Vegas/Arizona Trip – October 2009, Day 6

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

We had breakfast at the Mandalay Bay buffet. They had good bacon, along with tasty biscuits and gravy, but their fruit selection was sparse (where were the fresh berries?) and the fish was dry (except the lox in the eggs, which was good).

We checked out of our sweet suite, and went to the airport. Because we were flying to Arizona, we left out of the C gates. They looked old and in need of a makeover, although we saw two new things: the Sammy Hagar cantina and some eBay slots. I was surprised the Hagar cantina wasn’t in one of the newer gates, and I was surprised that the eBay slots were there because those are relatively new, but they might be on their way out now.

I put one last $20 through a video poker machine but lost it quickly.

We flew Southwest for the first time. We paid the extra $10 to get into the A group for boarding (so we didn’t have to arrive at the airport as early). My row was full, but after a man took the window seat in Tim’s row, he tried to look surly so nobody would sit next to him. The flight to Phoenix was short (only about an hour and 15 minutes).

We picked up our rental car at the airport and drove to our hotel in Glendale. The hotel was within walking distance of the University of Phoenix Stadium, which is why we chose that location.

We had dinner at Gordon Biersch Brewery. For an appetizer, we had pretzels with two kind of mustard sauce. We were very hungry, so the pretzels were extra good. I had a strawberry mint lemonade and some fish tacos, which were also good.

We went back to the hotel and napped for an hour before the show, then walked across the street to the venue.

I’d seen pictures of the stage, but couldn’t believe the size of it, even in person. It was almost as big as our suite at THEhotel.

Instead of trying to get close to the stage or the walkway, we hung back towards the center of the stadium. We sat down before the opening set because we were still pretty worn out from our Vegas adventure.

The Black Eyed Peas were the opening act, and they were an odd fit for U2, but by the end of the set, they really got the crowd into it.

They began with a futuristic green head declaring that this is “the E.N.D.” which is also the title of their latest album. Then they started with “Let’s Get It Started” (clever!). They used the giant video screen hanging from the spiderlike set, and they also had a laser show that projected onto the back wall of the arena.

Fergie was wearing some sort of fur vest thing over a silvery dress. She performed “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” one of her solo hits, and let the audience do most of the singing.

Then the full band returned for “Where Is the Love?” and Will.i.am proclaimed his love of music, to which Tim responded, “If you love music so much, why are you doing this to it?” (He’s not a fan.)

The last song was “I’ve Got a Feeling,” which was the highlight of their set. The audience got really pumped up and was dancing and singing along.

I do have to say that I’m extremely disappointed that they didn’t do “My Humps,” because I was hoping to say that I had seen that song live. Another thing that stays on the bucket list, I suppose.

Between sets, we went to get some food from one of the vending areas in the concourse from the slowest booth in the world. (And the guy at the register had the nerve to ask for a tip! Not happening.)

We noticed people being let into the center part of the set (between the stage and the walkway) and we could have chosen to go in there, but we didn’t feel like being squished like sardines. It was kind of a weird way to see a show, because for the previous two shows, we’d been in the middle of the crowd, loudly singing and dancing along, and for this show we were observers more than participants. Not that it wasn’t a good show, but it was just a different experience.

U2 performed the standard setlist that they’d been playing throughout the tour, a mixture of classics and songs from the new album.

The set really came to life for U2. They played “Space Oddity” before they came onstage, alluding to the giant spaceship-like thing they’d built to play on.

They had bridges from the main stage to a walkway, and the bridges moved from the sides of the stage to the center.

They lowered and raised the video screen, and even expanded it like an accordion during “The Unforgettable Fire.” One of the diamond-shaped pieces of the video screen was out, but it was still a magnificent piece of technology.

They also used it to showcase their bobbing heads during a remix of “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.” I wonder if this means they’ll be returning to a Zooropa-like sound on their next album?

It was interesting how this contrasted with the Fountains of Wayne show we saw on our first night. That show was small and intimate, and there were no stage effects whatsoever. This show was all about the spectacle and the video screens, and the venue was enormous. U2 are still great performers and excellent songwriters, but this was just a different experience for me. It wasn’t as emotional, but it didn’t prevent me from appreciating what was before me.

The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem, with Frank Turner, The Loved Ones, and Murder by Death at The Cabooze, Minneapolis

We’d been waiting for over six months for this show. We were originally scheduled to see The Gaslight Anthem at The Varsity Theater, but they had to cancel due to lead singer Brian Fallon’s abscessed tooth, after he fought his way through the show the night before. I can’t blame them at all, though. It just stretched out the anticipation.

