The Voodoo Fix at the Bitter End 12/15/11

(The Voodoo Fix logo, taken from their webpage) 

The name The Voodoo Fix itself is attention grabbing, but the powerful voice of singer Abe Rivers is what can grab the attention of a room.  When I saw the group play on Thursday night, as they were recording a live album in front of a late night crowd at The Bitter End on Bleecker Street, I couldn’t ignore their cool demeanor.  Perhaps it was because of their hair styles and overall attire, or maybe it was just their bar side manner, but this was a very likable group of guys.


Abe was sharply dressed with his usual attire of a suit and tie, and kept his shades on beneath his long curls in the true spirit of the blues.  The bass player, known as Captain Willy, wore a white Captain’s hat as he walked around the stage barefoot, guiding the music with his guitar.  The attire of the rest of the band was a mix of class and the look of rock n’ roll; seemingly a tribute to their blended sound of rock and blues.  Of course, the image of a band would be meaningless without a good sound to accompany it. 


Before I get to their actual performance though, a bit of background on the Voodoo Fix.  Coming from the Los Angeles area, the five-piece group has only been together since 2007, but has already released the full length LP “Not For Nothing” (available on iTunes or www.thevoodoofix.com/store) and two EPs (available on the website).  They recorded “Not For Nothing” in one month in a remote mountain cabin, and have been thoroughly touring since. 


After initially playing around California, including gigs on several college campuses, the band set its sites on becoming nationally recognized, and has since played shows in cities such as Austin, Burlington, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New Orleans among others. 


However, they have also done many “tour-ganic” shows playing free for gatherings on farms.  According to the band’s website, tour-ganic is “the act of bringing people together through music, art, and grass-roots, usually on a farm” and “is an independently financed, grassroots traveling festival that [the Voodoo Fix] started to help spread [their] music, but more importantly to support and raise funds for Independent Organic Farmers nation-wide.”  This intriguing concept has allowed them to play on farms in places like North Carolina, Connecticut, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and of course, California to connect with a broader range of people than you would typically find at a city venue. 


In contrast to their tour-ganic performances, the Voodoo Fix was the headlining band at the Bitter End on Thursday, coming on stage around 10:45 pm for their live recording.  The venue was crowded as people filled up all the seats around the serving tables, and others stood in packs wherever they could find room.  The group began playing confidently, proving they were no strangers to the stage.  They started on an upbeat note, which lasted through their entire set of original songs.  As I previously mentioned, Abe has a very powerful voice, but it also really compliments the band’s style of bluesy rock.  The songs were rapid, with short waves of sound bursting through the air.  While Abe belted out the lead vocals, the other members of the band also contributed with vocals of their own, adding a surrounding sense of fullness. Each member of the band was on fire, contributing different styles to define the Voodoo Fix sound.  The full performance was the sort of high-energy funky music that you want to stomp your foot, clap your hands, and nod your head to.


While currently basing their operations out of New Haven for their East Coast sting, The Voodoo Fix has been playing shows from Philadelphia through Vermont.  They still have several more shows in the area over the next few months, and more will surely be added (http://www.thevoodoofix.com/shows).  I am already looking forward to going back and seeing them, as the Voodoo Fix has my full support.

 

-JKS

(Original photographs taken by JKS, video found on youtube) 



^^Watch them play from a previous show in Austin^^

The National play the Beacon 12/13/12

(an original photograph by RTM)



The lights suddenly dimmed inside of the beautifully decorated three-tiered Beacon Theater.  The house music turned up a few notches catching people’s attention with Duran Duran’s “Wild Boys,” and the backdrop of the stage went purple and flaunted the words “The National.”  The band was getting ready to come on stage. 

Over the past several years The National has become a nationally prominent band.  They have released five albums since 2001, but their fourth album The Boxer (2007) has received the most acclaim.  However, since their fifth release, High Violet (2010), the band has continued to thrive, especially in the New York area as they are based out of Brooklyn.  Known for frontman Matt Berninger’s monotone voice, I was curious to see how the band’s music would translate live.

