As I drove my girlfriend home tonight and daydreamed (at night) of the upcoming vacation to Maine and Boston, I thought of all the crazy stuff I've witnessed. Though I'm virtually a noob still at concert attending, I've seen a decent share of crazy fans, and crazy performers. So without further ado, here's the top 10 crazy things I've seen.
10. The Smoker - AC/DC
During "Back in Black", while everyone is going crazy, this dude just came up and sat next to me, lit a Marlboro and just sat on the step and just nodded along, like all is right in the world. Security didn't care because too much insanity was going on down on the floor.
9. The misguided Drunk - Rush
So Rush is wrapping up their second set at Nissan Pavilion with their famous instrumental, "YYZ". This drunk guy wandered over towards us and we all learned that apparently, there are lyrics to this wonderful song. Then proceeded to try and become our friend, and flirt with Beth.
8. King Kong guitarist - Airborne
I was hypnotized by the volume and power these guys brought, but somewhere between the hippy girl's seizure like dancing and the beer being sprayed on the audience, the lead singer and guitarist climbs the 9ft tall speaker tower on the side of the stage at the Recher and released a hellish solo on to the masses.
7. The Nazi in a trench coat - The Killers
There we are, an icy night in Fairfax, Virgina, rocking out in the Patriot Center. In the middle of a song, this guy climbed on stage wearing shorts, a trench coat, and to finish of the insanity plea, a black Nazi combat helmet. He takes the stage and begins dancing. Since no one acted on it we assumed it was some abstract weird happening the Killers put together, since they tend to be a more of a European phenom than American. Brandon Flowers stops singing to say "Do we have security in this place? Anyone know who this is?" Security promptly sweeped in, landing a devastating shoulder block and dragging the guy off stage.
6. The Monster Mosh - Motorhead
So to make a long story short, during Motorhead's set at the Metal Master's Tour at the Nissan Pavilion, about 1/3 of the lawn area turned into a massive mosh pit, involving what looked to be up to 300 people at one point. It was a breath taking scene, that was scary, yet fun to witness.
5. Body Count - Metal Masters Tour
Long story short again, Beth and I were keeping a count of the people being thrown out by security from the pavilion. We stopped counting around 30 or so. An all around insane show. Never mind the two friends who were on the blanket next to us who were hugging and laughing during Motorhead, but by the time Heaven and Hell hit the stage, they were throwing punches at each other. MMmmm Alcohol.
4. Dude in the Diaper calls the shots - George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic
My girlfriend and I attended this show, which was incredibly long, and incredibly awesome. But something magical was going on. We were watching a Jam band with just a leader calling what to play. This leader was not George, but a dude wearing nothing but a diaper and some Nike's. Mel and I had both scoped him out on youtube, but never realized how important he was. The music was so groovalicious, I could barely walk out.
3. Boob Cam - Ozzy Osbourne
So while Zakk Wylde was soloing away at the Verizon Center, the camera for the big screen basically panned and scanned the audience for bare chests of women to broadcast on the big screen. They would zoom in on a hot chick until she would expose her self. According to one innocent soul I told of this, "Thats illegal".
2. Pot Chimney - Aerosmith
So the blanket in front of us on the lawn at Nissan never really seemed to be paying attention to the show, having never stood, or anything. They just sat in a circle, and as the show went on, a thicker and thicker plume of smoke came from the "stew pot" of hippies. Before I knew it, I had a heavy duty contact high and felt as if I was 10 feet tall, and I was pretty hungry.
1. Get off my boyfriend - Iron Maiden
After the show, walking out amongst the bikers and metal heads, a fist flew past my face, and into the back of the neck of the guy in front of me. He then turns and looks at me, but I quickly duck as the dude behind me admits to throwing the punch. But, before the guy can retaliate, this thick, butch woman jumps on the dude's back and puts him in a sleeper hold, better known as by old school WWF fans as, The Million Dollar Dream. She then begins screaming "Get off him! Don't you touch him, Back off!" But it didn't much matter as the dude was turning red, then purple, as his eyes closed. From the dialogue, it was obvious that it was the dude's own girlfriend beating up her boyfriend to spare him an "ass whoopin'". We rolled out quick after that, as we watched drunk and stoned headbangers try to find their car in the field. I did overhear this nugget of a line "Why don't we just call the police and ask if they have seen your car?" "Yeah, that's a great idea, I'll tell them I can't find my green Dodge Neon with the Deceptacon logo sticker on the trunk. You're a genius."
Well folks, that's my list, I hope you enjoyed it. It felt good to write such a light-hearted entry for once. I didn't feel compelled to write about Michael Jackson, being that about 6 months ago or so, I had wrote, almost forecasting his death, how he would be this generations great loss to music.
