Archive
REVIEW: dredg @ the Hawthorne Theater (Portland, OR – – 4/3/09)
No photos this time around. Rock shows aren’t conducive to them unless you have a really good camera, plus last time I was here, the venue wasn’t allowing it. Anyway, on to the show…
The openers… well, I’m bummed because I only caught the very last song of From Monuments to Masses. I kinda dug them… they are a three-piece instrumental band and seemed to have a good groove. The guitars were a little low in the mix, but I could at least hear what was going on. Torche, on the other hand, was 40 minutes of painful uninterest. It wasn’t a wall of sound, it was a wall of mud. And not the good kind of mud that Earth or Sunn 0))) might throw down, but just muddy, sloppy metal. Bad sound that night, maybe they’re good on record. They seemed to be having fun, and there were some obvious fans in the crowd.
Dredg came on around 10:45, after what seemed to be a very long sound check. They seemed to be having some feedback or other issues going on, and it actually caused some minor technical difficulties early in dredg’s set. Anyway, this Portland show was the very first show of this tour. They played a handful of tunes from their upcoming record (see album cover below), and they played a great set with song from their other albums as well.
This was officially my first time seeing them live “as a fan. ” The last time I saw them was when they were opening for the Blood Brothers and Coheed & Cambria. I was blown away enough to get into their music after that show, but for this show I actually knew the words. :)
I had some major respect for Gavin (singer/ lap steel) and Dino (drums/ keyboard), but now I have much more respect for all four members. Drew (bass) and Mark (guitars) contribute so much to the dredg sound… excellent grooves and guitar that hearkens some of (Radiohead) Jonny Greenwood’s antics.
Setlist:
- Stamp of Origin: Pessimistic (new song)
- I Don’t Know (new song)
- Ireland (new song)
- Same Ol’ Road
- Of the Room
- Ode to the Sun (a fave of the night)
- Catch Without Arms (a fave of the night)
- R U O K? (new song)
- Saviour (new song)
- Information (new song)
- Bug Eyes
- Sang Real (a fave of the night)
- Jamais Vu
- The Canyon Behind Her
- Down to the Cellar (new song)
- Stamp of Origin: Horizon (new song)
- No Encore
Great show, about 75 minutes… lots of stuff from their upcoming album The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (due out June 9th). I bet they would have played longer had it not been for the earlier technical difficulties, but maybe the venue had a midnight curfew. I got a peek at someone who snagged the setlist; so I think I got most of the correct new songs and placement. The stuff after “Jamais Vu” was more of a blur, big jam thing. Overall, the new songs definitely fit with Catch Without Arms and El Cielo. I’m looking forward to the new record, big time…
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.dredg.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/dredg
- http://www.myspace.com/frommonumentstomasses
- http://www.myspace.com/torche
- http://www.hawthornetheater.com/
~Dan – np: Zu – Carboniferous
Change I can get behind…
The new 2009 quarter representing the District of Columbia has jazz great / composing legend Duke Ellington featured on it… this is change I can get behind:
I haven’t paid attention. Of the state quarters, do any of them have people outside of presidents? Looking here, it looks like the Duke Ellington quarter is the one with a person the most prominently featured (outside of the Helen Keller one for Alabama). Anyway, it’s great to see a jazz great on our currency. Jazz is one of the most truly American creations.
Oh, and unrelated, anyone go to the Album Leaf show last night in Portland at Rotture? Was it good? I wasn’t able to go, but I’m hoping Jimmy LaValle swings through again soon…
~Dan – np: Cyro Baptista – Love the Donkey
REVIEW: Zappa Plays Zappa @ the Hawthorne Theater (Portland, OR – – 1/2/09)
Boo… no concert photos this time around… they wouldn’t allow cameras into the venue at all. :(
(Dweezil = rock)
This was my 3rd time seeing the Zappa Plays Zappa tour (aka Tour de Frank)… each one being different (set lists, lineup, promotions). This time was at Portland’s Hawthorne Theater as the “You Can’t Fit On Stage Anymore” variation of the tour. The venue had a small capacity (~300), you get a download code at the venue to get the entire recorded show after they mix it down (about a month?), you have a chance to win a free Hagstrom guitar (at each show), and you get to help choose the set list for the night. Of the 68 available tunes in the ZPZ band’s repertoire, here were my selections: Broken Hearts Are For Assholes, Inca Roads, Montana, Peaches En Regalia, and Sofa. They played two of my choices. I was really hoping for “Montana,” though. Eh, choosers shouldn’t be beggars.
