Thursday, June 04, 2009
"We could be movers/We could be shakers/If we could just shake somin' outta the blue/And get off the ride..."
So after missing The Kills http://www.thekills.tv/ on their previous tour in the fall I was super excited to see their return to my fair city. On May 9th I arrived a bit early (I wanted a good spot on the balcony) at the Metro to see one of my new favorite bands. I actually was aware of The Kills before their last album due to the song “Wait.” An ex put on a mix CD for me…he was an awful boyfriend, but his taste in music was great…and when it was used in the film Children of Men. But their album Midnight Boom really made me take notice and was on my best of 2008 list at #2.
But before The Kills took the stage there were two opening acts. The opening-opening band was the Magic Wands: http://www.myspace.com/themagicwands Another boy-girl duo who play edgy sounding music and have the whole “I wear my sunglasses indoors and never will take off my leather jacket” look. I really enjoy their set. Since I didn’t know any of their songs I had to remember some lyrics in order to find out what they played. I especially liked, “Teenage Love”:
I really need to look into them further.
The opening band were The Horrors http://www.thehorrors.co.uk/, who I just knew from their first album’s stand out track “Sheena Is a Parasite” and from KEXP playing stuff off their latest album. I really had high hopes for this band after becoming addicted to their song “Scarlet Fields.” I was a bit confused by who their lead singer was because when they all took the stage there was this tall skinny guy lurking behind the drum kit while the others played, but then he came forward and started singing. They did play my new favorite song as well as many tracks from their new album, Primary Colours. Here is the video for “Who Can Say”:
They were pretty solid live, but they were not the stand out opening act for me.
I was super duper excited by the time The Kills took the stage as was the adoring crowd. Sold out show! They came out and started strong with “U.R.A. Fever” and we all went wild.
Alison Mosshart aka “VV” and Jamie Hince aka “Hotel” looked amazing and had great stage presence and interaction with the crowd. They also were pretty engaging with each other and played off one another during the show. Which was cool because I was curious to see how they would be live. I loved, loved, loved all of it!
The rest of the set list is as follows:
2. Pull A U
3. Sour Cherry
4. Tape Song
5. No Wow
6. Alphabet Pony
7. Last Day of Magic
8. Kissy Kissy
9. Black Balloon
10. Hook and Line
11. Crazy (Patsy Cline cover)
12. Getting Down
13. Cheap and Cheerful
14. Fried My Little Brains
The encore was:
15. Goodnight Bad Morning
16. I Put A Spell On You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover)
17. Dropout Boogie (Captain Beefheart cover)
As you can see they did three covers. All were done beautifully and with that Kills edge. Very cool.
I absolutely loved this show and will certainly see them again next time they come to town. It was a rockin’ badass dance party.
xoxo,
Stefania
But before The Kills took the stage there were two opening acts. The opening-opening band was the Magic Wands: http://www.myspace.com/themagicwands Another boy-girl duo who play edgy sounding music and have the whole “I wear my sunglasses indoors and never will take off my leather jacket” look. I really enjoy their set. Since I didn’t know any of their songs I had to remember some lyrics in order to find out what they played. I especially liked, “Teenage Love”:
I really need to look into them further.
The opening band were The Horrors http://www.thehorrors.co.uk/, who I just knew from their first album’s stand out track “Sheena Is a Parasite” and from KEXP playing stuff off their latest album. I really had high hopes for this band after becoming addicted to their song “Scarlet Fields.” I was a bit confused by who their lead singer was because when they all took the stage there was this tall skinny guy lurking behind the drum kit while the others played, but then he came forward and started singing. They did play my new favorite song as well as many tracks from their new album, Primary Colours. Here is the video for “Who Can Say”:
They were pretty solid live, but they were not the stand out opening act for me.
I was super duper excited by the time The Kills took the stage as was the adoring crowd. Sold out show! They came out and started strong with “U.R.A. Fever” and we all went wild.
Alison Mosshart aka “VV” and Jamie Hince aka “Hotel” looked amazing and had great stage presence and interaction with the crowd. They also were pretty engaging with each other and played off one another during the show. Which was cool because I was curious to see how they would be live. I loved, loved, loved all of it!
