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REVIEW: David Bazan @ House Show (Portland, OR – 2/15/12)
David Bazan is a busy man… he just got done with a 40+ date band tour in Nov/Dec 2011, and now he’s off and running with another near-40 date living room tour in Feb/Mar 2012. His proximity (Seattle) to me (Oregon I-5 corridor) means I get to take in a lot of his shows. Even though I just saw him with his band at Sam Bond’s in December, the living room tours are so fun and intimate. I had to hit the Portland show last night…
He arrived about an hour late… first night of tour, and got stuck in traffic coming out of Seattle. The good thing: hanging out in someone’s living room and kitchen sippin’ a beer is waaaaay better than hanging out at a stinky club playing LMFAO on loop.
After setting up his small cube amp, he kicked into his set…
Setlist: about 70 minutes
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- Wolves at the Door
- Hard to Be
- Q&A #1
- Priests and Paramedics [Pedro the Lion]
- Transcontinental [Pedro the Lion]
- Shit Talker [Headphones]
- Q&A #2
- Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box [Radiohead]
- Options [Pedro the Lion]
- Virginia
- Bearing Witness
- Q&A #3
- Strange Negotiations
No Encore
A little shorter set than in the past, but I think that may have been due to running late. The original “everyone needs to be out time” was 10pm, but he didn’t get going until 9:15pm. So, for the rest of the living room tour, don’t judge the set length on Portland. Despite the shorter set, I think it was a pretty good show… David was in a great mood and quite chatty as usual.
The somber take on “Wolves at the Door” was excellent… slower and a bit haunting compared to the version the band was belting out last year. Another favorite was the return of the Radiohead cover that he played last year. First three notes and goosebumps. Such a great song.
There weren’t any new tunes played, which was a bit striking – as David is working on a new album, and it might even be done and to the label (Barsuk) by the beginning of May. He said it could come out in August/September, but a lot of that depends on delivery to the label.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- 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 first date of this tour… check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… MEDGE (bellydancing) at Cozmic Pizza (2/17) and then post-rockers Talkdemonic at Sam Bond’s Garage (2/24).
~Dan – np: John Zorn’s The Dreamers – O’o
David Bazan – Winter 2012 House Show Tour
2/15 – Portland, OR
2/16 – Sacramento, CA
2/17 – Oakland, CA
2/18 – Los Angeles, CA
2/19 – Long Beach, CA
2/20 – Orange, CA
2/21 – Carlsbad, CA
2/22 – Phoenix, AZ
2/24 – Clinton, OK
2/25 – Denton, TX
2/26 – Dallas, TX
2/27 – Austin, TX
2/28 – Houston, TX
2/29 – Baton Rouge, LA
3/02 – Orlando, FL
3/03 – Jacksonville, FL
3/04 – Altanta, GA
3/05 – Nashville, TN
3/06 – Asheville, NC
3/07 – Charlotte, NC
3/09 – Charlottesville, VA
3/10 – Baltimore, MD
3/11 – Philadelphia, PA
3/12 – Brooklyn, NY
3/13 – Brooklyn, NY
3/14 – Boston, MA
3/15 – Buffalo, NY
3/16 – Cleveland, OH
3/17 – Three Rivers, MI
3/18 – Chicago, IL
3/19 – Madison, WI
3/21 – Minneapolis, MN
3/22 – Lincoln, NE
3/23 – Lawrence, KS
3/24 – Denver, CO
3/25 – Salt Lake City, UT
3/26 – Boise, ID
3/27 – Spokane, WA
REVIEW: Secret Chiefs 3 in Oregon @ WOW Hall & Dante’s (Eugene & Portland – 2/6 & 2/7/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I’ve been a fan of instrumental world/surf/film metal shape-shifters Secret Chiefs 3 for a long time and a fan of Los Angeles-based, Cambodian-pop-fusion band Dengue Fever for a handful of years as well.
SC3 and DF has their own connection. Dengue Fever’s debut album in 2003 was on Web of Mimicry, the label that SC3 frontman Trey Spruance runs. Their connection goes a little deeper still. Dengue guitarist Zac Holtzman
was in Dieselhed with Danny Hefietz (drummer for Mr. Bungle – another Trey Spruance band). Danny is also back drumming with SC3 on this co-headlining West Coast tour.
For this tour, the bands have been switching off their order of performance. I was able to catch both Oregon shows… for Eugene (Mon 2/6), DF played first and SC3 closed. There was no opener, and Dengue Fever went on just before 8:30 at WOW Hall. I have a couple of their earlier records, but never had the chance to see them live. I dug it… pretty fun, and it looked like they were having fun on stage as well.
They played about an hour of Cambodian power pop. Trey Spruance joined them on stage and played guitar and a wicked solo for their final number “1000 Years of a Tarantula”…
DF Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about an hour
- Genjer Genjer
- Seeing Hands
- New Year’s Eve
- Hold My Hips
- Tiger Phone Card
- Durian Dowry
- A Go Go
- Uku
- Pow Pow
- Sober Driver
- Only A Friend
- Cement Slippers
- 1000 Tears of a Tarantula [with Trey]
No Encore
Secret Chiefs 3 came out at about 10pm, donned in long, dark hoods except for violinist/ guitarist Timb Harris dressed in more masked martial arts attire…
This was my third time seeing them, and it was definitely the tightest band I’ve witnessed. They ripped through a blistering set of proggy, world metal. The off-kilter timings, the meticulous instrumentation… all spot on. “Bereshith” is a tune that I think I saw them start the 2007 NYC show with, and I thought it was “off” in NYC. It’s a really odd number, from a timing perspective. This time… they nailed it.
Probably the most strikingly different moment “live vs. studio” was the gorgeous intro/outro to “Exodus.” The intro/outro on the Book of Horizons studio version is a lovely melody played on strings (Eyvind Kang on viola & Timb Harris on violin). For this live setting, Timb put down his violin and played it on trumpet. I looooooove trumpet… and this melody on trumpet about made me swoon…
SC3 Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about 80 mins
- Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
- Zombievision
- Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
- Balance of the 19
- Fast
- Bereshith
- RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
- Sophia’s Theme
- Vajra (Rat Puriya)
- Combat for the Angel
- Tistriya
- Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
- Saptarshi
- Encore: Hurqalya
For Portland (Tues 2/7), I showed up at Dante’s right around 8pm, and the first band wasn’t going on until closer to 8:45. It was U SCO, who I had never heard of before; so I walked to the near-ish Deschutes Pub and had one of the last pours of their Jubel Kriek (their Jubel Ale aged 25 months in a barrel on cherries and with Brettanomyces). They blew their 2nd (and last) 1/6 BBL keg shortly after I ordered. Mmmm… sour beer… after that, I skedaddled back just in time to catch U SCO’s bitchin’ set.
U SCO were helmed by guitarist Ryan A. Miller, who I had just seen a week prior in Eugene opening for a solo bass show from Trevor Dunn (a former Trey Spruance band member as well). Small musical world in a quite vast musical sea. Crazy. Anyway, U SCO was a shredding, avant-garde jazz-metal band – to the best of my descriptions. They’re a three piece made up of Ryan on guitars, Jon Scheid on bass, and Phil Cleary on drums. They also had a guest saxophonist for some songs. They’re from Portland; so I hope I’ll get a chance to see them again. Definitely!
SC3 started setting up right afterwards and hit the stage about 9:45pm… of core of their setlist was the same, but they did throw in a few new ones: “The 15,” “The 4” and “Zulfikar.”
