set list | pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – 10/29/10)

2nd Nov 10 (Tue) 2 comments

I wasn’t able to attend the Nellie McKay show at the Shedd in Eugene on Friday (due to Sufjan Stevens in Portland the same night). I was completely torn, but I’ve had the opportunity to see Nellie several times since living here in the PacNW (four times in 3 years) and Sufjan far fewer times (i.e.- none).

I did send someone in my place… here are some lovely photos and a write-up of the show taken by guest blogger Margarita O’Brien from Emobie Photography…

many more photos below

Margarita’s write-up of the show:

Let’s face it. I just love Nellie McKay. I am extremely grateful that The Shedd here in little ol’ Eugene, Oregon, keeps managing to bring her back. She has serious musical talent, diversity, and a quirky, silly sense of humor that I dig. That makes a great show when she’s solo, but holy cannoli, there was a five piece backup band! THAT makes for a phenomenal, knock-your-socks-off show.

The introductions for the band members were extremely silly (“And just released on bail for jay walking…”) and the crowd was enthusiastic so I will likely have the names completely wrong and I am seriously sorry about that, ‘cause these guys were the bomb diggity. It was seriously hard to hear with the laughing and cheering. Corrections greatly appreciated!

Guitar: Terry Park?
Bass: Willy Harvey
Sax: Mark Fischer?
Trumpet: Willy Mario?
Drums: Benjamin Barnum?
“That’s right! We have two willies!”

There are few things I tire of more quickly than a show with a “sound” that never changes.
Me-“Is this still the first song? Good Glory, it’s long.”
Dan-“This is the fifth song.”
Me-“*Giant Eye Roll*”

This exchange could not happen at a Nellie McKay show. She skillfully flutters her way through Big Band, Reggae, Jazz, Blues, Pop, sweet old Doris Day tunes (and a number of Ella Fitzgerald tunes this time). The band was right there with her making everything fuller, brighter, grander, and making it difficult for some folks to stay put in their seats.

The crowd was fairly enthusiastic and really seemed to love “Mother of Pearl.” This is Eugene after all. There were even a couple zombies dancing around at the end.

Go See Nellie! She’ll make you think. She’ll make you laugh. She might make you whistle.

Setlist:

Bruise on the Sky
Sentimental Journey [Doris Day]
Do Do Do [Doris Day]
Caribbean Time
Dispossessed
Meditation [Doris Day]
Georgy Girl [The Seekers] (dedicated to Barbara Billingsly)
Vote for Mr. Rhythm [Ella Fitzgerald]
Bluebird
No Equality
The Portal
Dig It [Doris Day]
It’s Alright With Me (with skat)
<<intermission – costume change>>
A-Tisket, A-Tasket [Ella Fitzgerald]
Beneath the Underdog
Crazy Rhythm [Doris Day]
Early Autumn [Ella Fitzgerald]
A Wonderful Guy [Doris Day]
Don’t Fence Me In [Ella Fitzgerald] (with group whistle)
Mother of Pearl (crowd favorite)
“I’m Sarah Palin and I approve this message”
Adios
¡Bodega!
“Support the Arts, but sponsor a Bodega.”
Coosada Blues
I’ve Got Rhythm (impromptu instrumental as she ran to get her notes)
“Don’t worry folks, they’re professionals!”
Broadway Melody
Really
Unknown Reggae (veggie anthem)
Encore: Zombie

Nellie’s 10/29 KLCC interview is here:
http://klcc.org/audio/NellieMckay102910.mp3

Nellie is out supporting her latest album, Home Sweet Mobile Home. Check it out here:

More 2010 Tour Dates:
Oct. 30th SF Jazz Festival – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 1st Kuumbwa Jazz Center – Santa Cruz, CA
Nov. 4th The Roxy – West Hollywood, CA

The Appropriate Linkage:

Nellie McKay’s Site
Nellie’s Social Media Links (see below)
Emobie Photography (on Facebook)
My Other Nellie McKay Reviews~
- Berbati’s Pan (Portland – Mar 2010)
- Jazz Alley (Seattle – Sept 2009)
- Doug Fir (Portland – Aug 2008)
- The Shedd (Eugene – Oct 2007)
The Shedd’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

~Dan – np: William Ryan Fritch – Library Catalog Music Series: Music for Honey and Bile

NELLIE McKAY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien – emobie photography,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (14 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (33 pics)

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, emobie photography, eugene, home sweet mobile home, interview, jazz, klcc, nellie mckay, oregon, pop, rock, set list, setlist, shedd institute, the shedd, verve

REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens @ Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 10/29/10)

30th Oct 10 (Sat) 12 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

So, the last few months has been a flurry of unexpected, yet superbly exciting information coming from Sufjan Stevens and Asthmatic Kitty. First was the tour announcement (on Aug 9th), then a week and a half later came the immediate release of the All Delighted People EP, and less than a week later came the news of the new full length album The Age of Adz (pronounced ‘odds’). Outside of the orchestral The BQE piece, Sufjan had been silent for a couple years (which we recently found out was due to nervous system health issues). Within the past two months, he came roaring back in 2010 with a North American-spanning tour and two new adventurous albums (the “EP” is 58+ minutes).

The new music from Delighted and Adz is a little less accessible compared to Seven Swans or his “State” albums, but a little more poppy/accessible compared to BQE or Rabbit. I think the new music strikes a nice balance between the adventurousness and electronic-ness in his past music… possibly “A Sun Came! updated for the Sufjan listener in 2010.” While I don’t think it’s a repeat of A Sun Came! (at all) – that’s the best Sufjan repertoire comparison I can muster. It’s sweeping and glitchy, quiet and loud. But how would it translate into a live show?

Before we could find out, labelmate DM Stith hit the stage. He only played 20 minutes, but was a good warm-up. Nice singer-songwriter fare, with Sufjans’ horn section on “Thanksgiving Moon.” I’d heard DM’s music via AK samplers and free downloads. It never struck me as solidly as Sufjan has, but in the live setting, he seemed to carry himself well. After he did his tunes, he left to go put on shiny pants for Sufjan’s band. I was slightly disappointed that he left after only 20 minutes, but that disappointment soon went away as the anticipation for Sufjan mounted.

Sufjan and his 10 piece band hit the stage around 10 ’til 9pm in shiny outfits. His band was comprised of DM Stith on keyboards, two drummers, a 3-member torn section, a guitarist, bassist, and two backup singers/dancers. After a short hello, they went immediate into “All Delighted People” and didn’t stop with the new material until 10:30. I’d been listening to the new material for the past week, and glad they played some personal favorites: Heirloom, Futile Devices, The Owl and the Tanager, and the 20+ minute Impossible Soul.

Sufjan’s “slow jam” dancing to “I Walked” was charming. The projected graphics and dark, hallowed lighting during “Vesuvius” made my friend mention that it seemed like a weird, ancient worship service. The auto tune hip-hop near the end of “Impossible Soul” is one of my favorite parts, and it really worked in the live setting. I wish cameras had been allowed near the end, as a large luminescent diamond descended*, and Sufjan busted out the jams in front of the back-lit, strobe-diamond facade. While that was his most “rockstar moment,” most of the show, he was talkative, yet unassuming and grateful to the audience.

* Amanda McAuley got some photos of it (some shown below), plus I found an “Impossible Soul” part 2 video snippet – see alphaleonis’ youtube for more from the show.

Setlist: about 2 1/4 hours

All Delighted People
Too Much
Age of Adz
Heirloom
I Walked
Futile Devices
Vesuvius
The Owl and the Tanager [Sufjan solo with backing vocals]
Get Real Get Right [with story about Royal Robertson]
Enchanting Ghost
Impossible Soul
Chicago
Encore: Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois [Sufjan solo piano]
Casimir Pulaski Day

It was a brilliant show. He was quirky and subdued, gentle and cacophonous, amusing and bewildering, and all around charming. He saved the old tunes for last, and only three Illinois tracks made the cut. I got goosebumps as he hit the intro for “Concerning the UFO Sighting.” While the older tunes were nice (and I wish there had been more sprinkled in), I can honestly say that the new tunes hold their own. There’s a reason Sufjan has a piece of our hearts. Seeing the new songs live definitely elevated those albums to being amongst my favoritesfor 2010. After seeing them performed live, I think they fit better within his catalogue, too. I hope it’s not another 3+ years until I get to see Sufjan and his band of musicians again.

Sidenote: Sufjan’s one of the only artists who could have pulled me away from a reported, equally awesome Nellie McKay show in Eugene (check back tomorrow for Nellie McKay photos from Margaret O’Brien – who went in my place).