This list is why I go to these shows. Its all about the music and the people and sharing it with them. Good night. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Somewhere Everybody Should Be
Hello my great and loyal reader(s)! I hope this entry finds you well. I am writing with the world blocked out by some lovely AC/DC vinyl plugging my ears from the outside world and a decent sized grin on my face. This past weekend and week has been pretty spectacular so far. There was a broad spectrum of performers and yet another wonderful shopping experience.
Friday night, I attended the stand-up comedy show of Louis CK. I know that this blog is about music but I feel stand-up comedy, whether clean or dirty, is all about the proper delivery and timing, much like music. Louis is a master of this. He starts the show with material you wouldn't think would be good to open. He avoids the tacky "How are you guys tonight?" start. He opens with an awkward joke that forces you into his world right away. Much like an established rock band will start with a song the fans know, but not the big hit that you would close with. Louis works the audience into a frenzy of laughter driven tears by the end by just piling on the pressure with more and more outrageous stream of thoughts. Unlike older comedians, you have to pay attention to Louis to tell really when one joke ends and another begins. Before I move on though, I must thank him for stopping the show and checking on my safety when the folding chair I was in gave way and I hit the floor. I was still laughing, for the win.
Sunday, I made my way to Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore to see the Wilson sisters: Heart. After having fun in the Hard Rock Cafe looking on John Lee Hooker's guitar, and complaining about how more mainstream, modern metal groups turn their bass up too high to appeal to those who like Hip-Hop, we got our prime spot on the lawn in the front, dead center to hear the opening act, Danielia Cotton. I really wish I had not heard her. Her band was mediocre at best, and her singing a bit too over the top. A bit too screaming for me. I call it "fake" pipes. Screaming is different than the high note you're going for and frankly, it was the first time at any rock concert I had wished for ear plugs. My ear drums were ringing quite bad. I was quite glad when she was done.
I should mention this is my dad's first rock concert without it being a cover band. He was in awe watching the roadies switch the stage in minutes for Heart. But his real look of awe came when Heart actually came out and brought the house down. They didn't sound quite as good as they did last summer, but I chalk it up to three factors:
1. Saturday night they did a show in Niagara Fall, NY, so they were on the road for 8 hours the night before to get to Baltimore.
2. Pier Six does not have the sound system that Nissan Pavilion has.
3. Cheap Trick is a much better opening act and removes some of the pressure.
So with that said, Heart still tore it up. They did a bit of a set I didn't expect, with them doing a few Led Zeppelin covers, including "Angels of Avalon", "Going to California" and "Immigrant Song". Fear not though, Heart still hammered home "Magic Man", "Barracuda", and "Crazy on You". This was pretty much the craziest I had seen Pier Six. I feel though that a lot of people who wanted to go were scared by the cheapest seat being $30. They didn't consider that Pier Six isn't a stadium, its not big. Its an intimate venue and can provide some gems by allowing you to see your favorite groups up close and personal.
Tuesday began with a lovely lunch and then a second trip to Trax on Wax. The owner, Gary, was again friendly and very welcoming and thanked me in person for my blog entry. No need to thank me though, its my obligation to write and share my experiences in the music world. Since it was before pay day and there was a concert that night, I had to be a little tight on the wallet, but still walked out with the previously mentioned AC/DC record. a very nice, practically mint condition original pressing of "High Voltage", which is my second favorite AC/DC album and my favorite with Bon Scott. This album though definitely was remixed when moved to CD. The album is rough, and sounds like it was recorded in a bar, which just adds to the flair of AC/DC being your bad-ass bar band. I also grabbed "Sabotage" by Black Sabbath. This is the sixth album by Black Sabbath. This album is a bit softer than the usual Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne fare. I feel lucky though that I got a version of it from the early pressings that included a 23 second secret track at the end of Ozzy goofing around in the studio. Quite entertaining!
The second half of Tuesday included taking the subway into DC with my pal Beth to see Keane. Keane is one of the very few modern pop groups that I like. I am not fond of them no longer being a trio, but I cannot complain. They bring a prime show to you. Keane's lead singer, Tom Chaplin, has a killer voice, and is the only singer I've seen that could possibly fill Freddie Mercury's shoes, vocally. This band brought a wave of positive energy over the crowd I've never seen. Keane was accompanied by two opening acts, Helio Sequence and Mat Kearney. Helio Sequence is a duo of drums and guitar. They didn't really introduce themselves, and kind of assumed everyone already knew who they were. They also seemed hung up in having lots of synth backing tracks which took away from what skills they were presenting to us. It also caused their songs to sound identical to me, at least in a live setting. Mat Kearney followed them and he really wowed me. Hes not my type of music but he brought a stage presence which was quite nice. My only gripe is that he has a 4-piece band backing him. Come up with a band name and give them credit, considering you're playing rhythm guitar 3 and singing. There were two other guitarists there, both with nice voices, bass and drums. Let them in and come up with a name. Other than that, dude you are golden and going to make lots of money.
