What Show Did You Just See?

[Northern Neighbour]

Newport Folk Festival pics are up here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benyung6/sets/72157634952652948/

Went to Osheaga in Montreal yesterday only.  Tough to get photos as the dry ice machine was going non-stop throughout the day.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benyung6/sets/72157634952733970/

[alienlanes]

Last night I went to see Baroness and Royal Thunder at Toronto's Mod Club.

The doors were at 7, so my pal Kevin and I left my house at 5:45 figuring we'd make it into Toronto for 6:30, have time to eat and go see Royal Thunder when they went on at 8. WRONG!

It took over 2 hours to make the usual 45 minute drive. There was a baseball game, lots of shows happening everywhere and a huge accident on the Gardiner Expressway (already one of the worst highways ever) so we didn't get there till 7:50 AND Royal Thunder were already on. Shit!

Royal Thunder made my favourite album of 2012 but every time i see them they have a different line up. First time they were a quartet, next time they had a different drummer, this time they were pared down to a trio. Their vocalist MIny has an amazing voice and they are great live, but this was just an okay show by them.

Baroness blew my mind last night. The new rhythm section were on, the band was on fire. Maybe a few too many songs from Blue Record and not enough from Red Album, but fuck me they were great last night. Bought the new Live At Maida Vale 12" and also picked up Blue Record on vinyl finally.

Might go see the Mickey Hart Band tomorrow night. They are playing 10 miles away and it is free. I wouldn't pay, but I might go for free just to check it out.

[FiddleCastro]

I got to see my friend Becca Pieters from Gainesville, Florida at Pianos in NYC.  She was really good, even if the audience was all talky at the bar and whatnot. Definitely check her stuff out! http://beccapieters.com/



Before the show I walked down there from my office in Manhattan, I actually got there kinda early. I was hanging around for a bit and I see Sharon Van Etten walk in, I say hey to her and tell her I was waiting for Becca, Becca comes down and Sharon takes us to a Mexican restaurant. We hang out there for a bit, then head over to Becca's show.

Becca was great, I really like her EP "Head Above Water" One track off that record, called "Off Center" is fantastic and one of my favorite tracks I've heard all year.  She was telling me she usually doesn't play it, because it's got a lot of instrumentation to it, and when she plays it's usually just her playing acoustic, but she re-arranged it and played it and it was really good, she gave me a shout out before playing it "I'm playing this because Rich really likes this song" which was awesome. The rest of the EP is great, and the closing song, "Omaha" actually got people clapping along for a little bit.  She played some older and newer songs (newer than the EP). 

After the show we hung out at the venue for a little while, but it got loud (a DJ was playing) so we went to a more laid-back bar afterwards, it was kinda surreal hanging out with one of my favorite musicians, her guitarist, a friend I never met in person before, and a few other people, but it was really cool and it was awesome how supportive Sharon and Heather were of Becca.  She's got some really great people willing to help her out.  At the restaurant before the show, Sharon gave her a bunch of stuff, strings, picks, cables, nail polish, etc...

If you're in NY, she has one more show on Saturday Night at Path Cafe on Christopher Street. Come by and say hi and hang out and whatnot!

[johnnYYac]

Bob Mould at Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Great show!  Lots of great tunes from Copper Blue, Silver Age, and the Husker Du catalog.  Horrid opening act (Love Songs For Lonely Monsters from Des Moines), which I suppose made Bob and his great bandmates seem all the more amazing. 



