Jan 30
AndrewCover Band
I love a good cover band any day but this wasn’t one.
Totally Inappropriate played two 45-minute sets for the Saturday night bar crowd that got better for those smart enough to keep drinking during the break. Songs like Hey Jealousy, I Don’t Wanna Be were ripped through with abandon – enthusiasm being the only thing this band had going for them.
The bass and drums were too loud, the singer’s voice was drowned out and still terrible (either he couldn’t sing or couldn’t hear himself but the bottom line was painful). Tom Petty got two nods, the Black Crowes and some Red Hot Chili Peppers found themselves on the set.
As a weird sidenote, the lead singer was kind of vulgar with his between song banter. Something about screwing “with your clothes on” and similar such nonsense. Totally inappropriate, indeed. And decidedly unpleasant to boot.
Jan 15
AndrewAlternative Rock, Jam Band
Bluesy rocker band fronted by Celeste Griffin who adds a good deal of authentic vocal grit to an already stellar performance. The set was ethereal and graceful and wholly captivating to anyone in the bar tonight.
Aug 31
AndrewAlternative Rock, College Rock
Despite illness canceling one show earlier in the week, the Counting Crows were in fine form during their Boston stop on the Traveling Circus and Medicine Show. Lead singer Adam Duritz started on the festivities with an extended PSA for the non-profits at the venue. Then the full company, the band plus Michael Franti and Spearhead and Augustana, came out for a rousing two-song introduction to the party. The Counting Crows took the stage on their own for the opening set that included a beautiful version of If I Could Give All My Love.
For their two sets, the Counting Crows covered a lot of ground, including a healthy dose of August and Everything After, Omaha, Mr. Jones, and Anna Begins. They brought out a rarity, the Nanci Griffith track Going Back To Georgia (which Duritz sang on and co-wrote), and from the new album When I Dream Of Michelangelo.
This was a fine, fine performance, and the format of the night, each band playing a shorter set intermixed with collaborations, actually worked. There was a seemless transition between sets. Some of the best songs were collaborative efforts, like Why Should You Come When I Call and a cover of Bob Dylan’s Just Like a Woman. The night ended as it began, with the full company on stage, pounding through a rousing version of Paul Simon’s Cecilia and the Crows’ own classic Rain King.
Aug 31
AndrewCollege Rock, Emo
Augustana contrasted pretty sharply with the other bands by being an understated cross between Coldplay and Bob Dylan. Their two sets during the night where fine performances despite being low key pop affairs, giving the crowd a break from the frenetic energy of Michael Franti and Adam Duritz. Their music was mellow-bordering-on-emo, and their stage presence was completely swallowed up by the other bands. It was hard to see how they could carry a show on their own.
Playing the track Boston would have been pandering except it was the highlight of their set.
Aug 31
AndrewReggae, Rock and Roll
Michael Franti and Spearhead managed a level of energy during their two abbreviated sets that was unmatched by either of the other bands. Playing a mix of rock and reggae, and playing the musician and the master of ceremonies of a wild dance party, Franti was a force of nature on stage. The highlight of the night was a full company run through of their track Hello Bonjour.
For what it’s worth, they seemed to stick to a hits-heavy set, Say Hey (I Love You) and rousing version of Yell Fire!. Probably most everyone in the venue had never heard of Spearhead, but they converted fans tonight by the masses. They were hugely entertaining.
Aug 17
AndrewAlternative Rock, Rock and Roll, Singer/Songwriter
Tori Amos gave an exquisite performance, starting with a three-song whammy including a big, big version of Big Wheel. The Sinful Attraction tour rolled into Boston for the last U.S. stop showing no fatigue from the twenty-plus dates that came before. The show began and ended on a euphoric high. The setlist was heavy with American Doll Posse tracks and a big nod to From the Choirgirl Hotel.
There wasn’t much talking, aside from introducing the band, but just a seamless run through some of her best tracks, including a heavenly solo version of Silent All These Years on the Bösendorfer (during the Lizard Lounge segment). The new material was pretty, but simply couldn’t match the depth of her older tracks which was more obvious by her pairing Tear in Your Hand against Welcome to England (the new album’s first single). Of the new material, Flavor, stood on its own the best, bookended by two amazing performances, Space Dog and Hotel respectively.
She picked a lot of songs that really focused on her vocals and keyboards, shunting Matt Chamberlain’s drums and Jon Evan’s guitar parts to the background. Especially songs like The Power Of Orange Knickers and Digital Ghost which climaxed on her performance alone, the backing instruments very much seemed like an afterthought.
