All I Wanna Do is Rock: Travis at the Fine Line in Minneapolis
When Travis comes to town, it’s always a special show. The previous four times I have seen them have all been very entertaining. The first time was as a warm up to Oasis in 2000. Next was headline at the now defunct Glam Slam later that year. Then we had the big show at the State Theater in which the audience was invited up on stage to dance…the entire audience! Two years ago was the infamous 1st Avenue show in which the theme from Rocky was played at the opening as the lads ran in from the front door and through the crowd (!) to get to the stage. Fran, Dougie, Andy, and Neil are terribly charming and wonderfully fun to see live, so when I saw they were coming to the intimate setting of the Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis, I was quite amped.
Their new album, Ode to J Smith, has a much heavier sound than their previous five records. It’s nice to see them moving beyond their dream pop/Radioheadesque shoe gazing meme (which, of course, I love since I am a card carrying member of Emo Shoe Gazers Inc) and really evolving as a band. As they took the stage around 10pm last Saturday night, teasing us with the first bit of the soft “Three Times and You Lose” and then cutting right into “Chinese Blues” from J Smith, it was abundantly clear that they had been enjoying their stay in Heavyosity, USA.Playing songs from each of their six albums (and returning several times to that dream pop sound), Travis wowed and charmed the crowd with their witty banter and highly interactive performance. During “Falling Down,” lead singer Fran Healey came down into the audience to slow dance with a lass and sing amongst us sweaty ones. Not to be outdone, lead guitarist Andy Dunlap left the stage and went into the alley outside for a solo! It was fun to watch the guitar tech try to get the chord for his Les Paul to give as much slack as it could. At one point, I though he might make it all the way to First Avenue.
Highlights for me were “All I Wanna Do Is Rock” (played with balls to labia ferocity)…”Driftwood” (which, after 10 years, I finally truly understand since someone in my life has become the living example of this song)…”Turn” (with Dougie taking the second verse as usual and always a treat) and a bonus, Minneapolis only “Flowers in The Window” played in unplugged style as the very last song.
They are playing dates out East for the remainder of the tour…Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, Philly, New York and Boston….and it looks to be all more intimate venues….a rare treat for yet another UK band that sells out 10K + venues across the pond. Check them out and don’t forget to stare dreamily at your trainers. 🙂
Check out Ode to J. Smith
on Amazon.
Links: Official Site | MySpace
The Friday Five: April 17, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Body Movin’ Remix (Fatboy Slim mix)” (mp3) by Beastie Boys (from Best of Grand Royal 12’s)
The classic remix that, in my opinion, was superior to the original cut.
“Let Me Clear My Throat (Old-School Reunion remix)” (mp3) by DJ Kool (from Let Me Clear My Throat)
Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh bring the old school flavor to the late 90’s club smash. I’m doing the Ed Lover dance as this plays; you all can join me…
“I Wish U Heaven” by Prince (from Lovesexy)
For some reason Lovesexy never clicked with me. I’ve listened to it numerous times and “Alphabet St.” is definitely among my favorites from that era but as a whole work it never made an impression.
“Mercy Mercy Me” by Marvin Gaye (from Number 1’s)
Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain’t what they used to beAlmost 40 years later and nothing has changed (for the better).
“Cholly (Funk Getting Ready to Roll!)” by Funkadelic (from One Nation Under a Groove)
The shuffle ends on a funky note today, good vibes from the original fathers of the funk.
So tell me, what’s funkin’ you out to the weekend?
Ick’s Pick (Week XV): John Doe and the Sadies – ‘Country Club’
When I was looking through this week’s releases, this one jumped out of the screen at me: John Doe and the Sadies. Now, I’m pretty clueless when it comes to the music of X, and its co-founder Doe. But I know the reputation of X as one of the seminal bands of the L.A. punk scene. The Sadies are a Canadian band that specialize in that rootsy, twang-filled sound that I enjoy so much. So seeing that these two entities collaborated had me visualizing some sort of country sound with a kick – maybe something in the vein of Old 97’s or Reverend Horton Heat. Twang with a Bang…
But it was apparent a few songs in that this was not that kind of album at all. What you’re getting instead is a classic, old school country sound. Most of the tunes are covers of some country classics: Johnny Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone”; “A Fool Such As I” (made popular by Elvis); Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night”; and Merle Haggard’s “Are the Good Times Really Over For Good”, among others. There’s also a few originals, including some nice instrumentals composed by the Sadies in there.
If you’re into classic, “real” Country music (not the homogenized “New Country” that Nashville is pooping out these days), you’ll enjoy this album. If you drive a big rig cross country for a living, this’ll make good company. If the lights are low, you’ve got a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a broken heart, throw on track 11, “Take These Chains From My Heart”, and call it a night.
