The Big Pink - 03/31/10 - Philadelphia - North Star

Freakishly small bar / pub in Philly - check. Lackluster crowd filled with hipsteratti - check. Headlining and opening bands who deserved more than the banal setting of last night's show - check.

Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled to be able to take advantage of situations such as the one noted above when bands whom I really dig come to town promoting albums I am currently in love with. No shoving morons. Easy access to front of stage placement. Room to dance my ass off and the list goes on. However, it begs the question as to what sort of "scene" there truly is in Killadelphia when two bands of this caliber can barely pull 100 people into a room with a ticket price under $20. I mean, REALLY?? Enough with the negativity, now for the goodness.

It was my third time having the pleasure of seeing A Place To Bury Strangers live. The Brooklyn trio always delivers in terms of sonics and trippy light eye-candy. These noisecore vets. create screamingly good walls of feedback-drenched esoterica perfect for dancing one's eyes out. It's part shoegaze M. B. Valentine headfuck mixed with an off-key melodic sensibility that really translates both in concert as well as on disc. Check their self-titled debut and 2009 release "Exploding Head". Your brain will thank you later.

Comprised of Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell, The Big Pink has slowly been making in-roads here in the States via their extraordinary debut "A Brief History of Love" via 4AD. Lead single "Dominos" and follow-up "Velvet" should be all over the place by now instead of the alterna-ghetto they now reside in here in the USA. Front to back this album is pure pop sadness / goodness with hints of the JM Chains and a smattering of V. Underground thrown in for good measure. Easily one of the best albums of the last year. Live, the band perfectly captures the distorted spirit of their output to date with a rousing stage show backed by a really tight rhythm section seamlessly recreating the addled soundscapes found on their album. The bitchy NME set has already embraced it with open arms. It's our turn dammit!

Notes: Ran up on Milo after the show (if you by chance read this M., thanks for putting up with my drunken ramblings). Highlights include excitement about upcoming Coachella show, working on new music, coming back to the US for a possible fall tour, and a bunch of other stuff I can't recall at the moment. Also please look up BP's covers of Beyonce's "Sweet Dreams" and the Cure's "Love Song" online. You won't be disappointed, promise!

Setlist:

Too Young To Love

At War With The Sun

Frisk

Velvet

Crystal Visions

A Brief History of Love

New Song?

These Arms Are Mine

Dominos

Muse - 3/2-5/10 - Philly / NYC - Wachovia / MSG

It feels like I have been waiting forever for a band who can truly match what I saw U2 accomplish back in 92-93 on their Zoo Tv tour. That is, meld fantastic rock music with a truly spectacular, over the top light / video show that leaves audiences minds discombobulated. For me, that wait is over.

I'll admit I was a bit late to the Muse party. Introduced to them via Absolution when the album was released but didn't have the chance to see them live stateside until the Black Holes and Revelations tour (at MSG no less). From that moment on, this band became a must-see live act for moi as it was readily apparent they not only strived to bring it sonically (note for note I can't name a band I've seen live in a long while who matches them in terms of sound) but also visually, incorporating huge video screens, lasers, and compelling stage sets fully integrated into an arena setting.

All you would get from me in a full-blown review of this show / this band is a bunch of fawning adjectives describing how much they do not suck. Therefore, I have attached a more dispassionate yet on-target review from Jon Pareles at the NY Times who checked the same show in NYC.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/arts/music/08muse.html?scp=4&sq=Muse&st=cse

One note: It is easy to dismiss Muse as a pastiche of sorts. All of the "real" rock critics tend to do so, but in a begrudgingly admirable manner. "Queen". "Radiohead-esque". "Pink Floyd of the aughts". And on and on and on. And you know what? They aren't necessarily wrong. However, if I was in a band and had to be compared to predecessors, that's not such a shabby list in this reviewers humble opinion. Sorry to say but I'm not looking for Kid A when I go see a live show. I want The Wall. Times 10. That equals Muse!

Setlist:

1. Uprising

2. The Resistance

3. New Born

4. Map of the Problematique

5. Supermassive Black Hole

6. Guiding Light

7. Interlude

8. Hysteria

9. Nishe

10. United States of Eurasia

11. Feeling Good

12. Helsinki Jam

13. Undisclosed Desires

14. MK Ultra

15. Starlight

16. Plug In Baby

17. Time is Running Out

18. Unnatural Selection

Encore:

19. Exogenesis Pt. 1

20. Stockholm Syndrome

21. Knights of Cydonia

Patti Smith - 1/19/10 - NYC - B&N Upstairs at the Square

Before I begin, would just like to wish everyone a belated Happy New Year. Now the 5 of you can return to what you were doing.

Just returned from the Patti Smith reading / performance / book signing held on Tuesday night at Barnes & Noble in Union Square as part of their "Upstairs at the Square" series of events. In all honesty, I'm not the biggest fan per se of Ms. Smith's music. Yes, I've listened to Horses and like a few tracks off of it. Yes, I know I'm supposed to bow my head in reverence to the Godmother of Punk while intoning thanks to the gods for gracing us with her presence. Far more intriguing (to me anyway) is the coterie of friends, lovers, et al she has surrounded herself with throughout her storied career. And in this regard, tonight she did not disappoint.

