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.

Carbon Leaf - The High Watt - 10/29/2013

Artist: Carbon Leaf (with guest Andrew Duhon)
Venue: The High Watt, Nashville, TN
Date 10/29/2013

View from our hotel balcony - that brick building in the upper center is Cannery Row where The High Watt is located.

  

Set List: (I know this one is accurate because, since my friend wasn't there to take a picture of the set list for me, I bought a live recording of the show...best decision ever!!)

1. A Song for the Sea

2. What About Everything

3. Comfort

4. One Prairie Outpost

5. Alcatraz

6. Life Less Ordinary

7. Love Rains Down

8. Desperation Song

9. She's Gone

10. Midwestern Girl

11. Two Aging Truckers

12. Another Man's Woman

13. Block of Wood

14. Ragtime Carnival

15. The Fox & The Hare (!!)

16. Februaery Detailles

17. The Boxer

Encore:

18. A gospel song (I'm not sure the name)

19. Let Your Troubles Roll By

 



 My take from the Carbon Leaf merch table (friendliest merch people ever, btw!!).

 

Yesterday my Husband and I made (what is fast becoming) our annual pilgrimage to Nashville, TN for a concert.  This time we hit the music city to see Carbon Leaf and Andrew Duhon at The High Watt, a small, intimate room that is part of Cannery Row.  I was not familiar with Andrew Duhon before I heard he was opening for them, but I had a chance to check out some of his music before the show and we were both excited to hear him play.  Let me tell you, I honestly can't remember when I saw an opening act that captivated a room the way he did.  With his bluesy voice, harmonica and heartfelt lyrics, we were all drawn in immediately.  Not to mention, his finger-picking is a thing of beauty.  The audience paid attention to him as if they were all there to see him specifically, which is always a nice thing to see.  Like I said, I'm not really familiar with his songs, so I can't speak too much to which ones he played specifically, but I thoroughly enjoyed them all and I look forward to getting to know his music.  For his last song, I do know that he broke out the slide and played us a real blues number from his new album, The Moorings, called Sidestep Your Grave.  This song really showcased where his voice and his playing belong.  The crowd went nuts, I went nuts - it was awesome.

 

After he finished, it was time for Barry Privett, Terry Clark, Carter Gravatt, Jon Markel, and Jason Neal, the men of Carbon Leaf, to take the stage.  Before last night, I had never been to a Carbon Leaf show before, so I had no idea what to expect.  I'm kind of a recent fan (although my collection of their albums is almost complete after shopping in Nashville) but I know enough to know that they cannot be defined by genre.  They are largely Celtic influenced, but they have entire records that don't really reflect that too much.  Also, I'm only familiar with about half of their catalogue, so I rather expected them to play a lot of songs that I don't know.  Suffice to say I was really excited to see what would unfold.  If you're familiar with them (and if you're not, you should be) you can see from the set list that they ended up playing a perfect combination of older and new songs.  They played all the favorites from Indian Summer and still properly supported the two new albums Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle and Constellation Prize. Somehow they managed to play everything I wanted to hear and then went back and picked out some songs that I didn't know, but they knew I'd love.  These guys are really good at making a set list!

 

They opened with A Song for the Sea from Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle, it's a beautiful song, especially to hear them perform it live, but the crowd really got involved when they next broke into the classic What About Everything off Indian Summer.  Everybody in the place got caught up in this song and they held us in their grip from that point on.  The audience participation reached it's peak during One Prairie Outpost. This might be my most favorite Carbon Leaf song because it's pretty much perfect and apparently I'm not alone on that point.  Somewhere in the first verse, Barry stopped singing altogether and the audience (that couldn't possibly have been more than 250 people because that's all The High Watt holds) sang it to/for him loud enough that we can be heard over the band on the live recording.  He smiled pretty big about that and seemed pleased by it, it was certainly one of my favorite moments of the night.  In fact, Barry, Terry and Carter seem to have a lot of fun on stage in general.  They are very connected with the audience and that always makes for a fun show, it makes it feel like we're all in it together, which is how a live show should feel.  I don't mean to leave Jason and Jon out, but I couldn't see Jason from where I was during most of the show and Jon is wicked good on the bass (or anything else he picks up to play it seems), but during shows he kind of stays in the back and plays, which is cool, I'm just glad he's playing.

