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REVIEW: Derek Webb & Jennifer Knapp @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 4/27/10)

28th Apr 10 (Wed) 11 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

There’s something about songwriters that draw me in. With Derek Webb, I’ve been a long time fan since 1996… ever since first seeing him with his folksy-poppy band Caedmon’s Call. While I dug Caedmon’s a lot as a group, I really enjoyed Derek’s songwriting the most. He seemed to have the more “real life” songs – ones I could relate to the most. His initial departure from the band went OK with me, as he kept making solo music… starting out in the traditional acoustic and then morphing into more rock and even electronic-infused meets acoustic. His last album, 2009’s Stockholm Syndrome, was one of my favorites from last year (#3 to be exact).

Stockholm Syndrome fuses some great keys & beats from fellow Caedmon’s Call member Joshua Moore with Derek’s solid songwriting. Lyrically, Derek tackles many issues that I think are relevant and important to everyone (not just christians) – including, but not limited to, addressing Fred “God Hates F-gs” Phelps from the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church (“Freddie Please”) to one-side of a superficial relationship with a club beat (“Jena & Jimmy”) to the conflict of a walk of faith and easier route living in the world at large (at least, that’s my take on “The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum”) to the seemingly-singling out of homosexuality in the church as a major sin (“What Matters More“).

“What Matters More” is a song that resonates with me, as it is a big part of why I eventually left the church. The church’s singling out of one sin over another really hit me as hypocritical, legalistic, and not loving. If this was the god that the bible talked about, I didn’t want to be part of this disease. If this wasn’t god’s view, then I didn’t want to be part of this group of “believers.” Regardless of my personal road that led to a lack of faith and becoming an atheist, I still hold Derek’s music closely, as I think of any christian artist, he seems to “get it.”

Derek going out on tour with Jennifer Knapp ended up being a perfect match (she just “came out” as being in a long-term, committed same-sex relationship). This isn’t shocking to me, and I wish it didn’t even have to be mentioned. Why is someone’s sexuality any of our business? I suppose that in this day and age, especially coming from a christian musician, this “coming out” has to occur to set the record straight that there is nothing wrong with this. I’m happy that she was finally comfortable coming back into making music, touring and coming out to be true to herself. I didn’t know much of her music prior to this show (though she was on my radar back when I was a music buyer at a christian bookstore in the Midwest), but I was equally excited to see her play alongside Derek.

Amy Courts opened the show right at 8pm. She only played about 3 songs, but had a lot of banter (she was up there about 20 minutes). Her banter was quite adorable, and her songs were in a similar acoustic singer-songwriter vein to both Webb & Knapp. Amy had a gentler song in the middle, but her opener and closer showed off her powerful voice. Definitely a good warm up…

Derek Webb went on immediately after Amy. I guess with a bunch of acoustic guitars and no backing bands, it’s easy to stack the artists right after one another.

Prior to the show, I wasn’t sure how the Stockholm Syndrome songs would translate to solo acoustic, and according to Derek – he can only play about half of them on a solo tour. With that being said, he played a good mix of older tunes, newer tunes, and even a brand new Caedmon’s Call song…

Derek’s Setlist: about 50 mins

Heaven
A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fear
New Law
My Enemies Are Men Like Me
Freddie, Please
Nobody Loves Me
God’s Home Town (new Caedmon’s Call song)
Wedding Dress
What Matters More
American Flag Umbrella

My favorites from his set were the last three, but I enjoyed his set throughout. Derek was fighting some form of sickness, which contributed a little bit to his normal raspiness (which I love). Hopefully he’ll come by soon and be able to be more talkative, as that’s usually where things get interesting. :)

After a short 10-minute break, Jennifer Knapp hit the stage. As mentioned previously, I was not too familiar with her music, but I did recognize one of the tunes early on from my old christian bookstore days – “Whole Again.” I also recognized “Dive In” from her webpage. She definitely had a powerful voice and stage presence. I can totally see her draw… she’s a great performer and has some vocal and guitar chops.

Some of her songs were a bit too “christianeze” for my tastes. Though, she is decidedly less CCM-y than most, and I can definitely appreciate that. :) One funny moment (to me) was her describing how “such and such” song was written a while ago but never put on a record because it didn’t have the right mentioning of “Jesus” and wasn’t as religious, etc – but to me, it definitely seemed religious… I mean, why do christians many times think that songs aren’t religious if they don’t use “god” or Jesus’ name directly? This song’s mentioning being “in need of mercy” (among other things) definitely had a religious bent, if you ask me. Anyway, christians’ perceptions of christian songs gets a chuckle out of me. That’s all. She is enough of a cross-over lyricist where I think she’ll do fine on the Lilith Fair circuit… she’s a powerful woman musician warrior.

I enjoyed just under an hour of Jennifer’s set before heading out back home to Eugene. I did catch a few songs with Amy Court joining her, and I’m sure Derek joined her later in the set (as he has done in the past). All in all, I thought it was an A+ triple singer-songwriter bill. If you have any thoughts on Jennifer’s set or if you have her setlist, please post in the comments.

This was one of the last shows featuring both Derek & Jennifer. Derek Webb will likely be more involved in the Caedmon’s Call album wrap-up in the coming months (I’m hoping they tour with Derek). Jennifer Knapp will be on the Lilith Fair tour in 2010 alongside many other great artists. I’d highly (HIGHLY) recommend Derek’s latest album, Stockholm Syndrome. Also, check out Jennifer’s album, Letting Go, when it drops on May 11th…

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Erin McKeown – Hundreds of Lions

AMY COURTS, DEREK WEBB
& JENNIFER KNAPP PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

REVIEW: Erin McKeown & Emily Wells @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 4/21/10)

22nd Apr 10 (Thu) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

(despite these pictures, this show was not a head-scratcher)

Last night, the Mississippi Studios in Portland had a triple-bill tour de force. Almost two and a half hours from three wonderful musicians – violinist indie-rapper Emily Wells, folk-pop songwriter Erin McKeown, and Portland-based singer Timmy Straw. All three were showered us with great music (both old and new)…

Timmy Straw hit the stage late and quickly went into the first number. Timmy’s vocals were gorgeous, in that gristly-yearning kind of way. Songs were mostly haunting piano numbers, but there was some electronic-infusion on a song or two. I picked up Timmy’s equally gorgeous debut CD, 2009’s State Parks. Timmy only had a little banter during the set, playing fairly straight from one to the next (playing about 6 or 7 songs in a half hour). Songs I did catch names for are “Rock of Ages,” “Scoops,” and “Herakles.” I highly recommend State Parks. I think you can only get it at shows at this point (if someone has other info, please pass it along).

Erin McKeown went on around 10 and his us with a lot of gems from her latest album, Hundreds of Lions, out on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. I’d seen her a couple times prior (in Cincinnati), and she was just as adorable and delightfully charming with her stories and music as she can be. My wife noted (and I agree) that Erin has such great stage presence and spark. She’s a ball of joy and it comes through in her songs…

Erin’s Setlist: ~45 mins

“Manifestra” (new song)
Cinematic
Santa Cruz
You, Sailor
(Put the Fun Back in) the Funeral
Queen of Quiet
Didn’t They
“Train of Steel” (new song)
Lullaby in 3/4

Emily went on around 11 and started swinging with her crowd-pleasin’ hip-hop numbers. She employed Doug from the Portland Cello Project during half of her set. I saw her play with the PCP last summer, and it’s what had me sold on her music. She switched between violin and various other toys in her arsenal (toy pianos, drum loops, toy microphones, guitar, ukulele, etc). She relied a lot on looping – which is always fun, as far as I’m concerned. The hour-long Emily Wells “solo/live remix” included some of her Symphonies, her über-fun Notorious B.I.G. cover, as well as some newer songs… oh, and she was sportin’ some bling…

Emily’s Setlist: ~1 hour

If You Love Me, Really Love Me
Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun
Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well & the Requiem Mix
Juicy (Notorious B.I.G.)
Mama’s Gonna Give You Love (new song)
Give Ya Everything (new song)
Let Your Guard Down (new song)
The Fire Song (new song)
Passenger
Encore: Symphony 9 & the Sunshine

Emily has a new album coming out later this year, and also a project with Dan the Automator called Pillowfight. Check her out on the MySpaces to keep in the loop. We headed back home to Eugene around midnight… tired, but content.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Ozomatli – Fire Away
no download or free torrent mp3 flac available
support music by buying it

EMILY WELLS, ERIN McKEOWN
& TIMMY STRAW PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld and Margaret O’Brien,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, emily wells, erin mckeown, mississippi studios, oregon, pop, portland, righteous babe, rock, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, timmy straw

REVIEW: Jónsi of Sigur Rós @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 4/13/10)

14th Apr 10 (Wed) 6 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Jon Thor Birgisson aka “Jónsi” has a majestic voice and a penchant for clever, extravagant, and utterly gorgeous stage show that converts the already beautiful music into something worthy of an art exhibit. His voice is well known in the indie rock scene via his long history bringing the enigmatic Sigur Rós to our shores/ears.

Sigur Rós is on a hiatus while many of the members’ families welcome new children into their lives; so Jónsi decided to follow-up his last album (Riceboy Sleeps with his partner Alex) with a “solo acoustic album.” That “solo acoustic” album morphed into what became GO, a not-so-acoustic album. Go fits in with the most recent Sigur Rós album (Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust). It’s a “more accessible rock” affair full of the ideals, quirks, and high quality craftsmanship we’ve come to expect.

That high quality craftsmanship shows in Jónsi’s decision to bring in 59 Productions to work up his tour stage. If I wasn’t sold on going to see Jónsi before, the lead-up to the show was almost unbearable after seeing the 59 Productions behind the scenes video. More on that later… first, the opener…

Death Vessel (aka Joel Thibodeau) hit the stage around 8 and played a 35 minute set (6-7 songs). His songs were gentle acoustic numbers, and his voice reminded me a lot of the late Jeff Hanson (nice falsetto). The crowd seemed a little restless near the end, but I thought Death Vessel put out an enjoyable set.

Jónsi went on right at 9pm and started the show with just an acoustic guitar solo tune, Stars in Still Water. Shortly thereafter the band joined him and the stage show began. The walls and projectors played for about half of the songs in the set, and ranged from butterflies, to other animals, to a rainstorm that turned into a flood. Some of the coolest effects were the burning stage-pieces early on, as well as the water flood. It was quite astonishing how well done everything was… and it didn’t take away from the music at all.

