CONCERT: The Decemberists at The Murat Theatre

So our server is still down and out, and we're really sorry about that. It couldn't have happened at a worse time for Logan and I, with both of us moving/starting grad school/etc. - and we regret that we haven't been able to figure out a solution yet. There's so many great things I've wanted to post recently but haven't because of our server-limitations. Just know that we are going to figure it out. And we really will try to do it soon.

Saturday my wife took me to see The Decemberists at The Murat Theatre here in Indy (it was a late birthday present - one of the many reasons I'm in love with this woman), and I wish I had the time and/or words to describe it. I'd been excited to see them, but after the show I felt like my anticipation wasn't even near what it should have been. I knew they were performing their recent rock-opera-opus-magnum-whatever The Hazards of Love in its entirety, and I knew they had Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond on the tour to complete the albums amazing vocal trio. But I didn't really understand just what that meant until the night was over. I'll try to explain it - but if I fail, just know this: if you can, see them on this tour!

The actual Hazards of Love part of the show was fun, full of animal-morphing mischief, slashing guitar riffs, Colin Meloy sticking rigidly in character and Shara Worden conjuring up something unimaginable. This is why we'd come, and it certainly didn't disappoint. But the second half of the night is what completely won me over. After a brief intermission they re-took the stage, bantering and laughing and leading audience-sing-alongs as they tackled selections from every one of their previous albums, plus a new song called "Down By The Water" (which was, by the way, fantastic). Shara came back out to sing the female lead in "Yankee Bayonet" before the band played the worst song Colin's ever written (apparently), about Dracula's offspring. Honestly, who knew that Colin Meloy was so endearing? I sure didn't. And neither did my wife, who now has a crush on him and his quill-written word-playing.

But the best wasn't until the end of the night. Both of the Diamond girls came out to finish the set with a show-stealing cover of Heart's "Crazy On You". (I've included a video below, which is required listening.) Finally, to close out the night they wrapped up with "Sons and Daughters", complete with Chris Funk on hurdy gurdy and the entire theatre chanting "Hear all the bombs, they fade away" into the night. I think that may have been one of the best show-closing numbers I've ever seen. At least right now I can't think of any that can top it. It was that good.

So like I said. If you can, see them on this tour. And if you can't, just see them sometime. Deal? Deal.

Anyway, here's the setlist:

Set 1: The Hazards of Love (straight through)

Set 2: July July! / Billy Liar / The Sporting Life - This Charming Life (The Smiths cover) / Down By The Water (new) / The Crane Wife 3 / Yankee Bayonet (I'll Be Home Then) / Dracula's Daughter / O Valencia / Crazy On You (Heart cover)

Encore: Raincoat Song / Sons & Daughters

And the video:

CONCERT: The Antlers in Indy!

Whoa whoa whoa. Remember when there used to be a blog here? Yeah, me too. Sorry about that. I know I said I was back at the end of June, and I was. But since being back, I packed up everything I own, drove it across the country, unpacked most of it, and started dental school in Indianapolis. We just now got our internet situation figured out. In the meantime, Logan's been back and forth to CA, figuring out his near future there, and our server has been (of course) down for the count.

So. We're trying to figure the server thing out ASAP. Until then, we'll try to post as regularly as we can - throwing up videos or something. We're not done here. Not even close.

On Wednesday night I got my first taste of Indy's music scene when my wife and I headed down to The Vollrath to see The Antlers (thanks, MOKB). Though the crowd was pretty light, the music was anything but - in fact, the amount of sheer sound this three-piece of a band made up there was pretty impressive. They covered just about all of Hospice, their recent record that's been making some waves (read our take on it HERE). Peter Silberman (who was the sole Antler until recently) was nothing but gracious all night, and had a pretty endearing stage-presence. Be sure to check them out if they're coming through your town.

Anyway, here's a video from their myspace page, because we don't have our server back yet. We'll get that figured out soon. Promise.

CONCERT: Sasquatch '09

I don't even know where to begin. (And by the length of this post, I don't know when to stop either.)
Except maybe to say, "Never forget your camera."
Followed by, "Don't stand too close to the guy with no pants."

Two adages I learned the hard way this year at the Sasquatch Music Festival.

Right now I'm in some pretty dire financial straits and in the weeks leading up to Sasquatch the $60 some odd dollars I spent on my one-day Saturday ticket months before seemed ill-advised. ($60 can purchase a fair number of Hot and Ready pizzas. 12 before taxes.)

