What BAND(s) are you seeing? ARCHIVE

So MAD. Just found out Devotka and GoGol Bordello were playing *2* shows this weekend here.... both sold out. I love both of these guys, and the last 3 times they have come through, I haven't heard until it was too late.

Where there's a will there's a way Thaadd. One can always find their way into a show somehow. I've seen those two bands together on two or three occassions. It should be a pretty great time. Don't give up.

I saw Transatlantic last night in Chicago. I can't believe they're even a band again after 8 years, let alone on tour in the US. The show was amazing. They came on stage at about 7:10, took one 15 minute break between then and 10:30.

Whirlwind
intermission
We All Need Some Light
Birthday (the Beatles) for Mike Portnoy's birthday
All of the Above
Duel With The Devil
Bridge Across Forever (encore)
Stranger in Your Soul (encore)

And yeah, it's prog rock at it's wank-yist, (two 30 minute songs, a 60 minute song and a 25 minute song) but damn it, if you're going to go see prog, it literally doesn't get any better.

@Matt: I had the previous iteration of that Bragg tour shirt. It didn't have that great bit on the back, just the S-S-S bit on the front. I'd love a poster with that backprint though...


@Jay: I think the expected answer to how I became a deadhead is "Well, see, I got high and..." The reality of it is that my avatar is really a simple representation of two passions learned from my parents. They were both 'heads and die-hard Flyers fans from the earliest of days for each. Unlike most of their 'boomer friends, who waited to have kids until much later in life, my folks took that whole Love Generation thing a bit too far back in 1970 (so says my then-17 year-old mother) So, the Dead in particular as well as every live or dead black guy from Mississippi, including guys most folks have never heard of (my old man is a passionate blues collector) were the soundtrack of my childhood. I never much picked up the blues (I ended up going the experimental jazz route, which my pops can't take a note of before it blows past him) but "jambands"--a useful bit of shorthand, though I kind of hate the term--just kind of stuck around forever.

In the 80s (highschool), I discovered metal, industrial and "Chicago Industrial" (Wax Trax "House Metal" is probably a better term) and the resurgent british prog scene at about the same time, so I ended up with a collection of tapes in the front seat of my car that looked like this: Bolt Thrower-Bolt Thrower; Iron Maiden-Live after Death (still one of the best live albums of forever) Eric Dolphy-Out to Lunch; Marillion-Script for a Jester's Tear; and most of the Dead's '77 tour.

I ended up working in a local record store for a few years as well as 6 steady years as a stringer for the morning newspaper (back when a city could actually support different AM and PM newspapers) covering concerts, so I made some great connections with labels and promoters and there was a *lot* of music up until I moved to DC in '94, at which point it tapered some as Grad School Round 2 in one of the more expensive cities just didn't leave any $ to catch 'em (and those label PR contacts only love you if you're still writing and there was no way I could worm my way into the irritatingly Punker Than Thou DC 'zine clique).

But, between all that, I think at last count, I'd seen something like 1,100 national touring acts from Barry Manilow (an assignment for the paper) to Skinny Puppy (one of my true personal faves) between starting college in 1988 and today. (Hell, I think this run of shows this week will mark just my 100th Widespread Panic show alone since 2001).

Of course, all those years as a critic and collector and, of course, if you put a guitar in my hands, I can't play a fucking note (can still play just a little clarinet and alto and tenor sax though). Was it Woody Allen that said, those who can't teach? That ain't quite right, but those who can't sure do write about it a fucking lot

Edit: Christ. Sorry for the long bio piece there folks. (And I just saw that Peter Steele kicked off. I interviewed him back when TO- signed to RRR; I had a promo photo around here somewhere of him signing his contract with a pen dipped in his own blood and semen. As a 19-year-old dope who didn't know what to ask, it was a lousy interview, but he was one weird fucking cat at the time...)

Pat II wrote:

Funny what you say about Mastadon Michael - I used to literally "bump" into the Voivod crew all the time many years ago. Partied with Snake and "Cochon" (RIP) more times than I could count.

I bumped into Snake at the end of a show not long after Piggy passed away (I think it was 2005's Gigantour at the Bell Center), offered my condolences while shaking his hand, and the guy just takes me into his arms and we hugged...


Oh yeah and BTW, Rush and Maiden are both hitting the Ottawa Bluesfest this year, I'm in heaven. Also Weezer, Arcade Fire, Santana, Steve Hackett, Musical Box, and even Kevin Costner's band will be there.

Columbob wrote:

and even Kevin Costner's band will be there.

The Postman himself!?

Just got home from Wedding Present. So tired.

Saw violent drug argument in street at 1 thirty A.M. Not gig attendees. Crowd, mid-30's early 40's. No cannabis haze. Fans. Old and too tired for mosh pit. Annoyed by -- expensive phones. Or Zooey Deschanel crap. Best read in MES voice.

David Gedge joked,"Let me know when Coldplay can write a song like that". That was great. And as much as I've groused over the quality of the group since Cinerama they were tight and the sound was amazing. They played a few newer songs to open before ripping into one of the best guitar albums ever - Bizarro. During the last song of the intros they had a tape loop repeating and you couldn't tell who it was until the music stopped and it went into John Peel saying "this is Brassneck". It was a fucking nice touch and from that point it launched into non-stop rhythym guitars at a super-sonic pace. Absolutely brilliant.

@matt - All the times I've seen this band and still don't have a fucking tee shirt. Ridiculous.

@jay - That Fall gig at Brownies or whatever. That would have ruined my year if I'd seen that mess. I just watched it again and it still brings a bummed out mood. Too bad you had to see that fucked up show.

mjl1783 wrote:

Coheed & Cambria a couple of weeks later

I hate you so much. I tried to get tickets for Neverender with no luck, so when they were playing Syracuse, I was all ready and rarin' to go, then the show sold out like 5 minutes after they went on sale.

But whatever, their new album sucks anyway, and I'm sure they'll be playing a bunch of crap off of it.

Coheed & Cambria fans,

I'm not into this band, but really enjoyed that song 'The Suffering' from several years ago. Do they have other songs like that or are most of them on the heavy side? I prefer that dude's voice more on The Suffering, but not on the heavier tunes from them I've heard.

Check out their first record, keeping secrets of silent earth (I think, or something like that). this has inspired me to listen to them right now!

So upon actually listening to the record, the one I meant to suggest and the actual first record is Second Stage Turbine Blade.

Saw Midlake play live last night and it was very good. New album The Courage of Others holds up well on stage, while Trials of Van Occupanther songs have grown. It's all a bit less quirky than in the early days (which I think is a pitty) but the band has a distinctive style that makes it more than just a 1970s retro act. Highlights for me were the jam going straight into Roscoe and the finale with Branches.

Hey jay718,

How was that Specials show? I have a buddy that caught it the night before. took some cool pictures and says Terry Hall sounds pretty much the same.

One band I can't understand you guys not giving more love is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Went to see them again yesterday and they were awesome. This band just rocks so hard it makes me weep for joy.

How come you ass clowns don't even acknowledge it's existence? Is it because it doesn't fit in the FAT punk vibe? Can't imagine that with songs like Whatever Happened to my Rock 'n' Roll?

Go out there and have a look. Some of the best rock that's to be got live in this day and age

This will probably throw the F:AT mojo completely off, but I'm going to see One Night of Queen tonight. It's a Queen cover band with the most incredible Freddie Mercury impostor ever. The guy is just unreal. Saw them last year and then just last week in Lancaster PA. It's as close as I'll ever get to the real thing. If you like Queen, google them.