The Top 10 Shows I Attended In The Year 2007 (With Commentary)

I must begin by noting that I did not film any of the following videos, for better or for worse. I did my best (searching youtube) to find videos from each show and I found it surprisingly easy. Much easier, in fact, than simply finding pictures. All this to say, these videos are here to give you a glimpse of the show and to spruce up my blog so as give it the appearance of professional journalism. So there you go! Enjoy.



1. Jens Lekman @ Troubadour
This young Swede has popped up on many a year end list and while I enjoy being a cynic, I can't help but include him in this one as well. Everything about this show from the impeccable set-list to the band's saintly white uniforms was perfect. Jenses's abilities as a singer and as a performer had both me and Jen (not to be confused with Jens) enraptured from the first sampled beat. Varying the songs from pop dance numbers to near silently whispered ballads, Jens kept the sold out crowd begging for more. I have never heard such a consistent, deafening standing (as some people, nay, wusses, did have seats) ovation. For the third encore, Jens played a solo rendition of "You Can Call Me Al". Although he informed us that he would omit the chorus because it was far too silly, he eventually conceded and invited us all to sing along. This was one of those shows that you have to leave a party to go to because you already bought tickets three months ago and although I had drank many a beer, run a 9 mile race earlier that day and practically fell asleep on Jen's (again, not to be confused with Jens) shoulder in a booth in the upstairs bar, I had one of the best concert going experiences in recent memory.



2. OM/Earthless @ The Echo
When we (Darren, Matt and Sam Staley, myself) arrived at the Echo a band consisting of a drummer (or maybe a keyboardist?) and a dude spasmodically whipping magnetic tape connected to a large machine were making exactly the type of noise you would expect from that kind of line-up. Not knowing what to make of this, we opted to hang out on the patio and drink some more beer. Earthless took the stage next and played one giant non-stop psychedelic power-trio jam at breakneck speed for the next 45 minutes. The sheer endurance of each member was mind-blowing. Total cosmic face-shredding bliss. Om hit the stage rather inauspiciously, that is if you disregarded the giant wall of cabinets and custom designed amps looming behind them. The set began with the slow and soft meditation of "At Giza" and the crowd, myself included, was lulled into a trance by Al's rhythmic chanting and Chris's gentle waves of percussion. However, just as I was drifting off toward standing slumber 10 minutes into the song, the aforementioned wall of amplification came alive, obliterating the calm. Om proceeded to play all of Variations on a Theme, Conference of the Birds and their sides of the split singles with Current 93 and Six Organs of Admittance. In the end (which was a long time coming) my eardrums and brain cells were demolished.



3. Thurston Moore @ Echoplex
What should one expect when Thurston Moore tours behind an album of acoustic guitar noodling and violin accompaniment? Super-loud jamming apparently. Thurston played acoustic guitar and was joined by Steve Shelley on drums, Samara Lubelski on violin and a dude on acoustic guitar and a dude on bass (sorry, I didn't catch their names). They ran through the Trees Outside the Academy tracks with a couple of instrumental jams thrown in for fun and awesomeness. I initially feared that this show would consist of people sitting in folding chairs attempting to finger-pick a new page out of the super-lame freak-folk book. This couldn't have been farther from reality. The dual acoustic guitars were amplified into oblivion and the songs off of this mellow and gentle album were given new significance as each exploded into life one after the other. Thurston, not able to be separated from his beloved Jazzmaster, played an extended encore of songs off of Psychic Hearts to end the night on a note of 90's awesomeness, proving that although he is approaching 50, he is still Thurston Moore and all that that implies.



4. Cheap Trick et al. @ Hollywood Bowl
2007 being the 40th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Hollywood Bowl hosted an "all-star" tribute to the album and Cheap Trick along with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra served as the house band. Jen and I bought tickets on a whim thinking it would be a fun date and we ended up having an awesome time. Although many of the "special guests" were very disappointing (Joan Osborne?!) Cheap Trick made the night. The burden of any true fan of music is having missed seeing all the greats from the past (Beatles, Hendrix, Nirvana) and while this show was no substitute, it was a great taste of some of the best music ever recorded. A particular highlight was Al Jourgenson (of Ministry, a regrettable adolescent personal favorite) playing "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" in full metal style, totally pissing off everyone sitting around us. All in all, an inconsistent night showcasing some amazing music.