While the album lacked the punch I was expecting, it’s clear that John Doe is a huge admirer of these songs, and he adds something fresh and new to every one of ’em. With a tight band like Sadies backing him up, what you have is a solid album that’ll feed those twang pangs when they come around.
BUY Country Club
.
Links: John Doe’s Official Site | The Sadies Official Site
Stream the first 10 tunes here:
Review: Dave Matthews Band at Madison Square Garden
Photo: John Waters
“Who starts a tour at Madison Square Garden?”
Apparently when you are Dave Matthews Band, the answer is, well, you. Returning to the last venue the band played at the close of their 2008 tour, the band kick started their 2009 tour with a set that could really only be described as epic. There was a definite underlying theme to the night celebrating both the release of their upcoming album Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King, and the life and spirit of LeRoi Moore, whose presence was definitely felt throughout the evening.
Before I get too far into the main event, I’ve got to give some love to Philadelphia’s Legendary Roots Crew. Folks that follow Questlove on twitter know that Tuesday was a busy day for the band running from their ‘day job’ at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to The Garden and then to their weekly gig at Highline. My wife Christine and I met up with some friends and fellow DMB fans before the show for drinks and dinner, and it was Questlove’s tweet that let us know it was time to head over. Still dressed in their late night gear the band absolutely killed it, wasting not a single second to silence or typical between song banter. From Led Zeppelin to R&B to Hip-Hop the group did not miss a beat blending it all into a tasty gumbo. Highlights for me came at guitarists Captain Kirk Douglas’ take on Cody ChestnuTT‘s “The Seed (2.0)” hook, Black Thought’s absolute mastery on the mic and percussionist Frankie Knuckles leading the band through dance routines Jerome Benton-style.
Photo: John Waters
Seated behind the stage we could clearly view the activity taking place as the road crew set up the curtains and prepped the stage. Dave sauntered out and pumped his fists jumping up and down for those of us who could see him and the band warmed up the intro to “Don’t Drink the Water” from their 1998 classic Before These Crowded Streets. For as many times as I’ve heard “Don’t Drink the Water” (and this marks the third consecutive time I’ve heard it as a show opener) it never wears. The “This Land is Your Land” tag elicited a roar from the crowd as he used Woody Guthrie‘s words to supplement his own toasting the “New York Island”. Following closely was the tour staple “Corn Bread”, a salacious little bit of country fried funk that inspired Dave to choreograph his own brand of dance to a fury that I’ve not seen since James Brown sat in with the band a few years back. The band launched into the first of three new tracks from Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King, “Funny the Way It Is” (which had been released for free earlier in the day) to an audience already singing back to them.
The first sign that this was not to be just another tour kick-off was the appearance of “Raven” from Busted Stuff which has not been performed by the band since 2006. Building on the momentum the band tore through an amped up version of “You Might Die Trying” from 2005’s Stand Up. Guitarist Tim Reynolds delivered his exclusive brand of fret board gymnastics and made it look easy. The second debut came with the mid-tempo “Spaceman” which juxtaposed Dave’s scat like vocals against a gently rolling groove. This one definitely has potential…
I’m not all there, I’m a faithful sinner
I might get lost, but I’ll be home for dinner
If God don’t like me, he can hand me to hellNot coming home till the good day’s gone
Working as hard, as the day is long
Working men watch me, when I get home“Dancing Nancies” from the bands label debut Under the Table and Dreaming segued nicely into “Pig” both of which prominently featured violinist Boyd Tinsley‘s soulful violin. I’m not certain if Boyd’s new violin is a more traditional build than his original custom model, but its tone was sweeter and harmonic and his turns driving the ship were all the better for it. As the crew brought an additional microphone onto the stage Dave welcomed Gregg Allman (who just “happened to be in town”) up to run through the classic “Melissa” with Gregg and Dave trading verses.
On any other night this would be a showstopper, but the night was young and far from being over. After running through old school fan favorites “Recently”, and the sadly ironic “So Damn Lucky” the band switched gears for the dark “#27”. Dave introduced the final new track of the evening with a tribute to the bands fallen member LeRoi Moore with the emotional and decidedly heavy “Why I Am”.
Still here dancing with the Groogrux king
Will be drinking big whiskey, while we dance and sing
When my story ends, it’s gonna end with him
Heaven or hell, I’m going there with the Groogrux kingFrom there the band turned up the tempo with a killer version of the anathematic “Ants Marching”. At moments I could not tell you who was louder, the band or the crowd the 20,000 strong sang along every single word. Almost certain that the set was ending the band surprised me by launching into a powerful “#41” featuring saxophonist Jeff Coffin‘s first step into the spotlight of the night. His solo was delivered with such ferocity that it was almost as if he were blowing The Garden down himself. The “Sojourn of Arjuna” interpolation with Coffin and Rashawn Ross on trumpet adds a new twist to the classic and Reynolds again lends soaring leads to the mix of the 17-plus minutes of jamming.