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Sufjan’s Site / Asthmatic Kitty
Sufjan’s Social Media Links (see below)
DM Stith’s Site
DM Stith’s MySpace / Twitter
Alphaleonis’ balcony YouTube videos from the Portland 2010 show (far away, but good sound quality)
Amanda McAuley’s Flickr shots from Portland
Related Reviews~
- Chris Young‘s Portland 2010 review on OMN (with my photos)
- BrooklynVegan‘s Chicago review (10/15/2010)
- My MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – Apr 2007)
PCPA/Schnitzer’s Site

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan –Dave Douglas & Keystone – Spark of Being: Expand

SUFJAN STEVENS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Sufjan’s 2010 Tour Dates

Tuesday, 12 October – Metropolis Theater, Montreal QC
Wednesday, 13 October – Massey Hall, Toronto ON
Thursday, 14 October – Royal Oak Music Theater, Royal Oak MI
Friday, 15 October – Chicago Theater, Chicago IL
Saturday, 16 October – Orpheum Theater, Minneapolis MN
Sunday, 17 October – Uptown Theater, Kansas City MO
Tuesday, 19 October – The Long Center for the Performing Arts, Austin TX
Wednesday, 20 October – McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Dallas TX
Friday, 22 October – Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater, Mesa AZ
Saturday, 23 October – The Wiltern, Los Angeles CA
Tuesday, 26 October – The Paramount Theater, Oakland CA
Thursday, 28 October – Orpheum Theater, Vancouver BC
Friday, 29 October – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland OR
Saturday, 30 October – The Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA
Monday, 1 November – Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City UT
Tuesday, 2 November – Paramount Theatre, Denver CO
Thursday, 4 November – Hilbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis IN
Friday, 5 November – Bijou Theater, Knoxville TN
Saturday, 6 November – The Tabernacle, Atlanta GA
Sunday, 7 November – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville NC
Wednesday, 10 November – Kimmel Center, Philadelphia PA
Thursday, 11 November – Orpheum Theatre, Boston MA
Sunday, 14 November – Beacon Theatre, New York NY
Monday, 15 November – Beacon Theatre, New York NY

REVIEW: Peter Mulvey & Jeffrey Foucault @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 10/24/10)

25th Oct 10 (Mon) 9 comments

Summing Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault‘s travelling show in one word would be: “authentic.” This was round two for me (link here for my Friday Portland review with photos); so I’ll keep it short and sweet.

They hit the stage at Sam Bond’s around 8:45 and played two great sets. The show was partially more of the same, but don’t take that the wrong way… it was definitely not a disappointment. Switching off on vocal duties, about a half originals and half covers. They also switched up about half of their setlist from the Friday show… great show as usual for these gents. Quite a talky crowd, but still a bit more subdued than a normal Sam Bond’s crowd.

Setlist: 90+ minutes

Set 1: Starlight and Static (Jeffrey on vocals, new tune)
Kids in the Square (Peter on vocals)
Mesa, Arizona (JF)
The Obvious Child [Paul Simon] (PM)
Pretty Girl in a Small Town (JF, new tune)
Shirt (PM)
Last Night I Dreamed of Television (JF, new tune)
Some People (PM)
Goners Most (JF, new tune)
But I Do [Bobby Charles] (PM)
Set 2: Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] (PM)
City Flower (JF)
Ithaca [Redbird] (PM)
Tulsa Time [Don Williams] (JF)
Duncan and Brady [P.D.] (PM)
Late Season (JF)
Diamond and Gold [Tom Waits] (PM)
Tea and Tobacco (JF, new tune)
Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home) (PM)
4 & 20 Blues (JF)
Encore: Tecumseh Valley [Townes Van Zandt] (PM/JF)
thanks to Eric for JF new tunes/song identification

more photos below

Re-posting Friday’s NEWS from the stage:

Jeffrey Foucault has a new album out called Cold Satellite. Peter Mulvey has recorded a new duet instrumental album with longtime collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich – release next year(?). And the Peter & Jeffrey collaboration with Kris Delmhorst and Goody called Redbird has a second installment on the horizon. It’s already been mastered (woot!), and the last four songs will have the explicit tag in iTunes. It was recorded live, but they didn’t mention live in studio or live on stage. I guess we’ll see.

Kris Delmhorst (Jeffrey’s wife, fellow singer-songwriter) is coming to Eugene… Tsunami Books on Saturday, November 6th – 8pm. Make note!

The Appropriate Linkage:

Peter Mulvey’s Site
Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (click below)

Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
Jeffrey Foucault’s Social Media Links (he doesn’t appear to have any?)
Past Related Reviews~
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
The Woods PDX’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Carissa’s Wierd – Songs About Leaving

PETER MULVEY & JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
Eugene pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien
of Emobie Photography, you may use freely
under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Mulvey & Foucault West Coast 2010 Tour Dates

10.22 – The Woods – Portland, OR
10.23 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
10.24 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
10.25 – Arcata Playhouse – Arcata, CA
10.26 – Freight and Salvage – Berkely, CA
10.27 – Maverick Saloon – Santa Ynez, CA – w/ Bonnie Prince Billy
10.29 – McCabe’s – Santa Monica, CA
10.30 – Janey’s Coffee House – Cave Creek, AZ

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, eugene, folk, jeffrey foucault, kris delmhorst, oregon, peter mulvey, pop, sam bond's, sam bond's garage, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter

REVIEW: Peter Mulvey & Jeffrey Foucault @ The Woods (Portland, OR – 10/22/10)

23rd Oct 10 (Sat) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Last night was my first time to The Woods in SE Portland. One word: melikey. Nice cozy living room feel in the middle of an old funeral parlour. Random chairs, couches, beer & wine, candles, and a well laid out listening room. It was actually the perfect listening room for the likes of Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault. They had the early show last night; so we shuffled into the venue and found some seats… we got up close (but to the right of the stage). There’s not really a bad spot in the house… but a tip, if you come to a show at The Woods – show up early for the primo spots.

The guys got on the stage shortly after 7:30, and kicked into a hour and half set of songs, trading off in the vocal slot. They played a few originals, a few covers, told some stories, and warmed the crowd with their all around genuineness. Both of these men are prime performers – excellent songwriters and guitarists in their own right, but they really draw you in with their humanity, humility and… well… their charm.

They reminded me a lot of the Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt show from last fall in their trade-off approach and general witty banter. Their song selection was also excellent… I didn’t know all of the songs, but I loved them all.

Setlist: about 90 minutes

Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] (Peter on vocals)
Starlight and Static (Jeffrey on vocals, new tune)
On the Way Up (PM)
Mesa, Arizona (JF)
Some People (PM)
Last Night I Dreamed of Television (JF, new tune)
Trempealeau (PM – new song?)
“Don’t Fuck with my Miller Time” [Andy Friedman & the Other Failures] (JF/PM)
O My Star! [Anais Mitchell] (PM)
Train to Jackson (JF)
Knuckleball Suite (PM)
Passerines (JF, new tune)
We’ll Go No More A-Roving [Kris Delmhorst/Lord Byron] (PM)
Anybody’s Heaven [Kris Delmhorst] (JF)
Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me [Mississippi John Hurt] (PM)
Real Love (JF, new tune)
Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home) (PM)
4 & 20 Blues (JF)
Encore: Moonshiner [Bob Dylan] (JF)
thanks to Eric for JF new tunes/song identification

I’ll be seeing Peter & Jeffrey again in Eugene on Sunday at Sam Bond’s. Oh, and I almost forgot… the NEWS from the stage:

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Peter Mulvey’s Site
Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (click below)

Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
Jeffrey Foucault’s Social Media Links (he doesn’t appear to have any?)
Past Related Reviews~
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Peter & Jeffrey @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene – Oct 2010)
The Woods PDX’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Carissa’s Wierd – Ugly But Honest

PETER MULVEY & JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Mulvey & Foucault West Coast 2010 Tour Dates

10.22 – The Woods – Portland, OR
10.23 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
10.24 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
10.25 – Arcata Playhouse – Arcata, CA
10.26 – Freight and Salvage – Berkely, CA
10.27 – Maverick Saloon – Santa Ynez, CA – w/ Bonnie Prince Billy
10.29 – McCabe’s – Santa Monica, CA
10.30 – Janey’s Coffee House – Cave Creek, AZ

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, david goodrich, folk, goody, jeffrey foucault, kris delmhorst, oregon, peter mulvey, portland, redbird, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, storyteller, the woods

REVIEW: The Weepies @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 10/20/10)

20th Oct 10 (Wed) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

The Weepies have a new album out, Be My Thrill. It’s fantastic! And unlike their prior album, Hideaway, they’re touring behind it. To be fair, they weren’t able to tour behind Hideaway due to a new baby at the time. With Be My Thrill, they have a 3 year-old and a 6-month old… they’re on the road, and Oregon got a chance to see them twice on their “sponsored by 755 diapers” tour (Eugene and Portland). I caught the Portland show tonight…

Opener Lucy Schwartz and her two lovely backing ladies hit the stage around 8pm and played a 30 minute set that flew by too fast. All three women sang, with Lucy at the center but not the sole shining star. Mona was also talented and fantastic on providing the energetic percussion for the set. I didn’t catch the guitarist’s name – but again, a great part of the trio. Favorite songs were “Rain City,” “Seven Hours” (with Aqualung on the recorded version), and “When We Were Young.” She has a handful of albums, an EP, and songs on soundtracks. Her latest CD is Life in Letters… and if it’s anything like her live show, it’s a delight.

The Weepies hit the stage around 9pm, surrounded by guitars, candles, and Weepies-cover art lamps.

The light was low due to trying to rely primarily on candles for effect – which was quite nice aesthetically. Not great luck on the photos in low light (some below, though). The lighting person was also trying to be clever a bit too late or didn’t know the Weepies songs were generally short. A swirling sun, swirling green light, and fade-in blue light all came on during lyric-instigated songs… right at the end of the song (10 seconds left and boom goes the dynamite). Awkward at best for the lighting… it would have been best to stick to the candles. :)

Luckily the lighting didn’t impact the songs. And, in fact, the Weepies via candlelight was sublime. Deb and Steve played with a backing four-piece band that created some nice folksy, indie-rock, singer-songwriter splendor. They packed in twenty songs in their 90 minute set – roughly a third from Be My Thrill, and the rest from their other three equally-excellent albums.

