First, let me start by saying that seeing a concert at the (historic!) Sixth & I Synagogue in DC may sound like a really strange thing, but it was actually kind of incredible. Of course, sitting in a pew in a house of worship lends itself to a great many jokes about religion. (I was raised Baptist and am not Agnostic, for the record, and this was my first time being in a synagogue - or anything but a Christian facility, actually.)
The Sixth & I Synagogue is beautiful. It is absolutely, positively gorgeous, and the sound, sitting and watching Andrew McMahon play with just the piano and Bobby Raw accompanying him on acoustic guitar (and occasionally mandolin) was an experience unlike any other. It was pure, auditory perfection. In the balcony, Lanie and I couldn't see that well (in fact, it took me several minutes to realize Bobby Raw was onstage at all), but it didn't matter. The sound was so perfect that I didn't need to be able to see anything.
I love Andrew McMahon. This is a thing I am completely unashamed of. He is one of my heroes in life. If you are not familiar with him, he is the frontman of the piano rock bands Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, and had a bone marrow transplant in 2005 while battling leukemia. The current tour is in support of the documentary he made while going through treatment, Dear Jack, which I'm sure we'll review as soon as it comes in. (I've got it on preorder for the release date of November 3.) His music has helped me get through difficult times in my life, and his personal battle has made me aspire to be a better person.
That said, I went into this show with the knowledge that I would probably cry, and that I had put on my regular mascara instead of the waterproof stuff. And yes, I teared up, right from the very beginning as McMahon opened the set with "Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)" from Jack's Mannequin's 2008 release The Glass Passenger.
I don't remember the precise order, but the songs played are vaguely as follows.
from Jack's Mannequin:
Hammers & Strings (A Lullaby)
Spinning
Crashing
Swim (Music Box version)
The Resolution
Bloodshot
Holiday From Real
Rescued
Bruised
Dark Blue
La La Lie (West Coast Winter version)
There There, Katie
The Mixed Tape
from Something Corporate
Walking By
Punk Rock Princess
The Astronaut
As You Sleep
21 and Invincible
covers:
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead)
Moon River (Audrey Hepburn)
Dream (Everly Brothers)
Bobby Raw also played one song, which I don't remember the name of, other than McMahon sang harmony on it and it was very nice.
Yes, seeing him in a synagogue, watching him drink wine and tease Bobby Raw about drinking Mexican beer in a synagogue was strange, but the entire experience is one that I am extremely glad to have had. -Julieann
Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Taking Back Sunday & All-American Rejects with Special Guests Anberlin
Taking Back Sunday & All-American Rejects
with Special Guests Anberlin
November 16, 2009
Patriot Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
This was a strange show - it's hard to figure out who is going to headline when the All-American Rejects are hypothetically the bigger band. (Why, I'll never know.) Once inside, Anberlin's banner hangs as the stage backdrop. Fine, we knew Anberlin would be first. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?), we can see the blue-and-red backdrop that Taking Back Sunday are using on this tour hanging behind it.
We're barricade - we're not worried about whether we're going to have to fight our way up before TBS, or wait until after the kidlets there to see AAR leave and make a break for the gate. Whatever.
Anberlin! Man, I kind of love Anberlin. Please note that their drummer has total Flock of Seagulls hair and that is kind of excellent. Their singer, Stephen Christian, is the silly kind of boy who comes out on stage in a coat. A cute coat, though, I kind of wanted it for myself. (This says nothing for Christian's style, I suppose.)
Last time I saw Anberlin, it was at The Worst Venue Ever, and the sound was shitty. They were good that night, but hearing them with decent sound was even better. I wish more people had been into them, because they're a great band and they deserve to have people into them. Also, they're wholesome. According to M, who was my partner-in-crime that evening, they were like fluffy bunnies. Why is this important?
Because the All-American Rejects are exactly the opposite.
They have stuff. All of us were laboring under the delusion that TBS would be playing second, and that we wouldn't have to stick it out in the pit for AAR. Then they started scattering these light rigs all over the stage. Don't get me wrong, the light rigs were cool, but TBS are an awesome band, and I knew then that they were NOT to be the next band on stage because they don't need light rigs to be awesome.
