El Ten Eleven + Controlled Storms: 18 November 2009 - The Khyber, Philadelphia / Words and Pictures by Sachyn Mital
The question of the night for El Ten Eleven was “Why aren’t you playing bigger venues?” The groovy electro-funk duo made their first ever Philadelphia tour stop at the Khyber Bar in front of a very appreciative but small crowd. The bar itself was cozy and, as hinted, a small place--making it a great place to see bands up close while downing dollar PBR's.]]>Baroness: 18 November 2009 - Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington DC / Words and Pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya
On Wednesday night, Savannah, Georgia metal act Baroness kicked off its fall tour at the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington D.C. Living up to their reputation for outstanding live shows, the four-piece brought to the stage nearly every quality that makes Blue Record one of the year's best metal albums: bone-crunching riffs, anthemic vocals, hushed interludes, driving rhythms, and guitar acrobatics galore. But it was the band's delivery and onstage chemistry, rather than their technical skill, that won over the packed room. Finger-pulls and pinch harmonics usually seem like hard work, but that wasn't the case with Baroness. For…]]>On Halloween night when Bob Dylan and his band took the stage at the Aragon in Chicago, the audience members, some of whom were clad in costume, erupted in wild applause.
At a certain point the setlist becomes insignificant and the intricacies of the performance become irrelevant. Bob Dylan is on stage and he is laying down the law. That loaded sentence becomes sufficient for understanding why seeing the legend perform never feels quite like attending a concert. It feels like sitting in a church or more precisely, a spooky Southern tent revival where the stakes feel apocalyptic, the promises have proportions that are Biblical, and things are happening that believers cannot explain and atheists cannot dismiss. It isn’t that Dylan has magical powers or that he is laying hands on…]]>Words and Pictures by Caroline Shadood
Everything about singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield is both incredibly practiced yet incredibly sincere--a binary that becomes only more compelling in consideration of her 1989 birthday. The maturity of it all would indicate a serious age discrepancy, yet here she is at 19, kicking ass on multiple best-of lists and touring the country well outside her home base of Kent, Ohio. Taken under the wing of fellow Ohio native Dan Auerbach for this current tour (and in the studio for her 2008 full-length With Blasphemy So Heartfelt), she creates stunning folk-rock with lyrics that carry a distinct pent-up weightiness to them.]]>Ultimately, even Shakespeare’s comedies are judged by just one standard: whether or not they are funny. And this Twelfth Night is hilarious.
Reviews of Gregory Doran’s new Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company are all likely to focus on the casting of Richard Wilson as Malvolio, who is iconic in the UK for his decade as Victor Meldrew, the grumpiest of all grumpy old men, in Dan Renwick’s superlative sitcom One Foot in the Grave. It will be characterized, variously, as obvious, inspired, and an (obvious or inspired) attempt to use Wilson’s television celebrity to attract a broader audience than the RSC’s usual crowd of company devotees, drama students, middle class parents inflicting a cultural broadening experience upon their children, and…]]>Highlights from the Voodoo Experience: 30 October - 1 November 2009 - New Orleans / In its 11th year the festival welcomed a plethora of musical greats to help embrace New Orleans under Halloween's spell.
It has been two weeks since the Voodoo Experience and I finally feel that my life is back in order. As New Orleans’ premiere fall music festival, it's geared to worship music and showcase New Orleans all while embracing the Halloween spirit. In its 11th year the festival welcomed a plethora of musical greats including, but not limited to: Ween, the Flaming Lips, Parliament Funkadelic, the Black Keys, KISS, Jane’s Addictions and more.]]>Noah and the Whale slowly leave the stage. Tired as they must be, their humble expressions hint that they are exceedingly grateful that we’ve come to see them tonight.
