Blog

+Sun God Festival: Free!
May 15, 2009
Picture with Motion City & autographs! Dancing to Girl Talk ftw.
~Grand Ole Party
~Iron & Wine
~Sara Bareilles
~Motion City Soundtrack
~Girl Talk
~Nerd

+Switchfoot: Free
June 27th, 2009
~Timmy Curran
~Tristan Prettyman
~Switchfoot

+Copeland: $15
House of Blues
July 12, 2009
Hate HOB, but awesome lineup and great performances. Bought a shirt. :D
~Meese
~Anchor & Braille
~Sherwood
~Copeland

+Club Moscow: $10
Boardner's, LA
Sept 10, 2009
~As Tall as Lions

Still want to see:
Blink 182
AFI
Matisyahu
David Bowie
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Radiohead

Here's whom I can remember seeing over the years:

* = seen live multiple times
*** = seen live so many times I should get an award

A Place to Bury Strangers
A-Trak
Against Me!
American Bang*
American Music Club
Amiina*
Amy Winehouse
Andrea Corr
Andrew W.K.
Animal Collective
Annie Lennox
Annie Stela
Antony
The Apples in Stereo
The Arcade Fire*
Architecture in Helsinki
The Arctic Monkeys
Aretha Franklin
Aṣa
Atlas Sound
Autolux

B. Dolan
Bad Brains*
Basia Bulat
Bat for Lashes
The Battle Royale
Beastie Boys***
Ben Harper*
Benevento/Russo Duo
Big Audio Dynamite
The Bird and the Bee
Biz Markie
Bjork***
Black Ice
The Black Keys*
Black Kids
Black Moth Super Rainbow
black swan green
Blank Dogs
Bloc Party*
BoDeans*
Bonde do Role
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Bootsy Collins
Boris
Boys Noize*
The Breeders
Brother Ali
Bruce Springsteen
Bryan Adams
Buddy Guy
Burning Spear

Camper Van Beethoven*
Carbon/Silicon
Cat Power*
Chairlift
Cheap Trick
Choir of Young Believers
Chromeo
Cinematic Orchestra
Cloud Cult
Coldplay
Common
Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band
The Cool Kids*
Cornelius
The Corrs*
The Coup
The Courtneers
Courtney Love
Crosby & Nash
Crowded House
Crystal Antlers
Crystal Castles
CSS*
Curumin
Cut Copy

Da Brat
Damien Rice*
Dan Friel
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Dashboard Confessional*
Dead Rock West
Deadboy & the Elephantmen
Debbie Harry
Depeche Mode
DeVotchKa
Dexter Romweber Duo
Diddy
Dinosaur Jr.
Dirty Projectors
DJ Heather
DJ JS-1
DJ Lord
DJ Mehdi
The Dodos*
Donna Summer
Duchess Says
Duffy
The Duke Spirit

Earl Greyhound
Elbow
Electrelane
Elefant
Elf Power
Eric Mingus
Erykah Badu
Etienne de Crécy
Explosions in the Sky

Fanfarlo
Fat Joe
Ferraby Lionheart
Fiction Plane
The Fiery Furnaces
Fight the Big Bull
Fleet Foxes
Flo & Eddie
The Forms
Forro In The Dark*
The Frames
Fuck Buttons
Fun Lovin' Criminals
Future of the Left

Gang Gang Dance
Garbage*
Gavin Friday
George Clinton
Ghostface
Ghostland Observatory*
Giant Drag
Girl Talk*
Gogol Bordello*
The Golden Filter
Grand Duchy
Grand Ole Party
Gravy Train!!!!
Grizzly Bear
Growing
GZA

High Places
The Hold Steady
Holy Fuck*
The Human Hearts
Husker Du

I'm From Barcelona
Ian McCulloch
Ice Cube
Ice T
Imani Coppola
Incubus
Indigo Girls
Interpol*
INXS

J.G. Thirlwell
Jane's Addiction*
Jarvis Cocker*
Jay-Z
Jeff Beck
Jenny Lewis
Jens Lekman
Jerry Lee Lewis
Joan Baez
Joe Cocker
Joel Grey
The Joggers
John Doe***
John Parish and Polly Jean Harvey
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Joshua Radin
Juana Molina
Juliette and the Licks
Jurassic 5
Justice*