The All-American Rejects need the light rigs to make their glitter sparkle. Oh yes. Tyson Ritter, bassist and mouthpiece, comes out on stage, shirtless, tiny jeans, his upper body and face covered in silver glitter. He is a horrifying crotch grabbing, foul-mouthed heathen. I swear to everything that AAR were not like this when I saw them before (nearly four years ago).
It was not pleasant. I enjoy their music in a vague way where I don't change the station if I hear it, and where I bought Move Along when it first came out... whenever that was, back in 2005, perhaps (I saw them in March 06, and I feel like I had the album then, and I am too lazy to actually research that because it's a complete digression and I don't care).
So there were two great things about AAR, in all the yelling about sausage parties and the parts between ones legs and the cursing and generally being an egotistical dickbag (wow, I'm not angry about it at all).
I had already figured out that TBS were not about to play when they started lowering the Anberlin-and-TBS banners to reveal the little AAR light thing. The group of TBS-Bros behind me (you know, TBS-Bros - the bros that show up in their popped collar shirts and are gay for Taking Back Sunday - you will see them at every single TBS show you ever go to, and they're kind of great) catch sight of this and yell a chorus of "NOOO!" and "SHIT!" They are as unenthusiastic about AAR as I was. (At one point, there was a crotch-grab-pelvic-thrust combination from Mr. Ritter, inducing the one directly behind me to yell 'OH GOD I'M GAY NOW' - they were hilarious.)
The other thing was Tyson Ritter invading the seats. He tried valiantly to get the mom section to stand up. The moms were not having it. Ritter proceeded to take matters into his own hands, making his way over and taking a seat, sending hoardes of little girls scrambling to be close to him.
(He came back, walked the barricade, and the girl behind me was trying to touch him. She couldn't. I could. I stuck two fingers out, swiped, and rubbed FILTHY DISGUSTING GLITTER ALL OVER EVERYONE AROUND ME. Then I went for an STD panel in the morning.)
A similar situation occurred once Taking Back Sunday finally took the stage, with Preacher Adam (TM - SHAI) threatening to invade the same section of bleachers. The difference is that they took Preacher Adam more seriously than they did Ritter. Maybe it's because he doesn't look like Skeletor? Wasn't covered in glitter? Stomped his foot as he said it?
Anyway, Taking Back Sunday were in fine form when they finally took the stage. Or at least, Preacher Adam was, because poor Matt Fazzi is still in a walking boot and Eddie Reyes had Twittered (@EddieBackSunday) about a chest cold. But Preacher Adam? Swinging his microphone like his life depended on it. Maybe not his best plan ever, since he dropped it (!) and maybe, possibly, hit himself in the face with it (maybe twice - according to M).
If you've never seen Taking Back Sunday, it's hard to explain the experience. Because no, maybe Preacher Adam doesn't sound that great in person (he's like an acquired taste, seriously), but he struts around like he owns the place, slings his microphone everywhere, and is generally pretty fucking awesome to watch.
Now, can anyone explain to me why Anberlin and TBS have lowered themselves to tour with AAR? It was like a poop sandwich - really awesome bread, but crap in the middle.
Yeah, I said it. Anberlin were awesome. TBS were awesome. I'm almost glad I'm not going to the two Oklahoma shows because I doubt that I could handle two doses of Tyson Ritter back to back.
The only complaint I have that isn't regarding AAR? TBS played a fairly short set. For them, I mean. It was more like the set you can hear on the Bamboozle 2009 CD rather than a real TBS headlining set. Memorably, they started with "Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)," and didn't play "Catholic Knees" or "New Again." Sadly, they also didn't play "Everything Must Go," but they switched it up and played "My Blue Heaven" instead - which was funny, because Preacher Adam said they didn't play the song - I've seen them play it before. You're not fooling me, Preacher Adam. It was nice, though.
So, could've been longer, could've not had AAR, or TBS could've played second so I wouldn't've had to have been made so uncomfortable by Tyson Ritter... But a good show.
A word of advice, though: watch Nick Wheeler or Mike Kennerty (both on guitar) during AAR's if you're going to any of these shows. They're inoffensive and you won't see their buttcracks.
with Special Guests Anberlin
November 16, 2009
Patriot Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
This was a strange show - it's hard to figure out who is going to headline when the All-American Rejects are hypothetically the bigger band. (Why, I'll never know.) Once inside, Anberlin's banner hangs as the stage backdrop. Fine, we knew Anberlin would be first. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?), we can see the blue-and-red backdrop that Taking Back Sunday are using on this tour hanging behind it.