The rest of the set list is as follows:
2. Pull A U
3. Sour Cherry
4. Tape Song
5. No Wow
6. Alphabet Pony
7. Last Day of Magic
8. Kissy Kissy
9. Black Balloon
10. Hook and Line
11. Crazy (Patsy Cline cover)
12. Getting Down
13. Cheap and Cheerful
14. Fried My Little Brains
The encore was:
15. Goodnight Bad Morning
16. I Put A Spell On You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover)
17. Dropout Boogie (Captain Beefheart cover)
As you can see they did three covers. All were done beautifully and with that Kills edge. Very cool.
I absolutely loved this show and will certainly see them again next time they come to town. It was a rockin’ badass dance party.
xoxo,
Stefania
Sunday, May 03, 2009
"Yes, I'm a man, man, man/Man, man, man eater/But still you're surprised-prised-prised when I eat ya..."
In January tickets went on sale for Neko Case: http://www.nekocase.com/ ...and I think I might have been one of the first people to get one during the pre-sale. I have been waiting 4 years to see her live. For some reason we keep missing each other. But not this time. Hooray!
I had friends in town that weekend so felt bad that I had to leave them for a few hours on Friday, April 24th to go to the Chicago Theatre to see the fabulous Neko, but not too bad! Because I spent too much time at dinner I missed everything but a song and a half from the opening act, Crooked Fingers: http://www.crookedfingers.com/. I was okay with that. I only know a few songs, and I like them, but I’ll check them out on my own time.
So during the little downtime before Neko took the stage I was excited and anxious. Looking at the stage there was a giant screen that had an owl wrapped around it. “What was she going to play?” Her catalogue is fairly large. “Will she surprise us with anything?” Oh I was so ready to see her!
When she and her band took the stage the crowd went crazy. They came out to the last track on the new album, Middle Cyclone, “Marais La Nuit.” She looks even more beautiful in person. She had her red hair down and was wearing a back form fitting dress (later in the show she says her “Tribute to Chicago” since “we have a lot of encase meat here”) and some hot black Mary Jane heels.
She started out with Fox Confessor Brings The Flood’s “Maybe Sparrow.” The screen lit up and showed images of birds, landscapes, houses, and the like. The giant owl that embraced the screen had lit eyes that would glow every so often. These were the visuals for pretty much the entire show. Except for when she played the single, “Some People Got A Lotta Nerve” from the new album, she showed the video:
From what I can remember the set list was:
“Maybe Sparrow”
“People Got A Lotta Nerve”
“Hold On, Hold On”
“The Pharaohs”
“Middle Cyclone”
“Deep Red Bells” (One of my all time faves!)
“I Wish I Was The Moon” (I nearly fell out my chair when she started playing this)
“I’m An Animal”
“Prison Girls”
“The Tigers Have Spoken”
“Margaret vs. Pauline” (Was surprised she played this, but so happy she did)
“Red Tide”
“Don’t Forget Me”
“That Teenage Feeling” (The song that inspires me and gives me hope)
“This Tornado Loves You” (My favorite song on the new album)
Encore:
“The Next Time Say Forever”
“Magpie To The Morning”
“Knock Loud” (I love this cover…sooooo amazing!)
I know she also played “Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth” but can’t recall where that was in the show. In fact I may be off in the order. I should really start writing this stuff down, no?
The overall interaction and banter with the crowd was also great. You can tell that Neko and the rest of the band enjoy spending time together and were very jokey. They also have a love for Chicago which came out several times when Kelly Hogan would mention The Hideout or Neko talking about Hot Doug’s. I also enjoyed Neko’s impression of Diana Ross from an old performance they saw about her late night on TV.
I love Neko Case and am so happy I finally got to see her live. I really look forward to seeing her again and I really hope that she plays a separate show here other than her Lollapalooza date.
xoxo,
Stefania
Monday, April 20, 2009
"Well, I don't need no doctor /To tear me all apart/I just need you /To mend my heart..."
Originally Dr. Dog: http://www.drdogmusic.com/ was only going to play on Friday, April 10th, but due to it being sold out rather quickly they added another date on Thursday the 9th. I was pretty excited because I didn’t move fast enough for the 10th. I knew I really wanted to see them live since their album, Fate, was one of my surprise favorites of 2008 (my #4 pick).
On Thursday I hurried myself to get to the Double Door in time for the opening act, The Cave Singers: http://www.myspace.com/thecavesingers. I arrived at the venue towards the end of the opening-opening act, Golden Boots: http://www.myspace.com/goldenboots From what I could tell they were pretty good, and were a good fit with the other two bands.