Kaki King
Keane*
Kelis*
Kenan Bell
Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Kings of Leon*
The Knitters*
Kool Keith
Kraftwerk
KRS-One

Lady GaGa
Lady Miss Kier
Laurie Anderson
Le Tigre*
Lee Fields
Lenny Kravitz
Les Nubians
Les Savy Fav*
Lewis & Clarke
Lil Eazy-E
Lil Jon
Lil Kim
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Lissy Trullie
Liturgy
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Lone Justice*
Longwave*
Lori Anderson
Lou Reed***
Lupe Fiasco
Luscious Jackson
Lydia Lunch
Lykke Li

M.I.A.
Magnolia Electric Co.
Man Man
Maria McKee
Marissa Nadler
Marnie Stern
Martha Wainwright
Mary J. Blige
Maserati
Mates of State
Matisyahu
Matmos*
Max Tundra
MC Lyte
Melt-Banana
Metallica
Metric
MGMT
Micachu
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Mick Jagger
Midnight Juggernauts
migu
Mika
Mission of Burma
Mix Master Mike*
MM/DD/YYYY
Mogwai
Money Mark
Mono
The Morning After Girls
Morningwood
Morris Day
Morrissey
múm
Muse*
The Music
My Bloody Valentine
My Morning Jacket

Natalie Merchant
The National
Neko Case
Nellie McKay
The Neville Brothers
New Order
The New Pornographers
Nightmares on Wax
The Nightwatchman
No Age

Organized Konfusion
Oumou Sangare
Ozzy Osbourne

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Pale Young Gentlemen
Pattern Is Movement
Patti Smith***
Paul and The Patients
Paul Young
Peaches
Peter Gabriel
Pharcyde
The Phenomenal Handclap Band
Phoenix
Pixies*
PJ Harvey***
Plastiscines
The Police*
The Polyphonic Spree*
Portishead
Portugal. The Man
The Pretenders*
Pretty Girls Make Graves
Prince
Prince Paul
The Prodigy*
Public Enemy*
Public Image Ltd.

Q-Tip

R.E.M.*
Ra Ra Riot
The Raconteurs
Radiohead*
Raekwon
Rage Against the Machine
Rahzel
Rakim
The Ramones
Ratatat
Ray Davies
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Redd Kross
Remy Ma
The Replacements***
Richard Hawley
Roger Waters
Rollins Band
The Roots*
Royal Crescent Mob*
The Ruby Suns
Rufus Wainwright

Satellite Party
Scarlett Johansson
School of Seven Bells
Screaming Females
Sean Lennon*
Seasick Steve
Sebadoh
Shane MacGowan
Sheila E
Shearwater
Shilpa Ray & her Happy Hookers
Sigur Ros*
Silversun Pickups*
Sin Fang Bous
Sinead O'Connor
Skybombers
Smash Mouth
The Smashing Pumpkins
Sneaky Sound System*
Spiritualized
Snoop Dogg*
Snow Patrol
Sonic Youth*
Soulwax*
Spoon*
St. Vincent*
Starsailor
Stephane Wrembel
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Stereo Total
Stereophonics
Steve Aoki
Steve Soto & The Twisted Hearts*
Sting
The Style Council
The Sugarcubes
Sunbears

Talib Kweli*
Tapes 'n Tapes
The Teenagers*
Tegan and Sara
Telepathe
Tenacious D
These Are Powers
Tiny Masters of Today
Tokyo Police Club*
Tom McRae*
Tracy Chapman
Two Gallants

U2***
Uffie

Vampire Weekend*
Van Morrison
Via Tania
Violent Femmes*
The Virgin Prunes

warpaint*
Warren Zevon
We Are Scientists
Willie Nelson
Wiz Khalifa
Wu-Tang Clan

X***
The xx
Xzibit

Yeah Yeah Yeahs*
Young Jeezy
Yuka Honda

!!!
18th Dye
10,000 Maniacs

1. How did you get into 31?
Tsunami Bomb
I first heard them on a duncan yoyo video. then my cousin got me into them again.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?
Broken Social Scene
i think it was "wind surfing nation"

3. What's your favourite lyric by 29?
Coldplay
"We live in a beautiful world"

4. What is your favourite album by 49?
Tegan and Sara
"So Jealous"

5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
Arcade Fire
5 includng the two LPs a bunch of demos, Live Ep with David Bowie and a string Quartet tribute

6. What is your favourite song by 50?
The Action Design
"connect/disconnect"

7. Is there a song by 4 that makes you sad?
Regina Spektor
maybe "Samson"

8. What is your favourite song by 15?
Explosions in the Sky
"Your hand in Mine"

9. What is your favourite song by 5?
Interpol
"Narc"

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
Danny Elfman
the opening credits to charlie and the chocolate factory.

