1.21.12
THE SCHILLS and THE HONUS HUFFINES
World Famous Kenton Club, Portland, OR
Had only been to this North Portland establishment once in my decade in Portland and it was just a few months ago to see New Zealand’s The Renderers. Well, on this night it was 3 local Portland bands, albeit 3 very goods band (thought I only caught 2 of ‘em tonight….unfortunately missed The Quags). What no one told me about this place is that it is haunted by the ghost of Ms,. Raquel Welch. Apparently some of the scenes from Welch’s KANSAS CITY BOMBER were filmed here. A major plus right there!
It was my first tiem seeing Portland’s Honus Huffines who are led by DAGGER contributor and all around good guy Andy Giegerich. On vinyl these guys go pop but tonight the tunes had a bit more bite (or as Andy said afterwards, “Tonight was our punk rock set.”). And while Giegerich rocked his new Rickenbacker, drummer Joe Kobjerowski (also drummer in Metropolitan Farms) kept a steady beat and rocked a cymbal when he needed to and their sound is a mix ‘tween legends like the Modern Lovers and more current legends the Orange Peels. The Huffhines: Catch ’em if you can!
First time seeing The Schills as well, but I noticed the well-dressed man on drums as Mr. Jim Huie (he of Girls Say Yes and plenty of other bands as well as running the fine Paisley Pop label). In addition to Huie they had a sturdy bassist and guitarist but adding to the shenanigans was a bass sax player (who resembled Larry Crane) and a sassy female on vocals who needs to be a huge star like RIGHT NOW! She has the look, the confidence and the panache’, now just get he an agent! Their sound approximated one that collides surf with garage and a healthy dose of rawk into one sweet , sweet stew. It was a Saturday night, it was free and it was packed so where were YOU!?
12.1.11
Thee Oh Sees and Total Control
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
I wanted to get there early enough to catch Portland’s Mean Jeans (Dirtnap Records) but did not make it. Arrived a bit after Total Control had hit the stage. This punishing 5-piece hit hard with a 2-guitar attack, a rock-solid rhythm section and a vocalist who actually emotes. At different points in their set I turned to my pal and stated “This song sounds like Mission of Burma!” or “This one sounds like Wire!” so you know they’ve got good taste. I need to do a bit of research on these guys (any records out?).
After missing Thee Oh Sees last year as part of the Scion Garage Fest (I was in line waiting and once I hit the doorway TOS’ John Dwyer announced their last song, I did catch The Gories that night, though so the night wasn’t a total failure) I was hungry , starving even, to see them. They delivered the goods and quite mightily I might add. Dwyer and the other guitarist, who both wear their guitars up high (and probably have skirmishes in the van over who has more tattoos) and put their fingers in places on the fretboard that others have dared to never go while the two drummers, right up at the foot of the stage, are gleefully whacking away with broad smiles and the female keyboardist, who stands behind them, is holding it all together. As far as I could tell they played songs mostly off of their two 2011 releases (Castlemania and Carrior Crawler/The Dream EP) and it all sounded superbly righteous. These five looked like they could’ve played ‘til sun up if the club allowed it but alas, as the clock struck 12 it all had to come to an end. Catch ‘em before you (or they) die.
11.6.11
REAL ESTATE and BIG TROUBLES
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Terrific double bill on this Sunday night. I had missed Slumberland’s recent signings form New Jersey, Big Troubles, a month or so ago when they came through with Pains of Being Pure at Heart so I was glad they did the victory lap and they put on a fine, fine set. The two guitarist switch off singing while the rhythm section was rock solid and their tuneful noise pop on sophomore effort Romantic Comedy has really caught my ear . It must be said, however, that the bassist did the most between-song noodling I have ever seen (that’s in 30 years of gig going kids). I was ready to say something but hey, he had me by a few inches (he could be a small forward for the Blazers). He/they redeemed themselves by offering up killer versions of tunes like “Misery”, “She Smiles for Pictures”, “Sad Girls”, “Minor Keys” and plenty more.
Also hailing from my native NJ were headliners Real Estate who I have been wanting to check out since their terrific s/t debut record hit my pop box in 2009. Well, they have a new record out, Days, and it’s even better. Their laid-back, jangly pop sound has evidently caught on with some folks as the near sell-out crowd was cheering in between songs and singing lyrics as well. Vocalist/guitarist Martin Courtney’s breezy vocals are hard not to like (same with his guitar playing) while other guitarist, Matt Mondanile, has a similar style (plus he resembles Lou Barlow, so that’s cool). Days opener, “Easy” sounded absolutely gorgeous as did pop nuggets like “Green Aisles”, “Municipality”, “Wonder Years” and even the few they played off the debut (“Suburban Dogs”, Atlantic City”, etc.). For folks like me who miss those 80’s years of New Zealand’s Flying Nun label or bands like Galaxie 500, Real Estate will scratch that itch that hasn’t been scratched in a long while and scratch it but good.
8.30.11
STILL FLYIN’ & HELLO MTN
The Woods, Portland, OR
Always a nice evening out at The Woods, Portland’s own former funeral parlor that is now a music venue. Plus, it’s in Sellwood (SE Portland) so not to far of a drive for me, Hello Mtn are a Portland male/female duo who appear to be hippies posing as indie rockers. Or maybe they’re just hippies? Who cares….I liked most of their set though it was, at times, a bit flowery for my liking. She plays keys and he plays acoustic guitar and they both sing and in this day and age of the mellow, bearded folkies (he had a beard, she didn’t) they seem to fit right in. A tour with Fleet Foxes could be right around the corner.
San Francisco’s Still Flyin, led by Masters of the Hemisphere’s Sean Rawls (M.O.T.H. also just got back together and have a new record coming out next month on Magic Marker/Kindercore) brought the party bus back to the Rose City though the probably used a short bus this time. The lineup is different each tour and this time it was trimmed down to 6 people (last time they had about 10, including Ladybug Transistor’s Gary Olson and Aislers Set’s Wyatt Cusick and Yoshi Nakamoto who is now living in Berlin). Red Pony Clock’s Gabe Saucedo is still in the lineup, though he left his trombone home this time and brought his sax (and played vibraphone, too) and Maria is still on keys and backing vocals though now they have their old dancer Phil on drums taking Yoshi’s place) and he killed it. Bren (from Masters) on keys too and they brought a friendly Italian chap, Samuele, on bass.
Sean was his usual friendly self, chatting up the crowd (including talking to the freaky guys who was dancing around with a painting strapped to his back) and generally creating a fun atmosphere. Set list included about half of the song on their new Neu Ideas Compilation (including “Victory Walker”, “Bull Riff”, “Runaway Train II” , etc) and a handful from Never Gonna Touch the Ground (“Forever Dudes”, “Hott Chord”, “Good Thing It’s a Ghost Town Around Here”, ) plus a new song (“Spirits”) and a set-ending (ok, you can call it an encore) of “Rope Burn.” The small but enthusiastic crowd tore up the dance floor and I didn’t see frown or grimace anywhere. The way it should be (and I was in such a good mood that I wasn’t even bummed about them not playing “Following the Itinerary”).
8.25.11
GRASS WIDOW & BLOOD BEACH
Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
Blood Beach seems to be a fairly new band in these parts, having moved here from Denton, TX and their sound was were certainly unique. The lead guy, singer and guitarist, had the ever-popular Portland beard and he cranked out some interesting riffage (reminded me a bit of D. Boon in that dept.) while the rhythm section held down the fort quite ably and they had a talented gal up front,. She switched each song between sax, theremin and mandolin (or maybe it was a really small guitar?). She did some interesting things with the theremin, handling it like a snake charmer charms a Cobra. These guys are worth your time.
I kept hearing good things about Grass Widow, but had missed them here in town a few times. I made a pact to myself that I was not gonna miss them this time and I was pleasantly rewarded; they did not disappoint. These three Bay Area ladies put on quite a show. Combining intricate rhythms, cool , scratchy guitar and three part harmonies. The melody is there so I can see why they have been getting lumped in with other noise-pop female bands like Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls, but what Grass Widow is doing is a bit different. At times a minimalist thing slips in (ala The Raincoasts) and they go off in a different direction altogether (and that a capella tune as superb). All three were more than talented on their own instruments and they sounded well, fresh , and were laid back but intense at the same time (if that makes any sense). In addition to The Raincoats, I also heard echoes of 80’s New Zealand band Look Blue Go Purple and Ohio’s Scrawl as well as a few other notables (Kleenex/LiLiPUT). Don’t miss them if they blow into your town.
8.23.11
CRAFT SPELLS
Holocene, Portland, OR
To greenroom or not to greenroom, that was the question my friend overheard waiting outside before the show. It was another great Portland summer evening and we were having a similar problem, should we go inside and check out the show or sit outside and steal a little more summer while we still can. Although the bands dilemma was a little more practical, the drummer and maybe another member of the band aren’t quite of age so they would be banished to the greenroom for the evening except for their set. Eventually everyone from the band and those milling about made it in and we found a little bit of summer inside.
This was the 2nd time I’ve seen Craft Spells and the first time as headliner. The first time I saw them, they opened for Beach Fossils and were the clear highlight of that show for me. This show was just as good although maybe a bit more controlled but it could have just been the somber lighting. Live, Craft Spells weave a mix of early New Order, maybe a touch of Aztec Camera, some Bats, bright jangly guitars, dancey bass up front and melodies, harmonies and hooks into a warm fuzzy tapestry that you can’t help but dance on barefoot. While not afraid to wear their influences on their peg rolled jeans and cardigan sweaters, they make it their own with an earnestness that befits being 20 something falling in and out of love. After the Moment was the highlight of the set (and their Idle Labor album), so catchy and fun, the room while not packed was full and definitely dancing and swaying to this tune in particular. It was even enough to get my stoic NYC friend dancing and smiling. The set seemed a little short for a headliner but they hit all the highlights of their new album and infused some extra energy into a few of their slower numbers. Walking back out into the night with a bounce in our Keds, Craft Spells left us wanting a little more summer fun. JOHLOYD STRONG
7.25.11
WOODS and FRESH & ONLYS
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
I had been itching to see the Fresh & Onlys for quite some time, especially since I had missed them here last year and their latest record, 2010’s Play it Strange , was one of my favorites. They did not disappoint. These four unique looking individuals seem like they were meant to be together. To meet, become friends, to make music together and that if they had not found each other to play music with well, all would not have been right in the universe. Not only are they all very good players but they seem to play so well off of each other. The drummer (who resembles Crispin Glover, a bit) and bassist are a runaway locomotive heading in your general direction. It’s controlled but just barely while the lead guitarist (seemingly on some kind of Nikki Sudden trip) seems like he could play anything you asked him to on the spot and up front, singer/guitarist/leader Tim Cohen keeps things moving, muttering things to the crowd, pushing his head back in between words with his eyes rolling around as if he’s about to peak any second. Musically it’s a healthy mix of all that is good in rock music: psych, pop, punk, some surf, a bit of dusty western and it’s all hooked on to a garage rock motor. If they come to your town drop your other plans because remember, when these four are on stage in front of you, all is right in the world.
Woods, not to be confused with The Woods, had a look of their own as well. The rhythm section looked like a few college kids stoked to be on tour but the vocalist/singer appeared to be heir scrawny professor (Jeremy Earl), albeit one with the best falsetto in rock these days and the guy on tape loop/samplers had this thing in his mouth (like a mask, sort of). It distorted his vocals but not in a Peter Frampton mouthpiece sort of way, more like thee vocal equivalent to the Theremin. This band, like Fresh & Onlys seem to take decades of rock/pop music history and make it their own. I’ve read comparisons to both The Band and Rain Parade and I heard elements of both of those as well as The Byrds, Guided by Voice and others and Woods seem to have a fresh approach to the pop/rock thing. I recognized songs from their last two records, 2010’a At Echo Lake and this year’s Sun and Shade and it’s nice to see a band not afraid to include their influences but also bring something new to the table (even if the tape loop guy did remind me of Hannibal Lechter). Well worth your hard-earned dough to check out.
7.22.11
YUCK and UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Unknown Mortal Orchestra is a trio of New Zealanders who now live in Portland, At least one, leader Ruban Neilson, used to be in the Mint Chicks. They came out and had a big Yuck banner behind them leading me to wonder if the headliners were indeed playing first. They weren’t. U.M.O. played in total darkness and only ever uttered “Thanks” a few times. Mysterious figures shrouded in mystery on the Doug Fir stage. The rhythm section rumbled along, wanting to bowl over anyone in its path while Neilson, on guitar and vocals, mumbled out words and scraped and clawed away at his guitar. At times he sounded like Tony Iommi while other times like Steve Howe (from Yes) and while the rest of the crowd was cheering wildly I wasn’t as impressed. Updated Pink Floyd isn’t my idea of a good time.
Speaking of unimpressed, Yuck came on next and while I was impressed with the drummer’s amazing afro, musically it was all a bit limp. They played songs from their S/T debut , a record that I really enjoyed, but live it seemed like there was no passion or inspiration, just four British youngster politely playing songs on their heavily hyped debut record. Songs like “The Wall” and “Get Away”, a few favorites from said debut, sounded just like they do on record, which is fine, but the band seemed to be going through the motions. Both guitarists, Daniel Blumberg and Max Bloom had enough pedals to make J. Mascis jealous, so they’ve got that going for ‘em and honestly, I’m not 100% sure what I was hoping for (and the set certainly wasn’t awful or anything) but whatever it was, I didn’t receive it. The best part of the evening was Bloom’s rendition of happy birthday on his guitar since it was the female bassist’s birthday (lots of balloons all over the stage). Back to the drawing board?
6.14.11
BLACK LIPS and CEREBRAL BALLZY
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Even these days it’s still unusual to see a racially mixed hardcore band but that’s what you had with Cerebral Ballzy. Ok, so the band name is one of the worst in history but these youngsters from Brooklyn, NY brought the noise. And quickly. It was straight up hardcore and while their sound wasn’t the most unique things I’ve ever heard they did it with fury and a sense of humor too. It made me think of the years I spent in the 80’s seeing pretty much nothing but hardcore bands. Cerebral Ballsy was at least better than half of those 500 or so bands that I saw in that decade (many of which were awful, but I digress).
Atlanta’s Black Lips hit the stage at 10:15 PM and ripped right into it. They have, or had, a reputation for insanely wild live shows that included nudity, pissing on stage and the like but I think those days are long behind them. Still the band displayed an electric energy on stage made even more apparent when guitarist Ian encouraged the crowd to rip down the barrier (a metal pole with a curtain attached to it) that separated the over and under 21’s which sent a few of the bouncers into a rage (one bouncer in particular was relentlessly trying to restore order, but to no avail). What a hilarious scene. The bouncers also trying to stop the bevy of stage divers was pretty great too and all the while the Black Lips played through it , not even noticing all the young men (and women) on stage inches from them, many of them making the inane “Look at me!” gestures before diving off (ah, youth). Aside from all of the hoopla surrounding their “wildness”, the most important thing to remember about this band is their unique talent for songwriting. Taking cues from 50’s rock and doo wop, 60’s garage rock and surf music, 70’s /80’s punk and the like they are able whip it up into a unique stew that they truly can call their own, They played a fair amount of stuff off of their latest, Arabia Mountain as well as some charmers from Good Bad Not Evil “( I definitely remember a rousing version of “O Katrina!”). Regardless of who was in the producers chair for their latest record (in this case, hitmaker Mark Ronson) these guys still deliver a knockout punch on stage (and on record too, don’t let the Ronson thing scare you off). We fun!
6.1.11
AMOR DE DIAS and DAMON & NAOMI
Bunk Bar, Portland, OR
Bunk Bar is a fairly new room in town, spun-off from Bunk Sandwiches. It’s decent-sized as well though if you get stuck behind the big pole you’re done for. For this tour the two bands have been switching off the headlining spot and this was Damon & Naomi’s night to open. I had seen them many times over the years, but it had been several years since the last time. Damon and Naomi both sang while Damon played acoustic guitar and Naomi played keyboards. They had a sax player as well. Their sound isn’t completely different than what they were doing in Galaxie 500 though this is more tinged with psychedelia and is whispier and folkier. They focused mainly on songs from their last two records, Within These Walls (2007) and this years’ terrific False Beats and True Hearts. The songs flowed nicely and after all, how can you not like Naomi Yang’s gorgeous voice?
London’s Amor de Dias is a new band, but these folks are not new musicians. Alasdair MacLean is in The Clientele (also on Merge Records) while Lupe Nunez-Fernandez was in a band called Pipas (who had several charming records on the Matinee label). They too played as a trio, adding a cello player and the three played sitting down. They played everything (or nearly everything) from their Merge debut Street of the Love of Days and ended with a Rolling Stones cover. Speaking of gorgeous pipes, Lupe has a lovely voice, both strong and vulnerable at the same time and she and Alasdair’s voice melded perfectly together. The set was unfortunately marred by a pissy speaker (or maybe the P.A.?) that was crackling, popping and hissing through different parts of the set. The band could have acted like entitled musicians (like so many do during these kinds of problems) but instead showed true class by soldiering on and playing their songs through the fireworks (musically speaking), even making jokes (Alasdair is hilarious, at one point, when the soundman came on stage he quipped, “Oh darn, we were just gonna do our Dead Kennedy’s medley.”). The songs are rich in sound and with Alasdair’s bossa nova tinged guitar lines (and those voices) , perfect for any occasion, but mostly crisp Autumn nights (or in tonight’s case, a rainy Spring evening).
5.28.11
THE SLUMBERLAND RECORDS SHOWCASE AT THE SAN FRANCISCO POP FEST
THE RICKSHAW STOP
It was nearly a year ago that three friends and I drove down to San Francisco to the Rickshaw Stop to catch the Slumberland 20th Anniversary gig. Well, we heard about the Slumberland night foR the S.F. Popfest and we decided to make the 11 hour drive once again (minus one, unfortunately our friend Janice was sick . There was a good crowd and it was good to see some old friends (just like last year). I’ll review each set briefly and individually (form what I remember).
ENGLISH SINGLES- They are a few guys from Sacramento which include Nar guy Scott Miller and came recommended from Leon Levy (Frenchmen) so that’s good enough for me. They had a gritty, catchy sound with some cool semi-snotty vocals.
KIDS ON A CRIME SPREE- This is the new band from Mario Hernandez (Ciao Bella, From Bubblegum to Sky, etc.) and a set that was highly anticipated as I dig their newly released ep so much. They had Poundsign’s Becky Barron drums and they did not disappoint. Fuzzy/hazy pop with no lack o’ hooks.
SEA LIONS- These guys hail from Oxnard, CA and had a nice jangly sound with some strong harmonies but I don’t remember much more. Sorry.
TERRY MALTS- Had not heard of these guys before but listened to a song on their site and it was excellent so I was looking forward to their set and they did not disappoint. A trio with some real spunky melodies and strong songwriting all the way around. There was some hype on these guys and they delivered.
BRILLIANT COLORS- Caught their opening set at the 20th anniversary gig and really dug it (and liked their cd too) and now this all-female trio is now a quartet with a dude ion the band. The new songs sounded even better and they played one of the best sets of the night. Can’t wait to hear their next record.
DEVON WILLIAMS- Only caught part of his set last year and didn’t remember much of it. Same thing this year…..i was there in body and do remember loving their first song in the set but not much after that. Didn’t dislike it, but it didn’t move me.
THE ART MUSEUMS- Caught these guys once in Portland and thought they were ok but they delivered my least favorite set of the night., The gal up front (drummer for The Mantles, where she does a great job) played these drum pads and it seemed like she didn’t belong. I dunno, it was very odd and I wasn’t into their songs.
NEVEREVER- I had seen this band before when they were called Champagne Socialist Party and thought they were just ok . Tonight, the female singer had a black lace lingerie on along with fishnets and kept wiggling her butt to the crowd and playing the sex kitten role (very attractive gal). The band are a mix of 50’s rock, 60’s girl group and current jangle pop and I like their songs ok enough. Oh, and they had a smoke machine too.
PHIL WILSON- The ex-June Brides leader was my highlight o the evening. With a 5-piece band (including the trumpet and violin players from the Junies) Wilson’s set was marked with a perfect mix of old and new songs (his current record, GOD BLESS JIM KENNEDY , is excellent). Tonight Wilson was a spark of energy with his jumps and slinks across stage while playing old classics like “Every Conversation’ and “This Town.” Bravo!
14 ICED BEARS- The headliners were a bit of a disappointment for me. I really wanted to hearing their crashing twee material but instead her more drawn out psych tunes. Not bad but not what I was expecting. The guys themselves didn’t look like I thought they would (the bassist had long, thick dark hair and a leather jacket , like a leftover form the late 70’s pub rock scene). Plus it was late and I was beyond exhausted after being up for nearly 24 hours.
