A Winter are rare exceptions. One of my favorite artists, Sufjan Stevens, has put out Christmas EPs each year for his closest group of friends, and then they eventually make their way out to the public via now two EP boxsets (Songs For Christmas & Silver and Gold). While some of the more standard Christmasy songs from Sufjan make me cringe (it’s not his fault), he finds a way to have some experimentation and wild unique new songs that makes the boxsets fully enjoyable… even for a bah-humbug like me. And the boxsets also include cool arts and crafts…
Despite my dislike of Chrtistmas songs, when I found out that Sufjan was bringing his 2012 Christmas Sing-a-Long tour (the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice) through Portland’s Aladdin Theater, I knew I needed to go.
His opener / tour co-hort is Sheila Saputo… the quirky comedic alter ego of singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas… see her trailer here.
Sheila put on a 20 minute set of fairly ridiculous, self-depricating humor.. partially eating a carrot throughout the set, making balloon “animals” (term used very loosely), and spelling out the important aspects of the acronym CAROLS: Carnal Treasures, Armageddon, etc (see photos at the bottom).
At 8:45pm, Sufjan and his band hit the stage (including the de-frocked Sheila Saputo/Rosie Thomas in a snowman suit). They started things off in front of the stage curtain with a gentle acappella version of “Christmas Time Is Here,” then… curtains up and behold the majesty of the Wheel of Christmas!!!
The set was obviously going to be full of Christmas songs. Some on their setlist and some chosen “randomly.” For many of the Wheel of Christmas Sing-a-Long tunes, they brought up members of the audience to spin for the selection. Near the end, some rigging of the wheel had to be done to fit in some we hadn’t done yet. I think we hit everything on the Wheel except for “Silent Night.”
They also threw in a few non-Christmas tunes throughout the set and at the encore…
Setlist: 2 hrs 10 mins
- Christmas Time Is Here (acappella) [Vince Guaraldi]
- Christmas Woman
- Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance!
- Do You Hear What I Hear?
- Justice Delivers Its Death*
- Joy to the World (Wheel of Christmas Sing-A-Long)
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Wheel)
- A Holly Jolly Christmas (Wheel)
- Jingle Bells (Wheel)
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Wheel)
- Vito’s Ordination Song*
- Put the Lights on the Tree
- How Shall I Fitly Greet Thee?
- I Am Santa’s Helper
- “Frosty” (improv rock, chant, Rosie cutting santa up with plastic chainsaw)
- Sister Winter*
- Ah Holy Jesus
- The Child with the Star on His Head*
- Sleigh Ride (Wheel, noted as “Slay Ride”)
- O Holy Night (Wheel)
- We Need a Little Christmas (Wheel)
- Auld Lang Syne* (Wheel)
- Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Wheel)
- For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti*
- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
- That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!*
- Christmas Unicorn*
- Encore: Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois*
- Futile Devices*
- Chicago*
- Come On! Feel the Illinoise!*
*– personal favorites from the night
I truly hate most Christmas music, but this was a FUUUUUUUUUUUUUN show! Sufjan and his band make the music fun, the original tunes (even if Christmasy) are spectacles of greatness or touching, gentler tunes, and the overall party factor of this tour is truly astounding. I’d hate to have been on the clean-up crew… confetti, streamers, popped balloons, and random blow-up animals and santas…
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Sufjan’s Tumblr Site
- Sufjan’s Label – Asthmatic Kitty
- Sufjan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Sheila Saputo’s WordPress
- Sheila Saputo’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter / Rosie’s twitter / YouTube
- Paste’s coverage of the Athens Georgia show
- Other Related Sufjan Reviews~
- Schnitzer (Portland – Oct 2010)
- Chris Young’s Portland Oct 2010 review on OMN (with my photos)
- MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – Apr 2007)
- Brooklyn Vegan’s NYC Bowery Dec 2012 photos
- Aladdin Theater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… Charlie Hunter @ Mississippi Studios (12/7) and Antibalas @ Hawthorne (12/8).
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Rimbaud
SUFJAN STEVENS CHRISTMAS SING-A-LONG PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Sufjan Stevens Fall 2012 Tour Dates
- Fri Nov 23, 2012 – Philadelphia PA Union Transfer
- Sat Nov 24, 2012 – Washington DC 9:30 Club
- Sun Nov 25, 2012 – Saxapahaw NC The Haw River Ballroom
- Mon Nov 26, 2012 – Athens GA The Georgia Theatre
- Tue Nov 27, 2012 – Chattanooga TN Track 29
- Wed Nov 28, 2012 – Oxford MS The Lyric Oxford
- Fri Nov 30, 2012 – Dallas TX Granada Theater
- Sat Dec 01, 2012 – Austin TX Emo’s East
- Mon Dec 03, 2012 – Tucson AZ Rialto Theatre
- Tue Dec 04, 2012 – Los Angeles CA The Fonda Theatre (formerly The Music Box)
- Wed Dec 05, 2012 – San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
- Thu Dec 06, 2012 – Portland OR Aladdin Theater
- Sat Dec 08, 2012 – Seattle WA Neptune Theatre
- Sun Dec 09, 2012 – Missoula MT Wilma Theatre
- Wed Dec 12, 2012 – Minneapolis MN Mill City Nights (Formerly The Brick)
- Thu Dec 13, 2012 – Milwaukee WI Turner Hall
- Fri Dec 14, 2012 – Indianapolis IN Deluxe @ Old National Centre
- Sat Dec 15, 2012 – Chicago IL Metro
- Sun Dec 16, 2012 – Cleveland OH Beachland Ballroom
- Tue Dec 18, 2012 – Buffalo NY Asbury Hall @ Babeville
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 – Providence RI Fete
- Thu Dec 20, 2012 – Boston MA Royale
- Fri Dec 21, 2012 – New York NY Bowery Ballroom
- Sat Dec 22, 2012 – New York NY Bowery Ballroom
REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ the Triple Door (Seattle, WA – 11/17/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
How many times can you see a band and finally get tired of them? I honestly can’t answer that question. After 50+ times seeing Over the Rhine over more than a decade, in various venues and cities and states, I’ll still drive 10 hours over a 30 hour period to go see them because they’re not playing anywhere closer.