 

As I had hoped, the night included a number of loud, fast songs that simply demand you clap your hands and sing along such as She's Gone, Another Man's Woman, The Boxer, and Life Less Ordinary.  My absolute favorite moment of the night was when the multi-talented Carter busted out his hurdy gurdy and they played The Fox and the Hare (which we have claimed as "our song").  I mean seriously, how often do you see a hurdy gurdy played live??  It was so much fun to sing along with these songs in that hot, sticky room full of strangers, led by such great showmen on stage.  The best part of a Carbon Leaf show is that they are so talented that they can weave exactly the opposite spell with equal skill.  At one point it was only Barry and Carter, two stools and microphones and they played Midwestern Girl, a quiet, acoustic, beautiful song, for a completely captivated audience. 

 

For their encore, they sang an a cappella gospel song.  I'm not sure the name, but it was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking.  They said it was for Lou Reed, but I couldn't stop thinking about mothers who are no longer with us, my own and others, and I was very nearly in tears by the time they finished.  It was such a powerful moment.  They invited Andrew Duhon and his harmonica back on stage to finish out the night with an absolutely epic rendition of Let Your Troubles Roll By, during which Carter's fingers did some amazing stuff.  Overall, it was exactly why we buy tickets to live shows, with hopes of experiencing that kind of magic.

All the Things We Are EP - Isaac Johnson

Album: All the Things We Are EP
Artist: Isaac Johnson
Release Date: September 24, 2013

 

Track List:

1. Virginia

2. My Coma

3. Sweet It Seems

4. Home

 

If you read this blog at all ever, then I'm sure you're all too aware that I'm an official card carrying member of the Aaron Tap fan club.  As such, when an album is released that he's had a hand in, I'm naturally inclined to check it out.  Sometimes I end up with things that stay in my collection mostly because they're Aaron Tap productions.  Other times, this is how I discover new favorites.  Lucky for me, the new Isaac Johnson EP, All the Things We Are, is the latter.

 

This little four song collection has pretty much everything I look for in an album.  On my first listen, there was Isaac's voice itself.  It's one of my favorite kinds.  A little breathy, warm and easy to listen to, no hard edges anywhere.  There is never a time when you wouldn't be in the mood to listen to this man sing.  It's good stuff.  Then there are the lyrics, whether sweet or biting, they're all well crafted and not the least bit awkward (which believe me, is an accomplishment).  Occasionally, "and when I look in your eyes, I feel like myself," from My Coma for example, they even border on love song genius.

 

Regardless of how good he is with a love song, my favorite song in the collection is the anti-love song, "Sweet it Seems".  First because I love a song with a twist, and second because I just adore the sound of it.  The guitar part caught my attention immediately, then there's hand claps and all sorts of things going on here - the whole production of this song is absolute perfection. 

 

In fact, the entire EP is richly layered with instruments and non-instruments alike.  It's largely an acoustic number, but not like anything you've heard before.  I've seen Mr. Johnson described a singer-songwriter, but please don't let that define him for you.  These song far exceed that description.  I highly recommend you check out this EP, it's an all around great listen.  If you'd like to read the artists themselves speak more intelligently about the record than I ever could, go here and here. 

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.

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.

"September Eyes" - Paula Kelley

Before the month of September escapes me entirely (as months have been known to do), I wanted to get Paula Kelley's "September Eyes" on your radar.  Like pretty much everything else she has done, this song is just pop perfection.  It's a bit jangly, with her angelic voice resting gently on a rich arrangement.  Seriously, it's pretty wonderful.  My favorite individual Paula Kelley songs actually come from Nothing/Everything, but oddly enough, The Trouble with Success or How You Fit Into the World is my favorite album to listen to from beginning to end.  I just love the sound of the whole thing all together.  So, naturally, I'm going to recommend you run out and buy it (or stay home and go clicky-clicky to buy it) and anything else you can find by her because her arrangements are simply mind blowing, so do it...like now.  What are you waiting for??