5.6.11
Beach Fossils & Craft Spells
Berbati's, Portland, OR
This gig was apparently supposed to be at some other venue (the refurbished Star Theatre???) but that was not ready for opening yet so it was at Berbati’s which stopped having gigs on New Year’s Eve (but remains open as a restaurant). To make it weirder the gig was listed in the Dante’s ad (a club across the street from Berbati’s) and to top it off the venue is cut in size by about a third since Voodoo Donuts is renting out part of the Berbati’s space too. Erm..got all of that? Still a decent-sized crowd ventured out on this rainy evening to catch these two Captured Tracks bands (decent-sized nothing;’…they sold out (the fairly large) Slim’s in San Francisco the night before). Craft Spells hail from Seattle and recently released a full-length on Captured Tracks. One thing that strikes me about these guys is that they look really young (drummer looked to be in his mid-teens). From the start they exuded youthful energy all dancing and bouncing all over the stage. Their sound seemed to be about mid-80’s UK (think June Brides minus the trumpet with a happier Ian Curtis on vocals). Guitarist was excellent while the vocals were a bit off-key at times and the rhythm section was on. Still good songs are good songs and these guys are well worth your time.
Beach Fossils hit the stage at 11:30 and leader Dustin Payseur only had one guy remaining from the lineup that played here last year. The bassist (John Pena) was the same but a different guitarist and the drummer, also different, played a full kit (last year they had a stand up drummer with only a snare, tom and cymbal). They too are full of youthful energy and moved around on stage almost more than hardcore legends Minor Threat (who they sound nothing like). The sound is some UK jangle here (Felt, The Cure, etc.), some lo-fi bedroom pop there, a dash of surf guitar and while their S/T record is strong on stage the songs really comes alive. All of the band’s fan favorites were played (“Daydream”, “Sometimes”, “Youth”, etc.) while a handful of the songs ended in fits of feedback (possibly due to some inner band squabbles?). Payseur even had some choice words for the crowd (“It’s Friday night, right? Why are you people not dancing?! It’s ok to dance, you know!”). The band is very good and I think that Payseur hasn’t even really hit his stride yet as a songwriter. This show didn’t quite have the magic of last summer’s Doug Fir gig but hey, that was the best show I saw all of last year. Tonight was still a great evening out of young band’s creating their own magic (and succeeding).
4.28.11
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Buster's, Lexington, KY
I live in a region of the country that there's the inevitability, every spring, tornado warnings flash on the television any time a front is moving through. Well, on the one day of a week where the weathermen deemed it unnecessary to do so, they got it wrong. JSBX rolled into town.
It's been awhile since last time i caught'em (1994 in Columbus w/ TFUL282!), and i'll be honest, i haven't listened to much post 'Orange', but in a wave of nostalgia, I've been revisiting a lot of what i listened to in the 90's, Blues Explosion being no exception. One of the first things I realized during this retro-binge is that how completely uncredited Spencer and his boys are when it came to breaking down a wall that revealed a landscape of American music that hitherto was unseen by most hipsters at the time, and brilliantly made it palatable. Other bands (i.e. Gibson Bros.) were doing wonderful stuff, but at the time was harder to digest for the uninitiated constitutions of the indie boys & girls. Then add the NYC influence (among other things) to the to burgoo, and the Blues Explosion were unlike anything most of us had heard up until that point during that great era.
About 50 people showed up to see JSBX in Lexington, where the previous evening the place was apparently packed for some jam band called Slightly Stoopid...typical of a hit-or-miss college town (this ain't Chapel Hill). Didn't matter though, the Blues Explosion came out and played like they were feeding off the energy of a packed house. Spencer has to be one of the hardest working showmen in rock and roll, and they rolled through many JSBX classics like 'Bellbottoms', 'Blues X Man', 'Shirt Jac', 'History of Sex', 'Afro' & 'Soul Typecast, strung together almost medley style, never allowing the energy level to diminish. Yes people, Spencer sweat, sweat like Elvis, sweat like Screaming Jay Hawkins, sweat like a shamanistic Blues Man, made love to his trademark theremin, & by the time he walked off stage, worked the small audience into a lather to the point they would of followed him to the closest creek to be baptized by the man. If he had done 'Rachel', i woulda started speaking in tongues right there & looked for a snake to wrap around my neck. Damn, homeboy's still got it. DIZZY DEAN
4.4.11
Caitlin Rose
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Young (23 year) Nashville singer-songwriter Caitlin Rose is wise beyond her years. Her debut (Own Side Now) is getting well-deserved rave reviews and while she is apparently close to household name in Europe she is barely known here. Hopefully that will all change soon and if this set at Doug Fir is any indication, she is on her way.
Dressed in a lovely black skirt and armed with her acoustic guitar, she was flanked on either side by a guitarist and a pedal steel player (who looked like a cross between Joey Ramone and one of the Hanson “Slap Shot” Brothers). Any fears that this sparser lineup would change the songs the worries subsided by song one, “Learning to Ride” which sounded beautiful and while musically it all sounded lovely it was Roses’s booming voice which is her calling card and in the live setting really gave her a chance to shine. On her records the vocals are a bit subdued but on stage she lets it fly and man does this gal have a voice. Other songs on the record which sounded ace were “Own Side”, “Shanghai Cigarettes”, “For the Rabbits” and “New York.” We didn’t get to hear her Stones cover of “Dead Flowers” (the name of her 2nd ep) but for the final tune she played a beautiful solo acoustic version of Randy Newman’s “Marie.” On stage she joked about breaking a nail, feeling like she was in a roller rink (to which the disco ball suddenly started spinning) and how she noticed few smokers in Portland. The gal is a natural and as previously stated, she is on her way. Wow!
3.30.11
Sharon Van Etten and Little Scream
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Little Scream are a Montreal via Iowa trio led by the elusive Laurel Sprengelmeyer (aka Little Scream). On her forthcoming debut record she got help from all sorts of folks including a few Arcade Fire-rs but for the live show the band was a trio. The sound was fleshed out by a violinist and a drummer who also occasionally played guitars (and I swear I heard some loops in there too). There weren’t a ton of hooks to be had but Little Screams soaring/howling vocals coupled with the tribal drums and sawing violin kept it interesting.
NJ bred/NYC based Sharon Van Etten had no problem packing the Doug Fir Lounge nearly to capacity on this Wednesday evening. She was joined by the rhythm section of Ben Lord is on drums and Doug Rule is on bass. Van Etten is certainly personable enough while on stage, joking with the crowd and even going as far as to say she “shouldn’t have had that steak and milkshake before the set” (thinking it would make for some interesting burps). Once the songs started all jokes were off as Van Etten’s beautiful, mumbly croon quieted the crowd. At times sounding like a Cat Power Jr., Van Etten’s intensely personal songs were perfectly aided by the economical, sturdy rhythm section. At times dense and others sparse, but whatever the case, the songs always seemed to be fed just what they needed to come into full bloom. I’d say she’s worth all of the press and it’s nice to see that those darned critics know what they’re talking about every once in a while.
3.10.11
Drive-By Truckers
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
You’re almost guaranteed a good time at a Drive-By Truckers show. Among the social groups represented on this evening were many bearded guys with trucker caps, several girls with feathered hair, jocks whose girlfriends weren’t sure why they were there, middle-aged baldies hoping for some action, many, many extremely drunk individuals of all shapes and sizes, a punk with a high-arching colorful Mohawk and a very tall man who I think was Anthony Bourdain. Everyone shows up to a DBT’s gig when they pull into town and this hard-working Athens, GA band did not disappoint. The band has been at it for nearly two decades and has three distinct songwriters in Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and bassist Shonna Tucker. They opened amid aheave of cheers from the sold-out crowd with “I Do Believe” , the opening track off their latest record, Go-Go Boots of which we also heard the slow, sultry burn of “Dancin Ricky” (sung by Tucker), the soulful Eddie Hinton cover “Everybody’s Needs Love” , the creeping, haunting title track and plenty more. In the second half of the set we heard the Mike Cooley-sung “Birthday Boy” (off last year’s The Big To-Do) and a bigger surprise by pulling a rabbit out of a hat and ripping into the amazing “Uncle Frank:” (off last year’s rarities comp, The Fine Print). The band sounded great and at this stage in the game it appears that Hood and Cooley know each other’s next move as they’ve been at it together for so long. You don’t get the impression that another city means just another tour stop for these guys. It’s taken more as hey, it’s another night on the tour and anything can happen. The fans paid good money to see this and we damn well are gonna play our hearts out and give ‘em a good show. And they did.
3.1.11
WILD NOTHING and ABE VIGODA
Holocene in Portland, OR
Have read a lot about Abe Vigoda but had never actually heard a note of their music. These four young men from Los Angeles with angular haircuts (ok, so only one guy, the singer, had an angular haircut but what an angular haircut it was…think Carlos D., the old bass player from Interpol or maybe even that one guy from A Flock of Seagulls. Their noisy art-rock didn’t do a lot for me, but weren’t necessarily bad either, I just didn’t hear a lot in the way of songs. Speaking of Interpol, they seemed to have a sound that fell right in between Interpol and Vampire Weekend. Meh.
You want good songs? Wild Nothing has ‘em in spades. Leader Jack Tatum (named after a particularly vicious Oakland Raiders player from the 70’s) took the stage as a 4-piece (on record it is just Jack T.) which included the drummer from Abe Vigoda who played bass here and proceeded to play a superb set of jangly, shimmering, mid-tempo pop songs. You hear elements of Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure, New Order, Felt (like label mates Beach Fossils) ,and some Sarah Records stuff too. Of course they did not play the terrific “Live in Dreams’ but we were treated to gems like “Summer Holiday”, “Golden Haze”, “Take Me In”, “Your Rabbit Feet” and plenty more. The packed house (including me) were enjoying every minute of it. Come back soon, please.
2.26.11
THE CONCRETES
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Had never seen Sweden’s Concretes before and I could not tell from vocalist Lisa Milberg’s comments that whether it was their first time in Portland or first time in the states (I’m assuming she meant the former). While the rest of the band was silent the friendly Milberg chatted up the crowd about our fair city , how happy they were to be here and what there was to do tomorrow since they were going to stay here rather than head to Seattle early. The band hit the stage at a 6-piece with guitar/bass/drummer, two keyboardists and the striking, icy cool Milberg up front on vocals (and occasionally shaking her money-maker on the dancier cuts). The band has been through quite a few changes the past few years with former vocalist Victoria Bergstrom going solo (as Taken by Trees) and one member apparently leaving the band to join the circus (!!??). Their latest record, WYWH , lacked the spark of earlier records with a more sophisticated, groove-oriented dance pop sound and while it didn’t sound bad on headphones, on stage it seemed to lack that specialness of the earlier records (or what I’m guessing earlier gigs would have been like since I had not seen them previously). I didn’t recognize many older songs as it seemed the set was comprised mostly of songs off WYWH. They opened with “Good Evening” (nice opener) and sifted into other new cuts like the title track, “My Ways”, “Crack in the Paint”, “I Wish We’d Never Met”, “Knck Knck” and others. They saved the single, “All Day’ for last and then came out for a so-so encore and called it an evening. Time to regroup and decide on ways to spruce up the live show.
2.25.11
VERSUS and THE CORIN TUCKER BAND
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Unfortunately missed Hungry Ghost, Sara Lund’s (Unwound) new band but go there in time to catch the second half of the Corin Tucker Band’s set. Her debut record , which had some interesting moments, didn’t do much for me, but live the songs really came to life. I didn’t catch any song names but the last 3 or 4 songs rippled with the kind of electricity that the record didn’t. The few folks I spoke with who caught the whole set said I saw the best part.
It had been at least a decade (maybe more) since I’d seen NYC’s Versus, a longtime favorite upon hearing this first single (1992’s “Insomnia”) . The band had had some different folks in the lineup over the years (including Patrick Ramos and a 3rd Baluyut brother, James). For this tour the band was back down to the original trio of Richard Baluyut on vocals/guitar, bassist Fontaine Toups and drummer Ed Baluyut while adding Margaret White on keyboards and violin. They played a nice mix of songs, both old and new. Though for the new ones when Richard said new I did not know whether he meant brand new or ones of their latest record, the just pretty good On the Ones and Threes. Still it was hard to complain with a set that included “Thera” (which was off their Teen Beat debut, The Stars Are Insane)., “Circle”, “Into Blue”, “River”, “Double Suicide”, “Forest Fire” and plenty more. For encores they played “Bright Lights” (their amazing 2nd single) and “Blade of Grass” (which ex-Team Dresch-er Jody Bleyle came on stage and did the oooh-ooohs). None of us wanted it to end, but sadly, it had to. A band can’t play forever (no matter how much you want them to).
2.18.11
Yo La Tengo and The Urinals
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Sold out crowd for this Yo La Tengo tour (last time here, a year or so ago, they played the larger Crystal Ballroom) but let’s not forget about the openers The Urinals, which the place was only half full by the time they went on at 9:00 PM. The first word that comes to mind when describing this longtime L.A. band is “seminal”, since that is the word that critics use most often to describe them. They’d been around since the late 70’s but morphed into 100 Flowers in 1980. The band now is two-thirds of the original lineup (vocalist John Talley-Jones and drummer Kevin Barret) and then a newer guitarist (original member Kjehl Johansen quit some years ago to go solo but was also in underrated SST band Trotsky Icepick). The trio played, an energetic, punchy set of fairly short tunes (and surprisingly melodic) and really seemed to win the crowd over. Don’t think we heard I’m a Bug” but they definitely played “Sex”, “Surfing with the Shah”, “Ack Ack Ack Ack” and more. Well done, gentlemen.
Yo La Tengo hit the stage about 10:15 PM and for this tour the band is doing a little spin the wheel for song selection. What is that, you ask? It is where they have a big wheel on stage, bring out an audience member to spin it (in this case a preppy looking blonde gal) and then whatever it lands on they will play that for the night, or at least for the first set. It could have landed on several different things: songs that begin with s, a set of Condo Fucks songs (YLT’s alter ego), or a set of Dump songs (bassist James McNew’s solo project) or even on where they act out an episode of Seinfeld for 20 minutes (sitcom theatre, we ALL wanted that), but when this gal spun it landed on The Sounds of the Sounds of Science. This was the one thing many people in the crowd didn’t want it to land on (including myself). It was an instrumental record (on the band’s own Egon Records) that was moody and atmospheric and well, not my favorite YLT record. A few moments got quite frenzied, but all in all I think many folks were relieved went it ended (2 of my friends walked out and went home mid set). After taking a short break the band came back out and reversed any unhappiness by playing “Sugarcube”, “”Autumn Sweater”, “Tears are in your Eyes”, “Stockholm Syndrome”, “Can’t Forget” and others. Didn’t make it to the bitter end, but this second set was the Yo La Tengo I know and love (one treat for me has always been watching Georgia Hubley on drums, truly one of the underrater drummers of our time). In a live setting you’re never sure what band is going to show up and while a few of these live performances over the years have sent me away scratching my head (or occasionally bummed out) I gotta give credit to a band that does what it wants and not necessarily what their fans always want. It probably keeps being a band fresh and interesting for these guys and thus, explains at least part of their longevity.
2.13.11
The Radio Dept. & Young Prisms
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
I had not previously heard San Francisco’s Young Prisms but I figured if they were opening for the Radio Dept then they just might be worth catching and I was right. The quartet was the basic guitar/bass/drums lineup with a shy (detached?) female on vocals and it’s obvious to me that Black Tambourine was a big deal to at least a few of the folks in this band (as well as Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and (early) Velocity Girl). At 30 minutes they didn’t wear out their welcome, on the contrary, this white sheets of rain noise pop was righteous and I see them going places.
This was The Radio Dept’s 2nd trip to Portland. Their first was an ill-fated trip in 2003 at a gig that I helped put together where , as leader Johan Duncanson, stated, “there were 3 paying customers at” (ok, he is exaggerating but there’s weren’t many more than that). Touring at a 3 piece it was Duncanson on guitar/vocals, that 6’ 8” (at least) bassist/guitarist with the sleepy eyes who looks like he should be playing power forward for the Knicks and a guy on keyboards/samples (the drums were pre-recorded). They played many of the tunes off their terrific latest record (Clinging to a Scheme ) as well as the recently released 2-disc singles comp (Passive Aggressive). Hearing “This Time Around”. “Heaven’s on Fire” and “David” was a pop lover’s wet dream and while the band is admittedly not the most exciting bunch on stage, it didn’t matter much as the songs sounded great. I was hoping to hear “Where Damage Isn’t Already Done” (from their debut) but no such luck. At 11:00 PM they exited the stage one by one , each to a round of cheers by the sold out crowd and then came back for one encore and called it a night. This pops stuff, I’ll tell ya’, the Swedes have a lock on it and tonight was further proof.
1.28.11
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Chamberlin
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
An evening of, oh I’ll just say it, hippie rock, here in Stumptown (no lack of hippies here). Chamerblin apparently hail from the furthest reaches of Vermont, out in the woods and practice in a remote log cabin (and even if they don’t it makes a good story, right?) and their publicist assured me they were good (I had not heard a note of their music) and they were. Seemingly taking the same cues from The Band as Dawes does they weaved a similar rootsy feel and played a thoroughly pleasant set. The percussionist/ keyboardist added extra meat to the proceedings and I wish for the life of me I knew what Kinks cover that was.
G.P.N. hit stage stage a little after their 10:15 PM starting time and did a big build-up intro with Grace popping out dancing in his glittery dress cut off just above the knee. The band are real pros (even if they do resemble rejects from the Doobie Brothers) but Grace’s head wagging, stage dancing and shouts of “Are you having a good time tonight, Portland?!” got old pretty quickly. I only hung for a handful of tunes but I believe I heard “Oasis” , “Medicine” and others off her latest self-titled released and as I was walking out the door they had just launched into the reggae-tinged “Goodbye Kiss.” Potter’s vocal’s, while not really my thing, do have an impressive range and her bluesy wail has inspired comparisons to both Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt in countless reviews and it’s probably fair to say that I was the only one in the sold-out club to leave early.
12.30.10
The Dwarves, ZEKE & P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S
Dante's, Portland, OR
Nice evening of hi-octane rock and roll and opening up things were Portland’s own P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. who were a 5-piece with a twin-guitar attack and a smart-ass singer. They played a short set and reminded me a bit of the New Bomb Turks. Good stuff. I had heard lots about Seattle’s Zeke over the years and they too had a twin-guitars in your face (a foursome as the singer also played geetar) and while they were good at what they did it was not totally my thing. Sorta like a mumbly D.R.I. though not quite that fast. Still the crowd loved ‘em and the highlights were when the bass player fell over backwards on stage and then, at the end walked off the stage as his amp fizzled out. I’m guessing he got yelled at backstage.
Not sure how long it’s been since I’d last seen San Francisco miscreants The Dwarves but it was in this past decade (they opened up for someone at Roseland 5 or 6 years ago). Other than vocalist Blag I’m not even sure who is in the band anymore . Still, they ran through a 35 minute or so set including plenty of hits (“Back Seat of My Car”, “Fuck You Up and Get High”, “Drug Store”, etc.) and Blag is still the supreme entertainer (he makes the best faces), slinking across the stage. If I’m not mistaken I think that was Queens of the Stone Ages Nick Oliveri on vocals for part of the set (?). They don’t do the whiz-bang , crazed, depraved 15 minute sets anymore but they’re still plenty of fun.
12.17.10
John Grant
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Grant was the leader of defunct Colorado dream pop band The Czars who apparently broke up a few years back before all of the members killed each other outta pure hatred. He played with Midlake for a bit then record the full-length QUEEN OF DENMARK (Bella Union) which was released earlier this year and has made many top 10’s list. He’s touring for that record but did not have Midlake with him, instead i it was him and a pal named Casey. About half the songs Casey would play piano while Grant, who has a terrific deep baritone voice, would sing and then fiddle with some weird synths. Other tunes Grant would play piano while Casey played guitar and occasionally sang backup and Midlake or not, these two made it work perfectly. He opened with a new one called “There’s No Cunt in Team” (“Dedicated to my dad’s ex-wife, my step-mother”) which just the song title got lots of laughs (whomever said Grant has a dark, cynical sense of humor was right) but he also talked about how happy he was to be in Portland (his first time) and how he loved the Doug Fir milkshakes (“You can’t get a good milkshake in New York”). Tunes from the record like “Where Dreams go to Die”, “Marz”, “It’s Easier”, “Sigourney Weaver” (my fave) and “TC and Honeybear” all sounded lovely and he even played a few Czars tunes at the end as well. I was glad I made it out on this cold December evening to see Grant, a true underrated talent if ever there was one.