The Cabooze is a narrow venue, with the stage near one end. Sight lines can be tricky, so we got there fairly early for a spot where we had a good view of the stage.

We were very impressed with Frank Turner, who opened the show with an acoustic set. He played passionate yet catchy songs that were a good blend of punk and folk. We also enjoyed The Loved Ones, who had a fun set of punk-influenced songs.

Going to the bathroom was quite an adventure. Because we had placed ourselves on the opposite end of the bathrooms, I had to weave through a mass of people wedged in a narrow space to get there. It was like running a gauntlet. But I accomplished my mission before the main set began.

I tried to take some cell phone pictures of The Gaslight Anthem, but how do you take a picture of joy? And how do you capture the enormity of the moment? The wait had definitely paid off. They opened with “High Lonesome,” then launched into “Casanova, Baby!” which is one of my favorite songs ever. The band looked like they were enjoying themselves, and the crowd was completely into it. One guy turned to the group around him and thanked all of us for singing along. We all were pumping our fists and raising our glasses in the air and singing as loudly as we could. I, too, was thankful to be surrounded by a fun group of people.

The band played all of the songs from “The ‘59 Sound,” a couple from the “Senor and the Queen” EP, along with a few from their first album, “Sink or Swim.” During the encore, they performed a cover of “Trusty Chords” by Hot Water Music.

I still get completely giddy when I think about this show. It was such a great, energetic performance. As much as I love their studio work, the power of their live show made me appreciate them even more.

Having a Shocker

Snow Patrol

State Theater, Minneapolis, 9/10/2009

As lead singer Gary Lightbody explained during one of the night’s many sound snafus, “having a shocker” is when you have good intentions but things turn out badly. For example, you’re approaching the girl of your dreams and suddenly you forget how to speak. to him and the rest of the band, the night was “having a shocker” but I still had a lot of fun.

The show was originally scheduled for Myth, the nightclub in Maplewood, but it was moved to the State due to Myth being closed because of ownership shenanigans. We (actually Tim) had exchanged our general admission tickets and ended up in row E on the right side of the stage.

We got to the theater a little after 7:30, but decided to grab a quick drink at Hell’s Kitchen because the opening act was the Plain White T’s and I have a restraining order against “Hey There Delilah.” I heard from some people in our row that they were actually pretty good.

Side note on Hell’s Kitchen: I love it as a brunch or dinner spot, but it really isn’t my go-to bar for a quick drink anymore. This was Tim’s first visit there since it had changed over from Rossi’s, and he was not impressed. I believe the phrase he used was “hipster Applebee’s.” While their menu is much more adventurous than your average chain, the vibe is completely different from the previous space. Rossi’s was much more refined– it was dark and subdued, the servers wore white coats, and I never saw anyone under 21 there. HK is much brighter in decor, the servers wear t-shirts (or pajamas on weekends) and have many more piercings, and it has more of a family vibe. We did get some free scotch samples from a guy working for The Naked Grouse, so that was nice.

We went back to the theater and took our seats about 15 minutes before the band started. Gary’s guitar went a bit wonky and they had to switch the set around for songs that didn’t require his guitar. The band was a little rattled but they handled it well, making jokes as they tried to keep the set moving. They were very complimentary to their guitar techs and sound crew, making sure to point out that the crew was trying hard to make the show go on, when it would have been really easy to blame someone. The adversity and the band’s good attitude made the crowd pull for the band even more. I only hope they got all the kinks worked out before they opened for U2 in two days.

The set was a nice mixture of classics and songs from the new album “A Hundred Million Suns.” The set didn’t have a lot of momentum because the band had to stop songs or take long pauses between songs due to the technical difficulties, but it was still an enjoyable evening. When they were in the midst of each song, and everything worked, and there were no distractions, there were some great moments.

Random Stuff from a Few Weeks Ago

Sweeney’s

On the Fourth of July, we decided we wanted to go out for dinner. Many of our attempts were foiled, because a lot of restaurants were closed. I wasn’t sure if this was normally the case or if a lot of them made that choice because of the economy, although a lot more people were staying in town this year. We drove around to a few different places before deciding on Sweeney’s in St. Paul. We weren’t settling at all because they always have good food and beverages. We ordered the fried pickles with ranch dressing, and we indulged in their 50 cent tacos, one of the best dining deals around. The tacos have a crisp shell and are filled with ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. They have a little bit of a kick to them (but not too much for a wimp like me), and they’re cheaper than Taco Bell, and you can get tasty adult beverages to accompany them. They have a wide selection of Three Olives vodka, which is a bonus.

