Carbon Leaf - Radio Radio Indianapolis - 10/19/2014

 Clearly, this is a promo shot, I didn't take it.  I do have one picture from last night of me and Barry, but I look awful in it and you'll never see it.  :-)

Artist: Carbon Leaf
Venue: Radio Radio Indianapolis
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2014

Set List (again, dismally out of order, and potentially not complete, but as usual, I forgot to make notes so this is the best I could remember the next day):

What About Everything?
Life Less Ordinary
Love Rain Down
Februaery Detailles
Alcatraz
The Boxer
The Donnybrook Affair
Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle
When I'm Alone
Paloma
Comfort
Raise the Roof
One Prairie Outpost
She's Gone (...For Good This Time)
Two Aging Truckers
Ragtime Carnival
Tombstone vs. Ashes
Let Your Troubles Roll By

Last night we broke from tradition and, instead of going south to Nashville, we headed north to Indianapolis for our second Carbon Leaf show.  The first time we saw them live (in Nashville) was so stinking good, we were super excited to see them again.  For this tour, they're on the road in support of their latest release, Indian Summer Revisited.  Because a record company the band is no longer associated with owns the master recordings of their beloved 2004 release Indian Summer, they decided to re-record the album so the ownership of the songs and the recordings is now with the band, where it belongs.

This was the only show I've been to (that I can think of) that didn't have an opener and I was really okay with that.  I mean yes, I've found some of my favorite artists via them opening for other people, but sometimes it's nice to skip the formality and just get down to business.  It seemed like there was a quite a wait between when the doors opened and when Barry, Terry, Carter, Jon and Jason took the stage, but good company (and perhaps a bit of vodka) made the wait totally enjoyable.  This was our first time at Radio Radio which is a neat little venue in downtown Indianapolis.  With a 250 person capacity, a beautiful glass-topped bar and plentiful seating, it's a cozy place perfect for an intimate show.

When it was time for Carbon Leaf to take the stage, they did so with seemingly boundless energy and crowd support, just like the last time we saw them. The set list was heavy with songs off Indian Summer, which is cool because they're all crowd favorites.  However, this time it seemed that they were playing them with such renewed vigor, they felt like brand new songs.  It seemed as though, in working with them so extensively, the band had breathed new life into these songs and the audience reciprocated that.  Personally, I was excited to hear them perform "Paloma" and "When I'm Alone", a couple of my favorites.  They are both such beautiful songs and it was amazing to ride along on the ebb and flow of them.

While they stayed primarily in the newer albums, they did dip back in the catalog and pulled out "Comfort" from Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat and crowd favorite "The Boxer" from Echo, Echo.  Both songs were apparently well known by the crowd and we all sang along enthusiastically.  The sing-along aspect of the evening reached its peak during "One Prairie Outpost" during which Barry was able to stop singing completely and just let us handle that for him.  I love when that happens, but I have to say that my favorite part of a Carbon Leaf show is when they all gather around one microphone.  Sometimes the songs they play in this format get a bit lost in the chatter of the rude people in the back of the room, but I still love them if only because the band seems the happiest playing around a single mic like that and it's fun to be a part of it.

Just as the last time we saw them, they closed with the absolutely perfect "Let Your Troubles Roll By".  I'm not sure I've ever heard a better song to close with.  After the show, I visited the merch table and picked up one of the few Carbon Leaf albums I didn't already have.  Because the guys always mingle in the crowd after shows, I was able (with a lot of encouragement from my friends who are much cooler characters than I am) to speak to all five of the band members and get their autographs.  They're all incredibly friendly and, even after all these years performing, they seem truly grateful that people come out and listen and enjoy their shows.  I had a lot of things I wanted to say about how wonderful the show was and how amazing Indiana Summer Revisited is, but I'm mostly just happy (and eternally grateful to my friends) that I even manged to talk to them and not say anything too embarrassing.  This was the last show for us for the foreseeable future, and I can't think of a better way to wrap up the year.

The Black Keys - KFC Yum! Center - 09/10/2014

 

Artist: The Black Keys

Venue: The KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY

Last night we broke out of our normal mold and actually attended a show at an arena.  Normally, we stick to smaller, more intimate venues because that's the atmosphere I prefer, but my husband is a huge Black Keys fan, so we bit the bullet.  When I bought the tickets, I discovered that they had opened up the floor to standing room, general admission so I snapped up a couple of those and hoped for the best.  Well, the best turned out to be right down front, on the rail, nothing but a couple very large security guards and a whole lot of sound waves between us and stage.  Perfect.

As usual, let me start with the opener.  Cage the Elephant, a band originally from Bowling Green, KY opened.  I have one of their CDs and really like a couple of their songs, but I would be lying if I said this was one of my favorite live performances.  Or even that I especially enjoyed it.  There was a lot of media at this show (or at least more than I'm used to seeing) and the lead singer played to them so much it was kind of ridiculous.  It was nice when they finally left and he could start paying attention to the crowd.  Also, he mimics Mick Jagger's moves so much it was actually kind of comical.  I thought the guys in the band played well and their songs are fast and fun, they just need to tone it down a bit.

After that, The Black Keys took the stage.  It was Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney and two additional musicians on bass and keys.  I don't have the usual guesstimate of the set list because I don't know the song names well enough to keep track and also because it didn't matter.  As long as Patrick was playing the drums and Dan was playing guitar, he could have been singing the phone book for all I cared.  There is not a lot of chatting in a Black Keys concert, it's not really Dan's thing, but that's fine with me, I kind of think that stopping to talk would have only broken the spell.  And it was quite a spell they weaved.  Patrick Carney is far and away the best drummer I have ever seen.  He creates absolute magic. When he started playing, the drum got in my chest immediately and it felt like my entire body was vibrated apart until I just hung there, mixed with the music in the air.  Then Dan swoops in with that guitar work and glues the pieces back together.  It was everything that is wonderful and mystical about live music.