12.02.10
Barbara Manning, Michael Hurley and Flash Flood & The Dikes
Slabtown, Portland, OR
Openers Flash Flood& the Dikes are originally from Chico, CA (and friends of Barbara) now transplanted here. They played a nice rousing set of country inflected tunes all with smiles. Having a good time on stage is important. I had never before seen legendary Michael Hurley but there he was with an electric guitar slung over his shoulder and a bassist too. Hurley is a 70 year old folk legend (originally part of the East Village folk scene) who has recently recorded for the Gnomonsong label (and with Ida). He played a real low key set of originals. I expected him to be a real chatterbox in between songs, but he didn’t chat much at all.
I had not seen Ms. Manning on stage for over a decade (after seeing her many times back in the 90’s). She was solo with an electric guitar. She opened with the old World of Pooh song (that she re-recorded herself later) “Someone Wants You Dead” and was real nervous. Her stage banter is one of a kind and when she asked if there were any requests I yelled out for (the old Forced Exposure 7”) “Haze is Free (Mounting a Broken Ladder)”. She began playing it, but then got frustrated and stopped (she also had to have someone tune her guitar for her a couple of times, the 2nd time heading off to the bathroom to calm her nerves). She came back and powered through a set of Barbara tunes like “Breathe Lies” and I think “Lock Yer Room (uptight).” Barbara really is a terrific songwriter, really one of a kind and it’s great to have her back in action. Here’s to hoping she makes her way up to the Pac NW at least a few times in 2011.
11.19.10
Dawes and The Moondoggies
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
First time I had ever seen Seattle’s Moondoggies and while I like their first record ok enough the latest one, TIDELANDS is a standout. The band is four dudes who seem to like the whole beards, flannels, trucker caps look (ok, re: the cap, only the bass player) and they played a short (30 minutes?) but captivating set. Song titles? Couldn’t tell you but I definitely heard a few gems off their latest record and the singer/guitarist dude and keyboardist harmonized quite nicely. Don’t miss ‘em.
OK, this is either the 4th or 5th time I’ve seen Dawes this year (first time was I believe back in March at Mississippi Studios) and not sure how, but they keep getting BETTER. Wait, I know how….doing it the old-fashioned way with lots of touring and writing really great songs. Leader Taylor Goldsmith said they had recorded their new record last month and they played a good 5 or 6 tunes off it, the best being “Fire Away” (“About a friend going through a shitty time” said Taylor). In addition to the usual influences like The Band and CSN I am also hearing Springsteen and even Zevon these days in their tunes and The Boss isn’t such an odd reference as Taylor Goldsmith injects plenty of religious fervor into the tunes. Also, while these guys aren’t playing stadiums (not yet, anyway) their fan base is growing and growing (packing the Doug Fir on this night) and the songs off the debut that I’ve heard so many times, like opener “My Girl To Me”, “That Western Skyline”, “When My Times Comes” (where the whole crowd was singing along) and “Go Rest My Soul” never fail to sound like anything but well-worn classics. What a GREAT band.
11.16.10
Tennis
Holocene, Portland, OR
I wanted to get their early on this rainy evening and catch at least part of Portland band the Rainy Sates but it was not to be. They must have only played a half hour or so.
Tennis came on at 10:30 PM sharp and too only played a half hour (fine with me on a work night) but they played an engaging set of pop songs. The band is basically a husband and wife duo from Denver (sorry, can’t remember names) and they pulled along a drummer. She plays keyboards and sings while he dances and plays guitar (and they both look very preppy, in fact his name might be Biff). The songs were fun and hooky, reminded me a bit of t The Rosebuds and all seemed to be about the trip they took sailing around the world. I think they have a full-length coming out soon which I am looking forward to and on their merch table they had two 7”s for sale ($7 each so I guess what they lack in business acumen they make up for in charisma).
11.6.10
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Glasser and Weekend
Holocene, Portland, OR
That forthcoming Weekend cd (Slumberland) has been growing on me with each play so I was anxious to see a live set from this San Francisco trio and they did not disappoint. In the live setting more melody comes through and I like the way that bassist/vocalist Shawn Durkan wails/howls while guitarist Kevin Johnson cranks up the drill bit and Taylor Valentino is hammering the point home. Good stuff.
Glasser is three dudes dressed up in matching mechanics outfits while the hippy vocalist had red robes, beads and …well, speaking of a howl. It reminded me of Phish meets Devo and was not my thing at all.
Pains came out and did the set they have probably been playing for a few years now which includes all of the songs off the Slumberland debut as well as some new ones (which sounded nice). The extra guitarist helps and vocalist/guitarist Kip Berman rocked out more than usual. “Come Saturday”, “Young Adult Friction’ and “This Love is Fucking Right” all sounded terrific and Kip came out by himself to play the first encore, “Contender’ which he said was inspired by Portland’s own Exploding Hearts (rip). Can’t wait for the next record.
10.28.10
Best Coast and Sonny & The Sunsets
Holocene, Portland, OR
Sonny & the Sunsets arrived late and thus got on stage late but they played a respectfully short set. The bits of the record I have heard sounded ok but live it’s brought to life. They remind me a a rockin’ 60’a r & b combo with Sonny cranking out slap happy riffs (the guy is a whiz) and the gal up front adding her vocals, tambourines, maracas, etc. The rhythm section seemed loose and in the groove too. Fun.
I missed the past few Best Coast jaunts through Portland but I was not gonna miss this one even with the plethora of other gigs happening on the same night around the city (Allo Darlin’, Deerhunter, Joe Pug, etc.) Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno both play guitar but only Bethany sings and they have the ex-Vivian Girls drummer Ali on drums and they did not disappoint. They played all of the hits off of the record (“Crazy for You”, “Boyfriend”, “Happy” ,”Summer Mood”, etc.) . They tunes sounded appropriately reverby and Bethany’s voice added the perfect amount of longing to these girl group inspired songs. My only complaint is that I wish Bobb or Ali was singing some backing vocals but otherwise, spot on. They played “Each and Everyday” as the encore and called it a night. I wanna see ‘em again, already!
10.24.10
The Vaselines and Dum Dum Girls
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Had only caught a small bit of a Dum Dum Girls set in the summer during an outside concert when it was raining so the conditions were lousy and I was ready to see them tonight .They did not disappoint. Coming out like a well-dressed female Ramones these four, including leader Dee Dee, had look serious look of women scorned down pat. Taking their rock seriously they proceeded to play a short set (fine by me) of cool fuzzed-out surfy noise pop. They opened up with their cover of the ‘Stones “Play with Fire”, and then proceeded to play everything (or close to it) off their excellent Sub Pop debut, I WILL BE. The slammin’ drummer, with the very small drum kit, rocked my socks off.
This would be the 3rd time I caught the Vaselines, coming back to the states hot on the heels of their terrific new record SEX WITH AN X (also on Sub Pop). This time they did not have the Belle & Sebastian guys in town (last time they had Stevie and Bobby) but the guys they had were fine. Opening with “Oliver Twisted” and pulling out other Vaselines classics like “The Day I Was a Horse”, “Molly Lips” (Jack Lewis on horn), “Monsterpussy”, “Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam” , “Rory Rides Me Raw” and more and as well as new ones like the title track from the record , “The Devil’s Inside Me”, “Such a Fool”, and their Lee and Nancy tribute, “Turning It On.” Frances and Eugene were in fine form (especially the former, as always, ripping on Eugene all night) asking the crowd if anyone had had an affair (crowd went silent). All in an evening’s work for the mighty Vaselines.
10.19.10
Belle & Sebastian and Typhoon
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR
It had been 4 long years since B & S were last year, seemed like an eternity and they’d graduated to the Schnitz (the last time they played Roseland). Local openers Typhoon were very B & S influenced and quote good too. They had about 10 people on stage and lots of orchestration. The singer seemed a bit dark, maybe taking inspiration from The Tindersticks too (Nick Cave as well?). Still, well worth checking out.
I like to think of myself as the world’s biggest Belle and Sebastian fan and while I know that is not true I have loved this band since I first heard …SINISTER when it came out so I am very critical of the band. Their last record, 2006’s THE LIFE PURSUIT was their first one I didn’t love and the new one is better but not great. Still, for their first Portland show in 4 years they pulled out all of the stops and were flat out GREAT. They opened with a superb version of “Stars of Track and Field” and then right into “Dirty Dream Number Two” The string section sounded perfect as did trumpeter Mick Cookie. Leader Stuart Murdoch was in a playful mood all night and is quite a showman too (as well all knew) , dancing, giving us some Oregon history, messing with guitarist Stevie Jackson and seemingly having a great time. What else did they play, you ask? “Sleep the Clock Around”, “The Boy with the Arab Strap”, “Mayfly”, “I’m Waking up to Us”, “Piazza, NY Catcher”, “If You Find Yourself Caught in Love”, and plenty more. Even the songs on their recent records that I was only so-so on (“I Didn’t See it Coming”, “Sukie in the Graveyard”, etc.) really came to life live. That is what a great band can do. They came out for two encores (“Another Sunny Day” and “Legal Man”) and called it an evening. What a night!
10.15.10
Superchunk, Teenage Fanclub & Telekinesis
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Superb triple bill of Merge Records bands on this cool October evening at the Wonder. Didn’t make it until the end, unfortunately, for Seattle’s Telekinesis but had caught them before and lucky for me they saved their two best songs for last, “Tokyo” and “Coast of Carolina.” Leader Michael Lerner is one of the best singing drummers out there and they hammered their point home (at least what I saw).
In all my years of show going I had never see Scotland’s Teenage Fanclub before even though I have been a fan since their 1990 debut, A CATHOLIC EDUCATION. Well, I’m happy to report they did not disappoint. Other than drummer Brendan O’Hare it’s the same guys and this was basically a greatest hits set so for my benefit they played “The Concept”, “Star Sign”, “Sparky’s Dream” as well as some terrific new ones of their latest record (SHADOWS) like “Baby Lee” and “When I Still Have Thee.” And yes, we were treated to a stellar version of “Everything Flows.” These guys are true pros and a class act all the way around and I’m happy I was finally able to catch them.
Speaking of old pros, Superchunk hit the stage about 11:20 PM and like their Scottish brethren, did not disappoint either. In fact they were pretty amazing. Hit after hit played with precision, energy and pure fun. They still bounce and smile and is it me or does leader Mac McCaughan simply not age?! I didn’t hang ‘til the bitter end (had been up since 4:30 AM) so I probably missed “Slack Motherfucker” but we did hear “Shallow End”, “On the Mouth”, “Precision Auto”, “Hyper Enough”, “Driveway to Driveway”, “Mower”, “Like a Fool” and plenty more. Seriously, Superchunk is yet another band of long timers who I think sound BETTER than they did in the old days. Believe it.
10.5.10
The Clean & Quasi
Holocene, Portland, OR
It seems like New Zealand’s Clean tours about once a decade so when they come to town you’d better make darn sure you don’t have other plans. The last time I caught them was about a decade ago in Sam Francisco at Bottom of the Hill (on 9/21/01) . It was a packed house (Holocene was probably too small a venue for this gig) and Quasi played 2nd and while I have never been a big fan of their tweaked power rock I do respect them for what they do. They now have a bassist in Jick Joanna Bolme but the treat here is watching amazing drummer Janet Weiss slam the skins and Sam Coomes is an interesting string bender. I liked part of this set (a first for me for this band)
The Clean hit the stage a little after 11 pm with David wearing a red headband (and later, the shades) while Hamish chatted up the crowd and Bob was the quiet one. When you’ve been playing together for three decades as these guys have and are so in sync with each other’s next move (like these guys) it all comes off as so effortless. Speaking of amazing string benders, David Kilgour is among the best while Hamish and Bob are the rhythm section who are at once solid/steady but loose/playful as well. It was a veritable best of on this night as we were treated to stellar versions of “Billy Two”, “Anything Can Happen” , “At the Bottom”, “Some One” as well as new ones like “In a Dream Life U Need a Rubber Soul” and plenty more (but no “Tally Ho!”…aw well, next time). What a night.
9.30.10
The Futureheads
Doug Fir, Portland, OR
I have to go on record saying The Futureheads are hands-down one of the very best live bands. Incredible! Unfortunately only the 50 or so people at the Doug Fir last night got to experience that. Where was everyone? Typical Portland... I guess the hype around the band has diminished some or maybe modern UK post-punk bands just aren't getting the love they used to get in the days of the 2004 renaissance. I must admit I even fall into that category a bit. I haven't listened to much of "The Chaos", the band's 4th album, except for maybe the singles. Still, I was convinced this would be an incredible show. I remember their very first US tour opening for Franz Ferdinand across the street from my apartment in San Francisco. They were in the parking lot passing a soccer ball around during the day and I was too shy to join in. There's something about these guys that is dead honest -- from their personalities to their music. So back to the show... I explained to my wife Laura that even though it's going to be a late night for our 30+ year old bodies, on top of it being a work night, it's all going to be worth it... and it was! They just owned the stage. I guess I'm a sucker for bands where all the members sing, write incredible melodies, and have really good vocal harmonies. Laura loved it as well and she has a habit of being very picky. Their cover of Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love" never disappoints and I always enjoy their school boy stage banter. Sunderland are lucky to have The Futureheads and we should never take them for granted. The next time they come across the ocean, be sure to make every effort to see them. ED MAZZUCCO
9.25.10
Local Natives & The Love Language
Wonderland Ballroom, Portland, OR
Was real jazzed to see recent Merge Records signees The Love Language on stage. Their sophomore effort, LIBRARIES, is an excellent, filled with the kind of swooning pop songs that almost makes you wonder if they’re American (they are). Leader Stuart McLamb assembled a fine batch of mates (the drummer was a total maniac) and surprisingly, they rocked out. Some of the subtleties of the records are lost as the band bashes away but I still enjoyed it and was glad to hear faves like “Brittany’s Back” and “Horophones.” The all-over-the-place girl keyboardist was fun to watch too.
Didn’t know much , or anything really, about Local Natives ‘cept that they’re from L.A. (Silverlake, of course) and have a nice little buzz (band) thing going. On stage the 5 of them harmonized the crap out of these songs (in the best way possible) with some afrobeat backing and some nice melodies. They reminded me a bit of Grizzly Bear but that’s ok, they had plenty of energy and while I didn’t love it all (at times a bit too jam band for me) I still like it enough. We got to hear their Talking Heads cover (“Warning Sign”) as well as their single (“Sun Hands”) and plenty more. Well worth a visit.
9.24.10
The Melvins
Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
Upon arriving at the Roseland at about 10 PM I noticed the usual Melvins fans smoking outside the club. You know who I'm talking about, Mr. Bungle T-shirts, camoflouge shorts, greasy shoulder length hair. God, how I love The Melvins. The show opened with some of the songs from the new album, which in my opinion is lackluster at best. Though in all fairness, The Melvins are one of the few bands that in my opinion always sound better in person. All in all a relatively quiet night with an almost subdued crowd. If this show is coming off as lukewarm, I assure you it was not. There were highlights that could take your breath away. "Civilized Worm" will always sound great and I hope it remains a live staple for years to come. Of course "Night Goat" was played and was great as usual, but the real surprise, the real gem of the night was "Sacrifice". It was the first time I'd heard that live and it knocked my socks off. In short, a great time with one of the tried and true best bands in the world. I just wish the people would get into it. Less weed, more cocaine, Assholes. KIP KELGARD
9.13.10
Seaside Stars
The Music House, Beloit, WI
When I contacted Jack Katze from The Music House (http://www.myspace.com/heymusichouselisten) to confirm about one of my favorite beach pop bands from Germany coming to America for the first time ever, well, I just had to drop everything and welcome them! Their last release was in 2006, The Stranded Whale, a superb follow up to the 2001 debut, The Magic of Stereo. Hans said they were working on a new album and half of their live set would be new material. New tracks “Hey Boy,” “Do It Again,” and my new favorite, “Turn Out the Lights” (a harder-edged guitar pop gem) didn’t disappoint. New members, Gregor on drums and Michael on rhythm guitar/omnichord (an electronic harpsichord), gave their live sound a punch and a flair needed to take their jangly pop to a higher level. Beginning at 11:35 and with a midnight noise ordinance curfew looming, founding members Hans on lead guitar and Andi on bass took turns trading off lead vocals as Seaside Stars carried on until 12:35. With high decibels of Teenage Fanclub/Popsicle inspired power pop, the crowd was dancing up a storm in of all things, the living room! Of course, they played “Good Timing,” “The Stranded Whale,” “What You’re Waiting for” (with its Beach Boys-esque harmonies added by Gregor), and “Summer Holiday.” The crowd and I really enjoyed them. I was hoping for a live rendition of “Darlin,” but what can I say? I was so blown away with their live sound that all I can do is hope for the next time. ERIC “e6gMan” EGGLESON
9.14.10
Chris Brokaw
The Woods, Portland, OR
Had found out about this gig only a day or so before it happened but I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to see Chris Brokaw who, in addition to being in a few of my favorite bands both past and present (Codeine, Come, The New Year) has some terrific solo records out as well including a new one with Geoff Farina (THE ANGELS MESSAGE TO ME on Capitan Records). I wasn’t able to get down there for the 9 PM start time to see opener Rebecca Gates who I have liked since back in her Spinanes days. I’m bummed as I have not seen her perform solo and would really like to (is she living back in Portland these days).
Brokaw came on just before 10 PM to an intimate crowd armed with only an acoustic guitar and proceeded to play a low-key set of some beautifully inspired songs. Among them was a few new ones (“Danny Boracho”, “Criminals”) a few from his previous release, INCREDIBLE LOVE (“X’s for Eyes” and “Blues for the Moon”) and one from said record with Farina (“Stagger Lee) as far as the ones I could recognize. I’ve always liked Brokaw’s guitar playing and tonight was no exception (great guitar tones) and if he comes to your town please make room in your schedule to see him.
9.3.10
Pavement and Quasi
McMenamin's Edgefield, Troutdale, OR
Hey, when Matt “Cool Beans” Kelly comes to town there is only one thing to, do, go see Pavement! I think the last time I saw them was in San Francisco in the mid-90’s and don’t have fond memories of those sloppy shows. Anywho, we missed Quasi who went on stage at 6:30 pm. After doing the work/daycare thing it was too hard to get out there at that time (I’m not a huge Quasi fan either but I would have liked to have caught a few songs). Anyway, our heroes went on at 7:30 PM sharp and played a veritable cornucopia of their hits. Stephen Malkmus seemed in good spirits, joking with the crowd about being at Edgefield that “You all finally made it here. I knew you’d do it. I was here once before for a wedding.” They opened with “Gold Soundz” which sounded great and for the next two hours played both a bevy of hits (mostly in the first hour) and some jammier stuff (2nd hour). We also heard “Silence Kit”, “Frontwards”, “Stereo”, “Stop Breathin’”, “Cut Your Hair”, “Date w/ IKEA”, “Box Elder”, “Debris Slide”, and plenty more. The band, though looking a bit tired (they’ve been on a world tour for a few months) , sounded really good and I was more than satisfied. We began heading for the exits just before the encore (didn’t want to get trapped in that parking lot for an hour while exiting) and in the walk we did hear “Range Life” which sounded great. Come back soon.
8.18.10
Lord Howler
Bar Pink Elephant, San Diego, CA
On paper it sounds tired; hopelessly out of date: A quartet that can’t decide between Black Sabbath, Motorhead or Deep Purple, so it throws elements from all three into nearly every tune? And it certainly doesn’t seem a fit for the plebeian apex of increasingly, self-consciously hip North Park, where it’s okay to like Garage Rock and Noise Pop; indeed, “Pop” with an exhaustive stream of adjectives tacked fore or aft. But everyone likes a birthday, right? So people who haven’t come for Howler, or who are curious about how the Metal half lives, or who expect to poke fun, join in when a friend of the band asks for a round of the HB song. Then birthday boy Jake Najor cocks his head, curling his mouth in a classic grimace before throwing his sticks behind Charlie M. and Mike Ohio’s blistering riffs, which sound like “Misty Mountain Hop” strained through a meat grinder by “Fast” Eddie Clark. From there, the growing throng seems increasingly persuaded that it’s been missing out on something essential. It doesn’t hurt that the guy in the Motorhead tee keeps running in from the pool room and using his cue for air guitar. Or that a very hefty guy gallops back and forth with the pounding assaults and retreats of “Black Fuel” before jumping onstage, then diving into an invisible moshpit… before tearing his shirt off, then running toward the john. Sure, there are a few sneers, but the band’s Hard-Rock-is-fun approach has hooked the majority. “Her Black Dress” undulates so appealingly before pounding the resolving chords home, the band doesn’t really need the Sabbath cover it throws in near the end. Charlie already howls enough like a pre-wreckage Ozzy. MARY LEARY
8.14.10
Wavves
Berbati's, Portland, OR
I could have done without the opening dj (Revered Shines) but luckily we got there late enough to miss most of him. Wavves came on about 20 minutes late but no worries as they were playing before The Cool Kids (not sure why but I wasn’t gonna argue). Leader Nathan Williams (aka- Wavves) came out with his requisite baseball cap (that fell off every song as he would put it on again only to shake it off with his head wagging) and apparently he has Jay Reatard’s (rip) old rhythm section and those guys are smokin’. The bassist has a mop of hair like a young(er) Buzz Osbourne while the drummer looked like a bespectacled , bleached-out Jack Black and Williams? Oh he occasionally came off like tool and managed to say some pretty goofy stuff (including “I’ve dealt with triflin’ bitches before!” to the gal who told them to get off the stage) but he gets a pass for being young. I haven’t heard anything other than the latest record and they played all of it or at least most of it. They happily bashed out songs like “King of the Beach”, “Green Eyes”, “Post Acid”, “Super Soaker” and plenty of others and it sounded really good. The record has some subtleties but live that was all put aside of some reckless punk energy (now I see where those Green Day comparisons come in ) and this show upped my feeling of the new record which I was only lukewarm on before this gig.
