The BNAC Music Blog

Win Tickets to WYEP's Rock The Block!

2011-09-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

The good folks at WYEP are giving me 2 tickets to give away to their annual block party: ROCK THE BLOCK

Headliner Fountains of Wayne

local support from Chet Vincent and the Big Bend

September 17, 2011

General Admission 8-11pm

The WYEP Community Broadcast Center & Bedford Square

All you have to do is email me your full name and town by Wednesday September 14th. 1 Winner will be randomly drawn and will win 2 tickets to the event. More info available HERE.

So what are you waiting for!? Send me an email at bnacmusicblog@gmail.com (one entry per person)

Good luck!

Album Review: Wild Colonial Bhoys : “Heads or Tails”

2011-08-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

The double album is a tricky thing to pull off. There are several generic (albeit most times appropriate) criticisms dealing with the concept of double LP, mostly dealing with time aesthetics, pretensions, self indulgence, and the like. But when the material is there and the musical stars line up the dual disc format is ideal. Minnesota's Celtic rock band, The Wild Colonial Bhoys is, I'm happy to say, a perfect candidate for the double line up. The band, who have played hundreds of shows across the mid-west over the last few years (including a Pittsburgh gig at The Harp and Fiddle in May of 2009) is essentially 2 entities. Most of the time WCB is a 2-piece outfit of Adam on guitar and vocals and Geno on guitar and backup vocals. For bigger fests and recording the band expands to a full band with drum and bass, and of course fiddle to fill out the modern, rich, Celtic rock sound.

Disc 1 of Heads or Tails showcases the full band sound. Fans of The Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Young Dubliners, and (locally) Red Hand Paddy, will dig tracks like "Whatchu Got For Me", "Good Enough" and, my favorite, the Thin Lizzy inspired instrumental "One Night in Sheehan's" which would get any mosher or dancing hippie pumped up. You don't have to be a fan of the genre to dig these well crafted tunes; the bands influences aren't contained to the Celtic world. Disc 2 captures the 2 man acoustic vibe well, with a set of solid standards and covers including "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and the Wolfe Tone's "Rock On Rockall". This set is perfect for a weeknight at the pub, nursing a pint of Guinness unloading your life's problems on the bartender.

Below is a great track from the album (performed live last year) that tributes a friend of the band who passed away.

There are some audio clips of the band here: http://wildcolonialbhoys.com/media/audio/
Lets try and get these guys back to the 3 Rivers area soon! They'd be a perfect fit at one of our many Irish Pubs or even the Pittsburgh Irish Fest.

Live Show Review: U2 7/26/11 Heinz Field

2011-07-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Chris Martin who saw his 8th U2 Show on this night)

If you are a U2 Fan, its virtually impossible not to enjoy yourself at a show. They always come as advertised, to the joy of fans and the disdain of haters. I caught the boys from Dublin about 2 years ago in Toronto (my very short review of that show is here ) at the beginning of the 360 Tour and had my mind sufficiently blown in the great white north.

Two years later, on a gorgeous July night in the steel city, I had what was left of my face easily melted off. Having seen the early version of the show from roughly the front row in 2009, I was actually looking forward to stepping back a (big) bit and watching from the comfort of my Section 129 Seats; I got the full effect of "the claw" and all its bells and whistles. Being the second to last night of the tour, the set has been drasticaly tweaked over time with and is about as perfect a setlist as a Achtung Baby and Zooropa fan could want, outside of the 90's Zoo TV tour, obviously. It was easy to forget that the tour is in support of the most recent album, No Line On The Horizon (my review of that underrated album is here), with only a few numbers being sprinkled in. The 60,000 plus in attendance didn't seem to mind the greatest hits feel of the night and they stayed on their feet most of the evening, save for a few slower tunes.

Bono is up there with Eddie Vedder in terms of making every night feel important. With shout outs to Art Rooney (who had a hand in booking the gig), Ravenstahl, and Andy Warhol, the band have become experts at personalizing the between song banter for the room. I also just heard a rumor that the band headed to Gooskis after the show. Can anybody confirm or deny this claim?

I'm interested to see what U2 does after this. Supposedly another album is in the works, but its hard to imagine the band wanting to try and outdo the enormity of this monstrosity of a show. We live in a strange world where going back to hockey arenas will be considered a step back. I look forward to it though.

Check out the jaw droppingly epic setlist below:

Main Set: Even Better Than the Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways - Someone Somewhere in Summertime - Promised You a Miracle, Until the End of the World - Anthem, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, I Still Haven't Found - The Promised Land, Stay, Beautiful Day - Space Oddity, Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - Two Hearts Beat As One, Miss You - I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Psycho Killer - Life During Wartime - Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On

Encore(s): One, Hallelujah - Where The Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With Or Without You, Moment Of Surrender, Bad - In The Garden - Walk On The Wild Side - 40

Official U2 Page for the event (with an awesome video) http://www.u2.com/tour/date/id/4536

Scott Mervis Review for the PG: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11208/1163207-388.stm

All Good Music Festival 2011

2011-07-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

"I think that having music festivals like this bonds people. Everybody has a common thing, and all those people get together and we all have an experience together. That’s all anybody’s looking for. It isn’t to hear the Flaming Lips play again or see Radiohead’s light show or any of that, it’s to get together with your friends and have an experience. And if we’re lucky, enough things will happen and some adversity will happen, and something unexpected will happen, and you’ll get tired and you’ll get hungry, you’ll have trouble going to the bathroom, and you’ll lose your car keys. And all these wonderful things will add up to some powerful experience that 10 years from now you’ll say, “Wow, we LIVED!"" -Wayne Coyne

All Good 2011 was a trail mixed bag of beauty, ugliness, malaise, and confusion. I sit here typing this at about 2pm on the Monday following the annual event, now in its 15th year. This was my first visit to Marvin's Mountaintop and I have only moe.down 7 (my only other hippie camping music fest) and anecdotal stories from others to compare my experience to. Rather than wait until the last paragraph to mention it, I feel it makes more sense to mention that a young girl was horrifically killed on Sunday morning of the festival, crushed a football field away from my camping area by a car trying to maneuver the morning dew soaked grass where tents and vehicles were parked all weekend. I didn't personally witness it happening but it was close enough to hear the commotion while my fellow campers packed up for the journey home. My storytelling of the entire weekend will obviously be influenced by the events that transpired at 8:45am on the final day. I do want to make it clear that I did enjoy myself immensely. My group was laid back and fun and 99% of the folks I encountered were friendly and welcoming. If my tone seems a bit somber at times, its only because the tragedy colors the overall story a bit.

Friday: From the moment Ray and I rolled onto the sprawling festival grounds on Friday morning, All Good already felt different than any other musical experience than I have ever been a part of. I usually have my musical itinerary for the weekend mapped out well in advance; this time I arrived relatively unprepared. After determining that we were parked about a mile or so away from the others in our group (who arrived on Thursday), we made a long and sweaty trek through hordes of half naked and tie-dye wearing wookies, going through the motions of what they think a festival is supposed to feel like.

Isn't it odd how much of each of everyday lives is a form of simulation? We go to the gym to simulate lifting heavy things and run on treadmill to simulate going a great distance. This phenomenon is true for pastimes, vacations, and anything considered fun, especially festivals. There is very little difference between normal folks who dress up as Furries at conventions across the states and the desk jockeys and college students who drive hours to remote locations to forget all they've learned about hygiene and drug laws, all for the sake of a shared experience.

I saw very little music on Friday. What I did see was good and about as expected: Keller Williams played a trippy and high energy afternoon set in the scorching heat. I lost my friends almost instantly when I turned to find beer; this became a running theme of the weekend, but I kind of enjoy wandering around and people watching. Dana Fuchs ('Dana Fucks' to the critics in my group) was up next and did her best imitation of Janis Joplin to an ever shrinking crowd. I enjoyed her cover of 'Helter Skelter' (which was note for note from her Across The Universe rendition) while watching the amateur hula-hoop artists surrounding me. Later that evening Furthur hit the stage about an hour late (this was also a running theme of the weekend). I listened to a bunch of Dead tunes with proper respect and enjoyment before succumbing to the heat and length of the day. I passed out around midnight, thus missing the much hyped Umphrey's McGee late night set. The assholes with the fireworks around my tent woke me up on a 15 minute rotation throughout the early morning.

Saturday: I am impressed I was able to function as well as I did on Saturday, working on about 2 hours of combined sleep and on a motor fueled by beer, greasy food (the Jerry Rolls were better than advertised), and pure adrenaline. Moe. , booked as a co-headliner on this day, played a special 45 minute acoustic set in the middle of the day thanks to fans apparently downloading a song for some grassroots cause (no one in the crowd seemed to have any idea about this...they just wanted to rock). Avoiding the sun is an art at festivals and the rain that was promised in forecasts never came. Our camping area (a make shift living room consisting of two 10X10 canopies) was rarely empty during the daylight hours and relaxation and silence won out over the 15 minute walk to the stage more than once. We did have our share of visitors of course, usually 22 year olds with basketball jerseys or Dead shirts attempting to sell (possibly phony) narcotics; Molly was a popular name in West Virginia this hot July weekend.

Yonder Mountain String Band was finally the band to get our group (and most of the concert goers) to journey away from home-base, delighting us all with a spirited set of rock and bluegrass that was a welcome diversion from typical crunchy fare. moe. played a more traditional electric set that seemed to fly by. Body painted coeds (Who needs shirts when you have blue paint?) danced along old hippies smoking bowls and dodging glow sticks. By the time Primus took the stage the crowd was in constant motion. Those trying to sit on the uncomfortable hill were outnumbered by the droves who just couldn't stand still for a moments time. I got lost in the waves around this point and enjoyed Les Claypool and company's brand of bass heavy weirdo rock. Though I couldn't make out many of the lyrics, the groove of the music was enough to keep me into the set, which raged late into the night.

I left about 20 minutes or so into the Pretty Lights set, a rave scene that I may be a bit too old or lame to completely enjoy. Having seen Daft Punk at Lollapalooza in 2007, I wasn't as blown away from Pretty Lights as the throngs of teens and 20 somethings in attendance, who at some point switched out of their hippie costumes for full on rave gear, a strange sight to be sure. The light show and flying glow in the dark paraphernalia was a show within itself. I made it back to camp by 3am, and somehow got a 4 or 5 hour nap before the sun and the heat woke me up.

Sunday: The lineup for Sunday was kind of weak to begin with; Dark Star Orchestra being the only band I had any true interest to see. All weekend there had been talk about leaving early to beat the traffic. When I went to bed on Sunday morning at 3, I still wasn't sure how much of All Good I still had left to experience.

Then as we were taking down our tents (the plan was to pack the tents up and then enjoy the music in the afternoon) word started to spread that a horrible accident had happened. I'm not any type of investigative journalist so if you want details you can read them here. Suffice to say that once word of this reached the masses, the vibe had been justifiably killed. Add to that the fact that we weren't able to find a golf cart cab back to the other side of the mountain (meaning we walked more than an hour with tons of camping gear and a cooler), and Sunday was over as soon as it started.

Prior to 9am Sunday, I have very little complaints about the All Good Music Festival. I found it to be a mostly well run excursion. The music took a back seat to the experience of it all (the heat and lineup were both factors in this) which is odd for me, but I did enjoy myself. I'm sure time and public opinion may morph the tragedy into a finger pointing "could this have been avoided" war of words (the Facebook wall is a hive of emotion right now), but thats to be expected. One can't really bitch and moan about a 'vibe" or "buzz" when a 20 year old (who's last concert was most likely Pretty Lights) is dead.

As we were finally nearing the car, someone on the stage was covering the Dead's Uncle John's Band. Made for nice exit music to a long strange trip of a weekend in the mountains of West Virginia.

Devo 6/17/11 and The Monkees 6/22/11; A Tale of Two Nostalgia Shows

2011-06-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

I don't go to a lot of purely nostalgia shows these days. I have nothing against them; I am just at an age where most of the bands I enjoy are still making new music that they tour behind. Either way, I hit up 2 retro rocking shows at Stage AE within the last week or so.

I guess technically Devo is still a current band, having released Something for Everybody last summer, but I would surmise that 85% of the crowd (filled with more nerds than I have ever seen assembled) was there only with a "Greatest Hits" knowledge of the boys from Akron. There was no opening act (this seems to be a trend lately) so I got a nice buzz going before Devo hit the stage around 8. If you were only there to hear "Whip It" it was a short night for you as the band only waited 8 songs to play it. We were treated to bizarre imagery on the giant screen onstage all night, and the indoor venue provided a nice ear drum melting re-verb through the 90 minute set. What impressed me most about the show is that, even though I was only familiar with about 50% of the songs, I was never bored. The video screens, costume changes, and just overall absurd stage antics kept me, and most of the crowd, interested throughout.

I've enjoyed The Monkees from a distance since grade school. The re-runs of the TV show were big in the Nac house in the late 80s and early 90s. I have always found "Daydream Believer" to be one of the most beautiful pop songs ever recorded; it never gets old. The tickets said 6:30, but what most of the baby boomers in attendance didn't read was the "doors open" that followed. There was mass confusion of old people from the moment the gates opened; a good number of them actually thought the show was starting promptly at 6:30 and thus, everyone in line would be missing the music! In all fairness, it seemed like most people at the outdoor Stage AE hadn't been to a concert in 30 years or more.

The rain in the forecast luckily held out for most of the night, save a few sprinkles early on. The Monkees hit the stage at 8:00 on the dot, opening with "I'm a Believer" . It was 1 hour and 41 minutes until they played another "hit" (not counting Stepping Stone which was a minor hit). This surprised me, as did the 2 plus hour set time. Davy, Peter, and Mickey were backed by an 8 piece band of solid musicians and every band sounded (almost) as good as it did 45 years ago, but the pacing of the evening was questionable to be sure. They could have easily hired an opening act to start at 7:30 and played a tighter 85 or 90 minute set. Either way, its always a good time to enjoy positive music in a beautiful outdoor setting.

It also occurred to me that the next band I'll be seeing on that stage will be Slayer w/ Rob Zombie. I wonder if they'll wait till the end to play "Pleasant Valley Sunday"?

(Both photos by John Heller of the Post Gazette)

The Sights Play Brillobox tonight!

2011-06-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Detroit rockers The Sights are playing the Brillobox tonight (6/23/11) at 9 with local band, Neighbours.

I won't be able to make it out for the show, but if any of you are able to I'd love to share the review. Peace, love, and brilloboxes.

Live Show Review Elvis Costello and the Imposters June 16th 2011 Pittsburgh

2011-06-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Part of the beauty of an Elvis Costello gig is that its hard to discern between the new songs and the old ones. This is an artist so prolific and with a canon of material thats so immense and varied that he could probably play every night of the week and never repeat a song. Luckily, he is also a performer first and foremost, so old favorites, lesser known rarities, and new cuts can all live and breath together in the beast that is the Elvis Costello live show.

By now you've probably read or heard about the basics of this current tour: The Spectacular Spinning Songbook which boasts a giant Price is Right style wheel with hits and rarities. Audience members (mostly excited females besides one Browns fan with good taste in songs) were brought up on stage to spin the wheel and choose "the next 5 minutes" of the show. Tunes that would normally be saved for the end of the set were picked early ("Pump it Up and "Every Day I Write The Book") and the mood was altered if a slower song was chosen ("Spooky Girlfriend). It takes brass balls as a performer to potentially sacrifice the pacing of the evening for spontaneity; but 9 times out of 10 it worked very well. The band of "Imposters" behind him never missed a beat. And Elvis, sometimes as carnival barker Napoleon Dynamite (yes, kids, he DID create this name many years before the movie of the same name), kept the momentum going throughout the 2 and half hour set.

And even with the rain that fell lightly, but steadily, for the first hour or so of the gig, the evening was a rollicking good time. Lets hope Elvis and the gang don't wait so long between Pittsburgh visits from now on.

SETLIST June 16th 2011 Pittsburgh
I Hope You're Happy Now
Heart of the City
Mystery Dance
Uncomplicated & Shotgun
Radio Radio
You Tripped At Every Step
Every Day I Write the Book
Pump it Up
I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
Spooky Girlfriend
Party Girl
Sulky Girl
So Like Candy>Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Monkey to Man
I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea
All Grown Up

(Solo)
A Slow Drag with Josephine
Jimmie Standing in the Rain'

(Band Returns)
God's Comic
Alison
Clowntime is Over
Strict Time
Man Out of Time
Out of Time
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
Substitute
Watching the Detectives
I Want You

As you can see from the photos, I kept my cool during a post show meet and greet.

New Bear Cub Video!

2011-06-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

It may be a while until blog favorites Bear Cub play in the burgh again. Until then, enjoy the hell out of this video.

Artist Spotlight/ Ribs on The River Preview/ Jimbo and The Soupbones

2011-06-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today's Ribs on The River 3 Artist spotlight is Jimbo and The Soupbones. I have seen this band more times than I can remember. They have become Pittsburgh's best party band having seemingly played almost every bar, club, seafood restaurant, and street fair in the 3 Rivers Area. A few months ago they played the small and understated Consol Energy Center opening for some Indie Shoegazer band, Bon Jovi.

Playing a satisfying mixture of jam, funk and R & B the band is a non-stop fun machine. They kind of remind me of what moe. would sound like if they were fronted by a 6 ft 4 in, 240 lb (I'm estimating) Marvin Gaye/Prince combo. Jimbo Jackson missed his calling to be either a carnival barker or a children's TV show host. He constantly engages the crowd and if you are lucky a dance party might break out during the set of originals and covers (my favorite is their take on Men at Work's "Land Down Under").

The band will be playing the main stage this Saturday at 5:30. So if you want to burn the calories of 4 orders of ribs, Jimbo and The Soupbones have just the set for you!

Artist Spotlight/Ribs on the River Preview: Slingshot Genius

2011-06-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend is a great one if you love local music. Not only do you have the South Park Homegrown Music Festival on Friday, you also have the Ribs on The River 3 which, while headlined by national acts, has an amazing array of 3 Rivers Acts supporting all day long. Today's featured artist is Slingshot Genius.

Slingshot Genius have a multiple personality disorder in a beautifully interesting way. I was able to catch them a few weeks back at the BBT in Bloomfield and I found them to be quite entertaining and very hard to pin down musically. Onstage, vocalist Scott Canavan comes off as a college English professor who's been possessed by the ghost of Joe Strummer. The solid band behind (or next to) him, consists of bassist Chris Bell, Brian Ciarimboli on lead guitar, Rob Marsilli on drums, and multi-instrumentalist Erika Laing who in one evening rocked both the trombone and the saw (in addition to singing and helming the synth).

The band, who have been playing since 2009 around the area, have an unusual sound to be sure. On the rainy evening in May I saw them I heard shades of the Pixies, Social Distortion, Sonic Youth, and Guided By Voices, to name a few. But they don't wear their influences on their sleeves, which is refreshing.

The band are playing twice this Saturday. First at Ribs on The River 3, playing at 7:30 on the 2nd Stage. They'll play late in the evening as well at Excuses on the South Side.

Reminder...You can enter to win 2 tickets to Saturday's Rib's on The River 3 (headlined by Kenny Wayne Shepherd) from this blog. Simply send me an email with your name and put Kenny in the subject line. Winner will be randomly selected and alerted by Thursday June 16th.

BnacMusicBlog@gmail.com

(One entry per person. ) Good luck!

Ribs on the River Giveaway

2011-06-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Rib fests have come a long way since my childhood. Back in the day there were a handful of vendors selling so-so ribs, while the neighborhood polka bands played all afternoon. Luckily things have progressed. From Drusky Entertainment. This weekend:

RIBS ON THE RIVER Fri-Sun, June 17-19

Friday: Ace Frehley performs – Doors: 4:30 PM, Show: 5:30 PM All Ages. Tickets: $10-20 advance/$10-20 door.
Saturday: Kenny Wayne Shepherd performs – Doors: 2 PM, Show: 3 PM. All Ages. Tickets: $10-20 advance/$10-20 door.
Sunday: Leon Russell performs – Doors: 12 PM, Show: 1 PM. All Ages. Tickets: $10-20 advance/$10-20 door. Reserved and general admission seating. Available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, & 1-800-745-3000– On sale now!

The Good People at Drusky have given me 2 tickets to give away to the SATURDAY show. We'll be previewing some of the fantastic local bands that are playing the fest all day over the week. But you can enter to win a pair of tickets now.

Simply send me an email with your name and put Kenny in the subject line. Winner will be randomly selected and alerted by Thursday June 16th.

BnacMusicBlog@gmail.com

(One entry per person. ) Good luck!

Brandi Carlile Concert is Decadent and Depraved (6/10/11)

2011-06-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

No one could have possibly envisioned the horror show that would take place on a seemingly normal Friday night in Pittsburgh. About halfway through the opening minutes of Brandi Carlile's terrifying Arts Fest set I leaned in an whispered to my wife.
"Jesus, Cathy. Hold my hand tight and don't let go. This could be our final dispatch. "
"I know" she sighed "I know".

Brandi took the stage 45 minutes late wearing a Santorum 2012 T-shirt and carrying a bottle of Jack Daniels at her side. "I hate this God forsaken city!" she said before launching into a surprisingly loud cover of Ice Cube's "Cop Killer" to the ironic delight of the 40 or 50 half drunk prison guards hired for security on this balmy evening. The crowd was packed like sex crazed and sleep deprived sardines on the glass covered lawn. Who thought it would be a good idea to feed these lemmings a dangerous cocktail of Four Loko and Red Bull (free samples of both were handed out in mass quantities earlier in the evening)? And who, by God, came up with the concept of handing out grill lighters and kerosene to all children under 12?

