Why 2013 Kicked Ass

This is not a "best of" list by any means.  You're tired of those.  I'm tired of those.  Trust me, writing them is just as boring as reading them.  No, my friends, this is simply a recap of why 2013 totally kicked ass.  And believe me, it did.  

I started out 2013 by seeing Matchbox Twenty at the Palace Theater in Louisville.  While this wasn't exactly a mind blowing show for me like the ones that would follow later in the year, it was very cool to finally see the MB20 guys live.  I've been a fan since they released their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in 1996 and it's always cool when you're finally in a room with people you've been a fan of for that long.

Then came a couple new releases from one of my all-time faves, Ryan Schmidt.  So far we just have two singles from his up coming album, but I'm super excited about the new direction he's taking.  In looking back, I've just realized that I've only told you about "Another Friend" but there is also "Next Mistake" (I'll have to rave about that one later...I can't believe I haven't already!)  As much as I completely adore my birthday present that was White Horse (and believe me, I do), I know that the work Ryan is doing now is going to make him a megastar one day and that's so exciting.  I just can't wait to see what happens for him next. 

Later in August, Matt Nathanson released Last of the Great Pretenders which is an absolute stroke of genius. Of course he toured to support this record (and because I'm pretty sure he'd shrivel up and blow away if he didn't do at least a little touring every year) and, of course, we went to see him.  This time we got to see him right here in Louisville at Headliner's Music Hall and it was fucking amazing because, well, it was a Matt show and I got to watch Aaron Tap play guitar for 2 hours - what's not to love?  Then, by some weird twist of fate, Matt actually read that blog post, which lead to my all time favorite moment of the year, which was this tweet:

 

This was amazing because he actually read it, he got was I was saying, and it meant enough that he actually took a minute to say something about it.  It's been like 2 1/2 months ago and I still get a big stupid grin every time I read that tweet.  :-D

After that amazingness, we went to see Carbon Leaf for the first time ever at The High Watt in Nashville, TN while they were out supporting Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle and Constellation Prize (both really great records that have added to the fantastic soundtrack of 2013).  It was a great show and we even got to meet Barry and Terry after the show and got our copy of Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle signed.  The Carbon Leaf show was truly wonderful and we'll go see them again as soon and as often as possible.  While we were in Nashville we made time to stop at Grimey's, possibly the best record store east of the Mississippi, and I picked up a copy of Nevermind on vinyl while we were there.

We also got to see Dr. Dog again this year, this time at Headliner's in Louisville.  This tour was in support of their amazing newest release B-Room.  As usual, they completely blew my mind.  Any year that contains a Dr. Dog concert is a good year.  If you're not familiar with them, you really need to get that way, then you need to go see them live because they are the absolute epitome of what live music is supposed to be.

The last record that has made this year awesome for me was Jason Isbell's Southeastern. I'm still playing the shit out this thing, I just can't get enough of it.  His voice is perfect, the lyrics are perfect, the guitar parts are to die for.  The whole this is a complete work of art.  I've been directed to some other examples of his work and I plan to check them out as soon as I can tear myself away from this one.  And finally, the last thing that has made this year rock has been the community of Matt Nathanson fans on twitter.  I've found some awesome new people over the years through music, but have just recently met several cool folks just because of him and that's been fun.

Apparently a few amazing shows, a handful of mind blowing records and a small group of cool people are all it takes to make for a great year.  So, now that we know the formula, making 2014 even better should be a snap!

Dr. Dog @ Headliners Music Hall 11/02/2013

Artist: Dr. Dog (with guest Benny Yurco and the Revealers)
Venue: Headliners Music Hall, Louisville, KY
Date 11/02/2013

Once again, I didn't take this pic (I'm sticking to my no phone at concerts policy), we were a bit closer than this, but this was basically our view

Set List: (I know that this is dismally out of order, I always think at the time that I'll be able to remember the order, but that's a pipe dream, (furthermore, I'm not even 100% certain if The Beach was in the encore or the regular set list, I just know they played it), but I feel like it's pretty complete regardless)

1. The Truth*

2. Heavy Light*

3. Broken Heart

4. That Old Black Hole

5. Say Something

6. The Breeze

7. Hang On

8. Oh No

9. These Days

10. Stranger

11. How Long Must I Wait

12. Races

13. Too Weak to Ramble

14. Cuckoo

15. Love

16. The Beach

17. Wake Up

18. Heart It Races

19. Jackie Wants a Black Eye*

20. Lonesome*

Encore:

21. The Way The Lazy Do*

22. The Beach

23. Rock & Roll

24. Die, Die, Die

25. The Rabbit, The Bat and The Reindeer*

*These I know are in the right place.

