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REVIEW: Imogen Heap @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 6/16/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
As many others, I got into Imogen Heap via her band Frou Frou‘s inclusion on the Garden State soundtrack. Their song “Let Go” was featured heavily in the Garden State trailer and movie. Thanks to Zach Braff, a love of all things Imogen Heap started to develop. A solid electronic-pop singer-songwriter in her own right before and after the Frou Frou debut Details, she took a longer break before her 2009 re-emergence, Ellipse. She needed some time away, and many times the much needed time away brings forth some great work. Ellipse is a solid album in both song catchiness and experimentation.
Her interest in experimentation spanned to her openers for this 6th leg of the North American tour… Geese is a stringed duo, backed by Imogen’s drummer. They started out slow and moving with high use of looping of their violins. Their 20 minute set only featured 3 songs, but it was quite captivating. It went from the aforementioned moving piece to a more spastic, experimental uproarious piece to a final piece that I’d describe as “noodley junkyard chic” with occasional drumming bombast. Being a fan of more experimental instrumental music, I was quite fond of their set. They also played with Imogen on a few of her songs that required strings (definitely “Little Bird” and a few others).
Ben Christophers came on shortly after Geese… he also played a fairly short set (and joined her on stage as part of her Ellipse band). Ben is a British singer-songwriter who focused mainly on the electric guitar with a voice in the higher registers. I found him similar to Sean Lennon mixed with the late falsetto/whispy singer Jeff Hanson. Ben played five songs for about 25 minutes… quite delightful, with a nice reference to Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.”
Imogen and her band started shortly after 9pm. First off, Imogen has an adorable stage presence. She is very unassuming, and even came out to introduce both openers. She told many stories in between songs, and carried on a nice dialogue with the audience. She really made a concert in a large concert hall seem like an intimate show in a smaller venue. The intimate setting was quite beautiful at times with the simple but sleek stage design. The center piece was a tree which worked in nicely with the light show, even appearing to be on fire or dancing in the wind at times (sorry, no photos of that, as press cameras were not allowed past the 3rd song).
Second, Imogen knows how to mix it up… she played rockier songs, mellower songs, songs from across her catalogue. Some favorite moments were “Let Go,” the dancing trees in “A-ha!,” the rocking out of “Goodbye and Go,” the loops and general excellence of “First Train Home,” and the gentleness of “Little Bird.” Oh, and the ’80s sunglasses and keytar used in “Tidal” was quite the throwback… it nicely showed off her silly, fun side.
Setlist: about 2 hours
- The Walk
- Swoon
- Come Here Boy
- Wait It Out
- First Train Home
- Little Bird
- Canvas
- Breathe In
- Charity Improv
- A-Ha!
- Speeding Cars
- Let Go
- Just For Now
- Goodnight and Go
- Headlock
- Tidal
- The Moment I Said It
- Hide and Seek
Half way through the set, she did the charity improvisation that is an important part of her tour this time around. Each city’s fans help her pick an important charity. The audience gets to recommend the key and melody starting point. Imogen records the song and it becomes available later for purchase. The charity improv song for Portland was for Eco Trust, whose mission is to “inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity and environmental well-being.”
To get the Portland improv song to help out the charity, go to imogenheap.com/charity. To donate to the charity directly, click the banner below…
Imogen wrapped up her final two songs solo, bringing to a close a wonderful night of both danceable and gorgeous music. The only disappointment: there was no “Earth” with Portland-based chorus this time. All in all, a great show! Thank you, Immie!
Check out her latest album, Ellipse, or her forthcoming documentary DVD, Everything In Between:
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Imogen Heap’s Site
- Imogen Heap on MySpace
- Geese on MySpace
- Ben Christophers’ Site
- Ben Christophers on MySpace
- Arlene Schnitzer Hall
- Eco Trust (the PDX show’s charity)
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Dream Theater – Black Clouds and Silver Linings
IMOGEN HEAP PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
North American Tour Dates (2010 World Tour – 6th Leg)
- May 22nd Detroit, MI Fillmore Theatre
- May 23rd Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
- May 25th New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
- May 26th Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
- May 27th Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
- May 29th Washington DC Warner Theatre
- May 30th Norfolk, VA Norva
- June 1st Orlando, FL House Of Blues
- June 2nd Miami, FL Fillmore Theatre
- June 4th Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
- June 5th Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
- June 7th New Orleans, LA House Of Blues
- June 8th Houston, TX Verizon Wireless
- June 9th Dallas, TX Nokia Grand Theatre
- June 11th Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
- June 12th Salt Lake City, UT Rail Event Center
- June 14th Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
- June 15th Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
- June 16th Portland, OR Schnitzer Hall
- June 18th Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery
- June 19th Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
- June 20th San Diego, CA Humphrey’s
- June 21st Santa Barbara, CA Granada Theatre
#ihportland
Derek Webb – Democracy Vol 1 #5
One a month in 2010…
Derek Webb‘s Democracy Vol 1 is rolling along… This month, it’s “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens. Not as lush as the original instrumentation, but fantastic nonetheless. Thanks, Derek!!
For those not in the know, Democracy Vol 1 was part of the Stockholm Syndrome pre-order package, but you can still join in over at the DW store. My plea for Derek to cover Tori Amos’ “Crucify” is likely not gonna happen. Oh well… I like the first five months’ output regardless.
- January: The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- February: Coldplay – Fix You
- March: Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’
- April: Gnarls Barkley – Who’s Gonna Save My Soul
- May: Sufjan Stevens – Chicago
If you missed the Derek & Jennifer Knapp tour, check out my review and photos from the Portland Oregon show at the Aladdin Theater on April 27th.
~Dan – np: Isis – Wavering Radiant
Democracy Vol. 1 is the first in a series of subscription based albums of cover songs that Derek will be recording annually, starting January 2010. Those who participate will not only receive the exclusive album, but will democratically decide what songs Derek will record.
Ever wished you could hear Derek cover your favorite Beatles song? Or Backstreet Boys song? Or even re-record your favorite old Caedmon’s Call song? Here’s your chance. Songs will be nominated and voted down to 12. Derek will record them (demo quality) and deliver them digitally (320kbps MP3s), one song per month for 12 months. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unique collaborative project with Derek Webb!
more Nellie McKay details
More details coming in on Nellie McKay‘s forthcoming follow-up to Normal As Blueberry Pie from Lehigh Valley Music…
Some of the key points… It is expected to be all original songs due out in September 2010. It’s being “overseen” by Talking Heads founder and world-beat practitioner David Byrne, and per Nellie it is a made up of a bunch of “wide-ranging” songs.
Read the full interview HERE.
REVIEW: Kaki King with An Horse @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 5/16/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Last night the fine folks of Eugene were treated to two lovely indie rock acts… Kaki King and An Horse. 