All of this seems so obviously bad in retrospect, but I guess that hindsight is indeed 20/20. Carlile herself never missed a minute between chord changes to give the middle finger to the crowd. "Pittsburgh smells like my butthole" she announced more times than logical, as the drones of Carlites (as they have been known as of late) chanted in angry delight. The scene reminded me of the Maryann's parties thrown in the second season of True Blood. Between dodging elbows and burning garbage, Cathy and I were able to rescue a few fallen children from being trampled in the many circle pits that formed during the gig. We weren't able to save everyone, but one counts their blessings in times like these.

Mercifully, somewhere between her cover of Slayer's "Raining Blood" and her AAA hit , "The Story" (heard on Grey's Anatomy) we escaped with our lives (if not our dignity). Many childhoods were lost on this, the 8th of 10 days of the annual 3 Rivers Arts Fest...but many new Carlites were born. I'm shocked that the promoters of a usually fun and family friendly festival would allow such fear and loathing to take place...but what can you expect from a city that is outlawing Jazz music?? At least the deep fried oreos were good!

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Just kidding! The show was light, fun and exactly what you'd expect. Brandi was charming, affable and on the top of her game on this beautiful night. No one, to my knowledge, was harmed or offended. 3 cheers to the 3 Rivers Arts fest!

Live Show Review: Bright Eyes/Dawes ; 6/9/11 Stage AE

2011-06-11T05:08:00.000-07:00

Photo of Dawes Tearing it up thanks to Hugh Twyman

Its almost comforting to know that, even in 2011, some rock concert cliches are still alive and well: The drunk girl stumbling around trying to dance with everyone, the asshole constantly yelling 'Freebird', cheering when your town is mentioned, etc... Bright Eyes, while not traditionally mainstream in the usual sense, felt very by the books when they rolled through town this week. This is not a bad thing, per se, but it was a bit off putting. I am admittedly not a huge fan of Bright Eyes, but in recent years, as the band has matured and evolved, they've grown on me. I've really dug Conor Obest's solo and side projects (Monsters Of Folk being my favorite), and I'm always up for new (to me) things.

I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy the show, because I did, but I was a bit surprised of the vibe that the band put off. I've read that this will be the final tour for Bright Eyes as a band, and it kind of feels that way. For an artist who's known for being so personal and candid, and loved so intensely, it seemed like Conor was just putting on someones idea of a rock show. I liked the songs and I liked his performance. But I didn't feel the connection with him playing the songs. The blood seems to be gone from the body. This isn't to imply that he was going through the motions, because he was working hard, but it almost seemed like he was playing the part of Conor in 'The Bright Eyes Show' that someone was putting on. It kind of reminded me of what it might have been like to see Billie Joe Armstrong playing the lead role in American Idiot on Broadway recently.

Perhaps it was because I was standing in the balcony, but the energy didn't seem to reach the masses in attendance. The first few 'rows' were certainly deeply invested in the performance, singing along to every word, but for the vast majority of the crowd, the performance felt a bit detached. Playing almost the entire new album, with a few old favorites sprinkled in, the night felt like a solid Greatest Hits outing, as opposed to a band riding the peak of their power. Again, I did enjoy the show, I was just hoping for a bit more of a religious experience that didn't happen. I guess I foolishly believed the hype from 10 years ago.

Opener Dawes, on the other hand, felt like a band on the rise. While they were treated mostly like a typical inoffensive opener, Dawes played an outstanding 45 minute set comprised of recently released songs "Million Dollar Bill" and "Fire Away" as well as tracks from the stellar North Hills album. My favorite is and has been the dark and moody "When My Time Comes", which is one of the most poppy tunes about staring in the abyss I've ever heard. I've listened to both albums an almost unacceptable amount of times within the last few weeks. I haven't been this excited about a new band since The Avett Brothers or Fleet Foxes (Dawes bares a slight resemblance to the Avetts) and I will try and catch them any time they come this side of the 3 rivers.

A special shout out to new concert friends 'Steve' and 'Fritz' who we met at the show. Steve, while playing some complicated and dumb game of "Who knows the most people at the show" tried to convince Fritz that he knew Amber (my concert buddy) from an 8th grade summer camp. Fritz, being no fool to such an obvious trick, saw right through the ruse. Both, however became our new best friends when they saw that I had a Flux Capacitor tattoo on the back of my arm. I was being introduced to other random strangers all night as The Flux Capacitor guy. Live music and 80's pop culture ink will always bring people together, folks.

Live Show Review: Social Distortion 5/11/11

2011-05-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

(Photo Above Courtesy of Scott Mervis/Post-Gazette. Read his review here)

Social Distortion christened the outdoor component of the North Shore's music venue, Stage AE this past Wednesday evening to a crowd of aging punk rock fans and yinzers. I can't really express how nice it felt to be outside again watching live music. My last outdoor show was 2010's My Morning Jacket gig and it was exciting to once again be hearing the tunes, watching the freaks, and smelling the not-quite legal smokables of an outdoor concert. Stage AE is almost identical to its sister venue, Columbus's Lifestyle Communities Pavilion (where I saw WEEN last year) and this is a good thing. Its all the good things about the First Niagra Pavilion, except much smaller and closer to town.

I don't know how I've lived this long without seeing a Social D gig. They come to the area fairly frequently (mostly just far enough out of town to be annoying) and I have been a fan for years. I've been digging the most recent album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes a ton and all the pieces fit perfectly to be able to catch them on this trip. I filled up my belly with tater tots, beer, and vodka at Mullens right after work and was sporting a nice buzz even before the opening act, Sharks, hit the stage at 7:30. While Sharks did their best, the crowd wasn't really digging it so much. The age gap may have had an impact but they were still treated politely.

Hot Water Music's Chuck Ragan fared much better. His blend of acoustic Celtic folk punk worked well with the 4000 or so in attendance (I am told the venue holds about 5000, but it seemed fairly full to me). I picked up his latest studio LP Gold Country at the gig and have given it a few spins so far. I found it fairly easy to roam around between bands for beer and bathroom breaks. The lines were usually long, but moved relatively quickly; a vast improvement over Trey Anastasio's indoor gig earlier this year. The prices are also much more reasonable than other local venues. I didn't feel like I needed to take out a second mortgage to maintain my buzz.

Social D took the stage to Dr. Dre's California Love around 9:30 (if drunken memory serves). They played a fun, while not incredibly unpredictable 90 minute set (approx). Mike Ness and company tore through a nice (and safe) blend of new cuts with old favorites and delighted the not-quite-punk faithful. Two 20-something girls in front of me talked to each other and texted the entire time (were they waiting for Usher to make an appearance?) but otherwise the crowd seemed to be digging on the vibe and enjoying the evening. From the opener of "Road Zombie" to the encore cover of "Ring Of Fire" Social Distortion comes as advertised. The owners and promoters of Stage AE's outdoor venue can breath a sigh of relief for a glitch free evening.

BNAC Meets Iron and Wine (and the wind)

2011-04-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to score tickets to tonight's sold out Iron and Wine show, but I was lucky enough to catch Sam Beam and the gang's 30 minute WYEP studio session at the Community Broadcast Center. I've been to a few of these shows/interviews and they are always a nice way to spend a lunch hour. This one was the best so far. Rosemary is an odd interviewer but her and Sam had a nice chemistry going on. The band played 5 tunes between questions and sounded awesome. I didn't realize it at the time but one of the touring backup singers for the current incarnation of Iron and Wine is none other than Oscar Winner Markéta Irglová from The Swell Season.

Thanks to Hugh from http://hughshowsredux.blogspot.com/ for snapping this shot. As you can tell...it was a bit windy for this quick meet and greet. Bad hair aside, Sam Beam may be one of the nicest musicians I've ever met (Wayne Coyne and Elvis Costello you have competition)

Album Review/Show Preview: Chux Beta

2011-04-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

One thing I sometimes admire in bands (as well as people) is transparancy. Sure, some of the beauty of modern popular music is being able to shroud your intentions; you can lure listeners into your world with catchy hooks and vague song titles and lyrics. But Pittsburgh's own Chux Beta does not fuck around with such showbiz nonsense. They lay it all out there for you at the door before you hear a note. Just glancing over the track list of their soon to be released album, Heartbroken Underground, tells you the general temperament you can expect. Song titles such as "Reckoning", "Fooled Me Twice", and "Twisting My Arm Until It Breaks Off" suggest an angsty , post-emo musical excursion that only angry rock dudes can deliver.

I'm happy to report that the music on Heartbroken Underground is even better than advertised. The band members were obviously raised on a healthy diet of Alternative Nation era 90s grunge rockers and the influences are worn proudly, like an MMA fan sporting an Affliction t-shirt. The Foo Fighters comparison seems the most obvious, but I also hear tinges of TOOL, Mudhoney and Queens of The Stone Age peppered throughout the hard rocking disc. Fans of powerful no-nonsense straight ahead "dude rock" (sometimes known as "beard rock") can apply within. Leave your hipster pretensions at the door (but the flannel shirts and PBR are always welcome).
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Chux Beta are playing an album release show for "Heartbroken Underground," at Mr. Smalls in Millvale this Saturday, April 23rd at 7:30 pm. I won't be able to make it, so I look forward to hearing reports from my readers!

Liquid Sundays April 10th

2011-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Now that Big Love is over (and Mad Men is a year away) Sundays are kind of boring. Luckily, Pittsburgh has you covered:

Pittsburgh, PA — April 10, 2011 — On Sunday, April 10, Liquid Sundays will feature Wise Blood, Wreckids and Huck Finn with art from local Pittsburgh Artists from 6–10 p.m. at J. Verno Studios on the South Side. Admission for the event is $12 advance, $15 door.
The ticket price includes light appetizers and 3 drink tickets for the bar. Award-winning Pittsburgh eatery Franktuary will also be on site selling menu items. Tickets for the event can be purchased at http://www.showclix.com/. This is a 21 and over event.
There will be a variety of local artists including David Calfo (Wood, Resin, Steel), Kevin Rupert (Painting), Andrew Oh Ellis (Visual Art and Design), Rebecca Chiappelli and Laura Mustio (Photography), Marcia Furman (Acrylic Paintings), Adalgisa Bosonetto (Contemporary Glass Mosaics) and a live Pottery showing by Marko Biddle. Some of the art for the event will be available for purchase from the individual artists.

“Liquid Sundays are a way for us to recognize the exceptional talent we have here in Pittsburgh, and to build connection and community around that reality” Ethan Harrington, an organizer for the event commented. “We are really excited to be hosting such a great lineup to launch this Spring event.”

Liquid Sundays is an art and music event that seeks to promote, engage and connect Pittsburgh's dynamic art and music scene. It is a quarterly event held at J. Verno Studios on the South Side.

All information is available at the website: http://www.liquidsundays.com/ .

I won't be able to make it...so if any of you do...report back!

Concert Announcement: Elvis Costello

2011-04-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Very Big News indeed for Pittsburgh's concert schedule. I saw Elvis back in college and was blown away. I've caught him a few times since then, but always as an opening act. It will be great to see him do a full set!

Drusky Entertainment, Pittsburgh Concert Group, and Kirschner Concerts Presents ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTERS (http://www.elviscostello.com/) with a very special guest to be announced for an ALL AGES show at the Trib Total Media Amphitheatre (One Station Square West Lot, Pittsburgh, PA 15219) on Thursday, June 16, 2011, 6:00PM Doors, 7:30PM Show. Reserved tickets range in price from $45 to $55 with a very limited amount of gold circle tickets for $75. Ticket prices increase by $5 on the day of the show and will be on sale this Saturday, April 9th at noon at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, & charge-by-phone by calling 1-800-745-3000. Internet Presale begins on Wednesday, April 6th at 10:00AM with password "TRIB".

From The Vault: Ben Folds: Rockin' The Suburbs

2011-04-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

(Click the picture above to read my 2001 review of Ben Folds: Rockin' The Suburbs)

As is the case with most music fans, I own a shameful number of rock band t-shirts, most of which haven't been worn in years. I was tearing apart my basement this morning when I stumbled upon a crate of about 30 such shirts that I forgot existed. 7 of these shirts were Ben Folds or Ben Folds Five shirts. (I'm embarrassed to say how many Weezer shirts there are.) I was a massive Ben Folds (Five) fan in high school and college and the inadvertent nostalgia trip this morning inspired me to write another From The Vault style review. This time my 2001 review of Ben Folds: Rockin' The Suburbs

What surprises me the most about my decade old review of Folds' solo debut are all the things I didn't say. This album was officially released on September 11th 2001 and, world history aside, there was a lot going on in my life at the time. I actually got a copy of the album about a month before, while I was at home for my mother's funeral. My brother had also died a few months earlier so, suffice to say this release holds a great deal of emotional significance for me. By the time I actually wrote this review I had probably listened to this album 5 times a day (my roommates at the time can probably vouch for this).

It also is strange to me that I don't once mention my favorite track on Rockin' The Suburbs: the bitter break up tune "Gone". As if the family tragedy wasn't enough, the summer of 2001 also saw me going through a bitter breakup and I can recall my angsty 21 year old self listening to "Gone" obsessively. I played it on every single radio show I ever had for a 2 year period. Perhaps in the pre-blogging age I was trying to maintain some type of journalistic objectivity to my reviews. Thank goodness those days are behind us!

I still do love this album. Like the previous entry in this FTV series, this disc has remained a favorite and has stayed in my regular listening rotation. Even though his live shows are great 9 times out of 10, I haven't been a huge fan of most of his recent work. Some of it is downright awful, as my review of Way To Normal illustrates. But my fandom for Ben Folds during this era is hard to top.

Lest you think that my views don't change much over the years, I think for my next few entries I'll focus on reviews and articles that I'm not particularly proud of. I seem to remember being very excited about Flickerstick in 2002. Stay tuned!

Album Review: Christina Martin: I Can Too

2011-03-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

As a music blogger I get a surprising amount of music sent to me for review. As you can probably imagine, the quality of the submissions can run the table; the good, bad, and downright ugly. Back in 2009 I reviewed the fantastic album from Halifax based singer/songwriter Christina Martin. You can read that review here . Two Hearts has stayed in my personal rotation since that time, and I'm still kicking myself for missing her show at Howlers.

Her latest release, I Can Too, is another solid collection of infectious and introspective pop songs. Martin's voice is at once disarming and soothing; with production that forces you to listen to every lyric. Less twangy than Two Hearts, I Can Too is an ambitious and aggressive step forward artistically for the the Canadian crooner. While Two Hearts reminded me of Jenny Lewis and Gillian Welch, I Can Too makes me also think of genre favorites Emmylou Harris and Aimee Mann. Its Sunday morning music at its best!

Her website shows a ton of dates, none of them close to our city. I hope within the next few months Christina makes her way back to the states and back to Pittsburgh. She'd be a perfect addition to the 3 Rivers Arts Fest or the Club Cafe schedule. Maybe this time I'll get my shit together and make it out to her gig!

Live show Review: Bright Eyes 3/14/11 (Detroit,MI)

2011-03-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

(Today we have a guest reviewer, and resident Bright Eyes enthusiast, Sean Rogers to recount his concert experience from last week. This also serves as an interesting preview for the 6/9/11 Pittsburgh show that Conor and Company have booked.)

Bright Eyes is touring for their People’s Key album and I recently saw the Detroit show. Detroit, I fully realize, conjures images of dilapidated houses, rampant crime, and decent Greek food. And this is definitely true. City block after city block are empty and burned out. The local news is riddled with shootings. There are sky scrapers that are abandoned. But this is not the Detroit where I saw the concert. I drove through that burnt-out wasteland to the community Royal Oak and to the Royal Oak Music Theater, surrounded by Gaps, Starbucks, and Barnes & Nobles. So don’t picture a grimy bar with beers in plastic cups and a poorly lit stage. We were in the suburbs of Detroit Rock City.

If you haven’t heard the new Bright Eyes album, it’s pretty strange. There’s a guy named Denny Brewer who Conor Oberst (lead singer and song writer of Bright Eyes) met on tour. Brewer is the lead singer of a band called Refried Ice Cream and has some interesting opinions on how the world works. Brewer preaches these beliefs, which include descriptions of other dimensions, a retelling of the Garden of Eden story, and the fact that our forefathers were reptilian space creatures, at the beginning and throughout the album. The People’s Key is affected by these speeches and mirrors the themes in many songs. So it was only appropriate that the show opened with Brewer’s Southern twang explaining the super dimension before the band went into “The Land of Tomorrow,” the first track on the new album. I’ve seen Connor Oberst three times and each time he opened with the first song off the current record.

The set list was fantastic. If you’re a Bright Eyes fan you really need to catch the show because it’s practically a greatest hits tour. There were five or six songs played off the new album. “Land of Tomorrow” was really good and the beautiful piano solo about death “The Ladder Song” was fantastic too. But there was an impressive collection of older songs. They were off of at least five albums and included crowd favorites such as Bowl of Oranges, The Arc of Time, Something Vague (my personal favorite), and Nothing Gets Crossed Out.

The room really surprised me when he played the old songs. It used to be that when you followed an Indie band (if that term means anything anymore), you were part of a small group of obsessed. The experience was more personal because the music was never on the radio and you had to seek it out. But it’s become easier to seek music out. The entire crowd sang along to “Poison Oak,” a song that was never on the radio or MTV, placed towards the end of an album that came out with little fanfare six years ago. Weird.

Of the five albums, I would say they played the most off of Digital Ash, Digital Urn. This makes sense because much of the new album seems like a continuation of Digital Ash. Bright Eyes has two very distinct and different sounds, as exemplified by their double release in 2005 of Digital Ash and I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning. Wide Awake has an acoustic, folksy feel while Digital Ash channels Nine Inch Nails and The Cure with a dark, industrial but poppy sound. Of the two, I prefer Wide Awake and would have liked to hear more songs from it during the concert. But this is entirely a matter of preference and I can’t really say that one album is better than the other.

Because Bright Eyes is so eclectic, there were some odd moments during the concert. Now and then a song with a country twang was followed by two drum sets going at once, a megaton of distortion on the guitars. If the concert were a mix tape you would wonder at the maker’s sense of segue. I’m not sure there’s a way around this, but it was definitely noticeable.

There was a more serious problem that I noticed with the performance. I’ve seen Conor Oberst play three times, twice with Bright Eyes and once with The Mystic Valley Band. The Mystic Valley Band show was great, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and I have no complaints. But the Bright Eyes show lacked something. The first time I saw Bright Eyes was in 2005 on the Wide Awake it’s Morning Tour. Oberst walked out on stage and mumbled something about how the band got too drunk the night before and everyone was hung over. The show was all right, but they basically played the album straight through and the only impressive song was “The Road to Joy” which they closed the show with. I gave them a pass on the milquetoast performance because he pretty much told the audience they were going to phone it in.

I didn’t get the same feeling at The People’s Key show. The band seemed to be in a great mood and Oberst really tore through “Land of Tomorrow.” In fact, all of the songs off the new album were great. They sounded good and had a lot of energy. Just like when I saw Oberst touring on the two new Mystic Valley albums. But I can’t say the same for the old favorites.

Most of the songs off Digital Ash were rewritten for a live performance and sounded messy. Some other songs, “Four Winds,”” Bowl of Oranges,” “The Trees get Wheeled Away,” just sounded flat. He practically made fun of “Nothing Gets Crossed Out” before he played it, saying something like, “I don’t make to-do lists any more (a reference to the lyrics in the song). Actually, I never did. I mean, who would?” The comment wasn’t funny and really took the air out of the song.

I think the issue is that Oberst has problems emoting when it comes to songs he wrote five and ten years ago. He’s 31 now and to make fans happy he has to play tracks that he released when he was eighteen. It’s understandable. He’s excited about the new stuff and naturally performs those songs with more gusto. But I think this is the mark of a great studio artist and an average touring artist. If Oberst could bring the emotion the he manages to capture on his albums to every song, his shows would be mind-blowing. And people do manage to do this. Go see U2 play. Bono will probably cry when he sings Sunday Bloody Sunday. Go see the Violent Femmes. That guy is still singing about how he couldn’t get a date to the 1979 prom and it really seems like he’s still pissed about it.

The show was fantastic. I really enjoyed every minute of it. But if I had seen the set list beforehand, I would have assumed it would be on par with a religious experience. It wasn’t exactly that, and I definitely look forward more to the next Connor Oberst album more than I do to the next Connor Oberst show.

Read Sean's review of the previous Conor show HERE.

From the Vault: The Strokes

2011-03-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

(Click the picture above to read my 2001 review of The Strokes Is this It)

This is the start of a new feature on the blog, where I'll revisit an old review I wrote from my college newspaper days (long before I discovered blogging) and hold it up to to the microscope so to speak. This one here was written a decade ago when I was a young and spry 21 year old at Edinboro University. Its kind of hard to wrap my head around the fact that the Strokes are 10 years old, but its true.

After reading this review all this time later, what strikes me as interesting is the anxious vibe it offers about the state of modern rock music. My thoughts on the album itself have stayed about the same but I love the fact that 21 year old Brian Nac was obsessing about what the release of this album meant for the future of music, and furthermore...how The Strokes stood up to the 90's grunge artists. As we anxiously await the next Strokes album a few weeks from now its amusing to fathom the tidal wave of hype the New York band was riding so early in their career. This was before (or perhaps during) the disintegration of the record industry...and fans like me where still waiting for the next BIG thing in music, a game changer. We assumed that it would be one band (like Nirvana before them), as pre-Napster logic might dictate. We ignored the fact that it was the internet, file sharing, social media, and everything that came with it. 2001 was a very weird time in the country and our minds and attitudes hadn't quite caught up with the sea change in technology that was happening around us.