The surprise of the night was when Tori came out in her Santa persona (from the ADP album) to pound through throbbing versions of Raspberry Swirl and She’s Your Cocaine and Body and Soul during the encore. Holding a martini glass, Santa flicked her drink on the crowd in the front row. But here’s the thing, the costume change revived the energy of the show in a way I couldn’t have predicted. The collective vigor of the venue, including from Tori herself, took a huge upswing with Santa on stage, matching the power of Big Wheel in a way that nothing in between could hold a candle to.
Tori Amos setlist
Give
Big Wheel
Cornflake Girl
Bells For Her
Space Dog
Flavor
Hotel
Tear In Your Hand
Welcome To England
Jamaica Inn
Silent All These Years
You Know I’ve Gotta Go improv
Cool On Your Island
Lady In Blue
The Power Of Orange Knickers
Talula
Digital Ghost
Precious Things
Strong Black Vine
Encore
Raspberry Swirl
She’s Your Cocaine
Body And Soul
Aug 17
AndrewAlternative Rock
Heard two songs of their opening set for Tori Amos. The music seemed chill but didn’t make an impact. However, a couple people who saw the whole set only had rave things to report. We got a free sampler disc of their music so I will give it a listen.
Aug 05
AndrewAlternative Rock, College Rock
Jason Mraz spent the first few minutes on stage introducing his band, a unique way to get the party started. But it was a rippin’ party, complete with a short set from the back of the venue that gave the crowd back there some lovin’. Mraz is an awesome stage performer, with a beautiful range and a way of transitioning between ballads and long extended jams that feels natural and keeps the audience engaged from start (an introduction by Bushwalla) to finish (a lengthy goodbye to the audience just Mraz on stage by himsefl). There were no hiccups in the almost two hour set, highlighted by a soaring version of Only Human, a singalong of I’m Yours (complete with Bob Marley’s Everything’s Gonna Be Alright).
Marz stripped down to the bare essentials for a short set from the back of the venue, shown on the video screens in black and white for the benefit of the people in the front of the house. Included a spine-tingling version of At Last that segued into Sleep All Day. The band jammed while Mraz made his way back to the mainstage for an encore of Clockwatching (including a hint of the Charlie’s Angels theme song) and The Dynamo Of Volition.
Jason Mraz setlist
Fun, Fun, Fun
The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)
Make It Mine
Who Needs Shelter
If It Kills Me
Live High
Only Human
Unfold
Beautiful Mess
I’m Yours/Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
Butterfly
Back of the Venue
Lucky
Never Too Late
At Last/Sleep All Day
Copchase
Encore
Clockwatching
The Dynamo Of Volition
Aug 05
AndrewJam Band
G. Love & Special Sauce spent the first half of their set as a credible jam band with a prevailing jazz feel. The songs weren’t especially memorable but the performance was surprising tasteful and their musicianship was stellar.
That all flew out the window half way through the set when G. Love introduced the song Booty Call. He asked the audience to vote for the clean version or the dirty version (as if the band was in any way prepared to sing the clean version…) The harmonica overload that led into the song was intriguing. The song was dumb and the chorus was obnoxious. And the rest of the set followed suit.
The next song was so stupid, I am here to offer the partial lyrics to the song: “Bring your own beverage Just make sure it’s cold.” The song is called, you know, Cold Beverage. WTF?!? It’s like G. Love is a 10-year old latch-key kid trapped in a man’s body, writing about stupid shit he does after school while waiting for his parents to come home.
Guess it wouldn’t be a G. Love & Special Sauce concert with Baby’s Got Sauce. Move over, Jimmy Ray, you’ve got competition for the lamest song ever to become a hit. Whatever cred G. Love built in the first 25 minutes was demolished in the second 25.
Jul 31
AndrewAlternative Rock, Electronic
Depeche Mode ripped through an impressive set during their Boston-area stop of the Tour of the Universe. The band, Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andy Fletcher plus two backing musicians, tore through a hits-heavy set drenched in dance grooves. They transformed their songs into club classics and it was a shame that the show wasn’t at a standing-room only venue. Instead, it was at the craptastic Comcast Center in Mansfield 20 miles south of Boston on a rainy, humid day with people crammed into their seats, bouncing along as best they could without whacking a person around them.
The stage was set in a wash of lights with an enormous disco ball mounted above the band that acted as a secondary projection screen. The images though, were more distracting than illuminating, especially in light of the pure sound that turned electronic classics like Policy of Truth and Enjoy the Silence into pulsing techno tracks. Gahan’s voice, which has never been that fluid, held up well. Though granted, he let the audience do the singing on the chorus of a song more than once (kind of a cheap trick, that is, but then he’s always taken some vocal breaks down their shows).