I know they played all the songs we expected to hear, "Lonely Boy", "Gold on the Ceiling" and "Money Maker", plus an old cover from 2002's The Big Come Up and pretty much everything in between.  I had two favorite moments of the night.  The first was when they played a cover of Edwyn Collins' "Girl Like You", which used to be the ringtone my Husband used for me, so that was pretty awesome.  The second was the absolutely perfect "Little Black Submarines".  It started out with Dan playing the quiet, acoustic, complex guitar part.  Then the haunting vocals came in and the crowd knew every single word.  The song builds slightly in the middle, with a bit of drums being added in.  Then, for the last 1/3 of the song, it absolutely explodes in a cloud of raw, powerful rock.  It was amazing.

It was a great show.  Both Dan and Patrick are amazing musicians and it was totally worth the wait to get down front where we could really watch them at their craft.  Even the crowd was relatively well-behaved (only 2 people got thrown out that we saw).  I still don't prefer arena shows, but if I'm going to go to one, I want it to be exactly like this.

Headphones

Song: Headphones

Artist: Matt Nathanson

As you probably already know, Matt Nathanson has released a new single as a little teaser of his upcoming album.  Lucky for us, he has also been playing the new song while out on his summer tour.  I have to say, was a little thrown the first time I listened to "Headphones".  Initially, I thought it was a huge departure from what I expected to hear, but now that I've listened to it a few (hundred) more times, I've kind of reneged on that.

It turns out that, yes, it is a different sound than Matt's earlier work, kind of a trip a little further down that road he started on with Last of the Great Pretenders.  He continues to branch out away from the acoustic sound of his past and more toward a rich, full band sound.  Personally, I'm a big fan of the direction Matt is taking with his music.  This is the kind of song that reminds me why I love the kickass sound system in my car so much.  The kind of song that I can hear and feel, right in my chest where the bass hits.  However, as different as it is, it still contains all of the elements that make Matt's music so wonderful, it's all just wrapped up in a shiny new package.

First of all, there is that voice. That voice is a warm, safe place to hide while the storms blow over.  The voice that so many people have been drawn to and captivated by.  With "Headphones", as with a lot of the last album, he further proves that his voice can hold its own against a lot more than just the soft melodies of an acoustic guitar.  Then there are the lyrics.  Matt has been known to be vocal about his struggles with writing lyrics, but it never shows in the end result.  His lyrics are always witty and perfectly natural, like they just rolled off his tongue, and this song is no different.  My favorite line in this one is: "Good things whisper, bad things shout.  I don't hear 'em now!"  After all, only really great music can truly drown them out.

"Headphones" is such a great song, it makes me super excited to hear what the new album will have in store of us, whenever it's ready to be released into the world.

Happy Birthday, White Horse!

Today, one of my favorite albums of all time turns two years old.  Ryan Schmidt's White Horse EP was released the day before my birthday and with it's intelligent lyrics, stunning vocals, finger picked guitar, and Paula Kelley string arrangements, it is definitely my favorite accidental birthday present ever.  Even though it's only been around for two years, this album (and one song in particular) has been very important to me.


When White Horse EP came out, I was in a pretty bad situation career-wise and change was looming on the horizon.  I knew that change was imminent and that always freaks me out.  I listened to this album every single day on the way to work for months.  It was just such a calm, serene place to spend my mornings, it made it possible for me to face the days.  Then on the way home, I would listen to it again to clear my mind and shake loose the day.  It was quite literally this and two Betty Goo albums that got me through those last few miserable months at that job. 

Several months after White Horse EP came out, the aforementioned change came into my life and I had to make some decisions.  When I decided to do what I felt was going to make me happiest in my everyday life and not necessarily what was the most popular decision or the one everybody around me understood, I needed support.  I found that support in a little song called "Go Where You Belong".  This is far and away my favorite song on White Horse EP and probably my favorite Ryan Schmidt song, period.  When I started my new job, I made it a point to listen to "Go Where You Belong" last thing every morning before I got out of the car.  It's kind of my own 'lucky song'.  Whenever I need a little boost, a little encouragement, I listen to this song, sometimes several times in a row.  As a matter of fact, I fully intend to have a bit of the lyrics tattooed on me next time I get inked.

So, Happy Birthday, White Horse!!  And Congratulations, Ryan, on the 2 year anniversary of having made the world a more beautiful sounding place. 

For everyone else, here's a link of where you can buy White Horse EP (I tried to embed it, but for some reason that wouldn't work for me), but trust me, one little click is not too much effort.  You can also go there and listen to the entire album and many of Ryan's other releases as well, including his newest stuff, which I would highly recommend doing.

http://ryanschmidt.bandcamp.com/album/white-horse-ep

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!

Love Him? You Don't Know Him!!

**Excessive Ranting and Raving Alert**

I realize that every one of my posts is basically just me rambling about whatever happens to be on my mind at any given time.  Generally (in this blog at least) I try to keep these rambles contained to music related topics and I like to keep them positive, mostly because I don't listen to music I don't like and also because I generally try not to waste a lot of time or effort on negative things.  I have found that plenty of negativity will come into our lives without us making an effort at it.  That being said, I'm not all zen all the time and crap gets on my nerves quite frequently.  Most of the time I let it go, but this one thing has been kind of irking me for like a week now, so I figured I'd spew about it here a bit, then let it go.  Pass it along, like an earworm, as it were.

So, a few days ago (a week, maybe more?  I'm not sure) a male musician of the not unattractive variety posted on twitter that a bear had actually broken into the cabin he was staying in and had basically eaten the kitchen.  He then took a screen shot of said tweet and posted it on Instagram and Tumblr, as you do.  My first thought was, "Huh, I didn't know bears were gluten free." but some other people of the female persuasion felt it was appropriate to post "I love you" or the even more over-the-top "I'm in love with you" as a response to this.