5. Magik Markers @ Spaceland
I am often amazed at which shows I attend at good old Spaceland are packed and which shows are not. I was certain that this show would be wall to wall hipsters and I couldn't believe how empty the place was. Everyone needs to see this band live. I had read about the reputation of often violent and confrontational performances that Magik Markers had built up over the past 5 or so years and although they seem to have mellowed out (considerably by some accounts) their music retained both of these elements. Having shifted from the guitar, bass and drum line-up of previous tours, the band was Pete Nolan on drums, Elisa Ambrogio on guitar and a girl (whose name I regrettably cannot seem to locate) on keyboard. The sound was all drum and guitar violence with the keyboard functioning ingeniously as the foundation. Actually, the thick noise owed a lot to the subliminal waves of the keys. This sparse arrangement created an overall sound of chaos with Elisa's free-form guitar tearing up each number. Pete's drumming was loose and rhythmic, displaying great proficiency superseded by a total disregard for all rules regarding song structure and traditional percussion. Pete would vacillate between octopus-armed multitasking and minimalist texturing with occasional straight-ahead rocking thrown in between. The percussion was so infectious that Jen was inspired to loudly complain (to me, as well as anyone else who could hear, which probably included the band) "Why isn't anyone moving?! That's what drums are for!" But of course, no Magik Markers show review would be complete without an attempt to translate Elisa's stage presence/performance/guitar-murder into witty prose. Where Pete demonstrates skill restrained, Elisa shows frightening, unbridled passion forced upon her guitar without a hint of technical proficiency. The violent noise that she produced through her repeated attacks coalesced with the desperate anger in her voice. The two sounds combined with the confrontational one-foot-forward stance and violent brandishing of her guitar created a palpable sense of imminent break-down/collapse/destruction/apocalypse. While I was initially afraid of the lacerations I would receive from the headstock of Elisa's guitar, I don't feel anything was sacrificed by her choosing to remain on stage.



6. No Age/Mika Miko/Black Dice @ Echoplex
The line-up for this show went more like Mika Miko/No Age/Black Dice with Black Dice in the headlining spot. Matt Pool and I came to see No Age and I also had an interest in seeing Black Dice based on a couple of their older albums. Mika Miko and No Age are LA bands and their grass roots brought out a rabid crowd. After spending almost all of 2007 paying to see bands from other states (nice states that I would enjoy living in, it should be noted) I was very excited to see some local bands that are proud to be from LA. That being said, Mika Miko hit the stage and their fans immediately went ape poopy (this is a family blog). The sound was not remarkable; four-on-the-floor rockers with frantic call/response, hissyfit vocals. What was remarkable was their stage presence and the connection they made with the audience. This wasn't reinventing the wheel, it was making the wheel more awesome. The smiles and giggles, adhd dance moves, chit-chat and inside jokes all clued me in to what their fans already knew. This was good times; 2007 punk rock, LA style. No Age took off about a half hour later and rapidly laid waste to the place. Dean Spunt and Randy Randall were formerly in a band called Wives which Jen and I saw open for Dinosaur Jr in 2004. Wives was good, but they let their punk get in the way of their rock. I never bought their album, but there is no way it can even be close to as good as their current incarnation. Dean's on drums/vocals and Randy's on guitar. While I was unable to hear the vocals, being smashed against the front of the stage and all, it didn't matter. The cacophony created by these two instruments was enough to make me (and Matt) completely lose our stuff (family blog, remember?). Dean's drumming served as texture to the layered guitar lines that Randy repeatedly built up and subsequently demolished. The build-up and release that occurred in each of their three-minutes-or-less songs would have taken lesser bands quadruple lps to create. The deafening sound at the peak of each guitar riff was enough to split concrete and the panic that built with the increasing frenzy of Dean's drumming caused even the most stoic of hipsters to convulse in fits of ecstasy. Actually, truth be told, I have no idea how this affected the other audience members. I was to busy flipping out to notice. I just can't imagine anyone in the room during the No Age set keeping their minds or bodies under control. Matt and I were amazed and inspired and awesomified to the max; completely spread savaged. Totally rad. As for Black Dice, they pulled off a great job of looking like they were totally bored, creating deafening sheets of white noise that morphed into what some could call "beats" while clicking around on their laptops. I like their records, but I was completely bored with their set. Maybe it's hard for NYC uber-hipsters to follow killer LA bands in LA. Oh well.



7. Band of Horses @ Amoeba
Jen and I saw Band of Horses 4 times this past year. How do you pick a best show? I don't really know. Each one had it's strong points. They played different sets, they were in different venues, they played with different bands (Decemberists, Dinosaur Jr, Drones). All of these things considered, this free (definite bonus) show was my favorite. Why? Well, one of the best things about a Band of Horses show is getting the chance to see a group of dudes playing live that really enjoy playing live. Despite the fact that the band's catalog would reasonably lead one to imagine their set to be mellow and plaintive with a single tear trickling down Ben Bridwell's cheek as he strums the last chord of another of their countrified sad-sack indie rock songs, Band of Horses rock out and Ben gets down right stoked about playing. At Amoeba, Band of Horses made jokes, criticized their slow songs for being "boring" and had an all around good time rocking out for a very appreciative audience. Their songs didn't sound terribly different. They were simply augmented in that crucial but intangible way that all performances benefit from when the performers are enjoying it even more than the audience.