Dweezil came out first and talked about the download code and how it wouldn’t quite be ready within 8 days, but that it’d be worth the wait. I’m sure it will, as it’s gonna be 3 CDs of professionally recorded audio for “free.” Free in that it’s part of the pricey ticket. But, it’s not like I have to pay for it again, eh? :)
The band was very similar (if not the same) as when I saw the 2007 tour at Moonlite Gardens in Cincinnati, OH. Different set list, of course. They had a few technical difficulties during the show, but veryveryvery minor, and they rolled with the punches very well. Outside of Ray White, they were all pretty much playing for the entire show, and even Ray only had a few breaks when he wasn’t needed to sing.
The ZPZ Band this time around is:
- Dweezil Zappa: Guitar
- Aaron Arntz: Keyboards
- Scheila Gonzalez: Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards & Vocals
- Pete Griffin: Bass
- Billy Hulting: Marimba, Mallets & Percussion
- Jamie Kime: Guitar
- Joe Travers: Drums & Vocals
- SPECIAL GUEST… Ray White: Guitar & Vocals
(Ray White is the pimp)
Setlist: (any help in filling in the blanks is appreciated)
- Peaches En Regalia (a fave of the set)
- City of Tiny Lights
- Inca Roads (a fave of the set)
- I’m Not Satisfied
- Pygmy Twylyte
- Idiot Bastard Son
- Cheepnis (partial) then back to Inca Roads (??)
- Hagstrom Guitar Giveaway Jam (I didn’t win… boo…)
- Chunga’s Revenge with solos
- Billy the Mountain (28 minutes) (a fave of the set)
- Andy
- Dirty Love (a fave of the set)
- Uncle Remus
- Willie the Pimp (a fave of the set)
- Wind Up Workin’ in a Gas Station
- San Ber’dino
- Yo Mama
- Black Napkins
- Encore: ____________ (missing name, more guitar solos)
- Muffin Man (a fave of the set)
All in all… fantastic show… 2 hours and 40+ minutes of amazing musicianship… the only things to make it better? My own pictures perhaps… oh, and winning the guitar would have been nice. :)
I hope they come around again in the fall… I’ve seen all three of the ZPZ tours. And this was technically the “2008” tour, even though it was in 2009 (obviously). Seeing as I wasn’t into Frank’s music before he died, this is the next best damn thing. Thanks, Dweezil and Co.!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.zappa.com/zpz/index.html
- http://www.myspace.com/dweezilzappa
- http://www.myspace.com/zappaplayszappa
- http://www.hawthornetheater.com/
~Dan – np: Ryan Adcock – Finished -LP- 
Favorite Concerts of 2008
Well, shockingly, I don’t have any concerts on the calendar for December 2008 (next up is Zappa Plays Zappa on Jan 2nd). Of course, Sam Bond’s may book a jazz show that I don’t find out about until a week prior. Eh, anyway, I’ve seen 42 concerts and 91* artists perform so far in 2008 (which is oddly considered a “slow year” for me).
Assuming no other shows pop up out of nowhere and blow me away, here are my favorite concerts for 2008:
- Extreme & King’s X – Union Center Blvd Bash – Cincinnati, OH {10 Aug} [review with pictures]
- Jude Christodal, opener: Ryan Andrew – Aladdin Theater – Portland, OR {6 June} [review with pictures]
- Secret Chiefs 3 with Secret Chefs 3, Diminished Men – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR {3 Aug} [review with pictures]
- Sigur Rós with Parachutes – Arlene Schnitzer Hall – Portland, OR {6 Oct} [review with pictures]
- Ornette Coleman – Arlene Schnitzer Hall/PDX Jazz Fest – Portland, OR {15 Feb} [review]
- SFJazz Collective with Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Miguel Zenon and more focusing on the music of Wayne Shorter – Newmark Theatre/PDX Jazz Fest – Portland, OR {15 Feb} [review]
- Ani DiFranco, openers: Animal Prufrock, Judy Grahn – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR {16 Apr} [review]
- My Brightest Diamond with Clare & the Reasons – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR {21 Nov} [review with pictures]
- Nellie McKay, opener: Amorèe Lovell – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR {15 Aug} [review with pictures]
- Orange Tulip Conspiracy – Samurai Duck – Eugene, OR {17 Nov} [review with pictures]
- Bill Frisell / Eyvind Kang / Rudy Royston – The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts – Eugene, OR {7 June} [review with pictures]
- Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket with J.Kingham – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR {21 Feb} [review]
- Branford Marsalis and the Philharmonia Brasileira – The Hult Center – Eugene, OR {2 Oct} [review]
- Medeski Martin & Wood – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR {15 Nov} [review with pictures]
- Talkdemonic with Heavenly Oceans – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR {9 Feb} [review]
Runners Up: God of Shamisen at Samurai Duck, EARTH at WOW Hall, Radiohead at White River Amphitheatre, Skerik’s McTuff & Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio at Sam Bond’s Garage, and Raquy and the Cavemen at Cozmic Pizza.