Nothing more than that, just "I'm in love with you".  Now, I'm not blind and I don't live under a rock, I see these kinds of comments all over the place in response to all manner of celebrity posts, but this time it was just so completely out of place and so totally unrelated to the original post that it just bugged the shit out of me.  I mean, what was the point?  Why do these girls feel inclined to constantly post that kind of thing?  What outcome are they hoping for?  And are they even thinking about what they're saying and how ridiculous it sounds?  I guess my biggest problem with this is that it isn't always very young girls that don't realize what they're saying, sometimes it's grown ass women that really should know better.  Do people not realize that to say that you're in love with someone and to say that you love someone's music are two entirely different things?

Let's be realistic for just a second (yes, I know, I don't like it either), we all love the music of many different artists.  We love the lyrics, the sounds, we're incredibly grateful for what some of these songs have done for us.  And, in turn, what the artists themselves have done to enrich our lives with this incredible gift they've given us.  I suppose the same is true with any kind of art or celebrity, but I think especially with music for fans, it is extremely personal, so sometimes it's tough to remember that while we might have these intense, deeply personal relationships with songs and albums, that relationship doesn't translate through to the artist.  Yes, he wrote that song that speaks to your very soul, that makes you cry or that heals wounds you didn't even realize you had and you think that for him to have put those lyrics together with that music and to have created that magic, you surely must be kindred spirits.  Believe me, I get that, but the reality of the situation is that we don't actually know these artists.  Not really.  Not on a day-to-day human basis.

Something tells me that the kind of girls that post these type of comments couldn't exist on a bare ration of attention.  I'm thinking that the reality of being the significant other of a touring musician might not be all it's cracked up to be for someone who needs that kind of ego stroking.  Playing second fiddle to the muse and being left at home for months on end is not going to be everyone's cup of tea.  So please, just stop for a second and think about what you're saying.  If you want to compliment someone, compliment his or her work, say something meaningful.  Because just like you, these artists are actual people and if you have a genuine compliment, if their work has had a real impact on you, they want to hear it.  Who wouldn't want to hear that? 

Okay, thanks for reading, I feel much better now.

Favorite Song? Be serious.

A friend asked me earlier today (or she may have asked last night, either way, I got the message this morning) what my favorite Matt Nathanson song is.  For another person (besides me), or another artist, this might be a simple question.  For example, my favorite Matchbox Twenty song is "Long Day" from Yourself or Someone Like You.  That's right, a song from their debut album grabbed me, latched on and, sadly, they've never topped it for me.  Not so with Matt.  Why, you ask?  Don't his songs latch on?  Of course they do!  They get a good hard grip on you and these suckers do not let go, they embed themselves and become part of your permanent soundtrack, part of your fabric.  It's because he keeps getting better.  Every single album he releases one-ups the last one.  I don't know how he does it.

Even so, I came up with an answer right away, then I changed my mind 8 times, then I circled back around to my original impulse.  Let me preface this by saying, that I really do like all of Matt's songs and I can honestly say that I love the vast majority of them.  But I was asked to pick a favorite, so here goes my thought process.

The first song that popped in my head was "Annie's Always Waiting  (For the Next One to Leave)" and I almost replied to her immediately with that, but something stopped me.  What was it?  Well, Matt's entire catalogue weighed on my mind and songs that I had loved fiercely long before "Annie" was ever written.

There are so many amazing songs here to choose from, it's almost impossible to pick just one.  I mean, I can put my entire Nathanson collection on shuffle and I know I will not go wrong at any turn.  I'm naturally inclined toward the powerful songs that make me feel the feels, such as "Little Victories", "Weight of It All", and "Bulletproof Weeks".  They're all so beautiful and I can listen to them at absolutely any time.  I can always just how "favorite" a song really is by how often I skip it and I really never skip these, ever.

Then there is "Pretty the World", which has one of my favorite arrangements of any of Matt's songs.  When that song drops into the chorus, it just does something to me that I can't explain.  It's impossible not to physically react to this song.  He played this song the first time I saw him headline and I'm telling you, this song actually makes the world a better place.  Stunning.

So after all that rambling, I think I've come down to my top 5 favorite Matt Nathanson songs: 
5. Car Crash
4. Heart Starts
3. Kiss Quick (this one is still hands down, bar none my absolute favorite song to hear him perform live - it is a religious experience)
2. Mercy
1. Annie's Always Waiting (For the Next One to Leave)

So you see, I ended up with my first impulse.  After all this pondering and deliberating, I think it's okay to call this song off the newest record my favorite, right?  I mean, love the shit out of this song for a multitude of reasons.  First off, you have Aaron Tap counting off to start it, then the thing just explodes out of the speakers like a physical being.  There are drums all over the damn place and an infectious, insistent guitar that demands affection.  This song is more along the line of the type of music I grew up listening to, it sounds like home to me.  Then, there's the lyrics.  You know that line in "Bitter Sweet Symphony": "I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me"?  That's what this song does.  Somehow, I feel like this song knows me, it exposes deep wounds, and yet it still somehow makes me feel better about everything all at the same time.  Every time I listen to it, the music, the lyrics, the whole thing...I feel like it was written just for me, and that, my friends, is the magic of a truly great song. 

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.

Matt Nathanson @ Headliners Music Hall 10/23/2013

Artist: Matt Nathanson
Venue: Headliners Music Hall, Louisville, KY
Date: 10/23/2013

This pic is not from last night, or even from Headliners.  In fact, it's 2 years old, but it's the only one I have handy.

Set list (I remembered them all, and actually had them remarkably in order, but I have to credit @seriousbeagle's picture of the set list for the 100% accuracy):

1. Mission Bells
2. Modern Love
3. Run
4. Heart Starts
5. Car Crash
6. Kill the Lights
7. Sunday New York Times
8. Room @ the End of the World
9. Wedding Dress
10. Bulletproof Weeks
11. Suspended
12. Annie's Always Waiting (For the Next One to Leave)
13. Kinks Shirt
14. Under Pressure
15. Farewell, December
16. Birthday Girl
17. Faster
18. Come On Get Higher

So, we started our fall concert lineup last night at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville with the illustrious Matt Nathanson and man, what a way to start.  Everybody else we see this next couple weeks is going to have to bring their A-game to live up to the show Matt, Aaron and Co, put on last night.  But, I digress, let me start at the beginning.

