Archive
Levi Weaver “Rogue Boat” (video)
It seems like just weeks ago that singer-songwriter Levi Weaver was playing my living room… oh wait, it was (Eugene house show review here). His latest music video just came out. Check out “Rogue Boat” here:
“Rogue Boat” is from his latest EP, I Am Only A Tiny Noise. Listen and buy that one over at Bandcamp or over at the Amazons!
~Dan – np: Levi Weaver – I Am Only A Tiny Noise
Tomahawk – mini-tour & 7″ Waratorium
Tomahawk are hitting the road briefly this fall to warm us up for their mid-winter release.
Fall 2012 Tour dates:
October 27 Nashville, TN Exit/In
October 28 New Orleans, LA Voodoo Music Experience
October 29 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre
October 31 Dallas, TX Granada Theatre
November 1 Houston, TX Fitzgerald’s
November 2-4 Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest
Tomahawk will preview music from their new album Oddfellows (due out Jan 2013 on Ipecac Recordings) with the release of a 7″ vinyl single titled Waratorium on 11/23/2012 (Record Store Day/Black Friday). The b-side will be an original etching by famed cartoonist and comics scholar Ivan Brunetti. A digital release for the single follows a week later.
Tomahawk is Duane Dennison (The Jesus Lizard/Unsemble), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle/Fantômas/Melvins Lite), Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle/Faith No More/Mondo Cane/etc) and John Stanier (Battles/Helmet). The teaser for the upcoming album is here:
~Dan – np: Fear Factory – The Industrialist
REVIEW: Fiona Apple @ the Schnitz (Portland, OR – 7/26/12)
Fiona Apple in Minnesota (July 2012)
Poetic and pop-forward, yet jazzy on record, Fiona Apple turned out a full force band show at Portland’s Schnitzer last Thursday. She bounced around her back catalogue, only playing a handful from the new album
, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.
What to like about what she played?
Just about everything. The pain & hurt in “Shadowboxer,” the disappointment in “Paper Bag,” the anger in “Get Gone,” the positivity and whimsy in “Extraordinary Machine.” I would have loved to hear a live rendition (with vocal loops) of “Hot Knife” from The Idler Wheel, but overall, I was pleased with what she gave us…
Setlist: about 90 mins
- Fast As You Can
- On the Bound
- Shadowboxer
- Paper Bag
- Anything We Want
- Get Gone
- Sleep To Dream
- Extraordinary Machine
- Werewolf
- Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)
- Daredevil
- I Know
- Every Single Night
- Criminal
- Carrion
- Not About Love
- Encore: It’s Only Make Believe [Conway Twitty]
Fiona’s rocking band was helmed by Blake Mills on guitar (the show opener as well), and rounded out by Sebastian Steinberg on bass, Amy Wood on drums, and Zac Rae on keys.
Fiona is on the top of her game, and I just hope that it’s not another 7 years before we hear something new. But even if it is, I know it’ll be a delight.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Fiona Apple’s Site
- Fiona Apple’s Social Media Links (see below)
- PCPA/Arlene Schnitzer’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
She just ended her 2012 summer tour (dates below), but check out her TOUR PAGE for Fall dates that start in September.
Next show for me… Sigur Rós @ Edgefield (Portland) on Aug 9th.
~Dan – np: Celldweller – Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head, Volume 2
Fiona Apple — 2012 Tour Dates
6/19 – Ithaca, NY – State Theatre
6/20 – Baltimore, MD – Lyric Opera House
6/22 – Mashantucket, CT – MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods
6/23 – Holyoke, MA – Mountain Park
6/24 – New York, NY – Governors Ball at Randall’s Island
6/26 – Washington DC – Warner Theatre
6/27 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theatre
6/29 – Danbury, CT – Ives Concert Park
6/30 – Boston, MA – Citi Performing Arts Center
7/1 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
7/3 – Montreal, QC – Olympia Theatre
7/4 – Toronto, Ontario – The Sound Academy
7/6 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Cain Park
7/7 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
7/10 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
7/11 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
7/13 – Nashville, TN – The Ryman Auditorium
7/14 – St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House
7/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
7/17 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland by AMC
7/20 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
7/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kingsbury Hall at University of Utah
7/24 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum
7/25 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
7/26 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
7/28 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
7/29 – Hollywood, CA – Hollywood Palladium
REVIEW: Levi Weaver @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 7/16/12)
How did I get into Nashville-based singer-songwriter Levi Weaver?
Well, um… is “Yahoo! fantasy baseball league via twitter” a valid explanation? Well, it’s how it went down. After following him, he had posted something about his documentary String Theory, then I sent him a “hey next time you’re in Oregon let me know” message, and then he sent me a “well actually” message… and the rest is history.
This was only my 3rd house show to host and/or coordinate (Susan Enan & Peter Mulvey being the other two), but it went smoothly. Levi is a delight to work with, and he’s a true professional. He’s still in the midst of shooting the String Theory doc; so he had a two-person crew with him.