Keane though really rocked Constitution Hall, which is not suited for this kind of show at all. Kean brought a simple stage set up with no screens or anything like that. They didn't need it, the whole band is charismatic. They were just straight up fun to watch. I was transfixed much like my father was during Heart. In 72 hours I went from seeing a band a bit past its prime, just doing shows for fun, to seeing bands that are still fresh, young, and having to fight for fans. Might I add that initially at the Keane show, I felt old and out of place. Then I noticed a 40-something man singing his heart out the next section over, and below me a 40-something woman basically doing her impression of Joan of Arc from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" throughout the whole show. This made me feel better.
Nothing against my friend Beth at all, but the tickets were initially to be for my girlfriend and I to attend, with Keane being one of her favorite bands. I did find myself enjoying this concert a little differently due to company. Beth is a great concert partner and always will be. This was to be my girlfriends second concert; her first was the George Clinton mega-show. I think I would have seen this show through fresher eyes, had I been with a concert noobie and a really big Keane fan. Beth found herself enjoying the groups and discovering them the same way I did. The concert really isn't just about who is playing, but with whom you are sharing. The music is an experience and Keane was one of the first things my darling girlfriend and I shared. It would be a slight if I didn't mention this point in this blog entry. I'm truly grateful Beth came along, as it would have killed me to waste a ticket and Beth is always a lot of fun, and open minded and flexible to whatever we're going to see. But I cannot deny that I was thinking how the show might have been different to me if Melanie had attended.
With that, I sign off for the night. "High Voltage" has played out and the arm on the old Pioneer phonograph has retracted. I leave you tonight with a video of Keane from DAR Constitution Hall, doing my favorite song by them, "Somewhere Only We Know". Have a good night. This one's for you ;-) Enjoy the girl singing terribly out of tune at the start, but who cares, everyone in the building was on cloud nine by this point.
Friday night, I attended the stand-up comedy show of Louis CK. I know that this blog is about music but I feel stand-up comedy, whether clean or dirty, is all about the proper delivery and timing, much like music. Louis is a master of this. He starts the show with material you wouldn't think would be good to open. He avoids the tacky "How are you guys tonight?" start. He opens with an awkward joke that forces you into his world right away. Much like an established rock band will start with a song the fans know, but not the big hit that you would close with. Louis works the audience into a frenzy of laughter driven tears by the end by just piling on the pressure with more and more outrageous stream of thoughts. Unlike older comedians, you have to pay attention to Louis to tell really when one joke ends and another begins. Before I move on though, I must thank him for stopping the show and checking on my safety when the folding chair I was in gave way and I hit the floor. I was still laughing, for the win.
Sunday, I made my way to Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore to see the Wilson sisters: Heart. After having fun in the Hard Rock Cafe looking on John Lee Hooker's guitar, and complaining about how more mainstream, modern metal groups turn their bass up too high to appeal to those who like Hip-Hop, we got our prime spot on the lawn in the front, dead center to hear the opening act, Danielia Cotton. I really wish I had not heard her. Her band was mediocre at best, and her singing a bit too over the top. A bit too screaming for me. I call it "fake" pipes. Screaming is different than the high note you're going for and frankly, it was the first time at any rock concert I had wished for ear plugs. My ear drums were ringing quite bad. I was quite glad when she was done.
I should mention this is my dad's first rock concert without it being a cover band. He was in awe watching the roadies switch the stage in minutes for Heart. But his real look of awe came when Heart actually came out and brought the house down. They didn't sound quite as good as they did last summer, but I chalk it up to three factors:
1. Saturday night they did a show in Niagara Fall, NY, so they were on the road for 8 hours the night before to get to Baltimore.
2. Pier Six does not have the sound system that Nissan Pavilion has.
3. Cheap Trick is a much better opening act and removes some of the pressure.
So with that said, Heart still tore it up. They did a bit of a set I didn't expect, with them doing a few Led Zeppelin covers, including "Angels of Avalon", "Going to California" and "Immigrant Song". Fear not though, Heart still hammered home "Magic Man", "Barracuda", and "Crazy on You". This was pretty much the craziest I had seen Pier Six. I feel though that a lot of people who wanted to go were scared by the cheapest seat being $30. They didn't consider that Pier Six isn't a stadium, its not big. Its an intimate venue and can provide some gems by allowing you to see your favorite groups up close and personal.