We're barricade - we're not worried about whether we're going to have to fight our way up before TBS, or wait until after the kidlets there to see AAR leave and make a break for the gate. Whatever.
Anberlin! Man, I kind of love Anberlin. Please note that their drummer has total Flock of Seagulls hair and that is kind of excellent. Their singer, Stephen Christian, is the silly kind of boy who comes out on stage in a coat. A cute coat, though, I kind of wanted it for myself. (This says nothing for Christian's style, I suppose.)
Last time I saw Anberlin, it was at The Worst Venue Ever, and the sound was shitty. They were good that night, but hearing them with decent sound was even better. I wish more people had been into them, because they're a great band and they deserve to have people into them. Also, they're wholesome. According to M, who was my partner-in-crime that evening, they were like fluffy bunnies. Why is this important?
Because the All-American Rejects are exactly the opposite.
They have stuff. All of us were laboring under the delusion that TBS would be playing second, and that we wouldn't have to stick it out in the pit for AAR. Then they started scattering these light rigs all over the stage. Don't get me wrong, the light rigs were cool, but TBS are an awesome band, and I knew then that they were NOT to be the next band on stage because they don't need light rigs to be awesome.
The All-American Rejects need the light rigs to make their glitter sparkle. Oh yes. Tyson Ritter, bassist and mouthpiece, comes out on stage, shirtless, tiny jeans, his upper body and face covered in silver glitter. He is a horrifying crotch grabbing, foul-mouthed heathen. I swear to everything that AAR were not like this when I saw them before (nearly four years ago).
It was not pleasant. I enjoy their music in a vague way where I don't change the station if I hear it, and where I bought Move Along when it first came out... whenever that was, back in 2005, perhaps (I saw them in March 06, and I feel like I had the album then, and I am too lazy to actually research that because it's a complete digression and I don't care).
So there were two great things about AAR, in all the yelling about sausage parties and the parts between ones legs and the cursing and generally being an egotistical dickbag (wow, I'm not angry about it at all).
I had already figured out that TBS were not about to play when they started lowering the Anberlin-and-TBS banners to reveal the little AAR light thing. The group of TBS-Bros behind me (you know, TBS-Bros - the bros that show up in their popped collar shirts and are gay for Taking Back Sunday - you will see them at every single TBS show you ever go to, and they're kind of great) catch sight of this and yell a chorus of "NOOO!" and "SHIT!" They are as unenthusiastic about AAR as I was. (At one point, there was a crotch-grab-pelvic-thrust combination from Mr. Ritter, inducing the one directly behind me to yell 'OH GOD I'M GAY NOW' - they were hilarious.)
The other thing was Tyson Ritter invading the seats. He tried valiantly to get the mom section to stand up. The moms were not having it. Ritter proceeded to take matters into his own hands, making his way over and taking a seat, sending hoardes of little girls scrambling to be close to him.
(He came back, walked the barricade, and the girl behind me was trying to touch him. She couldn't. I could. I stuck two fingers out, swiped, and rubbed FILTHY DISGUSTING GLITTER ALL OVER EVERYONE AROUND ME. Then I went for an STD panel in the morning.)
A similar situation occurred once Taking Back Sunday finally took the stage, with Preacher Adam (TM - SHAI) threatening to invade the same section of bleachers. The difference is that they took Preacher Adam more seriously than they did Ritter. Maybe it's because he doesn't look like Skeletor? Wasn't covered in glitter? Stomped his foot as he said it?
Anyway, Taking Back Sunday were in fine form when they finally took the stage. Or at least, Preacher Adam was, because poor Matt Fazzi is still in a walking boot and Eddie Reyes had Twittered (@EddieBackSunday) about a chest cold. But Preacher Adam? Swinging his microphone like his life depended on it. Maybe not his best plan ever, since he dropped it (!) and maybe, possibly, hit himself in the face with it (maybe twice - according to M).
