Live Music

[Sky]

Downside: general admission and you just know it'll be filled with college assholes yelling 'show us your tits'. I hate going to music festivals these days.

[Righ]

yelling 'show us your tits'.

Warren Haynes would probably oblige.

[Selby]

That's such a varied list of artists, even if you don't LIKE music, there's an artist there that has a song or two worth checking out.

San Diego does the Street Scene every year which has a variety of acts over 2 days.  It's fun despite them having added hip-hop these last few years, but I enjoy seeing the bands in their own headlining tour or in a small venue rather than an outdoor festival.  Something about not being trampled to death and the fans actually giving a damn about seeing the band, not just douchebags camping the front row waiting for the headliner that night.

Ever since moving to California, the other half and I have done our fair share of concert going, seeing bands I'd never dream of seeing in settings I never would have imagined (reaching out and touching Lemmy's boot!).  I remember having to drive for hours to Dallas or Houston to see a show and making a weekend of it, now I can go on weeknights to see some band in the local pub\club!

[NiX]

Last and only concert I've been to was John Mayer. One of them intimate concert deals. I think it was 100 people or so and I was 5 feet from the stage. At first I thought, ok, but then he did a 10 minute solo while playing Bold As Love. Those pants will never be the same.

[stray]

John Mayer is actually a really good guitar player. No use for me to deny it.

[Sky]

John Mayer is a good guitarist. And a giant douche. I can't stand him or his music, his breathy singing drives me nuts. He's like a modern Clapton, without Clapton's "God" period. Modern Clapton without classic Clapton. Giant douche.

[stray]

I don't like his lyrics at least. Don't mind his voice -- But he looks funny when he sings, I guess.

Main reason why I was cautious about him at first was because he was marketed as some kind of teen idol dude or something. Probably not his fault. He's a genuinely good musician.

[NiX]

John Mayer is a good guitarist. And a giant douche. I can't stand him or his music, his breathy singing drives me nuts. He's like a modern Clapton, without Clapton's "God" period. Modern Clapton without classic Clapton. Giant douche.

If you don't like his normal stuff, try listening to the John Mayer Trio. Nothing like his other stuff, a lot more blues based and not to mention he's playing with Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan. I prefer all of that stuff over his normal albums. I'm sure the "breathy" singing you refer to is when he used to sing really, well, awful. Any Given Thursday highlighted this fact. But, yeah, I'd say give  a listen to some of the Trio stuff.

Not to mention Mayer's blog is pretty funny sometimes. I should put up the clip of him in the bear suit. Funny stuff.

[Righ]

That's such a varied list of artists, even if you don't LIKE music, there's an artist there that has a song or two worth checking out.

I actually thought it was less varied than a lot of modern music festivals. There's a distinctly blues-rock bias, not that that's a bad thing (I dare say that most can play live better than most of the acts at a 'pop' oriented festival).

[Sky]

Not to mention Mayer's blog is pretty funny sometimes. I should put up the clip of him in the bear suit. Funny stuff.

No, I have Trio, my supervisor loves John Mayer (it's an Apple thing, I'm convinced, or a Steely Dan thing) and gave it to me. I still don't like him, though I do acknowledge his guitar skills. But there are lots of good guitarists out there who aren't quite so completely stuck on themselves in such a douchey manner. Every interview I see with the guy I just want to punch him in the face.

Really, it all goes back to the time he tried upstaging Buddy Guy, played a shitty solo and made his stupid faces. All the other stuff is just piled-on aggravation after the fact.

[NiX]

Well, at least you acknowledge he can play well. Most people look at me funny and say "he's a pop artist!" without ever really knowing what I mean when I say solo. Anyway, fair enough, he can be very pompous, I won't deny that and it's something I wish he'd stop doing. But, I don't have to like him as a person to enjoy the way he plays.


He can definitely do without those....

[voodoolily]

John Mayer is hell of ghey and lost any iota of street cred he may have had for dating Jessica Simpson. That is all.

btw, if you can see TV On The Radio, do yourself the favor.