THE ACT WE ACT (Sugar - Copper Blue)
A GOOD IDEA (Sugar - Copper Blue)
CHANGES (Sugar - Copper Blue)
HELPLESS (Sugar - Copper Blue)
HOOVER DAM (Sugar - Copper Blue)
STAR MACHINE (Bob Mould - Silver Age)
THE DESCENT (Bob Mould - Silver Age)
STEAM OF HERCULES (Bob Mould - Silver Age)
COME AROUND (Sugar - Beaster)
YOUR FAVORITE THING (Sugar - File Under: Easy Listening)
SEE A LITTLE LIGHT (Bob Mould - Workbook)
I APOLOGIZE (Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising)
CELEBRATED SUMMER (Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising)
CHARTERED TRIPS (Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade)
KEEP BELIEVING (Bob Mould - Silver Age)
-----
IF I CAN'T CHANGE YOUR MIND (Sugar - Copper Blue)
SOMETHING I LEARNED TODAY (Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade)
IN A FREE LAND (Hüsker Dü - Everything Falls Apart and More CD bonus track)
FLIP YOUR WIG (Hüsker Dü- Flip Your Wig)
HATE PAPER DOLL (Hüsker Dü - Flip Your Wig)
MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL (Hüsker Dü - Flip Your Wig)

[manonthemoon]

Just got through catching Mastodon for a couple of shows back to back earlier this week.  The first show at the Norva in Norfolk was decent but the security seemed to be a little uptight during the show and the crowd didn't know how to react as they are usually going crazy every time I have seen Mastodon.  Plus Brent was sort of sick as he was drinking hot tea on stage and his vocals seemed off, but that could of been due to the sound system as I know he was trying to adjust it throughout the set.  I did manage to get a Bran drum stick which was awesome after the show.  Still was a good show and one of the openers a band called Hypocalypse from Richmond had a couple of very young, xed out hands young, and talented guitarists.  Overall not super impressed with the music especially vocally, but both of the young guys could play.

We also caught them the following night at the Orange Peel in Asheville and that is where they proved to me that they are the greatest live act in all of metal.  The crowd was so much better for this show.  Everyone was moving and into the entire set, really suprised but the Hunter songs seemed to have the broadest appeal.  But the crowd went the wildest when the older songs were played.  You could tell the band just fed off of the crowd and they talked for a little bit after the set about the upcomming record.  We ran into Bill after the set at a bar close by and mentioned that we really enjoyed both shows and then he mentioned how much better this show was than the Norva show.  Just goes to show you how a good crowd can affect the band and show entirely as the set lists were exactly the same.

[Jaimoe]

The New Pornographers with Cuff The Duke at the Canadian National Exhibition (135th annual edition of one of North America's biggest and most prestigious fairs). The August 17th show was included in the $16 admission into the fair, which is indeed a great plus since the EX is tons of fun without live music. Anyway, Cuff The Duke are one of Canada's criminally overlooked bands. They write great tunes and sound a bit like a cross between Wilco, Blue Rodeo and Neil Young and Crazy Horse. I think if they were from Nashville and not the blue-collar Ontario town of Oshawa they'd be well-known in the States. Great warm-up act.

The New Pornographers put on an awesome show. They are comparable to another Canadian indie super-group conglomerate, Broken Social Scene, but unlike the latter, the former's quirkiness and experimentation doesn't come off as annoying and self-indulgent. I stood right up to the stage, around 15 feet from the lovely and talented Kathryn Calder (Neko Case is on the road right now supporting her new solo album). Calder really is the glue of the band, acting as a perfect foil to frontmen Carl Newman and Destroyer (Dan Bejar). Tough task getting the mixed-age audience at a free concert fired up, but the crowd came to life as the gig wore on. Destroyer's songs were a revelation. Great night.   

[Jeff Murray]

Went to see the Spirit Family Reunion open for Black Prairie last night at the Abbey Bar.  Spirit Family Reunion really brings a raw Gospel/Folk sound to their shows.  The vocals are intertwined between three of the members.  The guy who plays fiddle and the accordian can really belt out a song, especially on Green Rocky Road.  They had a good set and the crowd really enjoyed their show, one of the band members thanked us for finally showing up, as they have opened other shows there that didn't draw well. 

Black Prairie seems a little too polished so to speak.  For a folk band I am used to a little more rawness to the shows.  I left early during their set, while what I heard was good, it was just not as exciting as the opener, and it felt like a let down. 

