This week rollcall

Brendan Benson:  I asked at the box office, and it will def not sell out.  I bought a ticket to make sure I get my ass to the club.  Really enjoying his new album.  It's a bit of a retread, but when it's good material, I don't mind much.  He puts on a really solid show, so I'm looking forward to it.  His tunes have Bags written all over them.

Arctic Monkeys:  I was there and thought the show was really good.  They have this ability to use a backdrop, low light sets at the back of the stage, dry ice smoke and strobe lights to create an entirely new atmosphere.  Barely even felt like the 9:30 Club, which is awesome when you've been to about 500 shows already…  I don't listen to the albums much (I have no idea why), so I was surprised at how involving the show was.  Good stuff.  Missed you Bearman, no doubt in the rush to get to my car in the rain! 

Re the crowd – yes it was hot, but NOT very crowded.  Lots of room in back and even midway up.  Very 'loose' crowd.  Strange since it was a pricey sell-out (ie, not one you'd think many folks would just blow off).  I can't figure it out.  For Them Crooked Vultures I couldn't even get back on to the floor from the restroom.  Crazy.

Sloan:  I agree with xCanuck, it was an okay Sloan show.  Though there was one VERY bright spot – I had a meeting after work I couldn't miss so ran late.  Showed up halfway through the third song, went up about 5 'rows' back to my friends who were there, and within a minute got a wink, nod and smile from Murphy.  Finally!  After all those shows up front, all the after show meet & greets, I get some Sloan love & recognition.  Awesome (I think most folks know how I love them; a couple years ago they played Black Cat on my birthday and I bought tickets for all my friends and had a crew of about 20….).

I think Murph is in low key mode these days, no doubt based on his injury and possibly the notion of playing to 150 people in a coffee shop.  I also agree that Jay writes great songs, though I don't love his singing.  And Andrew can be a drag…  On the way home my friend and I decided we may need to travel to Canada to see a great, big, energetic Sloan show again.  Best Sloan show I've seen?  When they opened for Jet (awful) in NYC.  Just awesome, all over the place, crazy energy and way way fun. Maybe they get sufficient love in their homeland…

Me: Sorry for the long post; making up for not being around much.  Hope all are well!  ;)

Bags wrote:
Brendan Benson:  I asked at the box office, and it will def not sell out.  I bought a ticket to make sure I get my ass to the club.  Really enjoying his new album.  It's a bit of a retread, but when it's good material, I don't mind much.  He puts on a really solid show, so I'm looking forward to it.  His tunes have Bags written all over them.

I love Brendan Benson, really hoping I can get out of work tonight and make it . . . 9:30 PM might be doable

"Tiny Spark" is one of my all-time favorites

Bags wrote:Me: Sorry for the long post; making up for not being around much.  Hope all are well!  ;)

Don't apologize for that, Bags! I'd rather read real show reviews (especially by you) than another laundry list of shows that people are planning to see.

I bet Ezra Furman and the Harpoons will be the better show tonight. Brendan who?  :P

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/66243-ezra-furman-and-the-harpoons-inside-the-human-body/

Darth wrote:

Bags wrote:Me: Sorry for the long post; making up for not being around much.  Hope all are well!  ;)

Don't apologize for that, Bags! I'd rather read real show reviews (especially by you) than another laundry list of shows that people are planning to see.

Yeah! No one really seems to detail anything after the show…
Me? Still stuck at home. Wish I could be at BB tonight. Let us know how it is..

I'm in for BB, wonder if his new  backing band is as good as 5
the wellfed boys were…

Versus @ Black Cat

That was a throughly enjoyable evening of music, it so nice to get hear musicians doing timeless music and not what happens to be trendy at the time.

Very much enjoyed the opening set by Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons, it's not very often that I wished an opener player longer, because I would have dug hearing more from this group.  I rather enjoy bands that are able to bring rock, pop and twang influences together without veering off to deep into alt-country or straight ahead rock.  They reminded me of early Blue Rodeo….

What can I say about Brendan Benson in a world littered with bandwagon jumping indie bands, it's nice to know that he stills rocks those catchy songs live.  Nice mix of new and old songs with a solid band behind him.  In four years time he'll probably release another great album of timeless sounding tunes, when most people will have already forgotten about Passion Pit.

It also landed on me like a ton of bricks during his set that "Garbage Day" may well be the song of the year.  With that kickin' Funk Brothersesque rhythm track and Motown string arrangement,  it easily crushes other contemporary soul efforts.  Made me think that a Brendan Benson and JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound would be an excellent concert pairing….

That Brendan Benson set was incredibly fun and well-played. Should've went upstairs to check out some of the opener. Ahh well.


Pleasure chatting it up with you as always, Kosmo.

P.S. Fuck Passion Pit.

Last night's Brendan Benson show was easily one of my favorites of the year. Lord, that man can craft beautiful songs and he's got such a talented band behind him. A nice way for me to close out 2009 at the Club.

Brendan's drummer on this tour is Brad Pemberton of Ryan Adams & the Cardinals fame.

any good shows next week? I don't see a single show I'd like to see.

maybe the whigs tonight at the cat. anyone know about mean creek or the features? are they worth watching?

a sunny day in glasgow is playing tonight at the red & black  (with the young republic and the torches) … no one fav venue, i know, but it's a damn fine band that might it worth the outing. 

Hello wrote:
any good shows next week? I don't see a single show I'd like to see.

nope, nothing on my concert calendar - which is sorta motivating me to go see ASDiG, then again it's far and i'm tired… EDIT: there is screen vinyl image at the red & black next thursday, dunno if that works for you.

I'm very partial to the Features enjoyed seeing them several years ago,  put out a couple better than average records.  Best described as Garage Rock,  they did recording with Brendon benson for his latest.

The Features should be great, agreed…I've never seen Mean Creek but the stuff on their myspace sounds good. I shall be there for all 3 bands tonight….

Screen Vinyl Image's show also features Nightmare Air, a band with members of Film School, who recently released a good EP.

sweetcell wrote:
a sunny day in glasgow is playing tonight at the red & black  (with the young republic and the torches) … no one fav venue, i know, but it's a damn fine band that might it worth the outing. 

And it was a pretty good show. Most packed I think I've ever seen the R+B. Sound difficulties abound, but to be expected when violins (Young Republic) and female harmonies (ASDIG) are required, especially at this venue, which is simply too small and too "rustic" to handle bands like these.

Young Republic were good, but very Spoon/Walkmen sounding. VERY. The vocal mixing during ASDIG was great, even though some of the songs sounded a bit alike by the end of the set.

killsaly wrote:
Screen Vinyl Image's show also features Nightmare Air, a band with members of Film School, who recently released a good EP.

Also I am probably opening this show on Thursday, so come out early if you were planning on going.  I will either be DJing some tracks i am working on for a shoegaze/electronic mixtape i have been working on, or will be using my drum machine and guitar and playing a short set with the keyboard player from my band. 

Demo track, this one a Foals remix, more of the house side of me, as opposed to my usual DNB:
http://www.killsaly.com/music/PROJECTS/mt/ElectricBloomkillsalyremix.mp3

Wow this thread fell a few pages.  I guess the snow is keeping people from attending live music events.

Tonight:
Baltimore Bass Connection 6th Annual XMas Party with Spank Rock, Amanda Blank, Death Set, etc.