Setlist: ~85 minutes

Stars in Still Water (solo)
Hengilás
Icicle Sleeves (K14 or Red Bicycle)
Kolniður
Tornado
Saint Naive (K7)
Sinking Friendships
Go Do
Boy Lilikoi
K12
New Piano Song (K365)
Around Us (with acoustic piano intro)
Encore: Jonsi New Guitar Song
Animal Arithmetic (Jonsi donned a colorful headdress)
Grow Till Tall

The fave songs of the night were Tornado, Go Do, Boy Lilikoi & Grow Till Tall – as those were the ones that resonate with me the most from the record. All in all, it was an utterly superb show, and it ranks easily in my favorite shows ever (which includes many Sigur Rós shows, too). The stage, the songs, the voice, the beauty… I hope Jónsi comes back through soon – either solo or with his “main band.”

Speaking of bands… the band members for Jónsi’s solo tour are Alex Somers on guitar, Úlfur Hansson on bass, þorvaldur þorvaldsson on drums and Ólafur Björn Ólafsson on piano

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Jónsi’s Site
Jónsi’s 2010 Tour Recap splashpage
Jónsi on MySpace
59 Productions (Jónsi’s stagecraft masters)
Sigur Rós’ Site
Sigur Rós on MySpace
Death Vessel
Death Vessel on MySpace
Roseland Theater
Other Reviews of Interest:
- My Sigur Rós Oct 2008 Review (with photos)
- SPIN‘s Vancouver Review (April 2010)
- Brooklyn Vegan‘s Vancouver Review (April 2010)
- RAW Pie Recipes from Jónsi & Alex’s cookbook

OK, I’m off for a while… if you comment, sorry if I won’t/can’t respond (or potentially be able to approve comments) for a bit. Anyway, for those of you who are going to one of the upcoming dates, have fun. It is an AMAZING show. Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome

JÓNSI (from Sigur Rós) & DEATH VESSEL PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

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2010 North American Tour Dates

april 6 vancouver, canada vogue theatre
april 7 vancouver, canada vogue theatre
april 9 seattle, wa the showbox sodo
april 10 seattle, wa the showbox sodo
april 13 portland, or roseland theatre
april 15 berkeley, ca zellerbach auditorium
april 16 san francisco, ca palace of fine arts
april 18 indio, ca coachella
april 21 denver, co paramount theatre
april 22 lawrence, ks liberty hall
april 24 minneapolis, mn pantages theatre
april 25 minneapolis, mn pantages theatre
april 26 milwaukee, wi the pabst theatre
april 27 chicago, il vic theatre
april 28 chicago, il vic theatre
april 30 toronto, canada sound academy
may 1 toronto, canada sound academy
may 2 montreal, canada metropolis
may 3 philadelphia, pa electric factory
may 5 boston, ma house of blues
may 6 boston, ma house of blues
may 8 new york, ny terminal 5
may 9 new york, ny terminal 5

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Post-rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter, World Music Tags: 59 productions, amazing, ambient, concert photos, concert review, death vessel, Go, iceland, icelandic music, Jónsi Birgisson, jon thor, jonsi, light show, pop, rock, set list, setlist, sigur ros

REVIEW: Tegan & Sara @ Keller Auditorium (Portland, OR – 4/8/10)

9th Apr 10 (Fri) 11 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Last night’s Portland show was near the end of a long, 3 month tour for Tegan and Sara‘s sixth album, Sainthood. The record (out last fall) is rockier than their prior, but fits in with their near history. A great mix of pop songwriting with an alternative, modern rock edge. The twin sisters trade off on vocal duty, and this is their first record where they actually wrote the songs together in the same room. The closeness shows in the cohesiveness of this record compared to 2007’s The Con or 2004’s So Jealous (both great records as well).

Upon arrival to the Keller Auditorium, I got a good chuckle out of “tailgators” in a nearby park running through the oddly entrancing “Alligator” dance (see the music video). If you hadn’t heard, there’s also a remix LP out now of the Alligator Remixes.

Holly Miranda was the first opener and went on right after 7:30. I wasn’t expecting a full band for her, but more of a singer-songwriter. Her band put together a great 30 minute set – more like a singer-songwriter vibe with a rockin’ boost. I didn’t know any of her music, but I’ll definitely check her out soon.

Steel Train hit the stage after a short set break. They’re all seemingly young guys from New Jersey, but they played a very throw-back, ‘cross-the-big-pond 30 minute set. Really reminiscent of 80s Brit-poprock, they had a great stage presence. The lead singer was very humbled alongside his rock energy… again, they seemed like really nice gents. Great tunes, great energy. Their set was capped by some crew coming out and drumming alongside them – one in a gorilla costume.

Tegan and Sara hit the stage right at 9pm. They came out blazin’ with quartet of songs from their latest record… The Ocean, On Directing, The Cure, and Alligator. I’m actually a little surprised they didn’t try to incorporate some of the aforementioned “Alligator dancers” in their stage show.

Tegan and Sara both switched between guitars and keys. Most of the vocal duties for the night were Tegan’s, but Sara had a few of her songs in the mix as well. The set was primarily made up of selections from Sainthood and The Con, but they threw in a handful of older tunes for good measure. Both Tegan and Sara had some funny stories (and a little bit of sisterhood bickering). It was cute… :)

Setlist: about 95 minutes

The Ocean
On Directing
The Cure
Alligator
You Wouldn’t Like Me
I Bet It Stung
The Con
Nineteen
Northshore
Night Watch
Red Belt
Monday Monday Monday
Where Does The Good Go
Speak Slow
Walking With A Ghost
So Jealous
Hop A Plane
Sentimental Tune
Hell
Encore: Back In Your Head (acoustic)
Dark Come Soon
Divided
Call It Off
Living Room

Due to it being the last night of the tour, emotions ran high (for all bands). The bands also seemed really well practiced. The show ended early (comparably to most rock shows), but due to its earlier start time, we all got a great amount of bang for our buck. I imagine Tegan and Sara will take a bit of time off before the summer festival circuit, but I hope they swing through Oregon again soon!!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out their past 2010 tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Jónsi – Go

no free download or torrent available

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

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The North American Sainthood 2010 Tour Dates

January 5 – 6 Vancouver, BC Orpheum
January 7 Kelowna, BC Community Theatre
January 8 – 9 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
January 11 – 12 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
January 13 Saskatoon, SK Saskatchewan Place Concert Bowl
January 14 – 15 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
January 18 Montreal, QC Place des Arts
January 19 – 20 Toronto, ON Kool Haus
January 22 – 23 Ottawa, ON Bronson Centre
January 25 Quebec City, QC Imperial Du Quebec
January 26 Fredericton, NB Fredericton Playhouse
January 27 Halifax, NS Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
February 12 Northampton, MA Calvin Theater
February 13 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
February 16 Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre
February 17 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
February 18 Richmond, VA The National
February 20 Tampa, FL Tampa Theatre
February 21 Boca Raton, FL Sunset Cove Amphitheatre
February 23 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
February 24 New Orleans, LA Tipitina’s Uptown
February 25 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
February 26 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall
February 27 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
March 2 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
March 3 San Diego, CA Copley Symphony Hall
March 5 – 6 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
March 24 Minneapolis, MN The Orpheum Theatre
March 25 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre
March 26 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
March 27 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
March 28 Lakewood, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
March 30 Columbus, OH PromoWest Pavilion
April 2 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
April 3 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
April 4 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
April 6 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
April 8 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop Tags: alternative rock, concert photos, concert review, holly miranda, Indie Rock, keller auditorium, oregon, pop, portland, rock, set list, setlist, steel train, tegan and sara

REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland, OR – 3/31/10)

1st Apr 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Nellie McKay‘s most recent album, As Normal As Blueberry Pie, came out last year, and while different from her prior records, it definitely fit in her catalog nicely. It featured her at her campiest but also her jazziest, versus her edgier side. For evidence of the campiness, check out the lovely publicity shots over on nelliemckay.com. The serious and silliness perfectly fit her personality. I wouldn’t want Nellie any other way.

On to the show…

The venue, Berbati’s Pan, was known to me more for its rock acts. The “jazzy, bluesy, singer-songwriter evening” in store for us was bound to be a big question mark regarding how it would come across… well, it was delightful. The lighting and small couches on the outskirts of the club made for a nice atmosphere. We got to the show just before Howard went on. Most of the people were hanging out on the chairs & couches; so we got some spots right up front.

Howard Fishman opened up the show and hit the stage around 8:45pm. He played guitar in Nellie’s backing band, the Aristocrats, last fall. He played a good set of bluesy standards and originals. He had a lap steel guitarist, Henry Bogdan, playing with him. He played about 25-30 minutes, primarily “upbeat blues” tunes… with a few darker tunes thrown in near the end. Some of my favorites were “The One Rose (That’s Left in My Heart),” a silly song about the Red Sox, and the capper called “Best Days.”

After a short break, Nellie hit the stage alongside both Howard and Henry around 9:20pm. Her set was a more stripped down version of what she brought to Seattle last fall. A great selection of Doris Day and other older standards, with a few of her own songs thrown in for good measure. Her originals were some of my favorites for the night – specifically “Toto Dies” and “The Dog Song.” The newer cover tunes added to her setlist – “Small Day Tomorrow” and “Two Sleepy People” – were really great as well.

She was a giddy and lovable as usual… very jokey and generally in a delightful mood.

Setlist: about 75 minutes

Do Do Do (Doris Day cover)
Sentimental Journey (Doris Day Cover)
A Wonderful Guy (Doris Day cover)
Georgie Girl (The Seekers cover)
Mean to Me (Doris Day cover)
Prisoner of Love (Kitty Wells cover)
Close Your Eyes (Doris Day cover)
“Happy Birthday” (to Becky)
If I Ever Had a Dream
Toto Dies
P.S. I Love You
Mother of Pearl
Alone When It Rains (duet with Howard Fishman)
The Dog Song
A-Tisket, A-Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald cover)
Small Day Tomorrow (Bob Dorough / Fran Landesman cover)
Crazy Rhythm (Doris Day cover)
Encore: “Old-fashioned Bodega” (title unknown)
Two Sleepy People (Hoagy Carmichael cover, duet with Howard Fishman)

many more photos below

Howard joined her on vocals on two songs. “Alone When It Rains” is actually a song of his, which was sung last night as a tribute to her former dog, Charro. The Hoagy Carmichael duet (“Two Sleepy People”) had a giggle-fit lyrical screw up, but they kept rolling with it. Henry’s lap steel changed the Doris Day sound to a more bluesy feel from the jazz sound of the Aristocrats backing band. The more stripped down Nellie backing band was a treat. I hope she keeps on swinging through the Pacific Northwest.

