Posts filed under 'My Take'
Hello everybody,
Now that Snow Patrol and the Bloc Party have come through town, there is not a whole heck of a lot coming up for shows. The Love Me Nots, a GREAT garage rock band here in town, will be playing at the Yucca Tap Room Friday, January 2. This is a great band; think of playing all those fabulous 60’s garage Nuggets compilations. Great guitar work, fabulous vocals and stunning organ play are at the forefront when you listen to them. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing them yet, so I am really excited for this show.
Since there is not much else to report in ways of quality shows (no, Styx at the Fiesta Bowl Block Party does NOT count), let’s do our own little version of all those neat end-of-year lists from magazines like NME, Melody Maker, Rolling Stone. We will start with the best shows/concerts of 2008.
Most of the shows I list here will have individual posts about the experience. Check out our archives for a detailed review of the show you are interested in!
Ladies and gentleman, in order, courtesy of the Dust Devil:
1. Elbow at the Bluebird Theatre; Denver, CO; May 2. This is a no-brainer. Quite simply, to date this is the best concert I have EVER been to, and if you have not figured out by now I go to a lot of shows, then you have not been paying attention at all. I absolutely love this band and I am very happy others are beginning to see this as well. Elbow won this year’s Mercury Prize for Best Album with The Seldom Seen Kid. If you don’t have this amazing slab of vinyl yet, go get it. NOW. Guy Garvey’s vocals on Newborn that evening STILL bring tears to my eyes, it was that special.
2. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at Red Rocks Amphitheatre; Morrison, CO; September 14. Amazing, energetic show, the highlight of an unbelievable Monolith Festival weekend for me. Sharon Jones has a fabulous voice and is a terrific front-woman, while the Dap Kings play some inspired retro-soul. A must see if they are in your town.
3. Band of Horses at Red Rocks Amphitheatre; Morrison, CO; September 14. Band of Horses was the biggest sounding band at Monolith and the band that best utilized the magnificent acoustics at Red Rocks. Ben Bridwell has one of the best voices in rock and roll today and his bandmates played the best set in terms of professionalism during the weekend. The Funeral ranks a hair behind Newborn from Elbow for Best Moment of the Year During A Show.
4. Ghostland Observatory at the Fox Theatre; Boulder, CO; April 19. I had never been to a show where I think every living soul in the venue was on their feet dancing until I saw this duo on this evening. Holy cow; what power, what energy, what a show! There may only be two guys in this band, but there is nothing simple about the raw power Ghostland Observatory puts out live. They are good on disc, but this is a band you must see live to truly appreciate what they do.
5. Agent Orange at O’Malley’s; Tucson, AZ; November 28. I have lost count of how many times I have seen this band play since I was in junior high (and I’m 39 now), and this was easily the best show from this band I have seen in over TWENTY YEARS! In my humble (and correct) opinion, Agent Orange is the best punk rock band of all time and the fact they STILL shred is unbelievable. Sole remaining original member Mike Palm is one of my favorite guitarists and still has a great voice, and his latest line-up of Dusty Watson on drums/vocals and Perry Giordano on bass/vocals is the best since the glory days of the band with Scott and James cranking out the classic discs Living in Darkness, Bitchin’ Summer, When You Least Expect It and my personal fave, This is the Voice. Today the band plays their classic catalog even faster than before, which just amazes me considering they have been around for nearly thirty years. An amazing set, they even played the entire Darkness album with Bloodstains as always being the highlight of the set. Here’s to 30 more Mike!
6. Silversun Pickups at Red Rocks Amphitheatre; Morrison, CO; September 13. Third time I have seen this great Los Angeles band and another stellar set delivered. These guys have such a great stage presence and as good as they are on disc, their studio output does not come close to show-casing the power and beauty of this band. This was to be their last show before convening to the studio to finish up their long awaited follow-up to Carnavas. If the new material they played on this evening is any indication, the new disc is going to smoke!
7. Jukebox the Ghost at the Rhythm Room; Phoenix, AZ; October 15. What a fun, utterly impressive and professional set from this Washington, D.C band! Nice guys to top it off, this is a band that deserves your attention as they churn out pop melodies with an almost prog-rock type of underlying current, as several of the songs transition into one another, creating fascinating story-lines. They sound so good on stage, and Ben lays down some of the coolest sounding piano tinkerings I have heard in ages.