I had seen Jeffrey Foucault in September at the Triple Door in downtown Seattle. At that time, I had never been there, and after seeing the set-up, tasting the menu, and witnessing their light-show, I viewed their calendar and noted that they had the sole Over the Rhine show in the PacNW this fall. I bought my OTR tickets via my iPhone during the Jeffrey Foucault intermission.
This show was billed as “An Acoustic Evening with Over the Rhine,” and it featured the husband-wife duo of Linford Detweiler (piano, guitars, vocals) and Karin Bergquist (vocals, guitars) with drums/percussive support from Nick Radina.
The set was heavily from The Long Surrender (the album from late 2010/early 2011, depending on how you got it). That record is a gem; so I didn’t mind its heavy presence on Saturday. They also threw in some new songs that should make their way onto their upcoming album, The Farm (GO HERE for more on how to support that 2013 album)…
Setlist: ~1 hr 45 mins
- Born
- All My Favorite People
- The Laugh Of Recognition
- Undamned
- Sacred Ground [new song]
- Earthbound Love Song (aka Johnny & June)
- Gonna Let My Soul Catch My Body [new song]
- The King Knows How
- Suitcase
- Blue Jean Sky [new song]
- Favorite Time of Light
- Let It Fall [new song]
- Little Did I Know
- Trouble
- All I Need Is Everything
- Encore: Rave On
- Watching the Wheels [John Lennon]
- Drunkard’s Prayer
- Latter Days
As far as the new songs, “Sacred Ground” seems like a classic favorite already. They debuted it last fall, and I loved it immediately. The chorus doesn’t seem like a “tradition OTR song,” but it really works well with both Karin & Linford singing. “Blue Jean Sky” had some nice imagery, as well as a repeated line of “kick ass beauty.” The main set and encore cappers from Good Dog Bad Dog made me happy as well… all in all, another gorgeous evening by two of my favorite musical friends.
more photos below
they’re a bit grainy when
you blow them up (sorry…
we were mid-crowd)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Over the Rhine’s Site
- Over the Rhine’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Aladdin Theater (Portland – Nov 2011)
- Aladdin Theater (Portland – Nov 2010)
- WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2010)
- Doug Fir Lounge (Portland – Sept 2007)
- Bogarts (Cincinnati – March 2001)
- Canal Street Tavern (Dayton – June 2000)
- The Triple Door’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band at the Rose Garden (Portland 11/28).
OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: My Brightest Diamond @ Pantages Theater (Tacoma, WA – 9/22/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Outside of a college football traffic-filled I-5 and a rainbow roll sushi before the show, there was no opener for My Brightest Diamond this weekend for me. She was the first after “dinner break” act for Tacoma’s 9/22-9/23 weekend Broadway Center Free For All. A free one-off show in the Pacific Northwest by one of my absolute favorite artists!! Well, free outside of the time and gas money… I wasn’t going to pass this up.
Dressed in colorful balls, spikes, and pipe cleaner, My Brightest Diamond (Shara Worden) started the show by coming out in a mask and dumping two large trash bags full of bright orange balloons on the stage.
She played a short set, but hit some great high-points from her three album catalog and switched around a lot on various instruments: ukulele, keyboards, mbira, electric guitar…
Setlist:
- We Added It Up
- Golden Star
- Escape Routes
- Be Brave
- Apples
- High Low Middle
- I Have Never Loved Someone
- Inside A Boy
Her quirkiness and fun-loving vibe shone through. This being a free show, I’m hoping she attracted some new followers with her charms. As far as what’s next for her? Well, she’s bound to show up on someone’s record here, or a collaborative single there, or a remix album over there, or a new album in a bit. She’s currently not specifically touring; so any chance she comes through your parts for a one-off show – check her out. You shan’t be disappointed!
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- My Brightest Diamond’s Website
- MBD’s record label: Asthmatic Kitty
- MBD music video compendium (non-exhaustive, but pretty chock full)
- My Brightest Diamond’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews & Links~
- MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – April 2007)
- WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2008)
- Face Time with John Norris 2011 (20 minute interview video)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland – Nov 2011)
- Pantages Theater’s Site / Facebook
Next show for me… Chevelle at Crystal Ballroom on 9/25.
~Dan – np: Chevelle – This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
My Brightest Diamond PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
PHOTOS & SETLIST: “Weird Al” Yankovic @ Lane County Fair (Eugene, OR – 8/17/12)
What to say about “Weird Al” Yankovic? Stunning musicians, crazy stamina, insane costume change schedule, immaculate performer! Here’s what he played a glimpse at his costuming for his recent show at the Lane County Fair in Eugene last Saturday…
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Polka Face
- TMZ
- Interview w Eminem (video)
- Smells Like Nirvana
- Interview w Uma Thurman (video)
- Party in the CIA
- Weird Al movie trailer (video)
- Huge Medley:
- Beverly Hillbillies
- You Can Have Whatever You Like
- Tattoo
- eBay
- I Want a New Duck
- Rye or the Kaiser
- Spam
- My Bologna
- Spider-Man
- Lasagna
- Eat It
- Interview w Rob Pattinson (video)
- Amish Paradise
- Interview w Megan Fox (video)
- Craig’s List
- 30 Rock ending credits/Titanic (video)
- Perform This Way
- Interview w Jeff Bridges (video)
- White & Nerdy
- Dirt PSA (video)
- Fat
- Encore: The Saga Begins
- The Addams Family (intro on keys only)
- Yoda (with “Grim Grinning Ghosts” & Hawaiian War Chant)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Weird Al’s Site
- Weird Al’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Lane County Fair’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Pojama People (Frank Zappa cover band) with Ike Willis on vocals (!) at WOW Hall (8/31).