Happy September!!

Last of the Great Pretenders - Matt Nathanson

Album: Last of the Great Pretenders
Artist: Matt Nathanson
Release Date: July 16, 2013

Track List (original release):
1. Earthquake Weather
2. Mission Bells
3. Last Days of Summer in San Francisco
4. Kinks Shirt
5. Sky High Honey
6. Annie's Always Waiting (For the Next One to Leave)
7. Kill the Lights
8. Heart Starts
9. Birthday Girl
10. Sunday New York Times
11. Farewell, December

So yes, I know it has taken me a month and a half to write about this album.  There are reasons for that, but it's all boring real life stuff that I won't snore you to death with. Just trust me, shit has been hectic; however, I've been spinning this thing silly since it was released.  My first comment though is this, when you have a genius lyric on your record like: "I'm the last of the worst pretenders", why on earth would you fly in the face of it when naming the album??  I don't follow.  I'm sure there are 500 perfectly viable reasons for that decision, none of which had to be passed by me for approval.  And honestly, "Last of the Worst Pretenders" isn't that great of an album title, but it still bugs me every time I hear that line.  But, I'm just weird that way.

Speaking of great lyrics, however, he has done it again on this album.  If you follow Matt Nathanson anywhere (twitter, facebook...where ever) you've surely seen him bemoaning the lyric writing process.  Seems so odd to me because I've always loved the shit out of his lyrics and these are no different.  I mean, "just because you learn to breathe, underwater doesn't mean, you ever shake the fear of being drown" ("Birthday Girl") are you kidding me?  The album is full of little gems like that, as we have all come to expect from Matt.  My personal favorite, and perhaps least favorite at the same time (and aren't those always the best kind??), is from "Annie's Always Waiting (for the Next One to Leave)": "My mother, she taught me how to doubt myself. Now, she lives in my head like it's a tree house.  I see her clearer in the mirror more and more each day." Ouch. 

Unlike Matt's last offering, Modern Love, I'll admit that I didn't immediately love this record all the way through the first time I heard it.  But I'm a Matt fan, so I kept listening and the whole thing really has grown on me.  Seems to me that this album is more Matt than past albums have been, or at least it is more present day Matt.  I'm sure they have all come from a genuine place, but this one, with it's San Francisco-centric nature and focus on existing, healthy relationships rather than those going up in flames, it seems like he's drawing more from his present life than from past devastation.  The music itself has also changed direction a bit from past albums, he has almost completely shed the singer/songwriter sound on Last of the Great Pretenders.  The music is more rock/pop sounding, more of a full band sound than a boy-and-his-guitar sound.  He has taken the sound he started to develop on Modern Love and run with it.  I love that, after 20 years of music making, he's still growing and developing and changing it up, I think it's awesome and I can't wait to hear what he does next.

My favorite song on the album is "Heart Starts".  I love this song all to pieces for a few reasons, not the least of which our first 4-letter word, on wax, from Mr. Nathanson.  And then there is the mention of his wife in the second line (or at least, I'm taking it that way - what other "b" could it be??) - I could not love that more if I tried.  This song, with it's "I want to feel it kick in, I want to feel it kick in, this time" refrain is straight up heartwarming. If you're looking for something warming a little further south, LOTGP's swoon-worthy song of choice is "Kill the Lights".  With lines like "you be stunning baby, I'll be stunned, keep glowing, I'll follow your explosions," it's an irresistible love song with a perfect dose of lust.

Overall, I'm really loving this record.  I've been listening to it all over the place and I'm still hearing new things and noticing new and different things about it and I always take that as a sign of a great album.  The album art is perfect too, this is a great album to wander around in and that image perfectly describes the way I felt the first time I plugged into this album, blocked everything else out and did nothing but listen to it.  I highly recommend you let this one in.