Kaki had played a short, but fantastic set earlier on Sunday at CD World (review with photos/videos) – and she brought up Kate Cooper from An Horse at the end, which had been my only exposure to An Horse outside of the WNYC Soundcheck podcast a month ago. Kate’s “Camp Out” with Kaki solidified it to me that I shant be late to the opening set…
An Horse went on right around 8pm and played a SOLID melodic indie rock set. Being only vaguely familiar with their songs didn’t matter. It was 45 or so minutes of indie rock goodness. “Camp Out” was played, which is perhaps their “single” but it far from being their only good song. The Aussie duo put out a nice wall of sound, too. Mighty big for a two person crew! Check out their latest record, Rearrange Beds!
After a short break, Kaki came on with her band…
They started off strong with a powerful few numbers. “Bone Chaos” may have been my favorite of the night… it really shows off Kaki’s guitar prowess combined with some haunting EVI by Dan Brantigan. It was pretty obvious early on that the drums were taking over (unfortunately). The mid-section of the show was nice, as we got to see Kaki shine solo with some “Pink Noise”…
Kaki’s Setlist: just shy of 2 hours
- Falling Day
- Bone Chaos in the Castle
- Life Being What It Is
- Pull Me Out Alive
- Death Head
- The Betrayer
- Hallucinations From My Poisonous German Streets
- Playing with Pink Noise [solo]
- Goby [solo]
- All the Landslides Birds Have Seen
- Doing The Wrong Thing
- My Nerves That Committed Suicide
- unknown song
- Spit It Back in My Mouth
- Everything Has An End, Even Sadness (which is not new age)*
- You Don’t Have to Be Afraid
- Encore: unknown rock jam
- fucking around on the lap steel
- Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers
- unknown dance song
*– don’t ever call Kaki new age… especially if you have balls and would like to retain them.
any help on unknown songs is appreciated
Kaki came out for an encore and treated us to another instrumental favorite, “Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers,” which featured Dan trading the EVI off for a theremin, alongside Kaki’s lapsteel. She then capped the show off with a “dance number,” which unbeknown to us involved her jumping amongst the crowd and dancing it up while her guitar went on loop above us… a great end to a great day full of music.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Kaki King – How I Got Lost (soundtrack)
KAKI KING with AN HORSE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Spring 2010 Tour Dates
Apr 15, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, New York
Apr 16, 2010 Bowery Ballroom – New York, New York
Apr 17, 2010 Middle East – Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 19, 2010 Iron Horse – Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 20, 2010 Port City Music Hall – Portland, Maine
Apr 21, 2010 Higher Ground – Burlington, Vermont
Apr 28, 2010 TLA – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 29, 2010 9:30 Club – Washington, DC, Washington DC
Apr 30, 2010 Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, North Carolina
May 1, 2010 The Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, Georgia
May 4, 2010 Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, Ohio
May 5, 2010 The Ark – Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 6, 2010 Park West – Chicago, Illinois
May 7, 2010 High Noon Saloon – Madison, Wisconsin
May 8, 2010 Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 9, 2010 The Waiting Room – Omaha, Nebraska
May 11, 2010 The Fox Theater – Boulder, Colorado
May 12, 2010 Cervantes – Denver, Colorado
May 14, 2010 Neumos – Seattle, Washington
May 15, 2010 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, Oregon
May 16, 2010 WOW Hall – Eugene, Oregon
May 19, 2010 Knitting Factory – Reno, Nevada
May 20, 2010 Mystic Theater – Petaluma, California
May 21, 2010 The Fillmore – San Francisco, California
May 22, 2010 The El Rey Theater – Los Angeles, California
May 24, 2010 The Belly Up – San Diego, California
May 25, 2010 The Glass House – Pomona, California
Jude – The Way That You Want Me
Jude Christodal has been on a hiatus as of late… his last album and mini-tour were in 2008. Well, under the cloak of night, the good ole CDBaby listings for him have become active again:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/Jude5
The new song “The Way That You Want Me,” which was featured on the TV show HOUSE (FOX), is the first single from an upcoming acoustic album. The song is available as a download only as of this time. $0.99 on CDBaby, and I imagine it will be on iTunes shortly as well.
~Dan -np: Lenny Kravitz – 5
Nellie McKay in the studio
Jazz-pop songstress Nellie McKay is in the studio working on her follow-up to Normal As Blueberry Pie (the wonderful Doris Day tribute from 2009). This news comes in via a twitter update on May 2nd from studio musician – David Raven (pictured at right).
“recorded today with nellie mckay for her new record… brilliant songwriter.”
As more concrete info about the forthcoming about comes out, I’ll be sure to post it…
~Dan – np: Minamo – Kuroi Kawa ~ Black River
REVIEW: Derek Webb & Jennifer Knapp @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 4/27/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
There’s something about songwriters that draw me in. With Derek Webb, I’ve been a long time fan since 1996… ever since first seeing him with his folksy-poppy band Caedmon’s Call. While I dug Caedmon’s a lot as a group, I really enjoyed Derek’s songwriting the most. He seemed to have the more “real life” songs – ones I could relate to the most. His initial departure from the band went OK with me, as he kept making solo music… starting out in the traditional acoustic and then morphing into more rock and even electronic-infused meets acoustic. His last album, 2009’s Stockholm Syndrome, was one of my favorites from last year (#3 to be exact).
Stockholm Syndrome fuses some great keys & beats from fellow Caedmon’s Call member Joshua Moore with Derek’s solid songwriting. Lyrically, Derek tackles many issues that I think are relevant and important to everyone (not just christians) – including, but not limited to, addressing Fred “God Hates F-gs” Phelps from the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church (“Freddie Please”) to one-side of a superficial relationship with a club beat (“Jena & Jimmy”) to the conflict of a walk of faith and easier route living in the world at large (at least, that’s my take on “The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum”) to the seemingly-singling out of homosexuality in the church as a major sin (“What Matters More“).
“What Matters More” is a song that resonates with me, as it is a big part of why I eventually left the church. The church’s singling out of one sin over another really hit me as hypocritical, legalistic, and not loving. If this was the god that the bible talked about, I didn’t want to be part of this disease. If this wasn’t god’s view, then I didn’t want to be part of this group of “believers.” Regardless of my personal road that led to a lack of faith and becoming an atheist, I still hold Derek’s music closely, as I think of any christian artist, he seems to “get it.”
Derek going out on tour with Jennifer Knapp ended up being a perfect match (she just “came out” as being in a long-term, committed same-sex relationship). This isn’t shocking to me, and I wish it didn’t even have to be mentioned. Why is someone’s sexuality any of our business? I suppose that in this day and age, especially coming from a christian musician, this “coming out” has to occur to set the record straight that there is nothing wrong with this. I’m happy that she was finally comfortable coming back into making music, touring and coming out to be true to herself. I didn’t know much of her music prior to this show (though she was on my radar back when I was a music buyer at a christian bookstore in the Midwest), but I was equally excited to see her play alongside Derek.
Amy Courts opened the show right at 8pm. She only played about 3 songs, but had a lot of banter (she was up there about 20 minutes). Her banter was quite adorable, and her songs were in a similar acoustic singer-songwriter vein to both Webb & Knapp. Amy had a gentler song in the middle, but her opener and closer showed off her powerful voice. Definitely a good warm up…
Derek Webb went on immediately after Amy. I guess with a bunch of acoustic guitars and no backing bands, it’s easy to stack the artists right after one another.
