Showing posts with label My Morning Jacket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Morning Jacket. Show all posts
29 August 2010
My Morning Jacket @ CMAC
Been nearly two years since I rang in the new year with MMJ, but I feel like I spent a good amount of time with Jim James this month since he played with everyone and anyone at the Newport Folk Festival (more on that in a long overdue review, hopefully soon.)
Such a solid rock concert. It just had it all. The highs, the lows, the quiet, the loud, the fist pumping, the head banging, sing-alongs, and lots and lots of smoke. I know the album is a couple of years old, and that they're not touring on it currently, but still, it was well over an hour into the show before they busted out the first tune off Evil Urges. There aren't too many other major label bands that wouldn't be pumping their newest material. All well and good by me, I didn't really love that album. The covered the most ground from the albums Z and It Still Moves, including I Will Sing You Songs, which is simply one of the best tunes ever written. Beautiful. They also played a new one called Circuital, which was quite good, and kind of meandered over a couple of different themes. Once it returned to the first theme at the end, I thought, this sounds like something I know. Oh yeah, it was from this song! So it was instantly familiar.
They tacked the jam section of Run Thru onto the end of Smoking From Shootin, which, while it was damn good, I wasn't too thrilled about it. The ending section is so good it just needs to be extended, no need to borrow an ending from Run Thru. They added a great little end jam for Gideon and it sounded great. Do the same for Smoking.
The New Pornographers, nearly unannounced (seriously, where was the promotion on that one?), opened up. I got a much later start than intended and missed a good portion of the set. Arriving late, the fact that just a couple hundred people were actually even there to see it, and that the local paper was totally wrong about Neko Case reuniting with them for this show made it hard to get into for the little that I caught. I don't listen to them much and was a bit unimpressed the first time I saw them a few years ago, though every time they started up another song I said, oh yeah, this is a good song. So they played they're hits I guess.
Rollin Back (intro)
The Way That He Sings
Gideon
Mahgeetah
Anytime
Tonite I Want to Celebrate With You
Golden
Circuital
It Beats 4 U
Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
I'm Amazed
Dancefloors
I Will Sing You Songs
Dondante
Smokin From Shootin
(end of) Run Thru
Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.2
Encore
Wordless Chorus
Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.1
Off The Record
One Big Holiday
08 January 2009
MMJ @ MSG (A Positively Negative Review)
2009 will be a year that will hopefully finally see real progress on the alternative energy front. And ifso, maybe My Morning Jacket will have an even bigger year in 09 than they did in 08, because these guys generate loads of energy. They powered Madison Square Garden and outwards over the 5 boroughs for a good 3+ hours on new year's eve. Powerful is really the only way to describe MMJ when they take the stage.
By now you've read countless recounts of what went down that night in NYC (or you haven't, in which case you probably aren't reading this). I've read them too, and some if not most don't really tell the whole story. Yes, it was great, yes it was a blast to ring in the new year with My Morning Jacket, but it wasn't without fault. Don't get me wrong, I loved the show, and what follows is seriously nitpicky, and a little bit of devil's advocate to everything else I have read out there, so just keep that in mind as you read on...
I have seen reports of a sold out MSG. Seriously? They sold out all the seats that were sold, but entire upper sections were empty and empty seats spotted the entire arena. I thought it was a bit odd when they announced the show, but assumed some big openers would be announced later down the line. When no openers surfaced, I just shook my head, those crazy Kentucky cats! I still think they really could have used a solid opener or two to boost up the evening (and attendance) a bit.
One of the special parts of the show was a 4-piece horn section that included sax specialist Jeff Coffin (newly of Dave Matthews Band fame) and Steven Bernstein (of Sex Mob etc) on slide trumpet. They entered the stage with the band and played the first two songs of the show, Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up followed by Evil Urges. When the horns stayed on for Evil Urges I got all excited thinking MMJ was going to get their moneys worth out of the horn section. But then they left and didn't come back for awhile. And really only showed up again on the various covers played, save Dancefloors. Between Bernstein and Coffin you had easily the two best musicians in the house, and probably 2 of the best musicians playing in the entire city on that night. They were sorely underused, I would have loved to have seen some horn arrangements added to more originals, and also some non-horn section horn action too, a sax solo here, a trumpet added here. That was disappointing. Some trumpet during Phone Went West would have been cool for example, and how about inviting Coffin on for the end of Dondante?
Which brings me to another thing, the covers were all great and well done (duets with Nicole Atkins were pretty magical). But they were all cut from a similar cloth, and really seemed to be picked out only to take advantage of the horn section. They weren't geared towards the band's strengths per se, nothing really rocking. That was disappointing.
I saw another report of the show that spent much of the review comparing MMJ to the Grateful Dead and the like. What now? My Morning Jacket's shows are pretty much the same every night. I made a mix for my wife before the show to give her a taste and told her I could say with almost certainty that 90% of the songs on the mix would get played. And I was right. They have a huge catalog at this point but don't choose to use it. The songs they play are played pretty much perfectly every night, which is amazing in its own right, but it isn't anywhere near what the Dead pulled off, and nor is the crowd or scene even approaching that of the Dead's. That was just a bizarre comparison. With MMJ you know what you are getting, and that is part of the allure. Anyway, this New Year's show, while special, and extra long, and with its special guests, and special covers, was not all that much different from any other My Morning Jacket show. They played the songs they usually play, and played them very well. They didn't pull out any rare tunes from their past... which I kind of wish that they had. In fact, not counting covers, they only played 5 songs that they didn't play previously at Radio City Music Hall 6 months earlier. And they opened and closed the show with the same 4 songs (not counting covers).