Joshua Radin opened for them and his set turned out to be a perfect storm...a perfect shit storm.  If you've been to many shows, I'm sure you've seen this sort of thing go down before.  Let me lay it out for you.  It goes like this: an opener comes out that not many people in the audience seem to be familiar with, and it's the kind of audience that's not in the mood to humor an opener that they're not especially interested in.  By that I mean that the ice clinkers are in full force, clinking their ice, having their conversations, paying no mind to the guy on stage trying to do his job.  Add to that, the guy on stage, while a decent performer and all, isn't one of those larger-than-life showmen (like our headliner last night, for instance) who takes over a room and captivates an audience, so he's kind of lost in their (I assume) mostly liquor-fueled conversations.  So the whole thing just kind of went to hell in a hand basket.  I can see both sides of this issue.  From his side, it's totally disrespectful and rude for the audience to carry on talking and not paying attention when he's up there trying to share his heart and soul with them.  On the other hand, they paid their money and if they want to stand around and drink and gab, I suppose that's their prerogative.  Although, personally I didn't appreciate it because I didn't pay to listen to people talk quite that loud through the show, but that's just me.  And I have seen a couple openers that have actually sucked quite a lot and have gotten drowned out by the audience a lot worse than he did and they kept their cool and went on with their set as if everything was fine whereas Mr. Radin kind of lost his cool and showed his ass last night.  But, I guess he was just wasn't in the mood to take any shit and we all have days like that.  Anywho, moving on.

After all that drama, Matt Nathanson, Aaron Tap, Shiben Bhattacharya, and their drummer I didn't get his name (I hope somebody comments with it so I can add it) (Edit: Chris Lovejoy is the drummer - thank you to the commenters who know more than I do, and my apologies to Chris for not knowing his name), finally took the stage.  And just to be superficial for a second, Matt's hair is all grown out and totally epic, I was quite glad he hadn't had it cut.  Anyway, they opened with Mission Bells which, just for me personally, isn't the opener that Mercy is (but you gotta remember that Mercy is the first song I ever saw him play live so I have a soft spot for that one), but you can't open every show with the same song and I thought it went over really well live and it got the night off to a great start.  After that was Modern Love which is always a fun, energetic song that gets the crowd into the show.  We got a little back story before Heart Starts, which is one of my favorites from Last of the Great Pretenders, and I love Matt's stories, so I was glad that he was more talkative this time than the last time he played Louisville.  In fact, he got more and more chatty as the night went on which was nice to see because I take it as a sign that he's relaxed and having a good time himself.  As he got into Heart Starts, we found that his breathy high notes didn't make it to the show with him, (they must have been chillin' in the bus listening to some of that vinyl he's been amassing while on tour), but it was cool, I felt like the audience was understanding and we tried to do our best to fill in for him (I mean, our best sucks compared to his best, but we did what we could).  I mean, good lord, the man sings pretty much every night, these things are bound to happen to from time to time.

After that he dipped back in the catalogue and broke out Car Crash and here is where his live show completely disassembles you if you let it.  In fact, last night was filled with the songs that get in and break down the little pieces.  The kind of songs that I can just close my eyes and ride along on the swell of the music.  They wipe out all the bullshit and there's nothing there but the music and the image of fingers on guitars and the feel the drum in my chest.  I can literally let go and know that I'll be alright, if you will.  There was Car Crash, Wedding Dress, Suspended, Room @ the End of the World, Sunday New York Times, Farewell, December...just live music perfection.  I get into the fast stuff too, don't get me wrong, but I really dig these slower, floaty tunes.  I can't help it.  The most stripped down moment of the night came when he played Bulletproof Weeks for us.  Apparently Matt didn't used to play this song because of the ouch factor, but he's decided to start adding it to set lists and I think it's a great addition.  It's a quiet, powerful man-and-his-guitar moment.  I noticed that the chatty ice clinkers got cranked up a bit again while he was playing this one which irked me, and I hope he doesn't think the gravity of the song was lost on everyone.

Nor was the show all a quiet, acoustic, singer-songwriter affair.  A lot of the songs on the new record are very rock and roll, Kill the Lights for example.  It's a sexy little tune on vinyl and he revels in the sexiness of it when he plays it live.  It was an absolute celebration of carnality and it was wonderful.  Annie's Always Waiting (For the Next One to Leave) is my favorite song on Last of the Great Pretenders and I was tickled pink that he played it last night.   It's so fun to see Matt really getting into the rock star vibe.  Playing the shit out of his guitar, jumping around up there, owning that stage.  I know that he had a shoulder injury from going ass over tin cups off his bike a few days ago and that sort of thing doesn't heal quickly (he even had a visible injury on his elbow), but there was no sign of it in his performance.  He was as energetic and into his playing as I've seen him.  It was a joy to watch. Me being me, I have to admit though, my favorite moment of the night was when they played the Queen/David Bowie classic Under Pressure.  Only because it was during this song that Aaron Tap broke out his beautiful, soaring tenor and it absolutely made my night.  I mean, I've heard it happen on my iPod and my ear buds and my car speakers, but I've never actually heard him go full throttle live before.  I'm telling you, it really was something else.  Wow.

So there you have it, the first concert of the fall was a rousing success.  They're playing the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, TN tonight which was the first place we saw Matt headline and I wish we were going.  Sadly, it's not happening.  Next up for us is Carbon Leaf at The High Watt in Nashville next Tuesday, then Dr. Dog back here in Louisville next Saturday.