I was really looking forward to seeing The Cave Singers. They are Seattle band and came from the disbanding of other Seattle groups like Pretty Girls Make Graves, Hint Hint, and Cobra High. They play their AMAZING single “Dancing On Our Graves” on KEXP pretty frequently.
The rest of their set was just as energetic and lively. They were fun to watch and had some funny banter with us. Like letting us know that Olive Garden is a great value for your money and to be sure to try the breadsticks. I was pretty happy with their performance even though I didn’t know the other songs they played as well.
Before Fate the only thing I knew about Dr. Dog was that they were Philly based and kinda jam bandy. I also was familiar with their animated video for their song “My Old Ways.” Like I mentioned in my Best of 2008 entry for them I was completely caught off guard when I found myself liking their song “The Old Days” and then falling in love with their latest album. I didn’t know what to expect from their live show, and figured it would be good but nothing too crazy. I was completely surprised again by them. They put on one of the best live shows I have seen in a while. They were energetic and were genuinely having a good time on stage. You could tell they liked each other and the music they were playing. The result of that is the audience gets into it as well, and just makes it an overall wonderful experience.
They played a lot off of Fate: “The Breeze,” “Army of Ancients, “The Rabbit, The Bear, & The Reindeer,” “From,” “100 Years,” “The Beach,” and “My Friend.” They also played “The Old Days” but they did it in a super fast way that was not as good as the original way they play it, in my opinion. Other songs off the album they did were “The Ark”:
and “Hang On”:
They also played songs from earlier albums, but I was not as familiar with them to know the titles. However, especially after this show I want to further explore this band’s music.
One thing about Dr. Dog that I was unaware of is that there are two singers in the band: Scott McMicken (piano and guitar) and Toby Leaman (bassist). I mean you can tell there is a difference vocally when you listen to certain songs, but for some reason I just didn’t think that two guys would be sharing the singer duties so well.
I absolutely loved Dr. Dog’s live show. I had such a fun time dancing and singing along. I highly recommend seeing them, and I look forward to seeing them again. In fact, I was a bit bummed I didn’t have a ticket to go and see them again on the 10th. Maybe with their summer tour and if they decide to do a summer festival, perhaps our paths will cross again soon?
xoxo,
Stefania
P.S. One of my favorite gems: Dr. Dog’s NPR's Tiny Desk Concert: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95893471
On Thursday I hurried myself to get to the Double Door in time for the opening act, The Cave Singers: http://www.myspace.com/thecavesingers. I arrived at the venue towards the end of the opening-opening act, Golden Boots: http://www.myspace.com/goldenboots From what I could tell they were pretty good, and were a good fit with the other two bands.
I was really looking forward to seeing The Cave Singers. They are Seattle band and came from the disbanding of other Seattle groups like Pretty Girls Make Graves, Hint Hint, and Cobra High. They play their AMAZING single “Dancing On Our Graves” on KEXP pretty frequently.
The rest of their set was just as energetic and lively. They were fun to watch and had some funny banter with us. Like letting us know that Olive Garden is a great value for your money and to be sure to try the breadsticks. I was pretty happy with their performance even though I didn’t know the other songs they played as well.
Before Fate the only thing I knew about Dr. Dog was that they were Philly based and kinda jam bandy. I also was familiar with their animated video for their song “My Old Ways.” Like I mentioned in my Best of 2008 entry for them I was completely caught off guard when I found myself liking their song “The Old Days” and then falling in love with their latest album. I didn’t know what to expect from their live show, and figured it would be good but nothing too crazy. I was completely surprised again by them. They put on one of the best live shows I have seen in a while. They were energetic and were genuinely having a good time on stage. You could tell they liked each other and the music they were playing. The result of that is the audience gets into it as well, and just makes it an overall wonderful experience.
They played a lot off of Fate: “The Breeze,” “Army of Ancients, “The Rabbit, The Bear, & The Reindeer,” “From,” “100 Years,” “The Beach,” and “My Friend.” They also played “The Old Days” but they did it in a super fast way that was not as good as the original way they play it, in my opinion. Other songs off the album they did were “The Ark”:
and “Hang On”:
They also played songs from earlier albums, but I was not as familiar with them to know the titles. However, especially after this show I want to further explore this band’s music.