Celebrating the release of her new book "Just Kids" which primarily concerns itself with detailing her and Robert Mapplethorpe's relationship, Patti read a few passages from the book interspersed with some off-the-cuff anecdotes combined with a 3-song acoustic performance accompanied by long-time bandmate Lenny Kaye.

Hearing her speak so eloquently about her times at the Chelsea Hotel on the arm of Mapplethorpe as they struggled to make a place for themselves in late 60's, early 70's NYC I finally got the appeal. She's a damn amazing storyteller. Whether it was humorously mentioning a non-reciprocated crush on William Burroughs or recounting a particularly sad tale about Janis Joplin being spurned by a potential hook-up who then needed to be baby-sat, she consistently captivated the packed house with her unique point of view. Having the opportunity to briefly page through the book, I can already tell this is going to be one of my "best of's" for the year. If you don't necessarily like her music, I'm here to tell you..that's ok. Because there is so much else to like about her (her life, her writing, her place in pop culture, her politics, her feminism, and the list goes on) that at times, the music may seem secondary to a life lived to its absolute fullest.

Happy Mondays / Psychedelic Furs - 10/7/09 - Philadelphia - Trocadero

Entering the 80's arena yet again this year, I learned a valuable lesson after last night's Happy Mondays / Psychedelic Furs co-headlining show at the Troc. in Philly. Let's refer to that lesson as "The Absolute Necessity For A Good Front Man".

Taking the stage first, Shawn Ryder and company (sans Bez, vexed yet again by U.S. immigration issues) performed a very abbreviated set last night, hitting all the right notes in terms of the band's performance but woefully lacking in the front man charisma department. Glued to his adlib monitor as if it was the burning bush, Ryder barely moved at all from his center stage perch, all the while mumbling incoherent shout-outs to friends and Steve McQueen alike in between songs. Taking Bez's place (and thank god for it) was a magnetic female singer and hype artist whose name unfortunately escapes me. She brought the fun and the stage presence. Unfortunately all Shawn had to bring last night was his lumpen English self who couldn't be bothered.

At the other end of the spectrum, there's Richard Butler. I'm not sure what deal this man has made with El Diablo but suffice to say I would like to make a similar one. Looking shockingly good and sounding amazing, Mr. Butler and company ran through a 17 song set-list heavy on the hits while not missing a beat in terms of poncey twirls, audience interaction, and general Bowie-esque fabulosity. I've seen this band many times over the last 20 + years and never once have they disappointed. Last night was no exception (with the exception of not playing Heartbreak Beat but I'll survive). Winner = Psychedelic Furs by a wide margin!

Happy Mondays Set List:

1. Kinky Afro
2. Monster
3. Loose Fit
4. Reverend Black Grape
5. Hallelujah
6. Nasty
7. Anti Warhole on the Dancefloor
8. Jellybean
9. Mumbo Jumbo
10. Step On

Psychedelic Furs Set List:

1. Love My Way
2. Heartbeat
3. Like a Stranger
4. President Gas
5. The Ghost in You
6. In My Head
7. All of This and Nothing
8. Believe
9. Pretty in Pink
10. No Easy Street
11. Sister Europe
12. It Goes On
13. I Don't Wanna Be Shadow
14. Heaven
15. Encore:
15. Forever Now
16. She Is Mine
17. Dumb Waiters

School of Seven Bells - 9/26/09 - Philadelphia - Johnny Brenda's

Every once in a while I'm lucky enough to catch a band at the beginning of what I hope to be an extraordinarily successful career trajectory. This would be one of those bands and one of those times.

Composed of Alley and Claudia Deheza (formerly of On!Air!Library) with Ben Curtis (previously of The Secret Machines) on guitar, the trio makes ridiculously beautiful music suitable for all addled headspaces. I hate drawing comparisons but imagine if My Bloody Valentine had their way with the Cocteau Twins while engaging in an illicit affair with Lush. In other words the shit is good. Their first full length album "Alpinisms" (released last year on the Ghostly International label) brought them the attention of the Pitchfork set with their unique pastiche of wah-wah guitars fluidly blending with the Deheza sisters ethereal vocals creating an almost otherworldly sound perfect to consume 'ludes to.

Live, the band elegantly captures the aural tapestries found on their debut album (Forgive me for just typing "aural tapestries". There is no reason for that and I am sorry). Suffice to say make every effort to see this band live before they're headlining large venues in the near future. Roadworking new material hopefully to be found on their next album due March of next year, such new songs as "Bye-Bye" and "ILU" fit seamlessly into their Alpinisms driven set. There is also a "deluxe" version of "Alpinisms" due 10/13 incorporating demo versions, alternate takes, and new mixes of songs off their first album. Check http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/13402-iamundernodisguise-alternate-version/ for the alternate version of iamundernodisguise.