Tuesday night was their second of six consecutive shows at the Beacon Theatre, with each of the shows selling out shortly after tickets went on sale.  Every single person in the theater stood up and applauded the guys when they came on stage. 

Slowly, people began to sit back down, but by the end of the band’s third song, the recent upbeat hit “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” the entire crowd on the floor level was on their feet, and would remain that way until the end of the show. 

During the next song, “Squalor Victoria,” Matt made it clear to the crowd that he wasn’t going to stay monotone through the whole show.  During the height of the song, he was screaming into the microphone. 

Listening to The National’s studio music, it seems like they have a lot of mellower songs, with some faster paced songs mixed in.  However, their live performance proved to be the opposite with mostly rockin’ songs and just a few mellower songs mixed in.  The National’s greatest strength as a band is how they build towards a climax—mellow or upbeat—each of their songs proves to be a crescendo.  As their songs picked up intensity, the light-work accompanying the music began pulsating, which culminated in high-energy performances. 

At the end of the nineteen song set though, The National ended on a much more intimate note.  They ditched their drums, amps, and microphones, and called out guests (including St. Vincent, Annie Clark, and opener Sharon Van Etten) to help them sing an A cappella version of “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.”  I have seen other bands try to end shows on a similar note in the past, but have failed at doing so.  The National did a wonderful job with it, as the crowd watched with admiration and sang along as the night came to an end.

-JKS


(an original photograph by RTM)

Fifth Nation @ Paulies in Pleasantville, NY 12/9/11

   It was at Chris Bro's monthly "All Things NEXT" Charity Concert in Pleasantville, NY (Dec. 9th edition) where I stumbled upon Fifth Nation. I was there on the bill playing drums with the Steven Wright-Mark band, and F.N. happened to be the headlining act. (Check out more of the bands that Chris brings to his concert series- http://allthingsnext.com/ for more on NEXT)

   

   We had done a little homework before the show to see who we were sharing the bill with- (See one of the music videos that Fifth Nation recently put out below this review). Singer/Guitarist, King Julia and Drummer, Musik Read are originally from Austin, TX, now based out of Brooklyn, NY. They're a rock duo in the same vein of The White Stripes, Black Keys, Matt and Kim, or The Ting Tings; but their sound and look stand alone. 

  I thought they had started their set , but it was only a quick sound check when KJ was singing a rhyme into the mic, making it up on the spot. She playfully turned the mic-check into a greeting to the audience and a "let's get this show started" kinda thing that turned everyone's head towards the stage. Her vocal style is rhythmic, mid-register, raspy and technically strong but soulful. Her guitar technique while she's singing stood out to me, using jazzy chords and finger picking most of the time with a "gritty-reverb-ish" tone coming from the guitar amp. The combination of elements in her playing only adds to the originality of the sound. Musik Read's drumming is tasteful and complementary to the music. He plays an un-conventional set-up and style of drums, incorporating broken-up snare pattern hybrids of traditional Latin grooves, Rock and Hip-hop. 

  Right away, you notice something intriguing and unique about this band. Fifth Nation definitely has an appealing presence. The band dons the color white, and the hair is especially big. KJ wears tribal or battle-like lines and shaved hair on the side of her head, surrounded by her long brown and blue locks. Musik's mohawk is huge and would probably take anyone five years to grow, but it demands attention. Their recipe for elements is fresh, and their stage presence is natural, KJ especially demands attention with the combination of her voice, guitar playing, moves and looks. Her conversation with the audience (or "stage banter" if you will) is a message of peace and connection, thanking the audience at one point and calling everyone family. Songs like "Fight a War" and "I'm in Love" suggest that Fifth Nation is about fighting for something; that thing the world can never have too much of. 

  Doing some post-show fact-finding on the band, I found that they've evolved a bit into who they are now since 2009, and have definitely honed in on a sound of their own. They have quite a bit of shows under their belt as well. Talking to drummer Musik after the show, he mentioned that they have played over five hundred shows as a band. And sure enough, checking out their website here (see biography) you'll find a huge list of dates that they've played over the past two years. 

