What's the Last Concert You Attended?

[2bitnogoodjive]

Buddy Guy, still going strong at 74.

Orlando (FL) Blues B-Cue - Buddy Guy live on stage 2/19/2011

[sailor86]

It's kinda a year in review for me, but it's the first time I've really been able to go and see concerts.

-July: Fang Island, The Black Keys and The Flaming Lips @ CMAC

-November: John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension @ Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA

-December: The Waiting Room (A Peter Gabriel era, Genesis tribute band) @ Waterstreet Music Hall

How was McLaughlin? Haven't heard that name in a while.

[ywyexv]

I saw "Carlos Nunez" a famous piper from spane.Great music and performance.

[2bitnogoodjive]

YES, free concert downtown Orlando 3/12/11. Too bad Jon Anderson still isn't in the band. But hey, can't beat free.

Edited March 14, 2011 by 2bitnogoodjive

[Jahfin]

The Decemberists w/ Best Coast at the Downtown Raleigh Ampitheatre, 6.11.11.

[imPLANTed]

Robin Trower on April 30.

[Strider]

The Decemberists w/ Best Coast at the Downtown Raleigh Ampitheatre, 6.11.11.

I love both of those bands...especially the Decemberists; their shows are fun and audience-participatory. Did they do the Mariner's Revenge Song, where the band gets attacked by the whale and the audience screams along? That is CLASSIC!

They used to have the awesome-in-her-own-right Petra Haden(daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden) in the band back in the day...don't know if you saw them then. However, the last time I saw the Decemberists in February, Sara Watkins was lending her violin and vocal talents. Is she still with them?

Of course, being in LA, they opened with Los Angeles, I'm Yours.

Hope you got The Mariner's Revenge Song at least!

[Jahfin]

I love both of those bands...especially the Decemberists; their shows are fun and audience-participatory. Did they do the Mariner's Revenge Song, where the band gets attacked by the whale and the audience screams along? That is CLASSIC!

They used to have the awesome-in-her-own-right Petra Haden(daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden) in the band back in the day...don't know if you saw them then. However, the last time I saw the Decemberists in February, Sara Watkins was lending her violin and vocal talents. Is she still with them?

Of course, being in LA, they opened with Los Angeles, I'm Yours.

Hope you got The Mariner's Revenge Song at least!

I'm not familiar enough with their older material to know if we got the "Mariner's Revenge Song" or not but I didn't really notice any of those sort of theatrics. Sara Watkins was still with them as Jenny Conlee is undergoing treatment for cancer (I hear she's doing well but not well enough to tour). I enjoyed Best Coast but not enough to seek out any of their material. They got less than stellar reviews when they played the first Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh last year but that may have had more to do with not living up to the hype (they had to be one of the most hyped bands playing last year's fest). Back to the Decemberists, there was an incident with some chairs during the final encore which you can read about in David Menconi's review from the Raleigh News & Observer here.

[Cammie]

In the last 18 months I have seen

Pearl Jam

Alice Cooper

Deep Purple

Joe Cocker and George Thorogood (double bill)

Billy Connelly at the Sydney Opera House

[austrianzeppelin]

my last gig was THAT roger waters gig.....i had a good feeling beforehand that my night would be the one were gilmour would turn up, but to get mason as well was truly awesome. visually definitely the best gig i have ever been to and the sound showed that the O2 itself doesn't contradict great sound. when the helicopter came in the quadrophonic sound was just mindblowing...

[Strider]

I enjoyed Best Coast but not enough to seek out any of their material. They got less than stellar reviews when they played the first Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh last year but that may have had more to do with not living up to the hype (they had to be one of the most hyped bands playing last year's fest) here.

Maybe they had an off-night, although truth be told, Best Coast go down better in a small club than a large-venue show. But even at their best they are nowhere as good as the Decemberists. But you are right about the hype...they got massive hype. And it boils down to two words: Cute chick.

If a band has a cute chick, it's almost a given the band will be hyped-to-death. Best Coast has Bethany Cosentino.

It's the same with Vivian Girls, Giant Drag, She & Him, and anything Jenny Lewis is involved with. Not that some of these bands don't live up to the hype...but if the band's not ready, it can be crippling.

And it can be annoying if you're one of those bands that DOESN'T have a cute girl...that's what made that joke in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" so funny; for a time it did seem like EVERY new indie band had a chick drummer.

And poor Jenny Lewis...everywhere she goes, she leaves a trail of drool and broken hearts among the male members of the indie-rock media. And probably quite a few females as well.

[Taylore]

I saw "The Monkees" this past Friday. They put on a good show!

[Jahfin]

Maybe they had an off-night, although truth be told, Best Coast go down better in a small club than a large-venue show. But even at their best they are nowhere as good as the Decemberists. But you are right about the hype...they got massive hype. And it boils down to two words: Cute chick.

If a band has a cute chick, it's almost a given the band will be hyped-to-death. Best Coast has Bethany Cosentino.