They ripped through a great set once again. They’re such a tight band on this tour – quite stunning. Even when Trey kicked his cord out for about 5-10 seconds during “Halloween,” they didn’t miss a beat. And, once again, Timb’s trumpet intro/outro for “Exodus“… swoon…
SC3 Portland 2/7 Setlist: about 70 mins
- Bereshith
- Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
- Zombievision
- Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
- The 15
- The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
- RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
- Vajra (Rat Puriya)
- Zulfikar
- Tistriya
- Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
- Saptarshi
No Encore
The one gripe with the Portland show… the lighting was pretty poorly matched. They didn’t turn the house lights down until nearing the end of SC3’s first song. Also, the lights in general were behind the band, and they were still too bright if you ask me. For some bands, that’s probably good… but with the Chiefs, the air of mystery and cloaks in darkness adds to the allure of the live show. Don’t get me wrong, it was still an amazing show. I’m just glad I got to catch it in Eugene, too.
I had a long drive home and work in the morning; so I sadly bailed on Dengue Fever’s closing set in Portland. I’m sure it was groovy like the Eugene show. Sorry, but my body thanks me for getting home at 1am instead of 2:30am!
The tour wraps this weekend… but stick around, SC3 are bound to kick something off later in 2012. More 7″ vinyls? More touring? The long-awaited Book of Souls? A Chinese Democracy cover album?
If you missed the tour, I’d HIGHLY RECOMMEND checking out their new schwag… including the new SC3 Traditionalists Le Chanson de Jacky / The Western Exile 7″ split (featuring Trey’s fellow Mr. Bungle band-mate Mike Patton on “Jacky”), the 12″ re-releases of First and Second Grand Constitution & Bylaws, and three bitchin’-design new t-shirts.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Secret Chiefs 3 / Web of Mimicry Record Label Site
- Secret Chiefs 3’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Dengue Fever’s Site
- Dengue Fever’s Social Media Links (see below)
- U SCO’s Site / Facebook / Bandcamp
- My Other Related Reviews~
- SC3 @ Doug Fir (Portland – Aug 2008)
- SC3 @ Bowery (NYC – Mar 2007)
- (Timb’s old band) Estradasphere @ 2nd Story (Bloomington, IN – Oct 2006)
- (U SCO guitarist) Ryan Miller/Trevor Dunn @ The Goat (Eugene – Jan 2012)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
- Dante’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… most likely the David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) house show in Portland on 2/15, unless something pops up before then.
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works XIII: Invitation to a Suicide
SECRET CHIEFS 3 & DENGUE FEVER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
SC3 & DF 2012 West Coast Tour Dates
- Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
- Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
- Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
- Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
- Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
- Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
- Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
- Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
- Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
- Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
- Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
- Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
- Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
- Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
- Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
- Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre
Secret Chiefs 3 & Dengue Fever in Eugene & Portland
Due to my schedule, I won’t be able to edit photos until Wednesday night, but I should have my Secret Chiefs 3 / Dengue Fever post covering both the 2/6 Eugene WOW Hall show and the 2/7 Portland Dante’s show posted on Thursday morning. Here’s a teaser from Eugene…
2/6/12 Eugene Setlists:
2/7/12 Portland Setlist (SC3 only):
Bereshith
Radar
Zombievision
Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
The 15
The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
Medley (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini)
Vajra (Rat Puriya)
Zulfikar
Tistriya
Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
Saptarshi
no encore
Check back Thursday morning for more photos…
~Dan – np: MadLove – White With Foam
REVIEW: Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/4/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Montreal’s Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra appear to have an identity crisis. They’ve been known as A Silver Mt. Zion, The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band with Choir, and Thee Silver Mountain Reveries. For short hand, I’ll simply refer to them as Silver Mt Zion. I’ll admit, I am new to their music… I got into them via ambient post-rock giants Godspeed You! Black Emperor, who share three members with Silver Mt Zion (singer/guitarist Efrim Menuck, violinist Sophie Trudeau, and bassist Thierry Amar).
More on Silver Mt Zion later…
The opener was a one-man band called Total Life. He played a 25-minute, ambient/drone guitar & loop set (his clear guitar to the right). It had a slow burn, then quickly morphed into a wall of sound.
For most opening gigs, this would not do, but for a post-something crowd, Total Life’s 25 minute experiment showed the audience’s patience and respect. All bundled up, he was barely moving making the sounds, but sweat started dripping down his forehead and nose until the final note.
While GY!BE tend to stay in the ethereal, ambient, sweeping post-rock movement, Silver Mt Zion are a little more difficult to pin down. They have many components similar to GY!BE, but they definitely write more in a “song” vein, with vocals. Yet, I wouldn’t call them a singer-songwriter troupe. The first two “songs” alone clocked in at 35 minutes. They sweep, they go places, come back. The vocals sometimes have choruses, and sometimes it more resembles lofty prayers… to whom? I do not know.
Their label describes their influences as “free jazz, community sight-singing, Minimalism and American folkways – still anchored to a punk-rock take on neo-classical and modern music tropes.” If that narrows it down for you, well, you’re more forgiving of “genre-fication” than I. Whatever you want to call them, they made great music on Saturday night at Mississippi Studios in Portland.
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
- There Is A Light
- What We Loved Was Not Enough
- Black Waters Blowed / Engine Broke Blues
- Take Away These Early Grave Blues
- Blind, Blind, Blind
- Horses In The Sky
- Encore: God Bless Our Dead Marines
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Thee Silver Mt Zion’s Site / MySpace
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland – Feb 2011)
- Mississippi Studio’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
They only have a select number of dates on this tour. Definitely go see them if you have the chance! Check out more tour dates below.
Next shows for me… back-to-back Secret Chiefs 3 & Dengue Fever co-headlining in both Eugene (2/6 WOW Hall) and Portland (2/7 Dante’s).
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works IX: Trembling Before G-d
THEE SILVER MT ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Thee Silver Mt Zion — 2012 Jan/Feb Tour Dates
- 31.01.12 Calgary, CAN The Republik
- 02.02.12 Vancouver, CAN The Rickshaw Theatre
- 03.02.12 Seattle, USA The Crocodile
- 04.02.12 Portland, USA Mississippi Studios
- 06.02.12 San Francisco, USA Great American Music Hall
- 07.02.12 Santa Ana, CA, USA Constellation Room
- 08.02.12 Los Angeles, USA Troubadour
- 09.02.12 San Diego, USA Casbah
- 10.02.12 Tucson, USA Club Congress
- 12.02.12 Dallas, USA Sons of Hermann Hall
- 13.02.12 Austin, USA The Mohawk
- 14.02.12 New Orleans, USA One Eyed Jacks
- 15.02.12 Birmingham, USA Bottletree
- 16.02.12 Cincinnati, USA MOTR Pub
- 17.02.12 Buffalo, USA Soundlab
- 18.02.12 Ottawa, CAN First Baptist Church
- 19.02.12 Montreal, CAN La Tulipe
REVIEW: Trevor Dunn & Travis Laplante @ Wandering Goat (Eugene, OR – 1/31/12)
PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW AT THE BOTTOM
I’ve been a fan of Mr Bungle/Fantômas/John Zorn collaborative bass player Trevor Dunn for a while. When I get a chance to see him, especially within biking distance, I go. From Trevor Dunn’s website, the “Double Solo” tour was noted as a “West Coast spit-roasting agenda. I’ll be playing a 30 min solo bass piece & Travis [Laplante] will play a set for solo tenor saxophone.” Ah, a night of avant-garde jazz… yum!
Ryan A. Miller from Portland was up first… he played about 30-40 minutes on solo acoustic guitar. A lot of loops, noises, and a little bit of what might seem like “futzing around,” but I dug it. There were definitely some odd parts, but I definitely thought his set was more interesting than not. You could tell he had skills, just couldn’t tell how they were going to evolve and manifest. Update 2/8/12: Ryan’s band (U SCO) was the opener for the Secret Chiefs 3 show in Portland the very next week. U SCO is a wicked, rad schizophrenic proggy, jazzy rock trio. Excellent stuff!