8. Mobius Band at the Larimer Lounge; Denver, CO; May 3. The only reason this show does not rank higher is the band only played six songs since they were the opener of a three band set. That’s crap, they deserve a full-length set to show their fans how good they are. Playing eclectic indie-pop music with an electronica influence, these guys really pour themselves into their live performances. They were outstanding on this evening, with every song sounding great and delivering a furious rendering of The Loving Sounds of Static. If you don’t already “own a little piece of Heaven“, buy the disc. You won’t be disappointed! By the way, drummer Noam Schatz has a solo project called 3rdness, check out his latest offering Red Chanterelles. Thanks again for getting me in the show Noam!
9. Ra Ra Riot at the Modified; Phoenix, AZ; April 6. I have seen these guys three times now and they simply get better with age. Ra Ra Riot, deservedly so, became critical darlings this year with the release of The Rhumb Line. This particular night they were so tight, so focused and played with such enthusiasm, I was upset they played on a Sunday when they were doomed to get a small crowd in attendance. This is a band that could, and should, become huge.
10. The Pomegranates at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on the WOXY.com Stage; Morrison, CO; September 13. These guys played early Sunday at Monolith, delivering a set with some serious Sonic Youth and shoegazer influences. However, they did a great job of keeping the pop sensibilities at the forefront. Talented guys, this band should make some serious noise in coming years.
Folks, that is the Dust Devil 2008 Year in Review for Shows. I would love to hear some comments about why you think I’m wrong, or better yet, post your picks!
Cheers,
The Dust Devil
December 22nd, 2008
Hello!
The crowd was still in a great mood after the Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings set, so when Band of Horses made their way onstage amidst the backdrop of a beautiful evening with a harvest moon in the sky, they were greeted by the crowd in a warm manner. Deservedly so, we were in for one heck of a treat!
Band of Horses began their career in one of the meccas of the music world, Seattle, WA. Now based out of South Carolina, this band takes the prog-rock stylings of Neil Young, some of the elements of classic shoegazer, add in a taste of Southern Rock and weave it together into a classic mix of rock and roll. The singer reminds me a lot of Doug Martsch from Built to Spill and the guitar work at times is even reminiscient of Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins fame. If you like Built to Spill, you will love Band of Horses. If you don’t, in the humble opinion of the Dust Devil you have some serious issues.
I digress. A good friend of mine (yes, Robert Lerma once again) introduced me to this band a couple of years ago, so I had some familarity with them. Why I wasn’t immediately blown away when I had previously heard them is beyond me, but by far this was the best “discovery” for me of the festival.
Three guitars is an unusual and generally a welcome characteristic of a band for this listener, and Band of Horses uses that formula to produce a GIGANTIC sound on record and more important, live! This was the one band of the weekend that has the capabilty of producing a sound big enough to truly utilize what Red Rocks Amphitheatre has to offer in terms of the acoustics. From the moment they launched into The First Song, one of the two tracks of their’s I did know, I was in awe. Yes, AWE. Ben Bridwell’s vocals were crystal clear, the musicianship was the best of the weekend (yes, even over the Dap Kings) and once again, that big sound!
Earlier in the year I wrote a post about the Elbow show back in May at the Bluebird Theatre in Denver. During that show there was a moment when they played Newborn that still resonates with me today. That song was a monumental experience for me in terms of the live concerts I have seen over the years.
Well, Band of Horses had the same affect on me when they played The Funeral from their first disc Everything All The Time. That sound was so huge and so beautful, I was nearly in tears by the time the band launched into the final, climatic instrumentation at the end. That my friends, was the ultimate moment of the 2008 Monolith Music Festival … at least for me. At that moment, I realized I was in the midst of greatness. Call that comment overblown if you want, but there are moments that stick with you during your lifetime. For one brief moment, the world was in perfect balance, and The Funeral from Band of Horses encapsulated that moment.
Band of Horses, thank you for proving once again that great music does still exist in this world. The night was not over, and there was one more great performance still to come, but in retrospect I get more upset that Justice was allowed to close the festival over this great band. Truly, there is no “Justice” in this world …
Cheers!
