La Roux at Concord Music Hall

I've been saying for awhile, music is my therapy.  Last night proved that once again.  I'd been in a little bit of a funk the last few days, just a case of a the blahs.  I wasn't even looking that forward to going to the La Roux show.  I was hoping it might help pull me out of my little funk, and it sure did! The opener Midnight Magic was pretty good.  They had a very disco-influenced sound to me.  It was a lot of fun.  I plan on downloading some stuff of theirs, to check them out more.  Finally, it was time for La Roux.  Of course, I must mention her hair.  It is a work of art, and defies gravity.  I want to know how she does it.  She danced around quite a bit, and it did not move!  Now that that's out of the way, let's discuss the important stuff, the music!  I read in a recent interview, she wanted to work on her stage show.  Her first album was so electronic, there wasn't much of one apparently.  She made a very conscious decision to make her second album more organic in every since of the word.  She toned down her appearance, opting for more laid back clothing and a lot more natural makeup.  She also learned to play bass and guitar.  I did not see her tour her first album, but if that is what she was going for, it worked!  Her songs from the second album seemed to be better live with a band than the songs from the first.  It was a great, fun and energizing show.  The drummer was even standing up and really dancing around.  I don't recall every seeing a drummer dancing like that.  He was a lot of fun to watch himself.  Naturally, she closed out the show with the hit "Bulletproof."  The crowd got super into it.  I even noticed the entire bar staff was filming it on their phones.  It was such a fun, fantastic show!  Check La Roux out if you get a chance.  It definitely pulled me out of my funk.

I also wanted to write a little bit about Concord Hall as a venue.  I have mixed feelings.  The acoustics aren't super great, but I've been to worse.  I'm looking at you Metro!  The thing that really got me, though, was drink prices.  I ordered a vodka/cran and a Jim Beam, and it was $19!  That's ridiculous! I don't plan on drinking there again.  One the plus side, it's got a pretty cool layout.  We just kinda chilled near the back, and I still felt pretty close.  Anywhere ya stand, you'll probably  have a pretty good view.  I can't stress how wonderful the entire staff is.  The staff was all very super nice, and polite even.  If they lowered drink prices, they could be in contention for one of my favorite venues!
  

Bowie is...incredible!

It was announced quite awhile ago that the exhibit "Bowie is" would be coming to Chicago.  After about a year of waiting, the day had finally come.  Whenever    I get so excited about something, I worry I'll be disappointed.  Thankfully, that was very far from the case.  I was not disappointed in the slightest.  I really wish pictures were allowed, but alas they were not.  That was probably my one complaint.  The first thing you see, when you walk in, is a Kensai Yamamoto costume.  It happens to be one used in one of my favorite Bowie pictures ever, see below.  When I saw this, I knew the exhibit would be something special.  The exhibit does a great job of explaining Bowie's influences, as well as tracing his evolution.  I was amazed at what was contained in the exhibit.  The exhibit even has his cocaine spoon on display!   It's now my understanding that Bowie gave the curators pretty much total access to his archives.  The costumes and clothing were definitely a highlight for me. Seeing a lot of the costumes from the Ziggy area was incredible.  They had all the iconic ones. Seeing the "Life on Mars" and "Ashes to Ashes" costumes was also cool.   The exhibit even had quite a few of the costumes/clothing Alexander McQueen designed for Bowie as well.  It was incredible to see the Union Jack coat from "Earthling" in person, also see below. Bowie has also had a pretty great acting career, and there was a whole room dedicated to that.  I have liked Bowie every since seeing The Labyrinth as a little girl, so I was excited to see Jareth's crystal ball and riding crop.  The last room was probably my favorite.  The exhibit definitely eneded on a high note.  It had huge screens with "Rock n Roll Suicide" playing.  The room was also full with tons of costumes, this is were many of the iconic Aladdin Sane costumes were.  The 8yr old in me, who would dance in her room to the Let's Dance album, had trouble containing the excitement.  I wanted the exhibit to last forever!  Do yourself a favor if you are in the Chicago area, and check the exhibit out.    David Bowie is...an icon!

The flawless Bryan Ferry!

