Adventures in Crowd Management

Can you tell if you would like a stranger simply from the way they act at a concert? I am here to state most certainly that you can. The guy who pogoed wildly and then burped in my face at an Archers of Loaf show years ago? I'd probably not want to go for a beer with him. The total creep who wandered the grounds of Fort Reno handing out flyers shirtless with his pants far too low and far too close to the the no-no zone? I most likely would not want to share a slice of cheesecake with him? And the two starched shirts chatting during songs, clapping loudly and arrhythmically and shouting out "Screen Door!" over and over and over again at the Jeff Tweedy solo show this past weekend? I wouldn't stop if I saw them crossing the street.

Friday night Jimbama, Mothra and Quinnothra ventured into Northampton for a solo acoustic concert from Mr. Wilco and I've never in my life seen a crowd so rowdy at a semi-quiet show. The only time I can remember a more insane crowd was at a Servotron show in Baltimore but there the band was actively heckling the crowd and badmouthing the city, basically guaranteeing angry verbal assaults from drunken jackals. This show started awfully quiet with about 6 or so songs in a row with no banter, just focusing on the tunes. It didn't matter, the goofballs filling the audience wanted blood and were going to scream their lungs out whether Jeff talked to them or not. Imagine the softest moment in a beautiful song and imagine the rapt attention you would hope for from a large audience. Then imagine that lovely scene split in half by the shrillest "Whooooo!" you could imagine. Isn't this kind of behavior outlawed in a concert going rule book somewhere? Didn't R.E.M. address this kind of nonsense years ago?

Well Mr. Tweedy is a total pro and eventually started talking to the audience, filling in the second half of what had been, up until then, an awkward one way conversation. One by one he politely eviscerated those who needed it most. I was so impressed by the way he would cut off the assholes at the knees but in the kindest way so that they wouldn't go home, hating the front man they once loved. After one fellow loudly mumbled something about how Jeff Tweedy's father should hang out with his, Mr. Tweedy responded, "Do you have a mouthful of sandwich? Are they serving hoagies here?" During a brief tuning break, the crowd's setlist suggestions grew increasingly louder and more insistent. As 50 or so song titles flew through the air with abandon, he shook his head and remarked "these are the good parts." He also mentioned his fear that if he didn't put an end to the barrage of requests quickly, within 5 minutes the savages would rush the stage and spill out onto the street, tipping over his bus and setting it on fire. There are superfans and then there are those in attendance Friday night who made Jeff Tweedy fear for his safety.

I was in such a good mood and the comebacks were so lovely that I didn't mind the chaos and actually revelled in it. He handled it all so well and was such a great showman that it never felt uncomfortable and never seemed like the inmates had taken over the asylum. The concert itself was amazing, building slowly and featuring songs from all parts of his career including his side projects. The first encore is almost always a gimme but the second encore always feels special. On this evening he came back for a third encore, performing "Dreamer in My Dreams" and "Acuff Rose" at the front of the stage without a microphone. The yahoos still didn't shut up, even for this part, but they couldn't ruin what a perfect end to a bizarre and amazing evening. Check out a fan video of the finale below after the setlist.

1. Spiders (Kidsmoke) 2. I'm Always in Love 3. Remember the Mountain Bed 4. Bob Dylan's 49th Beard 5. Jesus, etc. 6. One By One 7. Everlasting 8. New song 9. Someday, Some Morning, Sometime 10. The Ruling Class 11. Wait Up for Me 12. Muzzle of Bees 13. In a Future Age 14. Forget the Flowers 15. California Stars

1st Encore
16. Shot in the Arm 17. Via Chicago 18. Fake Plastic Trees

2nd Encore
19. Wilco (the song) 20. Heavy Metal Drummer 21. Casino Queen 22. I'm the Man Who Loves You

3rd Encore
23. Dreamer in My Dreams 24. Acuff Rose

Oblivion or Bust

Did anyone else see Kanye West on VH1’s Storytellers Saturday night? In a word it was revelatory. I am now his soldier. I am ready to go into battle for Kanye. And what battle would that be exactly? I’ll let Kanye answer that. “The war on traditional thinking.” For you see, Mr. West is not simply a fantastic songwriter or a masterful producer or a mindblowing performer, he is also a vessel wherein god’s words course through him allowing him to be a mouthpiece for the freaks and weirdos and in the end causing him to change minds.