A little sparser attendance than I was going for due to being the Monday right after Oregon Country Fair, we still had a decent turnout for Levi’s lovely set. I’m still getting familiar with his music, but from his hour-long set he started with “String Theory” (on mandolin) then Radiohead’s “Idioteque” (with plenty of loops, bowed guitar and effects).
After my post-show delving into his music, other tunes played were: You Are Home, Which Drink?, Good From Evil, We’re Tornadoes When We Dance, Spirit First (I think?) and a few more. Here are some shots from the show… I had front row couch seats… (click for larger)
He has tons of fantastic music out there. Check it out on bandcamp (links below), support indie music, check him out when he swings by your town, and enjoy!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Levi Weaver’s Site
- Levi Weaver’s Social Media Links (see below)
- String Theory Documentary Site
- String Theory Doc Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Bad Mitten Orchestre at WOW Hall on 7/21.
~Dan – np: Tin Hat & e.e. cummings – the rain is a handsome animal
Ben Folds Five – The Sound of the Life of the Mind (album art)
The new Ben Folds Five record had a name and album art*… the art for The Sound of the Life of the Mind was posted on the PledgeMusic page yesterday:
Go to the PledgeMusic page to support:
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/benfoldsfive
7/17 update: The CD & vinyl is available for pre-order on Amazon now!!
*– “alleged album art & name. If you remember what Ben Folds did for Way To Normal by leaking a nearly full “fake” album ahead of the regular album… well, take things with a grain of salt. :)
~Dan – np: Celldweller – First Person Shooter
Digital Noise Academy’s kickstarter reboot
Yikes! I haven’t blogged all month! Keeping busy at work, not as many shows this month for me, and I suppose not much “new music” breaking in June. Fiona Apple’s new album The Idler Wheel coming out today; so grab that!
Also, I posted a couple months ago about Digital Noise Academy’s Kickstarter. The collaborative group is:
- Ken Andrews (Failure, On, Year of the Rabbit, worked with Tool, A Perfect Circle, NIN, Tenacious D, Copeland, etc)
- Sharky Laguana (Creeper Lagoon)
- Charlotte Martin
- Justin Meldal-Johnsen (NIN, Beck, Air, M83)
- Fernando Sanchez (Lenka, Ben Jelen, Racheal Yamagata, Chris Cornell)
- Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker the Star, Sam Roberts).
The original Kickstarter had lofty goals, but didn’t meet them (too much, too short of a window)… well, they rebooted it and are almost there – needing only another $4k with 45 days to spare. I think it’s going to be a rad album!
Check it out and help them out!
~Dan – np: Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar
Double-REVIEW: Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend, OR – 5/27/12) and Jack White @ the Hult (Eugene, OR – 5/28/12)
It was a long Memorial Day weekend. But it was a musically fruitful weekend. I could have made it more fruitful by adding The Shins / Blind Pilot / Head and the Heart as well as the Tenacious D shows on Friday and Saturday in Bend, respectively; alas, I needed to save some time and energy for Beck in Bend on Sunday and Jack White in Eugene on Monday. It was still quite a great full weekend for my ears!
I had never seen either Beck or Jack White in concert. I was familiar with Beck’s music fairly well… having all of his stuff. I was completely unfamiliar with Jack White’s music – outside of some of the White Stripes and Raconteurs that I’d heard. Needless to say, I was equally excited about both shows.
Beck in Bend was the tail-end of a nice “Bend Ale Trail” weekend for me… sampling some new places for me: 10 Barrel Brewing & Good Life Brewing. Both highly recommended for their beer and their food! Bend also had some lovely weather and some odd rainbows in the clouds…
(not photoshopped… photo taken near Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR)
Metric was Beck’s opener… the Toronto indie rock quartet ripped through a dancey hour-long set. Their fifth album, Synthetica, comes out on June 12, 2012. If the way they had the Bend audience going is any indication, the new album should be a crowd pleaser as well.
Beck went on after a short set break… kicking the show off right with some Odelay goodness by way of “Devil’s Haircut.”
Among his two-hour long set, he bounced around his back and “recent” catalog (2008’s Modern Guilt) fairly well. Every era got some great representation. As mentioned, I had never seen him live before. I was pleasantly surprised with the great mix, especially the songs off of Sea Change…
Beck’s Setlist: about 2 hours
- Devil’s Haircut
- Loser
- Black Tambourine
- Soul of a Man
- Hotwax
- Sissyneck
- The Golden Age
- Lost Cause
- Sunday Sun
- Think I’m In Love
- The New Pollution
- Modern Guilt
- Paper Tiger
- “Song for Bend” [Improv]
- End of the Day
- Tropicalia [partial]
- Jack-Ass
- Gamma Ray
- Minus
- Girl
- Where It’s At
- Encore: Soldier Jane
- Looking Back
- Mutherfuker
- E-Pro
Next, on to Eugene…
I missed Jack White’s opener, Quasi. I’d heard of them before, and would have liked to have seen the show (I like Sam Coomes work with Elliott Smith). Alas, driving back from Bend and personal commitments made it so we skated into the venue right as Quasi was ending their set… d’oh!