DM opened with three songs from the new album, In Chains, the sinister and superb Wrong and Hole to Feed. From there, they turned over the show to classic and current hits from the exceptional stripped-down version of the Gore-sung Home to one of DM’s best post-Violator tracks It’s No Good and their recent smash Precious. They closed the main set with Never Let Me Down Again and went way back for the encore with Stripped and Master and Servant.
Depeche Mode setlist
In Chains
Wrong
Hole To Feed
Walking In My Shoes
It’s No Good
A Question Of Time
Precious
Fly On The Windscreen
Little Soul
Home
Come Back
Policy Of Truth
In Your Room
I Feel You
Enjoy The Silence
Never Let Me Down Again
Encore
Stripped
Master And Servant
Strangelove
Encore 2
Personal Jesus
Jun 27
AndrewElectronic, New Wave
Burnt Fur’s second show in a month was in the seedy underbelly of the Cantab Lounge, a place optimistically referred to as the Club Bohemia. Burnt Fur nailed an hour long set with their signature mix of electronic beats and industrial edge. The band was brilliant, tackling the jangly new wave track Redux and the sound effects-heavy Pixelated Black with the same aplomb. It took a couple of songs to find their groove, but once it clicked with the track Warm All Day from their first LP release Unfurl , the energy levels shot through the ceiling.
Fronted by Scott Harrison, he managed to channel his inner Siouxsie Sioux even on a minuscule stage at the Cantab. The foursome traded off guitar duties during their set and sole female Jean Kennedy even took a vocal turn on a sublime cover of The Cure rarity The Upstairs Room. Rounded out by Ian St. Germain and Patrik Tirda, the band pays homage to their pop sensibilities on tracks like Radiate. But the real highlight of the evening was the triumphant new track, Reverie, slated for their upcoming EP release later this summer.
Burnt Fur setlist
Strange Vacation
Radiate
Warm All Day
Redux
Reverie
The Upstairs Room
Cats
Homage
Vitriol
Pixelated Black
May 27
AndrewHard Rock, Punk
A supposedly “joke” band, the Bozos were fronted by a straight shirtless guy. The music was more Top Gun than anything, it sounded good and looked good but it was obvious this wasn’t a real band. They headlined for the Burnt Fur on purpose, I heard.
Entertaining but who was left to care.
May 27
AndrewElectronic, Goth, New Wave
Burnt Fur were awesome. Why they were playing at Ramrod, a leather bar, I don’t know (on recommendation of a DJ that works there if the stories are true.) The band found a credible vibe between the Cure (which they credited as an influence) and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
The entire set was polished, high energy songs that walked the fine line between punk and new wave. Songs like Warm All Day were at one end of the spectrum while a track like Cats was at the vast other end. But it all worked.
The band traded off instruments and vocal duties and far surpassed expectations in the decidedly un-Ramrod crowd. A cover of The Glove’s Orgy sealed the deal. A magnificent performance.
May 16
AndrewDance, Pop
The B-52’s continue to put on a dance party despite being on the circuit since 1979. Sticking to a nice mix between their latest set Funplex and their classic material like Love Shack and Rock Lobster, they kept the audience dancing with every transcendent note. Their music translates well in the live setting and even the cavernous hall of the House of Blues couldn’t dull their energy. Fred Schneider introduced Strobe Light as a love song, “of the 7,000 written, this is the one we recorded.” He stumped for Obama before Channel Z “8 years of shit is enough” and generally kept up the wise cracking between songs.
The beginning of the set, Mesopotamia and the new track Ultraviolet, highlighted their vocal harmonies at their best. The night’s best was the rare party mix track Give Me Back My Man, with Cindy Wilson on vocals. Wilson constantly mixed it up with her vocal contributions, and used her sex appeal on stage to full effect. The B-52’s have definitely entered the realm of bands that take breaks in between songs more for their own benefit than for that of the audience, but they kept up the banter and did a good job of keeping their reputation as the preeminent party band intact.
The B-52’s setlist
Pump
Mesopotamia
Ultraviolet
Private Idaho
Give Me Back My Man
Funplex
Strobe Light
Quiche Lorraine
Juliet of the Spirits
Roam
Party Out of Bounds
Love in the Year 3000
Hot Corner
Channel Z
Love Shack
Encore
Planet Claire
Rock Lobster
May 03
AndrewAlternative Rock
Blue October has raised their game to stratospheric levels since they busted into the mainstream with Hate Me, and this show was stellar. Justin Furstenfeld has evolved into an endlessly sexy, entertaining frontman, howling his way through all twelve tracks (in order) from their new release, Approaching Normal. Furstenfeld acknowledged the birth of his daughter as inspiration for a happy song (Jump Rope) but her influence was clear enough on the track Blue Does and perhaps on the band’s overall vibe.