  You can probably catch Fifth Nation in NYC this month or the next, they're constantly playing live. Musik mentioned that sometimes they'll play one or two last minute pick-up shows on a given day, so head towards The LES, The Village, or W.B., Brooklyn and maybe you'll stumble upon this great band, as I did. 

-RTM

The Lesser Ghost at Pianos (12/3/2011)

In the past I have gone to Pianos (on Ludlow street) to check out what sort of bands might be playing on a random night.  On any given night at Pianos you usually can find live music either upstairs or in the back room there, but this past Saturday was the first time I went there to seek out a specific band.  The Lesser Ghost is based out of New York.  They have played NYC venues such as The Studio @ Webster Hall, The Living Room, The Delancey, and Spike Hill (among others) over the past year.  The group has one EP to date that was released last April, but is halfway to completing a full-length debut album.  They give the EP away for free at their shows, but it can also be found on iTunes.  After the show, lead singer Ben said that the EP was a bunch of guys getting together as a band and recording to see what they could do, and then they would grow from there.  The way they played on Saturday night though, sounded less like a group working on their first full length album, and more like a veteran group that had been on the scene for much longer.  

 During the ten-song set, the Lesser Ghost brought a packed room of spectators through the highs and lows of rock n’ roll.  The five-piece band had great dynamics, with complementary components and riveting guitar solos.  They are influenced by traditional garage rock groups of the past few decades, which was evident when they finished their set with a pulsating cover of the Foo Fighters’ “This is a Call” from their first album.  Aside from that cover, the rest of the band’s set list was full of originals.  The drummer Ryan mentioned that they haven’t played a cover more than once; which is good for a band that is evolving their own songs with every performance.  Additionally, it keeps the shows fresh, so fans won’t know what to expect.

While all the songs that the Lesser Ghost played were quite enjoyable, the group’s personality was equally enjoyable.  Fans cheered as each band member was introduced, and in return, the band was very personable.  Despite never meeting him before, I found Ben to give off the vibe like he was an old friend.  His brief monologues were both witty and natural sounding.  Other members of the band calmly added in jokes of their own, and at one point, Ryan stood up from his drum set, took off his vest and threw it to a member of the audience who proudly put it on to generate a cheer. 

Towards the end of the set, Ben said into the microphone that he saw a bunch of new faces that night.  However, by the way the group interacted with the fans, I got the impression that they also had a devoted following of fans that comes to every show.  I imagine more and more audience members decide to stay loyal to the group with each show the band plays. 

The Lesser Ghost plays again on Sunday January 8^th at Rockwell Music Hall (stage one for an acoustic show).  I regret that I will be out of town for that performance, but I hope to see them after that when they play at Arlene’s Grocery on February 9th.  It only took me one show to become one of those loyal fans of The Lesser Ghost.  They are currently unsigned, but I can see that changing as they continue to play shows and with the release of their debut album, which they are funding themselves with ticket sales.  Some of the better music coming through New York City comes from unsigned bands.  It’s just a matter of seeking out the right bands and the right places to see them.  The Lesser Ghost is a prime example of what New York has hiding beneath the mainstream music scene.  Stay tuned later in 2012 for news of their completed album.  You will be able to find out information here, or on their website, Thelesserghost.com, or from their Facebook page.
-JKS

(an original photograph)

(an original photograph)

(an original photograph)
 
Listen to "In Time" by The Lesser Ghost:
In Time by TheLesserGhost

News for February

The Kills have announced that they will play a special 10th anniversary show at Terminal 5 on February 11th, 2012.  Jeff the Brotherhood will open for them.  Both are bands that we have enjoyed and covered in the past.  Get your tickets before they're gone.

The Black Belles 11-1-11 at Santos Party House

Looking at the Black Belles, you wouldn’t think they were a band until you saw them pick up their instruments and play the hell out of them.  The group consists of four girls; each clad in all black.  Black dresses, black tights, black hair, black nails, black lipstick, and black hats.  But who are they?

The Black Belles are produced by Jack White, and have exclusively released their music through his Third Man Records label.  However, they have only released a handful of songs, with their debut album coming out on November 11^th (***album now available). 