Fandom Fest (and Yes, Record Shopping)

Because of the experience we had this weekend, I'm going to stray a bit from my normal topic here, but because I love you, I'll get back to it a bit before I go.  Louisville, KY hosted Fandom Fest this weekend, for those of you who aren't familiar, Fandom Fest is like ComicCon but with more stuff.  It includes a lot of horror movies things (it used to only be horror movies) and anime and steam punk and lots of cool stuff.  Anyway, this year it turned into a colossal clusterfuck and our little corner of the internet is swirling with negativity about the event.  In light of all that, I just wanted to share our Fandom Fest experience this weekend. 

 

It all started with them moving the Kevin Smith/Jason Mewes event to Wednesday night because of a scheduling conflict.  This was not the fault of the organizers and I don't blame them for it.  That evening, while much too late for a work night (again, not their fault or problem) was fun and I'm honestly glad it was moved because if it had stayed on Saturday I'm sure the organizers would have figured out some way to screw it up.  We picked up our prepaid tickets on Thursday after work and that went fine.  We spotted a couple guests in the lobby and it seemed like a good start to the convention.  Friday we arrived around 4pm because that was our best guest as to when the vendor hall should be opening.  One program said noon, one said 4pm, one said 5pm...it was hard to tell.  There was a HUGE line forming to enter the vendor hall.  A security guard told us that only VIPs were allowed in currently, which seemed odd since it was already 20 minutes after it was supposed to open to everyone, but still we went over to the Convention Center to check out that hall.  Again, another line.  This time the people there were bragging about being in line for 2+ hrs and the vendors there weren't even finished setting up so we went BACK over to the hotel and went down the escalator into the back of the vendor hall.  After browsing there, we went back across the pedway (AKA the pizza oven) and finally made our way upstairs to the main vendor hall.  Here we found all the comic book artists and authors and some celebrities and other artists and various vendors...basically the stuff we wanted to look at and spend our money on. 

 

Now you have to understand that we only found this stuff because we have been to other conventions (namely the ones put on by Wizard World in Columbus, OH and New Orleans) and we KNEW there had to be more than what were finding.  There were NO signs anywhere.  The volunteers has absolutely no idea where anything was or even which building things were happening in.  I've seen a lot of people saying that the staff and volunteers were rude and, in all honesty, we didn't have that experience.  Everyone we encountered was friendly enough (of course, some more than others) but they just weren't any help at all.  I don't blame them for this.  They can't tell me what they don't know.  I felt sorry for them that they were thrown into this huge group of people and given absolutely nothing to work with.  That's not fair to the convention goers or to the volunteers and the organizers should be ashamed of themselves for doing that to them. 

 

We came back on Saturday and brought my Husband's cousin to see Stan Lee.  We had purchased a photo op ticket for him but he had to work in the morning so we came and had our picture taken with Mr. Lee.  We arrived about 10am for the 11am photo op and when I tell you that we were greeted with mass chaos, it really is an understatement.  The VIPs were lined up in the hallway, that much had been accomplished, but everyone else was just in a group milling around.  An hour before the photo op they hadn't even BEGUN to line up the general admission photo op people yet.  Myra Daniels (one of the "organizers") began telling a crew person that they needed a bullhorn to announce where people needed to line up, etc.  Seriously??  At 10am on SATURDAY?  DURING the convention...THAT'S when you figure out that you're going to need a bullhorn to announce when/where to line up?  What about some ropes and signage to get/keep people in line?  Holy crap.  Anyway, finally a lady with a "crew" t-shirt and a healthy set of lungs began yelling out for Stan Lee photo-ops and gathering people in a line.  We lined up quickly (but honestly only got in that line because I heard Myra talking about getting people lined up and followed her around until the line got formed) and got our picture.  But I've seen reports of people who waited 4+ hours to have their picture taken with Stan Lee and it never happened.  I have no idea where those poor people where, but I can easily see how they got told to stand somewhere in some line by some clueless crew person and just left there.  So sad.  We spent all of our time in line trying to help people who couldn't even figure out where to buy tickets or find the vendor halls and couldn't find a crew person who could help them.

 

Later when we finally found the Stan Lee Q&A (after being told it was in 3 different rooms) it was also not lined up yet, but that was okay because it got pushed back...another changed in the schedule which was not announced at all to anyone.  So we formed a line for that too and waited.  It was so frustrating that we, the attendees, had to form the lines and tell each other where to stand and what we were waiting for and where things where happening and at what time and the crew/volunteers/security just stood there and looked at us because they had no idea if what we were saying was even correct information.   There were panels that were moved, rescheduled and flat out cancelled for no apparent reason.  In the lowest move the weekend, the organizers had the absolute balls the tell a room full of people that Colin Baker's panel was cancelled through some fault of Mr. Baker's when he was in his room waiting to be called down!!  That is just disgraceful.  I understand that we will never come back to Fandom Fest, but I hope he doesn't let the experience color his opinion of all of Louisville/Kentuckiana.  As has always been our experience at conventions, the celebrities and vendors at this convention were gracious and friendly and it was awesome to see them.  I can't imagine what it's like to do what they do for their fans at these events all weekend (of course, hugging strangers and kissing babies is really not my thing, so it would be unbelievably exhausting for me to do that sort of thing for 3 days solid) and for the organizers to treat them like crap is nothing less despicable.

 

Afterwards, we even stopped at the store in Louisville of one of the vendors and the owner expressed some concerns about the event.  Turns out the vendors were told some things that were misleading (or altogether untrue) and they weren't satisfied with their interaction with the organizers either.  Sounds like to me that we need to keep having a convention in Louisville, we just need to have someone else run the thing.  Luckily for us we've been to other conventions so we knew what a fiasco this was right from the very beginning.  Had this been our first experience, I'm not sure we would have ever gone to another one.  As it is, I'm not sure we'll ever go back to this one because frankly, I don't want to give the organizers another penny of our money, which sucks because it is so close to home.  Anyway, in the end, we managed to have a good time but only because we have a knack for having fun in a face of adversity.  :)  We bought some cool stuff, for instance this wire angel made by a local artist:

 

and this zombie gnome that (even those he's solid concrete) will decorate our hearth...