They’re off to Seattle next (check out more tour dates below). Catch them if you can!

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Coheed & Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow

no free download or torrent here
2010 Tour Dates (so far)

3/28/2010 Los Angeles, CA Alex Theatre
3/29/2010 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
3/31/2010 Portland, OR Berbati’s Pan
4/3/2010 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater A Prairie Home Companion
4/10/2010 Delaware Water Gap, PA Deerhead Inn
5/15/2010 Sellersville, Pennsylvania Sellersville Theater 1894
6/1/2010 through 6/12/2010 New York, NY Feinstein’s at The Regency
9/17/2010 Monterey, California, United States Monterey Jazz Festival

NELLIE McKAY with HOWARD FISHMAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

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Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: berbati's pan, blues, concert photos, concert review, doris day, howard fishman, jazz, nellie mckay, oregon, pop, portland, rock, set list, setlist

REVIEW: Jake Shimabukuro @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – 3/16/10)

17th Mar 10 (Wed) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Jake Shimabukuro is an amazing guitar player. The media that he uses to express that phenomenal talent is on the diminutive instrument known as the ukulele. The ukulele’s use is more popular in traditional Hawaiian music, but it has made its way into mainland pop music recently via the likes of Ingrid Michaelson, Amanda Palmer, and one of my favorites – Nellie McKay (review / ukulele pic).

Well, Jake brings his music from Hawaii, but he is nothing resembling a “traditional” Hawaiian ukulele player.He is a master fret-worker on the ukulele and brings sounds out of it that you wouldn’t necessarily find on the islands.

Jake Shimabukuro hit the stage around 7:30pm. His set bridged gaps between traditional Hawaiian music, to jazz, to blues, to classical, to folk, to classic rock, to bluegrass, to flamenco, to traditional Japanese music. He played a few new tunes from his forthcoming album including “143” and “Piano-Forte.” The latter was written with two piano parts (left and right hand), and due to Jake only containing the standard issue “two hands” only played the left-handed rendition. We’ll have to wait for the album for the full version.

Here’s what he blessed us with last night…

Setlist: about 90 mins

143
Blue Roses Falling
Me & Shirley T.
Let’s Dance
Dragon
“Bowing for the Queen” story
In My Life (Beatles)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Beatles)
Sakura Sakura
Piano-Forte (left hand rendition)
Trapped
Five Dollars Unleaded
Orange World
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
Encore: Crazy G

Jake was a very talkative person, full of stories about song origins and his childhood: the too many sugary drinks induced “Me & Shirley T.,” the Carlos Montoya-influenced flamenco number “Let’s Dance,” the Bruce Lee meets Eddie Van Halen song “Dragon” (beautifully full of finger taps), playing with Bette Midler and bowing a lot for the Queen of England, the Ralph McDonald (of Jimmy Buffett’s band) 9/8-time rhythm that inspired “Trapped,” and riding around Hawaii in his dad’s old pickup truck. Full of stories, full of excellent melodies and wicked fast hands – Jake Shimabukuro was a treat.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Haftor Medbøe Group – A Box of Monkeys -EP-

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

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Categories: Concert Photos, Post-rock, Rock & Pop, World Music Tags: concert photos, concert review, eugene, hawaii, jake shimabukuro, oregon, rock, set list, setlist, the shedd, ukulele

REVIEW: Fishtank Ensemble @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 3/5/10)

6th Mar 10 (Sat) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Fishtank Ensemble hit the scene in 2005 with Super Raoul. The first record hit my radar with members from bandmembers from bands I was already into: Kevin Kmetz (from God of Shamisen/Estradasphere/Secret Chiefs 3 on occasion), Doug & Tim Smolens (El Douje’s record & Estradasphere), and Adam Stacey (Estradasphere). Only Doug “El Douje” Smolens remains from that first group of guys who got me into the band, but the other members definitely kept me around…

The band is Fabrice Martinez (pictured above – violin), Ursula Knudson (pictured above – vocals, saw, violin, etc), El Douje (guitar) and Djordje Stijepovic (Bass). They play a mix of Eastern European “gypsy” music mixed with a heavy dose of Django Reinhardt influenced French jazz (dominated by guitars & violins). Think… Hot Club de Baltic States. On their records thus far, they also add in some Japanese music (from former member Kevin Kmetz’s shamisen work).

This was my first time to one of their shows. Last time they came through Eugene, I was up in Portland for another band, but my wife gave a rousing thumbs up (she ended up going to see Fishtank at Cozmic Pizza).

The band played about two hours, split up with a nice intermission / snack time in the middle. The band was red hot, and the intimate living room setting made this concert very special. I’ll admit, I’m not usually a fan of vocals as of late, especially in world music. However, Ursula nails it. Seeing her perform in concert 4 feet in front of me was quite stunning. Besides the stunning dress (!!!), her vocals were utterly fantastic! She did a lot of vocal acrobatics, which worked amazingly well with violin, bass and guitar acrobatics that the rest of the band was giving us as well.

They played a lot of material I recognized from their second album, Samurai over Serbia, as well as some new and/or traditional tunes. Here’s what I scribbled down (fixed by bassist Djordje – – Thanks!)…

Setlist:

Espagnolette
Saraiman
Arabo Andaluz
After You’ve Gone
Fraima
Woman in Sin
Swing 2003
Hopa di Bida
Am Furat de la Haidouks (Romanian Sirba dance medley)
<<intermission>>
O’Dewel
Kolo Suite (Serbian/Transylvanian Medley)
Tchiki Tchiki
Djordje’s Rachenitza
Coucou
Opa Opa
Samurai Over Serbia
Encore: Ursula’s high school song
Ciocarlia

They’ve got a new record coming out soon, called Woman in Sin. Keep an eye out for it on their webpage, MySpace, et cetera. Thank you to Michael & Carolyn for putting on a great house show! I look forward to the next Rolling & Tumble house show — Tuvan throat singers!!

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Bill Frisell – Rambler

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

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (4 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (26 pics)

Categories: Concert Photos, World Music Tags: concert photos, concert review, el douje, estradasphere, eugene, fishtank ensemble, god of shamisen, house show, oregon, set list, setlist, Woman in Sin

REVIEW: David Bazan @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 3/4/10)

5th Mar 10 (Fri) 7 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

So, what is there to say about David Bazan that I haven’t already said? Well, not much; so I’ll just recap. In short, he’s a genuine song-writer, an honest thinker, a gentle soul, and a wonderful song-weaver. Since moving to Eugene, I’ve had the opportunity to see him three times… now a fourth. All in a shorter window of time compared to the rare opportunities when I saw him in Ohio.

The show last night was one of the first shows from his Winter/Spring Tour (and the first with opener Headlights). For more tour dates, check out the list at the bottom. At Sam Bond’s Garage, David Bazan isn’t on the same A-frame as a delicious quiche (click for picture from a recent gig), but he does share the venue with some mighty fine pizza and beer.

Headlights were really good. They played about 45 minutes and had some good indie rock / pop songs with nice melodies. They are a traditional four piece (guitar, keys, bass, drums) and swapped lead vocal duties around a bit. Their sound at Sam Bond’s Garage last night was a little too loud, but that’s definitely not the band’s fault. I think Sam Bond’s doesn’t seem to have the acoustics for rock bands (this issue spilled over into David’s set, too). Anyway, Headlights = good. Check ’em out! Here’s the video for their song “Secrets“:

David went on with his band a little after 10pm. His band this time around is Blake Wescott on guitar, Andy Fitts on bas, and Alex Wescoat on drums. The set was filled with songs from his most recent solo album, Curse Your Branches, as well as older material – including a nice collection of Pedro the Lion and Headphones songs. Outsider of the aforementioned curse that Sam Bond’s Garage has on rock bands’ sound, it was a highly enjoyable show. The mix of tunes and passion with which David sings is fun to take in.

Setlist: about 75 minutes

I Do (Pedro the Lion)
Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
Man in Me
Please, Baby, Please
June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
Q&A #1
When We Fell
Magazine (Pedro the Lion)
How I Remember
When They Really Get To Know You, They Will Run (Pedro the Lion)
Q&A #2
Shit Talker (Headphones)
Harmless Sparks
Fewer Broken Pieces
Q&A #3
Bands With Managers (Pedro the Lion)
Bad Diary Days (Pedro the Lion)
Cold Beer and Cigarettes
I Never Wanted You (Headphones)
Penetration (Pedro the Lion)
In Stitches
No Encore

Personally, ending the show with “In Stitches” is perfect. That song sunk in with me last fall, especially the last verse…

When Job asked you a question,
You responded, “Who are you
to challenge your creator?”
Well if that one part is true
It makes you sound defensive
Like you had not thought it through
Like you didn’t have an answer
Like you bit off more than you could chew

So, yeah, the well documented pivot from religious to questioner to agnostic suits Bazan’s songwriting especially well in my book.

more photos below

SO, if you haven’t gotten it already, go check out his new live in the studio recording from his Fall 2009 band tour. Bazan: Live at Electric Audio is a great recording, and it’s out on CD, vinyl, or digital only (for insane people):

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Bill Frisell – Rambler

DAVID BAZAN & HEADLIGHTS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Winter/Spring 2010 Tour Dates