There have been questions regarding the musical potential of this mysterious group of girl rockers, as they appear gimmicky.  They hope to answer those questions with their forthcoming album, and four shows this November.  Their New York gig at Santos Party House on the lower east side was the first of these four shows.  However, this show was not their first appearance in New York.

Rewind to June 2011:  With just one single including a B-side under their belt, the Black Belles were temporarily put in the national spotlight.  Stephan Colbert devoted a weeks worth of episodes to music and bands, culminating with the release of his very own song, “Charlene II (I’m Over you),” which featured the Black Belles backing him.  The girls appeared on National television backing Colbert on the song, and then again the next day in front of a live crowd at High Line Park.  The Third Man Records rolling record store (like an ice cream truck that sells records) sold 150 limited edition red white and blue 7” records with the A-side as Colbert’s song, and B-side was the Black Belles own version, “Charlene (I’m Right Behind You).”

Then this past September, their debut album was announced, and their first single from the album, “Honky Tonk Horror” with the exclusive B-side “Dead Shoe” was released.  Now their full album can be streamed online in anticipation of its official release in vinyl, CD, and MP3 formats.

At their New York City show, the girls appeared as a much more experienced band than could be expected of them.  They played with confidence, and were far from timid with their instruments.  The venue was been small and hazy from the fog machine, but the Black Belles’ sound dominated the room.  The undertone of several of their songs sounded as though it evolved from a 1960s style surf rock, but then the overtone was a gothic-rock sound with howling vocals.  The girls could really play, and put on a very interesting show.  One fan got so excited that he stripped down to a pair of black briefs, and tried to crowd surf—though nobody caught him and he hit the ground with a thump.  Unfazed, he went to the bar, got a drink, and tried again with another floor hitting thump.  The rest of the crowd, while not necessarily rowdy, seemed pretty into the group.  Once their album is released, and they begin playing more shows, look for The Black Belles to gain more exposure in the future as their sound evolves and appearance remains unique.

-JKS

(an original photograph)



(an original photograph by Jeff Czaplicki)
Here is a sample of the first single off their debut album:
The Black Belles - Honky Tonk Horror by Third Man Records


And here is the video of one of their earlier songs:

The Black Lips at Webster Hall 10/29/2011

 Hell froze over this past weekend at the “Hell at the Hall” concert featuring the Xray Eyeballs, Davila 666, and the Black Lips.  An unimaginable snowstorm wrecked as much havoc outside as the bands did inside.  Regrettably though, delays in public transportation caused me to miss the first two bands that were said to have put on good performances.  I got to Webster Hall just in time to see four police officers take the stage, but these were no regular policemen; they were indeed the Black Lips in Halloween disguise.

            The Black Lips are notoriously rowdy; they’ve been chased out of venues before, and its been rumored that they’ve been chased out of countries (having done unique tours in Middle Eastern Countries).  In an interview last week though, they admitted to have read their Wikipedia page recently and confessed that 90% of what was written is crap.  Nevertheless, they are still known as a rowdy live act.  Coming from Atlanta, they are a punkish lo-fi garage rock band whose sound has become more polished over time.  They took a more professional approach to their recently released album, Arabia Mountain, by working with the grammy-winning producer Mark Ronson, who has produced a diversity of artists such as Amy Winehouse (Back to Black), Adele (19), and Nas (Untitled) among many others.  

            However, that does not mean that the Black Lips played a polished arena-rock-like sounding performance.  They were raw, loud, and rugged, while yelling and jumping around stage—just as rock n’ roll should be.  They played several new songs, some older songs, and some way older songs, including the first song they wrote, “Too Much Monkey Business,” which they closed with.  They included staples of their past shows, such as “O’ Katrina,” “Hippie Hippie Hoorah,” and “Bad Kids,” which is probably their most known song and featured in the Movie (500) Days of Summer.  They took the early song “Dirty Hands,” which is a slower acoustic song, and amplified it for a faster paced live performance.  For the sake of Halloween, they also included a cover of the song “Jack the Ripper.”

