Octopus Overlords

Just got back from Rodrigo y Gabriela. Rodrigo pinched a nerve in his foot and was limping and said he almost canceled the show, but he came out anyway and put on a hell of a performance. Gabriela was in super shape and barely stopped moving for the entire hour and a half show. She had such a sweet personality and really kept the audience laughing during breaks. They played for a (non-stop) hour and a half, with both giving each other solo moments to shine.

Around the halfway mark they announced "karaoke time!" and did a medley of 90's grunge covers with Rodrigo singing, including Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They ended it with a full version of Radiohead's "Creep." Rodrigo certainly isn't the best singer in the world (and knows it), but his sense of fun was contagious and he had the crowd laughing and singing along the whole time. This led into a blistering version of "Diablo Rojo" that was as good (if not better) than any of the versions I've seen them do on YouTube.

The sell-out crowd was awesome for the small venue (1,200 seats), and sitting down under a beautiful starry sky by the lake listening to the music made for a magical evening. Well worth the $30.

Last Friday I saw The Tossers (just Tony, Rebecca, and Aaron) at The Abbey Pub. A free show in the small Green Room section of the venue. It was fantastic. Maybe 20-30 people filled up the room. We had a spot at the bar facing the band. They wre set up pub style, just sitting on stools at floor level in a corner.

Unfortunately it was Lollapalooza weekend so there were a bunch of hippies just there to check out a free show and yapping through a lot of the first set. They got into it eventually though.



A friend who went with me asked me to send him the set list so since I took the trouble to write it up, here it is: I mean my favorite band at a one of my favorite local small venues and for free? Yes. And they're doing it at least 2 more times in the next 2 months.

My brother and I are planning to hit up Farm Aid in September. I've always wanted to see Willie Nelson live and this is the best chance I'll get. Rest of the lineup is Dave Matthews Band, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Jack White. I've never done a true music festival (those just don't usually come around this way), so I'm looking forward to hanging out with the hippies.

YellowKing wrote:My brother and I are planning to hit up Farm Aid in September. I've always wanted to see Willie Nelson live and this is the best chance I'll get. Rest of the lineup is Dave Matthews Band, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Jack White. I've never done a true music festival (those just don't usually come around this way), so I'm looking forward to hanging out with the hippies.

Ill warn you, Willie is not the Willie of old. My brother saw him last year and said he has no voice anymore. All those years of smokin and tokin have taken a major toll on his vocal abilities. Sounds like a pretty good line up though, should be fun.

I saw Kishi Bashi Sunday night. Easily one of the best shows I've been to, which is especially impressive since artists sometimes tend to be pretty lethargic on Sunday night shows in my experience. If you're into that type of music (pop/dance/electric? I don't know how to describe it) and he comes to you're area, you should definitely try to make it out.

Saw Weezer at the Braves-Dodgers game last night. Sound is difficult to throw together outside, but it wasn't bad and the huge crowd got into it. They did a nice dozen hits or so.

YellowKing wrote:My brother and I are planning to hit up Farm Aid in September. I've always wanted to see Willie Nelson live and this is the best chance I'll get. Rest of the lineup is Dave Matthews Band, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Jack White. I've never done a true music festival (those just don't usually come around this way), so I'm looking forward to hanging out with the hippies.

I went to Farm Aid here once, can't remember the venue but we had lawn seats and there was almost no one on the lawn. Some kid came up to us selling acid and accidentally kicked over all the $6 beers we had just carried from the tent way at the bottom of the hill. Hits were $8 each so we made him give us one for each beer he knocked over (8 or so). I don't remember if we did them though. We were just really pissed about the beer.

Man, $6 beer. Those were the days! I think the last time I went to this venue they were $12. I wish I was joking.

We got lawn seats as well. I was kind of surprised that almost all the reserved seating is sold out. I would think for something like this the lawn would be the place to be, out in the open where you can get up and move around for 12 hours without crawling over people.

They just added Gary Clark, Jr. to the lineup, so that's pretty cool.

Fudge.

I just found out David J is touring people's living rooms and I missed out on attending his Detroit performance in some anonymous person's living room.

I know there are fans here, and so far Detroit is the only sold out town.

http://www.davidjonline.com/living-room.html

As luck would have it, I'm heading out to California Sunday for a few weeks.
Was looking for things to do when I ran across this.
Have no doubt it is going to be epic.