03/03/10 Wed – Salem OR – Ike Box
03/04/10 Thu – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
03/05/10 Fri – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
03/06/10 Sat – Visalia CA – Cellar Door
03/07/10 Sun – Santa Barbara CA – Soho
03/08/10 Mon – Long Beach CA – Alex’s Bar
03/09/10 Tue – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
03/10/10 Wed – Phoenix AZ – Sail Inn
03/12/10 Fri – Norman OK – The Opolis
03/13/10 Sat – Springfield MO – Gallery Sounds
03/14/10 Sun – St Louis MO – Old Rock House
03/15/10 Mon – Newport KY – Southgate House
03/17/10 Wed – Nashville TN – Exit/In
03/18/10 Thu – Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
03/19/10 Fri – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
03/20/10 Sat – Richmond VA – Alley Katz
03/21/10 Sun – Baltimore MD – The Ottobar
03/22/10 Mon – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
03/23/10 Tue – Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
03/27/10 Sat – Grantham PA – Messiah College
03/28/10 Sun – Columbus OH – The Summit
03/29/10 Mon – Bloomington IN – The Bishop
03/30/10 Tue – Grand Rapids MI – Calvin College
04/01/10 Thu – Iowa City IA – The Mill
04/02/10 Fri – Urbana IL – Canopy Club
04/03/10 Sat – DeKalb IL – House Cafe
04/04/10 Sun – Milwaukee WI – Pabst
04/05/10 Mon – St. Paul MN – Turf Club
04/06/10 Tue – Fargo ND – The Aquarium
04/08/10 Thu – Missoula MT – The Palace
04/09/10 Fri – Spokane WA – Empyrean
04/10/10 Sat – Bellingham WA – Western Washington University

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, david bazan, eugene, headlights, headphones, Indie Rock, oregon, pedro the lion, rock, sam bond's garage, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter

REVIEW: Dave Douglas @ PDX Jazz Fest (Portland, OR – 2/28/10)

1st Mar 10 (Mon) 5 comments

Right on the heels of Portland Jazz Fest‘s Dave Holland Quintet and Pharoah Sanders, was Dave Douglas and his Brass Ecstasy band – the capper to the festival. I’d seen Dave Douglas four times before, twice with John Zorn‘s Masada quartet and twice with SF Jazz Collective (with Joe Lovano, Miguel Zenon and others). I was looking forward to seeing my first show with Dave Douglas as primary bandleader.

This new band of his features Dave Douglas on trumpet, Vincent Chancey on french horn, Luis Bonilla on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Nasheet Waits on drums. Their debut album, Spirit Moves, came out last year, and it was in my Top 5 Instrumental Albums from 2009. Go get it!

They hit the stage shortly after 7:30pm and went right into the title track from their record, “Spirit Moves.” It’s a fun number and a great start to the set. Right after that, they did a lengthy version of “Bowie,” which is dedicated to Lester Bowie. It was fun to see that song breathe and take over the room. I’m also impressed by Luis Bonilla’s soloing on it. It has to be difficult to solo on a trombone…

The trombone, horn, and definitely tuba drive the sound of this band to a familiar New Orleans street band – which I’d imagine was what Dave Douglas was aiming his sights towards. Marcus Rojas also did some “tuba beat boxing” to mix things up.

I knew all of the songs they played, but luckily Dave announced them from the stage (yay, I didn’t have to keep them all up in my head)…

Setlist: about 90 minutes

Spirit Moves
Bowie
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams)
Fats
Rava
Awake Nu (Don Cherry)
The Brass Ring (with drum solo)
Mr Pitiful (Otis Redding)
Encore: Twilight of the Dogs

All members got their fair share of solos. The drum solo on “The Brass Ring” was fantastic, and Dave Douglas’s trumpet solos were colorful and vibrant, as usual. Favorites of the night were the bebop of “Fats,” and the acrobatic trumpet on “Rava.” Dave played a lot of that song off mic, yet his sound carried throughout the room. Thank you Portland Jazz Fest! It was a wonderful weekend of great music. See you next year!

I took a few iPhone photos. I wish I was able to bring in my regular camera, as I was right up front and the iPhone only takes marginal photos at best (::sigh::). Anyway, check out my photos below, or check the link at the bottom for PDX Jazz’s Flickr photo stream.

DAVE DOUGLAS’ BRASS ECSTASY PHOTOS
these pictures are (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

For photos from this and other PDX Jazz shows, check out PDX Jazz’s flickr stream:

(photos by Fran Kaufman)

The Appropriate Linkage:

Dave Douglas’s Site
Dave Douglas on MySpace
Greenleaf Music (Dave’s Record Label)
PDX Jazz Fest
Crystal Ballroom
Oregon Music News‘s Review of the Show

~Dan – np: Susie Ibarra & Roberto Rodriguez – Electric Kulintang

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant Tags: brass ecstasy, concert photos, concert review, crystal ballroom, dave douglas, jazz, masada, oregon, pdx jazz, portland, portland jazz, set list, setlist

REVIEW: Pharoah Sanders @ PDX Jazz Fest (Portland, OR – 2/28/10)

1st Mar 10 (Mon) 4 comments

So, Pharoah Sanders is a legend. He’s played with jazz great John Coltrane, and his tenor sax work has eclipsed those around him. Free-jazzmaster Ornette Coleman referred to Pharoah as “probably the best tenor player in the world.” He has a large swath of albums over the past 5 decades. Passing up an afternoon concert at this year’s Portland Jazz Fest wasn’t an option. :)

I was just at the Newmark Theatre the night prior for the smokin’ Dave Holland Quintet show. My seat for Pharoah was is almost the exact same spot (L12 versus L11). I got a good spot right in the middle to check out Pharoah’s band: William Henderson on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Justin Faulkner on drums. After a short introduction, the band hit the stage – Pharoah in a bright purple shirt…

The feel of the show was all over the place. When Pharoah first started, it was quite remarkable. He doesn’t play in straight lines, but your mind tends to connect those lines right as his sax is connecting them for you. He seemed very much like a songbird who was free to sing what he wanted – but still very melodic. He was very much like a bridge between John Coltrane and the more free-jazz Ornette Coleman.

They started off the show with a 25+ minute “My Favorite Things.” Most of the rest of the 2+ hour show was the power trio of piano/bass/drums playing with Pharoah walking on and off stage and jumping in where he saw fit. His long disappearances were interesting, but a 70 year old jazz legend can do whatever he wants. :) On three of the songs, Portland (now New Orleans) saxophonist Devon Phillips came up and joined the band.

They played 6 or 7 tunes, and ended the show with an encore of “Save Our Children,” sung by Pharoah. 2 hours in total… utterly brilliant work from this master and his great band.

For photos from this and other PDX Jazz shows, check out PDX Jazz’s flickr stream:

(photos by Fran Kaufman)

The Appropriate Linkage:

Pharoah Sanders’ Site
Pharoah Sanders on MySpace
PDX Jazz Fest
PCPA – Newmark Theatre
Oregon Music News‘s Review of the Show

~Dan – np: David Bazan – Curse Your Branches

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant Tags: concert photos, concert review, jazz, newmark theatre, oregon, pdx jazz, pharoah sanders, portland, portland jazz, set list, setlist

REVIEW: Damien Jurado @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/27/10)

28th Feb 10 (Sun) 8 comments

I’ve been into Damien Jurado since the late-90s when his first Sub Pop record came out. I’d only had a few chances to see him play live, but it never seemed to work out. This weekend, since I was already up in Portland for the PDX Jazz Fest, I figured I could swing on over to Damien’s show at the Mississippi Studios after the Dave Holland Quintet show.

While I was “studying” for this show, I listened to Damien’s most recent album, 2008’s Caught in the Trees. Wow. I was reminded why I like this guy so much. Great songwriting in an unassuming package. Clever and gritty/lo-fi, but well crafted, melodically framed songs… quintessential indie rock. Damien has the honesty and drive in his lyrics a la Elliott Smith and Pedro the Lion’s David Bazan. There must be something about the Pacific Northwest that brings these things out in songwriters.

On to the show…

I got there late due to Dave Holland’s killer show across town. John Vecchiarelli was nearing the end of his set, but I caught his last four songs. I really liked him. He had a genuine voice (kind of reminded me of Jeffrey Foucault). John is from Portland; so hopefully I’ll get a chance to see him again soon.

Next up were another Portland group, The Robinsons (formerly of Viva Voce). They were a nice indie rock / americana duo, also from Portland. I had heard a little bit of their Viva Voce music before, but not much. They were good, and had nice melodies. They were a little bit folky and a little bit rocky. I imagine a fuller band setting would suit them very well. They played a short set (only about 30 minutes). They have a new album coming out soon under the bank moniker Blue Giant.

Up next was Damien Jurado. While his latest album, Caught in the Trees, was a more collaborative trio effort, this show was just Damien with a guitar and two vocal mics. The first 5 songs were completely new, and it struck me to the genius that is Damien Jurado (song names complete guesses below). He is a pure songwriter. I didn’t know these songs from Adam, but they captivated me completely. They are for an upcoming album called Saint Bartlett (out in May), and it is a collaboration between Damien and Richard Swift.

He played some older songs, as well as a few Caught in the Trees songs as well… serious help on setlist needed. Any help?

Setlist: 80 minutes

Beacon Hill (aka “Return to Me”) (new)
Kansas City (new)
“I Could Float” (new)
Arkansas (aka “Fade Out”) (new)
Wherever I May Lay (aka “Finally Tasted the Dawn”) (new)
Abilene
Denton, TX
Ohio (false start) into “Sound of Settling” spoof of Ben Gibbard
Ohio (false start again, Damien couldn’t stop laughing)
Harborview (aka “speak for me, would you”)
Ohio
Sheets
Pear (new)
I Am Still Here
“Diamond Sea” (new)
“not the best time to fall to pieces” (song title unknown)
The Killer
Lose My Head
Encore: Wyoming Birds (aka “sorrow replaced our joy”) (song title unknown)
Caskets
Paperwings

I hope he continues to tour, at least in Seattle and Portland (the “quiet crowd” towns).

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy – Spirit Moves

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, damien jurado, Indie Rock, john vecchiarelli, mississippi studios, oregon, portland, set list, setlist, sub pop, the robinsons, viva voce

REVIEW: Dave Holland @ PDX Jazz (Portland, OR – 2/27/10)

28th Feb 10 (Sun) 5 comments

I got into Dave Holland around the same time as a lot of other jazz. I got into jazz through the backdoor (John Zorn) and then slowly moved into the more straight ahead jazz. I think I can officially blame Ken Laster and his In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond podcast for playing a lot of Dave Holland. Anyway, shortly after hearing Holland, I picked up Extended Play: Live at Birdland and Critical Mass. Both are great, but the latter is quite fetching. When I found out he was one of the headliners at this year’s Portland Jazz Fest, I was stoked.

