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Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Live Music: NON-COMMvention, World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

by Ken Shane

treNON-COMMvention is the premier annual event for North America’s noncommercial Triple A radio stations. It was founded by Dan Reed in 2001, when he was at radio station WFPK in Louisville, which cosponsored the event. In 2008 the event moved to Philadelphia, and WXPN (where Reed is the music director) stepped into the co-sponsorship role, along with TripleAradio.com.

This was my first visit to the annual conference, which not only features panels of interest to radio people, but some notable musical guests over the course of the event’s three days. To be honest, although I’m sure that the panels were interesting, I’m not a radio professional, and my main interest in being there was to see the artists assembled for day two. NON-COMM is held in WXPN’s World Cafe Live, which is one of the best new music venues in the country, with stages on two levels, including one with a bar/restaurant. To see all of my photos from NON-COMM, please click here.)

I arrived at World Cafe in time to head downstairs to the main stage for an early performance by the Derek Trucks Band. Trucks has developed into one of the finest slide guitar players in the world, and his set of torrid blues got the day off to a great start. Musically, the set was very reminiscent of Trucks’ day job, as a guitar player for the Allman Brothers Band, but he does quite well on his own, playing with great confidence and style. (more…)

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Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Live Music: GAS @ Miller Theatre, Friday, May 29th

by Taylor Long

wolfgang voigtSave the massive excitement surrounding what was claimed to be his first and only show in the U.S. (though it seems he played Chicago three nights prior), everything about Wolfgang Voigt’s show at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre on Friday night was minimal. Performing under the name of his popular ambient electronic project, GAS, Voigt was hardly discernible in the dim light of Petra Hollenbach’s video accompaniment, a white, triangular portion of his shirt more visible than his face.

Primarily known as a co-founder of the German techno label, Kompakt, Voigt made four albums under the GAS moniker, all of which were re-released as the box set Nah und Fern last year. Beginning in 1995, Voigt attributes the original inspiration for GAS to an LSD trip spent wandering in Germany’s Black Forest.

GAS successfully captures a natural atmosphere with ambient sounds akin to rain, wind, waves and rustling leaves. String and brass instruments float in and out, and techno beats are occasionally incorporated in a muffled manner, as though hearing someone bumping their car stereo from a couple blocks away.

GAS, “Vier” (download)

In an effort to make the performance more than just a laptop show, Voigt used a mixer to make subtle manipulations and transitions, though he primarily remained faithful to the original material. Video art from Hollenbach used Voigt’s own photography – also featured on the GAS releases’ album art – to create moving psychedelic forest images, stimulating the eyes in a similar way as the ears. Some audience members were lulled into unfortunately timed slumber while others softly nodded their heads. Drugs weren’t needed to feel Voigt’s desired affect – though they certainly would’ve been keeping with its inspiration.

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Friday, May 29th, 2009

Live Music: Pattern Is Movement and St. Vincent @ Webster Hall, 5/20/09

by Taylor Long

Pattern is MovementPattern Is Movement have certainly lived up to the Movement part of their name, touring relentlessly since the release of their excellent fourth album, All Together. Seeing them for the third time since October, Pattern Is Movement’s set at Webster Hall last Wednesday was yet another in a line of charged, exciting performances. The duo debuted two new songs that sounded a little more aggressive than the rest of their cannon, though that could very well be because their live sound is beefier overall. Drummer Chris Ward’s rapid-fire drumming must be seen to be believed that there’s not some kind of magician responsible for some of those beats, and singer/keyboardist Andrew Thiboldeaux is both collected and charismatic, their mutual sense of whimsy exemplified in their constantly expressive faces and a flirty cover of D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel?)” (see video below).

Pattern is Movement, “Right Away” (download)

Headliner St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) was surprisingly staid. Having whipped through New York City oozing charm and cutesiness in the past, the first half of her set was underwhelming, the sound a little flat and thin, the band just trudging through. Though she pulled out impressive riff after impressive riff, and heartbreaking vocal after heartbreaking vocal, everything seemed just a little off until the band returned to join her after a brief solo stint for “Oh My God.” Luckily they hit their stride in time for “Marrow,” the most savage song she’s written yet. As she waltzed through “Just the Same But Brand New” and dug out first album favorites “Marry Me, John” and “Your Lips Are Red” for the encore, it was easy to chalk the tepid first half to a case of nerves.