One thing about Dr. Dog that I was unaware of is that there are two singers in the band: Scott McMicken (piano and guitar) and Toby Leaman (bassist). I mean you can tell there is a difference vocally when you listen to certain songs, but for some reason I just didn’t think that two guys would be sharing the singer duties so well.
I absolutely loved Dr. Dog’s live show. I had such a fun time dancing and singing along. I highly recommend seeing them, and I look forward to seeing them again. In fact, I was a bit bummed I didn’t have a ticket to go and see them again on the 10th. Maybe with their summer tour and if they decide to do a summer festival, perhaps our paths will cross again soon?
xoxo,
Stefania
P.S. One of my favorite gems: Dr. Dog’s NPR's Tiny Desk Concert: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95893471
Sunday, April 12, 2009
"Let's grow old together and die at the same time..."
One of my favorite albums of 2008 came from Friendly Fires (FF) http://www.wearefriendlyfires.com/, and so when I saw they were playing the Double Door I got super excited. Then I realized that they were the opening act for a band called White Lies (WL) http://www.whitelies.com/. I like a few WL songs, and even though FF wasn’t the headliner I decided to go anyway. And so I trekked myself on down to the Double Door on April 3rd to see one band I couldn’t wait to watch (and dance to) and one that I hope would get me excited about them live.
My friends Brie and Heidi had already seen the show when all three acts came to DC and played the Black Cat. Their review was positive in general, and they told me that FF was amazing, however, that WL wasn’t very good. In fact they left early. So I was hoping that overall the show would be good.
The opening-opening act was California band The Soft Pack: http://www.myspace.com/thesoftpack. They were okay. Catchy, short, fast songs played with this punk-musician flair, especially by the drummer. They seemed fine enough, but I was just waiting for FF to take the stage so anyone playing before them probably would have received a similar review from me. But they are making a bit of a splash on KEXP currently.
I was really excited when FF took the stage. Also by this time some of my friends had showed up so I joined them at a spot that had a better view. When they started playing all was going well and the dance party was beginning. Then Ed Macfarlane opened his mouth and started singing. Wah wah. It sounded muffled and sometimes strained. Even though they played their entire album, I think…maybe one or two songs were missing, I was kinda bummed they were not as stellar live as I was expecting. I think some of it may have been due to the poor sound quality of the venue (at least that is what my friends told me) or it may be that they are not as great live. However, this did not deter me from trying to make it a good experience and I sang and danced along. Plus they looked like they were having a fun time on stage and that is always helpful and contagious. I do want to see them live again to be sure though.
The start of the show and “Lovesick”
I love how Ed takes the mic and taps it on his head and then awkwardly thrust his pelvis at us.
When WL came on my expectations were low. I mean Brie and Heidi left the show during their set and they NEVER do that. So they must not be that great live, right? WRONG!!! It was like the reverse of the show my DC gal pals had. They were amazing! They started off the set with their two strongest songs, “To Lose My Life” and “Unfinished Business.” It just got better from there when they played “Farewell to the Fairground” and “Death.” I was really surprised about them. Their sound quality was great, which again made me think maybe FF just sounds off live. I mean I was in the same spot for both acts. I like the sound of WL, but to me they were like a hotter, British version of the Bravery. Remember them? Yeah. I just hope WL will have a little bit longer career. Not gonna lie these guys were great looking. I was completely enamored by the bassist, Charles. Rowrr…
“Unfinished Business” on Later...With Jools Holland
So I went to the show thinking that FF was gonna know my socks off and it turned out WL were truly the headlining act.
xoxo,
Stefania
My friends Brie and Heidi had already seen the show when all three acts came to DC and played the Black Cat. Their review was positive in general, and they told me that FF was amazing, however, that WL wasn’t very good. In fact they left early. So I was hoping that overall the show would be good.
The opening-opening act was California band The Soft Pack: http://www.myspace.com/thesoftpack. They were okay. Catchy, short, fast songs played with this punk-musician flair, especially by the drummer. They seemed fine enough, but I was just waiting for FF to take the stage so anyone playing before them probably would have received a similar review from me. But they are making a bit of a splash on KEXP currently.