“These British boys are so polite,” giggled a girl with long blonde hair waiting for autographs after the Twickenham, Londoner boys, which form Noah and the Whale, performed at Chicago’s packed Lakeshore Theater a few days before Halloween. The punk-rock and folk feel of the group has spawned comparisons to UK faves Belle and Sebastian, and as fans convened in the theater’s lobby, the group good-naturedly enveloped random fan’s shoulders, making each one feel like she was the only one being framed in a digital camera’s aperture after an emotionally evocative two-hour show in a 330 seat theater. The group…]]>Lovers of left-of-the-dial indie pop could have hardly conceived a better double bill in their dreams.
Lovers of left-of-the-dial indie pop could have hardly conceived a better double bill in their dreams. Broadcast and Atlas Sound have similar methods, taking simple 1960s melodies and ornamenting them with reverb, waves of electronic distortion, Jetsons synth and spacey percussion. It's the sort of sensitive, adorable indie pop with a weirdo edge that makes record geeks swoon. Animal Collective's Geologist spun interstitial grooves, only adding to the level of music nerd abandon. It took a good 15 minutes for me to realize that I hadn't accidentally signed up for some kind of "special" noise-jam version of a Broadcast show,…]]>P.K. 14 + Xiao He: 14 November 2009 - Govinda Gallery, Washington DC / Chinese punks storm the American Capitol / Words and Pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya
"It's great to play D.C.," P.K. 14 frontman Yang Haisong said, "because growing up, we were very influenced by the D.C. hardcore scene." A lot of bands say this sort of thing when playing the District but few have the privilege of saying it when Ian MacKaye is within earshot. It should come as no surprise, however, that local punk luminaries were in attendance at Govinda Gallery on Saturday night. Word had spread about the revelatory performances delivered the previous night, when two mainstays of Beijing's burgeoning underground rock scene played to a sold out crowd at the Velvet Lounge.…]]>Cold Cave: 13 November 2009 - Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington DC / Words and Pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya
Clearly, Cold Cave is a band that appreciates the value of mystique. Nearly all of their releases--of which there have been many--have been available only as extremely limited vinyl and cassette editions. When they perform, they turn off all of the front lights and crank up the smoke machines, so that they appear as dark silhouettes. They rarely utter even a single word to the audience and spend the bulk of their time on stage hunched over synthesizers.]]>Like those around me I’m pinned to my chair. It’s just Joe and an acoustic and I’m astonished. In fact, I’ve never heard anything like it.
If you want your son to become a nuclear physicist don’t play him concert videos of Eric Clapton and for Heaven’s sake don’t succumb to that gleam in his eye when he spots the shimmering Les Paul in your local music store. By all means, shove the mitt and t-ball gear in his backpack on the way to kindergarten or you may end up parenting the likes of an obsessive musical prodigy like blues-rock vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Joe Bonamassa. Bonamassa has not only garnered the acclaim of those twenty and thirty something fans that fuel the economy’s date-night influenza,…]]>Wolfmother + Heartless Bastards: 11 November 2009 - Kool Haus, Toronto / Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
The foundations of Kool Haus shook Wednesday night with two bands that know exactly what a rock and roll band should sound like. Australia’s Wolfmother, famous for their hair and incredibly loud guitar-driven rock, headlined the evening with the support of Cincinnati's Heartless Bastards, who opened with a stellar performance of their own and are sure to be headlining in the not too distant future. Guitarist and singer Erika Wennerstrom sounded especially solid during the Bastard’s performance of "The Mountain," conjuring Siouxsie Sioux with her vocals. The audience reacted positively to the Bastards' set and I’m sure most would have…]]>This was Pearl Jam’s final night out of four at Philadelphia’s Spectrum and during the surreal evening, Pearl Jam astounded the audience with rarities and unleashed their energy in a fitting finale for the historic Spectrum.
This was Pearl Jam’s final night out of four at Philadelphia’s Spectrum and during the surreal evening, Pearl Jam astounded the audience with rarities and unleashed their energy in a fitting finale for the historic Spectrum. Addressing the audience, Eddie Vedder suggested that if the band got enough encouragement “We’ll play some real fucked up shit”. He need not have worried because encouragement he would get, as excitement and anticipation enveloped Pearl Jam’s fourth Philadelphia show and the crowd sensed they were in for a real treat. Pearl Jam’s energy could hardly be contained for their final North American tour…]]>This is, to be sure, U2 at their touring highpoint.