8. Dinosaur Jr/Awesome Color @ Troubadour

Most of the press concerning the newishly reformed Dinosaur Jr album released this year heaped praises upon it like syrup on waffles (sorry, it's now breakfast time). What was peculiar about these accolades was not their fervency (everyone loves Dinosaur Jr, right?) but their sentiment. The album was not being praised as a step forward, a step backward or even some fancy step sideways. It was praised for taking absolutely zero steps in any direction because they don't have to because they are Dinosaur Jr and because they rule. How did they sound live? Just like they should. Real real loud without any unnecessary talking but plenty of crucial rocking. I went to this show with Matt Pool and Ian Scott. It was great seeing Dinosaur Jr in such a small setting (I would later see them play at the Wiltern with the previously mentioned Band of Horses and it just wouldn't be quite the same). J set up in front of far too many amplifiers and played at full volume with only occasional stops to lazily mutter out a verse or two before recommencing his shredding. Lou played total high school punk rock bass, strumming it like a guitar, no fancy stuff, just holding it down while Murph broke into an instant sweat, pounding his kit with more intensity than anyone half his age. I know J looks like Gandalf now, but when he plays, I may as well be a freshman in high school listening to his ear-bleeding country on my headphones at lunch. As for Awesome Color, they totally rule. Full on, unrestricted jams without any pretension. Awesome Color make the kind of music that all the jerks forgot they should be making. They completely owned the stage and from their sound and the looks on their faces, they loved every minute of it. I did too.



9. sunn0)))/Earth @ El Rey
Just about everyone that I know has had to listen to me drone (ha ha ha, get it?) on and on about the awesomeness of sunn0))) live. Well, sorry. It's that awesome. Earth opened which I was very excited about. While I love the recent Earth releases and their development of the psychedelic/drone/doom/metal/country genre, I was pretty decently bored with their live set. The sound was spectacular but it could have been louder (in memory, that is) and there wasn't much to watch. Silly complaints, but I suppose I expected the legendary Earth to be more mind-blowing. I'll probably go see them again and in the meantime I will console myself by listening to their records. sunn0))) made their entrance by shutting off the house lights, drawing back the curtains and releasing a thick wall of fog from a stage lit from below by a single green light. The next epoch of time (1 hour? 2? 15?) found the hooded robed members of the band conjuring a deafening wall of droning guitar+vox+???. The sound was physically oppressive and mentally nullifying. There were no breaks during their set and one song could be discerned from another by only the most attentive of listeners. When all was said and done, the audience had been reduced to half its original size and those that remained, (myself, Matt Pool and Matt Staley included) were simultaneously exhausted and energized by the consciousness-melting display of light and sound that had just taken place. Good times.



10. Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem @ Hollywood Bowl
Last but certainly not least we have the Arcade Fire's return to the Hollywood Bowl. I have to say that I'm pretty bummed that (although they deserve it) the Arcade Fire made the jump from Troubadour to H-Bowl and apparently there they shall remain. Isn't there some sort of intermediate venue they could have played? Wiltern? Avalon? Greek? Anyhow, this doesn't really matter because I love the Bowl and all that it has to offer. We (Dan, Beth Anne, Jen and myself) sat in the cheap seats and despite the time of year (September=hot in LA) it was freezing cold. We warmed ourselves with our personal bottles of wine and sat back waiting for LCD to finish up. I must say that although I'm not a very big fan, James Murphy and co. put on a fantastic show. Yeah it sounded like Eno and VU and everyone else they sound like, but at least they ripped off the right people. Arcade Fire took the stage, which was strewn with all sorts of confusing decorations (from what I could tell that is) and began by running through a few numbers off Neon Bible. I like Neon Bible, but these songs didn't seem strong as live numbers at all. Jen and I were beginning to feel pretty disappointed when, like a ray of sunshine cutting through the cloudy sky, the band jumped into a string of tracks off Funeral. I don't remember which ones, so let's just say all of the neighborhood songs in order, ok? The change of mood in everyone from the band to the audience to me and Jen was instant. People were on their feet, dancing in the aisles and the band was running around stage smiling/grimacing along to each line/riff/violin solo. This energy lasted for the remainder of the set and the encore that followed. Although I have only been able to watch the Arcade Fire from approximately 1,000,000 feet away, they remain one of my favorite live acts. I just want to know why they won't do a multi-night residency in Los Angeles ala their shows in New York or Chicago or San Francisco or every other big city. LA is awesome.

So in conclusion, good times.

Blues...

So I'm working past my (personal) deadline for application completion and I have a stack of short stories to grade and I have my evaluation by the principal of the school tomorrow. How am I preparing for this? Cha cha.

In all seriousness, I am prepared for all of the aforementioned events. I am primarily going to the Cha to celebrate a day of birth with Jen Giunta (sp?) and pour one out for Hammy.

Also, my 5th period class will no longer complete their warm-up writing assignments unless I play D.A.N.C.E. at least twice. Several students are working on their own moves for this song which I believe should be showcased at the end of the year talent show.

Additionally, I will be competing in a half-marathon this coming Saturday morning in my hometown of Irvine, California. I am excited and scared. A half-marathon is 13 miles.
Can I do this?
Yes I can.
But can I really?
Maybe.
Are you sure?
No.
Do you mean yes?
Yes.

I don't mean to signify, but...