Travis Laplante (Battle Trance) took his spot on the floor just off stage and gave us an initial onslaught of loud, raucous alto sax. His first piece reminded me of Peter Evans solo trumpet show from 2008. Ballistic, unfocused melodically, intense… what avant-garde jazz is meant to be. His second piece was gentler and more melodic at first. It was contained but not necessarily restrained before he finally let loose at the end. His third and final piece was a dronier delight.
Trevor Dunn played last and gave us the 30-minute piece that he’s tentatively calling “The Pentagram.” He dedicated it to Pisces. It definitely had a “composed” feel to it (later confirmed with Trevor), but it was open and free enough to let him explore where it could go. He plucked, he scraped, he bowed, he played below the bridge, he played with clothespins on the strings. To sum it up in a word: fascinating. You’ve gotta love it when he makes a few of his other bands (Mr Bungle/Fantômas) seem “too mainstream.”
Update 2/7/12: Check out this East Bay Express write-up of the Oakland show by Rachel Swan… waaaaaay better write-up (she’s a journalist and rightfully gets paid for it). Gives you a better feel for the Dunn piece as a whole.
Trevor and Travis are wrapping up this tour this coming weekend… tonight in San Francisco, then Friday in Oakland, Saturday in Los Angeles and Sunday in Santa Cruz. Check his Tour Page for more info.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Trevor Dunn’s Site (bass)
- Travis Laplante’s Site (sax)
- Ryan A. Miller’s Site (guitar)
- My Other Trevor Dunn-Related Reviews~
- Nels Cline Singers @ Doug Fir (Portland – Jan 2011)
- John Zorn’s Moonchild @ Moore Theatre (Seattle – Nov 2007)
- Wandering Goat’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Thee Silver Mt. Zion (splinter group from Godspeed You! Black Emperor) at Mississippi Studios on 2/4.
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Them Or Us
TREVOR DUNN & TRAVIS LAPLANTE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Favorite Concerts of 2011
Well, this year was once again good to the Pacific Northwest on the concert front… 365 days, 67 shows, 132 artists, many long nights driving home, and a lot of photos…
My favorite concerts of 2011:
- Puscifer :: Paramount Theater :: Seattle, WA {7 Nov} [review with photos] – brilliant new album, fantastic stripped down/meets over the top tour!
- U2 & Lenny Kravitz :: Qwest Field :: Seattle, WA {4 Jun} [review with photos] – one of the biggest tours ever doesn’t disappoint
- My Brightest Diamond :: Mississippi Studios :: Portland, OR {6 Nov} [review with photos] – Shara’s gorgeous voice works well even in a solo setting
- Peter Mulvey :: three shows :: Eugene/Creswell/Corvallis, OR {10-12 Nov} [3-show review with photos] – yes, I’m an addict, but I can’t pass up any chance to see Peter in my neck of the woods…
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor :: Crystal Ballroom :: Portland, OR {18 Feb} [review, no photos] – surreal and amazing!
- The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl):: The Woods :: Portland, OR {28 Jan} [review with photos] – pure pop brilliance, Sean takes after his father…
- Nels Cline Singers :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR {30 Jan} [review with photos] – avant garde guitar experimentation…
- Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam) & Glen Hansard (of The Swell Season) :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {14 Jul} [review with photos] – Glen is a great singer-songwriter, and Eddie is an amazing performer (this time, mainly on ukelele)…
- Explosions in the Sky / MusicFest NW :: Pioneer Courthouse Square :: Portland, OR {10 Sep} [no review] – I had to scuttle from this show to a follow-up MFNW show, but this was definitely a highlight…
- Pomplamoose :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR {27 Oct} [review with photos] – the youtube stars make good with a real tour… A+!
- Over the Rhine :: Aladdin Theater :: Portland, OR {17 Nov} [review with photos] – OTR will always be a favorite
- Opeth :: Roseland Theater :: Portland, OR {16 Oct} [review with photos] – no cookie monster screams, I missed them, but Opeth still doesn’t disappoint.
- Erik Friedlander plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two (Book of Angels, Volume 8: Volac) :: The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts :: Eugene, OR {8 Jan} [review with photos] – an amazing cellist playing a amazing book of melodies
- Toad the Wet Sprocket :: Downtown Bend Celebration :: Bend, OR {8 Jul} [review with photos] – anytime Toad or lead singer GLen Phillips are playing in my radar, I’m going!
- Jeffrey Foucault :: Cozmic Pizza :: Eugene, OR {20 Oct} [review with photos] – Jeffrey is quickly becoming a favorite songwriter of mine, full of grit and charm…
Runners-Up: Reptet at Luckey’s (Jan), Elton John at Matthew Knight Arena (Feb), A Perfect Circle at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (June), The Dead Kenny G’s at Sam Bond’s Garage (July), and Jason Webley & Mood Area 52 at WOW Hall (Oct). Even after honorable mentions, I cut some GREAT ones… 2011 was a great year.
My favorite concert photos of 2011: (in chronological order)
(all images are free to use under a creative commons designation,
simply identify Daniel Temmesfeld with a
photo credit and link to pacificlectic.com.
Past Favorite Concerts Lists:
Favorite music of 2011 will be coming soon… EPs/DVDs/etc, vocal albums, instrumental albums…
~Dan – np: Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra – MTO Plays Sly
REVIEW: Cellophoria @ House Concert (Creswell, OR – 12/18/11)
House concerts are the best… especially when your $$ goes straight to the artists and you get a smorgasbord of awesome food! Super thanks to hosts Jenny & Mike (same place I co-hosted the Peter Mulvey show last month)!
Last afternoon’s show was by Cellophoria – a cello quartet made up of Eugene Symphony musicians. Dale Bradley, Jeffrey Eaton, Ann Grabe, and Anne Ridlington all play with the Eugene Symphony. They also have vast non-ES experience with the Eugene Opera Orchestra, Oregon Mozart Players, the OSU/Corvallis Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival and many varied teaching and playing opportunities. They obviously keep busy, which made their ability and willingness to set aside a foggy afternoon for us into a true treat!
Their gorgeous set in a gorgeous setting…
Setlist: about an hour
- Slavic Dance [Dale Bradley]
- Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4 [Frederic Chopin, arr. Laszlo Varga]
- Four Scottish & Irish Tunes [arr. Dale Bradley]
….Arran Boat Song
….Road to Lisdoonvarna
….Star of the County Down
….Skye Boat Song - Every Breath You Take [Sting, arr. John Reed]
- Ashokan Farewell [Jay Ungar, arr. David Faulkner]
- Gagliarda del Principe di Venosa [Carlo Gesualdo, arr. Árpád Pejtsik]
- Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor For Unaccompanied Violin, BWV 1004 [J.S. Bach, arr. Laszlo Varga]
- Bagatelle No. 5 from Bagatelles for 2 Violins, Cello and Harmonium, Op. 47 [Antonin Dvorák, arr. Rosalynn Heuer]
- Generations [Dale Bradley]
- Eleanor Rigby [Lennon/McCartney, arr. B. Lanier]
- All Through the Night [arr. Dale Bradley]
The sound in the high, vaulted wood ceiling living room was superb. Full from good food and good music, it was a splendid late Fall/lazy Sunday afternoon.
That was presumably my last show of the year (unless something pops up between now and 12/30). 2011 year-end concert and album “best of” recaps coming up soon. Next show for me… Pojama People play the music of Frank Zappa with FZ vocalist Ike Willis at Sam Bond’s on 1/7.
~Dan – np: Childish Gambino – Camp
REVIEW: David Bazan Band @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – 12/14/11)
If anything is certain in life, the move from the Midwest to the West Coast has been good for my David Bazan tour in-take. Being only a short hike from his homebase in Seattle, we get the treat of the former Pedro the Lion frontman in our neck of the woods several times a year.