[Selby]

Most people look at me funny and say "he's a pop artist!" without ever really knowing what I mean when I say solo.

I think he's just a snoozefest.  Sure, he can play.  Big whoop.  If the music is boring as hell to me, who cares?  I can understand him writing the songs he did specifically to be radio friendly for the laydeezz and whatnot, everyone's gotta have a day job to pay the bills and put food on the table, so I don't really hold those songs against him (they do get changed when they come on the other half's radio though).  His other stuff... it's still boring music to me.

[Righ]

btw, if you can see TV On The Radio, do yourself the favor.

QIBRLFT.

[schild]

Speaking of bands I haven't heard of. Can someone help me out. There was this band that got a little buzz recently and they said the lead singer sounded like Gwen Stefani during the Tragic Kingdom period. Also said the band was no-doubtish. I've been trying to find them but... can't. I really have no other information to give.

Sucks, I know.

[stray]

Only Gwen sound a-likes I know of are French. :)

[schild]

I'm pretty sure this is an east coast band, possibly Virginia.

[stray]

Sorry, can't help ya.

Here's Jennifer Ayache though 

Her band is Superbus

Radio Song (live]

Pop 'n' Gum (probably their best song)

[EDIT] Put links on youtube instead.

[schild]

I prefer [to travel by] Supercar.

Edit: If you've seen Ping Pong, then you know Supercar. If you haven't seen Ping Pong, you're an asshole.

Correction: If you haven't seen Ping Pong, well, good luck finding it now. Torrent it. Goddamn I'm glad I bought that on a whim. Can't even find it on Ebay these days.

[stray]

The Kevin Shields of the East. I know them. Cool pick.

[Righ]

Dunno, but while I was searching, I found this lass:

http://www.myspace.com/sophiaramosrocks

Scroll down to 'Black Madonna' for the one that was tagged as sounding like Gwen Stefani. Superficially perhaps. Good set of pipes tho.

[stray]

Almost. Similar, but it's like she's channeling old blues singers, while Gwen channels swing and jazz.


Still gotta go with the Jennifer Ayache for uncanny Gwen-a-like though (she's a little different too, of course.... Also, she plays guitars often). I'm biased towards the French though ;).

[schild]

Nope, she's not black. Definately very white. Dressed like a fashion punk.

[stray]

BTW, SLACK (if you're reading this), did you ever make it to that Touch and Go party awhile back?

Big Black - Racer X

Man...Or Astroman? - Inside the Atom


:sniff:

Would have been cool....

[penfold]

I'm off to see Ozzy in June, with Zakk and BLS supporting. It's a big venue though, and we're right at the back. With any luck the "special guests" will be some Black Sabbath guys, as it is the only UK show on his tour.

[voodoolily]

btw, if you can see TV On The Radio, do yourself the favor.

QIBRLFT.

I have no idea what that is supposed to stand for. "Quote in bright red large font"?

[Selby]

The other half reminded me today... Tool on Thursday.  r0x.

[Sky]

I've seen Tool quite a few times, even met them once. I haven't even bought the new album yet, I'm a bad metalhead these days.

Just heard Dickey Betts is giving a free concert nearby this summer...the night after we go see Steely Dan (I'm not the SD fan, she is). Going to be a decent weekend of music, that.

This weekend there's a big city-wide shindig with a bunch of my friends playing, heading out there for some good blues. Also for some chimichangas and Negra Modelos.

[Furiously]

You know Steely Dan had a long running feud with the Eagles?

[SnakeCharmer]

Heading to New Orleans this weekend to see John Mayer at the JazzFest. 

edit: Heh, just read up on some of the Mayer-hate.  I used to really really really not like him, until I heard the Try! CD with Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino.  Knocked my socks off.  I still refuse to listen to "Your body is a wonderland", but completely dig the JMT.

second edit:  Plus it's the first weekend away for the wife and me since the baby was born.

