A family affair with Little Feat

September 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

By Pete Mauch //

Little Feat //
El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles
September 16th, 2014 //

On a warm Sunday evening in LA, Little Feat took the stage at the El Rey Theatre and played an energetic, diverse set. Little Feat has been on tour supporting their brand-new album Rooster Rag, and the LA-based band closed the tour out on its home turf. You could definitely feel the family vibe in the crowd, and that added to this very special homecoming show.

Little Feat started things off with “Rocket in My Pocket”, which is a song off their 1977 album Time Loves a Hero. It was a perfect fit as the opener because of its groove-oriented jam that seems to build throughout the song. Little Feat wasted no time, playing a new song titled “Just a Fever”, which was written by Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere. Barrere delivered this song with great passion as he belted out the lyrics with a powerful grit.

The next song showcased the new writing duo of Bill Payne and Robert Hunter, best known as the lyricist for the Grateful Dead. “Rag Top Down” is a nice, bluesy song, and its lyrics invoke the feeling of a long road trip up the coast of California. After the band played two new songs, they treated the crowd with an amazing version of the fan favorite “Fat Man in the Bathtub”. This version was a monster. It incorporated the Captain Beefheart cover “Abba Zaba”, which was sandwiched in between verses, and the song included a very noticeable “Scarlet Begonias” tease, which was most likely a nod to Hunter.

Little Feat then decided to invite the Texicali Horns on stage for a very memorable “Spanish Moon”. This has always been one of my favorite Feat songs, and it did not disappoint, especially with the added horn section. Little Feat then slowed it down and played “One Breath at a Time”. This new song showcased Fred Tackett for the first time of the show. Tackett is a multi-instrumentalist; he plays guitar, mandolin and trumpet for Little Feat. During the song, you could sense the family vibe as Tackett seemed to be serenading his granddaughter in the audience. It was a very touching moment, and it just proves how special a Little Feat show can be.

The next three songs felt like a full-on singalong with a triple-song segue of “Willin” into “Don’t Bogart That Joint” and back to “The Weight”. This was a really fun combo of songs that had guest Jimmy Vivino sitting in on guitar. Sticking to the family vibe, Little Feat then invited Tackett’s son, Miles, from the band Brakestra to the stage to play cello on his dad’s tune “Church Falling Down”.

The band also invited Robben Ford to play guitar. Ford is the uncle of the Little Feat’s new drummer Gabe Ford. Gabe replaced the late great Richie Hayward two years ago after he passed away. Fred Tackett has four songs on the new album, and “Church Falling Down” is my personal favorite. This particular version with Miles Tackett on cello, Robben Ford on guitar and Fred Tackett on mandolin was truly remarkable. The song has a dark feeling to it that makes you think of an old haunted church that is decrepit and ready to fall at any moment, and the cello added to that gloomy feeling.

They ended the set with two powerful songs: the crowd favorite “Dixie Chicken” and “Let It Roll”. Both songs came to life with the horns, and the scene would have given the late Little Feat founder, Lowell George, a smile.

The encore was the icing on the cake. The crowd was treated to a a beautifully wild rendition of “Oh, Atlanta” that capped off a really great night of music. Little Feat played a show full of classic hits, choice covers, fun singalongs and fresh new songs, which proves that they are still pushing the limits after all these years.

Setlist:
Rocket in My Pocket
Just a Fever
Rag Top Down
Fat Man in the Bathtub
Abba Zaba (Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band cover)
Fat Man in the Bathtub
Spanish Moon*
One Breath at a Time*
Willin’
Don’t Bogart That Joint#
The Weight# (The Band cover)
Church Falling Down@
Rooster Rag*#
Way Down Under
Dixie Chicken#*
Let It Roll*

Encore:
Oh Atlanta*

* – with Texicali Horns
# – with Jimmy Vivino (guitar and vocals)
@ – with Miles Tackett (cello)

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Ain’t no need for repeatin’ when My Morning Jacket play The Wiltern

September 15, 2012 by 4 Comments

By Pete Mauch //

My Morning Jacket //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
September 11th-13th, 2012 //

When My Morning Jacket announced a three-night run at the historic Wiltern in LA, my initial reaction was I would only go to one or two shows at most. Then, I discovered that MMJ was folding the three shows into the “Spontaneous Curation Tour”, meaning fans could tweet or suggest on Facebook which songs they want to hear. Even upon hearing this news, I was still skeptical. Then, MMJ announced they would not repeat any songs at these three shows. So, I did what any like-minded person would do — I bought tickets for all three nights. I truly felt this was gift from the band to all the die-hard “Jacket” fans. Thank You.