Tuesday began with a lovely lunch and then a second trip to Trax on Wax. The owner, Gary, was again friendly and very welcoming and thanked me in person for my blog entry. No need to thank me though, its my obligation to write and share my experiences in the music world. Since it was before pay day and there was a concert that night, I had to be a little tight on the wallet, but still walked out with the previously mentioned AC/DC record. a very nice, practically mint condition original pressing of "High Voltage", which is my second favorite AC/DC album and my favorite with Bon Scott. This album though definitely was remixed when moved to CD. The album is rough, and sounds like it was recorded in a bar, which just adds to the flair of AC/DC being your bad-ass bar band. I also grabbed "Sabotage" by Black Sabbath. This is the sixth album by Black Sabbath. This album is a bit softer than the usual Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne fare. I feel lucky though that I got a version of it from the early pressings that included a 23 second secret track at the end of Ozzy goofing around in the studio. Quite entertaining!
The second half of Tuesday included taking the subway into DC with my pal Beth to see Keane. Keane is one of the very few modern pop groups that I like. I am not fond of them no longer being a trio, but I cannot complain. They bring a prime show to you. Keane's lead singer, Tom Chaplin, has a killer voice, and is the only singer I've seen that could possibly fill Freddie Mercury's shoes, vocally. This band brought a wave of positive energy over the crowd I've never seen. Keane was accompanied by two opening acts, Helio Sequence and Mat Kearney. Helio Sequence is a duo of drums and guitar. They didn't really introduce themselves, and kind of assumed everyone already knew who they were. They also seemed hung up in having lots of synth backing tracks which took away from what skills they were presenting to us. It also caused their songs to sound identical to me, at least in a live setting. Mat Kearney followed them and he really wowed me. Hes not my type of music but he brought a stage presence which was quite nice. My only gripe is that he has a 4-piece band backing him. Come up with a band name and give them credit, considering you're playing rhythm guitar 3 and singing. There were two other guitarists there, both with nice voices, bass and drums. Let them in and come up with a name. Other than that, dude you are golden and going to make lots of money.
Keane though really rocked Constitution Hall, which is not suited for this kind of show at all. Kean brought a simple stage set up with no screens or anything like that. They didn't need it, the whole band is charismatic. They were just straight up fun to watch. I was transfixed much like my father was during Heart. In 72 hours I went from seeing a band a bit past its prime, just doing shows for fun, to seeing bands that are still fresh, young, and having to fight for fans. Might I add that initially at the Keane show, I felt old and out of place. Then I noticed a 40-something man singing his heart out the next section over, and below me a 40-something woman basically doing her impression of Joan of Arc from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" throughout the whole show. This made me feel better.
Nothing against my friend Beth at all, but the tickets were initially to be for my girlfriend and I to attend, with Keane being one of her favorite bands. I did find myself enjoying this concert a little differently due to company. Beth is a great concert partner and always will be. This was to be my girlfriends second concert; her first was the George Clinton mega-show. I think I would have seen this show through fresher eyes, had I been with a concert noobie and a really big Keane fan. Beth found herself enjoying the groups and discovering them the same way I did. The concert really isn't just about who is playing, but with whom you are sharing. The music is an experience and Keane was one of the first things my darling girlfriend and I shared. It would be a slight if I didn't mention this point in this blog entry. I'm truly grateful Beth came along, as it would have killed me to waste a ticket and Beth is always a lot of fun, and open minded and flexible to whatever we're going to see. But I cannot deny that I was thinking how the show might have been different to me if Melanie had attended.
With that, I sign off for the night. "High Voltage" has played out and the arm on the old Pioneer phonograph has retracted. I leave you tonight with a video of Keane from DAR Constitution Hall, doing my favorite song by them, "Somewhere Only We Know". Have a good night. This one's for you ;-) Enjoy the girl singing terribly out of tune at the start, but who cares, everyone in the building was on cloud nine by this point.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Trax on Wax
hello all. This is just going to be a quick plug for the new vinyl record store that has opened in Catonsville. I Just visited this place and give it a full endorsement. With an incredible selection of used vinyl available for extremely reasonable prices, this place was a breath of fresh air to me. I now have a new place to continue my vinyl collecting. For $20, I was able to get "Odds and Sods" and "Who's Next" by The Who, "Magical Mystery Tour", and "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by The Beatles, Steve Perry's solo album, "Escape" by Journey, and "Spirit" by Spirit. Clearly a great mix of stuff for great prices. There was no hassle from staff, and plenty of space to browse. The entire collection is alphabetical order, to where you feel like you must put an album right back in its place. The best part is a turntable available for public use, so you can test the albums before you buy, but unlike Record and Tape Traders, everything looked to be at least in playable condition. They will also convert vinyl to CD for you, I'm sure for a charge though. This is also to announce that I am going to give the Beatles another chance, thus why I bought those two albums. I will keep you posted on the result!
