Moonraker

Saw The Killers last night at Popscene, I think they overpacked the club to about 300 people because no one could move around at all. Leave it to me to make the foolish mistake of showing up 45 minutes after the doors opened, to see a huge line of people around the corner, all of whom already had tickets. Then again though, I wasnt about to skp 3rd day back in school just to stand in line and make sure I was in the very front. Apparently the club was sooo rabid against scalping that they had to name check everyone's ticket number with the name that purchased the ticket, to ensure the people that bought in for the show were the ones getting in. So when I got in, I wasnt able to stand with my group, who were all permanently fixed in the very front of the show (two of them showed up at 9:30 AM, the doors didnt open until 10PM).

 

Anyway the show was great though from the very back where I saw it, lol. Popscene is such an amazing and intimate venue that even if you are in the back, you arent any more then 30 feet from the stage. The set consisted of mostly new material, and of that a few sounded like they could be strong hits as a lot of thier first album had been. Maybe 5 songs or so of older material and about 8-10 new songs. A few I liked, a few I didnt, but that was the same with thier debut album for me, so maybe the masses will eat this new one up just the same. At least the guitar player managed to stay visibly sober for this show, not like the last show they did in the bay area where he fell over on 2 occasions, lying flat on his back, while a roadie had to come up to lift him to his feet. He did manage to keep playing throughout his falls though, so at least the show went on.

 

Normally The Killers wouldnt play a show like this anymore, as they have t gotten themselves all big and huge. But they have just released a new album and are preparing a US club tour this fall, so I think they did this show sorta as a warmup to prepare for that. That and it was Popscene's 10th anniversary (touted as San Francisco's Premier Indie Nightclub) and they wanted to get a rediculously special band to play thier birthday. Yeah, I think they got a decent act for that. Good show, but I am suprised I am still alive to type all this right now as I had 14 hours of school, in addition to 4 hours of strenuous dance classes, followed directly by The Killers show.

Theres a few albums that really effected me and changed the way I listen to music.

 

Sublime - Sublime

- This was the first album and band I really played to death, all starting from seeing the Wrong Way video on MTV, back when they actually played videos. Before I was into Sublime, it had pretty much been just the 90's dance/pop stuff that was played on Z104, a station that I had no business listening to, but just because I saw so many commercials, I thought I would check it out. Thank you Sublime for making me stop listening to Savage Garden. *shudders

 

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

- After Sublime, I got into a bit of a metal phase in my life, listening to a lot of Metallica and Iron Maiden. This album was probably the one that got the most rotation and inspired me to learn bass guitar.

 

Rush - Moving Pictures/Permanent Waves

- I kinda see these albums as being one in the same, as I bought them both the same day and both acted as my introduction to Rush. After this, I became obsessed with Rush as everyone here has at some point as well, for about 4 years. Its very hard for me to listen to Rush much anymore though as they have been played to death for me.

 

Pink Floyd - Animals

- The dire bleakness of this album really drew me in, probably the darkest album they had written. I dont think I had heard an album quite as depressing at the level this one can get to, and that organic sound of the acoustic guitars with the atmosphere of the keyboards appealed to me instantly. This was also the first Pink Floyd album I had bought and my introduction to them.

 

The Who - Quadrophenia

- I dont think any other album I have owned has connected to me as much this one has, this album was me. I probably have listened to this album more times then any other, and will still continue to years from now even after I outgrow other bands.

 

David Bowie - Earthling

- This was my first Bowie album, and the album that really changed me from listening to classic and prog rock to other styles of music. Very electronic and experimental sounding, as he has always been, this opened the door for me to get into more new wave.

 

Every Move A Picture - Signs Of Life EP

- This was my favorite local band for quite a while, up to this point I have seen them nearly a dozen times. These guys are pure 80's new wave revival, but extremely entrancing live, you cant not dance to them. They also showed me just how much a thriving music scene San Francisco has, which I continue to take full advantage of.

 

Arcade Fire - Funeral

- One of the most amazing bands to come out of the 21st century, this album will be regarded as a classic years from now I am sure of.

 

The Cure - Disintegration

- This and Pornography are 2 just incredible for thier darkness. Robert Smith has an extreme talent for tapping into this aspect of life.

 

Depeche Mode - Music For The Masses

- My first Depeche Mode album and while not as consistant as Violator or SOFAD, there are some really stunning feelings the synths create, some of their best work is on this album.

 

Peter Gabriel - So

- My introduction to Peter Gabriel was through this one, Red Rain

 

Kate Bush - The Dreaming

- I always thought of her as the female Peter Gabriel, it just amazed me how weird and experimental she got with this one.