The album is still one of my favorites; I listen to it once or twice a month. I've seen the band 3 times over the course of the last decade in very different settings. I first saw them tear the roof of the Odeon in Cleveland months after Is This It was released, and later playing the Pittsburgh venue The Rock (now a country music bar) supporting Room on Fire. At last summer's Lollapalooza the band played a tight set of 'oldies' to a delighted crowd (who had no interest in Lady GaGa's costume changes accross the field). Besides a mediocre 3rd album, I've been equally impressed with everything the band and its members have done since the summer of 2001. I'll never forget opening the advance copy I stole from the radio station and blasting it on my college apartment's speakers.

Did The Strokes cause the rock revolution many were expecting? No, not really. But along with other like minded groups such as The White Stripes, The Vines, and The Hives, they got a bunch of 21 year old college students excited to argue endlessly about music at a very weird time of our lives.

Below is my favorite cut from the album...and it was actually cut off the version released in stores after my review (because of 9/11).

Low Water CD Release Show This Friday!

2011-03-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

As long as Pittsburgh doesn't get flooded out of existence by Friday night, BNAC favorites Low Water have a CD release show at The Brillobox. Also on the bill are local favorites The Harlan Twins and Nik & the Central Plains.

I got an early copy of the new album, "The Taste You Know and Enjoy", and I'm definitely impressed. Like the impressive debut (which I reviewed here, TTYKAE offers a nice mix of Wilco'y pop with an indie aesthetic. I particularly dig My Life In Advertising which could have been on a Loose Fur B-Sides collection.

So be sure to catch these guys now, before they are playing bigger rooms to far less cool people.

The difference between blogging and reviewing

2011-03-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

(This photo has nothing to do with the post below. Its my dad's band from the 60's and I think its a cool flyer)

I think the worst thing to happen to not just politics but the modern state of public discourse is the advent of the 24 hour news cycle. I used to actually call myself a news junkie and would spend hours of my downtime flipping from CNN to FOX News to MSNBC and even the occasional few minutes on C-Span. Oh to be young and easily entertained. Now I can't stand any of those "news" channels, and not for any superficial political reasons. As I get older and slowly drenched by media saturation I am starting to come to grips with the reality that I just don't need to know most information as it becomes available. I'd rather wait until the story has developed or worked itself out before I hear anything about it. Not for any other reason that I just don't have time or brain space to waste thinking about such nonsense. I'd rather watch chimps eat pancakes than listen to pundits have a 45 minute round table discussion about a 9 minute speech. Gag me.

It may seem ironic that someone writing on a blog, arguably one of the reasons for the "right now" generation, is complaining about the modern state of information and media, and I recognize that irony. But I fear that music is always in danger of becoming "breaking news". You may notice that on this blog I tend to focus my energy more about live shows and personal stories than I do album reviews. I do this mostly because I am never quite ready to offer my opinion on an album at any given time. When I go to a live show (good, bad, or vanilla) I almost always have a story to tell. That's whats ultimately most interesting to me as an appreciator of music; I like to document how people enjoy music. Sometimes the guys on stage with the instruments are the least engaging part of the experience...and that's ok.

We as music fans can not truly appreciate the impact of popular music until we hear it with one or many people. This can be as obvious as witnessing 20,000 screaming fans lose their collective minds when Paul McCartney played "All My Loving" at the Consol last year...or as little as seeing the 19 year old American Eagle clerk singing along to the Death Cab For Cutie song that's blaring over the store's speakers. But from time to time I do like to write an album review...and 99 times out of 100 its an album I have heard only a few times (scroll down for examples). I suppose we music bloggers like to think we are on the cutting edge of things. But what really is the point of trying to offer a critical assessment of a piece of art that is relatively in its infancy? I suppose we all like to think of ourselves as critics and obviously a critic's sole responsibility is to offer an objective account of art.

Steven Hyden wrote a tremendous essay for The AV Club last week that has me rethinking everything I've ever written about any album ever. The article (click link to read the whole thing) is titled How long does it take to “get” an album? and it has me rethinking everything I've ever written. In speaking of the blogosphere's somewhat tepid reaction to Radiohead's King of Limbs Hyden writes:

As both a music fan and a critic, I’m naturally of two minds on this question. As a fan, I have gut reactions like anybody else, and I’m just as liable to shoot my mouth off on an artist I might have only given a moment’s notice. The proliferation of social media didn’t invent this kind of casual acceptance or dismissal—it merely allowed people to broadcast it to whoever might be paying attention. So, while it might annoy me as a Radiohead fan when somebody “mehs” The King Of Limbs after only playing it once, I recognize that I do this all the time with artists plenty of other people take seriously. Likewise, I’ve enthused about an album on Twitter after only hearing a couple of songs, only to demur a week or so later after several more listens.

Like all good things, music is an art-form that is not designed to be contained within the confines of a man made time frame (be it a business quarter, a magazine printing schedule, etc.). Cultural impact aside, an album's effect on a person or group of people cannot truly be measured in any reasonable time frame. Does this mean I'm done writing album reviews? Nah... The beauty of music blogging (and any social media really) is we get to share exactly whats on our minds at any given time. So if I want to write about why Weezer's albums aren't as bad as glib hipsters might have you believe...I'll bring up my Star Wars analogy for the millionth time. (Click HERE to see what I'm talking about). I just will focus more on what the music means to ME. This isn't for everyone. Some people just want a general idea of what a new album is like...to help them make the decision to purchase (or steal) it or not. Below is a good exchange between comedian David Cross and Pitchfork:

Pitchfork: Do you ever get anything out of album reviews?

David Cross: Not really. Unless there's a reference, like, "If you like Cat Power's later stuff, it's sort of like that." Then I'll check it out. A verbose, prosaic review which mentions whistling winds and the timeless feeling of jade doesn't mean anything to me; I don't need a novella telling me about how an album is like a fine meal. But I'll go to Other Music in New York and nine times out of 10 I like what they recommend. The Onion does a pretty good job, too. But I've gotten burned a couple times when everybody loves a new record, and then I get it and don't love it.

My friend Sean had the idea to start going back to old albums I've reviewed here (and elsewhere) and re-examining them now. This could be a great way to find out why I enjoyed an album/song/artist then and discover if my feelings have changed. Or perhaps review them again...without reading the old review. I remember off the top of my head a wishy washy review I wrote for my college newspaper about The Strokes debut album. This was a week before I saw the band at the Odeon in Cleveland. Had I written the review a week later it would have been completely different. Thus is the beauty of things like this. We have the right to change our minds.

So stay tuned for some forthcoming "reviews" of albums that have made some kind of personal impact me over the years of being a music fan.

Live Show Review: Trey Anastasio Stage A/E 2/25/11

2011-02-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

I'm only a casual Phish fan, having (still!) never caught them live. I dig about 70% of the songs I've heard (mostly on bootlegs I've acquired over the years). I caught a set by TAB a few years ago at the first All Points West Festival and enjoyed it greatly. So I jumped at the chance to see him at the relatively new Stage A/E on the North Shore.

As of a few hours before showtime they were still selling tickets to this show, which is surprising giving how many people were packed into that place. Now, I'm not 100% sure what the capacity of this venue is, but I've heard 2400. There is something to consider though. 2400 young kids (teens and 20 somethings) in the summer would feel about right in a venue like this. But 2400 30 and 40 somethings who have put on a few pounds since getting married and getting a 9-5 is a completely different animal. Add to that the fact that we all had winter jackets on...and well...we take up a bit more space. Also having all the restrooms on one side of the venue seems to be a strange design flaw of the room. So navigating the room was not the most fun...

Not withstanding, the show itself was a ton of fun. Trey hit the stage at about 8:25 and played through a few Phish greatest hits for us. I was happy to hear Farm House, the first Phish song I ever heard back in my college days. Some of the diehards seemed to be getting antsy for a full band jam fest, and the smoking area outside was pretty full for the early part of the night. Once the band came on during Heavy Things, the party really got started. The 2nd set was the electric set and the crowd rocked out late into the evening. The highlight for me was hearing the Gorillaz cover, which showcased awesome vocals from backup singer (and trumpet player) Jennifer Hartswick.

Check out the set list:

Set One:

Backwards Down The Number Line
Gumbo
Farmhouse
Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan
The Horse >
Silent In The Morning
Talk
Driver
Theme From The Bottom
Down With Disease
Heavy Things (Full Band comes on for the last few)
Liquid Time
Let Me Lie
Show Of Life
Push On 'Til The Day

Set Two:

Night Speaks To A Woman
Valentine
Cayman Review
Alaska
Burlap Sack and Pumps
Gotta Jibboo
Goodbye Head
Mozambique
Clint Eastwood (Gorillaz cover)
Money Love and Change
Magilla
Sand

Encore

First Tube

Phish is skipping Pittsburgh this summer (although they are hitting Cleveland) so it looks like I'll still have to wait a bit longer to scratch a true Phish show off the bucket list. But this kept me drunkenly entertained for the time being. I also very much enjoyed seeing the Phish heads invade the Casino afterwords, to the confusion of the many one armed bandit playing soccer moms.

Check out a video someone on Youtube took:

Album Review: Radiohead: The King Of Limbs (and other diversions)

2011-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Following easily the most intense musical filled years of my life, I was burnt out. As you can see by scrolling down to older entries, 2010 offered an embarrassment of riches for a music fan (and blogger). Besides a random few shows in the fall (Black Crowes in Oakland were fantastic) I put myself on a hiatus of sorts from music blogging. As you can see from a previous post, I briefly toyed with the idea of expanding the blog to a full blown website...also to include movie reviews. While I haven't ruled that idea out completely, its most certainly been put on the back burner for a bit. I did purchase a domain name and had a talented artist friend draw up a mascot. But for the time being, I'm going to stick to music blogging.

Besides a killer Liz Phair show, 2011 hasn't had a ton for this guy to talk about so far. Pittsburgh did recently open a new venue in Stage A/E next to Heinz Field and early reports are that it rocks (a few friends caught George Clinton and Girl Talk gigs a few months back and had nothing but good things to say). I'll be popping my A/E cherry at the Trey Anastasio show on 2/25, report to follow.

But then this past week happened. The Arcade Fire upset the music world by winning the Grammy for Album of The Year. WHAT? Now...I don't think this in anyway validates anything. The fact that Taylor Swift won the same award a year ago shows how meaningless awards like this are. What it does say is for a moment what is good and what is considered good lined up. This doesn't happen often in modern society. Obviously taste is subjective and there is no accounting for it but anyone can tell you that while Katy Perry is many things that are good...her album in no way embodies what should be considered an achievement in music.

So anyway, the day after Arcade Fire beat out Eminem and Lady GaGa, our good friends Radiohead pulled a wild card on us and announced they were releasing their new LP The King Of Limbs at the end of the week (2/19/11) via the band's website. Obviously this is not the first time Thom and the boys have pulled a stunt like this; In Rainbows was released almost the exact way. This time instead of a "pay what you will" plan, the band charged $9 for MP3 File and $14 for a WAV file (and a stupid amount for some deluxe edition only completists and nerds purchased). Pulling a second wild card the band announced Friday 2/18 that fans could purchase the band a day earlier. Luckily this announcement timed perfectly with my previously scheduled personal day from work and amazing 63 degree temps in the Burgh.

I dropped my $9 as soon as I read the news and locked myself in my room to give The King of Limbs a proper listen. My instant reaction and my reaction a day later (after 4 listens) is about the same: good but not great. Its moody, gloomy, and atmospheric in all the ways that you'd expect a modern day Radiohead album to be...but that's it. Its bizarre marketing (or lack of) coupled with the concise running time (37 minutes over 8 tracks) suggests, on paper, a feverish and frenzied outing. This album is anything but. While diverting a bit thematically from In Rainbows, the melancholy sound scape that TKOL produces sounds little more than a soundtrack to an indie film.

I do think they've nailed this type of vibe down pretty well. The Radiohead aesthetic of post apocalyptic brood music is alive and well...but is this anything new? We knew they could do this already. No new ground is being forged; no new terrain is being walked. The severe change in paths Radiohead took on Kid A seems to have done more for the copy cat artists than its done for them. The Cut Copys, The Sleigh Bells, et al of this world who have followed in Radiohead's weirdo footsteps are able to produce and release experimental and ambient music that couldn't have been thought possible a few decades earlier.

While I'm sure I'll appreciate this album more over time (they are famous for being "growers") I do feel Radiohead is a lot like the infamous 3rd season of LOST, where the main characters were trapped in cages, while behind the scenes, the writers negotiated contracts and end date for the series was still up in the air. As listeners we are stuck in a limbo of sorts. We can hope that Thom Yorke is going to take us somewhere really cool down the road, and all these blips and boops and beeps will have meant something more than we first thought. But the fear always exists that he/they are short on ideas and just trapping themselves in polar bear cages until the storyline becomes clear again. Lets just hope we don't get another Kate flashback or info on Jack's tattoo.

Anyone? Anyone?

Pardon The Interruption

2010-09-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Long time to see. I'm currently looking to expand the blog in the near future. I am in the process of getting a bigger and better website set up that will be a little more user friendly (in terms of archives and such) and expansive. So in the next few weeks or months we'll probably be moving. A man can not live on music blogging alone!

Stay Tuned!

Brian Nac

Win Free Tickets to Catherine Feeny this week!

2010-08-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Catherine Feeny is playing the Thunderbird this Thursday, September 2nd. Check out her video below. It may be the best video to contain zombies since MJ was dancing to Thriller.

If you'd like to check the show out for free, just email me your favorite Zombie movie, along with your name and town. The first person to name MY favorite zombie movie wins! So if we have the same taste in movies...this could be your lucky day. I'll contact the winner 9/1/10 by lunch time.

Email:
BnacMusicBlog@gmail.com

Win Tickets to My Morning Jacket!

2010-08-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

This Friday one of the most anticipated shows of the summer is rolling through the Burgh. And if you waited this long to buy tickets (shame on you) fear not! The good people at Drusky Entertainment have allowed me to give away 2 tickets for My Morning Jacket at the Trib Total Media Amphitheatre! Show is at 7:00 pm.

All you have to do is email me your name and town and your favorite MMJ song. One entry per person, please. Winner will be drawn randomly at lunchtime on Wednesday 8/25. One lucky winner will get 2 Will Call Tickets to what could be the show of the year!

Simply send your entries here:

BnacMusicBlog@gmail.com

Good Luck!

Live Show Review: Paul McCartney 8/18/10

2010-08-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

One of my earliest memories (musical or otherwise) growing up is when my dad was putting all of his favorite records onto cassette tape. He closed off our back room (the "play room") and just blasted Abbey Road and Sgt Pepper at full volume and had the tape recorder on our boom box set to record. Oh how crude it was back in those days. Abbey Road was and is my favorite Beatles Album. There is not a second on that album that I don't love.
Paul was always my favorite Beatle. Everyone has a favorite Beatle. In college, I roomed with a kid whose favorite Beatle was John, it created a small rivalry between us. He had a subway sized poster of John that hung on his wall that stared at me as I slept. I, in turn, had a subway sized poster of Tori Amos staring at him. In your face. I married a girl whose favorite Beatle is George. It makes sense. She's quiet and introspective and polite and I'm silly, obnoxious, and sometimes over the top and shamelessly cheesy. But that is why we are a good match.

There aren't many rock shows these days that can take me back to my childhood playroom. But this was most certainly one of them. There were moments during the 3 hour set that I was completely zoned out. I was 8 years old again, listening to "A Day in the Life" for the first time. And looking around at the faces surrounding me, I know I was not alone.

Paul hit the stage at about 8:23 (almost an hour late due to his plane being delayed) to a sold out crowd at the new Consol Energy Center. Let me pause for a moment to say that the new arena rocks. I didn't even get to look at the really cool parts...but what I saw impressed me. He played 39 songs (listed below) comprised mostly of Beatles classics, a few Wings hits, and some miscellaneous bathroom break songs (no one is perfect). There are so many highlights...its hard to know where to start. 3 songs in, when he busted out "All My Loving" everyone was losing their fucking minds. Hearing "Helter Skelter" in concert was about as awesome as rock music gets. And I was nearly moved to tears when Paul played "Something" and dedicated it to George Harrison.

Our seats were as high up as you could get...and with limited view. But as you can see from my shaky camera footage, it didn't really matter. The sound was still killer, and the view wasn't all that bad either (we even got our own screen). I loved the show so much that I briefly considered trying to buy a ticket to the 2nd show the next night from a scalper. Common sense prevailed. I'm currently typing this as show 2 is going on. I'm getting periodic texts from Chris (who went with me to night one). It's the same show...but someone got engaged on the screen during "My Love". Nice.

Seriously...let the list speak for itself:

Venus And Mars/Rock Show
Jet
All My Loving
Letting Go
Got To Get You Into My Life
Highway
Let Me Roll It
Foxy Lady
The Long and Winding Road
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
et 'Em In
My Love
I'm Looking Through You
Two Of Us
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs Vanderbilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Sing the Changes
Band on the Run
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Back in the U.S.S.R.
I've Got a Feeling
aperback Writer
A Day in the Life / Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude
Encore

Day Tripper
Lady Madonna
Get Back
Encore 2

Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
The end

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The first show at the new arena was a jaw dropping and amazing night had by all. I couldn't have asked for a better time. Maybe Ringo will come along for the ride next time. It would have been awesome to hear "Yellow Submarine" and "Octopus's Garden". I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that Ringo is their favorite. That's a shame...isn't it? I bet he would be fun at parties...

Nax Mix 2010 is Here!

2010-08-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Thats right folks! My "mix tape" for the masses is here! I believe this is the 18th collection, but I've decided to try and slim these down to just 1 a year. So I will start naming them for the year (exciting stuff I know).

I obsessed a lot about the order of this one. I changed out the Edward Sharpe song 3 times, finally deciding it fits nicely between ELO and Arcade Fire.

1. Electric Light Orchestra: Mr. Blue Sky
2. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: Janglin
3. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
4. Joe Jackson: Steppin Out
5. Hallelujah the Hills: Hallelujah the Hills
6. Broken Bells: The High Road
7. The Avett Brothers: Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
8. Mumford and Sons: Little Lion Man
9. Bear Cub: Mexico
10. Gorillaz: On Melancholy Hill
11. Stevie Wonder: I Just Called To Say I love You
12. MGMT: Brian Eno
13. The Gaslight Anthem: The Queen of Lower Chelsea
14. She & Him: Gonna Get Along Without You Now
15. Meeting Of Important People: Brittney Lane Don't Care
16. Big Star: Thirteen
17: Band Of Horses: Factory
18: Donora: Shhhh
19: The Saw Doctors: N17
20: Joe Dassin: Les Champs-Élysées

If you'd like a copy, let me know! I can make it happen!

Show/Album Preview: City Dwelling Nature Seekers

2010-08-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Like the "one that got away", City Dwelling Nature Seekers are a local band I keep missing. I have been hearing nothing but good things about these guys for a while now but, for whatever reason, the timing never works out for me to catch them performing. They've got a sound I really dig. Imagine Ryan Adams fronting 90s era Son Volt (I don't care much for Jay Farrar anyway, so it might be a welcome change). The band wears its influences proudly on their sleeves. Their entire aesthetic is rootsy bare bones country rock and roll. They sound like the type of band you could imagine playing at a seedy bar in the middle of nowhere...casually strumming away their torch songs while some sleeveless trucker named Tiny gets his ass beat by a biker from 3 towns over. Remember that scene in The Blues Brothers? Yeah...THAT bar.

Anyway, CDNS have a CD release show coming up this Friday, and my luck being consistent, I will have to miss the show again. Shit. It's taking place at my new favorite venue, The Thunderbird Cafe. I would love nothing more than to inhale more Mexican food and then go drink some PBR a few blocks away. I got an advance copy of the self-titled album and am quite impressed. The album is mostly mellow and low key...but when they let loose to rock (like on "Sign of The Sun") it kicks all kind of ass. With a solid release in the can, and a respectable batch of tour dates coming up, the City Dwelling Nature Seekers (man I dig that name) are definitely a band to keep your eyes on in the months and years to come.

Learn more about the band and listen to some tracks from the album HERE

And for the hell of it...here is the scene I'm talking about from The Blues Brothers.

(If anyone reading catches the show this Friday, please let me know how it is!)

Live Show Review: Bear Cub 8/13/10

2010-08-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

My mother, God rest her soul, used to tell me as a little kid that it I should make a wish every time I went into a new church for the first time. I don't get to church very often these days, but when I happen to be sitting in an unfamiliar pew for a friend's wedding or an old person's funeral...I always make a wish. I'm starting to consider starting that tradition for live music venues. In the past year or so I keep going to more and more new places, and a good deal of them come fairly close to religious experiences. I honestly am embarrassed that it took me until August 13th of 2010 to walk into Lawrenceville's Thunderbird Cafe. But knowing this would be the last time I'd get to see Bear Cub play in my area code for quite sometime...I knew I couldn't miss it.

My evening started at an early dinner with a friend at the Round Corner Cantina a few blocks away from The Thunderbird. The girl who sat next to me in Mr. Saunders' Earth Science class owns the Mexican bar/restaurant with her hubby. I was very impressed with the food and atmosphere and walked away with a few lessons: 1) I like tamales and 2) You aren't supposed to eat the corn husk it's cooked in. And now I know. And knowing is half of the battle (or so G.I. Joe would have me believe). I'm not usually a huge fan of Lawrenceville but I most certainly found my new favorite Mexican food establishment.