Loud, lavish, bright and shiny objects, self-righteous politicking, and the largest stage ever built do not necessarily add up to make for an extraordinary concert. For that to occur one would first require a band, and, more to the basic point, a band that performs well in a live context. Enter four famous musical lads from Ireland who each share a minimal penchant for playing live shows. U2’s show in Norman, Oklahoma (the first in Norman in some 26 years, as Bono noted) - part of its well-publicized U2 360 Tour - was a near peerless affair because of the…]]>Mount Eerie: 8 November 2009 - Lakeshore Theatre, Chicago / Words and Pictures by Kirstie Shanley
It was like driving through a dark night with David Lynch at the wheel. Mount Eerie, the moniker of Phil Everum who also has released albums as The Microphones, has always been more on the human side than most musicians dare venture, exploring the outer regions of cerebral metaphor. Elverum has also proved himself to be adept in his collaborations with others, most recently with Julie Doiron for 2008’s Lost Wisdom.]]>Singer/ringleader Chris Robinson was in high spirits as he led the band through a crowd pleasing set that concluded the first leg of the band's fall tour.
There was a gorgeous Southwestern-style sunset happening in the six o'clock hour on this balmy Thursday evening, shedding resplendent hues of pink, orange and purple haze over the Arizona State Fair. It was most kind of Mother Earth to deliver this psychedelic majesty, as attendees would have been otherwise hard-pressed to discern much in the way of Southwestern flavor at the fair. Save for a couple of Native American jewelry booths, visitors could easily have thought they were in Anytown, USA. From the standard carnival rides and games to the homogeneous food and beverage selections, there was little in the…]]>It's impossible to watch Múm perform without a dumb smile on your face.
Call it the Animal Collective Effect. A lot of introspective avant-garde rock bands are courting exuberant pop these days. Take a look at Sigur Ros's most recent album. It's upbeat and catchy. Who would have expected such a serious, moody band to put out something so fun? It appears that fellow Icelanders Múm have taken a similar turn recently. Their old stuff was mostly instrumental, childlike electro-pop, so typical of the indie-sphere at the turn of the century. Múm did it better than just about anyone though, so I was a little disappointed to hear throughout the course of many…]]>The Fiery Furnaces: 7 November 2009 - El Mocambo, Toronto / Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
It was an unseasonably warm November night in Toronto and the humidity inside the El Mocambo had many patrons wearing t-shirts and thirsting for beer. After a considerable wait, the Fiery Furnace’s guitarist and co-founder Matthew Friedberger stepped onto the stage inciting cheers and whistles. Drummer Bob D’Amico and Bassist Jason Loewenstein accompanied him. It wasn’t until they had instruments in hand that Eleanor, the group's other co-founder and sister to Matthew, made her appearance causing fans to bolster their enthusiastic greeting. A quick wave from Matthew and the show was under way. Lowenstein led with a bass line that…]]>The Sounds: 7 November 2009 - The Vic Theatre, Chicago / Words and Pictures by Kirstie Shanley
In the vain of kids who grew up listening to ABBA and dreamed of playing to millions with a blast of arena rock against some catchy pop hooks, Sweden’s The Sounds are all about delivery. The five-piece has been around for a decade and has slowly seen their popularity increase in North America, allowing them to sell out increasingly larger venues. Though this was the last night of their North American tour, The Sounds seemed far from exhausted while on stage, giving the audience their all.]]>Miller is a constant ball of effusive energy, bobbing up and down and flashing that shy, embracing smile. It’s clear that this band loves to entertain.
