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Besides a burn, a couple of fests, and a few shows here and there, I've been pretty inactive in 2023... But, III Points & Hula right around the corner.
My faves so far this year:
Tipper @ Tipper & Friends (5/5/23) Goose @ Okee (3/3/23) Player Dave @ Okee (3/3/23)
Really enjoyed a Sven Vath set but my phone got stolen so the whole set is null and void.
Upcoming Shows: 5/15 - They Might Be Giants @ Madison Theater 6/2 - Pigeons PPP/Andy Frasco/Dogs in a Pile @ MEGACORP Pavilion 6/5 - Pixies/Modest Mouse/Cat Power @ Andrew J. Brady Center 6/13-6/16 - Bonnaroo 7/25 - Foo Fighters/Pretenders @ Great American Ballpark 7/26 - Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: Remain In Light @ Bogart's 7/28 - Brett Goldstein @ Taft Theatre 8/4 - Phish @ Deer Creek Music Center 8/17 - The Jayhawks @ Memorial Hall
Is this in order from best to worst? What was wrong with this show?
They're just real old, and you can't replicate DB singing. The musicianship was top notch, but it didn't come close to the 4x I saw DB or the time I saw the Tom Tom Club. I liked it, but it definitely wasn't a top show of the year. Similarly, was really hyped for it and felt let down. Partially my own fault for having high expectations for the 70+ year olds based on what Byrne did over the past 15 years.
Edit: I was also pissed because we were in the balcony and nobody was dancing, because they blocked off the GA at this venue for very expensive premium/VIP tickets. It was the only time I've seen this happen at this venue and the only time I've been in the balcony instead of GA. Just seemed like a money grab and pissed me off.
Is this in order from best to worst? What was wrong with this show?
They're just real old, and you can't replicate DB singing. The musicianship was top notch, but it didn't come close to the 4x I saw DB or the time I saw the Tom Tom Club. I liked it, but it definitely wasn't a top show of the year. Similarly, was really hyped for it and felt let down. Partially my own fault for having high expectations for the 70+ year olds based on what Byrne did over the past 15 years.
Edit: I was also pissed because we were in the balcony and nobody was dancing, because they blocked off the GA at this venue for very expensive premium/VIP tickets. It was the only time I've seen this happen at this venue and the only time I've been in the balcony instead of GA. Just seemed like a money grab and pissed me off.
This makes sense. I was really looking forward to their set with Turkuaz at the Roo that didn’t happen. I imagine they would have benefited from Turkuaz’s relative youth.
Upcoming Shows: 5/15 - They Might Be Giants @ Madison Theater 6/2 - Pigeons PPP/Andy Frasco/Dogs in a Pile @ MEGACORP Pavilion 6/5 - Pixies/Modest Mouse/Cat Power @ Andrew J. Brady Center 6/13-6/16 - Bonnaroo 7/25 - Foo Fighters/Pretenders @ Great American Ballpark 7/26 - Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: Remain In Light @ Bogart's 7/28 - Brett Goldstein @ Taft Theatre 8/4 - Phish @ Deer Creek Music Center 8/17 - The Jayhawks @ Memorial Hall
They're just real old, and you can't replicate DB singing. The musicianship was top notch, but it didn't come close to the 4x I saw DB or the time I saw the Tom Tom Club. I liked it, but it definitely wasn't a top show of the year. Similarly, was really hyped for it and felt let down. Partially my own fault for having high expectations for the 70+ year olds based on what Byrne did over the past 15 years.
Edit: I was also pissed because we were in the balcony and nobody was dancing, because they blocked off the GA at this venue for very expensive premium/VIP tickets. It was the only time I've seen this happen at this venue and the only time I've been in the balcony instead of GA. Just seemed like a money grab and pissed me off.
This makes sense. I was really looking forward to their set with Turkuaz at the Roo that didn’t happen. I imagine they would have benefited from Turkuaz’s relative youth.
They opened for Frog Brigade. The first part of the Frog Brigade set was off too. I guess the early start was to blame.
They're just real old, and you can't replicate DB singing. The musicianship was top notch, but it didn't come close to the 4x I saw DB or the time I saw the Tom Tom Club. I liked it, but it definitely wasn't a top show of the year. Similarly, was really hyped for it and felt let down. Partially my own fault for having high expectations for the 70+ year olds based on what Byrne did over the past 15 years.