Let me just start out by saying this is one of the most amazing concerts I have ever seen.  Hell, it may even have been THE best show I've ever seen.  It was just absolutely flawless all the way around. They came out swinging to "Re-Make/Re-Mode" from Roxy Music's first album.  They grabbed the crowd the second Bryan Ferry came on stage, and held the crowd captive for the rest of the show.  I can't stress enough just how flawless, perfect everything was.  His musicians were amazing.  The drummer was female, and just kicked ass.  I think she may have had her own Beyonce fan, because her hair seemed to blow in the wind.  The lead guitar player owned his Les Paul, and the sounds that came out of it were spectacular.  The saxophonist was incredible, and was a very integral part of the show. Bryan Ferry's voice was still top notch, and incredible sounding.  I think he has one of the most unique voices in the business.  He also played keyboards at times.  He had two great back-up dancers/singers that were just awesome too.  The lighting and costumes were great too, and definitely added to the show.  He obviously still cares a lot about the visuals.  In his talk he mentioned his first concert was Bill Haley.  I could see the influence.  It was almost like an old school rock n' roll show. The highlight for me was hearing the glam anthem "Virginia Plain" in person.  I am not ashamed to admit, I went a little crazy! He also performed an amazing cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." My one complaint was that he didn't play "2HB"  but that's being self-indulgent.  I just don't know what else to say at this point, except it was an incredible show.  I find this show hard to write about, because it was just so amazing and special.  All I can think of to say at this point is, if you ever get the chance to see Bryan Ferry, run do not walk!

Bryan Ferry, this is your life!

Riot Fest has ended, so now begins Glamapalooza!  If you know anything at all about me, you know I'm a huge Bowie freak.  I was beyond psyched when I heard the "Bowie is" exhibit was coming to Chicago.  That time is fast approaching.  A lot of programs were created to correspond to the exhibit. It's not hard to figure out, I'm also a fan of Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry.  When I heard he'd be speaking, I knew I had to go.  I figured the talk would be about the glam rock movement, and thought it'd focus on Roxy Music.  That was not the case.  Glam Rock wasn't really discussed, and Bowie's name was not mentioned even once.  This talk was not even mentioned as being injunction with the exhibit, not even during the introduction.  My friend and I both thought this was odd.  It was still cool, and great to hear Bryan Ferry talk.  It was more along the lines of a retrospective of his career. That's not a bad thing by any means!

Bryan Ferry grew up in an industrial part of England.  He said it wasn't pretty, but there was one area that was beautiful.  A picture of it was shown, and it looked like an ancient Greek temple in a park. He used to dream about escaping.  He had been of fan of music since he was 10.  He won tickets to a Bill Haley concert, from a radio contest.  He delivered newspapees twice a day, and would read rhe music magazines in them.  He became a fan of all types of music.  He mentioned Charlie Parker being a hero of his.  He went to college in Newcastle.  By the time he atarted college, he said his influences were anywhere from Duchamp to Smokwy Robinson.  He started to sing when a friend asked him to audition for his band.  The audition was in a bizarre hair salon.  He compared the experience to a David Lynch film. He studied art under the pop artist Richard Hamilton.  A newspaper clipping was projected that showed Ferry painting, with the caption "angry young artist". He said he wasnt angry at all then.  He  was having the time of his.  To me, this helped explain how the visual image of Roxy Music was sso important.  Newcastle had a pretty active music scene.  He formed his first band during this time. Some of the band members also became part of Roxy Music.

After college, Ferey moved to London.  He started song writing, learning to play the piano, and start to put together Roxy Music.  According to Bryan, it took a few years to get the line-up for Roxy Music.  I enjoyed the story of how Brian Eno became part of Roxy.  The band wanted to record, but didn't have a tape recorder.  Eno came over with one, and never left! They recordes the fieat album.  Ferry seemed to like it, but thought it was unfocused, a mix of too many genres.   A friend of Bryan Ferry's Antony Price helped formulate the bands image.  Eno once called their style as intergalactic parliament.   Antony designed clothes for the band and helped design album sleeves for the band. He is pretty much responsible for the Roxy girls, the girls on the various album covers.   One notable Roxy girl is Jerry Hall.  Ferry went to say, he thought the second Roxy album was their best work ever. 

After the second Roxy Music album, Ferry decided to do a solo album of old standards. This started a very busy time for him.  He'd record with Roxy, tour with Roxy, record solo, and then tour solo.  I admired his honesty when he admitted it was very exhausting.  He also admits everything was rushed.  At one point, two videos were shot in a single day.  Most of the people involved in helping where friends of his or the band.  He got emotional when talking about the bassist, on "Love is the Drug" who just passed away a week ago.  Also, he's wearing a real eye patch in the video.  He had hurt his eye somehow right before.  Fun factoid, Manolo Blahnik is pictures on the back of his second solo album, Another Time, Another Place. 

Riot Fest Day 3

Day 3 wasn't quite as awesome as Day 2, but it was still a pretty darn good time.  I got there earlier than planned, so I was able to catch Kurt Vile and the Violaters. His set started out fairly mellow.  It was a great way to start the last day of Riot.  His set picked up the pace as he went along.  There were definitely some cool rock guitar riffs in there.  That was a unique combination with his almost Dylaneque voice.  His hair was long and in his face, I couldn't help but wonder if he was hiding it. All-in-all I enjoyed his set, but I don't know if I'd see him on his own.