Setlist: about 90 minutes

Please Speak Well of Me
Stars
Can’t Go Back Now
I Was Made for Sunny Days
Orbiting
Riga Girls
Gotta Have You
Painting by Chagall
Hard to Please
They’re in Love, Where Am I?
Be My Thrill
Citywide Rodeo
Sing Me To Sleep
Antarctica
World Spins Madly On (with slight false start)
Just Blue
Not a Lullaby
Encore: Nobody Knows Me at All
Little Bird
Hope Tomorrow

A beautiful end to a beautiful evening. If you’re on the fence about checking out the Weepies, either in concert or on record – get off the fence! It’s great music. If you’re a fan and are on the fence about going to a show, get your tickets soon. They’re selling out many of the shows before the day of the show.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tourdates below.

~Dan – np: Peter Mulvey – Letters from a Flying Machine

LUCY SCHWARTZ & The WEEPIES PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

The Weepies Fall 2010 Tour

10/10/2010	Los Angeles CA	El Rey Theatre Lucy Schwartz		SOLD OUT
10/12/2010	Santa Barbara CA	SOhO Les Shelleys		SOLD OUT
10/13/2010	San Diego CA	Winston’s Lucy Schwartz		SOLD OUT
10/14/2010	San Juan Capistrano CA	Coach House Parlor Hawk, Sarah Wallace		SOLD OUT
10/15/2010	Visalia CA	Fox Theatre The Gospel Whiskey Runners
10/16/2010	San Francisco CA	Great American Music Hall Lucy Schwartz		SOLD OUT
10/17/2010	Chico CA	El Rey Theatre MaMuse
10/19/2010	Eugene OR	John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
10/20/2010	Portland OR	Aladdin Theater Lucy Schwartz		SOLD OUT
10/21/2010	Seattle WA	City Arts Music Festival – The Crocodile The Head and The Heart, Lucy Schwartz		SOLD OUT
10/22/2010	Boise ID	The Bouquet Blaze & Kelly
10/23/2010	Salt Lake City UT	The State Room Joe Pug		SOLD OUT
10/24/2010	Englewood CO	The Gothic Theatre Matt The Electrician
10/26/2010	Iowa City IA	The Englert Theater Matt The Electrician
10/27/2010	Minneapolis MN	Cedar Cultural Center		SOLD OUT
10/28/2010	Madison WI	High Noon Saloon Matt The Electrician
10/29/2010	Indianapolis IN	Radio Radio Matt The Electrician
10/30/2010	Evanston IL	SPACE	1st SOLD OUT 2nd SOLD OUT
11/1/2010	Grand Rapids MI	The Fine Arts Center
11/2/2010	Ann Arbor MI	The Ark The Chapin Sisters		SOLD OUT
11/3/2010	Cleveland OH	Beachland Ballroom Carsie Blanton
11/5/2010	Philadelphia PA	World Cafe Live Greg Tannen		SOLD OUT
11/6/2010	Londonderry NH	Tupelo Music Hall Greg Tannen		SOLD OUT
11/7/2010	Boston MA	Royale Nightclub Greg Tannen
11/8/2010	Fairfield CT	FTC Stage One Greg Tannen
11/10/2010	New York NY	Hiro Ballroom Greg Tannen		SOLD OUT
11/11/2010	Falls Church VA	The State Theatre Greg Tannen
11/12/2010	Norfolk VA	The Attucks Theater Greg Tannen
11/14/2010	Charleston WV	Mountain Stage Punch Brothers, Infamous Stringdusters, Trampled By Turtles
11/15/2010	Annapolis MD	Rams Head On Stage
11/16/2010	Raleigh NC	The Lincoln Theatre Carsie Blanton
11/17/2010	Atlanta GA	Variety Playhouse Beth Amsel
11/19/2010	Dallas TX	Lakewood Theater Seela
11/20/2010	Austin TX	Momo’s Seela		SOLD OUT
11/22/2010	Tucson AZ	Plush Leila Lopez
11/23/2010	Phoenix AZ	The Rhythm Room Rachael Sage

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: aladdin, aladdin theater, be my thrill, concert photos, concert review, oregon, pop, portland, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, the weepies, weepies

REVIEW: Dead Kenny G’s & Trio Subtonic @ Mt Tabor (Portland, OR – 10/16/10)

17th Oct 10 (Sun) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

OK, so I have to start this out with an apology. I absolutely wanted to see Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. I had been up in Portland for a third night in a row (driving back to Eugene late each night)… and was thus quite tired and I couldn’t possibly stay for their set (which was posted to start at 12:30am). It’s a running theme on this blog… I miss them for one reason or another. Last night wasn’t gonna be a missed opportunity. Alas, it ended up as such. Damn. SO, JFJO, I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time. I dig your new one, Stay Gold. I’m getting old. I have no other excuse for bailing at midnight.

So, unfortunately this amazing triple modern jazz bill turned into an pretty damn good double bill for me.

Trio Subtonic started things off around 9:30. No Radiohead as in the past, but still a great groove for their 45 minute set. They really are what I’d consider to be Portland’s own Medeski Martin & Wood. Great piano-based three piece combo. They’ve got two killer albums out over at CD Baby (aka the best indie CD seller in the universe).

Skerik, Mike Dillon, and Brad Houser hit the stage after a short set change…

While also a three-piece modern jazz combo, the Dead Kenny G’s definitely weren’t a repeat of Trio Subtonic’s sound. Fitting with their name, they bring powerful elements of punk rock and a “fuck you” attitude to a jazz trio. Mix some sax groove from Skerik with some harder edged beats, avant-garde squeaks, gonzo drumming, and punk vocal belts…

I’d seen them before (at Sam Bond’s in Eugene), but it was nice to see them able to spread out a little more on the Mt Tabor Theater stage.

Setlist: over an hour

Death Panel
Birther Blues
Black Goldman Sax
“Black Death”
unknown
Bewildered Herd
I’m Your Manager, I’m Your Pimp
unknown
Yeah, Cat
Improv with some JFJO guys

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

DKG’s Site
Skerik’s Site
DKG’s on MySpace
Skerik on MySpace
Trio Subtonic’s Site
Trio Subtonic on MySpace
JFJO’s Site
JFJO on MySpace
Prior Related Reviews~
- Skerik / McTuff @ Sam Bond’s (Oct 2008)
- Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio @ Sam Bond’s (May 2008)
- Skerik / McTuff @ Sam Bond’s (July 2009)
- Trio Subtonic @ Lewis & Clark (Oct 2008)
- Trio Subtonic w/ Sex Mob @ Goodfoot (May 2009)
Mt Tabor Theater

Check out more DKG’s tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Milli Vanilli – Girl, You Know It’s True

DEAD KENNY G’S & TRIO SUBTONIC PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

DKG’s Fall 2010 Tour Dates

Date	Venue	Band
10.9.10	Coda San Francisco, CA	With Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle and Black Frames
10.10.10	Harlow’s Sacramento, CA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.12.10	Forestville Club Forestville, CA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.13.10	HumBrews Arcata, CA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.15.10	Sam Bond’s Garage Eugene, OR	Dead Kenny G’s
10.16.10	Mt. Tabor Theater Portland, WA	Dead Kenny G’s and Jacob Fred Jazz Oddysey
10.17.10	Chop Suey Seattle, WA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.18.10	The Top Hat Missoula, MT	Dead Kenny G’s
10.19.10	Knotty Pine Victor, ID	Dead Kenny G’s
10.20.10	The State Room Salt Lake City, UT	Dead Kenny G’s
10.21.10	Aggie Theater Ft. Collins, CO	Dead Kenny G’s
10.22.10	Cervante’s Otherside Denver, CO	Dead Kenny G’s
10.23.10	Davey’s Uptown Kansas City, MO	Dead Kenny G’s
10.28.10	Kessler Dallas, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
10.29.10	Momo’s Austin, TX	Dead Kenny G’s and Hairy Apes BMX
10.30.10	La Bon Ton Roule New Orleans, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
10.31.10	The Blue Nile New Orleans, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
11.12.10 11.13.10	Bear Creek Music Festival Live Oak, FL	Dead Kenny G’s
12.1.10	Momo’s Austin, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
12.2.10	Kessler Dallas, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
12.3.10	The Deli Norman, OK	Dead Kenny G’s
12.4.10	Eclipse Tulsa, OK	Dead Kenny G’s
12.5.10	Chester’s Fayetteville, AR	Dead Kenny G’s
12.8.10	Momo’s Austin, TX	Dead Kenny G’s
12.9.10	Chelsea’s Baton Rouge, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
12.10.10	DBA New Orleans, LA	Dead Kenny G’s
12.11.10	Martin’s Jackson, MS	Dead Kenny G’s

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant Tags: brad houser, concert photos, concert review, dead kenny g's, groove, jacob fred jazz odyssey, jazz, jazz trio, jfjo, kenny g, mike dillon, mt tabor, oregon, portland, punk, rock, set list, setlist, skerik, trio subtonic

REVIEW: Holy F*ck & Indian Jewelry @ Holocene (Portland, OR – 10/14/10)

15th Oct 10 (Fri) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

First off… if you haven’t seen the adorable and infectious new music video for Holy Fuck‘s “Red Lights,” you need to go check it out now. OK, now that you’re back, on to the review…

This was the first time to the Holocene for me. It’s a nice venue, trendy looking bar, good beer on tap (Double Mountain IRA for me). They had a few side rooms with colorful lights, practically unusable mirrors in the bathroom, and odd fabric or paper christmas tree looking things in the performance area. In other words, everything that makes Portland its quirky, trendy self.

I got there near the middle of the first opener’s set. Clipd Beaks, from Oakland, were good from what I heard. Fuzzy rock with somewhat melodic vocals, use of trumpet, but primarily traditional rock sounds coming forth. I didn’t get any usable photos from their set as the lights were in force, yet.