They manage to crank up both the volume and the energy to deafening levels at times, tearing through their recent hit Should Be Loved and the blistering break-up track The End. The crowd head-banged their way through X-Amount of Words and Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek which were the heaviest offerings. A softer side does exist, the ode to his daughter, Blue Does, which made for a better live song than a studio track. As does Congratulations , which is the closest the band comes to balladry.
The second half stuck to mostly tracks from their breakthrough release Foiled, excepting the rare appearance of the gorgeous Libby, I’m Listening which opened the encore and fan (and band) favorite Come in Closer. And stuck in between the two was Hate Me, a song which launched them into the mainstream, and has taken on almost iconic stature among fans.
Blue October setlist
Weight of the World
Say It
Dirt Room
Been Down
My Never
Should Be Loved
Kangaroo Cry
Picking Up the Pieces
Jump Rope
Blue Skies
Blue Does
The End
Congratulations
She’s My Ride Home
Into the Ocean (w/Steve Schiltz)
X-Amount of Words
Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek
You Make Me Smile
Encore
Libby, I’m Listening
Hate Me
Come in Closer
May 03
AndrewAlternative Rock
Longwave has been around for a decade, give or take, and took a supporting slot with Blue October at the House of Blues in Boston. They put on a polished performance which included a rare performance of I Know It’s Coming Someday with Justin Furstenfeld on vocals. They closed out their set with the atmospheric track Life is Wrong with Jeremy Furstenfeld on additional percussion.
May 02
AndrewA cappella
Okay, when you’re slotted into Lecture Hall C in the Science Center at Harvard University, you know the acoustics and performance space are not going to be ideal. The ‘Cliffe Notes, an all female a cappella group, gamely took to “the stage” at the bottom of the auditorium to perform as part of Arts First Weekend at Harvard University. They launched into fairly rote versions of Love Song and Call Me. Despite the a cappella arrangements, there wasn’t anything particularly novel about their interpretations of the pop songs. Isn’t the point of performance to put your own stamp on it?
As if to prove exactly that, it was the last number, a medley of Abba songs, that not only showcased their vocal talents, but also provided a spark in their performance. Finally, the girls looked like they were loosening up and having a fun time and the arrangements were dynamic and creative. They ended on a high note, literally.
The ‘Cliffe Notes setlist
Love Song
Call Me
Son of a Preacher Man
Abba medley
May 02
AndrewPerformance
The Noteables, a performance group focused on musical theater, were helped by neither the venue nor their songs choices during the showcase as part of Arts First Weekend at Harvard University. For starters, the acoustics in Lehman Hall were painfully stifled, half of the performers were mouthing the words but no one in the audience could hear the sound. A percussion performance in another building pounded its way through the room to compete with the piano accompaniment for the entire twenty minutes.
But even that would have been overcome had the performance itself not been pretty weak. Half the troupe seemed ill prepared for the opening number There’s No Business Like Show Business, as if they had never seen the choreography before. The song choices were particularly strange since half of the songs were tasteless, totally inappropriate for the crowd of parents and young kids like the lament from Chicago, Class, which is mostly a string of vulgar observations. Don’t Be the Bunny was enjoyable, if a little out of context. That left their signature song, Corner of the Sky, which at the least showcased the performers at their best as a group. But considering they were trying to pitch their upcoming full-length performance, this montage seemed really ill-considered.
May 02
AndrewOrchestra
The Harvard Pops Orchestra, led by conductor Allen Feinstein, performed a classical piece, the limbo and an original composition for the showcase as part of Arts First at Harvard University. Feinstein couched the performance as “how a garden hose can inspire classical music” before launching into a version of Limbo with the garden hose as the limbo stick and members of the orchestra performing the limbo. The final piece featured a soloist using the garden hose as a horn. It sounds indelicate, but the entire performance was polished, surprising and thoroughly enjoyable.
May 02
AndrewA cappella
As part of the Arts First Weekend at Harvard University, the Opportunes put on an enthusiastic a cappella set that featured radio-friendly interpretations of well-known songs. The set started with a Michael Jackson medley that included Smooth Criminal and a wicked version of Man in the Mirror. Various players took turns with solos, and Daniel Oshima handled the beat box (apparently more appropriately titled “vocal percussion”) throughout the set. A gorgeous rendition of Heart of the Matter showed both the creativity and energy that the vocal group put into their arrangements, and their version of Forever even featured some dance choreography. They closed with Change in My Life before running out of time because a mariachi band was waiting in the wings for their turn.