Level of Drunk following dinner: 1.5 out of 10

Sean, Jenny, Chetti and my brother Mike met me at the Round Corner...while I watched them eat and we all made it over to the Thunderbird just as The Wreckids were finishing up their set. Gah! I always seem to miss these guys. They play too early! I shot a quick video of the beginning of the last song:

We then got a pretty solid and surprise (to me) set by New York based Boom Chick. He's (Frank Hoier) on lead guitar and vocals and she's (Moselle Spiller) on drums. It's is almost impossible to describe these guys without mentioning a little group out of Detroit called the White Stripes. But no matter...these two effectively rocked my face off during their allotted time. I talked to Frank briefly between bands (as I bought a CD) and they seem like a very sincere and chilled out folks. I wish them the best.

Level of Drunk following Boom Chick: 4 out of 10

Nik & The Central Plains were up next and by this point in the night, the crowd was getting antsy. As a rule I tend to think that non-festival shows should be topped off at 3 bands. I hope I'm able to catch these guys again soon, because they sounded pretty good and had a killer Neil Young cover rocking, but I spent most of the set catching up with friends, pounding back some brew and getting my head space in line for the headliner.

Bear Cub came on stage somewhere around midnight as promised. The faces around me were a Who's Who of the Pittsburgh music scene. I saw Josh from MOIP, Casey from Donora, Cindy Howes from WYEP, and a ton of faces I recognize only from other local shows. Noone wanted to miss tonight. As stated before, this was a farewell show for Bear Cub, who are moving shortly to become Nashville Tennesee's new best local band. Early on in the set, a girl close to the stage yelled "Will you always say you're from Pittsburgh?" Jesse immediately replied: "Always." At least that's how I remember the interaction...a very cool moment indeed. Take that Xtina.

Bear Cub delivered with an extended set (compared to the Rex show last month) to close out the night. In my previous show review of the band I called Jesse Hall's clear voice "disarming". The same can be said about their stage set up and presence. The band is seated on the stage for the entire show which, to a casual observer, would suggest a low key "quiet" show. While a good number of the tunes are a bit more mellow, the show as a whole is anything but "quiet." There is an underlying intensity that runs throughout the entire performance. The simple act of the band all seated merely makes the moments where one of the members (usually Jesse) stands up to rock out all the more impactful. It's sort of like when Tori Amos gets so into a song that she has to stand up and almost hump the piano. Luckily there was no piano humping on this night. We did, however, get a cellist, by the name of Briana Carraher who tore it up something fierce at this gig. I really dug the full, lush sound that the instrument brought to the show. A welcome addition indeed. I was kind of bummed that she didn't smash her cello at the end of the performance over Matt Gray's kit. That would have kicked major ass...

Level of Drunk during Bear Cub: 8.5

The new songs, from the recently released EP Always Be Down, sound great live. My current favorite from the new set (released Friday on iTunes) is "Cheer Up Chuck" which is almost like a Bear Cub greatest hits record...all under 5 minutes. You get to hear a great sampling of the band's influences from Cash to Lennon/McCartney, all with the loudquietloud intensity of a Pixies cut. Epic. The whole vibe of this EP is a bit more relaxed and playful (at times) than the full LP (which was pretty direct and centered in it's approach). Not too much of departure in style, but a bit of a movement thematicly. Kind of like Radiohead's Airbag EP after OK Computer.

My only complaint about the evening (besides Briana not pulling a Pete Townshend) as a whole was the talking during the calmer tunes. This is always an issue in a venue like the Thunderbird though, so it's only a minor quibble. But it is still kind of a drag when people chatter away while someone is bearing their soul a few feet away. If this was a Jeff Tweedy or a Ryan Adams show...heads would have rolled. No matter. The faithful were entertained and the band has left us wanting more. My drunk level never made it to a 9 or 10 so I was able to be somewhat functional the next day. Everyone leaves a winner!

Hugh got a few shots too. Check them out here:
http://hughshowsredux.blogspot.com/2010/08/image-of-day-caio-bear-cub.html

Top 10 Reasons You should attend Bear Cub at The Thunderbird

2010-08-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Below are the Top 10 Reasons YOU should attend the Bear Cub show at the Thunderbird on Friday August 13th!

10) Its Friday the 13th! Jason Voorhees may show up!

9) Matt Gray (drummer) is celebrating his 30th birthday!

8) This show will be the band's last area show in sometime! They are moving to TN.

7) Luke Ravenstahl recently called Bear Cub: "Pittsburgh's most dangerous band." (This quote has not been verified)

6) It will be my first time in the Thunderbird!

5) Nik & The Central Plains are on the lineup!

4) So are the Wreckids!!!!

3) They would come to your farewell show if you were having one...

2) This is possibly the best band in Pittsburgh (and soon to be Nashville's best band)

1) The band will be playing an extended set featuring songs from the NEW EP (which will be released Friday on iTunes).

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So there you go. You have no excuse. If you miss this show: You are a coward who hates music and fun.

But please don't knock over the CDs at the merch table or Jesse Hall may force you to bite a curb.

Lollapalooza 2010

2010-08-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

The annual Chicago 3-Day fest celebrating music, culture, and sensory over-load has once again come and gone. I missed the last 2 years (for boring reasons not worth typing) and it was a wonderful treat to be able to attend this year. My feet are covered in blisters, my ears are still ringing, and my exhausted body itches from bug bites. I have been thoroughly Lollapalooza'd. And I love it. I somehow convinced by ever suffering wife to join me this year. For a lady famous for not loving crowds, this was a major step! I owe her some Drew Barrymore movie marathons for this one. Luckily, she seemed to love it almost as much as I did.

The most welcome change to the festival since my hiatus is the 20 acres added, giving the sometimes claustrophobic grounds a bit roomier feeling (although getting out after the Arcade Fire was kind of a thing). I'm happy to report that the fest is truly starting to have an identity all it's own. There are traditions and social mores that have developed in the 6 years Lollapalooza has lived in Grant Park; ones exclusive to 3 days in August. I'm starting to recoginize faces of people who come year after year. Jokes are made about "that time in 2007 when______" and "That dancing guy last year." The organizers and Chi-Town have outlasted the growing pains and are no longer a "new fest". Speaking of which...this guy is becoming a Lollapalooza legend for his awesome dance moves. Cathy caught a good vid of him rocking out during Ike Reilly's Sunday set:

Besides the music, which has always offered a 90's Alt-Rock band as at least one of its headliners, Lolla is slowly becoming famous for the food it offers it's patrons. This year is, hands down, the best concert food I've ever had. Kuma's Corner, for example had a booth set up where I purchased the greatest $11 burger ever to hit these taste buds...The Judas Priest Burger: A 10oz burger with bacon, blu cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts and apple. Amazing.

There is plenty to cover, music wise...so let's get started:

Friday: Our hotel (which we thought would be a 15 minute walk) turned out to be a solid 30 minute hike each day from door to gate. The exercise was welcome however: I ate my weight in Giordano's pizza the evening before. After taking a stroll around the grounds we parked ourselves at the North Side of the park to catch Mavis Staples, Drive By Truckers, and The New Pornographers. Mavis killed it. The gospel legend is 70 years old and at no point acted out of place playing for a huge crowd of sweaty 20 and 30 somethings. She acted like she plays Lollapalooza every day. We even got treated to a surprise vist by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy who backed Staples up for a few tunes. Staples was easily my favorite of the day.

The Porns and Truckers also delivered pretty solid afternoon sets. I've seen them both multiple times now, so there were no huge surprises. We did get Neko Case though, which doesn't always happen.
Having cooked in the sun for 3 and a half hours, the Nacs were ready for some shade. We strolled by the Bloggie Stage (new this year/and with plenty of ample shade) and caught a few moments of Fuck Buttons (who were so loud it was horrifying) before sitting and watching Matt and Kim (on a screen) on the other side of the park. Their music has never really moved me, but these 2 are loads of energy. We caught the hour long sets by Hot Chip (meh) and Chromeo (better than expected) before Friday's headliner...the much hyped Lady Gaga.
I wish I could say Gaga lived up to the hype. But she sadly fell short. I guess I'm just not used to pop shows of this magnitude...filled with shirtless male dancers, costume changes, cheesy dialogue, and did I mention COSTUME CHANGES. The pacing killed this performance. The girl (lady?) obviously has talent. But it's all lost on silliness and time waiting between numbers. Everyone I talked to (besides the people who were JUST there to see Gaga) seemed to feel the same way. She wasn't bad, per se, but she just didn't connect with the audience. In her defense, there were sound issues. It was far too easy to have a full conversation in the back of the field...even at the loudest moments. So we left early and caught the last 20 minutes or so of The Strokes, who nailed it perfectly. They sounded as crisp and tight as ever and it was great hearing them again. I was a big fan during their hey-day and haven't seen them since then. They stuck to a nostalgic set of "oldies" to a crowd of very happy folks.

Saturday:Saturday morning started with a quick injection of 90s nostalgia with an early Blues Traveler show on the Parkways Stage (the big one). The band played their hits as well as covers of Sublime and Radiohead. Harmless and fun. Good way to start the day. We then made our way over to catch The Verve Pipe at the kid's stage. Usually when a familiar band plays this stage, they play safe and family tunes, but usually within their catalog. I was unaware that the band actually released a family album recently so when they started into songs about homework and other similar topics, I was a bit surprised. There was a mass exodus as soon as they started playing, as the throngs of the curious quickly realized they wouldn't be playing "The Freshmen" today. We got some ice cream though and listened as they played some Beatles covers on the way out though. And we got to see this kid:

I didn't realize how big the following was for The xx but people
were PUMPED to see them. They caused the first real traffic jam of the weekend over on the north side of the park. I dug what I heard of them and supremely dug Grizzly Bear directly after at the Budweiser stage. I layed back and enjoyed the beautiful weather and just soaked it all in. For some reason, the band reminds me of listening to Steely Dan on long road trips with the fam. Really great vibe. We shot over to the shade of the Bloggie stage and caught the end of Deer Tick (who blew me away...CD: Purchased) and grabbed a good spot for the show of the day: Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Cathy and I were both floored by the hippie commune posing as a band. The crowd was huge and ate up every moment. Think of the Polyphonic Spree...but without the robes. A bunch of acid freaks dancing joyously on the stage. There were people climbing trees to see these guys:

I could have gone home happy after that and been content, but there were 2 headliners to choose from: Phoenix and Green Day. We chose the latter and head on over to the south side of the park to find Billie Joe and the gang thrashing through a solid set of familiar tunes from the Green Day wheelhouse. The show was very similar to the Mellon Arena show from about a year ago, but with a few new surprises thrown in (mostly of the firework variety). The highlight was definitely the kid they brought up on stage to sing Longview. I leaned over to Cathy and said: "We are witnessing this dude's greatest moment right now." He kissed Billie Joe on the lips, smacked Tre Cool's ass, and did about 3 laps around the huge stage...all before jumping off a stack of amps. For his troubles he got a guitar right from B.J. himself. He can probably die happy. Saturday went a bit past curfew (Cathy is nervous Perry will get yelled at) as the band just kept playing on and on. Longest show of the weekend by about 20 minutes.

Sunday:After a little rain scare, we got to Grant Park to begin our third and final day back at the Bloggie stage for the Ike Reilly Assassination. I love Ike. Almost every song is about seedy women, getting in fights, drugs, and other questionable behavior. He brings his bad-ass story telling bar band aesthetic to any gig he plays...even ones at 2:15 in the afternoon.

We were able to catch the end of the Blitzen Trapper set before an amazing Mumford and Sons show at the Playstation stage. I listened to both while waiting in line to get my Ike Reilly CD signed (the table was right next to where Mumford were playing: Score!). After a surprisingly rocking set by Frightened Rabbit (where I ate a Lobster Corn Dog. Yes you read that right) we caught a pretty lackluster MGMT show. I don't know what it is about these guys. I love the albums...but live...they are just dead. They have zero stage presence.

After MGMT we used The National's set behind us to get a better spot in the lawn for The Arcade Fire. The National played a pretty respectable 85 minute set and got the crowd amped for Win Butler and company. Arcade Fire played one of the most solid festival shows I have ever witnessed. I put this performance up there with The Pixies' Lolla performance of 2005 and The Flaming Lips' 2006 gig. I actually told a friend today that the Arcade Fire's show to close out Lolla 2010 was "like "Race For The Prize for 90 minutes." For those of you familiar with how that Lips' song sounds live, you can imagine the energy that was flowing through the thousands of attendees that muggy Sunday night in Chicago. Opening with "Ready to Start" (from The Suburbs) and closing with a one-two punch of "Keep the Car Running" and "Wake up", the Arcade Fire may be the greatest live act currently touring the world. Time will tell how it all plays out for these guys, but if they keep up the pace they are at now, they will rule the world. Check out the video I snapped during the "Wake Up Encore":

Music festivals in the dog days of summer certainly aren't for everyone. But I truly do believe that they are an important part of our culture and they need to exist. For a few days out of the year you get to start living by a different set of rules, a new schedule (based on band set times), and coexist with a weird, beautiful type of person. The other 362 days out of the year are spent planning and thinking about it...and it's over in an instant.

Can you tell I had a good time?

---------------------------------------------------------------

BNac's Top 3 Shows of the weekend:
1)Arcade Fire
2)Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
3)Mavis Staples

Cathy Nac's Top 3:
1)Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
2)New Pornographers
3)Green Day

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Random Celebrity Sightings:
-Hayden Panettiere (taking pics on the Edward Sharpe stage)
-John Stirratt from Wilco with his family walking around the north side of the park before Grizzly Bear

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Bands I would have liked to have seen but missed (due to conflicts)
-Social Distortion (biggest bummer)
-Minus The Bear
-Phoenix (I heard they were great)
-Devo (New Pornographers won out)
-Soundgarden (There was no way I'd miss any of Arcade Fire)

Live Show Review: Meeting of Important People 7/30/10

2010-08-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

I had a trifecta of awesome shows the last weekend of July. On Thursday July 29th I saw (for the first time) KISS at the First Niagara Pavilion. I don't think its worth writing a whole review of them here...I knew what to expect and they delivered. I loved the hell out of it. I didn't think I would enjoy singing along to "God Gave Rock N Roll 2 You" as much as I did. I will say that I was shocked how many families came out (less shocked when I learned that they gave free tickets to all children under 10) to see the Knights in Satan's Service. The little kids and parents alike were buying up the $40 t-shirts like hotcakes. / 2 Days later I saw WEEN, which I wrote about already: http://nacisfamous.blogspot.com/2010/08/live-show-review-ween-73110-columbus-oh.html .

Smack dab in the middle of "The Hottest Band in the World" and my favorite band was a little show by Pittsburgh natives Meeting Of Important People. If you live in the 3 Rivers area and don't know who this band is...you just aren't paying attention. The last time I saw these guys, they were dressed as Mortal Kombat characters and playing a show in my friend Jenny's backyard for a Halloween gathering. The party was named "Meeting of Important Zombies" and the cops got called to shut MOIP down. If you've never seen a female Freddy Kruger talk to a police officer about a noise complaint...its probably time to update your bucket list. Read about it and see photos here: http://nacisfamous.blogspot.com/2009/11/meeting-of-important-zombies.html

Much has happened since then: I bought a house, Freddy Kruger got pregnant, LOST went off the air, and Meeting of Important People kept touring and recorded more music. The show on July 30th at the Warhol was the second of the EP release shows for their new disc: "Quit Music". The sweet little converted courtyard next to the Warhol was a perfect place to have a show. The sold out crowd enjoyed the gorgeous weather and Bud Select (Andy Warhol's favorite?) bottles. Blog favorites Good Night States opened up. This band has all but vanished in the last few months and it was great to see them back on stage.

MOIP played a killer tight set of fuzzed out power pop and acted (as every band should) like this was the most important show of their lives. I was happy to see the band play such an extended show as I've previously only seen them play opening slots and shows broken up by the PoPo. I'm not exactly sure why, but the whole evening had a very special feel to it. As the set raged on lead singer Josh Verbanets was sweating bullets like Ben Vereen onstage in Pippin (that's right...a musical theatre reference in this blog, Deal with it). We even got treated to an "unplugged" set, although my request for "Tears In Heaven" was not granted. The new cuts off of "Quit Music" sound great. My current favorite is "Jesus Song", although "Leap the Dips" is also as good as anything the band has released to date. All told it was a solid show by a great band. Pretty soon the word "local" just won't sound correct to describe them.

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I got to meet a few other local music bloggers at the show as well. Always good to meet fellow music lovers.
Check out the Draw Us Lines show review here:
http://www.drawuslines.com/2010/08/03/meeting-of-important-people-with-good-night-states-the-warhol-7-30-2010/

Live Show Review: WEEN 7/31/10 Columbus, OH

2010-08-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

I think I'm slowly coming to grips with the fact that I can no longer judge WEEN shows objectively. When people start asking me to list my favorite shows of the year, or of the last decade, I need to start asking "Are we counting WEEN shows?" It's like asking most kids: "Whats your favorite holiday?" 99 out of 100 will say Christmas; who wouldn't pick the one where you get free stuff? The same is true with WEEN and me.

Almost every time I've seen the boys from New Hope, it's been at a different venue (besides seeing them twice at Mr. Smalls). So catching a WEEN show has always been an adventure for me. Theres something so much more exciting about traveling for a show. While it's always nice and convenient to have dinner at home, go catch a show 15 minutes away, and be home in time to feed the cats...having to leave the comfort zone to see your favorite band play your favorite songs is just such a special thing. I took this for granted in college, where every show was a "destination show" out of necessity (I lived in Edinboro...not exactly ripe with Rock N Roll). Every part of the journey becomes part of the experience.

We left Pittsburgh for Columbus at around 1pm Saturday. What should have been an easy 3 hour drive turned into an almost 5 hour trek thanks to lots and lots of orange barrels on the highway. Lucky us: we got stuck in a traffic jam in all of the 3 states: PA, WV, and OH. We pulled into our lovely host's parking lot around 6...just enough time to inhale some Wendys dinner (did you know Dave and Wendy Thomas are from Columbus), pound a few beers, and get a nice buzz going. The show started at 8, and we knew to be there early (they never have an opening act). Our cab driver tried to play Cash Cab with us: "Whats the largest country in Africa, population wise?" We were all far too amped to be interested in such educational things. As you can see, I was ready:

The band took to the stage a few minutes after 8 and assaulted us with an amazing performance that was truly life affirming. It was easily the most jam-heavy set I've ever seen them play...but in a hard rocking (less noodley) way. The weather couldn't have been more ideal and the L.C. Amphitheatre is gorgeous; much more welcoming than Pittsburgh's comparable outdoor venues (and the adult beverages were much cheaper! Score) Along with standard crowd favorites (Buckingham Green, Roses are Free, etc...) we were treated to a bunch of rarities and 2 covers this evening: David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and Motorhead's "Ace Of Spades", sung by Dave (bass player). Incredible. Check out this setlist:

she wanted to leave
exactly where i'm at
spinal
gabrielle
transdermal celebration
wavin my d___ in the wind
tick
take me away
bananas
buckingham
back to basom
springtheme
sketches of winkle
wayne's pet youngin
object
roses are free
what deaner was talkin about
she's your baby
learnin to love
bare hands (Until you've heard this one live you haven't lived)
yer party
woman & man (with an extended jam outro)
finger (with an insanely awesome long intro)
let's dance
stroker ace
final alarm
ocean man
mollusk
Encore:
fiesta
pony
put the c___ on my d___
touch my tooter
ace of spades

I woke up Sunday morning feeling a little less than 100% but it was all worth it. It was a hell of a night with some of my best friends (and some new ones) enjoying one of the best live acts around. Heres hoping for a Pittsburgh show in the next few months.
"The sun comes up and I'm all washed out. Is this what Deaner was talking about?

Another cool giveaway

2010-07-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

Check it out! Another fellow blogger is doing a pretty cool giveaway:

The Pittsburgh Scene is offering a t-shirt and CD giveaway for Fountain Infinity's new release this Saturday. Go here for more info and to get you some free stuff!

http://www.thepittsburghscene.com/

They also have a bunch of free tunes on the site from local acts (including Bear Cub and Meeting of Important People)

And here's a vid I found of the band recording their album:

Great WEEN vid

2010-07-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing Ween this weekend. I am obviously pumped. Anyway, my friend came across this video of them from 1993. Have you ever seen a band less suited for TV than Gene and Dean were back then. Love it!

We have a winner!

2010-07-28T08:45:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Kristofer from Pittsburgh for winning the tickets to this Friday's Meeting of Important People show!

Thanks to all who entered! Stay tuned for more contests in the coming weeks, including My Morning Jacket!

Hope to see you all at the show!

Win Tickets to Meeting of Important People show

2010-07-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

The good folks at Meeting of Important People are playing a CD Release show on Friday July 30th at the Andy Warhol Museum. And you can win free tickets to the show right here! Blog favorites Good Night States are opening up! What a great night of music!

Info from the band:

One lucky winner will get (2) tickets into the show (which will be at the Warhol's outdoor venue if its good weather, or in their theatre if it rains) as well as admission to the museum for the night (!), and a free copy of our new EP "Quit Music". There's an open bar for the older folks.

All you have to do is send me an email with your name and town and the winner will be randomly drawn on Wednesday July 28th. One Entry Per Person.
Email:

bnacmusicblog@gmail.com

While you are getting pumped about this, why don't you just go RSVP to the event on the Facebook page!?

http://www.facebook.com/meetingofimportantpeople?v=app_2344061033&ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=127341597276111&index=1

See you at the show! Enter NOW!

Live Show Review: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 7/24/10

2010-07-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone whos ever attended a rock show with me in a group knows that I am known for wandering away from the pack. I might disappear for a few songs or for the entire evening, only to be found after the encore. Last night's Tom Petty show seemed like a perfect candidate for such behavior. But for whatever reason I stayed put for the most part. After tailgating in the above 90 degree weather, we parked our asses on section 4 of the lawn, perfect placement for a quick after-show getaway (we are pros at this, having come to this venue since we were in 8th grade).