11. What is your favorite album by 40?
Beastie Boys
"The Mix Up"

12. What is your favourite song by 10?
Rilo Kiley
"the frug"

13. What is a good memory you have involving 33?
The Strokes
driving in the car with my friend Joey

14. What is your favourite song by 37?
Iron And Wine
"boy with a coin"

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Honeybear"

16. How many times have you seen 24 live?
Bright Eyes
none. but its only a matter of time

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
The Shins
"Caring is Creepy"

18. What is your favourite album by 11?
Modest Mouse
"the moon and antarctica"

19. Who is a favourite member of 1?
The Mars Volta
Adrian Terrazas

20. Have you ever seen 14 live?
The Weepies
Nope. it would be cool though

21. What is a good memory involving 45?
Anti-Flag
Dancing in my friend Frazier's apartment

22. What is your favourite song by 16?
Philip Glass
tough one anything from the hours soundtrack

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47?
Grand Ole Party
"Look Out Young Son" my top played track i beieve

24. What is your favourite album by 21?
Miles Davis
Birth of the Cool

25. What is your favourite song by 18?
Band of Horses
"Is there a Ghost"

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 38?
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
"Throwdown and the Hoedown"

27. What is your favourite lyric by 3?
Beck
"Fax machine anthems, get your damn hands up"

28. What is you favourite song by 2?
Radiohead
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
Aqualung
"Strange and Beautiful"

30. What is your favorite song by 8?
Bloc Party
"Like eating Glass"

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
José González
none. :(

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
Dntel
not really sure maybe "(this is) the dream of evan and chan"

33. What is you favourite album by 12?
The Postal Service
Give Up- the only full length

34. What is the worst song by 46?
Squirrel Nut Zippers
worst song? but theyre all so good! maybe twilight

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
maybe "Suck my Kiss"

36. What is you favourite album by 42?
Feist
The Reminder

37. How many times have you seen 39 live?
The Flaming Lips
None.

38. What is your favourite album by 36?
Sigur Rós
( )-Amazing Album

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
Blonde Redhead
Dr. Strangeluv

40. What is you favorite album by 7?
Azure Ray
"Hold on Love"

That was fun.

The Hood Internet - DePaul University (01/09/2009)

The Virgins w/ Lissy Trullie - Schubas (01/29/2009)

Lykke Li - The Metro (02/07/2009)

Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham (performing 13 Most Beautiful... Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests) - Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art (03/07/2009)

The Kills w/ Magic Wands - The Metro (05/09/2009)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs w/ Grand Ole Party - The Aragon (05/26/09)

What was the last concert you attended?
Amon Amarth/ Ensiferum/ Belphegor/ The Absence @ The House of Blues in Chicago, 10/13/08

How many people were there?
i dunno, a few hundred at least

What bands have you seen in concert the most, and how many times?
Haste the Day (when Jimmy was still the singer)- 7 times
Black Label Society- 6 times
Still Remains- 5 times (b/c they played with Haste the Day a lot)
Umphrey's McGee- 4 times
Demiricous- 4 times

Do you have any set lists? From what bands?
the actual physical set list that the band had taped to the floor or wherever? No. I do have a ton of set lists that I wrote down from different bands at Bonnaroo each year, both Tool shows, and Amon Amarth.

Are there any CDs in close proximity to you? Which ones?
hundreds. I shan't name them all.

What band are you in the mood to see live right this second?
Tool (I'm always in the mood to see them, so I suppose they don't count), Amon Amarth, Phish, Yonder Mountain String Band, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Amorphis

Have you ever been on a tour bus?
nein.

Have you ever partied with a band?
A famous band? No. A band? Many a time.

How many states/provinces have you been to concerts in?
5. Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio, Washington D.C.