Night 1: September 11th, 2012 // Setlist & photos

MMJ started night one with a powerful take on “Circuital”, which is the title track off their latest album. I really enjoyed the song placement of this track. It’s absolutely perfect for an opener because it builds into an amazing climax that had the crowd engaged from the start, and that’s not easy to do in LA. Jim James donned his classic jacket that looks more like a cape drapped over his back as he came out on stage. With his long curly hair, you can barely see his face as his beautiful voice bellows out to the crowd. After “Circuital” they dove head first into crowd favorite “It Beats 4 U” and they brought the heat with this version of the song.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was the Elton John cover “Rocket Man”. Anything this band touches has the capability of becoming instant gold, and “Rocket Man” delivered on that concept. They ended the set with one of the best three-song segments I’ve heard any band play: “The Day is Coming”, “Touch Me Im Going to Scream pt.2” and “Gideon” with the latter being the best version I’ve heard this band play. The lyrics to this song are still as powerful as they’ve always been. I found myself with arms as high as possible, screaming “Most of us believe that is wrong”. Absolutely nothing was wrong this My Morning Jacket show.

The encore started with the mellow “Butch Cassidy”, a song that invokes the Sundance Kid himself. It segued beautifully into “Wonderful”, one of my favorite MMJ ballads. The next song caught me by surprise, and I was standing there bewildered because they were actually playing “It Makes No Difference” by The Band. This rendition found James channeling the late Rick Danko, and I’m forever grateful to have witnessed this moment. MMJ moved past the first three slow encore songs and started the dance party up again with a sick rendition of “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” by all time great Prince. They ended the night with a song I’ve been waiting to hear live for a long time, and I knew I wasn’t the only one when the first chords of “Phone Went West” were struck. What a great song to end a near-perfect show.

Night 2: September 12th, 2012 // Setlist & photos

After such an wonderful opening night at The Wiltern, I couldn’t even begin to think of how MMJ could top such a performance. The best part about Night 2 is they didn’t try. Opposed to the sheer energy displayed night one, the group had a much more mellow vibe on Wednesday. If you’re a long time MMJ fan who has deep knowledge of their catalog, this show was for you. Now, if you’re a just a radio-friendly fan looking to hear the usual classics, then you might have left a little confused. As for me and my fellow Jacket followers, this show was a real treat.

MMJ started things off with two slow ones, “Rollin Back” and “The Way that He Sings” and kept this vibe pretty much the entire first section of the show. They picked the pace up a bit for the third song with a solid take on “First Light”. I’m a fan of this song, and I’ll welcome it almost any time at a show. They kept the momentum going when they jumped into “Aluminum Park” and had the crowd screaming “Come on baby! It’s a Big Big World” until they transitioned seamlessly into “What a Wonderful Man”. For anybody only familiar with the album Z, “What a Wonderful Man” was the only song they caught from that defining album on this night.

Jacket returned to the mellow motif of the night with a beautiful song “Picture of You” that I had never heard live. I’ve always known that Carl Broemel, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, could play a mean guitar, but I never knew he could blow the saxophone so well, which he showcased throughout the night. Broemel really shined Night 2; if he wasn’t on lead guitar or sax, he was laying down beautiful textures on the pedal steel guitar. His moment truly came when James gave him the nod and Broemel took over lead vocals for his own tune titled “Carried Away”. Now absolutely no disrespect here, but I went to use the bathroom and grab a beer at this point. When I came back to my spot on the rail, I was pretty upset I had left, because the group was absolutely shredding on this track. I now know to never leave during a “Carl Song.”

The real meat of the show was the last four songs of the set, starting with a dark and twisted version of “Evil Urges”, the title track off their 2008 album. The next song, a beautiful take on Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone” was one of the highlights of the set for me. The lyrics at the beginning of the song are pretty much perfect for James to sing: “Every time you come around, you have to bring Jim, James, Paul and Tyrone.” So, as you see, James is actually singing his own name. You gotta love that!

After that amazing cover, MMJ decided to bring The Wiltern into a full-on dance party when they dropped into “Cobra”. This was my first time hearing this song live, and I had no idea this song oozes with such amazing dance-y grooves. I found myself turning to my “stiff” neighbors and telling them to start groovin’ because this wasn’t gonna be a quick one — and it wasn’t because the song clocks in at 24 minutes on their 2004 EP Chocolate & Ice. They teared into this great dance tune with serious power and didn’t let up, segueing right into “Run Thru”. At this point, I was in utter disbelief at what I was witnessing.

MMJ decided to keep the vibe of the show intact, and they did so by playing an angelic version of ‘Steam Engine’ that showcased Carl Broemel on pedal steel once again. For the next song, My Morning Jacket invited the opener, Iron and Wine, on stage for a beautiful cover of George Harrison’s ‘Isn’t It a Pity.’ Sam Beam from Iron and Wine really complimented James’s voice, which added to the unique take on the cover. They closed out the night with a fan favorite, which was probably a breath of fresh air for a lot of casual MMJ fans. ‘Mahgeetah’ is just a plain ‘ol fun song, and it was a raucous ending to an otherwise beautifully subdued show.