I love making new drunken "concert friends". Our neighbors to the left on the grass consisted of an extremely excited 22 year old named Paula (she told me her name and age at least a dozen times), her boyfriend John, and the drunkest person in western PA, Justin, who sat, cross legged the entire show, puking all around him...forming a nice 5 ft perimeter, that acted as a force-field. Paula told me that this was her 6th time seeing Tom Petty, the first being when she was in 2nd grade. My quick math told me that I attended that show, and it was the drunkest I've ever been in a public place (even narrowing out Pearl Jam from a year prior). I wrote about said show in a blog reviewing Petty's Mudcrutch project. Read about my drunken experience here: http://nacisfamous.blogspot.com/2008/04/mudcrutch.html

You can actually see all 3 of our new concert friends in this picture. I'm the one being rude and giving the finger...Paula is in the short shorts and blue top to my right photographing herself (and rocking the hell out), and John is tending to Justin and his drunkenness on the ground next to me. I don't know who drove home that night. Paula and I kept taking guesses as to what song Petty would play next. Paula guessed "Learning to Fly" every single time and I just kept agreeing with her. Our game was not very good. We'd fistbump, I'd chug my beer, and she'd run off and make out with John.

It was actually a hard setlist to guess. They played 4 of the biggest songs right at the top: "Listen To Her Heart", "You Don't Know How It Feels" , "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin". Boom. What a way to start a show. Those could have easily been the last 4 songs of the show. From then on the band pretty much played the entire new album, Mojo. I have been listening to the record non-stop so I was very pleased. Everyone seemed to be digging the vibe, even if they weren't familiar with all the tunes. The crowd even stayed strong during the rain, that started about 20 minutes into the set. Paula finally got her wish toward the end of the night. "Learning to Fly", "Don't come around here no more" (my favorite of the evening for sure), and 'Refugee" ended the normal set. A knockout punch of "Runnin' down a dream" and "American Girl" finished off a killer night of music. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers may be the best bet of big outdoor amphitheatre shows of this size. You know hes gonna rock and he does.

Other thoughts and observations:

-This is my first show in Burgettstown this year. I used to not like the venue but I was pleased as punch to be back.

-WYEP DJ sighting: Mike Sauter and his wife, drinking $8.50 Magic Hats.

-The rain was light but steady most of the night but heavy after the encore. Mother nature was stoned and rocking out too.

-The above performance picture is temporary until I snag one from Hugh! I could see him snapping shots all the way from my seat on the lawn.

-I have never been padded down to the extent I was last night. I was nearly molested. Did someone make a death threat before the show?

-We somehow got out of the parking lot and to Denny's before some of our friends moved an inch. The parking gods were smiling on us that day.

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Next show for me: KISS!!!

Live Show Review: The Flaming Lips 7/20/10

2010-07-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

Its been 7 years since the Flaming Lips melted my face at Metropol. I'm happy to say that the wait was worth it. The Lips played a face melting show that dug deep into their bag of tricks. If you've seen the Lips play before (this is my 4th time) you probably have a good idea what to expect. But being well versed in the act still doesn't quite prepare you for what to expect during a performance. Every time I see them it feels like the first time.

This tour has the band veering off the normal setlist for more trippy freak outs. While I missed "Race for the Prize" as the opener I dug the darker vibe throughout. The balloons and confetti are still there of course but the whole stage setup seems a little less "DIY" and a bit more industrial. They've gone from being a kid's birthday party to being an adult's horrifying acid trip. And yet it is still fun as hell. This was easily the best show to ever play the Station Square Amphitheatre (no matter what its being called this year). Show of the year contender for sure!

Other thoughts and observations:

-I knew about 30 people at this show. No matter what direction I looked, I saw a familiar face. And if it wasn't a familiar face, it was a freak in silver pants or face paint.

-I got to touch the space bubble! Wayne rolled out right over my head! That gag never gets old. Hes gonna be doing this for the rest of his life!

-The Flaming Lips love showing naked ladies on their giant screen.

-The people dancing on the side of the stage (this time in orange jump suits instead of animal and Santa costumes) must be exhausted.

-Seven bucks for a bottle of Miller Lite is insane...but I sure did buy a few!

-Thanks to the broken ATM for saving me from buying a T-shirt I didn't need!

-After "She Don't Use Jelly" the Lips mic'd up the passing train for a very cool, surreal moment. The timing was so perfect it was eerie.

-I imagine the "Missed Connections" on Craigslist from last night are very strange. (I stole this from Cindy Howes, who rocked out right next to me for most of the show)

Greezer?

2010-07-19T17:43:00.001-07:00

I'm fairly sure irony is dead or dying. Back in the mid-90s, when Beck Hansen was singing about 2 turn tables and a microphone, the age or irony began, or so mainstream music and entertainment media would have you believe. Perhaps its my age (I hit the big 3-0 about 7 months ago), but the entire idea of enjoying anything ironically just bores me to tears. I hear people talking about going to see Vanilla Ice play a bar in Erie PA, with a snarkiness in their tone thats just upsetting. I mean, if you truly get enjoyment out of laughing about the fact that you could possibly find enjoyment in it...well I just can't relate anymore.

I mean, I enjoy a good "bad" horror movie as much of the next person, but I'm not watching it because its silly to be watching it. I'm watching Friday the 13th or Child's Play because it is genuinely hilarious and/or awesome. When Snakes on a Plane came out a few years back, so many people rushed out to see it because it was deliberately "so bad its good". Jokes on everyone though: it just sucked without being funny. Theres irony for you, Alanis.

I also don't understand when folks do things (see shows, read books, etc...) just to "say they did it." I hear people say it about Bob Dylan all the time: "Well, he sucks, but at least I can say I saw him. " Life is too short and entertainment is too expensive for behavior like this. Next week I'll be seeing Kiss. I've never seen Kiss and I am actually kind of pumped about it. Yeah yeah, I know, its only 1/2 of the original band. Who cares? Not me. It was $10 and I know that I'll have a good time. I can cross it off the bucket list and know that I'll enjoy myself. (Also a similar story: Ozzfest. Reviews coming from both shows)

Anyway this rant kind of has a direction. I mentioned in my last post that we went to see Bon Journey last week and were all kind of underwhelmed. I guess I just don't like any of the non huge hits of either band enough to enjoy a tribute concert for more than 5 minutes. The people who were digging it were TOTALLY digging it though, and for totally un-ironic reasons. And I can dig that for sure! I guess I'm just not the right audience for a Journey and Bon Jovi tribute band. I've seen a ton of tribute bands over the years, and none have blown me away. The Altar Bar seems to make most of its money.

But the idea of Bon Journey, a band that tributes not one but 2 bands evenly, got me to thinking. Since I am not truly a child of the 80s (even though I was technically a child during the 80s), but more a 90s kid, I have been racking my brain for the perfect combination of bands for a duo tribute act.

There are plenty of Nirvana and Pearl Jam tributes, but I don't think a NirvanaJam band would work. The tone of both bands is just too different to work. Pearl Jam would be better matched up with Stone Temple Pilots, but the gap in success of those 2 bands is just too big. I've thought a lot about this and it finally hit me:

Green Day and Weezer!!! What a perfect mix of pop/punk and party music! In 10 years, that tribute band combo would be HUGE! Sean and I discussed this on Friday and tossed out a few different band names: Greenzer? Greezer? Weez Day? We finally settled on Blue Day! How perfect is that?

You heard it hear first. In 2020, a 4 piece band of balding 40 somethings will be delighting western PA rib fests with almost authentic covers of The Sweater Song and American Idiot and Longview. And the 20 and 30 somethings in attendance will be bored and try to decide which band would combo up nicely with Panic at the Disco? At least they won't be doing it ironically.

Below is a picture of the greatest tribute band ever: Mini-Kiss

Live Show Review: Bear Cub 7/16/10

2010-07-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

There were a ton of things going on in Pittsburgh on Friday night. There was a Pirate game, a gallery crawl downtown, a WYEP event in Oakland, and various other fun activities to spend a hot night in Western PA. With an evening with so many offerings, you always run the risk of missing "THE" party; the one everyone is talking about tomorrow. "Dude, ya shoulda been there! They were shooting heroin in each others' eyeballs by the end of the night! And Janet Jackson and John Heder stopped by!" I'm fairly confident, though, that my group made the right choice by hitting up the Bear Cub show at the Rex.

It being my friend's 30th b-day, we decided to do it up proper. We started the night some food and beer at the Double Wide (with a charmingly stoned waiter) before heading down to the South Side Works to check out their annual festival. We chugged $4 Labbat Blues and watched about 35 minutes of local tribute band, Bon Journey. I must say for as awesome as the idea of a Bon Jovi and Journey cover band sounds, I wasn't very into it. It just made me realize how many of the songs by the bands I don't know or care much about. I don't ever need to hear "Old Jovi" or deep cuts by either. I bet I would have dug the last 15 minutes of the show though...but I'll never know. Because it was getting late and we were all getting nice and toasty. Onward to the Rex Theater!

Bear Cub was playing with a bunch of other bands (listed on the poster above), and I'm sorry to say I wasn't paying much attention to the supporting acts. I, like most of the crowd, hung near the bar area, continuing to build my buzz for the main event. Word started spreading that there won't be many more opportunities to catch the band in the Burgh area, the band is about to pull up stakes and move out of town. This news only made the night feel that much more special.

Once the guys hit the stage, the bar area was cleared and the energy was high. The band tore through their killer set with a vengeance. I honestly can't think of the last time I've seen a show so solid in a similar setting. And for FREE! I've dropped $35 a pop to see national acts phone in a gig, and actually left the venue thinking I got my money's worth. About halfway through Bear Cub's show, I almost felt compelled to throw cash on stage to make up the difference, but a more sensible mind took over. Hell of a show by a hell of a band. This was, without fear of hyperbole, the best "local" show I've ever witnessed in Pittsburgh, and (besides the 3 hour epic Wilco show) may be in contention for the best show of 2010 so far.

Other Thoughts and observations:

-Someone sat on, and broke, the merch table, sending the Bear Cub CDs all over the floor. Jesse Hall looked like he might murder a man. I hope, for everyone's sake, the culprit wasn't caught. For he surely would have regretted ever being born if Jesse got a hold of him. Don't fuck with Jesse or his CDs.

-I spotted local artist Ben Hardt in the crowd. I think he is literaly at every local show I've ever attended. This guy supports the shit out of local artists. That is super cool.

-I'm almost embarrassed to say how much I like the song Mexico. What a great way to close out a set (pre-encore). I listened to it 5 times this morning alone. Seriously.

-I had my camera with me but was so caught up in the moment that I didn't take a single shot. If anyone did, please send some along and I'll post them on here.

-What appeared to be texting or tweeting during the show was actually Jesse just checking his setlist. Technology and music: lovers.

-The pizza served in the building next door to the Rex is the greatest greasy drunk pizza of all time. Hands down.

C-Mon and Kypski Tonight

2010-07-14T06:56:00.001-07:00

Pretty interesting show going on at the Brillobox tonight: C-Mon & Kypski from the Netherlands. I won't be able to make it, but if any of the BNAC Music Blog readers go and would like to write a review, I'd be happy to read it. It sounds like it will be a weird mix of electronic, rock, and world music.

By the way...Brillobox never looks right when I type it! What the hell?

Thanks to all who entered to win Flaming Lips tickets! The winner will be contacted shortly. Stay tuned for more giveaways including My Morning Jacket!

Win tickets to the Flaming Lips from the BNAC Music Blog!

2010-07-13T10:37:00.001-07:00

The great folks at Drusky Entertainment have allowed me to give away 2 tickets to next week's Flaming Lips show at the Trib Total Media Center at Station Square.

All you have to do is send me a response to these 3 questions to the email address below. You have until Midnight tonight (7/13) to answer. Only one winner will be chosen from the correct responses. Please enter ONLY once!

Here are your contest questions:

1) Which Flaming Lips member is known to wear a full-body skeleton suit onstage?

2) How do clouds taste?

3) What level of Karate has Yoshimi achieved?

Send your answers to this address:

BnacMusicBlog@gmail.com

Good luck and thanks for playing!! See you at the show!

Album Review: Bear Cub

2010-07-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

In a recent interview with the Post Gazette, local artist Joy Ike had this to say:
Musically, "Pittsburgh is known for cover bands playing '90s rock in dive bars. I didn't know where I fit in." In all due respect to Ms. Ike, this quote kind of rubbed me the wrong way.* In recent years I have been continually impressed with the diversity of local talent in and around the 3 Rivers area. Bands like Good Night States, Donora, Jimbo and the Soupbones, Lohio, and Meeting of Important People have been proudly carrying the flag for young, up and coming Pittsburgh artists and keeping the indie music alive. Now here comes Bear Cub, who with their debut self titled release may be easily be the best band in Pittsburgh.

I met band members Jesse Hall and Matt Gray at the (soon to be iconic) horseshoe booth at Dees Cafe in the South Side recently to talk about the release of the album. And while the conversation drunkenly veered off course to chatter of other subjects, including the film Little Giants (which is part of the inspiration for the title of the song Annexation Of Texas), ?uestlove (Gray's favorite drummer), and high school auditoriums; I get the sense that Bear Cub is a project both are infinitely proud of. Gray, who estimates hes on roughly 20 albums (in various capacities) says this is by far "top to bottom" the proudest hes been about a release.

I'm not surprised. An indie-folk jaunt, for fans of Bright Eyes and The Avett Brothers, Bear Cub never wastes a note, flourish, or moment on the album's entire duration. It is simply stunning. Thematically the album reminds me of Sea Change, Beck's "break-up album" but without the morose and sullen vibe. A bulk of the songs seem to be about the end of a relationship and the feeling of moving on and growing apart. Its familiar musical territory to be sure but Jesse Hall's disarmingly clear voice makes the soul baring personal lyrics that much more heartbreaking and beautiful.

Produced by local legend (and Jesse's dad) Buddy Hall, Bear Cub avoids alt-country cliches like twangy vocals and cheesy "old timey" lyrics (Son Volt, I'm looking at you...) yet still presents a disc chock full of tunes that feel like they could have been released at almost any time in history. The album has been playing at the Nac house all weekend. My current favorite track is the insanely infectious "Mexico". I can't wait to see these guys live. They'll be playing a FREE show at the Rex on Friday July 16th. I'll be there for sure...so should you.

Listen to Bear Cub here:
http://www.myspace.com/bearcubclub

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Addendum

*I don't want to be the part of any Joy Ike bashing, so let me say that I used the quote slightly out of context. Joy issued an explanation for the quote on her Facebook page. Since I have a sneaking suspicion that I may be part of the cause for her having to write such an explanation, I feel its fitting I post it here:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/joy-ike/pittsburgh-90s-rock-and-then-some/477150398568

Also, here is the complete article from which the quote was taken.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10180/1068925-388.stm?cmpid=news.xml

As you can see, Ms. Ike does have a love for Pittsburgh and it's music. I still stand by my feeling that the idea that Pittsburgh is known (by some) as being 90s cover bands rubs me the wrong way. I think Joy and I agree on the fact that that is a lame way to be known but (to quote her again) : "Pittsburgh is known for" does not translate into "I think Pittsburgh is". Well said.

In any event. Peace and love. Support local music, be it Joy Ike, Bear Cub, or a 90s bar band...whatever blows your skirt up!

Win Tickets on Pittsburgh Blogs

2010-06-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Check it out. My man Hugh from Hughshows is going to be doing ticket giveaways every week! His first one is for the DEVO show on July 9th! How cool is that? Who says reading blogs doesn't pay off?

Follow the link below to his blog to find out how to enter:

http://hughshowsredux.blogspot.com/

Also...Stay tuned to the BNAC Music Blog. I'll be having a contest within the next few days for a pretty big show. (Hint: Pink Robots)

Tweedy sings "Single Ladies"

2010-06-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Per request, Wilco frontman does the Beyonce favorite.

Balloons, Babies, and Beards at the WYEP Summer Music Festival (6/25/10)

2010-06-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Another hot and balmy June evening in Pittsburgh; another great WYEP Summer Music Festival. After a delicious Thai Me Up Dinner Cathy, Sean, Jenny and I met up with the lovely Miss Amber at her blanket located behind the sound tent and we all came to the same realization: "There are a shitload of kids here this year." The event has always been a family friendly night out, but this year the kids were all over the place. The lines to the food lines were rivaled only by the line to get a balloon animal at the kids area. We did miss out on the free Swedish Fish they were handing out to the kids, though. My wife was none too pleased.

I only caught the end of local opener, The Boogie Hustlers, and it seemed they filled their role of the "high spirited Pittsburgh warm-up act" nicely. This was my first time catching these guys they were a bit more "G-Lovey" than I was expecting. I promise that's not supposed to be an insult. They definitely brought some vocal fans/friends to the show who danced like crazed hippies in the grass. After their set I saw one of the band members give a CD to the security guard protecting the side of the stage. A new fan maybe? A cool moment indeed.

Joshua James didn't censor any of his adult themed songs for the toddlers in the crowd, but no one seemed to mind. He proudly wore his Dylan and Young influences on his sleeve throughout his moody 40 minutes. I heard more than one in attendance compare him to Ray LaMontagne. I walked around quite a bit as he played, trying to find a better spot to actually hear his lyrics...they were quite muffled from our spot on the lawn.

Next up was the show stealer, Sarah Harmer. I actually first saw Sarah playing as an opening act to fellow Canadians Barenaked Ladies about a decade ago. My only memory of her performance was Sarah greeting the crowd at Star Lake with a "Hello Burgettsville!". Awkward. Shes obviously come a long way in terms of stage presence since then and put on a headliner caliber performance. Her show was paced very well, starting slow and ending in a jammy dance party of kids and parents.

I was a bit underwhelmed with Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea in the headliner spot. While Sarah embraced the party like atmosphere with her performance, Nicole seemed to try and turn it into a coffee shop with her uneven and slow set. Starting a bit late and playing shorter than Harmer's band, Nicole definitely has the chops. There were some good moments throughout, I enjoyed her dedicating Hotel Plaster to the (Pittsburgh) Penguins, WYEP, and The Furries (who were in town that night and staying at her downtown hotel. I also dug the Roy Orbison encore song, but again...I kind of missed the rocking out of headliners past: moe., Old 97's, and Sam Roberts Band. I guess I prefer to leave a show like this energized as opposed to mellowed out.

Other thoughts and observations:

-I'm not sure what the logistics of having additional food vendors in Shenley Park are, but they need em if they are going to continue growing this fest. The gyro/ice cream line was about 30-40 minutes long, depending on when you went.

-I saw Pittsburgh local Brad Yoder handing a CD to Sarah Harmer off the side of the stage during Nicole Atkins' set. I haven't seen Brad play in years. Good to know hes still putting out music.

-There were an awful lot of photogs there this year. I look forward to seeing some more pics from the event (that are better than my cell phone pics)

-WYEP DJ's Rosemary Welsh and Cindy Howes should start a ghetto rap group together. Kyle Smith could be the hype man while Mike Sauter can DJ. How sweet would that be? They could open next year's fest. Seriously...if it happens I want a cut of the profits.

-Sarah Harmer has the distinction of being the artist that put my Ipod over 10,000 songs. As of this morning, I have 10,004 songs, thanks to me importing You Were Here (which I bought and got signed at the festival).

-Last time I saw Nicole Atkins (at All Points West 2008) she brought someone in Pork Roll Egg and Cheese costumes for her closer. This was a far less absurd outing.

-Jenny pointed out that young guys with beards always give each other head nods when they pass on the street, a kind of hipster greeting. The same is also true with pregnant women and people walking dogs. There was an abundance of head nodding and general camaraderie in Oakland last Friday.

Album Review: The Gaslight Anthem: American Slang

2010-06-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Every week Itunes offers a free download for subscribers. I download it every single week, in hopes of hearing something that I may have missed. When I went to download last week's track, "American Slang" (from the album of the same name), I accidentally ordered the entire new album. I was pissed. I had never listened to The Gaslight Anthem, and I sure wasn't hoping to drop $10 without hearing a note. Boy, did I luck out.

American Slang is fantastic. If you haven't heard the band yet, you'll probably hear the Bruce Springsteen comparisons soon enough. And while those are apt, I actually think the band is more of a hybrid of The Hold Steady (for modern wordy lyrics and song structure), The Killers (for sound and grandiosity), and Social Distortion (for the ferocious energy of every song). This may be the best "new" band I've heard in a long time.

"Did you grow up lonesome? And one of a kind? Were your records all you had to pass the time?"

Some bands go their entire career trying to write a lyric so poignant and populist, but the Gaslight Anthem nail it 5 tracks in on "The Queen of Lower Chelsea", sung by frontman Brian Fallon with an earnestness that's intoxicating, who channels Springsteen and Joe Strummer throughout the entire disc. There are plenty of moments like this all the way through the album. The band clearly has set the bar high for itself and has grand goals. I picked up the previous release, The 59 Sound (on purpose this time) and it too is very good; although not quite the achievement as the latest release. It could be a grower though.

Unfortunately it doesn't appear the band is coming anywhere close to the burgh on the current tour, although there are stops in Philly and Columbus. Maybe a road trip is in order!

Mates of States WYEP Studio Session (6/18/10)

2010-06-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Theres not much better than a free show at lunch time a few blocks away from my office. This was my first experience with one of the many free WYEP studio sessions and it was pretty cool. Kind of awkward to sit so close, but I'm not complaining.

The last time I saw the Mates of State they were opening up for The Strokes at Rock Jungle (yeah that fuckin place) and Kori was about ready to pop (she was a good 7-8 months pregnant at the time. This time they have 2 more bandmates, giving them a fuller sound, and are touring behind a new covers album, Crushes (pictured above autographed today). I particularly like the Daniel Johnston cover so far.