The Dust Devil
September 25th, 2008
Hello everybody,
The next two reviews are for two shows that have made their way into my Top Ten all-time. No joke, this was the start of a phenomenal two-plus hours of music on the Esurance Main Stage. The opinion of the Dust Devil is this part of the Monolith Music Festival should have been at the very end, since we already know how I felt about Justice as a headliner. By the way, they still suck. That has not changed.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are a revitalist soul-revue out of Brooklyn, NY. Their music is a throwback to the late sixties and early seventies style of funk and soul. The Dap Kings are the house band for Daptone Records and have been session musicians for several other artists, including contributing to more than half of the 2006 disc from Amy Winehouse, Back to Black. The Dap Kings can flat out PLAY! I was so impressed with the musicianship of all the members of this band, particularly the three-piece horn section. To me, this is what music is all about, a group of people getting together to form one cohesive unit. It was such a joy to see and hear.
Now, a band that good needs a singer that can belt out the vocals with the same type of professionalism. Sharon Jones began her career singing gospel music as a child and built on that career entering talent contests until her big break came backing soul legend Lee Fields in 1996. This session was done with a band by the name of the Soul Providers, the band that eventually became the Dap Kings.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings strode out on the Esurance Main Stage and it did not take the audience long at all to realize something special was happening onstage. One of the best characteristics of Monolith is the wide variety of genres represented onstage, and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings unleashed a set of stellar funk and soul that had everybody in the crowd on their feet, dancing, laughing and having a wonderful time.
Sharon Jones is a dynamic show-woman, delivering her vocals while dancing and strutting around the stage. She had the crowd eating out of the plam of her hand the entire set. Three consecutive songs she invited members of the crowd up to the stage to dance with her, which brought about one of the highlights of the festival. Anyone at Red Rocks that weekend will remember when a young man who referrred to himself as TRL was brought onstage and spent the duration of the song dancing with Sharon Jones, often times in a very seductive manner. Dressed in an extravagant outfit with a cape that said “Maid to Order” (no, I did spell Maid correctly!) on it, TRL brought the house down and Sharon Jones was the perfect complement to his antics, never wavering from her duties as the leader of this incredible band.
Hands down, the best show of the weekend! Combine music played that well by the Dap Kings, the amazing vocal stylings and showmanship of Sharon Jones, and an appreciative and energetic crowd, and you have one memorable show. Thank you and kudos to the Monolith Music Festival for bringing this classy act to the Main Stage where they belonged!
Whew! It has to be time to go back to the hotel by now, right? Nope, the second half of what should have closed this festival is up next!
Cheers,
The Dust Devil
September 25th, 2008
Hey everybody,
Well, I made it home this past Monday from a spectacular weekend in Morrison, CO. The second annual Monolith Festival took place Saturday and Sunday, September 13-14, at beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Overall, I may have enjoyed this festival more than last year! I had an opportunity to see more music this go-around, as I really made a point of planning who I wanted to see ahead of time. I literally would get done watching a set of one band and make the trek to one of the other stages, or sometimes left one stage early because at another stage was a band I wanted to see from the get-go. Needless to say I got a great work-out in that altitude!
Several of the bands I saw I will do individual posts on, because they deserve that extra special attention. Here are some quick reviews of the others that I had a chance to see:
Cut Copy on the Esurance Main Stage; Saturday at 4:30pm. This outfit is out of Australia and played an enjoyable set of 80’s style dance music. These guys were fun and really had the crowd amped up and dancing.
Holy F**k on the New Belgium Stage; Saturday at 5:00pm. I caught the last part of this Toronto, Canada act. Interesting music, they take the more enjoyable aspects of electronica and add in some hard riffs to create a unique sound. I would be interested in seeing a full set someday.
DeVotchKa on the Esurance Main Stage; Saturday at 10:30pm. The headliner on Saturday and local faves, this was one of the most eclectic bands I have ever seen. A cello, a tuba, violins, and an accordion are played alongside the typical rock and roll instruments and amplified by some beautiful vocals. Imagine mariachi music set to an indie pop flair. Great stuff!
The Elms on the New Belgium Stage; Sunday at 12:45pm. Out of Seymour, IN, this band played some good, roots rock and roll. I liked what I saw, but left after two songs because another band I wanted to see was starting at 1pm.
Astra Moveo on the New Belgium Stage; Sunday at 1:45pm. A local band, Astra Moveo was loads of fun. They played a harder edged dance music with plenty of groove in the music to get the audience moving to the beat. Once again, a band I left after a few songs to go see another band at another stage.