REVIEW: Sigur Rós @ Edgefield (Portland, OR – 8/9/12)
PHOTOS below from Sigur Rós’ Tumblr
(unless otherwise noted)
Sigur Rós is magical. This was my 6th time seeing them, and quite frankly, it doesn’t get any less magical each time I am graced with their presence. They don’t really speak to me on a linguistic level, but they blow me away on a musical and emotive level.
The sweeping movements that scream, the melodies that bleed, the ambient passages that don’t go anywhere by going everywhere. The playing with light and shadows, the simplest/minimalist way to make a huge f*cking point. That is what Sigur Rós is to its fans.
Their latest album, Valtari, is… well, it seems more minimalist than their prior albums. It came out in late May 2012, and I’m only a few dozen spins in. I’m still trying to let it sink in. It’s slower going than the first spin of Agaetis Byrjun and ( ) for me. It’s not a hooky (bwahaha!) as Takk… or Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.
Is Valtari anything different than I’d expect from Sigur Rós? No, not really. It just hadn’t broken through to me, yet.
Despite Valtari not quite breaking through yet, the anticipation for this tour was killing me. I had last seen Sigur Rós in October 2008 (review at my photo to the left), and I had last seen lead-singer Jónsi (solo) in April 2010 (review at my photo to the right).
The short trailer for the tour based on the Iceland rehearsals and the tour opening show in Philadelphia had me giddy…
After a delightful drive up and bite to eat at McMenamins’ Black Rabbit with a friend, we hit the venue right about 6 and found a nice shady spot on the lawn. Opener Julia Holter went on at 6:30 as scheduled…
She played a mellow, 40-or-so-minute set with her 3-piece band (unless there was another member out of my sight). We were far enough away and the crowd was a bit restless; so her set was more of a backdrop to discussions, people watching and decisions on pizza. I’d have liked to get into her music more, but sadly things were not conducive to that. Since she’s from Los Angeles, perhaps I’ll get another chance soon.
After a fairly short set-change, Sigur Rós hit the stage…
This was my first time seeing them in an outdoor venue. No fancy lights bouncing Orri’s silhouette off the walls, no starting the show behind a white sheet, no cannons of confetti blasting. Some of the “magic” was missing on the venue side of things, if you ask me – but I don’t think any magic was missing in the music.
Setlist: an hour & 45 min
- Ekki Múkk
- Svefn-g-englar
- Olsen Olsen
- Gong
- Andvari
- Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása
- Í Gær
- Vaka
- Sæglópur
- Hoppípolla
- Með Blóðnasir
- Festival
- Varúð
- Hafsól
- Dauðalogn (on setlist, not played)
- Encore: Popplagið
Many times throughout the set, within 2 or 3 notes, the crowd was clapping and hooting in anticipation for the song that was just started. I love that I live in a day and age where I can escape and listen to good live music that sells out a large outdoor venue. It’s not just the pop stars & starlets that draw a crowd, and it’s nice to see Sigur Rós’ progression and success over the years.
The lesser Valtari-focus made room for a great mix from their catalog, and I think songs from the different eras worked well together. Some of my favorites from the night… “Svefn-g-englar” leading into “Olsen Olsen,” “Vaka,” “Sæglópur,” “Hoppípolla,” and the show-capper “Popplagið.”
Despite always knowing that they’ll end the show with an epic 10-15 minute “Popplagið,” I don’t think I could choose a better song to end a beautiful night on.
~Tumblr-Rós photos from Seattle 8/8~
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Sigur Rós’ Site
- Sigur Rós’ Social Media Links (see below)
- Julia Holter’s Site
- Julia Holter’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Sigur-Ros.co.uk 8/9/12 review & photo portal
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Sigur Rós @ Schnitzer (Portland – Oct 2008)
- Jónsi @ Roseland (Portland – Apr 2010)
- Edgefield’s Site / Facebook
Check out more Sigur Rós – North American tour dates below.
Next shows for me… Kevin Smith & Scott Mosier Live SModcast on 8/17 (Portland) and Weird Al Yankovic on 8/18 (Eugene / Lane County Fair).
~Dan – np: Testament – Dark Roots of Earth
July 2012
29 & 30 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Skyline Stage at The Mann
31 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Prospect Park Bandshell
August 2012
1 – Toronto, Ontario @ Echo Beach at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
3 – Montreal, Quebec @ Osheaga Festival Musique Et Arts
5 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lollapalooza
8 – Seattle, Wash. @ The Paramount Theater
9 – Portland/Troutdale, Ore. @ Edgefield Amphitheater
11 – San Francisco @ Outside Lands
12 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery
REVIEW: Fiona Apple @ the Schnitz (Portland, OR – 7/26/12)
Fiona Apple in Minnesota (July 2012)
Poetic and pop-forward, yet jazzy on record, Fiona Apple turned out a full force band show at Portland’s Schnitzer last Thursday. She bounced around her back catalogue, only playing a handful from the new album, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.