Prior to the show, I wasn’t sure how the Stockholm Syndrome songs would translate to solo acoustic, and according to Derek – he can only play about half of them on a solo tour. With that being said, he played a good mix of older tunes, newer tunes, and even a brand new Caedmon’s Call song…
Derek’s Setlist: about 50 mins
- Heaven
- A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fear
- New Law
- My Enemies Are Men Like Me
- Freddie, Please
- Nobody Loves Me
- God’s Home Town (new Caedmon’s Call song)
- Wedding Dress
- What Matters More
- American Flag Umbrella
My favorites from his set were the last three, but I enjoyed his set throughout. Derek was fighting some form of sickness, which contributed a little bit to his normal raspiness (which I love). Hopefully he’ll come by soon and be able to be more talkative, as that’s usually where things get interesting. :)
After a short 10-minute break, Jennifer Knapp hit the stage. As mentioned previously, I was not too familiar with her music, but I did recognize one of the tunes early on from my old christian bookstore days – “Whole Again.” I also recognized “Dive In” from her webpage. She definitely had a powerful voice and stage presence. I can totally see her draw… she’s a great performer and has some vocal and guitar chops.
Some of her songs were a bit too “christianeze” for my tastes. Though, she is decidedly less CCM-y than most, and I can definitely appreciate that. :) One funny moment (to me) was her describing how “such and such” song was written a while ago but never put on a record because it didn’t have the right mentioning of “Jesus” and wasn’t as religious, etc – but to me, it definitely seemed religious… I mean, why do christians many times think that songs aren’t religious if they don’t use “god” or Jesus’ name directly? This song’s mentioning being “in need of mercy” (among other things) definitely had a religious bent, if you ask me. Anyway, christians’ perceptions of christian songs gets a chuckle out of me. That’s all. She is enough of a cross-over lyricist where I think she’ll do fine on the Lilith Fair circuit… she’s a powerful woman musician warrior.
I enjoyed just under an hour of Jennifer’s set before heading out back home to Eugene. I did catch a few songs with Amy Court joining her, and I’m sure Derek joined her later in the set (as he has done in the past). All in all, I thought it was an A+ triple singer-songwriter bill. If you have any thoughts on Jennifer’s set or if you have her setlist, please post in the comments.
This was one of the last shows featuring both Derek & Jennifer. Derek Webb will likely be more involved in the Caedmon’s Call album wrap-up in the coming months (I’m hoping they tour with Derek). Jennifer Knapp will be on the Lilith Fair tour in 2010 alongside many other great artists. I’d highly (HIGHLY) recommend Derek’s latest album, Stockholm Syndrome. Also, check out Jennifer’s album, Letting Go, when it drops on May 11th…
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Derek Webb’s Site
- Derek Webb on MySpace
- Caedmon’s Call’s Site
- Caedmon’s Call on MySpace
- Jennifer Knapp’s Site
- Jennifer Knapp on MySpace
- Amy Courts’ Site
- Amy Courts on MySpace
- Aladdin Theater
~Dan – np: Erin McKeown – Hundreds of Lions
AMY COURTS, DEREK WEBB
& JENNIFER KNAPP PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Over the Rhine – Let’s Make a Record
From overtherhine.com…
Let’s Make a Record!Thanks for your interest in helping us fund the next Over the Rhine record! We begin recording on Monday, May 17, 2010, in South Pasadena with producer Joe Henry and an amazing group of musicians. We can’t thank you enough for your help.
Please select whatever donation level is a good fit for you.
All donations however small or large are greatly appreciated.
We can’t do it without you.Gratefully,
Linford and Karin
$15 donation
– beautifully packaged CD with artwork, photos, notes, credits, thank you’s etc, shipped to you 30 days in advance of official release date + a personal “thank you” on the band’s website (updated weekly) + 3 digital bonus tracks + small surprise when CD ships
$50 donation
– all the above + a personal “thank you” included in the album’s artwork + immediate (RIGHT NOW) digital download of nine of the forthcoming album’s unadorned, bare bones demos recorded at Nowhere Farm
$100 donation
– all the above + special “super deluxe” box set version of the album, complete with 180 gram vinyl, CD version described above etc + expanded booklet with additional photos, journal entries, notes etc. (LIMITED EDITION)
Over the Rhine are one of my favorite artists… it’s been a while since their last one (2007’s Trumpet Child). I dig this new trend in special goodies. Anyway, if you know of Over the Rhine already, you know you want the Embrace It version. :) If you don’t know them yet, listen to them at your favorite e-tailer (I’d recommend Films for Radio and Good Dog Bad Dog or Ohio as starting points – all different but gorgeous albums). You can also listen on MySpace… http://www.myspace.com/overtherhine
For more info on the new record and a few special reunion shows, go to http://www.overtherhine.com/makearecord.php (I wish I still lived in Cincinnati sometimes).
REVIEW: Erin McKeown & Emily Wells @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 4/21/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
(despite these pictures, this show was not a head-scratcher)
Last night, the Mississippi Studios in Portland had a triple-bill tour de force. Almost two and a half hours from three wonderful musicians – violinist indie-rapper Emily Wells, folk-pop songwriter Erin McKeown, and Portland-based singer Timmy Straw. All three were showered us with great music (both old and new)…
Timmy Straw hit the stage late and quickly went into the first number. Timmy’s vocals were gorgeous, in that gristly-yearning kind of way. Songs were mostly haunting piano numbers, but there was some electronic-infusion on a song or two. I picked up Timmy’s equally gorgeous debut CD, 2009’s State Parks. Timmy only had a little banter during the set, playing fairly straight from one to the next (playing about 6 or 7 songs in a half hour). Songs I did catch names for are “Rock of Ages,” “Scoops,” and “Herakles.” I highly recommend State Parks. I think you can only get it at shows at this point (if someone has other info, please pass it along).
Erin McKeown went on around 10 and his us with a lot of gems from her latest album, Hundreds of Lions, out on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. I’d seen her a couple times prior (in Cincinnati), and she was just as adorable and delightfully charming with her stories and music as she can be. My wife noted (and I agree) that Erin has such great stage presence and spark. She’s a ball of joy and it comes through in her songs…
Erin’s Setlist: ~45 mins
- “Manifestra” (new song)
- Cinematic
- Santa Cruz
- You, Sailor
- (Put the Fun Back in) the Funeral
- Queen of Quiet
- Didn’t They
- “Train of Steel” (new song)
- Lullaby in 3/4
Emily went on around 11 and started swinging with her crowd-pleasin’ hip-hop numbers. She employed Doug from the Portland Cello Project during half of her set. I saw her play with the PCP last summer, and it’s what had me sold on her music. She switched between violin and various other toys in her arsenal (toy pianos, drum loops, toy microphones, guitar, ukulele, etc). She relied a lot on looping – which is always fun, as far as I’m concerned. The hour-long Emily Wells “solo/live remix” included some of her Symphonies, her über-fun Notorious B.I.G. cover, as well as some newer songs… oh, and she was sportin’ some bling…
Emily’s Setlist: ~1 hour
- If You Love Me, Really Love Me
- Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun
- Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well & the Requiem Mix
- Juicy (Notorious B.I.G.)