8.07.10
The Scorpions and Dokken
Clark County Ampitheatre in Ridgefield, WA
Nice night for a concert, the venue is an partly outdoor one (an opened dome) and the weather cooperated (ie: no rain) on this fairly cool evening (low-70’s) though traffic getting out of this place was horrid. These two bands toured together in the mid-80’s and probably have since then as well. Dokken went on a 8 PM sharp and got the hirsute crowd into it immediately by playing many of their hits. Not that I can tell you what any of them were since I wasn’t a huge Dokken fan but hey, they sounded good and vocalist Don Dokken’s pipes still sound fine.
Hard to believe that Germany’s Scorpions have been around since the mid-60’s but there you have it. This was basically a greatest hits set and out came “Girl”, “Winds of Change”, “No One Like You” and plenty of others. Vocalist Klaus Meine can still wail while guitarist Matthias Jabs and Rudolph Schenker wielded their axes quite handidly (Schenker is the only original member since 1965 while Meine has been around since 1970) and the band sounded in perfect form. Of course the one encore was, you guessed it, “Rock You Like a Hurricane.” What fun night! TAMMIE HINELY
7.30.10
Phosphorescent and J. Tillman
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
J. Tillman is one of the guys in Fleet Foxes and I could tell what he was gonna look like before I even saw him. Flannel shirt, long hair, beard, sitting down on a chair strumming an acoustic guitar with a mellow demeanor, etc. He was friendly and chatted up the crowd in between songs, even said he got a tasty sandwich at Bunk Sandwiches (still have not gone there but have heard it’s overrated). He played quite a few new tunes (the only reasons I knew is because he said “Here’s another new one.”). The songs get by mostly on the strength of his voice and his lyrics (his guitar playing was nothing special) and while not blown away or anything it was certainly a pleasant set.
Hard to believe Phosphorescent even made it what with their gear (heck the whole van) being stolen like 2 weeks before but they got it all back and came to Portland to entertain us (me specifically) . They started the set with several songs off of their latest HERE’S TO TAKING IT EASY and I liked it best when leader Mathew Houck would stop strumming his guitar to point at different points in the room. The lead guitarist looked stoned sideways but he and the rest of the band laid down a real, real righteous groove (pedal steel always gets me). My favorite being the opener “It’s Hard to be Humble (When you’re from Alabama)” and “We’ll Be Here Soon.” A real good time, yup, real good.
7.23.10
Beach Fossils and The Whitsundays
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
There was no opening band listed in the ad so it was a pleasant surprise to see Canada’s Whitsundays on the bill as openers. Not enough folks were there to check them out but that was ok, they played lit it was a crowd of 5000. They have a nice nimble pop sound that occasionally gets darker (and on some occasions, into slightly cheesy lounge music). The harmonies sounded nice and the Carl Newman lookalike was a talent, playing many different instruments (all at the same time).
Brooklyn’s Beach Fossils is basically one guy on record (Dustin Payseur) but he got a live band together and took it on the road. I guess the guitarist on this part of the tour was a fill-in as their regular guitarist quit mid-tour (re: the new guitarist, Dustin said “We taught him the guitar parts in the van. He’s a quick learner”) but you couldn’t tell as his guitar tone was perfect and the band whipped through a terrific 30 minute set. The stand-up drummer had a snare and a floor tom (no cymbals) while Dustin himself looks like he woulda been lead actors in PRETTY IN PINK with his foppy, new wave hairstyle and dress. The band danced around on stage and pumped some seriously good energy into the songs that were really good to begin with (guitar parts were very Felt-like) while the packed-house crowd enjoyed every minute of it (me too). Seriously, I was not expecting to be this blown away but I was (SIDE NOTE: 2 of the band members were wearing lady Gaga t-shirts).
7.20.10
The Soft Tags and The Secret History
The Woods, Portland, OR
It had been years since I’d seen My Favorite so it was nice that their new band (The Secret History is basically My Favorite minus Andrea and with 2 female vocalists, one, Lisa Ronson, who is Mick’s daughter) hit the left coast and they did not disappoint. They played a nice array of tunes off their latest record (THE WORLD THAT NEVER WAS on Le Grand Magistery) and keyboardist/vocalist Michael Grace was quit theatrical (with a painted teardrop on) and funny too (he said he wore his flowered shirt to “Bring life to the funeral home” as venue The Woods is a former funeral parlor). They all had good energy on stage and the harmonies sounded sweet. I dig the record and tunes like “Johnny Anorak” and “God Save the Runaways” sounded as good as expected on stage,.
Had never heard Portland’s Soft Tags before and I wasn’t even going to stick around for them but I’m glad I did as they were excellent. Three guitarists (one who sang) , a bassist playing with a bow and a shirtless drummer and they displayed some serious musical prowess, reminding me and Ed a bit of British Sea Power (with hint of The House of Love). Need to look for some records and put ‘em on the calendar to check out again.
7.01.10
Old 97's
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Does this band ever put on a bad show? I think not. I’ve been catching them live since the late 90’s and they never fail to impress. I thought it odd that they were touring now with no new record out but front man Rhett Miller said they’d have a new one in a matter of months and they did play one song from said upcoming record (one called “Champaign, Illinois” , sung to the tune of Dylan’s “Desolation Row” in which, according to Miller, they had to get permission from Dylan, which they did!). Otherwise, this was a greatest hits set , the kind of sloppy yet inspired fun that their fans (like me) love and could hear every week for the rest of my life. Basically it was the kind of set that these 4 guys (same lineup since the beginning in 1993) could do in their sleep. We heard “Melt Show” , “Rollerskate Skinny”, “Won’t Be Home”, “Barrier Reef”, “Dance with Me”, “Lonely Holiday”, and plenty more. Wanted to hang ‘til the bitter end but it was late and my bed was calling me so I split after about an hour plus. Would have loved to hear my two favorite Murry Hammond (bassist) tunes, “Valentine” and “Up the Devil’s Pay” but still, I was plenty satisfied. These guys are one of America’s true treasures, appreciate ‘em while we still have ‘em
06.25.10
Josh Ritter and Dawes
Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
First off, a big thank you to Dawes tour manager Jake. There was a guest list mix up on this sold out show and we were nearly ass out until Jake came through. THANK YOU! Dawes went on stage by 8:15 PM and they once again put on another inspired set. It had only been a month since I caught them in Bend (with She & Him and Band of Horses) but you can never catch too many sets by this fine, fine band. On this night they played 3 new songs, two of the ones they did in Bend (opening with the one where the drummer sings) and then launching into another fine new one (something with “Los Angeles” in the lyrics/title). The band, especially vocalist/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith, seemed in especially good spirits and the harmonies sounded exquisite. “That Western Skyline”, “Bedside Manner’ and the set ending “When My Time Comes’ all sounded terrific. If I could pick out anything that was on the downside it was maybe the bass being a bit too loud in the mix but otherwise, another fine Dawes set.
I have one of Josh Ritter’s early records that I thought was ok (GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO) but man, live this guy is a just a cheeseball. From the cheesy vested-suit to the non-stop smiling throughout the set to the spin moves to the, well, ….boring material. What a snoozer. We hung for 4 songs (the final one being “Right Moves” my favorite song by him, an even that sounded lame) and then ran out the door. Never again.
06.23.10
Lou Barlow & The Missing Men
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Always good to see indie rocker lifer Lou B. and his gang in town. It had been a few years since I’d seen him solo (though I never miss Dino Jr. when they come to town). He started off with some solo, acoustic songs launching into great versions of “The Freed Pig” and “Skull” and then brining out the Missingmen (Tom Watson on guitar (ex-Slovenly) and Raul Morales on drums) and play some more wigged-out stuff The band sounds good, Tom is a great guitarist and Raul is no slouch either (and Lou, of course). They played some cuts off his latest solo records, EMOH and GOODNIGHT UNKNOWN (mostly the latter) and someone described it as “shambly” and hey, that fits. Didn’t hang ‘til the very end (it had been a looooong day) but I heard he played more solo acoustic (Sebadoh) material at the end. Always the friendliest guy in the room and willing to banter with the crowd, a Lou Barlow gig is a sure bet in today’s shakey economy (and I wonder if he DID play The Frantix “My Dad’s a Fuckin’ Alcoholic” like he said he would???).
06.09.10
The Mantles, Art Museums & Eat Skull
Holocene, Portland, OR
Woods , who I like a lot, headlined this bill but 4 bands on a Wednesday night are too much for this geezer so I had to split after the Mantles (about 11:45 PM). I had not seen openers Eat Skull for at least a year and their sound has changed considerably. Bassist Scott Simmon is no longer in the band and it looks like they added some members and had a more freaky acoustic sound (think Strapping Fieldhands) than the noisy mess the last time I saw them, I like the new, uh, “direction” but I hear they’re moving to San Francisco soon so who knows what’s next for the band. Had not heard of heard of Art Museums but I liked what I heard (shirt set too, always a plus). I think their stand-up drummer was also the drummer for The Mantles too. They had a unique sound with electronic drums (one of those drum pad things) and were a bit Television Personalities-ish mixed with some cock-eyed new wave. I liked it a lot. This was my first time seeing The Mantles and they did not disappoint. The rhythm section of Matt and Virginia held down the fort tightly (Matt is a damn good bassist) while the Dazed and Confused brothers on guitars mangled their instruments into a beautiful, loving mess. They mix lots of styles but I mostly hear 60’s garage in their sound. They do some truly interesting things with it and write great songs too.
05.30.10
She & Him and Dawes
Holocene, Portland, OR
My first time at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre and while it is a nice venue, no outdoor venue is nice in the rain. Yup, Oregon in late May is …..still dicey and no overhead covering anywhere to be found. It was a solid drizzle while the mighty Dawes were on stage. They only had a half hour to play but tore through a set of tunes on their fabulous NORTH HILLS record and even a few new ones (one that the young drummer sang). Good stuff…catch them if they come to your town. They do NOT disappoint.
Before She & Him came on it was pouring for a good 15 minutes (and we were soaked) or so but by the time they came out it had slowed to a trickle. Zooey Deschanel greeted the wet crowd warmly and M. Ward didn’t say a whole lot but pulled out his guitar licks with style. Also, I do believe on acoustic guitar and backing vocals that was Portlander Mike Coykendall doing his thing (a good addition to any band…they also had 2 younger blonde gals on backing vocals and some percussion as well). We heard lots of choice material off the two She & Him records and they were a lot more loose and fun than I thought they’d be (by about mid-set though it began raining harder , again). At about 8 PM, while She & Him were nearing the end of their set, it was another 45 minutes or so before Band of Horses were to go on and we had a 90 minute drive back to the hotel so we opted to split and catch B.O.H. another time (I had already seen them 2x before). I heard their set was great and even included some fireworks off in the distance. That’s ok, by the time they were shooting off we were back at Kahneeta playing the nickel slots. A good time had by all (bring the umbrella next time).
05.11.10
Fucked Up
Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
True, it was a Tuesday night but come on, how can you miss Fucked Up when they come to town,. The answer is, you can’t. They all came out at 9:50 PM sharp (just as Kip and I walked in the door) and played a lovely acoustic set while sitting down on chairs and sipping tea. It was sooooo mellow. Ok, I can’t keep a straight face while typing that, F.U. did their usual 3-guitar antics and tore the place apart (bassist and drummer aren’t bad , either). Singer Pink Eyes took off his shirt but despite constant requests from the crowd to “Show some dick!”, he spared us all that. He did hop into the crowd and ran around, gave one kid an airplane spin, same to another kid, then did the bull running back toward the stage thing . Oh yeah, they played some songs too: “Son the Father”, “Crusades”, “Black Albino Bones” and plenty of others. Come back soon.
04.28.10
The Pony's w/ Disappears & Meth Teeth
Doug Fir, Portland, OR
I saw Disappears open for The Jesus Lizard on New Year's Eve in Chicago and was very pleasantly surprised. Having never heard them before, I was able to see and hear them for the first time without the band needing to live up to some preconceived idea of what they should look and sound like. I did not have that luxury this time around seeing them open for The Pony's. Fortunately, they were just as great in Portland as in Chicago. I regularly compare them to the Obits and while I have never heard anyone else use that correlation, no one has argued either. The Pony's are fronted by singer/guitarist Jered Gummere who, by the way, also fronts Disappears. You may remember The Pony's from their 2007 album Turn The Lights Out (Matador). They are back and they would love for you to buy their new EP Deathbed + 4(also Matador). After hearing the song "Check The Door" and the title track, you would be a fool not to purchase this when it is released on 12" vinyl May 25th. If you can't wait that long, a digital download is available now at the Matador site. The world needs The Pony's and it is good to have them back. With a little luck they will stay a while. KIP KELGARD
04.30.10
Javelin
Rotture, Portland, OR
The Brooklyn-based dance duo Javelin put on an amazing, fun-filled show at Rotture on April 30. Their music is incredibly catchy, and their live show did not disappoint. The danger of electronic music is that songs can tend to go on and on with no changes. What I loved about Javelin's set is that their songs were short and the set moved along at a good pace. There was some of the best electronic kit drumming I've ever seen, and while the vocals were somewhat washed out due to effects and the venue sound system, it didn't really matter because the songs are just that good. If you have a soft spot for electro-funk samples and can't wait any longer for a new album from The Go-Team, be sure to check out Javelin's album, No Mas, if only for the awesomely infectious "Oh Centra." LAURA WATLING
04.25.10
Camera Obscura & Princeton
Berbati's Pan, Portland, OR
5th trip here for Scottish posters Camera Obscura and I’ve seen all of the shows. First time for them at Berbati’s after once at Dante’s , once at Doug Fir and twice at the Wonder Ballroom. I really wanted to catch openers Princeton from L.A. I have enjoyed their latest record, COCOON OF LOVE (Kanine Records) and live, while not the most exciting band in the world, the songs from the record sounded good and the guitarist was pretty great (drummer too).
C.O. came out and jumped right into “French Navy”, “The Sweetest Thing” and “Honey in the Sun”, the three best off their latest record, MY MAUDLIN CAREER (4AD). Leader Traceyanne Campbell seems comfortable with the Portland crowd , joking and laughing a bit, while the rest of the band is low-key but that multi-instrumentalist (percussion, trumpet, etc) is a key to the band’s live sound. Good on ya’! As for older stuff we got to hear “Teenager”, “Keep it Clean” and, of course, I waited around to hear “Lloyd , I’m Ready to be Heartbroken” which of course sounded terrific. Didn’t make it ‘til the bitter end so I’m wondering what they played for encores. Anyone know?
04.22.10
The Wedding Present & Girl In A Coma
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Lots of excitement as David Gedge and company were touring for their 2nd record, BIZARRO (wonder if the band will ever tour for GEORGE BEST?). Got there in time to see the openers, San Antonio’s Girl in a Coma. Three gals, two of whom (singer/guitarist and drummer) are sisters and they are on Joan Jett’s label. Had not heard them before but they cranked out a nice mix of hard rock with some tasty hooks. They mixed the styles up nicely and I was glad I got there early enough to see them.
Gedge and company hit the stage at 10:30 pm and he mentioned how he has been sick for quite a while and apologized if his voice sounded crappy (sounded fine to me). Not sure who the (youngsters) on guitar and drums were but staple Terry DeCastro was on bass (she has been in the WP and even Cinerama , for at least a decade) and the band sounded terrific. Prior to ripping into BIZARRO they played about a half hour of both old and new material and we got to hear gems like “Everyone Thinks He Looks So Daft” and “Corduroy.” At 11:00 PM sharp BIZARRO began and it was great to hear old classics like “Brassneck”, “Kennedy’ (who Gedge mentioned as “This is a song about one of your presidents”), “No” and “Granadaland.” A solid 90 minutes and no enores. Mr Gedge, you and your band are welcome back to Portland anytime.
04.17.10
Record Store Day 2010
After the runaway success of RSD 2009, I was compelled to participate in
the'10 version. In the weeks and months leading up to April 17th, I had my
eye on several releases, namely Pavement, Sick Of It All, The Ramones, Sonic
Youth, The Dum Dum Girls/Male Bonding Split, Let's Wrestle/Love Language
split, Fucked Up, Rodriguez and others. These releases are very limited and
most have what would be described as "deluxe" packaging(the Rodriguez 7" and
the John Lennon 3x7" set come to mind). I was not able to get my hands on
the Pavement 2xLP or the Sick Of It All 7", but other than that my wish list
was filled. Started out the morning with my dear friend Lance waiting
outside the Everyday Music on NE Sandy Blvd. with a crowd of 12-15 people.
The hipster jackasses employed by Everyday Music will never cease to amaze
me. After inviting people to wait outside until 8 AM to peddle their wares,
the employees feigned shock and disbelief when the crowd actually came
inside once the doors were unlocked. Here's a novel idea: Have your shelves
stocked before you open at your advertised time. Staying up all night doing
blow and listening to the new Pheonix record is no excuse. On to a store
that actually gives a shit abut it's customers, Music Millenium. MM opened
at 9am and we were able to make the quick walk up to 32nd and Burnside with
time to spare. MM had their items clearly marked and placed strategically
around the store. Well done. The only lowlight of the MM trip was the guy in
sandals and a Phish shirt(I swear to God that this is the first and last
time I type the word "Phish") who was obviously waiting for the Dave
Matthews 7" or the Black Moth Super Rainbow record. A few more
complaints:#1: Who is pricing this shit? The Joy Division box set was a
staggering $250! $100 for the Magnetic Fields box was also absurd. I was
under the impression that this day was meant for the people to embrace
independent record stores, not to scowl and walk away in disgust. #2: If you
will allow your employees to set aside their RSD releases, it should be done
without smirking at the crowd waiting to get in the door 5 minutes before
opening. As a collector I understand setting these items aside to keep for
yourself, but as a professional, I balk at the slap across the face of your
dedicated customers. This offense also occured at Everyday Music. RSD was
and is a wonderful idea, not to mention a knockout success, I just wish our
dear merchants were a bit more responsible. See you next year.
KIP KELGARD
04.14.10
The Soft Pack
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Have been digging the new self-titled Soft Pack cd for a few weeks now and wondered if they could deliver on stage and they did. I was pretty sick (bad sore throat and general head cold) and wasn’t even going to head out but went anyway (along with my trusty accomplice, Kip Kelgard) and caught about a half hour of their set and these San Diego lads came to rock and rock they did. They opened the set with 3 of my favorite songs (“C’mon”, “Down on Loving” and “More or Less”) and played everything off the record. I know the singer and guitarist had played in The Muslims together but I want to give them some advice, do not piss off the rhythm section and make ‘em leave the band. They’re too damn good! Stand up drummer killed it and the nimble bassist brought a nice low-end rumble to the tunes. Singer/guitarist was good as was the lead guitarist but did he really have to grimace during every guitar lead? That aside these guys were more than worthy and if they come to your town , be there.
04.10.10
Beach House
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
According to BH’s Alex Scally this was their 6th time in Portland (he asked who was at the Towne Lounge gig, which I assumed to be their first ever Pdx gig) but it was my first time seeing the Baltimore, MD duo (trio tonight as they had a percussionist) and the show was sold out and packed to the gills. I didn’t like their last record and never heard the debut but really like the new one (TEEN DREAM on Sub Pop) so I was excited to see them on stage. Live they were a lot more chatty than I thought they’d be and they had all these glittery things hanging from the ceiling (sorta like oversized diamond-shaped disco balls) which added to the effect. Vocalist/keyboardist Victoria Legrand chatted up the crowd a bit and when not was hunched over her keyboard, rocking up and down while spewing forth her haunting lyrics with her Nico-esque howl and Scally picked out spidery guitar riffs. I only recognized tunes from the new record so I was glad I got hear favorites like “Silver Soul”, Zebra” and “Walk in the Park” and I will make it a point to catch them next time they come to town.