What to like about what she played?
Just about everything. The pain & hurt in “Shadowboxer,” the disappointment in “Paper Bag,” the anger in “Get Gone,” the positivity and whimsy in “Extraordinary Machine.” I would have loved to hear a live rendition (with vocal loops) of “Hot Knife” from The Idler Wheel, but overall, I was pleased with what she gave us…
Setlist: about 90 mins
- Fast As You Can
- On the Bound
- Shadowboxer
- Paper Bag
- Anything We Want
- Get Gone
- Sleep To Dream
- Extraordinary Machine
- Werewolf
- Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)
- Daredevil
- I Know
- Every Single Night
- Criminal
- Carrion
- Not About Love
- Encore: It’s Only Make Believe [Conway Twitty]
Fiona’s rocking band was helmed by Blake Mills on guitar (the show opener as well), and rounded out by Sebastian Steinberg on bass, Amy Wood on drums, and Zac Rae on keys.
Fiona is on the top of her game, and I just hope that it’s not another 7 years before we hear something new. But even if it is, I know it’ll be a delight.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Fiona Apple’s Site
- Fiona Apple’s Social Media Links (see below)
- PCPA/Arlene Schnitzer’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
She just ended her 2012 summer tour (dates below), but check out her TOUR PAGE for Fall dates that start in September.
Next show for me… Sigur Rós @ Edgefield (Portland) on Aug 9th.
~Dan – np: Celldweller – Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head, Volume 2
Fiona Apple — 2012 Tour Dates
6/19 – Ithaca, NY – State Theatre
6/20 – Baltimore, MD – Lyric Opera House
6/22 – Mashantucket, CT – MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods
6/23 – Holyoke, MA – Mountain Park
6/24 – New York, NY – Governors Ball at Randall’s Island
6/26 – Washington DC – Warner Theatre
6/27 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theatre
6/29 – Danbury, CT – Ives Concert Park
6/30 – Boston, MA – Citi Performing Arts Center
7/1 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
7/3 – Montreal, QC – Olympia Theatre
7/4 – Toronto, Ontario – The Sound Academy
7/6 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Cain Park
7/7 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
7/10 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
7/11 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
7/13 – Nashville, TN – The Ryman Auditorium
7/14 – St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House
7/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
7/17 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland by AMC
7/20 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
7/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kingsbury Hall at University of Utah
7/24 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum
7/25 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
7/26 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
7/28 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
7/29 – Hollywood, CA – Hollywood Palladium
REVIEW: Levi Weaver @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 7/16/12)
How did I get into Nashville-based singer-songwriter Levi Weaver?
Well, um… is “Yahoo! fantasy baseball league via twitter” a valid explanation? Well, it’s how it went down. After following him, he had posted something about his documentary String Theory, then I sent him a “hey next time you’re in Oregon let me know” message, and then he sent me a “well actually” message… and the rest is history.
This was only my 3rd house show to host and/or coordinate (Susan Enan & Peter Mulvey being the other two), but it went smoothly. Levi is a delight to work with, and he’s a true professional. He’s still in the midst of shooting the String Theory doc; so he had a two-person crew with him.
A little sparser attendance than I was going for due to being the Monday right after Oregon Country Fair, we still had a decent turnout for Levi’s lovely set. I’m still getting familiar with his music, but from his hour-long set he started with “String Theory” (on mandolin) then Radiohead’s “Idioteque” (with plenty of loops, bowed guitar and effects).
After my post-show delving into his music, other tunes played were: You Are Home, Which Drink?, Good From Evil, We’re Tornadoes When We Dance, Spirit First (I think?) and a few more. Here are some shots from the show… I had front row couch seats… (click for larger)
He has tons of fantastic music out there. Check it out on bandcamp (links below), support indie music, check him out when he swings by your town, and enjoy!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Levi Weaver’s Site
- Levi Weaver’s Social Media Links (see below)
- String Theory Documentary Site
- String Theory Doc Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Bad Mitten Orchestre at WOW Hall on 7/21.
~Dan – np: Tin Hat & e.e. cummings – the rain is a handsome animal
Double-REVIEW: Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend, OR – 5/27/12) and Jack White @ the Hult (Eugene, OR – 5/28/12)
It was a long Memorial Day weekend. But it was a musically fruitful weekend. I could have made it more fruitful by adding The Shins / Blind Pilot / Head and the Heart as well as the Tenacious D shows on Friday and Saturday in Bend, respectively; alas, I needed to save some time and energy for Beck in Bend on Sunday and Jack White in Eugene on Monday. It was still quite a great full weekend for my ears!
I had never seen either Beck or Jack White in concert. I was familiar with Beck’s music fairly well… having all of his stuff. I was completely unfamiliar with Jack White’s music – outside of some of the White Stripes and Raconteurs that I’d heard. Needless to say, I was equally excited about both shows.
Beck in Bend was the tail-end of a nice “Bend Ale Trail” weekend for me… sampling some new places for me: 10 Barrel Brewing & Good Life Brewing. Both highly recommended for their beer and their food! Bend also had some lovely weather and some odd rainbows in the clouds…
(not photoshopped… photo taken near Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR)
Metric was Beck’s opener… the Toronto indie rock quartet ripped through a dancey hour-long set. Their fifth album, Synthetica, comes out on June 12, 2012. If the way they had the Bend audience going is any indication, the new album should be a crowd pleaser as well.
Beck went on after a short set break… kicking the show off right with some Odelay goodness by way of “Devil’s Haircut.”