Shows I’m bummed I missed… Beck in Bend, Tegan & Sara in Salem and/or Portland, Sunn 0))) in Portland, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (twice) in Eugene, Glen Phillips in Portland, Chali 2Na & Ozomatli in Portland, Steven Bernstein’s Millenium Territory Orchestra at Seattle’s Earshot Jazz Fest, and next week’s Charlie Hunter in Portland (I wish it weren’t on a Monday). :( Oh well, maybe next year…
Of my concert photos this year, I think these are my faves (in no particular order):
- Jude Christodal
- Silhouetted Secret Chiefs 3
- Jason Schimmel & Timb Harris from Secret Chiefs 3
- Sunspot Doug Pinnick & Ty Tabor from King’s X
- Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme
- Nellie McKay
- Ninja, laser-eyes Lee Smith from God of Shamisen
- Jónsi Birgisson from Sigur Rós
I’m definitely looking forward to 2009… Dweezil Zappa & Co playing Frank’s music, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, the SF Jazz Collective (with Dave Douglas & Joe Lovano), and Madeleine Peyroux are already on the calendar…
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works XXII: The Last Supper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*– This was also the first year in 11 years that I haven’t seen Over the Rhine. I wish I was able to make it to their reunion show with Ric Hordinski, but alas, I shan’t be able to go.
Past Concert Fave Recap: 2007
Talkdemonic – Daytrotter Session
Portland, OR-based post-rock / electro-acoustic group Talkdemonic has a Daytrotter Session up now… four songs, in-studio for FREE…
http://daytrotter.com/article/1494/talkdemonic
1) CSJ9 2) Shallow Doldrums 3) Bering 4) March Movement
Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about (and dug):
- Aimee Mann
- Ani DiFranco
- The Bad Veins
- Kaki King
- Holy Fuck …and David Bazan, My Brightest Diamond, Erin McKeown
~Dan – np: J.C. Hutchins – 7th Son: Descent (audio book)
Dear Elliott,
It’s been five years since you left us. Thank you for your music, even though you didn’t want to stay longer.
…
You are missed.
xo
…
~Dan – np: Elliott Smith – Figure 8
REVIEW: Yael Naim @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – – 10/15/08)
Mini-Review
Well, I heard about Yael Naim a week ago thanks to the NPR World Cafe podcast… she’s a Paris-born, Israeli singer-songwriter. She’s been described as “a touch of folk and a touch of jazz, with mysterious and evocative words sung with a delicate and intentionally husky voice.” After just hearing of her, I found out that she was playing the Aladdin Theater in Portland the very next week. I was just going to head up to the Aladdin if I was up for it, and buy a ticket if they had some available. Well, thanks to the power of the internets, I got an email Tuesday morning from the Aladdin, and they were giving away 50 tickets to the first people who responded to their email. And, woot, I got a free ticket. Natch.
The opener, Peter Von Poehl, was… well… absent. So the replacement opener was Grey Anne. And she was… RAD! Very quirky, indie rock girl with an electric guitar, drum, accordion, butterfly wings, echoplex, and a stuffed giraffe. Fun songs, off the wall, nice textures, strong voice, confident, quirky… She’s from Portland; so I hope she makes her way down to Eugene sometime soon.
Yael Naim and her band were really good, too. They played Britney Spears’ “Toxic” as well. That’d make my friend Bruth happy. :) I enjoyed her set a lot, but I think my favorites of hers were the ones in French. There’s something about French music that’s just… FUN. Yann Tiersen, Jeanne Cherhal, Paris Combo, and… well, Yael Naim.
Next Aladdin visit for me… Jonatha Brooke and Glen “I sat on a glass table and might not be playing guitar for a while” Phillips. Yikes. :) I hope Glen’s arm is better to be at this show, because otherwise, I don’t think I’ll go. At the end of the day, I hope he gets better more than me being able to see him.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://myspace.com/yaelnaim
- http://www.yaelweb.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/perse (Grey Anne’s page)
- http://www.aladdin-theater.com/
~Dan – np: Radiohead – In Rainbows
Sigur Rós photos (Portland 10/6/08)
Sigur Rós pictures from the Portland show on Monday, October 6th are now posted over at my review of the show:
https://jazzsick.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/sigur-ros-pdx2008/
REVIEW: Trio Subtonic @ Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR – – 10/9/08)
Quick review… I didn’t make it to Jo Fed’s in Eugene a few weeks ago to see Portland jazz group, Trio Subtonic. Alas, they were playing in Portland last night, and I was in town for work.
(camera phones are kinda pointless)
Trio Subtonic are a piano/bass/drums jazz trio… in the same vein as Medeski Martin & Wood (to give you a frame of reference). What I’ve heard on record is really groove oriented jazz with keys, samples, etc. Last night was more organic, acoustic jazz (i.e.- still a nice groove, but with acoustic piano). They were recording the show at Lewis & Clark College for a future release. I stayed through the first break (about an hour), and of the songs that they announced, I caught: Not There, Subtronics, Why Are the Mountains Crying, and Kaleidoscoping. They played three or four others of which I didn’t catch the names.