I beg you in the area to give this place a check. Buy something too, the owner is nice as anything!
On another note, this week, I will be taking Mom to go see Heart. Lets hope they're as spectacular as they were last summer!
Good night friends!
I beg you in the area to give this place a check. Buy something too, the owner is nice as anything!
On another note, this week, I will be taking Mom to go see Heart. Lets hope they're as spectacular as they were last summer!
Good night friends!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It's Hard
Hello friends, I'm sorry I have not written lately. This blog entry though is just going to be some observations and an update of musical events going on.
First off, the UMBC Symphony concert is this weekend, which will again feature my brass quintet in the lobby playing for guests waiting for the doors to open. We decided that it would be fun to add a drummer to the mix since we decided to do an all rock set this time. I'm very excited to debut the arrangement of the Overture from "Tommy". We are also doing "Under Pressure" by Queen, and "More Than a Feeling" by Boston.
The Symphony concert itself is only utilizing me for the Triumphant March from Aida, which is a lot of fun and a whole lot of playing. I'm going to miss having my Tuesday nights occupied by music. This problem is exaggerated by the fact that my summer musical has been canceled. I really won't HAVE to touch my trumpet again until September, but you know that won't happen.
On the arranging front, I have been on a Who kick with "Happy Jack" and "Behind Blue Eyes" now under my belt and in the quintet binder. While on this exploration of The Who, I learned that they really enjoy the key of D, and really how important Keith Moon was to the group. His complicated, and stream of conscious style of drumming really highlighted the rhythmic pulses of the group and is evident as the back bone of the compositional style of the group. This is easiest heard when listening to the album, "Its Hard" which featured Kenney Jones on drums since Keith had died. This was their second album without Moon. The sound of the band is still pretty good, but its missing a dynamic and the group sounds much more conservative. After listening to this album, I decided to put on "The Who by Numbers", which was the next to last album Keith Moon played on before his death. The entire album just has this pure energy that is generated by his rumbling toms and a budding anticipation of a massive fill happening at any time. I discuss this because I also learned today Mike Myers (of Shrek fame) will be playing Keith Moon in an upcoming biopic. I fear this could be terrible and not work at all. He kind of resembles him but I am in no mood to hear Mike Myers' terrible english accent for 2 hours in a serious manner. I can't even stand the Austin Powers stuff. I don't think he has the acting chops to portray the deep and complex battles Keith Moon had with chemical addictions. What would be next here? Casting Seth Rogan to play Roger Daltrey because of his curly hair? This smells of a terrible idea, but you know I will go see it to pay my respect to one of the best bands ever and the best rock drummer ever.
Good day my friends. I leave you with a video of Eminence Front with a much better drummer, Zak Starkey. He's the son of Ringo Starr, and former student of Keith Moon
First off, the UMBC Symphony concert is this weekend, which will again feature my brass quintet in the lobby playing for guests waiting for the doors to open. We decided that it would be fun to add a drummer to the mix since we decided to do an all rock set this time. I'm very excited to debut the arrangement of the Overture from "Tommy". We are also doing "Under Pressure" by Queen, and "More Than a Feeling" by Boston.
The Symphony concert itself is only utilizing me for the Triumphant March from Aida, which is a lot of fun and a whole lot of playing. I'm going to miss having my Tuesday nights occupied by music. This problem is exaggerated by the fact that my summer musical has been canceled. I really won't HAVE to touch my trumpet again until September, but you know that won't happen.
On the arranging front, I have been on a Who kick with "Happy Jack" and "Behind Blue Eyes" now under my belt and in the quintet binder. While on this exploration of The Who, I learned that they really enjoy the key of D, and really how important Keith Moon was to the group. His complicated, and stream of conscious style of drumming really highlighted the rhythmic pulses of the group and is evident as the back bone of the compositional style of the group. This is easiest heard when listening to the album, "Its Hard" which featured Kenney Jones on drums since Keith had died. This was their second album without Moon. The sound of the band is still pretty good, but its missing a dynamic and the group sounds much more conservative. After listening to this album, I decided to put on "The Who by Numbers", which was the next to last album Keith Moon played on before his death. The entire album just has this pure energy that is generated by his rumbling toms and a budding anticipation of a massive fill happening at any time. I discuss this because I also learned today Mike Myers (of Shrek fame) will be playing Keith Moon in an upcoming biopic. I fear this could be terrible and not work at all. He kind of resembles him but I am in no mood to hear Mike Myers' terrible english accent for 2 hours in a serious manner. I can't even stand the Austin Powers stuff. I don't think he has the acting chops to portray the deep and complex battles Keith Moon had with chemical addictions. What would be next here? Casting Seth Rogan to play Roger Daltrey because of his curly hair? This smells of a terrible idea, but you know I will go see it to pay my respect to one of the best bands ever and the best rock drummer ever.
