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Pandemics/Inspector 7/Mephiskapheles @ Revolution

Editors note: This post should’ve come sooner but I didn’t have internet for most of the weekend.

Friday night The Pandemics had a big show opening for Inspector 7 & Mephiskapheles at Revolution Bar & Grill in Amityville, NY. Everyone played a great set. Unfortunately my camera has been having some focusing issues, and by the end of the night I had mostly given up on getting anything publishable. That is why Mephiskapheles gets half the photos the other two bands have. Sorry guys, but I promise I liked you and had fun. Also, thanks for saving “Bumblebee Tuna” for last because it’s one of the most fun songs by any band ever; AND shout out to the lovely couple who got engaged right before the song started. Here’s to a good long musical life together.

Hank & Cupcakes at Santos Party House

Wednesday night could have been described as “bass and electronics” night at Santos Party House, as that was the focus (with the exception of one band). No complaints here, because it gave me and the rest of the audience a chance to dance the night away. The first two bands were also just as much about visual presentation as they were about the music, the difference being that Mother Feather seemed to use flashy costumes to get the viewer’s attention, where as Dolchnakov Brigade seemed to have an image they were trying to project. I’m more familiar with Dolchnakov, however, so that might influence how I viewed them. Regardless of the purpose, both bands did an excellent job of catching my attention and leaving me in wonderment of what I just witnessed. This is neither good or bad, just different (which I guess in itself is a good thing in a sense).

The main event for the night was Hank & Cupcakes, a two piece with the power of ten. The two members did a splendid job of turning a bass and drum kit into a symphony of beats that called the audience to movement. From the first note to the final echo, Hank & Cupcakes will make you want to get up and dance. Seriously, anyone who wasn’t dancing during their set was probably a robot. The night was a perfect antidote for the mid-week doldrums of life. If you missed the show on Wednesday, then I am sorry for your loss. The next opportunity to see them probably won’t be for awhile. Definitely keep your ears open though, because you are not going to want to miss them again.

Matt Lowell EP Release @ Mercury Lounge

Matt Lowell is someone who makes an impression. My first review of him was also the first I had heard of him. Even with the limited knowledge I had though, his music stayed with me and memories resurfaced as I stood front and center for his EP release last night at Mercury Lounge. That first show I saw him perform solo, but this one had him with a full band. While the band does change the sound to some extent, there was still something there that was uniquely his own. I knew Lowell was special when I first saw him and was glad to see a room full of supportive people dancing with as much energy as the performers themselves offered. I think it is safe to say we will be hearing more from this artist in the future. Stay tuned.

Jukebox the Ghost/Wakey Wakey Tour

Last week I was lucky enough to make it to both the Brooklyn and NYC dates of Jukebox the Ghost tour with Wakey Wakey. The Brooklyn show was at Rock Shop, and the other was at Bowery Ballroom. This was my first time at Rock Shop, and it might be one of my new favorite venues. It was a nice space with good sound and just enough room to dance. Highlights from this tour included a very memorable fan at this venue and three new songs performed by the band (two new songs + a tasteless cover). The cover was of Huey Lewis’ “The Power of Love,” which fans seemed to respond well to. The two new songs sound great, and have me very excited for future new material and hopefully a new record. There’s eight videos from the Rock Shop on my YouTube page, but I will post the new stuff below.

Here are the two new songs:

and the tasteless cover:

Like I said, I love the new stuff, and I even caught myself singing them after two nights in a row of seeing them performed live. The complete set list was as follows:

Mistletoe
Half Crazy
Hold It In
Interlude/The Stars
Empire
Summer Sun
new song
Nobody
new song
Good Day
Static
Power of Love (Huey Lewis cover)
Schizophrenia

Be sure to check out the other videos I took, as well as a few pictures from the two shows.

Matt Lowell @ Mercury Lounge – March 10, 2011

Matt Lowell played an early show Thursday night at Mercury Lounge. There was a decent crowd considering it was 6:30 and the weather was dreary. Lowell was fun and easy-going while on stage. At one point he made fun of the fact the next song he had started playing sounded like a more famous one (totally by accident). This is something that happens to every artist at some point, but not everyone acknowledges it in the same way. He then went on to a short talk of world events and some songs with social reverence. Things got lighter though when he mentioned his new EP (which came out Tuesday). He was surprised and delighted to see some in the crowd had already bought the record. “It’s funny. You get to a certain point where someone who isn’t your Mom and Dad buys your record.”

Lowell also did a cover of La Roux’s “Bulletproof,” which was only recognizable if you knew the lyrics to the song. Musically it was completely different, being stripped of all the electronic sounds and simply being played on a guitar. I love when an artist takes an uncharacteristic cover and makes it their own, so this was enjoyable. I also enjoyed the song Swan Lake, which he concluded the evening with. I already linked to a download of it in my last post.

Matt Koziol @ Googies (Photo Post)

Matt Koziol played a solo acoustic show at Googies last night. I thought it went very well, but since I’m friends with Matt, I don’t think it’s fair to do a review here on his shows. I want to at least share a few photos from the evening though.

Ben Folds @ Beacon Theater (12/14)

On December 14, 2010 I had the opportunity to see Ben Folds make magic happen at Beacon Theater. Unfortunately, this was also when I first started dealing with what became known in my house as the-illness-that-never-dies. This is my pitiful explanation for why this review is appearing almost 2 weeks after the event took place. Proof it was a great show though, or I would have simply forgotten about it and moved on to other things. So, without further ado, I present Ben Folds: Live @ Beacon Theater.