St. Vincent, “Marrow” (download)

Pattern is Movement and St. Vincent have a slew of dates – mostly together – and if you haven’t seen either, you oughta step to this.

For more pictures, see here.


Pattern is Movement cover D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel?)” Live @ Webster Hall, May 20th

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Friday, May 8th, 2009

Live Music: Akron/Family @ Bowery Ballroom, 5/6/09

by Taylor Long

Seth Olinsky of Akron/FamilyAfter seeing jam-freak-avant-folksters Akron/Family put on an incredible show at Brooklyn’s Union Pool in March, there was only one thing left to do: Go home, go online, buy tickets to see them again. After seeing Akron/Family put on an incredible show at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom last night, there’s only one conclusion that can be made: Akron/Family are one of the best live bands currently out there. Rarely is a show as lively and diverse as Akron/Family’s.

If you broke down their set and described it, song by song, it’d be hard to believe it’s all the same show. Most of all, Akron/Family is dynamic, moving from delightfully understated, pretty ballads like “Alps and the Orange Evergreen” and “Crickets,” to epic-lengthed jam-dance numbers “Gravelly Mountains of the Moon” and fan favorite, “Ed Is A Portal.” Most of Wednesday night’s set was dominated by songs from their brand new album, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free, just released this past Tuesday.

Akron/Family, “Ed Is A Portal” (download)

But what really sets Akron/Family apart is the level of interaction, both between band members and with the audience. Three songs into the show, guitarist/vocalist Seth Olinsky invited members of the openers, William Parker’s Southern Satellites, on stage to play along with them. Throughout the show, bassist Miles Seaton played a cheerleader of sorts, inviting the audience to sing, snap, clap, dance. “I feel like you’re just staring at us. Maybe you could put your hands up or something,” he said, demonstrating, before “Creatures,” a groovy, bass heavy tune from the new album. (more…)

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Monday, May 4th, 2009

Live Music: Booker T., Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry NH, 4/29/09

by Mojo Flucke

Full disclosure: I’m a Hammond B-3 soul and soul-jazz freak, so I’m a homer here. My universe aligns around the likes of great players like Billy Preston, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Al Kooper, and Groove Holmes. Topping my list is Booker T. Jones, one of the prime architects of the Memphis Soul sound. I recently gushed over Booker’s new CD, Potato Hole, at Bullz-Eye. Also, the pictures were taken by my father-in-law, Richard Binder, who accompanied me to the show and used his celly to great effect.

booker_t_1_blog

This club gig was a stunner, for a number of reasons. First, that this guy would actually make it out to the sticks of New Hampshire. Maybe, like, an auditorium at Dartmouth or Manchester or Plymouth State…but Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry? A brutally small crowd of 80 people showed up, but like me, most of them were diehards who collectively “ooooohed” when Booker nonchalantly recited his part in music history between numbers, saying things like “My songwriting partner William Bell and I wanted to write a blues song, and we wrote this next one, ‘Born Under A Bad Sign.’ Albert King first recorded it,” and kicked into it–singing!

Another stunning part was the Hammond sound. I’ve heard many players bash it out, some of them like Tony Monaco and Bruce Katz, whose ornamental, two-handed, two-footed, flashy styles push the technical limits of the B-3’s features as they squeeze every drop of distortion and click out of the instrument. Fun stuff to watch, kind of like the musical equivalent of a Fourth of July fireworks show. (more…)

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Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

Live Music: Throbbing Gristle @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Tuesday, April 28th

by Taylor Long

Gensis P-OrridgeIf anyone other than Throbbing Gristle had been playing the Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Tuesday night, the fact that the crowd was older and stranger and on more drugs than the average New York City crowd might have been off-putting. And if anyone other than Throbbing Gristle had been on stage, the fact that they more or less just stood there while they played might also have been off-putting. But as it was, it was Throbbing Gristle who delivered a memorable performance in a characteristically unusual setting.