At the close I said to myself that if they ended the show here I’d be happy, but as notes faded the familiar strum of “Two Step” brought the crowd to an absolute frenzy. The entire band traded measures with each and every member showcasing their immense talent. Starting with a restrained but powerful lead by bassist Stefan Lessard and wrapping with 4 plus minutes of percussive bliss courtesy of Carter Beauford, the band kept it going for nearly another 20 minutes before leaving the stage for a quick breather. Dave returned with Tim, Carter and Rashawn for the touching “Sister”, and the rest of the band came back to close the set with the joyful “Tripping Billies”.
As Christine and I made our way back to Grand Central in the pouring rain, we commented to each other on just how extraordinary a show we just witnessed, and quickly rattled back and forth our highlights. It was an emotional experience seeing the band without LeRoi, but it was clear that this night was a celebration of his life, his songs, and his spirit that the band is clearly carrying forward with them.
Dave Matthews Band at Madison Square Garden
New York, New York
April 14, 2009
Set List:
Don’t Drink the Water
Cornbread
Funny the Way It Is
Raven
You Might Die Trying
Spaceman
Dancing Nancies
Pig
Melissa (w/Gregg Allman)
Recently
So Damn Lucky
#27
Why I Am
Ants Marching
#41
Two StepEncore:
Sister
Tripping BilliesBonus Video!
*It’s not great, but it’s something…
Dave Matthews Band – Funny the Way It Is (live) (YouTube)
Pre-Order Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King: Amazon
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
Bolero!: Conor Oberst at the Marquee Theater in Tempe
Thanks to a last minute ticket offer (gotta love Twitter), I headed out to see Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band last night at the Marquee Theater in Tempe. They played the ACL Festival last September, but I missed ’em there. I’ve been an admirer of Conor’s since I heard the Bright Eyes album ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning‘. Brilliant record. Conor’s self-titled solo debut last year is also top notch, “Sausalito” being my favorite.With the venue located in the heart of Arizona State University, the college set was out in full force. I was one of the old folks in the crowd, and I’m only 38. Props to the older 50 something who was accompanying his teenage daughter. I’ll be doing the same down the road. I love seeing that.
Conor, his new wide-brimmed black bolero hat, and the band strolled out at around 9:20pm, and launched into a track called “Spoiled” from the MVB’s forthcoming album, ‘Outer South‘. The 90 minutes of music focused exclusively on music from that album, and from Conor’s record.
I was back by the soundboard, and my only complaint of the evening was the occasional muddiness in the mix in some of the louder full band songs – especially “Sausalito”. An exception though was a tune that the lead guitarist sang about a half hour into the show. It was a short, sweet blast of rock n roll – sort of like when Keith Richards steps to the mic for one of his uptempo tunes. I was taken aback. I’ll be keeping an eye out for this tune on the new record. I tried to get some lyrics down, but pretty much failed. All I got was “I still get…” and “with you”. That helps, huh?
What surprised me too was hearing the Conor songs live, and the way it breathed new life into them. “Eagle on a Pole” was explosive and spirited; “Get Well Cards” and “Moab” were also great.
The true magic for me though came when things slowed down, namely in the opening and closing songs of the encore. The first song of the encore was just Conor and his acoustic, singing “White Shoes” (from the new MVB album). It was just gorgeous, centered around the chorus: “Anything you wanna do. Lover, anything you wanna do.” Intimate and intense. You can hear it right here.
The closer of the evening was “Milk Thistle”, which also closes Conor’s record. Apparently I hadn’t taken the time to focus on this song when listening to the album, because the lyrics blew me away…
I’m not scared of nothing / I’ll go pound for pound
I keep death on my mind / Like a heavy crown
If I go to heaven / I’ll be bored as hell
Like a little baby / At the bottom of a wellAnd
And I’m not pretending / That it’s all okay
Just let me have my coffee / Before you take away the dayI was really impressed by Oberst and the band. Conor couldn’t have been more genuine and personable in his interaction with the 700 or so people in the crowd. He seemed to be in a great mood, and the crowd fed off that, enjoying every song, even the new unfamiliar ones.
Except for those few who felt like chatting away during “White Shoes”. I am not fond of people like you.
Conor Oberst – Milk Thistle (mp3) – from Conor Oberst
[audio:milkthistle.mp3]
Links: Official Site | MySpace
There was a problem with the comments…
…and it’s fixed now.
There’s a setting in my fancy WordPress blogging platform that requires a user to be registered if they want to leave a comment. Well, an evil gremlin crawled in there and checked that box, and for the last several days, that setting has been active. I thought it seemed a tad quiet around here.
So for those that want to enter the Leonard Cohen Giveaway, or join in on Michael’s Friday Five, it’s not too late! I’ll keep my Cohen giveaway going through this weekend to give everyone a fair share.