"Another Friend" -Ryan Schmidt

You guys, I'm kind of freaking out over here.  Ryan Schmidt released a new single today and I'm finally getting to really listen to it for the first time right now.  I listened to it a couple times at work today, but it was just on my phone and only loud enough to know that it was good, you know what I mean?  Now I'm finally hearing it directly in my ears at a respectable volume and I am genuinely blown away. 

I can't decide if we have a pop star or an R&B singer on our hands, but he's the next big thing either way.  Obviously, I've known this for some time, but I'm convinced that the rest of the world is going to catch on when they get a load of this song. 

Richly layered music with clever lyrics depicting the plight of the "friend zone", the song is super catchy...I can picture throngs of screaming girls dancing their asses off to it.  At the same time there are hints of the heart-sick guitar long-time Ryaneers (thanks for the term, Bre!) will recognize from Burning, Bitter Years, just to let know that he is still firmly grounded in his origins.  And of course there is Ryan's soothing, cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow voice driving the whole song and it just keeps getting better and better.

Following Ryan's musical journey and career is so much fun, there is no telling what he has in store for us next!  I'm so excited to see where this new direction takes him, wherever it is, I'm sure it will be an awesome adventure.  So check it out below so you can join me saying "I knew him when".  :)


 

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.

Location, Location, Location

Now that a number of summer/fall tour schedules have been released, I'm absolutely beside myself with excitement about the shows we're seeing in October.  First up is Matt Nathanson back in Louisville at Headliners Music Hall on October 23.  I haven't seen any definite confirmation that Aaron Tap will be there to his right, but I'm an optimistic kind of girl so I'm just going to say he will be until I'm proven otherwise.  The very next week will be Carbon Leaf at The High Watt in Nashville.  The first venue holds 500 people, the second 250.  I could not be happier.

I'm thrilled that these shows are in relatively small venues because of the atmosphere that can be created with an audience that size.  The most magical thing I have ever experienced (hands down) was a Matt Nathanson show at The Cannery Ballroom in Nashville with 1,000 people in attendance.  The second best night was the Dr. Dog show we saw last fall at Marathon Music Works in Nashville where there were no more than 500 people.  There's just something so cool about the vibe that can happen in a crowd that size.

It's so easy to get caught up in it, to really be a part of something that becomes much greater than the sum of its parts.  The artist can create such an environment, such an experience. I've seen some really great showmen in bigger venues and there is just something missing.  I've even seen Matt (and I think we've established how fond of his live shows I am) in a large arena and it is just not the same.  There is something more intimate about a small venue, especially a standing room only room without rows of chairs separating the people.  Where you bump into one another and can stand right up by the stage, right up by the speakers, right up in the lights where you can bask in the circle of magic cast by the talent and heart of the artists. 

So, my point is, I don't want to wish away my summer, or hope myself any closer to the start of another tax season, but damn, am I ever excited about October!!

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).

Good Stuff 2012

So here it is, the obligatory "year in review".  I don't have the typical "best of" list for you or any of that crap.  Instead, I thought I'd recap the live shows that we saw this year (since those are always highlights) and then tell you some of the stuff I loved the most this year.  That's it, short and sweet.  Well, probably more sweet than short, I've never been known for my brevity.

We saw four live shows this year.  I know that's not very many for a lot of people, but for me it was a huge increase.  Hopefully 2013 has even more shows in store for us!  (We already have tickets to see Matchbox Twenty in February, so that's a good start)  In February we saw Matt Nathanson at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY.  Rachel Platten opened for him and it was a great show (as always).  It was far and away my favorite show of the year because we met Aaron Tap after the show.  I was totally star struck and probably didn't say anything intelligent to him, but he was very friendly nonetheless and it was totally cool to be in his presence.  Maybe someday I'll run into him again and be able to string more than 2 words together in a row, that would be cool. 

In June my sister and I sold merch for the aforementioned Rachel Platten when she came back and played Headliners as a headliner.  Madi Diaz opened for her and they really put on a great show.  So good in fact that our next show was a week later when we went to see Madi open for Harper Blynn at zBar in Louisville.  She is so great that we just went to see her. We both had to work the next day so we only stayed for one song of Harper Blynn's set. 