Catch them if you’re in Portland or if they swing through your town… they were quite enjoyable. Check out their music below:
The Appropriate Linkage:
~Dan
REVIEW: Sigur Rós @ Arlene Schnitzer Hall (Portland, OR – – 10/6/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
This was my third time to the Arlene Schnitzer Hall. It’s a great venue, and while I thought I would have gotten a better ticket via ordering from Klink (the Sigur merch site)… well, I was further to the back and left than I would have liked. It was still a good spot for pics and hearing some wonderful music.
The opener, Parachutes, is a band I got into sometime in 2007 due to a linkage to Sigur Rós via the MySpaces. I was excited to see them on the bill. They were obviously influenced by Sigur Rós. I mean… obviously. But in my world, that’s not a bad thing. They had 8 or 9 players, and at one point I know 10 people were playing with them. Again, very Sigur Rós-y, slow build, xylophone, strings, bombastic drums, keys, soft vocals. They played about 40 minutes, and I enjoyed them very much. I picked up their EP for $5 (usð)… i.e.- a steal. Unfortunately, my pics of theirs didn’t come out, as they didn’t have as much light on stage as Sigur Rós.
Now on to Sigur Rós…
Sigur Rós was… Sigur Rós. This was my 5th time seeing them, and while some may consider there to be the law of diminishing returns, with Sigur Rós the diminishments are such minutae that it’s not even diminishing anymore. Their shows are like taking a nap on a cloud during a rainstorm… or something. It’s completely surreal, mesmerizing, powerful, gentle, sublime, and… shiny.
(not my pic… obviously)
It’s funny to me, that with their non-English song names and their non-English singing… I still knew about half of the song titles within the first few chords. I think it’s osmosis or something, as I’ll admit that I don’t listen to them all that often (or often enough to know all of their song names). Anyway, thanks to the SR forum, I was able to fill in the remainder of the setlist (see below)…
10/6/08 Portland Setlist: (as noted on the SR forum)
- Svefn-g-englar *fav of show*
- Glósóli
- Ný batterí *fav of show*
- Fljótavík *
- Við spilum endalaust *
- Hoppípolla *fav of show*
- Með blóðnasir
- Inní mér syngur vitleysingur *
- Svo Hljótt
- Heysátan
- E-bow – on setlist, not played
- Viðrar vel til loftárása – on setlist, not played
- Sæglópur
- Festival *
- Gobbledigook * *fav of show – confetti kaboom*
- encore: All Alright *
- Popplagið *fav of show*
* For pronunciations of the songs and album name from their most recent album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, go HERE (blog link with audio).
Overall, this was an amazing time. Every time I see Sigur Rós, I am blown away. This was their 2nd to last date on the North American tour (and their last date in the United States for this tour); so they’ve been getting a lot of practice lately. They were on top of their game, and put together an amazingly mesmerizing show
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
- http://www.myspace.com/sigurros
- http://www.myspace.com/parachutesmakesongs (the opener)
- Sigur Rós @ NYC MoMA (46 minute pro-shot concert video)
- Official Video for “Gobbledigook” (1st single – video contains nudity)
- Official Video for “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur” (2nd single – from concert footage)
~Dan – recently played: Yoshie Fruchter – Pitom
SIGUR ROS CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
PDX Jazz is back…
As previously reported, PDZ Jazz (a not-for-profit responsible for bringing in a great Jazz Festival in the winter) was in a serious bleeding budget situation and shut down operations a little bit ago. Thanks to Alaska Airlines, the City of Portland, and others… well, here’s what JazzPDX said about it…
Today, the Portland Jazz Festival announced that it will return this February, despite recent concerns about sponsorship and funding. As of a couple of weeks ago, the festival was around $100,000 short of their required budget, but with help from Alaska Airlines, the City of Portland, and others, the festival will be able to return in full capacity on February 13th, 2009.
Luciana Lopez at the Oregonian offers more detailed coverage of the announcement. Click here for her article.
Yay!