Edit: I was also pissed because we were in the balcony and nobody was dancing, because they blocked off the GA at this venue for very expensive premium/VIP tickets. It was the only time I've seen this happen at this venue and the only time I've been in the balcony instead of GA. Just seemed like a money grab and pissed me off.
This makes sense. I was really looking forward to their set with Turkuaz at the Roo that didn’t happen. I imagine they would have benefited from Turkuaz’s relative youth.
Seven of the members of Turkuaz left and formed a band called Cool Cool Cool, who are the backing band for Jerry and Adrian. They opened up for them on this tour as well. Don't know the whole story with Turkuaz, but that element was there and did help. Just couldn't get over the vocals honestly and it sounded like a Talking Heads cover band. But they were solid. The musicianship was top notch.
This makes sense. I was really looking forward to their set with Turkuaz at the Roo that didn’t happen. I imagine they would have benefited from Turkuaz’s relative youth.
Seven of the members of Turkuaz left and formed a band called Cool Cool Cool, who are the backing band for Jerry and Adrian. They opened up for them on this tour as well. Don't know the whole story with Turkuaz, but that element was there and did help. Just couldn't get over the vocals honestly and it sounded like a Talking Heads cover band. But they were solid. The musicianship was top notch.
Did Belew randomly leave the stage for 2 songs during your show?
Seven of the members of Turkuaz left and formed a band called Cool Cool Cool, who are the backing band for Jerry and Adrian. They opened up for them on this tour as well. Don't know the whole story with Turkuaz, but that element was there and did help. Just couldn't get over the vocals honestly and it sounded like a Talking Heads cover band. But they were solid. The musicianship was top notch.
Did Belew randomly leave the stage for 2 songs during your show?
This makes sense. I was really looking forward to their set with Turkuaz at the Roo that didn’t happen. I imagine they would have benefited from Turkuaz’s relative youth.
Seven of the members of Turkuaz left and formed a band called Cool Cool Cool, who are the backing band for Jerry and Adrian. They opened up for them on this tour as well. Don't know the whole story with Turkuaz, but that element was there and did help. Just couldn't get over the vocals honestly and it sounded like a Talking Heads cover band. But they were solid. The musicianship was top notch.
Ah, got it. I thought Turkuaz was handling vocals, too.
Upcoming Shows: 5/15 - They Might Be Giants @ Madison Theater 6/2 - Pigeons PPP/Andy Frasco/Dogs in a Pile @ MEGACORP Pavilion 6/5 - Pixies/Modest Mouse/Cat Power @ Andrew J. Brady Center 6/13-6/16 - Bonnaroo 7/25 - Foo Fighters/Pretenders @ Great American Ballpark 7/26 - Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: Remain In Light @ Bogart's 7/28 - Brett Goldstein @ Taft Theatre 8/4 - Phish @ Deer Creek Music Center 8/17 - The Jayhawks @ Memorial Hall
Post by youcoolman69 on Dec 1, 2023 20:22:52 GMT -5
1. Four Tet + Squidsoup @ Hollywood Palladium (Wednesday show) 2. Four Tet + Squidsoup @ Hollywood Palladium (Thursday show) 3. DJ Nobu + Wata Igarishi @ Return to the Source Detroit 4. DJ Stingray @ Tresor 313 5. Batu @ Making Time ∞ (inside of a Revolutionary war bunker) 6. Surgeon @ Movement Detroit 7. D.Dan @ secondnature 8. Ben UFO @ Substation 9. Jamie xx @ Making Time ∞ 10. Underworld @ Movement Detroit 11. Osees @ Neumos 12. Sunn O))) @ Paramount Theatre 13. Duster @ The Showbox 14. Unwound @ The Showbox 15. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard @ Remlinger Farms
Sasquatch '15 Sasquatch '16 Sasquatch '17 Day For Night '17 Sasquatch '18 III Points '21 Movement '22 Desert Daze '22 Movement '23 Making Time ∞ '23 Movement '24 Desert Daze '24 last.fm/user/stevienicks69
1. MMJ @ Peach 2. Phish @ MSG (8/1/23) 3. Billy Strings @ N Chas Coliseum 4. Wilco @ High Water 5. Tommy Emmanuel @ Charleston Music Hall 6. Beck @ High Water 7. Nordista Freeze @ Charleston Pour House 8. She Returns From War @ High Water 9. SUSTO @ The Royal American 10. Melt @ Peach 11. Psycodelics @ Peach 12. JRAD @ Peach 13. Eggy @ Charleston Pour House 14. Frankie and the Witch Fingers @ Charleston Pour House 15. Illiterate Light @ The Royal American
Some favorites from the year. Probably missing a couple. Solid year for live music for me.