Among his two-hour long set, he bounced around his back and “recent” catalog (2008’s Modern Guilt) fairly well. Every era got some great representation. As mentioned, I had never seen him live before. I was pleasantly surprised with the great mix, especially the songs off of Sea Change…
Beck’s Setlist: about 2 hours
- Devil’s Haircut
- Loser
- Black Tambourine
- Soul of a Man
- Hotwax
- Sissyneck
- The Golden Age
- Lost Cause
- Sunday Sun
- Think I’m In Love
- The New Pollution
- Modern Guilt
- Paper Tiger
- “Song for Bend” [Improv]
- End of the Day
- Tropicalia [partial]
- Jack-Ass
- Gamma Ray
- Minus
- Girl
- Where It’s At
- Encore: Soldier Jane
- Looking Back
- Mutherfuker
- E-Pro
Next, on to Eugene…
I missed Jack White’s opener, Quasi. I’d heard of them before, and would have liked to have seen the show (I like Sam Coomes work with Elliott Smith). Alas, driving back from Bend and personal commitments made it so we skated into the venue right as Quasi was ending their set… d’oh!
Jack White’s show… what to say, what to say? Professional, yet muddy. Loud, yet not necessary. Thoroughly energetic, yet confusing. Quite enjoyable, yet painful.
The man writes hooky songs, and plays guitar and piano very well… yet, the sound was cranked through the roof. It lost so many of the lushness and subtlety that I think would have been suited for this show at the Hult Center.
Another thing that can’t go without mentioning, the “III” imagery abounding. Sure, rockstars should have iconic imagery. But a suffix namesake seems like an odd thing to so vehemently brand… unless you’re branding your ego or something.
Several times it seemed as if Eugene wasn’t stroking his ego enough… he quipped that if we didn’t want, they didn’t have to come back out (after their 45 minute initial set). He tried to get the crowd to do a sing-a-long on one song, but it seemed as if the song had ended already, and it was more of a confusing thing (or so it seemed to me).
The loudness, was, again… unnecessary. Fantastic musicianship and seemingly intricate things going on with fantastic players… completely lost in the brash, feedback-induced sound cloud. So many subtleties lost. So many subtleties lost.
Jack White’s Setlist: two sets, ~45 mins & ~35 mins
- Set 1: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground [The White Stripes]
- Missing Pieces
- Sixteen Saltines
- Love Interruption
- Cannon/300 Pounds of Joy [Howlin’ Wolf]
- You Know That I Know [Hank Williams]
- Hotel Yorba [The White Stripes]
- Weep Themselves to Sleep
- We’re Going to Be Friends [The White Stripes]
- Blunderbuss
- I Cut Like A Buffalo [The Dead Weather]
- Steady as She Goes [The Raconteurs]
- Set 2: Freedom At 21
- Trash Tongue Talker
- I’m Slowly Turning Into You [The White Stripes]
- Carolina Drama [The Raconteurs]
- Seven Nation Army [The White Stripes]
- Goodnight, Irene [Lead Belly]
(pro photos from Eugene will be posted at jwiii.com)
The bottom line… I really enjoyed the Jack White show. The flaws that I saw in the show are totally fixable. Who am I to say what he should do anyhow? :) I’m just thinking that something that shows off his musical chops, his writing prowess, his voice, his players, and his songs at the forefront – not clouded by sheer volume – could have been far, far, FAR more enjoyable… and probably far, far, far more enjoyable to more to others (not just me).
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Beck’s Site
- Beck’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Metric’s Site
- Metric’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Les Schwab Amphitheater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter1 / Twitter2
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
- Jack White’s Site
- Jack White 2012 Tour Photos by Jo McCaughey
- Jack White’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Quasi’s Site
- Quasi’s Facebook / MySpace
- The Hult’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Emily Wells @ WOW Hall on 6/3.
REVIEW: Roger Waters presents Pink Floyd’s The Wall Live @ Rose Garden (Portland, OR – 5/22/12)
Above Photos: Roger Waters ‘The Wall Live’ at the Rose Garden on 5/22/12
by Kevin Tomanka (more at Oregon Music News)
FYI… my PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
The spectacle, the brilliance that is Pink Floyd & The Wall Live… I sadly never got a chance to see Pink Floyd perform together, but seeing Roger Waters bring The Wall to us 30+ years later was still quite the treat. It’s not my favorite album of theirs… I love Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon and Meddle a bit better, and before the show you’d have caught me saying things like “The Wall is quite overrated.” Well, after the show, I still think the album is a bit overrated, but my opinion has definitely appreciated.
And the live show… holy smokes! Amazing!!!
There was no opener; so the show started fairly promptly (8:15pm). Wide stage with the start of the wall, a tape intro, then BANG… In the Flesh with fire, sparks, projected graffiti animation on the walls, an airplane flying in from mid-crowd ceiling crashing and bursting into flames just beyond the wall… whoa! We were in for a SHOW!
The show featured several other blow up accoutrements… an evil schoolmaster during the school children song (local school children were used), a war pig, and another creature. The imagery from the original The Wall movie was used in addition to a lot of modernized imagery and animations. For “Mother,” Roger played with himself… a 1980’s Earl’s Court version of himself, that is.
The Wall went up slowly as the band went on… the second set, the band was primarily behind the wall, with Roger coming out to sing for a few tunes. At the end… huge explosion and down it came! They played The Wall in its entirety, no encore.
Setlist: just shy of 2 hours total
- Set 1: Outside the Wall [Tape]
- In the Flesh?
- The Thin Ice
- Another Brick in the Wall Part 1
- The Happiest Days of Our Lives
- Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
- Mother
- Goodbye Blue Sky
- Empty Spaces
- What Shall We Do Now?