No Doubt/Paramore/Bedouin Caravan

My friend Sarah won tickets to see No Doubt and Paramore on Sunday 7/5, and she was kind enough to invite me along.

Xcel Energy Center only had tickets on the club level and lower (including general admission on the floor), and it was only about 2/3 full.

We were surprised to see a third band on the bill, because I hadn’t seen them mentioned in any of the reviews until the day of the show. Bedouin Caravan was fine. You could tell they had been to Jamaica a few times and really loved Bob Marley.

Paramore had a ton of energy. They performed a solid set, although the pauses between songs seemed just a tiny bit too long. They had an extremely acrobatic bass player performing backflips, with their lead singer running back and forth onstage. They sounded really good and had a mature stage presence as if they’d been performing for a long time.

No Doubt was outstanding. I can’t believe Gwen Stefani has those kind of abs, especially after having two kids. (I have no such excuse.) The set was all white and very futuristic looking. The band was great, performing all their catchy hits and showing colorful videos on the giant screens. They sounded fantastic and the show was visually entertaining. It was a fun excuse to shake our collective groove things and the band seemed to be enjoying themselves too.

American Burger Bar

We met at American Burger Bar before the concert. I tried their version of the Juicy Lucy. It’s called the Klucy and is made of Kobe beef. Not only did it have cheese on the inside, but it was covered with cheese on the outside. It was delicious, but it had too much cheese– so rich I couldn’t finish it. I also had a delicious Surly Furious and sweet potato fries. Still my favorite place to go for dinner, drinks, or both before a concert at Xcel Energy Center.

Fountains of Wayne/Jon Auer

Tim and I took in a rare Fountains of Wayne acoustic show at Cedar Cultural Center.

There were several really young children in the audience, including a toddler about three rows ahead of us. Fortunately the kid was better behaved than the drunk guys at the last show I attended at the Cedar, but it’s a lot to expect of a kid that age to sit still for three hours. His mom ended up taking him outside halfway through both the opening and main sets.

Jon Auer from the Posies opened, and was very entertaining. He used up a lot of his set time with banter, but he was a good storyteller so I didn’t mind. He performed some new material which was quite good, and an amazing cover of Swingin’ Party. He also swore a lot, which made me wonder if the young ones picked up some new words to use at daycare.

Fountains of Wayne was excellent. I’m excited to see them in a more rocking venue in the future. They made everyone stand up for the last two songs before the encore, and the place definitely had more of a club feel. They delivered a solid list of songs, and everything worked acoustically because the melodies were so strong, even though I love the production on their albums. They performed a hilarious version of “Stacy’s Mom” with Chris playing guitar and singing lead, and Adam playing piano and echoing the lines Chris sang. I left the show with a tremendous amount of respect for them as performers and storytellers and songwriters. It’s amazing what a rich catalogue they have, and while love songs are wonderful, they go so much farther beyond that in their material.

At the 7/11 Where I Was Taught…

Green Day at Target Center

July 11, 2009

It had been almost four years since Green Day had played the Twin Cities, and I was giddy with anticipation.

We arrived at the arena a little after 7:00, anticipating that there would be a huge line for will call, but there wasn’t. There was a bit of a wait to get into the arena, but after about five minutes of shuffling through people, we made it in. After a quick stop for refreshments, we seated ourselves in section 129, row Z. We were the first section over from the stage on Mike’s side (schwoon) and we were in the very last row of the first level. We were a little relieved to have nobody behind us– it was nice to not be sandwiched between rows.

Before the show, people were sending text messages and photos to be displayed on the jumbotron. Pictures of pets were popular, and I sent a photo of my dogs. Soon, ten thousand people were looking at this:

The music before the show varied from Sinatra’s “My Way” to Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” to “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” but it was all good.

The Bravery came on first, and they were pleasant. I wasn’t bowled over by them, and I doubt I would go see them the next time they came to town, but they had some good songs. I was only familiar with “Time Won’t Let Me Go” and “An Honest Mistake” but the rest of their songs were catchy, including two songs they played from their upcoming album.

The Bravery set list (courtesy of GreenDayAuthority.com forums):

• Unconditional
• Swollen Summer
• Believe
• Hate Fuck
• Red Hands and White Knuckles
• Time Won’t Let Me Go
• Every Word Is A Knife In My Ear
• An Honest Mistake

The music between sets was more upbeat, including Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”. Then they played The Ramones’ “Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio” at a higher volume than the other songs, and we knew it was time for the real fun to begin.

The crowd was fantastic. People were attentive during the opening act, and once the main show started, everyone was on their feet singing at the top of their lungs, pumping their fists into the air. The two women beside me were really into it, and we all proceeded to rock our collective asses off.