Strange moment: Comedian Todd Barry (who you may remember as playing the d-bag boss in the film: The Wrestler) was randomly in attendance. Turns out hes touring with the band as their opener. This makes 2 times I've randomly run into the dude. The last was when he sat next to me for a few songs on the bleachers for All Points West while Coldplay closed out the fest. Kinda bummed I can't make the full show tonight at Mr. Smalls. Would love to see how a comedian opening act works with an indie Twee-Pop band.

(A Pic from Hugh:)

Donora Video...Casey as a cartoon?

2010-06-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I think Casey Hanner would make a great guest star on the old Scooby Doo shows. Couldn't you just see her driving around in the Mystery Machine, hunting ghosts in old amusement parks? Anyway...here is Donora's new(ish) music video. Its my favorite track off of the album...and the vid works perfectly.

But seriously...imagine her as an animated character in the 70's hanging with Shaggy and Velma. It works perfectly.

Petty, Lollapalooza, White Russians, and other thoughts

2010-06-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. " Hunter S. Thompson

Its Wednesday night, about 7:25 and I'm half drunk from a hastily made White Russian. I'm pissing around on the Internet, waiting for the wife to return from the gym so we can watch Invictus on DVD in time to return it to Netflix. Our little way of celebrating the World Cup. It suddenly dawns on me: Holy shit! The year is almost half gone! Summer is nearly here (its felt like summer in Pittsburgh for 2 weeks) and theres tons to talk about.

And what a year its been. The arts fest just wrapped up on Sunday and, like every year, I feel like I didn't go often enough. I missed Ingrid, which I heard was a great show. I also missed Kris, which I heard was OK. I did get some good art, and I got to see Tift Merritt and Jason Isabell, both of whom put on great performances.

There have also been a ton of great albums coming out recently. I don't even know where to start. With the summer concert season quickly approaching, this is usually the point where I start obsessively listening to the artists I'll be catching live soon. For starters...HOLY CRAP but is this new Tom Petty album killer!?! Every ticket purchased online for the current tour got you a free download of MOJO, the latest release. I haven't stopped listening to it since yesterday morning at 7:00am (when I rolled out of bed and nakedly downloaded it before my pre-work shower). This may be the best Petty release since his solo: Full Moon Fever, back when I was knee high to a toad. Usually a now classic rock act like the Heartbreakers could get away with putting out a safe, contract fullfilling disc and playing a greatest hits show for 4 months...but something tells me that this won't be the case this year. Seriously...if you haven't...go out and get MOJO. And look for me drunkenly singing at the show in July!

Yeasayer and Broken Bells both have insanely satisfying albums out, and I am still getting my heads around both. Yeasayer will be one of the many bands I'll be dragging my loving wife to see at Lollapalooza this year. That's right! I convinced Cathy, not a lover of concerts or crowds in general, to go to a destination festival this year. Hell has frozen over. Other notable discs released within the last few months include: The Hold Steady, MGMT, and Gorillaz (all of which are growers for sure...give them more than one listen).

In July alone I'll be seeing Neon Trees and Paper Tongues (I won tickets from Drusky Entertainment), The Flaming Lips, WEEN (in Columbus), the aforementioned Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. All that is BEFORE a trip to Lollapalooza and see countless acts including the Arcade Fire, who have an album coming out days before.

I just got word of a CD release party by burgh favorites: Meeting of Important People at the Warhol the 30th of July. Other favs Good Night States (my band of the year a few years ago) will be opening up). That is not to be missed. Another local act with an album coming out are Bear Cub, who are pretty damn good. Scott Mervis from the PG wrote a great article that you can check out here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10167/1065849-388.stm

I won't be able to make that show...so someone snag my a disc, for Christ's sake.

All that and the WYEP summer music fest in 2 weeks! My head might just explode. If you see me at any of these shows, please bring me a beer and I'll give you a handshake and backslap of thanks.

I'm going to down another Wednesday night adult beverage now. Go listen to MOJO or never talk to me again.

Tift Merritt : MixTape Video

2010-06-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have been kind of obsessed with this song recently. She opened up for Jason Isabell at the Arts fest a week ago. I bought the album and have been listening to it regularly since then. Being obsessed with making mixes for friends and loved ones, this song about sums it up. Also...Nac Mix 2010 will be released soon! And this will probably be on it!

Live Show Review: The Avett Brothers / Cheswick PA 6/6/10

2010-06-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

I admit that I am spoiled when it comes to rock concerts. That is a long running downside to attending a lot of em. After a while, they start to blend together. And, worse yet, they don't touch me in the way they once did. After the incredible U2 show in September and the jaw droppingly amazing Wilco show a while back I've been to a handful of lackluster shows. The Midlake show at Diesel was nothing to write home about for example. And the Low Anthem show at Club Cafe in the winter did not melt any faces. Both noble efforts, but meh... And I vowed long ago that I would not dwell on things that didn't impress me. Whats the point in writing about shows that didn't move me?

Luckily The Avett Brothers came to town and played a very strange venue! Now...I've been to some shitty halls in my day, but this ranks up there. A dilapidated skating rink sure doesn't make one think of Rock'n'Roll in 2010 (unless you, like the brothers Avett has a soft spot for the opening scene of The Buddy Holly Story), but true rock apparently has no boundaries. The poorly ventilated indie-wrestling venue couldn't keep the Avetts down; not even with help by a BORING set by opener Jessica Lee Mayfield. I'm sure shes better in a smaller venue, but I'll take someone else's word for it.

What blew me away the most about the Avett Brothers was how seamlessly Scott and Seth Avett can share lead vocal duties. I can't tell which one of them is singing on the albums, and if I wasn't staring directly at them during the show, I still would have trouble. They share vocal chords. Its eerie.

The crowd was a bit chatty in the back of the "arena' but even the slower songs from a mostly high energy slobber knocker were well received on this balmy Sunday evening. There did seem to an awful lot of pregnant women in the crowd, including one 5 week old baby...who will surely have hearing damage after this show. But at least they can say (or sign) that their first concert experience was a killer one.

Setlist (copied from the Avett Brothers Forum):

Laundry Room
Salina
Fall
Wanted man
Perfect space
Gimmakiss
I & Love & You
one line
PgfRaleigh
Last song to Jenny
Die die die
Shame
$ won't do the trick???
January wedding
Go to sleep
Will upi return
PgfChile
Slight figure of speech
If it's the beaches
Encore:
Paranoia (at first in the wrong key...but was restarted)

Photo above by Michael Henninger of the Post-Gazette

Hugh took some too:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughshows/sets/72157624226612708/

Other random observations from the night:

-Butterbean will be fighting Sterling James Keenan soon at the Ches-Arena in a Boxer vs Wrestler event. Nice
-Before the show I got to crack open a small crab with a meat tenderizer
-Seriously...who brings a 5 week old child to an indoor rock concert
-$25 bought you a wrist band for free drinks all night. The catch was...2 bartenders for the whole venue. Weak. Sean got his money back
-Guys who wear hats indoors automatically get labeled as douches at concerts. I don't know if this is fair.
-There was carpet on the ceiling

The show that saved the blog...(Wilco: Pittsburgh 4/11/10)

2010-04-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

...and possibly my soul.

An Evening with Wilco: 4/11/10

When Trey Anastasio inducted Genesis into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame a few weeks back, Phil Collins had a funny comment about his induction speech. He called it a "very good argument" for the reasons to like Genesis. It made perfect sense, really, for any hardcore music fan who's favorite band happens to be one of those groups so often deemed "unappreciated". Fanboys love telling people why they should love their favorite band, show, movie, comic book...etc.

If you wanted to convince the uninitiated to the glorys of Wilco...last night's show at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland was just about the best argument you could ever make. It was about as jaw droppingly awesome as a live music experience could be. The nearly 3 hour barn-burner of a set was nothing short of epic. How many current bands could possily play a full 37 song set and still keep you wanting more. Bruce Springsteen and POSSIBLY Pearl Jam are the only ones that come to mind.

I know its said a lot (especially on fanboy blogs like this one) but we truly are seeing a band at it's peak...and that doesn't happen very often. Even with a few glitches (Glenn had a false start about 90 minutes in, misreading the setlist) the night was near perfect. The strange and out of place computer voice that introduced the band (and told us not to take photos) only underscored what an organic, rich experience a Wilco show can be.

So much of music these days is about taking away the human element of the process. Every time we download an album instead of going to the record store and buying it from the glib hipster behind the counter, we are losing a little of the enjoyment of the experience. And as the sub-sub genres continue to splinter away and niche marketing makes the industry smaller and smaller, its a relief that live shows are still there. They can't that away. Well...I guess they can rape us with service charge and violate our human rights with agressive security measures...

But I digress.

On Sunday, April 11th 2010, I attended the best show I've ever seen. Faces were melted, minds were blown. Below is the setlist...but the list alone doesn't really do the evening justice. Guess ya had to be there.

Wilco (the song)
Bull Black Nova
You Are My Face
IATTBYH>
One Wing
A Shot in the Arm
On and On and On
Company In My Back
Deeper Down
Handshake Drugs
California Stars
Impossible Germany
I'll Fight
Poor Places>
----into acoustic set----
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
More Like The Moon
Someday, Some Morning, Sometime>
Laminated Cat
When You Wake Up Feeling Old
Forget The Flowers
War on War
Passenger Side
----out of acoustic set----
Airline To Heaven
Via Chicago
Box Full of Letters
You Never Know
Jesus, etc. (crowd singalong)
Theologians
Heavy Metal Drummer
Candyfloss
Hate It Here
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Monday
Thank You Friends [Big Star cover]
----------------------
Casino Queen
Outtasite (Outta Mind)
I'm A Wheel (rave version)

Listen to the new Vampire Weekend

2010-01-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

NPR has posted the new Vampire Weekend album, CONTRA on their website. Its pretty good at first listen. I don't hear anything as jaw droppingly infectious as M79 or The Kids Don't Stand a Chance. But its a solid second album, nonetheless.

Just click below and enjoy:

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=122213523&m=122214664

Let me know what you think!

HUGE Show Announcements!

2010-01-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

Well its a new year which means the show announcements for the late winter/early spring should start rolling in. I bought my dad and bro tickets to see Eric Clapton and Roger Daltry for Christmas! That will be at the Mellon Arena on Feb 25th. Probably the last show I'll be seeing at the arena. (For those keeping score...my first ever rock concert was Aerosmith at the Civic Arena during the Get a Grip Tour when I was in 8th grade).

The Low Anthem plays Club Cafe on Feb 23rd. I may check that one out too!

But the most exciting news of all is WILCO playing the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Sunday April 11th! I am insanely pumped about this one. My favorite band playing at my favorite local music venue.

This will be the first time I'll be seeing them since the release of Wilco: The Album. It will be cool to hear the new(ish) songs live!

Update from a press release:

The U.S. shows are being billed as "An Evening With Wilco", featuring "extended, varied sets exploring material from each of the accomplished Chicago sextet's seven studio albums,"

Gidgets Ga Ga

2009-12-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

Nostalgia is a weird and powerful thing. I used to be fairly anti-nostalgia. I try and be anti knick knack, and I have been mostly successful. People have said that the sense of smell is the sense that is most directly tied to memory. I guess there are studies that prove this...but I think its a lot of hooey. Nothing makes me stroll down memory lane or more nostalgic (for good or bad) than listening to music. I am obviously not alone. We hear a song that we heard in high school and we start welling up and getting all weepy. Post Gazette Pavilion makes its money almost completely on old farts shelling out way too much to hear Jimmy Buffet or Brett Michaels singing the song they listened to while losing their virginity.

Whats odd, though, is when music makes you nostalgic the first time you are listening to it. Case in point: Gidgets Ga Ga. I listen to their recent release The Big Bong Fiasco and I am immediately transported back to somewhere in the early to mid-90's. But the weird thing is...it doesn't sound a bit like music I listened to in the early 90's. If I am being completely honest here (and I will be), the only music I was listening to in 1994 was Nirvana and the London cast recording of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It wasn't until a few years later that I started to broaden my horizons a bit.

So why does Gidgets Ga Ga, an up and coming Chicago rock band, make me think of my puberty years? Perhaps its because its obvious that the guys in the band grew up listening to 90's music (besides cast recordings) and the influence in worn with pride. They sound like a healthy mix of early REM, Guided By Voices, and maybe some Be Here Now era Oasis. Lead singer, Mick Flores even kind of reminds me of Liam Gallagher(who I waited to meet once for 3 hours after an AJ Palumbo concert...unsuccessfuly), minus the cussing and brother hating.

Or perhaps its because, Diana, the girl who gave me their CD once went out on a "date" with me when I was a freshman in high school. The date in question consisted of a group trip to Dennys where I had a Moons Over My Hammy and then some sexy hand holding for about 45 minutes until her dad came to pick us up.

Man...I was a heartbreaker. (For those keeping score, our relationship ended 2 days later on the phone. It wasn't meant to be...)

More than likely though...listening to Triple G (as I will now call them) is bringing back all sorts of Clinton Administration memories because it was the last CD I listened to before moving out of my old apartment into the house where I now write this. I am now 2 days away from being 30 years old, recently married, and finally moved into my first house...its kind of hard not to be nostalgic. I don't get many new discs from bands these days (unless I've at least seen them live or have some frame of reference) so getting a good one in the mail from an old friend is a rare treat. I guess not all nostalgia is a bad thing.

Thanks, Diana for the recommendation. You owe me a Moons Over My Hammy next time you are in the Burgh.

For more info go here:

http://www.gidgetsgaga.com/

The guys also just released a free Christmas track:

http://www.tunecore.com/widgets/show/17406

A Meeting of Important Zombies

2009-11-08T09:52:00.001-08:00

Heres a few pics from the Meeting of Important People house concert on Halloween. The band sounded great...the cops got called in to break up the awesomeness! Very Rock N Roll. They did some appropriate covers: The Munsters Theme Song and a ZOMBIES song. The guys couldn't have been nicer. My thanks to the band and WYEP for making this happen!

Anvil: The Story of Anvil (and other observations)

2009-10-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

So by now you've probably heard all about the painfuly honest documentary film Anvil: The Story of Anvil. If not, heres an insanely quick synopsis: Anvil, the early 80's metal band that never quite reached the success they seemed destined for, is still at it all these years later. Problem is...they are still living in relative obscurity {playing to small crowds in dive bars} and working less than glamorous jobs to make ends meet.

The film, in it's warts and all style, is undoubtedbly well made and engrossing. The band truly is the real life Spinal Tap...right down to the fact that they still seem to have their biggest fan base across the sea in Japan. Lead singer, Lips, and drummer, Robb Reiner are about as quirky and comically engaging as you could ask for in protagonists. You can't help but root for them. And since the film's release Anvil has, it seems, finally gotten the fame and fortune they've been waiting for all these years. They are getting tons of press and AC/DC took them on tour recently.

But after several viewings of the film, the happy ending of the Anvil story has grown more and more troubling to me. Let me be clear by saying upfront that I always enjoy success stories. Who doesn't? I love when someone is able to find bliss in doing what they love to do. It's the American (and in this case Canadian) dream, right? So why am I bothered by the loveable stooges that make up Anvil? I guess it just comes down to the way I see the world.

There is a truth which very few in the entertainment business ever want to admit: Most bands ultimately do not succeed in their pursuit to become "rock stars". That is not to say that bands /musicians/artists are failures if they don't sell a million units and sell out stadiums. Obviously, as a guy who goes to see tiny shows in Club Cafe (as well as U2), I understand that "success" is all relative. The problem, to me, is that the guys in Anvil don't understand that. And that is what is so sad to me. I never found myself sad that these guys never made it big...I was more sad that they didn't ever seem to get why.

No matter what, Anvil never changed their tune. They defiantly rocked on in their own way since they first flirted with fame in 1984. And they were dropped by their record label...suffered through terrible tours. But they kept going. While they worked their day jobs they have kept recording and kept playing shows. But to them, it was never enough. The joy from playing and recording was not enough for them. For all they really wanted, it seems, was fame and fortune.

This is what is so troubling to me. Not the desire to be famous or rich (because thats obviously not a rare thing for musicians. Its the fact that they don't seem to understand why it didn't happen. They truly believed that if they kept playing 80s metal in the 2000's that they would finally "make it big".

So much about the entertainment industry, and music especially, is about excitement and about youth. This obviously doesn't suggest that only youngins can make music. But thats usually "when it happens". Once that window passes...its hard to get it back. Since the idea of the teenager became a major marketing tool in the late 50's, the industry has never really looked back.

I am obviously only speaking to the mainstream modern pop/rock music industry. Plenty of artists of all ages, sizes, and shapes can and have found success in the ever growing niche genres. With the industry the way it is, especially since the internet boom of the 2000's (Napster etc) unless you can appeal to the masses, you probably will have to settle to just make music for the love of playing. Which is to me, as a fan (and probably an idealist) what its all supposed to be about anyway. Right? RIGHT?

Sure, its a lovely thought to think that anyone with a guitar, 3 chords, and the truth can change the world and make enough money to house their families and groupies in lavish mansions. But we all know thats not how it works. If every band was as successful financially as they want to be, we'd all be broke for going to 3 concerts a day and buying 100 CD's every Tuesday morning. Music (and art) will only stay good, relevant, and interesting if it evolves and can be a voice...an outlet for the culture and for the people who enjoy it.

Call me uncaring...but I think the slow decline of the record industry is actually good for music as an art. Will people make as much money and "last" as long? Probably not. But as a fan (and as someone who doesn't get paid to make music) this is no way bothers me. Longevity is not always (or ever) a true sign of being good. It shows you have a good work ethic, sure. But what else.

The internet driven music industry has almost brought us full circle as consumers of music and art. Sure some of the "shared experience" that comes with everyone loving the same music is gone...but the side effects are better. Its made people actively search out the music they like. The true music fans out there will find the music and bands that they like. Bands also have to try harder to be noticed. Anyone can create a Myspace page and record a few demos to stream on there. To keep people interested, in an age with ever diminishing attention spans: THAT is talent.

Maybe this is because I've never been a real metal fan. I feel that a lot of bands, Anvil included, were so against ever changing what they do and yet still want to maintain relevancy. Thats not how it works. It doesn't have to be "selling out" to change what you do. In my opinion "selling out", is this: Changing what you believe in and want to do ONLY to make a few bucks. I think too many artists are accused of selling out. Metallica didn't sell out. They natually evolved when they recorded the Black Album..and the rest is history.

Look: I'm glad for the men in Anvil that they are finding success because of the film, and the hype that has come from it. They seem, from what I can tell, to be nice and honest guys and, like I said earlier, I wish success for everyone (except CREED). But I don't truly feel like this is the way it should have happened. They will play to bigger crowds, sure. But most of those people aren't there to see Anvil, the band. They will be there to see the characters in the movie. And sure, that'll pay the bills...but the nostalgia sugar rush surely can't last for very long...and soon Anvil will be back in Canada playing for true metal heads in small bars. And, to me...that should be enough. I hope they save their money from this recent success and can once again find joy in playing, without the dreams of being "rock stars" being the only dream that drives them.

Anvil Performance photos (above) by Brent J. Craig

http://brentjcraig.com/

Album Review: Monsters of Folk

2009-09-27T16:37:00.001-07:00

Its a rare thing that musical colaborations (outside of hip-hop) live up to the hype. When Ben Lee, Ben Folds, and Ben Kweller teamed up a few years back for the one-off EP: The Bens the result was a so-so toss off album that was more fun to talk about (and think about) than to actually listen to. When Bono sang with Wycleff Jean even longer ago, it was even less essential. (I bet you don't even remember that). And when someone tosses off the term SuperGroup, my expectations are lowered even further than usual. There are obviously a few exceptions: CSNY, The Traveling Wilburys, Damn Yankees (kidding).

Wikipedia had a funny page for the supergroup...including a list, by year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergroup_(music)

Now I am happy to add Monsters of Folk to the short list of Supergroups worth talking about...and listening to. Don't let the terrible name...and even worse album cover fool you. The band, consisting of Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Conor Oberst (The Artist Formerly known as Bright Eyes), M Ward (the Him of She and Him), and Mike Mogis (also from Bright Eyes), has put out a stunningly beautiful debut that has been melting my face for almost a week straight.

I have loved the most recent LP's by each of the participants (most recently Oberst with his Mythic Valley Band), but I am pretty sure that I love this album, over 5 years in the making, more than the others combined. It is an outstanding achievement for all involved. With instand classics like Say Please, Baby Boomer, and Man Named Truth, the project is worth twice the sum of all it's parts. Its actually hard to fathom that any (or all?) of these guys would consider Monster's of Folk a "side-project". If I were the other guys in My Morning Jacket, though, I might be a bit concerned!

If you somehow haven't heard the first single yet, listen here:

Meeting Of Important People's new Music Video!

2009-09-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

U2 2009 :28 Hours in Toronto

2009-09-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

3 AM: Left Pittsburgh For Toronto

10:30 AM: Got in line at Rogers Center in Downtown Toronto. 313 and 314 in line

4:30 PM: Time they TOLD us gates were opening

5:15 PM: Gates open for general admission.

5:17 PM: Got in the circlce...in the very front: spitting distance from the EDGE

7:15 PM: Snow Patrol plays some songs

9:00 PM: U2 melts my freaking face with a spectacular show that I still can't quite write about for fear of unleashing my inner fan-boy (too late, I know).

As you see...I was pretty excited. More pics and thoughts to follow.