Good day my friends. I leave you with a video of Eminence Front with a much better drummer, Zak Starkey. He's the son of Ringo Starr, and former student of Keith Moon
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Funk You Very Much
Greetings friends. I am back from a short break due to not having a computer. I write to you tonight about the last two concerts I attended.
First is the concert put on by The Killers. They are touring currently to push their third album (Sawdust was a collection of unreleased tracks), "Day & Age". My feelings for the album was that it was very synth heavy, and I wasn't sure if it would work for a live show. I was very wrong. The Killers now how really put together a great, top class, live show. Brandon Flowers has developed a great front man persona, a mix of Springsteen, Bowie, and a hint of Mercury. The only hang up is that they only had three albums from which to perform. Due to this, their set list was a bit predictable, but always enjoyable, as I really can't think of a song by them I don't like. The show was your routine opener for 45 minutes, then The Killers played for 2 hours.
The opener, M83, was pretty good. Their stage presence rubbed me the wrong way as neither vocalist faced the stage. Their songs with lyrics weren't very entertaining. This band really shined in its instrumentals, especially with the beast they have on drums!
The second concert I attended was with a concert virgin, and she lost her cherry the best way possible. We saw George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. They were hot. I can't describe it much more than that. The opener, Let the Monkey Go, played for an hour, then Parliament came out and played for four hours! FOUR HOURS! Four glorious, groovilicous, galactic funk oozing over the celestial spirits jiving all at once. GC and P-Funk hit all their big hits; "Aquaboogie", "Flashlight", "Stomp", "Atomic Dog", plus just letting the band go in these jam sessions that were inspired by some chemical stimulation. With massive solos, especially in "Maggot Brain" played by Mike Hampton on guitar, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy for hours without a break. It was the first concert I left early. I couldn't take anymore. They exhausted me. The party was intense! I was disoriented when leaving Ramshead Live to where I had to lean on the wall to put my jacket on. Mind you, I had nothing to drink. This was my first concert at Ramshead, and I have to say I was impressed with the venue. Good sound, simple layout, great views. My friend ended up having the time of her life. She got to see Gary "Starchild" Shider (dude in a diaper) in person. What's amazing about him is he wears a diaper and Nike's on stage. Strange this is, you don't find it strange. He calls the shots in the band, he calls out the sections and the solos. You can't question his authority and his choice of apparel. You basically say to yourself "Dude in the diaper is the head honcho, that's that."
I have currently started working on a new musical, "Big River" which opens March 13. I get to play some country music, which is a fun change. Also, this Sunday, UMBC Symphony performs at 8pm. Hear me play Rimsky-Korsakov!! Check these things out.
I'd like to take a moment to just apologize for not writing as much in my blog. Things have picked up for me in other areas of my life which has made me not as prolific. But on the horizon, theres the Keane concert and potentially seeing Twisted Sister and Extreme. Don't think I've forgotten about you, loyal reader. There's plenty of fun on the horizon. As for now I wish you good night, and that you don't miss your vocal cues.
First is the concert put on by The Killers. They are touring currently to push their third album (Sawdust was a collection of unreleased tracks), "Day & Age". My feelings for the album was that it was very synth heavy, and I wasn't sure if it would work for a live show. I was very wrong. The Killers now how really put together a great, top class, live show. Brandon Flowers has developed a great front man persona, a mix of Springsteen, Bowie, and a hint of Mercury. The only hang up is that they only had three albums from which to perform. Due to this, their set list was a bit predictable, but always enjoyable, as I really can't think of a song by them I don't like. The show was your routine opener for 45 minutes, then The Killers played for 2 hours.
The opener, M83, was pretty good. Their stage presence rubbed me the wrong way as neither vocalist faced the stage. Their songs with lyrics weren't very entertaining. This band really shined in its instrumentals, especially with the beast they have on drums!
