Under the radar: Farewell to Arms
With my wife away this past weekend, I had to find something to do Saturday night. A friend of mine, Joshua Landis, called me that afternoon to let me know he was playing at a bar like 15 minutes from my house (a microbrewery with a good stoudt called Destiny Brewing Company in Phoenixville, PA). So, it was a no brainer, I went to hang out with Josh, hear him play a few songs, and drink a few…
After Josh played a short opening set (he was supposed to play 45 minutes or something and they only gave him 20… bastards!), a band from Connecticut set up and began tearing into a 30 minute set that impressed me quite a bit. After a song or two, they introduced themselves as Farewell to Arms, then without delay tore into another song. Continues after the jump »
Warsaw packed with Les Savy Fav fans
- Les Savy Fav
- Les Savy Fav plays an impressive set to hundreds of smelly hipsters at a packed Warsaw ballroom.
I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my day. It’s just the nature of things that some will be awe-inspiring and some will be disappointing. Some will destroy your expectations and leave you wondering what just happened. This was one of those.
Before Friday’s show to a healthy crowd, I wasn’t overly familiar with Les Savy Fav’s incredible live performances. I’m a fan of the “Inches” singles collection, which is a great album showcasing the band’s career, but pretty much all that I had heard about their live shows is that “they’re great live.” That’s a lukewarm endorsement, and a more than a bit of an understatement. To say that they’re great is to say that there are a lot of hipsters in Williamsburg. Williamsburg is teeming with those filthy mothers. And Les Savy Fav is more than great live. Continues after the jump »
Masked villain conquers New York
- MF Doom in concert
- Doom and a collection of classic and current hip-hop's finest take over Times Square for a rap marathon.
If you want to see MF Doom perform, you have to be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint. Keep in mind that marathons are long — very long. And you’re likely to be in pain and dripping with sweat, urine or both by the end. But when you finish that race, the end result is more than worth it. That’s the feeling you’re left with by the time the house lights go on after an MF Doom show, but without the urine part.
The masked villain topped a heavy bill that played to a packed house at Times Square’s Nokia Theatre on Jan. 26. I think it’s safe to admit that I wasn’t fully prepared for the experience. That’s not to say that the entire show wasn’t great — although it did have its ups and downs — it was just a lot to take in. Continues after the jump »
Diplo, dancing and art
- First Fridays
- Jan. 6, Guggenheim Art Museum, New York City
- Diplo lays down some infectious grooves at the Guggenheim's monthly mix of music, art and booze.
“We have to go to this,” my friend Emily IM’d me last week. After clicking on her supplied link, I was still lost. She then explained to me that Diplo was going to be playing First Fridays at the Guggenheim. I needed more info. She then explained to me that Diplo was this crazy cool DJ — the guy behind M.I.A.’s phat beats.
Now M.I.A. I had heard, thanks to, of course, Emily, who tries her hardest to keep my cool factor from dipping from Sorta Hip to Poser Hip. And I must say “Arular” was one of the best albums of 2005. (Even though she failed to crack the like 37 Top Ten Album lists for 2005 produced by Crap Filter.)
So the deal is that the first Friday of each month the Guggenheim Museum in New York City has a DJ or a similar hot act come in and tear it up from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. while people dance, look at art and drink. Makes perfect sense.
I was definitely up for it, even though I always end up looking like a narc at these things. I just have no look whatsoever.
You see, I stopped caring about looking like an ass a while ago and I was up for something a little more invigorating than usual. That doesn’t mean I was ready to bust it on the dance floor. It just means I was comfortable bumping shoulders with people whose cool factor is significantly higher than mine. It also helps that these people that attend these events are so chill. They just want to have a good time. This ain’t no high school dance where jocks mosh to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” before a frightened chaperone is forced to step in and break up the inevitable fight. Continues after the jump »
Rap and rock clash at the Tweeter Center
- O.A.R., Little Brother, Nov. 26, 2005, Camden, NJ
- O.A.R. rocks the house, but it's rap artist Little Brother that helps bring it home.
I’ve often wondered, what makes a concert great?
Is it simply the joy of listening to the music live? Or, is it the electric combination of sound and atmosphere blended together to create an unforgettable sensory experience?
Fans of the jam band O.A.R. might tell you it’s definitely the music, but after finally seeing them in concert I can tell you it’s much more than that.
Styrofoam is the real deal
- Styrofoam
- Electronica pop act from Belgium plays the Knitting Factory, NYC, with opening acts Hey, Will Power and Alias.
I’m here to report on my first indie concert in New York City thanks to my friend Emily, who invited me along to see Styrofoam after discovering we had similar tastes in music.
Emily was all about Styrofoam. I had not heard of them, so I sampled some of their tunes online. My initial reaction was that they sounded like the Postal Service — 1/3 pop, 1/3 electronica, 1/3 chill.
Actually, more and more these bands are getting harder to classify. It’s probably a good thing, but I hate it. I wish before the show they would say something like, “Hi, we’re so-and-so. The type of music we play is called alt-emo-country-electronica-pop-punk-funk. Hit it.” That would make it a lot easier for us reviewers. Continues after the jump »
Virginia hoedown at George Mason University
- Foo Fighters, Weezer, Kaiser Chiefs, Oct. 10, 2005
- Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
- All three bands played solid sets, but Foo Fighters stole the show as local hero Dave Grohl wowed the Virginia audience.
Kids these days, I swear. Not even foul-smelling teenagers who can’t seem to find their seats can ruin a good concert. Kaiser Chiefs, Weezer and Foo Fighters made sure of that on October 10 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.
The crowd was still trickling in as Leeds, U.K.-based Kaiser Chiefs kicked off the show on their final night of the U.S. leg of the tour.
It’s a shame that more people didn’t make it into the arena in time to catch Kaiser Chiefs. The band has been a household name in the U.K. and Europe for a while now, but they got their first real taste U.S. fame at Live 8 in Philadelphia last July. Continues after the jump »