Our final show of the year was Dr. Dog at Marathon Music Works in Nashville.  The openers for this one shall remain nameless to protect the sucky, but I cannot say enough about Dr. Dog live.  They are absolutely amazing and I loved every second of it.  Which leads me one of my great loves of 2012 - Dr. Dog.  If you're not familiar with this band, I suggest you get that way.  I have 4 of their albums so far and I have yet to hear them make a sound I don't love. 

I've also been very into Paula Kelley's work this year.  I can't get enough of her vocals and all of her arrangements are genius.  Every time I listen to anything by her I hear something new and wonderful in it.  And it's not only the music, her lyrics are so intelligent and crafty - seriously, what's not to love about this woman?  On a related note, I've also been totally obsessed with Betty Goo (which, admittedly makes me kind of sad since they're not active anymore).  Betty Goo was fronted by the multi-talented Aaron Tap and they are just awesome.  I love the quirkiness of them and I love that it feels like 90's rock (which it is) but with so much more soul and brains.

I've also come to really love Simon and Garfunkel this year.   Yes, I'm aware that I'm about 40 years late to that party, but better late than never, right?  They are just so amazing, there is a reason their music has stood the test of time.  Another band wagon I'm a little late to is Carbon Leaf.  Their music is so good, so heartfelt, and they seem like such nice guys.  I highly recommend you give them a listen.

A measurable amount of 2012 was spent in record stores.  I've been collecting vinyl this year and there are few things I like more than leisurely browsing through racks of old vinyl.  Our local record store (Joe's Records) is my favorite in the area, but it was blown out of the water when I visited Grimey's in Nashville, TN.  However, Joe's is 10 minutes from my house and Grimey's is 3 1/2 hours away, so I'm pretty sure Joe's will get the majority of my business. 

Finally, my absolute favorite musical thing of 2012 is Ryan Schmidt's White Horse - EP.  It was released January 10, 2012 (the day before my birthday, coincidentally) and I've been listening to it all year.  I just love it.  It's raw and emotional and stripped down - just wonderful.  I get the feeling that we're not going to get another record from Ryan that sounds like this one and that's okay.  I'm just glad to have this one.  I like that so far all of his records sound different, you can hear him feeling his way around and finding his voice.  It's such a fun journey to listen to.

Here's a few more artists who's work I've loved in 2012 that you shouldn't miss:
- The New Complainers
- Jesse Macht
- Boy Wonder
- The Black Keys
- Violent Femmes
- Plants and Animals
- Rooftop Suicide Club (this one may be tough to find, but totally worth it if you can get it)

Okay guys, that's it for me for 2012.  This year had a little bit of everything - some fun, some hard times, some great music, some total crap, some awesome experiences and some low-key peaceful days.  Overall it's been a totally decent year.  I hope 2013 is even better for all of us. 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  And by that I mean the holidays - because this is the time of year when I'm forced to shop, which I have a general distaste for.  What's wonderful about that, you ask?  Because to ease the sting of shopping in a mall, I see no other option than to sprinkle the day with visits to local record stores!  So I'm here to share with you my haul so far this holiday season.

 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (vinyl)

I saw this record at Joe's some time ago and picked it up and carried it around and pondered over the price tag and put it back.  We danced around like that for a while.  Somehow I had managed to never really hear anything by MMJ and I couldn't decide if I wanted to spring for the vinyl or just get a $10 download from iTunes.  So I put my quandary out there on twitter and received instant feedback.  Mostly in the form of "seriously, you even have to ask?" and mostly from one Dylan over at MoreThanAFeeling (trust me, you can trust his opinion) and Mr. Aaron Tap.  At that point, it was pretty much a no-brainer.

 

If you haven't heard this record, you really should.  I can't say that it's my favorite record of all time or anything, but it is pretty amazing.  The vinyl version is 2 LPs and includes a CD.  I'm not sure I've ever heard an album that covers this much ground.  I spend the entire time totally fascinated with Jim James' mind. 