 

 and of course I couldn't pass up this catbat print, because for some reason every time we go to one of these things, I get something cat related...

 

After all that craziness, we went record shopping to sooth our souls (or, you know, my soul at least) and we finally got to stop at Better Days Records in the Highlands.  Seems like there is never a place to park there, or we always pass the place up and traffic is too crazy to try to turn around and go back, or some other force of nature has always stopped us from going there.  But today we were determined and where there's a will there's a way and what do you know, we got in there and on the back wall in the rack I found THIS!!

 Matt Nathanson's newest release "Last of the Great Pretenders" on vinyl!!  I was so excited to find an actual physical copy of a Matt Nathanson record on vinyl right here in Louisville that I took like 4 pictures of it.  Yep, the store owner now thinks I'm nuts.  And probably more so because I didn't buy it, but I've already bought it twice so...  If you don't have it yet, buy it, it is some kind of wonderful.  As soon as I wrap my head around the whole thing I'll write it up.

 

I was also pretty amazed to find a copy of The Mountain Goats' "All Hail West Texas".  Not sure why, just didn't seem like the kind of thing I'd run across so close to home and I was proud of them for stocking it and displaying it prominently.  

 

Before we left I did buy Jack White's "Blunderbuss" and a Carpenters album (now surely you didn't read all the way down here to start judging me now, did you??) and then grabbed a few out of the $1.00 bin to make an art piece for my treadmill room.  Of course, I grabbed some good stuff like Foghat and Fleetwood Mack and if they play I won't use them, but if they're all scratched to piss at least I'll still be able to put them to good use.

Smoke and Mirrors

At the end of our road is a sign for guitar lessons.  For a second I thought, "I should do that, that would be fun!"  I mean, I took piano lessons for a few years many years ago and I can still play a tiny bit (mostly with my left hand because my right hand and my brain aren't really connected very much), so it seems like it would be possible for me to learn.

But on the other hand, I don't really want to learn to play guitar, that would take all the mystery and wonder out of it.  Watching someone play guitar for me is much like going to a really good magic show where it all looks seamless and possible.  Why would I want to break that down into a series of simple, possible movements?  Learning how to do something always makes it seems less amazing when someone else does it, don't you think?  Watching someone play guitar is so magical and wonderful, I would never want to mess with that experience.

So the guy at the end of the road can keep his guitar lessons.  He can show the secrets to some other person and I'll just stay in the dark because sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.

Matchbox 20 - The Palace Theater Louisville - 02/05/2013

 

 

Last night, in spite of it being tax season and in spite of my minimum hour requirement at work, I left early (a little after 6pm) and my Husband took me to see Matchbox 20 at The Palace Theater in Louisville, KY.  I've been an MB20 fan since the release of their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You, way back in 1996.  I graduated from high school and met my Husband that year, so Rob and the boys have been a part of the soundtrack of my entire adult life.  Somehow though, I have never seen them live.  It just never worked out for us.  Either they didn't come close enough to see, or I was broke or couldn't take off work or had school or whatever.  So when I found out they were playing right there in Louisville and at The Palace no less, I about flipped my lid.  I was a little less enthusiastic about the fact that it was a Tuesday night during tax season, but beggars can't be choosers, so I bought my tickets the minute they went on sale.  My Husband was just excited that we didn't have to stand in line for hours in the ass-freezing cold just to stand close to the stage (like we did when we saw Matt N. in Nashville in November, 2011...and in Louisville in February, 2012 when it was actually snowing).

 

Phillip Phillips opened for them.  He has a song on the radio, I think it's called "Home" but honestly, it's not really up my alley.  Work being what it is, I couldn't leave too early so by the time we ate dinner and found a place to park, it was halfway through his set.  While his style of music just isn't exactly my cup of tea, I thought he was a good performer.  He seemed very natural and comfortable on stage and I thought he did a really good set.   The crowd didn't seem too familiar with his music until he played the radio hit, then they went nuts, of course.  And he received an appropriate amount of cheering and applause at the end.

 

After a brief intermission, Matchbox Twenty took the stage.  I was so tickled to be in the same building with them after all these years that that alone pretty much made my night.  They brought the whole stage situation that they would use in a big arena - light show and all.  It's been a while since I saw a light show and honestly, it seemed a bit odd in that setting.  The Palace Theater in Louisville (pictured above) is a small venue.  It's a beautiful theater with a great sound system and comfy seats, but it doesn't really warrant a light show.  It's just not that big.  But whatever. 

 

Here's the set list:

Parade

How Far We've Come

Bent

Bright Lights

Unwell

Overjoyed

Put Your Hands Up

I Will

English Town

Stay with Me (sung by Kyle Cook)

Radio

The Way (sung by Kyle Cook)

Sleeping at the Wheel

She's So Mean

Long Day (which was cut with Jane Says)

The One I Love (R.E.M. cover)

3AM

Girl Like That

The hidden song at the end of More Than You Think You Are...not sure if it has a name

If You're Gone

Back 2 Good

Push

 

That's totally out of order except I know they opened with "Parade" and sent us out into the world with "Push".  They were on stage for about 2 hours and had really good energy and put on a great show.  I have to say, Paul Doucette was by far the hardest working person on the stage.  I was blown away by him.  Yes, yes, I'm aware that Rob Thomas is the front man and doing all the singing (except for the couple songs that Kyle Cook sang), but Paul was playing guitar and drums and piano and just seemed to be all over the place.  He was multi-tasking like a madman and didn't even seem to be tired.  It was nuts and really impressive.