Here are a couple vids. I shot of the band from February of this year in Philly at the Troc. for a taste of their magic. Note to iPhone users. Do not waste your time trying to shoot video on this device at a show. It will sound like the seventh circle of hell. Trust me. -

Tour Dates. Go. You owe it to yourself. Or the terrorists win!:

Friday, September 25th - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brendas w/Popo
Saturday, September 26th - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar w/ Phantogram
Sunday, September 27th - Washington DC - Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Phantogram
Monday, September 28th - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/ Phantogram, Graveyard Fields
Tuesday, September 29th - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn w/ Phantogram, The Tealights
Thursday, October 1st - Austin, TX - Emos Alternative Lounge w/ Phantogram
Friday, October 2nd - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits / Ziker Park
Sunday, October 4th - San Diego, CA - Casbah w/ Phantogram
Monday, October 5th - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour w/ Warpaint, Phantogram
Tuesday, October 6th - San Francisco, CA - Slims w/ Warpaint, Phantogram
Thursday, October 8th - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Warpaint
Friday, October 9th - Vancouver BC - Biltmore Cabaret w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Saturday, October 10th - Seattle, WA - Neumos w/ Warpaint
Tuesday, October 13th - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Wednesday, October 14th - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Thursday, October 15th - Toronto, ON - Lees Palace w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Friday - October 16th - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Saturday, October 17th - Boston, MA - Paradise w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Friday, October 23rd - New York, NY - Webster Hall w/ The XX, First Aid Kit

The Nightman Cometh Live - 9/17/09 - Philadelphia

Being a huge fan of the FX television show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", it was a pleasant surprise to hear all of the cast were doing an abbreviated tour of the meta - play within a show within a show featured in one of the more popular episodes from last year to promote the premiere of the new season. I won't belabor anyone with a description of the play in question but suffice to say make every effort to see the show if you can. Just imagine Danny Devito playing the troll toll who one must pay to access the "boy's hole". You get the picture.

By 7:30 pm the crowd outside Tower Theater in Philly was chockablock with fans, costumed freaks, and other Killadelphia detritus clamoring to get in. Treated to an abysmal opening comedian (performing with a live band natch), the show officially got underway with a sneak peek look at clips from the show's upcoming Christmas DVD release as well as an ep. from the new season. Finally taking the stage around 9:15, Charley, Dee, Mac, et al were greeted with thunderous applause as the show got underway. A too short 30 minutes later we left the theater grinning like addled 18 year olds wishing more television shows had the presence of mind to do something this craven from a marketing perspective in the near future.

A taste. "Dayman. aaaAAAaa. Fighter of the Nightman"!

Pet Shop Boys - 9/2-6/09 - NYC / AC

Observing Neil's hat. Wanting one for myself.

This was my third Pet Shop Boys tour over the last 15 years and I told myself from the outset "go more than once, asshole. You always regret not doing so". After telling myself to shut the hell up I did just that and purchased tix for both the band's New York and Atlantic City appearances. And I am happy to report it was money well-spent.

There are some bands who are just shockingly good live. PSB is one of those bands. One would assume it would be a rather being boring moment in that Neil and Chris are not the most excitable of characters (both onstage and off). Taking that into consideration they consistently make an effort to surround themselves with dancers, stunning visual effects, and other homosational effluvia. For this round, the backdrop consisted of strategically placed white boxes set up in different dimensional patterns forming a screen of sorts for the op-art, cubist videos being projected upon them. Manipulated in different patterns by both the dancers and "technicians" throughout the show, it reminded me of a futuristic disco fronted by two very English poofs. In other words I want to go to there. Often.

For Atlantic City we procured VIP tix allowing us to interact briefly with the band before the show and affording us prime rail spots. The guys could not have been nicer (droll, witty, making fun of George Michael's sexual exploits = John Love). I reciprocated by becoming disturbingly drunk during the show and making an ass of myself. Yay for video. Or in my parlance "YEEAAAHHHH".

NY / AC Setlist:

1. More Than A Dream (Magical Dub) (truncated)
2. Heart
3. Did You See Me Coming?
4. Pandemonium/Can You Forgive Her? (medley)
5. Love Etc.
6. Building A Wall (incorporating "Integral")
7. Go West (incorporating "Paninaro" and "Opportunites (Let's Make Lots Of Money)")
8. Two Divided By Zero
9. Why Don't We Live Together? (incorporating "Left To My Own Devices")
10. Always On My Mind

11. New York City Boy
12. Closer To Heaven (truncated)
13. Left To My Own Devices
14. Do I Have To?
15. King's Cross
16. The Way It Used To Be
17. Jealousy
18. Suburbia

19. All Over The World
20. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)
21. Viva La Vida (incorporating "Discoteca" and "Domino Dancing")
22. It's A Sin

23. Being Boring
24. West End Girls