Night 3: September 13th, 2012 // Photos

Walking into Night 3 after experiencing two top-notch shows, I didn’t really know what to expect. The only thing I knew for certain was that “One Big Holiday” would probably close the night off. But other than that, anything was on the table. They got the set rolling with some slower songs, “At Dawn” and “The Dark”, which I thought was an odd choice for an opening pair of songs, mostly since Night 2 was dominated by a mellow vibe. That said, both songs were well performed.

They switched gears and slammed into “Off the Record”, which is a playful and energetic song, and it set the tone for the rest of the set. Also in the earlier part of the set, James and the band showed their gratitude for all the fans in attendance, especially those who made it all three nights, with a beautiful ballad “Thank You Too”. The next song that really struck a cord with me is the often played yet always well-received “Golden”. This song is beautiful and quite inspiring. It gives the listener the feeling that no matter what happens in this crazy world, you’ll always have that special someone by your side. “Golden” is one of those special songs that can harness spectacular emotion.

I’ve always been a fan of MMJ’s happy and danceable songs, but there’s nothing I enjoy better than a dark and haunting tune that has me clenching my fists and grinding my teeth. The song that delivers this feeling the most for me is “Dondante”. There’s no surprise that this song is about a dear friend of James’ who struggled with mental illness and ultimately killed himself. Every time MMJ plays this twisted tune, James walks to the back of the stage and says a few words for his buddy before he pays tribute to him in the best way possible: Music.

They gave the audience a breather after the scorcher of “Dondante” and played the ballad “Librarian”. My girlfriend got really excited because “Librarian” was the one song she asked for through MMJ’s Facebook account. She believes that this song was played for her, given how rare this song is these days, and I couldn’t agree more. Either way, it was a nice treat before they shocked the crowd with an amazing cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin'”.

The last part of the set was outstanding, starting with “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1”, which had James leave the guitar work to Broemel while he danced around a la Jim Morrison and belted out the almost-awkward lyrics. He kept his mic handy while they went into a fun version of “Wordless Chorus”, followed by the funky “Highly Suspicious”. But MMJ didn’t play just any ‘ol version — this one had a full horns section to compliment the band. The horns section stayed on stage for the closer of “Dancefloors”, which literally had everyone in the house dancing on the floor. The encore that was to follow is one for the ages.

They came out blistering with the horn section on “Victory Dance”, and they kept the momentum up for “Holdin’ on to Black Metal”, which was where the horns section got the full attention they deserve. Then, it was time for a couple covers supported by the horns section, starting with “All Night Long” by Lionel Ritchie for the first time since 2010. Jacket wanted to keep that party vibe going to end the run, so they went into yet another dance-y cover song, “Movin’ on Up” by Curtis Mayfield. An unreal two-song-cover-combo had me and the crew going absolutely buck wild. We all knew “One Big Holiday” was coming, and when it did, the crowd responded with a huge uproar, especially with the line “Was a bad man from California.”

This was one of the best three–night runs I have seen any band perform, and I truly hope that My Morning Jacket makes these types of setlists, built by spontaneity and fan interaction, a regular concept. MMJ is one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet, and I hope this signifies a rebirth for them.

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Hot Chip prove to us at the Fox Theater Oakland that they are not LCD Soundsystem

September 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

By Mike Frash //

Hot Chip //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
September 11th, 2012 //

English synthpop outfit Hot Chip has been crowned the reigning king of the electronic/indie/dance scene since LCD Soundsystem hung it up.

There are many reasons this comparison is ever-present. They share a love of synth, dance beats, 70’s grooves and building a wall of sound with more musicians than the typical live act utilizes. These two groups refreshingly have delivered electronic dance music through live instruments — something lost to many electronic music performers in the year 2012. Al Doyle plays guitar, synthesizer, percussion, bass and performs backup vocals in Hot Chip. He literally did all that as a member of LCD Soundsystem, except he did not back up James Murphy on vocals. Both groups are loved by indie-rock and dance fans, and their music in a live setting uses percussion as a leading force to improvise and give concertgoers that feeling of the unexpected.

The comparison ultimately falls short when it comes to vocals, though. James Murphy is the king of personality and one of the most charismatic frontmen in music history. Alexis Taylor simply is not. At times on Tuesday night at the Fox Theater, it was hard to find Taylor onstage. So in the end, the comparison is not really valid. That said, Taylor’s voice blends with the instruments more than Murphy’s voice, which often would contrast abrasively (and awesomely) to LCD’s instrumental sound. Taylor’s vocal style is rooted in R&B, while Murphy’s voice is somewhere between punk rock and David Byrne. But LCD is dead (for now) and Hot Chip is alive, so let’s enjoy what we have.