The Harvard Opportunes setlist
Michael Jackson medley
Heart of the Matter
Everybody Knows
Forever
Last Name
Change in My Life
Apr 19
AndrewAlternative Rock
Kings of Leon was so much background noise to the rest of my weekend. They supposedly graduated to arena rock on the strength of their latest album Only by the Night and the radio hit Sex on Fire. It’s a catchy song, and along with their other single Use Somebody, those got the crowd roaring. But in between, there was a lot of generic noise, formless and indistinct dirty guitars and pounding drum beats. The songs relied too heavily on lead singer Caleb Followill’s vocals (who by the way, is unbelievably hot) to the convey the tune and then each song dropped off abruptly, not so much ending but just over as if someone had turned off the radio.
The 5-song encore was more energized and performed with more finesse than any songs that came before it, showing hints of possible future rock star cred. To be fair, the crowd seemed into it. But that’s what a crowd of mostly college students will get you, unbridled enthusiasm in the face of mediocrity. The performance at its best was average. Good for the guys to score a radio hit or two, now they need to work on their showmanship.
Apr 16
AndrewFolk, Southern Rock
The Indigo Girls came to Boston for a brisk two-hour set that covered their career of classic tracks and the full breadth of their new album Poseidon and the Bitter Bug. The Indigo Girls have polished their performance to the point that their songs stand as a testament in their own right, even stripped of all the flash of the full band performance like on the heavenly version of The Wood Song. Backed only by Julie Wolf on keyboards, accordion and vocals, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers scorched the stage with their trademark vocals and gospel harmonies. The crowd embraced old and new songs, lending their voices to Power of Two and an enthusiastic rendition of Closer to Fine (one verse of which was given to opener Lucy Roche who couldn’t compete in personality or stage presence with Ray or Saliers). The highlights included a jam on Shame on You that brought the crowd to their feet, and the live debut of the scorching ballad True Romantic to lead off the encore.
Indigo Girls setlist
Love of Our Lives
Sugar Tongue
Fill It Up Again
Dairy Queen
Power of Two
Driver Education
What Are You Like
Reunion
Run
Yield
Get Out the Map
Shame On You
Fleet of Hope
Moment of Forgiveness
Digging for Your Dream
Ghost of the Gang
The Wood Song
Second Time Around
I’ll Change
Land of Canaan
Closer to Fine (w/Lucy Roche)
Encore
True Romantic
Galileo
Mar 16
AndrewModern Rock, Rock and Roll
Butch Walker and his band put on a stellar show, rocking the house with Butch’s catalog of sing-a-long ready tunes. The set was a nice mix of new tunes, Walker is touring promoting is latest album Sycamore Meadows, and a handful of songs from his back catalog.
He took the stage solo for the first four songs, playing a gorgeous, wrenching version of Joan on the piano, and then strumming along on an acoustic guitar from Going Back / Going Home. His five man backing band joined him on Closer to the Truth and they tore through every song from there on out. Some of his best tunes made it on the setlist, including Maybe It’s Just Me and The Weight of Her and party track Race Cars and Goth Rock. They led into the song The Taste of Red with a full verse of James’ iconic track Laid with Walker noting, “I wish I had written these lyrics.”
He has a great range and knows how to command the stage. The Paradise Rock Club was a great venue for his act; his enthusiasm for the songs and for performing was contagious. He profusely thanked the audience, led a sing-a-long of Best Thing You Never Had and launched himself into the audience with the words “nothing will keep us apart.” A great cover of Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, complete with the high notes, led off the encore. A jam with The Films on When Canyons Ruled the World capped the show, with Butch letting his band wander off stage as he finished by conducting the audience into a choir of sorts.
Butch Walker setlist
ATL
Joan
Going Back / Going Home
Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car, Thought of You
Closer to the Truth and Further from the Sky
Uncomfortably Numb
The Weight of Her
Vessels
Laid/The Taste of Red
Don’t Move
Ships in a Bottle
Here Comes the Heartache
Ponce de Leon Ave
Race Cars and Goth Rock
Maybe It’s Just Me
#1 Summer Jam
Best Thing You Never Had
Encore
Tiny Dancer
Hot Girls in Good Moods
When Canyons Ruled the World (with The Films)
Mar 16
AndrewIndie Rock, Jam Band
The Films started strong on their set. Heavy influences of the Kinks and the Who were readily apparent. But after the fourth song, Pour it Out, where the boys were joined by Butch Walker on piano, their set kind of fizzled. Their look was straight out of Young Indiana Jones, their jams were stuck in the 70’s and there was an unsettling southern vibe to their music. But not a Athens, GA vibe, more like rural Tennessee. Nothing was bad but if you had told me they had just won a Battle of the Bands contest, I would have believed you.