- Young Lust
- One of My Turns
- Don’t Leave Me Now
- Another Brick in the Wall Part 3
- The Last Few Bricks
- Goodbye Cruel World
<<25 minute intermission>> - Set 2: Hey You
- Is There Anybody Out There?
- Nobody Home
- Vera
- Bring the Boys Back Home
- Comfortably Numb
- The Show Must Go On
- In the Flesh
- Run Like Hell
- Waiting for the Worms
- Stop
- The Trial
- Outside the Wall
No Encore
Brilliant show! Go go go go if you get the chance! It’s a brilliant display of excess, but it also has good points about government overreach and the ills of war. It’s a paradox and dichotomy.
Portland 5/22 The Wall photos:
(iPhone + 2 of Kevin’s pro shots)
Go to OMN for Kevin Tomanka’s pro shots
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Roger Waters’ Site
- Pink Floyd’s Site
- Roger Waters & Pink Floyd’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Rose Garden’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend) 5/27 and Jack White @ Hult (Eugene) 5/28.
REVIEW: Glen Phillips @ Alberta Rose (Portland, OR – 4/12/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I got to the venue just in the nick of time as Jonathan Kingham was starting his opening set. I had seen him about four years ago in Eugene with Glen Phillips. I thought he was great last time, and he held up to that memory quite well on Thursday night. I think he’s matured a little bit in his songwriting, and still quite the charmer on-stage. Funny, witty, smooth voice, and slow jams. He played some new tunes, some tunes about food, a tune called “Satisfied” (about a poodle?), a cover of Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step” with an impressive improv rap, and ended the 45 minute set with “Grace” with Glen on backing vocals.
After a short break, Glen Phillips came out and dug right in. He played the first handful of tunes unaccompanied, then Jonathan joined him on guitar and backing vocals for the classic Toad song “Walk On the Ocean.” Jonathan stayed with him for the rest of the set, switching to piano partway through.
The things that draws me in to Glen are his voice and his poetic lyricism. Whether it be with his solo stuff, his side-projects, or with his first band Toad – his humor, wit and joy for life shines through. He played a great mix of songs throughout his career and even treated us to a couple brand new songs. No word on if these new songs will show up on an upcoming solo album, collaboration album, or the rumored upcoming Toad the Wet Sprocket album.
Setlist: ~90 mins
- The Next Day
- Crowing [Toad the Wet Sprocket]
- Thankful
- End This Now
- Return to Me
- Blood Pressurize [RemoteTreeChildren]
- Walk on the Ocean* [Toad]
- The One Who Got Away
- Always Have My Love
- Released
- Whatever I Fear [Toad]
- True
- Finally Fading
- Windmills [Toad]
- Golden Age [new song]
- Solar Flare
- Fred Meyers
- All I Want [Toad]
- Rise Up
- Encore: Rare Bird (new song)
- Brothers on a Hotel Bed [Death Cab for Cutie]
*J. Kingham guest on guitar for “Walk On the Ocean” through
“Whatever I Fear” & on piano from “True” through “Rise Up.”
A great show from two fantastic, silken-voiced singer-songwriters.
GLEN PHILLIPS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Glen Phillips’ Site
- Glen Phillips’ Social Media Links (see below)
- Jonathan Kingham’s Site
- Jonathan Kingham’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Toad @ Bend Summer Fest (Bend – July 2011)
- Toad @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland – July 2010)
- W.P.A. @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Sept 2009)
- Glen solo @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Feb 2008)
- Alberta Rose Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Dan Deacon at the University of Oregon on 4/17.
REVIEW: Radiohead @ Key Arena (Seattle, WA – 4/9/12)
The last time I saw Radiohead was in a large outdoor amphitheatre (White River, Aug 2008), and I’ll say the move to indoors was much appreciated. This was my first time to Key Arena. Pretty basic arena… stage set up at end. I arrived just as the opening band was wrapping up… the TicketMaster/Radiohead paperless ticketing was great from a no-scalpers perspective, but it took a bit longer to file everyone in timely.
Radiohead started off the set with “Bloom,” featuring the double drum set-up with both Phil Selway and touring member Clive Deamer (from Portishead) in addition to Jonny Greenwood on a small drum kit. Jonny hit the mini-kit again (along with Ed O’Brien) for “There There” later in the set.
The light show was a LED wall behind the band with moving, suspended video screens (see photo above and slideshow below). The moving video screens had been slowly coming down on the band until they were under an archway of lights by the time “Airbag” came around. Ed make a half-hearted leap to hit the screen above him with his hand.
The band stuck to a lot of new stuff for this show, only digging into the first half of their catalogue a handful of times during their 23-song set. Some highlights were the wall of Thom eyes during Thom’s piano close-up on “You And Whose Army?,” the grandeur of “Lucky,” the wild strobe and raucous “Idioteque,” the subtler / gentler piano-driven “Daily Mail,” and Jonny’s bowed guitar combined with the piano intro to “Pyramid Song.” I’m still getting used to The King of Limbs, and while I don’t think the rockier songs worked (for me) live, the gentler stuff really hit the mark, especially “Give Up the Ghost” and the aforementioned “Daily Mail.” “Little by Little” seemed a little off at the beginning, but other than that, no major disappointments…
Setlist: about 2 hours
- Bloom
- 15 Step
- Airbag
- Little by Little
- Myxomatosis
- The Gloaming
- Morning Mr. Magpie
- Pyramid Song
- The Daily Mail
- These Are My Twisted Words
- Nude
- Identikit
- Lotus Flower
- There There
- Feral
- Idioteque
- Encore 1: How to Disappear Completely
- Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
- You and Whose Army?