04.09.10
Miles Kurosky
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
I tried not to miss seeing Beulah , one of my favorites from back in the day, but they have been long gone so Beulah vocalist/guitarist/leader Kurosky made a triumphant return this year with a terrific new solo record and hey, a tour. Plus he lives here in Portland now so maybe some live gigs will be more frequent. I wanted to get there in time for openers Eux Autres but was not able to do it. Miles and company hit the stage at 11:30 pm and he has a talented new band, I didn’t recognize any of the old Beulah cats (not even sure if these guys are Portland musicians) but this band sounded as good, a nice mix of tightness and looseness (if that makes any sense). They played some cuts off the new record (THE DESERT OF SHALLOW EFFECTS) and by song four he launched into Beulah’s “Emma Blowgun’s Last Stand” which sounded a bit different (no horns but keyboards kinda took the place) but still enjoyable and I was hoping he’d do “Score from Augusta” (being Masters’ time and all) but no such luck. He did do one more Beulah song with the band (“Popular Mechanics for Lovers”). The band left the stage and Miles came back out just he and his electric guitar and played more Beulah tunes, a medley if you will (“Gene Autry”, “Silver Lining”, etc.) and left the stage, thanking the appreciative crowd. Miles was his usual jokey self, saying he was proud to call Portland “My new home”, introducing his wife in the crowd and , at one point, taking a kids phone and videotaping the band from the stage and saying how “There’s no more mystery in music anymore thanks to these things. Back in the day we could say how great we were the night before and no one would know, now it’s all over YouTube”). Welcome back Miles!
04.09.10
Surfer Blood & Turbo Fruits
Bar Pink, San Diego, CA
Re: Turbo Fruits, who like to portray bad-ass, rifle-totin’ Southern boys, the proof wasn’t really in the puddin’ -- one of the best things was a cover of Creedence’s “Bad Moon.” The worst? An overwrought mess of Manfred Mann’s “Shakin’ All Over,” which certainly showed some cahongas – in this case, mis-directed ones, as I’ve heard this delivered with more heat and precision by others, especially Washington, D.C.’s seminal rock/punk band, (the) Razz.
When it came to Surfer Blood, everybody was nodding their heads to the bounce and gazing at the ridiculously boyish bassist who could be a Cowsills grand-kid and the keyboardist/maraca-shaker who could impersonate Weird Al Yankovic – the band’s certainly visually arresting. A couple of drunken gals who’d wandered in for kicks kept peering around and smiling to make sure they weren’t obscuring my view (we were standing on the seats of our booths to see over the jam-up). Whether or not the band’s sick of these comparisons, the more roaring stuff (“Catholic Pagans,” the power-chord-ecstatic “Swim”) is clearly influenced by Pavement and Weezer, and—I’m not kidding—there were good vibes and gently pumping bodies that would segue nicely after the “Buddy Holly” video. With the blood that spilled during the more volatile Turbo Fruits set, and the disappointment of those who didn’t know original draw Best Coast had opted for a party in Upland, SB’s catharsis was welcome, especially to those who’d waited to catch another buzz after the band’s earlier M-Theory record store appearance.
A radio promoter climbed up next to me; concurring, “They’re going to break even bigger!” After another fine-tuning (the mix was one of the meatiest, most well-colored I’ve ever heard from a Pop/Rock band in a bar), when the band dove into the warmly irresistible “Harmonix,” it would have been foolish to avoid its aural opiates. Hey, these guys will only combine youth with ever-so-clever once – or maybe not: I’ll be curious to see if John Paul Pitts & Co. can come up with the Pinkerton follow-up most of us have despaired of ever getting, at least from Rivers. MARY LEARY
03.27.10
Slumberland 20th Anniversary Gig
The Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
Major hats off to Mike “Slumberland” Schulman for not only holding a label together for two decades (not the easiest thing to begin with) but releasing quality music for that whole time too. When my pals Ed, Laura and Janice said they were driving down to San Francisco for this gig I thought about it for , I dunno, maybe 15 seconds before giving a definite yes! Four of us crammed in Ed’s mini Cooper wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad either and what the car lacked in comfort the folks in it made up in great company.
Arrived at the Rickshaw Stop at 6 pm just as BRILLIANT COLORS were taking the stage,. I like their Slumberland debut and live they did not disappoint. Grinding out winning fuzzy pop to what might been the biggest crowd they have ever played for. The bassist had a painful wrist so they had to cut their set a bit short but it was ace. We needed dinner so we missed NEVEREVER (who I heard were just ok) and BROWN RECLUSE (who I’m truly bummed about missing but hey, we hadda eat). Next up was Boston’s PANTS YELL! Who were a lot more exciting in the live setting than I thought they’d be. Leader Andrew Churchman slings a mean axe while the rhythm section (w/ fill-in bassist) held down the fort quite nicely. Towards the end they did a Rocketship medley which included “Your New Boyfriend”. Nice! THE HOW was Stewart Boyracer on drums, Chuck Norris on bass and Matt Hartman (Henry’s Dress) on guitar and they are an ode to The Who (and did a Kink’s cover) and drilled it home for a good 25 minutes (ok, so all the bands played 25 minute sets). Matt looked sharp in his green button up while Stewie had a suit on. L.A. guy DEVON WILLIAMS came on next and while I had heard none of his music prior to this he and the band cranked out some nice jangly pop tunes and seemed to have a real relaxed, loose feel on stage. Will need to pick up his stuff (7” on Slumberland and I think a full-length on Ba Da Bing!).
Whew…the bands (and hits) just kept coming. It had been years since I’d seen GO SAILOR but out they came, Rose on guitar/vocals, Paul Curran on bass and Amy Linton (who now just goes by her last name) on drums and if you’ve heard their singles then you know you needed to be here. Rose mentioned “when I wrote these songs I only knew 3 chords so to relearn them now, 15 years later, was a lot easier.” Australia’s SUMMER CATS were on next an always put on a fun set while vocalist Scott looked pretty tanked and I do believe they played “Wild Rice” one of my faves from an earlier ep. BOYRACER stormed the stage next and this time it was Stew on guitar and vocals, Jen on bass, Chuck on “noise” guitar (as Stew told the soundman) and Mario Hernandez (Ciao Bella/ From Bubblegum to Sky) on drums and these guys whipped the crowd into a major frenzy and , as always, Stew was sweaty, dazed and beet red by the set’s end (and Mario was an absolute powerhouse on drums!). Finally, at 12:45 AM or so HENRY’S DRESS took the stage and the trio of Matt, Hayim and Linton didn’t look too different than the band I booked 16 years earlier in Santa Rosa. Matt and Linton traded off on guitar/vocals and drums (each on sang the songs they wrote) . They opened with ”The Way She Goes” and played all the hits from then and Matt even took off the green shirt only to reveal a vintage Ramones t-shirt (no surprise there as I have always considered him the 5th Ramone). The show ended with the crowd going absolutely bananas and Mike Slumberland himself on stage singing along to all of the tunes while pounding his fist in the air. The night belonged to him and the bands and the fans. I could bitch about not having other bands on the bill (Rocketship, Black Tambourine, Aislers Set, The Ropers, etc.) that’s ok, those bands will be at the 40 year reunion! Here’s to 20 more, Mike!
03.31.10
Titus Andronicus & Let's Wrestle
Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
Still had yet to hear a note of music from Let’s Wrestle but they have a new record out on Merge so I had a feeling they’d be good. Walked in a minute before they began playing (perfect timing). They are a trio from the UK who churn out high energy gunk with bits reminiscent of the Wedding Present, Buzzcocks and some early Pavement too. Tall bassist was amazing and the taller drummer, who did not look British at all but more like someone form the middle of nowhere in Kentucky (he was wearing a black tank top, yes, I did just say tank top) , hammered it home on his small drumkit. If they come to your town be front and center.
Titus Andrionicus, from my native NJ, came on as the clock struck eleven and opened with “ A More Perfect Union” and honestly , that song was worth the price of admission alone (even though I didn’t pay for the show) and proceeded to hammer that point home for the next hour or so. Stuff off the new record, THE MONITOR, sounded great as did stuff form their debut last year. Main vocalist/guitarist was a hilarious, bearded beanpole who told some funny stories, female 2nd guitarist looked like she was having a blast and could not stop smiling and I don’t wanna say the drummer looked like an ex-con but let’s just say he probably knows what the phrase “3 hots and a cot” means. Catch them near you…or else. Good times.
03.25.10
Serena-Maneesh & The Depreciation Guild
Berbati's Pan, Portland, OR
March was a busy month for shows in Portland, but the Serena-Maneesh one was my most anticipated. It was a rather sparse crowd which is unfortunate, given the beauty of their quality of their music and the fact that they have travelled all the way from Norway to be here.
The Depreciation Guild warmed up the stage. They were missing their trademark projection screen, but it didn't matter because their set was amazing. The New York trio, headed by Kurt Feldman (also the drummer for Pains of Being Pure at Heart), offered 40 minutes of dreamy, dancey, guitar-layered tunes, mostly from their new album Spirit Youth. They would be a hard act to follow.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Serena-Maneesh, as their albums are a mix of psychedelic drone and brilliantly gazey pop, all with a rock edge. Their set began with guitarist/singer Emil Nikolaisen dancing about, donned in a bizarre ripped up poncho. It became clear after a couple songs that this act was going to be more drone than pop. I usually don't mind this, except that they had so many great songs (Drain Cosmetic, Sapphire Eyes, I Just Want to See your Face) that were left out of the set list. Also, there were no female vocals, which was hugely disappointing and sorely missed especially when they played the lovely "Melody for Jaana." The theatrics were a bit much and at times Nikolaisen seemed strangely possessed. However, between songs he spoke in the kindest, sweetest voice and thanked people for their support. At the end of the last song, he writhed about, poncho over his head, and fell of the stage with his guitar and mic before exiting. The audience clapped for a minute, then stood in silence. A little more clapping, more silence. People looked confused then left-- no encore.
I spoke with a friend who had talked to Nikolaisen the day after the show and he said the band's intention was to really put on a mind-blowing show for Portland. It may not have been mind-blowing, but it was certainly different. LAURA WATLING
03.20.10
Black Lips
Johnny Brenda's, Philthadelphia, PA
I don't even feel old at their shows. One minute I want to take them out for pancakes and the next I want to have their babies.
Watching the crowd is almost as much fun as watching the band. I noticed a lone sneaker on the stage and not long after, a guy, in one rather fluid motion, crowdsurfed up to the stage, reached down, retrieved the shoe, put it on and crowdsurfed away from the stage. Of course I had a good view in the balcony but it was too dark to get a photo of anything other than the shoe on the stage. Then there was the girl in the last photo who got on stage at the end and just stood there in a daze, and the band guys just stepped around her, over the monitors, like she was a piece of equipment blocking their way or something, and she seemed oblivious of them too. ah good times, sober among the fucked up!
Jared only has the grill on the bottom now. I was a little sad about that, especially since this was the first time I brought the camera.
They had an after party at the Marbar on 40th & Walnut (haha our old HS stomping grounds) where they were DJing. Some guy gave me a little flyer for it outside JB's after the show. If I was 10 or 15 years younger I would have been all over it but I need my sleep.
Also I had a beer called Fleur de Lehigh with ginger and rhubarb that was not overly fruity but pretty good. RUTH K
03.22.10
Codeine Velvet Club & Nico Vega
Roseland, Portland, OR
These two bands opened up for Metric, who I like but I was not able to stay late enough to see (school night). I went to see the Codeine Velvet Club but (unfortunately) got there in time to see the horrible opener, Nico Vega. A female led trio who were, how can I say, godawful. Shoot yourself first if you find out have to see them.
C.V.C were fun. It is one of the guys form The Fratellis doing 60’s pop ala The Walker Brothers (a bit) with horns (2 trumpets) and a sultry lass up front. All 7 of them were dressed to the nines and kicked out some high energy tunes off their debut record. Didn’t stay for the whole thing but saw enough to bring me back next time they play.
03.21.10
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Nothing quite like an early gig as Leo and Co. were on stage by 6 pm, perfect for a geezer like me. I have always liked Leo and his Pharmacists ok but have never found his stuff to be mind-blowing (like a lot of people I talk to). Still, it had been a few years since I had seen him live and I prefer his live show to his records and he did not disappoint. He and the band hammered away at cuts off his new THE BRUTALIST BRICKS (on Matador) as well as some older cuts like "Where have all the rude boys gone," "The High Party," "Me and Mia," "Counting down the hours," and plenty more . Who cares if his drummer looks like a Grateful Dead reject the guy kicks ass on the skins and these guys can put on a show!
03.10.10
A Sunny Day In Glasgow & Beaches
Holocene, Portland, OR
I missed the openers Orca Team but heard they were good but got there in time to catch all-female 5-piece Beaches , from Melbourne, Australia. Not sure if they just got off a long flight or what but they seemed a bit dazed. They loosened up midway through the set though and simply ripped. Not much in the way of vocals , a few songs were instrumentals and the songs that did have vocals were mostly mumbled but I didn’t mind. Their 3 guitar approach was bulldozing and I mentioned to a pal afterwards that they reminded me of mid-80’s NYC noise ala Sonic Youth, Live Skull or even the Dustdevils and he agreed. Really glad I got there in time to catch them and if they come to your town you should plan to be there too.
The last time ASDIG came to town I was at the gig but split before they came on to catch the New Year (ex-Bedhead) so I did to wanna miss ‘em this time. Apparently the 2 female vocalists are both new as the twin sisters are off to grad school or something but leader Ben Daniels stills mans the ship which includes the 7 foot tall bassist (he should be a power forward for the Sixers) and the drummer who simply didn’t quit. Had just heard their recent ASHES GRAMMER a few days before so didn’t know the songs (‘cept “Failure’ which they did play). The two gals dancing was half charming and half annoying but I guess it is better than standing there, looking glum and gazing at their shoes, right? This is dreamy, complex dream pop and I enjoyed myself and didn’t even mind only getting 4 and a half hours of sleep for work the next day (not too much, anyway).
02.18.10
Thee Oh Sees, Past Lives & Asss
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
I truly believe that you can measure the value of a band by the amount of money you spend on merchandise at the given bands show. That said, I spent more money at Thee Oh Sees than I can honestly remember spending at any show, ever. Walking in to the darkened basement that is the Doug Fir, Past Lives were making awful sounds come out of their equipment. The vocalist did what I call a poor Ian Curtis impression and the guitar player looked like Frederick Douglass in an engineer hat. Enough of that. Thee Oh Sees came on about 10:30 or so and immediately went in to scorching psych/garage/rock/revival/whateverthekidsarecallingitthesedays. At first glance, John Dwyer seems to be channeling Gene Vincent and while it is derivative(guitar pointing, deep throating the mic, etc.), the guy is quite captivating and makes it his own. On songs like "Crack In Your Eye" and "Spider Cider", you see the band performing at a very high level. These are not kids making tunes for their friends, these guys mean business and it shows. Unfortunately, since I quit drinking, I have turned into quite the pussy when it comes to Thursday night shows and was only able to stay for the first 45 minutes or so and I am not joking when I say they were just getting warmed up. Standing in a room full of Portland's hipster elite, Thee Oh Sees were charming and gracious and obviously had more than a few friends in the crowd. My bet is that the hype will only continue to grow with the band. They have earned it. KIP KELGARD
02.28.10
El Perro Del Mar & Taken By Trees
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
5 Swedes on stage for Taken by Trees and not one blonde. I’m just sayin’…still , ex-Concrete Victoria Bergsman and her crack musical cast mesmerized the fairly packed house at Doug. Fir. I expected a shy, chanteuse in the Hope Sandoval vein and while she did appear a bit shy, she did interact with the crowd and made some jokes (“Did you guys win the hockey game tonight? Oh…sorry…”). I have both of the TBT records but I can’t tell you song title (not one of my strong points) but trust me when I say they were well-worth seeing (and the wiry, bearded , funky drummer put on a little show with his bongos).
El Perro del Mar, aka Ms. Sarah Assbring , brought herself to the Doug Fir about 3 years ago and sat quietly in a chair while her tuxedo’d band members sat behind her and plucked out her gentle songs. This time the band (most of TBT band) cranked it up and Sarah came out dancing and it was all…..I dunno, a bit too much. I’m glad she’s happier these days but it was all a bit, dare I say, obnoxious. Of course most of the crowd loved it so what do I know? I still like the records and her latest one , LOVE IS NOT POP, is no exception but this was all a bit strange.
02.22.10
Magnetic Fields & Mark Eitzel
The Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR
Wow, both of these bands were blasts from my 90’s past. I loved them both but it had been at least a decade since I’d seen either band perform. American Music Club frontman Eitzel came out tin his usual rumpled suit and fedora armed with a microphone and a pal of his who was playing a keyboard. Chatting up the crowd a always with stories, they proceeded to play some of the more obscure A.M.C. songs and some of his solo stuff too. I told my pal Brian I would have killed for him to do something off ENGINE like “Mom’s TV” or “Electric Light” but ‘twas not to be. Still, he did a terrific Eitzel-ized version of Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as well as “There is not Easy Way Down” and a few others in his short set. That voice….he’s STILL got it!
The Magnetic Fields were the same 4 from the 90’s: Stephin on uke, Claudia on keyboards, John on guitar and Sam on cello as well as (newcomer?) Shirley on….not sure what it was. A zither? Stephin and the ladies split the vocal chores and we heard some songs from Magnetic Fields past like “Summer Lies” (off their debut, THE WAYWARD BUS), “Fear of Trains” (off of 1994’s THE CHARM OF THE HIGHWAY STRIP), “All the Umbrellas in London” (off GET LOST) as well as a few songs off of the 6th debut record WASPS’ NEST “”Movies in my Head” and “Falling out of Love (with you)”). All sounded great and Mr. Merritt was his usual droll self, telling the crowd to “Stop cheering and please talk quietly amongst yourselves’ while they were trying to tune as well as mentioning his band mates, “Claudia is well-adjusted and Shirley is a psychotic fuck up” Like Mr. Eitzel, nice to see after nearly 2 decades this marvelous band can still charm the pants off a sold out crowd with ease.
02.16.10
Brendan Benson
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Looking like a cross between Scott Miller (Game Theory/The Loud Family) and the dude from the Spin Doctors , the slender (ok, skinny) Brendan Benson came out with his band (which I think included the drummer from Ryan Adam’s Cardinals) charged out of the gate and treated the crowd at Doug Fir to a tasty set of power pop nuggets. He may have gotten some acclaim with his latest band The Raconeturs (with Jack White) he has been releasing fine solo records since the mid-90’s so he had a nice catalog to choose from. “Metarie” sounded awesome but we weren’t able to hang ‘til the very end so we missed “Tiny Spark” (damn!) but for pure pop songcraft Benson is among the best. Well done, gents
02.13.10
David Rawlings Machine
Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
Of the hundreds of live shows I’ve seen, no crowd has ever been as electrified as Saturday night’s concert featuring David Rawlings, Gillian Welch, and Ketch Secor, Willie Watson and Morgan Jahnig of the Old Crow Medicine Show. Over three hours and six encores later, the 1000 people at the Roseland Theater still stomped, cheered, and cried out for more … for good reason. All five took the stage with their acoustic guitars, bass, violin, and impeccable vocals to seamlessly blend bluegrass, country and rock, supporting David’s new CD “A Friend of a Friend”. After two perfectly “in the pocket” songs, David introduced his guest piano player to join the band … Benmont Tench, original founder and current long standing member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. From then on, the evening was epic in every way as the band played both originals, and covers from Dylan, The Band, even a Dylan tune made famous by Manfred Mann “Mighty Quinn”. Gillian wore a long blue dress with cowboy boots with her ‘60s Gibson flat top guitar – Ketch wearing cowboy hat and denim with his worn Larivee acoustic, and front man David with his 1930’s era Harmony acoustic. There was not one weak moment as this show nearly spun the crowd out of control, standing room only even in the very back of the balcony. This group, grinning from ear to ear the entire show, is a perfect example of the new folk/rock/country revival sweeping the nation revealed in so many young, beard rock & country bands. With so many years of momentum and tradition behind these musical styles, the David Rawlings Machine leads the way for the future of American music, and is a must-see if they come anywhere close to your town! GREG SOCOLOFSKY
02.08.10
Dawes & Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons
Mississippi, Portland, OR
Had high hopes for this show and was not disappointed. Middle band (missed opener Jason Boesel from Rilo Kiley) Cory Chisel & the Wandering Songs were not bad,. A bit jam band-ish at times but otherwise nice vocals and pretty good songs. Had not heard of them before but now I need to see if I have their cd out in the box of promos and if so give it a listen.