Jack White’s show… what to say, what to say? Professional, yet muddy. Loud, yet not necessary. Thoroughly energetic, yet confusing. Quite enjoyable, yet painful.
The man writes hooky songs, and plays guitar and piano very well… yet, the sound was cranked through the roof. It lost so many of the lushness and subtlety that I think would have been suited for this show at the Hult Center.
Another thing that can’t go without mentioning, the “III” imagery abounding. Sure, rockstars should have iconic imagery. But a suffix namesake seems like an odd thing to so vehemently brand… unless you’re branding your ego or something.
Several times it seemed as if Eugene wasn’t stroking his ego enough… he quipped that if we didn’t want, they didn’t have to come back out (after their 45 minute initial set). He tried to get the crowd to do a sing-a-long on one song, but it seemed as if the song had ended already, and it was more of a confusing thing (or so it seemed to me).
The loudness, was, again… unnecessary. Fantastic musicianship and seemingly intricate things going on with fantastic players… completely lost in the brash, feedback-induced sound cloud. So many subtleties lost. So many subtleties lost.
Jack White’s Setlist: two sets, ~45 mins & ~35 mins
- Set 1: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground [The White Stripes]
- Missing Pieces
- Sixteen Saltines
- Love Interruption
- Cannon/300 Pounds of Joy [Howlin’ Wolf]
- You Know That I Know [Hank Williams]
- Hotel Yorba [The White Stripes]
- Weep Themselves to Sleep
- We’re Going to Be Friends [The White Stripes]
- Blunderbuss
- I Cut Like A Buffalo [The Dead Weather]
- Steady as She Goes [The Raconteurs]
- Set 2: Freedom At 21
- Trash Tongue Talker
- I’m Slowly Turning Into You [The White Stripes]
- Carolina Drama [The Raconteurs]
- Seven Nation Army [The White Stripes]
- Goodnight, Irene [Lead Belly]
(pro photos from Eugene will be posted at jwiii.com)
The bottom line… I really enjoyed the Jack White show. The flaws that I saw in the show are totally fixable. Who am I to say what he should do anyhow? :) I’m just thinking that something that shows off his musical chops, his writing prowess, his voice, his players, and his songs at the forefront – not clouded by sheer volume – could have been far, far, FAR more enjoyable… and probably far, far, far more enjoyable to more to others (not just me).
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Beck’s Site
- Beck’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Metric’s Site
- Metric’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Les Schwab Amphitheater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter1 / Twitter2
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
- Jack White’s Site
- Jack White 2012 Tour Photos by Jo McCaughey
- Jack White’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Quasi’s Site
- Quasi’s Facebook / MySpace
- The Hult’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Emily Wells @ WOW Hall on 6/3.
~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Valtari
REVIEW: Roger Waters presents Pink Floyd’s The Wall Live @ Rose Garden (Portland, OR – 5/22/12)
Above Photos: Roger Waters ‘The Wall Live’ at the Rose Garden on 5/22/12
by Kevin Tomanka (more at Oregon Music News)
FYI… my PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
The spectacle, the brilliance that is Pink Floyd & The Wall Live… I sadly never got a chance to see Pink Floyd perform together, but seeing Roger Waters bring The Wall to us 30+ years later was still quite the treat. It’s not my favorite album of theirs… I love Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon and Meddle a bit better, and before the show you’d have caught me saying things like “The Wall is quite overrated.” Well, after the show, I still think the album is a bit overrated, but my opinion has definitely appreciated.
And the live show… holy smokes! Amazing!!!
There was no opener; so the show started fairly promptly (8:15pm). Wide stage with the start of the wall, a tape intro, then BANG… In the Flesh with fire, sparks, projected graffiti animation on the walls, an airplane flying in from mid-crowd ceiling crashing and bursting into flames just beyond the wall… whoa! We were in for a SHOW!
The show featured several other blow up accoutrements… an evil schoolmaster during the school children song (local school children were used), a war pig, and another creature. The imagery from the original The Wall movie was used in addition to a lot of modernized imagery and animations. For “Mother,” Roger played with himself… a 1980’s Earl’s Court version of himself, that is.
The Wall went up slowly as the band went on… the second set, the band was primarily behind the wall, with Roger coming out to sing for a few tunes. At the end… huge explosion and down it came! They played The Wall in its entirety, no encore.
Setlist: just shy of 2 hours total
- Set 1: Outside the Wall [Tape]
- In the Flesh?
- The Thin Ice
- Another Brick in the Wall Part 1
- The Happiest Days of Our Lives
- Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
- Mother
- Goodbye Blue Sky
- Empty Spaces
- What Shall We Do Now?