- Mama’s Gonna Give You Love (new song)
- Give Ya Everything (new song)
- Let Your Guard Down (new song)
- The Fire Song (new song)
- Passenger
- Encore: Symphony 9 & the Sunshine
Emily has a new album coming out later this year, and also a project with Dan the Automator called Pillowfight. Check her out on the MySpaces to keep in the loop. We headed back home to Eugene around midnight… tired, but content.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Emily Wells on MySpace
- Erin McKeown’s Site
- Erin McKeown on MySpace
- Timmy Straw on MySpace
- Mississippi Studios
~Dan – np: Ozomatli – Fire Away
no download or free torrent mp3 flac available
support music by buying it
EMILY WELLS, ERIN McKEOWN
& TIMMY STRAW PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld and Margaret O’Brien,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: Jónsi of Sigur Rós @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 4/13/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Jon Thor Birgisson aka “Jónsi” has a majestic voice and a penchant for clever, extravagant, and utterly gorgeous stage show that converts the already beautiful music into something worthy of an art exhibit. His voice is well known in the indie rock scene via his long history bringing the enigmatic Sigur Rós to our shores/ears.
Sigur Rós is on a hiatus while many of the members’ families welcome new children into their lives; so Jónsi decided to follow-up his last album (Riceboy Sleeps with his partner Alex) with a “solo acoustic album.” That “solo acoustic” album morphed into what became GO, a not-so-acoustic album. Go fits in with the most recent Sigur Rós album (Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust). It’s a “more accessible rock” affair full of the ideals, quirks, and high quality craftsmanship we’ve come to expect.
That high quality craftsmanship shows in Jónsi’s decision to bring in 59 Productions to work up his tour stage. If I wasn’t sold on going to see Jónsi before, the lead-up to the show was almost unbearable after seeing the 59 Productions behind the scenes video. More on that later… first, the opener…
Death Vessel (aka Joel Thibodeau) hit the stage around 8 and played a 35 minute set (6-7 songs). His songs were gentle acoustic numbers, and his voice reminded me a lot of the late Jeff Hanson (nice falsetto). The crowd seemed a little restless near the end, but I thought Death Vessel put out an enjoyable set.
Jónsi went on right at 9pm and started the show with just an acoustic guitar solo tune, Stars in Still Water. Shortly thereafter the band joined him and the stage show began. The walls and projectors played for about half of the songs in the set, and ranged from butterflies, to other animals, to a rainstorm that turned into a flood. Some of the coolest effects were the burning stage-pieces early on, as well as the water flood. It was quite astonishing how well done everything was… and it didn’t take away from the music at all.
Setlist: ~85 minutes
- Stars in Still Water (solo)
- Hengilás
- Icicle Sleeves (K14 or Red Bicycle)
- Kolniður
- Tornado
- Saint Naive (K7)
- Sinking Friendships
- Go Do
- Boy Lilikoi
- K12
- New Piano Song (K365)
- Around Us (with acoustic piano intro)
- Encore: Jonsi New Guitar Song
- Animal Arithmetic (Jonsi donned a colorful headdress)
- Grow Till Tall
The fave songs of the night were Tornado, Go Do, Boy Lilikoi & Grow Till Tall – as those were the ones that resonate with me the most from the record. All in all, it was an utterly superb show, and it ranks easily in my favorite shows ever (which includes many Sigur Rós shows, too). The stage, the songs, the voice, the beauty… I hope Jónsi comes back through soon – either solo or with his “main band.”
Speaking of bands… the band members for Jónsi’s solo tour are Alex Somers on guitar, Úlfur Hansson on bass, þorvaldur þorvaldsson on drums and Ólafur Björn Ólafsson on piano
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Jónsi’s Site
- Jónsi’s 2010 Tour Recap splashpage
- Jónsi on MySpace
- 59 Productions (Jónsi’s stagecraft masters)
- Sigur Rós’ Site
- Sigur Rós on MySpace
- Death Vessel
- Death Vessel on MySpace
- Roseland Theater
- Other Reviews of Interest:
- My Sigur Rós Oct 2008 Review (with photos)
- SPIN‘s Vancouver Review (April 2010)
- Brooklyn Vegan‘s Vancouver Review (April 2010)
- RAW Pie Recipes from Jónsi & Alex’s cookbook
OK, I’m off for a while… if you comment, sorry if I won’t/can’t respond (or potentially be able to approve comments) for a bit. Anyway, for those of you who are going to one of the upcoming dates, have fun. It is an AMAZING show. Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome
JÓNSI (from Sigur Rós) & DEATH VESSEL PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Higher Resolution (8 pics)
Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (5 DV, 27 Jónsi pics)
2010 North American Tour Dates
- april 6 vancouver, canada vogue theatre
- april 7 vancouver, canada vogue theatre
- april 9 seattle, wa the showbox sodo
- april 10 seattle, wa the showbox sodo
- april 13 portland, or roseland theatre
- april 15 berkeley, ca zellerbach auditorium
- april 16 san francisco, ca palace of fine arts
- april 18 indio, ca coachella
- april 21 denver, co paramount theatre
- april 22 lawrence, ks liberty hall
- april 24 minneapolis, mn pantages theatre
- april 25 minneapolis, mn pantages theatre
- april 26 milwaukee, wi the pabst theatre
- april 27 chicago, il vic theatre
- april 28 chicago, il vic theatre
- april 30 toronto, canada sound academy
- may 1 toronto, canada sound academy
- may 2 montreal, canada metropolis
- may 3 philadelphia, pa electric factory
- may 5 boston, ma house of blues
- may 6 boston, ma house of blues
- may 8 new york, ny terminal 5
- may 9 new york, ny terminal 5
Ellery :: This Isn’t Over Yet
Ellery‘s newest album, This Isn’t Over Yet, finally has a release date… June 15th.
1. Where It’s Going (streaming)
2. Happy
3. Oh No
4. What I Need
5. Pieces
6. Lay Your Head Down
7. Blame Me
8. Christopher
9. Someone To Say It To
10. All
11. Ways To Go
If you didn’t do the Ellery Stimulus Package last year, you can pre-order either the digital or the CD version over at Bandcamp.
~Dan – np: Jeanne Cherhal – Charade
REVIEW: Tegan & Sara @ Keller Auditorium (Portland, OR – 4/8/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Last night’s Portland show was near the end of a long, 3 month tour for Tegan and Sara‘s sixth album, Sainthood. The record (out last fall) is rockier than their prior, but fits in with their near history. A great mix of pop songwriting with an alternative, modern rock edge. The twin sisters trade off on vocal duty, and this is their first record where they actually wrote the songs together in the same room. The closeness shows in the cohesiveness of this record compared to 2007’s The Con or 2004’s So Jealous (both great records as well).