Picture it: It’s a freezing cold night in New York City, you’re sick and cold, but Ben Folds is playing in your city. Of course you go, even though you should stay in and rest up, but it’s Ben Folds (!). How do you say no to the chance to see possibly one of the greatest musicians of our time? You don’t. You brave the cold and wind and keep telling yourself it’s fine because it’s mostly just subway ride anyway. Reasons I love Beacon Theater: an exceptional venue that is also quite convenient to get to. But I digress…

The show itself was everything I could have asked for. Ben Folds has a lot of things going for him. He’s an extremely talented musician both vocally and on the piano (and isn’t too bad on the drums either, for that matter). He also has a great relationship with his audience, keeping things entertaining all the way through an extended set that somehow doesn’t drag in the slightest. Top moments of the night included the story of how Ke$ha’s single “Sleazy” became the cover song of the tour (it happened to be the #1 song on iTunes that day and they stuck with it) and a killer version of Free Bird after an audience member shouted it during a lull. This happens at a lot of shows I’ve been to, but usually the artist doesn’t oblige. Folds said something along the lines of “Gotta be responsible when you yell that out, young lady” before going into his rendition. Best part of this was probably that he didn’t know all the words, so he made up his own. Here’s a video someone posted on YouTube from the night:

Of course this (combined with the length of an average song of his) ate up a lot of time, so there was a 1-song encore where Folds selfishly got some 3-part harmony out of us before ending the night. There was more than enough music in the main set for me to be perfectly fine with this. My only disappointment was not getting to hear “Trusted” since it’s my favorite song of his, but playing “You To Thank” balanced things out. Overall it was a great night, and one I won’t soon forget. Add this to the list of artists I would definitely recommend seeing if ever you get the chance.

Live Review/An Open Letter to Muse

There are lots of really great things I have to say (and have said before) about the band Muse. I have seen them twice now, and they put on very good performance that involve lots of technical pieces, including great lighting/effects and a very good use of the entire stage. To date, they are one of my favorite live acts, mostly because I think their music is great and they do an excellent job converting that into a live show. I do have one complaint though that I would like to address at this time.

*ahem*

Dear Muse,

I love you and your music, but something needs to change if we’re going to keep seeing each other. I have seen you perform live twice now, and both times have been very good (the first time in Boston will always be the best for me). There is one thing that bothers me though, and it comes with a story. My first technical experience of one of your live shows was the recording of the HAARP performance. This album has always been my favorite for two reasons: 1) it has most of my favorite songs up till the point it was released, and 2) it is one of the best live recordings I have heard of any band. I love every song on the album, but one of my favorite moments is when you start playing “Invincible”. I have seen you live and in person twice now, and both times you have not included this song in your set list. I understand that you have too many songs to play all of them and that you can’t try to please everyone, but I believe this is one of your greatest songs and should be a staple in your repertoire. I doubt anyone would be disappointed to hear this song played live, just as I’m equally sure that many people are disappointed when it is not included. I always try to predict the encore of any show I go to (especially when I love a band’s music as much as I do yours), and I have to say I was very disappointed I didn’t get the chance to hear this song live for myself. Would you please please please consider adding this song to your line-up for future performances? It would be especially nice if it were added the next time you play the NY/NJ area, since that is where I’m from. I (and many other fans, I’m sure) would really appreciate it.

Thank you, and good night.

PS – it really was a great show (besides my one complaint mentioned). You were, are, and always will be one of my favorite live acts. Just do this one little thing and we’ll be good.

Thanks!

Love,
A Passionate Fan

Back to you, wonderful reader… assuming you actually are still reading. I took a lot of great pictures from this show that I will try to post sometime tomorrow. Also, in case you have no idea what I was just rambling about and why I care so much, check out this video of the song in question.

No really, go. I’ll wait…

See what I mean?

But enough about the one song they didn’t play. Let’s move on to what was included.

Set List:
Uprising
Map of the Problimatique
New Born
Supermassive Black Hole
The Resistance
Hysteria
Citizen Erased
United States of Eurasia
Feeling Good
Undisclosed Desires
Time Is Running Out
Starlight
Plug In Baby

Encore:
Exogenesis Symphony
Stockholm Syndrome
Knights of Cydonia

Follow-up: One thing I do appreciate is that they have a good balance of old and new material here. In fact, it makes me very happy that “Feeling Good” and “New Born” still make the cut after all this time. I just wish I could hear Invincible once live before I die…

Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band Kick-off CMJ

For the first time since I started really exploring the music scene in New York, I will be attending something for every day of CMJ this week. Tonight’s entry was Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band at Music Hall of Williamsburg. And oh what a show it was. If you thought Kevin Devine was just some weird dude with a guitar, well then you have never seen him play a full band show before. Whether he’s playing solo or with his band-mates though, you are guaranteed to get your money’s worth. Dude is extremely talented, but also really humble at the same time. A perfect example of this happened tonight, when Devine started talking about what CMJ means to him. He mentioned how he feels honored to still be asked to play the festival since his first appearance here. It was actually one of the only things he bothered to stop playing long enough to say. There wasn’t as much banter as there normally is with his shows, but that just meant the set was jam packed with lots more music for us to enjoy. The set list tonight was band’s choice, which meant we got to hear a lot of songs they don’t normally do live. There were still plenty of fan favorites though, including two of my favorite songs by them – “Just Stay” and “You’ll Only End Up Joining Them”. Overall I would say it was a great start to a week overflowing with too many musical choices to handle. I’m glad a made the decision to come out tonight to enjoy this amazing live act.

Set List:
Trouble
You’re My Incentive
Carnival
Another Bag of Bones
You’ll Only End Up Joining Them
Shift Change
Big Bad Men
Fever Moon
Murphy’s Song
Noose Dressed Like a Necklace
Hand of God
Just Stay
Burning City
Yr Husband
I Could Be With Anyone
Cotton Crush
Ballgame
She Stayed As Steam

Encore:
You Are The Daybreak
Whistling Dixie
Brother’s Blood