  
            Meanwhile, in the crowd, amidst the spooky noises and howling, many people were dressed up in their Halloween costumes, and were looking to get rowdy and jump around.  There was some beer sprayed, empty cups thrown, rolls of toilet paper unraveled and sailing through the air; none of which is out of the ordinary for a Black Lips show.  For several songs, fans up close were encouraged to get on stage and dance (or do as they please).  People in costumes were constantly climbing up and jumping into the crowd to do some crowd surfing.  Members of the band were not about to stop one girl that came on stage to give them mini make out sessions in the middle of a song.

            After a highly energized night, and twenty songs by the Black Lips, it was time to say goodbye as the goblins and ghouls were released into the streets of New York City.  The merchandise table included the band’s records on vinyl, and a limited edition t-shirt for the “Hell at the Hall” event.

            The Black Lips are definitely a band worth seeing, especially if you are looking to let loose and jump around a bit.  They are a prime cornerstone of the garage-rock genre, and stay true to their tunes.  While their sound has become more polished, they have done so without transitioning their style to a slowed down arena-rock style like other bands have, even after six albums.  

-JKS 


(an original photograph by Sara Stewart)
Key Black Lips track "Bad Kids":
Black Lips - Bad Kids by purpleplaid

Ny Gets Live Goes to Nashville for the Raconteurs! 9/15/2011

Something motivated us to drive to Nashville and back in 3 days—it was Jack White and the Raconteurs. With only a handful of shows announced by The Racontuers (none in the NY area), NY Gets Live just had to travel outside the usual territory. Playing their hometown in Nashville at "The Church," or “The Grand Ole’ Opry,” or properly known as The Ryman, it was their first appearance since 2008 with the exception of a small intimate warm up show the night before at Jack’s own Third Man Records. With two other acts opening the show—Pokey LaFarge and Jeff The Brotherhood—we knew it would be a night to keep in the memory box.

Walking into the sold out show (which sold out in minutes) at the Ryman was like taking a step back in time. Built around 1892, this venue holds true to what some call "The Church" maybe because of it's rich atmosphere, wooden/church style seating, and old fashioned decor. To me, it seemed to be the most fitting place to go and celebrate some Rock 'n Roll. In this small 2,000-person venue, the acoustics are raw; aged like fine wine, like that old Cadillac that no new model can ever really replicate. With its mostly wooden interior, tall ceilings and half-oval seating layout, it’s a unique sounding room for any of you acoustics-nerds to add to your bucket list of venues to experience a show in.

The first act, Pokey Lafarge, added to this sense of "Old Fashioned". He himself is an Early American Music Traditionalist, right down to his stage presence. Pokey and his band, The South City Three, are a throwback to rag time, bluegrass and old country. Complete with Harmonica, stand-up bass, hair glue, suspenders and retro blue collar suites, these guys set the tone for feeling like we were somewhere back in the 1930's. I could sense that this act was there was on purpose to give the audience this feeling and I remember thinking it to be clever.

Jeff The Brotherhood was up next and both guys are actually brothers! Jake and Jamin Orrall, also from Nashville, are a rock duo reminiscent of the Black Keys or The White Stripes. If their name sounds familiar, it is because we recently covered them at another show, but this performance was in a much more fitting atmosphere then before. (You might want to get used to their name, because this is a band that is only gaining momentum, and they have an upcoming single to be released on Jack’s Third Mad Records label along with Pokey Lafarge). The Brothers had a twin look going on with long hair, t-shirt and jeans, mixed with the sound of loud-fuzz guitar and punchy drums—a fresh and almost a complete contrast to what Pokey had to offer. They are an obvious nod to Jack White’s now departed duo, which paved the way for many rock-duo's success today, yet undeniably giving it their own touch -This, I thought, was also a clever tribute to tonight’s theme.

I was magnetically drawn to Jamin Orrall’s drumming, his momentum and drive as a drummer hooks you in and doesn't let you go. I kept focused on it for most of their set. His Brother Jake seemed to watch over his shoulder for the most part and rode his groove like a surfer on like a wave, holding his own adding color and dance to the music. He walked into the crowd during the set, as he tends to do regardless of the venue, strapped with a signature clear-bodied electric guitar.