Drive Like Jehu were one of the bands that formed my early tastes in music.
The guitarist, Jon Reis, has gone on to front some of my favorite bands, including Rocket From the Crypt (recently reunited) and The Night Matchers.
The other band he was in with Rick Froberg, The Hot Snakes, are also getting back together and playing Riot Fest and some smaller shows.
I will be back home to Chicago in time to catch their Riot Fest aftershow at the ever so quaint Empty Bottle.

These are bands I've never thought I'd be able to see live.
The fact I'll be able to see them both within a couple weeks of each other is pretty spectacular.

Finally going to get to see Tom Petty this sunday. He has Steve Winwood opening for him and its on my birthday. After the week Ive had ( Detroit area flood victim with 3 ft of sewage in my home ) I am really looking forward to having some fun.

Tossers acoustic again at The Abbey. What a great way to recharge.

rshetts2 wrote:Finally going to get to see Tom Petty this sunday. He has Steve Winwood opening for him and its on my birthday. After the week Ive had ( Detroit area flood victim with 3 ft of sewage in my home ) I am really looking forward to having some fun.

You'll have a blast. I saw him with Steve Winwood back in 2007-ish? He just played hit after hit after hit. I'm sure he'll be trotting out some of this new stuff to promote his album on this tour, but hell, those songs are great too. In terms of just hanging out with friends singing along, acting crazy and having a good time, that was one of the best shows I've seen.

In case I don't come back, there should at least be a record somewhere so you all know I didn't just disappear. Tomorrow, with Trent Steel in tow, I'll be attending a VIP tequila tasting and then show with Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers.

I plan on checking out Kamelot and Dragonforce when they tour together this spring. What a great show that will be.

Matisyahu for the fourth time next week.

Third time seeing the Peacemakers and easily their best show I've attended. They played for 2+ hours and looked like they were having as much fun as we were. Wish I had the constitution to follow them into NYC tonight but I am spent.

I survived Farm Aid 2014!

Got there at opening gates in time to see Willie kick off the show with the Lord's Prayer. Then his granddaughter came on and did a set - we wanted to walk around so we skipped her and went to grab some food (and the first of too many beers).

When we came back we staked a claim on the lawn and got so comfortable we decided we didn't want to leave. So we wound up seeing almost every act. Here's my rundown:

Insects vs Robots - psychedelic jam band. Musically good but not my style.

Delta Rae - local band and while they have some really talented vocalists, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Ok, that's it for the acts I DIDN'T like - now for the rest:

Todd Snider - somehow he has slipped under my radar, but I really enjoyed his set. Very funny guy and he played well with the rural folksy crowd in attendance.

Lukas Nelson - may have been the surprise of the show for me. He is really damn good and he was playing that show for all he was worth. Between his set and his appearances back on stage for the finale, I was really blown away.

Jamey Johnson - I've always like Jamey Johnson's "old-school" country style, so I really liked his set. He's not the best live vocalist in the world, but he won some new fans. Even the folks I was with who had never heard of him really, really liked him.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Club - these guys were phenomenal. Just old-fashioned jazz/gospel by guys who had been doing this for decades. Very entertaining.

Gary Clark, Jr. - I knew he was good, but seeing him live put him at a whole 'nother level. He was absolutely incredible. In fact, he came on before Jack White and I think it made Jack White's set pale in comparison. He definitely won over the crowd, who went nuts when he came back on for some solos during the finale.

Jack White - This was one of the acts I was most looking forward to, but it was a bit of a letdown after Gary Clark Jr. True to his weird gothicness (?) he came out with a blue-tinged stage and ran through a number of hits. It was good, but like I told my brother afterward, it would have been better in isolation. He just didn't mesh particularly well with the rest of the show.

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - You either love Dave or hate him. I fall more in the love camp, so I really liked this set. I had never seen Dave without the full band, so it was great to see him stripped down. Plus they played "41" which is one of my favorite DMB songs. My brother was also particularly excited since he's never seen 41 played live out of the 5 shows he's seen.

John Mellencamp - Ol' Johnny Cougar doesn't have the voice he used to have, but used what he had left in a gritty and lengthy session. Jack & Diane, Small Town, Little Pink Houses, Scarecrow, etc. I was a bit disappointed in the vocals, but my brother liked the rough around the edges style and wound up being pleasantly surprised.

Neil Young - He came out on stage, silently, and then you hear the first strains of "Heart of Gold" on the harmonica. It was instantly one of the top 5 most magical concert moments I've ever experienced. Unfortunately, in typical Neil fashion he used the rest of the set to preach and sing preachy environmental claptrap. He was very good, but I don't give two shits about his politics or his opinions. Thankfully he launched into "Rockin' in the Free World" with Lukas Nelson to end his set on a high note.