Billy Bragg was next!  I enjoyed him a lot.  When I say I enjoyed him, I mean him. He was the only one on stage.  He seemed to have a thick Irish accent, although I have since discovered he is British. His music almost seemed to be a mix of Irish folk and The Clash.  It was a really cool and unique combination. He had a great sense of humor as well.  He joked about how he like a certain tea a lot, called Throat Coater.   Billy claimed it was suppose to make you sing better, and Morrissey was the one that recommended it to him. He was the only one to get political, up until this point.  He talked a fair amount about Scotland's vote for independence that is coming up this Friday.  He was very supportive of it, and down on the British government. He was really great, and I would love to see him again.

Patti smith was next.  Patti Smith is a goddess!  I had the absolute pleasure of seeing her roughly a year ago.  It was amazing!  I was definitely looking forward to seeing her again.  I watched part of her set from the Ferris Wheel.  It was really cook to see the crowd from that view.  Patti was amazing!  I feel there's a little lost in translation from seeing her at a fest, though.  She also got political.  You can find her Riot Rant on YouTube.  With these turbulent political times, she played "People have the Power" She also dedicated "Because the Night" to her late husband Fred Smith, of MC5 fame.  It was his birthday.  I don't know what else I could possible say about this amazing lady. No words could do Patti justice.  You MUST see her if you get the chance.

There were some great headliners that night at Riot.  I choose The Cure, naturally.  First, Robert Smith looked better than I had expected.  He didn't look as puffy as he has in some recent pictures.  They were amazing.  They played all their hits and then some.  They played for over two hours.   There was just such a cool vibe.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying it, and having a good time.  Robert Smith even attempted to dance a bit, which was adorable.  His dancing seemed almost zombie-like.  I never would have thought to put The Cure on my concert bucketlist, but I am so glad I got to see them.  It was a great way to close out Riot Fest.  Even though I didn't get to dance with Iggy Pop this year, this may have been the best Riot Fest yet!

Riot Fest Day 2!

The forecast for Day 2 called for clear sky and better music!  That forecast proved to be pretty darn accurate!  I decided to get up at a reasonable hour, and get to Riot early to catch Macauley Culkin's Pizza Underground.  For those of you that don't know, Macauley started a Velvet Underground cover band, but all the lyrics are about pizza.  Their hits include songs such as  "Pizza Day" and "Waiting for the Delivery Man."  If you think this is a joke, I believe you are right.  I also believe they are in on the joke.  They joked with the crowd a lot, and smiled a lot.  They had the Velvet's look down, dressed in all black and wearing sunglasses.  They even had a German lady, just like Nico.  The Pizza Underground also had a pizza box player. This was the first band I have ever seen with a pizza box player.  The box said Pizza Metro, to cater to the hometown crowd.   I thought it was very entertaining and humorous.  If you missed this, don't fear.  You can always catch them in Pussy Joel, their next project.  If you can't figure it out, that's a Billy Joel cover band about cats.

Next up was The Orwells.  I knew nothing about them, except that David Letterman apparently loves them.  This was the most obnoxious crowd of any band I saw during Riot Fest.  People were super pushy and not even remotely conscious of other people.  The band was very good, though.  I enjoyed it until the very end.  I'll explain that in a bit.  The singers vocals seemed spot on for rock, the drummer kept a very good beat, the guitar was powerful, and the bassline was nice and heavy.  They did a pretty cool rendition of "Fill me up Buttercup."  The singer appeared more hippie than rocker, and appeared high as a kite.  Here's what made me dislike them.  I was right up front, so security was right in front of me.  Right near the end of The Orwell's set, pizza was brought to security for lunch. At the end of the set, the singer purposefully jumped on the pizza, ruining their lunch.  I thought that was an absolute asshole move,and that absolutely killed it for me.

Buzzcocks are a band I should've checked out years ago, and for some reason never did.  I was excited to see them on the line-up.  They are classic British punk.  I don't know what else to say besides that, just good ol' fashioned punk.  Union Jacks were very present during their set.  They were the first band to get my head bopping.  I  highly enjoyed them.  I intend to add them to my play list.  I also wouldn't mind checking them out in a venue setting.

Television was next on the agenda.  I had the privilege of seeing them about four months back at The Metro here in Chicago.  It was a great show.  I was super excited to be able to see them again. Television pretty much started the CBGB's scene.  We may not have punk, if not for them.  Verlaine's vocals seem a tad weak, but that seems fitting with their sound.  His guitar playing is still top notch. The guitar in Marquee Moon is among my favorite.  There really isn't too much else to say about this classic band, or else I could go on and on.  They're a must to check out!

Die Antwood was next!  This was another act I was excited to see.  They are a rap group from South Africa, but have an electronic twist.  Some of their lyrics can be crude and somewhat twisted. The guy even mooned the crowd at one point.   They came out wearing prisonlike jump suits.  As the went on, they worse less and less.  Lola's baby pitched vocals made the lyrics seem less offensive somehow.  They were very high energy, and created a dance party environment.  They even had back up dancers.  That may have been the only set I saw at Riot with back up dancers.  They were one of the most unique sets I have ever seen at Riot Fest, and they're another one I'd like to see in a venue setting.