If you've never seen Taking Back Sunday, it's hard to explain the experience. Because no, maybe Preacher Adam doesn't sound that great in person (he's like an acquired taste, seriously), but he struts around like he owns the place, slings his microphone everywhere, and is generally pretty fucking awesome to watch.
Now, can anyone explain to me why Anberlin and TBS have lowered themselves to tour with AAR? It was like a poop sandwich - really awesome bread, but crap in the middle.
Yeah, I said it. Anberlin were awesome. TBS were awesome. I'm almost glad I'm not going to the two Oklahoma shows because I doubt that I could handle two doses of Tyson Ritter back to back.
The only complaint I have that isn't regarding AAR? TBS played a fairly short set. For them, I mean. It was more like the set you can hear on the Bamboozle 2009 CD rather than a real TBS headlining set. Memorably, they started with "Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)," and didn't play "Catholic Knees" or "New Again." Sadly, they also didn't play "Everything Must Go," but they switched it up and played "My Blue Heaven" instead - which was funny, because Preacher Adam said they didn't play the song - I've seen them play it before. You're not fooling me, Preacher Adam. It was nice, though.
So, could've been longer, could've not had AAR, or TBS could've played second so I wouldn't've had to have been made so uncomfortable by Tyson Ritter... But a good show.
A word of advice, though: watch Nick Wheeler or Mike Kennerty (both on guitar) during AAR's if you're going to any of these shows. They're inoffensive and you won't see their buttcracks.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Cab @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC 7/28/09
Support: Eye Alaska, The Summer Set, Rocket to the Moon, My Favorite Highway
First of all, let me just say: WHEW. Four opening bands is not my cup of tea, I'd just like to add that disclaimer now. That, coupled with my annoyance at an episode of The Real World: DC being filmed sometimes just feet from our heads as we watched the show, cast a negative light over the whole concert for me. You can take my complaints with a grain of salt.
First off, Eye Alaska took the stage. Should we forget the name or misunderstand it, the singer helpfully pointed to his eye each and every sing time he said the name of his band during their all-too-long set. Normally, I like to pretend that the outside world doesn't exist while I'm watching a concert. For better or for worse, I want to experience the glory or the suck. This time, I couldn't do it. About five minutes in, I whipped out my phone and wrote (nearly all of) the following: "Greenwheel + Beastie Boy wannabe band that doesn't have enough practice being on the stage. The singer is back and forth enough on the stage to make you think you came to watch ping pong instead of to rock out. He came onstage eating an apple and wearing a backpack. Fitting. He should, perhaps, go back to school. This may be highly offensive to Greenwheel, who I loved and are/were much more talented than this bunch, but there was something about the phrasing of Eye Alaska's songs that reminded me of them. It's not my style and maybe they do have some potential but they didn't make me interested enough to follow them and find out.
The Summer Set had a girl drummer. We found this totally and completely endearing (and not in a condescending way, please don't think that). On a night full of dudes everywhere, it was just a nice change. They had a fun, upbeat sound. I'll keep an ear out for more of their stuff. Because I was imagining a bunch of Rock Band drumming fantasies coming true as the drummer head banged her way through their set, I'm not sure I paid attention to too much else. Two weeks later and this is the only thing that stands out in my memory.
What can I say about Rocket to the Moon except that they seemed to take themselves very seriously? Oh, nothing. I did note that their sound reminded me of the pseudo-rap phrasing of Third Eye Blind but I would not remember this band at all if you asked me about them.
My Favorite Highway is a local band I'd never heard before and if this concert was anything to judge by, I may have been the only one. Out of Fairfax, Virginia, they stepped out on stage, greeted the Virginians, then remembered that they were in DC and threw shout-outs to DC and Maryland as well. They were decent. That's not meant as an insult. They were solid, not too much rock or too much pop...great blend of both. They seemed like a less boring Lifehouse but maybe Lifehouse is less coma-inducing live. I wouldn't know. Their debut album came out this past May and I'm interested to see where they go from here. I'll definitely be checking them out. Half the crowd from the floor left when they finished their set, though most seemed to come back by the next time the lights dimmed.