Willie Nelson - Willie's getting on up there in age, and while his voice was still good when he chose to use it, he went for restraint most of the time and basically spoke the lyrics. However, his guitar playing hasn't slowed down a bit, and he was killing it instrumentally. He went through a bunch of old Willie standards, then pulled out an absolutely awesome Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute with guests on stage. It was really awesome to see him live and he put on a hell of a finale with everybody out on stage. He didn't wrap up until almost midnight.

Anyway, we had a great time. Got to see a bunch of great acts, a couple of legends, and a few surprises. I learned that while I'm not too old to go 12 hours at a music festival, I am too old to not pay for it in the morning.

Awesome. It's been 18 years since I saw Farm Aid. Steve Earle tried to do a one-man Copperhead Road and broke the mandolin accidentally. Had to struggle through a cappella.

I hate Dave Matthews anyway but Raleigh is just past my driving range for concerts.

White Denim is tonight. I took tomorrow off. I've been looking forward to this show for a few years. My Crones has been out of control all day today. My first night out in several months and I think I'm going to be staying in. Fuck this aging shit.

I saw Garth Brooks in Atlanta over the weekend. I took my wife down there for her birthday. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

At 52 the dude still has it. I've been to several hundred arena/stadium shows in my life and I can't recall anyone who commands a stage like him. I'll definitely try to catch another stop or two on the current tour!

Thought I would update my future concert plans. Coming to Denver in the next few months are

GWAR (Halloween night) with their newly announced female singer. Not sure if I can pull this off with trick or treating.

Machine Head *Canceled*- pretty disappointed because they are reportedly great live and I've been a fan for years. Haven't seen them live yet.

Slipknot and Korn- saw Slipknot years ago and they are a close second to Motorhead for the loudest show. Korn is great live so I'd really like to see this.

Fleetwood Mac- probably #1 on my bucketlist, but damnit I can't seem to pull the trigger for the price of a decent seat.

And finally, 70000 Tons of Metal is coming up soon in January. Still a lot of acts to be announced. But Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, and Alestorm to name a few have me pumped for this cruise.

Xmann wrote:And finally, 70000 Tons of Metal is coming up soon in January. Still a lot of acts to be announced. But Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, and Alestorm to name a few have me pumped for this cruise.

Amorphis was just added this week. That alone makes me want to go.

Heck ya

Just booked tickets to see First Aid Kit in Charleston, which gave me an excuse to get out of the Avett Brothers concert I had agreed to see with my wife in Asheville the night before.

She's crazy. It's not that I don't like the Avett Brothers, I do, but I would prefer to see FAK since 1. it's a lot closer to home and 2. the venue is much smaller.

Back to back concert nights?! Does she think she's 30?!

Fleetwood Mac- probably #1 on my bucketlist, but damnit I can't seem to pull the trigger for the price of a decent seat.

If they are truly that high on your list, you had better drop the coin, because you will probably never again get a chance at seeing this line up live again. If the price really has you in a bind get cheap seats and at least be in the barn. It really sucks how much they charge for good seats these days but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

rshetts2 wrote:

Fleetwood Mac- probably #1 on my bucketlist, but damnit I can't seem to pull the trigger for the price of a decent seat.

If they are truly that high on your list, you had better drop the coin, because you will probably never again get a chance at seeing this line up live again. If the price really has you in a bind get cheap seats and at least be in the barn. It really sucks how much they charge for good seats these days but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

Ya, I know you are right.

It's just damn hard when I can see, literally, 6 or 7 other great shows in small venues for the price of that one.

i've actually been checking out all the Fleetwood Mac albums from the library - they have almost all of them - from the very first ones in... 1968? 69? how their sound changed over time has been very interesting to hear. i am now about to end their blaaaah early-70's years; long after they stopped being an Elmore James cover band and have now morphed into some sorta AOR-FM-radio post-hippie-pop group that i am totally not 'getting'.

Christine McVie's first show back since 1997.