I was equally stoked that he’d be bringing saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Nate Smith with him. I saw Chris & Nate play in Cincinnati a few years back, and I loved both of them but was quite entranced with Nate’s drumming. His flow and style are a sight to behold.

Well, on to the show…

I missed PDX Jazz Fest last year. I was deeply entrenched in busy season at work (I’m a CPA), and perhaps there wasn’t as big of a draw in 2009 as in 2008 (SF Jazz Collective and Ornette Coleman). 2010, well, that’s another story… as I ended up staying the night to catch two shows on Sunday, too (check back for the Pharoah Sanders and Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy reviews on Monday). Anyway, no cameras allowed. I took a couple with my iPhone, but they didn’t come out all that well; so, yeah, I’m not posting them.

The band went on around 7:40pm after a short introduction. The band was Dave Holland on upright bass, the aforementioned Chris Potter (sax) and Nate Smith (drums), along with Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and Steve Nelson on vibes. The first thing I noted was how Dave’s bass really breathed. There’s a reason why he’s a heavyweight in the jazz world. His tone, his swing, his lyricism – all very prevalent.

They started off with “Step To It,” which started with Nate Smith drumming barehanded and featured a massive Chris Potter solo, and was capped off with a great gentle back and forth between Dave and Nate. Here’s how it all went down last night…

Setlist: 95 minutes

Step To It
Last Minute Men
Looking Up
Cosmosis
Make Believe
Free For All
Encore: Easy Did It

“Cosmosis” and the encore “Easy Did It” both featured great Dave Holland solos. On “Free For All,” Nate Smith drum solo was quite playful. He was going all out, and actually lost one of his drumsticks amidst his free for all. I haven’t mentioned Alex or Steve yet… both were great, but didn’t seem to take as many solos as Chris or Nate. Alex’s few solos were superb. I love some good trumpet music (hence my Sunday plans for Dave Douglas). Steve’s vibe work was great, moreso as a back-up for the band (his solos didn’t do much for me). I think as far as a quintet goes, I’d opt for piano over vibes (especially with an already powerful drummer on the stage).

All in all, Dave Holland reaffirmed his place with me as a force to reckon with. They played over an hour and half, and it seemed like it was about 20 minutes. It totally flew by and was highly energetic. I hope he brings this band around sometime soon!

For photos from this and other PDX Jazz shows, check out PDX Jazz’s flickr stream:

(photos by Fran Kaufman)

Well, off to the next show, Damien Jurado across town at the Mississippi Studios…

The Appropriate Linkage:

Dave Holland’s Site
Dave Holland on MySpace
PDX Jazz Fest
PCPA – Newmark Theatre
Oregon Music News‘s Review of the Shows on Saturday

~Dan – np: Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy – Spirit Moves

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant Tags: Chris Potter, concert photos, concert review, dave holland, dave holland quintet, jazz, jazz drummer, nate smith, newmark theatre, oregon, pdx jazz, portland, portland jazz, set list, setlist

REVIEW: Medeski Martin & Wood @ McDonald (Eugene, OR – 2/25/10)

26th Feb 10 (Fri) 6 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

This was my fourth time seeing the great trio of Medeski Martin & Wood… and the second time as an “evening with,” which tends to work out nicely for a weekday concert. No painful opener to sit through, and less likely a late show time.

We got to the venue only a few minutes before they went on. They came out around 8:20 and started off with one or two from Zaebos, their album from John Zorn‘s Masada Book Two: Book of Angels series. From there, they hopped right into a Medeski-keys-oriented tune and a more exotica piece. Overall, their show last night was definitely more of the MMW groove show, versus a improvisational MMW “messin’ around” kind of show. Sure, at one point illyB pulled out the ducks calls while Chris and John noodled around, but then they ripped right back into the more lyrical pieces.

McDonald had the floor set up with chairs for the evening, which was a shock for me. The crowd started out in chairs, but by the third song, they were moving up the aisles and dancing. When MMW came back out for the second set, it was pretty much a dance party… well, a dance party with a bunch of pesky chairs in the way.

I’ll post the setlist when/if I find it… again, I recognized a couple Zaebos tunes, plus I’m pretty sure they played “Amber Gris,” “Padrecito,” “Amish Pinxtos,” “Reliquary,” “Free Go Lily,” and a few more Radiolarians tracks. Don’t quote me on all of those songs, but it was definitely a Radiolarians-heavy show.

Setlist: (thanks, nastyshadows!)

Set 1: Agmatia
Pappy Check
Broken Mirror >
Disrobe >
Open Improv >
Padrecito
Amber Gris
Set 2: Free Go Lily
Jean’s Scene
Reliquary
New Planet
Cloud Wars
Encore: Bass Solo >
Chubb Sub

Two hour-long sets plus encore (which started out with a nice Chris Wood bass solo). Excellent show. Medeski Martin & Wood do not disappoint.

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

MMW’s Site
MMW on MySpace
Nov 2008 McDonald Theatre – Concert Review w/ Photos
McDonald Theatre

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Dave Holland Quintet – Critical Mass

MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (9 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (21 pics)

February 2010 Tour Dates

17 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
18 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
19 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
20 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
21 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
23 – Petaluma, CA – The Mystic Theatre
24 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Crown Room
25 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre
26 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
27 – Seattle, WA – Showbox at The Market

Categories: Concert Photos, Jazz & Avant, Rock & Pop Tags: billy martin, chris wood, concert photos, concert review, eugene, groove, illyb, jazz, john medeski, john zorn, mcdonald theatre, medeski martin & wood, oregon, set list, setlist, Zaebos

REVIEW: Van Dyke Parks with Clare & the Reasons @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/10/10)

11th Feb 10 (Thu) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Van Dyke Parks is recognized around the world as a musical genius… he’s a brilliant session musician, composer, arranger, lyricist, and singer. He has contributed to many masterpieces (check out his rap sheet). He is most well known for his collaboration with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. While Brian is a prodigiously gifted composer, he was no lyricist, and needed one who could match the daring new music he was devising in his head. The result is their collaboration on the much vaunted SMiLE album.

I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of the Beach Boys. I just don’t care for their music. Well, I connected with Van Dyke Parks via a newer band… Silverchair (VDP did string arrangements for Diorama and Young Modern). Yeah, yeah… if you only knew them from 1995’s “Tomorrow” (from when they were 15 years old)… well, they’ve grown.

Anyway…

Van Dyke Parks rarely ever records or tours, putting at most one or two records per decade. When I heard about the shows via the Clare & the Reasons‘ email, I jumped at the chance of seeing both of these artists on the stage together. I had seen Clare & the Reasons open up for My Brightest Diamond back in Nov 2008, and I loved their French bohemian meets modern indie rock vibe.

There were only four shows slated for this rare double bill tour…

02.09.10 – Seattle, WA Triple Door
02.10.10 – Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
02.12.10 – San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall
02.14.10 – Santa Monica, CA McCabe’s

This was only my second time up to the Mississippi Studios. I really like the intimate setting, even the crazy hovering piano. The last time I was there was for David Bazan in November. For the VDP & Clare show, I’m glad they had chairs down… whew. :)

Opener Josh Mease went on around 9pm and played 6 songs. He had a very gentle singer-songwriter style. His guitarwork was good, but his voice was simply superb (nice lyrics, too). Josh is on Frogstand Records, the same record label as Clare & The Reasons. I dug his own tunes more than the Randy Newman cover. For his last song, Clare & The Reasons came up to play with him…

Josh Mease’s Setlist: about 20 mins

missing song name
missing song name
Marie (Randy Newman cover)
Days Like This
Eleanor
Start Over (with Clare & The Reasons)

Clare & The Reasons stayed up after Josh’s last song and moved some instruments around (and subsequently lost a percussion brush). Off to a great start! :) They joked lightly about it and then… viola, they found it! Their set was a sandwich of Arrow songs, The Movie songs, and more Arrow songs.

Arrow came out late last year, but I didn’t get a chance to pick it up until yesterday. I also picked up Olivier Manchon’s brand new instrumental CD, Orchestre de Chambre Miniature Volume 1, with saxophonist John Ellis, Gregoire Maret (from a Herbie Hancock band), and more string and woodwind players. Check their albums out (click pictures below)…

What I love about the band is not just limited to Clare Manchon’s vocals, but also the wonderful multi-instrumentation from Olivier and the well rounded guitarist and upright bassist. The set was full of great percussion, strings, garbage ukelele, french horn, pizzicato strings, a borrowed saw, acoustic & electric guitars, and sublime vocals. Van Dyke Parks & Josh Mease joined them on stage for their next to last song… (apparently Bill Frisell also joined them on stage up at the Seattle show).

Clare & the Reason’s Setlist: about an hour

You Got Time
All the Wine
Perdue A Paris
Ooh You Hurt Me So
Wake Up (You Sleepy Head)
You Getting Me
This Is The Story
Alphabet City
Pluton
Pluto
Our Team Is Grand
Love Can Be A Crime (with VDP & Josh)
That’s All (Genesis cover)

Van Dyke Parks came on after a short break. He was seated at the piano and brought The Reasons (sans Clare) as his backing band. They started out with a great instrumental piece. The rest of the songs we heard were poppier tunes with some great instrumentation (as expected). VDP is an amazing pianist and composer. His voice wasn’t superb or sublime, but it fit the songs. I wasn’t familiar with his songs, but of the ones he announced while we were there… Opportunity for Two, Orange Crate Art, and Sail Away.

VDP was also a great banterer in between songs. Usually short, but funny… one of my faves was “my wife thinks that ‘cook’ is a noun.”

We only stayed for half of his scheduled hour-long set (as we had a 2 hour drive back home), but it was a great set of tunes. If anyone has the complete VDP setlist, let me know.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Van Dyke Park’s Site
VDP on MySpace
A VDP fan’s review of the show on Oregon Live
Clare & The Reason’s Site
Clare & The Reason on MySpace
Josh Mease’s Site
Josh Mease on MySpace
Mississippi Studios

~Dan – np: Sade – Soldier of Love

VAN DYKE PARKS, CLARE & the REASONS and JOSH MEASE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Categories: Classical, Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer-Songwriter, World Music Tags: clare and the reasons, concert photos, concert review, french music, Indie Rock, josh mease, oregon, pop, portland, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, van dyke parks

REVIEW: The Album Leaf @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 2/9/10)

10th Feb 10 (Wed) 2 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

So, I just saw The Album Leaf & Sea Wolf show up in Portland on Friday. Last night’s show wasn’t much different… which means… highly enjoyable. Since I’m in the midst of “work a ton because I chose the path of becoming a CPA and now is the rough work schedule” month, I’ll keep my comments brief – but include setlists and photos, of course.