Jan 23
AndrewAlternative Rock
In the intervening months between their official debut and now, the Zac Mac Band have added some new tricks to their set. The best among the newer songs was Warlord, with its atmospheric groove and searing extended jam. The band also debuted the song Cougar (about predatory older ladies, not predatory wild cats) with frontman Zac McIntyre commenting “’bout time you cougars had an anthem.” They also added (for this show anyway) the harmonies of Becky Vinci, a member of the vocal group Rift, to the best effect on 15 Songs.
They opened their set with the radio-ready tunes Red Light and Roll Me Over. Though these are now familiar tracks to their fans, it still took a couple of songs for the band to get the right mix and start to connect with the crowd. After taking a detour through a deliciously creepy version of Creep (in their hands, it always makes me think of something you would hear at a Buffy Summer’s prom), the band hit their stride with The Best Thing and Warlord. Stepping Stone is always a great live jam, and tonight it was a superb example of how this band has come together.
They capped off the night with the amazing track Loaded Gun, Stepping Stone, and their forthcoming single release Highest Level. Proceeds through the month of February for the sale of the Highest Level single (both digital and physical formats) are being donated to Sherry’s House out of Worcester, MA. Additional details are available on their website.
Zac Mac Band setlist
Red Light
Roll Me Over w/ Becky Vinci
15 Songs w/ Becky Vinci
MySpace Heartbreak
Creep
The Best Thing
Warlord
Trap
Cougar
Loaded Gun
Stepping Stone
Highest Level w/ Becky Vinci
Jan 23
AndrewJazz
A jazzy five-man jam band with funk tendencies, Persian Blue played the opening set at Johnny D’s on a Friday night. Their set started flat but picked up with the addition of vocalist Nina Evans, and from then on, the group put on a sizzling, energetic performance. The tempo definitely picked up when Evans stood in front of the mic, but to their credit, the guys kept it going through a number of substantial jams. Fronted by Shah Hadjebi, Persian Blue is one part guitar, one part bass, one part drums, one part keyboard, and then there is the guy that plays everything else. They closed with a version of No Doubt’s Hella Good that was in some respects better than the original.
Nov 24
AndrewArt Rock, Indie Rock
Amanda Palmer stormed into Boston for the first two nights at the Paradise Rock Club, supported by the Danger Ensemble. Palmer’s solo album is a force of nature, as is the performer herself on stage. Playing keyboard solo and accompanied on about half the songs by violinist Lyndon Chester, Palmer ran through most of the songs from her solo album, keeping the audience riveted with soft love lorn songs like Ampersand and the tragic Blake Says. Musically, Palmer has never sounded better. She pounded through spirited versions of back to back Dresden Dolls’ tracks Backstabber and Coin-Operated Boy. During Guitar Hero, she played air guitar and lip synced to her own track from the front of the stage.
She stopped the set twice, once to auction off a signed guitar from the music video for Guitar Hero (it went for $790). Later, she went to a segment called “Ask Amanda” where she answered questions from a hat. It was that kind of show.
The Danger Ensemble is a four-piece performance group that acted out scenes on stage while Palmer played. Some of the pieces were stunning, like the tour de force of “Will Kiss for Kash” during Coin-Operated Boy. During Have to Drive, the Danger Ensemble reassembled in the audience, pushing the crowd away to make a space to work with and proceeded to climb on each other like a living sculpture. It was engrossing and Palmer was happy to share the attention.
The show opened with a eulogy performed by Palmer’s mother (getting the crowd to sing along to Abide with Me) before Palmer herself appeared through the crowd in a white shroud and launched into Astronaut.
The show closed with a lip synced extended version of Rihanna’s Umbrella, a singalong cover of Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer with The Builders and the Butchers supporting and Ryan Sollee sharing lead vocals. Then Vermillion Lies and Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band joined the rest on stage for a wild romp through Leeds United. It was that kind of night. Amazing.