~Dan – np: Damien Jurado – Caught in the Trees
new post-rock gems
AristeiA – How to Kill a King -EP- :: This band from Portland caught me by storm like the warrior’s prowess that their Iliadic name suggests*. This debut CD is truly great post-rock for fans of Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and others in that vein. My favorite track is “Feedback King,” and it’s all-in-all a solid outing. Their packaging of the CD is also quite unique… it’s a hand sewn golden pouch** with oversized liner cards and a paper sleeved CD. It doesn’t fit nicely in my standard rack (between Argyle Park & Arrested Development); but it definitely stands out and shows that they put effort into their record as a whole, not just the music. I’m excited about seeing them live in October when I’m up in Portland for work. Check them out at:
….http://www.myspace.com/aristeiaband
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Talkdemonic – Eyes at Half Mast :: Yet another band from Portland, but I got into them back when I lived in SW Ohio. I finally got a chance to see them live (review link) in February. They are a great two piece that is more on the subtler, gentler side of post-rock. Perhaps “electro-acoustic chamber rock” is their subgenre. :) Anyway, Eyes at Half Mast picks up where their past two records left off… nary a disappointment. I’ve been waiting for this record since they mentioned it as “upcoming” at their show in Feb…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mogwai – The Hawk is Howling :: Much more enjoyable to me than their recent tour (review link). I can control the volume… yay! I dig this record A LOT. This Scottish band, or band from Scotland (so all three bands are from places that end in “land”), has put out some consistently great records. This one bounces back from their mellower Zidane with more gusto, more power, yet still retaining the melody. You know… the melody that gets drowned out in their live show (::rolleyes::). Anyway, I think this record will stand up as one of the better releases in 2008.
2008 is a banner year for great instrumental music. Every year I get more and more instrumental music, but this year is shaping up to be the first year ever where instrumental music beats out vocal music on CDs making their way on my shelves (and it’s by a landslide at this point). These three records above are a good indication why I’m leaning towards the vocal-less preference lately.
~Dan – np: Ani Difranco – Red Letter Year
*– gotta love Wikipedia
**– though it is fraying a bit, they could have used some pinking shears***
***– gotta love Wikipedia
Oregon Donor Needed
Sad news. This came through on the jazzpdx RSS feed yesterday…
The Oregonian has just published a breaking story highlighting the uncertain future of the Portland Jazz Festival after sponsorship troubles. Here’s a clip from the article:
The Portland Jazz Festival, strapped for cash after losing its title sponsor in April, plans to stop operating as of Sept. 15. Barring a “miracle” infusion of about $100,000, the February 2009 festival — previously slated to be the exclusive 70th anniversary celebration for seminal jazz label Blue Note — won’t happen. Nor, most likely, will there be any festivals after that.
I got to see two great acts in one night (Ornette Coleman and the Dave Douglas/Joe Lovano-led SFJazz Collective) last year. I’m hopeful some large-and-in-charge bigwig can front a $100,000 check for a great cause.
Please? Pretty please? It’s doesn’t even need to be someone from Oregon… that was merely a play on words. California? Idaho? Washington? Rhode Island? Got any love for continuing the Portland jazz scene?
~Dan – np: Ornette Coleman & Prime Time – Tone Dialing
REVIEW: Mogwai @ Music Fest NW (Portland, OR – – 9/3/08)
Opener the Fuck Buttons were pretty good. I’m bummed that I didn’t make it to the venue until 9:30pm and didn’t make it inside until about 9:40… as I only caught one of the FB’s set. They were loud, but sort of an electronic post-rock duo. Groove-oriented and somewhat repetitive, but the song I heard was enjoyable.
Mogwai hit the stage right around 10:30pm. And they are quite possibly the loudest band on the planet (outside of perhaps Testament on the Demonic Tour). Oy… I just don’t know why their live shows need to be so bloody loud. It’s quite unbearable. Their music suits a “normal” setting (unlike perhaps Testament). I mean, what are Mogwai trying to prove by being so loud? It wasn’t a one-time thing either… they were quite unbearably loud when I saw them in 2006 at the Wexner in Columbus, OH.
(from the Portland show)
I stayed for right about an hour. I’m not going to bother with posting a set list, as… well… they’re a post-rock band, and it’s hard to remember their song titles. Sorry, it was good, but I’ve got no song titles for y’all (UPDATE: setlist from fan photo).
Setlist:
- Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
- The Precipice
- Ithaca 27ø9
- Thank You Space Expert
- Friend of the Night
- Scotland’s Shame
- Hunted By A Freak
- Ex-Cowboy
- Kids Will Be Skeletons
- I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
- I Love You, But I’m Going To Blow Up your School
- 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
- Like Herod
- Batcat
I’m looking forward to their upcoming album, The Hawk Is Howling, out in 3 weeks. That way I can adjust the volume myself.
Luckily my hotel is literally 3 minutes away. And my ringing ears shall be in bed soon.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/mogwai
- http://www.mogwai.co.uk/
- Mogwai’s Tour Diary about Portland: USA_Tour_Diary_pt1
- http://www.myspace.com/fuckbuttons
- http://www.fuckbuttons.co.uk/
- http://www.musicfestnw.com/
No posts for a while (meaning a few days)… perhaps (I’ve been known to be a liar). Moving stuff this weekend to our new house. But look out… next week is God of Shamisen (9/11) and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (9/12) in Eugene. Plus Ani DiFranco’s upright bassist, Todd Sickafoose, is in Eugene (unfortunately the same night as GOS – Thursday 9/11), but I may swing by Sam Bond’s to at least pick up his new CD, Tiny Resistors, before the GOS show.