The first eight songs of the set had everyone moving. “Shake a Fist” was an ideal opener, setting the tone with laser zap sounds and visuals that must have caused at least one minor seizure. The following four songs probably sounded like one epically long jam to anyone in attendance that isn’t familiar with the Hot Chip catalog. “Boy From School”, “Don’t Deny your Heart”, “One Life Stand” and “Night & Day” are tracks that employ a steady 128 beats per minute. The songs segued one into the other, allowing no time for resting.

“Night & Day” gave way to “Flutes,” the best track from Hot Chip’s new album, In Our Heads, which the band is currently touring to support. The one-two punch of ‘Flutes’ into fan favorite “Over & Over” was a clear highlight of the night for many in attendance. These two songs slowed down the tempo from the previous bunch of songs, but at the same time, the energy in the room picked up.

The following two songs, “These Chains” and “The Warning”, slowed things down to a halt. This mid show lull actually worked nicely to split the show in half between the first part, full of dancy hits, and the second part of the show, which provided songs that peaked harder and provided a bit more improvisation than the first set.

“How Do You Do” and “Ready for the Floor” set up the second half of the show for success. The group then covered Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere”. This was a lovely song to cover, as Taylor’s voice mirrors the vocal range and pitch of Christine McVie’s voice nicely. “Hold On” ended the first set with an epic climax, book-ending the set with extended songs that peaked with rapid strobe lights and lazer beams.

The encore began with a rarity, as “Crap Kraft Dinner” was played for the first time in four years. This bust out was a set-up song for the final tune of the night, “I Feel Better”. When Taylor crooned “This is the longest night,” it seemed like the encore might continue on for a bit. But that was it, and once it was over, the show felt short.

Bottom Line: Hot Chip is a guaranteed dance party if that’s what you’re looking for. The drum and bass elements drive the group’s sound in a live setting, making Alexis Taylor’s vocals seem secondary.

Watch part of “How Do You Do” filmed by Kevin Raos below and listen to our Hot Chip playlist here.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros get colorful at the Greek

September 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

By Mike Frash //

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros //
Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
September 8th, 2012 //

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros kicked off the second leg of their 2012 tour Friday night in Berkeley, showing off their super-charged lighting setup they’ve added this year. For a band that was known for their minimalism – they used to tune their own instruments and dress more like hobos — their new lighting setup is a needed upgrade if they are going to fill stages like the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. The mega-ball hovering over the stage literally fills that space, and the addition of massive lighting rigs and smoke machines show the investment put into this group since their breakout hit ‘Home’ exponentially gained popularity from 2009 to 2011.

The show was visually driven by color phases, as the first half hour was red, then it moved on to yellow, then to green, and to blue, and finally to purple. The cover of their 2012 album ‘Here’ features a rainbow in a circle, so they’ve embraced the color spectrum as an aesthetic guide. They are probably big fans of rainbows in general.

The lighting and pervasive coloring of the stage added to the dreamy and airy feeling, but the overall simplicity & lack of quick changes in the lighting made some songs washed out and dull – particularly in the middle part of the set. Alexander made a habit of staying at the front of the stage, near the crowd, keeping his face mysteriously out of view.

The Berkeley show covered the best songs from the two Edward Sharpe LPs and Alex Ebert’s solo album from 2011 “Alexander.” The show began with the best track from the new album “Man on Fire,” and Alexander immediately showed his love for close crowd proximity. He walked onto the stage in his patented daze, then directly into the crowd as if it was destiny.

Mr. Sharpe kept the strong opening going with fan favorites ’40 Day Dream,’ ‘Janglin,’ and a standout track from the new album ‘Fiya Wata,’ which puts the spotlight on Edward Sharpe’s partner in crime Jade. After five or six songs, Alex, Jade & a couple bandmates discussed what they wanted to play next – and after deciding, Jade erupted in joy like child getting a new toy. Sharpe announced this would be the second time they would be playing the forthcoming song. It looked like Jade had found the remedy to road-weary repetition, but the tour is just kicking off. The troupe has been in the studio crafting their 3rd album, even though they just released their second LP “Here” in May.

Alex Ebert, aka Edward Sharpe, is as free-spirited as ever. His spur of the moment stage banter is as consistant as always, and he continues to be a strong frontman who has perfected the ability to draw the audience to him with his ‘I don’t give a fuck’ hippy persona he puts on. He never approaches a song with a pre-conceived agenda – which is refreshing. He asked what we wanted to hear, and no one responded quickly enough, so Sharpe said “You want to hear the Truth!”