Finally, we got to The Cab. If you enjoy them, you'd enjoy the show. They had great energy and I do enjoy the vocal acrobatics of Alex DeLeon. This performance would have been perfect pop music joyfulness if not for the interruption of one of the Real World roommates halfway through their set. Introduced as Alex's friend (he came out to meet the cast members before anyone took the stage that evening, in the balcony by the lead-act dressing/green room, a small bit of chaos and autographs ensued), she took the stage, sang an annoying, really repetitive song about a guy. We waited through four acts to have the short headlining set interrupted by some Real World chick? That killed the mood for me. I also have to mention the sound troubles, which I have to say are not that uncommon at 9:30 Club. Whenever there is jewelry, a lot of acts or a lot of microphones involved, there tends to be a lot of high-pitched interference, more and more as the night goes on. This night was typical for that. Maybe The Cab are too young or too nice to say anything (I have witnessed a Butch Walker stop-the-show diva move to fix the sound before) but I wish they had. Nothing is a mood killer like mic feedback during your zestiest pop hit. Yes, I think I just made up a word.
To sum up: The Real World ruins everything
- Lanie
Anyway, they were enjoyable. I enjoyed them. There were feedback problems but it was so much better than the show we saw at Sonar that now I just think "well, at least it was better than Sonar" and leave it at that. Uh. Oh, he said he'd play two more songs if we broke it down during "Disturbia" but apparently we weren't into it enough for him so we only got one more song, 'cause Singer's a liar.
RW hasn't been good since the Hawaii season anyway, MTV, just give it up.
- Julie
First of all, let me just say: WHEW. Four opening bands is not my cup of tea, I'd just like to add that disclaimer now. That, coupled with my annoyance at an episode of The Real World: DC being filmed sometimes just feet from our heads as we watched the show, cast a negative light over the whole concert for me. You can take my complaints with a grain of salt.
First off, Eye Alaska took the stage. Should we forget the name or misunderstand it, the singer helpfully pointed to his eye each and every sing time he said the name of his band during their all-too-long set. Normally, I like to pretend that the outside world doesn't exist while I'm watching a concert. For better or for worse, I want to experience the glory or the suck. This time, I couldn't do it. About five minutes in, I whipped out my phone and wrote (nearly all of) the following: "Greenwheel + Beastie Boy wannabe band that doesn't have enough practice being on the stage. The singer is back and forth enough on the stage to make you think you came to watch ping pong instead of to rock out. He came onstage eating an apple and wearing a backpack. Fitting. He should, perhaps, go back to school. This may be highly offensive to Greenwheel, who I loved and are/were much more talented than this bunch, but there was something about the phrasing of Eye Alaska's songs that reminded me of them. It's not my style and maybe they do have some potential but they didn't make me interested enough to follow them and find out.
The Summer Set had a girl drummer. We found this totally and completely endearing (and not in a condescending way, please don't think that). On a night full of dudes everywhere, it was just a nice change. They had a fun, upbeat sound. I'll keep an ear out for more of their stuff. Because I was imagining a bunch of Rock Band drumming fantasies coming true as the drummer head banged her way through their set, I'm not sure I paid attention to too much else. Two weeks later and this is the only thing that stands out in my memory.
What can I say about Rocket to the Moon except that they seemed to take themselves very seriously? Oh, nothing. I did note that their sound reminded me of the pseudo-rap phrasing of Third Eye Blind but I would not remember this band at all if you asked me about them.
My Favorite Highway is a local band I'd never heard before and if this concert was anything to judge by, I may have been the only one. Out of Fairfax, Virginia, they stepped out on stage, greeted the Virginians, then remembered that they were in DC and threw shout-outs to DC and Maryland as well. They were decent. That's not meant as an insult. They were solid, not too much rock or too much pop...great blend of both. They seemed like a less boring Lifehouse but maybe Lifehouse is less coma-inducing live. I wouldn't know. Their debut album came out this past May and I'm interested to see where they go from here. I'll definitely be checking them out. Half the crowd from the floor left when they finished their set, though most seemed to come back by the next time the lights dimmed.