What bands did you see live the month of May
hmmm. I'm not sure I went to any concerts in May.

What CD are you addicted to at the moment?
Amon Amarth- Twilight of the Thunder God

Who is one band that you used to like, but now you can't stand?
AFI definitely.

Have you ever been on anyone's guest list? Who's?
nein.

Last band person that you got a picture with?
I've met tons of bands, but i've never had the foresight to bring a camera for a picture.

Do you consider yourself a groupie?
uhhh no.

If you were to name a boy and a girl after any band....what would you name them?
i dunno....I could be boring and say Rodrigo (boy) and Gabriela (girl), but I'm gonna go with Reverend Peyton (boy) and Big Damn (girl).

How old were you when you went to your first concert?
7 for a concert with my Ma, 14 for my first unsupervised concert

Who was it?
7- Tom Petty, 14- MxPx (gay), Orgy, The Offspring, Disturbed, and Incubus.

What bands haven't you seen yet that you want to see?
Phish (reunion tour!!!), Daft Punk, Rammstein, Opeth, Bloodbath, Tom Waits

Are you wearing a band shirt right now?
of course I am, Grateful Dead shirt over a Bob Marley shirt.

What band do you own the most merch of?
who knows, I have soooooo many band-related shirts and things. I'd guess Tool, Grateful Dead, or The Agony Scene.

What song is on your myspace right now?
i dunno, i never visit my myspace anymore. It's probably something like "song has been deleted by artist" or some shit.

Have you ever met that band?
---

Do you ever do anything crazy at shows?
not usually, but it depends what's in me and who I'm with.

What are your favorite venues to go to shows at?
the Bonnaroo Farm, The Lawn at White River, Egyptian Room

What band do you have the most performance pictures of?
who knows. I take hundreds of pictures at Bonnaroo every year, so probably a band that's played there more than one of the times I've been there.

Would you ever get a tattoo representing a band?
waaaay ahead of ya.

How many concerts do you average a year?
the last couple of years I'd say I've been to 10-15 per year, but all during high school and my first couple years at Uindy I probably went to at least 25-30 per year.

Upcoming shows?
Widespread Panic (Nov.5), The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band/ The Avett Brothers (Nov.21), The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band (homecoming show, 12/26), Ricky Skaggs (May 2)