The band started a stripped-down version of Ebert’s 2011 song “Truth” when Sharpe’s whistling began. The song sounded more angelic and spiritual with the Magnetic Zero’s backing, adding soft layers of sound to give a different take on the track. The middle section of the show got a bit slow, with lesser known songs and an even slower tempo dominating the song selection. Then Edward asked the crowd if they were ready to pick it up.

“Let’s wake up. Wake up time. Only eight more hours,” Ebert said. The audience perked up, but little did they know they were about to expereince a 17-minute version of ‘Awake My Body’ from “Alexander.” It worked for a while, but then became a drawn out exercise as Edward passed the solos around the horn endlessly. It was mercifully ended by Sharpe when he said, “Hey I remember something,” and he kicked into the outro with the drummers.

Then a slow bongo beat revealed itself to be the beginning of ‘Home,’ and everyone perked up. When it got to the back and forth song banter that Alex & Jade must absolutely hate doing by now, they asked each other “What did you do today?” Boring. I think they even thought they were being boring. In recognition of this, Edward threw the microphone out into the crowd for some spur of the moment randomness. It felt inevitable that a drunk frat boy would plug his Greek or an earthy chick would discuss mercury retrograde, but a young man with a british accent professed his love for his girl, and it was very charming. The young voice, full of life and enthusiasm, stole the song from the people on the stage. This spontaneous moment was one of the most memorable parts of the night.

The troupe finished with a drawn out ‘Om Nashi Me,’ the mantra-heavy song Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros often finish with. They built it up and broke it down a couple times, and departed without an encore. Overall, the set felt a bit stale, even with the visual upgrades. Most of the band lacked energy & looked road-weary or somehow subdued. The new songs were generally slow, which kept the energy low and hazy.

Upon leaving the venue, a group was in front of the Greek playing a pop-up show. They were a bluegrass band with a washboard player for percussion, and they were covering the Edward Sharpe song “Up from Below” with an upbeat Mumford & Sons take. People were dancing and having fun, and it was the first time of the night music sounded fresh.

After seeing Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros in a minimalist setting two years ago playing their hearts out to make it big, their brand of folk pop is harder to swallow since the Toyota and Best Buy commercials have homogenized their sound. I hope they’re hitting the studio hard to craft another triumphant album like their self-titled debut album because the next groups are right behind them getting hungry.

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The Tallest Man on Earth fires on all cylinders at Fox Theater Oakland

September 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

By Mike Frash //

The Tallest Man on Earth //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
September 6th, 2012 //

Kristian Matsson’s powerful voice and legitimate swagger as The Tallest Man on Earth has earned him increased notoriety with every new album and tour. He released his third LP in June and has two memorable EPs under his belt. About half of his tunes at the Fox Theater ended with Matsson projecting his guitar pick across the stage, but he often attempted to arrange the picks into a neat pile. As he performs, he wanders around the stage to rile the audience, but when it’s time to sing, he approaches the microphone like a cobra poised to attack as he belts out his delivery. This bravado translates to the strength of his voice, and his deep baritone notes were spot-on all night. He missed a couple high notes or passed on them completely as he did during the first encore song “The Wild Hunt”. It didn’t matter to this crowd, which was either quietly taking it all in or singing along and applauding.

He’s Swedish, but he exudes pure Americana. His songwriting and vocal style is beyond Dylanesque, as he’s often compared to Bob Dylan, and rightfully so. He wears pointed-toe boots, skinny jeans and a sleeveless shirt that looks more greaser-nouveau than the typical apparel trends these days, and his look accentuates his Elvis-like moves. His stage banter is ever-present between songs, with what seems like a California accent. Between songs, he mumbles like a drunk cowboy; his speaking voice is so low in pitch. Matsson’s songwriting and album covers invoke thoughts of wide open spaces and traveling adventures in the tradition of Kerouac. His stage name is reminiscent of traditional American folklore like Paul Bunyan — and as Matsson’s drawing power increases with every tour, he could be adopted as an living legend stateside before too long.

As the Tallest Man on Earth continued his circuit across the U.S., he did not disappoint this night in Oakland. The first half of the show featured many tracks from Matsson’s 2012 album There’s No Leaving Now, but the first transcendent moment came during “Love is All”, as Matsson extended the song to pin-drop silence. After a couple songs, Matsson said he liked the Fox Theater, but also liked Rickshaw Stop and The Independent, which were the first two venues he performed at in the Bay Area.

Matsson is known for his guitar work, but his first song at the piano “There’s No Leaving Now” slowed it down and punched up the emotion. Upon finishing the first piano song, Matsson moved back to the guitar to rip into “Leading Me Now”. The songs contrasted nicely in style and songwriting, and they worked in succession because it felt like Matsson was telling a story. This pairing of songs from the new LP was particularly powerful. At the end of it, a man in the audience yelled “I love you!” to which Matsson responded, “You should take me on a date first!”