Baby-faced Rhett Miller harbors an “old soul”. His lyrics, judging from his four solo albums, are deeply personal. Nevertheless, aside from penning songs that touch and question, he is the consummate showman. The word charisma barely scratches his unbevelled surface. Standing among a pocketful of college-aged giddy girls and some forty-somethings dressed to the nines on a drizzling Friday night, we see Rhett Miller through the glass door. His startling deep blue eyes catch our gaze as he waves shyly, and a few girlish giggles resound from the opposite side of the glass and echo like ping-pong balls across a…]]>Fuck Buttons + Growing: 4 November 2009 - DC9, Washington DC / Words and Pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya
Upon ascending the stairs at DC9 Wednesday night, I was greeted by a haze of digital chirps and static. Growing, a three-piece noise outfit from Brooklyn, had already launched into their set and I couldn't make heads or tails of what I was hearing. Order did start to emerge from the chaos, however, as I discerned a method to the madness. Using two guitars, an army of effects pedals and countless sequencers, drum machines and synths, the band built up and tore down a series of warped, disorienting sound collages, underpinned by harsh, driving beats. It felt like the ideal…]]>Colin Powell: 3 November 2009 - University of Delaware
Colin Powell may have graduated from the City College of New York with a 2.0 GPA in 1958 and he may not be savvy with computers, especially Facebook or Twitter. But he worked his way up to four-star general, head of the NSA, Chairman on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State under George W. Bush. And he likes hot dogs. In his speech at the University of Delaware on November 3rd (Election Day), Former Secretary of State Colin Powell came to address “Diplomacy: Persuasion, Trust and Values” as the second guest in the prestigious UD Speaks series…]]>To cap off their stellar year, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs captivated a massive hometown crowd at the legendary Radio City Music Hall.
Where are the wild things? For one glorious night, they roamed Radio City Music Hall. Despite the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ scrappy beginnings, their entrance on this night seemed elegant and almost regal. That’s not to say that they’ve betrayed their origins/true selves in any way, but they have steadily become one of the best bands of this decade and such a thing cannot be achieved without cultivating a certain amount of grace and showmanship. Granted, some of that elegance and regality can be attributed to the venue, but, given that New York City is their hometown, the audience and myself…]]>Lyle Lovett and his Large Band: 4 November 2009 - Beacon Theatre, New York / Words and Pictures by Thomas Hauner
Not even tickets to game six of the World Series could dissuade some fans from settling down to two-and-a-half hours with Lyle Lovett and his large band—though several Yankee ticket scalpers still paced outside the Beacon Theatre, miles from the big game in the Bronx. It was pretty fulfilling to see so many eschewing the conspicuous pomposity of yet another pinstriped championship for the antithetic Lovett. At times self-deprecating, but always dapper, demure, and humbling, Lovett led his 14-piece ensemble through a broad setlist of sounds old and new, big and small. Though supporting his most recent release, Natural Forces,…]]>Girls + Real Estate: 3 November 2009 - The Black Cat, Washington DC / Words and Pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya
Last night, two of the most buzzed-about new bands of the moment rolled through Washington: San Francisco's Girls and New Jersey's Real Estate. Though both bands mine similar sonic territory (lo-fi indie-pop,) and have impossible names to google, in a live setting, their approaches clearly diverge. Real Estate ably demonstrated that beneath all the haze hides a tight ensemble. Belying their beach bum reputation, there was nary a stray note to be found in the band's set, though they certainly made it look effortless. What's more, the band imbued their sunny, midtempo compositions with a palpable sense of warmth, rendering…]]>Yonder Mountain String Band: 23 October 2009 - House of Blues, Chicago / Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
It truly was a family affair for the Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB) in Chicago last week as the newgrass quartet kicked off their annual two day run at the House of Blues. Opening the show was banjoist Danny Barnes, accompanied by YMSB mandolin player Jeff Austin.]]>Even in the moments when they seem to be teetering on the edge of control, like during one of Ira’s guitar tirades, every single note and squall of feedback feels necessary.