Set list (courtesy of Star Tribune’s Pop Life Blog and GreenDayAuthority.com forums — the forums are an amazing source of information):

1. Song of the Century – I liked the way this began the main set and American Eulogy ended it, like bookends.

2. 21^st century Breakdown – Oh, thank you god for answering my prayers, Mike is sleeveless. I mean, I knew there was a pretty good chance, but still…

3. Know Your Enemy

4. East Jesus Nowhere – Billie Joe called a 12-year-old boy onstage and “healed” him during this song. Then he set the kid loose with a Super Soaker on the crowd. I think this is also the part where I finally noticed Tre had bleached his hair, because I was so fixated on Mike’s biceps. I liked that they opened with three songs from the new album, like they did on the American Idiot tour.

5. Holiday

6. Static Age – This is my current favorite song on the album, and to see it live was amazing.

7. Before the Lobotomy

8. Are We the Waiting

9. St. Jimmy

10. Boulevard of Broken Dreams – I had initially seen this as part of the encore, but it fits really well here as part of the main set.

11. Hitchin’ a Ride – One, two, one, two, three, four!

12. Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne cover, intro only) – The band was goofing around and teasing the crowd with several introductions to songs.

13. Iron Man (Black Sabbath cover, intro only)

14. Master Of Puppets (Metallica cover, intro only)

15.Let’s Go Crazy (Prince cover) – Then they launched into this song for real, and played the entire song except for the guitar solo at the end. I was impressed with Billie Joe’s guitar work in the middle, though.

16.  Brain Stew

17. Jaded

18. Longview – They called three different people from the audience to sing this song. The first two were girls, and the second girl repeated the first verse. Then they called a guy up who completed the song and did a stage dive (with encouragement from the band) at the end.

19. Basket Case

20. She

21. King for a Day (including Shout/If My Friends Could See Me Now/Swannee/I’ll Be There/Stand By Me) – The band went into several different snippets of songs in the middle, which was fun. They all put on silly hats, and Jason Freese (playing sax) was dressed up like Michael Jackson and attempted to moo. Some people might say it’s too soon for that, but it was all in good fun and he was already present in other ways, when they played one of his songs before the show and when they put a bit of “I’ll Be There” in the medley.

22. 21 Guns – Lots of pyro during this one, including a sheet of sparklers falling from the ceiling above the stage.

23. American Eulogy

ENCORE

24. American Idiot

25. Jesus of Suburbia – They called a girl up to play guitar through the “Dearly Beloved” part. Although I’m glad she got to get up on stage with the band (and did a good job), this was the only part of the show that dragged, because they took a really long time to find someone who knew the song. From what I’ve seen, they normally have another person take over halfway through, too.

26. Minority

27. Minnesota Girl – This is an unreleased song Billie Joe wrote about his wife. He played it the last time he was here, too. We’re just lucky that way.

28. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

The banter contained tons of local references:

• Billie Joe pointed to a fan who had been holding up an Oakland A’s hat and said, “Fuck the A’s! Twins baby! They kicked the White Sox’s asses the other night!”
• Before one of the songs, Billie Joe came out dressed as a policeman and announced, “This is the Minneapolis police, the party is over” in a bit referring to the beginning of the album “Stink” by The Replacements.
• Before singing “Know Your Enemy,” he remarked, “The day we recorded this song was the first day of the Republican Convention. The Republican Convention was here, right? We got those motherfuckers out of fucking office, right?” {The show wasn’t as cathartic as the previous show, when we were still under the Bush administration, and the whole Katrina debacle had just happened. It was still politically charged, and energetic, and I was still fully participating, just in a different way.)
• After a reference to doobies (and perhaps after mooning the audience for the first time), he said, “My father in law isn’t here so I can say what ever I want!”
• He also mentioned that he’s here a lot (his wife’s family still resides here), and he was in town on New Year’s Eve. (Seriously, if I ever ran into him at SuperAmerica or something, it would be the most awkward moment in my life. I would have no idea what to say and I’d be so completely awestruck that I’d probably pass out.)