1. The Chain
2. You Make Loving Fun
3. Dreams
4. Second Hand News
5. Rhiannon
6. Everywhere (first time live since 1997)
7. I Know I'm Not Wrong (first time live since 2009)
8. Tusk
9. Sisters of the Moon
10. Say You Love Me (first time live since 2009)
11. Seven Wonders (first time live since 1988)
12. Big Love
13. Landslide
14. Never Going Back Again
15. Over My Head (first time live since 1997)
16. Gypsy
17. Little Lies (first time live since 1990)
18. Gold Dust Woman
19. I'm So Afraid
20. Go Your Own Way
-----
21. World Turning
22. Don't Stop
23. Silver Springs

24. Songbird (first time live since 1997


That's the set list from the first show on the tour..... holy shitballs. Looks like I might be shelling out $500 for the Denver show.
-----

Was off work due to post surgery recovery most of the summer and I got to see several shows. A few were "Rockin on the Riverfront" shows, free concerts in downtown Detroit. Those were Leon Russell, April Wine, The Guess Who (or the Guess Who's left as Bachman and Cummings are gone) and American. Also this summer I saw Steve Winwood and Tom Petty (fantastic show!), Yes and just recently Robin Trower. Not bad for 3 months. BTW Trower still has amazing skills on guitar. I was very impressed!

rshetts2 wrote:Was off work due to post surgery recovery most of the summer and I got to see several shows. A few were "Rockin on the Riverfront" shows, free concerts in downtown Detroit. Those were Leon Russell, April Wine, The Guess Who (or the Guess Who's left as Bachman and Cummings are gone) and American. Also this summer I saw Steve Winwood and Tom Petty (fantastic show!), Yes and just recently Robin Trower. Not bad for 3 months. BTW Trower still has amazing skills on guitar. I was very impressed!

Is he still singing himself?
If so, he REALLY needs to get Davey Pattison back or find someone else to handle vocals.

But there is no doubt that Trower still has major chops on the guitar.

Infected Mushroom in November.

Yes, I am aware what kind of music that is, and yes, I am over 40. Bite me. I just wanted to go to a show like that once to see what it was like (but damn tix were pretty expensive at $30 a piece for a small venue, in a relatively small city! It's not like these guys are Depeche Mode or anything, come on!)

RLMullen wrote:I saw Garth Brooks in Atlanta over the weekend. I took my wife down there for her birthday. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

At 52 the dude still has it. I've been to several hundred arena/stadium shows in my life and I can't recall anyone who commands a stage like him. I'll definitely try to catch another stop or two on the current tour!

I didn't expect my prediction to be realized so quickly...

Going to see Garth again in Greensboro at the end of November.

stimpy wrote:

rshetts2 wrote:Was off work due to post surgery recovery most of the summer and I got to see several shows. A few were "Rockin on the Riverfront" shows, free concerts in downtown Detroit. Those were Leon Russell, April Wine, The Guess Who (or the Guess Who's left as Bachman and Cummings are gone) and American. Also this summer I saw Steve Winwood and Tom Petty (fantastic show!), Yes and just recently Robin Trower. Not bad for 3 months. BTW Trower still has amazing skills on guitar. I was very impressed!

Is he still singing himself?
If so, he REALLY needs to get Davey Pattison back or find someone else to handle vocals.

But there is no doubt that Trower still has major chops on the guitar.

Trower tours with a younger bass player now who handles most of the vocals. Trower sang lead a few times but for the most part just blazed on the guitar.

rshetts2 wrote: The Guess Who (or the Guess Who's left as Bachman and Cummings are gone)

Saw Bachman & Cummings in concert together about 3 years ago and they were amazing. Especially Cummings. Whatever he's doing for his voice, it's working, as it's still such as strong a voice as it was early on in his career.

Skinypupy wrote:Skinny Puppy, VNV Nation, and Haujobb are touring in Nov/Dec, will be in SLC on Dec 13.

Early 90's me is doing a little happy dance.

So VNV Nation dropped out of the tour earlier this week. I was kinda bummed until they announced this afternoon that their replacement would be...Frontline Assembly.

This is now pretty much my dream industrial lineup. So. Much. Awesome.

Judas Priest, in a couple of weeks (I should really listen to their new album, only heard the title track on Sirius XM).

gilraen wrote:Judas Priest, in a couple of weeks (I should really listen to their new album, only heard the title track on Sirius XM).

Steel Panther still opening for that for?

Skinypupy wrote:

Skinypupy wrote:Skinny Puppy, VNV Nation, and Haujobb are touring in Nov/Dec, will be in SLC on Dec 13.

Early 90's me is doing a little happy dance.

So VNV Nation dropped out of the tour earlier this week. I was kinda bummed until they announced this afternoon that their replacement would be...Frontline Assembly.

This is now pretty much my dream industrial lineup. So. Much. Awesome.

well alright, i'll go now.

Xmann wrote: Steel Panther still opening for that for?

Apparently most of Steel Panther's lyrics are too NC-17 for radio play, no wonder I barely knew who they were. Although they play exactly the "hair metal" style that I like - vocals, guitar, as long as I don't listen to the lyrics too closely