Many times, he trots out on his own… which is usually more intimate. But the chance to see Bazan with a backing band shouldn’t be passed up. He’s really able to let the rock come forth in his songs. His doubtful, questioning, reflective lyricism work just as well behind a dirty, loud guitar as it does with just him and a guitar in a living room.
Last night at Sam Bond’s, after delightful indie-rock quartet opener Shay Roselip’s short set, Bazan came on to do what I thought was just sound check. Nope… boom goes the dynamite, his mighty three-piece kicked into a tune from Pedro the Lion’s Control… “Second Best.”
Setlist: ~85 mins
- Second Best [Pedro the Lion]
- Wolves at the Door
- Bless This Mess
- How I Remember
- I Do [PTL]
- Of Up and Coming Monarchs [PTL]
- Q&A #1
- Gas and Matches [Headphones]
- Eating Paper
- Magazine [PTL]
- Climb That Hill [Tom Petty]
- Bearing Witness
- Q&A #2
- Virginia
- People
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- Big Trucks [PTL]
- Criticism as Inspiration [PTL]
- Q&A #3 with lifetime pass drawing
- Strange Negotiations
No encore
The setlist was similar to other shows on this tour… a great mix of Pedro the Lion tunes, a Headphones tune, a Tom Petty cover and a lot from his two solo albums & EP. 
Strange Negotiations, this years effort, will definitely be somewhere on my Best of 2011 list (still formulating).
Being the last stop of the 40+ date tour across the country, his voice showed some wear – especially on the “right on” part of “Cold Beer and Cigarettes.” He powered through it, dropping the notes to a more suitable weary-throat range. His band, made up of Alex Westcoat on drums and Andy Fitts on bass, blistered away with David. Despite the aforementioned vocal strain, their musical chops were evident last night.
They were driving through the night to make it home to Seattle by sun-up. If you missed them on this tour, David hinted at a new album being done by March 1st, with it coming out sometime in 2012. So the chance of more tours in 2012? High possibility!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Shay Roselip’s MySpace / Soundcloud
- My Other Related Reviews~
- 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)
- Sam Bond’s Garage’s Website / Facebook
This was the last date of the tour… see other dates below. I’m sure David will be out again in the Spring…
Next show for me… Cellophoria private house concert on 12/18.
~Dan – np: Marketa Irglova – Anar
David Bazan + Band Tour – Fall 2011
11/01 Tue – Spokane WA – A Club
11/02 Wed – Boise ID – Neurolux
11/04 Fri – Colorado Springs – The Black Sheep
11/05 Sat – Lawrence KS – Bottleneck
11/06 Sun – Omaha NE – The Waiting Room
11/07 Mon – Iowa City IA – Blue Moose Taphouse (upstairs)
11/09 Wed – Milwaukee WI – Cactus Club
11/10 Thu – Indianapolis IN – White Rabbit Cabaret
11/11 Fri – Newport KY – Southgate House
11/12 Sat – Grand Rapids MI – Ladies Literary Club
11/13 Sun – Pittsburgh PA – Brillobox
11/14 Mon – Hoboken NJ – Maxwell’s
11/15 Tue – Baltimore MD – Ottobar
11/17 Thu – Charlottesville VA – The Southern
11/18 Fri – Norfolk VA – Jewish Mother
11/19 Sat – Charlotte NC – Evening Muse
11/20 Sun – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
11/21 Mon – Knoxville TN – Pilot Light
11/26 Sat – Athens GA – Caledonia Lounge
11/27 Sun – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
11/29 Tue – St Augustine FL – The Original Cafe Eleven
11/30 Wed – Tampa FL – Crowbar
12/01 Thu – Tallahassee FL – Engine Room
12/02 Fri – Oxford MS – Proud Larry’s
12/03 Sat – Memphis TN – Hi Tone
12/04 Sun – Norman OK – Opolis
12/06 Tue – Albuquerque NM – Low Spirits
12/07 Wed – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
12/08 Thu – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
12/09 Fri – Costa Mesa CA – Constellation Room
12/10 Sat – Santa Cruz – Crepe Place
12/11 Sun – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
12/12 Mon – Arcata CA – Jambalaya
12/14 Wed – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – 11/17/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Prior to the show, we fought against the horrid Portland traffic, dodged rain and ducked into a fine meal at Portobello Trattoria, a creative vegetarian establishment that is fast becoming my new favorite SE Portland dinner spot. Their cocktail list is impressive (apple-infused vodka ginger hot toddy), their bottle list is impressive (Russian River… yum), and their menu is the kind that is frustrating due to having too many things you want and one that a meat-eater wouldn’t even notice or care. Check it out sometime.
After dinner, we got to the venue a little bit before the opener… we had a little bit of time to catch up with Kentucky-based friend / Over the Rhine photographer Bill Ivester. He’s helping them out on this tour with merch and social media, and photography. After briefly catching up, we found some seats for the opener…
The Milk Carton Kids were a fantastic guitar duo. Based on their name, I was going in hoping it wasn’t going to be a repeat of “The Children’s Hour” opener for Over the Rhine a score ago. Well, I was greatly pleased. They played about a half hour set of mellower folk songs. Fitting for fans of Paul Simon. Excellent guitar chops and quite humorous between songs, as well. They also have all of their recorded music available for free mp3 download (go here for free music).
Over the Rhine hit the stage at 9pm. Karin & Linford had Nick Radina with them again on drums/percussion/cuatro, as well as a slide guitar player Jason Goforth.
The set seemed somewhat similar to last year’s tour, a lot of The Long Surrender tunes. But this time, the album was officially out. It was nice to hear those tunes more in a live setting. I get thrown off that it’s technically a 2011 release, I think I’ve had it too long. Anyway, it’s a beautiful record, and it’ll wind up somewhere at the top of the pile for 2011, for sure.
Setlist: 1 hour 45 mins
- The Laugh Of Recognition
- Rave On
- Undamned
- The King Knows How
- Suitcase
- I’m on a Roll
- Infamous Love Song
- Only God Can Save Us Now
- Latter Days
- “On The Sacred Ground” (new song, currently untitled)
- Jesus in New Orleans
- Trouble (with drum solo)
- All My Favorite People
- Encore: Hallelujah [Leonard Cohen]
- Born
- Drunkard’s Prayer
My favorite tunes of the night were “Trouble” and “Latter Days,” and the lead-in of “Laugh…” through “Undamned” is a great start to the show as well. The new currently untitled song is great… it seemed quite poetic and moving. Karin was about to give out a tentative title, then stopped. I’ll go with “On the Sacred Ground” for now, but I doubt that’s it. I wish I had more listens to digest it.
They’re wrapping up a few more dates this year, culminating in the annual Taft Theatre show in Cincinnati. Catch ’em if you can! Oh, Karin also mentioned that they recorded a Portland Session when they were here. Keep an eye out on the Portland Session Vimeo & Facebook pages for that to be posted in the future (HERE NOW).
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Over the Rhine’s Site
- Bill Ivester’s photos from the 11/17 show
- OTR Nov 2011 Portland Sessions
- Over the Rhine’s Social Media Links (see below)
- The Milk Carton Kids’ Site
- The Milk Carton Kids’ Facebook / Twitter
My Other Related Reviews~- 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)
- Aladdin Theater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… Dan Deacon at the Branx in Portland on 12/3.
~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Inní (live)
OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Fall 2011 Tour Dates
- Fri, 2011-11-18 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
- Sat, 2011-11-19 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
- Sun, 2011-11-20 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
- Fri, 2011-12-02 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
- Sat, 2011-12-03 New York, NY (le) poisson rouge
- Sun, 2011-12-04 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
- Mon, 2011-12-05 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live!
