Foo Fighters, Social D., and the Joy Formidable @ the TD BankNorth Garden 11/16/2011

My ears are still ringing from last night’s show @ the Garden.

Unbeknownst to seemingly everyone in the arena but our seat neighbors, the Joy Formidable took the stage @ 6:30. They must have had until 7:30 and just opted to play a full hour to whomever was there. Ticket said 7pm, so I only caught half of their set, but no real loss – the band played the same set of songs weeks ago @ the Lansdowne Pub. A WFNX Disorientation show I’ve raved about since. Plus, nothing beats a club show, if you can fit your band in it…


Social D. – Fast and dirty punk rock. I’ve heard their radio hits but I got the full onslaught last night. These guys must be a killer club act. Too polished for the Middle East, but a sound that’s not quite arena friendly. Shinning melodies backed by coarse punk rock – wasn’t Dave Grohl in a band that shook the world with that recipe? Great set – even if their overall sound was somewhat indiscernible.

Foo Fighters – Filled with surprises. I had no idea the Foo’s were so big (arena was packed and fans were rambunctious), that I knew so much of their music (I had no voice this morning), and that I could kept me on the edge of my metaphorical seat for 2.5 hours (that’s a lot of music with little improvisational jamming)!

Dave Grohl was born to perform, we know that, but what I really underestimated was the quality of material that makes-up his body of work. On the way to the seat I was sarcastically wondering, “How many people are here to see Nirvana?” Instead, I was served a piece of humble pie by Dave in the opening chords of Monkey Wrench, jolted by every top-of-the-lungs scream, and entranced by every compact turn the band took. It was a high energy set that allowed for little down time. I would see the Foo’s again, only the best material of their 15+ year catalogue fills their set, but I wouldn’t follow them across the country

Tangent alert!!! – To be honest, Nirvana will always be my favorite band, and in part, I have Dave Grohl to thank for that. So, it’s now great to say I’ve seen a member of Nirvana in the flesh (technically 2 - if you include Pat Smear). I’ve always thought Grohl’s thunderous attack on the drums charged Nirvana, and Kurt’s intricate genius, through the musical landscape of the early 90s. Listening to Grohl and the FF’s last night, I contemplated how Dave, in Nirvana, approached the drums as a songwriter, creating parts for the greater collective, even as an individual contributor. He has always been a songwriter it would seem – even without credit on the liner notes.

This line of thought, and the energy of the show, shot me back to my bedroom, as an adolescent, listening to Nevermind on repeat, feeling naïve, in an inquisitive way, peeling away layers of meaning from a rock trio that sounded infinitely bigger than just 3 dudes. You know, that curious feeling music is supposed to make us feel. Even when we think we’ve come so far.

Wilco and Nick Lowe, Wang Theatre 9/20/2011

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Wilco and Nick Lowe at the Wang Theatre.


Hearing Nick Lowe play unaccompanied, just a man and his guitar, uncovered a treasure chest of musical gold for me. I probably sound like an idiot to many of you for not knowing Nick Lowe’s body of work prior to last night, but trust me – this is not the first nor the last time I will sound like an idiot.

Nick Lowe, similar to Kris Kristofferson, wrote songs that found themselves into the fabric of the American popular culture, but the paradox is the songs written are better known than he is (they are)… but I bet you knew all of that.

What’s more, Nick Lowe even produced Elvis Costello’s first 5 albums! And I recently discovered Elvis Costello’s first few albums which I still can’t get enough of; particularly "My Aim is True." I always knew Elvis could write a good tune, but never knew he could write a good album.

Last week, I even took some time to learn “Allison” on the guitar (thinking it might pay dividends at a later date), what a treat it was to hear Nick pay tribute to his friend by performing the song. Timing is everything.

Oh yeah, and then Wilco played…

Before I get into the awesomeness of the show – what’s with all the guitar changes? Plug in and play. I can see why Jeff Tweedy changes from acoustic to electric, but even the bass player changed every song. Really? Do you think we can tell the difference?

Anyways…

Last year I walked out on Wilco at the Orpheum; they played a reported 39 songs and I just couldn’t handle it all. At the time, I had never heard more than a few licks of their music and only attended in attempt to challenge my mind to open up to something new. I didn’t really get the hype that night, but everybody around me did. On top of it all, everyone looked, talked, and smelled like the kind of folks I enjoy sharing music with. I wondered what I was missing.

Last night I found it. Jeff Tweedy finds these simple and sweet melodies to sit on top of the most twisted alt-country/folk/rock you’ll find anywhere today. Sometimes the melodies drive me crazy with their nursery rhyme-esque simplicity, but they never leave my head. There is no touring outfit like Wilco and they seem to be having a late career peak. At any given point you could tune into anyone on stage and be completely blow away by their sparse yet important contributions. Great synergy, no BS.