The second concert I attended was with a concert virgin, and she lost her cherry the best way possible. We saw George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. They were hot. I can't describe it much more than that. The opener, Let the Monkey Go, played for an hour, then Parliament came out and played for four hours! FOUR HOURS! Four glorious, groovilicous, galactic funk oozing over the celestial spirits jiving all at once. GC and P-Funk hit all their big hits; "Aquaboogie", "Flashlight", "Stomp", "Atomic Dog", plus just letting the band go in these jam sessions that were inspired by some chemical stimulation. With massive solos, especially in "Maggot Brain" played by Mike Hampton on guitar, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy for hours without a break. It was the first concert I left early. I couldn't take anymore. They exhausted me. The party was intense! I was disoriented when leaving Ramshead Live to where I had to lean on the wall to put my jacket on. Mind you, I had nothing to drink. This was my first concert at Ramshead, and I have to say I was impressed with the venue. Good sound, simple layout, great views. My friend ended up having the time of her life. She got to see Gary "Starchild" Shider (dude in a diaper) in person. What's amazing about him is he wears a diaper and Nike's on stage. Strange this is, you don't find it strange. He calls the shots in the band, he calls out the sections and the solos. You can't question his authority and his choice of apparel. You basically say to yourself "Dude in the diaper is the head honcho, that's that."
I have currently started working on a new musical, "Big River" which opens March 13. I get to play some country music, which is a fun change. Also, this Sunday, UMBC Symphony performs at 8pm. Hear me play Rimsky-Korsakov!! Check these things out.
I'd like to take a moment to just apologize for not writing as much in my blog. Things have picked up for me in other areas of my life which has made me not as prolific. But on the horizon, theres the Keane concert and potentially seeing Twisted Sister and Extreme. Don't think I've forgotten about you, loyal reader. There's plenty of fun on the horizon. As for now I wish you good night, and that you don't miss your vocal cues.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Don't play those bars, I'm going to do an impromptu solo
Hello friends. I do apologize again for the long break, but the holidays and a last minute production sucked away all my writing time, and also my creative juices. I am back though to write some of my recent thoughts on prior musical events. I will start with the most negative.
I just finished playing in a pit for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Forum". Well, not really finished, it wrapped up two weeks before Christmas, but you know what I mean. This was probably one of the worst run musicals in which I've ever participated. From a cast that didn't have one single singing voice, to a musical director with very little experience, and stage director who could only say "Make it more Broadway" as her only criticism, its a miracle that every night sold out the 80 seat theater space. I must make this statement because its terribly true, but please do not take it as a homophobic remark, but the show would have made much more sense if the courtesans for the house of Marcus Lycus had been portrayed by drag queens. Really, the worst decision of the whole production was to put the "orchestra" (I put quotes because it was a violin, cello, drum kit, piano, trumpet, trombone, clarinet/sax, and flute, that's it. This is a Sondheim show, he writes big) in a catwalk in the back of the hall, in a corner that was acoustically dead. This means they could not hear us, and we could not hear them. So pitch, tempo, concept of the whole show was just about lost, except for violent, and loud pounding on the synthesizer piano. The lack of a conductor for proper cuing was also a poor choice. It was hard to hear vocal cues which is essential for every orchestra member to hear if there's no conductor. I cannot complain too much because the show was successful overall and people were working hard and doing their best to pull it off, and I did make the most money I've ever made playing trumpet from this production.
So onward to other topics. I watched the poor lip sync'ing inaugural concert on January 19th on HBO. The only performer who did not lip sync and should have was Bono with U2. Some highlights of the show though was when Stevie Wonder made Usher and Shakira, and just about everyone else involved look like amateurs, Pete Seeger trying to lead people in a sing-a-long but people failing to grasp how that works, and Bono doing a one-liner about peaceful Palestinians that made everyone seem a little uncomfortable. The low lights were many, such as James Taylor singing with four other people who were indistinguishable, John Mellancamp walking 20 feet away from the microphone and not playing his guitar, yet playback sounded like he was still doing both, and Garth Brooks. All of Garth Brooks. First was Garth Brooks being set up as "The Sound of American Radio". Then was Garth Brooks singing American Pie, but avoiding the really fun and artistic verses. Then the topper. Garth Brooks performing "Shout" by The Isley Brothers. Again, a disclaimer as I'm not racist or anything, but Garth Brooks, you're not black. You should not have gone within a fallout radius of that song, or any other song published by an R&B or Doo-Wop group ever. Snoop Dogg would never sing "Ring of Fire", you don't sing "Shout". I happen to know Ronald Isley is very much alive and performing. Why could he not do his own song? I'm sure you call him and ask him, he'd do it for a fair wage. I had to stop watching the concert once Beyonce came out to sing "America, the Beautiful". Because her and Josh Groban both suffer from the "I can't sing a note on down beat of one" syndrome. They always, ALWAYS go silent on beat one and ciondense the first syllable to fit on the and of one. Whats wrong with letting the melody stand and letting your voice carry the tune? Nothing, and I think it can be taken as a weakness in your performance.
On a personal front, I'm looking at a light orchestra set up for the next orchestra concert. This I'm kind of happy about. I need a bit of a break from the duties. Its sometimes nice to not need to be so necessary in a group, and be able to just show up, contribute, and then leave.