The entire show seemed to be beamed in from the future. Kanye performed on a square stage lit from within that changed various colors over the course of the evening going from bright white, to silvery like a mirror or watery surface to multicolored as his mood warranted. Above him was another reflective square hanging from the ceiling at an angle adding an extra dimension to the future shock set design. There was also a full band surrounding the raised platform that included at least 2 drummers as well as a smattering of string players. They looked a demolition crew from the year 2112, all dressed in dark colors and wearing shiny helmets with protective face guards to prevent them from being injured by any explosive comments or egos on stage.

When Kanye was on SNL recently, his voice was noticeably off and the autotune seemed as much a necessity as a cool effect but on Storytellers, he was on pitch about 96% of the time and it elevated the songs drastically. He was belting out all his newest jams and ferociously spitting hot fire on older hits like “Flashing Lights.” Songs were manipulated into mulitpart medleys or else drawn out with extended jams where the drummers pummeled their instruments as Kanye waxed poetic on the tragic events leading up to 808s and Heartbreak and the near constant criticism he suffers at the hands of reporters, bloggers, haters, parents, close minded jerks and anyone else put off by comments like “My biggest regret in life is not being able to watch myself perform. Y’all know a pleasure I will never have.”

One of the most incredible and shocking events came during a jam/breakdown, one of the many “storytelling” portions of the show where Kanye expounded on a variety of topics, some of which were censored and/or cut from the show entirely. During this particular story, Kanye divulged that he’s not much of a reader so most of his quotes are from movies or from conversations he’s had. He goes on to talk about the value of actually talking to your fellow humans and how educational it can be to engage with people of opposing viewpoints as long as you keep an open mind and are willing to broaden your perspectives. After mentioning a few clichéd ideas (young black guy vs. older white woman, rich Lincoln Town Car passenger vs. homeless man) he says he’s realized he’s been wrong all along with his conservative opinion of homosexuals. All those people in Chicago were wrong, he said, telling him to avoid gay people when he was growing up. Then after this astonishing revelation and wonderfully surprising display of progressive thinking, he went on to sing “Don’t be an asshole for too long.” Putting his money where mouth is when it comes to the war on traditional thinking, my respect for Kanye increased tenfold in that moment.

I used to think Kanye was a buffoon but I’ve softened my stance on him recently and it’s no secret that this latest album has made me fall hard for the man. I can see why he’s been such a target for critics and can also now see that he’s horribly talented and I admire his stubborn refusal to back down, give in or stop trying to be the biggest star in the galaxy. His ego is enormous, sure, but he truly believes in what he’s doing and the endless possibilities laid out before him. During his more bizarre and longwinded asides on Saturday’s program, he certainly resembled a somewhat creepy cult leader but I have tasted the Kool-Aid and will follow him into the darkness.

Life During Wartime

I've finally hit the halfway mark in The Rest is Noise and we're moving into the 1950s and beyond. The recent chapters have been incredibly fascinating and heartbreaking as they've discussed music during Hitler and Stalin's dictatorships and the way these governments manipulated composers and the use of music. Many composers were silenced either through threats, fear or murder while others were propped up like puppets to glorify the nations. Composers had few options. They could leave the country and the life they knew and loved, refuse to play along and suffer the consequences or they could swallow their morality and give themselves over to the control of the state. It's an aspect of the horror of World War II that I had never read about.