Next up was Indian Jewelry, a four-piece from Houston, put out a 40 minute blast of tom percussion, dirty guitars and keyboards. They were a little warbly, drone-y in spots, and switched off between male and female vocalists. I enjoyed them, but I couldn’t really “re-sing” any of their songs… nice and percussive, genre-less but not aimless. I can see them working way better live than on record, but then again, I’ve been wrong about that before. Anyway, I’d recommend checking them out if they swing by your neck of the woods… cracked cymbals and all.

Holy Fuck started setting up immediately after Indian Jewelry’s set ended. They went on right around 11:30 and played a full hour, with encore. Not dissimilar from their Mississippi Studios show from earlier in the year… lots of tunes from Latin – which I am legally required to state in every mention of its name… it’s the best album of 2010 so far. Great groove-based live/organic electronic.

There were a few absent fab live tunes (Royal Gregory, Super Inuit, Milkshake), and I think I’m going crazy, as now I’m doubting my own note-taking… did they end with Lovely Allen? Or was it Safari? Or am I going crazy? Anyway… they played Red Lights, which smoked! I love Punchy’s bass on that track…

Setlist: about an hour

1MD
Super Inuit
Foxy
Jungles
Red Lights
Lucky
Stay Lit
Silva & Grimes
Stilettos
Encore: The Pulse
Lovely Allen (I should know this with confidence, but my brain fell apart)
italics – unsure of in the setlist, any help is appreciated

Great show as usual from Holy Fuck. But… severe lack of dancing again… or at least in comparison to the grooves. This seems to happen (i.e.- not happen) in Portland; so I don’t blame the band at all. They should swing down to Eugene next time… we’ll show ’em how to party! Pretty please!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Holy Fuck’s Site
Holy Fuck on MySpace
My Prior HF Reviews~
- Mississippi Studios in Portland (June 2010)
- Doug Fir Lounge in Portland (June 2009)
- Southgate House in Cincinnati (April 2007)
Great Recent HF Videos / Outside Links~
- Red Lights Music Video
- SXSW 2010 – Baeble Music Stage
- BrooklynVegan‘s photo coverage of NYC show
Indian Jewelry’s Site
Indian Jewelry on MySpace
Clipd Beaks on MySpace
Holocene Portland

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Metallica – S&M

HOLY FUCK & INDIAN JEWELRY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Holy Fuck Fall 2010 Tour:

08-28 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival
08-29 Reading, England – Reading Festival
09-08 Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
09-09 Birmingham, AL- Bottletree
09-10 New Orleans, LA – Howlin’ Wolf
09-11 Austin, TX – The Mohawk
09-12 Houston, TX – Walter’s on Washington
09-13 Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
09-14 Athens, GA – New Earth Music Hall
09-15 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
09-17 Washington, DC – Black Cat
09-18 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
09-19 Boston, MA – Paradise
09-20 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
09-21 Buffalo, NY – Soundlab
09-22 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
09-23 Cincinnati, OH – Midpoint Music Festival
09-24 Urbana, IL – Pygmalion Music Festival
09-25 Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop
09-26 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick (Fucking Awesome Fest)
09-27 London, Ontario – London Music Hall
09-28 Hamilton, Ontario – Studio Theatre
09-29 Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix Theatre
09-30 Montreal, Quebec – Espace Dell’Arte
10-02 Ottawa, Ontario – Capital Music Hall
10-03 Guelph, Ontario – Vinyl
10-05 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Pyramid Cabaret
10-06 Saskatoon, Saskatchewa – Louis Pub
10-07 Toronto, Ontario – Republik
10-08-09 Edmonton, Alberta – Pawn Shop
10-11 Victoria, British Columbia – Element Nightclub
10-12 Vancouver, British Columbia – The Rickshaw Theatre
10-13 Seattle, WA – Neumos
10-14 Portland, OR – Holocene
10-16 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Music Festival
10-17 Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
10-18 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
10-20 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
10-21 Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
10-22 St. Louis, MO – Firebird
10-23 Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Post-rock, Rock & Pop Tags: cats, clipd beaks, concert photos, concert review, electronic, holocene, holy fuck, holy-f, indian jewelry, Indie Rock, inspired by kittens, latin, oregon, portland, post-rock, red lights, rock, set list, setlist

REVIEW: Toad the Wet Sprocket @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland, OR – 7/28/10)

29th Jul 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Last night was my fourth opportunity to see one of my favorite bands, Toad the Wet Sprocket. I have been able to see frontman Glen Phillips many times, and he does throw in some Toad tunes here and there – but it’s not quite the same as the full conglomerate Toad experience with guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning and drummer Randy Guss. While Toad’s alternative melodic rock isn’t in my usual jazz or metal wheelhouse, I could never pass up a chance to see them… even if it meant making a 4 hour round-trip up to Eugene’s big sister, Portland.

Opener Hey Marseilles went on around 8 and played a full and energetic set of what they call “folkestral” music.

The seven piece band is from Seattle, and the guys were hard to pin down on any instrument. Several of the guys swaped out instruments for each song. They definitely had the folky, singer-songwriter band elements, but mixed in some great violin, viola, cello, accordion, trumpet, amidst traditional rock guitar, bass & drums.

Check out their video for “Rio” from their new album To Travels and Trunks.

If you go to their MySpace page, you can download the “Rio” single for free. See the download button in the left pane under their contact info.

Glen, Todd, Dean & Randy of Toad the Wet Sprocket hit the stage around 9pm with an extra player – Johnny Hawthorn on slide guitar, electric mandolin, and guitar. The packed Crystal Ballroom got a taste of something from every album…

Setlist: ~90 mins

Something’s Always Wrong
Rings
Stupid
Woodburning
Crowing
Good Intentions
Is It For Me
Windmills
Torn
Before You Were Born
Spirit [The Waterboys cover] ->
Know Me
Nightingale Song
Come Back Down
Whatever I Fear
All I Want
Fall Down
Encore: Come Down
Brother
Walk on the Ocean

There were no new songs, Lapdog tunes, or Glen solo material as they have done in the past. This was all Toad from all around their decade long catalogue. My favorites of the night were “Windmills” and “Whatever I Fear” – and some of their classics like “Brother,” “All I Want,” and “Walk On the Ocean” were crowd favorites as well.

The fact that Toad keeps touring on occasion keeps me hopeful that they may record again. In the meantime, check out Glen’s multitude of projects and Todd & Dean’s work as well (see links below). Support indie music!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Toad’s Site
Toad on MySpace
Glen Phillips’ Site
Glen on MySpace
Todd Nichols on MySpace
Dean Dinning on MySpace
Lapdog on MySpace (Todd/Dean/Randy’s now-defunct side-project)
WPA’s Site (Glen side-project with Nickel Creek, Luke Bulla, etc)
WPA on MySpace
Plover’s Site (Glen one-off?)
RemoteTreeChildren’s Site (Glen one-off?)
Hey Marseilles’ Site (opener)
Hey Marseilles on MySpace
McMennamin’s Crystal Ballroom
Prior Related Reviews~
- Works Progress Administration (Glen, etc) @ WOW Hall (Sept 2009)
- Glen Solo @ WOW Hall (Feb 2008)

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Wynton Marsalis – Tune in Tomorrow

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET &
HEY MARSEILLES PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Glen Phillips and/or Toad TWS Tour Dates

Fri, 07/23/10	The Fillmore	San Francisco	CA	9:00 PM	415-775-7722	thefillmore.com
Sat, 07/24/10	The Uptown Theater	Napa	CA	8:15 PM	N/A	uptowntheatrenapa.com
Sun, 07/25/10	Knitting Factory Concert House	Reno	NV	7:30 PM	208-367-1212	knittingfactory.com
Tue, 07/27/10	Knitting Factory Concert House	Boise	ID	8:00 PM	509-325-SEAT	knittingfactory.com
Wed, 07/28/10	Crystal Ballroom	Portland	OR	8:00 PM	503-225-0047	mcmenamins.com
Thu, 07/29/10	Moore Theatre	Seattle	WA	7:30 PM	206-628-0888	stgpresents.org
Sat, 08/14/10	Blue Sky Music & Adventure Festival	Mammoth Lakes	CA	8:00 PM	888-285-5893 ext. 2	blueskymusicfest.com
Tue, 08/17/10	Gerald R Ford Amphitheatre	East Vail	CO	6:30 PM	970-476-2918	vvf.org – free show!
Thu, 08/19/10	The Belly Up – Aspen	Aspen	CO	10:00 PM	970-544-9800	etix.com
Sat, 08/21/10	Chautauqua Auditorium	Boulder	CO	8:00 PM	303-440-7666	chautauqua.com
Sat, 09/11/10	Red Rock Resort, Spa & Casino	Las Vegas	NV	10:00 PM	N/A	redrocklasvegas.com
Tue, 09/14/10	The Intersection	Grand Rapids	MI	7:30 PM	616-459-0931	intersectionlive.com
Wed, Thu 09/15-16/10	The Ark	Ann Arbor	MI	8:00 PM	734-761-1451	theark.org
Fri, 09/17/10	Midland Theatre	Newark	OH	8:00 PM	740-345-LIVE	midlandtheatre.org
Sat, 09/18/10	The Southgate House	Newport	KY	8:00 PM	895-431-2201	southgatehouse.com
Sun, 09/19/10	The Vogue Theatre	Indianapolis	IN	8:00 PM	317-254-2028	thevogue.com

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, crystal ballroom, glen phillips, Hey Marseilles, lapdog, mcmennamins, oregon, pop, portland, rock, set list, setlist, toad, toad the wet sprocket, ttws, walk on the ocean

REVIEW: Susan Enan @ Our House (Eugene, OR – 7/15/10)

16th Jul 10 (Fri) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

UK-native singer-songwriter Susan Enan got a break in 2003 when, after hearing her Moonlight -EP-, she was asked to go on tour with Cincinnati-based but nationally-known folky-pop band Over the Rhine. I got a chance to see Susan on that tour twice and bought that little indie recording.