But like I said, I loved the show, had a great time, and am loving listening to it again right now. And that Dondante, Smokin', Touch Me, Run Thru segment of the show? Brilliant! Especially Dondante, what a version... (woulda been even better with Coffin though, right? right?)
Ended the evening (or was it started the morning?) here:
By now you've read countless recounts of what went down that night in NYC (or you haven't, in which case you probably aren't reading this). I've read them too, and some if not most don't really tell the whole story. Yes, it was great, yes it was a blast to ring in the new year with My Morning Jacket, but it wasn't without fault. Don't get me wrong, I loved the show, and what follows is seriously nitpicky, and a little bit of devil's advocate to everything else I have read out there, so just keep that in mind as you read on...
I have seen reports of a sold out MSG. Seriously? They sold out all the seats that were sold, but entire upper sections were empty and empty seats spotted the entire arena. I thought it was a bit odd when they announced the show, but assumed some big openers would be announced later down the line. When no openers surfaced, I just shook my head, those crazy Kentucky cats! I still think they really could have used a solid opener or two to boost up the evening (and attendance) a bit.
One of the special parts of the show was a 4-piece horn section that included sax specialist Jeff Coffin (newly of Dave Matthews Band fame) and Steven Bernstein (of Sex Mob etc) on slide trumpet. They entered the stage with the band and played the first two songs of the show, Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up followed by Evil Urges. When the horns stayed on for Evil Urges I got all excited thinking MMJ was going to get their moneys worth out of the horn section. But then they left and didn't come back for awhile. And really only showed up again on the various covers played, save Dancefloors. Between Bernstein and Coffin you had easily the two best musicians in the house, and probably 2 of the best musicians playing in the entire city on that night. They were sorely underused, I would have loved to have seen some horn arrangements added to more originals, and also some non-horn section horn action too, a sax solo here, a trumpet added here. That was disappointing. Some trumpet during Phone Went West would have been cool for example, and how about inviting Coffin on for the end of Dondante?
Which brings me to another thing, the covers were all great and well done (duets with Nicole Atkins were pretty magical). But they were all cut from a similar cloth, and really seemed to be picked out only to take advantage of the horn section. They weren't geared towards the band's strengths per se, nothing really rocking. That was disappointing.
I saw another report of the show that spent much of the review comparing MMJ to the Grateful Dead and the like. What now? My Morning Jacket's shows are pretty much the same every night. I made a mix for my wife before the show to give her a taste and told her I could say with almost certainty that 90% of the songs on the mix would get played. And I was right. They have a huge catalog at this point but don't choose to use it. The songs they play are played pretty much perfectly every night, which is amazing in its own right, but it isn't anywhere near what the Dead pulled off, and nor is the crowd or scene even approaching that of the Dead's. That was just a bizarre comparison. With MMJ you know what you are getting, and that is part of the allure. Anyway, this New Year's show, while special, and extra long, and with its special guests, and special covers, was not all that much different from any other My Morning Jacket show. They played the songs they usually play, and played them very well. They didn't pull out any rare tunes from their past... which I kind of wish that they had. In fact, not counting covers, they only played 5 songs that they didn't play previously at Radio City Music Hall 6 months earlier. And they opened and closed the show with the same 4 songs (not counting covers).
But like I said, I loved the show, had a great time, and am loving listening to it again right now. And that Dondante, Smokin', Touch Me, Run Thru segment of the show? Brilliant! Especially Dondante, what a version... (woulda been even better with Coffin though, right? right?)
Ended the evening (or was it started the morning?) here:
29 December 2008
08 Year in Review
Aught-eight was a surprisingly good year for live music both in quantity and quality. I knew a move from Boston to Rochester would diminish my musical choices quite a bit, but I did have a hopeful feeling that there would still be enough to sate my live music addiction. My feeling was indeed correct. The choices were fewer, but all that did was make it easier to decide which shows to see, and even got me out to see some great bands I definitely would have missed in a more saturated environment. Anyway, here is my list for the best 8 shows of 08, with a mix of the second half of the year thrown in at the end. Click the links for original reviews.
8. El Ten Eleven @ Bug Jar
I had never heard of El Ten Eleven but after reading a brief preview of the show in the paper, I thought it might be something I'd like to check out. And I was right! Hot damn! It was a Monday night, and a long freaking wait inside the small club for their headlining set, but well worth it. Probably the only time I have ever walked out of a show and bought 2 albums from the same band.
7. My Morning Jacket @ Radio City Music Hall
6. David Byrne @ Landmark Theatre
5. Wilco @ Auditorium Theatre
The only thing these 3 had going against them were high expectations. Met and exceeded for all 3. Also they happened to be the 3 longest encores of the year. MMJ did it all in one break, Wilco and Byrne forced 2 and 3 standing O's respectively from their audiences.