When Brotherhood had finished and left the stage, you could feel the buzz of anticipation in the air. The Raconteurs appeared soon after and opened with the song "Consoler Of The Lonely," a fitting opener with Brendan Benson and Jack White pounding out twin guitar riffs through the lyrics expressing boredom and self decay, a woolly message to the audience expressing their desire return to the stage for the first time since 2008. It only took one signature guitar string-bend from Jack White to cause a crowd eruption; right then it was the point of full throttle. For anybody who hasn’t seen Jack on stage before, he has a stage presence that is unique and magnetic at the same time, and yet the band has such great chemistry.

Jack was like a kid in the candy store with The Racontuers; something I sense he couldn't achieve when he played with Meg White, who served more as a simple compliment to his style. The Raconteurs are a fuller, colossal rock sound with keys, bass, drums, two guitars and vocals; it seemed like we were watching Jack White after he had left the attic and his "sister" (i.e. The White Stripes) to go outside and play with the big kids. He moves around the stage and seems to motivate the rest of the band. Though, as Brendan and the rest of the band's stage demeanor is tame opposed to Jack's, Brendan's voice is dominant and his guitar sound is equally as powerful to Jack's "crunch". The two together are the main ingredients in the recipe for the sound of The Raconteurs. Their music is a style of Classic Rock with a twist of heavy guitar riffs and snarly dual vocals cleverly orchestrated, with a punk rock attitude. Add to that, a punchy/loose rhythm section with Jack Lawrence and Pat Keeler, along with Dean Fertita's (Queens Of The Stone Age, The Dead Weather) dark and spooky touch on the keys, to create more "vibe" to the music. They are indeed a dynamically rich band and their performance was top-notch.

Highlights in the set included a favorite off of their first album "Level," which hearing live, features a louder, heavier guitar sound than on record. “Broken Boy Soldier,” which was also played with more intensity then on the album. Midway through the set, a horn section came out for “Many Shades of Black” followed by "The Switch and The Spur". Dropping down to close out the first set was the slower tempo "Blue Veins". They came out for the second set with the fast pace, quick singing song “Salute Your Solution” followed by the more mainstream hit "Steady As She Goes."

The concert felt like it was over in a short amount of time, as everybody in the audience seemed to want them to play through the whole night. With the taste of beer and whiskey throughout the night, it seemed to come quick when Brendan said “this is going to be our last one, OK?” and the band began to play “Carolina Drama” to close out a spectacular show.

I may have seen a few dozen great concerts in my day, but none would ever match the atmosphere I experienced on this night at The Ryman.

-Written by RTM.
  Contributed to by JKS.
  **Check out our Facebook page for additional pictures.


(an original photograph by R.M.)

(an original photograph by R.M.)

JEFF the Brotherhood at Le Poisson Rouge 8/21/11

Throughout the decade, the garage rock revival of the post-punk era has not necessarily lasted on the mainstream level it was on in the early days of the Strokes and White Stripes, but that does not mean that garage rock has died.  There are still many, many bands that have been making ripples since the early 2000s; you just need to seek them out.

JEFF the Brotherhood is a prime example of a garage rock band to seek out.  They are a two-piece band composed of a guitar player and drummer, and actually are brothers (though neither is named Jeff).  Jack White is a supporter of this band, as he has been known to speak highly about them, and has recruited them to be the opening act of the Raconteurs comeback show this September in Nashville, where the duo is based.

They took the stage on Sunday night at the Le Poisson Rouge on Bleecker Street as the third of four bands that night. Le Poisson Rouge is a small venue, where you are guided downstairs and to a basement stage area.  The small room was mostly filled, but still easy to maneuver around, and virtually anywhere you stand would give you a good view of the stage.

JEFF the Brotherhood came out and played with a lot of energy.  The brothers looked like they came right out of the 1970s, and played with grit and power to display their dominant garage rock sound.  The guitar player came into the crowd multiple times, and they really got the already rowdy crowd jumping.  Unfortunately, the other bands didn’t seem like good fits to compliment the JEFF the Brotherhood sound.  The other bands were more metal sounding, and included a lot more screaming rather than singing, and a lot of the fans that night seemed to be there for that sort of sound. However, those bands still played with a lot of energy themselves, and got the crowd worked up, and the crowd stayed that way through JEFF the Brotherhood’s set.  It was probably a lot more rowdy of a show than other JEFF the Brotherhood shows might be, especially up close to the stage where there was a lot of pushing, beer spraying, and even some crowd surfing, which all allowed a good time for those involved.  However, if you didn’t want to be shoved and sprayed with beer, the back of the room was still tame, and wasn’t that far away from the stage.