 

They played a ton of stuff off the new record which was cool because I know those songs pretty well, but they also played enough old stuff to please the longtime fans.  Personally, I was glad they played so much older stuff because at least I don't feel like I totally missed out by not seeing them sooner.  They even played my theme song ("Long Day") which I was surprised and thrilled by.  It just lends a little something extra to get to see a song played live.  Especially songs you've loved for 17 years (good grief!!).   Overall, the night was pretty much what I had hoped for and could have only been better if we had been closer to the stage (although our seats were good enough to see the whites of their eyes, so that was pretty sweet).

Long Time, No Post

To say that I've been stuck in a musical rut lately would be a gross understatement.  I struggled with it at first; I wanted to write about new things and listen to new things.  After a while I realized that I was awash in so much new music that I wasn't really hearing anything, I was just grazing over it and moving on.  So much so that I lost the words to even tell you about the things I was listening to.  For instance I've had a draft of a review of Dr. Dog's Be the Void hanging around since April because I just can't seem to articulate it.  (Of course, that might be the record and not me causing that one.)

But now, I'm cool with it.  I'm really enjoying the albums that I've had in my collection for a while.  I'm really listening to them, getting inside them, consuming them and letting them consume me.  I'm letting them age like fine wines, like they should.  So much work, so much blood, sweat and tears go into making an album that it's not fair for us to spin it a few times, learn a few lyrics, and move on.  I'm listening to the same songs in their full on album form, mixed up in different play lists, and sometimes just on repeat.  However it sounds best at the time, but regardless, I'm not sweating looking for new stuff right now.

And, as it usually works, as soon as I chilled my new music search, a shit ton of new music has fallen into my lap.  As I mentioned previously (I think I posted about it already) Train released California 37.  That album is growing on me and steadily weaving its way into several play lists.  Now, Matchbox Twenty has released their first studio album in 10 years, North.  Well, technically the release date is tomorrow (September 4) but you can get it off iTunes already.  The first single "She's So Mean" is pretty good although they were a bit heavy handed on the autotune for me.  I love Rob Thomas' voice and I'd prefer to hear it a bit less adulterated.  I'll listen to the rest of the album tomorrow and see what I think.  Regardless, I've been waiting many, many years to see them live so I'm hoping to catch them on the North tour. 

In addition, ourvinyl.com released the September edition of Back of the Rack today.  I just downloaded that too and will be partaking of it in the weeks to come.  If you're interested in finding some new artists you can find the details of this month's Back of the Rack artists here. 

There is also word around the interwebs that Ryan Schmidt is working on his next album (!!) and Aaron Tap and Paula Kelley are back at work at Quail Top on something that will, without a doubt, be wonderful.  So that's exciting stuff.  Also, The New Complainers (formly the multi-syllabic Jon Palmer and The New Complainers) have some new tunes ready for us with a new album being released in October.  They have promised 3 new songs in the very new future and I, for one, cannot wait to hear what they've been up to.  You can find out more about them here, here, here, and here.

Fun Stuff

Some fun stuff has gone down recently.  Last week, my sister and I went back to Headliners Music Hall in Louisville (the site of the Aaron Tap meeting) and sold merch at Rachel Platten's show.  While there, we had the privilege of meeting Rachel, Craig Meyer (drums), and Madi Diaz who was opening for Rachel on her 53 Steps Tour.  Simply put, the show was amazing.  This two ladies are just so incredibly talented and have such beautiful voices.  Add to that how sweet they are when you meet them and there's no way you can't love them. 

I wrote up a little something-something about that night and it was posted on ourvinyl.com which was another cool thing that happened.  If you haven't seen it, you can read all about it here.  I took the pictures that are featured in the article myself that night.  Here are a couple more that weren't included.

Stein Stoess - Louisville native who opened the show

 Madi's merch case - truly full of tiny lights!!

 Madi Diaz - it's so hard to get a stage picture without someone's mouth open!

 Craig Meyer - drummin' it up! He was mostly blocked from my view by keyboard stuffs

Rachel and Madi right after singing Robyn's "Dancing by Myself"

Here is a little bit (literally just a minute) of Rachel and Madi singing "Dancing by Myself".  Of course now I wish I had the whole song, but it was so beautiful, so goosebump-inducing that I was way more interested in just listening to them sing it than I was recording it at the time.

As an added bonus, after Rachel's tour ended, Madi Diaz stayed on the road in support of Harper Blynn and returned to Louisville less than a week later!  They played a little bar called Zanzibar (or zBar) last night.  Because she is so freaking good and my husband hadn't seen her yet, he took me to the show last night.  As soon as her set was over he turned to me and said, "Okay, why hasn't she blown up?" to which I replied, "Because people are fucking stupid and they don't know what's good."  Seriously though, her voice is so good live that it's just ridiculous.  He is still talking about it today.

I had planned to buy an actual physical copy of her CD (can you imagine??) and have it signed, but her mom and some people she knew were at the show and when she had a free minute, she was talking to them.  Well what kind of asshat would I be if I interrupted a conversation with her mom??  Sure, maybe it's not too rude to interrupt someone to tell them that they're awesome, but I still didn't have the heart to do it.  I know she'll come back to Louisville one day and I'll tell her she's great then, it'll keep.  Anyway, we got to see a couple songs by Harper Blynn and they really are quite good, but mornings start hella early around here and I couldn't take another super late night during the week, so we had to shag out of there and get our old asses to bed.  Hopefully they'll come back thru Louisville soon too on a more hospitable night cause I'd love to see them, especially after I get a little more familiar with their music.

That's been pretty much it.  Not much else going on musically, I've been listening to Rachel and Madi a lot lately, sprinkled in amongst the usual suspects.  I'm also still waiting to someday get tired of Dr. Dog's Be the Void which I've been playing the shit out of for the last couple months.  I did craft a mind blowing play list that I've been listening to for weeks, I'll share that with you soon.