As stated previously, I am not a big rap or hip hop fan.  I had to check out the WuTang Clan.  They had one of the biggest crowds I saw.  I enjoyed it a lot.  I don't have too much to say really, though, about them.  I'll end with this "Wu Tang ain't nothing to fuck with."

After WuTang came Metric.  I really don't have much to say about them either.  They played a few radio hits, songs I recognized.  I'd describe them as unoffensive, neither really good or bad. They have a female singer.  It made me realize, she was the only female lead I'd seen at this point.  It made me recall the Pussy Riot discussion.

The last band on my agenda was the Flaming Lips.  I knew a little about them, mainly about how far out their shows are.  Naturally, I had to check them out.  I was not disappointed in the slightest.  The stage was set with hundreds of LED lights hanging down, as seen in the picture below.  They came onstage with two huge mushrooms and a giant rainbow.  During their first song, they were about to shot cannons off, instead the power went off.  After a 5-10 minute delay, they got power and picked up were they left off.  The canons shot off a ton of glitter.  It looked beautiful in the night sky. Throughout the show, they had butterflies, suns and aliens join them on stage.  Wayne also put on a super fringy metallic jacket, giving him the appearance of being covered practically in tinsel.  It was all so beautifully tacky.  Least you think it's all about the show, the music was pretty great too.  It was like what I imagine taking acid would be like.  They ended the show with a cover of The Beatles "Lucy in the Sky"  I had heard their version before, and wasn't a huge fan. It was amazing live, though.  They used the cannons again.  The sky appeared to be full of diamonds.  It was a great way to end the day.  I have seen obsessively been listening to their album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. I'll just wrap this entry up by saying Wayne Coyne is insane, but in the best way possible.   

Riot Fest Day One

Day one was not the best.  The weather was shitty, and I was apathetic about the day's lineup.  So, I will focus on the positive and write about the Pussy Riot speaks forum.  I have been a fan of theirs ever since I heard of their arrest.  To stand up to Putin like they did takes amazing courage.  I was excited when I heard they would be at Riot Fest.  I was even more psyched when I heard it was actually going to be a forum, with Henry Rollins moderating.  This was destined to be a Riot Fest highlight, and I was not disappointed in the least.

I arrived to the stage roughly half an hour early.  A small crowd had already formed. The crowd cheered as they would for any rock stars when Pussy Riot and the rest of the panel came out. The ladies seemed shocked, and had a very adorable moment when they took a few selfies. I was reminded the church protest was not necessarily anti-Putin, but about women's rights.  Women's rights are getting more and more restrictive in Russia.  They said they did not honestly expect to be arrested.  The forum spoke a lot about feminism, and how misogyny is still a big issue even in the United States.  They went on to discuss how prevalent it is in the music industry.  We were reminded that feminism is not a bad word.  At it's most basic, its the belief that men and women are equal.

Henry Rollins brought up the power of words a lot.  Lyrics can be so important.  He then somewhat touched on the history of punk.  Punk was started to fight authority and fight social injustices.  According to Rollins, it's gotten away from that and needs a refresh.  Pussy Riot is that refresh!  He also discussed how in the U.S.A. we are lucky that for the most part we are protected by freedom of speech.  We don't have to worry about being physically incarcerated. However, we can incarcerate ourselves in other ways.  I thought that was a very cool point.  The forum ended with the ladies wanting to take a selfie with the crowd.  You can clearly see me:)

I was very moved and inspired by this panel.  I used to be an idealist, but became a cynic pretty early on.  I blame it on being a poli sci major.  I gave up.  This made me kinda wake up , and wanna be active again.  In fact, I went and signed up to get involved with Amnesty International.  Job well done Riot Fest!

This is not my best entry.  Due to things not saving properly, I had to rewrite it three times.  I got tired of it.ha

The Handcuffs-late post

First I must apologize for the late post.  I feel I am doing The Handcuffs a disservice, as this show was several weeks ago now, and can't remember as much.  The Handcuffs are a great local band here in Chicago.  I first saw them years ago now.  They opened up for Blondie at the House of Blues.  I really enjoyed them.  Their drummer in particular stood out to me, but more on him later.  One thing that does stick out in my mind, though, was their style.  The four band members each had their own definite style of clothing. It was to the point were it clashed, and was distracting to me.  They were still a great band.  I have tried a few times since to see them again, and never managed to.  I saw they were playing Burger Fest, a street festival near my apartment.  I made it a point to see them again.  My first thought was that they looked better.  They all basically were black, creating a cohesive look.  Once they started to play, I was hooked again.  They are rock, just good and fun rock n roll. The singer, Chloe, holds command.  You could ALMOST compare her to Cherie Curie.  They did seem to take some riffs some other bands, like Blondie and The Runaways.  I wish I could say more, but sadly my memory is starting to fail me. They are a great part of the local Chicago music scene.