The Tallest Man on Earth then invited his friend Steven on stage to help with a handful of songs on trumpet, including “It Will Follow the Rain”, which Matsson said we probably haven’t heard live since Rickshaw Stop. The Tallest Man’s friend Steven from Sweden, who Matsson said he’s always admired, added a layer of depth that is sometimes lacking in Matsson’s songs, but not often.

The song that got the most attention from the crowd was “King of Spain”. The audience immediately began clapping along, then Matsson busted a string on his guitar. The Tallest Man skillfully extended the intro of the song with one hand to buy time, as he used his strumming hand to calmly move the broken string out of the way. The Tallest Man on Earth is one with his instrument. This inspired further cringe-inducing crowd banter, including “You’re my tallest man,” which got a quizzical head turn from Matsson.

Matsson saves his best songs for the encore. It began with an unfinished version of “The Wild Hunt”, as he segued it seamlessly into a successful version of Paul Simon’s “Graceland”. The night finished with “The Dreamer” from his 2010 EP Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird. The set passed quickly, which signifies that it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The Tallest Man on Earth has proved to be a top notch singer-songwriter live who is in full command of his stage presence and musical prowess.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: ,

B.B. King, Tedeschi Trucks Band delight at the Hollywood Bowl

September 6, 2012 by 1 Comment

By Pete Mauch //

B.B. King with Tedeschi Trucks Band //
Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles
September 5th, 2012 //

Walking into the Hollywood Bowl armed with two bottles of wine, a six pack of beer, dinner and your lady by your side is guaranteed to be a good time. Now add one of the all-time great blues guitarists in B.B. King and powerhouse jazz/blues rockers Tedeschi Trucks Band with some summer weather, and having a great night out in LA seems inevitable.

As we ventured to our seats we were greeted with a beautiful cover of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” originally from The Band. I really enjoyed the Tedeschi Trucks take on the song, especially Derek Trucks’ blistering lead solo after the final verse. 

The highlight of the set for me was the powerful cover of George Harrisons “Wah-Wah.” This was where Susan Tedeschi’s voice truly shined and was complimented well by Trucks’ finger-picking greatness. You can tell that Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are husband and wife – they seem so relaxed on stage and I truly believe it lets the music play itself. I highly recommend the Tedeschi Trucks Band to all music lovers.

B.B King’s set started off with his band jamming and switching off leads for a solid 15 minutes, and it got the crowd roaring with anticipation. When B.B. finally took the stage, the 86-year-old was cracking jokes with the crowd and his band before they finally dove into some classic blues standards. It is really hard for me to write anything bad about B.B. King, but I must say it felt like he and his band were just trading off solos and not really playing full songs. The only true song that I remember him doing was “The Thrill is Gone”, and it was impeccable. I find myself asking why they didn’t play more songs, and for that I was left a little unsatisfied with B.B King’s set. 

The highlight of the evening for much of the crowd was the last song when Trucks, Tedeschi and John Mayer all joined King for yet another solo-oriented jam that had no real meat to it besides what Trucks offered, which was truly face-melting. I witnessed two of America’s greatest guitarists jam together, and for that, I am grateful.

King is already a true American legend, and Trucks is following right in his footsteps. Trucks began as a guitar prodigy coming up with The Allman Brothers Band, and he is clearly one of the greatest guitarists now. I look forward to following his career for a very long time.

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Best sets from FYF Fest 2012

September 3, 2012 by 3 Comments

By Mike Frash //

FYF Fest //
LA State Historic Park – Los Angeles
September 1st-2nd, 2012 //

The location for FYF Fest reinforces some of LA’s ugliest stereotypes. LA State Historic Park has a feeling somewhere between industrial and suburban LA, with billboards, freeways and metro trains ever present. You know you are in Los Angeles.

But the stages are close to each other so it’s easy to get back and forth, and there was plenty of variety to keep full blown 80’s nostalgia from taking over. Here are the five shows that left the strongest impression with me.

MUST-SEE SHOWS

Atlas Sound ~ Sunday 6:10 Hill St. Stage

Bradford Cox is a remarkable solo artist. The frontman from Deerhunter builds songs by looping & layering live sounds from his guitar and mouth with a variety of foot petals. The complexity and layered depth of his songs cannot be overstated – and it’s easy to drift off with Bradford as he extends every song to sonic peaks and back again. This show mirrored the format of the Atlas Sound & Deerhunter albums, variating between songs that feature a psychedelic wall-of-sound with a morose sense of sadness & death with seemingly upbeat low-fi pop that contrasts with clean acoustic guitar. ‘Mona Lisa’ was a stand-out song live, delivering an emotional buildup that peaked with ambient loops that eventually led back into the peaceful refrain. In stark contrast to the overall sad-yet-freeing tone of the music is Bradford himself – he took five minutes before the encore to apologize to his friend for spitting on him for saying something misogynist, declaring that he will always spit on misogynists, added ‘Fuck ya I’m gay’ and led the enthusiastic crowd in a “Thank You Mark” chant, for his friend Mark that picked up his gear from across town. Bradford could talk about the weather and it would be captivating.