- Lucky
- Encore 2: Give Up the Ghost
- Reckoner
- Everything In Its Right Place
Soundcheck songs were Supercollider, 15 Step, Identikit and Meeting in the Aisle, but I was not in attendance for those…
A few iPhone shots from
Radiohead Seattle 4/9/12:
Matthew Lamb’s Pro-shot concert photos here on Key Arena’s FB page.:
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Radiohead’s Site
- Radiohead’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Radiohead-related Posts~
- The Universal Sigh (RSD 2011, PDF download)
- White River Amphitheatre (Seattle-area – Aug 2008)
- Key Arena’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more RH tour dates below.
Next show for me… Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) in Portland 4/12.
~Dan – np: Tyler Fortier – Bang On Time
Radiohead North American Tour 2012
February 2012
Mon 27 American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL, USA
Wed 29 St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL, USA
March 2012
Thu 1 Philips Arena Atlanta, GA, USA
Sat 3 Toyota Center Houston, TX, USA
Mon 5 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Wed 7 Frank Irwin Center Austin, TX USA
Fri 9 Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO USA
Sun 11 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO USA
Tue 13 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO USA
Thu 15 Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ USA
April 2012
Mon 9, Key Arena, Seattle, WA – USA
Wed 11, HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA – USA
Thu 12, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA – USA
Sat 14 Coachella – Indio, CA – USA
Tue 17 Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico
Wed 18 Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico
Sat 21 Coachella – Indio, CA – USA
REVIEW: Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 3/18/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I have to be honest, part of me loves afrobeat due to it originating from my country of birth – Fela Kuti brought it to the forefront in Nigeria in the 1970s (I was born in Jos, Nigeria in the mid-70s as well). Another part of me loves afrobeat due to how straight-up awesome that it is… blending and stirring folk, jazz, funk, rock, and world music into a brilliant, bubbling, oozing-through-your-pores musical and political form of expression. It represents the struggle alongside the joy… and it’s got a funky beat I can dance to…
Sadly, I missed Femi Kuti (elder son of Fela) when he came through a few years back. But I love the music, and didn’t want to miss that opportunity again. I got into the style via NYC-based Antibalas. When I saw that Seun Anikulapo Kuti was coming to Eugene, I had to go…
had. to.
The opener was California based instrumental afrobeat band Afromassive. The crowd was sparse at first, but near the middle of the set, the WOW Hall was beginning to fill out…
They played a 45 minute set of instrumental afrobeat songs and a James Brown cover… definitely fun and danceable. They were an 8-piece band on this tour – lighter on the horns than what was to come, but definitely a horn-centered funky vibe.
They were a perfect warm-up for Sean Kuti and the Egypt 80… The Egypt 80 was Fela Kuti’s band that Seun started singing in as a young boy. After his father died in 1997, Seun took over the band when he was only 14! Many of the members in this 15-piece (!) touring band were active in the band when Fela was alive and kicking.
The set kicked off with singer / trumpeter Muyiwa Kunnuji (in purple below) getting things going on vocals for “Giant of Africa.” During this song, each member of the horn section got a chance to come out and show off their chops with a solo…
Sean came out during the 2nd song with backup singers/dancers and his sax in tow. He took over the bulk of the lead vocals duties, but most of the band pitched in for the shouts and choruses…
The band played a spirited set of anthems with large swaths of stunning musicianship. The band, presumably the same from the album’s liner notes (as the album photo appears to be the same people), was made up of the aforementioned Seun on sax & vocals, Muyiwa on vocals and trumpet, Bidemi Adekunle on baritone sax, Gdabe Okunade and Lekan Animashaun on trumpets, Oyinade Adeniran on tenor sax, David Obayendo and Gbenga Alade on guitars, Kunle Justice on bass, Ajayi Raimi on drums, Kola Onasanya on percussion, Okon Iyamba on shekere, Wale Toriola on keyboards, and Iyabo Adeniran and Yetunde Ademiluyi on backing vocals and dancing.
Setlist: 90+ mins
- Giant of Africa
- African Soldier
- Kalakuta Show [Fela Kuti]
- Zombie [Fela Kuti]
- African Problems
- Rise
- Mr. Big Thief
- The Good Leaf
- You Can Run
No Encore (despite “Mosquito Song” listed)
Seun was drinking hot tea during part of the set… which couldn’t have helped with the heat on the packed stage. His voice had been giving him troubles; so they ended their set without the listed “Mosquito” encore, despite the many cheers for an encore from the nearly-danced out crowd. This was only the band’s fourth show on a 2-month long tour (full tour dates at the bottom). I wish Seun rest and many large mugs of tea!
I picked up their most recent record, From Africa With Fury: Rise. I dig it. It’s available in CD or 12″ double-vinyl at the show… or over on the Amazons. And next time a Kuti or other afrobeat band comes to town… get there. You won’t be disappointed.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Seun Kuti’s Site
- Seun Kuti’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Afromassive’s Site
- Afromassive’s Facebook / MySpace
- My Other Afrobeat Reviews~
- Antibalas @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland – July 2010)
- Antibalas @ Southgate House (mini-review) (Cincinnati – Apr 2007)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… well, as I write this, it’s in a few hours… Skerik’s Bandalabra @ Cozmic Pizza (3/20). After that, it’s Dan Bern @ Cozmic (3/27) and Ani DiFranco @ Roseland (3/31).