List every band you've EVER seen live, no matter how obscure.
Tool x2, Amon Amarth, Slayer x2, Metallica x2, The Agony Scene x2, Haste the Day (with Jimmy Ryan) x7, Demiricous x4, System of a Down x3, Shadows Fall x3, Nine Inch Nails, Napalm Death, Ensiferum, Belphegor, Obituary, Still Remains x5, Dimmu Borgir, Marilyn Manson x2, Rob Zombie x2, Black Label Society x6, Slipknot x2, Cradle of Filth, The Absence, Iron Maiden, Superjoint Ritual, Lamb of God, Trivium, Mindless Self Indulgence, Deftones, Mastodon x2, Norma Jean x3, Clutch x2, ZAO x3, Meshuggah x2, Black Sabbath x2, ozzy x2, Unearth x3, God Forbid x2, As I Lay Dying x3, Korn x2, Mudvayne x3, Drowning Pool x2, Hatebreed x3, Otep x3, Killswitch Engage x2, E Town Concrete x2, Atreyu x2, Bleeding Through x3, Lacuna Coil x3, Linkin Park x2, Disturbed x4, Voivod, Memento, Judas Priest, Arch Enemy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Deadsy, Evergreen Terrace, Project 86, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age, The Sword, Strapping Young Lad, Between the Buried and Me, DragonForce, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, DevilDriver, Darkest Hour, The Union Underground, Godhead, In Flames, Mushroomhead, Poison the Well, Bauhaus, Peaches, Chimaira, Wolfmother, Papa Roach x2, Crazy Town, Systematic, Nonpoint, Spineshank, No One, Pressure 4-5, American Head Charge, Pure Rubbish, Beautiful Creatures, P.O.D., Adema, Down, SOiL, Flaw, 3rd Strike, Pulse Ultra, Ill Nino, Glassjaw, The Used, Switched, Chevelle, Hotwire, Grade 8, Twisted Method, Nothingface, Unloco, Depswa, Motograter, Sworn Enemy, Revolution Smile, Endo, Everytime I Die, Magna-Fi, Throwdown, A Dozen Furies, The Haunted, Bury Your Dead, It Dies Today, Soilwork, Gizmachi, Wicked Wisdom, Limp Bizkit, The Offspring, Incubus, MxPx, Orgy, Puddle of Mudd, French Toast, Calico System, Destination:Earth x2, Self Destructed Dream x2, Eighteen Visions, The Bronx, Amongst the Swarm, Sinai Beach, Dead to Fall, All That Remains, The Red Chord, Walls of Jericho, Full Blown Chaos, Bad Acid Trip, A Life Once Lost, Yonder Mountain String Band x2, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band x3, Girl Talk, Keller Williams, The Flaming Lips, Les Claypool x2, Matisyahu, Oysterhead, Radiohead, Sigur Rós, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Youngblood Brass Band x2, Death Cab for Cutie x3, Grupo Fantasma x2, Pearl Jam, Gogol Bordello x2, Mute Math x2, Tom Petty x2, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Nightwatchman, moe., Bright Eyes, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, The Black Angels, Tea Leaf Green, John Butler Trio, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, The Roots, Ween, Pete Yorn, Wilco, The White Stripes, Widespread Panic x2, Ben Folds x2, Umphrey's McGee x4, My Morning Jacket x2, Steel Pulse, Medeski Martin & Wood, Blues Traveler, Cypress Hill, Paolo Nutini, Regina Spektor, Ziggy Marley, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Warren Haynes interview/acoustic set, Aesop Rock, Andrew Bird, The String Cheese Incident, Sound Tribe Sector 9 x2, Damien Rice, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Sasha & John Digweed, Phil Lesh & Friends x2, Bob Weir & Ratdog, Keller Williams (WMD's), SuperJam (with John Paul Jones, Ben Harper, and ?uestlove), Dr. Dog, Gov't Mule, Galactic, The Decemberists, Dr. John, The Dresden Dolls, Jerry Douglas, Rusted Root, Rebirth Brass Band, Toubab Krewe, North Mississippi Allstars, Iswhat?!, John Mellencamp, The Why Store, Hootie & the Blowfish, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, Original State of Mind x2, The Little Ones, The New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Sam Roberts Band, Tenderhooks, The National, Dubconscious, Uncle Earl, Rx Bandits, Cold War Kids, Brazilian Girls, Tortoise, Kings of Leon, Hot Chip, The Black Keys, Mago: Billy Martin & John Medeski, DJ Shadow, Railroad Earth, The Slip, Firecracker Jazz Band, Fountains of Wayne, Xavier Rudd, The Hold Steady, Spoon, Franz Ferdinand, The Police, Sonya Kitchell, David Bromberg and Angel Band, Junior Brown, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mtn. Boys, Feist, Superdrag, Grand Ole Party, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Lez Zeppelin, Dark Star Orchestra, Steel Train, José González, Tegan and Sara, Stephen Marley, The Bluegrass Allstars (Luke Bulla, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Bryan Sutton), The Swell Season, The Raconteurs, Rilo Kiley, M.I.A., Willie Nelson, MSTRKRFT, SuperJam feat. Les Claypool & members of Gogol Bordello playing "Gypsybilly" music, DJ Tiësto, The Disco Biscuits, Little Feat, Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet feat. Bela Fleck, Ozomatli, Cat Power, The Avett Brothers, Zappa Plays Zappa, Iron & Wine, B.B. King, Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road, Jack Johnson, Chromeo, Ghostland Observatory, The Afromotive, Rogue Wave, The Lee Boys, Serena Ryder, Ladytron, Robert Randolph's Revival, O.A.R., Acoustic performance with Larry Campbell, Jackie Greene, Phil Lesh, & Teresa Williams, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss feat. T Bone Burnett, Blue Öyster Cult

Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins at Park West - March 14, 2006
featuring
Whispertown2000
Johnathan Rice

Sufjan Stevens at the Riviera - 2006
featuring
My Brightest Diamond
Additional Notes: Got to meet Sufjan with backstage pass and also met lead singer of My Brightest Diamond.

Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins at the Vic - October 4, 2006
featuring
Vietnam
Michael Runion
Additional Notes: Met Jenny Lewis and one of the Watson twins!