4. Apollo Sunshine @ Beat Kitchen
So happy to get to see Apollo Sunshine this year, what with their outstanding new album and all. I had to go all the way to Chicago to do it, and stay out way late on a weekend work night, but completely worth it. Not the best AS show I have ever seen, but I have a hard time ever missing an opportunity to catch these guys.
3. Phil Lesh/Levon Helm @ Highland Bowl
Best venue I attended this year, helped tremendously by the gorgeous summer afternoon, but also just a great spot right in the city with a super-chill outdoor party atmosphere both on stage and in the crowd. Seeing Levon was a great treat, and I really loved the new version of Phil's band, a lot more than others seem to. The song selection was great and the playing even better.
2. Fiery Furnaces @ Bug Jar
When it popped up on the calendar that the Fiery Furnaces would be playing the teeny tiny Bug Jar I was floored. When I popped up at the venue and the Fiery Furncaces were actually on stage at the teeny tiny Bug Jar, well I was just floored. Just a crazy crazy show in a crazy crazy atmosphere. I had to remind myself I was in Rochester.
1. Akron/Family @ Boulder Festival
These guys got inside my head and just turned up the happy juice, I was in heaven. Mindblowing.
Biggest disappointments: Mike Gordon @ Thursdays in the Park. I never got around to reviewing this one, but let's just say, booooooring. Way too jammy with a way underpar band.
Other than that, having to miss Dr. Dog the day after Akron/Family at the Boulder Festival, missing not one but two local MMW shows, arriving too late for Earl Greyhound, and getting sold out from the Felice Brothers.
Best new discoveries: El Ten Eleven, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Syme, Wax Fang, Le Loup, Cornmeal
Download my 2nd half mix here. My first half mix can be found here.
1. Sympathy for the Devil (w/ Jerry Joseph) Widespread Panic 8 July 2008 Rochester
2. Hey Jude Derek Trucks Band 11 July 2008 Rochester
3. The Other One > Phil Lesh & Friends 12 July 2008 Rochester
4. Another Reason to Go Vetiver 6 December 2008 Detroit
5. Raising the Sparks Akron/Family 21 February 2007 Edgar's Club Clemson, SC
6. Wonderwall Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 27 September 2008 Rochester
7. Dirty Black Nag Cornmeal 9 October 2008 Syracuse
8. The Doctor Will See You Now Wax Fang 2007-11-17 - Headliners Music Hall
9. Better Change Your Mind Apollo Sunshine Daytrotter Session
10. k10 El Ten Eleven Sunset Tavern 5 June 2008 Seattle
11. Impossible Germany Wilco 6 December 2008 Rochester, NY
8. El Ten Eleven @ Bug Jar
I had never heard of El Ten Eleven but after reading a brief preview of the show in the paper, I thought it might be something I'd like to check out. And I was right! Hot damn! It was a Monday night, and a long freaking wait inside the small club for their headlining set, but well worth it. Probably the only time I have ever walked out of a show and bought 2 albums from the same band.
7. My Morning Jacket @ Radio City Music Hall
6. David Byrne @ Landmark Theatre
5. Wilco @ Auditorium Theatre
The only thing these 3 had going against them were high expectations. Met and exceeded for all 3. Also they happened to be the 3 longest encores of the year. MMJ did it all in one break, Wilco and Byrne forced 2 and 3 standing O's respectively from their audiences.
4. Apollo Sunshine @ Beat Kitchen
So happy to get to see Apollo Sunshine this year, what with their outstanding new album and all. I had to go all the way to Chicago to do it, and stay out way late on a weekend work night, but completely worth it. Not the best AS show I have ever seen, but I have a hard time ever missing an opportunity to catch these guys.
3. Phil Lesh/Levon Helm @ Highland Bowl
Best venue I attended this year, helped tremendously by the gorgeous summer afternoon, but also just a great spot right in the city with a super-chill outdoor party atmosphere both on stage and in the crowd. Seeing Levon was a great treat, and I really loved the new version of Phil's band, a lot more than others seem to. The song selection was great and the playing even better.
2. Fiery Furnaces @ Bug Jar
When it popped up on the calendar that the Fiery Furnaces would be playing the teeny tiny Bug Jar I was floored. When I popped up at the venue and the Fiery Furncaces were actually on stage at the teeny tiny Bug Jar, well I was just floored. Just a crazy crazy show in a crazy crazy atmosphere. I had to remind myself I was in Rochester.
1. Akron/Family @ Boulder Festival
These guys got inside my head and just turned up the happy juice, I was in heaven. Mindblowing.
Biggest disappointments: Mike Gordon @ Thursdays in the Park. I never got around to reviewing this one, but let's just say, booooooring. Way too jammy with a way underpar band.
Other than that, having to miss Dr. Dog the day after Akron/Family at the Boulder Festival, missing not one but two local MMW shows, arriving too late for Earl Greyhound, and getting sold out from the Felice Brothers.
Best new discoveries: El Ten Eleven, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Syme, Wax Fang, Le Loup, Cornmeal
Download my 2nd half mix here. My first half mix can be found here.