Upon arrival to the Keller Auditorium, I got a good chuckle out of “tailgators” in a nearby park running through the oddly entrancing “Alligator” dance (see the music video). If you hadn’t heard, there’s also a remix LP out now of the Alligator Remixes.
Holly Miranda was the first opener and went on right after 7:30. I wasn’t expecting a full band for her, but more of a singer-songwriter. Her band put together a great 30 minute set – more like a singer-songwriter vibe with a rockin’ boost. I didn’t know any of her music, but I’ll definitely check her out soon.
Steel Train hit the stage after a short set break. They’re all seemingly young guys from New Jersey, but they played a very throw-back, ‘cross-the-big-pond 30 minute set. Really reminiscent of 80s Brit-poprock, they had a great stage presence. The lead singer was very humbled alongside his rock energy… again, they seemed like really nice gents. Great tunes, great energy. Their set was capped by some crew coming out and drumming alongside them – one in a gorilla costume.
Tegan and Sara hit the stage right at 9pm. They came out blazin’ with quartet of songs from their latest record… The Ocean, On Directing, The Cure, and Alligator. I’m actually a little surprised they didn’t try to incorporate some of the aforementioned “Alligator dancers” in their stage show.
Tegan and Sara both switched between guitars and keys. Most of the vocal duties for the night were Tegan’s, but Sara had a few of her songs in the mix as well. The set was primarily made up of selections from Sainthood and The Con, but they threw in a handful of older tunes for good measure. Both Tegan and Sara had some funny stories (and a little bit of sisterhood bickering). It was cute… :)
Setlist: about 95 minutes
- The Ocean
- On Directing
- The Cure
- Alligator
- You Wouldn’t Like Me
- I Bet It Stung
- The Con
- Nineteen
- Northshore
- Night Watch
- Red Belt
- Monday Monday Monday
- Where Does The Good Go
- Speak Slow
- Walking With A Ghost
- So Jealous
- Hop A Plane
- Sentimental Tune
- Hell
- Encore: Back In Your Head (acoustic)
- Dark Come Soon
- Divided
- Call It Off
- Living Room
Due to it being the last night of the tour, emotions ran high (for all bands). The bands also seemed really well practiced. The show ended early (comparably to most rock shows), but due to its earlier start time, we all got a great amount of bang for our buck. I imagine Tegan and Sara will take a bit of time off before the summer festival circuit, but I hope they swing through Oregon again soon!!
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Tegan & Sara’s Site
- Tegan & Sara on MySpace
- Steel Train’s Site
- Steel Train on MySpace
- Holly Miranda’s Site
- Holly Miranda on MySpace
- PCPA/Keller Auditorium
Check out their past 2010 tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Jónsi – Go
no free download or torrent available
TEGAN & SARA PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Higher Resolution (15 pics)
Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (28 pics)
The North American Sainthood 2010 Tour Dates
- January 5 – 6 Vancouver, BC Orpheum
- January 7 Kelowna, BC Community Theatre
- January 8 – 9 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
- January 11 – 12 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
- January 13 Saskatoon, SK Saskatchewan Place Concert Bowl
- January 14 – 15 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
- January 18 Montreal, QC Place des Arts
- January 19 – 20 Toronto, ON Kool Haus
- January 22 – 23 Ottawa, ON Bronson Centre
- January 25 Quebec City, QC Imperial Du Quebec
- January 26 Fredericton, NB Fredericton Playhouse
- January 27 Halifax, NS Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
- February 12 Northampton, MA Calvin Theater
- February 13 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
- February 16 Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre
- February 17 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
- February 18 Richmond, VA The National
- February 20 Tampa, FL Tampa Theatre
- February 21 Boca Raton, FL Sunset Cove Amphitheatre
- February 23 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
- February 24 New Orleans, LA Tipitina’s Uptown
- February 25 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
- February 26 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall
- February 27 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
- March 2 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
- March 3 San Diego, CA Copley Symphony Hall
- March 5 – 6 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
- March 24 Minneapolis, MN The Orpheum Theatre
- March 25 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre
- March 26 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
- March 27 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
- March 28 Lakewood, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
- March 30 Columbus, OH PromoWest Pavilion
- April 2 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
- April 3 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
- April 4 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
- April 6 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
- April 8 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium
Sarah Kirkland Snider, My Brightest Diamond & Signal – Penelope
Sarah Kirkland Snider‘s debut album Penelope (New Amsterdam Records, September 2010) is a 60-minute song cycle for female voice, chamber orchestra, and electronics, composed by Sarah Kirkland Snider, featuring vocalist Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and highly acclaimed chamber orchestra Signal, conducted by Brad Lubman, with sound design by Michael Hammond.
A deft blend of Snider’s classical training and strong interest in indie rock, pop and folk musics, Penelope is a genre-defying work that moves organically from moments of wistful strings-and-harp reflection to dusky post-rock textures with distorted drums and guitars, helmed by a strong sense of melody and a craftsman’s approach to songwriting. Derived from a multimedia-theater piece co-created by Snider and acclaimed playwright Ellen McLaughlin, the work centers on a woman whose long-missing former husband turns up at her door, traumatized by two decades spent in an unnamed war. To restore his memory, the woman reads aloud from Homer’s “Odyssey.” The result is a poignant, haunting story in song.
The New York Times praised the work for having “an elegiac quality that deftly evoked sensations of abandonment, agitation, grief and reconciliation…ably [demonstrating] the poised elegance of Ms. Snider’s writing.”
Penelope has appeared in various guises over the past two years: it originated as a music for a theater piece and then debuted as a song cycle with Signal last May. When Shara came aboard the project, Sarah revised and expanded the songs yet again, tailoring them to Shara’s unique talents and arranging them for Sarah’s dream cast of characters: a 25-person orchestra of strings, harp, percussion, drums, electric guitar and bass, and electronics (with sound design by Michael Hammond). The cycle grew from 40 to 60 minutes. The album comes out this fall!
For more info, and a link to a free download of the first “single,” visit the brand-spankin’-new Penelope website.
~Dan – np: Tegan and Sara – Sainthood thainthood
REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland, OR – 3/31/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Nellie McKay‘s most recent album, As Normal As Blueberry Pie, came out last year, and while different from her prior records, it definitely fit in her catalog nicely. It featured her at her campiest but also her jazziest, versus her edgier side. For evidence of the campiness, check out the lovely publicity shots over on nelliemckay.com. The serious and silliness perfectly fit her personality. I wouldn’t want Nellie any other way.
On to the show…
The venue, Berbati’s Pan, was known to me more for its rock acts. The “jazzy, bluesy, singer-songwriter evening” in store for us was bound to be a big question mark regarding how it would come across… well, it was delightful. The lighting and small couches on the outskirts of the club made for a nice atmosphere. We got to the show just before Howard went on. Most of the people were hanging out on the chairs & couches; so we got some spots right up front.