Nov 24
AndrewJam Band
The Builders and the Butchers is a five man jam band. Why they were opening for Amanda Palmer is beyond me, but they were clearly game for the off-kilter crowd and avant garde performances of the other bands on the bill. Still, their music was a series of straight up rock jams, admittedly hard to figure out what they hell they were singing about. Lots of references to blood and other dark imagery. During their closing song, When It Rains, lead singer Ryan Sollee passed out to the audience a bunch of things to bang along to with the band.
The bassist played the entire set with only three strings after one snapped during the first number.
Nov 24
AndrewCabaret
Vermillion Lies, billed as sister cabaret, opened for Amanda Palmer. The two sisters harmonized and clapped and played a ragtag of makeshift instruments to great effect. The opened with a little ditty about cutting open Grandfather, then sang the song of the two sisters with Long Red Hair. The songs smacked of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, definitely not the happily ever after kind. They harmonized beautifully, kept up the chatter in between songs.
“What’s in the box?” we were prompted to ask before Blue (complete with a marionette performance). The Astronomer was a dirty song “the solar system really turns me on
I’m floating through your galaxy your milky ways are all over me”. They closed with two romps through Circus Fish and wildly entertaining Global Warming, which got the crowd pumped and chanting along to the refrain:
global warming – it’s hot!
global warming – it’s not cool!
global warming
it’s too cool for school
Oct 15
AndrewPop
Despite ticket prices coming down across the board, Madonna is still selling out shows with the top ticket price at $350. Who has that kind of money to spend?
It’s a rhetorical question. Don’t answer.
Madonna makes a convincing case for forking over the money, from the elaborate dance routines, to an enormous set of movable parts that extended half way across the arena, to Madonna herself. She continues to reinvent her old material, turning Human Nature into a grunge rocker (complete with a Britney Spears cameo) and Rain into a mash-up with the Eurythmics’ Here Comes the Rain Again. Madonna looks unbelievably hot and muscular and her voice sounded great. She opened the show with Candy Shop and a stunning dance routine and then set out across the long catwalk to a secondary stage set up in the round dead center of the arena floor for Beat Goes On.
Everything moved. The screens pushed back, raised up and pulled forward. Floors dropped below the stage and raised up in the air. Slender half-sized screens, pushed by Madonna’s troupe of back-up dancers, flashed images of Justin Timberlake and other Hard Candy contributors during various songs. It was total overstimulation and to die for.
The last Madonna show I forked over my life savings for was Reinvention which was a good choice because despite promoting a not-so-great album (American Life) the show itself was a greatest hits set and it was spectacular. It was simply stunning, overwhelming and such a completely outrageous display and I loved every second of it. I expected every moment of the Sticky and Sweet Tour to be the same.
I love Madonna’s new album Hard Candy and that alone made it worth heading down to Boston to see the Sticky and Sweet Tour, even if the ticket price made me gag. The show was heavy on tracks from the new album, but Madonna generously added in some of her best hits including a couple of favorites of mine Human Nature and Ray of Light.
The show was divided into four segments, thematic breaks if you will though the average person probably doesn’t obssess over the difference between the Gypsy segment and the Pimp segment. But I guess if you’re an artist, it helps to keep the creative flow organized. Much of this show was a mash-up of various components from the album and samples from other artists. Vogue featured the numerous strains of ticking clock from 4 Minutes. Like a Prayer borrowed from Felix’s dance track “Don’t You Want Me” (and frankly was one of the highlights of the night.) Into the Groove included an entire interlude dance routine on jump ropes and another Madonna hit Jump. 
Borderline went from ballad to a straight rock song giving it an almost Natasha Bedingfield vibe. During She’s Not Me, Madonna confronts her own ghosts, four dancers dressed in Madonna costumes and blonde wigs from various music videos, including the bride from Like a Prayer. (Okay, honestly, the way I just described it doesn’t do the scene justice – it was exquisitely choreographed.) Before Hung Up, Madonna screamed at the crowd “I hope you registered to vote” and then claimed she wasn’t allowed to make political statements before telling us to “Vote for Obama.” She also led the crowd in a sing-a-long of American Life after seeing a handful of guys hold up signs in the audience. The crowd itself was pretty weak, and Madonna made a comment about it, and then thankfully cranked up the energy level in spite of the lackluster response she was getting.
The sound in the Garden tonight sucked but it was more noticeable on some songs than others (I couldn’t figure out why.) Spanish Lesson actually benefited because the lyrics were completely drowned out by the mix. During Heartbeat, it was almost painful to listen to and then one song later, Borderline, you wouldn’t have noticed any problem.