Actually, when they played Hopscotch last year it was at a small pub. I wasn't able to make that show so I can't offer up my own experience. And, the show they did with the Decemberists wasn't exactly at a huge venue either, it was at the fairly new (it opened last year) Downtown Raleigh Ampitheatre. I'm not sure of the exact capacity but it's nowhere near as big as the local "shed", Walnut Creek. Back to Best Coast, there's a real nice interview with Bethany in the new issue of The Big Takeover. It also includes an interview with Peter Buck of R.E.M. which is well worth reading.

[alwizard03]

John Waite May 2011

Dege Legg June 2011

Bob Seger May 3 2011

Jackson Browne May 2011

Southern Troubadors with Tab Benoit , Mia Borders , Devon Allman , Mike Vito , Grayson Capps, Anders Osbourne Great Show May 2011

Mike Dean June 2011

[Jahfin]

John Waite May 2011

Dege Legg June 2011

Bob Seger May 3 2011

Jackson Browne May 2011

Southern Troubadors with Tab Benoit , Mia Borders , Devon Allman , Mike Vito , Grayson Capps, Anders Osbourne Great Show May 2011

Mike Dean June 2011

I saw Devon Allman and Anders Osbourne do separate shows during Artsplosure in Raleigh this past Spring. Great performances from both except Devon's set was filled with covers by the Allman Brothers Band. That was disappointing to see especially knowing he has his own original material.

[SteveZ98]

Dinosaur Jr in Northampton, MA June 21, 2011.

Last concert before that was Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes in Camden, NJ July 8, 2000. I can't believe that was 11 years ago, and that Jimmy hasn't been on tour since

[alwizard03]

I saw Devon Allman and Anders Osbourne do separate shows during Artsplosure in Raleigh this past Spring. Great performances from both except Devon's set was filled with covers by the Allman Brothers Band. That was disappointing to see especially knowing he has his own original material.

He played Whipping Post and Midnight Rider at a show a few months ago in Lafeyette but at the Southern Troubadors show he played his own material great show and I really Like Anders Osbourne

[Jahfin]

Southern Culture on the Skids w/ The Moaners at the Berkeley Cafe in Raleigh, NC.

[Walter]

John Butler Trio, last Friday in Atlanta at The Tabernacle. What an amazing show and venue it was! If you have the chance to check them out, do yourself a favor and DO IT! They are in the Northeast US this week and then will travel through the midwest and then the pacific northwest before going back to Oz. Amazing live performances!

[Jahfin]

Mike Cross at the Morehead Center for Performing Arts in Morehead City, NC on 8.13.11.

[Strider]

Here's a write-up of the two concerts I saw this past weekend...

AIMEE MANN @ Burton Chase Park, Marina del Rey, Saturday August 13, 2011

1. High On Sunday 51 (Aimee solo)

2. Little Bombs (Paul Bryan on bass and Jamie Edwards on keyboards join Aimee)

3. You Could Make A Killing (new drummer Sebastian Aymanns completes the quartet)

4. Looking For Nothing

5. Going Through The Motions

6. She Really Wants You

7. Freeway

*What The Hell (Aimee didn't quite cover this Avril Lavigne song, but she sang several lines from it in explaining her decision not to cover it)

8. Gumby (new song inspired by watching the show "Hoarders"...Aimee alone with Paul on backing vocals)

9. Daisy (not sure of title, new song which seems to be about Labradors and their loyalty and how she likens her loyalty to a Lab's)

10. Today's The Day

11. Guys Like Me

12. Save Me

13. Wise Up

14. Long Shot

Encore:

15. One ( Harry Nilsson cover)

16. Deathly

The band was Paul Bryan(bass), Jamie Edwards(keyboards), and new drummer Sebastian Aymanns(this was only his second gig with Aimee).

Great show tonight by Aimee!

It's been nearly 2 years since I have seen a regular Aimee concert; I don't count the Christmas shows as those are special holiday events. Nope, not since Aimee opened the new Largo at the Coronet with her Smilers show have I seen a "real" Aimee concert.

I was going through withdrawals. So even though Lucinda Williams was also playing a free concert tonight in Irvine, and Miranda July was appearing at the Arclight Hollywood, I chose Aimee over them.

The setting was gorgeous...a park extending into the Marina, water and boats all around, with the sun setting to the west and the full moon rising in the east. Plenty of space all around for people to spread out with their blankets and picnic baskets. I had never been to one of these summer concerts at the Marina before, but I had such a good time I might be back again.

The main fear I have about free shows is that sometimes the performers go thru the motions, but this was not the case with Aimee tonight. In fact, this is one of the strongest performances I've seen from her in recent years, particularly vocally. She sang everything perfectly, hit every note.

Paul and Jamie were on hand as usual, but of special note was new drummer Sebastian Aymanns. A friend of Paul's, this was only his second gig with Aimee. I think he acquitted himself nicely.