Wax On Radio at the House Cafe - June 2007
featuring
??? (missed most of)
Unwed Sailor

Wax On Radio at the Metro - July 14, 2007
featuring
Unwed Sailor (missed)
Company of Thieves

Rilo Kiley at the Riviera - September 15, 2007
featuring
Grand Ole Party
Johnathan Rice

The Mars Volta at the Aragon Ballroom Theatre - April 20, 2008
Additional Notes: 420!!!!

Radiohead at Lollapalooza (Grant Park) - August 1, 2008
featuring
Duffy
The Black Keys
Mates of State
Cat Power
The Raconteurs
Bloc Party

Tue 9 Sep – Spiritualized, Grand Ole Party

Recently, I've been going to shows by bands I'm only sort of familiar with and walking out of the show a big fan. It happened with Bon Iver, with Secret Chiefs 3, with Decibully, and now with Spiritualized. I'd listened casually to the band's two most well-known records before last night, 1997's Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space and this year's Songs in A&E, but now I want to go buy all their records and listen to them on headphones in the dark, repeatedly.

Amy and I got there early since there was no opening act advertised, but there turned out to be an opening act. The band is called Grand Ole Party, and they're a three-piece from San Diego who play '60s garage rock, essentially, but with enough variety and energy that I didn't get bored sitting through 35 minutes of a band I'd never heard before (that's pretty tough). The band is made up of a female drummer/lead singer and a guitarist and bassist who both sing backup vocals. The drummer/singer is probably sick of being compared to Meg White, and the comparison isn't really all that apt apart from them both being attractive, brunette drummers in garagey sorta bands. I heard a little bit (just a little) of Fiona Apple's warble in her voice, but the context was really far removed from anything Apple's ever done. The music, like I said, is garagey, but they kept the tempos varied and occasionally threw in a bit of Specials/Elvis Costello-esque up-stroke guitar and noodley basslines, without ever sounding like Costello or The Specials. Another tune featured the guitarist doing his very best Duane Allman impression, which was actually kind of good. The crowd at Turner Hall was seated throughout the set, but I get the feeling if we were seeing this band in a small, loud, club, everyone would be shaking the shit out of their asses. That phrase turned out way grosser than I intended.

Wikipedia informs me that Spiritualized is really just one guy, Jason Pierce, and all the other musicians come and go for an album or two. Last night, he was playing guitar and singing lead vocals and he was backed by another guitarist, a bassist, a keyboardist, a drummer, and two backup singers. The backup singers were surprising, since they were black and female in a band comprised of a bunch of pasty, white, British guys. They sounded great and fit well, though it was clear the choice was more inspired by "Gimme Shelter" and "The Great Gig in the Sky" than actual gospel music. But who cares! They did the backup singer dances you'd expect at a Michael McDonald concert and they sounded great all night. One highlight was during the title track from Ladies and Gentlemen when the two singers and Pierce were singing the gorgeous melodies and then, out of nowhere, they all sang one dramatic chorus of "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" (y'know, wise... men... say...) at the end.

The softer, prettier songs, like A&E's "Death Take Your Fiddle" sounded great, but it was the harder-edged tracks where the band really shimmered. "Come Together" shook the hall and elicited lots of knowing grins late in the set and "Lay Back in the Sun" (at least I think that's what the song is called - I tried to remember lyrics and locate a song of theirs with a similar name) was the highlight of the night even though I'd never heard it before - high energy and memorably uplifting. The only misstep was a long noisy jam at the end of the set that was pretty excessive, but I guess all bands with an experimental edge to them need to try their listeners' patience once in a while. Sometimes it's worth the trip, sometimes it's not.

Pierce sometimes uses the pseudonym "J. Spaceman" and makes lots of references to spacey stuff, and I think it's fitting. Their music is like a dramatization of a rocket's launch; the excitement of venturing into the unknown combined with melancholy reflection on everything you're going to miss about life on Earth.

A meme about your top artists.


1. How did you get into 29?
New Buffalo: I found her off of a random music blog last spring (2007).
Okkervil River I found because I was in love with Iron & Wine and I was looking for more folk/folk rock bands. They are amazing live!


2. What was the first song you ever heard by 23?
Mirah... hmm. Well I took You Think It's Like This But It's Really Like This out of the library and listened through the whole thing.
I was obsessed with Engine Heart.