1. Sympathy for the Devil (w/ Jerry Joseph) Widespread Panic 8 July 2008 Rochester
2. Hey Jude Derek Trucks Band 11 July 2008 Rochester
3. The Other One > Phil Lesh & Friends 12 July 2008 Rochester
4. Another Reason to Go Vetiver 6 December 2008 Detroit
5. Raising the Sparks Akron/Family 21 February 2007 Edgar's Club Clemson, SC
6. Wonderwall Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 27 September 2008 Rochester
7. Dirty Black Nag Cornmeal 9 October 2008 Syracuse
8. The Doctor Will See You Now Wax Fang 2007-11-17 - Headliners Music Hall
9. Better Change Your Mind Apollo Sunshine Daytrotter Session
10. k10 El Ten Eleven Sunset Tavern 5 June 2008 Seattle
11. Impossible Germany Wilco 6 December 2008 Rochester, NY
06 July 2008
All-Star Break: Live Mix
Half of aught-eight is in the books. Time to reflect mix style. Here are samples from most of the bands I've seen so far, some from the exact show I saw, some from the same time period, some not even close. Enjoy...
Benton Harbor Blues - Fiery Furnaces - 30 June 2006
KD REVIEW
Krdish - Syme - 5 March 2008
KD REVIEW
I Had a Dream I Died - Le Loup - 15 October 2007
KD REVIEW
Unknown - Charlie Hunter Trio - 19 February 2008
KD REVIEW
Something for Rockets - Benevento/Russo - 1 March 2008
KD REVIEW
Dondante - My Morning Jacket - 13 June 2008
KD REVIEW
Battle of Evermore - Alison Krauss and Robert Plant - 15 June 2008
KD REVIEW
Power Lord - Campbell Brothers - 13 November 2004
KD REVIEW
Ain't Got Nothing to Go Wrong - Dead Meadow - 29 March 2006
KD REVIEW
Can You Tell - Ra Ra Riot - 30 January 2008
KD REVIEW
Spine of a Dog - moe. - 12 June 2008
KD REVIEW
DOWNLOAD MIX
Benton Harbor Blues - Fiery Furnaces - 30 June 2006
KD REVIEW
Krdish - Syme - 5 March 2008
KD REVIEW
I Had a Dream I Died - Le Loup - 15 October 2007
KD REVIEW
Unknown - Charlie Hunter Trio - 19 February 2008
KD REVIEW
Something for Rockets - Benevento/Russo - 1 March 2008
KD REVIEW
Dondante - My Morning Jacket - 13 June 2008
KD REVIEW
Battle of Evermore - Alison Krauss and Robert Plant - 15 June 2008
KD REVIEW
Power Lord - Campbell Brothers - 13 November 2004
KD REVIEW
Ain't Got Nothing to Go Wrong - Dead Meadow - 29 March 2006
KD REVIEW
Can You Tell - Ra Ra Riot - 30 January 2008
KD REVIEW
Spine of a Dog - moe. - 12 June 2008
KD REVIEW
DOWNLOAD MIX
23 June 2008
My Morning Jacket @ Radio City Music Hall
My Morning Jacket played Radio City Music Hall. And the Radio City Music Hall played My Morning Jacket. The lighting on stage was almost entirely backlit all night, which at times created darkened figures on stage with a glowing aura about them, or at other times produced gigantic shadows rocking out all over the walls, or at other times rendered the band completely invisible. Whichever effect was caused, the result was always befitting, as it showcased them as the gods of rock that they have become. It was sacred ground according to lead Jacket Jim James and they were doing their best to give it their blessing. In a true Earth meets Sky moment James ascended into the 1st mezzanine via the stairway connecting the box seats along the wall to jam amongst his disciples. After the truly satisfying encore "set," the crowd emptied into the enormous and gaudy lobby with an absolute buzz of energy rarely felt at concerts these days. I would say that the show really wasn't all that much different than most any MMJ show, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The venue and circumstance of the show seemed to take precedent over what was actually played, for both the band and the audience.
04 April 2007
Pops on the Edge 07
The new and 3rd edition of Boston Pops' Pops on the Edge was announced yesterday. The Cowboy Junkies will join the Pops on June 23 and 24, and M. Ward (and friends) will join them on the 26th and 27th. A quick check of the calendar reveals that it won't be on 2 consecutive weekends this year and M. Ward will be playing two midweek shows. I like M. Ward a whole lot and may try to attend one of those shows, but neither of these shows intrigue me quite as much as last years sets, with My Morning Jacket and Aimee Mann, both of which I was lucky enough to see. Time for a recap? Letsdoit.
My Morning Jacket with the symphony was simply sublime. My cheeks hurt after the show from smiling so much. Normally my neck would be hurting from getting my rock on with MMJ, but being that this was at Symphony Hall, my ass and legs could only squirm to hold in the inner rock that wanted to escape. The Globe review complained that they didn't experiment or change the music enough. I would agree somewhat that the symphony was underused in some cases, especially the horns!, but with only a week to prepare and rehearse, I'm not sure the results could have been any better than they were and playing it safe and knocking the ball out of the park beats experimenting and striking out anytime. One thing I thought would have been cool is if they didn't try to work the ENTIRE symphony in to every song, and similar to what they did in their little preview performance on Letterman, just pluck a few pieces from the whole so each instrument could be heard clearly. The power of the symphony was great, but on occasion it might have been nice to tone it down a little.