~Dan – recently played: Sufjan Stevens – Come On Feel the Illinoise!
Voodoo Doughnut
On a lighter, fluffier note – – Voodoo Doughnut in downtown Portland (22 SW 3rd Ave) is rad… http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/
Mogwai show in 2 hours. Nooch!
~Dan
***********************
News bulletin (posted up in here after the initial post, hence the lack of MMW subject line): Medeski Martin & Wood is touring the West in November:
MMW’s newest album Radiolarians 1 will be released on September 30th 2008. A limited number of signed copies are available for pre order through our Website
The final tour dates in the Radiolarian Series begin November 12th in Seattle Washington. Tickets are available for these shows starting today, Sept. 3rd 2008, Here
November 12 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater
November 13 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
November 14 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
November 15 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theater
November 16 – Arcata, CA – Van Duzer Theater
November 18 – Petaluma, CA – McNears Mystic Theater
November 19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theater
November 20 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
November 21 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theater
November 22 – Sparks, NV – Celebrity Showroom
You down with OTC?
Jason Schimmel, from Estradasphere (and the recent Secret Chiefs 3 live incarnation), has a lovely new album out now… Orange Tulip Conspiracy. It’s available directly from Web of Mimicry (SC3’s label), but oddly not yet from Lobefood (Estradasphere’s distro) or Amazon (a large women & rainforest wholesaler). I picked it up at the Portland SC3 gig, and I absolutely LOVE IT. Behind SC3’s Xaphan, it’s probably my #2 album of 2008 so far.
Well, apparently the OTC is going to tour. YAY! The tour is going to feature Jason Schimmel (guitar/ keys), John Whooley (sax, an original Estradasphere member), Dan Robbins (bass), Zach Cline (guitar/ keys) and Lee Smith (drums).
Here are the dates and cities (subject to change):
Saturday Nov 15- Seattle, WA @ Rendezvous
Sunday Nov 16- Portland, OR @ Dante’s
Monday Nov 17- Eugene, OR @ Samurai Duck :)
Tuesday Nov 18- Sacramento, CA @ On the Y
Wednesday Nov 19- Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe’s Alley
Friday Nov 21- Los Angeles, CA @ The Knitting Factory
http://www.myspace.com/orangetulipconspiracy
http://www.myspace.com/estradasphere
Jason needs help with opening band slots and additional venues in or around the cities above. If you are in a band or know of any good venues, contact him through either the OTC or Estradasphere MySpace pages (above).
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Trance-Fusion
Even More Brightest Diamond
UPDATE (9/1/08): She’s playing 11/21 @ WOW Hall in Eugene. Yay!
Though not listed on her tourdates page (yet), yesterday’s email from the Doug Fir Lounge (in Portland, OR) mentioned… Thursday 11/20, My Brightest Diamond (Shara Worden). Yay! \ 0 / I’m still holding out hope that she’ll play The Shedd (in Eugene), as it’d be a great venue for her. But a PDX gig ain’t a bad option.
Oh, and Portland, Maine… you know what you can do? You can go to… see her on October 30th.
This will be the first time seeing her out on her own. My last few times seeing her were as an opener for Sufjan Stevens, with Sufjan’s band, or as part of a music fest with Sufjan. I guess I’ll miss Sufjan, but Shara’s got her own good thing going on. String quartet OSSO will be My Brightest Diamond’s backing band on this tour. I saw them play chamber arrangements for Sufjan’s Enjoy Your Rabbit electronic album (as mentioned in the music fest review link above). Clare & The Reasons are the openers.
Also, here’s the new, minty fresh video from “From the Top of the World” from her latest album, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth:
She performs “Padam Padam” and “The Gentlest Gentleman” here:
More of her tour dates (from Pollstar, as her tour dates page is not in an easily copy-n-paste format – all dates subject to change)
Mon 09/15/08 London, UK Soho Arts Theatre
Fri 09/19/08 Isla Cristina, ESP Auditorio del Parque
Sun 09/21/08 Amsterdam, NET Melkweg
Mon 09/22/08 Hamburg, GER Molotow
Tue 09/23/08 Berlin, GER Lido
Wed 09/24/08 Schorndorf, GER Manufaktur
Fri 09/26/08 Vienna, AUT B72
Sat 10/04/08 Groningen, NET De Oosterpoort
Mon 10/27/08 Hamden, CT The Space
Tue 10/28/08 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
Thu 10/30/08 Portland, ME SPACE
Fri 10/31/08 Fall River, MA Narrows Center For The Arts
Sun 11/02/08 Buffalo, NY Big Orbit Soundlab Space
Mon 11/03/08 Oberlin, OH Oberlin College
Wed 11/05/08 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College
Thu 11/06/08 Danville, IN Royal Theatre
Fri 11/07/08 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
Sat 11/15/08 Salt Lake City, UT The Paladium
Wed 11/19/08 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
Thu 11/20/08 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
Fri 11/21/08 Eugene, OR W.O.W. Hall update
.
http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/
http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/tourdates/
http://www.myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond
http://www.myspace.com/ossonyc
http://www.myspace.com/claremuldaur
.