Highlights for me were Today's the Day(IMO, the "Lost in Space" album sounds better and better in retrospect), Save Me, Wise Up, and the two new songs: Gumby, which was inspired by watching the "Hoarders" tv show; and a song called Daisy, where she likens her faithfulness to a Labrador's.

If I had any qualms, it is that there are certain songs where I wish she had a guitar player on electric like in the old days, when either Michael Lockwood or Julian Coryell filled that slot. Songs like Long Shot and Deathly just sound better with the guitar.

Sartorial note...Aimee looked beautiful and fab as always. I noticed she's wearing smart girl glasses.

Talked to Paul after the show...he will be joining Aimee for the Joni Mitchell tribute at the Hollywood Bowl later this month. Says the band Herbie Hancock has put together is amazing. Looking forward to that show.

Judging from the new songs tonight, can't wait to hear Aimee's new album, too.

LIVING LIGHT: An Evening with Linda Perhacs and Friends with Synesthetic Cinema and Live Performance @ Cinefamily @ The Silent Movie Theatre, Sunday August 14, 2011

Poster of the amazing gig I went to last night @ Cinefamily. A girl in Germany named Sophie first turned me on to Linda Perhacs lost 70s classic "Parallelograms" in 1982, and I've been waiting for a chance to see Linda ever since. Thanks to the graciousness of a lovely lady named Beth, last night I got my chance.

An Evening with Linda Perhacs was everything I had hoped it would be...and more!

The first part of the program was about an hour of various vintage short experimental films, some animated, some drawn straight onto the negative using no camera at all...some reminded me of the Stargate scene in "2001: A Space Odyssey". My mind and eyes are still reeling at some of the images they witnessed. Incredible that some were almost 70 years old, and still looked avante-garde even by today's standards. My favourites of the program were the films by Len Lye, John Whitney's "Arabesque", Sky-David(aka Dennis Pies)'s "Luma Nocturna", Richard Reeves' "Linear Dreams", and one I forgot to make note of....I think it was called "Five Foveal Fields".

Here's a couple of the films that I found on YouTube

After the films and an intermission, Linda and her band played an hour-long set, comprising some selections from her only album "Parallelograms", along with brand new compositions she wrote especially for tonight's performance, with experimental films playing as a backdrop. Her band consisted of a guy on guitar, a cellist, two keyboards/electronics players, a percussionist, and a backing vocalist, along with Linda herself on vocals.

There were a couple points where it almost got a little "too-twee" for me...but they managed to pull back from that line before they crossed it. The vocal harmonies alone were worth the cost of admission. If you haven't heard of her, or her album, and you like a lot of those late-60s-early-70s folkies, I suggest you seek her out. Here's a clip of a remix she did of the title track of her album, "Parallelograms":

A great night all-around! Just another reason why I live in LA despite some of the hassles.

[TypeO]

Went to the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest Friday in Atlanta.

Very hot, but it was a pretty good jam.

Especially Liked:

Machine Head

Trivium

Godsmack

It was announced before Megadeth's set that Dave Mustaine was sick/injured (not sure which), but that he would play anyway.

Tumultuous cheers ensued.

But they only played 4 songs, probably due to Mustaine's aforementioned illness.

Had to leave during Disturbed because one guy's GF/wife (not even sure) had a bad toothache (I wasn't down with her going in the first place, it should have been guys night out).

Overall, pretty good show, except I'm getting a little old for these extended festivals with so much standing.

My legs were REALLY tired.

[Jahfin]

At the Durham Performing Arts Center earlier this evening. No opening act, just 2½ hours (with a brief intermission) from Steve Earle with solo turns from his wife Allison Moorer, the Mastersons (Eleanor Whitmore & Chris Masterson) and his bass player Kelly Looney.

[imPLANTed]

Lindsey Buckingham last night.

[Jahfin]

^This wedding (and the ensuing rock show) even warranted an article in yesterday's edition of the Raleigh, NC News & Observer. Turns out the graffiti on the wall (see the photo accompanying the article) was scribbled by Peter Blackstock (former co-editor of No Depression magazine and friend of the newlyweds) who came back to put his name to it sometime after the original photo was taken. That's some pretty high praise right there...

Yesterday, the post-wedding celebration continued with a late afternoon/early evening performance by Mic Harrison & the High Score at Sadlack's Heroes in Raleigh. Mic is a former member of the V-Roys, who have a 2 CD career retrospective hitting stores on Tuesday called Sooner Or Later. They (the V-Roys) will also be doing a very rare reunion show at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, TN on New Year's Eve. Yesterday's set by Mic Harrison & the High Score included a second set of nothing but new material save for a couple a covers (one of which was "Never Been To Spain"). There was nearly a second Don Schlitz moment (see the N & O article) when someone requested Kenny Rogers and the band briefly pondered playing "The Gambler" (originally penned by Mr. Schlitz).

Edited September 26, 2011 by Jahfin