There was absolutely nothing extraordinary about the start of the concert, except for the complete lack of anything of note. There was no climactic intro music nor was there any dazzling array of light. There were no bells and whistles and aside from a brief dimming of the house lights, the only thing to indicate the start of the show was the appearance of the band and their music. Nothing could have been more unassuming and nothing could have been more befitting for Yo la Tengo. The entrance could almost be a metaphor for how they have conducted their entire…]]>Words and pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya.
Every time I attempt to see the Boss, disaster strikes. In May, Bruce Springsteen and company rolled through town and, needless to say, I was looking forward to the show. But on the eve of the concert, upon returning home from a trip, I discovered that my apartment had been flooded, no thanks to a busted water pipe. Out of desperation, I asked my colleague Wilson McBee if he would attend and review the show in my place while I mopped. (He kindly obliged and did one better by writing a more thoughtful review than I ever could have.) Luck…]]>Mirah established her versatility as a musician while unintentionally proving that song choice truly can make or break an entire performance.
As I eagerly shuffled down Bowery and made that familiar left onto Delancey, a lot was on my mind about long-celebrated Mirah Yom Tov Zietlyn. I knew, from many friendly tip-offs and a personal interview conducted earlier this year, Mirah’s onstage disposition is heavily affected by the crowd’s attentiveness - she takes none too kindly to a rowdy audience, often becoming antsy and flustered. I also knew that some of the most riotous weekends of my young life were spent at the Bowery Ballroom. I was fixated on this conundrum for some hours before the show, nervous that the K…]]>Words and Pictures by Zach Schwartz
The Phenomenal Handclap Band played a funky, fun, lively set at the 9:30 Club to kick off their international tour. Hardly the "eye-popping spectacle that overwhelms the senses" that their press materials promise, they do have a great stage presence and a better sound. It also doesn’t hurt that upfront duo Laura Marin and Joan Tick are nice to look at, in addition to having great voices. For a Sunday night at 10pm, they definitely rocked.]]>Far beyond the end of the show and into the night, the songs continued to burrow deep and swift -- these Irish lads know exactly how our hearts and minds are wired.
On a Friday night at the Double Door in Chicago, Bell X1was more than just an Irish rock trio. They were also musical cardiac surgeons performing sonic surgery on the hearts of the gathered. Lead singer/percussionist/guitarist Paul Noonan crooned softly as they began to slowly slice open the ballad “How Your Heart Is Wired”, a song where the lyrics imply coyness, confusion and uncertainty of love’s next steps. “Kick the can I can’t see you now behind that temper and ire / Mister wolf knows what time it is / He says it’s dinner time / I don’t know what…]]>Though several bands demanded double-takes, and many impressed, there were no obvious standouts at this year's CMJ. Instead, our writers found bands that exemplified standards for success, and failure, putting together ten rules on how to sink or swim at CMJ.
For an aspiring artist the CMJ Music Marathon used to be the opportunity to make it or break it, to land that exalting record deal, to meet that catalytic publicist, or to simply generate the resounding buzz that would launch a career into the next stratosphere. It was a must—because A and R scouts stalked it and, for some, success followed it. But we all know what happened next: the internet came, saw, and conquered recorded music while giving anyone with a computer and conviction the opportunity to launch a music career. Just as the MyFaces are inundated with artists…]]>Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
New York City’s Bishop Allen took stage just after midnight at the El Mocambo in Toronto. Supported by Darwin Deez, also from NYC, and Throw Me The Statue, from Seattle, the band had their work cut out for them since both openers played lively sets that had onlookers impressed and actually paying attention. Frontman Justin Rice announced his pleasure at being back in Toronto, noting how much warmer the weather was than his last visit in January--which the crowd reacted to with enthusiastic clapping, cueing the band to get the set rolling. Performing a nearly gapless stream of light-hearted indie-rock…]]>Words and Pictures by Kirstie Shanley