Several years in the making, her full-length album Plainsong expands on that initial EP with some suberbly crafted acoustic pop. It has recently garnered some acclaim and mainstream exposure… Paste Magazine noted Plainsong as one of the “eight criminally underrated albums of 2009.” To kick off this tour, she did a live session at Paste studios in Atlanta, Georgia (check link below for video of Live @ Paste). One of the cornerstone songs of Plainsong, “Bring on the Wonder,” features Sarah McLachlan and was recently on the Fox crime drama BONES. Sarah McLachlan has recently recorded her own version of Susan’s song for her upcoming album – Laws of Illusion.

During last night’s show, Susan shared with us that she was trying to find a way to do something unique. She had done a couple “accidental” house shows in Europe and figured she’d give house shows a try on a larger scale. Personally, I had been to a handful of house concerts (recently: David Bazan of Pedro the Lion in 2009 & Fishtank Ensemble earlier this year), but I’d never hosted a house concert before. Well, there’s no better time than the present… so I volunteered.

The Eugene show was roughly 1/3 of the way through the North American leg of Susan’s Bring on the Song – House Concert Tour. She brought her guitar, keyboard & voice and serenaded us on our back patio amidst a mild summer Oregon evening. The audience brought a few extra chairs, some wine, beer, and snacks. It was truly moving to be able to listen and interact with Susan in such an intimate setting. A gentle breeze, a wandering pup, random neighborhood noises, and beautiful song. Bring on the song!

Setlist: about an hour
(per written setlist… but may have switched around a bit)

If You’re Feelin’ Low
Skin, Bone & Silicone
Monoplain
Bring on the Wonder
Don’t Worry
Ingrid Bergman [Woody Guthrie]
Bird
On Your Side
Love Song
We All Belong Here
Moonlight

Short and sweet and highly memorable. We all got to chat with her a bit after the show, and it was nice to not be stuck in a smokey bar buying overpriced beer and snacks while sitting 30+ feet away from the artist. If you have the opportunity to see an upcoming house concert of Susan’s – do it! If you get an opportunity to host a house concert for her (or anyone) – do it! It’s totally fun!! First time hosting, hopefully not the last…

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Susan Enan’s Site
Susan Enan on MySpace
Susan Enan on Facebook
Live @ Paste Studios (July 2010)

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Lovage – Music To Make Love to Your Old Lady By

SUSAN ENAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld &
Margaret O’Brien (and one by Susan Stumpf),
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Summer 2010 – North America House Concert Tour Dates
go to susanenan.com for info/ticket availability

6/30 – Atlanta, GA
7/3 – Sherman, TX
7/5 – Lawrence (nr Kansas City), KS
7/8 – Salt Lake City, UT
7/10 – Burlingame, San Francisco Bay, CA
7/13 – Harbor/Brookings, OR
7/15 – Eugene, OR
7/16 – Portland, OR
7/17 – Seattle, WA
7/19 – Vernon, BC, Canada
7/21 – Helena, MT
7/24 – Winnepeg, MB, Canada
7/26 – St. Paul, MN
7/28 – Dubuque, IA
7/29 – Chicago, IL
7/31 – Hamilton, MI
8/1 – Columbus, OH
8/5 – Nashville, TN
8/6 – Asheville, NC
8/8 – Reston, VA
8/20 – West Grove/Kennett Square, PA
8/21 – Franklin Square, NY

Categories: Concert Photos, Singer-Songwriter Tags: bring on the wonder, concert photos, concert review, eugene, house concert, house show, oregon, plainsong, pop, sarah mclachlan, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, susan enan

REVIEW: The Melvins @ John Henry’s (Eugene, OR – 7/7/10)

8th Jul 10 (Thu) 7 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

A hot and sweaty return to Eugene, just under a year from when they were last here… the Melvins rocked hard on John Henry’s sticky stage. This was a waaaay early show (6pm doors, 7pm start time); so I missed the opener, Totimoshi. From what I heard on MySpace, I wish I hadn’t missed them. Oh well, on to the Melvins…

This was near the end of their June/July tour with Toptimoshi, which included a mid-June stint with Isis (see split Melvins 12″ vinyl with Isis to the right – I picked up one at the Isis show in late May). Being near the end of a month-long tour, the Melvins had enough practice along the way… they ripped through many songs from their back catalogue and their brand new release, The Bride Screamed Murder (out now on Ipecac).

That album is the Melvins’ first album to ever hit the Billboard 200 chart. I guess it goes to show you, corporate rock is dead if an indie sludge metal band can break the chart with 2,800+ units moved… when their “hit album” Houdini moved 110,000 units to date never got there. Well, I doubt Buzzo and rest of the Melvins care about chart success. I just think it’s funny to see the industry implode on its own greed. I’m glad indie artists, like those on Ipecac and other many great indie labels, are still cranking away.

The show was quite good. Despite who dark and hot & sweaty John Henry’s is, the sound quality was right on… no bad feedback or muddy sound – beyond the normal intended muddiness that is the Melvins. As mentioned before, a great mix of older tunes and material from their latest. I’m bad on their song names; so here’s a tentative setlist based on prior recent shows. If anyone has any help (especially on 2nd set), I’d greatly appreciate it…

Setlist: ~90 minutes spanning 2 sets

Set1: Dueling Banjos
Sacrifice [Flipper cover]
Civilized Worm
Black Stooges
Pig House
Electric Flower
Anaconda
Black Bock
The Kicking Machine
Billy Fish
Skin Horse
Set Change (bassist Jared’s solo set): Summer Breezes
Autumn Breezes
Stage Breezes (with Dale)
Set 2: The Water Glass
Evil New War God
Amazon
The Talking Horse
Hung Bunny
Roman Bird Dog
My Generation [The Who cover]
Let It All Be
Revolve
Bacon Industry
Lovely Butterfly
Drum Duo
No Encore
any setlist assistance is greatly appreciated

I can’t wait ’til the Melvins’ next stop through Eugene… which, based on recent history shouldn’t be too long… :)

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

The Melvins Official Page
The Melvins dot net (the premiere fan page)
The Melvins on MySpace
Totimoshi’s Site
Totimoshi on MySpace
Ipecac Recordings
John Henry’s
My Previous Review~ Melvins @ JH’s Aug 2009

See their Spring/Summer 2010 tour dates below.

~Dan – np: John Zorn’s Locus Solus – 50th Birthday Celebration Vol 3

MELVINS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Spring/Summer Tour Dates (winding down)

June 1, 2010 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
June 2, 2010 – Tempe, AZ – The Clubhouse
June 3, 2010 – Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad
June 5, 2010 – Austin, TX – Emos
June 6, 2010 – San Antonio, TX – The White Rabbit
June 7, 2010 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
June 8, 2010 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
June 9, 2010 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks
June 10, 2010 – Birmingham, AL – Bottle Tree
June 12, 2010 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Festival
June 14, 2010 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
June 16, 2010 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
June 17, 2010 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of The Living Arts
June 18, 2010 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
June 19, 2010 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg
June 20, 2010 – Boston, MA – Paradise
June 21, 2010 – Boston, MA – Paradise
June 23, 2010 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
June 24, 2010 – Detroit, MI – Small’s
June 25, 2010 – Chicago, IL – Double Door
June 26, 2010 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
June 27, 2010 – Des Moines, IA – House Of Bricks
June 29, 2010 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
July 2, 2010 – Calgary, AB, Canada – Sled Island Festival
July 3, 2010 – Calgary, AB, Canada – Sled Island Festival
July 5, 2010 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – Rickshaw Theatre
July 6, 2010 – Seattle, WA – Showbox At The Market
July 7, 2010 – Eugene, OR – John Henry’s
July 9, 2010 – San Jose, CA – Blank Club

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Rock & Pop Tags: bride screamed murder, buzzo, concert photos, concert review, eugene, john henry's, king buzzo, melvins, metal, oregon, rock, set list, setlist, sludge, Totimoshi

REVIEW: Bobby McFerrin & Stangeland Youth Choral @ OBF/Hult Center (Eugene, OR – 7/5/10)

6th Jul 10 (Tue) 1 comment

This special Oregon Bach Festival performance brought together two diverse but compatible vocal acts – the more straight-forward orchestral-meets-gospel Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy [SFYCA] and the vocal gymnastic Bobby McFerrin. Outside of the rendition of 23rd Psalm being penned by Bobby McFerrin, which prompted his walk on to the stage to show gratitude to the choral and conductor Anton Armstrong, the entire first set belonged to the youth. The first piece, Kyrie, showcased their angelic voices and was the start to what would become a very religious-centric repertoire…

SFYCA’s 1st Set: ~90 mins (SFYCA only)

Kyrie from Mass in B Minor [Bach]
*set change*
The 23rd Psalm [McFerrin]
Estampie Natalis [Nelhybel]
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree [Scriven]
Zigeunerleben, Op. 29, No. 3 [Schumann]
The Seal Lullaby [Whitacre]
Beautiful City [A.Thomas]

The group was very talented, but I felt they could have mixed it up in both song selection and interaction with Bobby McFerrin. Perhaps it’s my own slant, but the church music is good in moderation. Again, outside of Kyrie (which was from a Mass, but in another language and not so god-y), I could have done without most of the rest of the choral-only selections. Additionally, trading off more with Bobby in both sets would have been better in my opinion.