Weird social commentary:

• I loved the look of the people who were all called up on stage. None of them were posing and all of them had their hearts into it. Some bands would choose the thin, pretty, supermodel types, but the audience was really normal. Not to say that the people were hideous by any means, but everyone’s looks were attainable, and that felt refreshing. I just see so much airbrushed, contrived crap that on some level I start to believe that’s how I should be.
• I loved the inter-generational feel of the show. I’m sure the band offended some people with swearing and masturbation references, but for the most part I think parents knew what they were getting into when they brought their kids along. Most of the kids were born after Dookie, so it was cool to see the band have a second revival with a new generation of fans. A lot of the text messages on the jumbotron before the show were from kids to parents (“thanks for bringing me to my first concert”) and vice versa (“enjoy your first show”). And how cool to have Green Day as your first live show?! They’d have some pretty high standards after that.
• Did you know that we have two new saunas in the Twin Cities? The first is the Cedar Cultural Center, and the second is Target Center. Especially when the show involves lots of pyro, as it did at the latter venue. Not that it interrupted the fun, of course.

Links to other reviews:

• Star Tribune (short | long)
• Pioneer Press

Oasis at Target Center

We almost didn’t go to this show. The day tickets went on sale, I kept throwing them back until something good came up. When I got 12th row, I decided to jump on it. 

Matt Costa was the first opener. He delivered an acoustic set (with the help of another guitarist named Mitch) and played for about 30 minutes. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals came on right after that. It was the most efficient set change I’d ever seen. Even when you have an acoustic opener and don’t have to set up anything for the next band, it usually takes at least 20 minutes, but not this time. Tim went to get us water, and by the time he came back, they were on their second song.

Their set was fine, but it seemed to go on for a long time, partly because I wasn’t familiar with most of their work and a lot of it blended together in my mind, and partly because I was anxious to see Oasis. Also, I was hoping Ryan Adams would have one of his infamous epic meltdowns, but I think he saves that for his headlining gigs. He didn’t even speak to the audience. Other than singing, he blew loudly into his microphone once, and he let the other guitarist handle the between-song banter . If he’d gone off on Westerberg as he’d done at a recent First Avenue show, I think there would have been fisticuffs.

Toward the end of the Cardinals’ set, two obviously hammered guys stumbled into the two seats to our right. One guy kept saying “Oasis?” to Tim, who nodded in agreement that he was indeed there to see that band. The guy kept shaking his hand in affirmation. He and his friend wandered around during the break between sets, then came back and asked, “hey, have the Cardinals played yet?” Then he announced that he and his buddy were going to rush the stage and try to get kicked out at some point during the show. It was extremely entertaining.

Just before Oasis took the stage, Tim noticed one of Prince’s former hired goons roaming the aisle, and he visibly clenched at the memory of getting probed before an early-morning concert at Paisley Park. 

Liam came onstage with a tambourine in his mouth, the band kicked into “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” and we were on our way. 

We were in front of a group of chatty “woo girls,” and if I’d been there to see a more mellow headliner I would have been worried, but once Oasis started playing, they got into the show. Even if they had been talking during the set, the band drowned them out anyway. 

Despite the venue being less than half full (the entire upper level was curtained off, and there were just a handful of people in the back of the lower level), the crowd was really into the show. Two guys to my left were bouncing up and down the entire time and alternately yelling “Liam” and “Noel.” It was a visually stunning spectacle, with four large video screens showing the band. The graphics were very retro-inspired, with the band initially appearing in black and white and filmed from the sides of their faces, rather than straight on. They superimposed the group’s faces over other psychedelic graphics later in the set. 

And they definitely brought the attitude. I was highly amused by Liam standing with his hands at his sides, looking out at the audience during Noel’s guitar solos. Most people retreat to the back of the stage, but not Liam. 

Here’s a summary of an exchange a few songs in:

Noel: Hello, Minneapolis!

Crowd: Yay!

Noel: And Saint Paul!

Crowd: Boo!

Noel: You know it’s cold here, right? Ever heard of a place called California?

Crowd: Boo!

Noel: They’re walking around in shorts, and girls are walking around in bikinis. 

Crowd: Yay! No, boo! No, wait… 

The new material was good, but the crowd was in full swing during the more familiar material. Liam’s voice wasn’t as strong as it had been in the past, but the crowd lifted him up when he needed it. There were several rousing singalongs, especially during “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Morning Glory,” “Wonderwall,” and “Champagne Supernova.” 

Overall, it was a good time. It was very therapeutic for me to sing at the top of my lungs with several thousand other people. I wasn’t expecting such a good vibe off the crowd, and it was a pleasant surprise. And those two guys beside us changed their minds and ended up staying until the very end. 

Set list (from the Star Tribune)

The New Standards Christmas Show, Fitzgerald Theater

This was our second Christmas show featuring The New Standards (we missed out on the first year), and it might have provided the jump start I needed to get into the Christmas music mood. I didn’t start listening to Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving, but it felt forced. I wasn’t enjoying it, and I was going through the motions. This show reminded me that the holiday season could be fun, and it was about being around your friends and family and enjoying yourself.