It’s well known that Madonna likes it warm for her vocal chords and having sweat through the Garden during other shows, I knew what to expect. One, jungle-like temperatures. Two, a long wait past the posted start time. Three, a lot of drunk, screaming fans every time the house music swells up and down even when there is no indication the show is about to start. Madonna had a DJ play a thirty-minute set around the time the show was supposed to start, but it was still another hour after that before she took the stage. She also apparently has numerous oddball demands on her hotel space and of the venue itself, but when you bring along 250 staff, crew, dancers and musicians, I guess any amount of accommodation and travel plans is an organizational nightmare. How taxing is it to get her extra bottles of Kabbalah water, really?
It’s a rhetorical question. Don’t answer.
Madonna setlist
Intro/Candy Shop
Beat Goes On
Human Nature
Vogue
Die Another Day interlude
Into the Groove/Jump
Heartbeat
Borderline
She’s Not Me
Music
Rain/Here Comes the Rain Again mash-up
Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You
Spanish Lesson
Miles Away
La Isla Bonita/Lela Pala Tute
Doli Doli interlude
You Must Love Me
Get Stupid interlude
4 Minutes
Like a Prayer
Ray of Light
American Life sing-a-long
Hung Up
Give It 2 Me
Sep 29
AndrewAlternative Rock
For very few artists would I venture into Providence, RI, but for Alanis, I traveled to Mohegan Sun, so why the hell not?
Well, for one, this was the biggest shitshow audience I have ever seen in my Goddamn life. I have seen some shit at concerts, but never concentrated in one show. Pretty much the only thing that didn’t happen was someone careening off the balcony on the main floor below, but it wouldn’t have surprised me if some asshole did.
Alanis was masterful, but she had compete with people in audience for attention. The few people that attended this show to actually see Alanis were interrupted, disappointed and probably annoyed by the 500 people or so whose sole purpose for being there was to get out of the rain. Among the highlights was the piercing, off key wailing from the girl behind me who didn’t know the words to the songs and would break from her own singing to shriek at Alanis in ear-busting decibels. Honey, Alanis ain’t answering. She’s getting on the bus and getting the hell out of Providence as fast as those damn wheels will spin.
The first half the set was a bit hampered by an inattentive audience and a setlist that vacillated too much in tempo. After Uninvited (which was perfection) the shit hit the fan in the audience and it wasn’t until Citizen of the Planet when half the audience exited en masse to refill their beer hats and fill up on hot dogs that the concert became the central focus again.
For her part, Alanis devoted some time to Junkie tracks, and they were easily the best of the night. The full version of The Couch put the concert into another gear, followed closely by a surprisingly pounding beat to anchor Sympathetic Character. You Oughta Know finally got the audience to their feet and for one brief, flickering moment you could pretend you were at a normal concert.
Fortunately, Alanis ignored the sideshow and it was when she brought the band closer for an acoustic take on Hand in My Pocket, Everything and a sublime pulsing version of So Pure that she finally connected. Not her fault, in my opinion, but one couldn’t help notice that she raced through the set like she had somewhere else to be (maybe Cincinnati will treat her better on Wednesday.) Thank U, as always, concluded the show on a natural high and the audience stupidly embraced the line “Thank U Providence” as if she wrote it about them. Fuck Providence.
Alanis setlist
The Couch (intro)
Uninvited
Versions of Violence
All I Really Want
The Couch (partial)
Not the Doctor
Not As We
Citizen of the Planet
Head Over Feet
The Couch (full version)
Sympathetic Character
Flinch
Moratorium
You Oughta Know
Tapes
Hand in My Pocket
Everything
So Pure
Encore
You Learn
Ironic
Encore 2
Thank U
Sep 27
AndrewArt Rock
Joshua Bennett-Johnson’s one-man show made its debut at Cholmondeley’s Coffeehouse at Brandeis University affectionately known as Chum’s. Chum’s, as the story goes, is the inspiration for Central Perk in the Friends TV show.
The six-song set was complete with quiet memorable hooks and his performance style, though understated, was perfect for the setting. The showcase exhibited Bennett-Johnson’s nimble songwriting craft, striking tunes evoking an assortment of autumnal imagery. Iranian Delight, a song about heroin, appropriately had the feel of a sweeping love song. Working through some tension early in the set, he hit his stride during Chase the Road, which he wrote in the last month. The Spaces in Between was the crowd favorite.
As Bennett-Johnson himself told the audience towards the last song of the night, “What’s the point of having these songs if you can’t go out and play them for people?” Indeed, hopefully this just the first time he does so.
The Joshua Band setlist
Iranian Delight
Gone Away
Chase the Road
The Spaces in Between
Untitled
Eleni
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