Dmitri Shostakovich's tale is deeply disturbing and highlights the hoops some jumped through to continue following their passion even as it was twisted and manipulated by the governments they despised. The Soviet government officially denounced him twice during his lifetime so had to learn to subvert his true emotions and code his beliefs inside music that would pass muster with the cultural gatekeepers of the era. After his second denunciation in 1949, he was forced to publicly repent as most of his works became banned from public performance.

In 1941, Shostakovich completed his seventh symphony which he dedicated to the city of Leningrad. In its time it was viewed as a symbol of resistance and a condemnation of Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. It is also viewed by some as a depiction of Shostakovich's disgust a totalitarianism of all kinds, including that practiced by his own country but this is a more modern interpretation. During the war, the Leningrad symphony made Shostakovich a symbol for Soviet propaganda. It debuted in New York on July 19, 1942 with professional badass Arturo Toscanini conducting. To get there the score had to be transferred to a microfilm which was put in a tin can, flown to Tehran, taken to Cairo in a car, then put on another plane to South America and lastly flown to NYC. But the most amazing story about the symphony concerns its debut performance in Leningrad itself. As author Alex Ross writes:

"Besieged Leningrad heard the symphony on August 9, 1942, under the most dramatic circumstances imaginable. The score was flown in by military aircraft in June, and a severely depleted Leningrad Radio Orchestra began learning it. After a mere fifteen musicians showed up for the initial rehearsal, the commanding general ordered all competent musicians to report from the front lines. The players would break from the rehearsals to return to their duties, which sometimes included the digging of mass graves for victims of the siege. Three members of the orchestra died of starvation before the premiere took place. the opposing German general heard about the performance in advance and planned to disrupt it, but the Soviets preempted him by launching a bombardment of German positions...An array of loudspeakers then broadcast the Leningrad into the silence of no-man's land."

Get That Glow Stick Out Of My Face

On Thursday, Jerry Greenfield (Jerry from Ben & Jerry's) visited where I work to scoop ice cream for all the employees and share some hilarious stories about the birth and eventual loss of his company. He talked about the trials of trying to sell ice cream in Burlington in the winter when it was 20 below and let us know about Ben's penchant for cooking octopus over an open fire. It was fun to hear our founders and Jerry trading stories about two Vermont based businesses that were started by people who had no grand designs and no idea what they were doing really. It was also fun to get out of work for an hour and eat a giant bowl of ice cream.

Listening to Jerry made me think of my short lived infatuation with Phish, that much reviled Vermont institution who, even though much of their output bores/bugs me, I love dearly. They're a bunch of dorky guys who are so totally obsessed with music and being goofy that I can't help but hold a special place for them in my heart. Back in 1999 & 2000, I had a chance to see Phish twice and loved the shows, especially the second of the two. Instead of the noodlery that they were famous for, at this stage in their career, Phish seemed more interested in exploring waves of sound and playing long, spacey interludes than simply "jamming" which is a word that typically makes me gag.

Due to various reasons (burnout, personality conflicts, a high consumption of non-prescription drugs) the band has had various hiatuses and reunions since then. They recently announced a 10 day tour this summer and I would love love love to go see them at one of the shows. Say what you will about their fans, their music, their song titles, etc. but they know how to put on a show and any band who consistently plays 3 sets a night for upwards of 3-4 hours is alright in my book. As I said, I don't love everything they do and the whole tailgating, burrito eating, "I need a miracle" element of the fanbase can be annoying but for someone as fascinated by Frank Zappa, musical exploration and prog rock as I am, they push many of the buttons that make me salivate and beg for more. Jimbama is also looking to luck into a ticket because the man's got a hacky-sack jones like nobody's business.

Who Would Fake Something So Wrong?