Saw 30 shows this year (counting one festival day as one “show”), with various combinations of family, friends and festival goers. I enjoyed them all in different ways, so instead of trying to rank them, I’ll categorize:
Best Special Effects: Muse (big mirror-faced Grim Reaper thing) and Flaming Lips (giant Pink Robots) at Shaky Knees. Still wondering which would win in an epic final battle… Most Anticipated Show: Boygenius at Stage AE, Pittsburgh. The GA crowd started lining up early in the morning. The trio played literally every song in their catalog (OK, only one album and one EP) plus a few solo pieces for a very satisfying headline show. They went on to sell out Madison Square Garden (and possibly every other place they’ve played), and are up for a bunch of Grammys. Really glad to have grabbed affordable tickets at a smaller venue. Best Reunion Show: The Postal Service. Sometimes we get lucky, and a band doesn't really break up forever... Funniest Show: CAKE at the Mann in Philadelphia. Snarky lyrics and John McCrea’s deadpan wit kept everyone smiling. Most Emotional Show: Foo Fighters, Boston Calling. Their first festival show after losing Taylor Hawkins (RIP). Most Intimate Small-venue Show: Weyes Blood at the Roxian Theater near Pittsburgh. Gorgeous music, great interaction with the adoring crowd, in a nicely-restored classic theater. Most Intimate Festival Headliner: John Mayer (solo) at Sound on Sound. JM’s phenominal guitar skills and songwriting, in the very place he was born and raised, made this a one-of-a-kind special way to end the weekend. Best Opening Act: The Beths, opening for The National at The Met Philly. They were the perfect, upbeat foil for the saddest of all Sad-Dad bands (who were also great that night). Best early-day undercard surprise: TALK at Boston Calling. Their polished classic-rock tinged set seemed to really connect with a younger set of fans. Most Head-Scratching Show: Big Thief, Ulster PAC in Kingston, NY: Finally saw them for the first time. The set drew heavily from their latest album (of course) and 5 songs off their NEXT album, most of it unfamiliar to the crowd (and the band!). I get it- that’s what they do- but I’d hoped to hear more off their outstanding back catalog than an unknown future album. Commence throwing rotten tomatoes in my direction… The “Finally Saw Them” Award: Yeah Yeah Yeahs. After we missed them at both Shaky Knees AND Boston Calling, they fortunately tacked on a few final concerts to their tour, including an ass-kicking show at The Met Philly. Worth the wait! The “I’ll Never Get Tired of Seeing Them” award: My Morning Jacket at The Met Philly. Two no-repeat shows gave us 42 songs, plenty of surprises, and new twists on old favorites. These guys just seem to keep getting better.
10. Mountain Goats @ Codfish Hollow Barnstormers Maquoketa, IA 09. Soul Glo @ Gabe's Oasis Iowa City, IA 08. Chat Pile @ Gabe's Oasis Iowa City, IA 07. Bully @ Racoon Motel Davenport, IA 06. Titus Andronicus @ Gabe's Oasis Iowa City, IA 05. Viagra Boys @ First Avenue Minneapolis, MN 04. The Cure @ Riot Fest Chicago, IL 03. HEALTH @ High Noon Saloon Madison, WI 02. LCD Soundsystem @ Re:SET Chicago, IL 01. Queens of the Stone Age @ Riot Fest Chicago, IL
Seeing The Armed twice next weekend, so I'm guessing that will shift things around a bit
1. The Hillbillies 2. The Cure 3. Magdalena Bay 4. Tyler, the Creator 5. The Postal Service/Death Cab For Cutie 6. King Krule 7. Bicep 8. Paramore 9. Gorillaz 10. Bjork
Mostly a ton of Roo but here’s a little list anyway:
1. MMJ @ Bonnaroo 2. Fleet Foxes @ Bonnaroo 3. The Smile @ The National (RVA) 4. Paramore @ Bonnaroo 5. Kendrick Lamar @ Bonnaroo 6. Billy Strings @ John Paul Jones Arena (Charlottesville) 7. Model/Actriz @ Richmond Music Hall 8. Weyes Blood @ The National 9. MUNA @ Bonnaroo 10. Cimafunk @ Bonnaroo
21. Fred Again.. - Primavera Sound 22. Núria Graham - L'Auditori 23. Nia Archives - Primavera Sound 24. Blawan - Berlin Atonal 25. Julia Holter - L'Auditori 26. Ascendant Vierge - Trix 27. Weyes Blood - Botanique 28. Yves Tumor & it's Band - Botanique 29. Kali Malone - Berghain 30. Meg10 - Horst
31. The Mars Volta - Best Kept Secret 32. Aphex Twin - Field Day 33. Maria W Horn - Berlin Atonal 34. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Cirque Royal 35. Persher - Berlin Atonal 36. The Comet Is Coming - Razzmatazz 2 37. Tim Hecker - BRDCST Festival 38. LSDXOXO b2b VTSS - Primavera Sound 39. Alvvays - Best Kept Secret 40. Istanbul Ghetto Club - Berlin Atonal
Knocked out my last concert of the year on Saturday. Ended up only doing 22 shows but nearly every show was a huge priority to make including seeing two of my all time favorite acts on their respective reunions.