Moonspeed on the Gigbot Stage; Sunday at 3:50pm. Now, I have to admit, I was chowing down on food in the VIP Lounge during their set, but the Rock Room was right next to the VIP Lounge and the door was wide open, so I was able to hear the music. A big band (I believe 11 people total!), Moonspeed play a style of music that brings to mind Slowdive and other bands of the shoegazer variety. They were interesting, and another Colorado band!
There will be separate posts for the following bands, as they put on extraordinary performances. Some bands I never heard of before (A Place To Bury Strangers, Jukebox the Ghost, The Pomegranates, Snowden, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and TV on the Radio), some I had a slight knowledge of (The Fratellis and Band of Horses) and two bands I was already a huge fan of (Silversun Pickups and Tokyo Police Club). What an amazing weekend!
Once again the Festival itself was a great affair of not just great music, but many other activities as well. The Dell Dome allowed you to create your own mix-tape of some great music. After creating your mix, a link would be emailed to you to download the tracks. Very nice! There were once again music tents that were independent driven and showcased some great, underground music. The Acoustic Stage was sponsored by MadeLoud.com, a very cool website that anyone who enjoys independent music needs to take a look at and support. The WOXY.com Stage was one of the two stages, along with the Gigbot Stage, located in the visitors center of Red Rocks. WOXY.com is an independent internet radio station, check them out when you get a chance. The staff did a great job keeping the festival moving along, kept the venue clean for the patrons and were very helpful.
One negative. Justice, a duo of DJ’s out of Paris, France, were for some pathetic reason the headliners on Sunday night on the Main Stage. Why an act that does not even play music were headlining a major festival like this is beyond me. They were pretentious, egotistical idiots, their “music” was the same, monotonous dance beat over and over and over. They sucked and their attitude sucked even worse. Early in their set their equipment failed, and like the sissies they are they walked off the stage until it was fixed. When their set was over, they walked off and waited for the crowd to glorify them before coming back out. The problem is when they did, one got in his position behind his equipment, the other sat on top of the stack of Marshall amps on the stage. They waited for the crowd to scream even more for them, and when it didn’t happen to their liking, they walked off for good. No encore. What a joke.
If Justice was truly served, these losers would quit today and never stain the music world again. A bummer having to end a tremendous weekend with such a pathetic excuse for an act as Justice. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Silversun Pickups or Band of Horses would have been a much better headliner!
Cheers!
The Dust Devil
September 19th, 2008
So I’m watching the UCLA/Tennessee game last night when all of a sudden after a few huge hits I start to notice I’m feeling much better than usual. I’m laughing outloud, talking to the TV and throwing my arms up in joy as a third-string UCLA QB gets to work on a second-half, comeback, upset over the No. 18 Volunteers.
Then I tell my wife, “I think I’ve just gone to long without football and it was wearing on me.”
Before the game I was frantically searching for some football. I was thinking there has got to be some Monday Night Football on or something right? Well I flip to ESPN and what to my joy do I see but a special teams Volunteer getting leveled by a blindside punt return block.
I cheered. I laughed. I threw my arms up with joy and screamed, “Oh, ho, ho, ho what an f-ing hit!”
I know now that I was suffering from Post Gridiron Partum Dissorder. After January I usually slip into a funk. As the year progresses and I slip into the deep heat of the Arizona summer and there’s no refuge from the heat, activities slow down and there hasn’t been a real football game on TV in over 7 months, I can get pretty moody and have a hard time finding things I enjoy, unless I brave the heat for 18 holes or a mountain bike ride.
Well unfortunately there is only one cure for my dissorder; college football, which is quickly followed by the NFL regular season. If it isn’t for real it just doesn’t have the same effect and UCLA’s upset over Tennessee has me feeling of sorts again.
For those of you that have suffered from this dissorder as long as I have without knowing what was to blame, I feel your pain. But dread no more. I’m sure you have felt your spirits pick up with the onset of the college season. The only thing I can prescribe when the ailment is in full swing is a healthy dose of PAC 10 football followed by an opening day NFL barbeque with plenty of meat and beer and room to jump around in as you celebrate some of the most viscious hits in all of sports.
I’m not a praying man, but I ask that you all join me in a moment of silence after you read this post to thank it’s creator (Walter Camp) for the greatest game on Earth and its return again this year.
And next summer when things get a little tense around the house and you notice you haven’t been yourself for a while just remember this handy little montra, “NFL, Not For Long.”
All The Best,
September 2nd, 2008
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