Caught Gov't Mule a couple weeks ago at Soul Kitchen, downtown Mobile.  Great, great show.

[Selby]

That was fun last night.  Lots of smokers toking it up and trying to draw us into the action (I don't partake and the other half is preggers so none of that for her).  For being in a 12,000 seat arena that was packed I could see quite well.  Very little crowd interaction, but that's pretty much standard Tool fare.  Review here.

She's excited about Rush this summer and other bands that are coming to town...

[stray]

Oh man, this might be cool...


Link

LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - Sacha Baron Cohen is set to play Freddie Mercury in a movie about the Queen singer's life, it has been reported.

The comic - who reportedly based his character Borat's look on the late music legend - is said to be the frontrunner to play Freddie seeing off stiff competition from Johnny Depp.

[Sky]

Saw Guy Davis Saturday night in Clinton. That man has a gift. Just Guy and a couple guitars, a banjo and a harp. He played a lot of the old pre-war blues, just amazing acoustic guitar. He came from playing banjo (a black guy playing banjo!), so his fingerpicking was amazing, though he played the jo clawhammer style. His leads and slides were so-so, but they didn't need to be, it was all about the song and storytelling.

Now, I'm crazy for blues these days, but stuff like Robert Cray or Clapton kinda leave me cold, it's too smooth. I don't mind smooth stuff like Albert King with Stax, but I don't like much modern slick stuff. I listen to a LOT of pre-war stuff, especially the Lomax recordings for Library of Congress...and Davis stands up to that tradition. It was amazing, I didn't know you could still find music like that, I thought it had died out.

Man, I wish I could play acoustic guitar like that, I have problems seperating out my bass thumb from my rhythm/melody fingers, let alone being able to sing or play harp over it! That guy is the real deal. Guydavis.com.

It was a good week for music, also had the second-best blues jam for our local blues society, everyone was on fire (tv cameras were there, heh).

Got some tickets ($20!) to see Joe Bonnamassa this summer. Thinking about a Brian Setzer Orch show and Willie will be out on the edge of the state with Ricky Scaggs opening (bluegrass).

[Phildo]

Tonight I absolutely had my mind blown.  I was at the Florida Music Festival watching a bunch of local acts and washed up nationals (The Romantics, Loverboy and Seven Mary Three were the major ones).  After Seven Mary Three, there was only one last act on a side stage that we decided to hit up because they sounded cool.  The name of this band is the Killer Robots.  Holy shit.

It's techno-gwar.  The music is ridiculous, and they perform in gigantic silver robot costumes while one of them runs around among the audience and beats the crap out of people in theatre-quality foam monster suits.  And then they hand out foam sticks to the audience so we can beat the shit out of the monsters too.  It's possibly the single best stage show I've ever seen.  If anyone's ever in Orlando looking for something unusual, this shit can't be beat.

And as much as Schild will kill me for posting this, it's the only website I could find:

http://www.myspace.com/killerrobots

[Chimpy]

It's techno-gwar.  The music is ridiculous, and they perform in gigantic silver robot costumes while one of them runs around among the audience and beats the crap out of people in theatre-quality foam monster suits.  And then they hand out foam sticks to the audience so we can beat the shit out of the monsters too.  It's possibly the single best stage show I've ever seen.  If anyone's ever in Orlando looking for something unusual, this shit can't be beat.

God damn that sounds interesting. GWAR = the one show I always wanted to see and missed out on for dumb reasons. Missed them the best chance I had of seeing them when they came to the House of Blues in Chicago in 2004. But it was the night after I got back from Australia and I was so jet-lagged I could not have stayed awake long enough to even make it to the concert.

I always like seeing live music but rarely get the chance. I did go to the opening show of the Metallica and Guns 'n Roses tour at RFK Stadium in 1992. Metallica rocked, G'N'R was horrid, missed Faith No More because we got there 2 hours late. 

I want to see The Police this summer....but I am sure I would have to get a scalped ticket at this point and I can't afford even a face value one atm :(