In rumor mill squashing, Shara didn’t help Barack Obama choose Joe Biden as his VP running mate.
.
~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood play John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – Zaebos
REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ Doug Fir Lounge (Portland, OR – – 8/15/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Early shows are problematic, especially if you have to drive 2 hours to get to them. Oh, and also if the artist thought they started later. Blame for this goes squarely to the Doug Fir Lounge, in my opinion. Double-booking a night is horrible. Horrible. Nellie McKay* would have likely played much longer, had she been allowed to… argh.
*– for the newbies, her last name rhymes with “McPie”
Anyway, the opener Amorèe Lovell started right at 7pm, and played a stellar 40 minutes. She is from Portland, and plays a mean piano with quirky lyrics and fun banter. I’d say she fits in with the likes of Regina Spektor & Nellie McKay with a touch of Tori Amos. She also brings her own charm & style. She was very entertaining. She played mainly originals, but also threw in some Tom Waits, Johnny Cash & David Bowie. On to Nellie…
Nellie‘s start time was supposed to be 8pm. She didn’t hit the stage until nearly 8:30, due to a mix-up with her start time. Most of the crowd was getting antsy (myself included), as the late show had a “doors open” time of 9:30. Yikes. With that being said, Nellie came on and put on a great just shy of an hour show. She seemed more comfortable and confident, and she was as funny / spunky as usual.
Nellie’s Setlist:
- Toto Dies
- Old Enough
- Mother of Pearl [on uke]
- story about prince chunky, the 44 pound cat
- The Dog Song (a fav of the set)
- Real Life
- Tipperary
- Don’t Fence Me In [on uke]
- Vote for Mr. Rhythm [with Obama tag at the end]
- Sari (a fav of the set… with Dylan impression at the end)
- Feed the Birds
- Politan
- Don’t Fence Me In [false start… she remembered she already did it] :)
- Me Gusta Mañana [on uke.. a silly spanish song]
- explanation about her NPR song “Cavendish”… she didn’t have time to brush up on it, but sometime soon
- Zombie (a fav of the set)
- Encore 1: Really
- Encore 2: Ding Dong
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/prettylittlehead
- http://www.nelliemckay.com/ (official)
- http://www.nelliemckay.org/ (fan site)
- http://www.myspace.com/amoreelovell
- http://www.amoreelovell.com/
- http://www.dougfirlounge.com/
- My blog reviewing Nellie in Eugene, OR 10/5/07
- My blog about Nellie @ TEDtalks
- My blog about Nellie’s Project Song on NPR (where she wrote “Cavendish” in 48 hours)
Next show for me? Radiohead next Wednesday at White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, WA (up near Seattle). Woot!!
I was a pageant gone bad…
~Dan – np: Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins – Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins
NELLIE MCKAY CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
REVIEW: Secret Chiefs 3 @ Doug Fir Lounge (Portland, OR – – 8/3/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
The Doug Fir Lounge is an excellent venue in Portland. Pretty good sound, big enough stage, and a weird/comforting log cabin motif… a tout les monde aime l’arbre…
Primer: Secret Chiefs 3 was an offshoot from Mr. Bungle (but have now outlived MB). They play middle-eastern-influenced world/progressive metal musics. Secret Chefs 3 (no “i”) is a band that one might say is an homage to the Chiefs, and they play world music/avant-garde songs with instruments made from ordinary household items (see Ken Jacobson‘s creations in the Chefs’ MySpace photos).
1st opener… The Secret Chefs 3 (again, no “i”) is made up of Steve Parris (bass paddle), Julie Baldridge (crutch fiddle), Scott Adams (kettlevina / percussion), Rick Isotalo (drums), and Ken Jacobson (paddle / percussion). They were pretty damn good, but played far too short of a set (20-25 minutes). The drums were trash cans and water jugs. The bass and guitars were oars. There was a violin made from a crutch. Per Ken Jacobson, a string broke on it; so Julie had to switch to a regular violin for the rest of the set. The Chefs were more avant-garde than I was expecting… which was thoroughly entertaining. Trey and many of the other Chiefs came out to watch the Chefs’ set as well.