Who are these people complaining about my new main squeeze Kanye and his performance on Saturday Night Live? Apparently, some idiots are in an uproar over his "lip synching" which leads me to wonder if they know what lip synching is because if you saw the show, he sounded nothing like the single version of "Love Lockdown" with its robot voice and in-tune notes but instead sounded raspy and run down and horribly, horribly out of tune. At the time, I thought it was one of the most authentic performances I'd ever seen on the show since he was obviously giving it his all in spite of all the things working against him, mainly the fact that the dude can't sing. It reminded me of the early version of "Telstar" where Joe Meek recorded himself "singing" the melody line in a horrendous screech that consistently shifted in and out of tune before giving it to the Tornadoes to figure out how to play the damn thing. Hats off to the producers of the album, most likely one of which is Kanye himself, for shoehorning that hot mess of a voice into futuristic, soulful bliss. If you're going to lip synch on a national television show, you'd think you'd try to mouth along to a recording that actually sounds good, right?

Another recent shocker - I can't believe this exists.

Telstar - Joe Meek

In Love With the Joystick and the Robot Voice

SNL does it again! Once more they have completely changed my mind about a particular artists and made me a hardcore devotee where before I couldn't have cared less. Did you see Kanye West this past weekend on the show? I had heard that he was singing not rapping on his latest album and I was intrigued but not much. I've heard a little of his stuff before and it was fine but his ego and arrogance turned me off completely and that was that. But when I read about his auto tuned experiment of an album, my interest was piqued, and then I saw the performance of "Love Lockdown" and was sold.

Looking somewhat reminiscent of Jermaine Jackson on the Victory tour, Kanye performed solo in front of a bright screen sounding both futuristic and backwards looking at the same time. His voice was terrible and obviously not altered in any way. I was embarrassed at first but then the robot effects took hold and made it more palatable. My skepticism gave way to jaw dropping astonishment as the drums on the chorus kicked in and he began flapping about all over the stage. I tip my hat to Kanye for making such a unique, personal and bizarre choice to record an album like this and the passion which with he rocked this song was amazing. It's in my head night and day and I don't mind at all. So far, it's the greatest song of 2009 and the year hasn't even started yet.

Love Lockdown - Kanye West

My Brief Love Affair With Miley Cyrus

It all started one hot summer night while driving home from a Swampbats game with Sebastian. The local pop station was playing a saccharine tune I had never heard but instantly liked. Sebastian, always a wonderful back seat critic chimed in with his approval as well. Something about this over produced gem just set the night on fire. Take a listen:



My initial feelings quickly turned to loved as I heard it a few more times on the radio along with a fantastic cover by The Mae Shi. As awesome as that version is, it still can't touch the original. I put the song on a mix for Hott Mama and upon hearing the line "She's just being Miley" she turned to me and said, "Is this Miley Cyrus?" with a mix of confusion, intrigue and disdain. "Yes, yes" I replied, "I know she's a horrid little girl who represents and perpetuates things that make me ill but this jam is too hot to handle, too cold to hold." The power of the song cold not be denied and the family cruised down the highway, all blissed out on Hannah Montana.

Recently Hott Mama was telling others about my little obsession and always got the same disgusted reaction. Why were people so shocked? I have no power to resist shiny pop magic like "See You Again" and neither should most free thinking Americans. Forget all the crap you're handed about this tween superstar and just soak in the glorious end results of the modern day hit machine running on all cylinders. Why are so many people quick to hate her? Can she really be as horrid as they say? I was starting to become filled with painful self doubt but then I saw this clip from the AMAs.



She scores again! What a song! She's got that Kelly Clarkson-esque rock power on stage and knocks it out of the park on this one. Miley, throw your leather jacket to me! And what about those creepy silver people? A stunning performance.