Finally, we got to The Cab. If you enjoy them, you'd enjoy the show. They had great energy and I do enjoy the vocal acrobatics of Alex DeLeon. This performance would have been perfect pop music joyfulness if not for the interruption of one of the Real World roommates halfway through their set. Introduced as Alex's friend (he came out to meet the cast members before anyone took the stage that evening, in the balcony by the lead-act dressing/green room, a small bit of chaos and autographs ensued), she took the stage, sang an annoying, really repetitive song about a guy. We waited through four acts to have the short headlining set interrupted by some Real World chick? That killed the mood for me. I also have to mention the sound troubles, which I have to say are not that uncommon at 9:30 Club. Whenever there is jewelry, a lot of acts or a lot of microphones involved, there tends to be a lot of high-pitched interference, more and more as the night goes on. This night was typical for that. Maybe The Cab are too young or too nice to say anything (I have witnessed a Butch Walker stop-the-show diva move to fix the sound before) but I wish they had. Nothing is a mood killer like mic feedback during your zestiest pop hit. Yes, I think I just made up a word.
To sum up: The Real World ruins everything
- Lanie
I just want to start this by saying that my experience with the Cab prior to this show is seeing them play a Queen cover set at Hoodwink and a teeny set from way-far-back at The Bamboozle this past May. Prior to that, I had a hard time even listening to them because of the Justin Timberlake/JC Chasez mashup sound of Singer's (Alex Deleon) voice.
Secondly, I'd like to state that I took a face full of spotlight thanks to the Real World's cameras. Fuck you very much, Real World D.C.
Okay, so, I hoofed it over from the metro after work, and got in the line, which we never thought we were going to get in. We proceeded up to the balcony and I proceeded to get a drink. I don't know if it's a testament to how much I didn't enjoy Eye Alaska (where DID that apple go, anyway?) that I was actually willing to go and get a second drink mid-set, but I sure did. They were easily the worst band of the night. And the kid's backpack drove me fucking crazy. Seriously. Get some stage presence and ditch your backpack, doofus. The best part was the drummer for The Cab coming out and playing with them, and me getting to watch two drummers move in unison. Now that was fun. Woo.
The Summer Set and their cute girl drummer were the second best opener of the night, after My Favorite Highway (who I'll talk about shortly). They were the kind of nondescript pop that I enjoy in the background of my metro ride when I can manage to listen to something besides Taking Back Sunday oh, ever. (FML.) I didn't hate them and my friend Crystal (via Twitter) suggested that we go meet them after the show, being as they were stand up folks when she met them. Lanie and I did not do this, because we're old ladies and it was time to go home and go to bed after the show.
I knew exactly one Rocket To The Moon song when I went into this show. I have their little "Greetings from..." postcard because it sneaked into one of my packages from Fueled by Ramen at some point in my life. (I think it was when I got Forgive Durden's Razia's Shadow, but search me, if anyone cares.) Anyway, I know one song because "Dakota" was on the CFOB Mixtape and... they played it, like, two songs into their set. So after that I kind of got bored because I seriously only have room for one shitty pop-punk band in my life, and that is We The Kings, so step, motherfuckers!
I enjoyed My Favorite Highway in the way where they look/sound like Hanson from really far away without actually having the embarrassment of being Hanson. Also I've been listening to them since that show and I quite like them. Their singer was the first kid to go on that stage that had any kind of stage presence at all, except for Alex Deleon coming out to sing with I think A Rocket To The Moon. I can't remember, I'm old and I've had a lot of drinks since then. (It was my birthday weekend!)
So, I need to get this off my chest. I think Alex Deleon is adorable and I want to fold him up and keep him in my pocket. I follow him on Twitter, we squee at him on pretty much a daily basis in a motherly type of manner. (Old, did I mention I'm old?) Anyway, I tried to mooch cake from him while we were there and got ignored, presumably because he has approximately 5 million people on his Twitter, but whatever I made the mistake of not offering to buy him a drink in exchange. (Not that I am pro-contributing-to-the-delinquency-of-minors, or anything.)
Anyway, they were enjoyable. I enjoyed them. There were feedback problems but it was so much better than the show we saw at Sonar that now I just think "well, at least it was better than Sonar" and leave it at that. Uh. Oh, he said he'd play two more songs if we broke it down during "Disturbia" but apparently we weren't into it enough for him so we only got one more song, 'cause Singer's a liar.
And dude. Dude. Fuck the Real World. Why the hell is that girl getting in on this shit? I can almost guarantee that she didn't know Singer before that night but she was trying to make nice.