JEFF the Brotherhood isn’t a band that you are going discover on MTV, or even listening to the radio, though their last two albums have achieved more exposure than the group started out with as a high school band in 2002.  However, they have been covered by several magazine and music websites, including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Paste, and Spin magazine, which named the group one of the best tours of this past spring.  They are one of the bands that you might be inclined to pass over when you see their name at the top of an article since you don’t hear about them on the radio or tv, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth checking out whether they are attached to a bigger name like the Raconteurs, or playing in a small New York City venue.


-JKS

Key songs by JEFF the Brotherhood: 
"Diamond Way" 
JEFF The Brotherhood - 'Diamond Way' by SpunkRecords
and "The Tropics" 
The Tropics by JEFF the Brotherhood by infinitycatrecordings


(an original photograph by J.S.)

(an original photograph by J.S.)

Bob Dylan at Jones Beach 8/13/2011

 To some people Bob Dylan is that guy who plays the harmonica and sings the “Mr. Tambourine Man” song, “which, did you know, is about drugs,” they will proudly say to sound hip as they think back on the days when “Like a Rolling Stone” dominated the airwaves.  To others, he is not just any musician, but one of the best ever; a man of many voices who has layers of music to peel away and rediscover again.  At Jones Beach both kinds of people would have found his performance enjoyable, and both kinds of people were there.

Some people may assume that at this stage of his never-ending tour, his voice is too shot, and he is too old to put on a good performance.  However, his voice was far from being the issue during the show, rather it was the fans that were there just to see Bob Dylan, the man who plays harmonica and sings those songs off his greatest hits album.  In fact, most of the crowd was stiff and horrible, and drained of energy.  The most emotion that a large amount of them showed was viciously telling other people to sit down, while others applauded every time a stander gave in. 

We had to move up several times because we weren't about to sit down and watch the show awkwardly twiddling our thumbs around. We would had been content where our regular seats were, but we didn’t mind moving up, it's just the fashion in which we had to do so; it was like we were being run out of town like dirty crooks or something. We even took the liberty of seeking areas where there were several empty rows directly behind us, but that didn’t matter to the sit-down-police far behind us, who seemed to want us to sit down out of the principal of it.  We finally found the only four people who were really dancing up a storm, and stood behind them. Eventually a small handful of others joined our little pocket of standers, and then most of the crowd stood for “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along the Watchtower.”  Typical. “Highway 61” and “Thunder on the Mountain,” which the band put some real good energy into didn't even draw too many people to their feet. The people who had been yelling, "sit down you wankers" never made it to their feet at all. It was as though they showed up expecting to watch a Broadway play or orchestral performance.  We had NEVER seen such a outrage made against people standing up during a concert, but the dancing people in front of us, and others that have seen Bob Dylan before have assured us since that this is a problem they have run into before at his past concerts.

The venue is beautiful, right on the water, and the night was an ideal temperature, but the fact that the venue doesn’t sell booze only added to the stiffness of the crowd, most of who seemed to be looking for something to complain about.  Perhaps somewhere such as Terminal 5, where Dylan played a sold out show back in November, would be a better place to see him as it caters to a standing crowd.

Dylan came out with his six-piece band, him being on the keyboard and harmonica, and began and ended the main set with songs commonly played during the famous electric sets of his 1966 tour with “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat” and “Ballad of a Thin Man” respectably.  The band started with good energy, and retained it through the whole show, including some great improvisational jams.