I was really excited when FF took the stage. Also by this time some of my friends had showed up so I joined them at a spot that had a better view. When they started playing all was going well and the dance party was beginning. Then Ed Macfarlane opened his mouth and started singing. Wah wah. It sounded muffled and sometimes strained. Even though they played their entire album, I think…maybe one or two songs were missing, I was kinda bummed they were not as stellar live as I was expecting. I think some of it may have been due to the poor sound quality of the venue (at least that is what my friends told me) or it may be that they are not as great live. However, this did not deter me from trying to make it a good experience and I sang and danced along. Plus they looked like they were having a fun time on stage and that is always helpful and contagious. I do want to see them live again to be sure though.
The start of the show and “Lovesick”
I love how Ed takes the mic and taps it on his head and then awkwardly thrust his pelvis at us.
When WL came on my expectations were low. I mean Brie and Heidi left the show during their set and they NEVER do that. So they must not be that great live, right? WRONG!!! It was like the reverse of the show my DC gal pals had. They were amazing! They started off the set with their two strongest songs, “To Lose My Life” and “Unfinished Business.” It just got better from there when they played “Farewell to the Fairground” and “Death.” I was really surprised about them. Their sound quality was great, which again made me think maybe FF just sounds off live. I mean I was in the same spot for both acts. I like the sound of WL, but to me they were like a hotter, British version of the Bravery. Remember them? Yeah. I just hope WL will have a little bit longer career. Not gonna lie these guys were great looking. I was completely enamored by the bassist, Charles. Rowrr…
“Unfinished Business” on Later...With Jools Holland
So I went to the show thinking that FF was gonna know my socks off and it turned out WL were truly the headlining act.
xoxo,
Stefania
Monday, March 30, 2009
Art is subjective
So my friend Bodie sent me a link to the Department of Eagles’ video for “No One Does It Like You” last week and it took me to the MoMA site. Turns out it was directed by Patrick Daughters and Marcel Dzama, and the costumes and sets were designed by Dzama.
You may know Daughters from his past videos: Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Maps”, Feist’s “Mushaboom”, The Shins’ “Phantomb Limb”, Interpol’s “No I In Threesome”, and many many more.
Maybe you know Dzama from his artwork gracing Beck’s Guero album or The Weakerthans’ Reconstruction Site. He has also had several exhibits here in the states, and a large number of his work in the Tate (London). He is Canadian.
Also in doing more research about the video, I found that the choreography was done by a member of Fischerspooner. My bet is Stephanie Dixon since she is their dancer.
I like, respect, and admire both of these men’s work. However, for some reason this video really bothers me. I find it a bit disturbing and haunting. Maybe like the war it is meant to portray?
This was part of MoMA’s PopRally program.
xoxo,
Stefania
You may know Daughters from his past videos: Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Maps”, Feist’s “Mushaboom”, The Shins’ “Phantomb Limb”, Interpol’s “No I In Threesome”, and many many more.
Maybe you know Dzama from his artwork gracing Beck’s Guero album or The Weakerthans’ Reconstruction Site. He has also had several exhibits here in the states, and a large number of his work in the Tate (London). He is Canadian.
Also in doing more research about the video, I found that the choreography was done by a member of Fischerspooner. My bet is Stephanie Dixon since she is their dancer.
I like, respect, and admire both of these men’s work. However, for some reason this video really bothers me. I find it a bit disturbing and haunting. Maybe like the war it is meant to portray?
This was part of MoMA’s PopRally program.
xoxo,
Stefania
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"Yeah, I'm working/To make butter for my piece of bun..."
As I have already mentioned in my best of 2008 list, I was a recent convert to the church of Lykke Li: http://www.lykkeli.com/. So when it was first announced that she would be playing the Metro I let the information roll past me. However, months later after being hooked on her album I immediately bought a ticket, and was excited to find out some of my friends were going too.
On February 7th me and some of my gal pals grabbed a drink prior to the show and then headed over to the Metro. Two of my friends had seen her the last time she was here at Schubas, and said she put on a good show. I started getting excited. We arrived in the middle of the opening act’s set. They were called Wildbirds & Peacedrums: http://www.wildbirdsandpeacedrums.com/ and they also are from Sweden. I was not too impressed with them and felt that their singer was a watered down version of Feist. But it seemed like the crowd that was there was into it.
At the start of Lykke Li’s set the lights dimmed and the music started. You could feel the energy buzzing amongst the sold out crowd. Then she emerged. WOW!!!!! Such a hottie! Short shorts, super high heel boots, sassy bed head hair and bold eye makeup. Then she opened her mouth and her voice started the first line of “Dance, Dance, Dance.” AMAZING! My friends told me that when she played Schubas she looked more flower child hippie. So she must have gotten a makeover somewhere along the way.