Then the prospect of driving from Provo to the Gorge was pretty daunting. We've had a lot of good memories Idaho, but driving through your southern portion...not one of them. I only stopped to go to the bathroom there. Seemed like a fitting tribute...

At the Gorge I started thinking of the full day I was about to endure in the hot sun, craning my neck for a better view, all the while avoiding having the drunk co-eds who sneaked alcohol in plastic baggies stuffed into their bikini tops (point for creativity) from vomiting on me. I became prematurely exhausted and muttered to myself, "Maybe I'm getting too old for this stuff." (For the record, I'm 25)

So that was my attitude going into this. Pretty crappy. (And $10 for a personal pizza didn't help my already cash-strapped self)

Then the music started and 800 miles suddenly seemed like nothing. A paltry distance to travel for what I was suddenly seeing and hearing.

I forgot about the sun, I forgot about the heat, and I forgot that I really didn't have the money to be there, but I was reminded why I love music.
I was entranced. I simply could not believe that there were people not fixed 100% on the stage. Were they not hearing what I was hearing or did they simply want pleasant background music to enjoy their $9 beer?

Why I love music and who reminded me of that love...playlist style.

How much crazy fun can music be? Whatever the answer is to that question Animal Collective is pushing that. They turned it up to '11'
mp3: Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes

The Hazards of Love from beginning to end. Simply astounding. The Rake Song blew me away. Heck, the whole thing blew me away. (And as though you need any other reason to see them, they're touring with Blind Pilot. Another festival fave.)
mp3: The Decemberists - The Rake Song
mp3: Blind Pilot - Oviedo

The Kings of Leon were always meant to play the Gorge. Their huge arena rock sound deserves to be played at such venues. This song has been played in the back of my mind since. ("...given the chance I'm gonna be somebody. If for one dance I'm gonna be somebody.")
mp3: Kings of Leon - Be Somebody

And at the top of everything. The King of Whisper Rock and the Queen of the Taiga. Breathtakingly beautiful.
mp3: Bon Iver - Flume



Thanks for reading.

CONCERT: Andrew Bird + Loney Dear

Andrew Bird played Wednesday night at In The Venue in Salt Lake City, along with Sweden's Loney Dear (formerly "Loney, Dear" - they've recently dropped the punctuation), and now I'm sitting here wondering what in the world I could write to do it justice. I already expressed my feelings for Bird's new record, and I think a lot of those same feelings of awe are very apt for his live show. Between the tape-looped whistling and violining, Martin Dosh's genius percussion, and Bird's own amazing ability to just put on a fantastic show, I just can't express how great it was. Unfortunately, I'm a loser and forgot to charge my camera battery, so I have no pics for you. Lame, I know.

The setlist is below, along with a video of Mr. Bird playing on Letterman a few weeks back. But now I'd like to take a second and just say "Holy crap!" about the opening act, Loney Dear's performance. Fronted by Emil Svanängen, these guys completely floored me. I know how hard it is to make beautiful and intimate music on a stage in a room full of strangers, and the fact that these guys did it so well makes it clear that they've got something special going. I promise I'll be writing more about them later. In the meantime, check out a track from their 2007 release, Loney, Noir (below).

Here's Andrew Bird's setlist:

Instrumental intro / Masterswarm / Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left / Tenuousness / Natural Disaster / Effigy / Oh No / Plasticities / Nomenclature / Not A Robot, But A Ghost / Armchairs / Anonanimal / Fake Palindromes / Imitosis / Headsoak / Tables and Chairs

Encore: Why? / Fitz and Dizzyspells

Loney Dear - I Am John
from the album Loney, Noir (Amazon/iTunes)

CONCERT: The Submarines + The Morning Benders

The Submarines are wrapping up their tour with The Morning Benders and made a stop into Kilby Court last night. The Morning Benders, who apparently almost died en route from Denver, put on an energetic and danceable set. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough with their stuff to post a setlist - but that will soon be changing. They played a few brand new songs, which to my ear were the strongest of the set - so, exciting things on the horizon for these guys. Keep your ears to the ground.