1. Pulp/Blur/Metronomy @ Corona Capital (CDMX) 2. Agalloch @ The Summit (Denver) 3. The Cure @ Moody Center 4. The Killers @ Emo's 5. New Order @ Moody Theater 6. Temple of Angels @ The Parish 7. Death Worship @ Hotel Vegas 8. Waxahatchee @ Devil's Backbone Tavern 9. Secret Shame @ Chess Club 10. Emperor @ Southside Ballroom (Dallas) 11. Alita Gun @ Empire Garage 12. Alan Palomo/Girl Ray @ Empire Garage 13. Godflesh @ Empire Garage 14. Bulldozer @ The Lost Well 15. Jenny Lewis @ Moody Theater 16. Molchat Doma @ Stubbs 17. Girl in a Coma @ Mohawk 18. Lebanon Hanover @ Elysium 19. Carcass/Municipal Waste @ Mohawk 20. Darius @ The Parish 21. Brujeria @ Come and Take It 22. Sisters of Mercy @ Moody Theater
Upcoming Shows: 5/15 - They Might Be Giants @ Madison Theater 6/2 - Pigeons PPP/Andy Frasco/Dogs in a Pile @ MEGACORP Pavilion 6/5 - Pixies/Modest Mouse/Cat Power @ Andrew J. Brady Center 6/13-6/16 - Bonnaroo 7/25 - Foo Fighters/Pretenders @ Great American Ballpark 7/26 - Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: Remain In Light @ Bogart's 7/28 - Brett Goldstein @ Taft Theatre 8/4 - Phish @ Deer Creek Music Center 8/17 - The Jayhawks @ Memorial Hall
I did mine chronologically since I had to write these going through my diary, but I will include a ranking at the end for you animals.
Party Dozen, 3/30, Sleeping Village
I love being blown away by an opener, and this was the first time it happened to me in 3 years. Party Dozen’s combo of screaming into saxophone bells and dance-punk drumming shouldn’t work, and yet, when cranked up to eleven, it absolutely does. This was the kind of performance that made me want to grab everybody’s shoulders and try to force them to like this weird noise music.
Underworld, 4/15, Coachella
One of the last remaining bands on my bucket list and this did not disappoint. Rave par excellence, with the sound just right, the lights just right, the setlist just right. Crazy how in their mid-60s Karl Hyde and Rick Smith are still putting out all-time rave bangerz.
Björk, 4/16, Coachella
There was a lot of debate in the run up to her Coachella set if Björk’s Orkestral show or her Cornucopia show should’ve been booked, but imo this was the right choice. You can’t feel so intensely connected to the human experience under drone lights to a slowed-down string version of “Hyperballad” if you also have a wall of bass. Or maybe you can, but we’ll never know.
The Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, 4/30, Thalia Hall
In a custom-built tent in a club, with a 360-degree view, Lingua Ignota died and the Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter was reborn, speaking in tongues, leading us in endless repetitions of hymns, and saving audience members. The word “unforgettable” gets thrown around a lot, but…
M83, 5/2, Riviera Theatre
M83’s Fantasy was an album I was not expecting to love as much as I did, but I should’ve known I would love their stage show. The visuals were the band’s most ambitious to date, with perfectly executed multi-color lights accompanied by just-strange-enough LED visuals from a mirror hung from the stage. The setlist was similarly ambitious in its own way; Anthony Gonzalez dug deep into his back catalog for this one, pulling out 20-year-old deep cuts and unreleased Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming tracks while still satisfying the people who really love “Outro” for some reason. It’s a shame there aren’t many more big shoegaze bands because they should always demand this level of spectacle.