Now, I would be utterly remiss if I didn't spend a little time talking about their drummer Brad Elvis.  He is an amazing drummer!  As I tend to comment on, he has a great style as well.  Now, Brad does have another drumming gig as well as The Handcuffs.  He also is the drummer for The Romantics!  That's pretty impressive.  What is even more impressive, is the fact is that he was recommended for the gig by Clem Burke of Blondie!  Brad does a great job of holding the beat for the band.  He also does lots of tosses and other tricks with his drumsticks.  The Handcuffs are worth checking out just for Brad!

The Vallures and Reverend Horton Heat

Friday night, I had the pleasure of seeing The Reverend Horton Heat and The Vallures at Double Door here in Chicago.  It's been a few years since I've seen a show at Double Door.  I think it's a great place to see a rock show.  It's definitely got a bit of the down and dirty vibe.  The drinks are a little on the pricey side, though. Anyway, enough about the club.  I had seen RHH at Riot Fest two years ago, and really enjoyed them. When I heard they'd be playing at the Double Door, I really wanted to see them.  I saw online the opening act was The Vallures, described as a 60s girl group.  I was definitely interested in checking them out.  They did NOT disappoint.  First of all, their appearance was great, very visually appealing.  The band consisted of five girls and two guys. All the girls wore the same cute, retro red dress.  Of course, they had the mandatory bouffants.  The two guys wore outfits that nicely complemented the ladies.  It seemed like they played a lot of covers, with a few originals.  They seemed to have been greatly inspired by Motown. Can I saw they were super original, obviously not.  However, they were super fun.  Everyone was dancing. I'd dare ya not to.  The lead singer Jes could give Diana Ross or Ronnie Spector a run for their money.  It's the closest I'll ever get to seeing the Shangri-Las or Ronnettes.  After their set, we went to the downstairs lounge for a drink.  Some of The Vallures were there, so we talked to them for just a minute.  They were super nice and sweet.  I really hope they make it back to Chicago soon.  I was so impressed, I bought their single they were selling.  I plan on stalking their facebook page to keep an eye out for their next Chicago appearance.

The Reverend Horton Heat is a psychobilly band based out of Dallas.  I would describe their sound as rockabilly meets punk meets surf.  As I said earlier, I had seen them at Riot Fest and wanted to see them again.  Unfortunately, for RHH, they had The Vallures open for them this time. The Vallures would be hard to top. The three gentlemen in RHH are all great musicians in their own right.  Jim Heath, the singer and guitarist, is a great and energetic frontman.  He plays a mean guitar, with a surf edge at times, as well.  One thing I love is their bassist Jimbo Wallace.  By bassist, I mean an upright bass, and not bass guitar.  He's a lot of fun to watch, and has the whole rockabilly persona down!  What gives RHH that unique sound of theirs, though, is the drummer Scott Churilla.  He is a punk drummer!  He gives RHH that punk edge that separates them from other rockabilly bands.  He even embraced that in his appearance. While Jim and Jimbo had the rockabilly outfits and pompadour hair, Scott just wore a black tshirt and left his hair shaggy.  They put on a great high energy show.  The crowd appeared to be having a lot fun, dancing around.  Both bands were excellent and put on great shows.  If you get a chance to see either, I recommend ya go!

Pitchfork Day 3

Sadly, Pitchfork like all good things must come to an end.  I didn't really see/hear a ton of music on the last day.  I was more about taking in the scene.  The first band I did see was The Dum Dum Girls.  I enjoyed them a lot.  They were a lot of fun.  Three girls were lined up in the front with their guitars and bass.  They all wore tight black clothing, and had dark hair.  They reminded me of the Robert Palmer girls.  I would best describe their sound as rock/pop with a 60s girl group vibe.  Think the Shangri-las meet the Ramones.  One of my favorite musicians Johnny Thunders probably would've loved them.  The harmonies were incredible, and was accented by some awesome guitar playing.  At one point, Dee Dee (the lead singer)  held a note longer than I think I have ever heard in person before.  Theses girls are no dummies.  They put on a darn good show, and I would very much like to see them in a non-festival setting.

The next band I saw was Majical Cloudz.  I have seen them before, once again at Schubas.  Schubas is a great small venue, a very intimate setting.  It was the perfect venue to see Majical Cloudz.  It was just the singer and a keyboardist.  At Schubas, there was a singular light on the singer.  The simple lighting and the singer's gorgeous, beautiful vocals created something very special.  I remember describing it as almost a religious experience.  I was very interested to see how that would translate into a festival setting.  For being such a serious performer, the singer Devon is very humorous and disarming.  He seems to have a nervous energy that comes across as charming and funny.  Unfortunately, they had technical issues.  The keyboard died.  They had to improvise.  He sang some acapella, had the audience clap a beat for a song, and had the crowd tell jokes.  They got another keyboard, but it must not have had some sounds they needed stored. He said it would be a stripped down, coffee house version.  It was still a great set.  However, I must admit I did prefer the intimate setting of Schuba's to see them in.