(Yes, I’m aware that’s pretty obvious, but all I can think about lately is that I have a ton of shopping to do, not a lot of money to do it with, and no desire to battle the crowds in case there’s another trampling incident, or at the very least, an outbreak of cranky in my vicinity. Sure, I could have been better about saving money and not going to as many shows or restaurants or Vegas, but I also need to maintain my sanity. Okay, now that all my personal issues are out in the open, let’s move on, shall we?)

Last year’s “wow” moment was when Haley Bonar performed her rendition of “River.” Everyone in the theater had goosebumps. One of this year’s occurred when The Brothers Frantzich performed an acoustic cover of “Love Is the Law,” backed by The New Standards (and original composer Chan Poling). It was an unexpected take on the song, and the vocals were powerful. 

(Okay, another digression. I just went to the site for The Brothers Frantzich, and they founded an organization called Feed Them with Music, which helps feed starving people. 10% of the bar tab went to the charity, and it gave us an excuse to buy two extra vodka/sodas. However, I did not realize that they also founded something called Wild Christ, which immediately sent my brain into a parody of Duran Duran’s “Wild Boys.” Lest you think I’m going to hell, I get comeuppance at the end of this post. Just wait.)

The Brothers Frantzich also did a really cool (and even more unexpected) performance with Robert Bly, who read poems while one guy played acoustic guitar (I think it was an open D chord) and the other played bongos. Because Robert Bly’s work has such rhythm, it worked well. He has such a cadence to his voice, and he has this amazing stage presence that exudes coolness and authority and wisdom. I felt really honored to be in his presence. 

Lucy Michelle, whom I’d never heard, did a rendition of “Santa Baby,” which is one of my least favorite Christmas songs (thanks, Madonna!), but she pulled it off with her charisma and unique voice. I think it helped that she wasn’t trying to be too cutesy with it, and she had this retro vibe that worked. She also sang “Last Christmas,” which is one of my favorite Christmas songs. The entire band, horns section, choir, and all joined in, making it a rollicking good time. At some point, I heard laughter, and saw a guy making his way towards the stage with a beer in his hand, dancing all the way. He returned to his seat at the end of the song, though.

In addition to the Christmas music, The New Standards performed several songs off their new CD (which was available in the lobby, and we promptly purchased the CD as we entered the theater). My favorite track so far is their cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” 

During their cover of “Watching the Detectives,” some dumbass yelled out “Free Bird.” John Munson responded by saying “This is my ‘Free Bird.’” He also said that during “Toxic.” 

I’m going to write to my senators (whenever that race happens to be decided) and request the following:

• It should be legal to smack someone who yells “Free Bird” in concert. 
• It should also be legal to smack someone who yells “Toolmaster” at any event featuring Trip Shakespeare alumni. 

(Really, people. It’s not funny. It’s tired and unoriginal and obnoxious and lame and dumb. Also, it’s most definitely not gay. If it were gay, I’d actually enjoy being around it and I’d want to take it shoe shopping. I think we should start a campaign to make “gay” synonymous with “awesome.” Like, The New Standards show was really gay. Wow, I sure do like the tangents this evening.)

Other highlights: Jeremy Messersmith had a nice performance of “Miracle” and was backed by Chan Poling’s daughter, whose voice blended really well with Jeremy’s. Matt Wilson also delivered an epic version of “MacArthur Park.”

Okay, so at the end of the show, we gave everyone the traditional standing ovation after the last song. And by “we,” I mean everyone except me for the first few seconds, because somehow I forgot to use my feet. I don’t know if I got up too quickly, or if my boots were not giving me the proper support in my heels, or if I absorbed those two vodka/sodas too fast, or if it was the first day with the new legs, or what. All I know is, I tried to stand and then I heard gravity calling to me, loudly. I grabbed my husband’s left arm and slowly righted myself, dusted myself off, and clapped and cheered loudly for the performers. This would have been all well and fine and unnoticed, except that we were IN THE FRONT ROW. World, behold my clumsiness– this is what it’s like to be me, every day! 

As an encore, they performed “Angels We Have Heard on High” with the entire band (cellos, horns, choir of all the previous performers). And I remembered how to properly stand for the second ovation. Hooray!

Top Ten Albums of 2008

I present to you my favorite albums of 2008. The first five have been on constant shuffle in my iPod for the last few months. That’s not to say that the last five aren’t as solid, but listening to the first five has been as natural as breathing lately, but much more enjoyable. “More enjoyable than oxygen”– that’s a ringing endorsement if there ever was one, right?