Chromatics ~ Saturday 6:35 Spring Street Stage

The Saturday sunset show on the Spring St. stage showcased the first upbeat & authentic dance music (sorry John Maus). The sound of the group lead by Ruth Radelet translates well in a live setting, heavily leaning to the crisp and infectiously danceable side of the coin. Radelet has a stage presence that is as hypnotic as her voice, which blends nicely with grooves that invoke LCD Soundsystem or Hot Chip no matter how hard you try to resist making the comparison. One of the set’s many highlights was ‘Kill for Love,’ which had most in attendance moving in some way, which is quite an accomplishment at FYF Fest. Radelet nonchalantly followed the song by saying “that song was about love’ in a tone that would make April from ‘Parks & Recreation’ proud. Chromatics finished the set with Neil Young’s “Into The Black”, which suits them nicely. It felt like it was just taking off when it ended, and maybe they were up against the (tick of the) clock. They are an act that deserves a full set if possible.

Nicolas Jaar ~ Sunday 8:15 The Tent

Nicolas Jaar has a unique thing going on. Part of it is that he sets his own rules, keeping most of his beats under 100 beats per minute. It’s a weird show in a very good way. The first 8 minutes built ambient sounds coming from the guitarist and saxophonist in his band that ever so slowly built into a beat. Another part is he adds a healthy dose of real emotion that comes from his live vocals. This stands in stark contrast to the button pushing emotion coming from most hooks in today’s mainstream EDM sound. Jaar is mixing, adding vocal effects, matching beats and tweaking pitches all in real time. The improvisational aspects to the building of sounds helps make the moment feel special, like anything can happen. Jaar consistently innovates and surprises with the sounds he coordinates, dropping bass back in off tempo at non standard times. It all adds up to a mind-expanding experience that feels new and exciting.

Tanlines ~ Saturday 7:35 The Tent

Tanlines has quickly shown the professional ability to adapt to their audience and live music situations. Percussionist Jesse Johen & guitarist/vocalist Eric Emm abandoned a typical song-based format and proceeded to put on an upbeat dance show. They would begin a song with a new beat, break it down and back into one of their catchy songs from their debut LP ‘Brothers,’ essentially remixing their own songs. They’ve been touring since the beginning of the year, and as a touring act they clearly aren’t lazy. They’ve evolved their show while playing to their time slot and setting perfectly in this case. “We heard there was a comedy slash DJ tent, so we told them to put us there.” That classification actually fit them perfectly for this festival performance, as Jesse’s banter can be a constant source of chuckles.

The Faint ~ Sunday 10:55 Spring Street Stage

This was the dance show of the weekend and a great time. The light show, the bass turned to 11, & a synth-heavy setlist combined to keep asses shaking and hands up. This was my first time seeing them live, and I hope it won’t be the last because I did not get enough. The Faint proved to be an ideal way to finish FYF 2012.

SETS OF NOTE: SATURDAY

John Maus – The Tent: 2:40

This guy has a stage presence that reminds me of Charles Manson. I like his music to a certain degree, but his live show is weird in a bizarre sense. He started his show by hitting himself over the head in a fit of rage. He looked angry and possessed, a persona that surely works better in a dark setting with plenty of supportive lighting.

Cloud Nothings – Spring St. Stage: 4:15

Founder & lead singer songwriter Dylan Baldi and the rest of the group that comprises Cloud Nothings deliver a live sound that is true to their albums and they do it well. It seems like you shouldn’t expect many surprises at their shows, but the sound was cleaner than I expected.

Chairlift – Main Stage: 4:35

Chairlift put on a great show until the last song of their set, when their best song “I Belong in Your Arms” turned into a bit of a train wreck. Caroline Polachek stopped the band after a minute, saying they wanted to do it right for us. After a long pause, the song started again, but someone clearly missed their mark again as a long, seemingly unintended instrumental interluded happened between verses. You could almost tell Caroline wanted to stop it again but she couldn’t as this is a festival. She left the stage quickly before the last notes without saying a thing, then her creative partner Patrick Wimberly awkwardly said goodbye.

James Blake – Spring St. Stage 7:50

James Blake’s post-dubstep subtleties were overshadowed by Tanlines’ driving bass next door in the tent, but Mr. Blake is a legitimate artist that deserves serious attention. Right at a quiet moment during the minimalist auto-tune dominated “Lindisfarne I,” one concert goer loudly inquired “T-Pane???” to many people’s amusement.