Bobby came on right away during the second set, which was welcome…

He started off with his standard first song improvisation – which set the stage for his vocal gymnastics throughout the show. He twisted his vocals chords into warbles, gurgles & bubbles. He moved all over the range of several octaves with ease. His style, for those unfamiliar, is much more than the “Don’t Worry Be Happy” guy, but one of vocal experimentation – not quite singing, not quite beat-boxing, not quite human. He’s a one-man band with only one organic instrument.

Beyond his initial improv song, he sang and vocalized alongside the SFYCA, who for the second set was conducted by Bobby’s VOCAbuLarieS co-writer Roger Treece. Bobby interacted a lot with both the choral group and the audience – directing us in “call & repeat” verses and improvising on some random people’s names…

SFYCA with Bobby McFerrin Setlist: ~85 mins

Bobby McFerrin solo improvisation
Circlesongs (with SFYCA)
VOCAbuLarieS[McFerrin & R.Treece]:
- The Garden (with SFYCA)
- Blackbird [Beatles]
- I Can See Clearly Now [Johnny Nash] (with SFYCA)
- Messages (with SFYCA)
- He Ran the Train / Name Improvisation (with SFYCA)
- Wailers (with SFYCA)
True Light [K.Hampton] (SFYCA only, Anton back conducting)

My favorite pieces of the evening were the initial improvisation and the Beatles cover. This show gave me a great taste for Bobby’s music, and I’d definitely recommend seeing him if he comes through your town.

The Appropriate Linkage:

Bobby McFerrin’s Site
Bobby McFerrin on MySpace
Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy
The Hult Center
Oregon Bach Festival
My Pink Martini review from OBF (June 26th, 2010)

More OBF shows are running through July 10th. Find out more at http://oregonbachfestival.com/events/

Next shows for me? The Melvins on Wednesday (not part of OBF… haha), and OBF’s Tiempo Libre on Saturday.

~Dan – np: +Live+ – Birds of Pray

Categories: Classical, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: bobby mcferrin, concert review, don't worry be happy, hult center, obf, obf2010, oregon bach fest, oregon bach festival, roger treece, set list, setlist, stangeland family, stangeland family youth choral academy

REVIEW: Pink Martini @ OBF/Hult Center (Eugene, OR – 6/26/10)

27th Jun 10 (Sun) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

The only appropriate way to explain the multi-culturally influenced, genre hopping band Pink Martini is that they are an Oregonian treasure. You expect some schizophrenia when you mix classical, big band, jazz, and pop with vocals in not only English, but also French, two dialects of Italian, Japanese and Turkish. However, that schizophrenic expectation melts away when you see how seamlessly they stir the musical melting pot.

Since 1994, Pink Martini has wowed not only their local Portland Oregonians, but also the world – Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and North America. And while Pink Martini aren’t strangers to Eugene (we’re only 100+ miles south of their hometown), this was their first appearance at the Oregon Bach Festival (OBF).

The “mini orchestra” last night was led by pianist/founder Thomas Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes and includes Timothy Nishimoto (vocals and percussion), Robert Taylor (trombone), Gavin Bondy (trumpet), Phil Baker (bass), Dan Faehnle (guitar), Nicholas Crosa (violin), Maureen Love (harp), Brian Davis (congas, drums and percussion), Derek Rieth (percussion), Martín Zarzar (drums) and more (names announced that weren’t in the program but I didn’t catch).

Saturday’s concert was only the second day of 2010’s OBF, and Pink Martini played the first bit of Bach for the Fest – Double Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor. Pink Martini also dug into many songs from their excellent back catalogue, as well as a few new tunes – including the Turkish song “A Dusty Road” from their upcoming symphonic release.

Setlist: 2 sets spanning 2+ hours

Set 1: Bolero
Let’s Never Stop Falling in Love
Sympathique
Lilly
Kikuchiyo To Mohshimasu
big band instrumental song with band solos
Fantasy in F-minor for Piano and 4 Hands (Schubert)
And Then You’re Gone
But Now I’m Back
Double Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (Bach)
Splendor in the Grass
instrumental song – Spanish flavor
Set 2: Ninna Nanna
Tempo Perdido (Adolfo Alves)
Over the Valley
Tuca Tuca
Hey Eugene
A Dusty Road
Hang On Little Tomato
Dosvedanya Mio Bombino
Encore: Amado Mio
Brazil

Some fan favorites throughout the double set were the entrance of China Forbes with “Let’s Never Stop Falling in Love,” the tango-rific “Lilly,” and the Schubert-inspired “And Then You’re Gone” (with China on vocals) and “But Now I’m Back” (featuring Timothy Nishimoto’s vocal response). Even though the song is not about our fair city, “Hey Eugene” got the biggest crowd reaction. To cap the wonderful night of music, Pink Martini got the crowd on their feet for a conga line with “Brazil.” This was a wonderful ensemble opening to the two week long 40th Annual Oregon Bach Festival.

OBF attendees can win a chance to “cuddle up with Pink Martini.” There is a raffle to win this beautiful Pink Martini quilt (pictured at the right), handsewn by Corvallis fiber artist Karen Illman Miller. It has the band members’ autographs inscribed on each of the pink fabric martini glasses. Miller designed the quilt she calls “Singing the Blues” to help mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Corvallis Youth Symphony in 2007 (Pink Martini had performed with the CYS the prior year). Raffle tickets for the Pink Martini quilt are only $5 and on sale at the Bach Boutique in the Hult Center lobby, where the quilt is on display. The winner will be announced on July 11, prior to the Festival’s Eugene performance of Elijah. All proceeds from the raffle benefit the Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy Scholarship Fund.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

More upcoming OBF shows are running through July 10th. Find out more at http://oregonbachfestival.com/events/

~Dan – np: Damien Jurado – Saint Bartlett

PINK MARTINI at OBF PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (7 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (34 pics)

PINK MARTINI PHOTOS

all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,

you may use freely under a <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/” target=“_blank”>creative commons attribution</a>

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (7 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (34 pics)

Categories: Classical, Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: china forbes, concert photos, concert review, eugene, hult, obf, oregon, oregon bach fest, oregon bach festival, pink martini, set list, setlist, thomas lauderdale

REVIEW: Dream Theater @ Roseland Theater (Portland, OR – 6/21/10)

22nd Jun 10 (Tue) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Progressive metal powerhouse Dream Theater is quite possibly one of the most technically superb group of musicians ever assembled. They’ve also weathered over 20 years in the dog-eat-dog music industry and remained a challenging force in the progressive rock/metal landscape. One might say that they’ve risen to icon status amongst their peers. When I think about drummer Mike Portnoy, guitarist John Petrucci, and bassist John Myung – I can’t really think of many other musicians in any genre that baffle me with their prowess so profoundly.

Singer James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess round out the quintet. They are both very talented in their own right, and while I won’t dwell on it, LaBrie and Rudess sometimes make Dream Theater’s sound a throwback to the 80s… which I suppose is an unfortunate consequence of shrieking singers and ax-blade keytars (come on, guys, this is 2010!). Thankfully, the rhythm from Myung & Portnoy and the shred from Petrucci prevailed for most of the over two hour set. Sorry, but in the everlong, ever-subjective DT-fan keyboardist debate I rank Kevin Moore > Derek Sherinian > Jordan Rudess. Just laying it out there now… sorry if it’s offensive to some. Again, I don’t want to dwell… so back to the positive – all five guys in Dream Theater now run circles around the notes, making them fit in a pretty incredible sonic package.

This show was one of the handful of one-off in between dates as Dream Theater tour the U.S. with metal legends Iron Maiden. If you hit one of the Maiden shows, make sure you show up early, as Dream Theater doesn’t have much input on when they go on, and sometimes it has been before the advertised time.

Luckily, this Portland show was Dream Theater’s to shine. I showed up a little late, and unfortunately missed the opener. Dream Theater started right around 8:45pm and ripped into A Nightmare To Remember from their latest record, Black Clouds and Silver Linings. The 16-minute song (on the record) showcases all five guys’ talents and set the stage for what was to come…

Some of my favorite parts of the set were their earlier tunes… the “puppies on acid” intro to the “The Mirror / Lie” seamless prog-metal fest and the switch-up “Pull Me Under” that converts into “Metropolis Part 1” during the middle of the solos. Wow! The newer tunes, which I consider anything from Scenes from a Memory and on (i.e.- since Jordan joined), were also full of amazing musicianship… led by the “balls and chunk” in “Home” and the instrumental opening to “Count of Tuscany.” Another new era song, “As I Am,” ranks for me due to John Myung’s bass harmonics’ opening and some of my favorite Dream Theater word play (justify / just defy)…

Setlist: 2 hours 15 minutes

A Nightmare To Remember
Constant Motion
Hollow Years
The Mirror / Lie
A Rite Of Passage
Home
Panic Attack
As I Am
Pull Me Under / Metropolis Pt. 1
Encore: The Count Of Tuscany

Brilliant showmanship, technical skill with an air of ease, stellar solos, and only a touch of keytar… Dream Theater is yet again showing up the competition. They are truly the kings of the progressive scene.

(and one from MikePortnoyDT’s twitter…)

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check them out on tour with Iron Maiden now…

~Dan – np: Pink Martini – Hey, Eugene!