David-Ivar Herman Düne has a problem. You see, he’s really a superhero and he has to find a way to tell his girlfriend. It’s a good thing he’s an apt lyricist or there’d be no hope for the situation at all. It’s topics like these that separate French duo Herman Düne from other bands concentrating heavily on the singer/songwriter format. The idiosyncratic makes for great conversational elements and interesting rhyme schemes. It also helps keep the audience listening and, at times, even laughing.]]>Words by Chris Catania. Pictures by Colleen Catania
The Afro-Punk tour arrived in Chicago with poet/actor/emcee Saul Williams leading the hip hop, punk and funk tribe to the Double Door. Openers American Fangs showed tons of passion and promise, but sadly the surly upstarts failed to strike any chords of freshness or uniqueness. But I feel for them, because having Saul Williams—-the personification of pure originality—-as your tour mate can make most bands seem average.]]>Touring after the release of their latest album, Time to Die, the Dodos revert to a more raw and experimental sound
Based on what I'd heard of their music, I expected the Dodos to be another passive, achy but indifferent, semi-polished indie band. Perhaps this is because I'd mostly listened to Time to Die, their latest album, produced by Phil Ek, who has also worked with the Shins. An article in the Chicago Tribune said that lead singer and guitarist Meric Long hoped Ek wouldn't make their album too polished, but reviews indicated that some of the band's original free-spirited, experimental musicality got ironed out in the studio. However, at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on 13 October, the band was…]]>Words and Pictures by Rory O'Connor
In an age where so many genres and musical ideas get mashed together, the Raveonettes are unique in how singular their vision and how unabashedly they practically wear their loved ones on their sleeves. But, as it turns out, they are none the worse for it. In fact, it is the paradox created by this pulling from the past and channeling it into something that radiates an effortless cool, metallic, almost futuristic feel, both in presence and sound--which may ultimately be their most magnetic quality.]]>From the moment Portugal. The Man begin playing, intensity and urgency enter the theatre with them.
Imagine the music of Portugal. The Man inscribes circles across you. Perhaps these circles are just the associations carried forward from film footage of gyrating Woodstock attendees, tie dyed T-shirts, or more modern and acid-trippy geo-circular screensavers. Mental association aside, it's not often that a band of obvious influences creates music with contours novel enough to conjure shapes rather than trite comparisons to their heroes and contemporaries. I arrive at the century old Majestic Theatre, a Madison staple since 1906, on a rainy autumn night. In a century of bawdy history, the theatre has housed everything from vaudeville to Harry…]]>Film adaptations from black masterpieces -- and the Chitlin Circuit -- are rejuvenating America's Black Arts Movement.
When it was announced that Tyler Perry would direct the screen version of Ntozake Shange's seminal black womanist work For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, there was a collective moan of pain from black women all over America. Though I feel their pain, some of the sentiment's expressed over the blogosphere were sadly lacking in any form of analysis that connected the dots between the Black Arts Movement which gave life to Shange's work, and the so-called Chitlin Circuit which spawned Tyler Perry. Instead, many of these critics chose to be mean-spirited and question…]]>Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
Last week was Wilco's homecoming, the capstone to their North American tour if you will. The two Chicago shows were the first shows the band had played here since the release of their latest,Wilco (the album). They were also the climax of their US tour and nothing short of epic.]]>My eyes widen as the band sets up, and I wonder which albums Anderson will draw from tonight.
The backdrop on stage is a simple, white cloth emblazoned with a dark flute-playing figure standing on one leg, which harkens back to Ian Anderson’s cult status as frontman -- and presently the only original member -- of the 40-year-old legendary progressive rock band Jethro Tull. Anderson has been admonished for imitating sacred Hindu deities who also have been depicted as standing ceremoniously on one leg. In the bird kingdom, a flamingo can stand for up to four hours on one leg in an effort to conserve bodily energies. Perhaps, then, Anderson’s reasons were equally innocent. Regardless, I don’t see…]]>It feels like Ndegeocello is treating us audience members like adults-she respects us far too much to withhold the ugly truths, or to censor her interpretations of them.