The group’s history alone was worth the price of admission. They formed in the UK in 1976 and began Industrial Records, which bred the term “Industrial” as a music genre. They only stayed together until 1981, after which the members embarked on different projects. During that time, they released four albums, became known for their outrageous and confrontational performances, and rarely played in the United States. The group re-formed in 2004 and recorded TG Now and Part Two, their first studio albums in 25 years. When the band came to New York City (twice in the past two weeks), it was the first time they’d ever played here. And as if that wasn’t convincing or fascinating enough, frontman Genesis P-Orridge doesn’t look so much like a frontman anymore as a frontwoman, having undergone massive surgeries as part of a “pandrogynous” project with his second wife, Lady Jaye, driven by a desire to look alike.

Throbbing Gristle couldn’t be a more apt name, because the band’s music is just that – throbbing and aggressive. But as far as performance, the performing aspect was rather low. Most of the musical components have translated to computers, run by Peter Christopherson, Chris Carter and occasionally Cosey Fanni Tutti, who otherwise plays guitar with a slide, while P-Orridge sings and occasionally plays violin. The pulsating qualities make the music inherently engaging, though, almost hypnotic, especially when coupled with P-Orridge, who sassily flirted with the audience. P-Orridge quipped, “You must all be really sick to enjoy a song like that,” after “Very Friendly,” about a serial killer, and at another point, sniffed the boxers an audience member threw on stage and declared them “acrid.”

The atmosphere was rather odd – when Throbbing Gristle took the stage, all of the house lights were turned on (perhaps a reference to the days when they would aim lights at the audience?). Some of the audience members danced, but most nodded rhythmically and applauded rapturously at each song, though a bearded gentleman towards the front was having some sort of freak-out, and got in several fights before being dragged out by security during “Hamburger Lady.”

Towards the end of the evening, the band debuted the newly rebuilt “Gristle-izer” in a song of the same name, during which it became obvious that, for once, the Brooklyn Masonic Temple had finally gotten the sound right. As P-Orridge asked, “Can we survive?” during “Endless Not,” from the 2007 album Part Two, one had to respect Throbbing Gristle for doing just that, for finding an embrace in a fickle, snobby music scene very different from the one they left.

For more pictures, see here.

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Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Basement Songs: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Live at the L.A. Sports Arena, 4/15/09

by Scott Malchus

basementsongs

imgoindownsinglecoverI wasn’t supposed to be at this concert. A conscious decision was made not to spend money on a ticket to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band when they landed at the L.A. Sports Arena in support of Springsteen’s new album, Working on a Dream. No, I wasn’t supposed to be there, but Springsteen’s outstanding Super Bowl halftime extravaganza occurred the night before tickets went on sale. When that show concluded and I’d informed Sophie that I wouldn’t be in attendance at the April 15th show, she looked at me with pleading eyes and said, “But you have to go, Daddy, you just have to.” The next morning, after tickets were nearly sold out, Julie called me up to see if I’d purchased a seat. Upon informing her “no” she simply said, “Dude, you can’t miss Bruce.” It’s as if they both could see that maybe my soul needed some uplift and that maybe I would get that injection of life from the heart-pounding, soul-stopping E Street Band. While I still had Julie on the phone, I bit the bullet and bought my ticket.

As a general rule, when seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert, I do not check out the setlists from any show leading up to the one I’m attending. The thinking is that I don’t want to ruin the surprise of what Springsteen will be playing. However, I’ve been to enough of his shows to know that the Boss is constantly calling an audible, and lately he’s been taking requests from the crowd and pulling out rarities on a nightly basis. I decided to approach the evening differently. Instead of blindingly entering the venue without any idea what would be played, I decided to be informed — to embrace the ritualistic aspect of Springsteen’s performance, and offer an objective review for the Basement Songs a mere seven hours after the show wrapped. Going into last night’s show, I was well aware of the standard setlist and which songs would probably get played.