~Dan – np: Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 – From Africa With Fury: Rise
SEUN KUTI & THE EGYPT 80 PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 – Spring 2012 U.S. Tour Dates
3/15 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/16 – Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
3/17 – Mt. Tabor Theater – Portland, OR
3/18 – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR
3/21 – Center for the Arts – Grass Valley, CA
3/23 – Moe’s – Santa Cruz, CA
3/24 – Mateel Cultural Center – Redway, CA
3/28 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
3/29 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO
3/30 – Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS
3/31 – Englert Theater – Iowa City, IA
4/1 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
4/4 – Variety – Atlanta, GA
4/5 – Duke Performances – Durham, NC
4/6- Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
4/7 – Club Helsinki – Hudson, NY
4/8 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY
4/12 – UW Madison – Madison, WI
4/13 – Rhythm Foundation – Miami, FL
4/14 – The Cedar – Minneapolis, MN
4/15 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/16 – Campbell Hall – Santa Barbara, CA
4/18 – UC San Diego – San Diego, CA
4/19 – Zellerbach Hall – Berkeley, CA
4/20 – UCLA Royce Hall – Los Angeles, CA
4/22 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/24 – KTAOS Solar Center – Taos, NM
4/25 – Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM
4/27 – New Orleans Jazz Festival – New Orleans, LA
4/29 – Houston International Festival – Houston, TX
5/2 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
5/13 – Lake Eden Arts Festival – Black Mountain, NC
Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 in Eugene [photos soon]
Youngest son of afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Seun Anikulapo Kuti & the Egypt 80 hit Eugene’s WOW Hall on Sunday night… it was an amazing show!
More photos, setlist and review of the show to be posted by Wednesday morning are posted here.
~Dan
REVIEW: Adam Carolla @ Newmark Theatre (Portland, OR – 3/11/12)
Adam Carolla had a busy weekend. The most recently fired celebrity on Donald Trump’s NBC Celebrity Apprentice, the former co-host of Loveline with Dr. Drew, the former co-host of The Man Show with Jimmy Kimmel, and the #1 podcaster in the world (with the Guinness World Record to show for it) played Seattle on Friday night, Spokane on Saturday night, and Portland’s Newmark Theatre last night.
I don’t always agree with what he says. He’s middle-of-the-road politically – not claiming alignment with any party. He’s quite in favor of many good social issues (gay rights, sex education, women’s reproductive issues, etc), but he’s staunchly conservative on fiscal and immigration concerns. But in all honesty, how many times do you agree with everything even your loved ones say? While some people may have “something for everyone to like,” Adam may very well fit into having “something for everyone to hate” or at least “have issue with.” Eh, I still fall into the “love camp”…
His sharp wit, funny stories and quirky-yet-still-grounded sense of humor make coming back to listen daily a treat. His Monday to Friday daily podcast is one of my favorites and it quickly goes to the top of my queue (subscribe iTunes). His ACE podcasting network is also growing and excellent things abound: Penn Jillette’s PennSundaySchool, Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend (the funny & charming news gal), Ace on the House (home improvement), CarCast (I’m not even a gear junkie, but this is a fascinating show), et cetera… all great!
I thought comedian/songwriter Josh Gardner was to open the show. However, they played the title track to Mr. Stinkfinger via laptop and then Adam came out. Josh’s comedy albums are available now… Mr Stinkfinger EP and Winter Bush:
Adam’s stand-up shows are basically 90-minutes. They are sometimes free form, but this one seemed a little more planned, with a little thrown in as far as what happened to him this past weekend.
He walked out with an oatmeal cookie… with dried cranberries in it. This opened up into a rant about the adding shit to shit and why we keep fucking good things up. Next on his complain list was “Spring Forward,” and he went through a funny USA Today bit about what people would do with their extra hour (back in the fall).
He got off complaining for a bit to talk about a Leno show appearance with Queen Latifah. She had been going on about “limin’,” which apparently is what they call “chillin'” in the Caribbean. Adam’s bit after her was about children’s toys at Christmas, and how you need lineman dykes to cut the toys out of their boxes. Apparently people got in a huff because they thought he was calling “Queen” a “limin’ dyke.” Ah, good times.
Up next, a little bit about his NBC Celebrity Apprentice experience with a few clips from last night’s show (where he got fired). Apparently Buick didn’t like his jokes. Oh well… now once Penn Jillette gets fired, I can quit watching that rubbish.
Next he played a cartoon rendition of “Gay Eyes,” a made up movie that Adam worked up during a 2009 podcast with Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. I can’t find the cartoon-version on line anywhere, but I remember hearing it when it went down. Here is the audio.
The next 45 minutes… what Adam is known for… more complaining. No “what can’t Adam complain about” requests from the audience, but some pre-loaded hyper vigilance rants that hit on many topics: tagging the landscape in Los Angeles, buttons on car keys, shower handles in hotels, key cards in hotels, toys under sofas, custom shoes, WC Field’s smoking & drinking poster in the doctor’s office, L.A. ice cream truck, recumbent cyclists, Click-It or Ticket, auto flush toilets, the L.A. “river,” rescue dogs, and how Mexicans grieve.
He ended the show with a stroll through memory lane via his Social Security Statement. From an astonishing $1k to $9k/year of earnings for most of the 80s to stardom in the mid 90s. His “money can’t buy you happiness” was a nice, uplifting non-rant about applying yourself to work towards doing what you want to do.
Some of his stories were ones we’d heard before via the podcast or radio show… he was playing to his audience; so it was all good. Adam is a busy guy… ever turning logs in the fire. Keep up to date with him via the links below… and by all means, if you like to listen to podcasts, make room in your queue for what I consider to be one of the best / funniest ones out there.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Adam Carolla’s Site / the Podcast (iTunes)
- Adam Carolla’s Tour Dates
- Adam Carolla’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Newmark Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Maynard James Keenan’s PUSCIFER on 3/14 in Portland.