You know how with a lot of things in life, the anticipation of it turns out to be better than the actual event?  Yeah, well, a Dr. Dog concert is most definitely not one of those things.  We hit Headliners Music Hall in Louisville last night for the second time in two weeks to see Dr. Dog and they absolutely blew the roof off the place, as expected.  It had been a little (15 days) less  than a year since we saw them last and, if I have any say in it, it won't be that long before we see them again.  They are so good live that's it's absolutely astounding.

Their openers, Benny Yurco and the Revealers were a fun, eclectic five piece band.  Their playing was a little loose and jangly, but they had the attention of the audience and they put on a good show.  We had decided to go up to the balcony for this show, so we had a cool looking-down-on-them kind of view of this show.  The Revealers had a very intricate percussion section that was fun to watch from above.  I wasn't familiar with their music before the show, but you didn't need to be in order to dance along to it and enjoy it, and that's the hallmark of a good opening band. They did one cover, You Just Keep Me Hangin' On by The Supremes (or Vanilla Fudge, or Kim Wilde) and the crowd really got into it.  They seemed a tad bit stifled by the tiny space they had available on what is already a small stage, but they made it work and I thought they did a good set.  After that, we got to watch the guys disassemble The Revealers' equipment and set up for Dr. Dog.  It was a pretty involved process that took over 30 minutes, but it was cool, the anticipation was just building the whole time.

Finally, it was time for the main event and they came out and opened with The Truth off their new album B-Room.  It went over pretty well and proved that lots of people in the crowd already own and know the new record, which was cool.  But things didn't get really cranked up until they laid into Heavy Light from Be the Void.  This is when the crowd really got drawn in and began that bobbing in unison thing that happens at every Dr. Dog show.  I knew once it started that it wouldn't stop until the lights came up, and I was right.  They turned Heavy Light into an amazing acid-rock inspired jam session that was quite heavy indeed.  It's a great song made even better last night by their embellishments.  The set list included several favorites off Be the Void which I was pretty excited about because I love the shit out of that record.  Once again they played That Old Black Hole (still my favorite), These Days and How Long Must I Wait?  All the songs from that album are huge crowd favorites and always get a great response. 

They also dipped back in their bag of tricks last night and pulled out Say Something and Oh No, both from 2005's Easy Beat and Heart it Races from the 2007 Architecture in Helsinki Heart it Races EP. All three songs proved that, young though they may be, this crowd was a bunch of long time Dr. Dog fans (or at least the kind of fans that have gone back and collected the older CDs).  It certainly wasn't only the new songs that were being appreciated last night.   However, my favorite moment of the night was when they played Too Weak to Ramble.  I had hoped for a slightly simpler arrangement on this one, I would have been happy with an acoustic guitar, Toby's voice and Scott's delicate harmonies, but we got a little more band involvement than that.  As it was, the crowd was a lost a little bit on this one and they got kind of chatty during this song.  That disappointed me because it was beautiful and powerful and I wish audiences these days could just be still (and shut up) for a second and appreciate a moment like that when it's given to them.  But, regardless of what everyone else was doing, I was right there with him.

One thing that I've come to realize is that there isn't a lot of chatting with the audience at a Dr. Dog concert.  They've come to play their songs and they let the music do all the talking for them.  Which is not to say they don't have any personality, because they do.  They're friendly and seem like nice guys, but they just get up there and play their guts out and go home, that's what we came to hear, that's what they came to do, end of story.  And it's a good thing I guess, because with a set list that size, if they were talkers, we'd still be there right now (although honestly, I'd be cool with that).  Problem is, they keep adding amazing records to their repertoire, but you can't neglect Fate or Shame, Shame just because B-Room wants some air time, right?  And they certainly didn't.  Last night, there was a little something for everybody and there was no reason anyone should have gone home unsatisfied.

They closed the show with Jackie Wants a Black Eye from Shame, Shame and Lonesome from Be the Void.  Both perfect closers and when one is followed by the other, we were really wondering what kind of encore they could possibly come out with after that.  I mean, both songs are huge and permeate the crowd and have them swaying together and screaming along to the refrains of "We're all in it together now, as we all fall apart!" and "What does it take to be lonesome? Nothing at all!!"  How can you possibly follow that?  Well, if you're Dr. Dog, you follow it with a five song encore of some of their old favorites plus the one song off the new album that you know is going to over the best live, that's how.  After the audience screamed to the point that my left ear still hurts, they finally came back out and started the encore with The Way the Lazy Do from their 2007 release We All Belong.  I love that song!  How did they know?  Then there was The Beach which was really amazing live (I really think this was during the encore, but maybe I'm nuts, my brain was all scrambled on Dr. Dog awesomeness by this point), and the Dr. Dog live show classic Die, Die, Die from Takers and Leavers EP.  As always, we were thrilled to hear that one again.  Then Toby did an astoundingly energetic version of Rock & Roll from B-Room.  How he had that much energy left after such a long show, I'll never know, but it was incredible and the song was just as great live and I had hoped it would be when I heard it on vinyl the first time.  They closed the show with one of my all time favorites, Fate's The Rabbit, the Bat & the Reindeer.