“Yeah, everyone thinks they’re so fucking special!” It’s a startling enough phrase to hear from as cosmic a presence as Meshell Ndegeocello on “Lola”, an upbeat rock number from her new disc, Devil’s Halo. But uttered live, it’s even more surprising—as much a rallying cry for the jilted lovers in the audience as a door in the face. At one point, she polls the audience at the Highline Ballroom: “Who’s here with a special someone?” That’s nice, but for a mysterious romantic like Ndegeocello, it’s more interesting to probe the situations of those who are here alone. So it has…]]>Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
Back in early March, I saw The Airborne Toxic Event perform at the Mod Club in Toronto. Despite being flu-stricken, lead singer Mikel Jollett sang his heart out. I remember later reading that the band had cancelled multiple dates prior to the show and that Jollett had vehemently refused recommendations from his doctor to cancel the Toronto gig on the grounds that Toronto simply wasn’t a city you cancelled over the flu. I also remember thinking to myself that he didn’t seem that sick to me because the show was so good.]]>Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
Time is definitely on Ian McCulloch’s side. Even at 50 years of age, the front man of 80’s post-punk sensation Echo & The Bunnymen didn’t look a bit out of place on stage with a microphone in hand. In front of a respectable turnout at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, McCulloch addressed the crowd wearing his trademark shades, announcing it was good to be back in Canada. “I like it colder” he stated. “Can you make it colder?”]]>Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
Three time Grammy Award singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams dazzled Chicago fans over the course of three nights at the Park West in Lincoln Park. Each concert celebrated Williams’ 30-year musical career, highlighting a specific period of work each night. The first night covered 1979 to 1989, the second 1992 to 2001, and the third installment relayed 2003 to the present.]]>Words and Pictures by Dan Kober
The Vancouver two-piece, Japandroids, did not put on much of a show in Philadelphia. The whole experience felt like being stuck in some sad version of Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” video. But these guys were singing about French-kissing French girls and getting drunk in the basement, rather than breaking a human face. I’ll gladly take the former over the latter, but that’s not much of a compliment. It was also pretty upsetting to see these guys almost break down on a tour that does not seem to be going their way. I was one of the eight lonely guys in…]]>Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
A few weeks ago Brooklyn based indie rockers The Subjects played an intimate yet compelling set at the Empty Bottle in Chicago. By intimate I mean there was not a huge crowd at the show, but attendees were appreciative nonetheless. Perhaps the spurts of freezing drizzle that night prompted people to take a rain check that night.]]>Words and photos by Mehan Jayasuriya.
Back in June, I saw the Dirty Projectors play to a crowd of a few hundred kids at the Rufustival in Baltimore. It was the week before the release of Bitte Orca and I remarked at the time that it seemed, "a foregone conclusion that after years spent as an opening act, the band will soon graduate to headliner status," What a difference a few months makes. Last week, I elbowed my way to the front of Washington D.C.'s renowned Black Cat, to watch the Projectors play to a sold out crowd of 700. From the first song on, it…]]>Indietracks was a pure pop fantasy, an addictive DIY pop experience amidst scenery untouched by time. It‘ll fuel the dreams of all who came for weeks to come.
Day 1 The Indietracks Festival needs a little explaining. It’s a festival set on a steam railway depot, for a sector of musicians and music fans who worship pop music in its most poetic form. It’s a festival where indie’s dreamers and outsiders will celebrate their love for pop’s poetry and melody, for its beatific individuals, for their wild pop-music passions, and for one weekend only live the way they like to think it used to be - before the arrogant bastards took over and cut their world apart. The Swanwick Steam Railway station in Derbyshire, England, is the perfect…]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words by Andrew Martin, Pictures by David Reyneke
As long as The Foreign Exchange is performing, no one can ever even think about showmanship being dead. The eight-piece band that took the stage of B.B. King's Blues Club & Grille on Friday night moved the crowd in a way that few acts are capable. And it all started at 1 a.m. As such, you would think a show starting that late would lend itself to a somewhat less-than-energetic audience. But that was simply not the case--this is New York City we're talking about.]]>