The main difference for the Eugene show was the lack of string quartet – but where I was in the crowd for the Portland show, I didn’t get much of the string quartet in my ears anyway. It was about a half-packed WOW Hall, which was good for a Tuesday. Sea Wolf was great. I was more familiar with their songs, and I really started digging them. Same 45 minute set as Portland.

Sea Wolf’s Setlist:

White Water
Winter Windows
Dew in the Grass
Black Leaf Falls
Middle Distance Runner
The Traitor
O’ Maria
Turn the Dirt Over
Wicked Blood
You’re a Wolf

The Album Leaf came on around 10pm. I could definitely hear more strings this time around, even though there was only the primary violinist and not a whole quartet. Again, that was more due to my location at Portland’s show. They played the same setlist as Portland. I was digging the new songs, as I had gotten a few days now to let the album sink in. I could tell Jimmy was having some problems with his in-ear monitor during a few songs. Overall, the sound quality wasn’t as good in Eugene as in Portland. I moved around the venue and it seemed way more bass heavy than is normal for TAL. All in all, though, a great set…

The Album Leaf’s Setlist:

Perro
Blank Pages
There is a Wind
Within Dreams
Falling from the Sun
Stand Still
2214
Outer Banks
Shine
Until the Last
We Are
Almost There
Wherever I Go
Encore: Always For You
Red Eye
Tied Knots

many more photos below

Definitely check out The Album Leaf’s new album, A Chorus of Storytellers…

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Sachi Hayasaka – Minga

THE ALBUM LEAF and SEA WOLF PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

The Album Leaf Spring 2010 World Tour Dates

Feb 3: Sacramento, CA @ Harlows
Feb 5: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
Feb 6: Seattle, WA @ Neumos (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
Feb 7: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater(w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
Feb 8: Bellingham, WA @ Nightlight Lounge
Feb 9: Eugene , OR @ WOW Hall
Feb 11: Santa Cruz @ The Crepe Place
Feb 12: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
Feb 13: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
Feb 25: Lisbon, Portugal @ Lisbon Santiago Alquimista
Feb 26: Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick
Feb 27: Bilboa, Spain @ 12 & Medio
Feb 28: Barcelona, Spain @ Apollo 2
Mar 2: Toulouse, France @ Le Phare
Mar 3: Milan, Italy @ Circolo Milano
Mar 4: Lucerne, Switzerland @ Sudpol Club
Mar 5: Dunidgen (Bern), Switzerland @ @ Bad Bonn
Mar 6: Sankt Gallen, Switzerland @ Theater Palace
Mar 7: Munich, Germany @ Feierwerk
Mar 9: Vienna, Austria @ Szene
Mar 10: Dresden, Germany @ BeatPol
Mar 11: Berlin, Germany @ Lido
Mar 12: Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
Mar 13: Rotterdam, Holland @ Rotown
Mar 14: Koln, Germany @ Gebauude 9
Mar 16: Antwerp, Belgium @ Club Trix
Mar 17: Colmar, France @ Kraken
Mar 18: Heidelberg, Germany @ Karlstorbahnhof
Mar 19: Paris, France @ Maroquinerie
Mar 20: Lille, France @ L’ Aeronef
Mar 21: Bristol, UK @ The Thekla
Mar 22 Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
Mar 23: London, UK @ Bush Hall
Apr 2: Tokyo, Japan @ Shibuya Ax
Apr 3: Nagoya, Japan @ Club Quatrro
Apr 4: Osaka, Japan @ Club Quattro
Apr 7: Hong Kong @ Grappa’s Cellar
Apr 9: Taipei, Taiwan @ The Wall Live House

And just announced on Feb 3rd (and from Pollstar; so a different format)…

Tue 04/20/10 – Tucson, AZ – Plush
Wed 04/21/10 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
Thu 04/22/10 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
Fri 04/23/10 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
Sat 04/24/10 – St. Louis, MO – Luminary Center For The Arts
Sun 04/25/10 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Tue 04/27/10 – Grand Rapids, MI – Ladies Literary Club
Wed 04/28/10 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Thu 04/29/10 – Montreal, QC – Music Hall
Fri 04/30/10 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
Sat 05/01/10 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Sun 05/02/10 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
Tue 05/04/10 – Washington, DC – Rock And Roll Hotel
Wed 05/05/10 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Thu 05/06/10 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft At Center Stage
Fri 05/07/10 – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits
Sat 05/08/10 – Orlando, FL – The Social
Mon 05/10/10 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
Tue 05/11/10 – Austin, TX – The Parish Room
Fri 05/14/10 – San Diego, CA – Birch North Park Theatre

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Post-rock, Rock & Pop Tags: A Chorus of Storytellers, concert photos, concert review, eugene, jimmy lavalle, oregon, post-rock, sea wolf, set list, setlist, the album leaf, wow hall

REVIEW: The Album Leaf @ Doug Fir Lounge (Portland, OR – 2/5/10)

6th Feb 10 (Sat) 7 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I got into The Album Leaf back in 2004 with In a Safe Place after hearing about the Sigur Rós collaborative songs (and Icelandic former-swimming pool studio). I’ve been a fan of frontman Jimmy LaValle ever since In a Safe Place, which also spanned into a love of his prior band, Tristeza. His mold of organically-infused electronic post-rock fits me well. I missed him on his last time through (Jan 2009); so I vowed not to let it happen again… so this time, I’m hitting both Portland and Eugene, Oregon.

We got to the venue, got our tickets and ran off to grab some unfortunately salty grub (East End Bar must own stock in Morton’s). After a speedy walk back, we arrived back at the Doug Fir shortly after Sea Wolf started . They are an indie rock band from Los Angeles, and played a solid 45 minute set…

Sea Wolf’s Setlist:
(as per stage copy)

White Water
Winter Windows
Dew in the Grass
Black Leaf Falls
Middle Distance Runner
The Traitor
O’ Maria
Turn the Dirt Over
Wicked Blood
You’re a Wolf

Sea Wolf reminded me a lot of Wilco… maybe it was singer/guitarist Alex Church’s vocals. They have a roots rock meets singer-songwriter vibe that hearkened to Wilco in my mind. They busted out a harder rock tune (in comparison to The Album Leaf), but also had nice cello throughout their set. Great opener… I’m looking forward to Eugene’s show to hear more.

After a short break (and a move to the front), The Album Leaf (aka TAL) came on. The Portland show featured the Anomie Belle String Quartet (shown at the left), which presumably added nice textures to the already large, six piece band. Where we were lopcated, we could barely hear them.

With this new album (see below), Jimmy opened up the recording to more than just himself as well. Previous records were more in the “one man band” realm, with a band assembled for tours. It was nice to the see the band that hit the studio with him on A Chorus of Storytellers play those same songs live. The band was Jimmy LaValle, Matt Resovich, Drew Andrews, Gram LeBron, Tim Reece, and Andrew Pates – all on various instruments.

Being the first time seeing TAL, I honestly had no idea what to expect. We lucked out in the placement department… as Jimmy’s gear was right in front of us.

I was skeptical if the studio lushness would translate to the stage. Quite frankly, I think the electronic post-rock goodness, complete with drum machine and a regular drummer, worked out fantastically. They played a lot of material from the new record, which fit in well with earlier songs…

The Album Leaf’s Setlist: about stellar 80 minutes

Perro
Blank Pages
There is a Wind
Within Dreams * fave of the night *
Falling from the Sun
Stand Still * fave of the night *
2214 * fave of the night *
Outer Banks * fave of the night *
Shine
Until the Last
We Are
Almost There
Wherever I Go
Encore: Always For You
Red Eye * fave of the night *
Tied Knots

The band members switched around on instruments. Jimmy played several different keyboards, including a Moog and a modulator of some sort. Other members pitched in on keyboards when a violin, trumpet, small vibraphone, bass, or guitar weren’t in their hands. While I still associate TAL as a primarily instrumental band in my mind, their last few albums have had increasingly more vocals. I’d estimate a 1/3 to a 1/2 of the songs had vocals last night – covered by Jimmy, but with frequent backing vocals from various band members. My friend who went along with me commented that the songs seemed fairly similar throughout the show. Alas, I suppose that’s the rub with TAL, but I dug it fairly well.

many more live photos below

I’ll also be at the Eugene show on Tuesday; so check back for that review next week. Oh, and definitely check out The Album Leaf’s new album, A Chorus of Storytellers. I got it at the show, and it is fantastic!