The show was fabulous. She played pretty much everything off of her album including my favorite “I’m Good, I’m Gone.” She also did “Tonight,” “Little Bit,” “Hanging High,” “Let It Fall,” “Everybody But Me,” and ended the set with “Breaking It Up.”
She didn’t play “My Love” which I was really bummed about, but she did give us a few treats. One surprise for me was her cover of Kings Of Leon’s “Knocked Up.” I knew she had done it, but had not heard it yet. It was amazing. She also covered Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” to the crowd’s delight.
For the encore she started out with “Time Flies” and ended with Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It.” We all went nuts. Literally everyone was just moving and singing along to her sexy voice offering a new twist on an old favorite.
I really enjoyed this show and it just confirmed what a great performer Lykke Li is. I am so excited to see what she will do in the future. If you get a chance to see her live, do! She has a few more US dates left, including Coachella. Then hopefully she’ll head back home and start working on a new album.
xoxo,
Stefania
P.S. Some great collaborations with Lykke Li:
“I’m Good, “I’m Gone” with some other Swedish all-stars
“Dance, Dance, Dance” with Bon Iver
On February 7th me and some of my gal pals grabbed a drink prior to the show and then headed over to the Metro. Two of my friends had seen her the last time she was here at Schubas, and said she put on a good show. I started getting excited. We arrived in the middle of the opening act’s set. They were called Wildbirds & Peacedrums: http://www.wildbirdsandpeacedrums.com/ and they also are from Sweden. I was not too impressed with them and felt that their singer was a watered down version of Feist. But it seemed like the crowd that was there was into it.
At the start of Lykke Li’s set the lights dimmed and the music started. You could feel the energy buzzing amongst the sold out crowd. Then she emerged. WOW!!!!! Such a hottie! Short shorts, super high heel boots, sassy bed head hair and bold eye makeup. Then she opened her mouth and her voice started the first line of “Dance, Dance, Dance.” AMAZING! My friends told me that when she played Schubas she looked more flower child hippie. So she must have gotten a makeover somewhere along the way.
The show was fabulous. She played pretty much everything off of her album including my favorite “I’m Good, I’m Gone.” She also did “Tonight,” “Little Bit,” “Hanging High,” “Let It Fall,” “Everybody But Me,” and ended the set with “Breaking It Up.”
She didn’t play “My Love” which I was really bummed about, but she did give us a few treats. One surprise for me was her cover of Kings Of Leon’s “Knocked Up.” I knew she had done it, but had not heard it yet. It was amazing. She also covered Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” to the crowd’s delight.
For the encore she started out with “Time Flies” and ended with Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It.” We all went nuts. Literally everyone was just moving and singing along to her sexy voice offering a new twist on an old favorite.
I really enjoyed this show and it just confirmed what a great performer Lykke Li is. I am so excited to see what she will do in the future. If you get a chance to see her live, do! She has a few more US dates left, including Coachella. Then hopefully she’ll head back home and start working on a new album.
xoxo,
Stefania
P.S. Some great collaborations with Lykke Li:
“I’m Good, “I’m Gone” with some other Swedish all-stars
“Dance, Dance, Dance” with Bon Iver
Thursday, March 12, 2009
"Our edges can never be found out/No, our edges keep moving further out..."
So I honestly have been putting off doing my last few show entries due to laziness. I know that sounds awful, but once 2008 was coming to an end I just got caught up in leaving for the holidays and slacking off. I debated not even writing about the shows, but then of course my Catholic guilt kicked in and I felt like I have this obligation to you, my loyal readers. The readers who will send me an e-mail or a Facebook wall post telling me to get my act together and write. Well, my lovelies, I will try and do my best. I mean it this time.
On November 7th, 2008 (See? See how far behind I am?!) I went to Schubas with my friend Natalie to see My Brightest Diamond (MBD) http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/. I didn’t know much about MBD except they are on Asthmatic Kitty, Sufjan Stevens’ label. In fact one of my first blog entries mentions Shara Worden (lead singer/songwriter for MBD) when she was touring with Sufjan for the Illinois tour. She sang the first part of “Sister” at the start of that show.