- Wed, 2011-12-07 Columbus, OH The Lincoln Theatre
- Thu, 2011-12-08 Kent, OH The Kent Stage
- Fri, 2011-12-09 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College
- Sat, 2011-12-10 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music (7:00 PM)
- Sat, 2011-12-10 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music (10:00 PM)
- Sat, 2011-12-17 Cincinnati, OH The Taft Theatre
- Sun, 2011-12-18 Norwood, OH Sunday Soiree @ St. Elizabeth’s
REVIEW: Chali 2na @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 11/16/11)
Chali 2Na is a rapper that commands an album. His deep baritone and unrivaled flow were a staple on Jurassic 5’s albums. His height and booming voice also command a room. I’ve seen Chali many times with J5, but for various reasons, I’ve always missed him when he’s brought his solo tour through town.
This show was going to fall into that same trap… until the Michael Jackson-tribute Cirque du Soleil show set for Wednesday, November 16th got canceled and moved to only being on Tuesday the 15th (my review of the Eugene MJ Cirque show here). “Yay! I could hit Chali’2 solo show!” In fact, had the Cirque tickets not been so much, I would have bailed and gone to see Chali anyhow…
What makes Chali so good? Well, check out the video for “Step Yo Game Up”…
There was a DJ I didn’t catch the name of as an opener, and then tour opener MTHDS went on late (10pm or so). They were good and got the smallish WOW Hall crowd warmed up. I was worried that the crowd for Chali 2Na would stay low, but I guess a lot of people were downstairs during the earlier sets as the floor got a little more packed during Chali’s show…
more photos below
Chali hit the stage around 11:15pm with his live band the House of Vibe. They were a three-piece rock format with “Brew” on keys and vocals… there was also a drummer and bassist (didn’t get their names). It was a fresh take to see a live band with a rapper… most times I’ve seen rap in a live setting, it’s been to DAT or a DJ.
Setlist: the first hour…
- Unknown
- “Mister DJ”
- Comin’ Thru
- Don’t Stop
- F.O.W. (Fish Outta Water)
- International
- Guns Up
- Welcome to the Fish Market
- Freedom [Jurassic 5]
- Quality Control [J5] w/ MJ “I Want You Back” & “I’ll Be There” (snippets)
- What’s Golden [J5]
- Step Yo’ Game Up
- Righteous Way
- …
I bailed around 12:20am… caught about an hour of Chali’2 set. Great show, wish it would have started earlier – especially for a Wednesday night. I loved that he threw in a few Jurassic 5 tunes. Keyboardist “Brew” sang a few Michael Jackson ditties in the middle of J5’s “Quality Control”… the crowd ate it up!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Chali 2Na’s Site
- Chali 2Na’s Social Media Links (see below)
- MTHDS’ Site / Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- House of Vibe’s Site / Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates on Chali’s site HERE.
Next show for me… Over the Rhine @ the Aladdin Theater in Portland tonight (11/17).
~Dan – np: Causing A Tiger – How We Held Our Post
CHALI 2NA PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: A 3-day string of shows with Peter Mulvey (Eugene & Corvallis, OR – 11/10 to 11/12/11)
Peter Mulvey takes the craft of American singer-songwriter out of the humdrum of a “guy and three chords on a guitar” into the realm of oft-comedic-oft-sentimental storytelling mixed in with the grit of the road and the shine of fine silver in your grandmother’s dining room. He plays Tom Waits with humility and charm, and he plays perfectly ear-worm inducing folk-pop originals. He plays show tunes, rock covers, and Michael Hedges-executed instrumentals. His music gets stuck in your head, and for me, any time I hear of new music from him, I get it without question. I also try to see him whenever I can… which brings me to recount the past three days of fantastic music.
from the house concert, 11/11/11
more photos at the bottom
Three Peter Mulvey concerts, three unique experiences. First up, an interview with Peter Mulvey on KLCC Living Large (stream it here). He talks about his tentative new standards album (tentatively called “Pocket Diamonds“) and played a few new songs in the studio.
The first of three shows was at Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene on Thursday, November 10th. The opener was local musician Michael Conley. He played a shortish 25 minute set, but I was impressed with his songs… he fit in really well with fans of Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault. Good guitar work. Gritty songs, yet with a pop edge.
Peter came on at 9:45 and started off with a normal closing song for him, “Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home).” As expected, Peter’s set was a great mix of originals and covers. Despite the large amount of covers that he plays, he really puts his own mark on them. He also pulls songs out that are classics or memorable favorites but not in the forefront of one’s memory. A favorite from the night was his take on U2’s “The Fly“…
Eugene 11/10 Setlist: ~80 minutes
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
- Are You Sure? [Willie Nelson]
- Old Simon Stimson
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
- The Knuckleball Suite
- Two Janes [Los Lobos]
- Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies [Maybelle Carter]
- Some People
- Lonely at the Top [Randy Newman]
Black Rabbit- What Else Was It? [new PM song]
- Lord I Have Made You a Place in My Heart [Greg Brown]
- The Dreams
- Blackbird [The Beatles]
- Charlie
- The Fly [U2]
- Kids In The Square
- Encore: The Book of Love [The Magnetic Fields]
Peter is usually good with a few one-liners or jokes. Some favorites from the Sam Bond’s gig:
“Freedom should be fried.”
“I had a banjo once, and then someone broke into my car… and they left 12 more banjos.“
SO, how do you make a concert experience better? You invite the musician to your house (or a friend’s house in this instance) and have him play in a living room for 35-40 of your friends.
Well, that’s what we did on Friday, November 11th… we invited Peter to play at a friend’s farm in Creswell (near Eugene). He played two fantastic sets, with only a little bit of overlap from the night before. There was much fantastic music, fantastic food (a HUGE vegetarian smorgasbord thanks to host Jenny!), vegan cupcakes (yay Divine Cupcake!), great craft beer and homebrew beers and sodas, and great discussion!
House Show 11/11 Setlist: two 45-minute sets
- Set1 ~ You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams [Fats Waller]
- “shout the battle cry of freedom” [public domain w/ Beatles instrumental tag at end]
- Kids In The Square
- Windshield
- Pearl Handled Pistol [Jeffrey Foucault]
- The Knuckleball Suite
- Shirt
- What Else Was It? [new PM song]
- …Plus The Many Inevitable Fragments / Dynamite Bill
Set2 ~ Black Rabbit- Charlie
- The Trouble With Poets
- Trempealeau [new from 2010, not recorded yet]
- Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
- The Healthfood Girl [new PM song]
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
No Encore
I bought tickets to the Corvallis show (Saturday, November 12th) before I even knew about the Sam Bond’s show and before I could organize the house show. Was I going to go? Um… duh!
This was my first time to the Majestic Theatre in downtown Corvallis. It was a gorgeously remodeled theater, and it looks like they’re ramping up to have a lot more exciting things going on (if you’re local, friend them on Facebook or sign up for their newsletter).
We had a wonderful dinner at Del Alma then dodged the rain to catch the opener Joe Von Appen. I had only seen a YouTube clip of him prior, and it didn’t grab my interest. Well, I’m glad I showed up for his set. He was a mix of thinker/agitator/comedian/one-man freak show. He was thought provoking, humorous, and frighteningly exciting and entrancing. He is from Portland, and I hope he makes his way down south sometime again. He was highly entertaining!
Peter hit the stage at 8:45 and played his longest set of the weekend. Some repeats (hey, we like re-Petes) and tons of untouched music in the three-day run. He did one of my favorite spoken word pieces from Letters From A Flying Machine – “Vlad the Astrophysicist.”