- Young Lust
- One of My Turns
- Don’t Leave Me Now
- Another Brick in the Wall Part 3
- The Last Few Bricks
- Goodbye Cruel World
<<25 minute intermission>> - Set 2: Hey You
- Is There Anybody Out There?
- Nobody Home
- Vera
- Bring the Boys Back Home
- Comfortably Numb
- The Show Must Go On
- In the Flesh
- Run Like Hell
- Waiting for the Worms
- Stop
- The Trial
- Outside the Wall
No Encore
Brilliant show! Go go go go if you get the chance! It’s a brilliant display of excess, but it also has good points about government overreach and the ills of war. It’s a paradox and dichotomy.
Portland 5/22 The Wall photos:
(iPhone + 2 of Kevin’s pro shots)
Go to OMN for Kevin Tomanka’s pro shots
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Roger Waters’ Site
- Pink Floyd’s Site
- Roger Waters & Pink Floyd’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Rose Garden’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend) 5/27 and Jack White @ Hult (Eugene) 5/28.
~Dan – np: Beck – The Information
FINALLY… Digital Noise Academy – debut album {kickstarter}
So, Digital Noise Academy/DNA (formerly Los Angeles Digital Noise Academy/LADNA) has been teasing us with new album promises way back since the MySpace days. The collaborative led by one of my favorite musicians Ken Andrews (Failure, On, Year of the Rabbit, worked with Tool, A Perfect Circle, NIN, Tenacious D, Copeland, etc) is what brings me to the table, but the other members are tops, too… Sharky Laguana (Creeper Lagoon), Charlotte Martin (Herself), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (NIN, Beck, Air, M83), Fernando Sanchez (Lenka, Ben Jelen, Racheal Yamagata, Chris Cornell), and Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker the Star, Sam Roberts).
Well, now they officially have a kickstarter. I think it’s a great project, and I sincerely hope it gets made. Check out the first single they released two years ago (which will be on the album), then check out the Kickstarter page… rebooted link
KICKSTARTER PAGE rebooted link
They have already completed two songs “Melting Inside” and “Thursday Night Party.” Both these songs are currently available for free download on their website www.digitalnoiseacademy.com.
~Dan – np: DNA – “Melting Inside”
REVIEW: Glen Phillips @ Alberta Rose (Portland, OR – 4/12/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I got to the venue just in the nick of time as Jonathan Kingham was starting his opening set. I had seen him about four years ago in Eugene with Glen Phillips. I thought he was great last time, and he held up to that memory quite well on Thursday night. I think he’s matured a little bit in his songwriting, and still quite the charmer on-stage. Funny, witty, smooth voice, and slow jams. He played some new tunes, some tunes about food, a tune called “Satisfied” (about a poodle?), a cover of Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step” with an impressive improv rap, and ended the 45 minute set with “Grace” with Glen on backing vocals.
After a short break, Glen Phillips came out and dug right in. He played the first handful of tunes unaccompanied, then Jonathan joined him on guitar and backing vocals for the classic Toad song “Walk On the Ocean.” Jonathan stayed with him for the rest of the set, switching to piano partway through.
The things that draws me in to Glen are his voice and his poetic lyricism. Whether it be with his solo stuff, his side-projects, or with his first band Toad – his humor, wit and joy for life shines through. He played a great mix of songs throughout his career and even treated us to a couple brand new songs. No word on if these new songs will show up on an upcoming solo album, collaboration album, or the rumored upcoming Toad the Wet Sprocket album.
Setlist: ~90 mins
- The Next Day
- Crowing [Toad the Wet Sprocket]
- Thankful
- End This Now
- Return to Me
- Blood Pressurize [RemoteTreeChildren]
- Walk on the Ocean* [Toad]
- The One Who Got Away
- Always Have My Love
- Released
- Whatever I Fear [Toad]
- True
- Finally Fading
- Windmills [Toad]
- Golden Age [new song]
- Solar Flare
- Fred Meyers
- All I Want [Toad]
- Rise Up
- Encore: Rare Bird (new song)
- Brothers on a Hotel Bed [Death Cab for Cutie]
*J. Kingham guest on guitar for “Walk On the Ocean” through
“Whatever I Fear” & on piano from “True” through “Rise Up.”
A great show from two fantastic, silken-voiced singer-songwriters.
GLEN PHILLIPS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Glen Phillips’ Site
- Glen Phillips’ Social Media Links (see below)
- Jonathan Kingham’s Site
- Jonathan Kingham’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Toad @ Bend Summer Fest (Bend – July 2011)
- Toad @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland – July 2010)
- W.P.A. @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Sept 2009)
- Glen solo @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Feb 2008)
- Alberta Rose Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Dan Deacon at the University of Oregon on 4/17.
~Dan – np: Boards of Canada – Twoism
O.S.I. “For Nothing” video premiere
One of mellow tracks from O.S.I.’s latest album, Fire Make Thunder, now has a video…
“For Nothing“
Directed by Jimmy Ahlander
Threatening smoke, odd beings and glorified body parts, create dark poetry in this twisted, visual representation of OSI’s melancholic tune.