Dawes came out as a 5-piece adding a pedal steel player and which, according to singer Taylor Goldsmith, this was a special occasion as I guess they rarely play with him. Anywho, Dawes sounded marvelous! They played everything on the record as well as 2 new ones and a stomping cover of Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns & Money” and it all sounded great. Taylor put some real passion and intensity into the vocals while the rhythm section pounded it home (especially Taylor’s 18 year old brother, Griffin, on drums….amazing!) and the keyboard player added nice backing vocals as well as cool keys. Among my faves were “That Western Skyline”, “Bedside Manner”, “Peace in the Valley” and especially, “When My Time Comes” (when Taylor let the crowd sing the final chorus). Not sure how many previous times they have played Portland but from now forward I will catch them every time they come to town. One of the best and most inspired performances I’ve seen in the past few years!
01.15.10
The Twang
The Woods, Portland, OR
I vaguely remember their record on the Arena Rock label from a few years back but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to catch this UK act for free (?!) at 7 pm on a Friday. Not sure what to expect but the place was packed (nice write up in The Mercury) and the band did indeed hit the stage at 7 pm sharp (after a brief intro by Arena Rock head honcho and Portland resident, Greg Glover). The only tune I really knew was “Barney Rubble” from their myspace page and they played it and it sounded excellent. In fact all of the tunes sounded great. The band has two vocalists (bald guy is the main singer while the Shawn Ryder looking guy with sunglasses on sang back up, danced and was the “get-the-crowd-pumped-up guy) while the guitarist was hot shit and the rhythm section was solid. In between songs main vocalist was hilarious too (“Why the fuck do you people tip in this country??!! Isn’t a drink expensive enough?!) , on this, their first ever U.S. gig. Laura called ‘em a mix between the Trash Can Sinatras and the Blue Aeroplanes and I’d say that sounds accurate (w/ some Happy Mondays tossed in) and the songwriting is strong. A pleasant surprise (early) on a Friday night to say the least .
12.07.09
Passion Pit
Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
For a couple of guys that just made a few songs for a girl on Valentine’s Day, their popularity has skyrocketed. Michael Angelakos, for all of his glory, is a very lively figure. From the Mickey Mouse lyrics (Better Things’: Baby don't be unhappy / Baby don't be sad / Better things are coming / I swear there's truth in that) to his unruly hair and high-pitched vocals, definitely leads the post-college electropop from obscurity to mainstream (See the Palm Pixi commercial). Playing sets from both their debut EP Chunks of Change and their newest release Manners, some songs are made for a frat party and others for a calm Saturday afternoon. Overall, the live performance leaves little room for disappointment. PERCIVAL SWEETWATER
11.30.09
Morrissey
Roseland, Portland, OR
As an elder statesman I must admit I like these early shows in Portland. Heck, earlier would be even better but I can’t complain too much,. Missed the openers ( Doll and the Kicks , who apparently went on at 8 pm) . On the video screen before Mozzer’s start time they played some vintage video (was that Alain Delon’s mug I saw on there? ) and then Morrissey and his crew hopped on stage at 9 PM. From what I understand this was his first gig in Portland in 7 years as he and his band came out in matching outfits and immediately burst into the Smiths classic “This Charming Man.” It definitely lacked the nuance of the original, a bit more rawk (I missed that spindly guitar lead that opens the song) but I’m not going to complain too much as it sounded good. From the Smiths catalog they also played “Cemetery Gates”, “Ask”, “How Soon is Now”, the latter of which he ripped his shirt off at the end and ran off stage). The solo material, which I’m not as familiar with, sounded just as good as he launched into razor-sharp versions of “Ganglord”, “If You Don’t Like Me, Don’t Look at Me”, “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” and the classic, “The World is Full of Crashing Bores.” The band was tight (even the wanker bassist who felt it necessary to grimace after every note) and longtime Morrissey sideman Boz Boorer (guitar) engaged the crowd with killer riffs (and some funny faces). Mozzer himself interacted with the sold out crowd quite a bit, responding to one girl’s plea of I Love You with “Oh…it’ll pass. Trust me” and took a small gift bag from another female, listening to it of course, and smiling, before looking into the bag (is there a bomb in there?). The biggest surprises came when, after their encore of “First of the Gang to Die” they left the stage and didn’t return. At 75 minutes the set seemed short and even this early bird was hoping for a bit of a later night.
12.04.09
Green Pajamas & Boat Club
Kelly's Olympian, Portland, OR
It’s hard to believe that Seattle’s Green Pajamas have been around for over 2 decades but indeed they have. They have kept a real low profile so this rare live appearance was a must. Truth be told I’m not as big a fan of their records as most others but heard live that they bring something different to the table and this was true. Leader Jeff Kelly and crew cranked out one garage pop nugget after another (with no goofy “forced’ psychedelia) , including a few off their one record Poison in the Russian Room. The rest of the band held down the fort quite nicely too including longtime bassist Joe Ross who ambled up to the mic to sing a tune or two and nice backing vocals from other guitarist Laura Weller.
I didn’t know a darn thing about Oakland, CA’s Boat Club ‘cept that the lineup includes former Rain Parader Matt Piucci and that was enough for me to stay late to see them and they delivered a nice set of psych tinged pop as well. The lanky bassist (who also played some guitar) added some tentativeness to the proceedings as well (in a good way) . Towards the end Piucci and the gang (including his brother Stephen who played keys) dug deep and played two Rain Parade songs (“Blue” and “This Can’t Be Today”). The following day at the in-store at Music Millenium Boat Club played first (and due to having my two year old with me I was only able to stay for their set and had to miss the GP’s) and sounded even better with acoustic instruments. They again played “Blue” and this time treating us to a stellar version of another Rain Parade classic, “What’s She Done To Your Mind.” Still have yet to hear the Boat Club cd but hopefully that will change this week.
11.18.09
Girls & Dominant legs
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Opener Dominant Legs are a duo from S.F. which included the Girls’ lead guitarist Ryan Lynch on guitar and some cute gal on vocals and keyboards. My pal Kip decided they should change their name to Honey I Shrunk Jimmy Smits (Lynch has a resemblance to Mr. Smits). They place about a half hour of synth-pop which was merely ok.
Girls hit the stage about 10:45 pm as a 4 piece (to a packed house) and immediately jumped into “Laura” for about 10 seconds until J.R. White’s bass fizzled out. After clearing up that problem (5 minutes later) they kicked back into it and thing sounded great all the way until the closer of “Lust for Life” and they played everything in between including a few new ones (one new tune, “Heartbreaker” , was particularly awesome). For the encore singer/guitarist/leader Christopher Owens, he with the most classic case of bedhead, came out and played a few tunes solo with an acoustic guitar and then we left (the only song from the record we didn’t hear was “Big bad Mean Motherfucker”, which may have been played after the acoustic encores but we split as it was getting late). ALBUM is a classic piece of pop and one of the best records of the year and it was good to see the band was able to pull it all off live.
11.6.09
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Friday night at Portland’s Doug Fir was set ablaze by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit following and opening act, in a triple bill including the Mother Hips. Jason and the seasoned 400 Unit began their set with “Streetlights”, Jason’s finger picked G chord into, the band kicking in with harmony vocal, then unleashed their ultra tight, warm southern rock sound. Guitarist Browan Lollar and bassist Jimbo Hart flanking Isbell, confirmed that this is a band of seasoned young professionals committed to giving killer shows every night.
Highlights included most of the crowd mouthing all the words, their standard bottle of Jack Daniels (from Jason’s Drive-By Trucker days), fans from the previous night’s Seattle show who didn’t get enough, Isbell’s stomp box pedals “shit the bed”, as he put it forcing him to plug straight into his amp … Their dual guitar approach was the best two guitar band I’ve heard since their last Doug Fir performance in April 2008. They raised the crowd into a frenzy prompting shouts in unison “one more song, one more song …”
This band is as tight as any professional outfit I’ve seen – refreshing to see such excitement for a band rising to the top of the southern rock movement … GREG SOCOLOFSKY
11.7.09
Dinosaur Jr. & Lou Barlow and The Missingmen
Wonder ballroom, Portland, OR
Had no idea that Lou’s other guitarist in the Missingmen was ex-Slovenly dude Tom Watson (until now..the next day). No wonder he kicked ass. They played lots of tunes off Lou’s latest GOODNIGHT UNKNOWN (Merge Records) and my pal Brian and I both agreed that it all sounded real….tentative, which made it so great. Songs seemed to end just ……whenever. I have always liked Lou’s songs and I must say I dug this set.
Dino Jr. came on about 11:20 pm or so (wayyy past my bedtime) and once again, I’m glad I remembered the ear plugs. Lotsa amps on stage (right behind Mr. J. Mascis) and they burned through a greatest hits set as we were treated to Dino classics like “Tarpit”, “The Wagon”, “Freak Scene” , “Forget the Swan” , “Budge”, “Crumble” (from 2007’s BEYOND) and too many others. At one point, in between songs, Lou began singing the Bay City Roller’s classic “Saturday Night” into the mic. And how about drummer Murph? The guy is a friggin’ machine and has turned into an amazing drummer. I mean,…who knew?! I hung for over an hour and saw another marvelous set but unfortunately did not make it until the encore (assuming they played some) as it was nearing 1:00 am and my legs were ready to buckle.
11.5.09
Boat
The Woods, Portland, OR
First time to The Woods, which is located in Sellwood in Portland’s Southeast section) and was the former home of a funeral home. The place was real spacious and comfy too (lots of couches everywhere) and seemed to have a good sound system too. Boat played first and while I like their first two records fine enough, it’s the new one, SETTING THE PACES (Magic Marker Records) that I really fell in love with and they played a generous amount of songs from said record and it all sounded pretty great. The band seems to be generally having a great time on stage (and not in some lame, wacky “hey, look at us, aren’t we zany up here” kinda way). Vocalist/guitarist Dave is a low-key (but hilarious) front man and the rhythm section is super talented as well (drummer kicks ass). They even added former Galactic Heroes guy Ricky Cancro on extra guitar/keys once again. Don’t miss Boat next time they play YOUR local funeral parlor (or town).
10.17.09
Scion Garage Fest
4 DIFFERENT CLUBS: BERBATI’S , DANTE’S, SATYRICON & SOMEDAY LOUNGE,
Portland, OR
3:00 PM @ Berbati’s- Not nearly as footloose and fancy free as I used to be since we have a 20 month old (who, for the record, is the best kid in the whole world!). Alas, I missed The Dirtbombs (again).
6:00 PM- Eating dinner so I missed the Box Elders at Someday Lounge (again).
6:45 PM- Still eating dinner so was not able to catch Cheap Time at Someday.
8:00 PM- Pick up Senor’ John Chandler and we head down to Dante’s to catch Strange Boys from Austin, TX. Some pals on Facebook have been raving about them but I only dug about half of their song. Elements of garage, straight pop and some country too. That first song they played was amazing.
8:30 PM- We peek over at the line at Berbati’s ‘cos we both really wanna see the Black Lips later and line is a mile long.
8:35 PM- Just found out Jay Reatard cancelled. Damn!
8:37 PM- Caught part of Lover! at Satyricon. I liked them in a good, melodic garage sort of way (w/ some punk overtones). John thought they sounded too much like “by-the-numbers mall punk.”
9:00 PM- We headed back over to Dante’s and caught about 6 songs by all black wearing with sunglasses duo The Mojomatics. I like them, razor sharp hook with some meat behind it and a sense of humor too.
9:13 PM- Went back over to Satyricon to catch part of Wisconsin’s Goodnight Loving were excellent. Sort of a Buddy Holly (or Everly Brothers) gone garage rock. Terrific songwriting.
9:30 PM- Caught back up with John and we headed over to the Someday to catch Canadian 70’s pysch gods Simply Saucer. They went on about 20 minutes late and were, well…heavy. I thought way too jammy, John liked ‘em a lot and Ryder though they sounded like a (bad) boogie band. There you have it.
10:15 PM- The line for the Black Lips at Berbati’s is still a mile long and the thought of us getting in there to see them is not good. We head back to Dante’s and catch part of Jack O. & the Tearjerkers who were really good (it’s Jack Oblivion doncha know). Lotsa guitar grit and a whole lotta soul too.
10:30 PM- Made one last ditch effort to get into Berbati’s to see the Black Lips but to no avail (the 6’ 5” 300 lb bouncer threw us both out on our ears and into the street). I was able to peek through a side curtain and could see it a bit (and hear it almost perfectly) and it sounded ace. We’d both decided thus us old farts had had enough garage fest and decided to pass on Pierced Arrows, Roky Erickson, The Deadly Snakes, King Khan and BBQ, etc. and I got a Voodoo Donut while John opted for a burrito at the cart in the parking lot (and got bit on the chest by some drunk guy from Florida in the process). Oh, and the Scion Shwag bags were lame.
10.16.09
Bob Mould & Spiral Stairs
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Mr. Mould and company were supposed to headlining but bassist Jason Narducy’s wife was due any day (minute) so they played first and charged through a set of songs from Bob’s career, saving the Husker material until the end. We were treated to versions of “Makes No Sense at All”, “I Apologize”, “In a Free Land”, “Hardly Getting Over It” (paled in comparison to live version I saw the Huskers do) and a few others. The Husker’s stuff sounded good but the first half of the set was peppered with some pretty boring songs, one I’m not sure why he chose for this set and I can’t even tell you the names of the songs as I have not followed his career post-Husker that closely (I was not much of a Sugar fan). Still with Narducy on bass and Superchunk guy Jon Wurster on drums he had a potent rhythm section an most of the packed house was going nuts.
At 10:30 pm Spiral (Scott Kannberg) ambled on stage with his band (which included The Posies Jon Auer on keys and acoustic guitar) and proceeded to play all (or most, anyway) of the cuts from his brand new THE REAL FEEL (on Matador) which I have not been able to stop listening to. The band had a real loose feel and seemed to be having a lot of fun (I’m sure alcohol helped) even though much of the material on said record is pretty downcast and they even played a few of my faves from the record (“Subiaco Shuffle”, “Cold Change”, “True Love”, “Stolen Pills 1”, etc.) and what I think may have been a Fall cover (encore). Apparently Spiral is leaving the state for Australia so our loss is their gain but catch this our if you can.
10.08.09
Robyin Hitchcock & The Venus 3 and Golden Bloom
Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
This was my first time to the revamped Mississippi Studio and while I do miss the smaller living room-ish area where bands played previously I do like what they’ve done to the place and while bigger it still is a cozy space. Golden Bloom opened and I was jazzed as I really dug their recently released full-length, FAN THE FLAME.S They played as a trio and leader Shawn Fogel was a congenial sort on stage, smiling and talking to the crowd while the rhythm section (drummer from S.F. and bassist from NYC, I believe) held down the fort. I was happy I got to hear “E.H.M”, “Doomsday Devices” (complete with the weird sounds form the Korg) , “She Leaves Me Poetry”, and “Theme for an Adventure at Sea.” They even played a John Strom cover (form Velo Deluxe). Nice!
With Peter Buck on bass and Scott McCaughey on guitar (and I think Bill Rieflin on drums) you could say that Mr. Hitchcock had an all-star cast on stage with him. Couldn’t tell you a single song he played but it all sounded great and his between song banter was both cosmic and hilarious. I hung for about 45 minutes and while I would have liked to stay longer my bed was calling (and hey, it was a work night) but I’ll make sure to be there again next time Mr. Hitchcock and company play Portland.
MFNW 2009
While Musicfest NW has grown each year and gotten more and more touring bands and name acts this year seemed like an off year. A few friends and i agreed that it seemed to have less good bands and less bands in general and fewer clubs too. Having said that there was still a bunch of great shows so I don’t want you to get the impression it was a total dud because it certainly was not but just didn’t seem as lively as last year or 2007. Still, here is a rundown of what I did see.
Wednesday September 16th
Really wanted to catch Okkervil River’s Will Sheff who was playing last on a 4-band bill at Berbati’s but I was already wiped out to begin with and he was not going on until 11 pm. Damn (hey , some of us DO work early in the morning).
Thursday September 17th
I walked into the Doug Fir Lounge on Thursday night and had to sit through a set by Cymbals Eat Guitars, a band who wished it was 1996 all over again. These guys did the quiet/loud thing ala Built to Spill and had some Pavement-esque noisy guitars but no songs (and they seemed to play for HOURS). After that debacle The Depreciation Guild played and they were terrific. This band features Pains of Beings Pure at Heart’s drummer Kurt Feldman on guitar/vocals and definitely more dream pop than Pains. If you want to see their list of influences go to their myspace site (Cocteau Twins, The Wake, Aztec Camera, Field Mice, OMD, etc. etc.). Good stuff and I recommend catching them if they play your city. The Pains played next and it was a little after midnight when they went on so I only stayed for 4 or 5 songs (had already caught them two previous times this year) but they had great energy and really fed off the crowd (and I got to hear “Young Adult Friction”).
Other bands I would have liked to see on this Thursday night that I missed: Helio Sequence, Derby, Norfolk & Western, The Dimes, The Twilight Sad, Dirty Three.
Friday September 18th
My pal Corey wanted to catch the reunited Sunny day Real Estate gig at the Crystal but i knew that was going to be nuts so I opted to catch the Monotonix/Bad Brains gig at Roseland. The former had only their singer with some backing music. If you’ve seen these guys before you know he spends no time on stage and was out in the crowd the entire set. Picture Lemmy’s son with nothing on but gym shorts, tube socks and sneakers …oh, and his headband . First he parted the crowd and was doing sprints and then busted out the bass drum and had the crowd hold it up with him on top of it trying to balance himself. Later on he shimmied up a pole in the middle of the club, pulled his pants down and jammed the mic up his ass (ala GG) and shortly thereafter he grabbed a snare drum and had some members hold it up while others held him up while he was sitting on the drum stool wailing on the snare. Musically it sounded to me like rehashed Blue Cheer riffs, no big deal but live they (or he) has enough unhinged energy to make them a must-see live act. The Bad Brains were up next and I wonder why there even bothered touring? H.R. stood there, stock still with his hand in his pockets while the rest of the band robotically churned out their punk classics only…well, they didn’t sound like classics. Look, I know they’re not spring chickens anymore and that we are not going to see HR do backflips anymore, I understand that but come on, at least act like you want to be there. I split after 20 minutes and went over to Dante’s to catch Chula Vista, CA punk legends The Zero who did not disappoint. The “Mexican Ramones” sounded great and seemed like they were having a blast doing it too (an I was glad I got to hear “Don’t Push Me Around”). Really wanted to stay for Mudhoney but alas, I was ready to drop so I split.
Other Friday bands I missed that I wanted to see: Arctic Monkeys, Dirty Mittens, The Jealous Sound, Lake, Weinland, Michael Dean Damron, Nurses, Boat, The Long Winters.
Saturday September 19th
I finally got a chance to see Fucked Up (had missed them their last few times through town) and better yet is that they went on at 7 pm at the Wonder Ballroom. The thing is about this Canadian bunch is that with three guitars (plus bass, drums and vocals) they sound amazingly tight while vocalist Pink Eyes is both intense and hilarious. He came out pulled his shirt up over his face while still singing and then wrapped the mic cord around his face and still sang. He then lost his shirt and his shorts and was running around (usually in the crowd) in just his skivvies while talking time in between songs to crack some jokes (he told us that he had just turned 30 and just had a baby “which proves a woman out there had sex with me”). They opened with “Son the Father” and then ripped through a good hour of molten punk rock. Amazing. I then shot over to Berbati’s and caught New Zealand’s The Brunettes who had played a short set at MFNW 2007. They sounded marvelous and I love their off-kilter melodies and the sounds of the toy instruments gives them a certain something special (think The Vaselines but less noisy). Afterwards I told my wife I was going to be home by 9 pm and I stayed true to my word.
Wished I’d seen: Alan Singley & Pants Machine. Pretty & Nice, Riverboat Gamblers, Lovers, Titus Andronicus, Beach House, Erase Errata.
Sunday September 20th
I didn’t go to see Modest Mouse.