3. What’s your favorite lyric by 33?
Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton
""Playgrounds are graveyards and all of our scars are permanent permanent there's no placement for places i'll always love you, you're mine numb is the new high, old memories die out 'til nothing and nowhere is golden"


4. What is your favorite album by 49?
Au Revoir Simone
I believe that would be Verses of Comfort, Assurance, and Salvation


5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
Elliott Smith
6

6. What is your favorite song by 50?
The Dresden Dolls
Bad Habit or Girl Anachronism

7. Is there a song by 40 that makes you sad?
Something Corporate
konstatine

8. What is your favorite album by 15?
Gregory and the Hawk
Gregory and the Hawk

9. What is your favorite song by 5?
Nick Drake
Pink Moon. also i love Cello Song.

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
Iron & Wine
Lion's Mane & Sleeping Diagonally are my top two happy ones


11. What is your favorite album by 10?
Indigo Girls
ahh that's hard. it's between Despite Our Differences, 1200 Curfews, and Become You


12. What is your favorite song by 39?
Keren Ann
Lay Your Head Down


13. What is a good memory you have involving 31?
Feist
it was on my summer driving mix last year a lot. I have this memory of being in the Giant Eagle parking lot driving home and singing Sea Lion Woman at the top of my lungs with jess and doing this crazy clapping dance. <3



14. What is your favorite song by 38?
Mother Mother
dirty town or Oh Ana


15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
TJoanna Newsom
Cthe book of right on reminds me of probably three summers ago driving around with teri at night with the windows down and the faces we both make when trying to make her voice.


16. How many times have you seen 16 live?
Basia Bulat{/artist]
Nope! I just sstarted listening to her durring the winter and she hasn't been in ohio i believe!

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 22?
Camera Obscura
i don't do crowds on a mix ryan made for me.


18. What is your favorite album by 11?
Jose Gonzalez
i've been enjoying in our nature a lot lately.


19. Who is a favorite member of 1?
That would be Ani DiFranco


20. Have you ever seen 14 live?
Straylight Run
Yes!!


21. What is a good memory involving 27?
The Ditty Bops
Seeing them at the Capitol last summer and having a dance party at the end!


22. What is your favorite song by 16?
Basia Bulat
Little Waltz


23. What is the first song you ever heard by 48?
Rachael Yamagata
probably 1963


24. What is your favorite album by 18?
Joanna Newsom
the milk eyed mender

25. What is your favorite song by 21?
Final Fantasy
his covers of this modern love & no cars go

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26?
St. Vincent
Marry Me John


27. What is your favorite album by 3?
Regina Spektor
probably soviet kitch


28. What is your favorite song by 2?
Tegan and Sara
wow there is no way i could pick that.


29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
The Shins. probably caring is creepy

30. What is your favorite song by 8?
Andrew Bird. measuring cups or fake palindromes

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
Belle and Sebastian, never :(

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
Grand Ole Party -insane

33. What is your favorite album by 36?
Ingrid Michaelson-slow the rain

34. What is the worst song by 12?
Tori Amos... i don't know!

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34?
indiefeed.com (poetry podcasts) shane koyczan's atlantis. and i fell in love.

36. What is your favorite album by 47?
Camille -le fil. i'm not a fan of the new album.

37. How many times have you seen 42 live?
CocoRosie?!?! i wish!

38. What is your favorite song by 46?
The Format maybe dog problems

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
Kat Flint -Go Faster Stripes

40. What is your favorite album by 7?
Joni Mitchell . Blue or any of her older stuff

41. Is there a song by 30 that makes you happy?
no 30.

42. What is your favorite album by 24?
no 24

43. What is your favorite song by 41?
Hello Saferide. I was definitely made for these times &/or The quiz

44. What is a good memory you have involving 45?
Listening to The Mountain Goats "no Children" while walking in the snow around campus.

45. What is your favorite song by 35?
Simon & Garfunkel- the only living boy in new york


46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy?
Paramore- Hallelujah

47. What is your favorite album by 4?
Andrea Gibson Swarm because it was the first album I bought of hers<3.

48. Who is a favorite member of 37?
Yann Tiersen

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43?
The New Pornographers- Cars and Telephones acoustic demo

50. How many albums do you own by 20?
Eisley: 3