Cheers!
Springsteen Tour Premiere Tracker
Photo / set list info courtesy of Backstreets.com I’m still riding a Springsteen high after seeing him April 3rd here in Arizona. Since then, the show has rolled on to Austin, Tulsa, Houston, and Denver – each stop bringing more surprises for the lucky fans. I thought I’d keep track of the tour premieres on this, the Working on a Dream tour, since it seems the band will be pulling out more treats, and the fact that sign requests have become a staple of an E Street Show, with the Boss honoring requests each stop along the way.
So read on for your one stop shop for all the Springsteen bust-outs as they travel on down that road….
[Be sure also to keep up to date on Backstreets and Bruce’s Official Site.]
Leonard Cohen, Live in London CD & DVD [It’s a Giveaway aka Free S**t Alert]
Leonard Cohen is another one of those fellas that I kick myself for not getting more into, because I enjoy the little I’ve heard, and I know I’d enjoy his stuff if I just took the time to seek out his work and listen. The smooth, intricate, laid back vibes, the wit and wonder of his lyrics. I mean, I would definitely call “Hallelujah” one of the most brilliant songs ever written. And I gotta say, with Jeff Buckley singing it – well, it don’t get any better.
I’ve started tonight by taking in his new CD/DVD, Live in London. I’ve been grooving for some time, enjoying Cohen’s smooth baritone timber, and the terrific show that he put on for the folks at the O2 Arena last July 17th.
Once again, folks, I sacrifice an awesome collection for the good of the Ickmusic reading populace. I’ve got a brand new CD of the show, and a brand new DVD of the show, and one lucky commenter below will get both gratis.
To enter: it can’t get any easier, really – leave a comment below.
That’s it.
If you’re a longtime fan, maybe you can throw in an album / era recommendation for the newbies out there. Or maybe an anecdote. Or a link to a tasty video. You be the judge. If you’re just getting started with LC, what draws you to his music? What was your introduction to Cohen? Or have you even had one? Do you like gladiator movies? What’s the biggest lake you’ve ever been in? Where’s Waldo?
I’ll pick a winner by next weekend. Good luck!
BUY Live In London
Links: Official Site | MySpace
Live In London Tracklisting:
Disc 1 –
1. Dance Me To The End Of Love
2. The Future
3. Ain’t No Cure For Love
4. Bird On The Wire
5. Everybody Knows
6. In My Secret Life
7. Who By Fire
8. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye
9. Anthem
10. Introduction
11. Tower Of Song
12. Suzanne
13. The Gypsy’s WifeDisc 2 –
1. Boogie Street
2. Hallelujah
3. Democracy
4. I’m Your Man
5. Recitation w/ N.L.
6. Take This Waltz
7. So Long, Marianne
8. First We Take Manhattan
9. Sisters Of Mercy
10. If It Be Your Will
11. Closing Time
12. I Tried To Leave You
13. Wither Thou GoestThe Friday Five: April 10, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Oh Sherrie” (mp3) by Steve Perry (from Street Talk)
Perry’s first foray away from Journey ended up sounding more or less like, well, a Journey record (albeit with less Neal Schon). I fondly recall this tune being absolutely everywhere the summer of 1984.
“Workin’ for a Livin'” by Huey Lewis & The News (from Time Flies… The Best of Huey Lewis & The News)
Between “Takin’ Care of Business” and “Workin’ for the Weekend” this completes the perfect trifecta of “Workin’ Man” songs that for some reason always remind me of 80’s Michael Keaton.
“U Don’t Have to Call” by Usher (from 8701)
Between 8701 and Confessions Usher Raymond cemented himself as the go-to Pop/R&B guy. Sure, he may not have Musiq‘s or Raphael Saadiq‘s soul or Brian McKnight‘s velvety voice, but the ladies love him and he can dance his ass off.
“The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground (from Sex Packets)
Ya’ll know this… time to do the Humpty Dance!!
“Ask the Lonely” by Journey (from Greatest Hits)
Apparently iTunes is in the mood to hear Mr. Perry’s voice. I’ll abide…
What’s shuffling up on your player today?
Phoenix vs. Alan Wilkis
Friend of Ickmusic Alan Wilkis shot this remix over to me earlier this week and I simply cannot stop listening to it. With Phoenix coming off their stellar SNL performance (seriously, who did they pay to get the sound right because this season has been the worst for musical acts on SNL) this is ready-made to get you moving. I’ll even go as far as to say that I like the original, but I love this remix. Check it out for yourself…
Phoenix – “1901 (Alan Wilkis remix)”
Alan also let it slip that he’s working on an EP to be released in late May. You can be sure that we’ll have all the details when the record drops.
Buy Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: Amazon | iTunes
Phoenix Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