9.21.09
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
When I mentioned on my Facebook page that I was going to this gig it enticed many opinions on the Hope vs. Kendra battle (ie: one that doesn’t exist). Kendra being Kendra Smith, David Roback’s partner in Opal. When Smith left Opal mid-tour in the early 90’s Roback got an able replacement in unknown Hope Sandoval. Through 3 records Mazzy Star’s own brand of narcoleptic, hazy pop won them a legions of dedicated fans before eventually calling it a day after the release of 1996’s Among My Swan. Five years later Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions appeared with their debut record Bavarian Fruit Bread which they toured for in the summer of 2002. Having not toured in 7 years it was obvious the fans were hungry for more as this sold out show proved. Sauntering on stage 30 minutes late at 10:30 pm, the band was, as always, bathed in darkness with what appeared to be a single light illuminating them and no between song banter (though Hope did at one point ask for more guitar in a monitor). They opened with what I think was the first single off their new record, “Blanchard” (I haven’t heard the record yet) and then sifted comfortably through a mix of tunes from their 2 full-length records. One of the highlights was the hypnotic “Suzanne” from the debut record, which sounded lush and lovely while the songs I didn’t recognize (I’ll assume the new ones) marched to a very similar beat, of which a few were gems (like the aforementioned “Blanchard”). The band seemed tight and expansive at the same time and it was so dark on stage that I couldn’t even tell if the drummer was My Bloody Valentine’s Colm Ciosiog (who has been Hope’s creative partner in the Warm Inventions) but the respectful audience just seemed appreciative that Hope and Co. have hit the road again. Let’s hope the next tour isn’t another 7 years from now.
9.12.09
The Avengers, Pansy Division & Paul Collins Beat
Dantes, Portland, OR
After a stint in Spain in the 80’s and 90’s (where he continued to release records) power pop guy Paul Collins came back in 2007 with the terrific FLYIN’ HIGH record in the Get Hip label. He has a new one but I’ve not heard it yet but his set tonight , a mix of old and new tunes , was strong (let’s also not forget this guy was in The Nerves with Peter Case back in the 70’s) with lots of good rock and roll mojo. I noticed “Rock N’ Roll Girl” and “Walking Out on Love” (which The Exploding Hearts covered) and the band, Collins especially, showed the kind of frenetic energy usually reserved for guys half his age. It’s nice to see Collins doesn’t want to merely be a relic but writes new songs just as powerful as his old one.
I had not seen Pansy Division since I booked them 15 years ago and they are doing the same schtick (“Hey, look how gay we are!!”) and the pop punk songwriting is only pretty good. The Avengers however working these days with Pansy Division’s rhythm section in addition to vocalist Penelope Houston and guitarist Greg Ingraham, showed us how it’s done. Penelope still looks good at 50 and can still belt it out while Ingraham is still fierce on guitar. They opened with “We are the One” then treated us to a smokin’ version of “Teenage Rebel”, “Car Crash” as well as a cover of the Stones “Paint it Black.” Well done, I would have loved to hear “Friends of Mine” but hey, we can’t have it all, right? These guys are always welcome back to Portland.
9.07.09
Various Live Reviews
BILL CALLAHAN (6/28/09 at Aladdin Theatre) It had been years since I’d seen Bill Callahan (Smog) but things have changed a bit. He had a cello and violin player and his new songs an some of his moves on stage approached, umm….dancing. He sounded great. ..PATTERSON HOOD (7/10/09 at Wonder Ballroom) The main guy from the Drive by Truckers had an excellent backing band (including Sugar’s Dave Barbe) and the songs from his recent solo record, Murdering Oscar, lp sounded better live than the record does…THE TARTANS and SUMMERS CATS (7/16/09 at Backspace) Australia’s Summer Cats were fun and loose on stage (vocalist Scott cracking lots of jokes) and definitely solid but not great. I really enjoyed the swirling pop of L.A.’s The Tartans (ex-Summer in Between) as vocalist Brian did his best Morrissey for most of the night. …PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART (7/23/09 at Backspace) sounded great but I was stuck in the back and couldn’t see a damn thing. …SONIC YOUTH (7/28/09 at Roseland) First time I’d see S.Y. since their instore at Music Millenium in 2003 (and first time I’d seen them at a club since god knows when). They sounded really good but got stuck playing Portland on the hottest night of the year. I stuck around for about 40 minutes and that was all I could take (of the heat, that is). …TRASH CAN SINATRAS & BROOKVILLE (8/2/09 at Aladdin Theatre) Really enjoyed Brookville’s set (Andy Chase from Ivy’s side project) and they were definitely more “rock” in the live setting than on records. The Trash Cans played a lot of slow/dreary stuff but still sounded good. They have such a great back catalog, just wish they would have chosen some more upbeat songs for this set…THROWBACK SUBURBIA (8/15/09 at East End) “Portland’s Beatles’ sure have been getting a lot of favorable press and I must say after this solid set it certainly is warranted. The songwriting is there bit I really need to hear the record….PISSED JEANS ( on 9/20/09 at Satyricon) Best 20 minute set I’ve ever seen (or at least since the first time I saw the Dwarves). Not sure if my favorite part was when vocalist Matt Korvette was curling the mike stand or taking a jump shot from the stage. Either way it was great…MAYYORS, EAT SKULL and SIC ALPS (on 8/22/09) Caught a handful of bands at the BMMR SMMR festival. I dug about half of the Sic Alps set (2nd half had much better songs) while Portland’s Eat Skull did their “poppier Flipper” thing and very well I might add. Mayyors were a ball of spazzed out energy and while I’ve seen nuttier they still did a damn good job. I’ll bet on a great night these guys tear the roof off…..JOE PERNICE and JOHN CUNNINGHAM (8/26/09 at Doug Fir) I really enjoy the light, wispy folk of the 2 Cunningham records I have and live he seemed , well , like I thought he would. Shy and unassuming and his songs sounded fine (just he and his acoustic guitar). Joe Pernice has a new book out and this set consisted of him reading a few chapters and playing some songs in between. The real treats were covers by Dream Syndicate, Sebadoh and Sammy Johns (“Chevy Van”) among others. As always, just about perfect.
6.09.09
Love Is All and Still Flyin'
Holcene, Portland, OR
I’ve been listening to the Still Flyin’ cd a lot so I was hoping they would play Pdx then boom, they have a gig. They came on stage at 10:15 and there were 11 of them (I’ve heard some gigs in their native San Francisco can have twice that many folks) including Gary Olsen (Ladybug Transistor) on trumpet, Gabe Saucedo (Red Pony Clock) on trombone and vibes and Wyatt (bass) and Yoshi (drums) formerly of the Aislers Set. The leader is ex-Masters of the Hemisphere guy Sean Rawls and he runs the show like a tweaked cult leader who can’t stop smiling. Unfortunately I was treated to no version of “Fuck the Stress” but they did play gems like “Forever Dudes”, The Bird is Aware”, “Following the Itinerary” and plenty of others. I had a blast. Love is All headlined, they hail from Gothenburg, Sweden and were a good live band too. I believe the female vocalist used to be in Girlfrendo and they have a sax player who wails like Jak Airport and the bassist has great hair (think The Donald, as in Trump). Enjoyable set and while you’re at it pick up their latest record, A HUNDRED THINGS KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT.
6.09.09
The Mummies
Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ
$15 for the Mummies?! What, do they have house payments now or something? what happened to Budget Rock?! Hell, the only 'artist' I've ever paid more for to see live was Yanni (but well worth it!) And don't get me started about having to drive on the fuckin' NJ Turnpike!
Anyway, yes, the Mummies. Haven't played these parts since 91', though they've been mopping it up in Europe for a few dates over the last year or two, don't ask me the specifics. Did play a surprise gig last year (sans the rags) according to Detailed Twang, and apparently hadn't missed a beat. Well, I hate to inform all you poseurs who wanted to be in the NYC area for this show (or at Southpaw in Crooklyn the following evening...heard they charged $16 at the show...what the fuck?!), they gave that quintessential performance you dreamed it would be, if only you were there! Guess you'll have to keep ordering PBR by the can to maintain your street cred for now..
I was at the second show of the 2 they had scheduled for that night, and slightly concerned i might not get my money's worth cuz they might be spent from the first gig earlier..well I was wrong! They went apeshit, the place went apeshit, and I went apeshit! Must of been enough time between the shows for the Advil and Red Bull to kick in, because the Mummies plowed through pretty much the USDA Prime slices of their shit-stained catalog, and if you want a run down of what they played, find it elsewhere on some blog (maybe that dingus i saw texting throughout show, and going for the set list after they finished might of posted it... Hmm, kinda looked like the Dagger editor himself, now that I think about it). What I can share with you is this incredible post of 'High Heeled Sneakers', complete with a little schtick courtesy of Russell (and in return, courtesy of Steve Martin) as an intro. Hoboken was Shitsville for a night once again, and though I'm not particularly too keen on 'reunion' shows, and since they still cover themselves in filthy rags (unfortunately inspiring more than a handful of shitbirds to do the same in the crowd) so you don't get that 'damn, look at 'em, they're getting old like me' reality check, this was best show I've ever seen where I've waited 15+ years to see. And no, I don't want Black Flag to reunite.
Opening band was The Back C.C.'s out of Brooklyn I think. Jap transplants, and they played like most Jap bands I've seen: kick-ass and tight. DIZZY DEAN
6.04.09
Camera Obscura
Wonderland Ballroom, Portland, OR
The last time C.O. was in Pdx was at this very venue 2 years ago on Valentines Day (I think they wrote a song about it). The band was the same 5 folks plus this time they added two other guys who play horns, keys, blocks and whatever else was needed. Leader Traceyanne Campbell looked quite fetching in her black and red checked dress and while they aren’t the most exciting band on stage it doesn’t matter ‘cos I love the songs and they always sound so good live. We were treated to sublime versions of (new single) “French Navy”, “Suspended from Class”, “Eighties Fan” and plenty of others. They came out for an encore and played “Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken” and another tunes and I left the Wonder Ballroom feeling satisfied after a C.O. set once again (I’ve seen all four of their Portland shows).
5.31.09
Dreamdate
Rontom's, Portland, OR
Interesting venue a few blocks down from Doug Fir. I walk in and see no stage and a handful of people. I then twist by way to the back patio to see a million people (none, or very few, were there I think to see the band, this was a Rontom’s drinking crowd). Odd stage set up too as the outside stage was some potted plants on one side and a row of picnic tables on the other. No problem as we stood in the grassy (weeds) area behind the tables and it was great. Dreamdate is Anna (bass/vocals) and Yea-Ming (guitar/vocals) and some new drummer (Elbert who played on the new record was not there) and they sounded great. They treated us to superb versions of “Tour Song” and “How Low Are You?” and some songs from their first record that I didn’t recognize (I bought the cd after the set) and they took a bow after each song. All I have to say is please come back to Portland soon!
5.13.09
The Vaselines and The Dutchess & The Duke
Doug Fir, Portland, OR
I enjoyed most of the D & D record on Hardly Art and live they were quite fine too. They added a third player to sing harmony backup (he played some tambourine as well). He looked a lot like Dent May and I’m still not positive it wasn’t him. The Dutchess has a gorgeous voice, the songs were engaging and I’d say the next time they play your area get your butt off the couch and go see ‘em.
The Vaseline hit the stage at 10:30 and the Doug Fir was packed to the gills. This time Eugene and Frances were aided and abetted by Belle & Sebastian-ers Steve Jackson on lead guitar and Bobby Kildea on bass plus 65 year old Alan Horne on drums (he forgot all of his drum parts and fell asleep behind his drum kit). They opened with “Son of a Gun” (‘natch) and it was then a run off of their greatest hits: “”Dying for It”, “Molly’s Lips” (complete with bicycle horn), “Oliver Twisted”, “Monsterpussy”, “Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam”, plus “Rory Rides Me Raw” and “You Think You’re a Man” as encores (they also played two new songs). I liked this set more than the one at the Sub Pop fest last year as it was a much more intimate setting (and not 100 degrees in the venue like it was outside that day last summer). The banter between Frances and Eugene is hilarious, at one point Frances accused Eugene of having intercourse with a cat (said Eugene, “Come on, it was a kitten!”) and She also remarked how much Portland reminded her of Glasgow. Who knows how long they’ll be around so get while the getting’s good.
4.13.09
The Gaslight Anthem & Heartless Bastards
Berbati's, Portland, OR
Was majorly bummed that there were 4 bands on a Monday night (hey, some of us work for a living) but by the time I got down there a little before 10 pm the Heartless Bastards were already on stage so kudos to Berbatis for at least keeping the show moving. Had heard a lot about the H.B.'s and even heard a few tunes here and there but not enough of a taste to interest me and I had never seen them live but this trio from Austin, TX (via Ohio) had an extra guitar player. The main, show, however is main songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Errika Hennerstrom. She wails, she howls, she kicks, she rocks and the girl can write a darn good song. Not sure what songs where from what records (they have 3) but i'm guessing a large chunk of their set was from the new record, THE MOUNTAIN. What can I say, I'm now a fan.
Was anxious to see New Jersey's Gaslight Anthem. I dig the record and I must say, live they did not disappoint. They kicked things off with "Great Expectations", the first cut on their late record, THE '59 SOUND. Vocalist/guitarist Brian Fallon has a lot of charisma (even with the goofy hat) while the rest of the band hammered away on their instruments (lead guitarist and drummer were both fantastic but I gotta admit the bassist seemed like a bit of a tool, my pal even remarked, "You didn't tell me Mario Lopez played bass for this band"). Got to hear the title track from said record (one of my favorite songs of last year). I didn't stay long enough for the encore (remember, it was a Monday) but I had seen enough to definitely bring me back next time they come through town.
4.09.09
X & Steve Soto and The Twisted Hearts
Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
Looking back I cannot remember if I have ever seen X before. I know, a sad statement on the state of my (crappy ) memory but I don’t believe I ever had (but I did catch The Knitters once in San Francisco about a decade ago) so this was a perfect opportunity to check these legends out who are touring with their original lineup. Their touring partners opening was Steve Soto & the Twisted Hearts. This is the same Steve Soto who is in The Adolescents (and was an original member of Agent Orange as well). In this bunch, as the band name implies, he is the leader , playing guitar and singing lead and he has assembled a bunch of LA musicians including a few members of the Royal Crown Revue (and the drummer from the Pixies). The songs were totally pleasant, hooky and rocked fairly hard and the accordian player added a nice touch.
X came on shortly thereafter and fired off a string of their hits, one right after the other. This tour was unique in that the band let fans send in what songs they wanted to hear into their website and the band took those requests and made a (long ) set list. Exene and John's voices don't sound much different than they did 30 years ago, DJ Bonebrake is still one of the best drummers in the biz and on guitar, Billy Zoom. What can you say about Mr. Zoom that has not already been said, the guy is a legend (and an amazing guitarist). Wide-legged stance, smiling, firing out classic riff after riff, still in his leather jacket and slicked back blond (with some gray now) hair. I was more than satisfied as I got to hear faves like "Johnny Hit & Run Pauline", "You Phones off the Hook but You're Not", "Nausea", "The New World" and plenty of others. It had been long overdue so I’m glad I can now finally say I saw them (maybe a few decades too late but again, they were really good).
4.05.09
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit and Justin Townes Earle
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Being the son of Steve Earles there's some pretty high (unfair) expectations set on Justin Townes Earle. I had never heard his debut record but I heard it was only ok. The new one, however, is a different story. Mixing straight up country tunes with some cool, bluegrassy moments, Earle came to town with only his acoustic guitar and his pal Charlie who at different times played banjo, mandolin and harmonica (along with cooing some backing vocals). Earle has the Hank Williams look down, slender, lanky with nice duds, slicked back hair and the demeanor of an auctioneer ("Thank you veeeery much ladies and gentleman!") while Charlie looked like a half-soused , backwoods Kevin Kline with bedhead underneath his crumpled baseball cap. They two of them together put on one hell of a show, playing plenty from the new MIDNIGHT AT THE MOVIES as well as some older stuff. They'll be back this summer for PICKATHON and I hope to be there.
After leaving the Drive by Truckers Jason Isbell landed back in Muscle Shoals, AL and assembled a new band, the 400 Unit. They came out and rocked hard from the beginning and settle into some long, warm grooves with plenty of hard-hitting guitar, extended solos and the heavy pound of the rhythm section (keyboardist added plenty of spunk too while taking swigs of his bottle of Jack in between tunes). They played a lot of songs off their new S/T record which is a good one (and even played a DBT’s song, “The Assassin”). I still think I like the poppier moments of the Truckers a bit more but Isbell and Co. are carving out a little place for themselves in the rock scene.
I had never been to SXSW before, hell, I had never been to Texas before so we decided to visit our friends Tanya and Ray in Round Rock, a suburb about 15 miles to the north of Austin to hang with them and give me a chance to see some of the festival. I had always heard this festival, like many others, began as a quaint little festival but has ballooned in size over the years so make it more of a burden than a good time. With our little one, Sophia (15 months old) in tow I knew I was not going to have a ton of time to get down to Austin to see everything I wanted to so I made the most of what time I had. Most of the festivities happened on 6th Street and as I walked down the street I forgot that this isn’t just an indie rock fest as I heard the strains of awful reggae, metal, rawk, etc. bands blaring out of the windows and yes, just plain bad indie rock too. It was suggested I check out the www.showslistaustin.com and check out all of the free bands, some part of the festival and some not. Honestly, with all of the bands playing free shows you don’t even really need to spend the money on a pass. Anyway, away I went to dive in, at least with one toe, into SXSW.
WEDNESDAY- 3/18/09
Started off at Beerland and caught a few bands on the CTSB gig (the homemade sign outside the club read ”This is Beerland, NOT SXSW!”). First up was Austin’s own, DIKES OF HOLLAND who ripped through a set of searing garage rock. I had not heard them before but I liked what I’d heard. Singer seemed good and psychotic and it seems like they’d be a good fit on Dirtnap Records. Up next was Portland band EAT SKULL which features all around good guy (and Exiled Records co-owner) Scott Simmons on bass. They had a real low-end, murky vibe and the vocalist occasionally reminded me of an early , theatrical Jack Grisham of TSOL. I’m gonna pick up their latest release on Siltbreeze and make sure I check them out in town more often. It was then over to Maggie Mae’s to catch the VIVIAN GIRLS who I had previously missed 2x in Portland. They played a short set (about 15 minutes long) and the guitarist broke a string which sorta let the air out of their set but they still sounded fine (I think they had about 10-12 gigs set up at SXSW). Afterwards at the Radio Room we tried to catch part of LONEY DEAR’S set but the line was a mile long plus we hadda get over to Red 7 to see the PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART but not without a stop at the Austin Art Garage to catch a few songs by ROXY EPOXY and her new band, the Rebounds. They sounded fine but the heat was really bearing down and the whole band was in black and with a smaller stage Roxy didn’t have a chance to dance all around like she usually does. I just got a copy of their new cd so I’m anxious to hear it. PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART sounded as good as I thought they would and they too, .like the Vivian Girls had a ton of gigs set up at the festival. They have been getting a ton of hype lately and the set was as good as I’d hoped. We ended the night at the famed punk club Emo’s to see THE KING KHAN AND BBQ SHOW, yet another band who I’d missed in Portland a bunch of times. They were good but i wasn’t blown away like I was expecting to be. I’d rather catch KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES any day.
THURSDAY- 3/19-09
Not as man gigs planned today but we showed up at the OK Mountain Gallery at 2 pm to catch MANHATTAN LOVE SUICIDES but found out they weren’t playing til 5:15 pm so we shot over to the Beauty Bar to catch recent Sub Pop signees VETIVER. They played a nice set of arresting country-ish folk including a Michael Hurley cover. We then popped over to Headhunters to see THE HANDSOME FAMILY. We got there about 15 minutes late which was ok as they went on late. Hadn’t seen them in about a decade and their gothic country tunes were both demented a hilarious. I love Brett’s vocals and Rennie made some funny comments during the set like “We just got out of prison” and, at the end of the set, “Thanks a lot, we have a killing spree to go on now.” Manhattan Love Suicides were playing a ways away town on 1st and Cesar Chavez but we decided to hoof it over rinsdteado going back, getting the car and then being stuck in traffic. We walked up at MLS were in their firs tune. The sound wasn’t so great but hey, this is MLS and not Celine Dion. They all looked cool with their shades on (especially drummer Rachel) and played a terrific set of fuzzed out pop (ala early Jesus and Mary Chain) and afterwards we vowed to meet up with them tomorrow.