John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard (AKA The Submarines) took the stage and I very quickly realized a few things. One, Dragonetti looks kind of like Christian Bale, and I bet he'd have a better batman voice. Two, if music doesn't pan out for these two, Blake could easily make a living as a princess at Disneyland. She's that adorable. Three, their drummer was fantastic, both for his percussion-prowess and his incredible hair. And four, they put on one awesome show. Here's the setlist:

Submarine Symphonika / 1940 / Modern Inventions / Swimming Pool / Thorny Thicket / Vote / Peace & Hate / Brighter Discontent / Brightest Hour / Wake Up Song / You, Me and the Bourgoisie / Xavia

Encore: Darkest Things

And here's some songs.

The Submarines - Waiting for a War (Morning Benders cover)
free tour single


The Morning Benders - 1940 (Submarines cover)
free tour single


And pictures.
First, The Morning Benders:

and The Submarines:

CONCERT: It's pretty cool to be Coldplay right now

Saturday night I got to see Coldplay in Salt Lake City, and while arena rock shows aren't usually my scene, this one pretty well floored me. Here's my report:

As you might've guessed, they leaned heavily on material off of Viva La Vida, which was just fine by me, but several older favorites were scattered through-out the set, keeping the new and old fans cheering alike. The visual show was fantastic, with lasers and glowing orbs galore, but Chris Martin was jumping and running around enough to have put on a show enough without them. In fact, Chris's stage presence ended up being one of the highlights of the entire show for me. I've heard more than a few references to Coldplay's stab at being the new U2, and while I hear where they're coming from, I don't think I can agree. If for no other reason, just because there was a total lack of pretension on that stadium stage Saturday night. As big as this band is right now, they still had the air of four friends playing rock 'n roll together. Chris even introduced a song (The Hardest Part from X&Y) as "not the best Coldplay song - but not the worst Coldplay song". That kind of candidness was refreshing amidst all the pyrotechnics and swooning fans.

All the music was great, from past hits to the arena-ready anthems of Viva La Vida, and the band gave an energetic and passionate performance for each one. Although a little gimmick-y, there was a pretty fun little interlude when the band stepped down to play The Scientist and Death Will Never Conquer from a row of seats in the audience. Through it all, the band seemed to be having a genuine good time - which only fed the audience's excitement. For example, whenever they came to the chorus for In My Place, Chris would raise his arm like Mickey in Fantasia, only instead of conjuring fountains of water he was invoking thousands of singing "Oh's!" from an exuberant crowd. This kind of gleeful audience participation was common all night - and all I can say is, it's pretty cool to be Coldplay right now.

Here's the set list:

Life in Technicolor / Violet Hill /Clocks / In My Place / Speed of Sound / Cemeteries of London / Chinese Sleep Chant / 42 / Fix You / Strawberry Swing / God Put a Smile Upon Your Face / The Hardest Part / Viva La Vida / Lost!

(from the crowd) The Scientist / Death Will Never Conquer

(back on stage) Politik / Lovers in Japan / Death and All His Friends

(encore) Yellow

Also check out the Prospekt's March EP out today - made up of some extra cuts from the Viva sessions. Here's one of my favorites off it:

Coldplay - Life in Technicolor ii
from the Prospekt's March EP (iTunes)

CONCERT: Mason Jennings Still Rocks My Socks

I saw Mason Jennings last night at the Murray Theater and though I wasn't planning on giving a report, I'm afraid I just can't contain myself.

He was in as good of form as I've ever seen him, and after his somewhat short and less-than-enthused show last May, it was a real treat. He played a good mix of new and old tunes which just showcased how consistently solid his songwriting really is. In fact, after hearing just about all the tracks off this year's In The Ever, I realized that I haven't been giving that record the spin it deserves. In particular, the song My Perfect Lover sounded fuller and all-around more affecting last night than it did in May - and what I once considered a somewhat forgettable track has now become one of the album's highlights for me (note: this is why I love live music).

Long-time concert favorites The Mountain and Bullet were again left out of the set - and surprisingly, I wasn't the least bit disappointed. His catalog has expanded such that he can pull from any of his records to put together a fantastic show - and some of his jauntier new numbers like Soldier Boy and I Love You and Buddha Too, along with new live staples Your New Man and Fighter Girl, leave very little lacking. He played old favorites as well as a couple of new songs inspired by his recent involvement in an environmental documentary - one a call to arms to save the planet, and the other a light-hearted look at all the ways we might die. Both were pretty great.