Aimee Mann was more easily suited to be playing with the Pops and contrast was not so stark as with MMJ. It was quite enjoyable and sounded fantastic, but the power of the previous week's show was not there, as would be inherent in the music anyway. The Pops filled in pieces of her music that was in the album but would never translate the same in her live show because she obviously lacked the instrumentation. So it was nice to hear her music played live and fully realized. She also had moments when she really utilized the horn section beautifully, which is when I immediately realized, why didn't MMJ single out the horns at all? Again the Globe was disappointed, but again, what were they expecting?
My Morning Jacket with the symphony was simply sublime. My cheeks hurt after the show from smiling so much. Normally my neck would be hurting from getting my rock on with MMJ, but being that this was at Symphony Hall, my ass and legs could only squirm to hold in the inner rock that wanted to escape. The Globe review complained that they didn't experiment or change the music enough. I would agree somewhat that the symphony was underused in some cases, especially the horns!, but with only a week to prepare and rehearse, I'm not sure the results could have been any better than they were and playing it safe and knocking the ball out of the park beats experimenting and striking out anytime. One thing I thought would have been cool is if they didn't try to work the ENTIRE symphony in to every song, and similar to what they did in their little preview performance on Letterman, just pluck a few pieces from the whole so each instrument could be heard clearly. The power of the symphony was great, but on occasion it might have been nice to tone it down a little.
Aimee Mann was more easily suited to be playing with the Pops and contrast was not so stark as with MMJ. It was quite enjoyable and sounded fantastic, but the power of the previous week's show was not there, as would be inherent in the music anyway. The Pops filled in pieces of her music that was in the album but would never translate the same in her live show because she obviously lacked the instrumentation. So it was nice to hear her music played live and fully realized. She also had moments when she really utilized the horn section beautifully, which is when I immediately realized, why didn't MMJ single out the horns at all? Again the Globe was disappointed, but again, what were they expecting?
29 March 2007
March Madness, Langerado '07
A multi-day multi-stage festival kind of boils down to a tournament of bands, the competition taking place in your own personal preference rather than the bands actually duking it out. While it doesn't lay down exactly like a traditional bracket, it does offer a unique opportunity to compare and contrast different bands on the scene, and whittle down who are your favorites and/or expand your fandom beyond its current state. Langerado played out with some interesting match-ups, some in the dimension of time, bands going up against each other in the same time slot, and others in the dimension of style. So without further ado, here is my LongOverDueRado review.
I tried to hit as much as I possibly could over the weekend, opting for the patented Nedtastic™ style of festival-going, hitting bits and pieces of as much as possible, as opposed to checking out entire sets. I managed to take some short video of most of what I saw (many embedded below, all here.)
Biggest disappointment was not being able to motivate the herd early enough to hit Assembly of Dust, Tea Leaf Green, Apollo Sunshine, or Toubab Krewe. Second biggest disappointment was the absence of Rodrigo y Gabriela who were stopped at the border due to a name mixup. I am more disappointed in not seeing them post-fest, at the time I didn't quite know what I was missing. But I do delight in the fact that the current administration's bungling has reached pretty much every corner of the known universe. I mean who woulda thunk their policies would affect the Langerado lineup?!
Sharon Jones vs. Cat Power
After just a quick introduction to both New Monsoon and Langerado itself, things kicked into gear at the Swamp Tent with Sharon Jones and her Dap Kings. They say she is a female James Brown and they ain't kiddin, an apt descriptor if ever there was one. This is a front lady that knows how to work a room, even if that room has no walls. Gotta love her.
Contrast that up against Cat Power, a woman struggling to overcome stage fright. You could tell she wasn't comfortable up there, but she was doing her best. Just a very strange stage presence for sure. During her cover of Satisfaction, she pulled off some very awkward Mick Jagger moves. I enjoyed her set, but I had heard her live stuff with the band she was touring with from The Greatest, and I think I would have liked that band better. I loved the country twang element to that outfit, and it was missing here. They closed with an interesting cover of Crazy.
North Mississippi All-Stars vs. Galactic
I have to just say, I find the North Mississippi All-Stars to be pretty overrated. They bore me pretty quickly. And when they bust out the "electric washboard" they just lose me, that might be the worst instrument ever invented. Painful. So I caught a little bit of their set, and local sacred steel band The Lee Boys sat in. That turned out to be a nice little jam. Such is the beauty with festivals, I got my quick fill and headed over to Galactic.
Galactic played a fantastic set. Do they ever not? They are pretty much a sure thing. And when Stanton is jumping out of his seat in rhythm, you know it is on. When they move from the classic NOLA funk Galactic, and move to the newer blues-oriented Galactic, they lose me a little. Now they're just sounding like the NOMAS. Didn't I just see them? Well Galactic is always a fun time, but had to run out and catch some of the Hold Steady too!
Hold Steady vs Stephen Malkmus
Heard so many superlatives about the new Hold Steady album, Boys and Girls in America, that when I finally heard it I was sorely disappointed. This is it? I mean, it was good, but I didn't quite see why it got so much ink. Maybe seeing them on stage would help me "get it." And I did. Kinda. They were rocking, they were fun, they were funny. Definitely enjoyable, but I still say, over-rated (clap clap, clap clap clap)
I am a late comer to Pavement and Malkmus. But I do have a ton of the material, and listen and enjoy it frequently. I had no expectation of the live show, but I was excited to see him. He blew me away! This band freaking R-O-C-K'd in the USA. Damn. I expected short well-crafted tunes, not blazing hot spine melters. And the female bass and drums combo was the and-one three point play. Tight. Loved it. I wasn't completely surprised by it, but it was still the biggest surprise of the weekend, moreso because it was a fairly unsurprising weekend.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones vs. Medeski Martin and Wood
The two "jazz" bands of the weekend. But that's about all they have in common. It had been ages since I last saw the Flecktones and I was excited to get back with the Flying Hippos. I am a little disappointed in their latest studio effort, but it was great to see they are still the same great band live. Not often you will see a better group of musicians on stage together. And Futureman is playing some real live percussion now! ...in addition to the "classic" synthaxe drumitar.