RW hasn't been good since the Hawaii season anyway, MTV, just give it up.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Head Automatica @ The Black Cat, Washington D.C. 7/24/09
So, this was my first time seeing Head Automatica, and their opener, Cubic Zirconia (or Zerconia, I am not sure). I started the evening by getting REALLY DRUNK at the bar downstairs at the Black Cat, but was unfortunately too sober to handle Head Automatica and Daryl Palumbo's over-enthusiastic crotch grabbing. Not to mention we were WAY too close to the stage. As in, between sets I was sitting on the edge of it. Which meant that a) Daryl's crotch grabbing was less than a foot from my face and every time he leaned down I had to lean back and b) Lanie almost took the neck of the bass guitar to her head.
Cubic Zirconia are fronted by an entirely adorable black girl who was jiggling around barefoot and having to hoist herself back into her dress between every song and I wanted to take her home and make out with her. I'm shallow, what can I say. Todd Weinstock, formerly of GlassJaw, is in this band. He has ugly hair and makes weird faces. Their single is called "Fuck Work" and Lanie says it's really terrible on their Myspace but it was kind of a blast live. Or I was drunk. One or the other or maybe both.
Head Automatica were.... not what I was expecting. First of all, Daryl comes out in a plaid shirt and loafers and an old man cardigan and a fucking ... fucking... I don't know, some really bad hair, and he's drunker than I am. And he grabs his crotch. LIKE A LOT. An Unbelievable Amount. I've seen crotch grabbing before. I enjoy Cobra Starship. I was not ready for this. Not to mention I've seen his n00dz and I knew exactly what what he was grabbing looked like and oh God.
They played a bunch of new songs, which is a blower because nobody knows them because the album isn't out yet and it's kind of a fun suck at a show to just hear a bunch of songs you don't even know. They only played half of Young Hollywood, which was weird. Their encore was Solid Gold Telephone, and by that time I was too sober to handle what was going on anymore and I just wanted to get as far away from Daryl as the room could let me.
In conclusion: if I see Head Automatica again, it will be from farther away and I will spend the whole time drunk, not just part of it.
- Julie
Having previously experienced the crotch-grabbing of Head Automatica and Cubic Zirconia's music through their myspace (cubiczirconiamusic), I went in with a lot of expectations. Cubic Zirconia was going to be painful and Head Automatica was going to incite riots and, yes, a grabbed crotch would be in my face the whole night. However, I had no idea that Glassjaw's former guitarist, Todd Weinstock, was going to be playing with CZ. I can't say for sure whether he made their music more entertaining (he pulls a lot of faces when he plays) or they are victims of overproduction but I will say that they did not suck live at all. "Fuck Work" was a lot longer than the version posted online and it was a hell of a lot better. Tiombe Lockhart, the lead singer, was every bit as adorable as Julie said.
When Head Automatica took the stage, I was a bit floored. It was evident between their first and second albums that their sound had softened, taking on a more conventional pop sound, rather than the aggressive dance pop that they had when they started. Also, the last time I saw Head Automatica, the band was brand new and faithful Palumbo fans were still fresh off the breakup of Glassjaw and the release of HA's Decadence, ready to rock out, thrash around and mosh along with the music. I went home with bruised lungs that took a couple days to recover. At this show, there wasn't even a barracade. Things would be more subdued, that was obvious. If it wasn't clear to everyone, it would be by the time that the band took the stage. Daryl was dressed in something that a respectable grandfather might wear. I had no idea what we'd gotten ourselves into.
In concert, Head Automatica is a little more improvisational than you might think, given the sharp rhythm that most of their songs have. Daryl does not stick strictly to the melody or cadence of the songs which, depending on your desire to sing along, either offers a fresh sound or ruins a nice night of group karaoke. Between the style the music took on and the fact that they played so many new songs that meant the audience could only shut up and listen, it was obvious why this concert took on a much more subdued quality than previous shows may have had. The band was energetic, but not aggressive. I was sort of amazed that any amount of rocking-out could happen but "The Razor" was just as great as the first time I heard it, as was "Beating Heart Baby" which got a great crowd reaction. The rest of the audience (that I could see on the other end of the stage, while rocking-out plenty myself) seemed to share my enthusiasm.