Here's the set list:

(solo) Memphis, Tennessee / Nothing / Keepin it Real

(w/band) Butterfly / Living in the Moment / Ulysses / Jackson Square / I Love You and Buddha Too / Never Knew Your Name-Going Back to New Orleans / Birds Flying Away

(solo) Your New Man / Darkness Between the Fireflies / Don't Let The World Go Black (new) / So Many Ways to Die (new) / Hospitals and Jails

(w/band + Zach Gill) Fighter Girl / Be Here Now / Soldier Boy / Don't Touch My Stuff (Zach Gill song) / Sorry Signs on Cash Machines / Crown

(encore) In Your City / How Deep is that River / My Perfect Lover

Mason's down-to-earth manner and rumbling vocal style will never get old for me. Add his brilliant and beautiful songwriting as well as a humble (but rocking) live sensibility - and I think you'll understand why I love this guy so much.

Zach Gill opened, and despite his Hallmark-card lyricism he put on a pretty dang entertaining set - complete with piano/djembe antics, funny-white-man ukulele dancing, and a take on The Devil Went Down to Georgia on the accordian (all this while being unabashedly lovable). Zach also added some keys to Mason's set, rounding out songs like Be Here Now, Fighter Girl, and Sorry Signs on Cash Machines (which, by the way, was the best I have ever heard that song performed. Ever. Wow.)


Mason Jennings - Sorry Signs on Cash Machines
from the album Century Spring (Amazon/iTunes)



Mason Jennings - My Perfect Lover
from the album In The Ever (Amazon/iTunes)

CONCERT: If you feel like dancing...

Friday night we got to see the cheery indie-poppers Bishop Allen at Kilby Court, and man, was it a great show. The place was packed, and we had a good time despite the fact that we were victims to several broken "concert commandments" (like Thou Shalt Respect the Personal Space of Others and Thou Shalt Not Sing Along). The band played a whole slew of new stuff, but the highlights were definitely songs from last year's Bishop Allen & The Broken String, providing endless bouncing, hand-clapping bliss for all present. Some particular favorites were of course, Rain and Click click click click (which prompted a bit of that aforementioned hand-clapping), as well as the more subtle and very pretty Castanets and Butterfly Nets.

The second to last song of the night was Flight 180, an anthemic little number about dancing with pilots and flight attendants, and how life seems from an airplane seat in the sky. It made me think of how much I've been flying lately while I've been interviewing at potential dental schools - and how I've decided that flying isn't my favorite thing. Not that I don't like flying itself (I actually love single-serving peanuts and that weightless feeling right at take-off), it's just that I don't like how impersonal flying can be. For example, I don't like the fact that I've been to Houston and Detroit, but I've never really been to Houston or Detroit. I mean, unless you count seeing the city lights as I flew in and out, and the fact that I ate some great local Burger King in the terminal during my layover, I don't feel like I've gotten the whole Texas or Michigan experience, you know? That said, I have sat next to some pretty great people during my trips - so my thinking that flying is impersonal shouldn't reflect on friendly seat-mates (Thank you to Mr. ____ who helped me finish that name-drop puzzle on my last flight to Minneapolis - now that's a good travel buddy).

Anyway, here's the song:

Bishop Allen - Flight 180
from the album Bishop Allen & The Broken String (iTunes)


Also here's a great video having to do with flight.

CONCERT: Sigur Rós at Red Rocks

I got to see Sigur Ros on Saturday night at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Denver. It was actually my first time in Denver at all and I've got to admit, I pretty much fell in love with the city during our one-day excursion. We stayed at my good friend's cousins' home, visited the Denver Art Museum (fantastic), and saw a little bit of downtown (including the Tattered Cover Bookstore on 16th St - also fantastic).

Then we headed out to the famed ampitheatre to end our perfect day with a perfect night of music. First of all, the venue was impressive and the view of the valley behind the stage was breath-taking - a fitting atmosphere for the kind of music we'd be hearing that night. Opening was Parachutes, who started out with a solo trombone looping on itself before giving way to a hushed but very pretty performance. They played a humble but solid set, all the while whetting our appetites for the performance to come. Sigur Ros took the stage at about 8:30, and they certainly did not disappoint - starting with several of their more subdued pieces, they slowly built up the emotion and tempo throughout their 2+ hour set. They leaned heavily on material from this year's gorgeous Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (or With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), with a few older songs showing up. My particular highlight of the night was when Jonsi invited us all to join in singing the choral line for Með blóðnasir - the effect was immediately chilling, and I'd be surprised if anyone there didn't get tingles running up and down their spine. The open-air ampitheatre was the perfect setting for such sweeping and majestic music, and I found myself often just sitting back and staring up at the stars or out at Denver's twinkling lights in the distance as I soaked up the music. I couldn't imagine a better backdrop for what I was hearing. Put simply, it was a very near perfect night.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures (we weren't particularly close), but you can check out a pretty great video here.