No Musician Is An Island

Have you ever watched a movie because of who directed it or produced it or wrote the screenplay?  Of course you have, we all have, and they count on it, that's why trailers so often contain the line "from the director of..." or "by the people who brought you..."  That kind of decision has very little to do with the actors.  For instance, if Quentin Tarantino is involved with a movie, I'll watch it.  That surely is not because of his beautiful face.  It's because I've never seen a movie he was involved with that I didn't think had merit.  At this point, just the fact that he thinks the project is worthy of working on will make me watch it.  Who stars in it has no bearing on my desire to see the movie.  My husband is the same way, if Joss Whedon (Avengers) or Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) is involved, he's there but if Michael Bay (Transformers) had a hand in making a movie, forget it.

So what's my point you're asking?  Well, when was the last time you purchased a record solely because of the guy who produced it?  Or engineered it?  Or played guitar on it?  Personally, I have found a number of really talented musicians by researching who worked on albums I really love and finding out what else they've had a hand in.  I believe my most recent such discovery was Jesse Macht who is just ridiculously good, but I might not have found him if not for his producer.   I was inspired to mention this by this article over at Tape Op.  Go ahead and read it, it's worth it.  He gets the point across much better than I ever could and with a different point of view.  You can come back.  It's cool, I'll wait...

The article was originally brought to my attention on Aaron Tap's blog (which you can find here).  There is little I could say on the subject that they haven't covered, except that I can speak on the subject as a music fan rather than someone in the industry.  As fans, it is essential that we remember that for all intents and purposes nothing you listen to was created by one person.  Sure, there might be one person's name on the album cover or one guy's face in the video but trust me, he was not alone in that endeavor.  And from out here, it's damn near impossible to determine who influenced the sound the most.  Who sang the backing vocals?  Who decided to put that drum in that spot?  Who wrote the string arrangement?  Who played the piano?  Who organized and actually performed the finger snaps that you love so much?  Who decided how loud the lead vocals should be in comparison to the instruments?  Each of those people affected the end result that has had such an impact on you and they are each essential. 

So I implore you, take a look around, read some liner notes or google it if nothing else (there are myriad resources available online for this kind of information) and find out who did what and what else they've done.  Find someone who's taste suits yours and check out their back catalogue.  Let's make an effort to make music purchasing and listening a bit less passive and give it the attention it deserves.  After all, these people (even the ones you've never heard of) have put their heart in soul in this end product, the least you can do is acknowledge that it means something to you and give them some support.

We Can Tell

It has long been my experience that things end up getting written in three main ways.  First, because someone is paying someone else to write it.  That simple.  News articles, album reviews (Ha!), things of that nature fall into this category.  These are not the things I'm here to ramble about. 

The second way is because a person has an end goal in mind.  A best-selling book, a hit song, an acceptable blog post - something of that nature.  The person has a goal and subject matter in mind and they go searching for the inspiration, the meaning, the heart of it.  Sometimes we take the experiences of others and use them as fuel for this fire.  Or we dig deep to our pasts and the things that lurk within for inspiration.  It's a task.  It's not always easy and sometimes down right painful.  But very often, it works.  To an extent.

Then there is the best way.  When something bubbles up inside the writer and just demands to come out.  It spills over, it cannot be contained.  It can be born of experiences or emotions or memories or anything, it doesn't matter.  What does matter is that it will no longer fit inside and it must be unleashed into the world.  It pours out freely and is cathartic in its release. When that happens, the thing written exists on it's own.  Just the fact that it's out is good enough. The work was done on the way out.  But these organically written things often have the best potential to become something great (if these are ever shared with other people).  They can become best-selling novels, hit songs, brilliant blog posts, etc.  However, their true beauty lies in the fact that they really don't need to be any of those things. 
Here's the thing - people can tell.  Alright, maybe not in the case of books and whatnot, but after watching interviews and reading many articles about how different people write music, when it comes to songs I believe we can tell the difference between those that were forced that those that forced their way out.  There are songs that you can just tell are part of someone.  They come from deep within, they demanded to be let out into the world.  The whoever wrote them didn't have to dig for the inspiration, it was just there.  Personally, I believe those are the best kind.

Ryan Schmidt - Burning Bitter Years

Album: Burning Bitter Years
Artist: Ryan Schmidt
Release: 2007

And so I have finally circled back around to Ryan Schmidt's debut album.  I started in the middle, worked my way to the present, and now we're back to 2008.  Burning Bitter Years was released just about the same time Ryan graduated from high school.  And yes, I did say that was 2008.  So...the same year my husband and I were celebrating our 10th anniversary, Ryan Schmidt was graduating from high school...but have I mentioned how young you can get married in Kentucky??  Anyway, if you ask me (and since you're reading this, I'll kind of assume you did), this is a really impressive example of songwriting for a kid in high school.  In fact, Burning Bitter Years and Ryan himself have completely changed my opinion on young songwriters.  Besides, let's be honest, who knows pure angst better than teenagers?  Sure, older folks have the market on real heartbreak and hard times, but our connection to the gut wrenching experience of finding our true selves is never closer than during those awkward years between being a kid and being an adult.

Now, don't get me wrong, these songs aren't on the same level as those on White Horse or Black Sheep, Run, but they're not supposed to be.  That's one thing that really makes me love this record - it's a first step.  When you listen to the three of them in succession, you can really see the progression of his songwriting and the execution of it.  That's what records are supposed do.  They should chronicle the artist's career and Burning Bitter Years is a great opening chapter in that story.  Another thing I love about this record is the potential it holds.  When you compare this one with the two he put out while in college, it makes the prospect of what's in store for us now that he's out of school altogether (well, almost) very exciting.

However, even without all the context that we have now, this is just a really good collection of songs.  They cover lots of ground too, all over the spectrum of love and life.  My favorite example is the title track.  Of course, just the guitar in that song alone kills.  What an incredible sound.  Then there is "Ten Days", which is about a 10 day license suspension (remind me to never speed in New Hampshire). I'm sure it really sucked at the time, but I have to admit I find that song pretty amusing now, especially after I figured out what it was really about.  Overall, I find Burning Bitter Years to just be a great example of a songwriter starting to find his voice.