I had a super great birthday. As the clock hit midnight to take me to 30, the radio played Nada Surf’s “Blankest Year” which I felt was a fitting song to start my new decade. I was still on my high from the Apes & Androids show and it marked the 1st night of a week long schedule of concerts I had planned for my celebration. As a treat, I’ve made a birthday mix to help with the festivities. 30 songs for 30 years. Check out the playlist if you want. Make your ipod happy and download the .zip file here. It’s a big file so be patient.
Apes & Androids @ Sin-e
With a bellyful of whiskey, I started out my week of concert celebration with Apes & Androids. I was very excited to see them again live as they put on such a fun live show. Word has spread about this band since the last time I saw them as the very small Sin-e was extremely packed.
This time they didn’t have their large skeleton on stage and had less of their theatrics and rather focused on their music. Despite having a cheesy appearance, their music truly does hold up and it is quite addictive. Although they didn’t have all the “extras” in their stage performance, several audience members took it upon themselves to add flavor to the show by jumping into sleeping bags to dance and attack the crowd. This was a nod to their brilliant music video made for their song “Radio”.
Halfway through the set the lights were shut off and glow sticks were handed out to create a surreal and beautiful ambience for one of their slower songs. This night they couldn’t refuse the crowd’s applause and screams and they gave us an encore and handed out kazoos and proceeded to play the most unique cover of a song I can’t remember the name of. It was hilarious. Mabe it was the whiskey but I’m sure I danced with sleeping bags, got pegged with packets of sour patch kids, and dreamed of colored flourescent lights. Another downright fun show by these New Yorkers. Din na na na HEY! da na na na
Picture & Videos from the show.
Links:
video from their last show.
Christine Fellows | The Mountain Goats @ Bowery Ballroom
I was glad to show up in time to see Christine Fellows open up. She really surprised me with the range of songs and her strong voice. She seemed very comfortable on stage and had a good crowd. Eager to see her again live.
The Mountain Goats is a band I have been following for quite some time now and have seen John Darnielle perform live many times these past few years. He always puts on a strong performance, but tonight was truly special. Perfect sound, perfect crowd. With 2 sold out shows at Bowery, he commanded the audience with his simple and poetic songs. You could hear a pin drop during the performance and I have never heard the Bowery crowd so quiet. He played a selection of songs from most of his albums and several where the crowd sang along to. The silence was broken when the entire place stomped and screamed for an encore where John came out to play a few more solo and then gave us another encore. Probably the best show he’s ever put on.
Links:
http://www.christinefellows.com/ – nicely designed
Mountain Goats – 4AD
Menomena / The Long Winters @ Bowery Ballroom
Portland Oregon’s Menomena recently got signed to Barsuk Records and will debut their new album in early 2007. I still think this is one of the best names for a band and their experimental indie jazz compliments the moniker. You can tell this trio is extremely creative and they enjoy playing with sound and it’s textures. Although it’s not that crazy, I feel their disruptive tempo changes and unique compositions are very accessible and enjoy feeling uneasy while tapping my feet when I listen to their songs. The show lacked the energy I witnessed last year at Sin-e and I got the vibe that the crowd didn’t like them as much as I had hoped, but then again, they were probably just waiting for the perfect indie pop songs of the Long Winters.
You can’t deny loving The Long Winters. Their catchy pop songs are perfectly crafted and you’ll find yourself singing along to the clever lyrics. Their new album “Putting The Days To Bed” is an extension of their Ultimatum EP and feels more personal than on the previous recordings. I got a taste of the new new stuff a few weeks ago at the Mercury Lounge and was happy that they were headling the Bowery Ballroom, which they have never done before. John Roderick’s nerdy demeanor and stage presence added more color to the show and stated that Seattle and New York have always been the most receptive to his music. He came out with an American Flag guitar and at one point played the blues per request becuase “He never needs an excuse to play the blues.” The band performed a multitude of songs from all their albums, playing and dodging the countless requests yelled out. As a thank you to their fans, they continued their tradition of not playing encores and proceeded to play for almost 2 hours! The band and the crowd was exhausted but it was worth every second.
Links:
new site
http://www.menomena.com/
but I still like this old one better
http://www.menomena.com/menu2.html
Regina Spektor @ Town Hall
New York’s Regina Spektor has really developed into an incredible musician and has been gaining attention with her new album, “Begin To Hope”. The songs contained within have a great deal of passionate and intimate stories and is easily one of the best albums of the year. She quickly sold out 2 shows at the very large Town Hall and I got lucky with front row tickets. Despite having most of my view blocked by her piano, it didn’t take away from the incredible performance she gave us. Her first few songs were done solo and focused on her older songs. Her band then came out and helped her songs reach a fuller sound. She played a range of new and old songs and people sang along to their favorites. She played one of my favorites “That Time” on solo guitar and a dramatic rendition of “Better”. This petite girl has so much energy in her seemingly unpolished songs but her untamed voice brings it all together. An incredible performance and highly recommend seeing her live.
Cibelle @ Mercury Lounge
Brazillians emit a sense of sexiness in everything they do, from their music, their dancing, and their language. Cibelle’s music and stage presence amplifies the emotional and sensual attributes that seems to surround her. She fuses a variety of elements to expand the bossa nova foundation of her songs. She combines traditional live instruments with electronic noises, children’s toys and random elements to create a captivating landscape of sound grounded by her voice. She even had a toy voice mutator that I actually own.
When Cibelle took the stage at midnight she was wearing a beautiful yellow dress and had tattooed her entire body with geometric shapes using black marker. Her live set stayed away from her slow and delicate songs found on her album and rather played a very lively and energetic set. Despite having some problem because of “gremlins” in the instruments, she was perfect on stage, captivating the crowd with her melodies and movements. A real treat was when she asked Seu Jorge to take the stage with her and to sing duet. The night was hot, sexy, and pulsating with energy. Being only a few feet from her I couldn’t help be swept away by Cibelle’s beauty and music. Despite playing for over 2 hours, and clearly tired, she invited Seu Jorge to jam with the band and he proceeded to sing impromptu over the soundscapes of sound. He told us the story on how he was asked to cover Bowie’s songs and even sang one and then gave us one of his own tunes. A real treat indeed. I wish the night never ended.
Links:
http://www.cibelle.net/