 

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile

- While I had loved The Downward Spiral for years, The Fragile gave the anger and destruction from TDS a more human and desperate feel. Far more revealing an album from Trent with some amazing texturing.

 

The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness

- One of the very first albums I ever owned, I have many memories associated with the songs on this one.

 

Loop!Station - Obey Your Signal

- Another local band I fell in love with, these guys are nothing like rock music at all. Its a guy on cello and a female singer who could do opera, but the layering they do in studio and on stage with what little they have to work with floors me. Extremely powerful classical and jazz based music, probably the greatest band I have heard that will never make it anywhere because thier music is so far out of the mainstream.

 

Silversun Pickups - Carnavas

- At least of the last few days, this album I cant stop listening to. Defintaly the best album I have heard this year, and proof that great music still exists to this day.

 

Ohhh I really could keep going, but these are the ones that pop into my mind right now

Just won a pair of free tickets to see We Are Scientists, Art Brut, and The Spinto Band at The Fillmore on Oct. 2nd. Score!

Just saw Gary Numan last night, incredible show. I dunno what it is about Numan, but people either have no clue who he is or are insane rabid fans. The crowd last night were one of the most enthusiastic shows I have been to this year, screaming and yelling at his every move. Most of the show consisted of him playing material from his last 2 albums (Jagged in 2006, and Pure in 2000), all of which has an extremely Nine Inch Nails influenced style of industrial to the material.

 

All of his show had this heavy industrial feel, as opposed to the light, simplistic style that made him famous with his song Cars back in 79. He did do a few older songs though, all with a completely reworked style to suit the rest of the show. Great energy out of Numan too, as he was constantly bouncing around the stage and giving evil demonic eyes to the crowd. He has kept himself in extremely good shape for someone who has been around playing live gigs since the late 70's. I even was able to get a setlist by the end, very cool show.

 

Setlist:

 

Pressure

Rip

Metal

Halo

Films

Slave

Down In The Park

Jagged

Are Friends Electric?

In A Dark Place

Pure

Haunted

A Prayer For The Unborn

 

---

 

Cars

Dark

Blind

Jumped down a flight of stairs to impress a cousin. Had a sprained angle for 4 weeks.

Cutty Sark with apple juice

Heh, I just got GA seats, so I will be fighting for my life in the pit. I remember seeing NIN last year at the same venue and that was one of the scariest, most insane pits I had ever been in. I expect Tool to be just as good a time, lol.

 

I have a few shows upcoming though

 

8/19 - Gary Numan

8/24 - The Killers

8/30 - Every Move A Picture (maybe)

9/01 - Silversun Pickups

9/03 - Tool

9/15 - The Matches

9/30 - Download Festival 2006 (Beck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Muse, The Shins, Coheed & Cambria, Rogue Wave)

10/08 - Kamelot (possibly, if my coworker is up for this)

10/10 - Roger Waters

QUOTE (bardan @ Aug 13 2006, 09:54 PM)

CSN&Y - 8/29, Columbus Ben Harper - 8/30, Columbus Ben Harper - 8/31, Indianapolis Tool - 9/21, Columbus **anyone else catching this show? String Cheese Incident - 10/3, Indianapolis String Cheese Incident - 10/4, Louisville The Flower Kings (hopefully) - 10/20, Chicago Red Hot Chili Peppers/Mars Volta - 10/30, Columbus

Apparently the friend I went to the Death Cab For Cutie/Spoon/Mates of State show the last 2 days had the weekend of her life after meeting Britt Daniel (singer from Spoon) finally and getting pictures with him. Spoon even opened up the first night with a song she requested when she first met them. Mates of State are pretty much stuck in my head now after thier show, they did an interesting cover of the Gnarls Barkely song, Crazy as an interlude to thier song Like U Crazy. I think I am finished for a while listening to Death Cab though, but the other 2 bands I am definatly more into after those shows.

 

This week was insane though, in the last 9 days I saw 7 shows. I NEED SLEEP!!

Ok, The Subways may sound bland on thier album, but live they kick everyones ass.

I'm sure I can spill the beans on here, because I doubt anyone on here is going to spread the word in the San Francisco concert scene or anything. But I will be buying tickets tomorrow to see The Killers play Popscene (200 capacity venue) on the 24th for thier 10th anniversary show. They are trying to keep it a secret for whose going to play until they get on stage, but they gave away way too many clues in this one bulletin, its definatly them.