The last act I saw was the cute Canadian Grimes.  I'm not normally a huge fan of electronic music, but Grimes is one electronic artist I enjoy.  I didn't know too much of her stuff before Pitchfork.  It was almost like a dj set, but with her live vocals.  The electronic beats and her childlike voice created a cool effect. I was expecting a somewhat dark performance.  She was dressed in black, but that was the only thing dark about it.  It was a great, fun performance.  The crowd was dancing up a storm.  Grimes had two back up dancers. They were dressed almost like 80s aerobic video girls.  They even danced with ribbons a few times, ala Get in Shape Girl.   She tested out a few new songs, and even admitted she did not have the lyrics memorized yet.  It didn't seem like she missed a beat, though, and the crowd ate it up.  It was a great way for me to end my first Pitchfork experience.

If you know me, you know I am a huge fan of Riot Fest.  I still say I prefer Riot, but Pitchfork was pretty cool as well.  I figure I'd end my Pitchfork blogging with my general take on Pitchfork.  I am very sartorial.  I blame it on my years of retail experience.  I noticed the clothing a lot.  It seemed some people were just trying to dress ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous.  Everybody was trying to outdo everyone.  Some attempts were super cute, and some not so much.  I also wonder how practical some of the choices were.  I noticed a girl wearing a vintage cocktail dress and platforms.  It was an adorable outfit, but I wonder how she felt after being there a few hours.  There were way to many flower crowns.  I blame Lana Del Ray for that one!  At Riot, I'd see hundreds of Ramones shirts.  I saw only one at Pitchfork.  It was really fun just people watching.  I also noticed some people with books reading during down time.  I never saw a single book at Riot, so I thought that was pretty cool.  The beer situation needed an improvement.  Lines were super long.  I skipped beer anyway, due to the heat.  Another great thing was a kinda giveaway area. Topshop did free screen-printing.  You had a choice of designs and could get it on a tshirt, bag or bandanna. I thought that was pretty darn cool.  The best part was free twinkies or frozen kefir bars.  It saved on the food budget for sure!  Overall, I had a good time, but I do prefer Riot.  I think the lineup will determine if I attend next year or not.

Pitchfork Day 2

Wow!  What a difference a day a day makes!  I saw and heard so much great music today.  Let's start from the beginning.  The first band I saw was Twin Peaks.  They are a young, local band from here in Chicago. One of the guys was pushed out in a wheelchair, due to a broken leg.  That didn't stop him, though!  He kept rocking back and forth!  They are very guitar heavy, and very high energy.  It is a four man group, and one thing I liked was that 3 of them took turns singing.  They put on a great little show, and seemed thrilled to be playing Pitchfork.  I will definitely have to check out their new album Wild Onion when it comes out next month.  At the end of their performance, one of the guitarist slammed and broke his guitar ala Jimi Hendrix. The band threw the guitar pieces into the crowd.  The guitarist then must have second thought his action, and said "Everybody alright?  I'm not gonna get sued am I?  I got no money!"  It was a great show for a young band.  I plan to keep tabs on them and see how they develop.

Pitchfork seemed very hip hop heavy this year.  I'll admit, I'm not really into hip hop.  I'll touch on two that stood out to me for different reasons.  The first is Pusha T.  I was not impressed.  First of all, he started his set half an hour late. Once he started, I wish he had stopped.  Every word seemed to be a curse word, and trust me I am no prude.  I can't even count how many times he used the "n-word"  He seemed to be bragging about having dealt drugs in the past as well.  I did not like or enjoy it one bit.  Maybe I misunderstood his intent?  The other rapper was Ka.  Ka is based out of Brooklyn.  I would almost say he was more of a spoken word artist than a rapper.  I would compare him to a softer DMX.  They had a similar raspy voice. His lyrics seemed much more intelligent and thought out.  Ka may still not have completely been my taste, but definitely more palatable.  If ya like hip hop, I'd recommend checking him out.