~Dan – np: O.S.I. – Fire Make Thunder
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel… (album art/details)
As previously reported, Fiona Apple’s upcoming album The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw, And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do is due out in late June. The official release date is now June 26, 2012. We now have the album art and tracklist…
TRACKLIST:
01″Every Single Night”
02 “Daredevil”
03 “Valentine”
04 “Jonathan”
05 “Left Alone”
06 “Werewolf”
07 “Periphery”
08 “Regret”
09 “Anything We Want”
10 “Hot Knife”
(via Fiona’s FB page)
~Dan – np: Radiohead – OK Computer
new music from Nellie McKay & My Brightest Diamond
Jazzy, piano-pop songstress Nellie McKay just got done with a stint of tour dates for her death-row musical review I Want To Live! (double Oregon show review here).
Now she’s off with a new show entitled SILENT SPRING – It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature, a tribute to trailblazing environmentalist, Rachel Carson (Nellie made up as Rachel to the right).
She is currently amidst her Silent Spring residency at Feinstein’s in NYC. The show runs March 20 to 31, 2012. No word on if Silent Spring will make it out of NYC for a tour, but this seems similar to the path that I Want To Live! took… so, who knows, maybe we’ll see Silent Spring out West in late 2012/early 2013?
Listen to Nellie’s version of the song “Rio de Lua (Moon River)” below:
Shara Worden / My Brightest Diamond has recorded a guitar-based version of “I Have Never Loved Someone” for a limited release (1000 hand-numbered copies) as a 7″ through Holland-based Nowhere Fast Records. For the B-side, Shara has sung Leonard Cohen’s “Bird On A Wire” with guitar accompaniment by Marc Ribot. The album is set for release on Record Store Day (21 April 2012), and it will be available in Europe, the UK and the US markets.
~Dan – np: Boards of Canada – Music Has the Right to Children
Guano Padano’s 2 featuring Mike Patton
No word on when this will hit the US market, but Italian band Guano Padano is releasing their 2nd album, 2, on March 13, 2012 (today!). It doesn’t show up in the US Amazon store (yet), but the whole album is streaming on Rolling Stone Italy. The track “Prairie Fire” features Mike Patton on vocals…
~Dan – np: John Zorn & Bobby Previte – Euclid’s Nightmare
REVIEW: Nellie McKay’s ‘I Want To Live!’ in Oregon @ the Shedd & Alberta Rose Theatre (Eugene 3/2/12 & Portland 3/4/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOWs at the BOTTOM
I’ve seen Nellie McKay quite a bit since moving to Oregon. She plays two-week residencies in New York on occasion (lucky!!), but she rarely hit the Midwest when I lived there. Now that I’m here in the Northwest, I’m glad that she tried to swing by at least annually. This time was for her new project, yet to be released officially in any form… I Want To Live! – a story of Barbara Graham, the third woman to be executed in the State of California (via the gas chamber at San Quentin). It’s loosely based on the 1958 film of the same name.
This death row theme shouldn’t be a shock for fans of McKay. She’s never been afraid to push boundaries – hitting political hot-button issues right out of the gate with her debut album, Get Away From Me (“Sari,” “It’s a Pose,” “Won’t U Please B Nice,” et cetera), and some of her non-jazz-standard followups Pretty Little Head (“Cupcake” and “The Big One”) and Obligatory Villagers (“Mother of Pearl”).
In person, though, she’s as lovable and jovial as some of her adorable, campy press photos suggest. She’s also a great thinker, great interpreter of classics & standards, and a great artist in her own right. She may have been “born in the wrong era” (her words), but she’s doing the best with her love of the classics by making a great mark and not giving in to the current trends in what a jazz/pop “woman and a piano” should sound or act.
The first hour of the I Want To Live! tour makes up the story of a woman who falls in with the wrong people, gets caught up in a crime, and – whether innocent or not – is found guilty of murder. Nellie plays all of the emotions perfectly. Love, mystery, joy, pain, frustration – all while weaving in standards and her own tunes to tell Barbara Graham’s story. While she hints at Graham’s fervor for being innocent, Nellie leaves her opinion about guilt or innocence out of the musical. She also leaves her opinion of the death penalty out of it, which – quite honestly – was shocking that she didn’t add some of her thoughts on it, specifically due to her past as being very politically opinionated. Perhaps that will show up in the liner notes if this gets released as an CD or DVD some day…
I Want To Live! setlist: about an hour (both nights)
- Billie’s Bounce [Charlie Parker]
- Purple Haze [Jimi Hendrix]
- Swingin’ On The Reservation [Ella Fitzgerald]
- Please
- Pity The Downtrodden Landlord [Woolf/Clayton]
- April Showers [DeSylva/Silvers]
- Isn’t It A Lovely Day [Irving Berlin]
- They Say It’s Spring [Blossom Dearie]
- Some Other Spring [Billie Holiday]
- I Only Have Eyes For You [Warren/Dubin]
- Don’t Worry Be Happy [Bobby McFerrin]
- The Down Low
- Call The Police [Nat King Cole]
- Twinkle In Your Eye [Burl Ives]
- Song For Troy Davis
- I’m So Tired [The Beatles]
- There You Are In Me
- Small Day Tomorrow [Landesman/Dorough]
- Chelsea Bridge [Billy Strayhorn]
- Genius Of Love [Tom Tom Club]
- Ah! The Sweet Mystery Of Life [from Naughty Marietta operetta by Young/Herbert] (gorgeous operatic chops on Nellie for this one)
- Straight To The Top [Tom Waits]
I think I got all of the cover tunes identified, if not, please comment& I’ll correct.