My current missions in purchasing music consists of completing my Who discography, and the harder challenge of doing the same for Journey. Journey's older albums seem to be going out of print on CD as most people just want the Greatest Hits album and the Escape album. I've been having better luck with finding them used on vinyl. And of course, you know I have no issue with that, considering Steve Perry's voice is magical on vinyl. That reminds me that I'm trying to get as much of the Who on both mediums, of CD and vinyl. I am still always looking for Pink Floyd on vinyl as well.
Well my friends, I sign off on this entry and promise to keep you all updated on my musical musings in this world. I hope the new year has been gentle to you so far!
I leave you tonight with this video of The Isley Brothers doing their famed song "Shout" just so you can try and see why Garth brooks made me so angry!
I just finished playing in a pit for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Forum". Well, not really finished, it wrapped up two weeks before Christmas, but you know what I mean. This was probably one of the worst run musicals in which I've ever participated. From a cast that didn't have one single singing voice, to a musical director with very little experience, and stage director who could only say "Make it more Broadway" as her only criticism, its a miracle that every night sold out the 80 seat theater space. I must make this statement because its terribly true, but please do not take it as a homophobic remark, but the show would have made much more sense if the courtesans for the house of Marcus Lycus had been portrayed by drag queens. Really, the worst decision of the whole production was to put the "orchestra" (I put quotes because it was a violin, cello, drum kit, piano, trumpet, trombone, clarinet/sax, and flute, that's it. This is a Sondheim show, he writes big) in a catwalk in the back of the hall, in a corner that was acoustically dead. This means they could not hear us, and we could not hear them. So pitch, tempo, concept of the whole show was just about lost, except for violent, and loud pounding on the synthesizer piano. The lack of a conductor for proper cuing was also a poor choice. It was hard to hear vocal cues which is essential for every orchestra member to hear if there's no conductor. I cannot complain too much because the show was successful overall and people were working hard and doing their best to pull it off, and I did make the most money I've ever made playing trumpet from this production.
So onward to other topics. I watched the poor lip sync'ing inaugural concert on January 19th on HBO. The only performer who did not lip sync and should have was Bono with U2. Some highlights of the show though was when Stevie Wonder made Usher and Shakira, and just about everyone else involved look like amateurs, Pete Seeger trying to lead people in a sing-a-long but people failing to grasp how that works, and Bono doing a one-liner about peaceful Palestinians that made everyone seem a little uncomfortable. The low lights were many, such as James Taylor singing with four other people who were indistinguishable, John Mellancamp walking 20 feet away from the microphone and not playing his guitar, yet playback sounded like he was still doing both, and Garth Brooks. All of Garth Brooks. First was Garth Brooks being set up as "The Sound of American Radio". Then was Garth Brooks singing American Pie, but avoiding the really fun and artistic verses. Then the topper. Garth Brooks performing "Shout" by The Isley Brothers. Again, a disclaimer as I'm not racist or anything, but Garth Brooks, you're not black. You should not have gone within a fallout radius of that song, or any other song published by an R&B or Doo-Wop group ever. Snoop Dogg would never sing "Ring of Fire", you don't sing "Shout". I happen to know Ronald Isley is very much alive and performing. Why could he not do his own song? I'm sure you call him and ask him, he'd do it for a fair wage. I had to stop watching the concert once Beyonce came out to sing "America, the Beautiful". Because her and Josh Groban both suffer from the "I can't sing a note on down beat of one" syndrome. They always, ALWAYS go silent on beat one and ciondense the first syllable to fit on the and of one. Whats wrong with letting the melody stand and letting your voice carry the tune? Nothing, and I think it can be taken as a weakness in your performance.
On a personal front, I'm looking at a light orchestra set up for the next orchestra concert. This I'm kind of happy about. I need a bit of a break from the duties. Its sometimes nice to not need to be so necessary in a group, and be able to just show up, contribute, and then leave.
My current missions in purchasing music consists of completing my Who discography, and the harder challenge of doing the same for Journey. Journey's older albums seem to be going out of print on CD as most people just want the Greatest Hits album and the Escape album. I've been having better luck with finding them used on vinyl. And of course, you know I have no issue with that, considering Steve Perry's voice is magical on vinyl. That reminds me that I'm trying to get as much of the Who on both mediums, of CD and vinyl. I am still always looking for Pink Floyd on vinyl as well.
Well my friends, I sign off on this entry and promise to keep you all updated on my musical musings in this world. I hope the new year has been gentle to you so far!
I leave you tonight with this video of The Isley Brothers doing their famed song "Shout" just so you can try and see why Garth brooks made me so angry!
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