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: The Album Leaf – A Chorus of Storytellers

THE ALBUM LEAF and SEA WOLF PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

The Album Leaf Spring 2010 World Tour Dates

Feb 3: Sacramento, CA @ Harlows
Feb 5: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
Feb 6: Seattle, WA @ Neumos (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
Feb 7: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater(w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
Feb 8: Bellingham, WA @ Nightlight Lounge
Feb 9: Eugene , OR @ WOW Hall
Feb 11: Santa Cruz @ The Crepe Place
Feb 12: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
Feb 13: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
Feb 25: Lisbon, Portugal @ Lisbon Santiago Alquimista
Feb 26: Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick
Feb 27: Bilboa, Spain @ 12 & Medio
Feb 28: Barcelona, Spain @ Apollo 2
Mar 2: Toulouse, France @ Le Phare
Mar 3: Milan, Italy @ Circolo Milano
Mar 4: Lucerne, Switzerland @ Sudpol Club
Mar 5: Dunidgen (Bern), Switzerland @ @ Bad Bonn
Mar 6: Sankt Gallen, Switzerland @ Theater Palace
Mar 7: Munich, Germany @ Feierwerk
Mar 9: Vienna, Austria @ Szene
Mar 10: Dresden, Germany @ BeatPol
Mar 11: Berlin, Germany @ Lido
Mar 12: Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
Mar 13: Rotterdam, Holland @ Rotown
Mar 14: Koln, Germany @ Gebauude 9
Mar 16: Antwerp, Belgium @ Club Trix
Mar 17: Colmar, France @ Kraken
Mar 18: Heidelberg, Germany @ Karlstorbahnhof
Mar 19: Paris, France @ Maroquinerie
Mar 20: Lille, France @ L’ Aeronef
Mar 21: Bristol, UK @ The Thekla
Mar 22 Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
Mar 23: London, UK @ Bush Hall
Apr 2: Tokyo, Japan @ Shibuya Ax
Apr 3: Nagoya, Japan @ Club Quatrro
Apr 4: Osaka, Japan @ Club Quattro
Apr 7: Hong Kong @ Grappa’s Cellar
Apr 9: Taipei, Taiwan @ The Wall Live House

And just announced on Feb 3rd (and from Pollstar; so a different format)…

Tue 04/20/10 – Tucson, AZ – Plush
Wed 04/21/10 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
Thu 04/22/10 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
Fri 04/23/10 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
Sat 04/24/10 – St. Louis, MO – Luminary Center For The Arts
Sun 04/25/10 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Tue 04/27/10 – Grand Rapids, MI – Ladies Literary Club
Wed 04/28/10 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Thu 04/29/10 – Montreal, QC – Music Hall
Fri 04/30/10 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
Sat 05/01/10 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Sun 05/02/10 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
Tue 05/04/10 – Washington, DC – Rock And Roll Hotel
Wed 05/05/10 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Thu 05/06/10 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft At Center Stage
Fri 05/07/10 – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits
Sat 05/08/10 – Orlando, FL – The Social
Mon 05/10/10 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
Tue 05/11/10 – Austin, TX – The Parish Room
Fri 05/14/10 – San Diego, CA – Birch North Park Theatre

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Post-rock, Rock & Pop Tags: A Chorus of Storytellers, Anomie Belle String Quartet, concert photos, concert review, doug fir lounge, jimmy lavalle, oregon, portland, post-rock, sea wolf, set list, setlist, the album leaf

REVIEW: Fulero + Day’s Elliott Smith Tribute @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 1/23/10)

24th Jan 10 (Sun) Leave a comment

I had two shows last night… first was the Bill Frisell Trio. I’ll post that review later today (or first thing Monday morning). After the show I rode over to Sam Bond’s Garage and got there right around 9:30. There was Elliott Smith music already going on. I was confused, as I knew the band was supposed to be a duo, but this was just one guy doing Elliott Smith tunes. I found at after the fact that I had walked in on the first song (yay!). I guess the Elliott Smith tribute duo of Fulero + Day had an Elliott Smith solo tributer go before them. I caught him name as Scotty Paray, but the spelling may be suspect. No doubling up on songs, from what I stuck around for…

Scotty Paray’s Setlist

Son of Sam
Can’t Make a Sound
Happiness
Alameda
A Living Will
Miss Misery

Scotty was good, switched between keyboard and guitar. Perhaps not all that strong in the vocal category, but Elliott’s songs shone through, and Scotty’s effort was evident (the crowd was a bit noisy/talky, though). Fulero + Day came on shortly after Scotty was done. It was Asher Fulero on keyboard and Nathan Day on guitar. They switched off in the vocal category. Great tribute, and again, despite the noisy crowd, Elliott’s songs shone through.

Fulero + Day’s Setlist

Pretty (Ugly Before)
Bottle Up and Explode
No Name #4
Clementine
Rose Parade
Sweet Adeline
Coast to Coast
Baby Britain
Somebody’s Baby
(…the show continued whereas I didn’t…)

I left around 10:30pm… partly because it had been a long day, but a lot to do with the annoying, loud & talky crowd. I caught an hour of great songs that made me remember seeing Elliott play many of them himself back in 2000 at Southgate House in Newport, KY. He is missed.

The Appropriate Linkage:

Asher Fulero on MySpace
Asher Fulero’s Webpage

~Dan – np: Wayne Shorter – Juju

Categories: Indie Rock, Singer-Songwriter Tags: asher fulero, concert photos, concert review, elliott smith, eugene, nathan day, oregon, sam bond's, sam bond's garage, scotty paray, set list, setlist, tribute

REVIEW: The Swell Season @ McDonald Theatre (Eugene, OR – 11/23/09)

24th Nov 09 (Tue) 11 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Like mostly everyone who is into The Swell Season (Glen Hansard of The Frames with Markéta Irglová), I got into them via the movie ONCE. They came through Eugene after I had moved to town, but before I had gotten into them. My brother made me watch it when we were home for my other brother’s wedding (July 2008), and I suppose I should thank him for that. With The Swell Season’s original 2009 Strict Joy tour date press release, they didn’t have a Eugene date, but I’m glad they added one…

The opener was Doveman‘s frontman Thomas Bartlett. He played about a half of an hour of whispy piano tunes. He seemed slightly shy, rarely looking towards the crowd… but maybe that’s just his style or how the piano was set up for him. Due to his whispy vocals, he struck me as similar to Jeff Hanson or slimmer, beardless Sam Beam of Iron & Wine – but on piano. He’s worked with The Frames, Swell Season, Antony & the Johnsons, Laurie Anderson, Arto Lindsay, The National, and Yoko Ono in the past – so that put him in my “he’s cool” book. Songs he played included “Angel’s Share ” (about whisky), “The Burgundy Stain” (about wine), and a medley to the Footloose soundtrack. The Footloose songs were fantastically mournful and sad. Classic!

The show opened with Glen and Markéta coming out and crouching down in front of the center mic. I wasn’t close enough to see if someone was playing the electronics / keyboards, but they started out with “Fallen From the Sky” – staying crouched down for the whole song. Luckily that didn’t continue for the rest of the show (or my continued photos would have been lame). :)

After the initial song, the band came out. The band was made up of the rest of The Frames, Glen’s band that was the precursor to Once and The Swell Season. I’m very rapidly becoming a serious fan of Glen’s vocals… which I suppose means that I need to get The Frames’ back catalog. Vocally Glen reminds me a lot of my buddy, Ashley Peacock. Most of the set was Glen on vocals, but Markéta covered lead vocals for “If You Want Me,” “Fantasy Man,” and “I Have Loved You Wrong.” As far as most powerful vocal performance… I’ll have to go with “Say It To Me Now,” where Glen played solo and off microphone. A few songs later, Glen was killin’ his guitar on Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks,” and he shredded at least a couple of strings – luckily his roadie was on top of things and brought out a replacement guitar right away.

Setlist: just over 2 hours

Fallen From The Sky
Lies
Low Rising
In These Arms *a fave of the night*
The Rain *a fave of the night*
The Moon
If You Want Me
Fantasy Man
Say It To Me Now (Glen solo, off mic) *a fave of the night*
Leave
Lay Me Down
Astral Weeks [Van Morrison]
The Blue Shoes (Colin solo violin song)
I Have Loved You Wrong
Once *a fave of the night*
When Your Mind’s Made Up *a fave of the night*
Encore: Falling Slowly *a fave of the night*
High Hope (new song)
High Horses
Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy
It All Falls Down (with Doveman)
Red Chord [The Frames]
The Parting Glass [The Clancy Brothers]

After leaving the venue, I bet everyone thought they got their money’s worth… a great show, great vocals by Glen & Markéta. While I know this was a break-up record of sort, I’m glad that they’re still able to work together. And while it may be a long shot, I hope they do continue to work together in the future.

many more pictures below

The “Low Rising” video directed by Sam Beam (from Iron & Wine):

The Swell Season’s new record, Strict Joy, is better than the Once soundtrack, if you ask me. You can get it at Amazon below:

The Appropriate Linkage:

The Swell Season’s Site
The Swell Season on MySpace
Jason Segel guesting with Swell Season (in L.A.) (youtube link)
The Frames’ Site
The Frames on MySpace
Doveman’s Site
Doveman on MySpace
McDonald Theatre

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Pearl Jam – Backspacer

THE SWELL SEASON & DOVEMAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (8 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (30 pics)

Tour Dates
1 – Milwaukee, Wisc. @ The Pabst
2 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Clowes Memorial Hall
3 – Toronto, Ontario @ Massey Hall
4 – Montreal, Quebec @ L’Olympia de Montreal
6 – Boston, Mass. @ Berklee College of Music Performance Center
7 – Providence, R.I. @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
8 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Merriam Theater
9 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
12 – New Orleans, La. @ House of Blues
13 – Houston, Texas @ Warehouse Live
14 – Dallas, Texas @ Palladium
15 – Austin, Texas @ Paramount Theatre
17 – Mesa, Ariz. @ Mesa Arts Center
18 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Wiltern
20 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Paramount
22 – Seattle, Wash. @ The Paramount
23 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
24 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Ballroom
25 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
27 – Boise, Idaho @ Egyptian Theatre
28 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Jeanne Wagner Theatre
29 – Denver, Colo. @ Ogden Theatre
30 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Uptown Theater

December 2009
3 – Chicago, Ill. @ Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University
4 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant
5 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ State Theatre

Categories: Concert Photos, Indie Rock, Singer-Songwriter Tags: concert photos, concert review, doveman, eugene, Footloose, Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Once, oregon, set list, setlist, singer-songwriter, strict joy, swell season, the frames, the frames dc, thomas bartlett

REVIEW: Maynard James Keenan’s PUSCIFER 2nd night @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 11/16/09)

17th Nov 09 (Tue) 5 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM

Maynard’s voice shines on Night 2…

Saturday’s Puscifer show (review link) was fantastic, and I happened to be up in Portland for a work training session; so, what the hell… let’s do this again! I heart Maynard!

No wine tasting (for me) this time… in fact, for a more detailed review, definitely check out Saturday’s show review. Monday, I showed up around 8pm and got situated near the front of the general admission section.

Sweethead opened the show again. I switched up where I took in their music this time… I could definitely hear the guitars better, but the vocals were a little muddy until midway through their set. I liked them. Troy’s a good guitarist, and Serrina has some nice energy (ok, and nice legs, too). :)

This was their last night as support for Puscifer, and Troy took a dive into the drum set at the end… crash! buzz!