Eugene setlist, post-IWTL! (3/2): about 30 mins
- One’s On the Way [Shel Silverstein]
- Midnight Sun [Ella Fitzgerald]
- ¡Bodega!
- Clonie (audience request)
- Sari (audience request)
- Encore: A Wonderful Guy [Doris Day]
- The Dog Song
Portland setlist, post-IWTL! (3/4): about 30 mins
- The Dog Song
- In a Sentimental Mood [Duke Ellington] (with false start)
- Caribbean Time
- I Will Always Love You [Whitney Houston] (snippet)
- Encore: One’s On the Way [Shel Silverstein] (dedicated to Rick Santorum)
- Mother of Pearl (with Michele Bachmann tagline at end)
- I Wanna Get Married
Two wonderfully entertaining nights in Oregon. Nellie and her band are excellent performers and entertainers. Through wardrobe changes, police chases, drug addiction, and working in different musical genres – the band was on point. At one point, the saxophonist mimics a crying baby simply with his mouth as the instrument, and it drives you mad how amazing he pulls it off without a talkbox or effects.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Nellie McKay’s Site
- Nellie McKay’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- The Shedd full band (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- Berbati’s Pan (Portland – Mar 2010)
- Jazz Alley full band (Seattle – Sept 2009)
- Doug Fir (Portland – Aug 2008)
- The Shedd (Eugene – Oct 2007)
- The Shedd’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
- Alberta Rose Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… Adam Carolla @ the Newmark (3/11) and Puscifer @ the Schnitzer (3/14).
~Dan – np: Steven Wilson – Catalogue / Preserve / Amass (live in Europe)
NELLIE McKAY PHOTOS
Eugene (53 pics) then Portland (32 pics)
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Nellie’s 2012 Winter/Spring Tour Dates (so far)
- 1/25 & 1/26 – Minneapolis, MN Dakota
- 2/9 – Lafayette, IN Duncan Hall
- 2/10 & 2/11 – Elgin, IL Elgin Community College Arts Center
- 2/12 – Louisville, KY Bomhard Theater
- 2/25 – Park City, UT Eccles Center
- 2/28 & 2/29 – San Francisco, CA Rrazz Room
- 3/2 – Eugene, OR Shedd Institute
- 3/3 – Kirkland, WA Kirkland Performing Arts Center
- 3/4 – Portland, OR Alberta Rose Theatre
- 3/7 – Chico, CA Laxson Auditorium
- 3/8 – Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa Jazz Center
- 3/9 – Hollywood, CA Catalina Jazz Club
- 3/20 to 3/31 – New York, NY Feinstein’s at Loews Regency
^^^^ “SILENT SPRING – It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature”
- 4/26 – Alexandria, VA The Birchmere Music Hall
- 5/19 – Denver, CO Swallow Hill
Nellie McKay in Oregon *this* weekend
Nellie McKay plays the Shedd in Eugene on Friday, March 2nd and the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland on Sunday, March 4th. Tickets are still available for both Oregon shows… so, get on it. You won’t be disappointed! I’ll have a review with setlists and photos of both shows posted early next week (likely by Tuesday).
I Want to Live! a musical death row revue, conjures the life story of “a woman of dubious moral standards often a guest in seedy bars.”
New York Times’ Stephen Holden writes, “Inspired by the 1958 movie of the same name, I Want to Live! combines Nellie McKay’s virtually unlimited gifts as a singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, ukulele player, mimic, satirist and comedian into a show that is much deeper than its surface might suggest. In the most lighthearted way they evoke a heartless environment of social injustice in which people who fall through the cracks are invisible to everyone else.”
“Pretty darned unique,” adds Michael Musto of the Village Voice.
“The McKay voice is a knife edged with honey. Which is good, because the words she writes are razor sharp beneath a homespun mantle.” – Tony Gieske
It’s a rare treat to have Nellie in our neck of the woods; so I’ll be at both the Eugene and Portland shows. :)
~Dan – np: TW Walsh – Songs of Pain and Leisure
REVIEW: Secret Chiefs 3 in Oregon @ WOW Hall & Dante’s (Eugene & Portland – 2/6 & 2/7/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I’ve been a fan of instrumental world/surf/film metal shape-shifters Secret Chiefs 3 for a long time and a fan of Los Angeles-based, Cambodian-pop-fusion band Dengue Fever for a handful of years as well.
SC3 and DF has their own connection. Dengue Fever’s debut album in 2003 was on Web of Mimicry, the label that SC3 frontman Trey Spruance runs. Their connection goes a little deeper still. Dengue guitarist Zac Holtzman
was in Dieselhed with Danny Hefietz (drummer for Mr. Bungle – another Trey Spruance band). Danny is also back drumming with SC3 on this co-headlining West Coast tour.
For this tour, the bands have been switching off their order of performance. I was able to catch both Oregon shows… for Eugene (Mon 2/6), DF played first and SC3 closed. There was no opener, and Dengue Fever went on just before 8:30 at WOW Hall. I have a couple of their earlier records, but never had the chance to see them live. I dug it… pretty fun, and it looked like they were having fun on stage as well.
They played about an hour of Cambodian power pop. Trey Spruance joined them on stage and played guitar and a wicked solo for their final number “1000 Years of a Tarantula”…
DF Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about an hour
- Genjer Genjer
- Seeing Hands
- New Year’s Eve
- Hold My Hips
- Tiger Phone Card
- Durian Dowry
- A Go Go
- Uku
- Pow Pow
- Sober Driver
- Only A Friend
- Cement Slippers
- 1000 Tears of a Tarantula [with Trey]
No Encore
Secret Chiefs 3 came out at about 10pm, donned in long, dark hoods except for violinist/ guitarist Timb Harris dressed in more masked martial arts attire…
This was my third time seeing them, and it was definitely the tightest band I’ve witnessed. They ripped through a blistering set of proggy, world metal. The off-kilter timings, the meticulous instrumentation… all spot on. “Bereshith” is a tune that I think I saw them start the 2007 NYC show with, and I thought it was “off” in NYC. It’s a really odd number, from a timing perspective. This time… they nailed it.
Probably the most strikingly different moment “live vs. studio” was the gorgeous intro/outro to “Exodus.” The intro/outro on the Book of Horizons studio version is a lovely melody played on strings (Eyvind Kang on viola & Timb Harris on violin). For this live setting, Timb put down his violin and played it on trumpet. I looooooove trumpet… and this melody on trumpet about made me swoon…
SC3 Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about 80 mins
- Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
- Zombievision
- Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
- Balance of the 19
- Fast
- Bereshith
- RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
- Sophia’s Theme
- Vajra (Rat Puriya)
- Combat for the Angel
- Tistriya
- Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
- Saptarshi
- Encore: Hurqalya
For Portland (Tues 2/7), I showed up at Dante’s right around 8pm, and the first band wasn’t going on until closer to 8:45. It was U SCO, who I had never heard of before; so I walked to the near-ish Deschutes Pub and had one of the last pours of their Jubel Kriek (their Jubel Ale aged 25 months in a barrel on cherries and with Brettanomyces). They blew their 2nd (and last) 1/6 BBL keg shortly after I ordered. Mmmm… sour beer… after that, I skedaddled back just in time to catch U SCO’s bitchin’ set.
U SCO were helmed by guitarist Ryan A. Miller, who I had just seen a week prior in Eugene opening for a solo bass show from Trevor Dunn (a former Trey Spruance band member as well). Small musical world in a quite vast musical sea. Crazy. Anyway, U SCO was a shredding, avant-garde jazz-metal band – to the best of my descriptions. They’re a three piece made up of Ryan on guitars, Jon Scheid on bass, and Phil Cleary on drums. They also had a guest saxophonist for some songs. They’re from Portland; so I hope I’ll get a chance to see them again. Definitely!
SC3 started setting up right afterwards and hit the stage about 9:45pm… of core of their setlist was the same, but they did throw in a few new ones: “The 15,” “The 4” and “Zulfikar.”
They ripped through a great set once again. They’re such a tight band on this tour – quite stunning. Even when Trey kicked his cord out for about 5-10 seconds during “Halloween,” they didn’t miss a beat. And, once again, Timb’s trumpet intro/outro for “Exodus“… swoon…
SC3 Portland 2/7 Setlist: about 70 mins
- Bereshith
- Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
- Zombievision
- Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
- The 15
- The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
- RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
- Vajra (Rat Puriya)
- Zulfikar
- Tistriya
- Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
- Saptarshi
No Encore
The one gripe with the Portland show… the lighting was pretty poorly matched. They didn’t turn the house lights down until nearing the end of SC3’s first song. Also, the lights in general were behind the band, and they were still too bright if you ask me. For some bands, that’s probably good… but with the Chiefs, the air of mystery and cloaks in darkness adds to the allure of the live show. Don’t get me wrong, it was still an amazing show. I’m just glad I got to catch it in Eugene, too.
