Recapping the Past Seven Days

I've fallen behind on some posts so here it goes:

* I caught some Spring Training action down in Tampa last weekend. Saw Philly and Cleveland on Friday including a home run from Ryan Howard that seemed to travel 500 feet. The Phillies have a great new stadium in Clearwater. Caught the Yankees and Pirates on Saturday at Legends Field which was pretty uneventful outside of a very awkward moment when Arod tried to startle/scare/tackle Derek Jeter in front of the fans during warmups. It looked so phony. Man, I hate him.

* I went to see the Thermals and the Big Sleep on Sunday night at Bowery Ballroom. What a great fucking show. I can't remember the last time I saw such an energetic crowd at a show. On a Sunday night, no less! Hutch Harris has this dorky machismo that's just as much humorous as it is great rock n roll. I ordered Fuckin A the next day. As for The Big Sleep, they put on a good show but I still think they need to incorporate more vocals.

* I watched the Dixie Chicks documentary, Shut Up and Sing. It doesn't really matter how you feel about the Dixie Chicks music (I don't know any of it), the film's importance is on the value of free speech. I think the impact of the film would have been slightly greater had it been completed after the Grammy's (they swept Best Album, Record, and Song) but then again this isn't really about how the Dixie Chicks got the last laugh. If only it were that simple. The issue is far more serious and it's one that I do have strong opinions on. I strongly recommend it. And yes, RHCP fans, Chad Smith does appear in the film.

* Funny line from a recent Bob Lefsetz blog post on The Arcade Fire:

I mean who cares if the band is on an indie label if the act is sold JUST LIKE it's on a major label.

Why the fuck does the Arcade Fire need a gargantuan story in the "New York Times Magazine"? Is this really gonna reach the target audience? Or SNL... Is that really the cutting edge anymore? Shit, everywhere I turn there's a story on Arcade Fire, the hype is deafening, and in many instances, the band is complicit, can't they say NO?

This after the band made a concerted effort NOT to have their song played on The Black Donnelly's. I guess they can say "NO." You're off on this one, Bob.

The Thermals, The Big Sleep & Statehood @ Black Cat Tonight

FRI MAR 2
BLACK CAT
1811 14th Street, N.W.
Doors Open @ 9PM
THE THERMALS
THE BIG SLEEP, STATEHOOD
$12 mainstage 9:00
Tickets

The Thermals - "Returning to the Fold"

The Thermals - "Pillar of Salt"

The Big Sleep - "Murder"

Statehood - "Hidden Views"

Live Music Weekend Recap

With all the craziness around CMJ this week in New York, I did my best to partake in the events this weekend catching 8 different bands in a 24-hour period. It was exhausting, I felt like I spent a full day at Austin City Limits. Here are some thoughts on the various acts.

Friday, 11/3: The Black Angels, The Black Keys @ Nokia Theatre
I was looking forward to hearing the Black Angels, I haven't had a chance to listen to their album in full but I like most of their songs. They sounded great in what must have been the largest venue they've ever played (2100 which was full during their show). My lady actually felt bad that the band had to drag their own equipment off the stage after their set. I explained to her that not all bands have a crew the size of U2, her response: "Well, they're living the dream". True. The Black Keys were entertaining as always. I believe this is the 4th time I've seen them and this was by far the best set list, combining the best of Magic Potion with past greats. Patrick Carney, of course, did not disappoint on drums. A very nice reminder as to why he is one of the best on tour today.

Saturday, 11/4: Brooklyn Vegan Show @ The Annex
I can't thank BV enough for putting this show together. He literally managed to pull together all of my favorite new bands (White Whale, Tokyo Police Club, and SSPU) in one venue for a FREE show. Amazing. I missed Takka Takka who came on first at noon but here were the rest, in order:

White Whale: I've been waiting and waiting for these guys to come to NYC to promote their album. They haven't received much of the critical acclaim that I feel their album deserves but I thoroughly enjoyed their brief set. After many shows this week, Matt Suggs barely had his voice but the band was nothing short of awesome. They need to come back.

Annuals: Despite all of the buzz, I'm not really a huge fan of the album, Be He Me. The potential is there and some of the songs are great but the album just seems to fade in the latter half. That said, no band left me more impressed. Adam Baker's energy matches his age and although they only managed to get through 4 or 5 songs, I firmly believed that their future will be extremely bright. Random aside: why hasn't Pitchfork reviewed this album? No one built these guys up more after posting the mp3 to "Brother." Get the sense that maybe they felt the same way that I did about the album? A little disappointing to be sure - and yet no review. Hmmm...

Elvis Perkins: I didn't know his work beforehand and I didn't really hear anything that would give me cause to listen further. Sorry, just a bit too depressing for me.

Tokyo Police Club: My vote for best new band in 2006. They easily managed to cover the most ground in their allotted 30 minutes, getting through about 9 songs half of which were new material. Always entertaining, I can never get enough of these guys.

The Big Sleep: "Murder" is one of my favorite tracks this year and there is no question that the band can rock out with the best of them. Unfortunately, I need to hear some more vocals. I get the sense that if they followed in the footsteps of Broken Social Scene that they would also experience similar success.

Silversun Pickups: This is probably one of our most blogged about bands and deservedly so. Entertaining as always, Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger seem to be more comfortable on stage with each show. I just wish they could have played a bit longer. "Lazy Eye" and "Kissing Families" are quickly becoming show staples. Solid.