Howard Fishman opened up the show and hit the stage around 8:45pm. He played guitar in Nellie’s backing band, the Aristocrats, last fall. He played a good set of bluesy standards and originals. He had a lap steel guitarist, Henry Bogdan, playing with him. He played about 25-30 minutes, primarily “upbeat blues” tunes… with a few darker tunes thrown in near the end. Some of my favorites were “The One Rose (That’s Left in My Heart),” a silly song about the Red Sox, and the capper called “Best Days.”
After a short break, Nellie hit the stage alongside both Howard and Henry around 9:20pm. Her set was a more stripped down version of what she brought to Seattle last fall. A great selection of Doris Day and other older standards, with a few of her own songs thrown in for good measure. Her originals were some of my favorites for the night – specifically “Toto Dies” and “The Dog Song.” The newer cover tunes added to her setlist – “Small Day Tomorrow” and “Two Sleepy People” – were really great as well.
She was a giddy and lovable as usual… very jokey and generally in a delightful mood.
Setlist: about 75 minutes
- Do Do Do (Doris Day cover)
- Sentimental Journey (Doris Day Cover)
- A Wonderful Guy (Doris Day cover)
- Georgie Girl (The Seekers cover)
- Mean to Me (Doris Day cover)
- Prisoner of Love (Kitty Wells cover)
- Close Your Eyes (Doris Day cover)
- “Happy Birthday” (to Becky)
- If I Ever Had a Dream
- Toto Dies
- P.S. I Love You
- Mother of Pearl
- Alone When It Rains (duet with Howard Fishman)
- The Dog Song
- A-Tisket, A-Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald cover)
- Small Day Tomorrow (Bob Dorough / Fran Landesman cover)
- Crazy Rhythm (Doris Day cover)
- Encore: “Old-fashioned Bodega” (title unknown)
- Two Sleepy People (Hoagy Carmichael cover, duet with Howard Fishman)
many more photos below
Howard joined her on vocals on two songs. “Alone When It Rains” is actually a song of his, which was sung last night as a tribute to her former dog, Charro. The Hoagy Carmichael duet (“Two Sleepy People”) had a giggle-fit lyrical screw up, but they kept rolling with it. Henry’s lap steel changed the Doris Day sound to a more bluesy feel from the jazz sound of the Aristocrats backing band. The more stripped down Nellie backing band was a treat. I hope she keeps on swinging through the Pacific Northwest.
They’re off to Seattle next (check out more tour dates below). Catch them if you can!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Nellie McKay’s Site
- Nellie on MySpace
- A good Nellie fansite at .NET
- Howard Fishman’s Site
- Howard Fishman on MySpace
- Berbati’s Pan (venue)
- My Prior Nellie McKay Reviews~
~Dan – np: Coheed & Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow
no free download or torrent here
2010 Tour Dates (so far)
- 3/28/2010 Los Angeles, CA Alex Theatre
- 3/29/2010 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
- 3/31/2010 Portland, OR Berbati’s Pan
- 4/3/2010 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater A Prairie Home Companion
- 4/10/2010 Delaware Water Gap, PA Deerhead Inn
- 5/15/2010 Sellersville, Pennsylvania Sellersville Theater 1894
- 6/1/2010 through 6/12/2010 New York, NY Feinstein’s at The Regency
- 9/17/2010 Monterey, California, United States Monterey Jazz Festival
NELLIE McKAY with HOWARD FISHMAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Higher Resolution (8 pics)
Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (32 pics)
REVIEW: Van Dyke Parks with Clare & the Reasons @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/10/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Van Dyke Parks is recognized around the world as a musical genius… he’s a brilliant session musician, composer, arranger, lyricist, and singer. He has contributed to many masterpieces (check out his rap sheet). He is most well known for his collaboration with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. While Brian is a prodigiously gifted composer, he was no lyricist, and needed one who could match the daring new music he was devising in his head. The result is their collaboration on the much vaunted SMiLE album.
I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of the Beach Boys. I just don’t care for their music. Well, I connected with Van Dyke Parks via a newer band… Silverchair (VDP did string arrangements for Diorama and Young Modern). Yeah, yeah… if you only knew them from 1995’s “Tomorrow” (from when they were 15 years old)… well, they’ve grown.
Anyway…
Van Dyke Parks rarely ever records or tours, putting at most one or two records per decade. When I heard about the shows via the Clare & the Reasons‘ email, I jumped at the chance of seeing both of these artists on the stage together. I had seen Clare & the Reasons open up for My Brightest Diamond back in Nov 2008, and I loved their French bohemian meets modern indie rock vibe.
There were only four shows slated for this rare double bill tour…
02.09.10 – Seattle, WA Triple Door
02.10.10 – Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
02.12.10 – San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall
02.14.10 – Santa Monica, CA McCabe’s
This was only my second time up to the Mississippi Studios. I really like the intimate setting, even the crazy hovering piano. The last time I was there was for David Bazan in November. For the VDP & Clare show, I’m glad they had chairs down… whew. :)
Opener Josh Mease went on around 9pm and played 6 songs. He had a very gentle singer-songwriter style. His guitarwork was good, but his voice was simply superb (nice lyrics, too). Josh is on Frogstand Records, the same record label as Clare & The Reasons. I dug his own tunes more than the Randy Newman cover. For his last song, Clare & The Reasons came up to play with him…
Josh Mease’s Setlist: about 20 mins
- missing song name
- missing song name
- Marie (Randy Newman cover)
- Days Like This
- Eleanor
- Start Over (with Clare & The Reasons)
Clare & The Reasons stayed up after Josh’s last song and moved some instruments around (and subsequently lost a percussion brush). Off to a great start! :) They joked lightly about it and then… viola, they found it! Their set was a sandwich of Arrow songs, The Movie songs, and more Arrow songs.
Arrow came out late last year, but I didn’t get a chance to pick it up until yesterday. I also picked up Olivier Manchon’s brand new instrumental CD, Orchestre de Chambre Miniature Volume 1, with saxophonist John Ellis, Gregoire Maret (from a Herbie Hancock band), and more string and woodwind players. Check their albums out (click pictures below)…
What I love about the band is not just limited to Clare Manchon’s vocals, but also the wonderful multi-instrumentation from Olivier and the well rounded guitarist and upright bassist. The set was full of great percussion, strings, garbage ukelele, french horn, pizzicato strings, a borrowed saw, acoustic & electric guitars, and sublime vocals. Van Dyke Parks & Josh Mease joined them on stage for their next to last song… (apparently Bill Frisell also joined them on stage up at the Seattle show).
Clare & the Reason’s Setlist: about an hour
- You Got Time
- All the Wine
- Perdue A Paris
- Ooh You Hurt Me So
- Wake Up (You Sleepy Head)
- You Getting Me
- This Is The Story
- Alphabet City
- Pluton
- Pluto
- Our Team Is Grand
- Love Can Be A Crime (with VDP & Josh)
- That’s All (Genesis cover)
Van Dyke Parks came on after a short break. He was seated at the piano and brought The Reasons (sans Clare) as his backing band. They started out with a great instrumental piece. The rest of the songs we heard were poppier tunes with some great instrumentation (as expected). VDP is an amazing pianist and composer. His voice wasn’t superb or sublime, but it fit the songs. I wasn’t familiar with his songs, but of the ones he announced while we were there… Opportunity for Two, Orange Crate Art, and Sail Away.