So now I'm thinking she just may have a start to finish mind blower of an album sitting out there, waiting to be consumed. I read a few reviews of it, decided to check out "Wake Up America" and instantly lost all interest in pursuing this infatuation. It's a facile song riding the green chic movement and is as obvious and embarrassing as "We Are the World." It's Miley's call to arms to stop throwing Funyuns bags out of your car windows and wrapping Christmas presents in Styrofoam and the lyrics just kill me, especially these lines:

"Everything I read is/'Global warming', 'going green'/I don't know what all this means/But it seems to be saying/Wake up America"

So she's not willing to do the tiniest bit of research into the topic of the song but is willing to sing about it passionately for 2 1/2 minutes? I question her motives and her sincerity. And then there's this little treasure buried in the bridge:

"I know that you don't wanna hear it/Especially coming from someone so young/But in the backseat, yeah/They wanna hear it/So come on, turn it up"

Bleh! Screw you mom and dad! You're too old and too lame to care but that 10 year old in the backseat shows a commitment to recycling, composting and communal living that is so radical it will blow. your. mind. Oh, Miley! I had such hopes for us but now I fear it's over. Although, upon second listen, I did find "Wake Up, America" strangely attractive. Maybe I'll just take this relationship slow.

What a Bunch of Swell Guys

I thought it might be helpful to explain the somewhat odd last option on this week's poll. It's from a Fugazi show at Fort Reno where they stopped to admonish some overly testosterone fueled meatheads in the middle of their set. It's one thing to yell at your audience to calm down and it's quite another to call them out for eating ice cream earlier in the day. "You eat ice cream, everybody knows it." I'm pretty sure this clip is from a show that Listmaker and I attended. We found it hilarious then and I still love it today. Here's the (unsafe for work) audio of the scene from the wonderful documentary "Instrument" with stills from said film. I miss Fugazi.

I Shred Hot Fire

Hats off to Mothra for telling me about this amazingness. Jjosh recently posted the Shreds video of the perennially overrated Eric Clapton showing off his chops and since I was watching at work at not closely enough, I thought it was actual footage of the man losing his mind on stage. I now see the error of my ways. That's what I get for not clicking on the links. Anyhow, there's an entire series of these monsters out there where absolutely ridiculous noodling is overdubbed over footage of guitar masters rocking out. Jjosh says that Clapton is the hands down winner but I'm not so sure. There's so many brilliant moments here from Santana's starting declaration of "You're dead meat" to the keyboardist's solo take on Europe's classic "The Final Countdown" to the percussion madness courtesy of the drummer's furious snare rolls. It's 4 minutes of pure joy but I think my favorite section is from 3:20-3:35. Better than Clapton? Please discuss.



And just for kicks, here's another video that always satisfies.

Concert Review - Zappa Plays Zappa 8/6/08

Last Wednesday, Jimbama and I were lucky enough to see the mighty Zappa Plays Zappa nearly one year to the day since last year's mindblowing performance. And somehow, they were even more impressive this time around. I figured nothing could top the 2007 show where they started with "Brown Shoes Don't Make It," my favorite Zappa song and probably one of the greatest pieces of music ever written after "Subdivisions." I was wrong.

Right from the start, they tore the place up. As I mentioned previously, the crowd at the Casino Ballroom is a rowdy one and they were ready to rock again this year. During each break, Dweezil would address the crowd and most of the time, Jim and I weren't able to hear a single word due to the constant murmuring, shouting and general cacophony going on all around us. Thankfully the music was loud enough to drown out the masses and when they launched into "Purple Lagoon" to start things off, the hoots and hollers morphed into astonishment as the group, and especially Dweezil, blinded us with a flurry of notes, all perfectly played at incredible speed. It was insane but it was only the beginning.

They had the same exact line up this year and I can't imagine a tighter unit. The skill each performer has is amazing and together they are unstoppable. They proved their technical perfection when they played the 10 1/2 minute monster that has been dubbed "The Trifecta." Three insanely complex instrumentals in a row, no stopping, each more baffling than the last. The Trifecta consists of Peaches En Regalia, Echidnas Arf and G-spot Tornado and it was a marvel. I was cackling in disbelief as they flawlessly raced through these songs wondering who could possibly be a better guitarist than Dweezil - Yngwie Malmsteen? Old Skool Eddie Van Halen? Bob Zabek? He's certainly better than Eric Crapton.