Still, I expected a different feel from the Bruce and the band on this night for they are a different E Street Band than the one I saw in Anaheim in April of last year. (more…)

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Monday, April 13th, 2009

Live Music: Leonard Cohen @ Nokia Theatre, L.A., 4/11/09

by Jon Cummings

Leonard Cohen has been referencing his own mortality in his lyrics for decades now, and on his current world tour the first such hint arrives about a half hour into the show. Near the end of his 1988 classic “Everybody Knows,” he sings, “Everybody knows it’s coming apart / Take one last look at this sacred heart / Before it blows…” One couldn’t help but sense that Cohen’s mortality – he’s 74, after all – was part of what packed the house on two consecutive nights this weekend at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre. It was, perhaps, our last opportunity to watch pop music’s most poetic singer/songwriter do his thing, and we treated the occasion with all the reverence it demanded.

Why, then, was this septuagenarian skipping – literally, skipping – on and off the stage every chance he got? And how on earth does he manage to pull off a show far longer (three hours plus) than we can reasonably expect Bruce Springsteen to go during his L.A. shows later this week?

Cohen’s clearly enjoying his extended return to the public eye, and he’s eager to wring every moment (and every ounce of irony) from his ability to attract such large audiences at his advanced age. Reminding us on Saturday night that it’s been 15 years since his last major tour, he noted, “I was 60 then – just a crazy kid with a dream.”

His humor, like his set list, is well-rehearsed — he’s been using that line for nearly a year now, and the order of songs performed at his L.A. concerts was nearly identical to the track listing on the recently released Live in London CD, which documents a show from last July. Nevertheless, Cohen’s marathon tour — launched in the wake of last year’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and set to continue at least through the end of September — has cemented his place in the pantheon of pop lyricists while reviving his reputation as a live performer. Best of all, it’s a showcase for all the elements of his legendary persona: the genius, the joker, the guru, the rake, the oracle, and (yes) the red-hot lover.

If nothing else, his performances serve as a reminder that we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the viability of even the most preposterous May/December romance – the kind Robert Redford and Woody Allen’s recent films beg us to believe in. When it’s Leonard Cohen we’re talking about, at least, it’s entirely feasible for a 75-year-old to be the sexiest, most intriguing man in the room.

Granted, it helps that he’s singing sublimely romantic ballads like “Suzanne,” hyper-literary epics like the ubiquitous “Hallelujah,” and deliciously wry come-ons like “I’m Your Man.” But the keys to Cohen’s allure as a performer are his humble, graceful interplay with his musicians and backing singers, and his willingness to match the passion of his lyrics with an intensity that dropped him to his knees on several occasions. (more…)

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Sunday, April 12th, 2009

Live Music: Reykjavik Blues Festival, 4/8/09

by Ann Logue

plakat2009-600kb

Wednesday was our last night in Iceland and the second-to-the last night of the Reykjavik Blues Festival. It was a great show to end on, too. Willie “Big Eyes” Smith was hot on harmonica, Pinetop Perkins made a cameo appearance, Icelandic bluesman Mugison brought the house down with his rock lyrics backed by acoustic blues, and Andrea Gylfadottir showed why she’s one of Iceland’s perennial contenders in the Eurovision Song Contest, if not exactly a blues singer.

The crowd at the Hilton Nordica was a little smaller than on Tuesday night, but not by much. And Icelandic crowds seems to be a bit more controlled than American ones. The hotel has plenty of free and easy parking, no one checked my bags, drinks are served in real glasses, and flash photography is condoned. I didn’t see a single bouncer; the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has tighter security. The concert was scheduled to begin at 8:00, and at 8:02, Halldor Bragason opened the festivities. He and the fine Gudtmunder Petursson played guitar for Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, whose eyes are not all that big, by the way. The band was tighter than on the first night, and Willie Smith was hotter. He was a total pro, switching smoothly between voice and harmonica. He was wearing a loose shirt that hid a special harmonica holster, making it easy for him to switch instruments or play without. Smith tried to walk into the audience, but that was tough because his mike was corded.

Pinetop Perkins came on for two songs, “Got My Mojo Working” and “Down in Mississippi”, both of which he had played the night before. The audience was thrilled because they were not expecting to see him; tickets for Wednesday were 1,000 krona (about $8.00) cheaper than for Tuesday because Pinetop wasn’t on the bill.

Mugison came on next, accompanied by a friend. Both played acoustic guitars, and they were fierce. His songs were original, with lyrics in English.