Here's the setlist:

heysátan, fljótavík, all alright, njósnavélin, ný batterí, við spilum endalaust, hoppípolla, með blóðnasir, inní mér syngur vitleysingur, festival, dauðalagið, sæglópur, hafsól, gobbledigook

And the encore:

illgresi, popplagið

Parachutes - Your Stories

from the Parachutes EP (buy their music here)

Sigur Ros - Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

from the album Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (Amazon/iTunes)

CONCERT: Again? Yeah, he's that good.

I'm going to make this quick, lest our blog become some sort of fan-page... but I saw Joshua James play again on Friday at Velour, and I just can't say enough about this guy. He played with his full band (including old Southern Boy drummer, Kissel, who happens to be one of my local percussion heroes) and they sounded absolutely incredible. Really. Incredible. A few highlights included a beautiful new take on 'Soul and the Sea', a flawless and rather breath-taking version of 'Dangerous', and a chance to hear plenty of new songs all fleshed out. I'll admit that I almost didn't go, citing the fact that I've seen Joshua perform so many times - but I did go, and after such an amazing show I'm reminded of why I keep seeing this guy.

Joshua James - Soul and the Sea
from the album The Sun is Always Brighter (Amazon/iTunes)


Also - look for his new Crash This Train EP on iTunes tomorrow (Sept. 23rd), and check out some production photos from his future music video here. (A little old, but still kind of exciting.)

CONCERT/VIDEO: I don't know if you are gonna brb from that salmon run

We got to see Nada Surf last night as part of Salt Lake's Twilight Concert Series - and it was pretty great! They rocked & rolled more than I would have ever expected, and put on an all-around great show. The crowd loved it - and the band seemed to be having a great time, even extending their encore a song. I've never listened to them all that much, but the show last night fairly convinced me to re-visit their stuff. Here's a track from 2003's Let Go - one of the few I knew that they played last night. Enjoy!

Nada Surf - Blonde on Blonde

from the album Let Go (Amazon/iTunes)

Entirely unrelated - but this is pretty funny. And musical - so it made the cut. Enjoy!

CONCERT/CONTEST: Republic Tigers Review & Contest!

Let me just say, as a follow-up to my previous post concerning the Republic Tigers, I did find someone to go with me to their show at Kilby Court in Salt Lake (thank you), and it was amazing.

Having now had a chance to witness, in person, their unique fusion of electro-folk, I consider myself a full convert.

Their recent album, Keep Color, is an experience. Acoustica, electronica, and rock, all blended into an accessible pleasure. To be honest, I was a little anxious to hear them live and see if they could produce and capture what had made me fall in love with them. All my fears were quickly put to rest.
Listen to their music and you can feel the energy, attend one of their shows and prepare to witness that energy.
The Republic Tigers entered without much fanfare and got down to business right away, a business in which they excel.
The Republic Tigers gave us a taste of their best, Golden Sand, Feelin' the Future, Air Guitar, Stranger to the Eyes of a Child-Man, and The Nerve (my personal request which they were gracious enough to play. Bless them.)
Quality stuff.
But for Fight Song, their final song of the evening, they pulled out all the stops.
The driving drum beats throughout this song about blew the place apart.

Flawless, absolutely flawless. Unless you consider that their set was painfully short.

So in celebration of my conversion to all things Republic Tigers - let's have a contest!!

Here's the deal: Just leave us a comment with your name, email, and a description of your favorite tiger and why.

Yep, that's it. It could be a Bengal tiger, a Siberian tiger, that delightfully bouncy Tigger, or the one that got ahold of Roy from Siegfried and Roy. (I hope it's not that one, the world needs magic.)

Be creative. We'll pick our favorite and send you some free Republic Tigers stuff - from tee-shirts to signed copies of their album Keep Color. We'll keep it running for the next two weeks or so - so don't delay! Enjoy the little sample below and tell us about your favorite tiger!

The Republic Tigers - The Nerve

from the album Keep Color (Amazon/iTunes)

CONCERT: This is why I love music II

Friday encompassed everything I love about music.
Powerful music and fantastic musicians.
Chris and I saw the Grand Archives for the second time this week (first was at Sasquatch in Washington) and if all goes well in life it will not be the last time we see them. We also got the chance to see Sera Cahoone and her band open for them, who despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, put on a good show. Please check her out, she's fun.

They played to a fairly sparse crowd (about thirty) and due to a scheduling mix-up played in a venue that can comfortably hold a couple hundred.
But the show went on and the Grand Archives put on a spectacular one, their music is flawless.
The dynamic of the group as a whole is incredible with every member contributing to the harmonies creating that unique sound I've come to love from the Grand Archives.
Most exciting was the inclusion of two new songs (Crazy and Liberty Bell) that gave us a glimpse at what the Grand Archives have in store for us in the near future. A bright future indeed.

I can only imagine great things from this band. Keep an eye out.

(I love that you can see dusk setting in through the open balcony)

Grand Archives - Sleepdriving
from the album Grand Archives (Amazon/iTunes)

CONCERT: Brothers hold the line

If you've been reading our recent posts you can easily put together that Chris and I have seen our fair share of concerts over these last two weeks.
And in an effort to keep riding that 'concert high' I finally saw Matt Costa.
I love Matt and I've been waiting to see him ever since I missed him the last time he came through Utah.
He played a great show, he didn't leave anything out. Just a perfect set.

But the make a good thing even better opening band, Delta Spirit, blew me away.
Having immersed myself in amazing performances over the past week it would have taken quite the show to awaken me (in fact I was asleep for a portion of the first opening band), but Delta Spirit did it. It was moving music (not the kind that makes me want to cry, rather the kind that makes me want to move) and the whole band seemed to be having a great time on stage and that energy just made the show. Well done.
The highlight of the evening for me was Trashcan, just a great upbeat song complete with an aluminum trashcan lid/tambourine hybrid.
They're fun, try them out.

Delta Spirit - Trashcan
from the album Ode to Sunshine (Amazon)

CONCERT: This is why I love music.

Amidst all the great music we enjoyed at Sasquatch, there was one experience that stood out far above everything else, and that was The National's impromptu set near the end of the day on Saturday.

It was especially memorable because for about half of the day we weren't even sure if they'd be playing. Apparently they'd had automotive problems somewhere in Canada, so they weren't able to make their scheduled 4:20 time on the main stage. Since they'd actually been one of the major reasons why we made our pilgrimage all the way out to the Gorge anyway, we were all pretty disappointed when we heard they might not make it. But after some re-arranging and string-pulling, some of the festival's organizers made it possible for them to play later in the day on one of the smaller stages. We rejoiced, and likewise adjusted our concert schedules. We ended up not seeing Okkervil River and most of Modest Mouse's set in order to be front and center for when they finally came out after a personal introduction by Rainn Wilson (you know - he plays Dwight on some show on NBC).

The whole band looked a little beleaguered and very appreciative that we were still there to see them. With a short thank you, they started their set with 'Start a War', letting it gently build to its pounding conclusion, strings and drums galore. Matt Berninger's vocal delivery was absolutely mesmerizing to watch, as was the entire band's flawless dynamic - they played so tightly beneath Matt's morose voice that it was almost unbelievable that there were actually eight different people on stage. They all seemed to possess the same amount of care and urgency for the music on songs like 'Abel', 'Slow Show' and 'Apartment Story', seeming almost on the verge of tears at the end of each song's climactic finish - add that to the relief and appreciation that we felt for actually getting to see them, and you might have an idea of how it felt to watch this band close out the day with the sun slowly going down behind them.

The moment that summed up this entire experience for me was just after they finished their set with a heart-wrenching performance of 'Mr. November' and quickly got off stage. Fully aware that encores are not normal festival occurrences, we still refused to move, and instead kept cheering. I turned around and saw that the hundreds that surrounded the stage were being just as stubborn, even though Modest Mouse was just around the corner finishing up their set. We kept on cheering until I saw one of the techs smiling and emphatically waving the band back on. As the members of the National stepped back on stage, they looked grateful and maybe even a bit sheepish, as Matt gave us another thank-you and they launched into 'About Today', complete with strings and guitars wailing at the end. When they finished and finally got down, we all stood there looking at each other, speechless. This is what we'd come for.

Every now and then I hear a performance and I feel like just maybe it was as meaningful for that musician as it was for me, like there was some sort of connection between the notes and the shared experience we were all having. I may be completely wrong, but even if the members of the National didn't have the special experience that we did that night, well then its just a testament to the powerful music they're making and the great performers that they are. This is why I love music.

Here's the setlist:

Start a War/Brainy/Secret Meeting/Baby, We'll Be Fine/Mistaken for Strangers/Slow Show/Squalor Victoria/Abel/Racing like a Pro/Ada/Apartment Story/Fake Empire/Mr. November

Encore: About Today (from the Cherry Tree EP)

Here's some songs:

The National - Start a War

from the album Boxer (Amazon/iTunes)

The National - Secret Meeting

from The Black Session

And here's some pictures:

CONCERT/ALBUM: In the ever

Sorry for the long silence. It seems like things have just been a little bit hectic the last couple weeks, what with Logan starting his new job and me getting my dental school applications together. Our sincerest apologies, we'll try and re-align our priorities in the coming weeks...

So just a quick run-down. On Wednesday we got to see Mason Jennings perform in Salt Lake along with Missy Higgins and Brett Dennen. Of course, the show turned out to an amazing one. Missy, whom I was the least familiar with, put on a great opening set, full of smiles and stomping feet. She even took a request that was slipped on her keyboard by a few avid front-row fans. Brett got up on stage and luckily for us, he was just as awkwardly endearing as I had always heard. For such a humongous man, he was light on his toes (and we know, because he had no shoes), and grooved through his entire set. I'd also like to present him the award for "dorkiest band that I've ever seen" - and that's even including all the bands I played with in in high school, which is saying something. Then came Mason, who was all business as usual, but never fails to put on a great show. He favored material from his new album (which had come out the day before), but played a great mix of songs that spanned his entire discography. Sadly, we didn't hear some of his live staples- Bullet, The Mountain, or Godless, but with some new crowd pleasers like I love you and Buddha too, and Your New Man, it really didn't feel like anything was missing. So here's the set:

Nothing/Keepin' it real/Be here now/Living in the moment/Butterfly/Something about your love/Fighter girl/Your new man/Darkness between the fireflies/Adrian/Jackson Square/I love you and Buddha too/Soldier Boy/Crown

Encore: How deep is that river?/Ulysses/Ballad for my one true love

So it was a great show. But now down to business - a quick review of Mason's new album, In the Ever (Amazon/iTunes). His first on Brushfire Records, I'll admit I became a little bit worried after hearing that there was indeed the obligatory Jack Johnson cameo thrown in the mix. Well, consider this my repentance, I should have trusted Mason all along. It turns out that the one Mr. Johnson turns up on, 'I Love You and Buddha Too', is one of the album's funnest moments - a foot-stomping, hand-clapping ode to peace and religious tolerance. All around, the album is a step back from Boneclouds in production terms, having been recorded almost entirely by Mason himself in a cabin in Minnesota, in the same vein as his first few homespun records. The album opens up with the bouncy but kind of strange 'Never Knew Your Name' - a song that lets itself get lost in ambient piano and chimes a few times. It got a raised eyebrow from me on the first listen, but a smile by the second. Songs like 'Something About Your Love' and 'Soldier Boy' are vintage Mason and would've sounded at home on Birds Flying Away or Century Spring. 'Fighter Girl' is great, and the only one that has Mason's full supporting band playing with him. Chris Morissey (who played with Mason on my personal favorite, Use Your Voice) shows up on the grand ol' opry-esque 'Memphis, Tennessee', and we get to hear a live version of 'Your New Man' as well, a silly and sarcastic acoustic number, akin to 'Bullet' or 'Beautiful Man'. 'Going Back to New Orleans' is short and kind of hypnotic, with a chugging drumbeat and four harmonicas blowing the same note at random times. The album closes out with an oldie that finally surfaced, 'In Your City', a moment-in-time piano piece that we originally heard on the Use Your Van DVD a few years back.

Finally, my personal highlight has to be 'How Deep is that River?', with its quiet guitar and pump organ, its one of the prettiest points on In the Ever - a spiritual entreaty and pseudo-answer to Boneclouds 'Jesus Are You Real?'. That song ('Jesus Are You Real?') has come to be one of my very favorites of all time, and is probably one of the most beautifully and starkly honest songs ever written. A search for truth and a reaching for something greater than ourselves, 'Jesus' left off with the feeling that Mason was starting a spiritual journey - in 'How Deep is that River?', he sounds like he's well into that journey and is simply asking for an assurance that where he's headed is where he wants to be.

Although it's not as immediately striking as some of my old favorites from Mason, In the Ever is a solid album that I'm sure will only grow on me more, and that's well worth your dollars.

Mason Jennings - Soldier Boy

from the album In the Ever (Amazon/iTunes)

CONCERT: You know that dying is fine, but maybe.....

Last Saturday at Kilby Court was an example of everything that is right with music:
Small venue, small crowd, but an extraordinary amount of energy.
The Little Ones were, of course, incredible. Everything I could have hoped for and more*. (*More = Announcement that their long awaited full-length album will be out this summer and they performed two tracks from it which only amplified my longing for that album.)
If you missed it (and most of you did, we'd have known, there were only about 50 people at the show) don't worry, they hope to be back this summer or fall. Don't miss it. (That is a command.)

But it was Ra Ra Riot who made the evening.
I knew I'd love The Little Ones, but I had not prepared myself to fall in love with another band that evening.
The energy was out of this world. All six band members were on this tiny stage and it was something to behold, partly because with both a violinist and cellist on stage it took some pretty fine dancing to avoid those bows taking out an eye or worse. They all seemed to be having the time of their life on stage, like they just sincerely love making music with each other, and it was contagious. The whole crowd couldn't help but fall in love.
It was just plain fun. Good old fashioned concert fun.

And by the way, happy birthday to Mathieu Santos! Thanks for giving the gift of rock and roll!

Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine
from the EP Ra Ra Riot (Amazon/iTunes)



The Little Ones - Boracay
from the EP Terry Tales and Fallen Gates (Amazon/iTunes)

CONCERT: Explosions in our sky

I'm sitting down right now to try and write a review of what I witnessed Monday night in Salt Lake. And to be completely honest, I'm having a pretty hard time with it. Most simply, I saw four Texans who call themselves Explosions in the Sky perform at In the Venue. For those of you who might be unfamiliar, Explosions in the Sky is a band that writes beautiful, sweeping instrumental post-rock music - who have also been able to carve out a following outside that particular niche - in large part due to their cinematic and enthusiastic live performances. And for good reason.

The show opened with Lichens (Robert Lowe), who essentially performed a audial-trance on-stage by layering several different sounds - from birds chirping, to guitar effects, to tribal-like calls - to create a sort of constant drone that he used to spin a dream-like web of sound. All the while he was swaying too and fro, eyes closed, head bobbing. It was all very progressive, and possibly a little too much so for me, I'm afraid. We all did note, however, that his hair was amazing, and should receive only the highest acclaim.

Not long after Lichens got off stage, the guys who make up Explosions got on and this is where I'm having trouble finding words. They introduced themselves, thanked us for coming, expressed how excited they were to play in Salt Lake City for the first time in seven years - and then they didn't say another word for the entire hour+ set.

The majority of songs consisted of simply three guitars and drums, though there was some bass guitar on more than a few songs. Right from the start of the set they were powerful, letting the music ebb and flow, wax and wane - at one point rolling dreamily out into space, the next blowing it all to smithereens. Logan turned to me and said "It's like watching a star being born". And it really kinda was. The whole time I kept feeling like this couldn't be compared to anything earthly - it all had this sweeping, heavenly breadth to it. Corny as it may sound, I kept picturing swirling galaxies in my head, black-holes and super-novas, all careening off into infinity. Even at their most tempered, their sound is vast - like a huge, starry Texan sky.

After they finished they thanked us again, and then promptly got down. They explained briefly afterward that they didn't do encores - that they designed the set to stand on its own, and that it lost its power when it was extended. That must be true, because it was pretty powerful.

Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine

from the album The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place (Amazon/iTunes)

Explosions in the Sky - Day One
from The Rescue EP (get the whole EP for free on their website!)

And here are some pictures.

Lichens, making mood.

Exploding.