Speaking of amazing groups of musicians, how about a little em, em, and double-u? Don't mind if I do. Always a treat. I think they would have worked better in the tent, or even on the smaller of the two stages, but the largeness of the big stage kind of diluted their impact. I thought the set came off a little flat. By their standards that is, and it was still great stuff.
Trey Anastatio vs Explosions in the Sky
Well we all know about his off-court issues as of late. So how would that translate to his game? Who knows? I haven't seen a TAB outfit since his 2nd tour. It seems to me that his solo stuff, while at first a nice way to escape the rigors of Phish and just rock out, is now just not challenging enough for him. He is really not doing anything new, for himself or for the world of music. He looks bored, he plays bored, and I am bored. Sure he can still rip a mean guitar solo, but to what end? And why?
I discovered Explosions in the Sky a few years ago the minute I finished watching Friday Night Lights. Yeah, that movie was alright, but the soundtrack was SICK! Who was that?!! I have been listening to them ever since. And with the local Boston show selling out in less than a day, this was my big chance to check it out. The band assaults you with soaring and gorgeous guitar playing, sometimes three guitars at a time. Each song SOUNDS like Explosions in the Sky, and it may be the aptest band name. I think every song should just be called Explosions in the Sky Part 1, EitS Part 2, etc. So every song seems to follow the same pattern, slow, quiet, build but not much, linger, build, build, BAM! BAM BAM BAM! and then fall apart. Linger, slow, quiet, and then back up AGAIN. Each song can go through this pattern 3 or more times. They are all great, they are head-bobbing, eye-closing, mouth gaped masterpieces, but after song after song takes on the same shape, it gets a little overwhelming, tiring, and repetitive. That and the fact that it was by far the most obnoxious crowd of the weekend, and I left with about 10m to go to close out the fest with a little Widespread Panic. As I left though, I kept thinking, man, Trey should really, could really, be doing something more along the lines of that stuff. No reason he couldn't, not in my mind anyway.
The Slip vs. Jim James
Arrived in time to just catch the tail end of the Slip. They have interestingly been involved in 4 out of the 5 times I have seen My Morning Jacket. Jim James was spotted enjoying their set on the side of the stage and hugged the musicians as they filed off.
Soulive vs. Greyboy Allstars
Haven't really been into Soulive in a while, I was disappointed too many times. But in this setting at this time, it was pretty enjoyable. I think they're just not the kind of band I can sit and watch for too long, so getting a taste at a fest was just the thing. Boston's own Toussaint acted as their frontman for a few tunes and added a nice new element to the music.
Likewise, I was not that into Greyboy the last time I saw them. Karl Denson just bugs me and he just brings this band down I think. I would much rather see Robert Walter with his own band, or a different band at least. I was kind of hoping this reunion would be short-lived. Guess not. Anyway, once again, in a small dose and at a fest, obviously there's some great musicianship up there, so this was not too shabby for the while I was there.
Keiren Hebden vs. Steve Reid (or Machine vs. Man)
Keiren Hebden is Fourtet. Fourtet is Keiren Hebden. I have had some Fourtet living on my ipod for a couple of years. I listened to it, I liked it, I never thought much more about it beyond that. I never dug deeper to find out the who or the what, I just enjoyed it for what it was. But I did always assume it was a quartet, thus the name. Wouldn't you? Well no, it is just one guy making all that electronic noise. Not sure how his shows usually work, but here he was paired with Steve Reid, an old drummer who is an old school drummer. This guy played with everyone who was anyone..but I had never heard of him. So this guy was good, really good, swinging, grooving, he was working his kit like only the old school jazz and groove guys can. His drums were talking the talk. Pair that up with the newest of new schools, Hebden, who's instrument was a bunch of effects pedals laid out on a table, and a laptop. Essentially, what a guy like Trey has at his feet, this guy had on a table in front of him, working it all with his hands. It was tough to say what was scripted and what was improv, but form my perspective it was almost all off the cuff, and to see these guys interact, man and machine, was something to behold. It was the kind of thing that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't, but when it all came together it made it all worth it. Very interesting stuff.
JJ Grey and Mofro vs. Band of Horses
Bad matchup, no connection. I apologize, but they are the two odd bands out in this game.
Mofro are the defacto hosts of this dance party, having played in every Langerado thus far and being that JJ is from Florida. And they were very hospitable and gracious hosts, great afternoon set, perfect music for the setting, and the addition of the horn section sounded great.
I am neither here nor there on the Band of Horses. Some people love them, some hate them, I am right in between. I enjoy their album, but it doesn't stick with me at all. I hear it I like it and I forget it. I felt the same way about their live set. I enjoyed it, it was good, and then it was done. My only real memories of their set was trying to figure out what kind of drugs they were all on...they each looked hopped up on something different. And the whole MMJ comparison with these guys completely falls apart in the live setting.