Along with the crowd-pleasers, he also played some early classics such as “To Ramona,” “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” and “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.”  He did an interesting rendition “Tangled Up in Blue,” which had a different pace than its studio version, and other released live versions.  He included a nice bittersweet version of “Simple Twist of Fate,” and played several newer songs off three of his well-regarded albums released between 1997 and 2009.  In all he did fifteen songs, a small handful of which he has been consistently playing during this leg of his tour.  However, he has a long repertoire of songs, and has been taking advantage of that, and can easily surprise you with a personal favorite that you may not expect him to play.  While at some times it helped to know the lyrics to his songs, we agreed that both he and his backing band sounded much better then when we previously saw him in 2006 and 2007, and he still pulls out harmonica solos that will amaze you, and keep you wondering how he has enough breath to do so.

The bottom line is that Dylan is still going at it, and still worth seeing.  After all, he is a living legend that is giving us the opportunity to see him on a yearly basis.  While every now and then he might have an off night, it really is the potential for a stiff crowd to be warned about.

-JKS

(an original photograph by J.S.)

The Kills at Terminal 5 8/8/2011 and 8/9/2011

“The Kills killed it!” is a phrase that may have sounded cliché to the many satisfied fans walking out of Terminal 5, but it is a phrase that cannot be argued.  After selling out Terminal 5 on a Friday night back in April well before the day of the show, the Kills returned to New York on their increasingly long tour supporting their newest album Blood Pressures.

This time around, The Kills made their stay in New York longer, playing Monday and Tuesday nights at Terminal 5, while making an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show in between.  I was present for all three events, and still find myself wanting more.

The song order didn’t change much between the two nights, but the shows they put on didn’t make that regrettable.  The Kills are only a two-person band, but have a far more powerful and explosive sound than you would imagine.  Jamie stays cool and confident, as he controls the drum-machine and plays guitar riffs that force you to move your head up and down.  Meanwhile, Alison moves around the stage in a mesmerizing manner, putting pure emotion into every word she sings.  At times, she moves with the seduction of a ghost, disappearing during a split second of blackness before reappearing across the stage during the next blast of light.  At other times, she would stand up on a barrier at the edge of the stage, silhouetted by the lights behind her for the fans to look up and admire her from ground level.  They were loud and powerful, but not in an overwhelming or distorted kind of way.  Despite playing so well and moving the crowd, Alison humbly said “thank you” to the audience after most songs, when in fact, the audience should have been thanking them.

Most of the songs they played were off of their latest two albums, Blood Pressures, and Midnight Boom, but they also opened both shows with the title song from their second album, No Wow, and played a couple of songs off their first album, Keep On Your Mean Side.  They also included a chilling cover of Marilyn Monroe’s “One More Silver Dollar.”  They started their encores off with “The Last Goodbye,” a slow and absolutely beautiful song, before exploding into three more songs.

It took a while for The Kills to come on stage, as they had two opening bands, and then an introduction by the Irish broadcaster/author BP Fallon, who performed his Third Man Records single release, which got the crowd fired up as The Kills came on right after him.  Joan Jett was in the VIP crowd both nights, as was Alexander Skarsgard of True Blood and Kirsten Dunst the first night.  Kate Moss, who recently married Jamie in the midst of The Kills tour, did not seem to be in the audience. 

When The Kills played on the set of Jimmy Fallon late Tuesday afternoon, it was a completely different environment; but they stuck to their game.  I was fortunate enough to watch them from the "band bench" platform on the side of the stage above Jamie, where I had a great view of the duo.  Alison was just as much in the zone as she was during the Terminal 5 shows, spinning on stage and moving her body to Jamie’s excellent riffs.  She also picked up a guitar herself for three songs each night at Terminal 5. 

Having seen The Kills play both from close up and further from the stage, I would recommend trying to get as close to the stage as possible if you can bear the tight crowd.  This band has really found its sound, and is so mesmerizing to watch live.  With all the effort they put into their shows, they deserve to be seen.


*** The Kills will be abroad for the rest of August before returning to North America in September for shows in Washington, Vancouver, Oregon, and California.  They will be abroad again during November, but keep an eye out for added shows in your area.


-JKS


(an original photograph by J.S.)
Check out their opening song "No Wow" (8/8/11)

Coming Soon

The Kills 8/8/2011 @ Terminal 5

Bob Dylan 8/13/2011 @ Jones Beach