1. The Gaslight Anthem – The ‘59 Sound: I cannot say enough good things about this album and how much I love it. The first time I heard it, I was completely blown away, and I still am. They wear all their influences on their sleeve (Petty, Westerberg, and most notably Springsteen) yet still sound original and fresh. The singer’s voice is raw and tender in all the right places, scarred but healing. The songs are melodic but the lyrics have weight. I hope they tour again so I can finally see them live.
2. The Fratellis – Here We Stand: I loved Costello Music, and this album is another set of fun singalong pub songs. I feel like I should be raising a pint and singing loudly in a bar with about 50 other people whenever I hear this. It makes me all kinds of happy.
3. The Foxboro Hot Tubs – Stop Drop and Roll: Yeah, so I put the EP on my top 10 last year, but the full album is equally great. I’d put this on my favorites list just for the addition of “The Pedestrian” alone. (So far we’ve established that I like retro guitar pop/rock that sounds good in a bar and contains references to death and girls named Sally. Continuing in that vein…)
4. The Hold Steady – Stay Positive: Picking up where “Boys and Girls in America” left off, another solid, melodic, guitar-driven (with piano accents), rocking album. Near and dear to my heart with the occasional local reference thrown in (they might live in Brooklyn but their hearts are still in the Midwest).
5. Rick Springfield – Venus in Overdrive: The perennially underrated Rick Springfield rocks a lot harder than people give him credit for. Songs like “One Passenger” and “I’ll Miss That Someday” stand up solidly beside the rest of his pop catalog, while he isn’t afraid to lay on the guitar on “3 Warning Shots.”
6. R.E.M. – Accelerate: R.E.M. is back in rock mode (and so am I, apparently). They can be delicate and mellow in a good way, but they’ve taken their anger at the past eight years and let out their frustrations lyrically and musically with urgency and intensity.
7. James – Hey Ma: After several years where members of the band focused on solo projects, they reunited for this release. There’s a dark undercurrent to some of the songs (particularly the title track), yet it’s emotionally moving rather than simple political posturing. I also adore the haunting “Upside Down.” They’ve created some of the most beautiful music of their career and haven’t missed a step after taking some time away.
8. Mike Doughty – Golden Delicious: This album begins with the politically-tinged “Fort Hood” which, like James’s “Hey Ma” counters the dark lyrics with a bright melody. It ends with a profoundly lovely cover of “Book of Love.” Also, bonus points for including “bacon” in the title of one of the songs, although it’s not my favorite track– it would be a toss-up between the two previously mentioned songs, “27 Jennifers,” and “I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress.”
9. Duffy – Rockferry: A nod to soul sirens of the past (particularly Dusty Springfield), it has that whole retro vibe that I eat up like pumpkin muffins.
10. Weezer (the Red Album): Although some of the songs venture into rock opera territory, overall it’s Weezer doing what they do best– putting out solid fun guitar pop songs while slinging just a little attitude.

You Gotta Stay Positive

Warning: Drunk posting ahead. 

(Also? My husband and I are at home in our living room, with our laptops, blogging at the same time. Yes, we’re dorks.)

We just got back from seeing The Hold Steady at First Avenue. And I had to type that sentence about 5 times. I’m not kidding. Oh, vanilla bourbon, you do bad things to me. 

The show was so awesome. I wanted Craig Finn to lead us to the promised land and he took us there. They started with “Positive Jam” and went right into “Constructive Summer.” Then they proceeded to play a bunch of songs from their most recent release (“Stay Positive”) and songs from their back catalog, and it all was fantastic. This is the world’s best bar band, but they’re able to play any bar they want, anytime, in any city. But they’re not just some random band in the background you can talk over while you drink. This band commands your attention and demands that you rock with them. And we did, and we completely enjoyed ourselves, and so did everyone around us. 

I know the alcohol I consumed beforehand helped in my enjoyment of their set, like when they launched into the first song and I could feel the music pumping through my arteries, but I’d enjoy their music even when sober (and I do). 

When we saw the band play at the State Theater last year (and I know I’ve mentioned this before, somewhere), it was like seeing a bar band in a theater setting. Everyone was standing, raising drinks, and having a good time. That was repeated at First Avenue tonight, except we were in an actual club. The Minnesota references went over well, as expected, but the driving force of the music carried us all on an amazing wave. They have a great way of communicating to the audience and relating to them, yet uniting all of us in the religion of rock. And short of Springsteen (whose influences they wear proudly), this is about as close to a religious experience as it gets. 