Once again, it was just as mind blowing as I had hoped it would be.  Nothing existing while you're inside that venue except the music and the lights and the awesomeness taking place on stage.  When the show is over, you just want more, it's never enough, but when watching them perform, you know you've already gotten everything.  They leave it all on stage every night, I don't know how they do it.  And they are such talented musicians, just watching them play the intricate guitar parts on their songs for two hours is a treat for me.  Then add in the way they can trade instruments back and forth like it's nothing and you realize just how talented these guys really are.  The most fun was watching Scott and Toby interact on stage (or, I should say, effortlessly not interact).  They're both bouncing around all over the place and yet, somehow know where each other are all the time.  And even when they do make contact, it's not the collision you'd expect.  I mean, seriously, they literally stepped on each other's feet at one point and there was no stumbling or awkwardness.  I'm sure it comes from so many years of playing together and just being so comfortable on stage together, and it a joy to behold.  In fact, that pretty much sums up a Dr. Dog show, even the heavy parts, it is two solid hours of joy.

B-Room - Dr. Dog

Album: B-Room
Artist: Dr. Dog
Release: October 2, 2013

It seems to take me a long time to properly process a Dr. Dog album, probably because they really transcend explanation.  However, we're going to see them live next weekend and I wanted to tell you about their latest release, B-Room, before I hear any of the songs performed live and they get all distorted.  I'm a firm believer that a song is just never the same once you've heard it live.

What I love most about this band is that there is no such thing as a "typical Dr. Dog album".  We all know artists that kind of have a formula or a go-to sound that you can expect to hear on every album.  Well, you won't find that here.  I never know what to expect when I go to spin one of their albums for the first time.  Hell, sometimes I don't even know what to expect from the beginning to the end of a single song and I absolutely adore that about them.  When I listen to Dr. Dog, I know that they're creating the music they want to play, the music they want to hear.  They're being true to themselves every minute of every song and that is an incredible thing to listen to, probably because it is such a rare quality to find.

Another thing I love about them is the way they juxtapose heavy, insightful lyrics with bouncy, jangly music.  It makes for some crafty little songs that make you think about the broad picture of life and your place in it, but that somehow keep from being downers.  B-Room is packed full of just this kind of song.  Take for instance "Broken Heart", a song about a life devoid of actual true love or even a belief in it.  Depressing song fodder for sure, but somehow it's still catchy as can be and not sad at all. 

I read somewhere once that Dr. Dog were never known for being good lyricists.  Personally, I think that's bullshit.  I think they write amazing lyrics, you just have to pay attention, which is probably why some people don't appreciate them.  Maybe it's because they don't often write quick little lines that you can quote on twitter and have them make any sense.  Their songs often read like short stories and taken from beginning to end are well-crafted and endlessly clever.  I also enjoy that you never really know what they're up to, it makes it fun to listen to songs like "Cuckoo" that very well could actually be about a tiny wooden bird trapped inside a clock and nothing else.

Like other albums in their collection, B-Room refuses to be slipped quietly into a particular genre.  I would never call this pop music and even rock doesn't sound right, exactly.  For some reason I'm sick to death of hearing people refer to their music as having a 60's feel to it, although I guess in some cases it's true.  I did notice earlier (I've listened to B-Room about 5 times today) that "Love" has a kind of acidy 70's thing happening in the background that I'm  digging.  Dr. Dog almost demands the creation of a new genre, one that should be called something like 'Richly Layered Creative Rock'. 

My two favorite songs on the record just so happen to be polar opposites.  Mixed in with all the retro sounds and thinly veiled love songs is the aptly named "Rock & Roll".  It's an upbeat, coming of age jam about the discovery of rock music, love and all sorts of fun things.  It's a lot of fun to listen to and to sing along with.  Then there is the quiet moment on B-Room and it is amazing.  The song, "Too Weak to Ramble" is an acoustic number sung by Toby Leaman with Scott McMicken singing harmonies.  It is stripped down, full of angst, and tailor-made for Leaman's delivery.  It's remarkable how such a simple arrangement can be so powerful.  All in all, I think B-Room is a great addition to the Dr. Dog catalogue and I'm thrilled to have in my collection.