FRIDAY 3/20/09
Was really hoping to catch both 18th DYE at 2:00 pm and then SALLY CREWE & THE SUDDEN MOVES at 3 pm but alas, the stars were not aligned properly and it didn’t not happen (also missed J. MASCIS, TELEKENESIS, CRYSTAL STILTS, CAMERA OBSCURA, etc). I was quite bummed to say the least but we did head over to the Mohawk and catch THE ROSEBUDS. On the way to the club right next door THE THERMALS were playing an outdoor set so we peeked over the fence and caught a few songs. It sounded like they were playing new stuff off their latest on Kill Rock Stars. The Rosebuds put on an awesome set and played a few of my faves off the BIRDS MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS record including “Boxcar’ and “Leave Do Fall” (plus the great “Cape Fear” from their latest record). After the set they came out into the middle of the room and played an acoustic version of “Shake Our Tree” getting the crowd to do a little jig to it). As we were heading back out THE HOLD STEADY were on the same stage that The Thermals were on and we caught a few tunes by them as well. I like the songs but vocalist Craig Finn is way to obnoxious as a live frontman. …….and that was it. We flew back to Portland the next day but I vowed to go back, hopefully next year, and dive in with both feet.
02.27.09
The Broken West
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
It had been a few years since I saw this LA bunch swing through this very club on what was, I believe ,their first trip to Portland (don’t quote me on that). This time they had a new drummer and the cute keyboard gal was gone but leader Ross Flournoy kept things loose and fun and the band (especially that drummer) sounded terrific. “Gwen, Now and Then” (leadoff track from their latest record) sounded amazing as did the special request of “Down in the Valley” (from their first record). From now on, whenever they play Portland I’ll be there front and center.
03.03.9
Lambchop
Aladdin Theatre, Portland, OR
Had been nearly decade since I last saw these Nashville miscreants (lead by the elusive Kurt Wagner) when I saw 15 people crammed onto the Great American Music Hall stage. This new lineup only has 6 and the band sound way pro. Shame that the Aladdin was only half full (maybe three quarters) but those of us who went were treated to several songs off the latest record , which I still have yet to hear and old classics like “All Smiles and Mariachi’ and “Your Fucking Sunny Day.” Oh, and they did an excellent cover of the Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime.”
03.09.09
M. Ward
Aladdin Theatre, Portland, OR
OK, I had previously blown every other chance I had to see Mr. Ward so when Mssr. Dubrowa called with a plus one I was not going to miss this (even if it was a Monday night). The guy (and his band) were flat out amazing. Ward is such an underrated guitar player and his bandmates (especially producer/ acoustic guitarist Mike Coykendall) are perfect foils for his mini masterpieces. They placed a few covers (namely a rousing rendition of “Roll Over Beethoven”) and Matt even played a third of the set with just he and his acoustic guitar.
02.24.09
Telekinesis
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Had a chance to catch new Merge Records signing Telekinesis at Doug Fir on an opening slot for Ra Ra Riot (Cut Off Your hands played in the middle…I would have liked to see Ra Ra Riot but alas, it was a work night and I was wiped out already). On the s/t Telekinesis record (coming out 4/7/09) it is all the work of one Michael Benjamin Lerner (from Seattle) but on this tour he assembled a cast of characters to create the sounds including the tall, thin bearded rhythm guitarist, the short, light haired lead guitarist and the cute female bassist (sorry, no names). For the first song Lerner came out and strummed on an acoustic guitar for part of the song and then hopped behind the drum kit (which was pushed up to the front of the stage) where he stayed for the rest of the night while he pounded the skins and sung lead. I was told that drums are his first instrument and it’s no surprise as he’s a kick ass drummer and has a great voice too (reminded me of a mix between Robert Schneider and Elliott Smith and the tunes were a bit Apples-y too with plenty of great melodies) and fine tunes like “Rust”, “Coast of Carolina”, and “Tokyo” all sounded nice on stage. They were very appreciative of the friendly crowd and I enjoyed it so much that I bought one of the tour-only 5 song “Coast of Carolina’ eps. The set last 30 minutes and I was home before 10 pm (one for the old farts!).
02.22.9
A.C. Newman w/ Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
I had never heard of Dent May before but he’s a skinny, bespectacled good ol boy from Mississippi (who does play the uke) and along with his band (guitarist, bassist, slap happy drummer) they made one helluva beautiful racket. The rest of the band sang back up too but it was Dent’s show and he hopped around playing the uke like some drunk musician from Mississippi ….which he is. Looks like he’d be a librarian or something (he resembled Chris MacFarlane) and he reminded me of a southern Jens Lekman (with some Jonathan Richman tossed in). Don’t miss ‘em folks.
New Porngraphers guy Carl came out with a 6-piece band (including he) and the only one I recognized was drummer Jon Wurster (hirsute Superchunk dude) but he had a few keyboardists (one who also played lots of trumpet), a bassist (who sang lots of backup) and a violinist (who danced when she wasn’t playing the violin) and a lead guitarist (Carl played his acoustic guitar for most of the night). He played all of the hits off of his 2 solo records (but I had to wait until the last song to hear “On the Table”) and told some hilarious stories (including being invited to Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday bash coming up here and about playing Portland’s old X-Ray Café , Carl couldn’t believe the same guy who ran the X-Ray and ran for mayor of Portland was the same guy who opened Voodoo Donuts). I missed the encores just because I was far too spent but I wondered what they played?
01.12.09
Glasvegas w/ Carl Barat
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Ex-Libertine guy Carl Barat opened with a short set of (mostly) Libertines songs. It was just he and an electric guitar and it was ……ummmm, just ok. I loved The Libertines but without his foil Pete Doherty (probably either in prison or rehab) and the tight rhythm section the songs needed something more. He played "Last Post on the Bugle", "Music When the Lights Go Out" and even ended his set with "Can't Stand Me Now" which was my favorite part of the evening (that and Barat mumbling jokes in between songs of which the audience only caught about half of).
Glasvegas:; another hyped to the gills UK band or a band that actually has some talent? Well, a bit of both actually. They had their own light show, smoke machine and several picks taped to the mic stand which might have had you thinking they should be playing the Rose Garden but they packed (sold out) the small Doug Fir on a Monday night. Lead singer James Allan looks a lot like a young Joe Strummer and showed off a bit of punk attitude while the 8 foot tall bassist and wiry lead guitarist hopped all over the place (and female drummer Caroline McKay did her best Bobbie Gillespie (when he was in Jesus and Mary Chain) on the drums). They opened with the epic "Flowers and Football Tops" but we also got to hear the terrific "Geraldine", "It's My Own Cheating Heart", and I'm guessing most of the stuff from their s/t debut record. My pals and I thought they pulled it off and who knows, I might even catch them when they come back here in 3 months (playing the bigger Wonder Ballroom). Oh, and while I know these guy are influenced by doo wop grounds i really could have done with all the before/between set doo wops tunes we heard (one "Earth Angel" is fine). .
12.12.08
Vampire Weekend
Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
Some friends give me so much crap for liking this band. I understand there has been a tremendous amount of hype surrounding them ever since they crawled out of their Columbia University dorm rooms and onto stages across America but hey, the record is good and on stage tonight there were terrific, full of energy and that energy brought the songs to life. This was their 3rd time to Portland this year and I was determined to catch them (the first time they played the tiny Doug Fir lounge which they sold out in 25 seconds, 2nd time was the Crystal but it was during MFNW and from what I understand the crowds were around the block). Lead vocalist Ezra Koenig was engaging with the crowd and talked about Portland's current cold snap and how "we're all going to sweat together." They played all the hits from their S/T debut record and even a few new ones. I was happy I got to hear "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "M79" and the set-ending "Oxford Comma." They got off the stage after 40 minutes (my kinda set!) and came back out and played a few more ("Mansard Roof", "Walcott", etc.) and called it a night. We know how good the record is and tonight they proved that they can deliver the goods on stage too.
11.22.08
The Hold Steady w/ Drive-By Truckers
Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
A much anticipated gig for me as these bands are two of my favorites and I had never seen either before (not for a lack of trying). I had heard some previous Drive-By Truckers records that I liked (my pal Mike Damron has been touting these guys for years) but tunes didn't really begin to stick until this years' fantastic BRIGHTER THAN CREATION'S DARK. The band hit the stage at 9 pm and proceeded to play for an hours and 15 minutes (a bit too long for my attention span of lack thereof…what happened to bands coming out and hammering it out for 40 minutes and then being done??!!). Anyway, the band rocked and they played a healthy dose of said new record including "3 Dimes Down", "Self Destructive Zones", "The Man I Shot' and plenty of others but of course I was treated to no version of the amazing "The Righteous Path." Aw well, I won't miss them again.
The Hold Steady are another band that I had been wanting to see for ages and for one reason or another I just kept missing them. I have to say that the first thing I noticed when they kicked into their first song was how friggin' annoying that lead singer, Craig Finn is. Jesus H. Chrysler! He would mouth the words to songs , dance around, point out people in the crowd, dance around some more, make goofy faces and , worst of all, change the vocal phrasing of lyrics to some of my favorite songs. Now, I have been going to gigs for years and I know that the live show is not going to sound exactly like the record but this was too much. He came close to wrecking some of my favorite Hold Steady songs like "Chips Ahoy", "Hot Soft Light", and the title track to the new record, "Stay Positive." Thankfully the band sounded great so the night wasn't a total disaster (and I DID get to hear some of my favorite H.S. songs, even if the vocals weren't exactly what I wanted) . I'm not sure what Finn is going for and maybe some of these folks found it all really endearing but not me. Finn has sung about having respect from being around back in the day but I was around back in the day too and singers like this got routinely lambasted in zines the world over.
11.17.08
Henry Owings Powell's Book, Portland, OR
Though I had been corresponding with the venerable editor of CHUNKLET for years (and certainly felt like I knew him) I had never met Mr. Henry Owings before. He was making a stop in Portland on his book tour for his recently published THE ROCK BIBLE: UNHOLY SCRIPTURE FOR FANS AND BANDS (Quirk Books). Since it was at the other Powell's on Hawthorne I was able to make it down pretty quickly and only show up 15 minutes late. There was a decent sized crowd there and when I got there he was reading some passages from the book. Example from The Book of Good Word: "A cd burned on your mom's computer is not a "release." Or from The Golden Rules of Promoting Shows: "Never ask a venue about booking another show while a member of your band is being escorted out by security." If you have ever read an issue of CHUNKLET (and if you haven't then you really should) then you know what to expect and needless to say, the book is a riot. Afterwards he took some questions from the crowd (including one gutter punk who was asking such odd questions that I thought he was a plant from Henry himself) and he told some hilarious stories. One was about the time the band Live (who are from Henry's hometown of York, PA) were coming to Athens, GA , where he lived at the time and how he begged the editor to write about it. The editor said yes and Henry gave them a complete verbal thrashing (one joker in the crowd actually brought a copy of the Athens weekly that the article was in, which was from like 15 years ago, which blew Henry's mind) and about how the next time he went home for the holiday to visit his family he went to the local watering hole and the guys in Live were there with their Andre the Giant-sized friend who tried to intimidate Henry to leave (he didn't leave). He told other stories about the comedy tours he has been booking and others about the ripe scene in Atlanta, GA (where he currently lives). The guy is hilarious and a great storyteller too so if he comes to your town try and make some time in your busy schedule to check him it and while you're at it, buy the book (he signed my copy as GG Allin just after giving me a big bear hug and shouting, "Dude, wow, it's nice to finally meet you!!"). It's well worth your hard earned money.
10.29.08
Roky Erickson w/ The Black Angels Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Austin's Black Angels seem like a perfect backing band for wigged-out Texan Roky Erickson (from 60's legends 13th Floor Elevators) and I wish I'd thought of it first. But hey, I'll take the credit and accolades if you want to toss them my way. The Angels went on at 8:00 sharp so my pal and I missed the first 15 minutes (and thus, missed my favorite song by them, "The First Vietnamese War"). Missing was the cute keyboard playing gal who I saw last time when they played the Doug Fir but the songs still sounded great (love their Moe Tucker-ish gal drummer) . I've heard vocalist Alex Maas has not taken that conductor cap off for 13 years straight and when I tried to sneak out the door a bit early during their hour plus set Maas' eyes fixated on me and I couldn't leave. Then, and I swear on a stack of CHUNKLETS, that he stared at me and mouthed the words, "Hinely, get your skinny ass back in here….I COMMAND YOU!" I did the only thing I could do and planted myself back in the club until the set was over.
Shortly thereafter our hero Roky sauntered out onstage wearing a cool b/w Hawaiian shirt and with the roar of the crowd broke into a song called something like "Hey Bo Diddley" , which they repeated those words over and over. Then came "Two Headed Dog (the song which Antiseen made famous by covering) and shortly after that, the 13th Floor Elevators all-time classic, "You're Gonna Miss Me." Roky's howl isn't quite what it used to be but I'm willing to give the guy a break as he's probably nearing 65 years old. In between songs he was friendly and amiable tossing out "How y'all doing?", "Good to be Here!" and "Can you believe Hinely tried to walk out on the Black Angels?!!" at which point the entire crowd turned around and began staring at me. I looked up, flashed a quick smile, pointed to my Bomp Records t-shirt (to prove credibility of some sort) motioned to my pal Greg and walked out the front door, knowing full well I had just caught yet another living legend who I'm amazed is not only alive in 2008, but still touring. Long live Roky!
10.22.08
The Kooks w/ The Whigs Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
I always thought the only bands that hailed from Athens, GA were either legends (REM, B-52's, Pylon, etc.) or Elephant 6 bands both past and present (Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control, etc.) but apparently The Whigs are from there. Before the gig I went to their myspace page and checked out a few tunes and they weren't bad. Live they are three youngsters who obviously love Nirvana. The songs rock and they all seem to have an overflow of hooks in them. The only questionable part was when the guitarist/singer and bassist had traded instruments and switched sides of the stage. Well, after the song was done they put their instruments down and umm…..danced their way back over to their respective sides of the stage which had to be the dorkiest move I've seen a band do all year.
Speaking of youngsters, The Kooks hail from, England and apparently named their debut record (KONK) after Ray Davies studio so at least they dig the good stuff. The hit the stage late as they were having some equipment problems (and this being Wednesday night and me being…well, old, this did not sit well with me) . Live (and on record too) they seem to be right in the middle of where The Libertines meet The Strokes. You know the sound and the Kooks do it well and tunes like "See the Sun", "Stormy Weather" and "Mr. Maker" all sounded a-ok on stage. The lead singer Luke Pritchard, seemed like he was gazing out into the crowd for most of the night and trying to meet Mrs. Right. They're not the second coming that the British press would have you believe but The Kooks are well worth seeing.
09.29.08
Mission of Burma Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
I never did see Mission of Burma back in the day (though some older friends of mine in my native New Jersey did see them when they played South Jersey's Ivory Club back in the early 80's) but had you told me 10-15 years ago that Boston's Mission of Burma would be back in the early 2000's and not only that but be as unique, aggressive and relentless as they were years ago I would have….well, I might have believed you but man, the few times I have seen these guys since they reformed they have just ripped live and tonight was no exception. Same lineup: Roger Miller on guitar/vocals, Clint Conley on bass/vocals and behind the drum kit Mr. Peter Prescott (now Peter, when is the Volcano Suns reunion gonna happen?!!) and in place of tape loop guy Martin Swope is Shellac's Bob Weston (who was behind the sound board). This tour was the one where they play their terrific EP SIGNALS, CALLS AND MARCHES from start to finish …and they did but for the first 20 minutes or so they warmed up with some early stuff (I recognized "Peking Spring" and a few others) and of course tossed in the brilliant single, "Academy Fight Song." Then, when you hear those opening chords to "That's When I Reach for my Revolver" you know it can only be one song and the (way younger than me) crowd went nuts. Then onto "Outlaw", "Fame and Fortune", "This is Not a Photograph", and on and on. I was feeling a bit under the weather so I didn't stick around until the end but I heard for the encore they played a few newer songs, then "Playland" and "1001 Pleasant Dreams." The passion and intensity in which these guys play at is simply unreal (especially for guys nearing, or at, 50 years old). Band reformations are usually a bad idea (not that I don't go to the gigs when they happen though) but a few recent ones, like Burma (and Dinosaur Jr.) have proved my theory wrong, at least part of the time. If Mission of Burma comes to your town then by all means go!
09.19.08
Okkervil River w/ Sea Wolf Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
This was a much anticipated gig for me as I've never seen Okkervil River before and while I have yet to hear their new record (it's on the way to me) their previous one THE STAGE NAMES, was my favorite record of last year. Missed the opening band but Sea Wolf were terrific. I have their first EP but never did get the full-length but the sad, country-inflected tunes were big on hooks and supreme melodies. I want to catch a full set next time they come to town.
Okkervil hit the stage next all of them (or most) dressed in shirt and tie (leader Will Sheff added a jacket, looking very sharp) and came out as a 6-piece complete with guitar/bass/drums, a keyboard player and a multi-instrumentalist (great horn parts!) and up front is Sheff who plays guitar and sings. They opened with the slow, beautiful burner, "A Girl in Port" and what a perfect opener! The band us pure energy , even on the slow tunes and we were treated to amazing versions of "John Allyn Smith Sails", "Black Sheep Boy" , "Lost Coastlines" a bunch of new songs that I don't know the names of yet as I don't have the new record yet but the piece de resistance was the set ending "Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe" which ripped right into "Unless It's Kick" and I think literally every person in the Crystal Ballroom was clapping their hands (in between pumping their fists). I have to say that Okkervil River are easily one of the best live bands I have seen this year and I cannot wait to hear THE STAND INS (the new record).
09.12.08
Bad Religion Roseland, Portland, OR
It had been five years since Bad Religion visited Portland when they played this very venue with Portland locals Handgun Bravado (my pal Colin's Sear then current band) so it was a much anticipated sold out show. We missed the two openings bands due to a guest list snafu that eventually got straightened out (ok, I missed the first band on purpose but I did want to see at least part of The Bronx). Bad Religion hit the stage at 11pm sharp minus Mr. Brett on the third guitar. I told my pal (who had never seen the band before)that these guys have a blistering 3 guitar attack but even without Guerwitz the band still hammered their point home. These guys have been doing their thing for so long (creating classic, melodic punk rock) that they almost literally have it down to a science but one of the things I find most appealing is that even with their usually serious subject matter the band always seems like they are having a blast when they are on stage, especially bassist Jay Bentley (who has been with Graffin and Guerwitz since the beginning) who looks like he's constantly on the verge of cracking up (at one point during the set he grabbed a pair of sunglasses and, after putting them on, looked straight at Brian Baker who couldn't hold it in a burst out laughing). On the rest of the stage you have their twin guitar attack of Brian Baker and Greg Hetson while young(er) drummer Brooks Wackerman is working double time to keep the beat and up front, Phd vocalist Greg Graffin spouting out lyrics as if he's reading a scientific encyclopedia that only he understands. The band opened with "21st Century Digital Boy" which got the crowd of mostly younger punk rock bulletheads whipped up into a frenzy. Later we heard classic nuggets like "Suffer", "No Control", "Germs of Perfection", "Requiem for Dissent", "Los Angeles is Burning", "Stranger than Fiction", "New Dark Ages", and too many others. When they came out for an encore it was Baker, Graffin and Bentley, all sitting down with acoustic guitars, paring down a few of their tunes while teaching the young 'uns that the amps don't need to be up to 11 to be "punk rock." I'm happy to report that 28 years after forming that Bad Religion still got it.
01.25.08
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Elsinore
Theatre, Salem, OR
I hardly ever get a chance to go down to Salem (not a whole
lot to go there for, to be honest) but when I had a chance to
see Ryan and his Cardinals at the Elsinore Theatre I jumped
at it. My pal Greg, who went with me, told me the Elsinore (opened
in 1926) is a gorgeous theatre that had fallen into a state
of disrepair in the 60’s and 70’s but had gotten
a serious facelift in the 80’s (a “Save the Elsinore” campaign
had begun) and the place now looks amazing. At 6th row center
we had a chance to see these guys up close. We had seen them
on their previous jaunt through town last summer where they
played all acoustic. Tonight was electric and Ryan was in rare
form. Cracking jokes, chain-smoking cigs and seemingly in all
around good spirits (though he was begging a gal ,any gal, to
take him to her home to play video games). The band, opening
with an amazing rendition of “The Rescue Blues”,
sounded well oiled and confident and this bunch seem to truly
enjoy playing music together (imagine that). We heard a generous
portion of tunes from Ryan’s career ( no Whiskeytown tunes
though…drats !) , from HEARTBREAKERS “Oh My Sweet
Carolina” to GOLD’S “Answering Bell”,
plus “Cold Roses”, “A Kiss Before I Go” (yeah,
more pedal steel!!) , and several off the latest EASY TIGER,
including “Goodnight Rose”, “Everybody Knows” , “Pearls
on a String’ and plenty more. This bunch are loose and
fun on stage and I’m really glad to see Ryan more comfortable
in his own skin these days. Looking forward to the next record
to see what they have up their sleeves.