This week has been crazy for concerts. Saw Bloc Party/ Broken Social Scene/ Two Gallants/ Mew last Friday, Loop!Station again last Saturday, The Editors last night. And plan on seeing Dirty Pretty Things twice tomorrow, The Subways on Thursday, Death Cab For Cutie/Spoon/Mates Of State on Friday and possibly again on Saturday for thier second night.

 

The Editors last night were amazing though, playing at the Fillmore. A bunch of the friends I went with ended up getting access to some afterparty upstairs after the show had finished, 2 had won from a radio station contest and another 2 got them simply by asking Tom (singer/guitarist) when he was walking around outside the venue before the show. Ha, had I not had to walk a friend to the BART station to make sure she got home safely, I would have been at that afterparty with them. Oh well, I got my ticket stub signed so it was ok, I dont need to be a groupie.

Boz Scaggs is too busy running Slim's out here in San Francisco to waste his time with a reality tv show.

QUOTE (feelingwithyourskin @ Jul 24 2006, 01:56 PM)

bloc party on thursday, and editors on friday too bad i'm going to a wedding on saturday morning (in which the mr. is a member of the party ). much caffeine will be required

Just bought the Pink Floyd Pulse DVD, as well as the new Every Move A Picture album, Heart = Weapon. Both released yesterday.

Incredible review Madra, very glad you enjoyed Cut Copy, their cd was stuck in regular rotation for me for months. I still have yet to see them though. Cant wait to hear the new Kasabian too.

 

Last friday, 07/08 I was suprised with a ticket to see NIN on the last stop of thier With Teeth tour, my 7th NIN show since early last year. I hadnt planned on going to this show at all, as it was a seated venue and every show I have seen them at so far has been in a pit. But when you are offered the ability to see the show from the 15th row for free, thats kinda hard to pass up.

 

I arrived too late to catch Peaches and Bauhaus unfortunatly. Peaches I have heard mixed reviews for and didnt mind missing, but I would have liked to heard Bauhaus again. NIN were definatly on top of thier game again for the last night, Trent threw a guitar and tamborine into the crowd for some lucky people. Towards the end during their cover of Dead Souls, Peter Murphey actually came out to take vocal command of the stage, and then once again for a Peter Ubu cover of Final Solution with NIN as backup. Trent was very vocal as well, thanking the fan, crew and backing band, which he credited to being the best backing band in NIN's history. I must say it was pretty amazing, and was very grateful to be able to catch this show as I had never even planned on attending.

 

 

All of those are good reasons, but I cant vote because I am torn between the top 2. Remakes and unneccisary sequels have ruined the movie business.

QUOTE (madra sneachta @ Jul 4 2006, 02:30 AM)

The annual Oxegen is on this coming weekend. Over 100 acts on the line-up, so as usual , I've isolated my must sees, and then we'll see what we can fit in around these, timetable permitting Saturday The Who The Strokes The Futureheads Gomez Jenny Lewis Republic Of Loose The Spinto Band Emm Gryner Sunday Red Hot Chilli Peppers Rodrigo Y Gabriela Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Pretty Girls Make Graves The Zutons Manu Chao Wolfmother Leya Full Line-Up Here I'm hoping o catch the Arctic Monkeys and at least some of the Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand. I also want to see at least some of Maximo Park, We Are Scientists, Delays, Animal Collective and The Magic Numbers, but that'll depend on how fast we can run between 'Different Stages' (OK, just shoot me now!!!!!!!!).

QUOTE (PuppetKing2112 @ Jun 28 2006, 09:06 PM)

QUOTE (Moonraker @ Jun 28 2006, 06:51 PM) David Bowie -The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (30th anniversary) How much was that? I've only ever seen it used once, and it was $80 or some shit. I saw the tracklisting for the DE, and I don't really think there's any extra material that's spectacular. I'll stick with my SACD Hybrid version of it.   Hell, the only one of Bowie's Deluxe versions that's worth getting is Aladdin Sane, because it has like 6 live tracks from around then, as well as All the Young Dudes, which is one of his best songs but has never appeared on an album. Found a used copy for $15 at Rasputin. Perfect condition version of it.