After Troy and Serrina got up, they left the stage – guitar still buzzing. As the crew pulled Sweethead’s gear and monitors off the stage, they lifted up a large black sheet to hide the stage (something new compared to Saturday night)…

I had seen on setlist.fm that the two nights in the same city had differing set lists, and Portland was no exception. Where Saturday was more of the blasphemy day to kick things off, Monday was… well… at 9pm, then the sheet came down, it looked like it was a camping theme (complete with fake fire). Maynard was inside the tent, and they had him projected on the screen behind him. After some bullshitting, he finally came out to start the show properly…

The stage seemed darker, but at least Maynard was out there for the two songs of which I was allowed to take photos. Both he and Carina were obfuscated again behind the video boxes, which is an oddity fitting of Maynard’s persona. Overall, I think Monday night’s show featured Maynard’s voice better – though the song selection wasn’t much different (other than order). The video breaks were completely different… comedic pitchmen trying to sell reality television concepts to Maynard – who wasn’t paying too well of attention and always got the concept wrong. Hilarity ensued, of course.

Here’s what they played among the campfire and sleeping bags…

Setlist: 90 minutes or so [compare sets with Night #1]

Rev 22:20
Drunk With Power
(Video Break 1)
Indigo Children
Trekka
Potions
(Video Break 2)
Momma Sed (with Tim Alexander as a Portland stripper)
Vagina Mine
Dozo
The Undertaker
(Video Break 3)
Polar Bear
Sour Grapes
Queen B
The Mission (featuring Carina Round)
The Humbling River
No Encore

Maynard’s voice sounded especially great on Indigo Children, Potions, Momma Sed (seemed slower/mellower than Saturday), Polar Bear, and The Humbling River. I’m really digging the new EP’s material… and I’m looking forward to more digital EPs, physical CDs, whatever Maynard wants to throw at us!

more pictures at the bottom

You can get Puscifer’s music via the pictures below:

You can grab some of Maynard’s wines (if you are lucky to be in the shipping area) via this:

The Appropriate Linkage:

Puscifer’s Site
Maynard / Puscifer on MySpace
Caduceus Wine
Carina Round’s Site
Carina Round on MySpace
Tool on MySpace
Sweethead’s Site
Sweethead on MySpace
Spin‘s San Diego Review (Oct 31st)
My review of Portland Night #1
Roseland Theater

Check out the Puscifer tour dates below.

~Dan – np: The Swell Season – Strict Joy

PUSCIFER & SWEETHEAD PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (9 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (43 pics)

Tour Dates

10/29/09, Las Vegas, NV (The Pearl, Palms Casino)
10/31, San Diego, CA (Spreckels Theatre)
11/1, San Diego, CA (Spreckels Theatre)
11/4, Oakland, CA (Fox Oakland Theater)
11/5, Oakland, CA (Fox Oakland Theater)
11/7, Stockton, CA (Bob Hope Theatre)
11/10, Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
11/11, Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
11/13, Vancouver, BC (Centre For the Performing Arts)
11/14, Portland, OR (Roseland Ballroom)
11/16, Portland, OR (Roseland Ballroom)
11/17, Salt Lake City, UT (Capitol Theatre)
11/18, Salt Lake City, UT (Capitol Theatre)
11/20, Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre)
11/21, Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre)
11/24, Dallas, TX (McFarlin Memorial Auditorium)
11/25, Dallas, TX (McFarlin Memorial Auditorium)
11/27, Houston, TX (Jones Hall for the Performing Arts)
11/28, San Antonio, TX (Majestic Theatre)
12/1, El Paso, TX (Abraham Chavez Theatre)
12/3, Phoenix, AZ (Orpheum Theatre)
12/4, Phoenix, AZ (Orpheum Theatre)

Categories: Concert Photos, Metal, Rock & Pop Tags: a perfect circle, c is for, caduceus, concert photos, concert review, maynard, maynard james keenan, merkin, metal, oregon, portland, puscifer, rock, roseland, set list, setlist, sweethead, tool, v is for vagina

REVIEW: Maynard James Keenan’s PUSCIFER 1st night @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 11/14/09)

15th Nov 09 (Sun) 7 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Wine followed by Maynard’s blasphemous vaudeville show… Wow.

So, I’ve been a fan of Maynard James Keenan‘s vocal since the first utterances I heard from his “main band” TOOL. I loved his work with his first side-project, A Perfect Circle, especially the first album Mer de Noms. I was aware of Puscifer a while ago, as it started out as a “joke band” that debuted on a skit on Bob Odenkirk and David Cross’s Mr. Show on HBO (Maynard and Tool’s Adam Jones show up in a short clip). Never did I think that joke band name would turn into a real alter ego for Maynard himself, he’d release an album and a batch of remix EPs, and then hit the road!

So, for this 1st Portland show, I bought the VIP ticket which included a meet & greet and wine tasting (I didn’t do that for Portland show #2 as I didn’t know I was going to be able to go until a few days ago). For those not in the know, Maynard has gotten into wine making the past few years. Back in Ohio, I could order the wine to be shipped to me, and I still have a couple bottles of the 2005 Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra sitting in my utility closet… um… I mean in my “wine cellar.” I haven’t been able to taste any of Maynard’s recent Caduceus wines, as unfortunately, they don’t have the ability to ship to Oregon (argh, free the grapes!).

The meet & greet and wine tasting started a little after 5pm. We got shuffled into the back room of Roseland’s downstairs bar. Todd (I didn’t catch his last name) is Maynard’s wine guy, or at least he’s a touring member of Maynard’s crew who knows a lot about the wine. He mentioned several times about being involved in the last A Perfect Circle tour – right around the time Maynard was getting started with vineyard purchases / development. Todd talked for about an hour and fifteen about the various wines, including the one we were tasting – the 2006 Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra (limited to 5,000 cases). The Chupacabra vintages are designed to be different, similar to the folk legend of the chupacabra. The 2006 is a blend of 36% cabernet sauvignon, 13% petite verdot, 22% syrah, 14% petite sirah (all sourced from Paso Robles), and 15% of an unknown grape (yeah, I’m an accountant and noticed the missing % on their info sheet).

(click for larger picture with autograph)

The Chupacabra is Maynard’s most “mass produced” wine, and current batches are in the 10,000 case range. We obviously didn’t get to try any of Maynard’s 20 case batch of very special Judith wines (grown at 5,000+ feet altitude with land spread with his mother’s ashes). Todd also spoke a little bit about current discussions with Whole Foods to get the wines distributed into Portland. He also mentioned a documentary, Blood Into Wine, about Arizona wines with a little bit of Maynard, Fairuza Balk, Milla Jovavich, Patton Oswalt, Bob Odenkirk, and others in the footage. It is expected to hit the Sundance Festival and some select theatres in Feb 2010.

After Todd’s info and Q&A session, he went to go get Maynard, who had just finished sound check. Maynard came down and walked around the room and individually handed each one of us a signed copy of the Puscifer debut album (V is for Vagina). He only very briefly chatted with folks. He asked me if I learned anything from the wine talk, to which I replied “yes, thank you.” That’s about the extent of my interaction with Maynard, but I thought it was wicked cool to receive a signed copy of the album directly from his hands. :) Since he’s a busy guy, he took off shortly after making his tour around the room.

I had to leave after the meet & greet to get some grub; so I walked over to my favorite, close-by vegan restaurant (represent!) until show time.

When I got back to the venue, I went over to get my photo pass. I had free reign for the opener’s set, but only allowed to snap photos for the first two songs of Puscifer’s set (more on that later)…

Sweethead was the opener. Sweethead is guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age, Failure, A Perfect Circle) and lead vocalist Serrina Sims with Norm Block and Eddie Nappi from the Mark Lanegan Band. They were a good rock group and played about a half of an hour. I was in a place in the venue (front / center) where the sound usually isn’t the best. My spot will be likely different for Monday’s show.

I think every time I’ve seen a Maynard band (three times for Tool and A Perfect Circle each), the opener has either been a Mike Patton-related band (Tomahawk, or on his label Ipecac – Isis & The Melvins) or a Ken Andrews-related band (Year of the Rabbit and now Sweethead is connected to Ken via one step with Troy and Failure). I’m not complaining, as I love Patton and Failure-related projects. I dug Sweethead… hopefully I’ll get a better feel for their sound on Monday.

Puscifer‘s set started with a video Maynard’s Major Douché character barking orders at us. Shortly thereafter, with band in place, Maynard wheeled out on a Segway in his horrible comb-overed, bedazzled sweat pants wearing preacher and kicked into “Sour Grapes.” This kick-off was a not-so-subtle hint that it was going to be a crude, blasphemous vaudeville experience – not your typical rock show.

As I only had photo privileges for the first two songs, I snapped away. Unfortunately, Maynard was off changing during the second song, “Rev 22:20” – so I resorted to snapping away at the band. I’m hoping Monday’s set, I get some more non-be-sweatpants‘ed Maynard. The security guards were quite adamant and nabbing people’s cellphones; so I’m definitely grateful to Maynard’s publicist for getting me the hook-up for these Portland shows.

I didn’t catch all of the band members’ names… but I do know that Carina Round covered the female vocals, and did a smash up job on “The Mission,” which model/actress Milla Jovavich sang on the studio version. Primus drummer Tim Alexander handled drums. Also in the band were two guitarists, an electronic & keyboards guy, and a percussionist. During the songs, if any individual band members wasn’t performing, they’d sit on the sofas or wander around and drink wine (which was laid out all over the stage) and munch on fruit, cheese and crackers. Also roaming around the stage was a cameraman dressed up as a ninja – which was later announced to be the one and only Meats Meier, Puscifer’s official CGI music video madman.

Here’s what they played…

Setlist: 90 minutes or so [compare sets with Night #2]

Sour Grapes
Rev 22:20
(Video Break 1)
Dozo
The Undertaker
Drunk With Power
(Video Break 2)
Momma Sed
Indigo Children
Vagina Mine
(Video Break 3)
Potions
Polar Bear
Trekka
Queen B
The Mission (featuring Carina Round)
The Humbling River
No Encore

I had heard some rumblings of people being disappointed in the past Puscifer shows. I think if you go in thinking it’s going to be a rock show (or a Tool show), you’re in it for the wrong reasons. I got to hear an hour and half of fun music and crazy ramblings, and I was thoroughly entertained. Monday promises to be different… I expect some country hee-haw may be on order…

more live photos at the bottom

You can get Puscifer’s music via the pictures below:

You can grab some of Maynard’s wines (if you are lucky to be in the shipping area) via this:

The Appropriate Linkage: