Soul Asylum’s annual holiday show at First Avenue has become a fixture on the bar’s calendar in the past five years. It’s as predictable a part of the holiday season in Minneapolis as the Guthrie Theater’s “Christmas Carol” and channel 45’s Yule Log.
The floor was bouncing, many high-fives exchanged, way too many bottles raised in salute, and a whole lot of people were singing along to every word. It was a fun show and a great way to wrap up the holidays.
Big Star’s legendary, mysterious third album is played live for the first time ever, with members of Big Star, REM, dBs and many others.
I came to the realization at the show that Lauryn Hill is the Axl Rose of the hip-hop world.
If there was any thought that the years since then would diminish their performance one iota, those thoughts were squashed by the crushing opener “Teenager in a Box”.
Superchunk make music about the pleasures of hard work, and they wouldn’t have returned for any other reason.
However, this show was only partially about nostalgia. It was also a celebration of the still bustling Minneapolis music scene.
Martin Devaney, The Mad Ripple, Sons of Gloria, Ryan Paul, glorious things of ragged rock ‘n’ roll beauty and the spirit of ’85.
Killing Joke reform, create an outstanding new record, and deliver a crushing performance.
She’ll take you there, and you’ll know what that means when she does.
Man or Astro-man? zip up their space suits and take flight once more.
I really liked the concept of Moogfest. A three-day festival in Robert Moog’s home base of Asheville, NC, saluting the man and the music that his synthesizer has helped to create. Spread out over five venues in Asheville, many of the festival’s big shows took place at the Asheville Civic Center, and the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, which organizers set up so that concertgoers could easily walk inside from one venue to the other.
Rock ‘n’ roll laid claim to the vertical, and allowed its audience to look heavenward.
Photos from the first of three shows by The Allman Brothers Band in Boston.
I think it’s safe to say that everyone in the small room was sufficiently blown away or at the very least impressed.
The show just never seemed to get off the ground.
To be blunt, they came out of the gate and just completely dominated.
Still, it’s a miracle to even see him perform at all and the show was competent and fun.
At BOTB, the openers have largely become unbearable, thereby propping Danzig up further into metal god status because his set is so much better. The issue is that Danzig doesn’t need any propping up. The rumors of his voice deteriorating are mostly unfounded. And at 55, that he can do live what he does vocally is impressive. Live, the songs are better because studio effects are getting in the way of Evil Elvis’s roar.
Guided By Voices ends the Hallway of Shatterproof Glass tour at the sold-out Terminal 5 in New York City.
Frances McKee said from the stage they haven’t played Minneapolis in over 20 years and that they’d likely never be back. Here’s hoping she’s wrong.
He stopped frequently to smell his armpits and channel their rock ‘n’ roll energy, shouting “Fuck yeah!” before starting the next song.
Dweezil’s got the DNA, but Project/Object has the Zappa alumni: Ike Willis and Ray White are in the band, and their enthusiasm was infectious.
The fact that The Dandy Warhols could play such a strong tracklist for two straight hours and still leave out some of their arguably best tracks (“Cool as Kim Deal” or “Minnesoter” for example) only serves as a further testament to both their longevity and quality as a band that so few others in the music industry are able to proffer. It also led to an unforgettable show.
We’re in an age where it seems each and every day a new band forms and the challenge sometimes becomes to create something refreshing and new as well as distinctly memorable from both the wreckage and glory of the long history of music. In Two Door Cinema Club, you won’t find too much that is new right now but you will spot a potential in the band in terms of their catchy energy and their rising fan base.
It was inspiring beyond anything I expected to see the 52-year-old singer — who has endured criminal charges, lawsuits, physical assaults, and much abuse in his time — performing with all the vitality and passion that he brought to the stage in the 1980’s.
OFF! brings Old Skool Punk Rawk back at a blistering show in NYC
A cold blast of metal blows in, featuring the first post-Celtic Frost work of Tom Warrior and black metal from Norway in the form of 1349.
With all of the Shes & Hims out there with their male troubadour leading the non-musician ingenue by the hand, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan are a refreshing change of pace. Their performance is disarming and captivating.
It’s always fun to see a band two nights in a row. The extra night allowed them to spread their wings and play songs from all of their records.
It was a fun, dystopian beach party disguised as a concert.
More praiseful prose and phlattering photographs: the Teenage Fanclub lovefest continues.
The return of Chapterhouse hits all the right notes.
Roger Waters rebuilds The Wall and changes the theme from self absorption to anti-war.
Jello’s back in action, expect blood, oil and donuts.
It goes without saying that Teenage Fanclub, Glasgow’s power pop darlings know their way around a stage. They have two decades worth of experience behind them and it shows. When they play a song live whether it’s from their most recent album, 2010’s Shadows or all the way back to 1991’s Bandwagonesque, their dynamic stage presence can’t be denied. Even more so apparent, however, is their genuine love for music and a passion that helps them put on one of the top shows you’ll see all year.
“The story of Death is the story of two cities- Detroit and Burlington”, said Bobby Hackney, which is why Burlington was lucky enough to be one of the few cities to witness Death live.
Bad Religion reinforces their legendary status while the Circle Jerks give their critics more fodder.
The three-guitar arrangement was not overkill at all. Each player carved out his own space within the framework of the songs.
Openers Wild Nothing completely stole the show, though a much smaller (and very young) audience was on hand to view their set.
I just hope that it doesn’t take them another five years to come back here!
She can really play it, she can really lay it down. Not a household name, but she’s been in your head all day. It would be so cool to be like Laura, Laura Veirs.
The sound of rhythmic industriousness filled the Trocadero Theatre on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. A day after the release of their new album My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky, Swans played their first show in 13 years.
A big, big rock ‘n’ roll show, just the right size in fact, not so big that the band’s personality diffuses in the arena air before it reaches the back row.
I was pleasantly surprised when they played “Losing My Edge” as I know they don’t typically perform it live and haven’t for years.
To say that Superchunk is a great live band may be the understatement of this young century.
It’s no wonder that lead singer of Titus Andronicus, Patrick Stickles, has cited Bruce Springsteen as an influence. Both NJ natives have a sense of anthemic rock that has the ability to be widely embraced with passion from all who are lucky enough to hear it.
I was left satisfied, though of course wondering what it would’ve been like to have seen them in the ’90s and in a smaller place.
Everyone left happy, satisfied and slightly (or not so slightly!) drunk!
A second consideration of the Pavement reunion tour, but mostly an excuse for some excellent photos.