Out of 24 songs, they only repeated 5 from last year's show and even though I knew less this year, it was still a more mind boggling, wonderful experience. The crowd was ravenous as expected and singing and yelling along as warranted by the lunacy on stage. There was no projection screen with old footage of Frank this year but they did have a skit during "Fembot in a Wet T-Shirt" which evened things out.

If they're coming to your town, I would highly suggest going even if you are not heavily into Frank Zappa because it is truly a spectacle of grand proportions and they always put on a very dynamite show. Here's the setlist:

Set 1: Purple Lagoon, Imaginary Diseases, City Of Tiny Lights, How Could I Be Such A Fool, I Ain't Got No Heart, I'm Not Satisfied, Peaches En Regalia, Echidnas Arf, G-spot Tornado, Pygmy Twylyte, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Flakes, Broken Hearts Are For Assholes, Bamboozled By Love, King Kong > Zomby Woof (Teases), Joe's Garage, Fembot In A Wet T-shirt > On The Bus > Outside Now > He Used To Cut The Grass, Cosmic Debris

E: I'm The Slime, Willie The Pimp

The Peacock Shows the Way

I love love love pop radio. Or at least the idea of pop radio. I was raised on mix stations before I discovered the glories of WHFS (R.I.P.) and always liked the way the sets vacillated between saccharine slow jams, mild rock songs and bumpin fresh beats. It's probably the cause of my voracious appetite for all genres of music and the occasional lack of quality control when it comes to MOR pop and other hits meant for kids 18 years my junior.

These days I don't listen to as much Top 40 radio as I did in my middle school days and without access to MTV or Hot Topic or other bastions of teen and tween culture, I am at sea without a Justin Timberlake-endorsed life jacket. I really do miss having my finger on the pulse of today's youth so I try to at least have some idea of what's out there but reading the top 20 charts always proves to me how out of it I am. Of the top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 right now, I know 6 of the artists but that's only because there are dinosaurs like Madonna, Frank Sinatra and inexplicably, Neil Diamond on there. Looking further down the list, I drift further away from my comfort zone, stuck in a crowd of unfamiliar faces. Who the hell are the Flobots? Seriously are we out of band names?

Occasionally, a band and/or track will be so hot that I can't avoid it and I once again fall in love with a slick radio gem. Oftentimes, I have Saturday Night Live to credit with the assist. They book musical guests that I rarely pursue in my own life but I give the benefit of the doubt when awake at 12:30 am. In the past I've had my mind completely blown by performances by Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne whose angst-filled rendition of slow burn "I'm With You" changed my opinion of her before the first chorus.

Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone (Saturday Night Live 12 February 2005) -

Avril Lavigne - "I'm With You/Complicated"


I also renewed my interest in Radiohead when I saw Johnny Greenwood twiddling knobs and pulling plugs during "Idioteque," a song so strange & beautiful it nearly gave me heart palpitations.

Radiohead - "Idioteque"


Recently I've fallen in love with Gnarls Barkley after witnessing their breakneck attack on the single "Run." It was like a punk rock soul song performed by a Pentecostal Southern Baptist preacher. Most times, even the sucky bands put on a good performance so I try to catch the show each week and while there have been some interesting choices this year, nothing has hit me as hard as Usher's recent run through of his smash "Love in This Club." I had just read about the song that same day in Entertainment Weekly (my source) and was intrigued by the sound of it, mostly because it's a song about getting busy in a club and not caring who is watching. It's like the unofficial theme song for Swinger Nation. The song did not disappoint, it's a modern soul masterpiece and well deserved it's top spot on the singles chart, plus the dancing was insanely choreographed and included a pop and lock drum breakdown which seemed to defy physics. NBC seems to scour online video posting sites, especially YouTube, to remove all videos of SNL performances but they don't post them on their site either so it's very hard to rewatch your favorites and it's incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, other sites have stepped up to fill the gaps. Enjoy these videos while you can before NBC's brain police find and eliminate them.

Usher - "Love in This Club"
[LIVE] Love In This Club Feat. Young Jeezy / Usher -On SNL- -