Well Natalie does street team work for Asthmatic Kitty and she encouraged me to go. At first I was reluctant, but afterwards I was really happy I went. One thing that really made the show was the intimate and comforting venue that is Schubas. And the crowd was pretty cool too. I mean who else goes to listen to a dreamy combo of rock, classical, opera, and cabaret? Pretty chill people.
The opening band was a group called Clare & The Reasons www.myspace.com/claremuldaur. At first I was like, “Hey they are pretty good. Cutesy singer, sweet and honest banter…I like them.” But then they started playing a song and I was frozen in my spot, eyes glued to the stage. I was entranced and just felt it in the marrow of my bones. The song was, “Alphabet City,” and after hearing it I knew I had to go to the merch table and get the album. Which is rare, because I hardly ever do that. I knew it was kismet when I bough the last copy of the record. Score! Other notable songs they performed were “Pluto,” “Rodi,” “Can Your Car Do That?” and their version of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.”
“Alphabet City” (not from the show)
By the time Shara and the rest of her band came out the crowd was pretty warmed up. Unfortunately, after a few songs in Natalie wasn’t feeling very well and had to leave. Sad face, since she was so excited to see them live. Even though I didn’t know much of her music, well really any of it, I was pretty pleased. I know that in the summer she had released a new album called, A Thousand Shark's Teeth, and would probably play most stuff from that. Of course she would add to the set list from her first album, Bring Me the Workhorse. She started out with “Golden Star” and then went into other song such as “If I Were Queen,” “Apples,” “Disappear,” “Dragonfly,” Gentlest Gentleman,” “To Pluto’s Moon, and “Inside A Boy.” In the final song, “From The Top Of The World” they entertained us with a guy and girl puppet and did a little show on the corner of the stage. It was very sweet. Here is the official video, including the puppets:
Even though I didn’t go to the show super excited or fully aware of MBD, I’m glad I went and saw her live. And I’m really glad that I discovered Clare & The Reasons. Their album, The Movie, has been on rotation in my iPod since that night.
xoxo,
Stefania
On November 7th, 2008 (See? See how far behind I am?!) I went to Schubas with my friend Natalie to see My Brightest Diamond (MBD) http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/. I didn’t know much about MBD except they are on Asthmatic Kitty, Sufjan Stevens’ label. In fact one of my first blog entries mentions Shara Worden (lead singer/songwriter for MBD) when she was touring with Sufjan for the Illinois tour. She sang the first part of “Sister” at the start of that show.
Well Natalie does street team work for Asthmatic Kitty and she encouraged me to go. At first I was reluctant, but afterwards I was really happy I went. One thing that really made the show was the intimate and comforting venue that is Schubas. And the crowd was pretty cool too. I mean who else goes to listen to a dreamy combo of rock, classical, opera, and cabaret? Pretty chill people.
The opening band was a group called Clare & The Reasons www.myspace.com/claremuldaur. At first I was like, “Hey they are pretty good. Cutesy singer, sweet and honest banter…I like them.” But then they started playing a song and I was frozen in my spot, eyes glued to the stage. I was entranced and just felt it in the marrow of my bones. The song was, “Alphabet City,” and after hearing it I knew I had to go to the merch table and get the album. Which is rare, because I hardly ever do that. I knew it was kismet when I bough the last copy of the record. Score! Other notable songs they performed were “Pluto,” “Rodi,” “Can Your Car Do That?” and their version of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.”
“Alphabet City” (not from the show)
By the time Shara and the rest of her band came out the crowd was pretty warmed up. Unfortunately, after a few songs in Natalie wasn’t feeling very well and had to leave. Sad face, since she was so excited to see them live. Even though I didn’t know much of her music, well really any of it, I was pretty pleased. I know that in the summer she had released a new album called, A Thousand Shark's Teeth, and would probably play most stuff from that. Of course she would add to the set list from her first album, Bring Me the Workhorse. She started out with “Golden Star” and then went into other song such as “If I Were Queen,” “Apples,” “Disappear,” “Dragonfly,” Gentlest Gentleman,” “To Pluto’s Moon, and “Inside A Boy.” In the final song, “From The Top Of The World” they entertained us with a guy and girl puppet and did a little show on the corner of the stage. It was very sweet. Here is the official video, including the puppets:
Even though I didn’t go to the show super excited or fully aware of MBD, I’m glad I went and saw her live. And I’m really glad that I discovered Clare & The Reasons. Their album, The Movie, has been on rotation in my iPod since that night.
xoxo,
Stefania
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