A new Mulvey tune “The Cardinal” made its first appearance for me. It was a touching tune that came along with a seemingly non sequitur story about a squirrel getting into a large batch of THC butter. Another favorite song he played was a Joe Henry cover… “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation“… I think I’ve heard Peter play this before. Prior to this, though, I was only familiar with Joe’s producer/mixer work (he does a LOT, specifically Over the Rhine’s latest album that I’m currently listening to in advance of their gig this coming week – The Long Surrender).
Peter also busted out not one, not two, but three Tom Waits tunes – the last one as the encore, sung off-mic. He has a side gig in The LPs, and they play Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs front to back! I’d LOVE to see that gig…
Corvallis 11/12 Setlist: ~1 hour 40 min
- Kids In The Square
- “man I’m broke and I’ve got nowhere to go” [Mississippi John Hurt, unidentified title]
- Black Rabbit
- Oh What A Beautiful Morning [Rodgers & Hammerstein Oklahoma! teaser]
- The Dreams
- Charlie
- Shirt
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song, guess on title]
Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation [Joe Henry]- Girl in the Hi-Tops
- Old Simon Stimson
- Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
- Hang Down Your Head [Tom Waits]
- The Cardinal [new song]
- What Else Was It? [new song]
- Some People
- Vlad The Astrophysicist
- Mailman
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
- Encore: Goodnight Irene [off-mic] [Tom Waits]
Some gems of info… Peter was once in an all-rollerskate version of Oklahoma! Also, apparently, scientists have a difficult time showing THC toxicity in small animals. A new expression Peter uttered… “the nickel of espresso dropped.” (explaining when the caffeine kicks in). I dig it!
Peter has a new guitar duets CD out now, Nine Days Wonder, with long-time collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich.
It’s a fantastic record (click the image to the right for samples) – though it’s not really indicative of his live show. Based on the amount of new material he played this weekend (five songs not on a PM record yet), it looks like he has a good start on a new studio record. Here’s hoping!
In the meantime, check him out on Facebook, iTunes/Amazon, YouTube, etc… and go see him live if you get a chance. He plays upwards of 120 live gigs a year all over the US (and sometimes in Europe, too).
I can guarantee you’ll like him (I’ve yet to hear someone who doesn’t love him when I drag them along to shows). :)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Peter Mulvey’s Site
- Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Michael Conley’s MySpace (Eugene opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
- Joe Von Appen’s MySpace (Corvallis opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
- KLCC Living Large interview with Peter from 11/10/11
- Sam Bond’s Garage Site / Facebook
- The Majestic Theatre’s Site / Facebook
Next shows for me… Cirque du Soliel presents Michael Jackson: The Immortal (Eugene 11/15), rapper Chali 2Na (Eugene 11/16) and the Americana duo Over the Rhine (Portland 1/17).
~Dan – np: Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender
PETER MULVEY PHOTOS 11/10 to 11/12/2011
REVIEW: Puscifer @ Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA – 11/7/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
A 6 week tour from Puscifer with no Oregon date? Well, pack up and drive to Seattle is what I’ll do! Seeing as Conditions of My Parole is vying quite strongly for one of my favorite albums of 2011 (and a marked improvement on Puscifer’s already strong work previously), I wasn’t going to miss this one.
This was only my second time to the Paramount Theatre (first time was for Spinal Tap Unwigged in 2009). It’s a really gorgeous venue.
I opted for the “VIP” plan; so 99 other rabids & I got to see a special “VIP Soundcheck” performance… 
stripped down acoustic on both songs – “The Chain” [Fleetwood Mac] and the personal favorite “The Humbling River” (with Carina Round on banjo). Maynard flubbed the lyrics slightly to the Fleetwood Mac song and joked about needing to google the lyrics later. After their short warm-up, Maynard talked about what they were trying to do with Puscifer – small, indie, sustainable. He joked about that with their small distributor that “even Hot Topics won’t take their call.” He thanked us for our support and then they left…
Also, being a sucker for Maynard, I also opted for the wine tasting session… For those not in the know, Maynard is an artist. He started with Tool. Branched out with Billy Howerdel on A Perfect Circle. But then he found his creative juices flowing with his boutique Caduceus Cellars / Merkin Vineyards in Jerome, Arizona. He makes fantastic wine with Eric Glomski and much help from his local friends… I’ve nabbed a few bottles in Ohio when I lived there, had some tastings at the 1st night Nov 2009 Puscifer show in Portland, and finally was able to direct order some at a local bottle shop in Eugene, Oregon (thanks, 16 Tons!).
Last night, we had the Merkin Vineyards’ The Diddler (2010) & Chupacabra (2010) and the Caduceus Cellars’ Sancha (2009). The Diddler was a nice white, primarily California Viognier, Arizona Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay/Malvasia Blanca blend. It was floral aromatic and a sweet in the nose, dry with a little sweet on the tongue. I’ve had the Chupacabra before (2005 & 2006). As a shape-shifter, it changes with each vintage. The 2010 had caramel and toffee on the nose. It was a deep, rich Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah blend with all California grapes. The final wine was special, the 2009 Sancha was a gorgeous all Arizona grape Tempranillo blend (with Garnacha). Dark, deep fruity nose, slightly chalky tannins (thanks to the host for pointing out chalkiness in some tannins). I love Tempranillo! Maynard came up to the room we were in near the end of the tasting and flashed us the peace sign and said “thanks.” Much less interaction than two years ago, but he’s a busy guy.
“Drink responsibly… even at a rock show!”
-Puscifer road manager
I missed the front end of Carina Round’s opening set due to wine tasting and needing to run to my car to get my camera. Her short (30 minute?) set struck me as a singer-songwriter turned rocker. I like her sound, and I have enjoyed some of her singles in the past. Her latest is the 2009 EP – Things You Should Know. She also has a new exclusive video for “The Last Time” on AOL Music. Despite her shortish set, I knew we’d see her shortly, as she’s in the band…
The Puscifer show started shortly after Carina left the stage with the VH1 Behind the Music-esque videos chronicling the honky-tonk performers struggles in life and love and incarceration. The odd things about the stage set-up was that… there was no stage set-up. The stage was completely empty when the show-proper started. At around 9pm, out came a small silver-bullet camper that housed some campfire chairs, tables, and some band members. Maynard moved the camper into place while talking to us about sustainability and the tour.
Puscifer shows in the past had some complex set design & changes, but the set for this tour was fairly steadily a campfire scene – with of course, an audacious light and video show at times. The juxtaposition of simple and complex, like Maynard’s nature, was also similar to the juxtaposition of melodic and heavy. The set was pretty much the entire Conditions album, with some V is for… and C is for… songs thrown in, too. No skits, some videos (Meats Meier’s and others), no over the top costuming, just a focus on the great music!
Setlist: about 90 minutes
Maynard Monologue while setting up camper/stage- The Green Valley
- Tiny Monsters
- Vagina Mine
- Dozo
- Toma
- The Rapture (Fear is a Mind Killa Mix)
- The Weaver
- Rev 22:20 [Carina Round on lead vocals]
- Polar Bear
- Indigo Children [2011 Mix]
- Oceans
- Monsoons
- Horizons
- Conditions of My Parole
- Man Overboard
- Telling Ghosts
- The Undertaker
- Tumbleweed
- No Encore
Conditions of My Parole is a brilliant record; so I think you should go buy it if you haven’t yet. It’s at the top of my pile for 2011 releases (by far).
The 1st night of tour had very minimal hiccups (if any). Check it out, if you happen to be in the markets they’re hitting on this leg (see dates below). I was able to shoot the 3rd & 4th songs; so check back for my photos once I have time to get home and edit them.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Puscifer’s Site
- Caduceus Cellars (Maynard’s wines)
- Puscifer’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Carina Round’s Site
- Carina Round’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Gene Shilling’s photos from the 11/19 Detroit show
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Puscifer Night #1 w/ wine tasting (Portland – Nov 2009)
- Puscifer Night #2 (Portland – Nov 2009)
- A Perfect Circle (Portland – June 2011)
- STG/Paramount Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below the photos.