New Orleans Social Club vs. Taj Mahal vs. Toots and the Maytals
The old guys still getting it done region. New Orleans Social Club did just that, brought the whole stage and everyone around it down to New Orleans, old New Orleans. It was Meter-Neville-Butler-rific. And it was great to see classic bluesman Taj Mahal and classic reggae mon Toots. A two-for-one I gotta see that guy but when will I ever get to. Both were seasoned festival players and knew how to work the crowd, other bands should have been taking notes.
My Morning Jacket vs. Widespread Panic
As this post as gone on way too long (future posts will be much shorter in length I assure you) I will stop short of my fawning over both these bands, and just say, yada yada yada, I was really tired the next day. But you yada yada'd the best part. Indeed I did.
And I know you have all been waiting for, who made my final four?
MMJ, WSP, Malkmus, and EitS. MVPs of the weekend.
Tons of great coverage of Langerado over at Hidden Track. Check it out.
I tried to hit as much as I possibly could over the weekend, opting for the patented Nedtastic™ style of festival-going, hitting bits and pieces of as much as possible, as opposed to checking out entire sets. I managed to take some short video of most of what I saw (many embedded below, all here.)
Biggest disappointment was not being able to motivate the herd early enough to hit Assembly of Dust, Tea Leaf Green, Apollo Sunshine, or Toubab Krewe. Second biggest disappointment was the absence of Rodrigo y Gabriela who were stopped at the border due to a name mixup. I am more disappointed in not seeing them post-fest, at the time I didn't quite know what I was missing. But I do delight in the fact that the current administration's bungling has reached pretty much every corner of the known universe. I mean who woulda thunk their policies would affect the Langerado lineup?!
Sharon Jones vs. Cat Power
After just a quick introduction to both New Monsoon and Langerado itself, things kicked into gear at the Swamp Tent with Sharon Jones and her Dap Kings. They say she is a female James Brown and they ain't kiddin, an apt descriptor if ever there was one. This is a front lady that knows how to work a room, even if that room has no walls. Gotta love her.
Contrast that up against Cat Power, a woman struggling to overcome stage fright. You could tell she wasn't comfortable up there, but she was doing her best. Just a very strange stage presence for sure. During her cover of Satisfaction, she pulled off some very awkward Mick Jagger moves. I enjoyed her set, but I had heard her live stuff with the band she was touring with from The Greatest, and I think I would have liked that band better. I loved the country twang element to that outfit, and it was missing here. They closed with an interesting cover of Crazy.
North Mississippi All-Stars vs. Galactic
I have to just say, I find the North Mississippi All-Stars to be pretty overrated. They bore me pretty quickly. And when they bust out the "electric washboard" they just lose me, that might be the worst instrument ever invented. Painful. So I caught a little bit of their set, and local sacred steel band The Lee Boys sat in. That turned out to be a nice little jam. Such is the beauty with festivals, I got my quick fill and headed over to Galactic.
Galactic played a fantastic set. Do they ever not? They are pretty much a sure thing. And when Stanton is jumping out of his seat in rhythm, you know it is on. When they move from the classic NOLA funk Galactic, and move to the newer blues-oriented Galactic, they lose me a little. Now they're just sounding like the NOMAS. Didn't I just see them? Well Galactic is always a fun time, but had to run out and catch some of the Hold Steady too!
Hold Steady vs Stephen Malkmus
Heard so many superlatives about the new Hold Steady album, Boys and Girls in America, that when I finally heard it I was sorely disappointed. This is it? I mean, it was good, but I didn't quite see why it got so much ink. Maybe seeing them on stage would help me "get it." And I did. Kinda. They were rocking, they were fun, they were funny. Definitely enjoyable, but I still say, over-rated (clap clap, clap clap clap)
I am a late comer to Pavement and Malkmus. But I do have a ton of the material, and listen and enjoy it frequently. I had no expectation of the live show, but I was excited to see him. He blew me away! This band freaking R-O-C-K'd in the USA. Damn. I expected short well-crafted tunes, not blazing hot spine melters. And the female bass and drums combo was the and-one three point play. Tight. Loved it. I wasn't completely surprised by it, but it was still the biggest surprise of the weekend, moreso because it was a fairly unsurprising weekend.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones vs. Medeski Martin and Wood
The two "jazz" bands of the weekend. But that's about all they have in common. It had been ages since I last saw the Flecktones and I was excited to get back with the Flying Hippos. I am a little disappointed in their latest studio effort, but it was great to see they are still the same great band live. Not often you will see a better group of musicians on stage together. And Futureman is playing some real live percussion now! ...in addition to the "classic" synthaxe drumitar.
Speaking of amazing groups of musicians, how about a little em, em, and double-u? Don't mind if I do. Always a treat. I think they would have worked better in the tent, or even on the smaller of the two stages, but the largeness of the big stage kind of diluted their impact. I thought the set came off a little flat. By their standards that is, and it was still great stuff.