DREAM THEATER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (20 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (29 pics)

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Rock & Pop Tags: concert photos, concert review, dream theater, iron maiden, john petrucci, metal, mike portnoy, oregon, portland, prog, progressive, rock, set list, setlist

REVIEW: Imogen Heap @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 6/16/10)

17th Jun 10 (Thu) 2 comments

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:

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

Categories: Concert Photos, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: #ihportland, arlene schnitzer hall, ben christophers, concert photos, concert review, ecotrust, frou frou, geese, imogen, imogen heap, oregon, pop, portland, rock, schnitzer, set list, setlist

REVIEW: Zappa Plays Zappa @ McDonald (Eugene, OR – 6/12/10)

13th Jun 10 (Sun) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Five years running, Dweezil Zappa and his precision-cut Zappa Plays Zappa band have toured the world bringing us a different slice of Frank’s music to our ears. Past tours have featured players from Frank’s own classic ’70s and ’80s band arsenals: Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ray White and more. There are no “old guard” members present in the 2010 incarnation — but regardless of which musicians surround Dweezil’s guitar mastery, the fact remains that the genius, adventurous spirit birthed in Frank’s songs is still alive.

The ZPZ band this time around is Dweezil Zappa: Guitar; Scheila Gonzalez: Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards & Vocals; Pete Griffin: Bass; Billy Hulting: Marimba, Mallets & Percussion (and lead vocals for a bit); Jamie Kime: Guitar; Joe Travers: Drums & Vocals; Ben Thomas on lead vocals; and introducing Chris Norton on Keyboards & Vocals.

With no opener, the band kicked into their long set a little after 9pm… they played a super tight, super long set. Having seen the ZBZ band with Napoleon Murphy Brock and Ray White in the past, I was skeptical of this “new guy” Ben Thomas. He joined the ZPZ band after Ray White left the tour last year. After the first vocal belt, there was no more skepticism… Ben can sing (and plays a mean trumpet, harmonica and cow bell, too). He handled the lows and highs, and carried the tunes in a way that would have made Frank proud.

Throughout the set, each band member got their time to shine… “Echidna’s Arf” was probably the tightest song the band played… lightning fast, and spot on. Dweezil had killer solos on “Florentine Pogen” and “Pick Me, I’m Clean.” “Big Swifty” & “Mystery Roach” showed off great solos from Billy on marimba, Scheila on sax, and Jaime on guitar. Joe’s drum solo at the end of “Latex Solar Beef” could have ended the show, but (lucky for us) they stayed out and finished the main set with “Apostrophe” that featured Pete’s fuzzy, dirty bass groove and solo.

Here’s what they played:

Setlist: about 2 & 1/2 hours

Purple Lagoon
Stinkfoot
Daddy Daddy Daddy
What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?
Florentine Pogen
Big Swifty
Mystery Roach
Advance Romance
The Blue Light
Pick Me, I’m Clean
Blessed Relief
Echidna’s Arf
Keep It Greasey
Easy Meat
The Little House I Used To Live In
Latex Solar Beef (with hints of Willie the Pimp)
Apostrophe
Encore: Lonely Little Girl
City of Tiny Lites
Cosmik Debris
I’m the Slime

As in the past, amazing musicians this time out. Some of the highlights were the aforementioned tight “Echidna’s Arf,” “Florentine Pogen,” and the more gentle “Blessed Relief.” The only song I was craving that wasn’t played was “Peaches En Regalia,” but it was nice to hear some older, rarer Frank songs being trotted out in lieu of the “fan fave” Peaches. As far as sound quality, near the front it was OK, but I heard from people in the middle and back that it was a bit muddy. Regardless of that downside, the evening showed off a super tight band who gave their all! ZPZ band, Eugene loves you! Come back soon!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Zappa Plays Zappa’s Site
ZPZ on MySpace
Dweezil on MySpace
Prior Review~ ZPZ w/ Ray White – Jan 2009 (Portland, OR)
McDonald Theatre

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Jóhann Jóhannsson – & In the Endless Pause There Came Sound of Bees

DWEEZIL ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (18 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (32 pics)

Tour Dates

May 30, ’10 Chilicothe, IL Summer Camp Music Festival
Jun 3, ’10 Mexico City, MX Teatro de la Ciudad
Jun 5, ’10 Ozark, AR Wakarusa Festival
Jun 6, ’10 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
Jun 7, ’10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
Jun 8, ’10 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
Jun 10, ’10 Ventura, CA Ventura Theater
Jun 11, ’10 Santa Rosa, CA Harmony Festival
Jun 12, ’10 Eugene, OR McDonald Theater
Jun 13, ’10 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Jun 14, ’10 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
Jun 15, ’10 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theater
Jun 17, ’10 Richmond, VA Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
Jun 18, ’10 Pittsburgh, PA Palace Theatre
Jun 19, ’10 Tarrytown, NY Music Hall
Jun 24, ’10 Woodstock, NY Bearsville Theater
Jun 25, ’10 Providence, RI Lupo’s
Jun 26, ’10 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Theater
Jun 27, ’10 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
Jun 28, ’10 Verona, NY Turning Stone Resort and Casino
Jun 29, ’10 Niagara Falls, NY The Rapids Theatre
Jul 1, ’10 Bridgeport, CT The Klein
Jul 2, ’10 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Jul 3, ’10 Great Barington, MA The Mahaiwe
Jul 4, ’10 Oxford, ME Nateva Festival
Jul 5, ’10 Moncton, NS Capitol Theater
Jul 6, ’10 Halifax, NS Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
Jul 9, ’10 Amsterdam, NL Melkweg
Jul 10, ’10 TBA, TBA Soon
Jul 11, ’10 Weert, NL Bospop Restival
Jul 12, ’10 Antwerp, BE Openluchttheater
Jul 14, ’10 Tel Aviv, IL Hangar 11
Jul 19, ’10 Nice, FR Nice Jazz Festival
Jul 21, ’10 Cambridge, UK Cambridge Corn Exchange
Jul 22, ’10 Brighton, UK Brighton Centre
Jul 23, ’10 Wolverhampton, UK Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Jul 24, ’10 London, UK London Classic Rock Festival
Jul 25, ’10 Liverpool, UK Liverpool Summer Pops Festival
Jul 26, ’10 Glasgow, UK Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Jul 27, ’10 Gateshead, UK Gateshead The Sage

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop Tags: concert photos, concert review, dweezil, dweezil zappa, eugene, frank zappa, mcdonald theatre, oregon, rock, set list, setlist, zappa, zpz

REVIEW: Holy Fuck @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 6/6/10)

7th Jun 10 (Mon) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

“Analog electronica at its finest.”

One of the best bands that you may have never heard of because of a fear of the unknown and/or an aversion to George Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words is Toronto’s experimental electro-rock band Holy Fuck.

Starting off more experimental with their self-titled debut in 2005 and moving into a more groove-fueled diet of instrumental rock in 2007, Holy Fuck has been tearing up clubs around Canada, Europe, and the United States for the past few years. Their records are superb, and their live shows are even better. This show in Portland was stacked with some other electro-pop favorites…

Portland-based Fake Drugs went on a little after 9pm. They are made up of a few guys from Starfucker – Keil Corcoran and Shawn Glassford. Their sound was a nice pop electronic. Primarily rhythm guitar & live drums with primarily pre-recorded keyboards & loops. Danceable and fun… not what I expected from Starfucker gents, but a good warm up.

Another Portland band, Nice Nice had a great electro-pop sound. This two piece band was the primary tour support for Holy Fuck. Fewer guys on stage compared to Fake Drugs, but it seemed like they had more going on. The drummer played both live drums and electronic drum pads… there was a nice juxtaposition of both the organic and artificial sounds – usually intertwined with each song. The singer played keys, electronic drum pads, as well as guitar. They have a building, electronic-rock sound, much like Holy Fuck… they meshed really well, and I can see why HF brought them along.

On to Holy Fuck…

The seemingly scattered performance with keyboards, toy instruments, live drums & bass, 35mm audio strip replay, guitars, and distorted vocals ultimately leads into the music that is undeniably catchy and composed. Brian Borchedt and Graham Walsh man the up-front melodic and non-melodic drive of the band, and bassist Matt McQuaid and drummer Matt Schulz are an excellent battery to fuel the groove. They’re out supporting their latest, excellent record, LATIN. It’s out now on CD, vinyl, and download formats (click picture to the right). Personally speaking, it’s one of my favorite albums this year so far.

Holy Fuck went on at 11:25 and kicked it right off with the charged “Latin America.” The band seemed pretty charged up, especially bassist Matt McQ… who really looked to be having a blast. They plowed through an over hour set, hitting many of their new tunes, with some choice cuts from LP and the new version “Jungles” (on the +Ghost EP, based on the 2005 debut’s “Tonebank Jungle”).

Even if you aren’t a dancin’ fool… you’ll usually be turned into one at a Holy Fuck show. The very danceable set was met with a severe lack of dancing from the crowd compared to past shows I’ve witnessed. Perhaps it was a “Portland on a rainy Sunday” thing, because Holy Fuck was deep in the groove but the crowd seemed more concerned with their PBR’s. Regardless of the “dancin’ deficit,” the crowd definitely showed their appreciation for the mighty HF via hoots & hollers…

Here’s what they played as best I remembered the song names…

Setlist: ~70 mins

Latin America
Super Inuit
Foxy
Jungles
1MD / Red Lights
SHT MTN
Frenchy’s
Stay Lit
Lovely Allen
The Pulse
Stilettos
Encore: unknown… a really dirty, fuzzed out riff
P.I.G.S.