Next shows for me… a three-day run by Peter Mulvey (11/10 @ Sam Bonds in Eugene, 11/11 @ private house concert in Creswell, 11/12 @ Majestic in Corvallis).
~Dan – np: dredg – Chuckles and Mr Squeezy
PUSCIFER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Puscifer Fall 2011 Tour Dates
- 11/7 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
- 11/9 Salt Lake City, UT Capitol Theatre
- 11/10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
- 11/12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
- 11/14 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
- 11/15 Chicago, IL Cadillac Palace Theatre
- 11/17 Cleveland, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
- 11/18 Toronto, ON Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
- 11/19 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
- 11/22 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
- 11/23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
- 11/25 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Academy of Music
- 11/26 Washington, DC Lisner Auditorium
- 11/27 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
- 11/29 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
- 11/30 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center
- 12/2 Tulsa, OK Brady Theatre
- 12/3 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
- 12/6 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
- 12/7 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
- 12/9 Mesa, AZ Ikeda Theater (previously listed as Phoenix)
- 12/10 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
REVIEW: My Brightest Diamond @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 11/6/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I can’t go on enough about how much I love My Brightest Diamond and how much I love her newest album, All Things Will Unwind. She hasn’t planned a full tour under this record (yet), but when I saw she was playing a couple one-offs in Seattle and Portland, I jumped out of my chair.
While hitting both shows in a scenario like this isn’t uncommon for me, I showed some restraint and only hit the Portland show…
The opener, Netherfriends, is currently in Portland this week for a “residency” of sorts. Several shows at the Mississippi Studios and two DJ sets (one at Aalto Lounge and one at Beech Street Parlour). He was a veritable one-man rockfolktronic wrecking crew. After his first song, I wasn’t sure what to expect… he powered through some technical difficulties and ripped through 35-40 minutes of fun energy.
Very danceable, very off-kilter, a little spastic, but grounded in melody. Sort of like Holy Fuck, if they were a one-man band. Beatboxing, electronic drums, loops, Harry Nilsson covers (see below).
What’s more to love? Check him out (free downloads here)!
Since it was billed as a “Shara Worden solo show,” I expected a more stripped down My Brightest Diamond set. Oh, was a wrong… she came out initially in costume (mask, fabric bubbles on her shirt) and danced along to a pre-recorded instrumental number, then immediately took off her mask and started in with the lead-off track, “We Added It Up.” She donned the mask again for “Be Brave“…
She mixed up the set a bit with ukulele, keyboards, pre-recorded drums and strings, acoustic guitar, rockin’ electric guitar, mbira (below), and a hand-held harp-like instrument.
Setlist: just over an hour
- Instrumental #1 with dance
- We Added It Up
- Everything is in Line
- Golden Star
- Escape Routes
- Instrumental #2 with dance
- Be Brave
- She Does Not Brave the War
- There’s a Rat
- High Low Middle
- Apples
- Feeling Good [Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley]
- I Have Never Loved Someone [for her son]
- Inside A Boy
- Encore: Be My Husband [Nina Simone]
My favorite songs of the night were “Be Brave” and “Inside A Boy,” but honestly, I enjoyed it all intently. Even the almost-too-cutesy-for-me “There’s a Rat” was brought to new heights for me with Shara’s adorable story about her rehabbing her “fixer-upper” that she and her husband recently bought in Detroit.
more photos below
I hope she does a bigger/longer tour for the record… but if she doesn’t Portlanders & Seattlites can count themselves blessed.
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)
- Netherfriends’ Bandcamp Site (tons of free downloads)
- Netherfriends’ Blog / Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- 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’ Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Puscifer tonight (11/7) in Seattle, then a three-day run by Peter Mulvey (11/10 @ Sam Bonds in Eugene, 11/11 @ private house concert in Creswell, 11/12 @ Majestic in Corvallis).
~Dan – Peter Mulvey & David Goodrich – Nine Days Wonder
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND (SHARA WORDEN)
& THE NETHERFRIENDS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
PHOTOS: Jason Webley & Mood Area 52 @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 10/31/11)
Fantastically fun Halloween show by Mood Area 52 and Jason Webley at Eugene’s WOW Hall. Tons of accordion, sing-a-longs, baby carrots, leaves, water bottle shakers, giant balloons (even one Jason got about waist-deep into until it popped), and great music. Jason last show (for a while) is 11/11/11 at the Moore Theatre in Seattle… go if you are able!
MOOD AREA 52 & JASON WEBLEY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Jason Webley’s Site
- Jason Webley’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Mood Area 52’s Site
- Mood Area 52‘s Facebook / MySpace
- My Other Related Posts~
- Webley @ Eugene Celebration (Eugene – Aug 2010)
- Mood Area 52 & Raquy and the Cavemen @ Joe’s (Eugene – Sept 2009)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next shows for me… Chris Chandler at Sam Bond’s (11/5), My Brightest Diamond at Mississippi Studios (11/6) & Puscifer at Paramount (11/7).
~Dan – np: U2 – Zooropa
REVIEW: Pomplamoose @ Doug Fir (Portland, OR – 10/27/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I first heard Pomplamoose with their cover of the Lady Gaga/Beyonce tune “Telephone” and their video song concept: (1) what you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice), and (2) if you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds):
Pomplamoose kept coming out with more and more clever video songs… that video alone is at 7.8 million views as of 10/31/11 (69 million total views on their channel!). The creativity from Nataly and Jack made me fall in love with their music – whether covers or originals. They each have their own YouTube channels (Nataly’s / Jack’s) and there’s also a Nataly side project with Lauren O’Connell called My Terrible Friend. Yes, they’re busy people. Go check them all out, you won’t be disappointed.
On to the show…
The opener was Louis and Genevieve…
They played about a half hour of electronic pop. A nice core sound, but it was difficult to hear the depth in the songs during the show. I think L&G’s music is superb based on some videos they’ve posted on their YouTube channel. I hate being negative, because hell if I could go up there and do what they’re doing… but I think their live show needed work… all said and done, they were a good warm-up act.
Pomplamoose came on and kicked right into their cover tune hit “Telephone”… and as expected, they were full of energy. I honestly don’t know how Jack keeps up the energy, but he was pounding away on keys all night. They had a full band; so Jack didn’t cover drum duties except for one song later in the set. Both Nataly & Jack looked like they were truly having fun… they were playful, smiling, and even giddy when microphone cables got tangled in chairs or when they had cellphone reception issues with the monitors.
As expected, they played a great mix of covers and originals. Since Pomplamoose is ubiquitous with YouTube, for songs below with a YouTube Video Song, click the “YT” link below. This is a rare show where it’s truly difficult to pick some favorite songs from the set. If I had to pick favorites, Telephone, Mr Sandman, River Shiver, and Bust Your Knee Caps would rise to the top, but in all seriousness – it’s hard to separate the creme de la creme. The sold out Doug Fir Lounge crowd got a full set of glorious pop…
Setlist: ~1.5 to 2 hours
- Telephone [Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce] {YT}
- Hey, It’s Pomplamoose
- Expiration Date {YT}
- If You Think You Need Some Lovin’ {YT}
- Hail Mary {YT}
- Twice as Nice [with drum solo] {YT}
- Beat the Horse {YT}
- Makin’ Out [Mark Owen] {YT}
- Nature Boy [Eden Ahbez] {YT}
- Be Still {YT}
- Jam
- Mister Sandman [The Chordettes] {YT}
- Things We Like In Hats
- Things We Like In Hats
- Things We Like In Hats [yes, they played it THREE times in a row]
- Bust Your Knee Caps {YT}
- River Shiver {YT}
- Achin’ Heart {YT}
- Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) [Beyoncé] {YT}
- September [Earth, Wind & Fire] {YT}
- Encore: Goodnight Song
- Sexy Time [goofing around, impromptu song]
- Centrifuge {YT}
The band had a special the album you bought at our show (thanks for that) CD that I picked up. As far as those not lucky enough to catch their brief tour, you can find their video songs on the YouTube links above (I’d recommend subscribing to their channel). You can also get their music via Amazon, iTunes or other e-tailers…
Their tour was very limited (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Portland & San Francisco), but hopefully they’ll head out again soon.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Pomplamoose’s Site
- Pomplamoose’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Louis and Genevieve’s Site
- Louis and Genevieve‘s Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
- Doug Fir Lounge’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Jason Webley & Mood Area 52 at WOW Hall (Eugene) tonight/Halloween…
~Dan – np: U2 – The Joshua Tree
POMPLAMOOSE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: John Scofield Quartet @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – 10/26/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I showed up slightly late due; so came in right after they started their second song… and I hunkered down for some great music. John Scofield Quartet features John on guitars, Michael Eckroth on piano, Ben Street on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums.