Rock the Block 9/12/2009

2009-09-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

WYEP's 4th Annual Rock The Block was about as fun as a Saturday night in the south side of Pittsburgh can be. I was a bit worried, having caught a so-so performance by Ra Ra Riot last month at All Points West. In all fairness, that gig was a bit of an afterthought to the rain and horrible mud. And melting faces on a mid-day set is always an uphill battle. Luckily the stars were aligned on this particular cool September night in da Burgh. RRR was a perfect headliner to a great night of music, food, drinks, and awesomeness, playing every track from their debut full-lenghthed album.

Local Act Lohio also brought a solid and energetic live show to the masses as well. The crowd was a tad smaller this year (there were a few other similar events happening on the same night) but this only made the night that much more comfortable. There did, however, seem to be an abundance of pulled pork at the vendor tables this year around. Carson City Grill's chilli was my personal favorite on that end. And of course: Smiley Cookies from Eat N Park!

(Why do some of them not have mouths!?!?!?!?)

I got to talk to Serena Ryder and her band for a few minutes. She played the VIP show upstairs early in the evening, while patrons with deeper pockets pounded back some insanely strong frozen cosmos! One tiny glass and I was already getting my drunk voice on. Anyway, Serena recommended bars to stop at in Toronto on Tuesday (after the U2 concert, of course) and couldn't have been nicer to my drunk ramblings.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A nice post script to the evening: I entered a Chinese Raffle to win a house concert by Meeting of Important People...and I won! I will have to contact the band to set up a date and all that, but stay tuned for details on the BNAC (and JRog) hosted house concert!!

My interview with Don Jamieson

2009-09-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

Emmy Award Winner Don Jamieson, along with fellow comic Jim Florentine, and radio host (and metal historian) Eddie Trunk host an insanely entertaining music talk show on VH1 Classic: That Metal Show. Combining sarcastic humor with a general love of all things metal, the show, soon to be in it's third season, is positively infectious (last season's episodes lived in my DVR all summer). Imagine The Best Damn Sports Show Period hosted by metal geeks instead of meat heads. Or perhaps just picture Headbangers Ball...except Riki Rachtman is divided into 3 and is intentionally funny.

Anyway, I had the opportunity to pick Don's brain for a bit recently. Check it out:

Brian Nac- How did you get involved in That Metal Show?
Don Jamieson- WELL I MET EDDIE WHEN I WAS GOING TO HIS HOUSE TO ADMINISTER ANESTHESIA FOR HIS SLEEPING DISORDER. NO, ACTUALLY JIM AND I WERE FANS OF EDDIE'S RADIO SHOW HERE IN NYC. WE WERE LIKE, "ANYBODY WHO CAN TALK ABOUT THE BAND 'ACCEPT' FOR 20 MINUTES IS OUR KIND OF GUY." WE MET HIM BACKSTAGE AT A CONCERT ONCE, STARTING MAKING APPEARANCES ON HIS RADIO SHOW AND THEN CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT FOR "THAT METAL SHOW."

BN- Has doing the show changed the type of people who come to your shows?
DJ- PEOPLE WITH A FINER TASTE IN MUSIC. MORE PEOPLE WITH MULLETS. MORE PEOPLE WHO DRINK BUD CANS.

BN- What are your favorite 3 Metal Bands?
DJ- IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER - JUDAS PRIEST, MOTORHEAD, BLACK SABBATH - ALL OF WHOM TOURED TOGETHER LAST SUMMER ON THE METAL MASTERS TOUR. I WAS IN METAL HEAVEN!

BN- What is the best metal album of all time?
DJ- "POWERAGE" BY AC/DC. BON SCOTT WAS TRULY A GENIUS OF ROCK. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO "SIN CITY" YOU CAN TOTALLY PICTURE BON WALKING INTO A VEGAS CASINO, WINNING ALL THE MONEY AND LEAVING WITH THE HOTTEST GIRL IN THE PLACE.

BN- Are there any bands that are decidely un-metal that you are a fan of, currently?
DJ- JOURNEY. JUST SAW THEM LAST NIGHT HERE IN NY. SAY WHAT YOU WANT BUT WHEN "DON'T STOP BELIEVING" ON THE RADIO YOU KNOW YOU TURN IT UP AND SING.

BN- Who is the coolest metal personality/player you have gotten a chance to interview?
DJ- VINNIE PAUL FROM PANTERA. HE FLEW IN TO DO OUR SHOW THE MORNING AFTER THE 14TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY FOR HIS STRIP CLUB, "THE CLUBHOUSE" IN DALLAS. HE LEFT THE CLUB AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE AIRPORT. HE STILL HAD GLITTER ALL OVER HIM WHEN HE GOT TO THE STUDIO.

BN- Whos the biggest douchebag?
DJ- HONESTLY, EVERYONE WHO DID THE SHOW WAS COOL AS HELL WHICH IS INDICATIVE OF THE METAL COMMUNITY IN GENERAL - FANS AND ARTISTS ALIKE.

BN- SUB question to that one: Given your current exposure on the show, do you worry about being vocal about your negative feelings about an artist, for fear they will a) not come on the show, or b) want to kill you when/if they do?

DJ- I HAVE NO PROBLEM EXPRESSING MY OPINION ON THE SHOW. I'M NOT THE TYPE TO BAD MOUTH SOMEONE FOR NO REASON BUT I HAVE AGGRAVATED SOME FANS AND ARTISTS UNINTENTIONALLY. WE DID A SEGMENT ON THE SHOW WHERE WE DISCUSSED WHAT BAND WE'D LIKE TO SEE REUNITE. I SAID IRON MAIDEN WITH THEIR ORIGINAL SINGER PAUL DIANNO. APPARENTLY THAT PISSED OFF SEBASTIAN BACH ENOUGH TO SEND MY CO-HOST EDDIE TRUNK AN E-MAIL SAYING I WAS BEING IRRESPONSIBLE AND I THINK HE CALLED ME AN ASS AS WELL.

ALSO WE DID A SEGMENT WHERE WE DISCUSSED WHAT BAND WE THINK SHOULD CALL IT A DAY. I SAID TED NUGENT FOR THE REASON THAT HE BAD-MOUTHED DIMEBAG DARRELL AFTER HE DIED (R.I.P BROTHER). SOME TED FANS CAME OUT OF THE WOODWORK AND SENT ME E-MAILS DOCUMENTING ALL THE GREAT MUSIC TED HAS MADE OVER THE YEARS. BUT I NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT TED'S MUSIC - I OWN MOST OF IT. I WAS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT MY REASON BUT PEOPLE TOOK IT LIKE I WAS CRITICIZING HIM AS AN ARTIST.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, METAL HEADS ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR MUSIC AND I'M GLAD OUR SHOW PROVIDES A FORUM FOR THE METAL COMMUNITY TO COME AND HEAR PEOPLE DISCUSSING AND DEBATING ALL THINGS METAL.

BN- Whos got better taste in music: Eddie Trunk or Jim?
DJ- EDDIE HAS BETTER TASTE IN MUSIC. JIM HAS BETTER TASTE IN STRIPPERS.

BN- Can you give us any sneak peaks of what we might expect from the next seaon of That Metal Show?
DJ- NO BUT WE WERE JUST NAMED ONE OF THE 50 BEST REASONS TO WATCH TV BY ROLLING STONE. ISN'T THAT ENOUGH?

BN- Why the hell isn't VH1 Classic in HD already!?
DJ- HD? THEY'RE STILL USING ROTARY PHONES OVER THERE.

BN- I am a big fan of the return of the "roasts" in the last few years, although I'm horrified of Lisa Lampanelli. Anyway, since Gene Simmons has already had one, what Metal artist (or artists) would you like to see publicly roasted?

DJ- I'M A BIG FAN OF THE ROASTS TOO AS I AM A WRITER FOR YOUR FAVORITE ROASTER OF ALL TIME, LISA LAMPANELLI (pictured above)!! WRITING FOR THE GENE ROAST WAS AMAZING CONSIDERING ALL THE MINUTIAE I KNOW ABOUT GENE AND KISS. I LOVE KISS BUT THEY'VE GONE THROUGH MORE MEMBERS THAN PAM ANDERSON. MY VOTE FOR THE NEXT ROAST - OZZY OSBOURNE. JUST DON'T GO TOO FAR OR SHARON WILL HAVE YOU PELTED WITH EGGS (HILARIOUS INSIDE METALHEAD JOKE - GOOGLE SHARON OSBOURNE - IRON MAIDEN).

BN- Are you doing any upcoming shows in Pittsburgh!?
DJ- ALL TOUR DATES CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DONJAMIESON

BN- Have you read Fargo Rock City? Will you ever have Chuck Klosterman on the show? Before you guys came around it seemed like Chuck and Dee Snider (with his radio show) were the only ones in the modern era publicly keeping the lighter burning for all things metal.

DJ- I HAVEN'T READ "FARGO ROCK CITY." I TRIED TO STEAL IT FROM SOMEONE BACKSTAGE AT A SHOW RECENTLY BUT GOT CAUGHT. GUESS I'LL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT NOW. CHUCK IS AN AMAZING ROCK HISTORIAN AND IF HE'S READING THIS HE CAN SEND ME A COPY OF "FARGO ROCK CITY" C/O VH1 CLASSIC. I HOLD DEEP REVERENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO USE THEIR VOICE TO KEEP METAL ALIVE WHETHER IT'S CHUCK, DEE, "THAT METAL SHOW" OR EVEN YOU, BRIAN NAC!

Check out more about Don, and That Metal Show, here:
http://www.donjamieson.com/

Nac Mix 17

2009-09-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Nac Mix Release Announcement (Pittsburgh, PA)

The summer may be grinding to a halt, but NAC MIX 17 is here!! And while I won't go as far as telling you what all the tracks are (you have to listen to hear that) I will give you the Artist Track List, to give yo an idea of the order! The official release date is this this Friday, September 11th, but some early copys are already being distributed now!

Can you handle it!?

1) The Outfield
2) Neutral Milk Hotel
3) Ray Lamontagne
4) Michael Jackson
5) U2
6) The Ramones
7) The Killers
8) WEEN
9) Harvey Danger
10) The Beastie Boys
11) MGMT
12) Vampire Weekend
13) Depeche Mode
14) Grizley Bear
15) The Stranglers
16) Jason Lytle
17) The Mountain Goats
18) Wilco
19) Peter Cetera
20) Eddie Rabbit

Order your FREE copy now! Hell, I'll even pay for the stamp!! Email me your info!

Gene Ween Club Cafe 8/16/09

2009-09-05T14:59:00.001-07:00

This was a killer show. It was very weird the way it was booked (2 80 minute shows...one at 7:00 one at 10pm) but the specialness of the evening made up for the awkward pacing. How often am I going to get to hear my favorite songs sung by half of my favorite band...from a foot away.

Enjoy the pics I drunkenly snapped!

The BNAC Guide to Things To Be Excited About

2009-09-05T06:13:00.000-07:00

I hear a lot of Pittsburghers bitchin about the lack of hot days this summer. Its true: this has been the coolest summer on record in the history of Western PA (and a lot of cities around the country it seems). Personally, I don't think this is anything to complain about. As much as I love wearing dork shorts, I hate being a sweaty mess. It should be a surprise to noone who knows anything about me, but I have no interest in ever being on a beach. If I am found dead on a beach, it will obviously be a murder by a stranger.

But I digress.

Sadly, the end of summer does mean the end to the summer concert season, which was amazingly strong this past year. We saw the re-opening of the amphitheatre at Station Square (even though they haven't got a roof on the place yet). The arts fest (while not spectacular) moved back to Point State Park and out of that claustrophobic little triangle in the middle of the street. Phish reunited, Gwen Stefani came back to da burgh, and Gene Ween played 2 back to back shows on a steamy Sunday evening in the south side. It is a summer to be missed for sure.

But there is hope. As I sit here in my oversized All Points West T-shirt and gym shorts on the beautiful Labor Day weekend, I am here to tell you there is plenty to get excited for in the BNAC music universe. Lets go:

WYEP's Rock The Block:
Next Saturday, September 12th, a few hundred public radio fans will rock out (or at least head-bob out) outside of WYEP's community broadcast center. Your ticket price gets you food, drinks and music from Lohio and RaRa Riot. If you haven't been down to RTB before, I highly recommend making the trip. Show starts at 8. Theres plenty of stuff to do (games, raffles, etc.) so stop being a square already!
http://www.wyep.org/events/event.php?event_id=1157

A TON of big albums coming out soon. The Flaming Lips are releasing a Double Album...Pearl Jam has a big one coming out too. And lets not forget the "supergroup": Monsters of Folk! The fall has always been one of the best times for new music releases. And colder weather means more time to listen to "indoor music" like Grizley Bear (who I am mildly obsessed with lately). Also...a little known band called the Beatles are having their entire catalog remastered on CD. FINALLY!
I know! I know. Its just repackaging the same stuff over and over again...but The Beatles have gotten the shaft with sound quality in the past. And that Beatles Rock Band (releasing next week) is calling my name too! I have been waiting to play Helter Skelter since I was 2.

TV on the...TV: At the risk of sounding like an old married dude...I am gonna give props to the boob tube. This might be the best time for the brain cell killing medium known as TV. HBO started raising the bar a decade or so ago, and the best just keeps getting better. Besides actual MUSIC channels being on the air again (FUSE, Paladia, and VH1 Classic for example) the standard of broadcast TV is so much higher. Mad Men, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, True Blood, are just of the few shows the are filling up my DVR these days. And Jason Schwartzman has a show coming on HBO this fall too!

NAC MIX 17 My mass marketed "mix-tape" CD is about to be released to the world for the 17th time since 1998. This edition features new and classic songs from bands and artists such as: Grizley Bear, Mountain Goats, Depeche Mode, Peter Cetera, The Beastie Boys, and Michael Jackson. The street date is Friday September 11th (same day Snoop Dog will be rocking out in Pburgh). You can reserve your copy now! Just send me an email with your addy and I'll snail mail you a copy!

and lastly...

The Blog is Back! Don't call it a comeback! Because it never really left. But I'm using this Labor Day weekend as a change to recharge, restart, and have a grand reopening for the BNAC Music Blog. There will be more updates, more reviews, and a few interviews in the coming days, weeks, and months.
I'm currently interviewing Don Jamieson from VH1 Classic's That Metal Show. Expect the transcript of the interview to be posted soon!
And in less than 2 weeks I will be on the floor in Toronto for U2!! Review and pics to follow!

Stay Tuned!!

All Point West V2/Gene Ween/Life

2009-08-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

As you can probably tell...this blog is facing some changes. The last few months have been full of changes (mostly great). Getting married, changing jobs, and now looking for a new house are all items on the life list slightly above "How does BNAC like the new Rhett Miller album?" (PS Its great but not transcendent.)

Since the last string of proper blog entries I've gotten a ton of new music and seen a bunch of shows...lest you worry about me. The biggest musical moment of the summer was the second All Points West Festival in Liberty State Park. I had a ton of fun, despite some of the logistical drawbacks of the 3-day bash. I could focus on the negatives (and sure, there were a bunch as the photo above accurately shows) but, eh...I'd rather get older with less wrinkles. In a few years I'll still be talking about Jay Z covering No Sleep Till Brooklyn. I won't be worried about the beer gardens or the prices of the ferry.

Highlights in no real order:

Jay Z was fucking awesome. Who would have thought a replacement act (scroll down a story) could be so great. Its the biggest hip-hop act I've had the chance to see live (sorry Kanye...you are #2). I think he played every song I knew by him.

Coldplay are finally starting to live up to the hype they have been getting for years. I saw these guys in 2005 and literally fell asleep watching their snooze fest of a set. Oh what a difference 4 years and a ton of money for production value makes. They did covers of The Beastie Boys and Michael Jackson for good measure.

Arctic Monkeys. I couldn't understand a single word they said between songs, and the fog machine was a bit silly in broad daylight...but these guys are a ton of fun.

Fleet Foxes lived up to every hope I had for them. They sounded great..even with the festival sound. The only drawback was this was the set that started the rain that ruined the ground for the weekend. And, as the drummer pointed out...they look like a bunch of wizards on stage.

Gogol Bordello. wow.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I saw these guys in 2007 at Lollapalooza and was bored out of my mind. I always found them to be incredibly overrated. They, like Coldplay, have worked out the kinks and really have improved by leaps and bounds. I injured my thumb on the giant eyeball that was tossed around the crowd though. Lawsuit pending.

Vampire Weekend and The National both played during the 3 and a half hour rainstorm. So I give them props for getting the crowd as riled up as they did. I watched from a very claustrophobic beer tent, but I dug both of these guys.

RaRa Riot: I'm not gonna lie. These guys bummed me out a bit. I'm looking forward to their headlining show at WYEP's Rock the Block in a few weeks...but these guys were pretty dull at the fest. I'm giving them a pass though...it was pouring rain and the mud was starting to get nasty.

We Are Scientists. They had to shorten their set a bit because of the craziness that was Sunday (started a few hours late) but they still rocked my brains off.

Neko Case: I just have to ask...who is the other lady who does most of the talking between songs. I missed her name being announced. She was kind of funny and I bet that folks who didn't know who Neko was probably thought SHE was her. This paragraph confused even me.

-As much as I dug this fest, I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that my Festival going days might be drawing to a close (temporarily that is). My priorities while at the fest is the first thing I'm noticing changing. When I was hitting up Lollapalooza every year, I became a new man while on the festival grounds. I was invincible...walking 20 minutes between main stages to catch 10 minutes of Tapes And Tapes didn't phase me at all. But now...comfort is starting to take precedent over enjoyment of a band. Maybe its just a phase. Maybe next year I'll be crawling over the tight shirt wearing hipsters just to get a closer look at Jack White's new metal band (who I'm sure will exist by than). But for now...sitting back in the grass (or sulfur smelling mud) while Chris Martin sings "Fix You" 100 yards away is good enough for me.

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oh yeah and...

So Gene Ween is coming to Pittsburgh on Sunday August 16th and playing 2 back to back sets (early and late shows) at Club Cafe. As you can guess...I'm pretty freaking pumped. This will be the first show in years that I am attending alone. Ween is one of my favorite current bands (they are currently tied with Wilco) and I wouldn't miss this show for the world. Anyone else going? Its 20 bucks a show? If you go...I'll buy you a glass of water.

Jay Z

2009-07-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

JAY-Z CONFIRMED AS FRIDAY NIGHT HEADLINER OF
ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
SHOW TO MARK HIP-HOP SUPERSTAR'S U.S. FESTIVAL DEBUT

In a precedent-setting move for American music festivals, ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL organizers have just confirmed the U.S. festival debut of JAY-Z. The hip-hop superstar and pop culture icon will take over the headlining slot for the opening night (Friday, July 31) of the critically acclaimed annual event.

This show will mark the U.S. festival debut of Jay-Z, who last year performed at a variety of overseas festivals including the U.K.'s Glastonbury, Denmark's Roskilde Festival, Norway's Hove Festival and the O2 Wireless Festival in London. In a review of a recent show, the LOS ANGELES TIMES' Ann Powers said, “Jay-Z shows are fun because the rapper is so adept at spinning liquid gold; his mouth is one of the most nimble in the genre's history, and he uses it to present thoughts that are sharp, funny and resonant” (July 4, 2009).

Grammy winner Jay-Z joins Tool (Saturday) and Coldplay (Sunday) as headliners of the three-day, multi-stage music and arts festival. ALL POINTS WEST will also feature performances from Echo & The Bunnymen, My Bloody Valentine, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, MSTRKRFT, Gogol Bordello, The Black Keys, Fleet Foxes, Neko Case, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys and more than 65 artists appearing throughout the 80-acre historic location that has panoramic views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline.

ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL organizers would also like to extend their best wishes to Beastie Boy Adam Yauch as he undergoes treatment for throat cancer. As previously reported, Beastie Boys were forced to cancel their headlining appearance at APW's opening night (Friday, July 31)--as well as all other engagements--when Yauch was diagnosed as having a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland. For those requesting refunds based on this news, ticket refunds are available at point of purchase for Friday single day tickets only.

Live Show Review: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

2009-07-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to attend this past Sunday's Conor Oberst show. So I'm bringing in an outside reviewer. Enjoy!

A Wildly Bias Review of Conor O’berst and the Mystic Valley Band

By Sean Rogers

Wildly bias because since the summer of 2003 I have been unhealthily obsessed with the band Bright Eyes, the front for what was really a project creatively powered by O’berst. During that summer, in a rat-infested one-room apartment underneath the subway, well passed three in the morning and raucously drunk, we finally let our friend Tim play the CD he’d brought from Cleveland and had been trying to shove down our throats all weekend. He skipped directly to track ten, introduced the song as Waste of Pain (it’s actually called Waste of Paint) and told us all to shut up. There were five people in the room at the time and each of them is a rabid Conor O’berst fan to this day.

Now, I’m not saying that everyone who listens to this song will instantly become smitten. It’s sorta like telling someone who’s 25 years old that they have to see The Princess Bride. It’s the greatest. Yes, it is, but it’s great, not just because it’s funny and skillfully made, but because of nostalgic purposes too, the age you were when you first saw it, your misunderstandings of the adult jokes, ect. I think Nac has covered similar pop culture territories on this blog already. But when I was 23 years old, completely broke, far away from home, and borderline alcoholic, someone shouting over an acoustic guitar “I try to just keep moving on/ with my broken heart and my absent God/ and I have no faith/ but still I want to be loved/ and believed in my soul,” drastically changed my creative and emotional life. So, I’m taking all of that baggage into the show at Mr. Smalls Theater last Sunday night.

And, let me tell you, it was AWESOME!