I had a long drive home and work in the morning; so I sadly bailed on Dengue Fever’s closing set in Portland. I’m sure it was groovy like the Eugene show. Sorry, but my body thanks me for getting home at 1am instead of 2:30am!
The tour wraps this weekend… but stick around, SC3 are bound to kick something off later in 2012. More 7″ vinyls? More touring? The long-awaited Book of Souls? A Chinese Democracy cover album?
If you missed the tour, I’d HIGHLY RECOMMEND checking out their new schwag… including the new SC3 Traditionalists Le Chanson de Jacky / The Western Exile 7″ split (featuring Trey’s fellow Mr. Bungle band-mate Mike Patton on “Jacky”), the 12″ re-releases of First and Second Grand Constitution & Bylaws, and three bitchin’-design new t-shirts.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Secret Chiefs 3 / Web of Mimicry Record Label Site
- Secret Chiefs 3’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Dengue Fever’s Site
- Dengue Fever’s Social Media Links (see below)
- U SCO’s Site / Facebook / Bandcamp
- My Other Related Reviews~
- SC3 @ Doug Fir (Portland – Aug 2008)
- SC3 @ Bowery (NYC – Mar 2007)
- (Timb’s old band) Estradasphere @ 2nd Story (Bloomington, IN – Oct 2006)
- (U SCO guitarist) Ryan Miller/Trevor Dunn @ The Goat (Eugene – Jan 2012)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
- Dante’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… most likely the David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) house show in Portland on 2/15, unless something pops up before then.
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works XIII: Invitation to a Suicide
SECRET CHIEFS 3 & DENGUE FEVER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
SC3 & DF 2012 West Coast Tour Dates
- Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
- Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
- Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
- Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
- Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
- Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
- Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
- Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
- Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
- Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
- Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
- Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
- Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
- Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
- Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
- Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre
Bad Veins “Dancing on TV” (video premiere)
Secret Chiefs 3 & Dengue Fever reviews/setlists/photos from the Eugene & Portland gigs to be
posted tomorrow (Thursday 2/9). Go here for a teaser… now on to some music news…
As previously mentioned, Cincinnati indie power-pop duo Bad Veins have a new album coming out soon… April 24th – The Mess We’ve Made (Modern Outsider Records). They just released their video for “Dancing on TV,” featuring a quaint 70s retro vision and the Bad Veins signature move of girl-meets-boy and missed connections… ’tis quite cute:
Pre-order for The Mess We’ve Made is coming soon, per the label. Bad Veins are not hitting my coast this time… but here are some of their spring tour dates:
Bad Veins 2012 Tour Dates
03/19 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive *
03/20 – Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room *
03/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater *
03/22 – Dekalb, IL @ The House *
03/23 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge *
03/24 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Lounge *
03/25 – Iowa City, IA @ The Blue Moose Tap *
03/27 – Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird Nightclub *
03/28 – Louisville, KY @ Headliner’s Music Hall *
03/29 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/ In *
03/30 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree *
03/31 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *
04/02 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar *
04/03 – Miami, FL @ Bardot *
04/04 – Orlando, FL @ The Social *
04/05 – Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern *
04/07 – Durham, NC @ Motorco *
04/10 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar *
04/11 – Pawtucket, RI @ The Met Café *
04/12 – Hamden, CT @ The Space *
04/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
04/14 – Annapolis, MA @ The Whiskey
04/15 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
04/16 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
05/31 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues ^
06/01 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs BBQ ^
06/04 – Orlando, FL @ Beacham Theater ^
06/05 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution ^
06/06 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz ^
06/10 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade ^
06/11 – Carrboro,NC @ Cat’s Cradle ^
06/12 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live! ^
* = w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks
^ = w/ Two Door Cinema Club
~Dan – np: Sean Lennon – Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Undead
Secret Chiefs 3 & Dengue Fever in Eugene & Portland
Due to my schedule, I won’t be able to edit photos until Wednesday night, but I should have my Secret Chiefs 3 / Dengue Fever post covering both the 2/6 Eugene WOW Hall show and the 2/7 Portland Dante’s show posted on Thursday morning. Here’s a teaser from Eugene…
2/6/12 Eugene Setlists:
2/7/12 Portland Setlist (SC3 only):
Bereshith
Radar
Zombievision
Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
The 15
The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
Medley (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini)
Vajra (Rat Puriya)
Zulfikar
Tistriya
Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
Saptarshi
no encore
Check back Thursday morning for more photos…
~Dan – np: MadLove – White With Foam
Tenacious D – Rize of the Fenix
Tenacious D confirmed on Friday 2/3 that the band – actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass – is in fact working on a follow-up to the Pick of Destiny, which was released back in 2006 to not-so-critical acclaim. It will be titled Rize of the Fenix (website with teaser clip).
Assuming this album is more like their debut (in 2001) and not so much like PoD, this may be some of the best music news of the year.
~Dan – np: Buckethead – Electric Sea
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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