The band played a mix of slower ballads and more upbeat tunes. John’s latest album, A Moment’s Peace, is slower and gentler, and the lead-off track “Simply Put” was the first tune I caught in the set – fantastic jazz balladry. The quartet then moved into some covers, “Relaxin’ at Camarillo” (Charlie Parker) and “I Will” (the Beatles). I didn’t catch the name of the tune right after “I Will,” but it was SMOKIN’…
Other songs I caught during the Quartet’s long set were “My Foolish Heart,” “Hackensack” (Thelonious Monk), and “Green Tea.” John is a phenomenal guitarist. The show was a bit more reserved than I was going in expecting (compared to his work with Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood), but it was a treat to watch a master at work. They wrap up their mini-West Coast tour this weekend at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- John Scofield’s Site
- John Scofield’s Social Media Links (see below)
- The Shedd’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
~Dan – np: Under Byen – Samme Stof Som Stof
JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Pomplamoose in Portland (photos by the weekend)
Brilliant show by Pomplamoose last night at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, Oregon…
Busy week for me at work; so look for the Pomplamoose (Portland) and the John Scofield Quartet (Eugene) photos and a reviews by the weekend.
Cheers!
~Dan
John Scofield @ the Shedd (photos by the weekend)
UPDATE 10/29 – REVIEW POSTED
Brilliant show by the John Scofield Quartet last night at the Shedd in Eugene, Oregon…
Busy week for me at work, plus Pomplamoose tonight at the Doug Fir Lounge (Portland). Look for the Scofield Eugene photos and a review by the weekend.
Cheers!
~Dan
MINI-REVIEW: Gonzalo Bergara Quartet @ house concert (Eugene, OR – 10/23/11)
I love the Rolling & Tumbling house concerts. If you’re in Eugene and love good music in an intimate setting, head over to HERE and sign up for the mailing list. They host concerts about once a quarter, and it’s usually some interesting world music. The next one is January 15th… the Michael Winograd klezmer trio from NYC.
Last night’s show was the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet from Los Angeles via Argentina.
They were a hot band, playing primarily Django Reinhardt-influenced gypsy jazz guitar pieces, with a few variations (like bossa nova) added in. The frontman, Gonzalo Bergara, was phenomenal on guitar… truly worthy of following in Django’s shadow. His band was made up of Rob Hardt primarily on clarinet (and sax on occasion), Jeffrey Radaich on rhythm guitar (and vocals for “L.O.V.E.“), and Brian Netzley on upright bass.
They played an hour-long set, then we broke for snacks/intermission and they came back for a show-capping 45 minute set. They were humorous, graceful, and virtuosos. They played many unidentifiable tunes, but I do know they played these: Simplicated, Gonzalogy, August (new/unrecorded), L.O.V.E., Coquette, Nightmare #1, Octubre/Noviembre, La Muerte De Un Lobo Bueno, some more Django tunes, a bossa nova tune (possibly Elena’s Bossa).
(click albums below for sound samples)
They play all over the world. They played in Eugene a couple years ago; so they’re likely not back for a bit. Check out their tour dates to see if they’re coming to your neck of the woods.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Gonzalo Bergara Quartet‘s Site
- Gonzalo Bergara Quartet’s Social Media Links (see below)
Next show for me… John Scofield at the Shedd (Eugene) on 10/26, and then Pomplamoose at Doug Fir Lounge (Portland) on 10/27.
~Dan – np: Toad the Wet Sprocket – All You Want
REVIEW: Jeffrey Foucault @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – 10/20/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I’ve been to many shows at Cozmic Pizza in downtown Eugene, but this was my first time in their newly remodeled place. Great new ordering queue/system, same great beer & pizza, great new stage, great new sound system. I can’t recommend the new digs enough!! On to the show…
I got there right after sound check… chatted with some folks, ordered some grub, an settled in for the opener. Jeffery Martin, from Eugene, played about a half hour set. His sound fit well with Jeffrey Foucault’s… Jeff #1 had an earthy, folky, Americana storyteller vibe. He didn’t necessarily “jump out” at me, but many singer-songwriters can bore. Bottom line: I’d see Jeffery Martin again. He was solid at his craft. He’s local; so I’ll most likely get a chance to see him again soon.
Jeffrey Foucault hit the stage shortly after 9. He had slide guitarist Jay Carter (?) with him for most of the set. They had just met / played together for the first time at the Seattle show. Despite their newness, they worked well together. The set contained a lot of the material (8 songs) from Jeffrey’s latest album, Horse Latitudes (samples via image to the right). Jeffrey showcased his gritty, superb storytelling in his lyrics and was in a good jokey spirit in between songs.
Foucault’s Setlist: about an hour
- Last Night I Dreamed of Television
- Goners Most
- Starlight and Static
- Pretty Girl in a Small Town
- Passerines
- Horse Latitudes
- “Statesboro Blues” [Chris Dombrowski poem]
- Twice I Left Her
- Mesa, Arizona
- Sixteen Tons [Merle Travis]
- The Bluest Blade
- Idaho
- Everybody’s Famous
- Encore: I Won’t Back Down [Tom Petty]
The encore was dedicated to Tom Petty – as his birthday is October 20th. The only disappointment of the night (well, once the loud couple was told to shut up by a fellow audience member) was that Ryan Adams was playing down the street at the Shedd at the same time as Foucault’s gig. I actually had a ticket to see Ryan Adams, but when I found out about Jeffery playing, I sold it (the heart wants what the heart wants). Jeffrey’s audience was a little sparse due to that scheduling coincidence (I think there’s some good crossover between the two artists).
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
- Jeffrey’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Jeffery Martin‘s Facebook
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- Cozmic’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check Jeffrey’s remaining 2011 tour dates below.
Next show for me… a house show with Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on 10/23 Sunday in Eugene.
~Dan – np: Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Jeffrey Foucault Fall 2011 Tour
- 10.18.11 Seattle, WA Fremont Abbey With Danny Barnes
- 10.19.11 Portland, OR The Woods Shelley Short opens
- 10.20.11 Eugene, OR Cozmic Pizza Jeffery Martin opens
- 10.21.11 Arcata, CA Arcata Playhouse Rorey Carroll opens
- 10.24.11 Felton, CA Don Quixote’s International Music
- 10.25.11 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord Kate Gaffney opens
- 11.05.11 Fall River, MA Narrows Center for the Arts Support to Rosanne Cash
- 12.01.11 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.02.11 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.03.11 Pawtucket, RI Stone Soup Coffeehouse Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.08.11 Evanston, IL SPACE
- 12.13.11 Marshfield, WI Vox Concert Series Hayward Williams opens
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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