Purity Ring – Hill St. Stage: 8:25

The take-away from a live Purity Ring show is that the music is pretty unique in it’s form and glitchy live vocals, and that they have a fitting, custom made light show that is controlled by beat & A/V genius Corin Roddick’s live percussion elements. Megan James’ presence blends into cocoon-light show aesthetic, and her confident, angelic voice is liberally sampled by Roddick’s MIDI pad. See this show before Purity Ring is playing bigger venues.

M83 – Main Stage: 9:25

Anthony Gonzalez played composer for most the night, allowing Morgan Kibby and his younger brother Yann Gonzalez to get most of the spotlight. The M83 show has clearly evolved since it started touring to support “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” in 2011. Gonzalez did not rely heavily on the new album, extending ‘We Own the Sky,’ ‘Coleurs’ & many other early tracks. While the volume level was lacking toward the back of the audience, the setlist was great and it’s obvious they are experimenting with transitions and song extensions to a positive effect.

SETS OF NOTE: SUNDAY

Wild Nothing – Hill St. Stage: 2:45
They sounded real nice from the other side of the fence, where I was waiting patiently in the security line. The VIP option suddenly seemed worth while. Probably was a very nice show.

Givers – Main Stage: 3:05

These kids are so full of positive energy you feel like they’re Aussies or something. This was a fun way to get Sunday kicked off.

Father John Misty – Hill St. Stage: 2:45

This man was destined to be a frontman. It’s hard to believe he was the drummer for Fleet Foxes’s first two album. Joshua Tillman knows how to let his freak flag fly, showing off moves that would impress the lizard king himself.

Tiger & Woods – The Tent: 4:20

The duo’s disco grooves got the Tent popin’ early. The dj duo, who won’t reveal their identities to the general public, wear matching outfits onstage and smoke cigarettes at the same time. How cute. The bottom line is they craft super catchy beats that could host an array of samples and overlays, but they keep it simple with house and techno elements.

Glass Candy – The Tent: 7PM

This no wave threesome fronted by Ida No put on a fun, upbeat set. I’d like to see them again.

Yeasayer – Main Stage: 9:10

The new stage set-up was visually pleasing, and many of the songs from the new album worked well live. The problem with the new prisms, lasers and light show is it now seems too digitized when they play song from their first album that is more rooted in folk inspired world music. That said, I appreciated the risk they took when they completely rebooted their hit ‘O.N.E.’ and made it sound like a slowed down karaoke version of itself. I get the feeling they are changing so drastically from album to album that they don’t exactly know where they stand now for live shows. When in doubt, make a great light show. Works for me.

Twin Shadow – Spring St. Stage: 9:35

George Lewis Jr.’s band exhibit a looser sound live than in their albums, where the songs seem directly taken from 1987. Live they sound more like a rock show than an 80s nostalgia new wave outfit. I got to this show after Yeasayer and basically wished I’d spent more time at Twin Shadow.

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The Very Best might not be dealing in hyperbole

August 26, 2012 by 1 Comment

By Mike Frash //

The Very Best //
Mezzanine – San Francisco
August 24th, 2012 //

The Very Best, a refreshingly unique mix of contemporary EDM-pop and the traditional music of Malawi, performed at Mezzanine to an oddly thin audience. MTMTMK, the group’s fourth studio album released recently to critical and general acclaim, and Malawi-born frontman Esau Mwamwaya along with London based DJ/producer Radioclit have produced a live production that is gearing up to sub-headline festivals by the 2013 festival season.

The show began with two top cuts from MTMTMK, “Adani” and “Moto”, and it was immediately clear Esau has a star quality — a combination of having an infectiously positive presence about him that matches the upbeat pace and tone of the group’s music and actually delivering on his vocal chops.

The duo is joined on tour by hype man and background singer Seye (pronounced “Cher” and is “Eyes Backwards” as he explained when performing the opening set). Seye certainly added an element of upbeat youthfulness with his super-upbeat kinetic energy on stage and early 80’s-inspired style. Two percussionists, mostly enhancing the dance tracks with driving bongos, helped connect Esau’s voice to the EDM build-ups and drops. All together, this hodgepodge of Afro-Western dance, hip-hop, pop and Malawian singing and percussion elements produces a sound that is uniquely theirs: They are not a simple Amadou and Mariam knockoff, nor do they pander to the most homogenous EDM trends of the moment.

The aspect of the beats and drops from Radioclit that are most memorable is the bass. Plain and simple. Drum and bass was the dominating factor in almost every song at this Very Best show until the disappointing encore, a half-baked overlay tracing Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There.” But it didn’t matter — after 90 minutes of non-stop dance and positive grooves, it was an appropriate wave goodbye.

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