VDP was also a great banterer in between songs. Usually short, but funny… one of my faves was “my wife thinks that ‘cook’ is a noun.”
We only stayed for half of his scheduled hour-long set (as we had a 2 hour drive back home), but it was a great set of tunes. If anyone has the complete VDP setlist, let me know.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Van Dyke Park’s Site
- VDP on MySpace
- A VDP fan’s review of the show on Oregon Live
- Clare & The Reason’s Site
- Clare & The Reason on MySpace
- Josh Mease’s Site
- Josh Mease on MySpace
- Mississippi Studios
~Dan – np: Sade – Soldier of Love
VAN DYKE PARKS, CLARE & the REASONS and JOSH MEASE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Kim Taylor – Little Miracle
Cincinnati artist Kim Taylor just put out her latest full length, Little Miracle (and I mean “just”). It’s digital only at this time (but DRM free)… pick it up via her Nimbit store at http://kim-taylor.net/…
I’ll be picking it up tonight when I get home… and you know what this means? My Top 25 for 2009 is not done (crap – I just finished it yesterday). Eh, it just means my current #25 (U2‘s No Line on the Horizon) is very likely getting bumped.
Support indie music! With Kim Taylor, you can’t go wrong! Srsly.
~Dan – np: SF Jazz Collective – 2009
nouvel album par Jeanne Cherhal
Quirky French songstress Jeanne Cherhal will have a new album coming out on March 8, 2010. It’ll be called Charade and likely hard to find in the U.S. Luckily Amazon.fr’s buttons are in roughly the same place as Amazon.com’s… that’s how I blindly ordered her last album, L’Eau. :)
I found out about Jeanne when we picked up her (brilliant) debut album, Douze fois par an, in a record store in Toulouse, France.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to a new one…
~Dan – np: Megadeth – Endgame
Le songstress français bizarre Jeanne Cherhal aura un nouvel album sortir le 8 mars 2010. Ce s’appellera Charade et probablement difficile à trouver aux États-Unis heureusement Amazon.fr’s les boutons de s sont dans rudement le même lieu comme Amazon.com’s. C’est comment j’ai aveuglément commandé son dernier album, L’Eau. J’ai découvert au sujet de Jeanne quand nous avons pris son premier album brillant, Douze fois par an, dans un magasin record à Toulouse, la France. Quoi qu’il en soit, j’attends avec intérêt un nouvel album…
new Kim Taylor… soon…
Recently featured on The Ghost Whisperer (a “TV show,” or so say my sources)… Cincinnati singer-songwriter Kim Taylor popped the news on her website yesterday that her follow-up to 2006’s I Feel Like a Fading Light will be out in a few weeks. It’ll be called Little Miracle, produced by Jimi Zhivago, and the first 100 downloaders will get “an added bonus.”
I’m hoping there’s also a physical release (or a repeat of the vinyl / different edition like she did for Fading Light).
~Dan – np: dredg – The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
REVIEW: My Oregon Weekend with Peter Mulvey (11/7 & 11/8/2009)
FYI… PHOTOS of both SHOWS at the BOTTOM
I’ve been into Peter Mulvey for the past 10 years, right around when The Trouble With Poets came out. I used to be able to see him at least twice a year in Southwest Ohio (Canal Street Tavern, Southgate House, etc). Since moving to Eugene, Oregon, I’ve only had one opportunity. It was a great show, but I needed more… hence the need to drive up to Portland to see him before he hit my hometown the next day. :)
Alberta Street Pub (Saturday in Portland) was packed when I got there. I didn’t know it was an early show and I showed up right when Krista was going on. The venue was long and narrow… most of the seating was church pews (a la Dayton’s Canal Street Tavern). Given that fact, I gladly stood in back (church pews are horrid on my back). The acoustics in the room were good. The light wasn’t all that great… but I still got a few shots that ended up being decent (see below).
Sam Bond’s Garage (Sunday in Eugene) is a place I’ve been to many times. It is also dark; so I usually don’t bring my camera for shows. I was able to get a few shots, though. The plus of SBG for the Peter Mulvey weekend is that it seems more spread out compared to Alberta Street Pub… plus their beer selection is tops (Alberta seemed to have half of theirs socked up/out of stock). So, as far as venue winner… Sam Bond’s. But I’ll definitely hit Alberta again if a show suits me.
Krista Detor played about a 20-30minute set on both nights. She mainly played piano, but also pulled out the accordion for a song of her own (and one of Peter’s). Her songs that I caught in Portland… “Steal Me A Car”, “100 Years More,” “Mudshow,” “Early Grave,” and “Waterline.”
In Eugene, Krista played the same songs except she threw in “All to Do with the Moon” in between “Mudshow” and “Early Grave.”
Peter Mulvey was in a great mood in Portland. He had a shorter set due to a different show going on after him, but he was a graceful and funny as usual. Some of the best parts of the set were his banter in between songs… his bit on Sean Connery had me cracking up. How can someone with a speech impediment be so well known for his speaking roles? It was schplendid. Peter also went off on a riff about Sting that was also pretty funny, surrounding a “wet t-shirt” promo for a recent Saturday Night Live appearance. I think if Peter’s guitar and voice weren’t so grand, he could be a stand-up comedian. :)
He played a lot from his new album, but also a few older tunes and covers. He had some limited edition The Bicycle EPs for sale, and I snagged one for me and a couple friends. He also mentioned that next September (2010) he might bring his bike tour out to Oregon. Yippie! Anyway, here’s what he played on Saturday night…
Setlist (Portland 11/7): about 80 minutes
- If Love Is Not Enough
- Some People
- Kids In The Square
- Here In The Going Going Gone [Greg Brown cover]
- Letter From A Flying Machine
- “Sean Connery”
- Windshield
- The Knuckleball Suite (with Krista Detor)
- Shirt (with KD)
- “Sting SNL”
- Shoulderbirds (You Know Me) (with KD)
- Bears
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home)
- (I Don’t Know Why) But I Do [Bobby Charles cover]
- Mailman
- Vlad The Astrophysicist
- On A Wing And A Prayer
- Encore: Our Love Is Here To Stay [Nat King Cole cover]
One food-related add-on… close to the Alberta Street Pub was a place called Grilled Cheese Grill. Holy cow… excellent stuff. It does for grilled cheese what Eugene’s Off the Waffle does for waffles. Yummy!