I had previously seen the band Wild Beasts a few years back at Schubas, a great small venue here in Chicago.  I sadly don't remember that show too well, but I remember enjoying it.  I was looking forward to checking them out again.  I am glad I did.  The best word to describe Wild Beasts is beautiful.  The band members themselves are quite beautiful, and so is their sound.  I attached a photo of them below, but it's hard to tell how good looking they are.haha They didn't talk much, but when they did it was quite charming. The singer at one point said, "We're from England.  We're not used to this sunshine, or such beautiful people."  Needless to say, the crowd ate that up.  Another very cool thing, was something I have never witnessed before in all the shows I've gone to.  The guitarist played his guitar like a violin at one point.  It created such a cool sound.  I wanna try it sometime!  So yeah, I'd recommend checking them out! Okay, and yeah I'll admit I'm a little smitten.haha

tUnE-yArDs is another band I have previously seen, and enjoyed.  tUnE-yArDs is described as afro-pop. They lived up to that with their sound, the tribal print clothing they all wore, and the warpaint on their faces. Albeit, it was glitter warpaint.  You could just tell they were having a good time up there.  The singer, Merrill, would break into a smile now and again.  The crowd really got into the high energy drumbeats.  I believe I saw more dancing in the crowd at tUne-yArDs than any other band so far.  I think tUnE-yArDs feed off the crowds energy, and the crowd feed off of tUnE-yArDs.  They definitely have a cool, unique sound going for them.  I'd also recommend checking them out sometime.  

What can I saw about St. Vincent but WOW!  I was blown away.   I had high expectations from St.Vincent, aka Annie Clark.  I feared she would not be able to live up to the hype and be disappointed, like when I saw MGMT.  These expectations were not only met but exceeded.  On a shallow note, she is absolutely stunning. Her skin and bone structure are to die for.  I have never left a show thinking about the performers bone structure, but I did tonight.  Her outfit was very fun as well.  A pic should be posted below.   I'm not even sure how to describe the music and performance.  Nothing would do it justice.  She rocked and was badass. She owned her guitar.  Her voice was amazing.  She usually kept a straight face, but every now and again a smile would creep on her face. That remind me of another amazing woman, Joan Jett!  While playing the second to the last song, she "collapsed" on stage as if she had given everything.  Then kinda like James Brown, someone brought her a white guitar she had not used.  I like to think the guitar was magical, and gave her the energy to go on and go on she did.  This performance is just so hard to describe, words totally fail to explain how spectacular it was.  I would really like to see her outside of a festival setting. I'm hooked. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND CHECKING HER OUT!

Pitchfork Day 1

I have never been to Pitchfork Music Fest before.  Once I heard some of the lineup, I knew I had to change that.  My first impressions were, I didn't like the layout as much as Riot Fest.  They definitely needed more beer tents.  The lines for beer tickets and beer were ridiculously long.  I avoided them like the plague. The only act I really wanted to see tonight was Beck.  I decided to get there early, and check out a few other bands though.  Honestly, I may as well have stayed at home a bit longer.  I walked in just in time to catch a few songs from Sharon Van Etten.  I may have to explore her music more.  She had a very pretty voice, and great singer/songwriter vibe going.  I wish I heard more.  The next I heard was SZA.  I don't know what to say about her.  I wasn't impressed, so left.  The next band I checked out was Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks. The best way I can describe it is by using my term bleepy bloppy music.  I was not a fan.  I left once again, after hearing a few songs.  A friend later described it as what must be a practical joke.  I don't think my friend is too far off.  The last I act I saw before Beck was a dj set by Giorgio Moroder.  He was a big player in the disco scene, apparently.  Most recently, he won a Grammy for his work with Daft Punk, on their latest album.  It was a lot of old disco songs, but with a modern house/techno beat behind it.  I wish they had left good enough alone.

Finally! At long last, it was time for Beck!  Beck is the main reason I bought tickets for Pitchfork.  I saw him 17yrs ago, when I was a senior in high school.  The Roots (of Jimmy Fallon fame) and Atari Teenage Riot opened for him.  Being raised in Indiana, I didn't have much exposure to different music.  It was mostly Top 40, country and classic rock.  I was blown away by all three bands, and it made me realize there was more out there.    I remember that being such a great concert.  I was a little worried Beck wouldn't live up to my memories from 17 years ago.  The minute Beck Hanson stepped onstange, those worries were cast away. He opened up with a guitar heavy version of "Devil's Haircut"  I believe that was the same song he opened with 17 yrs ago. One of the best words to describe his performance was balanced.  He had a balanced set, played something from every album.  It was also a good mix of rockers and ballads.  I forgot what a great and engaging performer and frontman Beck is.  With his crazy dance moves, I would describe him as a quirkier Mick Jagger.  He can command the crowd almost as well as Jagger.  I absolutely love the Stones, so that is saying a lot.  He closed the set (somewhat predictably) with "Where it's At" but changed things up with a harmonica break in the middle.  The crowd went crazy, and ate it all up.  I HIGHLY recommend you see Beck if you get a chance.  I'd easily rank this as the best performance I've ever seen at a fest!

I'm looking forward to day two!  I can't wait to see St. Vincent!

Clap Your Hands Say Eh Maybe

On Friday the 13th, I went with a friend to The Taste of Randolph street fest.  I had heard of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but never really listened to them much.  I'm always excited and willing to check out live music, though.  I can't say they were bad.  They were mediocre.  For a band that's been around for about 10 years, they really needed to work on their stage presence.  Out of the four members, only one (the bassist) interacted with the crowd and seemed to be in a good mood. The singer was too busy complaining to the sound guys.  Maybe they didn't like playing a fest?  It wasn't a horrible show, just very bland.  As my friend said, we may as well have stayed home and listened to the CD.  At least I got to have good tacos, and attend a full moon party afterwards!

Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger-Lincoln Hall June 6, 2014

On a personal note, one of my first memories is listening to my dad's Beatles LPs on our huge counsel turntable.  I can vividly remember dancing around to "She Loves You" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" through those huge headphones.  Since my junior high years, I would consider the Beatles my favorite band of all time. I lost my dad when I was only 19.  As you may imagine, losing a parent at a young age is not easy at all.  It has definitely left me with some emotional baggage, but that's a whole other blog!haha  Now imagine being only 5 years old, and your dad is the world famous and beloved John Lennon.  That is what Sean Lennon had to deal with then, and probably still has to deal with today.   I could not imagine being in Sean's shoes.I don't think anyone could blame Sean if he ended up living on his trust fund, or trying to distance his self from the ghost of his famous father.  Sean seems to have embraced the lot in life he has been dealt.

The band Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (GOASTT) is Sean Lennon and his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl. When I heard they were performing at Lincoln Hall, I had to get tickets.  It would probably be the closest I'd ever come to seeing a Beatle.  I'll be the first to admit, I didn't know much of GOASTT's music when I bought the tickets.  All I knew is that it had a psychedelic vibe to it.  I do not normally gravitate towards that style of music.  In preparation of the show, I downloaded the album Midnight Sun.  I will admit I could be biased because I absolutely love John Lennon.  I did really enjoy the album, though.  I was surprised at just how much he sounded like his father, and the album seemed highly influenced by John's style.  The more I listened to the album, the more I looked forward to the show.

I have seen pictures and video of Sean, and always thought he seemed a perfect mix of John and Yoko. When Sean came out on stage, it was incredible to witness that in person.  He looked so much like his dad, with the exception of the darker hair and skin he got from Yoko.  He even wore a modern version of the Lennon glasses, and a big floppy hat Yoko would wear.  If you squinted it could have been John up there.
Once they started playing and Sean sang, you could hear his father in his voice.  The similarities in his voice and style was pretty uncanny.  GOASTT's music could easily blend in with the later era Beatles. It was a great psychedelic trip.  I can't add too much about the music, except to say Charlotte is an exceptional singer as well.  I figured it would be an enjoyable show, but I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I did.  Sean has stepped out of the shadows, and embraced the ghost of his father.

Below is a photo I took.  I do apologize for the blurriness.  I could not get a good picture for some reason.  I have also posted a NSFW video for their lead single "Animals"

MO at Lincoln Hall 5-28-2014

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of seeing the Danish performer known as MO.  She is touring to promote her debut album No Mythologies to Follow.  It was definitely one of the best shows I've seen.  I love Lykke Li, but I think MO may have stolen her crown.  The energy in Lincoln Hall was amazing.  Her voice was crystal clear.  I have never seen an artist join in the audience so much.  She staged dived on a few occasions, walked through the crowd, and she even sang a song from the balcony right next to me!  Her two encore songs were the highlights of the night, at least for me!  The first was a very cool cover of the Spice Girls hit "Say You'll Be There". I will post a video later.  The next was the high energy "Don't Wanna Dance". It was so high energy, I was worried Lincoln Hall wouldn't be able to contain it, and implode.  Thankfully, the building managed to survive.  I have linked a video to "Don't Wanna Dance" from another show.  The video does not even remotely convey the energy, though.  It was an absolutely amazing show.  If you get the chance to see her live, go!!!!!

 

Welcome!

Hi everyone, and welcome to my little world in the bloggersphere!  I plan on writing on music in general.  I may post about a show I saw, an album I like or anything music related really.  I am no music theorist.  My posts probably won't be too complex.  To me, music doesn't need to be about complicated theories.  It needs to make you feel!  A lot of people I know are very into music.  I think it'd be awesome to grow a little community here.  Hopefully we can get some musical conversation going!  I wants comments and discussions!  No music snobs, though!  If you do comment, please be respectful!

I should talk a little about the type of music I typically like.  I am a huge fan of glam rock and early punk.  Among my favorites are Bowie, T. Rex, The New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, The Ramones, Blondie, Joan Jett and others similar. As far as current artists I absolutely love Sleigh Bells.  I had the privilege of seeing them at The Metro in the past year.  It was the most amazing show ever!  I also enjoy Lykke Like, El Perro del Mar, Jamaican Queens, Japanther and MO.  I do like some good old cheesy top 40 pop now and again.  I am a Miley fan, but hate Taylor Swift.  The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are among my absolute favorites!  I hope that at least somewhat gives you a feel for my taste in music.  Anyway, I've said enough! Let's see where this goes!