Jlin, 7/21, Pitchfork
This show made me think that Jlin is the closest thing America has to Aphex Twin - not in a hyperbolic, mind-blowing, face-melting live show with psychedelic visuals kind of way, but in a hyperbolic, mind-blowing, face-melting live show that presents dance music at its finest when it hits a certain high BPM and never lets you go, somehow hitting the perfect combination of pure experimentation and pure danceability.
Jehnny Beth, 9/16, Riot Fest
Sets where an artist presents mostly new material are always dicey, especially at a festival like this where the majority of the crowd at competing set Bowling for Soup have probably never even heard of Savages. But this turned out to be a total barnstormer, with the new songs totally outshining her already solid last album. Jehnny Beth still has maybe the best voice in post-punk but the new music had an intensity closer to futuristic industrial music.
Nick Cave, 9/29, Auditorium Theater
Accompanied on light but effective bass playing by the member of Radiohead that apparently has the least to do right now, Nick Cave demonstrated the almighty strength of his songwriting with every layer peeled back. Of course, he’s still got his charismatic and hilarious stage presence (including a hilarious bit where he got everyone sitting in the balcony [read: me] to scream louder and louder whenever he said the word ‘balcony’ in “Balcony Song”) but hearing a stripped version of “Palaces of Montezuma” as the second-to-last song in the encore truly gives you a sense of how deep this man’s catalog runs.
The Dare, 9/30, Portola
Sometimes, all you need is a guy with a microphone and some funny songs about wearing shitty perfume, some inscrutable phrases written in Helvetica on an LED screen, and a lot of buzzsaw synths. (Ok the synths were doing a lot of heavy lifting.)
Jessie Ware, 10/5/23, Vic Theatre
The anointing of a new pop star, well over a decade into her career. I reviewed her show earlier this year and compared it a lot to her What’s Your Pleasure? show, and while there were a lot of similarities between the two, in a sense it doesn’t feel fair - these two shows aren’t mirror images of each other, but rather an expansion from one to another. That’s a bit of a funny thing to say since her background visual was simply a curtain with a neon sign that said “The Pearl” on it, but also this bitch did a cover of Cher’s “Believe” from a box section in the audience. Not everyone has the balls to pull that off, and almost no one has the skill to actually stick the landing.
HM: Confidence Man, 12/5, Lincoln Hall. Their set really needs a bigger stage to 100% work but they’re still great at 99% on a smaller stage. Also, like a shark, if I stop talking about them, they’ll die. Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, 10/1 & 7/22 for showing us how to do the synth/vocalist show right. Basement Jaxx, 10/1 & 9/22 for being the model of how to integrate a classic set of tracks into a modern DJ set. The Postal Service, 9/16, for showing us how much better mood lighting can make an indie show. Quasi, 9/15 & 3/25, for reminding me why Janet Weiss may still be the best drummer working right now (and how playing a keyboard with your foot can actually work?). The Hold Steady (3 nights lol), because they’re the best bar band in the world that somehow also makes a great warehouse band. Blondie, 4/14, because as tired as the joke is Debbie Harry could still fuck me up at a moment’s notice and I’d say “thank you”. Ibeyi, 3/19, as the ultimate purveyors of arena jazz. Ganser/Otoboke Beaver 2/26 for maybe the best matched bill of local & international I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.
HM HM: seeing Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew with my dad, Bruce Springsteen with my mom, and Taylor Swift with my sister.
I’m watching night 3 of Pretty Lights here to see what to do with it. 9 hours of getting it will probably top Korn and Kendrick but definitely not Jacob Collier at Bonnaroo and idk if it will overtake the last two Polyphia shows in Texas. It’s close. Billy Strings NYE in my pocket can challenge the top few. We will get there in a few weeks.
2024: The Floozies, Phyphr, Disco Biscuits, Cimafunk, WSMFP, The Killers, Cory Wong, Dumpstaphunk, Bomba Estereo, Molly & Golden Hwy, Big Freedia, Payton/Nth Power, A.P&TFN