~*~*~*~
Eugene’s set was similar – Peter seemed to be in a pretty great mood. The crowd was much smaller than Portland, but I figured smaller market to pull from and Sunday night were a factor in that. I will say that I’m disappointed in Eugene a lot for not coming out to some great shows (I made my best attempt for last night). We did conjure up a trio of friends to join us, and there were some other definitely Peter Mulvey fans in the crowd – including a couple of teddy bear loving peeps (that was interesting, to say the least). My friendJenny asked me if teddy bears were a theme with Peter’s fans, to which I blurted out, “noooooo.” And then Peter announced the spoken word piece “Bears.” :)
Setlist (Eugene 11/8): about 90 minutes
- I’m Beginning To See The Light [Duke Ellington cover]
- Kids In The Square
- “Time Machine”
- Some People
- Letter From A Flying Machine
- Abilene (The Eisenhower Waltz)
- The Knuckleball Suite (with Krista Detor)
- Shirt (with KD)
- Shoulderbirds (You Know Me) (with KD)
- …Plus The Many Inevitable Fragments / Dynamite Bill
- Bears
- Moonshiner [Uncle Tupelo cover]
- Vlad The Astrophysicist
- On A Wing And A Prayer
- Encore: Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home)
(We also caught a snippet of “Brand New ’64 Dodge” and “A Better Way to Go” in soundcheck.)
All in all, I think the Alberta show was my fave of the two, but both were fantastic. I hope Peter ventures out this way more often. He promised again to head out this way next year – and possibly via bike. It’ll be earlier in the year (September vs November). If you want to check out some of his stuff… his latest record, Letters From a Flying Machine, is excellent. I think it’s his strongest since 2000’s The Trouble with Poets. You can listen to some samples at Petermulvey.com (one free download) or Amazon (samples of all songs):
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Peter Mulvey’s Site
- Peter Mulvey on MySpace
- Krista Detor’s Site
- Krista Detor on MySpace
- Alberta Street Pub
- Shining City Music (promoter for the PDX show, she’s rad!)
- Sam Bond’s Garage
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Galactic Cowboys – Space In Your Face
PETER MULVEY & KRISTA DETOR PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Fall 2009 U.S. Tour Dates
- 11/7 PORTLAND, OR The Alberta Pub
- 11/8 EUGENE, OR Sam Bond’s Garage
- 11/10 ARCATA, CA Arcata Playhouse
- 11/11 BERKELEY, CA Freight & Salvage
- 11/12 FELTON, CA Don Quixote’s
- 11/13 SANTA MONICA, CA McCabe’s
- 11/14 SAN DIEGO, CA AcousticMusicSanDiego
- 11/20 BURLINGTON, VT UVM Recital Hall
- 11/21 FRAMINGHAM, MA Amazing Things Arts Center
- 12/1-2 FAIRBANKS, AK College Coffeehouse
- 12/3 TOK, AK Fast Eddy’s
- 12/4 TALKEEKTNA, AK Whole Wheat Radio
- 12/5 ANCHORAGE, AK Snow Goose Theatre
- 12/6 PALMER, AK Vagabond Blues
- 12/8 KODIAK, AK The Golden Anchor
- 12/10 CARBONDALE, CO Steve’s Guitars
- 12/11 DENVER, CO Swallow Hill
- 12/12 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO Friends House Concert
- 12/13 FORT COLLINS, CO Avogadro’s Number
- 12/15-19 FORT ATKINSON, WI Cafe Carpe
REVIEW: Regina Spektor @ Roseland Theater (Portland, OR – 11/1/09)
I got into Regina Spektor right around the time that Begin to Hope came out (thanks to my apple peeps Luc & Nic!). I really haven’t had a chance to see her until now, as she played near me in Ohio right around the time I was moving to Oregon. Her newest album, Far, is really good. I’ve been “studying” it a lot this past week, and really dig just about every song.
The Roseland Theater show was sold out at least a week in advance. Things didn’t work out to bring my wife, friends, back-ups of friends, couchsurfing hosts, or CS friends to the show… sigh. Oh well, I sold my extra ticket out front. Bah, no cameras again for this show. I attempted to contact RS’s management, but got no response after a 3 week attempt. Oh well… this is my major dissappointment with the Roseland: metal detectors, a fervid security staff, and the near impossibility to get my camera in without pre-approval… argh.
Anyway… on to the show…
The opener Jupiter One was really good. I had only heard of them a few hours prior. They are from New York and seemed to have that “NYC rock vibe.” I’ve seen several bands (usually openers) who have “that vibe.” Jupiter One were more impressive than most. They are a four piece and were smushed to the left of Regina’s piano (which was oddly moved over after their set – which would have given J1 more room). They had a nice groove, and played multiple instruments (violin, flute, etc) in addition to the traditional rock gear. They only played for about a half of an hour, and didn’t really announce many of their song names. I was looking out for one of them (“Platform Moon”), but I don’t know if they played it…
Regina went on a little after 9pm to immediate screams and applause. She had a violinist and cellist (whose names I didn’t get) with her, and Matt Chamberlain was on the drum kit. I’ve seen Matt many times with Tori Amos, and his self-titled solo album from 2005 on (Secret Chiefs 3 & Mr. Bungle) Trey Spruance’s label Web of Mimicry is the bomb – it’s quite a non-traditional “drummer solo album” (check it out).
The first half of Regina’s set was pretty bouncy and fun. I think once it got to her solo acapella and definitely the guitar stuff, well, it wasn’t her strong suit if you ask me. She played a lot from Far, but also mixed in some material from her older albums – especially at the encore…
Setlist: about an hour and 40 minutes
- The Calculation *a fave of the night*
- Eet
- Folding Chair *a fave of the night* (nice use of strings)
- Ode to Divorce
- Riot Gear *a fave of the night*
- Machine
- Laughing With *a fave of the night*
- One More Time With Feeling
- Two Birds
- Blue Lips
- On the Radio
- Dance Anthem of the 80s
- Silly Eye-Color Generalizations (acappella)
- Bobbin’ for Apples (Regina on guitar)
- That Time (Regina on guitar)
- Apres Moi *a fave of the night*
- Poor Little Rich Boy (Regina playing piano and a drum)
- Human of the Year
- Man of a Thousand Faces
- Encore: Samson *a fave of the night*
- Us *a fave of the night*
- Fidelity *a fave of the night*
- Hotel Song
- Love, You’re a Whore
I had a lot of fun, but I’m bummed some people who wanted to see it couldn’t for various reasons. It was a sold out show; so if that’s any indictation, if she keeps touring, I’m sure she’ll be back through Portland. She seemed to have a good stage presence and was more full of mirth than, say, Fiona Apple, yet more grounded than, say, Tori Amos.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Regina Spektor’s Webpage
- Regina on MySpace
- Jupiter One’s Webpage
- Jupiter One on MySpace
- Roseland Theater
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Femina
Remaining U.S. Tour Dates
- Mon 11/02/09 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum
- Tue 11/03/09 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
- Fri 11/06/09 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
- Sat 11/07/09 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
- Tue 11/10/09 – Houston, TX – Verizon Wireless Theater
- Wed 11/11/09 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q / Waller Creek Amph.
- Thu 11/12/09 – Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie
- Sat 11/14/09 – Kirksville, MO – Truman State University
- Mon 11/16/09 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
- Tue 11/17/09 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
- Thu 11/19/09 – Louisville, KY – Louisville Palace Theatre
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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