Of course. This is the second time I’ve seen O’berst, the first was with the Bright Eyes band in New York, 2005. The best I can do is compare the concerts. The Mr. Smalls show was far superior. In New York, O’berst basically played straight through the album (the incredible I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning) with one or two detours and not a word spoken in-between songs. It was completely impersonal which goes against everything I like about O’berst, whose writing tends towards confession.

The Pittsburgh show had everything that the New York one lacked. O’berst was donned with a black cowboy hat (a’la his appearance on Jay Leno when he played “When the President talks to God.” If you haven’t seen it, look it up) He talked with the crowd, although his comments were usually vague and strange, and the performances, especially the slower acoustic songs, were intensely personal and had elements of improvisation.

O’berst has two albums with The Mystic Valley Band and they played heavily off the first, even though they’re currently touring the second. This is a good thing because, while the new album is solid, the first is classic. My two highlights were “Cape Canaveral,” a number he introduced as “a tribal song,” and “I Don’t Want to Die in the Hospital,” which is a rock-a-billy extravaganza that got completely out of hand and was amazing. Notable songs that were not played were, my favorite, “Danny Callahan,” off the first album, and “Ten Women,” an almost criminally Dylan-esque song off the second.

And, while still fully admitting that this is a wildly bias review of the show, I have to say that seeing O’berst in concert feels important. Like you’re seeing someone legendary. O’berst’s popularity right now could be compared to Wilco in the days before Yankee Foxtrot Hotel. While Wilco was a great band before, that record launched them into the mainstream and made them a band, indie music fan or not, that people were excited about. I feel like Conor O’berst is close. If he could put it all together on one album, I feel like he might become a figure like Jeff Tweedy or even Jack White, who, when you see live, you feel like you’re seeing something special.

Ghost of Buzz Bin Past

2009-07-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Every so often my friend Josiah and I try to "out nostalgia" each other. This morning, on the way to work (we car pool), we discussed at great length the 90's band Dishwalla. After the morning coffee, I get an email from him with this Youtube music video. The song is Believe by Dig. I have absolutely no memory of this song or video existing. The song itself is fairly unremarkable.

But the video threw me for a loop this morning. This video could not be any more 90's if it tried. I started counting the 90's music video cliches and I lost count. Heres a few:

-Black and White interspersed with color
-Unsettling close ups
-Token underwater shots

This video is equal parts: Black Hole Sun, She Don't Use Jelly, and Been Caught Stealing, and a dash of Smells Like Teen Spirit thrown in for good measure. All you need are the casts of Friends and Reality Bites to be the extras and you would have the ultimate generic music video from the 90s.

Anyway...enjoy. You may have to turn your speakers down, as the song pretty much blows. Meanwhile, I'm gonna bust out my flannel and apply some clearasil while I play my Super Nintento.

Have a great weekend!

Live Show Review: Jenny Lewis 7/5/09

2009-07-06T09:05:00.001-07:00

Its been about 14 months since my wife and I saw Rilo Kiley in Cleveland at the house of blues. Since then a lot has been going on in the BNAC universe. But all the while, Jenny Lewis has stayed on the radar. The photo of Jenny, Cathy, and me is displayed on our mantle, and we even made a Mii version of the co-star of The Wizard (still my favorite bad movie ever). So it was with great anticipation that we caught Jenny's sold out gig at Mr. Smalls this past Sunday. Ending a holiday weekend with a relaxing concert is always the way to go.

I'm pleased to report that Jenny Lewis and her excellent band did not disappoint. Jenny and the band played 16 songs, 2 of which were brand new. The set mostly consisted of songs from her 2 wonderful solo albums (not surprisingly) but we did get stripped down version of Rilo Kiley's Silver Lining, which was a personal highlight for me! The crowd sang the guitar part because she "left Blake at home."

I was very surprised (read: freaked out) to see how many Jenny Lewis look alikes were in the crowd tonight. I would reckon there were at least 4 or 5 dead ringers for Ms. Lewis, complete with the bangs, the outfit, etc. It was actually a bit creepy. (I realize that me admitting that Jenny is currently one of my Wii bowling team members isn't much better.) I can't imagine getting ready for a show and thinking: "I have to dress like the _______ tonight, to show my fandom is for real." I didn't realize Jenny had the type of fans who felt the need to look like her.

And why, for the love of God, is Millvale so damned confusing to navigate???

Heres a grainy (and weirdly sideways) video of last night's acoustic version of Silver Lining:

Thanks to Hugh for the photo!

Live Show Review: WYEP Music Festival 6/28/00

2009-07-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night was the 12th Annual WYEP Summer Music Festival, and if you missed it...you missed out on a great night of free music and gorgeous weather. People brought their kids, their dogs, and their barely concealed adult beverages and once again took over Schenley Plaza in Oakland (the Fest's home since the move last year). As I was sipping (read: chugging) my Coronas in my CVS portable chair I thought to myself: "This is what summer feels like."

Heres a quick rundown of the event:

Meeting of Important People:

This may be my new favorite local band (I'll make a full opinion when I pick up their album). The crowd was definitely digging the opening slot. Much more than your standart IOA (Inoffensive Opening Act). I will most certianly be catching these guys a few more times down the road. They did such a good job that co-headliner Dar Williams even asked them to back her up on a tune during her set. Nice.

The Duhks:

Half of the slow Canadian takeover of this years fest, the Duhks did not disappoint. Hailing from Winnipeg, the band brought its unique blend of old-time folk, blues, and Gospel (sometimes) to very pleased bunch of sun-burned Pittsburghers. This is another album I need to pick up (foolish me for forgetting my cash on this day).

Dar Williams:

I have never been very impressed by Dar. She does what she does well I suppose, but I guess she just doesn't do it for me. I have seen her a bunch of times (at similar festivals) and have always found her to be kind of a snooze fest. I will say that this particular show was the longest I've enjoyed a set by her. Maybe shes slowly working her way into my soul...or maybe I was just tipsy from the aforementioned Coronas I was shooting down. Either way, no complaints this year, Dar. Well done.

Sam Roberts Band:

I guess I shouldn't be shocked that the WYEP listeners who chose the Indigo Girls 's Closer To Fine (blech) as their most "essential song" ever would be more into Dar than Sam, but I was till surprised at how many people started to leave between these 2 sets. Those who stayed got one hell of a rockin show. I didn't know too much about Sam Roberts going in. Hes one of those artists where his fans always say: "Oh...hes HUGE in Canada." His/their latest release has been getting almost constant spins at my desk at work since Friday (I bought that one in advance to get pumped...like I do). And while I was a bit sad they didn't bust out a Michael Jackson cover, I was highly entertained for the entire set.

Pics above are per Hugh and WYEP. Thanks!

word

2009-06-26T06:13:00.001-07:00

Wilco on Conan Last night

2009-06-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Conan O'Brien has always gotten the best musical guests. And his swtitch to the "big show" hasn't changed that at all! I LOVE waking up to the Tonight Show on my DVR.

Heres Jeff and the boys from last night!

Memorial CD

2009-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

A friend of a friend sent this along to me and asked me to post the info here.

Jeremy Sangster passed away in a fire this fall (www.jeremy22.com) Over the past few months, his friends have been working to compile a CD in his memory. The CD entitled 22 songs for jeremy consists entirely of friends or friends of friends of Jeremy’s, who donated a song to raise money for the scholarship in his honor. The songs on the CD run the gamut including Adult Contemporary, Electronic, Kid Folk, Reggae, Country, EMO, Punk, Alt-Country, Blue Grass and Indie Rock there is literally something for everybody.

The CD is available online for the suggested donated price of $10 http://www.jeremy22.com/songs.html
LOOK OUT FOR THE UPCOMING EVENT. Later this summer either in Bloomfield, NY or NYC or both some of the bands from the CD will get together to put on a benefit concert to raise more money for he scholarship.

Like a Bat out of Hell!

2009-06-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

I bet you all thought I'd forgotton about this blog! My apologies for the lack of recent output. It hasn't been for lack of music/concerts. I got back from my honeymoon 3 weeks ago and its been one thing after another. So heres a rundown of whats on my mind (musically speaking). I apologize that its in no real order:

I've forgiven Post Gazette Pavilion:
I have been fairly outspoken in the past about my hatred for the venue formerly known as Starlake. Read my rant about it here: http://nacisfamous.blogspot.com/2008/04/mudcrutch.html

Sure the sound isn't great, the parking situation is criminal, and its in the middle of NOWHERE, but after 2 great shows (NIN/Janes Addiction and No Doubt), I think I have made peace with the Pavilion. I think both of these shows may actually have been the first time I've tailgated for a concert in years. I'm fairly sure drunkenly dancing to Janes Addiction in the pouring rain may have helped give me pneumonia (still recovering) but it was a ton of fun! I actually thought NIN played a better show as the opener (essentially) than their headlining gig a few years ago.

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The Black Keys (at the Arts fest a few weeks back) didn't blow my mind the way I was hoping. This is probably due to the fact that I got to the show uncharacteristically late, and thus was pretty far back in the crowd. The energy didn't seem to make its way back past the sound board. I bet these boys would be better (for me) in a small club (Rex, maybe?)

Thanks to Hugh for the picture

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As I mentioned a few posts ago...Bruce Springsteen fucking ROCKED. Chris and I got to our seats, behind the stage, with little fear we would rock out. However...the sound behind the stage was AWFUL. And not the Munhal Carnegie Library bad...I mean Badlands (first song) sounded like I was hearing it played on a bad radio 3 rooms away. So we made the easy choice to just walk to the middle of the arena and watch the show there. We were not as close, but the sound was vastly improved. Luckily we found a place by some pretty lax security (yellow shirt girl texted all night instead of doing her job..nice). Hearing the E-Street Band play "Like a Rolling Stone" was easily the coolest part of the night.

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This weekend is a great one for free live music. Friday night I'll be going to the 12th Annual WYEP Summer Music Festival at Schenley Plaza. Heres the lineup:

6pm Meeting of Important People
7:15pm The Duhks
8:30pm Dar Williams
9:40pm Sam Roberts Band

And Sunday is a free Old 97's show at Hartwood Acres. Lets hear it for free music!!

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Album Review: Tori Amos: Abnormally Attracted to Sin

2009-06-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Full disclosure: I was a total Tori Amos geek in late high school/early college. One of my first concerts without a parent present was Tori's show at AJ Palumbo, touring in support of Boys For Pele (still my favorite). The wall of my dorm room my first 2 years at college sported over-sized Tori posters that raised eyebrows of roomates and passerbys. I think I've caught at least one show on each tour since my first one in 1998.

Something happened though...I can't really put my finger on when exactly. I think I may have just grown out of liking Tori. And I think with Tori, and artists like her, you can't really be a casual fan. 51% of her whole thing is mystique and aesthetic and if you aren't into that...her music doesn't mean as much or move you the way its designed. Its kind of like trying to watch a 3-D movie without the glasses. The movie will probably still be alright and a good 2 hour diversion, but you just won't get the whole experience the way you are supposed to. And while I hate to say that I "grew out of" Tori Amos, I think I just may have.

I would like to tell you my favorite and least favorite tracks on Abnormally Attracted to Sin. But, even after 4 or 5 listens, I can't. The songs are fine and good, and the album is enjoyable enough...but something is missing. Maybe its the fact that most (if not all) of the tracks lack what is so very important in popular music: a hook. Each track, and the album in general, just meanders around and blurs together. And, like the last 2 or 3 Tori outings, its too damn long!! Tori (like Ani) needs an editor!

As always Tori, and her people, put a lot of time and energy designing the cover art, liner notes, publicity photos, etc. The Tori experience hasn't changed all that much, and thats OK. The image part of the Tori Amos universe will always been there. The die-hard Toriphiles who are still wearing the 3D glasses still put her up on a pedestal and will worship the ground she walks on for years. Those of us no longer as impressed by the smoke and mirrors of it all just miss the great songs she used to write: "Leather", "Winter", "Mother" "Cornflake Girl", and "Mr. Zebra" just to name a few of my favorites.

Don't let this review let you think that I've written Tori off completely. If the money and timing works out, I'll probably catch her next time she comes to town, and I'll still enjoy myself. Heres a photo of Tori and me from her last Pittsburgh visit:

I'm (almost) back!

2009-06-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Sorry for the big gap between blogs. Since we last spoke I got married, went to Chicago for my Honeymoon, and all that fun stuff.

I have a ton of CD's to write about soon, and a bunch of shows on the horizon (Black Keys for Free this Friday!).

Until then...enjoy the picture of me with Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins from Spinal Tap) that I got while in the windy city:

As you can see...we are BFF's...and I am probably the band's new drummer! Uh Oh!

Friday Night

2009-05-21T17:57:00.001-07:00

Wild Colonial Bhoys
Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle Pub
9:00 PM
FREE

http://www.myspace.com/wildcolonialbhoys

Be THERE!!!!

Bruce Sprinsteen Setlist 5/19/09 Pittsburgh

2009-05-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

I will post a review later. It was a killer show!

Badlands
Candy's Room
Outlaw Pete
Jackson Cage
She's The One
Working On A Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Good Lovin'
Like A Rolling Stone (by request)
Darkness On The Edge Of Town (by request)
Waitin' On A Sunny Day
The Promised Land
I'm On Fire
Kingdom Of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born To Run

Encore:Hard Times
Thunder Road
Land Of Hope And Dreams
American Land
Glory Days (with Joe Grushecky)
Mony Mony

Album Review: Wilco: The Album

2009-05-18T13:29:00.001-07:00

I feel a tad weird reviewing an album that hasn't officially been released yet. The first (and last) time I reviewed a leaked album was Ben Folds' solo debut on September 10th 2001 (the album was released the next day). So you can understand my superstitious trepidation in wrting another review of something that doesn't actually really exist yet. But since, as earlier blogs have stated, the leak has now become a stream (pardon the pun). Wilco (the band) started streaming Wilco: The Album * for all the world to hear. The band has mastered the art of capitalizing on internet buzz. Artists like that (see Radiohead) are always a breath of fresh air.

To the surprise of noone who knows me or reads this blog: I love the hell out of it.

The disc won't sound all that removed from Sky Blue Sky to the casual listener on first spin. Its certainly not a drastic departure from their current sound (which began aguably between A Ghost is Born and Sky Blue Sky). But, that isn't a bad thing; we are definitely listening to a part of a fairly stable era for the band. That is not to say they've plateaued or lost any of the Idontknowwhat that makes them a great entity. It just means (to this guy) that they are very comfortable being the band they currently are. And if you are a fan, this is good news.

The album isn't as cohesive thematicly as the last 3 discs...its a bit more all over the map. In that respect, its probably closest to Summerteeth, although it doesn't sound at all like that record. After a few safe numbers (including "Wilco: The Song")Wilco: The Album really gets going on the track 4, "Bull Black Nova" where Nels Cline melts faces with a guitar freakout reminiscent of "Spiders (Kidsmoke)". Feist helps out on the next track, the beautiful duet "You and I", which serves as the album's emotional heart. "I'll Fight" (which sounds errily like Sky Blue Sky's "On and On and On") is, hands down, my favorite track on the disc; I've played it on repeat obsessively. Listen to it below. My only complaint is ending the disc with the mildly dull "Everlasting", which seems a bit cliche of an "album ender".

Truly though, I won't know how I feel about the songs on the album until I hear them live. But for now the recordable CD, with my friend Jenny's handwriting, will hold me over until my "official" copy of Wilco: The Album comes in the mail at the end of June. The pre-order comes with all kind of fun goodies. Check it out here:
http://preorderwilcothealbum.kungfustore.com/

*Does all this Wilco The _______ stuff remind anyone else of Spaceballs? "Spaceballs: The FLAMETHROWER" Just laying it out there.

Wilco The Album is Online NOW!

2009-05-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

The leak (which began late last night apparantly) has now become a stream!! The band has done this with the last few albums as well. So go here and stream the hell out of Wilco: The Album:

http://beta.wilcoworld.net/index.php

The Cover of the new Wilco Album Revealed!!

2009-05-08T12:07:00.001-07:00

Here is the cover of the forthcoming Wilco: The Album.

...nice

Album Review: Eulogies: Here Anonymous

2009-05-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

With a name like Eulogies, I wasn't exactly expecting "Shiny Happy People" to be blaring out of my stereo when I popped in the LA band's sophmore album, Here Anonymous. Lukily it wasn't a collection of "sad bastard music" either.

If it wasn't for Peter Walker's vocals I would have thought some of the songs were Lo-Fi Death Cab tracks. The sometimes cloudy (without being too somber), mid-tempo indie rock of Here Anonymous is a straight ahead collection of melancholia, that becomes a bit more welcoming with each spin. Falling somewhere near the shoe gazing of My Bloody Valentine and the slowcore rock of Pedro the Lion, Eulogies certainly isn't your every day modern rock band, but thats ok. My favorite tracks, are "Two Can Play", with guest vocalist, Nikki Monninger and "Bad Connection" (video below).

The band is playing a show at Diesel tomorrow (May 8th) with The Dears and Great Northern. I may have to check them out!

EDIT: It appears this show is NOT happening any more. Drag! Maybe next time!

To hear more go here:
http://www.myspace.com/eulogiesmusic

Album/Live Review: Donora

2009-05-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend and future wife, Cathy, has a very basic system for rating music (and anything, really). She either gives it a smiley face :), a flat "who cares" face :l, or a "no please" frowny face :(.

We attended the WYEP CD release party this past Friday with Jennifer O'Connor and Donora playing (my first time seeing both). It was a ton of fun; you really can't go wong with live music, free beer, and free cheese puffs (although the cheese puffs got a frowny face from my lady friend). While Jennifer O'Connor didn't melt my face or change my life, Donora definitely rocked out pretty hard...enough for me to pick up a copy of their self titled full length CD.

Donora's album, like the live show, delivers wonderfuly fun and breezy indie pop rock that is sometimes frustratingly infectious, but always harmless and charming. If lead singer Casey Hanner (who rocks some impeccable bangs, by the way) was ever a girl scout, she probably sold a shit load of cookies. She didn't stop smiling the for the duration of the band's (much too short) set on Friday night. The band's sound falls somewhere between The Donnas and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They have nailed the Pixie's brand of quiet verse/loud chorus/quiet verse down to a science...and sent it through a Go-Go's/B-52's filter, so as to make it more accessible.

I'm a bit ashamed it took me this long to see the band, but it was worth the wait. They are most certainly one of Western PA's more exciting young bands at the moment. I look forward to seeing them play in more ideal circumstances (ie: not as the opening act) very soon.

Both Cathy and I give the Donora album and show a smiley face.

Hear more here:
http://www.myspace.com/donora

Photo above by HughShows Photography. Check out his blog here:
http://hughshowsredux.blogspot.com/

Big Free Show Announcement!

2009-05-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

WYEP has announced their 12th Annual WYEP Summer Music Festival
The last few years were very fun. You'll be sure to catch me rocking out all day again! Schenley Plaza is a great little venue for this type of show!

June 26, 2009
6:30pm; music at 7pm
Schenley Plaza

Sam Roberts Band
Dar Williams
The Duhks
Meeting of Important People

May Day

2009-05-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hello All! It is finally May! There are a slew of free concerts being announced! I can't wait. Son Volt (In August), Old 97's (In June), Steve Earle (In July), etc...

But this is one I will be at tonight! From WYEP:

Celebrate the Release of Live & Direct Vol. 11
with Jennifer O'Connor & Band and Donora
May 1, 2009
Doors 6:30pm, Music 7pm
Schenley Plaza

Have no fear, this event is UNDER A TENT! So we’ll be dry, even if it rains!

Join WYEP for a free concert and party to celebrate the release of Live & Direct: Volume 11. This year’s event features a live performance by Jennifer O’Connor & Band, with special guest Donora. Light refreshments will be provided; the party is free and open to the public; no tickets needed.

Line-up:
Doors 6:30pm
Donora 7pm
Jennifer O’Connor 8pm

Photo above by HughShows Photography. Check out his blog here:
http://hughshowsredux.blogspot.com/

Album Review Christina Martin: Two Hearts

2009-04-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Halifax based singer/songwriter Christina Martin played a gig at Howler's Coyote Cafe this past Sunday, and I foolishly missed it (I was under the impression it was this coming Sunday! D'oh). The more and more I listen to her wonderful 2nd album, Two Hearts, the more I kick myself.

Two Hearts is a great collection of slightly twangy, instantly catchy, pop tunes from a young Canadian singer/songwriter, who isn't at all afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. While obvious comparisons to Gillian and Lucinda are hard to ignore, I see her more as a kindred spirit to a more modern AAA artist, Jenny Lewis (whom my love for is well documented). I can imagine if Jenny and Christina went to the same high school they would have probably competed, bitterly, for the role of Ado Annie in Oklahoma! It is rare that an album full of (relatively slow) torch and love songs doesn't become tiresome after a few tracks, but Christina Martin avoids this beautifully.

Martin most certainly has a bright future and I look forward to further releases. And next time she rolls through town I promise to have my Sundays in order!

Read more about her here: www.christinamartin.net

And check out the title track off of Two Hearts:

Wilco: Athens OH 4/17/09 (Pics and Setlist)

2009-04-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yet another good time was had by all this past friday. This is the 8th time I've seen the band...so I felt a bit like I'd seen this version of the Wilco show before...but thats ok. No new songs were played, which was a bummer. Can't wait till the new album comes out. (Pics by Chris Martin)

Hell is Chrome
Company In My Back
You Are My Face
Shouldn't Be Ashamed
Pot Kettle Black
Muzzle of Bees
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
A Shot In The Arm
Handshake Drugs
She's A Jar
Misunderstood
Jesus etc.
Impossible Germany
Side With The Seeds
Poor Places -->
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
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The Late Greats
Hate It Here
Heavy Metal Drummer
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You
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Kingpin
I'm a Wheel