Just picked up a few things yesterday

 

David Bowie -The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (30th anniversary)

The Catholic Comb - Ghost Stories

Radiohead - Hail To The Theif

Sons & Daughters - Love The Cup

QUOTE (pixey @ Jun 22 2006, 08:14 AM)

QUOTE (feelingwithyourskin @ Jun 20 2006, 11:26 AM) nin was friday night and really excellent.  much better than i expected.  every part of the show fit together well, and was clearly thought out.  echo and the bunnymen next I saw both NIN and Echo and the Bunneymen. Echo was good, saw them back in 85 or 86 and I saw NIN at the first Lollapalooza, NIN sucked. One of the worst bands live I have ever seen (The Melvins and Young Black Teenagers only being worse) . Every since I cant listen to them.     Tix for Rob Zombie and Anthrax are 35 bucks! Looks like I aint going, cost too much to take 6 people.   Allister is coming to town and tix will be much cheaper so looks like my Son and I will go. Holy crap Pixey, you must have had an off night. I have seen NIN 6 times in the last year and a half, the most recent being on June 13th, and they have always been explosive live. The show I went to see a couple weeks ago, Trent was bouncing all over the stage, Aaron North stage dove into the crowd and was smashing guitars all over the place. I even got to scream into the microphone when Trent threw it out during Down In It. NIN shows have always been insane experiences for me.   Echo is pretty good too, saw them on June 10th and last November, I love that version of Roadhouse Blues they have been doing.

QUOTE (Huck @ Jun 26 2006, 03:44 AM)

QUOTE (Moonraker @ Mar 14 2006, 03:56 PM) Only took 1 pic because my phone is starting to get filled up with pictures, but last night at the Arctic Monkeys @ The Great American Music Hall was great.  This place is small, only holding 600 people, so it was like seeing this really huge band in The opening band, The Spinto Band was kinda on the mellower side, but all the guys in that band were really getting into the music so it made it very enjoyable.  Once Arctic Monkeys got on though, everyone started pushing up to the front.  The crowd was very into the music, pushing and shoving to get to the front the entire time.  Though it didnt quite live up to the hype in my opinion (which has been set so high that I dont think any band could do that), it was still an incredible show.  A friend of mine got a drumstick, another got a setlist, I got a limited edition lithograph they made for the show (#43 of 100). Heres my one picture when the singer came over to where I was standing and sung in the mic with the bass player http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/EvanMacD03/Photo82.jpg Can you believe that people were lined up at 11am outside to see this show, and that people were trying to buy scalped tickets for over $100??  It was a $15 ticket. Kinda funny now, that bass player is no longer with them anymore.

Saw Radiohead for night 2 of 2 at Berkeley last night. This setlist had a much better choice of Hail To The Theif material, as well as some really cool tracks from The Bends - Kid A they missed the night before. The crowd was also much more energetic tonight too.

 

01 Airbag

02 2+2=5

03 Where I End And You Begin

04 15 Step

05 Kid A

06 Dollars And Cents

07 Down Is The New Up

08 Nude

09 Paranoid Android

10 No Surprises

11 The Gloaming

12 All I Need

13 Climbing Up The Walls

14 Go Slowly

15 Myxomatosis

16 Bangers 'N Mash

17 How To Disappear Completely

 

Encore 1

18 Fake Plastic Trees

19 Arpeggi

20 Black Star

21 True Love Waits

22 Everything In Its Right Place

 

Encore 2

23 Bodysnatchers

24 The Tourist

Just saw RADIOHEAD last night. I dont have much time to post a big review or pics as I have to be at work in 30 mins, but here was the setlist...

 

01 You And Whose Army

02 The National Anthem

03 15 Step [Thom says "Ok California" with an accent]

04 Morning Bell

05 Exit Music

06 Arpeggi

07 Videotape

08 I Might Be Wrong

09 Street Spirit

10 Nude

11 Down Is The New Up

12 Pyramid Song

13 Like Spinning Plates

14 Bangers 'N Mash [Thom "This fog is strange"]

15 There There

16 Spooks

17 Idioteque

 

Encore 1

18 A Wolf At The Door

19 4 Minute Warning

20 Bones

21 Lucky

 

Encore 2

22 House of Cards

23 Everything In Its Right Place

 

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I just love how they arent sticking with radio hits and are going with a more obscure, and in my opinion a mostly better, selection of songs. I really wanted to hear them do a few select Amnesiac tracks like Pyramid Song, Like Spinning Plates and I Might Be Wrong, and I got to see all 3 of them in the same night. Tonight should be good as well, night 2 of 2 in Berkeley.

In no particular order at all

 

The Who

David Bowie

Jethro Tull

Nine Inch Nails

Arcade Fire

Radiohead

The Smiths

Depeche Mode

The Mars Volta

Pink Floyd (and Roger Waters solo)

Caribou

Yes

LCD Soundsystem

Sons And Daughters

The Cure

The Smashing Pumpkins

Iron Maiden

Autolux

Interpol

Kate Bush

The Raveonettes

Peter Gabriel

Spoon

Every Move A Picture

The Doors

 

 

I could keep going on... but these ones I listen to a lot.