Secret Chefs 3 Setlist: (per their pre-show MySpace blog)
- Ritual of the Bowls
- Advieh (the Spice)
- Kettlevina Sadaqa
- Book of Tea: Lapsang Souchong
- Discotheque at the Gates of Jahannam
- Fruit of the Zaqqum
2nd opener… Diminished Men were quite good as well. They started out as a trio (guitar, bass, drums) and were joined by a saxophonist for about half of their set. I guess I’d describe their sound as rock instrumental with a heavy touch of exotica/surf guitars. Nice sound, but I couldn’t hear the sax too much in the mix. It may have been due to where I was standing, but I wandered out for a few minutes and didn’t notice much change. They played for about 45 minutes of smoke-machine filled fury… I was right by the guitarist, and got a face full of smoke/steam most of their set. At least it smelled pretty much like water. Great sound, despite the smoke. :)
The Closer… The Secret Chiefs 3 (led by a very bearded and cloaked Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle “fame”) were fantastic. This was my second time seeing them, and my first time seeing them play a full “headliner” set. WOW… they played without much stopping for around 75-80 minutes. They started out with Jason (bass), Trey (sas) and Peijman (drums) playing “Medieval.” And they didn’t let up much until the ender “Renunciation”… the lineup for the SC3 this time around was Trey Spruance (sas, guitars), Timb Harris (violin, guitar, keys, trumpet), Jason Schimmel (bass, keys), Rich Doucette (sarangi, bass, guitar), Jai Young Kim (keys), and Peijman Kouretchian (drums). Timb and Jason are in a Web of Mimicry/SC3 brother band, Estradasphere. I picked up Jason’s new side-project (as well as the Chefs -EP-), Orange Tulip Conspiracy. Wow… it’s rad.
Secret Chiefs 3 Setlist:*
- Medieval
- The 15
- Vajra
- Personnae: Halloween
- Zulfikar
- The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
- Bereshith
- Castle of Sand
- Fast
- Assassin’s Blade
- Dolorous Stroke
- Brazen Serpent
- The 3 (Afghan Song)
- Encore: Renunciation
*– Outside of a few songs, I’m shit for remembering their song titles. Luckily, I was close enough to Timb’s setlist to take a picture and scrawl the info down.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/secretchiefs3
- http://www.webofmimicry.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/secretchefs3
- http://www.myspace.com/diminishedmen
- http://www.dougfirlounge.com/
- My blog about SC3’s Xaphan
- My blog review of SC3 in NYC (Mar 2007)
Great show, all around… if you want to hear some Secret Chiefs 3, check them out on iTunes. I recommend all of their stuff, but I guess for newbies, I could limit it to: Ship of Fools (Stone of Exile), Renunciation, The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun), Book T: Exodus, Assassin’s Blade, Zulkifar / Zulfikar / Zulfiqar III, Jabalqa / Jabarsa… or check out their Xaphan album on other music shops that may have samples (it’s not on iTunes, yet). Xaphan is my fav CD of 2008, so far.
~Dan – np: Greydon Square – The CPT Theorem
SECRET CHEFS 3 (6 pics), DIMINISHED MEN (6 pics)
& SECRET CHIEFS 3 (34 pics)
CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
Glen Phillips & Jonatha Brooke
Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) and Jonatha Brooke (of The Story) are going out on the road together this fall.
I’ve seen Glen a multitudinous amount of times, and it’s ALWAYS a treat. My latest outing of his was reviewed here (2/21/08 WOW Hall, Eugene-OR). I saw Jonatha Brooke back in April 2001 (I love Plumb and 10 Cent Wings). It was with a girl who I eventually married, and while Jonatha didn’t start anything with our relationship – – her show was a good excuse for a date with this cute girl I had recently met.
Anyway, as luck would have it, they’re playing the fabulous Aladdin Theater in SE Portland on Thursday, November 6th. I saw Jude there last month. I’m up in PDX for work that week (tentatively); so it’s shaping up to be a good concert week (Ozomatli & Chali 2Na are at Crystal Ballroom the next day, Friday the 7th).
Glen Phillips & Jonatha Brooke Tour Dates (so far per Pollstar)
10/16/08 Boston, MA – Wilbur Theatre
10/17/08 Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live
10/18/08 NYC – The Concert Hall
10/19/08 Fairfield, CT – FTC Stage One
11/02/08 Alexandria, VA – Birchmere
11/06/08 Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
11/09/08 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
11/12/08 Los Angeles, CA – Largo
11/13/08 Agoura Hills, CA – Canyon Club
11/14/08 San Diego, CA – Anthology
12/02/08 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom
12/03/08 Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
Creative Commons
This blog and concert photos therein are licensed under a Creative Commons License. Available with Attribution for Non-Commercial, Non-Derivative Use.
pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news 