Two songs really stood out (to me): The opener “Art of Almost”, which really set the tone for the night and is a great opening track on Wilco's latest effort The Whole Love. And a mid-set jaunt into “At Least That’s What you Said”. The latter of the two really blew my mind wide open. Usually, ballads of epic nature have some sort of 70s/80s arena rock cheese lying in the weeds (See: November Rain), but this jaunt just blew my mind as guitar notes thrashed and flew into the ether. You can’t fake soul.

Phish, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, VT 09/14/2011

Today’s belated review will be rather succinct compared to my normal jaunt of words. Because sometimes you just can’t explain everything.

"Please don't dominate the rap Jack
If you've got nothing new to say" – R. Hunter

The trip up to Essex Junction, Vermont (roughly 3 miles south of Burlington) from Boston was worth every ounce of energy. The foliage of VT is starting change colors and the Green Mountains provided hours of idyllic views accented by reds, oranges, and yellows along scenic Route 89 North.

The venue, typically a fairground or expo center, was filled to the brim with fans, low-key security, and a waning gibbous for our viewing pleasure.

Everything Phish played was so crisp and tight-sounding you would think you were playing an LP in the comfort of your living room. As any Phish or Deadhead knows – this can be a good and/or bad thing. In inprov, the listener rides the wave of exploration where mistakes potentially make the magic peaks even taller. It's all about how you get there, not when or where you arrive.

So, while the show may have been short on exploration, my expectations were not revved up to unobtainable and insurmountable levels. They can't be at this point with Phish as they wane into the golden age of their wonderful career. The performance provided musicianship at a consistently high-level – well worth the price of admission, and what’s better, the benefit of flood recovery efforts. I coulnd't possibly ask for more.

Now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty…

The 1st set: The set-up man and closer, if you will, of “Wolfman’s Brother” and “Julius” were "it". Julius was a best ever (for me). The flow continued into the 2nd set in the form of a rocking “Carini” that transformed into a major key jam and morphed into a “Down with Disease” and a well-placed “Slave to the Traffic Light”. I get such a kick out of Trey infectious jumping during the “DWD” jam that I can’t help but smile every time I hear the songs signature solo lick. It’s not quite as funny, to me, as Big Red’s arbitrary gestures and politician-esque waves to the crowd at the end of each set, but easily close second on the goofball scale. “Slave” led into a “Rock and Roll” that was dark in psychedelic exploration, but the set flow didn't last long. A song-based set followed, but make no mistake about it, it was one hell of a well-played show by the Phish from Vermont.



Wednesday, 09/14/2011
Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, VT
Soundcheck: Jam, Midnight Confessions, Ginseng Sullivan, Silent Night (on Theremin), Too Much Fried Dough At The Fair, Peaches en Regalia, Cannonball tease, Jam [Unconfirmed and Incomplete]
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, The Moma Dance > NICU, Funky Bitch, Sample in a Jar, Cavern, Bathtub Gin, Alaska > Possum, Wolfman's Brother > Julius
Set 2: Carini[1] > Down with Disease[1] > Slave to the Traffic Light > Rock and Roll > Twist > Backwards Down the Number Line, Theme From the Bottom > Suzy Greenberg > Character Zero
Encore: Loving Cup

WaterFlow

Open your eyes
to less tangible things;
Thoughts floating on streams,
Serenity in trees,
(an) Open field of dreams,
Energy in beams,
Symmetrical themes,
Outside out, and in betweens.

All around you see
Everything is...
Honestly...
Honest to me

Ohhhhhhh
Water flows
Whoa Whoa
My life goes

So let the mind
go where it may go
Set off on a cloud
or go exploring a sound
Everything that surrounds
touch the air twisting around
bouncing off the ground
upside down and circle round

All around you see
Everything is...
Honestly...
Honest to me

Ohhhhhhh
Water flows
Whoa Whoa
My life goes


That's the way I dreamed it to be
with all i perceive and all i believe
its just the way
I thought it would be


All around you see
Everything is...
Honestly...
Honest to me

Ohhhhhhh
Water flows
Whoa Whoa
My life goes

Best of 2009

2009 was a great year in music (for me). I enjoyed it so much that the Best of 2009 list has been expanded to include the top 10 this year! Woohoo!!!


Top 10 Albums of the Year:

1) Gavin Castleton- Home (see previous blog post for an in depth review)

2) Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca
If you like the Talking Heads polyrhythmic style, you'll instantly fall in love with Dave Longstreth's multifaceted compositions.

3) Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest
Lots of space and soaring harmonies create a soothing aesthetic that takes over this album. The subtle rhythm ideas are genius. This album gets better with every listen.

4) Passion Pit- Manners
It used to be a guilty pleasure, now I consider myself a 'sleepyhead'.

5) Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I was exposed to these guys via Cadillac commercials and oddly I still liked it. Even stranger, I love the album. And they're French! Who knew?!?!

6) Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
I don't sweat them as much as Pitchfork.com but a great album nonetheless. Great harmony ideas and a nice cross over into electronica/jam band for me in 2009.

7) Andrew Bird- Noble Beast
Fantastic musician who uses interesting wordplay to create unique melodies. He is a multi-instrumentalist and includes 'whistling' as a proficiency on his website, how Bird-like...

8) Akron/Family- Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free
Fun album. Their live show is even better.

9) Drug Rug- Paint the Fence Invisible
Great local act out of Boston. Strong harmonies and storybook songwriting give this album a great flow.

10) 311- Uplifter
Okay, maybe 10 albums was spreading the love a little thin... but nice to have my favorite band from high school make a decent disc that received several listens this summer.



Top 5 Phish shows:

1) Phish 11/28 Times Union Center, Albany, NY

2) Phish 8/14 The Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT

3) Phish 8/13 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, NY

4) Phish 6/07 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ

5) Phish 5/31 Fenway Park, Boston, MA


Top 5 Shows:

1) Lettuce 6/13 The Paradise, Boston, MA

2) Passion Pit 2/06 Middle East Downstairs, Boston, MA

3) Andrew Bird 1/30 The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA

4) Rustic Overtones, Nate Wilson Group, Gavin Castleton 11/07 The Paradise

5) Umphrey's McGee 4/09 House of Blues, Boston, Ma


Song of the Year: (Tie) Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks & Phoenix- 1901

Video of the Year: Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks

Greatest Video of All-Time: Beyonce- Single Ladies

Most Overrated Album: Neko Case- Middle Cyclone

Most Disappointing Album: Umphrey's McGee- Mantis

Comeback Album: Phish- Joy

Best Album Cover: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion

Wost Album Name: Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Best New Artist: Drug Rug

Best Performance: The Entire Phish Summer Tour

Most Confusing Artist: John Mayer

Lifetime Achievement: Gavin Castleton

An open letter to Alanis Morrissette

Dear Alanis Morrissette,

Based on several listens to your song "Ironic" over the years, I can only assume you have no idea what the word irony means.

According to dictionary.com:
i⋅ro⋅ny /ˈaɪrəni, ˈaɪər-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-] –noun, plural -nies.
1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.

I would like to take the time to dissect the lyrics from your song Ironic. To see what actually is ironic about your song.

"Ironic"

"An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day"

Okay, not ironic. Actually kind of expected. The guy is 98 and he won the lottery. I bet it was a heart attack. My heart jumps just thinking about what I could do with that money. Shouldn't he be playing bingo? Come to think of it, bingo can be quite exciting...

"It's a black fly in your Chardonnay"

That's just gross. If the Chardonnay was called "No Fly Zone Sparkling Wine" then that would be very ironic.

"It's a death row pardon two minutes too late"

Not only is this not ironic but how does this happen? How was the guy on death row and the jury was still out? I mean two minutes? Do you know how long the legal system in America takes to arrive at a verdict? We're not in Canada anymore, Alanis.

"And isn't it ironic... don't you think?"

Nope, so far, I don't.


Chrous: (The lightning round!)

"It's like rain on your wedding day"
Nope, just shitty circumstances

"It's a free ride when you've already paid"
That's impossible, you've already paid.

"It's the good advice that you just didn't take"
You're a bad listener.

"Who would've thought... it figures"
Apparently not you, Alanis.


"Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
Well isn't this nice..."

Mr. Play it safe should have listened to his instincts. Doing the opposite led him exactly where we thought it would. Shit happens.

"And isn't it ironic... don't you think?"
I will give you 1/2 a point but it is unfortunate more than anything else.


Repeat Chorus

"Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think every thing's okay and every thing's going right"
That's paranoia, lay off the pipe.

"And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think every thing's gone wrong and everything blows up In your face"
Things fall apart, Alanis.

"A traffic jam when you're already late"
Should have left earlier, slacker.

"A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break"
You should probably quit. How long have you been working there? Should you know? You could probably walk down the block and not be bothered.

"It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife"
Where the hell are you? Who has 10,000 spoons in one place and no knives? (Don't say Dairy Queen)

"It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife"
He'd probably would not touch you anyway. Didn't you used to hook up with Uncle Joey from Full House? Ummmmm, I mean...

"And isn't it ironic...don't you think?"
Nope.

"A little too ironic...and, yeah"
No, not Really.

"I really do think..."
You're an idiot.

Repeat Chorus

"Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out

That's surprisingly positive for a woman who screams about wanting to remind me of the mess I left when I went away. As sure as Alanis knows what irony is, I am sure she wrote "You Oughta Know" about me.

"Helping you out"

I'll help you out by declaring you should never write a song lyric again. I was a very confused 7th grader in 1997 because of you. And I'll tell you what's ironic, the fact that the woman who made millions of dollars writing this song, doesn't even know what the title to her song means.

Sincerely,
John

Micropoem

Why do i do the things i do?