The single-song encore of "Solid Gold Telephone" was...fucking weird, I can't lie. It was a strange mid-tempo choice for an encore but given the tone of the rest of the show, I can understand the choice. I left the show satisfied but not sweaty, extremely happy but not blown away. Maybe I had the wrong expectations, or maybe I just wish I knew more of the songs that they played so I could appreciate them properly.
- Lanie
Cubic Zirconia are fronted by an entirely adorable black girl who was jiggling around barefoot and having to hoist herself back into her dress between every song and I wanted to take her home and make out with her. I'm shallow, what can I say. Todd Weinstock, formerly of GlassJaw, is in this band. He has ugly hair and makes weird faces. Their single is called "Fuck Work" and Lanie says it's really terrible on their Myspace but it was kind of a blast live. Or I was drunk. One or the other or maybe both.
Head Automatica were.... not what I was expecting. First of all, Daryl comes out in a plaid shirt and loafers and an old man cardigan and a fucking ... fucking... I don't know, some really bad hair, and he's drunker than I am. And he grabs his crotch. LIKE A LOT. An Unbelievable Amount. I've seen crotch grabbing before. I enjoy Cobra Starship. I was not ready for this. Not to mention I've seen his n00dz and I knew exactly what what he was grabbing looked like and oh God.
They played a bunch of new songs, which is a blower because nobody knows them because the album isn't out yet and it's kind of a fun suck at a show to just hear a bunch of songs you don't even know. They only played half of Young Hollywood, which was weird. Their encore was Solid Gold Telephone, and by that time I was too sober to handle what was going on anymore and I just wanted to get as far away from Daryl as the room could let me.
In conclusion: if I see Head Automatica again, it will be from farther away and I will spend the whole time drunk, not just part of it.
- Julie
Having previously experienced the crotch-grabbing of Head Automatica and Cubic Zirconia's music through their myspace (cubiczirconiamusic), I went in with a lot of expectations. Cubic Zirconia was going to be painful and Head Automatica was going to incite riots and, yes, a grabbed crotch would be in my face the whole night. However, I had no idea that Glassjaw's former guitarist, Todd Weinstock, was going to be playing with CZ. I can't say for sure whether he made their music more entertaining (he pulls a lot of faces when he plays) or they are victims of overproduction but I will say that they did not suck live at all. "Fuck Work" was a lot longer than the version posted online and it was a hell of a lot better. Tiombe Lockhart, the lead singer, was every bit as adorable as Julie said.
When Head Automatica took the stage, I was a bit floored. It was evident between their first and second albums that their sound had softened, taking on a more conventional pop sound, rather than the aggressive dance pop that they had when they started. Also, the last time I saw Head Automatica, the band was brand new and faithful Palumbo fans were still fresh off the breakup of Glassjaw and the release of HA's Decadence, ready to rock out, thrash around and mosh along with the music. I went home with bruised lungs that took a couple days to recover. At this show, there wasn't even a barracade. Things would be more subdued, that was obvious. If it wasn't clear to everyone, it would be by the time that the band took the stage. Daryl was dressed in something that a respectable grandfather might wear. I had no idea what we'd gotten ourselves into.
In concert, Head Automatica is a little more improvisational than you might think, given the sharp rhythm that most of their songs have. Daryl does not stick strictly to the melody or cadence of the songs which, depending on your desire to sing along, either offers a fresh sound or ruins a nice night of group karaoke. Between the style the music took on and the fact that they played so many new songs that meant the audience could only shut up and listen, it was obvious why this concert took on a much more subdued quality than previous shows may have had. The band was energetic, but not aggressive. I was sort of amazed that any amount of rocking-out could happen but "The Razor" was just as great as the first time I heard it, as was "Beating Heart Baby" which got a great crowd reaction. The rest of the audience (that I could see on the other end of the stage, while rocking-out plenty myself) seemed to share my enthusiasm.
The single-song encore of "Solid Gold Telephone" was...fucking weird, I can't lie. It was a strange mid-tempo choice for an encore but given the tone of the rest of the show, I can understand the choice. I left the show satisfied but not sweaty, extremely happy but not blown away. Maybe I had the wrong expectations, or maybe I just wish I knew more of the songs that they played so I could appreciate them properly.
- Lanie
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