Brilliant show… my favorite was Red Lights, and its deep groove and killer bass. Jungles and Stay Lit were close behind. Stay Lit is probably HF’s most mellow song, and it features Brian on guitar instead of the electronics table. They ended the night with a new song (or at least new to me) featuring a really fuzzy, dirty bass followed by P.I.G.S..

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Holy Fuck’s Site
Holy Fuck on MySpace
My Prior HF Reviews~
- Doug Fir Lounge in Portland (June 2009)
- Southgate House in Cincinnati (April 2007)
Great Recent HF Videos~
- The Cake Shop in NYC
- SXSW 2010 – Baeble Music Stage
Nice Nice’s Site
Nice Nice on MySpace
Fake Drugs on MySpace
Mississippi Studios

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Waka/Jawaka

HOLY FUCK, FAKE DRUGS & NICE NICE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Holy Fuck 2010 N.A. Tour Dates (so far)

May 28 Le Poisson Rouge New York, New York #
May 29 The Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts #
May 30 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania #
May 31 Rock N Roll Hotel Washington, Washington DC #
Jun 1 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, Ohio #
Jun 3 Turf Club Saint Paul, Minnesota #
Jun 6 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon #
Jun 8 The Independent San Francisco, California #
Jun 10 Troubadour Los Angeles, California #
Jul 5 Club Soda – Festival International de Jazz de Montreal Montreal, Quebec
Jul 9 Molson Amphitheatre Toronto, Ontario ^
Jul 30 Sappyfest Sackville, New Brunswick
# w/ Nice Nice
^ w/ Metric and Passion Pit

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Post-rock Tags: concert photos, concert review, experimental, fake drugs, holy fuck, Indie Rock, latin, mississippi studios, nice nice, oregon, portland, rock, set list, setlist, starfucker

REVIEW: final ISIS tour @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 5/29/10)

30th May 10 (Sun) 10 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

On May 18, 2010, post-metal powerhouse ISIS officially called it quits. They did everything they wanted to do, and said everything they wanted to say… and this May & June tour would be their last. It was a good run: 13 years and 5 brilliant studio albums.

The break-up news was deeply saddening news to the fans, but at least we get one last hurrah.

The show opened with Jakob (a three-piece from New Zealand). They played a solid 40-minute set of instrumental post-rock. They had heavy moments, but they were decidedly the “calmest” of the trio of bands last night. They were really tight and created a great, building wall of sound. Great for fans of a harder edged Explosions in the Sky. Jakob’s debut, Solace, is out now.

Tombs (a four-piece from Brooklyn) were more in the metal category. Guttural vocals, double kick drum blasts, but more building in their guitar sound compared to other metal fare (e.g.- similar to ISIS versus Slayer). A great 40-minute onslaught to our ears. Check out their album, Winterhours.

ISIS went on just before 11pm and came out hard and heavy… while both Jakob and Tombs were tight, it seemed as though things got kicked up a notch when Isis hit the stage. The audience crowded the stage to be pummeled by the sweeping and soaring musical backbone amidst Aaron Turner’s powerful voice…

They played a hauntingly brutal mix from Wavering Radiant, In the Absence of Truth, and a few oldies thrown in as well. There were a handful of moments of Aaron’s more melodic vocals, but that was few and far between… the show tended to show off Isis’s more pained vocal cuts. They played about 90 minutes…

Setlist: (thanks for corrections from a fellow fans)

Deconstructing Towers
Not In Rivers, But In Drops
So Did We
Threshold of Tranformation
Ghost Key
Collapse and Crush
From Sinking
Encore: In Fiction
The Beginning and the End

It’s sad to see Isis end, but at least they are ending with a kick ass tour. Also, if you go to one of the shows (see below), there is a TON of merch… they’ve brought about everything each member has ever been involved in. I dropped some coin for the Japanese limited edition Panopticon, Oceanic, 7.23.06 live, and the Melvin split 12″ vinyl. That was barely scratching the surface for this excellent “Isis Garage Sale.”

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out the final tour dates for ISIS below.

~Dan – np: Ellery – This Isn’t Over Yet

ISIS, Jakob & Tombs PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

ISIS – 2010 TOUR DATES
May 26 2010 The Casbah w/ Jakob & Tombs San Diego, California, US
May 29 2010 Wow Hall w/ Jakob & Tombs Eugene, Oregon , US
May 31 2010 Rickshaw Theatre w/ Jakob & Tombs Vancouver, British Co, CA
Jun 1 2010 Neumo’s w/ Jakob & Tombs Seattle, Washington, US
Jun 2 2010 Doug Fir Lounge w/ Jakob & Tombs Portland, Oregon , US
Jun 4 2010 Great American Music Hall w/ Jakob & Tombs San Francisco, California, US
Jun 5 2010 The Troubadour w/ Jakob & Tombs Los Angeles, California, US
Jun 12 2010 Bonnaroo Festival W/ Clutch, Melvins, Flaming Lips, etc. Manchester, Tennessee , US
Jun 14 2010 40 Watt Club w/ Melvins Athens, Georgia , US
Jun 16 2010 9:30 Club w/Melvins Washington, Washington, US
Jun 17 2010 Theater Of Living Arts (TLA) w/ Melvins Philadelphia, Pennsylvan, US
Jun 18 2010 Webster Hall w/ Melvins New York, New York , US
Jun 19 2010 Music Hall Of Williamsburg w/ Melvins Brooklyn, New York , US
Jun 20 2010 Paradise Rock Club w/ Melvins Boston, Massachuse, US
Jun 21 2010 Paradise Rock Club w/ Melvins Boston, Massachuse, US
Jun 22 2010 Port City Music Hall w/ Cave In Portland, Maine , US
Jun 23 2010 Club Soda w/ Cave In Montreal, Quebec , CA

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Post-rock Tags: break up, concert photos, concert review, eugene, final tour, finale, ipecac, isis, jakob, metal, oregon, post-metal, post-rock, set list, setlist, wavering radiant, wow hall

REVIEW: Kaki King with An Horse @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 5/16/10)

17th May 10 (Mon) 1 comment

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

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: an horse, concert photos, concert review, eugene, Indie Rock, kaki king, kate cooper, oregon, pop, rock, set list, setlist, wow hall

REVIEW: Kaki King @ CD World (Eugene, OR – 5/16/10)

16th May 10 (Sun) 4 comments

As a warm up for her show tonight at WOW Hall, Kaki King stopped by and wowed us at CD World (i.e.- the best CD shop in Eugene). Here’s what she played:

(click on the photos for larger)

In-Store Setlist:

Bone Chaos in the Castle
The Betrayer
Death Head [YouTube]
Sunnyside
Camp Out (An Horse song w/ Kate Cooper) [YouTube]

http://www.kakiking.com/ – http://www.anhorse.com/

all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

See y’all at WOW Hall tonight!

~Dan – np: Ani DiFranco – Live at Bull Moose Music 4/17/09

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop Tags: an horse, cd world, concert photos, concert review, eugene, guitar god, kaki king, oregon, set list, setlist, virtuoso

REVIEW: That 1 Guy & Boy Eats Drum Machine @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 5/15/10)

16th May 10 (Sun) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I’ve been a fan of That 1 Guy and the Magic Pipe since seeing him a dank club in Cincinnati opening for Drums & Tuba in the early 2000s. He’s toured incessantly throughout the decade, hitting some major festivals and being a supporting act for some big bands. It’s been nice to see his fanbase grow, and at many times I didn’t think his music was growing all that much. Well, he proves us wrong with his fourth record, Packs a Wallop. He seems to have found a nice balance between the experimentation and the groove. The lyrical silliness is still there, but that’s part of the charm…

The opener was Portland’s Boy Eats Drum Machine. Boy Eats Drum Machine is a one man band made up of Jon Ragel and his musical toys. I was only familiar with the video for “Hoop + Wire” (see below). It’s a clever video, but I didn’t think it gave any insight into his live set. Well, the Eugene crowd was blown away, to say the least. He put out an incredibly danceable mix of record spinning, drum machine, live drums, saxophone and vocals. He has a great voice, passion, and energy.

Boy Eats Drum Machine “Hoop + Wire”

Well, no, his live set wasn’t stop-motion animation, but it was as full of energy and fun as the video shows. Eugene ate Boy Eats Drum Machine. Portland, you can’t have him back!!

After only a short break, Mike Silverman aka That 1 Guy joined the Magic Pipe on stage for almost two and a half hours of lights, smoke, lasers, and all around jam-worthy tom-foolery…

Mr. Guy played almost non-stop, busting through his catalogue… playing many tunes from his latest album…

Setlist: almost 2 1/2 hours

Modern Man
Packs a Wallop
Buttmachine (with extended jam)
How’s Bout Them Holes In The Moon (Butter Side Down)
Heaven or Heck
Jam
Stones Throw
Oranges
Bananas
Laser Beans
Step Into Striped Light
Mustaches
Jam
Rainbow
Dig
One
“Magic Show”
Credit Card Jam
Lounge Outtro
Encore: Weasel Potpie
The Moon is Disgusting
Word Up (Cameo cover)
Lounge Outtro

Of the frequent stops through Eugene, this one seemed to be the most action packed. He had full reign to play a longer set, and his light show has definitely stepped up a notch (I did miss the Mustaches & Laser Beams tour; so maybe this is just a continuation). He pulled out the magic saw and magic boot near the end of the show. He also treated the crowd to his magic card tricks and laser bows. Ever the showman, he was soaking wet by the end of the night, yet still full of energy…