They played all my favorite songs from the recent album (“Constructive Summer,” “Stay Positive,” “Lord I’m Discouraged,” “Sequestered in Memphis”) plus all the other songs I wanted to hear (“Chips Ahoy,” “Southtown Girls,” “Massive Nights,” “Party Pit”). Incidentally, the last song seems to be my personal anthem tonight (“gonna walk around and drink some more, gonna walk around and drink”), and I’ll be carrying it out in Vegas soon, although probably not in the Harrah’s Party Pit because there are too many people selling timeshares nearby and they probably have 6:5 blackjack at limits higher than I’d want. (Anything at 3:2 and $5 or less, I’m in.) But the “walk around and drink” part? A lot. In every Strip casino south of Wynn. 

 

Set list (to be replaced by an actual set list later):

Positive Jam

Constructive Summer

That Song That Is Awesome

Oh My God, I Love This Song

Oh, This Song Is So Awesome

This Is My Favorite Song Off the New Album

This Is My Favorite Song From their Back Catalog

I Love This Song

Holy Crap, This Song Is Great

I Love This Song Too

Yes! They’re Playing This One!

Hooray! This Song Is Awesome!

Woooo! Yeah!

Sorry, Dude, I’ll Move a Couple Steps Forward Because Your Beer Is Digging into my Back

Sorry, Dude in Front of Me, Didn’t Mean to Bruise your Arm with my Rock Gestures

Rock!

Yeah!

Woooooooo!

Seriously, This Is Awesome!!!

 

Edited to add the real set list, courtesy of startribune.com’s Pop Life blog:

Positive Jam

Constructive Summer

Sequestered in Memphis

Stay Positive

The Swish

One for the Cutters

Party Pit

Massive Nights

Yeah Saphhire

You Can Make Him Like You

Southtown Girls

Lord I’m Discouraged

Stuck Between Stations

Chips Ahoy!

Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Ask Her for Some Adderall

Certain Songs

History Lesson, Pt. 2 (Minutemen cover w/ altered lyrics)

Slapped Actress

James at the Fine Line, 9/27/08

Let me start out by saying that I have had some bad experiences at the Fine Line, and I do not take the decision to go there lightly. The last time we were there, we saw Soul Asylum. The place was absolutely packed, and nobody was paying attention to the band, and my husband had to ask a guy to unhand me at one point. We left early and in a foul mood. The only club lower on our list is the 400 Bar, which not only attracts the loud talkers, but has horrendous sight lines as well. But, because we hadn’t seen James since their tour promoting “Laid” in 1994, we psyched ourselves up to brave the chatty crowds at the Fine Line.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who feel the need to carry on conversations while a band is playing. If it’s so important to catch up, why not head to a restaurant, or if you still want musical ambience, move closer to the bar area. We’ve become more bold in recent years by telling people to politely shut it, to varying degrees of success. You have to evaluate the situation. If it’s out of control, as it was at the Soul Asylum show, you just throw up your hands, reinforce your earplugs, be grateful the band is loud, and deal with it the best you can. But if it’s one group of offenders, you can try giving them the stink-eye (best for theater shows) or politely asking them to keep it down because you’re trying to hear the music. Sometimes it works (R.E.M. at Midway Stadium), and sometimes it doesn’t (Liz Phair at First Avenue, and I will never see her and her obnoxious giggly sorority girl “tee hee, she said ‘fuck’” fans again).

However, we were pleasantly surprised by the James crowd. They were one of the most polite crowds I’d ever experienced. People were really into the music (in a way, it helped that the fans were older and weren’t drawn out by a hit single). Despite being in the back of the club, we still felt like part of the show. And, for the most part, people were hyper-aware of the others around them. They said “excuse me” when they needed to pass, and they were careful when they moved so they didn’t block other people’s views. It gave me hope for humanity.

My husband and I had listened to “Hey Ma,” the new James album, and enjoyed it greatly, but were wondering how Tim Booth’s voice would hold up live. He did not disappoint. His voice was as strong as ever, and during the encore, he held one of the longest notes I’ve ever heard. And James is definitely a band that needs to be seen, with Booth’s enigmatic dance breakdowns during each fast song. The effect was amplified by the occasional strobe light. The lights were fairly elaborate for a club show– there was a backdrop like a large fishnet of beaded lights across the stage.

The band played a mix of old and new material, and it was great to hear both. Again, it was nice to be in a crowd that didn’t have an attention deficit when the band played new songs. Before the show, the title track to “Hey Ma” had been my favorite, but I left appreciating “Upside Down” even more.

My favorite memory of the show was during the encore at the end of “Sometimes,” when the crowd sang the chorus over and over again to Tim on stage, and he stood basking in the glow of the music coming back at him. He looked like he was really enjoying the moment.