I really liked Mugison. He’s young and brings a fresh take to the blues. His lyrics reflected a modern understanding of relationships, which is a bit more than just “my woman done me wrong”. Instead, we have “your love will pull me though, I owe it all to you”. He brings some introspection to the pain. Mugison is the person who will write the blues song about the banking crisis. His blues are original: not jazz blues, not Chicago blues, but the blues of a European making his way through early 21st century turmoil.

Before the concert began, a man I had talked to the night before flagged me down and handed me a CD of Mugison’s songs, so you can see if you agree.

Andrea Gylfadottir played last, a Nordic beauty resplendent in a long red dress and funky platform sandals. She isn’t a blues singer by training; she mostly sings jazz and classical. Her song selections were straight from the blues canon: “I Put a Spell on You”, “300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy”, and “Lady Sings the Blues”. She seemed too cool for the blues, but the crowd loved her, and she seemed to be having a great time performing.

The Reykjavik Blues Festival was a lot of fun. The musicians were having fun, and it’s always better to see people who love their jobs. The Chicago imports, Willie Smith and Deitra Farr, showed everyone why the blues is so great, and Mugison and Gudtmunder Petursson showed how hot it might be when the legends, like Pinetop Perkins, finally pass on.

My biggest disappointment: the organizers maintained a guest list, so I have no fancy laminated press pass as a souvenir of my foray into music criticism.

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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Live Music: Reykjavik Blues Festival, 4/7/09

by Ann Logue

The Reykjavik Blues Festival was started in 2003 by Halldor Bragason, a blues guitarist from Iceland who studied music in the United States. Halldor has performed with many of the greats, and now that he is back in Iceland, he brings his American musician friends back once a year. The festival has a lot of fans in Reykjavik, but it also draws people from other parts of Iceland where, I am told, every small town has a blues or jazz club. There is a healthy tourist contingent, too, drawn by the cheap krona, but it’s still small: Halldor talked only in Icelandic, which no one speaks outside of Iceland.

Pinetop Perkins was the centerpiece performer for the festival, playing on April 7 – yes, a Tuesday. Easter is on Sunday, and many Icelanders will be heading out to their summer houses. Before they hit the road, they packed a ballroom at the Hilton Nordica to see the Nordic All-Stars Blues Band, Deitra Farr, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith,, and, of course, Pinetop Perkins. Seeing as he is 95, there may not be many more opportunities to see him.

The concert was scheduled to begin at 8:00, and at 8:03, Halldor was welcoming us to the show. It warmed my Type-A heart, let me tell you; I could never be a music journalist, because I love punctuality too much. The opening act was a guitar and harmonica duo wearing standard-issue Blues Brothers costumes. They were a bit rough, but then I saw them in the lobby at intermission and realized that they were also very young. Twelve? Maybe 15? That was impressive. The Nordic All-Stars features KK, also known as Kristján Kristjánsson (and pronounced like “Kal-Kal” in Icelandic). He is, apparently, a big deal in Iceland, and the man sitting behind me said that he had taken guitar lessons from him. And that’s impressive, because KK played a mean guitar.

Pinetop Perkins went on last, and he was okay. His voice is weak with age, but he still puts on a show. He had his pork-pie hat and forest-green suit, and he gave the crowd a good show. He played for about a half-hour, joined by Willie Smith on harmonica and Gudtmunder Pedersson, also known as Gummi Pi, on guitar. He didn’t play “Pinetop Boogie Woogie,” but he had the crowd going with “I’ve Got My Mojo Working.”

The real mojo worker was Deitra Farr. The Nordic All-Stars did a fine job playing uptempo standards until she came out and turned them into a tight rhythm and blues machine. She knew who she wanted playing behind her voice, and when, and how, and she let the band know it – and without the slightest bit of condescension. She just wanted them to be their best, and they were when she was on stage.
Blues may be a men’s genre. I so often want to shout, “maybe if you’d treat your woman right, she wouldn’t be leaving you on your own.” And yet, it’s the ladies who often give the music the right measure of pain and joy: Koko Taylor, Billie Holliday, Bessie Smith. Last night’s show could have stopped with Deitra Farr, and we would have gone home happy.

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