Trey Anastatio vs Explosions in the Sky
Well we all know about his off-court issues as of late. So how would that translate to his game? Who knows? I haven't seen a TAB outfit since his 2nd tour. It seems to me that his solo stuff, while at first a nice way to escape the rigors of Phish and just rock out, is now just not challenging enough for him. He is really not doing anything new, for himself or for the world of music. He looks bored, he plays bored, and I am bored. Sure he can still rip a mean guitar solo, but to what end? And why?
I discovered Explosions in the Sky a few years ago the minute I finished watching Friday Night Lights. Yeah, that movie was alright, but the soundtrack was SICK! Who was that?!! I have been listening to them ever since. And with the local Boston show selling out in less than a day, this was my big chance to check it out. The band assaults you with soaring and gorgeous guitar playing, sometimes three guitars at a time. Each song SOUNDS like Explosions in the Sky, and it may be the aptest band name. I think every song should just be called Explosions in the Sky Part 1, EitS Part 2, etc. So every song seems to follow the same pattern, slow, quiet, build but not much, linger, build, build, BAM! BAM BAM BAM! and then fall apart. Linger, slow, quiet, and then back up AGAIN. Each song can go through this pattern 3 or more times. They are all great, they are head-bobbing, eye-closing, mouth gaped masterpieces, but after song after song takes on the same shape, it gets a little overwhelming, tiring, and repetitive. That and the fact that it was by far the most obnoxious crowd of the weekend, and I left with about 10m to go to close out the fest with a little Widespread Panic. As I left though, I kept thinking, man, Trey should really, could really, be doing something more along the lines of that stuff. No reason he couldn't, not in my mind anyway.
The Slip vs. Jim James
Arrived in time to just catch the tail end of the Slip. They have interestingly been involved in 4 out of the 5 times I have seen My Morning Jacket. Jim James was spotted enjoying their set on the side of the stage and hugged the musicians as they filed off.
Soulive vs. Greyboy Allstars
Haven't really been into Soulive in a while, I was disappointed too many times. But in this setting at this time, it was pretty enjoyable. I think they're just not the kind of band I can sit and watch for too long, so getting a taste at a fest was just the thing. Boston's own Toussaint acted as their frontman for a few tunes and added a nice new element to the music.
Likewise, I was not that into Greyboy the last time I saw them. Karl Denson just bugs me and he just brings this band down I think. I would much rather see Robert Walter with his own band, or a different band at least. I was kind of hoping this reunion would be short-lived. Guess not. Anyway, once again, in a small dose and at a fest, obviously there's some great musicianship up there, so this was not too shabby for the while I was there.
Keiren Hebden vs. Steve Reid (or Machine vs. Man)
Keiren Hebden is Fourtet. Fourtet is Keiren Hebden. I have had some Fourtet living on my ipod for a couple of years. I listened to it, I liked it, I never thought much more about it beyond that. I never dug deeper to find out the who or the what, I just enjoyed it for what it was. But I did always assume it was a quartet, thus the name. Wouldn't you? Well no, it is just one guy making all that electronic noise. Not sure how his shows usually work, but here he was paired with Steve Reid, an old drummer who is an old school drummer. This guy played with everyone who was anyone..but I had never heard of him. So this guy was good, really good, swinging, grooving, he was working his kit like only the old school jazz and groove guys can. His drums were talking the talk. Pair that up with the newest of new schools, Hebden, who's instrument was a bunch of effects pedals laid out on a table, and a laptop. Essentially, what a guy like Trey has at his feet, this guy had on a table in front of him, working it all with his hands. It was tough to say what was scripted and what was improv, but form my perspective it was almost all off the cuff, and to see these guys interact, man and machine, was something to behold. It was the kind of thing that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't, but when it all came together it made it all worth it. Very interesting stuff.
JJ Grey and Mofro vs. Band of Horses
Bad matchup, no connection. I apologize, but they are the two odd bands out in this game.
Mofro are the defacto hosts of this dance party, having played in every Langerado thus far and being that JJ is from Florida. And they were very hospitable and gracious hosts, great afternoon set, perfect music for the setting, and the addition of the horn section sounded great.
I am neither here nor there on the Band of Horses. Some people love them, some hate them, I am right in between. I enjoy their album, but it doesn't stick with me at all. I hear it I like it and I forget it. I felt the same way about their live set. I enjoyed it, it was good, and then it was done. My only real memories of their set was trying to figure out what kind of drugs they were all on...they each looked hopped up on something different. And the whole MMJ comparison with these guys completely falls apart in the live setting.
New Orleans Social Club vs. Taj Mahal vs. Toots and the Maytals
The old guys still getting it done region. New Orleans Social Club did just that, brought the whole stage and everyone around it down to New Orleans, old New Orleans. It was Meter-Neville-Butler-rific. And it was great to see classic bluesman Taj Mahal and classic reggae mon Toots. A two-for-one I gotta see that guy but when will I ever get to. Both were seasoned festival players and knew how to work the crowd, other bands should have been taking notes.
My Morning Jacket vs. Widespread Panic
As this post as gone on way too long (future posts will be much shorter in length I assure you) I will stop short of my fawning over both these bands, and just say, yada yada yada, I was really tired the next day. But you yada yada'd the best part. Indeed I did.
And I know you have all been waiting for, who made my final four?
MMJ, WSP, Malkmus, and EitS. MVPs of the weekend.
Tons of great coverage of Langerado over at Hidden Track. Check it out.
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