 



 Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits (vinyl)

 

I picked this one up on a whim.  I had heard good things about Divine Fits and they're opening for The Black Keys in Las Vegas December 30 & 31, so I was intrigued.  There is a bit more synth on this one than I'm used to, but I dig it.  I haven't listened to it enough to get too in depth, but so far so good.  I also absolutely adore the cover art.  It looks like a photograph but (upon reading the liner notes) I discovered it's actually a painting (you can tell once you know) and it's just stunning.  I plan to look up the artist and see what else he's done.

 



 AC/DC - Black Ice

The Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up the Girl

Cage the Elephant - Cage the Elephant

 

I found these in various used CD racks around town.  The new AC/DC album sounds pretty much like every other AC/DC album ever made which is just fine with me.  I love them, I've loved them forever.  "Shook Me All Night Long" was the first song I ever knew all the words to (which believe me, raised a few eyebrows on the school bus when I was a kid) so their music is pretty ingrained in me.  Some of my favorite memories from high school have this band playing in the background.  Good stuff.

 

As far as I'm concerned, The Goo Goo Dolls aren't a whole lot different than a lot of other bands that were around in the late 90's, but there are a couple songs on Dizzy Up the Girl that I happen to adore.  Namely "Slide" and "Black Balloon".  Still, I've never owned the album before, so when I saw it in the $1.99 box at a local head shop, I scooped it right up.  I haven't had a chance to listen to the whole thing yet; I hope I'm not disappointed when I do.

 

At some point somewhere I heard about this band Cage the Elephant.  I heard how unique their sound is and how everyone should be listening to them.  I added them to my "want" list and didn't give it much more thought.  Well I came across this CD for some absurdly low price so I grabbed it. On the way home I popped it in a lo and behold I already knew them!  Anyone who had listened to the radio in the last 5 years has surely heard "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked".  If not, do it.  Now.

 

 Matt Nathanson - Some Mad Hope

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Dr. Dog - Takers and Leavers (EP)

The Black Keys - Chulahoma

 

These last four came to me during a trip to Grimey's in Nashville, TN.  Pretty much the best record store east of the Mississippi.  I ended up in Nashville for 3 days for a work thing and since it was the Monday - Wednesday after Thanksgiving, nobody I knew was over here playing so I spent the one free night I had at a record store (big shock, I know).  Grimey's is a crappy looking place in a questionable neighborhood that's hard to get into.  It's hard to park and a bit challenging to find the entrance (it's on the back of the building, upstairs - downstairs is a music venue called The Basement) but once you do, it's absolute heaven.  They have everything imaginable packed into a fairly tiny space.  There so much vinyl I almost OD'd on it.  I loved it.  I wish I was there right now. 

 

Anyway, I picked up Matt Nathanson's Some Mad Hope which is a truly beautiful album.  I already have it on iTunes but I wanted a physical copy too.  So now I have one.  I also got Wilco's Sky Blue Sky because, once again, I've heard good things about them.  I haven't listened to it yet, but when I do, I'll let you know.  I got a couple EP's, Dr. Dog's Takers and Leavers and The Black Keys' Chulahoma.  Both are really good and really good examples of the bands' work. 

 

Two girls I work with went to Grimey's with me and after we left there we stopped at Panera and got dinner.  We went back to the hotel and went our separate ways.  It was early, maybe 7:30pm or so and I happily snuggled into bed with my half turkey sandwich and half a greek salad and a diet coke and spent the evening talking to my husband on the phone and reading liner notes.  I got to unwrap the plastic from the cases (because even a lot of the used ones at Grimey's are wrapped) and inspect the album art and read lyrics and the names of producers and musicians and engineers.  I read every single "thank you" (and even found Aaron Tap and Paula Kelley lurking in there on Some Mad Hope) and date and city and it was wonderful.  They kept me company while I was away from home alone in a hotel room (for the first time ever, I might add) and just reinforced the importance of physical copies of music.  All that album art is put together for a reason - it's there to complete the experience of the album.  I think we owe it to the artists to go on the journey.