[oistheone]

Went to the first stop on the RiotFest tour last night -- featuring a nice double-whammy of Iggy and the Stooges and the Replacements, playing their first show in over 20 years.

The Stooges were HIGH on my bucket list and I'm SO glad I can finally cross 'em off. And hell, I wanna see 'em again! Iggy was as wild as I thought he'd be, James Williamson was even louder and crunchier than I expected, and Mike Watt, while not an original Stooge, is such a sight to behold on bass. They also had some of the most badass roadies I've ever seen, looking ready to knock out ANYONE who fucked with the band after Iggy inevitably invited the crowd on the stage. They played a great setlist, going over their allotted time to fit in some Iggy solo stuff and some tracks off the new album. For a band that's about as punk as it gets, their sound was damn impressive, they really groove! I dont think you'll find a band on the planet that works as hard for their paycheque!

The Replacements had the place buzzing from the minute they took the stage. I enjoy Let It Be, but really haven't heard much else. However, I was still captivated by the set. Westerberg is such a natural frontman, he had great banter and energy going the whole night. For a band that hasn't played in so long, they were TIGHT. I mean, occasional sloppiness when Westerberg forgot words, but isn't that to be expected from a Replacements show?! Personal highlights for me me were a revved-up version of "Maybelline", and of course "I Will Dare" that really showcased some fantastic guitar interplay. I have to believe the band will be very pleased with how their first show back went down.

Overall, a pretty damn awesome evening!

[weeniebeenie]

That's so cool! Seeing the Replacements would be awesome.

[Jaimoe]

Went to the first stop on the RiotFest tour last night -- featuring a nice double-whammy of Iggy and the Stooges and the Replacements, playing their first show in over 20 years.

The Stooges were HIGH on my bucket list and I'm SO glad I can finally cross 'em off. And hell, I wanna see 'em again! Iggy was as wild as I thought he'd be, James Williamson was even louder and crunchier than I expected, and Mike Watt, while not an original Stooge, is such a sight to behold on bass. They also had some of the most badass roadies I've ever seen, looking ready to knock out ANYONE who fucked with the band after Iggy inevitably invited the crowd on the stage. They played a great setlist, going over their allotted time to fit in some Iggy solo stuff and some tracks off the new album. For a band that's about as punk as it gets, their sound was damn impressive, they really groove! I dont think you'll find a band on the planet that works as hard for their paycheque!

The Replacements had the place buzzing from the minute they took the stage. I enjoy Let It Be, but really haven't heard much else. However, I was still captivated by the set. Westerberg is such a natural frontman, he had great banter and energy going the whole night. For a band that hasn't played in so long, they were TIGHT. I mean, occasional sloppiness when Westerberg forgot words, but isn't that to be expected from a Replacements show?! Personal highlights for me me were a revved-up version of "Maybelline", and of course "I Will Dare" that really showcased some fantastic guitar interplay. I have to believe the band will be very pleased with how their first show back went down.

Overall, a pretty damn awesome evening!

I wanted to go to Riot Fest in Toronto, but I had to work the fucking MTV VMAs. Anyway, it's really only a couple of Replacements and a few replacement Replacements. The late-great Bobby Stinson's replacement, Slim Dunlap (had a stroke last year and can't play guitar), so he was replaced by Dave Minehan. Founding drummer Chris Mars has basically retired. Still, Tommy Stinson and Paul Westerberg make an awesome combo. You really need to get Tim (so many classic songs and some fine Bob Stinson solos) and Please To Meet Me. The early punkier stuff is great too.

Stooges?! Fucking awesome. Too bad that Ron Asheton died, but Mike Watt kicks ass. I like the pre-James Williamson Stooges' songs better than Raw Power-era, but nothing tops "Search and Destroy". I'm glad the show was memorable. Oh, and Dinosaur Jr. and Winnipeg's The Weakerthans were also on the bill. How were they?