 



Dr. Dog - Marathon Music Works - Nashville - 11/17/2012

 

So yesterday (Saturday, November 17, 2012) my husband and I headed back down to Nashville to see Dr. Dog at Marathon Music Works.  I had heard amazing things about seeing Dr. Dog live (mostly from Justin of The New Complainers, - scroll down, you'll see it).  But it seems to be a general opinion among their fans that their live show is mind blowing, so I bought the tickets months ago and have really been looking forward to it.

 

The first thing I noticed among the small crowd that had gathered by the time the first openers were to take the stage was that they were very young.  Lots of black X's on their hands.  Also, there were lots of skinny jeans and beards (big, full beards) - both features on the same guy more often than not.  Suffice to say not the same crowd I'm used to seeing at the shows I've been to. 

 

The first opener came out 15 minutes late - and that's pretty much the nicest thing I have to say about them.  The second one made us wait 20 minutes while they dicked around with who-knows-what on stage and when they finally started playing, the mix was horrible.  We couldn't hear a word the lead singer said when he talked much less when he was singing and the volume was literally so low I had trouble hearing them over the completely disinterested audience who were all talking among themselves at that point. 

 

At this point, I admit, I was losing faith.  The crowd clearly found themselves too cool to be interested in anything, or affected by anything.  They just stood around in their little groups, many of their backs to the stage, talking and drinking their huge cans of Guinness and PBR.  I was so not among my people it wasn't even funny.  I was thoroughly irritated by all the waiting around we were doing and what was, so far, a less than inspiring show.  I wondered how these 6 unassuming guys could ever make up all the ground that had been lost by the time they finally took the stage at almost 10:30...

 

 

All I can say is - holy shit.  To begin with, they opened with my favorite song of theirs, "That Old Black Hole" and it was huge and commanding and wonderful.  While the noise the openers made just bounced off the crowd and dissipated in the air around us, the opening chords of "That Old Black Hole" penetrated our brains, grabbed our attention and had us bobbing in unison and singing along instantly.  I immediately felt at one with this group of the people that I otherwise had very little in common with.  They drew us together and never let us go until they released us into the world with "Jackie Wants a Black Eye" - a PERFECT closer.

 

Here's the set list:

 

That Old Black Hole*

Hang On*

Vampire

The Breeze

These Days

Stranger

Heavy Light

Shadow People

How Long Must I Wait?

Do the Trick

The Rabbit, The Bat and The Reindeer

Shame, Shame

Lonesome*

 

Encore:

From*

Die Die Die*

Jackie Wants a Black Eye*

 

*the ones with stars are in the correct order for sure, the rest of them are questionable

- also, my Dr. Dog collection is only 4 albums (Be The Void; Shame, Shame; We All Belong; Fate and 1 EP Wild Race) they played a few more songs that I wasn't familiar with, so I couldn't list them here

 

They played for a solid 2 hours (maybe a bit more) without a single break.  They talked to us a bit, but didn't even do that too much, they pretty much let the music do the talking.  These guys are just amazing.  Their harmonies are so fucking good they're almost disturbing.  When Toby and Scott sing individually they sound completely different, but when they sing together it's like a single multi-dimensional voice.  How is that possible??  And the sound the band creates is so huge it just permeates your entire body and becomes so tangible you can just float along on top of it - no gravity needed.  Amazing. (yes, I'm aware I've said "amazing" too much, but trust me - it was!!)

 

I've been to some really great shows lately and this one definitely ranks high on that list.  A few highlights were "The Old Black Hole" which I love anyway and was just awesome live.  There are a ton of lyrics in that song and singing them along with Scott was too fun.  Also "Vampire" - I couldn't believe they played this one, I was so stoked.  And Toby really gets into it (of course, he really gets into all of them) but this one is powerful and emotional and wonderful.  "Lonesome" and "Shadow People" were fun live and of course the Dr. Dog classic "Die Die Die" was incredible.  Simply put, it was all just mind blowing and I can't wait to see them again.