[Tired Eyes]

On 8/22 I saw The Dexateens at The Nick in Birmingham, AL.  It was my first time in Bham and it was great to see the band in their home state.  The place holds 200 people and is a classic dive bar.  Elliott McPherson came out in the crowd multiple times.  During the last song, he rolled around on the floor, going right into my legs.  Awesome.

On 8/23 and 8/24, I saw the Drive-By Truckers at the Georgia Theater in Athens, GA.  These were terrific shows at a nice venue.  The Dexateens opened Friday's show which was a cool bonus.  I helped video both bands on Friday night (my first time helping out).  Headhunter (his 1st time in Athens) and Penny Lane also attended these 2 shows.  Friends of ours came from as far away as Scotland and California for these 2 shows.

Here is a link to the Dexateens set from 8/23.
http://southernshelter.com/2013/08/out-of-towners-the-dexateens-georgia-theatre-2013-08-23/

[FiddleCastro]

Saw STRFKR, Small Black and Com Truise this weekend at Terminal 5. It was a lot of fun and an astronaut kneed me in the face before he jumped in his inflatable raft and sailed away.... 

[johnnYYac]

Saw STRFKR, Small Black and Com Truise this weekend at Terminal 5. It was a lot of fun and an astronaut kneed me in the face before he jumped in his inflatable raft and sailed away.... 

Rich, you're gonna need concert insurance!

[ManNamedTruth]

Queens of the Stone Age! With a perfect view of fireworks from after the Pirates game in the lawn! Epic!!   

[FiddleCastro]

Friday: Saw Deervana and Torres,
Saturday: Saw Royal Canoe and Alt-J, realized it was only 10pm then hopped on a train and caught Waxahatchee and Screaming Females in Brooklyn. Full reviews coming soon 

[Jared]

The Ottawa Bluesfest has just finished, and it was great that FiddleCastro could come up for half of it.  Over the 10 days, I saw the following:

Femi Kuti
Jimmy Eat World
The Black Keys
Camera Obscura
Frank Turner (tail end of his show)
Flogging Molly (only parts)
She & Him (may have been the most disappointing show of the festival)
Camp Radio (Ottawa band that plays indie rock-pop similar to Dinosaur, Jr's "Farm")
Justin Townes Earle
Amadou & Miriam
Fitz & the Tantrums
Neko Case
Belle & Sebastian (only about 20 minutes, should have stayed longer)
Sharon Van Etten (excellent show)
Fevers
Shaky Graves
The Joy Formidable
Wu-Tang Clan (just about 15 minutes)
Rocky Lawrence
Hannah Georgas
Diamond Rings
Eric Burdon
The Goodluck Assembly
The Specials
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer
Mother Mother
Atlas Genius
Animal Collective
Solange
Passion Pit
Jack Pine and the Fire
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Tragically Hip
Loon Choir (Ottawa band that has an Arcade Fire bent)
Matthew Good
TJ Wheeler & Friends
Balkan Beat Box
Roberta Bondar
Richard Perso (twice - he's a young Aussie, one-man band)
Imaginary Cities
Firebelly
Austra
Phosphorescent
Bjork (mind-blowing show)
Blues in the Schools (elementary and high school-aged kids get to play a couple of songs on stage)
Alice in Chains
Alejandro Escovedo
Yukon Blonde
B.B. King

Photos can be found here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/benyung6/sets/72157634525251201/

How was Shakey Graves? I'm going to a Shovels and Rope show he is opening for this friday and was wondering if I should get there early.

[FiddleCastro]

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Barclays Center 
Amazing, Rocking, and a beautiful celebration of their music. Have loved this band for a very long time.

[Crispy]

Nice! And wow, that's a big picture.

[Fully]

Nice! And wow, that's a big picture.

You know what they say about men with big pictures ...large apertures.

[FiddleCastro]

Meh, too lazy to fix that. Y'all can see my pics I took here, since its obvious you're all not using 70" flat screens as computer monitors

http://blog.mahgeetah.com/post/61735887595/yeah-yeah-yeahs-at-barclays-center-9-19-13-photos